bookandnovel Chapter 74 Beneath the Sweet Spring
Chapter 74 Beneath the Sweet Spring
Chapter 74 Beneath the Sweet Spring
Wisps of steam rose slowly like cooking smoke, covering the vast lake surface for miles around.
The stars in the sky are arranged, casting a vast expanse of light that shines through the mist, scattering brilliance and splendor.
A corner of the lakeside is further enhanced by fiery red sycamore trees, creating a scene that resembles a fairyland, rarely seen in the mortal world.
This is Liquan.
What Xiong Zhou sees now, a vast lake stretching for hundreds of miles, is Danxue Liquan.
At this moment, the place where he stood was a specially opened ferry crossing, perhaps for those who came to stop and admire this magnificent view.
A phoenix landed on the railing of the ferry, gently fluttering its azure wings, and softly introduced, "The Sweet Spring gushes forth once every ten thousand years, creating such a magnificent sight."
"At this time, the sweet spring water has the power to cleanse the body and mind, purify the blood, and soothe the hidden wounds accumulated in the past."
"We, the lords of the pantheon, the Phoenix, will use this as a banquet to attract the myriad totems of the Southern Mountain Range to share this spectacle."
Looking at the misty, ethereal lake, Xiong Zhou clicked his tongue in amazement.
With a hint of curiosity, he mobilized a wisp of abundance, stirring up a rising stream of water, and brought it back to his inner world, where he slightly fused and assimilated it.
In an instant, his expression changed slightly.
A wisp of slightly bluish-green, seemingly capable of evolving into countless universes, was refined by Xiong Zhou using the "Tai Li Refining Method" and floated above the pixelated plain, causing the dreamlike ocean to sway gently.
On a whim!
This is a rare and precious item, something that would be difficult to obtain even in the Tai Li Immortal Sect in a short time!
Following his sudden impulse, Xiong Zhou immediately moved away the solidified consciousness of the azure sky and earth, washing it away like water.
In an instant, the delusions that had been piling up in my mind were washed away like filth, and a refreshing feeling rose from the depths of my consciousness.
【修行境界：炼二重·真意当前进度：Lv.6（3，066↑/10，000，000）】
【Innate Supernatural Power: █ (Pixel Cube)】 Jumps, projecting an information panel onto the retina.
Xiong Zhou glanced at it and sighed inwardly, "Phoenix, you're really honest."
Based on this effect, he confirmed the origin of the azure-colored heaven and earth, as well as the name given to it by the Tai Li Immortal Sect.
This is the work of nature.
Xiong Zhou continued to sigh in his heart: "The thin mist rising from the sweet spring actually contains wisps of creation; this truly possesses creation."
""
"No wonder it can cleanse the body and mind, purify the blood, and nourish hidden injuries. With such a miraculous effect, it's only natural that it has this effect."
The Phoenix actually shared this truly blessed place with all the creatures of the Southern Mountain Range, and every ten thousand years, it even held a Sweet Spring Banquet at the Dan Cave...
Based on this sincerity and attitude alone, the vast majority of auspicious beasts in the Nanshan mountain range will stand on his side.
Many exotic beasts, strange beasts, and rare beasts, as long as they have participated in the Liquan Banquet once, will be indebted to the Phoenix for this favor. It is not said that they will make great concessions, but at least as long as their interests are not significantly affected, the overall situation of the Nanshan Mountain Range will be left to the Phoenix's discretion.
The remaining ferocious beasts, calamities, and evil beasts that require turmoil, disasters, and calamities to sustain their cultivation will not be able to shake the great power of heaven and earth composed of countless living beings.
From the perspective of the path to sainthood, this means using oneself as a seed to gather the great power of heaven and earth, collect boundless fortune, and form a great destiny sufficient to attempt to become a saint.
Xiong Zhou muttered to himself, "Looking at it this way, wouldn't the arrival of my subordinate gods from other pantheons be suspected of obstructing the Phoenix's path?"
The thought flashed through his mind, and Xiong Zhou was momentarily stunned.
He was probably truly arranged by the will of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and under the silent fluctuations of fate and cause and effect, he automatically became an external tribulation before the Phoenix Emperor attempted to attain enlightenment.
As a true disciple of the Tai Li Immortal Sect, he was quite self-aware.
Xiong Zhou cannot bring others the opportunity to attain enlightenment, but he has many ways to destroy such an opportunity.
Simply by logging into the Tai Li Tian Net and searching for failed cases of attaining the Holy Position of Heaven and Earth, without needing to adapt them to local conditions, and simply copying them, one can cause the Phoenix a great deal of trouble.
Destruction is always easier than construction.
With a strange thought in mind, Xiong Zhou muttered to himself, "Those who aspire to immortality through the path of Qi cultivation will face various internal and external tribulations, and the path of sainthood is no exception."
"So, this potential external tribulation for the Phoenix might be described as a demon obstructing its path?"
He, Xiong Zhou, is a true disciple of Tai Li, a prodigy of the Immortal Sect. If he truly becomes a "Demon that Blocks the Path," then this Phoenix Emperor will suffer greatly.
With subtle thoughts swirling in his mind, Xiong Zhou gazed into the distance, following the clear voice of the phoenix beside him.
In the center of Liquan, there are more than a thousand desks arranged in an orderly fashion, like the crescent moon, forming a fan shape that looks extremely orderly.
The tables and desks varied in size, all radiating a faint moonlight and starlight, without any superfluous patterns or embellishments, and looked extremely simple.
They hovered above the lake, about an inch above the rippling water. Even though they were suspended in mid-air, they looked extremely stable without the slightest sway, as if they were placed on flat ground.
Every now and then, birds would fly out, bringing one after another stone plates with phoenix patterns, filled with exquisite dishes of different sizes and styles, which were then placed on the table.
Dozens of totems of various shapes and sizes have taken their seats. They seem to have arrived early and are beginning to enjoy the delicacies on the table, chatting amongst themselves with low growls and spiritual words.
"The Totem of Abundance: If you wish to enjoy a meal, you may now enter the banquet."
Phoenix noticed Xiong Zhou's gaze, and a wisp of heaven and earth rose from its body, shimmering with golden light, and landed in front of a table, pointing out the location to him.
Xiong Zhou blinked and let out a sigh.
"Waaah."
[It seems the other totems haven't all arrived yet. Is it too early to start the banquet now?]
With a slight smile, Feng Que gently flapped her wings, seemingly indicating to Xiong Zhou that there was no need to worry.
Following behind Xiong Zhou, the black and white dumpling explained, "Actually, there's no need to worry too much. The Liquan Banquet could have started a month ago."
"Many totems have come to this place, enjoyed the delicacies, and benefited from the sweet spring."
"At this moment, they are all strolling around the Danxue area, chatting with four or five friends, digesting the blessings their bodies have absorbed, just like we were outside the Danxue Divine Mountain just now."
The giant tiger nodded and said, "Of course, if you want to see the Phoenix, you will have to wait a while; that will be the climax of the Sweet Spring Banquet."
"It is also acceptable to go to the center of the sweet spring to enjoy the food now, and wait until the phoenix arrives to officially begin the banquet."
Feng Que explained softly, "Normally, it's not easy for us lower-level gods to see the Phoenix."
"Abundance Totem, as a totem from the Kunlun pantheon, you should be received by the lords of our pantheon. However, whether the Phoenix can emerge from seclusion ahead of time and appear at the Liquan Banquet is still unknown."
Feng Que seemed to have obtained some information through the Danxue Divine System, and explained to Xiong Zhou with an apologetic expression.
"If the Abundance Totem doesn't mind, please feel free to take a seat. We have plenty of delicacies in reserve, so there will be no shortage. If you have any other needs, you can communicate directly with any of the birds."
Xiong Zhou nodded, a hint of realization in his eyes.
Indeed, once one's cultivation level is high, a single moment of deep meditation can transform the world into a vast ocean, and countless years can pass in the blink of an eye, like sand slipping through one's fingers.
He was aware of this as well.
After all, the existence of the Tai Li Immortal Sect is extremely powerful, and Senior Uncle Lu had specifically instructed him on this matter.
Xiong Zhou looked towards the center of the spring, stepped out, and trod on the lake surface, creating ripples.
In an instant, he sensed the ethereal Qi of creation seeping into his flesh like a warm spring from beneath his skin, dissolving into his blood, flesh, and bones, filling his body with vitality like the rising sun, a warm feeling rising and flowing through his meridians and acupoints, while at the same time he felt a slight tingling sensation.
It evokes a subtle feeling, similar to being held by your dad as a child and having your face rubbed by his stubble.
It wasn't very comfortable, but it was very warm, and I felt no sense of rejection or unease.
Three breaths later, a special power of creation surged from the areas where the tingling and itching sensation had flashed across his body, repairing the nooks and crannies that Xiong Zhou hadn't noticed during his cultivation, consolidating and clearing up those places that hadn't been properly nurtured by the Qi of Heaven and Earth.
But soon, after only nine breaths, this special feeling disappeared. The warm current flowing through the body was still there, and the faint traces of creation continued to flow in, but the nourishing effect on the body no longer appeared.
This is a point where there is no further advancement.
Xiong Zhou's bloodline power had already reached the pinnacle of the immortal realm, so his body did not need much nurturing. The effects of the sweet spring were all minor flaws that he had not paid attention to during his cultivation and were not of great importance.
Looking at the saplings rippling in circles beneath his feet, Xiong Zhou muttered to himself, "Actually, the sapling's power isn't entirely useless to my physical body; it's just that its power is relatively weak, almost negligible."
"If we condense it and truly extract a complete essence of creation to nourish the blood and body, it can still improve one's condition."
"Putting everything else aside, the Universal Dao Body is where I can improve. If I have enough good fortune, I might even be able to upgrade it to the Universal Immortal Body," then I'd have hit the jackpot.
However, Xiong Zhou only thought about it in his mind.
To create a universal Dao body for him derived from his bloodline, the presence of the Immortal Refiner and the use of immortal artifacts to baptize the innate universe are necessary.
The amount of creation energy required to advance from "Universal Dao Body" to "Universal Immortal Body" is absolutely enormous; even if you squeezed the sweet spring dry, you still wouldn't succeed.
After all, it seems that the bounty of the sweet spring is not much.
Upon arriving at the table marked with a sign, Xiong Zhou looked at the exquisite dishes on it. Instantly, his Universal Body sensed a power belonging to the cosmic light, swirling in the center of the sweet spring, as if forming a vortex.
"Huh?"
Xiong Zhou's expression froze for a moment, and corners of the Daoist script appeared faintly on various parts of his body, forming a vast Daoist diagram.
His pupils instantly took on the power of the void and the light of the universe, and even the faint traces of time flowing by could be captured.
Xiong Zhou's pupils widened as he stared intently at the swirling radiance of the luminous runes, muttering to himself with slight hesitation, "Is this... mobilizing the characteristics of the Divine Realm, utilizing the power of cosmic light, and the power of the Essence Spring?"
"Hmm, the power of creation energy is being extracted?"
"From...the bottom of the Sweet Spring?"
Xiong Zhou looked up and around. It seemed that none of the totems had noticed the change in the cosmic light or the twist of time. They were still chatting and eating the exquisite food on the table.
Looking towards the ferry crossing, the phoenix's figure had already slowly flown away, heading towards the mountain monument of Danxue Divine Mountain.
Out of curiosity, most of the people following Xiong Zhou's totem scattered and wandered sparsely throughout the Danxue Divine Mountain.
Only about a hundred totems, as Xiong Zhou re-entered the place, sat back down at their usual tables and began to enjoy the delicious-looking dishes once again.
A black and white dumpling picked up a plate of pickled bamboo shoots and ran towards Xiong Zhou.
She blinked her small black eyes and said, "Fengrao, try this, it's my favorite."
"It's very crispy, refreshing, and a little spicy and numbing."
Black and white dumplings held a sliced bamboo shoot and offered it to Xiong Zhou's mouth.
Xiong Zhou opened his mouth, picked it up in one bite, chewed it, and narrowed his eyes slightly.
This tastes amazing, it's like Sichuan hot pot, with a slightly familiar flavor.
After swallowing, Xiong Zhou murmured, "Ugh."
[It tastes great.]
"call."
[Yes, did you see a large whirlpool? It's right below the Sweet Spring, beneath us.]
Xiong Zhou stretched out his claws and pointed to the cosmic light patterns and the massive vortex where the light and shadow patterns converged.
The black and white dumpling tilted its head, looked in the direction Xiong Zhou was pointing, and shook its head.
Clearly, she didn't see anything.
"Are you sure you're not mistaken? The surface beneath the sweet spring is perfectly calm; there's nothing wrong with it."
"Don't worry, this is the Dan Cave, and it's during the Liquan Banquet. There are many powerful totems present, so even if there are problems, they will eventually disappear."
Black and White Dumplings grabbed another bamboo shoot and handed it to Xiong Zhou.
"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Li Guo, the God of Metal and Iron, and the totem of the Iron Bamboo Mountains."
"Fengrao, have you given yourself a name yet?"
"Or another totem? Shall I name one for you?"
Xiong Zhou snatched the bamboo shoot that Li Guo offered him again and began to chew it.
Then, he whispered, "Ugh."
[Name, yes, it's Xiong Zhou.]
"call."
[My dad named me that.]
As Xiong Zhou and Li Guo chatted idly, Xiong Zhou's attention never left the area beneath the sweet spring.
The immense cosmic light and time forces that formed this vortex were so obvious that it was difficult for him, a being of the universe, to ignore them.
Sitting on this enormous thing, which was formed by the circulation of light, or what could be called a vortex of time, made his muscles tense. He felt a restless urge to take action and manipulate a wisp of abundant energy to stir it up.