The tenth day had finally arrived, marking the conclusion of their stay at the Source Pool. Throughout the duration of the baptism, Mu Chen had remained true to his nature, never once stepping beyond the boundaries of the serene valley.
Xu Qing had long since departed for her own peak to begin the arduous process of absorbing her marrow crystal in seclusion.
Nearby, Nibi was occupied with her own leisure, lying at the edge of the hot spring. She floated lazily in the warm water, her amber eyes tracking Shen Xi with a mix of curiosity and expectation.
"I am ready," Shen Xi said, she sat cross-legged.
"Mn," Mu Chen, still comfortably ensconced in his rocking chair, gave a slow, rhythmic nod.
With a casual flick of his fingers, a translucent, shimmering barrier manifested around Shen Xi. It was a construction of pure intent, designed to insulate her from the world.
This barrier would allow her to undergo the baptism in total silence, ensuring that the colossal spiritual fluctuations and the resulting phenomena would not attract unwanted attention or alert the prying eyes of the Sky Sect's upper echelons.
"Here," Mu Chen said softly.
Before Shen Xi, a collection of marrow crystals manifested—ten in total, all from Thousand-Zhang beasts. Mu Chen had assisted her over the past nine days by summoning these beasts from the depths of the Source Dragon Vein.
Added to the common marrow crystals she had gathered herself—piled high like a mountain—they alone were enough for seven dragon baptisms.
Mu Chen waved his hand, and the mountain of crystals vanished in a blur of light. In their place, the energy began to compress and refine itself under his gaze. Within seconds, the vast quantity of spiritual essence was condensed into a small, golden pill.
It pulsed with a rhythmic, immense energy, and the faint, intricate image of a dragon was embedded deep within the translucent gold of the pill's surface.
"Here," Mu Chen repeated, and the pill drifted through the air, settling gently into Shen Xi's palm.
Shen Xi looked at the golden pill, a playful smile touching her lips as she glanced at the nearby cat.
"Nibi, look at this. It looks much better than eating a direct marrow crystal, doesn't it?" she teased, holding the pill up to the light before placing it into her mouth and swallowing it whole.
Nibi watched the exchange with intense focus. To her, the golden pill looked remarkably like a new, exotic type of candy—a treat far superior to the raw materials she had been nibbling on.
Slowly, she reached into her own secret store and pulled out a remaining half of a marrow crystal she had taken from a thousand-foot beast. It was a mystery where she had been hiding it, but she held the fragment with a look of longing.
She hopped out of the spring, shaking the water from her fur, and trotted over to Mu Chen. She jumped into his arms, hitting his face with a soft paw to get his attention before gesturing emphatically toward the fragment of marrow crystal in her possession.
"You also wanted a golden candy?" Mu Chen asked, looking down at the adorable creature. She looked remarkably lovable when she made such demands with such wide-eyed innocence.
Nibi meowed in firm agreement, her tails swishing behind her.
Mu Chen chuckled and obliged, turning her fragment of dragon marrow into the same type of refined, golden pill.
Nibi chirped happily, the sound high and melodic, before settling into the crook of his arm and gulping the pill down with a look of pure bliss.
On the other side of the barrier, the air around Shen Xi began to boil. A massive amount of spiritual energy was pulled from the Source Pool, spiralling toward her in a funnel of light.
Suddenly, nine distinct dragons appeared, their forms coiling around a central pillar of spiritual light that erupted from her position. They roared with a deep, ancient resonance, though the sound was perfectly contained by Mu Chen's barrier.
Shen Xi was undergoing the highest possible baptism, a Nine-Dragon phenomenon that not even the strongest Holy Son in the history of the sect had ever achieved. If Mu Chen had not placed the formation, the sight of nine dragons coiling through the sky would have attracted the attention of every single elder and disciple in the Sky Sect, shattering records and creating a localized legend.
For others, finding even a single Thousand-Zhang beast was nearly impossible—just look at how the Holy Sons fought among themselves for one, despite being allowed to enter the Source Pool at any time, unlike Purple Belt disciples who only received that opportunity once every two months, yet Shen Xi sat amidst the essence of ten.
A muffled boom echoed within the confines of the barrier. All nine dragons surged forward, diving into Shen Xi's dantian and merging with her sea of spiritual energy. Her internal pressure began to skyrocket, a vast and heavy aura spreading outward from her center. It was a pressure several times stronger than what she had possessed.
Shen Xi slowly opened her eyes, the emerald light within them gradually fading as she restrained her pressure and calmed her surging Qi. She looked toward the rocking chair, her expression one of quiet triumph.
"Peak of the Nascent Soul," she said.
"As expected," Mu Chen replied with a nod.
He wasn't surprised. The Nine-Dragon Baptism had provided the perfect catalyst for her to jump from the early stages straight to the absolute peak of the Nascent Soul realm.
Nibi let out a long, satisfied burp at that moment. She had finished her "candy," but as the taste faded, she looked up at Mu Chen with a complaining expression. Her meow suggested that while the pill was delicious, it was far too small. Now that her appetite was whetted, what was she supposed to eat next?
"Nibi, you should have thought of that earlier," Mu Chen teased.
Nibi turned her gaze toward Shen Xi, her amber eyes full of expectation. Shen Xi stood up and walked over, reaching into a spatial pouch to produce a bag filled with marrow crystals. They were ordinary crystals compared to the ones used for the pill, but they were numerous.
"Here," Shen Xi said, tossing the bag toward the cat. "I knew you would ask for more."
Nibi caught the bag and inspected the contents. Seeing that there were plenty of snacks to last her, she meowed in satisfaction.
"Should I make pills out of those too?" Mu Chen offered.
Nibi immediately pulled the bag close to her chest and scrambled away, hiding them in a place known only to her. Even with Mu Chen's power, he couldn't quite find where her secret snack hiding spot was located.
...
Mu Chen and Shen Xi began their journey back to the Saint Holy Peak. As they walked along the mountain path toward their Purple Origin Cave, they were intercepted by a familiar figure.
It was Shen Xiao, the Elder Master of their peak.
"Mu Chen, I was waiting for you," Shen Xiao said, approaching them with a warm, enthusiastic smile. "How was the marrow baptism? Did it go well? Even if it didn't meet your expectations, do not worry; there will be many more chances in the future."
In Shen Xiao's mind, this was Mu Chen's first time participating in such a high-level ritual. He assumed that, at best, Mu Chen would have succeeded in a four- or five-dragon baptism.
Mu Chen saw Shen Xiao and couldn't stand his enthusiasm, so with a single thought, he made Shen Xiao feel as though he had advanced to the late Nascent Soul.
Shen Xiao felt Mu Chen's pressure, his body trembling. His eyes widened as he reached out, gripping Mu Chen's shoulder tightly, as if to confirm he wasn't dreaming and that the person before him was real.
Mu Chen let out a quiet sigh. He felt the overwhelming wave of emotion coming from Shen Xiao. First, it had been his family, and now that he was separated from them, he had found another well-meaning, over-excited relative in the sect.
Being a disciple under Shen Xiao's lineage, Mu Chen could only endure the Elder's touch; if it had been anyone else, he would have likely thrown them out of the Nine Heavens by now.
"Hahaha! Good! Good!" Shen Xiao shouted, his laughter echoing through the trees. "It looks like you had a Seven-Dragon Baptism! You performed even better than I dared to hope. You are truly a genius, Mu Chen!"
The Elder was so swept up in his own excitement, imagining the inevitable rise of the Saint Holy Peak under the guidance of such a disciple, that he didn't even notice the unreadable expressions on the faces of Mu Chen and Shen Xi.
The two of them exchanged a puzzled glance. Had the standards of the Saint Holy Peak truly fallen so low that a Seven-Dragon Baptism was considered the pinnacle?
But it wasn't entirely Shen Xiao's fault. In the entire Sky Sect, only the number one Holy Son had ever achieved an Eight-Dragon Baptism, with Xu Qing likely being the second. As for Shen Xi's actual Nine-Dragon result, it would remain a mystery.
Mu Chen waited until there was a gap in the laughter. "Master, were you looking for me for a specific reason?"
Hearing the question, Shen Xiao managed to regain a modicum of control over his emotions. "Yes, yes. Since you received the low Heavenly-rank art, the Divine Record of the Celestial Sun, you will need specific materials to cultivate it properly. I have brought them for you."
He reached into his robes and produced a heavy, embroidered pouch, handing it over to Mu Chen. "Inside this pouch are Nine Yang Crystals, Heavenly Fire Rock Marrow, and a Golden Crow Heart..."
"Okay, okay, Master," Mu Chen interrupted, gently taking the pouch. "I will check them all."
Mu Chen felt that if he didn't stop the Elder now, he would be lulled to sleep by the man's rambling. However, despite the annoyance, he felt a flicker of warmth in his chest. He hadn't asked for these materials, and in truth, he didn't even care about them, but to have someone cheering and providing for his needs so earnestly was a rare thing.
Mu Chen was not a heartless person, and he recognized the sincerity in the old man's actions.
"Yes, yes... go on, you can check them at your leisure," Shen Xiao said, still beaming.
Mu Chen offered a polite, respectful nod. "Master, we will be taking our leave now."
Shen Xi also gave a respectful nod, Nibi having fallen back into a quiet sleep in her arms.
Shen Xiao stood on the path and watched the two of them walk toward the Purple Origin Cave. A satisfied smile remained on his face; he felt a profound sense of peace, truly content with his disciple.