"Good, it's indeed a good idea!"
The old man listened to the other elder's plan, his eyes lit up, and he chuckled.
"Let's go and prepare then!"
...
Mu Jinyu was at this moment unaware of the two elders' secret scheme against him.
After entering the garden, he quickly found a blood pool that bubbled and roiled like lava.
This was the best cultivation haven of the Blood Sword Sect, the Blood Essence Pool.
The Blood Essence Pool was similar to the Heavenly Sword Pool but not identical.
The Heavenly Sword Pool contained abundant Spiritual Liquid and Sword Qi, while the Blood Essence Pool contained massive Heaven and Earth Vital Energy and Qi-Blood Power.
It was extremely suitable for cultivating Qi-Blood, Murderous Aura, and Evil Qi-type cultivation techniques and martial techniques.
Like the final move of Dao Wuming's "Blood Dance Sword Technique," "Blood-Colored Mirroring Rivers and Mountains," without the aid of the Blood Essence Pool, he would have to spend at least decades and slay millions of ferocious beasts to exhibit its picturesque, blood-dripping Intent Domain!
With the Blood Essence Pool's powerful Qi-Blood power for him to absorb and cultivate, he should be able to master it in just a few years!
And the Blood Essence Pool wasn't solely suitable for the Blood Sword Sect's cultivation techniques. It also supported Mu Jinyu's Body Refinement Technique, "Dragon-Elephant Prison Suppression Technique," which similarly required massive Qi-Blood support!
If he wholeheartedly uses this month's cultivation time in the Blood Essence Pool solely to cultivate the "Dragon-Elephant Prison Suppression Technique," Mu Jinyu believes he should be able to advance from the Strength of One Elephant to the Flood Dragon's Power!
However, this seemed too extravagant.
Furthermore, achieving Flood Dragon's Power, a strength of ten thousand catties, though formidable, wasn't as appealing as reaching the Fanxu Realm!
Mu Jinyu still planned to primarily absorb elemental qi for cultivation to elevate his strength to the Fanxu Realm sooner.
Reaching the Fanxu Realm was the preliminary qualification to participate in the Hidden Dragon Conference!
Mu Jinyu hadn't forgotten that his purpose for coming to Kunlun Ruins was to help Wen Rou and Jian Ruyan regain their bodies and to investigate the extermination tragedy of Xiang Mantang decades ago!
"Goo, goo, gurgle..."
Listening to the bubbling sound of the Blood Essence Pool, Mu Jinyu thought no further, removed his clothes, held the Bi Fang Cauldron, and leaped into the Blood Essence Pool!
"Boom!!"
Upon entering the Blood Essence Pool, Mu Jinyu immediately felt a Heaven and Earth Vital Energy even more powerful than in the Heavenly Sword Faction surge toward his body.
Instantly, it ballooned Mu Jinyu's frame, expanding his physique into a big fatty, as if he were about to float away like a balloon.
Stunned, Mu Jinyu hurriedly operated the "Green Emperor's Wood Emperor Art" to ravenously devour these elemental qi and simultaneously activated the "Dragon-Elephant Prison Suppression Technique," slowly refining that Qi-Blood power.
At this moment, Mu Jinyu, who had planned to soak in the Blood Essence Pool while taking Sacred Wood Essence for cultivation, decisively postponed the Sacred Wood Essence until his body adapted.
Soon, as Mu Jinyu fervently drove the "Green Emperor's Wood Emperor Art" to absorb elemental qi and the "Dragon-Elephant Prison Suppression Technique" to refine Qi-Blood, his chubby body finally returned to normal.
He no longer felt like he was about to explode!
Mu Jinyu dared not simultaneously use Sacred Wood Essence while borrowing the Blood Essence Pool for cultivation, planning to wait several more days until his body fully adapted to this level of elemental qi absorption for further tries!
Then, he calmed his mind, indulging in the delightful ascent of his cultivation.
...
Inside the garden where the Blood Essence Pool was placed, apart from Mu Jinyu quietly cultivating,
the two Supreme Elders guarding the gate walked in.
"He's started cultivating."
"Hmm, let's begin setting up the formation. Take five days to set it up, and then let him witness the might of our Blood Essence Pool to directly burst him open!"
"What a shame, we should have let him absorb for ten days, it feels so wasteful!"
"Be content. The Heavenly Sword Faction certainly left a mark on him. If he suddenly dies upon entering, everyone would know we did it. Only after some time can we claim it's his own reckless act of using top-quality Spirit Stones to set up a formation that maximized the pool's medicinal effects, leading to his demise!"
"Yes, understood, though still feels regrettable…"
"Nothing to regret. While we waste hundreds of top-quality Spirit Stones and ten days of pool absorption, rumor has it this guy's a genius with a Wood Spirit Root, perhaps improving pool efficacy!"
"Plus, with the Bi Fang Cauldron compensation, it's no loss!"
"But… after taking the Bi Fang Cauldron, the Heavenly Sword Faction will surely demand its return, what then?"
"What then? Activate the Great Abyssal Array. With the pool's Qi-Blood interference, they won't detect anything. If they wish to check, let them enter for inspection; we'll refine everyone entering, and if they all wager over the cauldron, even eliminating the Heavenly Sword Faction!"
"Won't this be inappropriate?"
"Anything inappropriate? Remember how our Blood Sword Sect joined the Four Sects of Yan Kingdom? What was achievable then, cannot be now? Enough talk, let's set up the formation…"
Three days passed, and they finally set up a formation.
In it, they placed three hundred sixty-five top-quality Spirit Stones to trigger the formation's maximal effect!
This formation triggered by such an amount of Spirit Stones had undeniably immense power!
Once activated, anyone in the Blood Essence Pool would be like an ordinary person jumping into lava, to be refined alive!
"In two days, we can start!"
One elder said coldly, leaving the garden with another.
Deep in cultivation, Mu Jinyu was unaware of everything happening outside.
After three days in the Blood Essence Pool, Mu Jinyu's cultivation advanced from mid Ninth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm to the later stage.
By then, his body had adapted to the pool's abundant elemental qi and Qi-Blood, starting to feel insufficient.
"Time to try the Sacred Wood Essence!"
Mu Jinyu stopped cultivating, opened his eyes, and began preparing to use a drop of Sacred Wood Essence for cultivation.
But just as he was about to act, he hesitated.
Twice before when using Sacred Wood Essence, he nearly exploded; now, with the optimal pool environment, a drop might cause issues.
Thus, Mu Jinyu decided to use a thread of Sacred Wood Essence!
Upon consuming a thread, Mu Jinyu's body felt as when he used a drop, echoing his initial entrance into the pool that almost led to an explosion.
"Indeed, almost an issue!"
Mu Jinyu remarked in fear, closing his eyes for cultivation.
Two days swiftly passed.
During these two days of cultivation, Mu Jinyu adapted to using Sacred Wood Essence in the Blood Essence Pool for cultivation.
Since then, he no longer was satisfied with a thread and used half a drop!
His power now had reached the peak Ninth Layer of the Divine Transformation Realm!
Fanxu Realm was not far away!
"Time to prepare for the Fanxu Realm breakthrough!"
Mu Jinyu was about to take out half a drop to initiate the breakthrough when suddenly, something felt off!
"Boom!!"
"Gurgle, gurgle..."
The Blood Essence Pool beneath him suddenly bubbled fiercely, boiling violently, akin to lava!