At this moment, Jiang Nan swung the Blood-Drinking Halberd in wide arcs, digging furiously at the veins of Crimson Flame Iron embedded in the rock wall.
The halberd was forged from top-tier spirit material, its hardness far beyond anything a high-grade material like Crimson Flame Iron could match.
Mining with it was as easy as slicing vegetables.
He opened his alternate dimension, and huge chunks of Crimson Flame Iron, mixed with hot spring water, were swept inside in a frenzy.
Down here, both the concentration of the spicy broth and the purity of the spiritual energy were far higher than above.
His level was rising much faster.
Jiang Nan was grinning with delight.
Cultivating while picking up a fortune on the side?
This world was simply too wonderful.
Little Dimple was also gorging herself without restraint.
She opened her tiny beak and sucked at the rock wall. All the essence of the Crimson Flame Iron was drawn out, leaving only crumbling slag behind.
In her red-feather state she absorbed Crimson Flame Iron, in her blue-feather state she devoured Water Cloud Jade.
After reducing a vast stretch of spirit materials to rubble, a loud boom echoed through the cavern.
Little Dimple, who had been stuck at the peak of Gold rank, finally broke through to Platinum.
Jiang Nan was green with envy.
In no time at all, he had collected nearly ten tonnes of Crimson Flame Iron. The large deposits on the wall were gone.
His gaze shifted to the Water Cloud Jade.
The trouble was that the spring water around the Water Cloud Jade was milky white.
Hang on.
If the clear broth side was meant for girls and boys were not allowed in, then he could just turn himself into a girl.
He had already enjoyed the benefits of the spicy side. He absolutely had to experience the clear side too.
He could not let the trip go to waste.
Time to go for it.
He pulled out a Cloth Spirit Pudding, popped it into his mouth, and swallowed.
The next instant, a miraculous transformation took place.
Jiang Nan’s hair grew long, his figure became curvaceous.
Jiang Nan had become Jiang Nu.
She tied her hair back with a scrunchie, then plunged headfirst into the milky white spring water.
Though the water was hot, a surge of yin-cold energy flowed into her, continuously strengthening her body.
Her skin grew even fairer and firmer, her frame more slender and graceful.
Her body, which had already built some tolerance to the spicy broth, began absorbing the new energy once more.
Jiang Nu’s eyes sparkled. It really worked.
She started digging the Water Cloud Jade with renewed vigour.
…
In the spicy side of the mandarin duck hotpot.
Wu Liang suddenly burst out of the water, let out a loud burp, and stroked his chin with a deep frown.
“Burp. Something’s wrong. This flavour isn’t right.”
Xiong Er was stunned.
He could even taste that something was off?
Was Xiong Da a master sommelier?
No, a master bathwater taster?
The next moment, Wu Liang’s eyes widened. Every muscle in his body bulged like coiled dragons.
“Ah-ha!”
With a mighty roar, he instantly transformed into a three-metre-tall devilish muscleman.
A blindingly holy light burst from the top of his head, as though a new sun had risen above Sacred Flame Volcano.
Wu Liang was baffled.
Super Strength 2.0?
He had only drunk the spicy broth water, not the special bathwater.
How had this happened?
“Xiong Er! Open your mouth!”
Xiong Er stared blankly. (？･᷄口･᷅) Huh?
Wu Liang scooped up a handful of spicy broth and poured it straight into Xiong Er’s mouth.
“Oi, what the hell! Xiong Da, you… cough cough!”
The next instant, Xiong Er’s eyes bulged. Overwhelming power erupted from him.
Boom!
A nearly four-metre-tall muscular brute appeared in the pool.
Have you ever seen an eight-pack abs on a beer belly?
A dazzling halo of light shone from his head as well.
Wu Liang’s face paled. He hurriedly reached for the barrier around the special bathtub.
It was gone.
“Oh no. Super Strength 2.0 has leaked. Where’s Nan-ge?”
At that moment, the eight other brothers who had been guzzling bathwater shot up from the pool.
The light radiating from eight bald heads was blinding.
Each one had turned into a muscular hunk, their faces filled with terror.
“Bloody hell! Where’s my thick black hair? Why am I bald?”
“So bright! Forget the hair, I haven’t a single strand left anywhere! My legendary body hair is gone!”
“Heavens! Our bodies are insane. This raw power is unreal!”
“Have we mutated from drinking bathwater?”
The eight men were on the verge of tears. What kind of monstrous muscle freaks had they become?
They crouched in the pool, too scared to climb out.
Their shorts had burst from the transformation.
They all glared furiously at Wu Liang. If not for this bathwater-drinking maniac, would they have ended up like this?
Now they were in serious trouble.
Wu Liang rubbed his head. It had leaked, but it would probably be fine, right?
Even the bath attendant auntie was blinded by the ten blazing bald heads.
Her face was full of shock.
How had these bathwater drinkers turned into such monsters?
Had they really mutated?
Did the mandarin duck hotpot water have this effect when drunk?
At that moment, countless people soaking in the hot springs throughout Sacred Flame Spirit Ruins stared wide-eyed towards the peak of Sacred Flame Volcano.
Through the endless mist, ten radiant suns had risen.
“Hiss. Ten suns in the sky at once? An omen? Does this mean a treasure has emerged?”
“Rubbish. Omens like this usually mean a great calamity is coming.”
“What nonsense? Ten suns? Is it that I, Hou Yi, can no longer draw my bow, or have the sun gods been too busy making babies?”
“Phone! Where’s my phone? Record this quick. Nothing like this has ever happened in the spirit ruins!”
Everyone in the hot springs was buzzing with discussion.
Even Tanya was stunned, staring blankly at the volcano peak.
“What on earth is going on?”
In the clear broth side, Zhong Yingxue, Xia Yao, and the others, who were focused on cultivating, faintly noticed the bright light beyond the misty barrier.
“Hmm. Has Little Nan and the boys drunk Super Strength again?”
“Hee hee. Never mind. Let’s keep cultivating.”
…
Deep in the underground cavern, through relentless cultivation and mining, Jiang Nan’s own level had surged to Gold VIII.
He had also mined over ten tonnes of Water Cloud Jade. Nearly everything was gone.
Feeling stronger with every swing, Jiang Nan brought the halberd down in a mighty strike.
Boom!
The tremendous force collapsed part of the cavern wall.
Jiang Nu stared in shock. Good heavens.
When did I get this strong?
Just then, Little Dimple swam over in a panic, her face full of fear, frantically gesturing.
“Master! I… you… aaah!”
Jiang Nan stared at the bald, featherless chicken in front of her, disgust written all over her face.
What in the world was this hideous thing?
Utterly revolting.
This was Little Dimple? How had she gone bald?
Bald? Hmm.
Bald!!!
Jiang Nan’s face drained of colour. She hurriedly touched her own head.
Smooth as an egg. Not a single hair remained.
Looking down, she saw eight ripped abs on her once-flat stomach.
She had become a full-blown muscle Barbie.
Only now did Jiang Nan remember that she was over two thousand metres underground.
Well beyond the skill’s range.
So the 300 barrels of Super Strength 2.0 had leaked?
Oh no.
The hunter had become the hunted.
Her face ashen, she quickly pulled out a set of Hulk shorts for Little Dimple, scooped her up, and swam frantically towards the clear broth side.
Even down here, over two thousand metres deep, she had been affected by Super Strength 2.0.
That meant it had spread everywhere.
All the underground waterways were connected.
Xuexue and the girls were still soaking in the water.
If they went bald, she was finished.
…
In the clear broth side, the three cat-girl sisters, cultivating underwater, felt a new cool energy mix with the yin-cold spring water.
Their bodies were strengthening far faster, filled with restless power. Joyful, they closed their eyes and absorbed it greedily.
A ripping sound made Bai Jiafei pause. What was that?
She opened her eyes and looked down.
“Mmmph!”
Her swimsuit had torn apart. What were these bulging, powerful muscles?
Rubbing her eyes, Bai Jiafei stared in horror.
Turning into a muscle Barbie was bad enough, but why was she completely bald, eyebrows and all?
Was this spring water poisoned?
Aaah!
She looked at her two sisters.
They had become muscle cats too.
All three lost their minds. How could they go out looking like this?
Just then, a figure wearing a cap rocketed up from the depths.
The moment Jiang Yulei saw the three cat-girl sisters, twin streams of blood spurted from her nose.
She hurriedly pulled out three sets of Hulk shorts and tank tops and handed them over.
Then, still bleeding from both nostrils, she shot upwards.
The three muscle cat-girls were dumbfounded.
This muscular lady was so considerate, even bringing them clothes?
Why did she look so familiar?
Swimming upwards, Jiang Nan handed out shorts and tank tops to every girl along the way.
The scenery was simply too overwhelming, far too rugged for the eyes.
Continuing upwards, she finally spotted Nightingale, hiding in the water, transformed into a bald cutie, her face full of panic.
Oh, look at that solid chest.
No need for a tank top then. Saves one.
Jiang Nan tossed her a pair of shorts and prepared to leave.
Nightingale: (◦･᷅～･᷄◦)
She lunged forward, grabbed Jiang Nan by the throat, and shook furiously.
“Mmmph mmmph!”
[Resentment from Nightingale +1000!]
[From Nightingale…]
With no choice, Jiang Nan tossed her a tank top too.
Then continued swimming upwards.
