Physical strength begins to increase rapidly, blood and qi become more vigorous, and mental strength is also honed and refined through this continuous application.
Li Xuan's strength grew stronger and stronger, his senses became more and more acute, and he could even faintly feel that the enormous vitality and blood that had accumulated in his body from drinking water seemed to have formed an invisible force field in his dantian. Although it still did not contain spiritual power, it contained astonishing power.
He can now easily break a small tree as thick as a bowl with a single punch! When he runs at full speed, he's as fast as a galloping horse!
When the manager checked at the end of the month, he saw Li Xuan's acre of spiritual field, which was still "half-dead". As usual, he cursed and grumbled. He estimated the yield to be thirty catties and deducted all the monthly allowance.
But he seemed to have gotten used to Li Xuan's "good-for-nothing" attitude, cursing him and then leaving without even glancing at him. This was exactly the effect Li Xuan wanted; he couldn't be happier for everyone to ignore him.
During this time, Zhao Tie came to see him once. Seeing that he had a rosy complexion (a sign of vigorous blood and energy) and seemed to be more robust, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Junior Brother Li, you seem to be in good shape lately. Have you found some kind of connection?"
Li Xuan was wary inside, but smiled innocently: "There's no special way. It's just about eating and sleeping, sleeping and working. Maybe I've gotten used to it."
Zhao Tie was skeptical but didn't ask any further questions. He simply reminded him, "Be careful lately. It seems that Wang Mazi has hooked up with an outer sect senior brother and is starting to show off again."
Li Xuan nodded, keeping it in mind, but wasn't too worried. With his current strength, the likes of Wang Mazi were no longer a threat. What he needed to be wary of were higher-ups and unnecessary attention.
With a stable source of "high-quality" water, Li Xuan's path to becoming stronger became much smoother, but he knew that he would eventually adapt to the polluted water.
Planning ahead, he began to set his sights on something further away—the "Spirit Stream" that runs through the outer gate area.
That's where outer disciples often fetch water and repair chains. The spiritual energy there is abundant, far superior to that of the sewage pond, but that also means higher risks!
The Spirit Stream, like a jade ribbon, meanders through the outer area of the Bright Moon Sect.
The stream was crystal clear and brimming with spiritual energy, far superior to the ordinary water in the servants' quarters. Outer disciples often meditated and cultivated their spiritual chains or practiced water-based spells by the stream.
Li Xuan stood in the downstream area, far from the outer sect's activity area, hiding behind a large tree, gazing at the flowing spirit stream from afar, his eyes filled with longing.
The water there must be incredibly rich in spiritual energy! If one could drink a sip, the effects would surely far surpass the polluted water of the Spirit Plant Hall!
However, he dared not approach. Although few outer disciples came to the downstream area, patrolling disciples would occasionally pass by, making it extremely risky.
After observing for several days, Li Xuan discovered that the period before dawn was when patrols were least vigilant, as the sky was hazy and visibility was poor. He decided to take the risk and give it a try.
In the darkest hour before dawn that day, Li Xuan stealthily made his way to the lower reaches of the Lingxi River like a ghost.
He chose a section of the river where the current was relatively calm and there were reeds to shelter him. He lay down in the reeds, listened carefully for a moment, and after confirming that no one was around, he quickly took out his leather bag and prepared to lie down and fill it with water.
However, just as he lay down and the opening of the bag was about to touch the water, a series of light footsteps and voices came from afar!
"Senior brother, you're sure to make it into the top ten in this sect competition!"
"Hehe, I wouldn't dare dream of the top ten, making it into the top thirty would be great. I heard that Senior Brother Zhang has already mastered the third level of the 'Layered Waves Technique'..."
They're two outer disciples! They've actually come out to cultivate so early!
Li Xuan was so frightened that he shrank back into the depths of the reeds, held his breath, and dared not move.
Two outer disciples stopped less than ten feet from where Li Xuan was hiding, began to stretch their limbs, and started talking. They seemed unaware that Li Xuan had been spotted!
Li Xuan's heart pounded in his throat, his muscles tensed, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back. If he were discovered, a lowly servant sneaking into the outer sect area to retrieve spirit stream water would be severely punished!
Li Xuan slowly, extremely slowly, moved his body backward, trying to use the reeds as cover to get away from the riverbank. Just as he was about to get out of the reeds, he accidentally stepped on a dry branch and broke it with a soft "crack".
"Who?!" An outer disciple immediately became alert, his sharp eyes sweeping towards the reeds.
Another disciple frowned, a faint spiritual light flickering in his hand.
Li Xuan's mind went blank, and he almost thought he was going to die.
Just then, a plump otter jumped into the water from the other end of the reeds and swam away quickly.
"It was just an otter." The disciple breathed a sigh of relief, the spiritual light in his hand dissipating. "That startled me."
"Let's go upstream to a place with abundant spiritual energy." The other disciple shook his head, and the two turned and walked upstream.
Only after the two figures had completely disappeared did Li Xuan dare to breathe heavily, feeling utterly exhausted.
That was close! He was so close! He dared not linger any longer, and without even fetching water, he fled back to his thatched hut on the back mountain in a sorry state.
This experience served as a wake-up call for him. The outer sect area was far more dangerous than he had imagined; even two disciples could easily spot him. He absolutely must not go to Lingxi again without thorough preparation!
The plan to obtain a better water source was temporarily shelved. Li Xuan had no choice but to refocus his attention on the sewage pond at the Spirit Plant Hall.
However, as he drank it more frequently, the effects began to decline noticeably. The bottleneck reappeared.
We must find a way to improve the "quality" of the sewage pond water.
Li Xuan recalled how, when he used his mind to guide the water, he sensed that the spiritual energy in the sediment at the bottom of the pool was even more concentrated. Perhaps… the key lay in the silt? A bold idea popped into his head: Could he… directly absorb the essence from the sediment?
The idea is tempting, but its implementation is fraught with difficulties.
The silt at the bottom of the Lingzhi Hall's sewage pool is mixed with rotten spiritual herb remains, various microorganisms, and impurities that have settled over the years. Its composition is much more complex than the sewage itself. It may contain a richer spiritual energy, but it may also contain unknown toxins.
Direct consumption? Li Xuan wasn't that crazy. He needed a way to safely extract its essence.
He thought of the concepts of "refining" and "purifying" water mentioned in "Detailed Explanation of Water Flow Techniques." Although it was based on spiritual power, the principles might be worth learning from. He didn't have spiritual power, but he had a strong mental will and an affinity for water.
When Li Xuan returned to the sewage pond, this time he brought not a leather bag, but a broken earthenware pot.
He first sank the earthenware pot to the bottom of the pool, then scooped up half a pot of black silt that emitted a strong smell of humus. Next, he placed the pot on the bank, placed his hands lightly on the mouth of the pot, closed his eyes, and concentrated all his energy.