Imperial Physician Xue stood by the Moon Yin Pond for a while, then took out a small notebook and a brush from his Arms. After moistening the brush tip, he began to record something.
Li Xuan, feeling curious, jumped down from Zhao Feng's shoulder and walked to Imperial Physician Xue's feet to look into the pond with him.
However, the deeper the pond water went, the darker it became, making it impossible to see clearly.
The black lotus seed that Imperial Physician Xue had thrown in had long since disappeared.
Li Xuan looked up at Imperial Physician Xue, bewildered, wondering what he was recording here.
But given the old man's personality, there must be a reason for it.
Professionally, Imperial Physician Xue had never made a mistake.
Imperial Physician Xue walked around the Moon Yin Pond, stopping and recording a few strokes from time to time, finally putting down his brush after a long while.
"Li Xuan, it's your turn now."
Imperial Physician Xue smiled mischievously at Li Xuan.
Cultivating the Noon Twin Lotus would also greatly benefit Li Xuan. He had come prepared to exert himself and immediately asked:
"What do you need me to do?"
Imperial Physician Xue squatted down, leaned close to Li Xuan, and then said:
"It's not difficult. Just go down and help me find the lotus seed."
Li Xuan stared silently at Imperial Physician Xue with a stern face, cursing him with his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm doing all this to cultivate the Noon Twin Lotus."
"Besides, I heard you've already been in these two ponds, so it shouldn't be difficult for you."
Imperial Physician Xue coaxed Li Xuan, trying to trick him into going into the water quickly.
Li Xuan looked at Imperial Physician Xue, then at Zhao Feng, who was far away and keeping his distance, knowing that he could only go down himself.
Anyway, he was also a bit more curious about the Sun Moon Yin Yang Pond in front of him, so it was a good opportunity to explore it thoroughly.
"Do I just need to bring the lotus seed straight up?"
Li Xuan confirmed with Imperial Physician Xue before entering the water.
Imperial Physician Xue nodded repeatedly: "Yes, it's very simple, isn't it?"
"Of course, if possible, try to let the lotus seed sink down a bit more, observe it carefully, and then bring it back when you can't hold on any longer."
Hearing this, it seemed Imperial Physician Xue wasn't just throwing the lotus seed in for fun. Li Xuan nodded in agreement, then plunged into the Moon Yin Pond with a splash to find that tiny black lotus seed.
Seeing Li Xuan enter the water, Imperial Physician Xue stood up and carefully watched the small shadow in the pond until it merged with the darkness of the pond and could no longer be distinguished.
At this moment, Zhao Feng had also arrived beside Imperial Physician Xue at some point, and the two of them seriously looked into the pond together.
"Imperial Physician Xue, what's the success rate?"
"Hard to say. We need to observe carefully before we can make a judgment."
Both men remained expressionless, patiently watching the dark water beneath their feet.
...
Soaking in the Moon Yin Pond again, Li Xuan no longer felt the discomfort of last time; instead, he felt comfortable all over.
At this moment, Li Xuan finally understood that the coldness of the Moon Yin Pond was different from the chill within Princess Ankang's body; it had nothing to do with icy coldness, but rather was abundant Extreme Yin Qi.
These were two completely different kinds of coldness.
Only now, with Yin Yang True Qi in his body, could Li Xuan clearly distinguish between the two.
From the root of their power, they were completely different, but in their manifestation, they had a similar coldness.
The Extreme Yin Qi in the Moon Yin Pond flowed into Li Xuan's body, making his Yin Yang True Qi much more active and increasing much faster than when he normally absorbed the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth.
"This Sun Moon Yin Yang Pond is a great place to cultivate Yin Yang True Qi. I should come here often in the future."
Li Xuan paddled with his four paws, swimming towards the bottom of the pond.
The deeper he went, the denser the Extreme Yin Qi in the pond water became.
The Yin Yang True Qi in Li Xuan's body also circulated faster and faster accordingly.
"Compared to the Five Elements scattered throughout heaven and earth, these pure Extreme Yin Qi are much easier to absorb."
"On the two days each month when the Sun Moon Yin Yang Pond is most effective, can I cultivate even faster?"
Although the cultivation progress of the Yin Yang True Extremes Art had not been slow during this period, it would naturally be even better if it could be further enhanced.
Currently, the Yin Yang True Extremes Art could progress by two or three points every day, which was much faster compared to the sluggish progress of the two Qi Sensing Realm cultivation methods before.
Cultivating the Yin Yang True Extremes Art was much more effortless than previous cultivation methods.
Ever since Li Xuan successfully cultivated this method, the Yin Yang True Qi in his body had continuously absorbed the Five Elements from heaven and earth, transforming them into Yin Yang True Qi, slowly increasing his strength.
The Yin Yang True Qi in his body now had increased significantly compared to when he first broke through.
Such an easy cultivation method made Li Xuan somewhat suspect that the effects of the two beans he had eaten earlier had not yet been fully digested.
When Li Xuan focused on cultivating the Yin Yang True Extremes Art, he could only slightly speed up the rate of Yin Yang True Qi increase, which was not too obvious.
Therefore, when Li Xuan had nothing to do on normal days, he would circulate the cultivation method, and when he needed to do other things, he would let the cultivation method run passively, which did not delay his cultivation at all.
Such an easy cultivation method also made Li Xuan sigh that his previous hardships had not been in vain.
He had endured such slow cultivation progress without giving up, which could be considered a reward for his efforts.
"The cultivation of the Yin Yang True Extremes Art is not a problem; reaching the perfected realm will be a matter of course."
"But can I break through to the fifth rank so smoothly?"
Li Xuan felt somewhat doubtful about this.
After all, there was no reason why cultivation should become easier to break through the more one cultivated.
As Li Xuan was diving and letting his thoughts wander, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he saw the lotus seed that Imperial Physician Xue had thrown down earlier.
The lotus seed's sinking speed was far slower than Li Xuan's diving speed, so he quickly caught up to it.
But Li Xuan was not in a hurry to go back. He still remembered Imperial Physician Xue's earlier instruction to observe it as much as possible.
The water in the Moon Yin Pond was not ordinary water, so the lotus seed's sinking speed seemed a bit slow.
Li Xuan swam around it, observing the changes in the lotus seed.
The lotus seed was pitch black, very similar to the black chess pieces the Three Little Ones always played with.
Visually, the lotus seed showed no special changes; it was just slowly sinking in the water.
But if Li Xuan focused intently, he could perceive that the lotus seed was subtly absorbing Extreme Yin Qi.
"Oh, if it can absorb nutrients, then it can be cultivated, right?"
Li Xuan rejoiced in his heart and silently sank with the lotus seed.
As the Extreme Yin Qi became denser, the lotus seed's absorption speed also changed.
It slowly strengthened from a weak start, but then, as it approached the bottom of the Moon Yin Pond, the speed slowed down again until it finally hit the bottom, and the lotus seed completely stopped absorbing the Extreme Yin Qi from the pond.
"Huh, what's going on?"
"Is it because the surrounding Extreme Yin Qi is too strong?"
Li Xuan looked at the lotus seed, which showed no reaction. No matter how he observed it, he could no longer perceive any signs of the lotus seed absorbing Extreme Yin Qi.
He silently noted all these details, planning to let Imperial Physician Xue research them himself after he went up.
After putting the lotus seed into the di hong bone ring, Li Xuan was not in a hurry to leave.
Unlike his previous awkward visit here, Li Xuan was completely at ease this time.
The Yin Yang True Qi in his body was cheering, and the progress of the Yin Yang True Extremes Art was visibly accelerating.
If Li Xuan stayed down here for half a month, he estimated that the Yin Yang True Extremes Art would be perfected.
"I need to talk to Zhao Feng when I go up and ask him to tell Emperor Yongyuan."
"My quick cultivation progress is also good for them."
Compared to the last time, when it was so bone-chillingly cold that he almost fainted, Li Xuan now only felt a cool sensation.
But Li Xuan also understood that the pain from last time had greatly strengthened his physical body, which could be considered the price of becoming stronger.
And this time, Li Xuan finally had the chance to properly observe the bottom of the Moon Yin Pond.
The bottom of the Moon Yin Pond was cast from an unknown material.
Standing on it, Li Xuan could only feel a chill, which came from the dense Extreme Yin Qi.
He could clearly see intricate patterns engraved on the ground beneath his feet.
If Li Xuan hadn't guessed wrong, this should be some kind of formation.
It was also this formation that allowed the Moon Yin Pond to continuously absorb Extreme Yin Qi.
However, whether the absorbed Extreme Yin Qi was stored or used for other purposes, Li Xuan couldn't tell.
But considering that the water in the Moon Yin Pond did not get progressively colder, but rather underwent regular changes each month, Li Xuan guessed that this Extreme Yin Qi was not retained within the Moon Yin Pond.
Otherwise, the Extreme Yin Qi in the Moon Yin Pond should be much denser than it was now.
The bottom of the Moon Yin Pond was very dark. With Li Xuan's eyesight, he could only see a range of less than three feet around his feet.
Li Xuan slowly paced around down there, carefully examining the formation engraved in this place.
However, the complexity of this formation far exceeded his imagination. After looking at it for only a short while, he felt a dizzy spell, and his brain felt a throbbing pain, as if it were being pricked by needles.
Li Xuan quickly closed his eyes, not daring to look any further.
With his current cultivation, it was impossible for him to suddenly fall ill. It was most likely a problem with the formation.
"Ugh, it hurts so much..."
This was the first time Li Xuan had encountered such a situation.
He had often wondered why these ordinary patterns, when combined, could produce such miraculous power.
But now it seemed that there was indeed a power supporting the formation that he could not yet comprehend.
Li Xuan could only discern that there was an extremely dense Extreme Yin Qi circulating within the formation according to some pattern.
But he dared not look closer at anything more than that for now.
The sudden headache was already his body giving him a warning, and Li Xuan dared not continue to take risks.
"It seems now is not the time to delve into this formation."
Li Xuan closed his eyes tightly. The headache at this moment had greatly disrupted the circulation of his Turtle Breathing Technique, significantly reducing his diving time.
"No, I have to go up!"
Li Xuan no longer hesitated and immediately swam upwards, though he couldn't help but feel a little unwilling.
After ascending for a certain distance, Li Xuan dared to open his eyes again.
At this moment, the ground beneath him had been re-engulfed by darkness, and the details of the formation could no longer be seen.
"It seems the research of this formation needs to be put on the agenda as soon as possible."
Previously, Li Xuan had been pushed along by his cultivation path. Besides practicing his current cultivation methods, he would record other cultivation methods whenever he had the chance, so that Princess Ankang could cultivate them later.
But now that Li Xuan had cultivated Yin Yang True Qi and his strength had greatly increased, he had some breathing room.
He was originally very interested in other skills in this world, and he had previously thought about learning formations, alchemy, and the like.
Now, he could put formations on the agenda first.
"Next time I go to Thousand Stars Pavilion, I need to look for books on this subject and find opportunities to get in touch with talents in this field."
Li Xuan silently made up his mind. The light above his head was getting closer and closer, and soon he was out of the water.
Seeing Li Xuan emerge soaking wet, Zhao Feng immediately waved his hand, directly using his Qi to bring him to the shore.
Li Xuan used the Yang-attribute True Qi within his body to dry himself, and the water stains on his body immediately evaporated, making his fur instantly dry and refreshed.
"Li Xuan, how was it?"
"Did you find the lotus seed?"
Imperial Physician Xue asked impatiently.
Li Xuan flicked his tail, and the lotus seed from the di hong bone ring immediately flew towards Imperial Physician Xue. Imperial Physician Xue fumbled to catch it, but his foot slipped, and he almost fell into the Moon Yin Pond. Fortunately, Zhao Feng used his Qi to support him.
"Oh dear..."
"Uh, thank you, thank you, Zhao Feng."
Imperial Physician Xue was pulled back to the shore by a narrow margin. While still feeling lingering fear, he did not forget to thank Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng smiled slightly and reminded him: "Imperial Physician Xue, watch your step."
After being pulled up, Imperial Physician Xue focused on examining the lotus seed in his hand. He took out his small notebook and pen again to begin the second round of recording.
Zhao Feng, on the other hand, looked at Li Xuan and asked softly, "Li Xuan, is anything uncomfortable?"
Zhao Feng noticed that Li Xuan seemed a bit down after coming up.
"Nothing, just a bit of a headache."
"I saw a formation down there and out of curiosity, I looked at it for a while, and then my head started hurting."
Li Xuan wrote with his tail.
Seeing what Li Xuan had written, Zhao Feng first glanced at Imperial Physician Xue, saw that Imperial Physician Xue was diligently taking notes, then looked back at Li Xuan and shook his head slightly.
Li Xuan understood Zhao Feng's hint, frowned, but did not press further.
Clearly, Zhao Feng had something he couldn't say directly in front of Imperial Physician Xue.
It seemed that the previous restriction on others entering and exiting this place freely was not just because Yuqing Pond was Emperor Yongyuan's private bath, but there should be other reasons as well.
Li Xuan looked back at the clearly defined black and white pond water and also understood one thing.
This Sun Moon Yin Yang Pond was not as simple as it seemed.
Li Xuan first buried this matter in his heart, then went to answer Imperial Physician Xue's questions.
Imperial Physician Xue mainly asked Li Xuan about his observations from below and then meticulously recorded them.
Once the recording was complete, Imperial Physician Xue had a preliminary judgment.
"It seems this Noon Twin Lotus seed can survive here, but..."
As Imperial Physician Xue spoke, he went to the Sun Flame Pond on the other side, took a wooden bucket from nearby, and fetched some water from the Sun Flame Pond.
Then, Imperial Physician Xue threw the black lotus seed that Li Xuan had retrieved earlier into the wooden bucket.
The water in the Sun Flame Pond was about to reach its hottest point, and even now, it was extremely scalding.
Imperial Physician Xue wasn't afraid of boiling the lotus seed that Li Xuan had painstakingly retrieved; he just threw it into the wooden bucket.
The two men and one cat immediately followed to watch, only to find that the black lotus seed, which had been relatively quiet in the Moon Yin Pond, became restless. It began to tremble violently in the wooden bucket, as if it was about to explode at any moment.
"Hey, hey, hey, is it okay?"
Li Xuan tapped Imperial Physician Xue with his tail, asking anxiously.
Imperial Physician Xue calmly said, "Just watch."
The black lotus seed trembled violently in the wooden bucket for a while, then suddenly a crack appeared silently, and then it became much quieter.
Seeing this scene, Imperial Physician Xue stroked his beard and exclaimed in surprise:
"A black lotus seed containing Yin power actually needs to be cultivated in the Sun Flame Pond!?"