NOVPUBAccording to rumors within the Forbidden Zone, the Rebirth Pool was created by a former master, who had used extraordinary means to connect it to a region deep within the World Sea.
No one knew how he had achieved it, but they knew that ever since its creation, the World Sea had provided an endless supply of Rebirth Water to the Forbidden Zone.
Every disciple had consumed the water, and those with special physiques had their potential amplified.
However… in its entire history, the Rebirth Pool had only trembled violently twice.
The first time was when Ye Lingxuan had undergone the trial, revealing her Sacred Heavenly Body. The pool had trembled, then “acknowledged” her, allowing her to bathe in its waters daily, enhancing her physique until she possessed the most perfect Sacred Heavenly Body among all the Holy Maidens.
And now, it was trembling again…
And the one undergoing the trial… was an outsider.
“It shouldn’t react to someone without the bloodline of the Forbidden Zone…”
Whispers filled the air, and Ye Qing, the girl in the blue dress, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, stared at Mu Zhi’an, who was hovering above the pool. “I heard that the water is drawn from the World Sea… perhaps the bloodline isn’t the only factor,” she murmured.
“Sister, are you saying he’s from the World Sea?” another girl, clad in a green dress, asked.
The World Sea bordered the Two Polarities Sect, and beyond it lay the Southern Wilderness.
Some rogue cultivators resided on the islands scattered across the World Sea.
If he was from an ancient family from the World Sea, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Rebirth Pool to react to him.
Zhou Hao glared at Mu Zhi’an, his fists clenched. “Impossible. He’s from the Mu Family of Tianxuan City. He grew up there. How could he be from the World Sea?”
“Then this is strange… if he’s never left Tianxuan City, why is the Rebirth Pool reacting to him?” Ye Qing wondered aloud, her eyes narrowed.
A gray aura, resembling a coiling dragon, materialized around Mu Zhi’an.
It was the result of the physique test, one of the rewards offered by the Rebirth Pool.
Those with Eighth-Rank physiques or higher would be enveloped in a golden aura and receive a full bottle of Rebirth Water. Those with Fifth to Seventh-Rank physiques would receive a blue aura, while those with Fourth-Rank or lower received no reward and no aura.
However, the gray aura surrounding Mu Zhi’an was… unprecedented.
Ye Lingxuan turned to the female elder beside her. “Sister Ye Ying, what rank is this?”
The beautiful elder, her eyes filled with curiosity, also seemed puzzled. Sensing the disciples’ gazes, she smiled calmly. “Let’s wait and see.”
“Look! The aura is entering his body!” a disciple exclaimed.
They all watched as the trembling subsided and the gray aura seeped into Mu Zhi’an’s body.
Ripples spread across the surface of the pool, and a translucent water droplet materialized.
It transformed into a palm-sized jade bottle, filled to the brim with Rebirth Water, and flew towards him.
A full bottle! It meant his physique was also Tenth-Rank!
Silence fell upon the crowd, their gazes fixed on him.
“If I’m not mistaken, there are less than a hundred Tenth-Rank physiques in the world… what kind of physique does this Mu Zhi’an possess?” a disciple finally spoke, breaking the silence.
“Physiques vary in strength. If his physique was truly remarkable, the aura wouldn’t be gray,” another disciple countered, believing that the gray aura, though strange, was still inferior to a golden one.
Mu Zhi’an couldn’t hear their whispers, his attention focused on the gray aura that had entered his body.
He examined it with his spiritual sense and was surprised to see that it had transformed into a flame.
It was a tiny, gray flame, barely the size of his fingernail, yet it radiated a potent energy.
This flame can enhance my physique! He realized instantly.
He didn’t know its true nature, but he knew that absorbing it would strengthen his physique.
However, with his numerous physique enhancements, which one would it choose?
He watched as the flame drifted through his body, seemingly hesitant, hovering between his two vessels.
Then, it slowly moved towards his Innate Celestial Vessel.
He had anticipated this and quickly channeled his spiritual energy, blocking its path, trying to force it back to his original vessel.
The flame resisted, shifting slightly but refusing to budge.
He persisted, patiently guiding it towards his original vessel, his control over his spiritual energy precise and delicate.
This process continued for nearly half an hour, and the disciples began to whisper amongst themselves.
They had witnessed others undergoing the physique enhancement, but it usually took only a few minutes.
Mu Zhi’an had been at it for over half an hour… the sun would soon set.
They didn’t know the struggle he was facing. This delicate manipulation of spiritual energy required a strong foundation, and he was grateful for his diligent training in the past.
Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead as he finally managed to guide the flame towards his original vessel.
He sighed with relief.
However, at that moment, the flame suddenly surged, breaking through his defenses and diving into his Innate Celestial Vessel.
A faint light flickered within the vessel, as if a fire had been kindled.
“Mmm~”
A soft, alluring moan echoed from within, the Jade Empress’s voice.
He was stunned, then forced a smile.
Damn it!
His Innate Celestial Vessel was truly greedy. It had taken all the benefits for itself, leaving him with nothing!
He suppressed his frustration and examined the vessel, his expression turning strange.
The gray flame had indeed enhanced his Innate Celestial Vessel…
The Heavenly Dao Aura had enhanced it before, allowing him to provide vast amounts of spiritual energy to his dual cultivation partners. And now, the Rebirth Pool had further enhanced it, granting it a portion of the Rebirth Water’s effects, bypassing the “bloodline” restriction.
In other words, regardless of whether his partner was from the Forbidden Zone or not, every dual cultivation session would enhance their physique until it reached its maximum potential.
“Of all my physiques, it chose the most useless one?” he thought, annoyed.
“Young Master Mu, what is your physique? Why was the aura gray?” Ye Qing asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
The other disciples turned to look at him, their gazes questioning.
Even the two elders, their expressions carefully neutral, were staring at him intently.
They had never seen a gray aura before. Physiques had ranks, and the most powerful ones were represented by a golden aura.
He forced a smile, shaking his head. “I apologize, but I can’t reveal my physique.”
Ye Lingxuan and Wei Mengrou exchanged glances, a knowing look in their eyes.
They knew what he meant.
The gray aura had likely entered his Innate Celestial Vessel…
Lingxuan wasn’t sure whether to congratulate him or pity him.
He consoled himself: It’s still an enhancement, even if it’s just for the Innate Celestial Vessel. This trip to the Forbidden Zone wasn’t a complete waste. I can be even more helpful to Ruoxi and the others now, and being a kept man will be even easier…
He gathered his emotions, preparing to fly back down.
At that moment, ripples spread across the surface of the Rebirth Pool.
He paused, his eyes widening in surprise.
The trial should be over. Why is it reacting again…?
“Look! The Rebirth Pool is reacting again!” a disciple shouted, pointing.
Ye Lingxuan, the first to react, stared at the pool, her eyes widening as a golden aura emerged, swirling around Mu Zhi’an.
The crowd gasped.
“Two physiques…?” someone finally whispered, his voice filled with disbelief.
He has two physiques?!
They stared at him as if he were a monster.
Then, another ripple spread across the pool, and a third aura, also golden, emerged.
The pool churned violently, and a fourth, then a fifth golden aura appeared, enveloping him. The disciples were stunned into silence.
After a long moment, someone finally spoke, his voice barely a whisper. “Is there something wrong with the Rebirth Pool?”
They had seen it with their own eyes. They couldn’t deny reality.
But if it wasn’t an illusion… then, including the gray aura, he possessed seven physiques?!
He was just as shocked as they were.
He hadn’t expected the Rebirth Pool to be so generous, granting him seven physique-enhancing auras.
But they were all “Pseudo” physiques. Could the Rebirth Water not differentiate…?
The six golden auras seeped into his body, then, as if competing with each other, they all surged towards his Innate Celestial Vessel.
The crowd was silent, their pride as disciples of an ancient family shaken. They had always believed they were superior to most outsiders, but the Rebirth Pool’s trial had shattered their confidence.
The two elders remained calm, but their gazes, fixed on Mu Zhi’an, who had flown back down, were filled with a newfound respect.
They hadn’t understood the significance of the gray aura, but the six golden auras that followed… it was enough for them to deduce his true nature.
…
Deep within the Celestial Immortal Hall, the master of the Forbidden Zone had been watching the Rebirth Pool, his gaze fixed on the brilliant golden light.
After a long silence, he sighed softly.
“…The Chaos Body.”
This Mu Zhi’an… he had just arrived, and he had already plundered a significant portion of the Forbidden Zone’s resources…
The physique-enhancing auras weren’t always available. It took a long time for the Rebirth Pool to generate them.
And he had just devoured most of them on his first day.
If he were a stranger, he wouldn’t be allowed to leave.
However… though he was reluctant to admit it, Mu Zhi’an was practically family now.
And he had personally granted him permission to enter the Forbidden Zone.
He shook his head, turning to his trusted aide.
“Forbid the other disciples from approaching the Rebirth Pool for the next month.”
The Jade Empress would be using it to heal and rebuild her body. She couldn’t be disturbed.
He paused, then added, “Except for him.”
