Chapter 185: Earthshaking Changes
Very soon, Xu Sanqi revealed his thoughts. “Decades ago, I went to visit a friend at Qinglu Academy and I overheard him say that the founding emperor possessed a supreme-grade aeth power reservoir and that it was called the Four Spirits of the Saint. The surroundings of the aeth power reservoir produced images of the four divine beasts—azure dragon, white tiger, vermilion bird and the black tortoise…”
Before he finished speaking, the instructors had already lost their composure and cried out in shock. If what Xu Sanqi said was true, supreme-grade aeth power reservoirs indeed existed in the world.
Xu Sanqi continued, “That friend is staid and prudent, and he only inadvertently mentioned the matter after drinking too much. I wanted to confirm if what he said was true later on, but the friend avoided the topic and only said that it was just a rumor and I shouldn’t take it seriously.”
All the instructors were utterly dumbfounded.
“But regardless, the aeth power reservoir that Bai Lingxi has formed is definitely not ordinary. It seems different from other first-grade aeth power reservoirs. This is unquestionable.”
Xu Sanqi’s words still couldn’t dispel the bewilderment in the instructors’ minds.
However, they were also aware that it was a taboo to investigate further given that it concerned Bai Lingxi’s cultivation secret.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, Xiaoman inadvertently glanced at the light screen and her eyes snapped wide with shock. She cried out in disbelief, “How could that be?”
Xu Sanqi and the others felt their hearts jump. They followed Xiaoman’s gaze and saw that Bai Lingxi had already left the Dipper Transformation Lake. Lin Xun was the only one left meditating on a stone platform.
However, the lake water was rapidly vanishing at a speed visible to the naked eye and the lake water level was constantly dropping.
Xu Sanqi and the others stood aghast at the sight. Contained in the Dipper Transformation Lake was the purest Origin Dipper Qi and it took a good number of years for it to accumulate to its current level.
However, the purest Origin Dipper Qi accumulated in the lake was draining at a frightening speed!
How could that be?
At that moment, everyone’s expression dramatically changed. If the Dipper Transformation Lake were to disappear completely, Blood Kill Camp would no longer exist!
“Could it be that the phenomenon brought about by Bai Lingxi's breakthrough was so earth shaking that it caused the lake to change?
“Impossible. Have you ever seen such a change during other breakthroughs?” someone refuted.
“Could it be related to Lin Xun?” someone else suspected.
Many instructors couldn’t help but look at Lin Xun, only to see him still cultivating and his aura was calm as a still sea. There seemed nothing unusual about him.
However, the more ordinary his performance, the more unusual it looked to the others. They felt that Lin Xun shouldn’t be like that given that he had been cultivating for nine days already. How could it be normal that he still hadn’t shown any signs of breaking through?
However, it was absurd to say that the changes in Dipper Transformation Lake were related to Lin Xun.
While Xu Sanqi and the others were in utter bewilderment, the water surface of Dipper Transformation Lake continued to drop and an unknown amount of Origin Dipper Qi was being lost.
If it continued, the consequences would be far too serious.
Xu Sanqi and the other instructors assumed solemn expressions. They couldn’t pay any attention to Lin Xun anymore.
Boom!
It was then that an earthshaking rumble rang out from Lin Xun, who was cultivating, and engulfed everything.
Rumble—
It was as though a terrifying storm was wreaking havoc upon the world from the Dipper Transformation Lake and throwing everything into chaos.
The Figure Projector Compass buzzed and hummed and the light screen it casted started to tremble violently. Even the scene it reflected became blurred and distorted.
“Let’s go take a look!”
Xu Sanqi left in a flash.
Evidently, he couldn’t contain his shock or maintain his composure any longer. He had to urgently find out the reason for the destruction.
The other instructors hurriedly followed after him like they were snapped awake from a dream.
The changes had happened too suddenly and caught them all by surprise. If unimaginable changes had indeed happened to the Dipper Transformation Lake, they wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility.
……
Xu Sanqi and the others were aghast at the sight when they arrived.
The Dipper Transformation Lake seemed to have dried up, and only a thin layer of water remained. Even the rocks at the bottom of the lake were exposed in parts.
That dried up lake water was liquid transformed from Origin Dipper Qi. It wasn’t ordinary lake water. Xu Sanqi and the others felt like their flesh was aching with pain and their hearts bleeding.
What had happened?
Many instructors subconsciously shifted their gazes to the remaining stone platform on the lake. On the stone platform, Lin Xun scrambled to his feet, his clothes torn and his hair disheveled. He also seemed to have been affected by the explosion.
But he was unwounded.
Could there be a connection between the dried up lake water and the discomposed youngster?
No one could be sure what happened just now because it was too unbelievable. It was as though the entire Dipper Transformation Lake had exploded. Everyone couldn’t help but shudder inwardly, not knowing what to do.
Such a matter had never happened in the past!
However, Xiaoman didn’t care about that and instead anxiously asked, “Little brat, have you broken through yet?”
Lin Xun nodded. “I luckily succeeded.”
His expression seemed a little strange—his eyes were dazed and he seemed to be pondering about something difficult to solve.
Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you broke through, I’m glad you broke through…”
“Xiaoman, leave with Lin Xun first. I have something to ask him later.” Xu Sanqi said with an unprecedented stern expression as though he allowed no refusal.
Xiaoman nodded and shot a strange glance at Lin Xun. Then, she said in a displeased tone. “Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and come with me.”
Lin Xun responded like he had just awakened from a dream. With a flash, he darted to the edge of the lake but the moment his foot landed on the ground, a deep footprint was blasted into the incomparably hard ground and a cloud of smoke whirled up into the air.
The corners of the instructors’ lips twitched as they stared at Lin Xun like they were looking at a monster.
Lin Xun looked a little surprised and a little embarrassed.
“What’s the big deal? It’s normal for someone to be unable to control their power just after breaking through to the Human Dipper Stage, isn’t it?”
Xiaoman rolled her eyes at the instructors, grabbed Lin Xun by the arm, and left.
“Normal? The ground is made of fine diamond stone, which is the hardest material. No ordinary human dipper cultivators can shake it! You call this normal?” muttered an instructor.
“Is that kid an ordinary human dipper cultivator? It might be normal for a little monster,” an instructor chuckled and disagreed with the other instructor.
“Fortunately the foundation of the Dipper Transformation Lake hasn’t been destroyed. It will gradually accumulate Origin Dipper Qi with time, but it will take a long time for it to restore to its previous scale.” Xu Sanqi had already carefully investigated the state of the Dipper Transformation Lake. Although he couldn’t find out the cause of the explosion, he discovered the lake hadn’t been completely destroyed.
The other instructors breathed a sigh of relief. Though their hearts ached a little when they saw the mess the lake had become.
A place of god-given opportunity had been completely drained of its essence and only a pitiful amount of Origin Dipper Qi remained. The loss was too tremendous!
Someone couldn’t help but ask, “Leader, what actually happened here?”
Xu Sanqi thought for a moment and said, “I will go and ask Lin Xun later. Maybe I can find out the answer.” His voice sounded strange.
The other instructors were all flabbergasted. Could the changes really be related to Lin Xun’s breakthrough?
……
In a secret chamber in the campground.
Lin Xun had changed into a new set of clothes and sat down quietly, but his expression was a little blank and distracted.
Why is it like that?
This was Lin Xun’s greatest puzzlement after his breakthrough.
Indeed, he had successfully made a breakthrough and opened up an aeth power reservoir in his sea of qi.
However, the aeth power reservoir was too unusual as it was formed from a giant storm vortex!
The vortex was a pure azure color like a lake as it constantly rotated and released wisps of pure spirit dipper qi.
A storm vortex indicated instability.
Moreover, it was opened up in his sea of qi, meaning that if it collapsed, it would instantly tear apart his sea of qi and cause irreparable damage to his body!
However, Lin Xun wasn’t worried about that because, after a closer observation, he noticed that his storm vortex-like aeth power reservoir was as stable and steady as a mountain despite it still rapidly rotating.
Lin Xun felt like his sea of qi was a bottomless abyss and his aeth power reservoir was a storm vortex formed within the abyss and was capable of engulfing heaven and earth.
What kind of aeth power reservoir is it?
Lin Xun didn’t know.
He was most surprised that, when he operated the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture, it triggered astonishing changes using his aeth power reservoir as the core!
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps awoke him from his chaotic thoughts.
Xu Sanqi pushed open the door and entered. He glanced at Lin Xun and sat down opposite him. His razor-sharp eyes were unusually calm and without any deterrent power.
He quietly studied Lin Xun and said, “You’re also aware of the incident that happened right?”
Lin Xun nodded. “I’m also surprised.”
Xu Sanqi said, “Does it have anything to do with you?”
Lin Xun was silent for a moment, and then he smiled bitterly. “I also can’t be sure. I was in the process of breaking through and so was completely focussed on myself. I hadn’t noticed why the Dipper Transformation Lake underwent such a change.”
Xu Sanqi knitted his brows in deep thought, and then he said after a moment. “If possible, can I examine your aeth power reservoir?”
His request was clearly taboo. After all, the sea of qi was the cultivation foundation of a cultivator.
Xu Sanqi was clearly aware of this so he asked calmly and was expecting Lin Xun to refuse.
Surprisingly, Lin Xun readily agreed, “That would be good. I was also wondering what my aeth power reservoir would be called.”
Xu Sanqi was stunned for a moment. Then, he took a deep look at Lin Xun and said, “Don’t worry. No matter what the result is, I will keep it a secret for you.”