The Blood Dragon Pool was located within the Holy Hall's forbidden grounds, situated amid a group of mountain ridges behind the forest of towers.

When Xiang Shaoyun arrived with the first elder, he found that the sound of the wind was akin to the roaring of dragons. The roars were vast and mighty, showing just how unique this place was.

The mountain ridges stood tall and lofty, filled with ancient and massive stones. Not many plants could be seen, making the place seem somewhat desolate. Amid the mountain ridges was a valley in which the Blood Dragon Pool lay.

The valley was protected not only by formations but also by Holy Hall elders who stood guard at all times. People without permission would not be able to enter easily.

All who had gotten a chance to enter were the most remarkable of the young talents in the Holy Hall. The place would basically be opened only once every three to five years. Xiang Shaoyun's time of entry had in fact set a precedent, considering how soon it had been since the previous time someone had entered.

The moment he arrived, he could feel something calling out for the draconic aura within him. Without his control, his draconic aura surged out of his body.

"Roar!"

A majestic dragon roared, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. A projection of a massive dragon suddenly appeared from the Blood Dragon Pool ahead of them. Its roars were absolutely terrifying, completely surpassing Xiang Shaoyun's draconic aura. The difference between the two was as wide as heaven and earth.

Xiang Shaoyun instantly sensed an oppressive force pressing down on him. It was as though his draconic aura was going to be devoured, and he quickly withdrew his draconic aura in panic.

How weird, thought Xiang Shaoyun.

The first elder seemed to have read his mind, saying, "The vicious dragon energy is not only frighteningly destructive. It is also capable of devouring an Emperor's draconic aura and can cause an Emperor to lose all his cultivation. Do you still dare to enter?"

Xiang Shaoyun answered, his voice sonorous, "Why not?"

"Very good. I wish you luck," said the first elder.

At this time, they had arrived beside the pool. A crimson pond lay before them, emitting a horrible stench that was extremely uncomfortable to smell.

Anyone here looking at this seemingly boiling pool of blood would have an urge to throw up. After all, the blood seemed so similar to human blood. From the looks of it, the temperature of the pool was extremely high as well. Cultivating here would not be a feat an ordinary person was capable of.

Even Xiang Shaoyun was starting to wonder if he was perhaps being too brave. Smelling the stench and taking in the blood pool, he felt like throwing up. Fortunately, he had a tenacious willpower that helped in holding the urge.

The first elder vanished without saying anything, allowing Xiang Shaoyun to enter the pool himself. Instead of entering the pool immediately, Xiang Shaoyun sat down cross-legged at the shore. He started chanting the Serene Clearheart Mantra, calming his mental state.

The vicious dragon energy in the Blood Dragon Pool was extremely terrifying. He was just sitting beside the pool, yet he could feel the vicious energy invading his body. He felt a discomfort reminiscent of corrosion. Not only did he need to adapt to the stench here as soon as possible, he also needed to start adapting to the vicious dragon energy.

He spent three days sitting quietly by the pool. Using the three days, he fully immersed himself in his surroundings. He was now used to the stench and had started absorbing the vicious dragon energy into his gold star. The white tiger energy in his gold star shared many similarities with the vicious dragon energy, so the two would be able to fuse together nicely.

After adapting himself to the environment surrounding the pool, Xiang Shaoyun finally stepped toward the pool.

"I'm afraid this is the blood of truly high-level pure dragons. Even after being diluted, it is still capable of creating this boiling effect. It's obvious just how hot the blood pool is," said Xiang Shaoyun with a sigh. He braced himself and finally stepped into the pool.

Bzzt! Bzzt!

Instantly, the layer of energy around Xiang Shaoyun's body was corroded into nothingness. Like numerous tiny dragons, the vicious dragon energy drilled into his body.

"Ahhhh!"

Xiang Shaoyun felt like he was being burned alive, tormenting him with a pain that reached his marrows. He cried out in pain. Massive quantities of vicious dragon energy entered his body and started ravaging his skin, meridians, organs, bones, and so on. His skin cracked, and blood seeped out, becoming one with the dragon blood.

From a distance, it looked as though Xiang Shaoyun was being devoured by thousands of tiny dragons. The scene looked incomparably tragic.

Xiang Shaoyun had not expected the Blood Dragon Pool to be so scary. Even though he had braced himself, he still found it hard to endure. He hurriedly circulated his cultivation method, forcefully pushing part of the invading energy away. At the same time, he directed the vicious dragon energy into his gold star. As for the remaining draconic aura, he forced them to merge with his original draconic aura, rapidly increasing his accumulation of draconic aura.

The draconic aura absorbed here was pure, unadulterated energy that could also be taken into his stars to help them grow.

Xiang Shaoyun split the incoming energy as quickly as possible, not daring to spare his attention on anything else. In fact, he was so focused he wasn't even feeling much of the pain tormenting him anymore.

After all, he possessed a powerful body that had been tempered by lightning and fire. After the initial discomfort, he quickly adapted himself to the pain, entered a state of cultivation, and forgot himself completely.

As he had once entered the Sin Dragon Pond, he was experienced in dealing with an energy trying to devour his draconic aura. Thus, he was able to deal with the corrosive aspect of the invading energy smoothly.

The massive amount of draconic aura and vicious energy were separated before being sent to the different parts of his body. His strength started climbing unendingly.

The draconic aura here was much purer than what he found at the Sin Dragon Pond. While growing his draconic aura, his original draconic aura was also cleansed and tempered, making his draconic aura much stronger and solid.

Xiang Shaoyun's draconic aura had reached 34 percent solidification before this. Soon, it reached 39 percent, and before long, it reached 40 percent. It continued growing, and the growth did not seem like it was going to stop anytime soon.

Day after day passed, with Xiang Shaoyun completely submerged in the pool. His figure could not be seen from outside the pool.

After some time, the first elder reappeared beside the pool. His eyes seemed capable of penetrating the boiling blood. He sighed, "It has been a month, but this kid is still hanging on. He will probably gain a lot here. The time he is spending in the pool is much longer than even the young lady. In fact, he is already comparable with the hall master. Looks like there is a reason the hall master had selected him, after all."