Chapter 206: Nine Slots

One day passed.

Only Yuan Yao, Song Yan, Xiao Lingwei, Cang Li, Xue Jin, Ying Wuji, Xiao Zhufeng, Zhai Qingye, and Ling Huya remained in the spirit pool, nine people.

The guide elder glanced at the spirit pool; the water level had dropped a bit more.

He felt heartbroken.

Although he thought it was a good thing for the Ninth Province to produce unparalleled geniuses, did they all have to appear at the same time?!

The spirit pool is about to be sucked dry by them!

Time trickled by.

The nine were all focused on cultivation.

Yuan Yao devoted all her thoughts to cultivation, frantically devouring the surrounding spirit liquid and refining it into spiritual power!

The golden light in her dantian grew larger and larger!

Gradually condensing into a small golden core.

Yuan Yao used her spiritual sense to check the condition inside her dantian; she became increasingly excited, ignoring the intense pain spreading through her body.

She wanted to suck, suck, suck!

With a "hum" sound, the spirit liquid in the entire spirit pool seemed to move, gradually flowing toward the girl who had become the vortex center.

The guide elder stared dumbfounded at this scene, inwardly shouting: It's over, it's over! Don't suck, don't suck!

The others seemed to notice their spirit liquid being snatched away; they slightly furrowed their brows, then abandoned the "gentle" cultivation method and began to swiftly compete for it.

Soon, the nine seated in different positions formed nine vortex centers in the spirit pool.

It looked scalp-tingling.

Seeing this, the guide elder's complexion shifted, and he almost couldn't catch his breath.

He noticed the spirit liquid disappearing at an ever-increasing speed.

The guards stationed at the Heavenly Mansion Spirit Pool were also stunned, repeatedly looking toward the guide elder, wanting to ask him, "What exactly is happening?"

Soon, half of the spirit pool's spirit liquid had been sucked dry.

Seeing this, the guide elder felt he could no longer stand by; he quickly sent someone to summon Fan Quan, the Immortal Venerable.

After a quarter hour, Fan Quan Immortal Venerable arrived.

"Immortal Venerable, look!" the guide elder said, his tone carrying a hint of petty resentment.

Fan Quan Immortal Venerable's eyes showed disbelief; he realized he had completely underestimated these people's talent.

Especially Yuan Yao!

The vortex formed around Yuan Yao was the largest, and she absorbed spirit liquid the fastest.

She seemed like a bottomless pit.

"They..."

"They're about to suck the spirit pool dry!" the guide elder said, on the verge of tears; he had guarded this place for over three hundred years and had never seen so many freaks!

Nine!

Exactly nine!

"If we don't stop them, they will surely drain the spirit pool; by then our Ninth Province will lack spirit liquid for at least a hundred years!" the guide elder took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as he spoke.

Spirit liquid has many uses; not only can it be used for cultivation, but also for refining pills and spiritual artifacts!

If the Ninth Province lacked spirit liquid, many varieties of pills and spiritual artifacts would be unable to be refined.

"But..." Fan Quan Immortal Venerable hesitated slightly, "If we stop them from continuing cultivation in the spirit pool, we might break faith with everyone."

After all, the reward rules are already quite clear.

—Each person may enter the spirit pool only once, with no limit on how long they may stay.

Yet now asking these disciples to leave would likely cause this year's sect grand competition to fall into dispute.

The guide elder's face grew solemn as he said, "Immortal Venerable, I know what you're worried about; I'm not letting them go for nothing—I will compensate them."

"What compensation?" Fan Quan Immortal Venerable startled in his heart.

The guide elder said: "Qualification to enter the Flowing Light Secret Realm."

Flowing Light Secret Realm?

After Fan Quan Immortal Venerable's surprise, his face showed a complex expression.

The Flowing Light Secret Realm appears once every ten years.

Seeing the guide elder not speak, he took it as agreement.

He turned back and saw that the spirit liquid in the spirit pool had decreased even more!

His vision went black; after taking a deep breath, he quickly walked above the spirit pool, amplified his voice, and shouted at them: "Everyone, stop!"

In an instant, Yuan Yao and the others only felt their heads buzzing.

Fortunately, their minds were steady enough, so they were not backlashed by their own power.

"Stop! I have important matters to discuss with you!"

A few seconds later.

"Enough! I order you to stop!"

Only then did the nine realize he was speaking to them; they quickly steadied their inner breath and slowly opened their eyes.

What met their eyes was a spirit pool already sucked dry more than half, looking eerily cold.

A few exchanged glances and realized why the guide elder had called them to stop.

Yuan Yao felt a little guilty.

She lifted her head to look at the guide elder, "Senior, what important matter do you wish to discuss with us?"

The guide elder scanned their overly young faces one by one, "Have you noticed that the spirit liquid has decreased a lot?"

Cang Li clasped his hands together and said, "In reply to the senior's words, we have made a discovery."

The guide elder said in a low voice, "If you continue like this, the spirit pool will surely dry up, so you cannot stay in the spirit pool any longer."

"Senior, we don't seem to have violated the reward rules, do we?" Zhai Qingye said, looking slightly puzzled.

The guide elder said, "Rest assured, as long as you leave the spirit pool, I will give you compensation."

"What compensation?"

The guide elder gave a light snort and said, "The qualification to enter the Flowing Light Secret Realm. Do you know what the Flowing Light Secret Realm is?"

Upon hearing "Flowing Light Secret Realm," everyone except Yuan Yao had some understanding of it, more or less.

The guide elder stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the nine people below with the demeanor of a senior, and said slowly: "The Flowing Light Secret Realm appears once every ten years. The number of spots available to enter it is only two hundred. Those who enter the Flowing Light Secret Realm can all trace back through time and return to a certain period in the past; if they can complete the hidden task within the Flowing Light Secret Realm, they will obtain the corresponding opportunity."

"However, those who wish to enter the Flowing Light Secret Realm must be thirty years old or younger; there is no restriction on cultivation level."

"The spots to enter the Flowing Light Secret Realm are extremely precious; I only have ten of them here."

He paused, then said:

"Do you want this compensation or not?"

Upon hearing that only two hundred people could enter the Flowing Light Secret Realm, Yuan Yao lost interest.

Because the target characters she could successfully conquer would definitely be very few.

She would be better off staying within the Ninth Province and participating in various competitions.

"Alright, we accept." Song Yan smiled slightly.

Yuan Yao hearing this also did not feel surprised.

Cang Li saw that she had little interest in the Flowing Light Secret Realm, so he sent a mental transmission: "Yao Yao, you must go. If you can obtain the opportunity within the Flowing Light Secret Realm, your cultivation will surely breakthrough."

Yuan Yao met Cang Li's earnest gaze and nodded.

"Alright."

Zhai Qingye smiled and said, "Thank you, senior, I also accept."

Ling Huya and Xiao Zhufeng naturally also accepted.

They all rose and left the spirit pool.

As they reached the edge of the spirit pool, they sat cross-legged and quickly gathered spiritual energy to assault the barrier of their realm.

Yuan Yao, seeing this, was stunned.

She crouched to the side, propping her cheeks with her hands, sighing as she watched each of them successfully advance.

Song Yan, late-stage Golden Core Realm.

Xiao Lingwei, late-stage Nascent Soul Realm.

Cang Li, late-stage Golden Core Realm.

Xue Jin, mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm.

Ying Wuji, early-stage Spirit Transformation Realm.

Xiao Zhufeng, late-stage Nascent Soul Realm.

Ling Huya, mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm.

Zhai Qingye, mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm.

And Yuan Yao remained at late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm.

The golden core in her dantian had only condensed to one-fifth.

Yuan Yao laughed; it was a bitter laugh.