DING!

Just as Zhong Ming expected, the integration of the Clear Sound Spring Stone caused an even more profound change in the stacking of his six ’Flow of Water’ layers.

The rhythm of the Clear Sound Spring Stone even caused his consciousness to enter a Void Spirit state, plunging him into a special kind of enlightenment.

At this moment, he felt as if his body and Soul Spirit had transformed into flowing water. He felt as if all the waters in the world had become a part of his own being.

SPLASH...

With a single thought from Zhong Ming, a great mass of clouds, mist, and water currents materialized around him.

BUZZ...

A portion of the water currents actually merged directly into Zhong Ming’s body, causing his physical form to swell slightly.

"Flowing water, wash away the filth..."

SPLASH-SPLASH-SPLASH...

As Zhong Ming murmured unconsciously, water flowed into his body, while another stream flowed out.

As the clear water flowed out of his body, it carried away filth, impurities, and dead cells.

If Zhong Ming were conscious, he would have realized he was unconsciously activating Bright Mirror Stilled Water - Ripples.

This time, however, Zhong Ming wasn’t observing the breathing and rhythm of his surroundings.

He was sensing his own body!

And with the aid of the Clear Sound Spring Stone and the special Void Spirit state, his Bright Mirror Stilled Water did more than just detect the weaknesses and flaws in his physical body.

He also noticed areas of disharmony.

Breathe in, breathe out...

SPLASH-SPLASH-SPLASH...

As the water washed over him, the harmful substances in these disharmonious and unhealthy spots were completely purged. The discordant areas themselves, following the water’s natural course, gradually became smooth and harmonious.

With the chronic ailments gone and the disharmony resolved, Zhong Ming’s body naturally grew healthier.

Breathe in... breathe out...

In that special Void Spirit Realm, Zhong Ming continued to breathe. His Bright Mirror Stilled Water, aided by the Clear Sound Spring Stone, delved deeper and deeper.

Meanwhile, the unconscious Zhong Ming pushed the Flow of Water to its absolute limit.

BUZZ...

At a certain moment, some grayish-green impurities were also stripped from Zhong Ming’s body and carried away by the flowing water.

If Zhong Ming were conscious at this moment... well, even if he were, he wouldn’t know what that was.

But if an Elixir Master had been present, they would have been horrified to discover that what the water carried out of Zhong Ming’s body was the one thing all cultivators feared—Erysipelas!

...

Although it hadn’t been explicitly stated, Zhong Ming’s main focus these past few days had been on practicing the Spirit Stream Finger: Jie Technique.

However, he always found some time to practice the Longxi Breathing Method.

And during his cultivation, Zhong Ming would also take Primordial Spirit Pills.

Before he was rated A Class, he took them every single day.

Elixir Pills refined from the essence of plants and herbs could indeed speed up his cultivation progress.

But all medicines have their side effects. Although Zhong Ming had been very restrained in his use of Elixir Pills, some residual toxins had inevitably remained in his body.

And now, the Flow of Water, pushed to its limit and combined with the Bright Mirror Stilled Water that could sense the rhythm and fluctuations of all things, had actually stripped the stubborn Erysipelas from his body.

This was an incredibly important development.

Being able to purge the Erysipelas meant that Zhong Ming was no longer limited to taking one Elixir Pill a day. He could take two, three, or even five or ten.

The boost Elixir Pills provided to one’s cultivation was terrifying. If he could take them continuously, this ability alone would make him a genius in the Cultivation Realm.

However, Zhong Ming wasn’t conscious and had no idea what Erysipelas was. His awareness was still wandering within the streams, comprehending the mysteries of water.

Meanwhile, as Zhong Ming was lost in his enlightenment, system notifications flooded his screen.

[You have entered a state of enlightenment. You have gained a new understanding of the Flow of Water. Your Longxi Swordsmanship progress has increased by 93.]

[You have entered a state of enlightenment. You have gained a new understanding of the Flow of Water. Your Spirit Stream Finger: Water Dragon Technique progress has increased by 71.]

[You have entered a state of enlightenment. You have gained a new understanding of the Flow of Water. Your Longxi Breathing Method progress has increased by 67.]

[You have entered a state of enlightenment. You have gained a new understanding of the Ripples of Water and the washing of water. You...]

There were over a hundred such notifications on Zhong Ming’s data panel.

Among them, one was particularly conspicuous.

[The Flow of Water from your Longxi Swordsmanship, the Flow of Water from your Longxi Breathing Method, and the Flow of Water from your Wave-Surging Dragon Stream Step... have fused.]

[You have comprehended Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water (Incomplete) (33.7%).]

BOOM!

When the Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water appeared, Zhong Ming once again resonated with all the water between heaven and earth.

This included groundwater, the water in streams, the water in clouds and mist, and even the water within plants...

As Zhong Ming resonated with these countless sources of water, he felt endless insights and boundless inspiration surge into his mind.

The arrival of these things deepened Zhong Ming’s understanding of water.

However, the sheer volume of information flooding his mind was too much for his consciousness to bear.

With a final BUZZ, at a certain point, the overwhelmed Zhong Ming simply fell asleep.

...

"Ugh, where am I...?"

The next morning, the newly awakened Zhong Ming was still a bit dazed.

Finding himself lying in a pool of clear water, completely soaked, he subconsciously tried to get up.

SPLASH-SPLASH-SPLASH...

The thought had barely formed before he could even move, yet the water currents surrounding him acted like his own limbs, helping him to his feet.

"Hm? This feeling... I’ve successfully formed my Water Dao Rhyme!"

As he woke up and his consciousness gradually returned, Zhong Ming quickly remembered what he had done the previous night.

Without even needing to check his panel, Zhong Ming knew that his fusion had indeed succeeded.

SPLASH...

The feeling of commanding the water as if it were his own limbs was incredibly satisfying to Zhong Ming.

Besides his connection to the water, another change Zhong Ming noticed was in his own body.

’So light... That said, why does comprehending the Water Dao Rhyme make me feel like my whole body has been scrubbed clean...?’

As he thought of this, Zhong Ming’s eyes suddenly lit up. ’Could it be that my plan succeeded? Did I integrate the properties of the Clear Sound Spring Stone into the Water Dao Rhyme I comprehended? Can I now use flowing water to wash away all my injuries and other negative effects from my body?’

Realizing this, Zhong Ming was eager to test it out.

But he soon discovered, to his own amusement and chagrin, that the previous night’s enlightenment had already washed his entire body ’clean’.

Now, Zhong Ming’s body was perfectly healthy, with no injuries or impurities whatsoever.

Under these circumstances, he couldn’t test it even if he wanted to.

’I never thought I’d see the day I’d be vexed by my own body being too healthy.’

...

"Junior Brother, what are you practicing today... Huh?!" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Just as Zhong Ming was feeling speechless about his own healthy body, a voice called out from a distance.

Qi Hong, Yang Chen, Shi Yun, and Lin Shuyu were approaching.

Following them were Yi Yunya and Orchid.

Among the approaching group, the impetuous Shi Yun shouted from a distance, asking about Zhong Ming’s cultivation plans for the day.

However, Zhong Ming frowned. Shi Yun’s shout had been cut short, as if he were a strangled crow. But it wasn’t just that. As his voice died, Shi Yun’s eyes had gone wide, his face filled with astonishment, horror, and... a bizarre expression.

’Why is he looking at me like that...?’ Before he could finish the thought, Zhong Ming realized it wasn’t just Shi Yun who had a strange look on his face.

Qi Hong, Yang Chen, Lin Shuyu, and even Yi Yunya and Orchid, who were closer to him, were all staring at him with wide eyes.

Among them, the ones with the most intense reactions weren’t even Qi Hong, Shi Yun, and the others.

The person with the strangest expression of all was Yi Yunya.

The always elegant and poised woman glanced at him in astonishment, then rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

The next moment, she looked at Zhong Ming, then back at herself, and her expression suddenly turned dejected.

"I’ve lost..."

"Huh?!"

This bizarre scene left Zhong Ming even more confused, but he understood that the strange transformation had happened to him.

"Is there something wrong with my body?"

As he spoke, Zhong Ming waved his hand, condensing a mirror out of water.

Using the water as a mirror, Zhong Ming looked at his reflection.

...

And then, Zhong Ming too fell silent.

Staring at the youth in the mirror—with his rosy lips, pearly teeth, and dewy skin—Zhong Ming was completely stunned.

’How did I turn into... this?’

Before he could finish the thought, the reason occurred to him.

In his past life, there was a beauty and medical treatment called hydrotherapy.

It was a natural therapy that used the physical effects of water currents, temperature, or minerals to improve one’s physical condition.

Its core functions included promoting blood circulation, relieving muscle tension, improving skin condition, soothing stress, and aiding in recovery from illness.

Although Zhong Ming hadn’t done it intentionally, his actions last night were a form of hydrotherapy—a complete and thorough water-based healing therapy, from the inside out.

Ordinary hydrotherapy could improve skin condition. But Zhong Ming had used the Flow of Water to flush filth and impurities from his body. The effect was thousands, even tens of thousands of times better than ordinary hydrotherapy.

Such an excellent result naturally gave him a completely different look.

...

After understanding everything, Zhong Ming was at a loss for words.

Fortunately, his will was firm. Zhong Ming quickly put this trivial matter aside and said to Shi Yun, "No training for now, Senior Brother. I want to fight you again."

As he said this, Zhong Ming’s gaze sharpened.

SPLASH...

As Zhong Ming’s attitude shifted, the surrounding water currents all converged on him, spontaneously forming into the shape of swords at his side.

HUM!

The great number of Water Swords circling him made Zhong Ming exude a unique, sharp aura of power.

This powerful aura dispelled the impression of him being a ’pretty boy’, causing everyone’s expressions to turn serious.

Shi Yun, who was directly facing the sharp edge of the Water Swords, wore the gravest expression, but he was also the most delighted.

"This power... Little Junior Brother, you had another breakthrough last night!"

"Yes."

...

...

...

Zhong Ming’s nod left Shi Yun, Qi Hong, and the others speechless.

Yi Yunya’s hand, holding her fan, suddenly clenched tight.

At that moment, they all truly understood what it meant to be a genius of enlightenment.

’Too fast...’

’But this is a good thing. The stronger Zhong Ming is, the better our future will be.’

"Haha, that’s not wrong."

Yi Yunya’s mind, however, was on something else. ’He broke through... Is that why Senior Brother suddenly became so pretty? I wonder if that Magic Technique could be used on me.’

And just as Qi Hong, Yi Yunya, and the others were feeling shocked, delighted, and conflicted over Zhong Ming’s breakthrough...

Zhong Ming’s next words made Shi Yun, Qi Hong, Yang Chen, and the others’ pupils shrink, and they all thought he was... being too arrogant.

The reason for this was that, surrounded by Water Swords and streams, Zhong Ming looked serious yet brimming with confidence as he said to Shi Yun, "Senior Brother, I remember that because you’re afflicted by that strange power, your current cultivation is at the mid-stage of Qi Cultivation, correct?"

"Yes." Shi Yun nodded, not denying it. Instead, he asked Zhong Ming quizzically, "So?"

"In this fight, I want to see where my limits are." As he spoke, Zhong Ming’s aura grew even sharper, and his expression took on the magnificent bearing unique to chosen geniuses. "So, Senior Brother, I’d like to ask you to use your full strength!"

"Otherwise, you might not only lose, you might also be seriously injured."