124: Chapter 124 Spiritual Energy Tide

"But the core of the Spiritual Eye might not be completely exhausted; it might just be hidden deep underground, with Spiritual Qi escaping occasionally. If we can find this Spiritual Eye core, it would be of great benefit for our recovery and even our cultivation!"

Su Yuwei's eyes lit up. As a water-attribute Cultivator, she craved such pure water-attribute Spiritual Eyes the most.

"Indeed."

Murong Bai nodded, a hint of interest appearing in his eyes as well.

What they lacked most right now were time and resources for recovery.

If they could truly find a remnant Spiritual Eye, even a miniature one, it could significantly shorten their healing time and might even allow some to turn misfortune into a blessing, improving their cultivation.

"But the pool water is murky, and there is geothermal interference, making it difficult for Divine Sense to probe deep.

Furthermore, there are often guardian Formations or dangers near a Spiritual Eye; we shouldn't act rashly."

Mo Ling said cautiously.

"Let me try to investigate first."

She took out that Silver Compass and infused it with true essence. The compass glowed, and the needle slowly turned, pointing toward the center of the pool.

Simultaneously, her hands formed Seals, and several investigative silver runes flew out, sinking into the pool water and extending downward.

Everyone waited with bated breath.

About the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea passed.

Mo Ling suddenly uttered a surprised "Eh?", her face showing a mix of joy and gravity.

"How is it?"

Murong Bai asked.

"About ten zhang deep at the bottom of the pool, there is indeed a strong, pure water-attribute spiritual power reaction, and... it seems to be mixed with a faint, ancient spatial fluctuation.

That should be where the Spiritual Eye is located.

But around the Spiritual Eye, there seems to be a remnant, already very weak sealing Restriction.

The attribute of the Restriction's power... leans toward cold and sealing, which seems to conflict with the Spiritual Eye's own water-attribute Spiritual Qi?"

"A cold sealing Restriction?"

Ye Chen's heart stirred.

Could it be that this Spiritual Eye wasn't just for cultivation, but was used to Seal or suppress something?

"Can it be broken?"

Lei Zhen asked.

"The Restriction is very weak and ancient, so it should be possible.

But we must be careful; the moment the Restriction is broken, it might trigger a Spiritual Qi riot, or... release whatever is Sealed."

Mo Ling said pensively.

"Additionally, deep in the pool, the water pressure is high and the temperature is very hot. Ordinary Wheel Sea Realm Cultivators would find it hard to stay for long without special means."

"I'll go."

Bai Yu suddenly spoke up, waving his fan.

"The Cultivation Technique I practice has some affinity for water and wind; holding my breath and diving won't be much of a problem.

Besides, I have some knowledge of Formations and Restrictions."

Murong Bai glanced at Bai Yu, then looked at Ye Chen.

"Junior Brother Ye, what do you think?"

Ye Chen knew Murong Bai was asking for his opinion, as he was the first to notice the anomaly.

After a moment's thought, he said,

"It's worth a try, but we need to be prepared.

It might be inconvenient for Senior Brother Bai to go down alone; I am willing to go with him.

My Hunyuan True Essence might be able to neutralize some sudden dangers."

He actually had other plans.

The water-attribute Spiritual Qi in the Spiritual Eye might only have a mediocre effect on his recovery, but that faint ancient spatial fluctuation gave him a strange, subtle sensation.

Furthermore, he felt that the appearance of this Spiritual Eye here might not be entirely unrelated to the Netherworld Corpse General and the Black-robed Man.

"Junior Brother Ye, your injuries..."

Murong Bai hesitated.

"They are no longer a major concern; underwater movement should be fine.

Besides, if anything happens, Senior Brother Bai and I can look out for each other."

Ye Chen insisted.

"...Alright."

Seeing the determination in Ye Chen's eyes, Murong Bai no longer objected.

"Then you two go down and investigate, but you must be careful.

Junior Sister Mo Ling, support them from the shore and be ready to assist at any time.

Everyone else, guard the surroundings just in case."

Everyone complied.

Ye Chen and Bai Yu each took a 'Water-Repelling Pill' and a Medicinal Pill to resist high temperatures, then meditated for a moment to bring themselves to Peak condition.

"Let's go."

Bai Yu smiled at Ye Chen, took off his outer robe to reveal a form-fitting Diving Suit, and with a splash, leaped into the warm pool water, diving rapidly like a fish.

Ye Chen also took a deep breath and followed closely behind, jumping into the water.

The pool water was warm but not scalding.

The deeper they dove, the dimmer the light became, and the water pressure gradually increased.

Fortunately, their cultivation was strong, and with the aid of the Medicinal Pills, they could still endure it.

Ye Chen focused his Divine Sense a few feet in front of him and, combined with his eyes, observed the surroundings.

The pool walls were rough rock, covered in algae and slippery moss.

Occasionally, small heat-loving aquatic creatures could be seen swimming in the rock crevices.

After diving about seven or eight zhang, the surroundings were already quite dark.

There was only the faint daylight from the opening above and the dim blue spiritual light rising from the bottom.

That spiritual light was coming from deeper below.

They dove another two or three zhang.

Bai Yu, leading the way, suddenly stopped, turned around, and gestured to Ye Chen, pointing downward.

Ye Chen focused his gaze.

He saw that about two zhang below, the pool floor was no longer rock but a slightly recessed, mirror-smooth milky-white Jade Platform.

The platform was about one zhang across, and at its center was a fist-sized Spring Eye that constantly gushed out pale blue, incredibly pure water-attribute Spiritual Qi.

The Spiritual Qi from the Spring Eye turned into strands of blue light in the water, slowly rising in a magnificent display.

Around the Spring Eye on the Jade Platform, a complex circular Formation about five feet in diameter was inscribed.

The Formation lines were a dark, deep blue, emitting a faint but stubborn cold sealing aura; this was the Restriction Mo Ling had sensed.

Currently, the Restriction's light was dim, and many of its lines were broken or blurred, clearly on the verge of collapse.

Yet it still firmly confined the Spring Eye at the center, preventing most of the Spiritual Qi from escaping, with only an extremely faint trace leaking through the cracks in the Restriction.

"That's the place."

Bai Yu sent a sound transmission, his voice echoing directly in Ye Chen's mind—a common method for Wheel Sea Realm Cultivators to communicate underwater.

Ye Chen nodded and swam closer to carefully observe the Restriction.

The Restriction lines were ancient and complex, carrying distinct netherworld, cold, and sealing attributes that were completely at odds with the fresh and soft water Spiritual Qi of the Spiritual Eye.

It was as if a block of cold ice was forcibly sealing a mass of warm water.

"This Restriction doesn't seem to be just for sealing the Spiritual Eye..."

Ye Chen transmitted.

"It seems more like it's... suppressing something deep within the Spiritual Eye?

Look at the center of the Restriction, where the Spring Eye gushes; in the place where the deep blue light is strongest, does there seem to be a phantom of something?"

Hearing this, Bai Yu also focused his gaze.

Sure enough, at the center of the Spring Eye's eruption, inside the pale blue pillar of water Spiritual Qi, a palm-sized, irregularly shaped, pitted, and dark-colored... Metal Fragment phantom was faintly visible.

The fragment phantom drifted up and down, trembling slightly with the gushing Spiritual Qi, emitting a strange, ancient, and heavy fluctuation that was completely different from the surrounding water Spiritual Qi and netherworld Restriction, as if it could suppress the Void Realm itself.

This was exactly the source of the spatial fluctuation Ye Chen had sensed earlier!

"This is..."

A look of surprise flashed in Bai Yu's eyes.

"It seems to be some kind of Magic Treasure, or... a fragment of a key?

It's been Sealed here by both the Spiritual Eye and the Restriction."

"Regardless of what it is, this Restriction is already very weak. Working together, we should be able to break it.

But once it's broken, the eruption of Spiritual Qi from the Spiritual Eye might be very violent, and that fragment..."

Ye Chen transmitted.

"No matter, the Spiritual Qi eruption will be beneficial for our healing.

As for that fragment, we'll act as the situation dictates.

I'll try to break the Restriction first. Protect me and keep an eye on our surroundings."

As Bai Yu spoke, he swam to the edge of the Restriction and extended his right hand, a faint green light glowing from his fingertips.

He began to slowly trace and probe along the lines of the Restriction.

His attainment in Formations was clearly not low; his movements were skillful, and he quickly found several nodes and weak points where the Restriction's energy flowed.

Ye Chen vigilantly watched their surroundings, especially the Metal Fragment phantom in the Spring Eye and the darkness further below.

The bottom of the pool didn't seem to be the end; below the Jade Platform, it was pitch black, leading who knows where.

Time passed bit by bit.

Bai Yu's attempt to break it seemed to have reached a critical point.

Sweat appeared on his forehead; it was clearly not an easy task.

Although the Restriction was damaged, its Rank was quite high, involving netherworld and spatial forces, making it extremely complex.

Suddenly.

The Metal Fragment phantom in the Spring Eye vibrated slightly without any warning.

A clearer, more ancient, and heavier spatial fluctuation suddenly spread out.

Immediately after, the already dim and damaged netherworld Restriction seemed to be stimulated by something, suddenly flaring with its final trace of deep blue light.

Then, like a final surge before death, it flickered and fluctuated violently.

"Not good! The Restriction is about to collapse on its own! Get back!"

Bai Yu's expression changed, and he urgently sent a transmission while rapidly retreating.

Ye Chen also immediately pulled back.

However, they were still a step too late.

"Crack... Boom!"

A dull, massive sound, like glass shattering, echoed through the water.

That remnant netherworld Restriction completely shattered.

It transformed into countless faint blue points of light, splashing in all directions before being dispersed and annihilated by the surrounding currents and Spiritual Qi.

At the same time.

Having lost the suppression of the Restriction, that Spiritual Eye, which had been sealed for an unknown number of years, erupted like a runaway horse!

"Boom—!!!"

Pale blue water-attribute Spiritual Qi, ten or even a hundred times denser and purer than before, erupted like a volcano.

It surged wildly from the spring's eye, instantly forming a thick, incredibly solid pillar of blue light that shot toward the sky.

It struck the pool water above, causing it to churn violently and form a whirlpool.

A terrifying wave of Spiritual Qi, centered on the spring's eye, swept and spread frantically in all directions.

Bai Yu and Ye Chen, who were nearby, bore the brunt of it, hit hard by this sudden surge of Spiritual Qi.

Like two fallen leaves, they were pushed upward against their will, their ears filled with the roar of water and the whistling of Spiritual Qi.

"Steady yourself!"

Ye Chen forcefully channeled his True Essence, forming a layer of Hunyuan True Essence over his body as a shield to resist the impact of the Spiritual Qi while trying to stabilize his figure.

Bai Yu also performed his movement technique, weaving through the torrent in an attempt to get closer to Ye Chen.

Just then.

Within the erupting pillar of Spiritual Qi, that dull Metal Fragment that had been bobbing up and down...

...was also swept up by this violent wave of Spiritual Qi, shooting toward the sky and rapidly toward the water's surface above.

The fragment cut through the water, leaving a dark trail, and the spatial fluctuations upon it became even clearer and more active.

"Catch it!"

A sharp light flashed in Bai Yu's eyes as he shouted via Divine Sense transmission, simultaneously shooting forward like an arrow to chase the fragment.

Ye Chen also realized that for this fragment to be so solemnly sealed within the Spiritual Eye, it was definitely no ordinary object.

He immediately mobilized his remaining True Essence, performing an underwater variation of the "Phantom Step" to chase upward.

However, pushed by the tide of Spiritual Qi, the fragment moved extremely fast.

More bizarrely, it seemed capable of slightly warping the surrounding water and space, its trajectory flickering and unpredictable.

Bai Yu reached out several times, missing each time by a hair's breadth.

Ye Chen was also unable to catch up.

It looked as though the fragment was about to burst through the water's surface and vanish.

Suddenly.

In the water ahead of the fragment, an extremely subtle, unstable Spatial Wrinkle—like a soap bubble—appeared silently.

This seemed to be an accidental phenomenon caused by the combined factors of the Restriction's collapse, the eruption of Spiritual Qi, and the fragment's own spatial fluctuations.

The dull fragment, without deviating, crashed headlong into that tiny Spatial Wrinkle.

"Hum—"

A faint vibration rang out, sounding like the plucking of a lute string.

The dull fragment, along with that tiny Spatial Wrinkle, vanished strangely into the water together.

It was as if it had never existed.

Leaving behind only the Spiritual Eye still frantically erupting with Spiritual Qi, and Bai Yu and Ye Chen, who were stunned and left dizzy by the tide of Spiritual Qi.

"Spatial teleportation? Or... was it annihilated?"

Bai Yu stabilized himself and looked at where the fragment had disappeared, his eyes full of shock and regret.

Ye Chen also swam over, his brows furrowed.

He had seen clearly just now; the fragment had crashed into a temporarily formed, highly unstable miniature Spatial Node and was then teleported away.

As for where it was teleported, that was impossible to know.

It might still be somewhere in Falling Star Lake, or it might have been tossed into the endless Void Realm, completely lost.

"What a pity..."

Bai Yu shook his head.

"However, this eruption of the Spiritual Eye and such dense, pure Spiritual Qi is also a massive Opportunity for us.

Forget the fragment for now; hurry and use this tide of Spiritual Qi to Cultivate and recover!"

Ye Chen nodded, suppressing a slight sense of strangeness in his heart.

That fragment gave him a very odd sense of familiarity, as if he had... sensed a similar aura somewhere?

He couldn't recall it for the moment.

He thought no more of it and sat cross-legged in the surging tide of Spiritual Qi along with Bai Yu.

They circulated their respective Cultivation Techniques, frantically absorbing and refining this incredibly pure water-attribute Spiritual Qi that required almost no purification.

The Hunyuan One-Qi Art operated at full capacity, greedily devouring the Spiritual Qi like rain after a long drought.

It transformed into Hunyuan True Essence, nourishing his parched Wheel Sea and Meridians.

His injuries were recovering at a rate visible to the naked eye.

His True Essence was being rapidly replenished and strengthened.

Even the wounds to his Divine Soul recovered faster under the nourishment of this pure and gentle Spiritual Qi.

On the shore.

Murong Bai and the others were also alerted by the terrifying Spiritual Qi and commotion that had suddenly erupted in the pool.

"Such pure Spiritual Qi!"

"The Spiritual Eye has been opened!"

"Junior Brother Ye and Senior Brother Bai Yu succeeded!"

The crowd was pleasantly surprised.

"Quick! Everyone, seize the time to absorb the Spiritual Qi and recover from your injuries!"

Murong Bai made a prompt decision and was the first to sit cross-legged by the pool.

He circulated his Cultivation Technique, absorbing the Spiritual Qi emanating from the pool, which was dozens of times denser than before.

The others followed suit.

For a time, the entire Water-Eroded Cave was filled with misty Spiritual Qi, like a celestial realm.

Everyone was immersed in the pleasure of rapid recovery, almost forgetting the time.

However, no one noticed.

At the bottom of the pool, deep within the spring's eye that was still gushing Spiritual Qi, near the miniature Spatial Node where the dull fragment had disappeared...

...an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation of an even more ancient and obscure Spatial Coordinate, originating from the same source as the fragment.

Like the last ripple cast upon a lake's surface, it slowly rippled outward, quietly imprinting itself onto the nearby water, rocks...

...and even onto Ye Chen and Bai Yu, who were fully absorbing the Spiritual Qi.

Especially Ye Chen.

Within his Wheel Sea, that Dark Red Ember twitched almost imperceptibly the moment it came into contact with this Spatial Coordinate fluctuation.

As if a deeply hidden... resonance had been touched.

The tide of Spiritual Qi brought by the eruption of the Spiritual Eye lasted for a full day and night before gradually subsiding.

By the time the Spiritual Qi gushing from the spring's eye returned to a stable state—though still several times denser than before—

The concentration of Spiritual Qi within the cave had reached an astonishing level.

A pale blue spiritual mist filled the air; with every breath, one could feel pure water-attribute Spiritual Qi surging into their body.

Without needing to be intentionally refined, it could naturally nourish the Physical Body and replenish True Essence.

For those who had just experienced successive bloody battles and massive exhaustion, this place was no different from a healing Holy Land.

Ye Chen and Bai Yu cultivated at the bottom of the pool where the Spiritual Qi was densest for a full six hours.

With the help of this pure and vast water-attribute Spiritual Qi.

Ye Chen not only recovered sixty to seventy percent of his injuries, but his True Essence had also returned to a state close to his Peak.

He even gained a blessing in disguise; his cultivation at the Middle Stage of the Fourth Level of the Wheel Sea Realm became more stable, with a faint trend toward moving into the Late Stage.

Through repeated consumption and replenishment, his Hunyuan True Essence seemed to have become even purer and more condensed.

The wounds to his Divine Soul had also mostly healed under the dual nourishment of the Great Sun Visualization Method and the pure Spiritual Qi.

Though not fully recovered, it was no longer a major issue.

Bai Yu's gains also seemed significant; his aura was much more stable, and color had returned to his face.

The two exchanged a glance, tacitly stopped their cultivation, and floated upward.

Continuing to stay here would certainly enhance their cultivation, but too much was as bad as too little, and their companions on the shore also needed this Spiritual Qi.

More importantly, the Spatial Coordinate fluctuation left behind when that mysterious fragment disappeared always left Ye Chen feeling a faint sense of unease.

They broke the surface and returned to the shore.

Murong Bai and the others had long since finished their cultivation and were currently adjusting their breathing to consolidate their gains; seeing the two return safely, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Junior Brother Ye, Senior Brother Bai Yu, are you two alright?"

Murong Bai asked with concern.

"We're fine; in fact, it was a blessing in disguise."

Ye Chen smiled and stretched his limbs; the wound on his left arm had already healed, leaving only a faint red mark.

"How is the situation at the bottom of the pool? That fragment..."

Mo Ling asked.

"The Spiritual Eye's Restriction is broken, and the Spiritual Qi has erupted, which is beneficial for everyone's healing.

As for that fragment..." Bai Yu took over the conversation and briefly recounted how the fragment had crashed into a Spatial Wrinkle and disappeared.

"Spatial teleportation?"

Murong Bai and the others were all startled upon hearing this.

"To be able to cause spatial fluctuations and even trigger a temporary teleportation, that fragment is certainly not simple.

It's a pity; if we could have obtained it, perhaps we could have glimpsed some ancient secrets or even found clues to enter the true Ancient Medicine Garden."

Mo Ling said regretfully.

"Perhaps the Opportunity has not yet arrived."

Ye Chen said calmly, though in his heart, he recalled once again the Spatial Coordinate fluctuation when the fragment disappeared and the movement of the Dark Red Ember in his Wheel Sea.

"Regardless, it is a stroke of luck that we were able to find this Spiritual Eye this time.

With the help of the Spiritual Qi here, how are everyone's injuries?"

Murong Bai turned and asked.

"I've recovered fifty to sixty percent. In another day or two, I should be able to restore seventy to eighty percent of my combat power."

Shi Yue said in his booming voice.

Lei Zhen and Jing Wuming also nodded; their physical bodies were powerful, so they recovered relatively quickly.