Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 71 Mist-Encased Dragon Transformation, Deceiving the Heavens and Crossing the Sea

Noon is the time when Yang energy is at its peak.

The forbidden area behind the main peak of the Liuyun Sect, where the Dragon Transformation Pool is located.

The sunlight shone vertically into the valley, dispelling the perpetual fog.

The area is surrounded by sheer cliffs, with only a winding path leading to the valley floor.

The opening of the Dragon Transformation Pool is a grand event for the sect.

On the surface, the early opening was an exception made to reward Gu Yan, a meritorious official. However, many elders in the sect would obviously not agree to let him enjoy it all by himself.

Or rather, the leading elders, following the sect leader's wishes, used the guise of rewarding Gu Yan to open the Dragon Transformation Pool ahead of schedule, so that their own disciples could benefit from it.

So, in addition to Gu Yan, two other people also qualified to enter the pool.

One of them is Zhao Lingfeng, who just tripped and fell flat on his face in front of Gu Yan's door yesterday. He somehow managed to replace the original person and squeeze in a scrap of the job.

The other was a true disciple dressed in purple with a cold and beautiful expression, named Su Hongxiu.

It is said that she is the most talented sword cultivator in the sect besides Shen Youwei, and she has already reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. This time, she entered the pool to try to break through to the late-Foundation Establishment stage.

"Junior Brother Gu, be careful when you enter the pool later. That spiritual liquid is extremely potent; don't let it overwhelm your small frame."

Zhao Lingfeng looked at Gu Yan with a forced smile, his eyes full of provocation.

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Zhao. I understand now."

Gu Yan responded meekly, looking like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, huddled in the corner, appearing particularly inconspicuous.

Su Hongxiu merely glanced at the two of them indifferently, without saying a word.

In her opinion, neither Gu Yan, who relied on luck, nor Zhao Lingfeng, who relied on his background, were worthy of being her companions.

"The time has come, open the pool!"

The elder in charge of guarding gave a soft shout, and his hands changed into a series of hand seals.

"Boom!"

The massive stone gate slowly opened, and a dense spiritual mist, almost tangible, instantly surged out, mixed with a medicinal fragrance that made one's pores open.

The three filed in.

In the center of the valley, a natural stone pool about ten feet in diameter was steaming.

The pool water has a beautiful milky white color, like a fine nectar, with occasional bubbles rising and bursting out in cloud-like patterns resembling lingzhi mushrooms.

"As expected of a major sect, its foundation is indeed profound."

Gu Yan took a deep breath. Even just standing by the pool, the "Evergreen and Withering Technique" within his body began to operate on its own, emitting a yearning roar.

Su Hongxiu took the first step, her figure as light as a swallow, directly occupying the position in the center of the pool where the spiritual energy was most abundant.

Zhao Lingfeng followed closely behind and seized the eastern side, which was not far from the center.

Only the very edge, a corner near the water outlet, was left for Gu Yan.

Because the Dragon Transformation Pool was opened ahead of schedule, the spiritual energy there is thin and even somewhat turbid.

"Junior Brother Gu, this is a great spot, so quiet," Zhao Lingfeng said with a contented expression as he soaked in the pool.

"Yes, yes. I am of dull talent and dare not be greedy."

Gu Yan nodded repeatedly with gratitude on his face and carefully slid into that corner.

The moment his body was immersed in the warm spiritual liquid, Gu Yan almost groaned out in pleasure.

But he didn't forget the important matter.

Underwater, he gently hooked his finger.

A transparent cardboard sheet, which had been prepared beforehand, was silently attached to his entire body.

This skin is covered with extremely exquisite breath-concealing runes, which can not only block divine sense detection, but also simulate the faint fluctuations of a Qi Refining stage cultivator absorbing spiritual energy normally.

To maintain his disguise, Gu Yan closed his eyes and silently recited in his mind:

"All things come into being, awaken!"

Gu Yan's body was like a bottomless black hole.

The seemingly calm, milky-white spiritual liquid around him was being poured into his body at an alarming rate.

However, the paper covering his body perfectly concealed all of this, only presenting the illusion of a slow and steady flow.

To avoid attracting attention, Gu Yan did not directly create a vortex around himself.

Using the earth-moving technique from the paper-making art, he extended more than a dozen transparent paper tubes, barely visible to the naked eye, along the bottom of the pool to the center, directly below Su Hongxiu.

"suck!"

Su Hongxiu, who was in the center of the pool, closed her eyes and concentrated, fully absorbing the spiritual liquid through her cultivation technique.

Suddenly, she noticed that the flow of the spiritual liquid around her had inexplicably accelerated, as if a huge suction force was drawing the energy of the entire pool towards her.

"Huh? What's going on?"

Su Hongxiu was startled, then overjoyed.

"Could it be that I'm about to break through my bottleneck, triggering a resonance with the celestial phenomena? Has the Dragon Transformation Pool sensed my talent and is actively channeling energy into me?"

Once this thought arises, it can never be suppressed.

After all, she is a favored daughter of heaven, so it is only fitting for her status that something like this happened.

Instead of restraining herself, she worked even harder to circulate her energy, trying to catch this overwhelming wealth.

Little did she know that the amount she absorbed was nothing compared to the torrent secretly drawn away by the dozen or so paper tubes below.

She was just a scapegoat pushed to the forefront, taking all the blame for Gu Yan.

Meanwhile, Zhao Lingfeng on the other side was in a much worse situation.

He originally wanted to take this opportunity to break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, but as soon as he started, he found that the concentration of spiritual energy around him was dropping sharply.

"What's going on? Why is this spiritual liquid getting thinner and thinner?"

He opened his eyes and looked around in confusion.

In the center of the pool, the spiritual energy around Su Hongxiu was raging, forming a huge vortex that emitted a howling wind.

"This is too domineering! Is Senior Sister Su trying to drain me dry too?"

Zhao Lingfeng cursed inwardly, but intimidated by Su Hongxiu's reputation, he dared not retaliate. He could only grit his teeth and desperately snatch the leftovers.

As for Gu Yan in the corner...

Zhao Lingfeng glanced at him and saw that the boy had his eyes closed and was frowning in pain, as if he couldn't even digest that little bit of spiritual energy. He felt much better after that.

"Hmph, a piece of trash is a piece of trash. He can't even seize such a good opportunity."

Little did he know that Gu Yan was so happy that she was trying her best to suppress her expression.

The massive amount of earth vein spiritual milk was transformed by the nature of all things, turning into streams of extremely pure primordial power, washing away Gu Yan's chaotic five elements spiritual roots.

That tingling, stinging, yet rejuvenating sensation made every cell in his body cheer.

[Spiritual root purity is increasing...]

[Impurities from the Five Elements are being removed...]

The previously obscure and congested meridians in Gu Yan's body are becoming wider and clearer, and the heavy feeling of being shackled is gradually disappearing.

Time passed second by second.

The water level of the entire Dragon Transformation Pool dropped at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Even the elders guarding outside the valley noticed something was wrong.

"The rate at which it's being consumed is more than ten times faster than the last time it was used!"

The elder frowned and probed the valley with his divine sense.

When he saw the huge commotion Su Hongxiu had caused, he couldn't help but show a look of shock.

"This girl possesses such talent? It has resonated throughout the entire Dragon Transformation Pool? It seems our sect is about to produce another peerless genius!"

The elder stroked his beard and sighed, completely unsuspecting of the seemingly harmless good-for-nothing huddled in the corner.

At the edge of the Dragon Transformation Pool, Gu Yan's lips curled into a playful smile.

"Keep sucking, keep sucking, everyone will think that you, Su Hongxiu, are exceptionally gifted."

"And I, Gu Yan, am just a pathetic wretch who can't even afford soup."

This is the true meaning of making a fortune quietly.

They got the benefits without having to take the risks of being a genius.

perfect.