Chapter 28: Hidden Opportunity

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Hidden Opportunity

The deeper they walked, the heavier that force became.

For Li Jian, whose cultivation was only at the 3rd Stage of Qi Refinement, every step felt like walking with a stone slab on his shoulders.

Even so, he clenched his teeth and followed.

The passage soon opened into another underground chamber.

In the center of the chamber was a pool of pale-gold liquid.

It was not large, only about three meters across, but the moment they saw it, all three of them stopped.

The liquid was thick and slow-moving, and a dense, heavy aura rose from its surface.

Just standing near it made their meridians faintly ache, as if something was pressing down on their foundations and trying to squeeze out every impurity.

Su Qin’s eyes widened in disbelief as she recognized it.

"This is... a Foundation Tempering Pool?"

Han Jin walked closer, stared at it for a while, then slowly nodded.

"It should be. The pressure is aimed directly at the dantian and meridians. If a Qi Refinement cultivator soaks in this, it can force the foundation to become more compact."

Li Jian also felt it clearly.

Even from the edge, the aura of the pool made the qi in his body circulate faster and more painfully.

For someone with an average foundation like him, this was exactly the kind of opportunity that was hard to come by.

Spirit stones could increase qi quantity but this kind of pool could improve quality.

Han Jin did not immediately jump in.

"The effect is good, but it will also be painful. If the foundation is too weak, it may cause damage instead of tempering."

Su Qin glanced at Li Jian before turning to Han Jin.

"With his third-stage cultivation, can he even withstand it?"

Li Jian looked at the pale-gold pool, then at the two of them. A thought had already formed in his mind.

This pool was useful to all three of them.

Which meant that if he let them use it first, or shared the opportunity instead of fighting over it, the system would likely treat it as another benefit.

He exhaled slowly and spoke in a calm voice.

"Senior Brother Han and Senior Sister Su should enter first. I’ll watch from the side and go in after."

Su Qin frowned.

"You’re giving up the first chance?"

Li Jian smiled faintly.

"My cultivation is the lowest. If I go in first and something goes wrong, both of you will have to waste strength saving me. It’s more efficient this way."

Han Jin looked at him for a moment, then said nothing more and stepped toward the pool.

The system’s voice followed almost immediately.

[Ding!]

[Detected: Host has yielded a foundation-tempering opportunity to Han Jin and Su Qin.]

[Favor Debt from Han Jin: 2,285 → 2,435]

[Favor Debt from Su Qin: 1,440 → 1,590]

Li Jian’s eyes flickered.

As expected.

Han Jin was the first to step into the pale-gold liquid.

The moment his legs sank in, his body trembled and his face turned slightly pale.

Su Qin followed after him, biting her lip as the heavy force immediately pressed into her meridians.

Li Jian stood at the edge of the pool and quietly watched them endure the tempering.

The pain on their faces was obvious.

But so was the benefit.

And to him, both of those things had value.

Han Jin suddenly spoke through clenched teeth, his voice a little strained.

"I know what this is."

Su Qin turned her head toward him, still grimacing from the pressure.

"You recognize it?"

Han Jin nodded slightly, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

"There are records of pools like this in the outer sect’s miscellaneous jade slips. There are many different types, but judging by everything we saw on the way here, this one should be called the Golden Marrow Tempering Pool.

"It gathers the residual foundation force left behind by a fallen cultivator and slowly condenses it into this liquid. A Qi Refinement cultivator can absorb it to temper and strengthen their foundation, but only once. After that, the effect will no longer work on the same person."

Li Jian’s eyes narrowed.

"One-time use?"

"Yes." Han Jin’s body trembled again as the pale-gold liquid pressed deeper into his meridians.

"After a person absorbs its effect, the pool’s force will reject that same person. Even if they enter a second time, there will be no benefit. And once the remaining power inside is used up, the whole pool becomes ordinary water."

Su Qin sucked in a cold breath.

"So this is not a lasting spiritual land... just a leftover treasure that can still be used a few more times?"

"That’s right." Han Jin’s voice grew heavier. "Judging by the density now, it should still be enough for the three of us. After that, it will probably be exhausted."

Li Jian looked at the Golden Marrow Tempering Pool again.

It was a one-time opportunity to temper his foundation.

Rare, painful and limited.

That made it even more valuable.

If he had tried to occupy it alone, Han Jin and Su Qin would have resisted.

By letting them enter first, he not only avoided conflict, but also gained more Favor Debt from both of them.

And when his own turn came, he would still receive the same one-time benefit.

He crouched slightly at the edge and dipped his fingers into the pale-gold liquid.

A sharp, heavy force immediately rushed into his meridians, making his fingertips go numb.

’Golden Marrow Tempering Pool... One chance only.’

Li Jian’s eyes darkened.

’Then I have to make this chance count.’

Li Jian did not wait any longer.

Since the Golden Marrow Tempering Pool could only be used once per person, there was no reason to stand outside and waste time.

He stood up, loosened his sash, and began taking off his robes without any hesitation.

Su Qin, who had been enduring the pressure inside the pool, suddenly froze.

"Y-You— what are you doing?!"

Li Jian pulled off the last of his clothes and stepped into the pale-gold liquid completely bare.

The heavy force immediately wrapped around his body, sinking into his meridians and dantian.

"Ughhh!!"

Pain followed right after, sharp enough to make his breath hitch, but he still sank down until the liquid reached his waist.

He knew very well that tempering one’s foundation was never supposed to be comfortable.

The stronger the foundation became, the more force it had to withstand during the process.

If he wanted to make his foundation stronger, this pain was something he had to endure.

So he remained still, allowing the Golden Marrow Tempering Pool to slowly refine his body and strengthen his foundation.

The pain was intense.

But Li Jian did not care.

Compared to the benefits waiting for him on the other side, this pain was worth enduring.