"Mhm!" the three of them, including Song Yan Ning, nodded in agreement.
The steward glanced at Song Yan Ning and her companions, a faint smile flickering across his face, "Then go on in." Even the Sect Master could only last half a month in the Heavenly Bath Pond; how could they possibly endure it for that long.
He had always stood guard here and had never left. Although he knew that Tianyi Gate had just faced a great crisis, he didn’t know who had resolved it, so he didn’t recognize Song Yan Ning and the others. Otherwise, he might not have thought this way.
As Song Yan Ning and her two companions stepped into the Defensive Formation, they felt their feet lighten.
"Plop! Plop! Plop!" Successive splashes sounded as the trio fell into the water. Although they had mentally prepared themselves, they hadn’t expected to be submerged upon arrival.
A dense stream of Spiritual Energy diffused from the water and entered their bodies.
Song Yan Ning’s lips curved slightly upward as she scanned the surroundings, realizing that the Heavenly Bath Pond seemed modest in size but was too vast to perceive the end with Divine Sense.
"Let’s head to the center," Qin Yushen suggested as he came to Song Yan Ning’s side, taking her hand and leading her towards the middle of the Heavenly Bath Pond. The Spiritual Energy here, although concentrated, was still too diluted for them.
Elder Mie Yu chuckled and followed them. Since they were here, it was natural to find a spot where the Spiritual Energy was most dense to cultivate.
As the three made their way toward the center of the pond, the Spiritual Energy around them grew increasingly intense.
A disciple cultivating in the Heavenly Bath Pond felt someone passing by and opened his eyes to see Song Yan Ning and her party walking toward the center of the water. He hastily called out to them, "You shouldn’t go there, you won’t be able to withstand the Spiritual Energy."
Stopping momentarily, Song Yan Ning and her companions nodded to the disciple and continued their trek towards the center of the pond.
Watching Song Yan Ning and her friends disappear into the distance, Fang Yanyun shook her head and sighed. She had already warned them, and if they didn’t want to listen, there was nothing she could do.
Half a day later, Song Yan Ning and her companions halted. The concentration of Spiritual Energy here was just right for them at this moment.
Closing her eyes, Song Yan Ning began to absorb the Spiritual Energy. The rich energy was almost tangible, streaming into her body in a constant flow, causing her long-stagnant cultivation to show signs of loosening.
Delight surged through Song Yan Ning’s heart, and she quickened the pace of absorbing the Spiritual Energy. It flowed like small streams through her meridians, causing a tingling pain.
Before long, "Boom!" a thunderous noise erupted inside Song Yan Ning’s Dantian.
Song Yan Ning felt her cultivation advance and began to greedily draw in the surrounding Spiritual Energy.
Qin Yushen opened his eyes and looked at Song Yan Ning, his lips curling into a slight smile.
Fang Yanran sensed her body lighten and knew her cultivation time had reached its end.
She exited the Protective Array, bowed to the steward guarding the entrance, and made her way towards Artifact Peak. This session in the Heavenly Bath Pond had greatly improved her strength.
"Sister!" Fang Yanran hurried towards Fang Yanyun as she emerged. She had been waiting for her sister to finish her retreat; her own strength was not enough to deal with Song Yan Ning, but her sister was in no way inferior to Song Yan Ning. In her view, Song Yan Ning had only been able to achieve accolades that day because of Qin Yu and Elder Mie Yu’s influence. Apart from her Array skills, Song Yan Ning didn’t have much strength.
"Have you been slacking off while I was away?" Fang Yanyun playfully ruffled Fang Yanran’s hair, showing her affection for her younger sister.