Chapter 659: Zhang Xuan Is Dead?

"It's still not as large as Lu Chong's; it seems there's a long way to go!" Zhang Xuan shook his head, recalling Lu Chong's spirit body, which was like a small mountain. For an ordinary Soul Oracle, a size of five or six meters was already immense, but compared to Lu Chong's original form, it was still far from enough. "Continue absorbing!" He raised an eyebrow and resumed his fervent absorption.

As Zhang Xuan sped up his absorption, his clone nearby also began to accelerate. Another two hours passed, and the spiritual energy in the entire Cleansing Lake visibly diminished, losing its former intensity and turbulence. "The spiritual energy is weakening, and I'm just short of ten meters..." Seeing the dwindling energy, as if it could be completely absorbed at any moment, Zhang Xuan increased his speed. His current soul body was almost ten meters tall. Once he broke through this bottleneck, it would undoubtedly become even more powerful; even if it didn't surpass Lu Chong's, the difference would be negligible. After all, his was a soul body forged by the Heaven's Path cultivation technique, meaning its demands for spiritual energy and its intrinsic purity far exceeded those of others.

*Boom!*

As he absorbed, his clone on one side swayed slightly, breaking through the ten-meter barrier. It was actually absorbing faster than his main body. Puzzled as to why a split soul, identical to his own, would be quicker, he looked down and was left speechless. He realized the clone was also continuously absorbing energy through the physical body formed by the Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo. The Lotus Embryo was a divine artifact; it was impervious to the pool's turbulent waters. Though its physical form wasn't large and its absorption rate was slower than the soul body's, the accumulated effect still made the clone considerably faster than the main body. After reaching ten meters, the clone's soul body was noticeably more powerful, exuding intense pressure, and its spiritual energy absorption rate became even faster.

"I'll speed up too!" Knowing that time waited for no one, Zhang Xuan no longer dared to hesitate, devouring energy even more frantically. However, no matter how he cultivated, he felt his speed was considerably slower than before. He looked up and saw a massive vortex forming around his clone, which was essentially monopolizing all the spiritual energy around him. No wonder his own progress wasn't noticeable. Reaching ten meters was a significant turning point; the clone's absorption speed was at least three times faster than his own. Watching the clone absorb faster and faster, seemingly ready to drain the entire Cleansing Lake's spiritual energy at any moment, Zhang Xuan grew increasingly irritated. He slapped the clone's head. "What's the rush? Leave some for me!"

"What on earth! Get this straight, you're *my* clone! It's bad enough you act like a pretentious big shot, knocking your main body senseless, but now you're even hogging the spiritual energy! How utterly shameless! How could I, an upright Master Teacher, have such a brazen clone?" "I..." The clone stopped, a look of grievance on its face after being slapped. Zhang Xuan had it return to his physical body and then stored it back in his storage ring, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

"Heh heh, with no competition, my main body should now be able to break through the ten-meter bottleneck!" With a soft chuckle, Zhang Xuan's soul body suddenly opened numerous acupoints all over. His clone had been constantly competing with him, but now that it was gone, he could absorb at his fastest possible speed. "Begin!" With a low exclamation, his acupoints began to absorb wildly.

*Boom!*

The spiritual energy had just entered his soul body and was being converted into power when a violent roar echoed. The Cleansing Lake beneath him violently shook, then suddenly exploded.

*Splash!*

The pool water gushed everywhere, like a river bursting its banks.

"What happened?" He stopped absorbing and quickly looked around, seeing all the cultivators awakened, their eyes snapping open in unison. Each one was utterly bewildered, unsure of what had transpired.

"Oh no, once the pool water drains completely, my enormous body will surely be discovered. I must return quickly!" His soul, concealed within the pool water and enveloped by spiritual energy, was normally imperceptible. But once the water was gone, it would be impossible to hide his presence. He had to get back to his physical body immediately. Besides, with his soul here, his physical body was merely an empty shell. Everyone else had opened their eyes, yet he remained tightly closed in "cultivation"—even the most oblivious person would notice something amiss.

***

Outside the Cleansing Lake, Emperor Ye Wentian and Hall Master Wei Jiang stood a short distance away, observing the vast pool before them.

"The Cleansing Lake," Emperor Ye Wentian remarked, stroking his beard with a smile, "is bordered by Mount Qingji to the east and connects to the Dragon Scale River in the west. It gathers the essence of the mountains and rivers, condensing the power of the earth's meridians. Cultivating here for three days will undoubtedly elevate one's soul level and make it more resilient." As the most prized treasure of the Illusion Feather Empire, its purpose was naturally not as simple as merely tempering the soul. More importantly, the spiritual energy within, refined by the earth's meridians, could greatly enhance the soul's tenacity, providing immense benefit for future cultivation! It was especially crucial for those advancing to the eighth stage of the Mortal Transcendence Realm, the Void-Treading Realm. Void-Treading involved stepping through the void, using it as a ladder. A powerful soul could then utilize the surrounding natural forces to enable the physical body to levitate for a short time. Without a strong soul, one might not even be able to break through to the Unity Realm, let alone levitate. The spiritual energy at the core of the Cleansing Lake, though considerably smoother, possessed remarkable tenacity due to the agitation of the pool water. Absorbing such energy could strengthen the soul immensely, far surpassing the benefits of merely absorbing spirit stones. This was precisely why the pool was so renowned.

"Indeed!" Hall Master Wei nodded. "Beneath the Cleansing Lake lies a colossal volcano, which gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. After being tempered by the volcano, the spiritual energy's quality naturally becomes extraordinary! Upon absorption, it not only fortifies the soul but, more crucially, imbues it with Yang Fire attributes, rendering it impervious to dark powers!"

"Hmm!" Emperor Ye Wentian chuckled softly. "See how intensely the spiritual energy boils, like water brought to a rolling boil? True gold is refined through a thousand trials; without such tempering, how can its quality advance further... Huh? What, what... what's happening?" He was in the midst of marveling at the Cleansing Lake's power when he suddenly froze, his voice trembling. Hearing the unusual tone, Hall Master Wei quickly looked and was similarly stunned. The pool water, which had been boiling fiercely just moments before, now lay perfectly still, as if a large ladle of cold water had been poured into it.

"Perhaps... it's been boiling for a while and just wants to calm down?" Hall Master Wei swallowed, unable to resist voicing the thought. Having lived for over a century, he had witnessed the Cleansing Lake's opening many times and had even cultivated within it himself. In the past, the pool water, subjected to spiritual energy and subterranean fire, was always continuously boiling. How, then, could it suddenly become as still as well water?

"Impossible!" Emperor Ye Wentian's face paled. "Our ancestors set up formations around the pool. If it becomes stable, it signifies insufficient spiritual energy. Under such counteraction, the formation could collapse at any moment..."

*Boom!*

Before he finished speaking, the ground trembled, and a massive crack appeared in the Cleansing Lake, with water gushing out frantically.

"It actually collapsed..." Hall Master Wei's vision blurred. This was the Illusion Feather Empire's most revered national treasure. Should it collapse, the number of high-level cultivators would plummet, likely throwing the entire empire into widespread panic! How could this have happened? It was merely a standard opening, with cultivators training in the pool's core. How could the spiritual energy deplete so drastically, destabilizing the formation and causing it to collapse?

"I'll go get the Sixth Princess and the others out. Once the pool water drains... if we can't suppress the volcano beneath, it's over! Hall Master Wei, quickly invite President Wu of the Formation Master Guild and his colleagues to help repair the formation!" Emperor Ye Wentian urgently cried out, seeing the pool water gushing like a breached dam. The Cleansing Lake was controlled by a massive formation, which maintained a delicate balance with Mount Qingji, the Dragon Scale River, and the earth's meridians. Now that it couldn't withstand the rupture, the shifting earth's meridians below could easily trigger a volcanic eruption. Should it erupt, not only he but everyone present would likely be reduced to ashes. The volcano's heat was scorching; without the ability to fly, escape would be impossible. Anyone engulfed, even a Half-Saint, would not survive! The might of the heavens was invincible; before true nature, only a genuine Saint could hope to cling to life. All else was insignificant. If the volcano erupted and he faced danger, that was one thing, but if the Sixth Princess and her party were harmed... it was foreseeable that the entire Illusion Feather Empire would be doomed! He had originally intended for the princess to cultivate here, hoping to curry favor and elevate the Illusion Feather Empire's standing. He never in his wildest dreams imagined that the always-stable Cleansing Lake would suddenly explode! What a predicament! Why would a perfectly fine Cleansing Lake suddenly explode? If he had known that Master Zhang's presence would cause such an event, he would surely have been left speechless with frustration, realizing it would have exploded long ago.

"Alright! I'll go fetch them at once!" Hall Master Wei, aware of the gravity of the situation, let out a long whistle. A flying savage beast immediately soared over, and he leaped onto its back, heading directly for the imperial capital. The formation had to be restored immediately to control the situation. Otherwise, under the impact of the earth's meridians, a volcanic eruption would likely raze hundreds of kilometers, leading to countless deaths!

"Hmm!" Seeing him depart, Emperor Ye Wentian didn't dare to hesitate and swiftly rushed towards the pool's core where the Sixth Princess was located.

At this moment, Princess Fei'er had already awakened from her cultivation and, along with Luo Qiqi, stared blankly at the young man before them, exchanging bewildered glances. With such a massive commotion, the entire Cleansing Lake on the verge of exploding, this Master Zhang was still cultivating with his eyes closed... How could he remain so calm? If he were truly cultivating, that would be one thing... but the suspended Pure Spirit Incense in front of him was still as long as it had been. This meant that four hours had passed, and he hadn't absorbed a single wisp of spiritual energy! What was he cultivating if not spiritual energy?

"Teacher Zhang..." Unable to endure it any longer, Luo Qiqi couldn't help but call out.

There was no response from the other side.

"The Cleansing Lake suddenly had an accident, and I can't catch up to you anymore, so even if you win..." Princess Fei'er scoffed. Her opponent had already consumed more than five sticks, while she, despite not daring to stop for four hours, had only used less than one. There was a significant gap; she had definitely lost the bet. *I've already lost, so stop pretending and get up quickly!*

After she spoke, the young man remained motionless, his eyes still closed.

"What's wrong with him?" Even if they were dull-witted, both sensed something was amiss.

"Let me see!" Filled with anxiety, Luo Qiqi leaped into Zhang Xuan's pool core. She tugged at him, found no movement, and then instinctively reached for his nose. As her hand touched his body, she instantly recoiled in shock. The young man's entire body was stiff, and his breathing had ceased.

"He... he... he's dead!" Her lips trembling, Luo Qiqi's face turned ashen.