Chapter 2151: Moon-Clear Pool

"Before, the Undying Lava Pool served the various heavens, with a few slots each year for geniuses to go and train. Everyone considered it an honor to go there. Now that the lava pool has gone cold and is useless, each heaven has built its own place for tempering the body—every faction has one! Our military camp also has one, but it's mostly for gods. As for the best place for tempering the Divine Lord's physical body, I'm afraid it's only the Qi family's Moon-Clear Pool. But this place—the Qi family never opens it to outsiders... Even us old subordinates can't do anything about it!"

Zhuo Feng smiled bitterly.

Zhang Xuan was puzzled: "Old subordinates? You belong to the Qi family?"

"I was once a soldier of the Qi family!" Involving military secrets, Zhuo Feng was reluctant to say more.

Zhang Xuan had no intention of prying and said, "If the Qi family never opens it to outsiders, then there's no way. As far as you know, are there any other methods to improve the physical body?"

If it's not passed on, forget it—he couldn't just sneak over and use it, could he?

He had always followed the rules and never did such things, nor would he ever break someone else's belongings...

Yes, that's right.

"There's no other way..." Zhuo Feng shook his head. "Once one reaches the Divine Lord level, they are no longer weak in the Divine Realm. To improve the physical body, the required resources must be extremely precious. Apart from such great families or official forces, how can ordinary people afford it? People like us basically rely on true energy to slowly hone and improve over time..."

Zhang Xuan was silent.

What the other said was correct. Only after breaking through to Divine Lord did one realize the power of this level. Things that could now be effective for him were all valuable, and ordinary people simply couldn't afford to rapidly improve their physical bodies.

So, the only option was to accumulate over time.

"If... Master Zhang insists on using it, I might swallow my pride and go try, but I can't guarantee success..." Zhuo Feng said.

"I'll trouble Brother Zhuo!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fists.

Time could not be wasted; he indeed needed to quickly improve his strength.

"Alright!" Zhuo Feng nodded and turned to leave.

Zhang Xuan didn't wait there either but returned to his residence. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Qi Ling'er already standing inside, her fair face full of exhaustion.

"Young Master Zhang..."

"The news gathering didn't go well?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had specifically asked her to come from Night Abyss City to help inquire about Luo Ruoxin. With such a tired expression, had she returned empty-handed?

"I went to the black market in the imperial city and found some old friends to gather information. But unexpectedly, Qi Weier found out I was back, deliberately made things difficult, and reported to the family... I just received a message from the clan ordering me to return immediately!" Qi Ling'er shook her head. "Once I return to the clan, I'll probably be imprisoned and won't be able to help Young Master Zhang gather news anymore. So... I came specifically to inform you!"

Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

They were both members of the Qi family. Normally, knowing she had arrived, they should be happy. Why imprison her?

Qi Ling'er explained: "The black market, though taboo, is known to the upper echelons. They also understand that without it, the current situation in the Divine Realm would be unsustainable..."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Even without her explanation, he could figure it out.

The decline of spiritual energy in the Divine Realm was a huge disaster for cultivators. Wanting to cultivate but lacking resources was like smashing someone's rice bowl, easily causing upheaval.

Martial artists use force to defy prohibitions. One or two cultivators wouldn't amount to much, but if there were many, it would inevitably cause turbulence that couldn't be ignored in the entire Divine Realm.

Although the Emperor Lord's presence prevented major problems, local chaos would still be unacceptable to city lords.

Thus, the black market came into existence.

In this place, transactions didn't have to follow rules, allowing more freedom and better alleviating pressure, stabilizing the Divine Realm.

Blocking is not as good as channeling!

This was like certain special professions in his previous life—though strictly investigated and known to be illegal, they always existed, and many places turned a blind eye.

It wasn't that they didn't want to manage it, but once completely eradicated, the negative impact would be even greater.

Choose the lesser of two evils.

"The black market of Netherworld Heaven is basically controlled by my Qi family. It looks glorious, but in reality, it's unsavory and can't be put on a resume! Therefore... those sent to manage the black market are almost always suppressed and marginalized disciples!"

Qi Ling'er smiled bitterly.

If not marginalized, who among the core disciples wouldn't want a bright, presentable resume?

The head of the black market... even if they achieved results, they couldn't show it off!

It was like spies or undercover agents—even if their merits were great, even surpassing those of ordinary generals, they couldn't write down those achievements one by one and be openly commended.

"My bloodline, strictly speaking, is not a side branch; it's close to the core. But due to some issues with ancestors of my branch, I've always been suppressed by the branch where Qi Weier belongs! And now, relying on her brother's status, she throws her weight around. Even though I'm also a Qi family member, there's nothing I can do!" Qi Ling'er continued.

"Her brother?"

"He is the most talented junior in the entire Qi family now. Under forty years old, he has already reached the Upper Grade Divine Lord realm and lasted two hours in the Moon-Clear Pool... According to the clan, he has the potential to become a Divine King! So he receives the best cultivation resources, and naturally, his branch rides on his coattails!" Qi Ling'er said.

"Lasting two hours in the Moon-Clear Pool?"

Having just heard about this thing, he couldn't help but be curious.

"The Moon-Clear Pool is where our Qi family members reshape their bloodlines and temper their bodies. The purer the bloodline, the longer one can stay inside. For ordinary core disciples, lasting half an hour is already considered a genius. Lasting two hours—in the clan's history of many generations, including him, there have only been five. The previous four all became Divine Kings!"

Qi Ling'er nodded.

With such precedents, in the eyes of the clan members, this person was already a quasi-Divine King!

The Qi family's ancestor, Qi Meng, was a titled Divine King. Within the clan, there were also a few ordinary Divine Kings. If they could produce another one, it would be a great honor and greatly increase their power.

The other two great families would no longer be able to compete.

With the status of quasi-Divine King, the clan's attitude naturally differed. Qi Ling'er and others, who were at odds with him... were thus suppressed!

No wonder, as a Qi family member, she was sent to such a distant place. After all, there were these internal clan affairs.

"Have you entered this Moon-Clear Pool?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"I entered once, but I couldn't last even a quarter of an hour before leaving..." Qi Ling'er shook her head.

If she could also last two hours, the clan would be eager to curry favor with her—who would dare to offend?

Without strength, one gets beaten; there's no way around it.

"Couldn't last a quarter of an hour? Is this Moon-Clear Pool you speak of so hard to endure?"

"The power inside is extremely violent, and it strongly suppresses both true energy and the soul. That is, once inside, you can't use true energy to resist. Relying solely on the physical body, you can't hold out long before being torn to shreds. Being able to last long not only indicates pure bloodline but also strong talent!" Qi Ling'er said.

It wasn't that she didn't want to stay longer; she simply couldn't bear it.

Entering it felt like the pain of being flayed alive; fifteen minutes was her limit.

"Because of this family situation, originally, even if you invited me back, I would have refused. But... after taking the beauty pill you refined, the previous damage to my body disappeared, and my recovery ability increased. It seemed to strengthen my resistance to that kind of flame, so I agreed... hoping for a chance to return to the clan and try again!"

Qi Ling'er hesitated for a moment and said.

"So... your request is for me to refine enough beauty pills so you can have a chance to re-enter the Moon-Clear Pool?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Earlier, when he asked her to bring him here from Night Abyss City, he had asked her to name her conditions. She hesitated for a moment but didn't say. Now it seemed it was related to this Moon-Clear Pool.

This thing represented talent. The longer one could stay inside, the more attention they received... In her view, if she had enough beauty pills, even if the violent power inside was immense, she could surely withstand it and wouldn't fail to last even half an hour.

"Yes..." Qi Ling'er didn't deny it.

"Since I agreed to your conditions, I can help you!" Zhang Xuan said. "But... I need to go to the Moon-Clear Pool with you!"

Just as he was thinking of seeing the best body-tempering place in Netherworld Heaven, Qi Ling'er was about to return. He could first find a way to take a look, not to learn, but to discern its structure. If all else failed, he could also try to create one himself.

"Thank you, Young Master Zhang..." Qi Ling'er's eyes lit up.

In fact, her main purpose in coming was to ask for this person's help.

Although the beauty pill was very effective, it couldn't let her last two hours in the Moon-Clear Pool; at most, it could add ten or eight minutes!

But... this person was so proficient in alchemy, had so many methods, and had created so many unimaginable miracles... if he truly put his heart into it, perhaps there would be unexpected effects.

"I can bring you to the Moon-Clear Pool, but without Qi family bloodline, you can't enter. Otherwise, you'll be torn to pieces by the violent power inside—even a peak Upper Grade Divine Lord can't withstand it..."

Qi Ling'er said.

She wasn't worried about him having any other intentions.

The Moon-Clear Pool couldn't be entered by non-Qi family members. This person could only look from the outside.

Because of this, the clan didn't have particularly strict restrictions, such as rules forbidding outsiders from approaching. After all, outsiders couldn't use it anyway; approaching was harmless.

"Don't worry, I'll just take a look, wander around outside, and definitely won't go in..." Zhang Xuan smiled.

He had only heard about this thing from Zhuo Feng. It would be good to see it once; he didn't expect to enter.

Of course, if there was a chance to improve his physical body, he wouldn't give it up.

As long as he was careful and didn't break it.

"That's good..." Qi Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief.