Becoming a Saint Starting with the Chasing Wind Leg Technique

Chapter 171 The Secret of Bibo Pool, Breaking Through to the Mid-Stage (Please subscribe, give monthly tickets, and donate, anything is welcome)

Just as Song Jing was diligently cultivating on Bibo Peak, digesting his insights from breaking through the limits of the Wind and Thunder Leg Technique, two figures quietly ascended this secluded mountain.

The visitors were Zhao Yuanhong and Sun Tianzhen, who had risen from the Tianshui branch to the prefectural city and had already established themselves at Pingtianmen.

Both of them have now broken through to the Refining Stage and are ranked as Earth-level disciples, their statuses are now different.

Zhao Yuanhong joined the Gengjin lineage, while Sun Tianzhen joined the Lihuo lineage. With their family backgrounds and personal strength, they each gained a foothold in their respective lineages.

Having heard that Song Jing had made a name for himself in the outer sect with his "righteousness," and knowing that Qin Muyun and others, who also came from the Tianshui branch, had already visited him, they came together as well.

Unlike Qin Muyun and others who simply admired and befriended Song Jing, the Zhao and Sun families had a history of conflict with Song Jing. However, times have changed, and faced with Song Jing's terrifying potential and his current delicate situation, the two families had already expressed their intention to turn hostility into friendship through family channels.

This visit is not only a gesture of goodwill and an investment, but also a gesture of "sticking together for warmth" among fellow townsmen.

"Junior Brother Song, I apologize for the intrusion." Zhao Yuanhong maintained his gentle and refined demeanor, but his aura was more refined and sharper than when he was at the branch office, faintly exuding a metallic aura. Sun Tianzhen remained silent, merely clasping his hands in greeting, his eyes steady.

"Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Brother Sun, it's been a long time! Please come in." Song Jing welcomed the two into the quiet room. He was slightly surprised by their arrival, but quickly understood. There are no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal interests.

The value I've demonstrated, and the fact that we both come from Tianshui, is enough to temporarily set aside past grievances.

After the three sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries, Zhao Yuanhong got straight to the point: "Junior Brother Song is exceptionally talented. He made a name for himself as soon as he entered the outer sect, which I admire. There were some unpleasant things between us in the past, which were due to our youthful arrogance and the competition between fellow disciples. I hope you won't take it to heart."

Neither the Zhao family nor the Sun family harbors any ill will towards my junior brother.

Sun Tianzhen nodded, his voice low: "We became friends after our initial encounter. Junior brother is someone who can achieve great things."

Song Jing remained calm: "There's no need to bring up the past. The fact that you two senior brothers came shows that you think highly of me."

Seeing that Song Jing's attitude was calm and there was no resentment, Zhao Yuanhong's smile widened. He took out a jade bottle from his bosom and pushed it in front of Song Jing: "A little something for you, ten Crimson Blood Pills. They may be of some help to your consolidation of your Bone Forging Realm cultivation. Please do not refuse."

We two now have some connections in the Geng Metal and Li Fire branches.

We have also heard about your affairs with the Zhou family, Junior Brother. The Zhou family is powerful, especially with deep roots in the Geng Metal lineage. Their current direct descendant, Zhou Lingyun, is the chief disciple of the Metal lineage, with unfathomable cultivation, far surpassing a spoiled brat like Zhou Ming. Junior Brother, you must be careful.”

Sun Tianzhen added, "Although the Fire Vein and the Zhou family have dealings, it's mostly about exchanging benefits. The fact that we didn't accept any junior disciples last time might have been because we did the Zhou family a favor, but it doesn't necessarily mean we'll go all out against them."

However, the Golden Vein is different; it is the Zhou family's core strength. Zhou Ming's father, Zhou Qing, an elder of the Zhou family, harbored deep hatred for Captain Chen Yanzhou. It is said that Captain Chen, with his fiery temperament, once accidentally and severely injured one of Zhou Ming's elder brothers, causing him to lose all his cultivation and die in despair.

This is a blood feud. Zhou Ming's hostility towards his junior brother largely stems from this. His junior brother's choice of Bibo Peak is likely exactly what he wanted.

Song Jing's eyes narrowed slightly.

So that's the inside story.

It's no wonder that Zhou Ming was so eager to target him, "the person sent by Chen Yanzhou," when the Chen family had such an irreconcilable feud with the Zhou family.

"Thank you for informing me, senior brothers." Song Jing accepted the pill without any pretense of refusal.

These ten Crimson Blood Pills were a godsend for him, relieving his immediate crisis. "We both come from Tianshui, and within this sect in the prefectural city, it's only right that we look out for each other. Song Jing will remember this kindness."

Zhao Yuanhong said solemnly, "Junior Brother is absolutely right. It's not easy being away from home, so we should be even more united among fellow villagers. If we ever learn that the Jin family or the Zhou family is doing anything against you, Junior Brother, we will do our best to pass on the information. If there is anything else we can do, we will certainly not refuse."

Sun Tianzhen nodded emphatically.

Their move reflects both their belief in Songjing's potential and their investment in its future, as well as their desire for self-preservation.

The Zhou family's influence in the gold mines inevitably squeezes out the living space of other families' members.

If we can use Song Jing's help or the power of the water veins to slightly restrain the Zhou family, it will also benefit the development of their respective families within the sect.

The three talked for a while longer before Zhao Yuanhong and Sun Tianzhen got up to take their leave.

They are now Earth-rank disciples, belonging to the Metal and Fire lineages respectively. They have close ties with Song Jing, a newly promoted disciple of the Water lineage, which easily attracts attention. They need to know how to avoid suspicion.

After seeing the two off, Song Jing looked at the Crimson Blood Pill in his hand, feeling not much joy, but rather even more calm.

The Zhou family's hostility was deeper than he had anticipated, and their background was even stronger. Zhou Lingyun, the chief disciple of the Golden Vein—that was at least at the peak of the Refining the Elixir Realm, and possibly even the Marrow Refining Realm.

There's also Zhou Qing, the elder of the Zhou family who hates Commander Chen to the core.

"The pressure is even greater—" Song Jing murmured, but a fiercer flame ignited in his eyes. "However, that's what makes it more interesting. Without pressure, where does the motivation come from?"

He put away the pills, sat down cross-legged again, and prepared to continue his cultivation. However, just as he was about to focus his mind on his body and circulate his cultivation technique—

"Buzz—"

A faint, indistinct tremor, as if coming from the farthest reaches of the earth, or an indescribable fluctuation, gently brushed against his senses.

It's not a sound, but more like a "resonance" or "call" that directly affects the mind and spirit, carrying an indescribable sense of antiquity, vicissitude, and a trace of pain and supplication.

Song Jing suddenly opened his eyes, his mind on high alert, his five senses heightened to the extreme as he carefully perceived the situation.

All sounds are silent.

The only sounds were the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind outside the window and the faint murmur of a stream in the distance.

"An illusion?" Song Jing frowned slightly.

With his current Bone Forging Realm cultivation, his soul is much stronger and more refined than others of the same level due to cultivating the "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Technique" and consuming the Spirit Nourishing Incense, making it extremely unlikely that he would have an illusion.

He focused his mind and tried to capture it again.

This time, he deliberately activated the "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Skill," and the dark blue Mysterious Origin True Qi flowed slowly within his body, carrying a unique calm and penetrating rhythm.

A moment later.

"Help me!"

"Suppress—"

"Azure waves—the bottom of the pool—"

More blurred, more discontinuous, as if transmitted through countless thick layers of rock and water, yet that sense of desolation and pain...

And a faint but persistent glimmer of life, which was a little clearer than before!

Moreover, Song Jing could feel that the flow of the wisp of Xuan Yuan True Qi in his body seemed to resonate with the faint fluctuations coming from the ground in some extremely subtle way!

The direction from which this fluctuation came seemed to be deeper into the Azure Wave Peak, or rather, the underground of this mountain.

Bibo Pool?

Song Jing recalled that there seemed to be a bottomless cold pool behind Bibo Peak, called "Bibo Pool". It was a sacred place for cultivation in the water vein, but it was said that the pool water was extremely cold and had inexplicable pressure, making it difficult for ordinary disciples to go deep into it.

Could this sound be coming from the bottom of the Azure Pool?

What was suppressed there?

Is it calling for help?

Song Jing was filled with doubts. He recalled that Commander Chen Yanzhou had mentioned in his letter that there were many suspicious points about the disappearance of the Water Vein Peak Master, "Master Xuanming," and that the Water Vein's inheritance was being deliberately obstructed.

Is this underground disturbance related to this?

Does Senior Brother Lu Jiutian know about this?

He suppressed the urge to immediately go and investigate. Firstly, the fluctuations were too weak and strange to determine their specific source and danger; secondly, his strength was still shallow, and rashly exploring unknown places might lead to unforeseen consequences; thirdly, having just entered the water veins, he did not yet understand many things and it was not advisable to act rashly.

"It seems there are still many secrets hidden beneath this Azure Wave Peak." Song Jing's eyes were deep. He vaguely felt that the "voice" underground might be related to him, the "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Technique," and even the rise and fall of the water veins.

"Strength—I'm still not strong enough." Song Jing clenched his fist. Whether it was dealing with the threat from the Zhou family, exploring the secrets of this mountain, or even establishing himself in the sect and pursuing higher levels of martial arts, he needed stronger strength as a foundation.

He suppressed the underground disturbances for the time being, deciding to keep quiet and observe them secretly.

The most urgent task is to use the newly acquired Crimson Blood Pill to break through to the mid-stage of the Bone Forging Realm and further cultivate the "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Technique" to enhance one's combat power.

As night deepened, Song Jing closed his eyes again, swallowed a Crimson Blood Pill, and as the fiery medicinal power dissipated, he calmed his mind and focused all his energy on circulating his cultivation technique.

The crimson and azure true energy surged and circulated within his body, constantly tempering his bones and blood. The faint fluctuations from the ground seemed to be a kind of background noise, appearing and disappearing as he focused on his cultivation, reminding him that there seemed to be an unknown secret sleeping beneath this mountain.

The path of cultivation is never just about personal breakthroughs; it is often accompanied by the mysteries of the environment and unknown risks.

Song Jing knew that the seemingly difficult path he had chosen, paved with waterways, was perhaps more complex and fascinating than he had imagined.

However, he trusted the captain, who had done him a great favor and whom he had heard was a genius in his early years, and was at least a powerful figure who had reached the perfected realm of refining filth.

Even if I don't choose the water vein, I will still offend them, because I have already been labeled as a member of the Commandant's faction since I came to the prefectural city.

Another month or so has passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past month, Song Jing has devoted almost all his energy to cultivation.

He refined and absorbed ten Crimson Blood Pills, along with the thirty he had previously purchased, totaling forty high-grade spiritual pills containing abundant blood essence.

Each pill, once swallowed, is like a small volcano erupting within the body. The fiery and domineering medicinal power washes over the limbs and bones, tempering every inch of bone and nourishing the surging blood and qi.

Thanks to the solid foundation laid by the perfected level of "Golden Bell Cover" and the unique true qi attribute of "Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Skill" that cools and moisturizes and relieves dryness and heat, Song Jing was able to withstand and refine the medicinal power of the Crimson Blood Pill with extremely high efficiency and almost no waste.

The crimson and dark blue true energy intertwined within his body, circulating endlessly and continuously transforming the essence of the elixir into resources for his own growth.

During the day, he refines elixirs, and at night he enters the fifth level of the Cultivation Technique Pavilion to hone his newly broken-limit Wind and Thunder Leg Technique in extreme combat, and attempts to initially combine the flexibility and penetrating power of the Profound Origin Heavy Water True Skill with the explosive aggression of the Wildfire Spear Technique.

Although this combination is still in the exploratory stage and far from being perfectly harmonious, the occasional flashes of inspiration in their coordination have already unleashed power far exceeding that of a single technique, making it increasingly difficult for the guardians of the fifth level to cope.

His understanding of the principles of water and fire complementing each other, and of strength and gentleness combining, deepened through repeated battles and reflections.

The "Heaven rewards diligence" talent demonstrated terrifying efficiency under this high-intensity, relatively resource-rich training mode.

Song Jing could clearly feel that his strength was increasing at a visible rate every day.

His bones became denser and harder, producing a faint metallic sound when struck; his bone marrow was full and brimming with vitality. His total blood and qi surged, their circulation resembling the rushing of rivers; every movement contained immense power.

Within his dantian, the wisp of dark blue Xuan Yuan True Qi had grown from a babbling brook into a sizable river. Although it was still less than the total amount of the Wildfire True Qi he cultivated, its purity, condensation, and agility, as well as its unique sense of weight and penetration, made it in no way inferior in quality. In fact, it was even more unique in nourishing the meridians and warming the soul.

Meanwhile, the Wildfire True Qi that he cultivated underwent some subtle changes under the invisible nourishment and harmonization of the Profound Origin True Qi.

It remains explosive, but less restless and more composed; it is aggressive, but also knows how to build momentum and adapt.

Deep within the crimson true energy, a faint blue light would occasionally flash, a sign of initial fusion.

On this day, after the medicinal power of the last Crimson Blood Pill was completely refined and absorbed, and he slowly finished his practice, Song Jing sat quietly for a long time, carefully experiencing the changes within himself.

He "looked" at the invisible scale in his mind that represented the progress of his Bone Forging Realm cultivation.

It clearly points to 260/2000!

More than a month!

From the newly stabilized early stage of the Bone Forging Realm, it suddenly surged to 260 points!

It increased my proficiency by nearly two hundred points!

If word got out about this speed, it would be enough to make 99% of Bone Forging Realm martial artists question their existence.

It should be noted that many martial artists of average talent need to spend several years or even more than ten years honing their skills to advance even a small realm in the Bone Forging Realm.

He completed the journey that others might take one or two years to complete in just over a month, and is not far from the mid-stage of the Bone Forging Realm (600/2000)!

Feeling the surging power within his body, far exceeding that of a month ago, feeling the solidity emanating from his bones, the vigorous vitality of his blood and qi, and the mysterious state of the two true qi being independent yet subtly echoing each other, a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction welled up in Song Jing's heart.

Hard work paid off! Sweat and resources have translated into tangible progress!

This feeling of constantly becoming stronger is intoxicating.

"The Crimson Blood Pill truly lives up to its reputation, but unfortunately—it's all used up." Song Jing looked at the empty jade bottle with slight regret.

The auxiliary effects of elixirs are immediate. Without elixirs, relying solely on one's own absorption of spiritual energy and the refining of ordinary food would undoubtedly be much slower.

"I need to find a way to get some more resources, or take on sect missions to earn contribution points," Song Jing pondered.

Even at the early stage of the Bone Forging Realm, the resources consumed are already so enormous; as the realm advances, the required resources will inevitably be even more massive. Living off one's savings is certainly not a long-term solution.

He slowly got up, stretched his muscles and bones, and his bones made a series of crisp popping sounds, like popping beans.

With a casual punch, without using any true energy, the wind from the punch stirred the air in the quiet room, causing the simple soundproof array light screen on the wall to ripple slightly.

"With my current strength, combined with the Limit-Breaking Wind and Thunder Leg Technique and the newly comprehended Dao of Water and Fire Harmony, if I were to face Qian Rushan's ten early-stage Bone Forging cultivators—" A confident glint flashed in Song Jing's eyes, "Perhaps, I could really crush them with just a casual punch or kick."

The confidence that came with his strength made him more composed in the face of the potential threat from the Zhou family, the predicament of the water veins, and even his curiosity about the mysterious underground disturbances.

However, just as he was preparing to leave the meditation room to seek guidance from Senior Brother Lu Jiutian on some subtle points encountered in cultivating the *Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Technique*, and to inquire about sect missions—

That familiar, faint yet eerie underground fluctuation came again without warning!

This time, it's clearer than ever before!

It was no longer a vague tremor or noise, but something that could be barely discerned, as if it were a sense of despair and a cry for help.

"Azure waves—the heart of the pool—"

At the same time, the Xuan Yuan True Qi that was slowly flowing in Song Jing's body seemed to be strongly attracted, suddenly accelerated, and slightly deflected towards the depths of the earth in a certain direction, giving off a strange "pulling feeling"!

It was as if something deep underground was calling out to and attracting the true energy cultivated through this technique!

Song Jing was shaken to his core, instantly raising his five senses and divine awareness to their limits in an attempt to capture more information and determine the source of the fluctuation.

The fluctuation lasted for about three breaths, then weakened again until it disappeared without a trace, as if it had never happened.

However, the clear inscription "Bibo Tan Xin Bei" and the abnormal reaction of Xuan Yuan Zhen Qi were deeply imprinted in Song Jing's mind.

"It's not an illusion! There's definitely something beneath this Azure Wave Peak! And it's closely related to the 'Mysterious Origin Heavy Water True Skill'!" Song Jing's eyes sharpened as he looked at the floor of the quiet room, as if trying to penetrate the rock and see the secrets beneath.

"The Stele of the Heart of the Azure Pool—Does it refer to a stone stele in the center of the Azure Pool? Is it a seal? Or a legacy?"

He recalled what Chen Yanzhou had said in his letter: the inheritance of the water veins was "intentionally obstructed," and the old peak master, Xuanming Shangren, was "full of suspicious disappearances."

Could this underground disturbance be the crux of the problem?

Does Senior Brother Lu Jiutian know about this?

Does he know about the "Bibo Tan Xin Bei" (碧波潭心碑)?

Countless questions flooded my mind.

Song Jing realized that this might not just be the secret of the water vein, but more likely a huge opportunity, or—a terrifying crisis.

He suppressed the urge to immediately go to Bibo Pool to investigate.

This matter is far-reaching, and the underground situation is unclear; acting rashly would be unwise. At the very least, he needs to gain a better understanding of Bibo Pool and strengthen his capabilities to deal with any unforeseen circumstances.

"It seems that when I go to see Senior Brother Lu, besides asking him about cultivation techniques, I might also need to subtly inquire about the past of Bibo Pool." Song Jing had a plan in mind.

He straightened his robes, stabilizing his cultivation at the peak of 260/2000 in the Bone Forging Realm. The confidence that arose from his great strength and the vigilance and curiosity that arose from discovering the secret intertwined, making his entire demeanor appear even more composed and profound.

Pushing open the door to the quiet room, the sunlight outside was just right. On Bibo Peak, the bamboo rustled in the breeze, and the clouds and mist swirled around.

Song Jing stepped out and headed towards the cliff where Lu Jiutian was cultivating.

The road ahead may be shrouded in the shadows of the Zhou family, burdened with the heavy responsibility of reviving the water veins, and filled with unsolved mysteries from the earth, but at this moment, his steps are firm, and his eyes are fixed on the light that keeps moving forward.

The path of cultivation is a process of constantly unraveling mysteries, breaking through one's own limitations, and seizing opportunities.

He will find out the secret beneath Bibo Peak sooner or later.

Now, he needs to meet that equally mysterious and powerful senior brother of the Water Vein Sect.