C21 Holy Water Rune

The interior of the collapsed mountain was not pitch black. Shortly after Liu Xingchang ventured into the black hole, he noticed a faint blue glow.

The source of the light was a mystery, but it shone upon the Lifeline Spirit Spring, casting reflections that danced like fish scales in blue patterns.

Despite the sweltering heat outside, the cave felt surprisingly cool, prompting Liu Xingchang to rub his arms, which were prickling with goosebumps.

"It doesn't add up. The cave should be cool, but not to the point of being this chilly given the weather," he mused.

Liu Xingchang smacked his lips, sensing that this coolness was unlike any other, as if a bone-chilling aura had permeated his very marrow.

He surveyed the cave, noting its modest size. It contained only the ever-flowing Lifeline Spirit Spring, a square table forged from an unknown material, and a stack of ordinary, tattered cushions.

"These cushions must have been used by Liu Jitai during his meditation sessions here," Liu Xingchang chuckled. "In ten years, countless must have worn out. It's a good thing this is a place of cultivation. If an ordinary person were trapped here for a decade, they might not resort to suicide, but they'd certainly emerge either mad or senseless."

While speaking, Liu Xingchang approached the square table for a closer inspection.

Liu Jitai had described the setting to Liu Xingchang prior to his arrival.

When Liu Jitai first stumbled upon these ruins, the decor was simple: a painting of a white-robed elder hung on the wall, beneath which stood the square table. Atop the table lay a copy of the Mixed Energy Technique, three vials of elixirs, and a stalk of Spiritual Immortal Grass—nothing more.

Having mastered the Mixed Energy Technique and with the aid of the Spiritual Immortal Grass and elixirs, Liu Jitai advanced to the Heavenly Path Realm. He sustained himself on the water from the Lifeline Spirit Spring until the day he shattered the confining blue light. Grateful for the knowledge and benefits he had received, Liu Jitai took the elder's portrait, intending to honor him with a memorial tablet in his home as a mark of respect for his master.

"What kind of material is this?" Liu Xingchang tapped the table, noting the sound was unusually dull, unlike stone, iron, or wood.

He pulled a sword from his Qiankun Pouch and struck the square table with force.

"Clang!"

The sword shattered with a crisp ring. Liu Xingchang's eyes widened in astonishment. His sword, a special weapon forged from rare black iron by Old Master Liu, had snapped like brittle tofu against the sturdy table.

His eyes bulging, Liu Xingchang exclaimed, "Could this be the high-quality weapon material — Condensed Iron? Unique to the Southern Pole Heavenly Domain, Condensed Iron is a premier material for crafting weapons. This suggests that the white-robed elder was no ordinary Cultivator in his lifetime!"

Without hesitation, Liu Xingchang emptied his Qiankun Pouch, making room to store the square table. Though not large, the essence of the table could be refined into an exquisite Divine Iron Sword.

Liu Jitai may not have recognized its value, but Liu Xingchang certainly did.

After securing the table, Liu Xingchang shifted his sword to one side and crouched by the spring.

"This life-prolonging spring water is limited, yet it possesses the miraculous ability to substitute for food and nutrition. It shouldn't be inexhaustible. Ten years have passed, and the spring should have diminished, but it hasn't. Liu Jitai mentioned that no matter how much he drinks, the water remains as plentiful as before... There's definitely a secret here."

After sipping some water, Liu Xingchang pondered, "This is indeed the life-prolonging spirit spring, but what could be causing it to never run dry?"

Determined to find out, Liu Xingchang plunged into the water. To his amazement, he couldn't dive deep; the water was too shallow. Standing in the spring, the water reached only up to his waist.

"It doesn't make sense..."

"If the water is so shallow, it clearly isn't fed by any external spring tributaries..."

"There's no trace of any magical formations here, so it's evident that no powerful entity has crafted a separate barrier here..."

"This is truly baffling..."

Liu Xingchang climbed out of the water, used his Spiritual Energy to dry off, and lay on the ground, pondering the water's secret. Despite racking his brain, Liu Xingchang couldn't come up with an explanation. His extensive knowledge seemed inadequate, as none of the possibilities he considered matched the situation at hand.

Time passed, and with a resigned sigh, Liu Xingchang conceded, "Well, it seems the secret of this water is not meant for me. I shouldn't linger any longer."

Liu Xingchang was a man who could easily let go. He was about to rise and depart when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of light.

"Hmm?"

He lay back down, focusing on the blue light pattern reflected by the spring water, his pupils narrowing.

"This pattern... there might be something to it..."

Liu Xingchang narrowed his eyes and traced shapes in the air with his hands. Then, a spark of realization hit him, and he leapt to his feet, exclaiming in amazement, "Isn't this light pattern and its display the same as the Spiritual Energy's path when forging a Spirit Mark Rune? This spring water is somehow connected to the Spirit Mark Rune, could it be..."

A thrill of elation filled Liu Xingchang's gaze, "Could it be... the secret within this spring water is the Holy Water Rune!"

In this world, Spirit Mark Runes were essential for every Cultivator, with all-attribute Spirit Mark Runes being even more prestigious. But regardless of the type, they were all known as Spirit Mark Runes, with only one being revered as the Sacred Inscription Talisman!

The Sacred Inscription Talisman reigned supreme over all other Spirit Mark Runes, without any categorization of power, capable of commanding the forces of the heavens and the earth, unrivaled by any!

Forget the present Liu Xingchang; even the ruler of the Northern Polar Heaven Domain in his past life possessed only a single Sacred Gold Rune!

According to legend, the Sacred Inscription Talisman originated from the weapon of a celestial deity who created the heavens and the earth. There were only nine in existence, each possessing one of nine attributes: gold, wood, water, fire, earth, life, obliteration, time, and space.

Whoever came into possession of a Sacred Inscription Talisman would experience a monumental surge in power!

Liu Xingchang had never imagined that, in his new life, he would stumble upon the Holy Water Rune by sheer fate!

What an incredible stroke of luck!

"It seems the heavens are truly on my side!"

Overwhelmed with joy, Liu Xingchang quickly raised his hands, channeling Spiritual Energy with his left to summon forth the spring water, while his right hand crafted the intricate patterns of the Spirit Mark Rune.

In this moment, Liu Xingchang relied neither on Spirit Stones nor Heavenly Stones; he used the spring water itself as the medium to forge the Spirit Mark Rune.

Liu Xingchang daringly speculated that this spring water was none other than the Holy Water Rune incarnate – how else could it be so endlessly abundant?