Chapter 3: The Golden Spring (Part 2)

The spring water was pale golden, emitting a soft glow under the sunlight. The stream of water plunged straight into the bottom of Guo Shier’s altar and disappeared quickly. The old man controlled a secret space within the altar to collect the golden spring water.
It took two hours before the stream gradually slowed down. Guo Shier’s altar also sank downward. By then, the water had turned pure golden yellow. It was unclear what was in it, but its golden hue grew increasingly intense. Qi Wu Zhen said, “This is the true essence of the spring water. Don’t miss it. Once everything is collected, the quality of this spring water will be excellent.”
Wang Ke Er saw the advantages and said, “I want some too…”
Qi Wu Zhen ignored her. Eagle Demon laughed and said, “If you want it, go collect it yourself. There’s spring water over there too.”
Nan You said, “This is the Golden Spring. The one next to it is the Green Spring, which should also be quite good. But… do you know what they use the spring water for?”
Wang Ke Er said nothing. She flew over to the Green Spring and began collecting it. However, instead of using a special secret space for collecting water, she used an ordinary one to draw water directly from the small pond. She didn’t have Qi Wu Zhen’s methods, so she could only collect the water that emerged from the pond.
Qi Wu Zhen praised her, “Smart girl.” Hearing her praise, Eagle Demon and the others also realized what to do and rushed to collect spring water, though they didn’t understand its purpose.
Qi Wu Zhen chanted another set of spells and said, “The last bit of essence—don’t slack off!”
Guo Shier couldn’t understand at all. His concepts from his past life were still influencing him. Wasn’t spring water just water? How could there be any essence in it? What exactly was the essence of spring water?
A dazzling golden light rushed into the altar. Guo Shier realized this was the so-called essence of the spring water. After that golden light disappeared into the altar’s secret space, Qi Wu Zhen said, “Done.” She stopped. Water continued to flow from the ground, but in much smaller amounts.
Guo Shier stared in surprise at the nearly empty pond, watching the water slowly reappear. It was still clear, but no longer golden—it was just ordinary transparent water. He said, “Uh, what a strange spring water. Why did its color change?”
Qi Wu Zhen replied, “You’ve extracted the essence of the spring water, so of course the water is now ordinary. There’s nothing strange about it.”

Wang Keer tried hard to draw out the spring water, but she didn’t have Qi Wu Zhen’s skill and couldn’t extract the essence of the water. In no time, she filled a talisman space. With a hint of regret, she looked at the still turquoise pond and said, “Sigh, I can’t get the essence of the water…” She glanced at Qi Wu Zhen but didn’t dare ask for help.

Qi Wu Zhen flew up into the air and inspected the area for a while before saying, “Follow me.”

The group followed her and flew for a distance before seeing another spring with a bright red color. Qi Wu Zhen said, “Wait a moment; I need to collect this Red Water Spring…”

Guo Shier immediately understood that Qi Wu Zhen also needed a Soul Spring. He asked, “What’s the difference between this Red Water Spring and the Golden Spring?”

Qi Wu Zhen smiled and said, “You’ll know once you take a sip.”

Guo Shier reached out and grabbed a handful of water from the Red Water Spring, drank it, and exclaimed in surprise, “Huh, it’s spicy? No, not spicy—it’s fiery… There’s a lot of heat in the water. Ugh, it’s not tasty.”

Qi Wu Zhen didn’t reply. She began drawing out the water from the Red Water Spring at an incredible speed. In less than half an hour, she had collected it all. She said, “This Red Water Spring suits me. The other springs are useless to me. Alright, let’s go look for the Soul Spring. I wonder how many more there are in this secret realm.”

The group followed Qi Wu Zhen as they flew. From above, they could see countless springs among the trees on the ground. Most were ordinary clear springs, with only a few having strange colors. They even saw springs that resembled purple silk.

Soon, they arrived at a valley. The mountains here were low, more like hills, with the tallest being only about a kilometer high. In this world, a kilometer-high mountain could only be considered a small hill. In the valley was a spring with water as black as ink.

Qi Wu Zhen’s face lit up with joy. She said, “Sure enough, it’s still here! Good, this Soul Spring must have recovered.” She descended straight down and stood by the spring.

Guo Shier asked, “Is the water black?”

Qi Wu Zhen nodded. “Not all Soul Springs are black. This is the most special kind—called the Ink Soul Spring. It’s easy to identify. The other Soul Springs are much harder to spot; without special methods, they’re usually undiscovered. I once collected it here before, but I didn’t get it all then. Hehe, after all this time, it’s recovered—and seems even better than before.”

Guo Shier nodded and said, “Good luck.”

Qi Wu Zhen said, “This Ink Soul Spring is enough for us to share.” She cast a spell and forcibly pulled out a clump of ink-black essence from the spring, then said, “Here, put it in the Golden Spring—it will be sufficient for you.”

Guo Shier put the essence into his talisman storage space. He could see the water in that space with his soul. After adding the essence, he found that the Golden Spring hadn’t turned black; it remained golden. The only change was that its color shifted from light gold to a richer gold hue. At the same time, his soul felt relieved, as if his tired and cold body had been submerged in warm water, instantly relaxing his entire body.

“How comfortable…”

Wang Keer watched enviously. She really wanted it but didn’t know how to ask. She was truly afraid of Qi Wu Zhen and could only watch helplessly, looking pitiful.

Qi Wu Zhen asked, “Do you want it?”

Wang Keer nodded frantically, like a chick pecking at grains. Qi Wu Zhen said, “If you want it, take it yourself.” Wang Keer was at a loss—if she knew how to collect it, would she need to ask others? She said pitifully, “I… I don’t know how… Hehe, Sister Zhen… this… that…” Her hands waved in the air as if trying to grasp something.

Qi Wu Zhen teased her with a smile, “You don’t know how? Then forget it.”

Wang Keer muttered under her breath, “Don’t play around like this…”

Qi Wu Zhen also took out a clump of essence for herself. She explained, “We don’t need much. Before, I wanted to take it all, but actually just a little is enough. It can be cultivated slowly in the altar.”

After Qi Wu Zhen took out essence twice, its color had faded significantly. What was originally ink-black now resembled diluted ink, as if water had been added to it.

Qi Wu Zhen glanced at the upset Wang Keer and casually pulled out another clump of essence the size of an egg. She said, “Your talisman storage space isn’t good enough; you need to strengthen it.”

Wang Keer, who had already given up hope, was overjoyed when Qi Wu Zhen helped her obtain some essence. She kept saying, “Thank you, Sister Zhen! Hehe, Sister Zhen is the best…” Unfortunately, she wasn’t very good at flattery, repeating the same few phrases over and over with no originality.

When the essence was added to the Green Spring she had collected, Wang Keer immediately sensed its great benefits, her face lighting up with excitement. This was the advantage of following a master—knowing that many things were valuable and precious, yet beyond one’s reach due to limited ability.

Nan You was extremely jealous, while Eagle Demon and Luo Zhan were also deeply moved. Guo Shier said, “Don’t worry. You all have already collected some spring water. After I cultivate the Soul Spring for a while, I can extract some essence from it, and then you can cultivate your own Soul Springs as well.”
Qi Wu Zhen was about to speak when suddenly his brows furrowed slightly. He soared into the air and looked into the distance. Guo Shier and the others also took to the air. Eagle Demon asked, “What’s wrong?”
Qi Wu Zhen replied calmly, “Someone is coming.”
Before his words faded, a figure appeared not far away. He probably didn’t expect to see a group of people in the air and was momentarily stunned, showing a hint of surprise on his face.
“Who are you? How did you end up here?”
A massive spiritual pressure suddenly emerged, though it remained contained, maintaining a deterrent presence. Guo Shier stiffened instantly. Eagle Demon quickly reached out and grabbed Luo Zhan and Nan You. Although his strength wasn’t very great, his spirit was exceptionally resilient, not inferior to Guo Shier’s, as he had experienced countless battles during his time as a Master of Talismans and Martial Arts, making his spirit stronger than that of ordinary people.
Luo Zhan and Nan You were rigid, barely able to hover in the air with Eagle Demon’s help.
Guo Shier and Wang Keer only stiffened for a moment before acting as if nothing had happened. Qi Wu Zhen showed no reaction at all. She looked at the newcomer calmly, her face expressionless, though faint flames flickered in her eyes.
The man appeared young, looking to be in his twenties. Everyone present knew this was just his appearance; who knew how long this old monster had been alive? From that contained spiritual pressure, it was clear he was a top expert. Guo Shier couldn’t determine his rank, but with Qi Wu Zhen around, he wasn’t worried at all—she was the true terrifying expert.
He wore a black robe of unusual material, seemingly made of some unknown substance, looking extremely exquisite. The black robe featured hidden patterns—runes. His hair was messy, he had sharp eyebrows, and a pair of peach-blossom eyes, making him look like a very handsome man at first glance.
After asking a question, he took in the people before him clearly, his gaze immediately fixing on Qi Wu Zhen. He seemed somewhat shocked, a glint appearing in his peach-blossom eyes, followed by a hint of confusion. His eyes seemed to speak, allowing everyone to read something from them.
Both sides hovered in the air. After asking a question, the man stopped pressing further and stared intently at Qi Wu Zhen. They stood there in a strange standoff.

Wang Ke’er grew impatient and said, “Hey! Who are you? With those shifty eyes… What do you want?”
Guo Shieru almost laughed. This guy seemed completely fascinated by Qi Wu Zhen—his peach-blossom eyes shone brightly, as if he wanted to swallow Qi Wu Zhen whole. He knew Qi Wu Zhen’s temper well and thought to himself, “The real show’s about to begin! Haha, does this guy think he’s so great?”
In fact, that man was very cautious. Since he couldn’t gauge Qi Wu Zhen’s true strength, he hadn’t taken any action until now. But Qi Wu Zhen’s beauty clearly shocked him greatly.
“I am… Halechi!”
His aura was that of a great master. But his next words left everyone stunned: “Beautiful lady, what’s your surname… Are you with anyone?”
Everyone was stunned, their faces filled with confusion. With just one sentence, he revealed his utterly vile nature.
Qi Wu Zhen smiled, and Halechi’s soul seemed to leave his body. He lost control of his movements in mid-air, almost drooling. Guo Shieru couldn’t help but grin—he knew this guy was in trouble.
“Beautiful lady? Your mother is beautiful!”
Rude question, even ruder reply. Halechi was dumbfounded. Such a beautiful woman speaking such vulgar language—the stark contrast almost made him fall.
Wang Ke’er clapped and laughed, and Guo Shieru and the others also couldn’t help but smile.
Halechi didn’t know whether to be angry or laugh. He felt insulted and stammered after a long pause, “You… you… you’re cursing… you…”
Qi Wu Zhen said coldly, “What ‘you’? Your mother’s head!”
Halechi finally lost his temper. He snapped, “Are you seeking death? Daring to insult me!” His peach-blossom eyes turned red as he growled, “Little girl, I’m going to teach you a lesson! To show you how to treat men!”
Guo Shieru couldn’t hold back his laughter. Teach Qi Wu Zhen a lesson? He propped his chin and thought, “How will Sister Zhen torture this guy? Can’t wait to see it…”