Lin Xian woke up. He stayed silent for a few seconds, confused. The place he was in now was completely different from what he remembered last. Lin Xian stood up and looked around.
"Heavenly Spirit Pool," Lin Xian said, gazing at the glowing pool.
He walked toward it, but someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder. He immediately jumped back and got into a defensive stance. When he saw who it was, it turned out to be Ahn Yue. Lin Xian looked slightly annoyed to see her there. This could be a problem for him.
He thought another fight would be unavoidable. Surprisingly, Ahn Yue raised both hands as if surrendering.
"I have no intention of fighting." She looked serious as she said it. "By the way, I was the one who saved you."
Lin Xian frowned. He didn't feel like he needed saving. "What do you mean?"
Ahn Yue explained what had happened, at least from her perspective. Listening to her explanation only confused Lin Xian more. He had entered a cave, arrived in a barren land with scorched rocks, fainted, fell into the Heavenly Spirit Pool, was saved by Ahn Yue, and now he was here.
The story was too strange to make sense. Lin Xian turned toward the cave exit and clearly saw it with his own eyes—it was there now. But earlier, it hadn't been.
"Where did I enter from just now?" Lin Xian asked.
He was truly puzzled by everything that had happened. He would think it through later, but for now, he would focus on the Heavenly Spirit Pool before him. He stared at it for a while, feeling the qi pouring into the air from the pool.
"You can use it," Ahn Yue said.
Lin Xian turned his head. Ahn Yue's words made it sound like she was the owner of the Heavenly Spirit Pool. But she had only found it—because she had followed him. If she hadn't done that, the Heavenly Spirit Pool would have belonged solely to Lin Xian. She shouldn't have said that.
"Thank you."
Lin Xian chose not to argue over something so petty. Although, he still disagreed with what Ahn Yue had said. Lin Xian walked toward the pool again. He smiled widely. This was exactly what he needed. The Heavenly Spirit Pool was perfect for healing damaged parts of his body.
Lin Xian removed his shirt. Then took off his pants.
"What are you doing, you idiot?!" Ahn Yue shouted, quickly turning her head away.
"To absorb more qi. Entering nude is the best choice." It was technically the right answer, but he had done it in front of a teenage girl. "If you want to get in too, I don't mind."
"You really are an idiot." Ahn Yue walked away.
Lin Xian just watched her leave. He shrugged. Then he soaked in the water and began cultivating. He took a deep breath, absorbing the qi released by the pool, and directed it into his dantian. It felt warm. Lin Xian could feel subtle changes in his body.
He inhaled even deeper. He became intensely focused. Without realizing it, his body began to float in midair. All the qi flowing from the Heavenly Spirit Pool was absorbed into his body.
[Dantian repaired: damage 65% → 64%]
He felt pain as his damaged dantian was slightly healed. He had to stay focused and endure the pain. This was for his future. Lin Xian would do anything to become stronger. He never wanted to end up like before again.
[Dantian repaired: damage 59% → 58%]
Slowly, the damage to his dantian began to decrease. Now he could absorb even more qi. This made it easier for Lin Xian to speed up the recovery of his dantian.
[Dantian repaired: damage 50% → 48%]
He was steadily getting better. This was already more than he had expected—and it was still going. Lin Xian wasn't going to let this opportunity go. As long as he could absorb qi from the Heavenly Spirit Pool, he would keep doing it.
"At least I must reach 25%." He was full of determination and hope.
***
Ahn Yue watched what was happening. She clearly didn't like it. The Heavenly Spirit Pool had limits. If qi was continuously absorbed, it would run dry. She had only soaked in it for a few minutes, yet Lin Xian had already absorbed nearly all of it.
"Can you stop? Let me have a chance too," Ahn Yue pleaded.
But her words didn't reach Lin Xian. He was too focused on what he was doing. Ahn Yue picked up a rock and aimed to throw it at Lin Xian's head, but she changed her mind. She tossed the rock away and sat back down. She decided to just watch.
"You'll have to pay back everything you've taken."
A clearly annoyed expression appeared on Ahn Yue's face.
***
Slowly, the qi flowing into Lin Xian's body began to fade. That meant the qi from the Heavenly Spirit Pool was nearly depleted. He didn't ease his efforts. Until finally, the amount of qi became so small that Lin Xian could no longer absorb anything.
[Dantian repaired: damage 21% → 20%]
His body dropped, and Lin Xian leapt to the side. He raised both hands, amazed at what he had just gained. Something unimaginable had come to him. He hadn't expected anything like this, but his luck was real.
"With this, I only need one Heaven Marrow Reforging Pill."
He just needed to complete his mission. Then he could buy that pill and restore his dantian completely. He'd be able to cultivate like the other students. His goal of becoming the strongest cultivator in the world was looking brighter. Lin Xian felt confident. What he desired was no longer just a dream.
"You need to compensate me," someone said.
Lin Xian turned around. Ahn Yue was turning her back to him, facing the cave wall. From her tone, it was clear she was upset. Lin Xian glanced at the Heavenly Spirit Pool. The qi inside was completely gone. Now it was just a regular pool.
"What should I do?" Lin Xian asked.
He felt a little guilty. Earlier, Ahn Yue had looked genuinely happy, but now she was pouting like a little girl. Lin Xian might be cunning, ruthless, and lacking compassion—but only toward people who got in his way. For those who didn't, Lin Xian acted normal. Especially when someone was upset because of something he did, Lin Xian would try to make up for it.
"Put your clothes on first."
Lin Xian looked down and saw his long "thing" exposed. He had completely forgotten that he had been naked all this time. No wonder Ahn Yue hadn't dared to look at him. Lin Xian quickly dressed, and Ahn Yue finally turned around to face him.
Now Lin Xian could see the angry look on her face. "You have to help me kill the patriarch."
Thump...
Lin Xian was stunned. "Are you joking?"