When Lex sent a speck of energy inside Pearl's body, his actual goal was not to directly increase her realm. He could do that, of course. The energy he produced was the purest, aning it could easily adapt to any form and seamlessly beco a part of her cultivation.
But doing such a thing was only a short term benefit. Why would he do sothing like that when he could, for the sa amount of energy, provide her with both imdiate and long term benefits, creating a sturdier foundation upon which her cultivation would be built?
They were inside the house assigned to River, so there was no concern about getting spotted or having their actions discovered. Of course, if the elves were secretly spying on them River and Pearl would be unable to detect it, but Lex would. Fortunately, the elves had tried nothing of the sort. Even if they did, they would not discover anything if Lex wanted to keep things hidden.
River watched as the energy flew into Pearl, unsure of what it was ant to do. A few seconds passed, and nothing seed to happen. Both he and Pearl were staring at each other, waiting for a reaction. River opened his mouth to ask a question, but before he did he saw Pearl's expression suddenly change.
She dropped to the ground and sat down in a crosslegged position, closed her eyes, and steadied herself as her body temperature rose. A mont later, her body started to sweat, and a mont later the sweat turned to steam from the intense heat radiating from Pearl's body.
The sweat was turning to steam too quickly, but when River focused he noticed that it was far from ordinary sweat. Instead, when it erged from her body, it had a dark tint to it, as if it was filled with dirt and impurities.
As the sweat turned to steam, it left behind a layer of salt on Pearl's skin, alongside other impurities which weren't imdiately identifiable.
"Bring a couple of bowls of water and dip her hands in them," said Cliff as he turned to River. River, in turn, dared not delay even a second, even if he didn't understand the purpose.
He quickly got two large bowls, filled them with water and dipped her hands in them even as he tried to ignore the sll that was beginning to fill the room.
Pearl's body began to reek, as if she had not showered or cleaned in ages, and if one looked at her that's exactly how she would appear.
Her once fair skin was now covered in gunk. Her once flawless hair was oily and frizzy. She looked less and less like a refined lady with a noble upbringing, and more like a holess hobo who had been living inside a barrel.
River noticed that the water inside the bowls started to reduce, and he imdiately understood that it was being absorbed by her body to make up for the sweat she was excreting.
As for the filth that ca alongside the sweat… was there even a need to replenish that? She was losing no electrolytes, or anything necessary or important to her body function. What she was losing were all the impurities - all the accumulated filth that her body had been unable to remove over the course of her life, or had been born with.
It was not just her muscles and organs that were being cleansed, but her ridians, and indeed even her spirit and soul - not that there was anyone here who could understand that.
River only watched with a tense expression, unsure if Pearl was being helped or hard by what was happening. He beca even more anxious when, after a few minutes, Pearl started coughing.
It started softly, as if sothing had caught in her throat. After a couple of soft coughs, it grew slightly louder, almost as if she was feeling an itch in her throat. After a few more coughs, it started to get worse and worse, until her whole chest was heaving from the exertion from the coughing.
Suddenly her stomach cramped, her muscles seized, and she coughed one last ti with such ferocity that it felt like she might cough out a lung. In fact, at that mont, she coughed out a large, black ball of dried blood, damaged muscles and fat deposits containing many toxins.
The sight was startling and horrifying! Before River could react, sothing else happened. Spiritual energy gushed into Pearl's body, and she broke through the 9th level of Qi training, and went all the way to the peak of the realm, almost to the point of becoming a Foundation realm cultivator!
If Lex hadn't purposefully prevented her from reaching that realm, she would have reached it that next mont! After all, her body had been cleansed to the point where it surpassed even the most supre human physiques!
Yet there was a reason he had stopped her from going to the next level. Doing so would prevent her from simultaneously cultivating her body. Now that he had selected them both to work for him long term, how could he settle for them having substandard cultivation?
No, his demands for them would be extensive, and he would not make it easy for them either. The only convenience they could get was through completing quests and redeeming rewards - everything else had to be done through their own efforts.
"Are you okay?" River asked as he rushed to her, not minding how bad she slled, or how filthy she appeared.
Yet he did not need an answer. The mont she opened her eyes, the vigor and excitent in them told him everything he needed to know. Not only was she okay, she was far better than she had ever been before!
"River, we need to complete as many quests as possible!" she suddenly said with a certain drive in her voice he'd never heard from her.
Before he could talk to her about it, though, Pearl noticed her own state and scread in horror! Then she bolted for the bathroom!
User Comments
0 comments from readers