Chapter 21: Breakthrough! Sixth Layer of Qi Refining (Thanks to the esteemed Feitian Dundihouzi for the generous reward)
The cave returned to silence, broken only by the faint sound of water droplets falling into the pool. Bai Yue Ning clutched the piece of metal that had once again turned cold and lifeless in her hand, unable to calm the turmoil in her heart.
A ring that devours?
This was utterly beyond her understanding of materials used in artifact refining.
What was the true origin of this metal piece?
She tried to inject spiritual power into it once more, but it remained unresponsive. Her spiritual sense was again blocked by an invisible barrier.
It lay quietly in her palm, as if the breathtaking act of devouring moments ago had never occurred.
“This thing… it’s utterly uncanny.”
“It swallowed something, but didn’t change at all?”
“At least light up or something! What is this, like a meat bun thrown to a dog?”
Ye Ming’s sarcastic remarks couldn’t conceal his confusion.
The ring, so treasured by the master of this place, was certainly no ordinary object—yet now it had been silently “eaten” by the metal piece, leaving not a trace.
Bai Yue Ning turned the metal over several times, inspecting it carefully, but could only put it away again with caution.
The mystery remained, but now was not the time to probe deeper.
Her gaze shifted to something more obvious within the cave.
The pool of milky-white spring water.
The spring was tranquil, exuding a faint white chill and a pure, indescribable energy fluctuation.
Just standing by the edge and taking a deep breath brought a sense of serenity, and even her spiritual power seemed to flow more smoothly.
“This water is unusual!” Ye Ming’s attention was instantly captured, his previous confusion replaced by intense desire.
“The energy is so pure, so concentrated!”
“It feels… especially gentle, perfect for absorption!”
“Try to get some! No, not some—take it all! This is truly a treasure of heaven and earth!”
Without needing Ye Ming’s urging, Bai Yue Ning could already sense the extraordinary nature of the spring.
She crouched down, lightly touching the surface with her fingertips; a refreshing chill spread up her arm, not piercing cold but instead soothing, like rain nourishing parched earth.
Her spiritual power touched the water and spontaneously became lively, greedily absorbing the pure energy within.
“This is… Stone Marrow Essence?” Bai Yue Ning recalled records from certain ancient texts.
Spiritual veins of heaven and earth, condensed through special rock layers over countless years, could refine the body, nourish the soul, and strengthen spiritual sources—just a single drop was priceless.
Yet here was an entire pool!
The immense joy nearly overwhelmed her.
Such a fortune, beyond imagination!
“Whatever it’s called, it’s good stuff!” Ye Ming could barely contain himself.
“How do we collect it? Quick, think of something! Use bottles? But do you have enough containers?”
Bai Yue Ning quickly regained her composure.
With so much Stone Marrow Essence, the jade bottles she carried could not hold even a tenth.
Moreover, such spiritual liquid stored in ordinary containers would inevitably lose its energy over time.
It was a pity; she had underestimated the harvest of this trip.
Otherwise, she would have borrowed some contribution points from her senior sister to buy a larger storage pouch.
She sighed softly, then her gaze fell upon the stone platform jutting from the center of the pool.
The essence seeped from the stone veins, gathering into the pool—perhaps…
She approached the platform for a closer look.
Sure enough, at the base where the platform met the pool floor, there was a subtle crack, from which pure energy slowly oozed and merged into the water.
This crack was the source.
Bai Yue Ning pondered for a moment and quickly devised a plan.
She would temporarily collect the source!
Drawing her spare longsword, she infused the tip with spiritual power and carefully etched around the crack at the base of the stone platform.
She wasn’t carving attack runes but rather a simple, small-scale seal to contain and restrict energy—a basic technique any outer disciple would know for handling certain spiritual materials.
“That’s right, seal the opening, work from the source!” Ye Ming understood her intent and grew excited.
“Need my help? I think I can sense where the energy is most active, and where it’s weakest!”
With Ye Ming’s subtle guidance, Bai Yue Ning’s etching was precise and efficient.
Moments later, a simple seal was completed.
She formed hand signs and injected the final stream of spiritual power.
The seal flickered, and the crack seemed to be gripped by invisible force, instantly halting the flow of energy.
At the same time, Bai Yue Ning swiftly took out all her empty jade bottles and began to quickly collect the Stone Marrow Essence already present in the pool.
One bottle, two, three… until every bottle was full, and only a thin layer of the pool’s liquid had been depleted.
Looking at the remaining majority, Bai Yue Ning felt a pang of regret, but soon her resolve returned.
To desire too much is to lose all; this fortune was already a blessing not to be forced.
She walked to the pool’s edge, gazing at the gray-cloth-wrapped bundle behind her.
“My turn at last!” Ye Ming was barely able to contain himself.
“Put me in, I want a proper soak!”
Bai Yue Ning untied the gray cloth, not fully uncovering it, but slowly dipped the tip of the sword into the milky Stone Marrow Essence.
The moment the blade touched the liquid, the entire pool seemed to come alive, gently rippling.
The pure energy no longer needed to be actively absorbed; instead, it surged like rivers converging, pouring into Ye Ming’s sword body!
The milky essence visibly cleared, its concentrated energy extracted and transformed into dense streams of white light, endlessly flowing into the blade.
Ye Ming’s sword emitted a deep hum, the gray cloth fluttering without wind.
Along the spine, the blue-black pattern became clearer and deeper than ever before, faintly flowing like a living thing.
The tiny flaws and hidden wounds on the blade, once lingering, were completely repaired and smoothed by the immense yet gentle energy.
“Mmm…!” Ye Ming let out a long, satisfied sigh.
“This is it, so comfortable! This is true nourishment!”
“From inside out, thoroughly and absolutely!”
A surge of energy far greater and purer than ever before flooded from the hilt into Bai Yue Ning’s body.
She stifled a groan, immediately sitting cross-legged and channeling her cultivation method to guide the immense power.
The energy washed through her limbs, nourishing every meridian and every inch of flesh, finally converging in her dantian.
Her meridians, under the gentle yet unstoppable flow, were forcibly widened and strengthened, becoming more resilient and unobstructed.
Her dantian roiled and expanded, its capacity for spiritual power growing at an astonishing rate!
The bottleneck at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, which even pills could not break, was pierced like thin paper by this force!
Sixth layer of Qi Refining!
Her cultivation rose naturally, without resistance.
And the momentum didn’t stop; her spiritual power continued to surge, pushing steadily toward the peak of the sixth layer!
Meanwhile, her physical body underwent subtle transformation.
Bones became denser, tendons tougher, impurities beneath her skin were gradually expelled, as if she had undergone an internal and external cleansing and elevation.
Who knows how long passed; the pool’s Stone Marrow Essence had become completely clear, without a hint of energy fluctuation.
Ye Ming’s blade hum faded, its entire body radiant, the blue-black spine like sculpted jade—gentle and restrained, yet containing a chilling sharpness.
Its quality had evidently leapt dramatically!
Bai Yue Ning slowly opened her eyes, a brilliant light gleaming in her gaze.
She gently clenched her fist, sensing the spiritual power within and her newly transformed, light body.
Sixth layer of Qi Refining—nearly at the summit!
All of this felt like a dream.
“Whew—!” Ye Ming exhaled in satisfaction, lazy and content.
“I feel bursting with strength; if I meet someone like Li Mao again, one strike will send him flying!”
Suppressing her excitement, Bai Yue Ning knew that despite the dangers, this journey to the Sunken Sword Valley had yielded rewards far beyond imagination.
She stood up, her gaze once more sweeping over the ancient carvings on the cave walls and the skeleton, respectfully bowing again.
The kindness here she would not forget.
Afterward, she didn’t linger, carefully packed the jade bottles filled with essence and the now cold metal piece.
She wrapped Ye Ming up once more and shouldered him, turning to leave the underground cave that had bestowed such incredible fortune.
Outside, the valley was still dense with sword energy, but now, in her perception, the pressure no longer felt suffocating.