Chapter 646: One Shoe

"If it doesn't work, use this!"

He flipped his wrist and took out the spirit stone awarded from the master teacher competition.

A high-grade spirit stone contained astonishing spiritual energy. If all else failed, he would have to use it to quickly enhance his physical body.

Rumble!

As he was pondering, he felt another tremor, followed by chaotic noises from above the pool.

Then, countless streams of true energy surged down from above, causing the pool, which had lost its spiritual energy, to churn once more.

"This..."

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

Just as he was worrying about how to infuse the pool water with spiritual energy, someone sent true energy down—it was like a pillow when sleepy, or food when hungry!

"Moreover, this is true energy, refined spiritual energy, easier to absorb..."

Using a spirit stone directly meant the spiritual energy within was untamed, making it inconvenient for the body to absorb. True energy was different!

True energy was refined by cultivators, like purified medicinal liquid, ready for absorption without the trouble of purification.

"Could it be that the people above know I need to enhance my physical strength and deliberately sent true energy down?"

Scratching his head, Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

He had been focused on studying how the soul entered the body and hadn't noticed what was happening above. Could it be that these people, knowing he needed spiritual energy, were expending their own true energy to fill the pool?

That would be too kind!

Moved, Zhang Xuan turned to look at his clone.

"Go bring up the earthfire. I'll find the best place to temper the body!"

"Alright!"

The clone nodded, leaped, and swam directly beneath the pool.

As a divine object, the Nine-Heaven Lotus Fetus was impervious to heat and cold; the earthfire, though powerful, could not harm it.

Once the clone left, Zhang Xuan's true soul, along with his body, searched for the most suitable spot in the spiritual energy pool to temper the body.

For now, although his body was stiff and immobile, he could still use the Library of Heaven's Path to find the optimal position.

After a short while, Zhang Xuan stopped, controlled his body to sit cross-legged, and after some effort, opened all his pores. A cool sensation followed as countless scattered true energies surged into his body.

The Way begets one, one begets two, two begets three, three begets all things. Heaven's Path true energy was condensed from the most fundamental and correct techniques, without attributes, able to merge with any attribute of true energy. Thus, despite the mixed nature of the surrounding energy, it had no effect on him.

Once it entered his body and flowed into his dantian, it would automatically purify, turning the slightly turbid energy into the purest Heaven's Path true energy.

Under the tempering of this energy, his body grew increasingly resilient.

...

"President Wu, have you found a method?"

Seeing President Wu holding a compass and pacing for several laps without speaking, Master Wei couldn't help asking.

"Don't rush. This is a level-6 grand formation. Even with my strength, I can only reinforce it. Changing it is difficult!" President Wu's brow furrowed deeply.

He was only a五星 pinnacle master teacher, unable to set up a level-6 grand formation. Even with all his effort, he could only maintain it. Modifying it according to the changed terrain was still somewhat difficult.

"Then what? We can't keep injecting true energy forever!"

Master Wei said.

Injecting true energy into the pool could alleviate the immediate crisis, but it wouldn't completely control the situation.

"Give me some time!" President Wu waved his hand. "Although injecting true energy is a last resort, the consumption isn't too great. With so many of you, you should be able to hold out for an hour!"

The Huaqing Pool itself contained spiritual energy and had the ability to accommodate it. Infusing true energy, though troublesome, could last for a considerable time. Within that time, he might find a solution and successfully repair the grand formation!

"Alright..."

Knowing there was no other option, Master Wei nodded. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Ye Wentian's face change: "Master Wei, President Wu, look..."

As he spoke, the center of the Huaqing Pool shook violently, and a massive whirlpool appeared.

Sizzle!

The whirlpool grew larger, and the true energy everyone had just injected into the pool seemed to be swallowed, vanishing completely.

"It seems to be devouring true energy..."

"Indeed, my true energy is gone too..."

"True energy maintains balance and prevents the grand formation from collapsing. Once it's all devoured..."

...

Everyone looked at each other, eyes wide.

What was happening?

Wasn't this place previously a reservoir for spiritual energy with accommodating properties? How had it suddenly turned into a devourer?

"President Wu... the pool is devouring true energy. I'm afraid... we can't hold out for an hour!" Swallowing, Master Wei turned around.

"Then... how long can we hold out?"

President Wu's eyebrows twitched.

"At most ten minutes!" Master Wei calculated everyone's strength and said.

"Ten minutes?"

His face twisting, President Wu gritted his teeth: "Ten minutes will do! As long as the earthfire below doesn't surge up, it's safe. I'll find a solution within that time. If all else fails..."

As he spoke, he looked down at his compass to find the direction, but the ground shook again.

"What now?"

He quickly turned and saw Master Wei and Ye Wentian looking at him with despair: "It seems... the earthfire has surged up!"

... President Wu's vision went dark.

What kind of luck was this!

Just when he thought the Huaqing Pool could accommodate spiritual energy and everyone could inject true energy to hold out, the true energy was devoured. Just when he said it wouldn't be a failure as long as the earthfire didn't come, the earthfire surged up...

Heavens, you won't stop until you've played us to death!

Rumble!

Amid his frustration, the surging earthfire was about to burst out of the pool. The Huaqing Pool churned violently, and an elder, unable to control himself, spat blood and flew backward.

The formation flag before him snapped with a "crack!" into two pieces.

"It's over..."

His face pale, President Wu couldn't help stepping back.

Without spiritual energy to maintain it, the formation was already uncontrollable. Now that the earthfire had surged up, there was no hope of stopping the volcanic eruption.

"Leave quickly..."

Waving his hand, President Wu looked dejected.

If the volcano couldn't be stopped, the entire Huanyu Imperial Capital would be plunged into disaster, and countless lives would be lost.

"Is there really no way?"

Ye Wentian clenched his teeth.

"None, unless..."

Something occurred to President Wu, but he shook his head: "But that's impossible."

"Unless what?"

Ye Wentian and Master Wei both looked at him.

"Alas, it can't be done?" President Wu looked dejected.

"Tell us, maybe we can think of something together!" Ye Wentian said urgently.

With the earthfire surging up, they probably couldn't hold out for even three minutes. If there was a method, they had to try, rather than watch billions of lives perish before their eyes.

"Mount Qingji, Dragon Scale River, and the earth vein—they were previously maintained in balance by the formation, keeping stability for so many years. But formations are man-made, external forces... If we could find the convergence point of the three forces and guide them to mutually reinforce and counteract each other... even without the formation, stability could be maintained!"

"But... there's definitely no time, and this convergence point... involves the entire mountain, the entire river, and the entire earth vein. It's impossible to deduce. One mistake would backfire, causing massive backlash..."

President Wu said.

Master Wei and Ye Wentian fell silent.

They understood his meaning.

The previous formation suppressed the converging forces of the three, creating a cultivation holy land. In essence, it used the formation to maintain a balance.

If they could find the balance point of the three forces, allowing them to mutually reinforce and counteract, the same effect could be achieved.

But... how to find that point?

Not to mention that Mount Qingji and Dragon Scale River stretched tens of thousands of kilometers, the earth vein was deep underground, inaccessible for exploration. How could they know its size or strength?

If even a single error occurred in the analysis, it wouldn't be mutual reinforcement and counteraction but collapse... and the disaster would be even greater!

It was like stacking gold coins vertically—a slight deviation would cause a collapse... and this so-called balance point was simply impossible to control!

Moreover, there was no time!

With the earthfire surging, the true energy everyone injected being devoured, and the formation flags destroyed... in less than three minutes, this place would likely become ruins, nothing left.

"Tell them to leave, as far as possible..."

President Wu waved his hand.

"Yes!"

Understanding his meaning and knowing there was truly no way, Ye Wentian quickly gave orders.

Rustle!

At the command, the beast tamers present waved their hands, and seven or eight flying spirit beasts flew straight over.

Knowing the danger, he had prepared them earlier.

"Everyone, quickly get on the beasts' backs..."

With a command, Ye Wentian hurriedly called everyone. But before he finished, the ground rumbled violently again.

Rumble!

This tremor was even greater. The pool seemed to be lifted, and a scorching flame, like a dragon, could no longer be contained, ready to burst forth from beneath the pool.

"If we leave like this, what about Master Zhang?"

Seeing the imminent explosion, Master Hong couldn't help asking.

"No time, leave quickly..."

Ye Wentian roared.

Boom!

Before the sound faded, the fire dragon below shot into the sky. Everyone felt a blast of hot wind, their bodies nearly scorched.

"Too late... we can't leave anymore..."

Thinking they could hold out for three more minutes, but before they could even jump onto the beasts' backs, it exploded completely. Ye Wentian felt his heart clench and closed his eyes, awaiting death.

"No, look, how is there someone on the flame?"

After a moment, not feeling engulfed by the flame, he was puzzled when someone in the crowd shouted.

Ye Wentian quickly looked up and saw a figure hovering above the surging fire dragon, eyes like lightning, cold as frost.

Puzzled, he saw the person take off one shoe and casually toss it.

Creak!

The fire dragon immediately wilted, and the clash between Mount Qingji, Dragon Scale River, and the earth vein... instantly balanced.