The sound of water echoed melodiously through the grand hall, like a serene song, its gentle chime particularly pleasing to the ear. As the misty vapor dispersed, a spring pool came into view. As Huo Ling’er had mentioned, entering the Nirvana Pool required purity and flawlessness, along with ancient ceremonial rites. Otherwise, it would be a desecration to the Primordial Vermilion Bird, possibly triggering unforeseen consequences.
This was the “Dustless Water,” said to be the sacred bathing pool of deities, a rare treasure in the world capable of cleansing all worldly impurities, leaving no trace of mortal filth. Though it held no divine power itself, it served as a purifying medium—washing the flesh from the outside in, a precious liquid that could heal wounds and ailments. However, calling it a peerless rarity would be an exaggeration; it paled in comparison to true divine elixirs. Yet, for now, it was the finest spiritual spring, one that Shi Hao and Huo Ling’er needed.
“Go over there,” Huo Ling’er shooed him away, forbidding him from approaching. Soon, the sound of splashing water echoed from the pool. Standing beneath the cascading droplets, Huo Ling’er let the water flow over her jade-like skin, glistening with a crystalline sheen. Her long, damp hair clung to her chest and back, her face adorned with dewdrops, her eyes ethereal—like a lotus emerging from water, exuding an air of freshness. Combined with her snow-white figure, she radiated an intoxicating allure.
“Hey, chubby, are you done yet? Don’t waste time. Can’t get out? Need my help?” Shi Hao’s lazy voice drifted from afar.
“Go sit somewhere cold!” Huo Ling’er gritted her teeth, her delicate face flushed with indignation. Last time, she had suffered his shameless groping without any means of retaliation.
“Really? You want me to go somewhere cold?” Shi Hao feigned surprise.
“You—don’t come any closer!” Huo Ling’er nearly forgot how unconventional he was—always twisting her words. This spring was, indeed, the coolest spot around.
Soon, she finished her bath and soared into the air, plunging into the Nirvana Pool with a loud splash, sending molten lava splattering high. For an ordinary person, this would mean instant incineration, leaving not even bones behind. But as a descendant of the Fire Clan, Huo Ling’er was different—her veins coursed with the true blood of the Vermilion Bird, born to bathe in flames.
Submerged in the pool, the crimson lava enveloped her snow-white body, creating a striking contrast of red and white—both mesmerizing and bizarre. Strands of scarlet energy visibly flowed into her body, like rushing streams.
Meanwhile, Shi Hao stepped into the spiritual spring, washing his body. He felt invigorated—this water was extraordinary, seemingly capable of cleansing even the spirit. His tall, robust frame glowed faintly, his long black hair cascading with a dark luster, his eyes brighter than ever.
Finally, he stood and quipped, “Don’t peek at me. We’re even now.”
From the lava pool, Huo Ling’er seethed. What kind of nonsense was that? As if she were some lecherous woman! He truly deserved a beating.
Shi Hao stepped through the air and plunged into another Nirvana Pool, splashing molten lava everywhere—some even landing on Huo Ling’er. She shrieked, reminded of their previous passionate embrace, feeling as if the droplets crawling on her skin were like wriggling caterpillars.
“Let’s perform the ancient rites and offer prayers,” Shi Hao suggested.
Though they had no sacrificial offerings, they solemnly followed the ceremonial steps Huo Ling’er described, chanting prayers to the Primordial Vermilion Bird. Strangely, the two pools instantly shimmered, the scarlet liquid exuding an astonishing vitality and an even more intoxicating fragrance.
Simultaneously, golden lotuses bloomed across the pool, new buds sprouting and releasing golden nectar, its fragrance overwhelming. Shi Hao felt every pore in his body open in euphoria, unable to suppress a contented sigh. Huo Ling’er, too, let out a soft moan—an inadvertent temptation.
“Hey, are you seducing me?” Shi Hao teased.
“Scram!” Even as a princess who prized decorum, Huo Ling’er couldn’t help but snap.
Suddenly, a third voice shattered the tranquility—jarringly out of place in the vast hall.
“Wow, you two are taking a lovers’ bath! How enviable!”
The sudden exclamation startled them. While Shi Hao remained unfazed, Huo Ling’er sank deeper into the pool, her face burning with embarrassment. Who would dare spy on them?
“So much divine liquid! Mine, mine, all mine!” The voice continued, its tone unmistakably familiar—clearly cut from the same cloth as the “holy terror.”
“You wretched stone! How dare you scare me!” Huo Ling’er fumed.
“Caught in the act, eh? Don’t mind me, carry on—pretend I’m not here.”
Perched on Shi Hao’s hair was a small, golden-hued stone—the Divine Striking Stone. Years ago, it had devoured rare treasures like the divine sand beneath the Fountain of Youth and the Chaos Soil from the Kun Peng’s Nest. After digesting them, it had awakened stronger than ever, now a true marvel of nature.
Huo Ling’er, humiliated and furious, cursed its insolence. Clearly, it had learned bad habits from Shi Hao.
“Come on, don’t be shy! Just take the plunge—I believe in you!” The stone teased, unclear whom it was addressing.
“One more word, and I’ll refine you into a formation’s core!” Huo Ling’er threatened.
Before she could say more, an overwhelming aura surged from the Nirvana Pool. The scarlet-gold liquid swirled around her, forming a cocoon that soon encased her entirely, severing her connection to the outside world.
Golden lotuses bloomed and withered, their sacred essence merging into the cocoon.
“My lava essence!” the Divine Striking Stone wailed, realizing the pool’s energy was being absorbed by the cocoon. Clearly, Huo Ling’er was undergoing a grand metamorphosis.
Shi Hao watched intently before focusing on the strange power within the lava—remnants of the Vermilion Bird’s nirvana, imperishable and potent.
Almost instantly, his own pool boiled, crimson energy surging toward him, scarlet strands coiling around him like dancing dragons.
“My divine liquid!” the stone howled, leaping into the pool to gulp down the lava.
But Shi Hao’s body was a bottomless vortex, greedily devouring the energy. Just as a cocoon was about to form around him, a sudden change occurred—his chest blazed with a terrifying radiance, scattering the forming cocoon and absorbing all the energy into his torso.
Golden lotuses bloomed and withered, their essence flowing into his chest like rivers of light.
“Terrifying! It’s like a god descending!” the stone shuddered, barely escaping the pull.
The entire pool churned as all its nirvana essence surged into Shi Hao’s chest, forming a miniature sun. His heart pounded with excitement—this was it. After years of waiting, his Supreme Bone was regenerating!
His chest itched fiercely, as if something were trying to break free. His life had been marked by hardship—all because of this bone, forcibly taken from him, tearing his family apart in blood and tears.
Now, his chest gleamed, a blazing sun within. Through inner vision, he saw his essence blood swirling, forming a new bone—this time, solid and real, unlike the fleeting illusions before.
The Nirvana Pool’s energy, preserved since the Primordial Vermilion Bird’s nirvana, surged into his body, fueling the rebirth.
Agony wracked him—bone-deep, soul-rending pain. His entire skeleton crackled with light, his flesh and organs radiating brilliance as all their divine essence funneled into the forming bone.
The pool trembled as scarlet energy flooded into him, a frenzied metamorphosis underway.
Within his chest, the Supreme Blood awakened, stronger than ever, forging a new bone—a small, luminous fragment, no larger than a finger joint, yet exuding an aura capable of suppressing all realms!
Gleaming white and radiant, it emitted dreadful light, forming a golden halo like a blazing sun. Most terrifyingly, symbols flickered upon it, coalescing into a miniature figure seated atop the bone, chanting scriptures in a divine voice!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage