CHAPTER 677: SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN THUNDER POOL

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The sound of a sharp blade slicing into flesh kept echoing. As time passed, the number of wounds on Yun Xiao’s body inevitably increased. Although he had them all under control to avoid any vital parts, at this rate, he would bleed to death even without a fatal injury.

On Yun Xiao’s arms, legs, and across his back and chest were densely packed bloodstains, some of which were particularly deep. If not for the determined resolve to hold on, he might have collapsed already.

"Almost there, just 24 hours left!"

Feeling his life force slowly draining from his body, and losing consciousness due to excessive blood loss, Yun Xiao’s mind was becoming increasingly blurry. However, he was still silently keeping track of time, anticipating that final moment.

Swoosh!

Just as Yun Xiao’s senses were getting cloudy and his movements sluggish, a Golden Blade suddenly slashed diagonally from somewhere, startling him and filling his heart with despair.

Perhaps it was because Yun Xiao was too weakened from blood loss, or maybe the trajectory of the Golden Blade was too tricky, even with the intention to dodge, it was impossible for him.

Moreover, with his right arm still bleeding heavily, there was no chance to lift the Dragon Taming Sword to counter, so he could only watch helplessly as the Golden Blade drew nearer.

This time Yun Xiao could neither avoid nor protect his vitals. If struck by the Golden Blade, he would likely die instantly, leaving no intact corpse.

"Could it really be that at this last hurdle, all my efforts will fail?"

As the Golden Blade sped towards him, Yun Xiao could no longer clearly recall the time in his mind, and at this moment of utter despair, the blade was only an inch away.

He could even sense the sharpness of the Golden Blade’s edge, knowing that in just an instant, he would be cut in two, ceasing to exist.

"Huh?"

Yun Xiao, who was resigned to his fate, suddenly had a jolt in his heart, because the expected feeling of the Golden Blade cutting into his flesh never arrived. Instead, when he looked up, he saw the blade that was about to slice him, disappear in an instant.

Simultaneously disappearing were all the other Golden Blades dancing in the sky. It was a narrow escape; had it been just a little later, Yun Xiao might not even have managed to crush the Boundary Crossing Token.

It turns out, at this crucial moment, 24 hours had finally passed. This incredibly dangerous situation had Yun Xiao breaking out in a cold sweat, a truly hair-raising moment.

Yun Xiao, who had suddenly relaxed, collapsed to the ground the next moment, unable to move even a finger. In that last moment, he had been hanging on by a thread, with both his Meridian Qi and life force nearly depleted.

Now, Yun Xiao could only pray that the next challenge wouldn’t come too soon. With his current state, whether it was flying stones or creeping vines, they would likely be lethal on impact.

Fortunately, this time Yun Xiao’s prayers seemed to have worked. Until thirty minutes had passed, no danger had emerged in this place, allowing him to recover a trace of vitality.

"Hey! My Waist Storage is usable again!"

Yun Xiao, who had regained some strength, suddenly sensed something. He reached down to his waist and wiped, and the Waist Storage, which hadn’t been incinerated in the Raging Fire, finally emitted a faint glow—it was a clear sign of being usable again.

Ever since the Raging Fire, Yun Xiao had been completely naked except for the Dragon Taming Sword and Waist Storage, as even his clothes had been burned to ash. It was a rather indecent sight, thankfully no one else was around, or it would’ve been quite embarrassing.

Now that the Waist Storage was accessible, the first thing Yun Xiao took out were medicines to stop bleeding and pain. As an Advanced Spiritual Rank Meridian Refiner who often got injured, he was well-prepared with these supplies.

After wrapping all the wounds with bandages, Yun Xiao at this moment, looked as if he was fully clothed, with hardly any skin exposed. This was because during the previous assault by the Golden Blades, too many wounds had been inflicted upon every part of his body.

Nonetheless, Yun Xiao swiftly put on a set of coarse clothes, hiding all the white bandages, appearing to be an uninjured person.

Of course, these were merely external injuries. With Yun Xiao’s recovery abilities from his physical strength and the support of the Wood attribute Ancestor Vein, he should be able to gradually heal these wounds in a few days.

"I wonder what will be the next test?"

The consecutive five tests of the Five Elements had Yun Xiao feeling quite apprehensive, believing that if something similar happened again, he might not be so lucky.

However, after waiting for roughly an hour, there were no more significant changes in the place, leaving Yun Xiao no choice but to stand up and move forward.

Despite the place not looking desolate, walking for half a day without seeing a single soul still made Yun Xiao cautious. With previous lessons in mind, his actions became even more careful and wary.

"Hmm? What is that?"

After half a day’s journey, Yun Xiao finally noticed some changes ahead, which slowed down his pace considerably.

It seemed to be a strange place shimmering with silver light. As Yun Xiao drew closer, he saw clearly what it was and couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

"Is this a Thunder Pool formed by countless thunders? Could this be the sixth trial?"

Yun Xiao’s face turned extremely grim, as the flickering silver light he had seen from afar turned out to be a Thunder Pool formed by endless bolts of thunder and lightning.

"Thunder Pool?!"

As Yun Xiao’s expression darkened, he noticed a massive stele standing beside the pool, inscribed with the words "Thunder Pool," which appeared to be the name of this so-called Thunder Pool.

"I wonder if it’s possible to proceed without crossing this Thunder Pool?"

Yun Xiao looked around and just as the thought came to his mind, the scenery on either side suddenly underwent a mystical change.

On both ends beside the Thunder Pool, thick high walls suddenly appeared, crushing Yun Xiao’s idea right in its infancy.

It is worth mentioning that a high wall also emerged behind Yun Xiao almost simultaneously. So now, he had no other path to take but to step into the Thunder Pool.

Of course, Yun Xiao could choose to stay put, but when he noticed the wall behind him moving towards him, he realized that even this last idea was taken away from him.

Sensing the wall slowly approaching, Yun Xiao knew he had only one way to go—to step into the Thunder Pool. However, whether this was a path to life or death, he had no certainty at all.

"Fine, since there’s no way out, I’ll just have to brave this so-called Thunder Pool. Let’s see if these thunders can measure up to the Pill Tribulation Heavenly Thunder of a Heavenly Rank Elixir."

With only one path ahead of him, Yun Xiao did not hesitate or waver much, for these wouldn’t have been of any use. Gritting his teeth and with a fierce voice, he stepped forward, entering the Thunder Pool.

Boom! Crack!

The moment Yun Xiao’s foot crossed into the boundaries of the Thunder Pool, the numerous thunders inside seemed to have sensed something, a bolt closest to him roared like an outcry, heading straight for him.

"Bring it on!"

Yun Xiao also let out a loud shout, and his right hand was enveloped in a layer of blood-red flames, meeting the striking thunder head-on. It seemed he didn’t want to dodge but instead chose to test the might of the thunder in the Thunder Pool.

Boom!

The silver thunder struck Yun Xiao’s right palm accurately, followed by tendrils of electrical light twining around, making his entire body go numb, yet his face revealed a trace of joy.

"Indeed, the thunder in this Thunder Pool is far inferior to the thunder from the Pill Tribulation of a Heavenly Rank Elixir!"

Yun Xiao had initially been uncertain whether his reborn body could withstand the ravaging thunder of the pool, but now there was no doubt left in his mind.

The Pill Tribulation that occurs when a Heavenly Rank Elixir is born is not something any cultivator beneath the Heavenly Rank could endure. Yun Xiao’s survival without being directly obliterated was a huge stroke of fortune.

If not for Yun Xiao’s special origins and the help from the Golden Snake Worm in sharing the brunt of the Pill Thunder’s fury, he likely would have been annihilated in an instant under that kind of Heavenly Tribulation.

Otherwise, breaking through to the Spirit Vein Realm directly would have been out of the question; merely staying alive would have been a feat. Up to now, Vice President Qian Sanyuan of the Meridian Refining Master Association on Tenglong Continent still could not comprehend it.

In any case, the thunder within this Thunder Pool, let alone comparing to the Pill Thunder of a Heavenly Rank Elixir, was even weaker than ordinary thunder from outside.

After all, this is a trial of the Boundary Tower; there must be some chance of survival left for the participants. The trial of the Five Elements Power could sense Yun Xiao’s Physical Strength, but it certainly couldn’t detect the internal Golden Snake Worm.

Yun Xiao believed that with so much thunder rampaging, even if he didn’t seek help from the Golden Snake Worm, the creature would come out on its own to feed. It seemed that the thunder could help restore its strength to some extent.

Indeed, as expected, when Yun Xiao confidently moved forward and countless bolts of thunder furiously struck toward him, a Devouring Power burst from within him, without seeking his opinion, and began to devour the raging Thunder Energy.

"Hey, you, leave some for me; this is an excellent aid for tempering the Physical Strength!"

With that, the thunder, meant to be Yun Xiao’s sixth trial, unexpectedly became nourishment for both him and the Golden Snake Worm to enhance their strength. Competing for it, the slim figure walked leisurely through the Thunder Pool. Where was the slightest sign of the earlier trials’ hardships?