Chapter 826: Spring Water

"This... this is our Holy Spring water?"

Huo Zhizi asked in surprise.

Upon seeing it for the first time, he was not struck by the grandeur or magnificence of the holy spring water; quite the contrary...

This is it?

This holy spring water could not even be called a true spring; there was no spring eye to be seen at all. It was just a pool of stagnant water, a basin the size of a bathtub, and it looked completely unremarkable—just a pool built of stone, not even jade.

Of course, Huo Zhizi quickly recognized that these stones were Strange Stones. Even today, with the production of Strange Stones ever-increasing, they were still quite precious, no worse than the finest mutton-fat jade. But they looked gray-black and plain, making the water in the pool look dull as well, having nothing to do with the word "holy." Although there were no fish in the water, a boat floated on the surface, looking like a small model carved from wood, drifting with the slight ripples of the water, which was actually somewhat whimsical.

Could it be that when this Shengdi was built, they didn't consider aesthetics or sanctity at all? Even if the armor is good, one must still wear silk and gauze in daily life, right?

Seeing this pond, Huo Zhizi felt no sense of awe; he even wanted to reach in and play with the little wooden boat.

But he dared not reach out. If the pool had anything unusual about it, it was the thin layer of water mist floating above it. That mist looked as soft as the thin fog in the mountains, but it actually concealed a sharp, murderous intent.

This is Divine Martial Cloud... no, it is Spirit Martial Cloud.

Huo Zhizi recognized it at a glance; it must be cloud vapor formed by the externalized power of some powerful High Priest. At least a Heaven-Piercing High Priest level was required to release such long-lasting cloud vapor that resembled a celestial phenomenon. However, compared to ordinary Divine Martial Cloud, while the quality of this mist was not bad, it lacked a perceptible sense of sanctity, so this was Martial Spirit Cloud without any Divine Power mixed in.

In other words, it was cloud vapor condensed from Martial Spirit power, merging the strength and Spirit of a Martial Spirit powerhouse.

Why?

Although Martial Spirit practiced to a deep level is not inferior to Divine Martial, at the same realm, Divine Martial is generally stronger than Martial Spirit, and borrowing Divine Power at critical moments is nearly limitless. Why abandon the easy path to take the difficult one?

Is it because they do not trust... the gods?

This thought felt absurd even to consider—this place was called "Wan Shen Gu," after all—but Huo Zhizi instinctively thought this way. This holy spring was an important part of the Airship project, and the Airship project itself implicitly contained the mutual abandonment of the people and the gods. So, was it not natural to stop believing in gods when protecting the holy spring?

The Shengnyu stepped forward, looking at the holy water with great affection, and said, "Look, this is our most precious holy spring water. And that boat on the water is the Great Ship we are going to fly into the Void with..."

"Ah?"

"A model."

Oh...

You scared me.

The Saintess gently reached out, easily passing through the Martial Spirit Cloud that contained endless murderous intent, seemingly intending to touch the water, but ultimately stopping at the surface: "If the ship outside can take off successfully, it will always just be a model. If it cannot, then it might not be a model anymore."

Not a model? Then what could it be? Could one use this tiny wooden boat to transform into another ship?

However, if this boat were magnified ten thousand times... or even more, it would become that Great Ship. The exterior of that Great Ship was truly unremarkable.

But thinking of the huge space that had just been emptied, perhaps even the most ordinary thing, once it reached such a magnificent scale, was enough to be shocking.

The Shengnyu smiled and did not continue this topic, saying: "Many of the crucial components of the ship you saw earlier were successfully cast because of the credit of the holy spring water. The holy spring water has made great contributions to the people of our Lingjie. Many plans that were originally hopeless were able to succeed because of this holy spring water. This is also Divine Protection, I suppose."

Huo Zhizi asked, a bit bewildered: "If there were no holy spring water, would the Airship project have failed entirely?"

The Shengnyu shook her head, her expression becoming somewhat subtle, and said: "It would not have failed. The Airship project would have succeeded regardless. It is just that we would have paid a greater price. That would truly be... I don't know if it should have succeeded."

Huo Zhizi was puzzled again: What is there to "should or should not"? Success is always better than failure; even if it is a semi-finished product, flying is better than crashing into the ground, right?

But since the Saintess said so, Huo Zhizi could not let the words fall flat, so he could only follow along: "The holy spring water is truly amazing. To receive the help of the holy spring water at a critical moment, this can only be called the protection of the ten thousand gods; it is destined that we shall succeed."

The Shengnyu was very emotional and said: "The human heart is never satisfied. Although we have received the gift of the holy spring water now, I sometimes wonder, what if we had received it earlier? Perhaps we could have truly reversed things?"

Reversed? Reversed what?

After a series of incomprehensible remarks, Huo Zhizi felt a bit helpless, thinking: I clearly know nothing, yet you keep sighing sentence after sentence. Are you talking to me? Are you usually too lonely with no one to talk to, so you caught me and won't stop talking?

'This is all my fault...' Just as Huo Zhizi was thinking this, someone behind him actually spoke up. It turned out to be Mister Gong, who had been trailing behind, catching up. He said apologetically: "If I had presented the holy spring earlier, perhaps the Saintess would not be troubled today."

Ah?

What does this have to do with you?

The Shengnyu immediately answered his question: "This holy spring water was presented to the Holy Temple by Gong Xiansheng. His contribution is not small. If not for some procedural issues, his talent and merits would already be enough for him to be my knight." She smiled at Gong Xiansheng and said, "This cannot be blamed on you. Who can control when opportunity arrives? That you could present such a treasure shows your loyalty to the Lingjie."

Huo Zhizi glanced at him sideways, thinking to himself: Is this loyalty? To be able to offer such a precious thing, it should be enough loyalty, right? Anyway, I couldn't do it. But I always feel there is something strange about this.

He originally had no opinion of this Mister Gong, but with further contact and the Saintess's endless praise, he became increasingly suspicious. Of course, there might be some unspeakable sense of competition, but part of it was also because his temperament and experiences were different from the Saintess's. Unlike the Saintess, who had been favored and carefully cultivated since childhood to rise smoothly, he had fought desperately from among many others to become Huo Zhizi, despite not being the most favored candidate.

At this time, Gong Xiansheng continued: "Moreover, when I presented it, the holy spring water was far less powerful than it is now, like a newborn infant. It was you, Shengnyu, who discovered 'his' extraordinary potential and carefully cultivated 'him' to become what 'he' is today."

The Shengnyu shook her head and said: "You don't need to be humble. It was you who first proposed that the holy spring was an incomplete body with the potential for cultivation. If it weren't for your foresight, how could the holy spring have been raised to this point today? If we look into it carefully, you are a great hero, even a savior, it is just inconvenient to call you that and invite trouble for you. If only there hadn't been this disaster, then with the holy spring, who knows what great merits you would have established? At that time, who would dare not acknowledge your status?"

Mister Gong smiled and did not continue the mutual flattery, instead saying: "Your Holiness, why not let this Lord Huo Zhizi see the miracles of the holy spring?"

The Shengnyu was slightly startled, then said: "Oh, that's right, I was going to have him look at it anyway." She looked around for a moment, seemingly unsatisfied, and said: "Do you have any materials or objects on you? Nothing with special significance that cannot be replaced; it should be useful or precious, but ultimately replaceable. I will demonstrate it for you."

Huo Zhizi hesitated and felt around his body; he actually had quite a few options. At this moment, Mister Gong suddenly said: "I see the flame inside the pendant Lord Huo Zhizi is wearing is quite unique. Why not try with that?"

Huo Zhizi immediately gripped the Bead on his chest and shook his head: "This is a holy object bestowed by my god; it cannot be used for risks."

Gong Xiansheng did not retreat in the face of difficulty, but continued: "This is not a risk, this is a great thing. With the baptism of the holy spring, your holy object will surely shine brilliantly and become even more sacred."

Huo Zhizi refused again: "If I wanted to enhance the radiance of the holy object, I would naturally pray for my god's grace; how could I borrow external force? Besides, the Saintess just said not to use irreplaceable treasures. Didn't you hear? I think you really don't understand anything."

At this time, the Shengnyu said: "Gong Xiansheng, this is indeed where you don't understand. The holy object comes from the god and should not be directly offended."

Gong Xiansheng bowed and said: "It was my offense, please forgive me, please forgive me." As he lowered his head, his eyes narrowed, flashing with an unreadable light.

Huo Zhizi was rarely supported by the Saintess, so he had to reciprocate. Suddenly, a mischievous thought arose in his heart. He reached out and took out an object, saying: "I wonder what the Saintess thinks of this?"

It was a piece of Strange Stone.

The Shengnyu waved her hand and said: "Strange Stone will not do. Strange Stone is inert. You see the holy spring pool is built of Strange Stone precisely because the holy spring will not change Strange Stone."

Huo Zhizi said "Oh," and said: "Is that so? Our god can bestow blessings upon Strange Stone, turning it into the strange gold you saw earlier. I thought Strange Stone was just an ordinary material. It turns out I am the one who is ignorant."

The Saintess raised her eyebrows and said: "Usually that is the case; the holy spring is just ordinary nourishment and naturally will not change Strange Stone. But if a special request is made, I suppose Strange Stone really isn't anything special. Bring it here!" After saying this, she took the Strange Stone, stood by the water, and waved her hand gently, as if giving an order. The murderous Martial Spirit Cloud had already dissipated, and the surface of the holy spring was clearly visible. She touched the water surface with her finger, closed her eyes, and muttered to herself, seemingly praying for something.

Mister Gong swept a subtle and scrutinizing glance at Huo Zhizi, thinking: There must be a secret on this fool, likely related to my spring water. I originally thought he would try to hide it, but I didn't expect him to take the initiative to provoke. Is this attacking as a form of defense?

Little did he know that Huo Zhizi was also very excited, staring at the water surface, thinking: The task assigned by the god has actually been completed just like this! It might even be over-fulfilled. Is this truly the protection of the god? What should I exchange for this time's divine merit?

Amidst the different thoughts of the three "people," the Shengnyu suddenly opened her eyes and gently let go. The Strange Stone fell into the holy spring, causing a ripple.