Where does that wicked woman get her conscience?

Chapter 125 Tianchi

“There are only three spots available for entering Tianchi. You’ve cheated and gotten one for free.” The old man walked ahead with his hands behind his back, hopping up the steps.

Upon hearing this, Guan Xun raised his eyebrows. How could this be called cheating? It was clearly a stroke of luck.

She looked around and saw that the blue stone steps sloped upwards, following the contours of the hillside, and at the end of them was a huge platform, seemingly on the top of the mountain.

"Are we already inside the inner village?" she asked.

"Hmm." The old man replied casually, continuing to lead her uphill without any intention of stopping. "Since I promised you, of course I'll skip all the time-wasting stuff and just bring you here."

After hearing this, Guan Xun didn't ask any more questions. She just slowly moved forward, which was fine. She didn't like wasting time.

Under the blazing sun, surrounded by strangely shaped rocks, the higher one climbs, the more intense the energy fluctuations become, with a faint, inexplicable pressure emanating from the surroundings.

The energy waves, glowing with a faint red light, were slowly spreading outwards under the sunlight, one circle after another, creating a truly magnificent sight.

Finally, after a long while, the old man stopped. They had reached the highest point, on the platform.

The Heavenly Lake is several meters in size, almost touching the entire platform, leaving only a small path around it.

The path is flanked by low stones of varying heights, covered with scratches that appear to have formed naturally.

Guan Xun's gaze fell on Tianchi Lake, and his eyes couldn't help but fill with surprise.

The water in this Heavenly Pool was not clear pool water at all; it was stagnant water with no ripples. Under the strong sunlight, it could not reflect any light at all, as if it had no vitality whatsoever.

Yet, even in this deathly still Heavenly Lake, there is a faint, extremely dense and intense energy fluctuation.

Guan Xun stared straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the water. The water was dark green, obscuring what lay beneath. For some reason, the more she looked, the more tense she became, and a chill involuntarily crept into her heart.

"This is Heavenly Pool." The old man raised his hand and pointed to the coldest spot in the very center of Heavenly Pool, saying calmly, "A few meters outward from there is the spot I mentioned earlier where the cultivation effect is the best."

"The flame that appeared by chance, imbued with the aura of a divine beast, came from the very center. It's just bad luck today. If you had happened to encounter it, you would surely have been amazed."

The old man kept clicking his tongue as he spoke, then turned his burning gaze to Guan Xun, his meaning clear: it was time for her to fulfill the deal.

At this moment, Guan Xun shifted his gaze, tilted his head slightly, and glanced at Chi Rong.

If the divine beast is indeed in the Heavenly Pool, Chi Rong would certainly be able to sense it at such a close distance.

But Chi Rong shook his head: "Aside from the very strong energy fluctuations, I didn't sense the aura of a divine beast."

No? How could that be...

Thinking this, Guan Xun immediately turned his head, his gaze scrutinizing the old man's seemingly honest appearance, and he frowned.

I can't even sense any aura. What's going on? Could it be because of the stagnant water in Tianchi?

Water can block out breath, or does it isolate breath?

Guan Xun felt that this was quite likely.

She stepped closer to the edge of Tianchi Lake, which looked quite eerie... Lost in thought, she paid little attention to the commotion around her.

The little fish floated in the air, slightly raising its eyelids, its seemingly icy blue eyes gazing faintly at the Heavenly Lake, its tail swaying imperceptibly twice.

"Are there any restrictions on cultivation?" Guan Xun suddenly asked.

Tai Shi Muxue had already informed the people of the Holy Light Palace that they would be heading here immediately, so she could not stay here any longer and had to leave before trouble came.

“Naturally, you can probably sense the powerful energy in the pool. If you stay there for a long time, even with a spiritual energy barrier protecting you, your body will find it hard to withstand it.” The old man spread his five fingers and waved them, his voice deep. “The maximum time limit is five days, but no one has ever been able to stay for the full five days. Even I can only stay for about three days at most.”

It turned out to be the case.

Guan Xun nodded slightly, his expression not changing much.

Five days is more than enough.

It took her a little less time than coming from Moxi City, and if nothing unexpected happened, she could leave safely.

However, everything has its risks. There are countless ways to travel, but the people of the Holy Light Temple might use some method to shorten the journey. If I am cultivating at that time, I could easily be disturbed, which could lead to a chance of going into a state of demonic possession.

“Senior, you must know that I’ve run into some extremely troublesome things.” Guan Xun’s eyes darkened as he turned to look at the old man and said slowly, “If any trouble comes knocking while I’m cultivating, I hope you can help me stop it.”

Upon hearing this, the old man's beard twitched slightly. He had already made considerable concessions for this so-called deal, and now the other party was pushing their luck. He was far from pleased and immediately snorted coldly.

“Before you enter cultivation, I’ll change your face. If you’re not satisfied when you come out, I’ll change it again. How about that?” Guan Xun said with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the other person’s emotions.

Upon hearing this, the old man who was about to explode instantly calmed down. His body trembled slightly, and then he laughed heartily: "You're a really good girl. I feel very close to you! No problem. No one can break into my Burning Phoenix Manor. Even the Holy Light Palace will have to show some restraint for my sake. You can focus on your cultivation!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Xun breathed a slight sigh of relief.

In this way, nothing can distract her.

This time, the little fish was particularly proactive. Before Guan Xun could say anything, it flicked its tail and a white light flashed out.

The old man only felt a flash before his eyes, and before he could react, he saw Guan Xun already heading towards the pond.

She tapped her toes on the water's surface, and after a few back and forth movements, she reached the middle of the Heavenly Pool, then plunged into the water with a splash.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, senior."

Upon hearing this, the old man quickly regained his composure.

He quickly reached out and touched his face, his eyes filled with surprise. Then he hurriedly conjured up a bronze mirror, carefully looked at himself, excitedly rubbing his face, laughing and muttering to himself with indescribable excitement.

Historically, the four guardians have always been the ones to guide those who break into the inner sanctum of Burning Phoenix Manor, but he, as the true lord of the manor, has never dared to show his face because of this!

From this day forward, he no longer needs to hide, how could he not be happy?

The old man gazed at the water, nodding with satisfaction. It was getting late, and the inner village should be open soon.

"Little girl, you can focus on your cultivation now. I have some important business to attend to."

After that, he turned around and left.