Lin Xiao was startled and immediately sank into deep thought.
An Miao’s mother was Miao Ling, known as the Holy Spirit, which was likely Spirit Pool Island’s term for her. But why had Ximen Haoyue warned him to beware her?
Could there be something off about Miao Ling?
Should he trust An Miao, or trust Ximen Haoyue?
What was the purpose of Ximen Haoyue’s final reminder?
On balance, Lin Xiao trusted Ximen Haoyue less, since he knew little about her.
Still, the warning added a layer of caution to his mind.
He temporarily pushed the matter of Miao Ling aside and began examining the storage rings of Lu Mohan and the others.
Lu Mohan’s ring contained several special poison pills, along with a formula for something called the Life-Breaking Poison Pill.
After studying the formula, even Lin Xiao could not help feeling shocked.
The poison pill produced by this formula was the one Lu Mohan had used during the competition. When fully dispersed, it could silently seep into the skin of enemies dozens of miles away, merging into their flesh, blood, and marrow, destroying their vitality and causing death by poisoning.
If refined with sufficient spiritual power into a high-grade version, it could even kill a Martial Saint.
The required herbs varied by grade.
The formula listed ingredients for seventh-rank mid-grade pills, seventh-rank high-grade pills, and even eighth-rank initial-grade pills.
In short, this was fundamentally an eighth-rank pill formula.
If revealed, even initial eighth-rank spirit controllers would covet it.
Though Lin Xiao possessed the memories of the Heaven-Swallowing Spirit Emperor, he was not overly astonished.
The Heaven-Swallowing Spirit Emperor, however, had paid little attention to poison pills, possessing at most a few detoxification formulas.
Thus, Lin Xiao himself had no viable poison pill recipes.
Lu Mohan’s formula filled a useful gap.
The herbs, though, were exceedingly rare.
Especially those for the initial eighth-rank version, they were almost impossible to obtain. Whether he could ever use it depended on gathering the materials.
Beyond that, Lu Mohan’s ring and those of the others held little of note.
Like Lin Xiao himself, they had probably spent most of their wealth preparing for the competition.
Of course, his greatest prizes remained the competition rewards: the initial eighth-rank Spirit Rush Pill and the high seventh-rank Spirit Rush Pill.
These two pills were the supreme rewards for any spirit controller.
At the sight of them, Lin Xiao felt a strong urge to refine them at once.
Because he was due to examine the Destruction Spirit Energy the next day, however, he forced himself to hold back.
Refining pills of this level would almost certainly take more than a single night.
That night, An Miao did not visit. After the competition ended, she had exclaimed in amazement a few times, then hurried off to see her mother. She would probably come tomorrow.
By then, she would likely bring him to meet Miao Ling.
As for Miao Ling, Lin Xiao could only meet her and respond to whatever arose.
Before bringing Lin Xiao here, Ximen Haoyue had already warned the others on the island, so no one disturbed him.
That night, Lin Xiao did not cultivate. He simply relaxed and slept, a rare luxury.
On another island within Spirit Pool Island, Ximen Haoyue stepped onto the shore. In a flicker that resembled teleportation, she entered a room overlooking the lake.
Her gaze fixed on the distant waters as she sighed deeply. “Spirit energy possessing three attributes has never been recorded. Could he have fused three spirit energies?”
“Even the Heaven-Swallowing Spirit Emperor could not achieve it. Can he?”
Ximen Haoyue fell into contemplation.
Only after a long while did she emerge from her thoughts. With an enigmatic expression, she sighed again. “Lin Tianshu, he truly resembles you.”
The following morning, in the cities surrounding the island in all directions.
“Great Elder, are we simply to wait on the periphery of Spirit Pool Island? If Lin Xiao never emerges, do we just keep waiting?”
An elder of the Ji family asked Ji Zhen.
“This boy’s potential is too vast. Before long, he may truly be able to contend with Martial Saints. We cannot allow him to mature. We must eliminate him.”
Cold light gleamed in Ji Zhen’s eyes as he stared towards Spirit Pool Island. “He has not joined Spirit Pool Island. He will leave eventually. Given Lin Xiao’s temperament, he will not stay long.”
“You lead the others back to the clan. I shall remain here personally.”
The elder nodded. With their current strength, they could no longer kill Lin Xiao. Staying would only risk exposure.
Their departure would help conceal their true intent.
Ji Yue involuntarily clenched her fists. Back then, Lin Xiao had only been able to flee from her grasp.
Now, even she could not match him. It was difficult for her to accept.
“Hold on. I will escort you out and then return. We must maintain appearances.”
Ji Zhen added.
Thereafter, Ji Zhen led the Ji family members and those from Yang Province away, including the people from Holy Heaven Gate.
Naturally, not everyone from Yang Province followed them back. Having rarely visited Holy Province, roughly half chose to train elsewhere.
For instance, Feng Yuan of the Demon Void Sect.
The members of Canglong Gate also did not join the group led by Ji Zhen.
“It is rare to visit Holy Province. Go and train. In half a year, gather at the teleportation array stronghold under Canglong Gate’s control.”
Long Tutian instructed the genius disciples of Canglong Gate. “Ji Zhen and Wu Meng, those two old fellows, will probably remain inactive for months. I shall stay near Spirit Pool Island.”
The group nodded.
They too wished to remain and help, but their strength was now insufficient.
This only heightened their desire to train and grow stronger.
Soon after, the Canglong Gate members departed in several separate teams, heading to different locations for training.
Other forces likewise returned home. Geniuses from every side scattered in all directions, travelling and gaining experience.
Within Spirit Pool Island.
As the sun rose, Ximen Haoyue arrived and led Lin Xiao to the edge of another island.
The island spanned only about ten miles, covered in towering ancient trees, lush and verdant, without a single structure. It appeared entirely ordinary.
“This is the location of the Destruction Spirit Energy?”
Lin Xiao was puzzled.
“It lies underwater.”
Ximen Haoyue shook her head. A surge of spiritual power enveloped Lin Xiao, then pulled him along as they plunged into the lake.
The lake reached thousands of feet in depth. Ximen Haoyue brought Lin Xiao straight to the bottom.
“The Destruction Spirit Energy is underwater?”
Lin Xiao was astonished.
Strange fish swam across the lake bed amid deep-water blue grasses and unusual stones, creating a strikingly beautiful scene.
A hundred zhang ahead, Lin Xiao spotted a pitch-black giant python over a zhang thick, coiled upon the ground and occupying twenty to thirty zhang of space. Fully extended, it would probably exceed a hundred zhang in length.
Lin Xiao could not help feeling shocked. Beneath Spirit Pool Island’s lake lurked such an enormous water python?
“That is an Iron Skin Water Python, a high seventh-rank spirit beast. Ferocious, highly perceptive, and strongest in defence. Its defence cannot be breached even by an initial-stage Martial Saint. Spirit Pool Island invited it to guard the entrance to the Destruction Spirit Energy passage.”
Ximen Haoyue explained.
“So powerful?”
Lin Xiao was stunned.
A mere high seventh-rank spirit beast, yet impervious even to a Martial Saint. The Iron Skin Water Python’s defence was extraordinarily formidable.
Ximen Haoyue nodded. “It has guarded this place for several centuries.”
With that, she addressed the python ahead. “Elder Iron, I bring this year’s Spirit Controller Grand Competition champion to view the Destruction Spirit Energy.”
Lin Xiao was shocked once more. Elder Iron? Was this Iron Skin Water Python also an elder of Spirit Pool Island?
The Iron Skin Water Python offered no reply. It merely raised its enormous flattened head, over ten zhang across, and slowly uncoiled, swimming aside.
Its body proved even longer than Lin Xiao had imagined, easily exceeding two hundred zhang.
Where it had been coiled, within a radius of a hundred zhang, lay what appeared to be an array altar etched with dense patterns.
At the centre stood a stone gate several zhang high, facing them directly.
“It is inside here?”
Lin Xiao’s heart raced with excitement.
