The sudden turn of events shocked everyone present. When they regained their senses, they only saw the white-clad man lying on the ground. Apart from Feng Qing’er and her three companions, a chill ran through the hearts of the others. Their gazes towards Xiao Yan were filled with fear. The man in white robes lay limp under a giant boulder, his body covered in blood and twitching uncontrollably. Although Xiao Yan’s punch had not been fatal, it had completely immobilized him. With his strength barely at the level of a Seven-Star Battle Emperor, he couldn’t possibly withstand one of Xiao Yan’s blows.
Glancing indifferently at the man, Xiao Yan slowly turned around. The coldness on his face quickly faded as he gave a slight smile to the crowd and said softly, “Now, is the quota just right?”
Feng Qing’er’s gaze was icy as she swept her eyes over Xiao Yan’s face. She sneered, “You are truly overbearing. I doubt even the actions of our Wind Lightning Pavilion can match your audacity.”
Xiao Yan smiled at the slight mockery in Feng Qing’er’s words. “It’s just survival of the fittest. However, compared to the high-handed ways of the Wind Lightning Pavilion, I do fall short. You can dispatch several Battle Sect experts at once to surround and attack me, a grand gesture that few could match.”
“If not for the imminent appearance of the Celestial Mountain Blood Pool, I would very much like to see how far you can go here without any external help,” said Feng Qing’er, her eyes flashing with cold light.
“Miss Feng, if you want to try, you can do so anytime.” Xiao Yan smiled lightly, his nonchalant demeanor making Feng Qing’er seethe with anger. But after glancing at the crater, she had no choice but to suppress her rage. The Celestial Mountain Blood Pool was about to materialize, and she had to seize the time to enter and absorb the strange energy within. The energy in the pool was limited; the more one absorbed, the better. Even a little bit could determine the success or failure of breaking through to the Battle Sect realm.
Seeing that Feng Qing’er was no longer speaking, Xiao Yan also ignored her and walked over to Nalan Yanran. He smiled, “Are you alright?”
Staring at the smiling face, Nalan Yanran suddenly felt a twinge of emotion. This feeling of being protected by a man seemed completely different from the one she had experienced with Yun Yun. It felt solid and secure. Behind this lean back, she felt she could set her heart at ease.
Yet, her mind told her that this sense of security would only last for a short time. Perhaps once they left this mountain, it would disappear. Thinking of this, Nalan Yanran’s lips curled into a self-mocking smile. Originally, she could have enjoyed this feeling for a lifetime, but in the end, she had destroyed it herself.
“Am I reaping what I sowed?” Her voice was barely audible, but it fell precisely on Xiao Yan’s ears. He paused slightly, then brushed past her and walked up the slope.
Feeling Xiao Yan walk past, Nalan Yanran bit down harder on her red lips. She slowly turned around, looking at the receding figure. Just as she was about to speak, a loud thunderclap echoed from the sky.
The sudden peal of thunder startled everyone. They looked up to see that the colorful energy tide in the sky had stopped spreading. A huge, colorful vortex appeared over the crater, slowly rotating. Xiao Yan and the others could feel a terrifying, immense energy condensing in the sky.
“Is the Blood Pool about to appear?” Seeing the change in the sky, joy flickered in the eyes of Xiao Yan and his group.
As the large colorful energy vortex emerged in the sky, the energy in the area became violently turbulent. Streams of energy, like colorful ribbons, continuously poured into the vortex, accelerating its rotation.
With the increasing speed of the vortex, a hurricane appeared out of nowhere, howling and wreaking havoc on the mountaintop. The gusts, sharp as blades, sliced across, leaving deep cracks in some of the boulders.
Robust battle qi surged from Xiao Yan and his companions, but their bodies remained immovable like rocks on the slope. Those who had made it this far were mostly among the top young talents of the northern region of the Central Continent.
The energy vortex in the sky grew larger and more terrifying. In an instant, its rotation gradually slowed, and the vortex paused. At the center, a burst of intense light exploded!
“Boom!”
The sudden burst of light almost enveloped the entire Tianmu Mountains. At that moment, the thick fog shrouding the mountains became thin in the light.
As the light appeared, the energy vortex trembled, and a colossal, colorful energy beam, like a cannon, erupted from the vortex, aiming directly at the crater below.
Under such a terrifying energy beam, Xiao Yan and the others’ faces changed, and they quickly retreated.
“Boom!”
The beam moved extremely fast, instantly plunging into the massive crater. A huge wave of air swept out, and the boulders around the crater shattered.
Xiao Yan and the others backed up nearly ten meters before stabilizing. They looked at the now empty mountaintop, wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads. Looking up, they saw that the crater was already filled with dense, colorful light, containing a startling amount of powerful energy.
“Now is the best time to enter the Celestial Mountain Blood Pool. Let’s go!” Jin Shi’s figure approached, finally landing, with two enormous Gold-Eating Mice behind him. As he spoke, an eager look flashed in Feng Qing’er and the others’ eyes. They darted off, each using their utmost speed, turning into streaks of light and dashing toward the crater.
Xiao Yan glanced at the eagerly rushing Feng Qing’er and her group, smirking to himself. He grabbed Nalan Yanran’s wrist and swiftly followed.
“Remember, don’t venture too deep into the bottom of the Blood Pool. Start absorbing as soon as you enter. This is a rare opportunity,” Xiao Yan instructed Nalan Yanran as they rushed.
“Mm-hmm,” Nalan Yanran did not resist, nodding lightly.
“If you come out of the Blood Pool, don’t wait for me. I might need a long time.”
Xiao Yan’s figure moved, darting into the crater. He glanced inside and his eyes widened in amazement.
The vast crater was filled with dense, colorful energy, creating a dazzling scene. The most striking feature was the red pool at the center of the volcano. Even at a distance, Xiao Yan and the others could see that the Blood Pool was filled with a strange, red liquid, brimming with dense energy.
“Is this the Celestial Mountain Blood Pool?” Gazing at the eerie red pool, a burning desire rose in Xiao Yan’s eyes. He watched Feng Qing’er and her group rush in, and he also dashed in, pulling Nalan Yanran along.
The crater was large, but Xiao Yan reached the Blood Pool in about half a minute. By the time he arrived, he saw Feng Qing’er and her group plunging into the Blood Pool.
Seeing their eagerness, Xiao Yan felt a bit helpless. Fortunately, his target was the bottom of the Blood Pool, or else competing with them for absorption would be amusing.
The Celestial Mountain Blood Pool was roughly seven or eight zhang wide, not too large, but ample for a few people like Xiao Yan. Up close, the eerie feeling was even stronger. The red energy looked like fresh blood, thick and vivid, with blood bubbles constantly appearing and bursting, releasing a dense, blood-colored energy that swirled like smoke.
“Indeed, this place can help one break through bottlenecks. Such an accumulation of energy is truly astonishing, something I have never seen before,” Xiao Yan marveled, turning to Nalan Yanran with a smile, “You should go in too. Although you haven’t reached peak Battle Emperor, soaking here will greatly benefit you.”
Nalan Yanran nodded, gently placing her white fox by the edge of the Blood Pool. She fixed her eyes on Xiao Yan, whispering, “Thank you… if you ever want to find your teacher, you might check the Flower Sect.”
Without waiting for Xiao Yan to ask further, she leaped into the Blood Pool like a mermaid.
“Flower Sect? One of the two major sects?” Watching Nalan Yanran disappear into the Blood Pool, Xiao Yan was taken aback. He didn’t have time to ponder why Yun Yun would be associated with such a force, but he quickly committed the words to memory. He jumped in, splashing into the Blood Pool.
As Xiao Yan and his group all entered the Blood Pool, the crater gradually became calm. Only the howling wind continued to rage.
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