The instant his body touched the pale silver surface of the water, a layer of cyan light barrier flashed into existence from within his body, effortlessly parting the pool water.
Han Li slowly sank deeper, finally letting the pool water submerge his entire body. The surface immediately returned to calm.
As he sank, the pressure within the pool surged violently, slightly deforming the cyan light barrier.
But with Han Li's extraordinary abilities, he naturally paid this no heed whatsoever.
In the blink of an eye, Han Li had plunged to the pool bottom where the blooming Pure Spirit Lotus grew.
From within the light barrier, he studied the blooming spirit lotus for a moment, then flipped his hand and produced a translucent jade box from his storage bracelet.
Drawing a deep breath, he traced a line through the air toward the spirit lotus with one finger.
A thread of cyan light shot out from his fingertip like lightning, gently circling the stem of the spirit lotus. The palm-sized, flesh-colored lotus immediately detached and began floating upward under the pressure of the surrounding water.
Han Li, who had been prepared for this, waved the jade box toward the lotus.
The lid flew open at once, and a sheet of golden mist swept out from within. With a single flash, it enveloped the lotus and drew it into the jade box.
After the lid fell back into place, the Pure Spirit Lotus was securely in his possession.
As for how to consume it, Han Li naturally knew a thing or two — it was not meant to be taken immediately, but rather during the marrow-cleansing process, in conjunction with the Spirit-Washing Pool.
With a flick of his hand, the jade box vanished from his palm.
Han Li then formed a hand seal with both hands. After a thunderclap, countless golden arcs of lightning erupted from within his body, swirling around his skin for a moment.
After a flash of golden lightning, Han Li's clothing instantly turned to ash, leaving his entire body completely bare.
Though his seemingly well-proportioned and ordinary body appeared unremarkable, his skin was actually fair and crystalline, with a faint, ivory-like luster that shimmered across its surface.
Han Li paid all of this no attention whatsoever and raised his hand, giving the surrounding cyan light barrier a slight wave.
With a muffled bang!
The light barrier vanished without a trace, and the surrounding silver pool water surged toward the naked Han Li, instantly enveloping him completely.
Han Li let out an involuntary breath!
The instant the pool water touched his skin, torrents of pure, surging spiritual power poured through his pores and into his meridians.
The ferocity of the influx made his heart skip a beat.
After steadying his mind, Han Li seized the opportunity at once. The Brahma Saint True Demon Art began circulating frantically along his meridians, and with each revolution of the Lesser Heavenly Cycle, more than half of the spiritual power within his meridians was converted into his own magical power.
This method of increasing his cultivation, though not as swift as the energy boost he had previously gained from the two mysterious crystal beads, was still an extraordinary opportunity.
If he could sustain this frenzied absorption for a full three days, his cultivation might truly advance significantly.
However, Han Li was well aware that this rapid increase in magical power was merely a secondary benefit of the Spirit-Washing Pool. The true purpose was the transformation wrought by the several mysterious forces within the pool water, reshaping his body inside and out.
This was the key to whether he could advance to the Mahayana stage in the future!
By now, he could feel that as spiritual power flowed rapidly through his body, all of his meridians had begun to tingle with a faint, itchy sensation.
The skin directly exposed to the pool water transmitted a dull, aching pain, as though its surface were slowly shedding and dissolving.
Han Li's gaze flickered briefly. He settled cross-legged right at the bottom of the pool, slowly closed his eyes, and went perfectly still.
Time ticked by bit by bit. After a full half-day had passed, streaks of blood appeared across Han Li's originally smooth, jade-like skin, yet not a single drop of blood actually flowed from them — a truly eerie sight.
And this was merely the surface phenomenon. Beneath the skin, his flesh and bones were being invaded by the mysterious energies of the pool water, undergoing a transformation invisible to the naked eye.
For an ordinary person, this transformation process would have been an experience akin to wishing for death.
But for someone like Han Li, whose physical body was incomparably strong and who possessed extraordinary willpower, this degree of pain was entirely bearable.
After a short while, Han Li suddenly opened his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, the jade box containing the spirit lotus materialized before him out of thin air.
The lid opened on its own, and the flesh-colored lotus silently drifted out.
Han Li stared at the Pure Spirit Lotus without blinking, opened his mouth, and a beam of cyan mist shot forth.
Where the mist passed, a palm-sized petal was swept away.
Han Li then drew a sudden breath. The cyan mist flew back, carrying the petal with it into his mouth.
The moment his mouth closed and his tongue touched the substance, a sweet, smooth, and silky juice instantly filled his oral cavity.
The petal dissolved the instant it entered his mouth, flowing easily down his throat.
A searing heat burst forth from his Dantian, transforming into more than a dozen fire-serpents that raced toward every corner of his meridians.