Chapter 31: Thorough Refinement

Half of Xu Xiaoshou’s body felt as though it had plunged into an ice cellar, the other half into a volcano. Pleasure and agony arrived hand in hand. While his body was ravaged by scorching energy, it was simultaneously undergoing double restoration from the Crimson Gold Pill and the "Endless Life" technique.

These extreme energies, a duality of ice and fire, intertwined as they entered him. As the vessel, Xu Xiaoshou could feel nothing but pain.

"Clack, clack, clack..." Xu Xiaoshou's teeth chattered. He had completely lost control over the energy. In fact, even the "Breathing Technique" was beyond his control.

The two energies surged through his meridians, tearing them open, and then burst into his Qi Sea. The Qi Sea sizzled, on the verge of splitting but not quite. This pain was maddening.

A scorched smell filled the air. The grass beneath Xu Xiaoshou instantly withered and died from the intense heat. Nearby willow trees rapidly turned from vibrant green to yellow and black, and the white jade railing instantly looked as if it had been smeared with tar.

The plump geese scattered in fright, feeling as if the lake water was about to boil them alive.

Inside Xu Xiaoshou, the scorching energy, after entering his Qi Sea, still tried to surge violently. But to his surprise, under the potent transformation of the "Breathing Technique," it was suppressed after just one full cycle.

He took out another Crimson Gold Pill and quickly consumed it. A wave of pleasure instantly overwhelmed the pain, rapidly repairing his ravaged body during the circulation.

*Buzz!* A crimson ripple spread outwards. Nearby mud and grass flew into the air, willow trees bent, and even the white jade railing exploded with a loud *bang*.

*Gurgle, gurgle.* Nearly half of Goose Lake's water boiled. Bubbles surfaced, and fish floated belly-up. Only a group of plump geese, survivors of the ordeal, huddled shivering in a distant corner.

The old man in the straw hat, midway through flying, suddenly plunged into Goose Lake.

Xu Xiaoshou opened his eyes, cold sweat mixed with blood dripping down his face. He repeatedly patted his chest. "I survived...?"

With just one breath, the "Inferno Seed" had visibly shrunk. And his cultivation realm had abruptly jumped a significant step from Spirit Refinement Stage Seven.

The scorching energy was suppressed. His internal injuries were rapidly healing at a visible rate, and a tingling sensation spread through him.

The terrifying regenerative power of "Endless Life" combined with the "Breathing Technique"—consuming one Crimson Gold Pill per breath—was fully demonstrated at this moment.

Xu Xiaoshou wiped away the blood and sweat. He found that apart from looking terrifying and feeling a bit mentally exhausted, his condition was surprisingly no different from an ordinary person's.

"Oh my goodness..." he mumbled. "This recovery power is too strong!"

However, a shiver ran through Xu Xiaoshou as he recalled the pain he had just endured.

Above his Qi Sea, the "Inferno Seed" now seemed quite aggrieved. Having shrunk considerably, its destructive speed was completely suppressed by "Endless Life."

Xu Xiaoshou took a few deep breaths of fresh air. Watching his body gradually recover, he gritted his teeth and sat down again. A ruthless look appeared on his face.

Let it hurt! It wasn't as if he hadn't been tormented in his previous life. Besides, although this thing was painful, it was only temporary. Since keeping it would eventually be a disaster, it was better to have short-term pain than long-term suffering. He would just refine it tonight!

He pulled out a Spirit Refinement Pill and swallowed it whole in one gulp, fully restoring his condition.

With a ferocious expression, Xu Xiaoshou once again exhaled a large cloud of crimson energy from his mouth and nose. Even the surrounding space rippled from the heat. This guy actually swallowed it again, along with a Crimson Gold Pill.

Beneath Goose Lake, the old man, clutching his straw hat, was completely stunned by what he saw. He completely forgot he was still in the water and choked several times.

He had heard earlier that an Innate Physical Body had emerged in the outer court. With a "no harm in trying" mindset, he forcibly sent the "Inferno Seed" into the young man's body. Success might create a fire-attributed genius. Failure would just mean one less life, which wasn't a big deal.

However, after a day of observation, he was slightly moved. The guy who couldn't even endure it at first later, somehow, forcibly suppressed the pain with just Crimson Gold Pills. He even managed to go on stage and fight. Perhaps the audience only saw him flushed red and mocked him for taking pills before the match, but only he, a person of the same kind who had also swallowed the "Inferno Seed," could truly understand how much pain this young man endured while talking and laughing so casually.

So, after the young man later made exorbitant demands, he went with the flow and, through Xiao Qixiu, sent him ten bottles of the Crimson Gold Pills he had personally refined.

Under the moonlight, the young man's cultivation at Goose Lake astonished him once again. This guy had actually abandoned any attempts at gradual refinement and instead began to devour it in large gulps. Was he not afraid of death?

At this point, the old man in the straw hat couldn't bear to watch anymore. He wanted to stop him, but he hadn't even flown halfway when he realized this guy had actually, relying on a special cultivation method and immense willpower, forcefully endured this wave of pain.

And that wasn't all; after just a few breaths, he sat down again... and resumed cultivating!

What kind of monster is this?! Does he not feel pain? The old man was stunned. He felt like he had accidentally stumbled upon a treasure. With such incredible willpower alone, this child had a promising future.

This precious disciple, he was determined to take him!

The sudden explosion at Goose Lake naturally drew the attention of the Spirit Law Pavilion's enforcement officers. Soon, a group of black-clad figures appeared nearby. Xu Xiaoshou, meanwhile, remained completely oblivious.

"Stand down!" The old man suddenly shot out of the lake. As heat rose, all the water on his body instantly evaporated. He clutched his straw hat, his voice slightly hoarse.

The enforcement officers stopped, craning their necks. They could only see a silhouette beneath the bright full moon: thin, ordinary. However, sensing the faint scorching aura emanating from him, they were all startled. "Vice Dean?" "Elder Sang?"

The few people at the front exchanged glances, astonished and puzzled. "When did he get back...?"

The leader slapped the speaker on the head. Bowing his head in affirmation, he quickly led them away. "Yes!" Those behind him echoed the affirmation one after another. In a flurry of movement, the enforcement officers vanished.

Elder Sang took off his straw hat and stood atop the white jade railing. The evening breeze rustled his wrinkled clothes. It carried away a few dry blades of grass from his head. The plump geese gathered at his feet, quacking frantically as they desperately sought a sense of security.

In his eyes, dark-rimmed from exhaustion, there was only one person. "Heh!" Elder Sang smiled faintly, perhaps having thought of something.

Tonight, Goose Lake was destined to be far from peaceful. And the white jade railing urgently needed repairs. Because... scorching waves of energy continuously emanated from the young man in the distance. Their destructive power was astonishing.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*...

The next day at noon, the outer court disciples, looking listless, entered the spectator stands.

"Damn it, was the Spirit Palace under renovation last night? All that banging was so loud, did you guys hear it?"

"It was from the direction of Goose Lake, right? My courtyard is nearby, and it was ridiculously noisy. If nothing serious had happened, I would've thought we were being invaded by external enemies."

"What noise? I'm near Goose Lake too!"

"How can that be? Are you deaf?"

"Oh, oh, my bad. I just remembered I have a soundproofing formation. Ah, what can you do when you're rich?"

"...F***!"

Xu Xiaoshou also entered the Cloud Ascent Platform with two large dark circles under his eyes. On the surface, he appeared to be one of the victims. Little did they know, this guy was the very culprit everyone was complaining about.

He quickly slipped into the waiting area, finally feeling at ease. Normally, his cultivation involved sleeping, and since he had a soundproofing formation in his own courtyard, he wasn't afraid of disturbing others, no matter how loud the noise. This habit, brought to Goose Lake, instantly backfired. He wondered if it would affect his opponents... If it did, that would be truly fantastic!

After a night of refinement, the "Inferno Seed" had completely disappeared. And his cultivation realm had reached the peak of Spirit Refinement Stage Seven. He could break through, but there was no need to. In fact, through the continuous scorching, Xu Xiaoshou had further consolidated his previous cultivation stages. Just recalling the process was moving.

Xiao Qixiu calmly continued the sixteen-to-eight promotion matches. Xu Xiaoshou gave an instruction to a staff member and then fell asleep.

So sleepy! Usually, his cultivation was completed through "breathing" in his dreams. Being awake for two consecutive days and nights was truly unaccustomed.

Soon, he drifted into dreamland. In his dream, a staff member walked over with two bottles and slapped him across the face.

"Slap!"

"Wake up, it's your turn!"