Chapter 181: Hot Spring Bath

The hot spring pool was not what the three—master and disciples—had imagined. In their view, since it was the place where the sun bathed, the pool must be huge, but the one before them was pitifully small, like a well mouth.

Xia Xue asked doubtfully, “Master, is this really the hot spring pool?”

Baili Changfeng nodded. The temperature here was the highest in Tanggu. If not for the Polar Cold Marrow Jade they carried, they wouldn’t dare approach, and moreover, there was no demonic aura around.

“Gurgle, gurgle~”

Watching the pool churning and boiling like magma, Xiayang and Xia Xue both felt their scalps tingle. If they fell in, they would probably be melted in an instant.

Xia Xue nervously swallowed her saliva, looked at Baili Changfeng, and said uncertainly, “Master, are we really going to put Senior Hua into the hot spring pool? Can she withstand it?”

Baili Changfeng looked at Hua Changxi, whose eyes were tightly shut: “Senior Hua subdued the Great Sun Divine Flame, so she should be able to endure it. Moreover, her injuries are too severe—I have no way to heal her myself. Now we can only hope the hot spring pool can repair her wounds.”

Hearing this, Xiayang set Hua Changxi down from his back, and together with Xia Xue, each took one of her arms and slowly lowered her into the hot spring pool.

The “magma water” surging and boiling in the pool had great buoyancy. Only Hua Changxi’s feet were immersed inside; no matter how hard Xiayang and Xia Xue pushed down on her upper body, they couldn’t force her into the “magma water.”

“Master, what should we do?”

Xiayang and Xia Xue looked to Baili Changfeng for help.

As for this, Baili Changfeng was also at a loss.

Just as the three masters and disciples were at a loss, Hua Changxi moved on her own, crouched down, and sat cross-legged in the hot spring pool.

Hua Changxi, who had escaped from the spatial rift, was not completely unconscious. The danger had not yet passed, so she refused to let herself black out. But she was too badly injured. In her dantian, the qi sea that was once as vast as an ocean had now dried up. After forcibly stowing the Floating Light Sword into her dantian, her whole body covered in wounds, she couldn’t even open her eyelids.

When her feet were immersed in the hot spring pool and she felt the dense fire spiritual energy surging beneath, before Hua Changxi could even issue a command to her body, the body, which had been starved of spiritual energy, moved on its own.

After sitting cross-legged in the hot spring pool, Hua Changxi began to circulate the Vermilion Bird Divine Art at full speed, and the already churning and boiling “magma water” grew even fiercer.

Then, countless strands of red fire spiritual energy rose up, enveloping Hua Changxi’s body, and quickly gathered into a spiraling pillar of spiritual energy like a tornado.

Watching this scene, Baili Changfeng and his two disciples were all dumbstruck.

“Is the cultivation speed of Nascent Soul cultivators really this fast?”

Gazing at the pillar of spiritual energy enveloping Hua Changxi, Xiayang and Xia Xue both involuntarily swallowed.

Baili Changfeng was also utterly shocked. This was his first time seeing a Nascent Soul cultivator cultivate, and he had never imagined the gap between a Nascent Soul cultivator and a Core Formation cultivator could be so vast.

Judging by Senior Hua’s cultivation speed, the qi sea in her dantian could store at least tens of times more spiritual energy than his, or even more.

This was simply a chasm-like difference!

Baili Changfeng’s heart trembled violently. Were all other Nascent Soul cultivators like Senior Hua? Or was Senior Hua exceptionally powerful?

The thick pillar of spiritual energy enveloping Hua Changxi not only startled the three—Baili Changfeng and his disciples—but also frightened the three demon clan attendants hiding in the shadows a hundred meters away.

“White Protector is also at the Nascent Soul stage, but his cultivation speed isn’t as fast as this female cultivator’s.”

“Nonsense. That female cultivator can summon the Vermilion Bird, which suppresses all things—she’s definitely more monstrous than ordinary people.”

“If White Protector finds out that the human race has produced such a formidable figure, he definitely won’t be able to sleep again.”

“What do we do now? That female cultivator is severely injured. Should we take the opportunity while she hasn’t recovered to ambush her and the other three?”

“The other three aren’t much of a threat, but that female cultivator… Are you sure that if we go over, we won’t be killed in return? The three from Wutong died without even a trace of ash left.”

“……”

“Our goal is to destroy the formation eye. While they’re preoccupied, let’s hurry and destroy it—that’s the proper plan. If we can destroy the formation eye before that female cultivator recovers, maybe we can still save our lives.”

The three slipped away quietly.

…

In the hot spring pool, as the absorbed spiritual energy increased, Hua Changxi’s body began to sink downward. Seeing this, Baili Changfeng and his two disciples grew tense.

“Senior Hua won’t sink all the way down, will she?”

“Probably not.”

As for the Tanggu, everything Baili Changfeng knew came from ancient texts. He only knew that soaking in the hot spring pool could improve one’s spiritual root quality and even forge a spiritual body—beyond that, he knew nothing.

“Even if she sinks, it probably won’t be a big deal… probably.”

Hua Changxi continued to sink, and soon the “magma water” covered her head.

Watching Hua Changxi completely sink down, Baili Changfeng and his two disciples' hearts were all in their throats.

Hua Changxi, who had fully sunk into the "magma water," did not just float in the water, but continued to sink deeper. When the "magma water" completely enveloped her body, she felt some discomfort at first, but after sensing no danger, she gradually adapted.

In the water, Hua Changxi's body gradually relaxed and stretched freely. Soon, she felt a comfort akin to returning to the womb.

"Bang~"

She kept sinking and sinking. After an unknown amount of time, Hua Changxi felt she had hit the bottom. The bottom was as soft as cotton, and her entire body was embedded in it, as if she had merged into the water.

At that moment, her tense mind completely relaxed, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Time slipped away little by little. Outside the hot spring, Baili Changfeng and his disciples had been waiting for over twelve hours. Seeing that Hua Changxi still hadn't surfaced, they were all getting anxious.

Especially Baili Changfeng. During the wait, he clearly sensed that the demonic aura in the Hot Spring Valley had grown stronger. He immediately guessed that the other three demon clan attendants were destroying the array eyes.

After waiting another few hours and seeing no sign of Hua Changxi surfacing, Baili Changfeng said to his two disciples, "We can't wait any longer. The demonic aura is getting thicker. We have to go stop those three demon clan attendants from destroying the array eyes."

Upon hearing this, Xia Yang hesitated, "Master, can we handle those three demon clan attendants?"

Baili Changfeng glared: "We have to deal with them whether we can or not. Guarding the array eyes is the duty of disciples of the Artifact Saint Palace." After speaking, he took out some spirit talismans, formation plates, and pills and distributed them to his two disciples.

"You two stay here. I'll go alone. If Senior Hua recovers, bring her to find me."

Xia Yang and Xia Xue became anxious and both expressed their desire to go with him.

Baili Changfeng knew the demon clan attendants would not be easy to deal with and didn't want his two disciples to take risks: "If you two follow, I'll have to protect you. Be good and wait here for Senior Hua."

After saying this, he ignored Xia Yang and Xia Xue and turned to leave.

Xia Yang and Xia Xue exchanged glances, did not obey Baili Changfeng's orders, and quietly followed him.