Before the Azure Flood Dragon transformed into its true dragon form, it possessed the Profound Ice Chill Art innately. Yet, it struggled to control this power completely. Wherever it rested, the surrounding hundred li would become a frozen kingdom.

Apart from the slightly colder water temperature, clearer quality, and fresher air here, everything else was much the same as in the future, ten millennia hence.

In that future time, this very spot would be purchased by one of his sect-siblings and turned into a private retreat. The landscape had been significantly altered back then. However, looking around now, the natural scenery seemed even more exquisitely beautiful.

Glancing around, Zong Shou retrieved several medicinal pills from his sleeve and swallowed them. Among them, the Body Cleansing Pill was indispensable, along with the Spirit Communication Profound Intent Pill given by Xuanyuan Yiren, and two other medicines named the Yang Fire Warming Pill and the Fetal Respiration Pill.

The latter aided in breath retention, while the former served no other purpose save to make the body feel as if it were being intensely cauterized by fire for several hours. Even among common folk, this pill was extremely common.

Especially in colder regions, almost every household kept a supply. After a moment of hesitation, Zong Shou still swallowed a Pulse Spirit Pill. As warmth began to spread through his body, he shed his outer garments, clad only in his underclothes, and leaped into the air, plunging into the pool.

He continued to dive until he reached one hundred and seventy zhang. Here, he suddenly felt the turbulence of strong undercurrents swirling beneath.

By this depth, all the breath he had been holding in his chest and abdomen was entirely exhausted. Fortunately, with the aid of Little Jin and the Spirit Vein Pearl, he was now a Pseudo-Core Innate practitioner. Aided by the Fetal Respiration Pill, he could 'breathe' the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the water, so he had no fear of suffocating.

Sinking further, with almost every zhang increase in depth, Zong Shou felt the pressure on his body intensify exponentially, as if burdened by tens of thousands of jin, almost crushing his frame entirely. The undercurrents at the bottom of the pool also grew stronger, manifesting like torrents of unstoppable, powerful gang forces constantly surging and colliding.

Any single one of these currents carried a gang force exceeding ten thousand jin.

The Thousand Water Lake differed from other lakes in the Cloud Realm; while its surface appeared calm, beneath the water it was a chaos of surging undercurrents. This phenomenon became more pronounced the closer one approached the center of the lake.

This Black Water Pool, though seemingly separate, was actually connected to the outer lake, possessing countless hidden tides, perhaps even surpassing the lake itself. Yet, the density of spiritual energy here was among the highest in the entire thousand-li radius, second only to the habitat of the Chill Mosquitoes.

"It is here!"

Suddenly, a stone platform spanning about a hundred zhang came into view. Zong Shou’s eyes brightened instantly. He twisted his body and swam toward it rapidly.

However, as soon as he stepped onto it, he felt a vast, tidal undercurrent crash directly into him, like a mountain collapsing into the sea.

Zong Shou was not alarmed but overjoyed. If not for the deep water, he would have burst into hearty laughter.

This place had indeed not changed much compared to ten millennia in the future. No, the undercurrents of this era seemed even stronger.

But this situation was exactly what he desired!

With a sudden punch thrown, employing his full strength, he utilized the tens of thousands of jin of immense power from the Outer Core to forcefully shatter the water flow!

Then, stepping deliberately upon the stones, he reached the center of the rock formation.

At this moment, though burdened by immense pressure that caused his bones to creak audibly, the vital energy and blood within his body began to churn rapidly. Zong Shou’s heart felt like erupting magma, both intensely hot and exhilaratingly excited.

In his previous life, he had spent a full three years utilizing the powerful water pressure and numerous undercurrents here to break through the barrier to the Heaven-Man realm. However, aided by the essence of the Thunder Luan in this era, that time could be shortened tenfold!

The effects of the Pulse Spirit Pill also began to take hold; his meridians gradually softened and then started to twist in pain.

Zong Shou simply let out a 'Hah,' unconcerned, moving to the center of the stone platform to begin practicing the guiding technique specifically designed for spiraling the meridians.

Unlike ordinary times, practicing underwater now made every movement infinitely more difficult than before.

Resisting the water pressure required ten to a hundred times more strength just to move his limbs. Under the impact of the undercurrents, a single lapse meant his movements would distort, causing agonizing pain throughout his entire body.

Yet, in just a moment, it was not only his meridians twisting; almost all his blood, every inch of flesh, every sliver of bone marrow, began to burn fiercely. This was not solely due to the effects of the Body Cleansing Pill and the Yang Fire Warming Pill, but also because Zong Shou’s movements were now mobilizing the totality of his physical strength.

"Having the essence of the Thunder Luan, the feeling of cultivating underwater is indeed vastly different from my previous life! However, I must thank Yiren for refining this Spirit Communication Profound Intent Pill..."

The effects of this pill were precisely as Xuanyuan Yiren had described. Although it could not alleviate the pain, it could maintain his lucidity.

Zong Shou was currently in a state of utmost clarity sustained by the pills, yet at this moment, he wished he could just faint.

The sensation, as if every muscle and meridian was being gnawed apart by carnivorous ants, was challenging his very limits!

Fortunately, the Spirit Communication Profound Intent Pill also had the effect of increasing soul power. By utilizing this intense pain for self-torture, the vortex in his Sea of Consciousness unexpectedly began to condense once more, with a minute amount of soul energy slowly accumulating.

What was most gratifying was that, catalyzed by the Body Cleansing Pill, the innate vital essence within his body was truly integrating into his physical form at an astonishing rate.

Almost every moment, he could clearly perceive his physique growing sturdier, and the meridians throughout his body becoming tougher.

In his previous life, when he reached the peak of the Ninth Meridian of the Body Wheel stage and was blocked by the Heaven-Man barrier, unable to advance for a year and a half, he had done precisely this: practicing various martial arts and the first three guiding techniques he created non-stop at the bottom of the Water Immortal Lake.

His thought then was simple: since the 'qi' accommodated within the Body Wheel was too little to shake the Heaven-Man barrier, he would simply keep training, making his physical body stronger! Making the inner meridians tougher and wider, until the true qi accumulated in all his meridians and major acupoints could completely shake and shatter that barrier!

However, even with the aid of some spiritual medicines in that era, it was far inferior to the innate essence he possessed now.

Tempering the body using this method consumed tremendous physical strength, almost equivalent to engaging in an intense battle with a powerhouse like Li Xieling. In just two ke of time, Zong Shou was already panting heavily. Fortunately, although this was underwater, if he tired from training, he could rest for a while in an area sheltered from the undercurrents without issue.

His blood boiled, and the deposited innate vital essence slowly merged into it. Impurities were expelled from his body through the pores of his skin.

He did not even need to draw breath; his body could sustain itself without feeling any discomfort or stuffiness.

It was only after several hours, as the effects of the Pulse Spirit Pill began to fade, that Zong Shou stomped hard on the stone and floated upward.

His entire body was weak and sore, unable to muster even a sliver of strength, but the Lightning Movement Spirit Bones still offered some assistance beneath the water. By the time he surfaced, he saw that it was already evening; the sun was setting, casting a lingering, rosy glow.

"That was invigorating! Practicing the guiding technique underwater is easily five times more effective than before. The strength of my physique has also grown somewhat. Though not comparable to the explosion of life potential stimulated during the fight with Li Xieling and Hu Qianqiu, with sustained effort, I can achieve that level in ten days. Perhaps within three and a half to four months, I can attempt to charge the Heaven-Man barrier!"

Zong Shou’s meridians were still numb, and almost all his inner strength was depleted. He could only lie weakly on the surface of the water, but his spirit was exceptionally buoyant, savoring the comfort after the intense pain subsided, rejoicing in the fruits of his recent training, and vaguely recalling those days in his past life spent ignoring the world and burying himself in hard practice.

Then, he remembered that Chu Xue should still be catching fish right now.

"Given my current state, I could manage another round of fist practice in the deep waters of the pool. But with Xue'er's temperament, if I delay too long, I wonder how worried she will become..."

With a flicker of thought, a talisman paper flew out from the pile of clothes Zong Shou had left on the bank.

Zong Shou casually summoned some spirit ink from his pouch, wrote 'I am fine, I will return by the time of the Rat Hour,' on the paper, and then folded it into a paper crane.

Sighing inwardly that Spirit Masters were sometimes more convenient than Martial Cultivators with their many divine abilities, he activated a spirit technique, causing the paper crane to flap its wings and soar high. After wobbling briefly, it flew rapidly toward the east.

After consuming more dry rations, Zong Shou completely collapsed onto the water surface, appearing to be fast asleep, with only his breathing remaining even and rhythmic.

He did not know how much time passed until the sun completely set. Zong Shou then felt the vital channels within his body fill up again. The soreness and swelling in his limbs and bones gradually receded.

Zong Shou snapped his eyes open. The World-Wielding True Force pushed out slightly, and several more heavenly acupoints within the outer wheel were effortlessly opened in quick succession.

After circulating his qi once throughout his entire body, Zong Shou submerged himself again.

In his previous life, when practicing his fists, he could only rely on specialized diving equipment. In this life, aided by Little Jin and the Outer Core, along with the innate vital essence within his body, the effect was not much worse; in fact, he could remain submerged for longer periods.

Actually, any part of the Water Immortal Lake would suffice for underwater fist practice.

However, only the intense spiritual energy in this specific pool allowed his body tempering to achieve the optimal effect.

Still at the stone platform two hundred zhang underwater, Zong Shou did not consume the Pulse Spirit Pill this time. He only took the Body Cleansing Pill and the Fetal Respiration Pill before standing on the platform. This time, however, it was no longer the soft guiding technique, but a direct punch thrown underwater. A simple thrusting punch. The momentum was neither fast nor slow, neither hurried nor impatient, unpretentious, lacking any sophisticated form or exquisite technique.

But as this punch was thrown, the rhythmic undercurrents in the water suddenly began to stir.

Subsequently, Zong Shou’s punch speed increased faster and faster. Almost every strike was executed with his full strength, his inner force churning, stirring the surrounding water continuously.

In mere moments, it was as if a vortex had formed underwater, growing larger and swirling incessantly. The speed of the undercurrents increased several times over, swirling everywhere.