Chapter 504

Chapter 504: The Secret of the Spiritual Pond

After Tian Yunzi’s departure, only Ye Yun and his three sect brothers remained on the mountaintop.

Kun Huazi muttered a few complaints about Tian Yunzi behind his back, then grinned while fiddling with his walnuts. “Junior brother, once you reach the Golden Core stage, Second Brother will take you to a special place.”

Ye Yun blinked. “What kind of place?”

Kun Huazi smirked slyly. “You’ll find out when we get there.”

A strange suspicion crept into Ye Yun’s mind—whatever this “special place” was, it probably wasn’t wholesome.

“Don’t listen to Second Brother’s nonsense,” Zhuge Chong interjected, stepping forward. “He acts like a joker, but he means well. If he’s talking about a ‘special place,’ it’s definitely the Spiritual Pond.”

Ye Yun tilted his head. “The Spiritual Pond?”

Zhuge Chong explained, “It’s a mystical site within Divine Grace Palace’s forbidden grounds. Originally just a ten-zhang-wide pit, it was filled by spiritual liquid that fell from the heavens, forming the pond. The spiritual energy there is incredibly pure. Cultivating there speeds up absorption a hundredfold compared to Absolute Heart Peak.”

Ye Yun’s eyes sharpened. If true, this pond could propel him toward the Golden Core stage.

“But it’s not that simple,” Zhuge Chong added. “Only those at the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment stage can enter. Sitting in the pond doesn’t guarantee success—the energy floods your body too fast. Fail to refine it, and you’ll explode.”

Ye Yun frowned. “Are there tiers within the pond?”

Shu Anshi joined them, smiling faintly. “The closer to the center, the purer the energy—but also deadlier. At the center, even I couldn’t last a breath. Farther out, the flow slows. Many reckless disciples have died there.”

Ye Yun’s mind raced. Ordinary cultivators feared energy overload, but he had the Heart of Immortals and Demons—a bottomless vortex that devoured spiritual energy. What if he pushed deeper into the pond than anyone dared?

Kun Huazi tucked his walnuts away, suddenly serious. “Master’s spirit stones won’t be enough for your breakthrough. You need the pond.”

Shu Anshi nodded. “The sect opens the pond every two years. Disciples below the Nascent Soul stage may apply.”

“Just by registering?” Ye Yun asked.

Zhuge Chong shook his head. “After registration, elites are selected from each cultivation tier. Only they earn entry.”

“When’s the next opening?”

“A year and a half from now,” Shu Anshi replied.

Ye Yun’s brows furrowed. “I’ll reach the Golden Core stage long before then without it.”

Kun Huazi’s walnuts reappeared in his hands. “Unless we bend the rules. Challenge Golden Core disciples three levels above you. Win, and we can demand pond access.”

“Challenge fourth-level Golden Core disciples?” Ye Yun said slowly. “As a Foundation Establishment cultivator?”

“Normally impossible,” Zhuge Chong admitted. “But your true strength surpasses the third level. With the Sword of the Thunder God, you might even match fifth or sixth-level opponents.”

Kun Huazi leaned in. “The rules say three challengers from the same sect branch can petition. If two win, the sect must grant one request. Zhuge Chong and I will join you. Our demand? Open the pond.”

Ye Yun’s lips curved. With his Great Demon Body and the Heart of Immortals and Demons, the pond’s energy surge meant nothing. He’d march straight to the center—and let the vortex feast.

As Kun Huazi and Zhuge Chong bickered over nicknames, Ye Yun’s eyes gleamed. The Spiritual Pond wouldn’t know what hit it.