An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
For some unknown reason, the water in the Moon Cleansing Pool had grown increasingly scalding. Chen Jinshu felt as if she were being boiled alive, as though a fire burned constantly beneath her.
She bit her lip and endured with all her might.
At this moment, she could already feel a tremendous transformation taking place in her spiritual roots. A unique force flooded her dantian, continuously cleansing away the innate impurities embedded within her roots.
She recalled a special theory she had once read in the sect's library.
In ancient times, the more spiritual roots a cultivator possessed, the greater their potential. However, after tens of thousands of years, cultivators' spiritual roots became clogged with innate impurities.
Eventually, this caused the roots to lose their ability to sense spiritual energy. In the current era, those with fewer roots often cultivated faster, while those with many were dismissed as inferior and labeled with the misnomer "pseudo-roots."
But in truth, multiple roots were not inherently bad—the issue was that they harbored more impurities, making advancement far more difficult.
The power of moonlight in the Moon Cleansing Pool was meant to assist cultivators like Chen Jinshu in removing these impurities, allowing their roots to absorb spiritual energy unhindered. Of course, the degree to which these impurities were removed depended on how much moonlight one could draw in.
With the help of her lotus-petal birthmark and the furnace in her spiritual sea, Chen Jinshu had absorbed as much moonlight in one hour as others might in two. A soft silvery glow now radiated from her skin—like moonlight incarnate.
Strands of damp hair clung to her cheeks, her features ethereal like a lotus in bloom, her brows delicate as willows—she resembled a moonlit goddess risen from the waters.
Suddenly, a sensation of clarity surged through her dantian, leaving her feeling calm and serene. It was like swimming freely through a crystal-clear stream, her body weightless and comfortable, without distractions or obstructions.
"My spiritual roots are finally cleansed," she murmured, a gentle smile on her lips. As for the "spiritual body" her master once mentioned, she no longer held out hope.
Such a body likely couldn't be formed even by absorbing every drop of moonlight from this entire pool. The furnace in her spiritual sea had stopped rotating—perhaps it had absorbed its fill. However, the lotus-petal birthmark on her forehead continued to draw in and refine moonlight for her.
Not wanting to attract too much attention, she slightly reduced the flow of moonlight she drew in. Above, heavy clouds had shrouded the moon, making further absorption difficult anyway. The other female cultivators could no longer draw in as much moonlight. If she continued unchanging, envy would surely follow.
And once envy took hold, there was no telling what others might do. She shut her eyes and began cultivating using her newly cleansed roots. The moment she circulated her technique, spiritual energy surged toward her like the tide. Even the pool water rippled with waves. Fortunately, she was some distance—about thirty feet—from the others, so the disturbance barely affected them.
"From now on, my cultivation will surely progress twice as fast with half the effort."
…
Another half-hour passed quickly.
Seeing that the other female cultivators had already left, Chen Jinshu knew her time was nearly up as well and made her way toward the shore. Though she hadn't witnessed the miraculous signs her master spoke of—such as the pool water developing sentience—the complete purification of her spiritual roots was already a great success.
What's more, her alchemical furnace had absorbed a considerable amount of moonlight—perhaps it would soon manifest a new spiritual field. Upon stepping ashore, she dressed once more in her sect robes.
"The fluctuations you caused earlier while absorbing the moonlight—I concealed them for you. Don't mention it in the future," said a female elder via voice transmission, glancing at her.
Chen Jinshu was a little surprised. She had been worried that the others might gossip about what had happened. To her relief, the elder had shielded her.
"Thank you, Elder!" she quickly bowed in gratitude.
"No need for thanks—it was a minor thing. Female cultivators in our Xuanming Sect are few and far between, easily counted on both hands. Besides, your master had already instructed me."
"Even so, I'm still deeply grateful. You've saved me a great deal of trouble."
She was genuinely touched. Her master had foreseen this situation and made arrangements in advance. After leaving the Moon Cleansing Pool, Chen Jinshu approached the area where the others had gathered, her expression neutral.
The sect leader stood there, smiling kindly as he observed each disciple, gauging the fruits of their training.
"There are still two quarters of an hour left. Wait here for a while."
As he spoke, his eyes landed on Feng Lingchuan with visible surprise, nodding in satisfaction. Chen Jinshu's changes, on the other hand, were obscured by the jade pendant from her master, and thus escaped the sect leader's notice.
Lingering too long in the pool wasn't always ideal—it might give the impression that one hadn't secured a good position and had to stay until everyone else left.
Soon, another hour passed.
Chen Jinshu received word from her master and made her way to Biyi Palace.
Her Lüqi Zither had been reforged.
Now, it carried the weight and resonance of millennium-aged thunderstruck paulownia wood. Its aura was stronger than before, faintly echoing the presence of that flute—Wusheng.
"Millennium thunderstruck paulownia is incredibly valuable. This Lüqi Zither only used one-fifth of it. What will you do with the rest?" her master asked.
"I wonder if you might have a use for it, Master? I would be honored to offer it to you," Chen Jinshu replied after some thought.
She had already divided the wood when she took it out—reserving a portion for herself.
"My pipa hasn't been upgraded in years. Since you have no specific plans, I'll trade you a small pouch of Enlightment Tea for it."
Before she could answer, Shui Huanmeng handed her a pouch of pale golden tea leaves.
"Thank you, Master!"
"I'll only take a portion—the rest is yours."
Chen Jinshu nodded obediently and stored everything away. She could hardly wait to play the Lüqi Zither again. Though reforged, it felt as familiar in her hands as ever—deeply comforting.
She had always insisted on replacing her zither's components one piece at a time, just to preserve that familiarity. Fully replacing it would be like switching instruments entirely—if it didn't feel right afterward, that would be a major issue.
"Regarding the disturbances you caused in the Moon Cleansing Pool—Yuexia Elder already told me. Your foundation looks far more solid now. Try to increase your cultivation as soon as possible."
"See if you can reach the eighth level before the secret realm opens. That will be a great help for the exploration."
"Thank you for the guidance, Master!"
"With the impurities gone from your roots, cultivation bottlenecks will no longer hold you back."
After offering some further advice on her techniques, Shui Huanmeng dismissed her. Chen Jinshu, having spent over two hours in the Moon Cleansing Pool, wasn't exactly exhausted, but she was indeed a little weakened—though no redness or swelling showed on her skin.