The Dragon Transformation Pool’s Trial

A mountain-like oppression, a bone-chilling cold. This was the first sensation from the depths of the pool.

The water in this Dragon Transformation Pool was formed from the essence of the Yinglong’s death; each droplet weighed a thousand pounds and was terrifying beyond measure. The stone platforms emitted a faint golden light, enveloping the figures within the pool. However, this light could not block the bone-chilling cold, which directly assailed everyone’s souls.

Chi Qiu, the purple-robed man from the Gong family, and the three from the Qi clan were enveloped by powerful lightning, Pool Winds, and Silent Waters, continuously replenishing the energy of their respective stone platforms.

Only then did Chi Qiu realize why the Yinglong had left behind these specific platforms. The faint golden light protecting the cultivators was actually formed by channeling the Dragon Transformation Pool’s own energy through three divine artifacts. Since the golden light’s energy originated from the pool itself, Chi Qiu did not feel any depletion of her internal true qi or soul power.

Chi Qiu endured the bone-chilling cold emanating from her soul, observing her surroundings. She noticed that the cultivators on the nearby stone platforms also wore expressions of agony, clearly struggling just as much.

“Little Chi, how are you faring?” Approximately five chi to the right of Chi Qiu’s platform was Su Hanxing’s. He was the closest cultivator to her. Seeing the pained expression on Chi Qiu’s face, he asked with genuine concern.

“I’m still alright, what about you?” Chi Qiu shook her head. Though the chilling sensation was unbearable, it hadn’t actually harmed her soul.

“The Tianyan Method I cultivate strengthens the soul, so I naturally have no fear of such cold.” Su Hanxing’s expression was relaxed.

Chi Qiu nodded, a hint of envy in her eyes. The Tianyan Method was a Heaven-tier cultivation method, one that only direct disciples of renowned sects or legitimate heirs of ancient aristocratic families could learn. Her current cultivation, the Moon Gaze Treasure Canon, while formidable among Earth-tier methods, was undoubtedly far inferior when compared to a Heaven-tier art.

The stone platform slowly descended, and the bone-chilling cold grew even more intense. Even with her soul tempered by powerful lightning, Chi Qiu found this moment incredibly difficult to endure. However, she had already experienced the agony of lightning tempering her soul when she refined the golden lightning embryo previously. While this cold was painful, it still didn’t compare to that soul-tempering lightning, making it bearable for her.

Chi Qiu, Su Hanxing, and the other cultivators all employed unique techniques to protect their souls. The beautiful light from the outside world completely vanished. Within the Dragon Transformation Pool, only the faint golden glow from the stone platforms remained. As the platforms descended faster, Chi Qiu felt as if her soul had frozen, even her thoughts slowing to a crawl.

Another quarter of an hour passed. Just as Chi Qiu’s soul began to freeze, the bone-chilling cold rapidly receded. In an instant, Chi Qiu felt a profound lightness in her soul, as if the previous cold had been nothing but an illusion. She quickly looked at Su Hanxing, whose face also showed a relaxed expression. Clearly, even with the Tianyan Method strengthening his soul, he had been severely chilled.

“I almost gave up,” Su Hanxing admitted.

Chi Qiu nodded. Her own soul had nearly reached its breaking point. “This bone-chilling energy is truly terrifying; even I nearly couldn’t hold on.” Su Hanxing’s previous relaxed expression had vanished.

Whoosh—

Suddenly, a golden light emerged from within the Dragon Transformation Pool. A shadowy figure slowly rose from the depths, revealing itself to be the Yinglong. The moment he appeared, the nine stone platforms halted, remaining motionless in the water.

“You certainly have many protective artifacts.” The Yinglong glanced at the three members of the Qi clan, the leader of the Black Armored Imperial Guards, and Gong Tingxuan, a hint of displeasure in his tone. The four immediately froze, not daring to utter a word.

“Little monk, your state of mind is commendable.” The Yinglong turned to Kong Hua, offering a word of praise. Kong Hua merely bowed his head slightly and uttered, “Amitabha,” in response.

“Your fortune is good, and your Dao heart is acceptable.” The Yinglong gave Lin Chen a slight nod in affirmation. Lin Chen cupped his fists in a respectful, humble bow.

“Your soul is exceptionally strong, and your will is quite good.” The Yinglong looked at Su Hanxing. In Su Hanxing’s own estimation, his powerful soul was entirely due to the Heaven-tier art he cultivated.

The Yinglong said nothing further to Su Hanxing. He strolled over to Chi Qiu, then spoke: “Little girl, your Dao heart is exceptionally firm, and your will is quite commendable. However, your soul and physical body are not entirely compatible; resolve this soon to prevent future calamities.”

Chi Qiu hadn’t expected the venerable Yinglong to speak so much to her. Feeling a little dazed, she responded, “I…”

“Enough. The five of you should leave this place. Those like you, even if you reached my burial ground, would not be able to receive my inheritance.” The Yinglong turned, sweeping his sleeve. The three from the Qi clan, Gong Tingxuan, and the Imperial Guard leader were enveloped by golden light before they could even utter a word in their defense, then vanished.

“Though this Dragon Transformation Pool is incredibly cold, it serves to temper the soul. If you cannot even withstand such frigid temperatures, how are you fit to receive my inheritance?” The Yinglong scoffed. He then turned his head back to the remaining four, adding, “I await you at the bottom of the pool. Do not disappoint me.”

The cultivators agreed, but after uttering those words, the Yinglong simply vanished.

Seeing the Yinglong depart, Chi Qiu finally let out a breath of relief. She looked at Su Hanxing, her eyes wide with disbelief. “I can’t believe the imperial family deployed so many guards to assist, only for them to not even glimpse the True Dragon’s Aura.”

“It’s not that they didn’t know; for a formidable power like the Imperial family, obtaining the True Dragon’s Aura would merely be icing on the cake.” Someone actively joined the conversation.

“May I ask your esteemed name, fellow Daoist? And why do you say that?” Chi Qiu was about to lament to Su Hanxing when Lin Chen interjected. As Lin Chen appeared quite friendly, she immediately cupped her fists in a respectful bow.

“Lin Chen of the Dao Sect.” Lin Chen returned the bow. “The imperial family’s true purpose was to intimidate the Nine Great Sects. News has it that almost all the cultivators sent by the Heart God Sect and the Dry Mountain Palace this time were wiped out. Their methods were truly ruthless.”

“This humble monk also received a message.” Kong Hua, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.

Su Hanxing nodded. “Qi Feng also told me they virtually annihilated the Heart God Sect.”

With the largest faction in the Dragon Transformation Pool expelled by the Yinglong, only four cultivators of diverse backgrounds remained. Consequently, the atmosphere became much more peaceful.

“Those people relied too heavily on their treasures. That Qi Feng could have withstood this chilling power, but he wasn’t willing to take the risk. He used a protective artifact to resist, and who would have thought he’d be directly expelled?” Lin Chen shook his head with a hint of mockery.

Buzz, buzz, buzz…

Before the four could speak further, a rumbling sound echoed from the depths. The stone platforms trembled, then continued their descent. As the platforms plunged, an intensely scorching sensation flared across Chi Qiu’s soul. This burning sensation was fierce and overwhelming, its agony far surpassing that of the chilling energy. In an instant, Chi Qiu collapsed onto her platform, unable to maintain her cross-legged posture.

The other three were also in extreme pain. Su Hanxing fared slightly better, still maintaining his posture. However, Kong Hua and Lin Chen, like Chi Qiu, had collapsed.

Flash—

A golden beam of light flared. Lin Chen, no longer able to endure the scorching pain, activated the teleportation array on his platform and departed. He had previously encountered a miraculous fortune, his soul having fused with an Ice Soul Flower. This granted his soul an inherent chill, but he was now utterly incapable of withstanding the scorching heat that burned his spirit.

Meanwhile, Chi Qiu’s situation was no better. She curled up, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her consciousness was already hazy, her actions driven purely by instinct. The teleportation array was right before her eyes, requiring only a trace of true qi to activate and escape. She struggled to reach out, her fingers fumbling toward the array.

“Little Chi!” Even in such a dire situation, Su Hanxing still kept a portion of his mind focused on her. He knew that this fiery agony, though intense, would not harm the soul; enduring it would instead greatly benefit one’s spiritual essence. He let out a loud shout, attempting to rouse her.

Chi Qiu regained some clarity and slowly withdrew her hand. Silence once again descended. A quarter of an hour later, Su Hanxing was on the verge of succumbing as well, his hand hovering over the array, but he gritted his teeth and held on.

Chi Qiu remained curled in a ball, trembling ceaselessly. As time wore on, the intensity of her tremors increased until they became full-body convulsions. Under such inhuman torment, she once again lost her grip on consciousness. She blindly fumbled for the teleportation array.

“Little Chi Qiu—” Seeing her convulsing, Su Hanxing’s eyes turned bloodshot. He actually stood up directly from his stone platform. He activated his divine ability, “Intertwined Gold.” A shimmering golden aura permeated every inch of his body, leaving golden patterns on his skin as his physique became incredibly rigid.

He fixated his gaze on Chi Qiu, who was less than five chi away. With a single stride, he leaped across the Dragon Transformation Pool’s waters and stepped onto her platform. The astonishing pressure he had anticipated did not materialize; the faint golden lights from both stone platforms linked together, shielding them both.

“Thank you…” Su Hanxing’s lips parted, whispering the words. He placed a hand on her head and activated the Tianyan Art to channel true qi into her. After accomplishing this, he seemed to lose all his strength, collapsing beside her.

Chi Qiu had been on the verge of triggering the array when a cool sensation emanated from above her head, suppressing the soul-fire for a brief moment. This granted her a moment to breathe. She opened her eyes to see Su Hanxing leaning beside her, his face contorted with pain yet etched with a faint smile.

She immediately shifted closer to him and placed a hand on his chest. Several faint streaks of tribulation lightning passed from her palm into his body, burrowing into his soul to bolster his resolve. They simply gazed at each other until the scorching sensation on both their souls slowly receded.

“Hehehehe… Congratulations to you two for passing the test.” The Yinglong reappeared without warning. He looked at the two lying on the stone platform, his lips curved into a smile and his eyes sparkling with amusement.