Chapter 1386: 搬空

Yun Jianyue and Yu Yanluo quickly looked down, asking, "How strong is that monster? Where is it?"

"It's gone. Maybe I was mistaken," Zu An said, his voice a little uncertain.

Yun Jianyue visibly relaxed, which puzzled Zu An. He thought women were truly strange. He had seen her most intimate side; he knew it, and she knew he knew it, yet she was making such a big deal out of the recent situation.

Yan Xuehen, on the other hand, gave him a meaningful glance. *This guy is truly a smooth talker,* she thought. *That demoness is usually quite sharp, yet he just tricked her without her even realizing it.*

Zu An pretended to peer into the water again. "It seems I was mistaken," he said. "I've been on edge, so I guess I'm a bit paranoid."

"You brat, you tricked us on purpose!" Yun Jianyue exclaimed, angrily reaching to pinch his ear.

Yu Yanluo, however, looked at him with a touch of sympathy. "Oh, it's good that there's no monster," she said.

Yan Xuehen clearly didn't want to dwell on the topic, fearing it might make the other two women suspicious of the earlier situation. She quickly interjected, "Have you noticed how vitalizing this spring water is? The world's essence is incredibly abundant here. I feel like my injuries have significantly improved."

During her time in the spring, the black scales on her body had already vanished, her skin returning to a delicate smoothness, like a peeled, hard-boiled egg.

"Huh?" Yun Jianyue murmured, sensing it herself. "It really seems so."

Earlier, due to the corrosive resentment, she hadn't had time to notice. Now, with the reminder, she examined herself closely and realized her internal injuries had indeed healed considerably. If previously only a small fraction had healed, now it seemed almost half was restored.

Just then, Zu An suddenly ducked underwater. When he resurfaced, he found Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue glaring at him, clutching their chests.

*Anger points from Yan Xuehen +111+111+111...**Anger points from Yun Jianyue +111+111+111...*

Even Yu Yanluo wore a chiding expression, clearly finding him rather abrupt.

"What are you doing?" Yun Jianyue asked, her expression unfriendly.

Zu An paused for a moment, then quickly understood their misunderstanding. He hastily explained, "I just went down to drink some of the spring water to test for poison. My constitution is unique; even if it were poisonous, it couldn't kill me. I certainly wouldn't let any of you risk it."

"Is that truly how you see me, as such a contemptible person?" Zu An asked, feeling a surge of indignant sorrow.

Yan Xuehen secretly nodded. *Yes, he is.*

Yun Jianyue, on the other hand, looked a little embarrassed. "Why did you drink the spring water?" she asked.

*They were all bathing in it; could he possibly be...?*

Seeing the women's gazes, as if he were a pervert, Zu An was utterly speechless. "Think about it," he began, "the resentful energy that just corroded our bodies—would it only affect our skin? Clearly, our internal organs were also invaded. Soaking in the spring can wash away the surface resentment, but what about the resentment deep within our bodies?"

*I'm not some pervert interested in bathwater,* he thought to himself.

The women, being astute individuals, immediately grasped his point. "You're truly thorough," they admitted. They also felt a little embarrassed, realizing how they had misunderstood him.

The women then also drank significant amounts of the spring water and began to circulate their energy, refining it. Soon, the last wisps of black energy vanished from their bodies, and their skin became incredibly supple and tender, as if newly revitalized.

The three women were naturally overjoyed, but Zu An was rather downcast. "No! I don't want to be a pretty boy," he protested.

Yu Yanluo pursed her lips, a smile playing on them. "You already are a pretty boy," she teased. Yet, her eyes sparkled with joy, clearly delighted to see her lover growing even more handsome.

"Ice Maiden," Yun Jianyue said, nudging her with an elbow, "I feel my injuries have recovered by seventy percent. How about you?" She thought, *This Ice Maiden is surprisingly soft.*

Yan Xuehen rubbed her chest, frowned, and shot her a glare before replying, "I'm about the same. This spring water is truly remarkable."

One must understand that cultivators of their level, if they avoid injury, are generally fine. However, such severe wounds would typically take at least three to five years, or even over a decade, to fully heal. The sheer extent of their recovery in such a short time truly highlighted the spring water's miraculous properties.

"Then drink some more!" Zu An exclaimed, delighted by their recovery.

Yan Xuehen rolled her eyes at him. "It's not that simple," she retorted. "The further you progress, the harder it is to improve. Our bodies also have limits to absorption. It will be very difficult to recover further using this spring water in the short term. We can only slowly refine it over time in the future."

Zu An murmured via spiritual energy transmission, "Actually, I'm even more effective than this spring water. I could help you fully recover."

"Get out!" Yan Xuehen's face flushed scarlet. She naturally knew what his method entailed; her disciple Chu Yan had healed from previously incurable injuries because of him. However, that entire healing process had lasted for several months. If she had to be saved like that, she'd rather die.

Zu An was surprised that Yan Xuehen, who typically appeared as ethereal as a fairy, would use such language. He cleared his throat and announced, "Since that's the case, let's collect more of this spring water for future use."

This time, the women all agreed. They took out their containers and filled them with water, each managing to collect at least a flask's worth. They wished they could take more, but this vitalizing spring water could only be stored in special magical artifacts, and they were limited by what they could carry.

At this moment, Yu Yanluo spoke, a hint of pleasant surprise in her voice. "I feel my cultivation has increased considerably, and my spiritual energy feels much more refined than before."

Yan Xuehen extended a finger and placed it on Yu Yanluo's pulse. With anyone else, Yu Yanluo would never so readily expose such a vital point, but after their time together, they had become friends. Thus, she offered no resistance and allowed the examination.

After a moment, Yan Xuehen nodded. "You've now reached the threshold of becoming a Grandmaster," she said. "Once we're out, find a secluded spot, and I'll guard you. Breaking through to Grandmaster shouldn't be an issue then."

Yu Yanluo was both astonished and overjoyed. "Thank you, Sister Yan!" she exclaimed.

It was known that her cultivation had been stuck at Rank Eight for many years. While her true combat prowess surpassed that of a typical Rank Eight cultivator, her actual cultivation realm remained at that level. As cultivation progresses, the rate of advancement typically slows significantly. Yet, in the past few months, her cultivation had accelerated so rapidly that she was now on the verge of becoming a Grandmaster, a development that felt almost dreamlike to her.

"No need for formalities, Sister Yu," Yan Xuehen replied, feeling a touch of embarrassment. She covertly glanced at Zu An before quickly averting her gaze. Having, in a sense, "stolen" her man, she felt a strong sense of guilt towards Yu Yanluo and naturally sought to compensate her.

Meanwhile, Yun Jianyue turned to Zu An. "Little Anzi," she asked, "what about you? Did you gain any benefits?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Zu An replied. "I don't feel like I've broken through an entire major realm, but my Brave Soul stage seems to have advanced by about half."

"Your talent is truly astounding, young man," Yun Jianyue exclaimed. "You've only been soaking for a short while! Given enough time, breaking through an entire major realm wouldn't be an issue for you. Do you know it took me and that Ice Maiden several years to reach the Brave Soul stage?"

Zu An wanted to ask them how old they actually were, but he knew that would be a death wish. He could only say regretfully, "It's a pity we can only take so little of the spring water."

Yan Xuehen suddenly had an idea. "Sister Yu," she said, "bring out your Thousand Li Mountains and Rivers Map. Does it contain a river?"

"Yes!" Yu Yanluo's eyes lit up. "Are you suggesting we divert this spring water into the map?" But her enthusiasm quickly faded. "Unfortunately, I don't have that capability yet," she admitted.

"I can try," Yan Xuehen offered. She urged Yu Yanluo to unfurl the Thousand Li Mountains and Rivers Map. Then, she swiftly drew several blue runes in the air, her hands moving rapidly to form a series of intricate incantations.

Yun Jianyue watched with secret admiration. *No wonder that Ice Maiden can so easily captivate those righteous cultivators; her spell-casting gestures alone are utterly transcendent.*

With her finger, Yan Xuehen pointed at the spring. A faint white glow enveloped the water, and as she slowly raised her hand, the mountain spring transformed into a slender stream, flowing directly into the Thousand Li Mountains and Rivers Map.

At that moment, an earth-shattering roar echoed from the foot of the mountain. As if sensing that the spring it guarded had been stolen, the Taotie abandoned the Demon Emperor and charged directly up the mountain.