Power of the Five Elements

As soon as the rugged man finished speaking, he spat out a thick gob of phlegm. Yet the phlegm instantly transformed into a cloud of five-colored gas. Ancestor Jin accepted the gas, gave Xiao Lü a few instructions, and then led Qi Yuan deeper inside. A moment later, every coffin lid in the area suddenly flew open. Humanoid figures sat up one after another, each radiating a terrifying aura. The rugged man spoke, marveling in his voice, "To think he has already stepped into the Divine Domain. A peerless genius indeed, second only to Yu." Everyone looked toward Yu. He was one of only two peak Divine Domain powerhouses in the Five Elements Forbidden Ground. In the entire world today, there were only three peak Divine Domain powerhouses. Yu was dressed in white robes covered in feathers. His countenance was breathtakingly handsome, resembling an exquisitely beautiful female immortal. "Give him several thousand years, and he might well become a Divine Domain titan. A pity, a great pity," Yu said, his voice gentle and distinctly feminine. "If he gains something within three hundred years in the Five Elements Trial Ground, combined with the Bridal Gown Imperial Princess's blessing, he could perhaps exert the combat prowess of a Divine Domain titan." A Divine Domain titan was the strongest combat power beneath the peak of the Divine Domain—rarer than phoenix feathers or qilin horns. However, when this person mentioned the Bridal Gown Imperial Princess, the eyes of many present flickered, their thoughts wandering. Back then, the Heavenly God had been able to dominate an entire era in large part due to the Bridal Gown Imperial Princess. If any of them could obtain her, the combat power they could unleash would at the very least equal a titan's, or perhaps even reach the peak Divine Domain level. If Yu or Long Pan were to obtain her, they might even unleash power surpassing that of the Heavenly God. Their chances against the extraterrestrial demons would increase as well. Still, they understood that the Bridal Gown Imperial Princess was not something easily claimed. Yu said softly, "Infighting is forbidden." A faint note of warning laced the gentle voice. Everyone knew Yu's temperament: the fewer words he spoke, the graver the matter was. Silence fell over the crowd as they concealed their petty schemes. Just then, the green-clad young woman could not help speaking up. "That Master of the Robe Division harbors treacherous intentions! He wants... the Five Elements Forbidden Ground!" "What?" The rugged man was startled to hear this. The green-clad girl hurriedly recounted everything that had happened on their way here. Listening to her, the crowd wore varying expressions. "Total control of the Five Elements Forbidden Ground? His ambition is far from small." "Could that brat be an ungrateful wretch who threw his lot in with the extraterrestrial demons?" "If the Five Elements Forbidden Ground falls into an outsider's hands, we might not even make it to the Demon Slaying Assembly in three hundred years before the extraterrestrial demons destroy us one by one." "Aren't you all overthinking this? With the Five Ancestors here, what is there to fear? "Do you truly believe that brat's talent... is greater than the Heavenly God's, such that he could win the approval of the Five Ancestors?" In the Five Elements Forbidden Ground, there were Ancestor Jin, Ancestor Mu, Ancestor Shui, Ancestor Huo, and Ancestor Tu. These Five Ancestors were the true masters of the Five Elements Forbidden Ground. It was precisely because of them that the Five Elements Forbidden Ground had not been overrun by extraterrestrial demons like the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground. After a brief discussion, everyone decided the whole thing was absurd and unworthy of serious concern. Having sorted out his thoughts, the rugged man said to the green-clad girl, "Xiao Lü, I know you care about Ancestor Jin, but there's no need to fear. No matter how extraordinary that brat's talent is, it's impossible for him to truly take control of the Five Elements Forbidden Ground." Of course, there was one thing he left unsaid: even if the Master of the Robe Division took control of the forbidden ground and possessed monstrous talent, they would still lack sufficient confidence against the extraterrestrial demons. What was missing was not merely talent, but the accumulation of time—and, even more so, the insurmountable disparity between worlds. Hearing this, Xiao Lü's eyes brightened. Indeed. That fellow was probably just boasting. Even if the Heavenly God were reborn, he could not claim he could take control of the forbidden ground from the Five Ancestors. This had nothing to do with strength; it was purely a matter of talent! ... Following Ancestor Jin, Qi Yuan arrived near the Five Elements Trial Ground. Ancestor Jin said, "The Five Elements Trial Ground contains the Five Spirits: the Metal Spirit, Wood Spirit, and so forth. "These Five Spirits contain the qi of the five elements, which aids our cultivation. "Slaying the spirits you require allows you to comprehend the Divine Domain realm and elevate your cultivation." Every Divine Domain powerhouse—or Heavenly Domain powerhouse—had relatively simple affinities. The techniques they cultivated generally matched only one, or perhaps two, of the five elements. Only in this way could they cultivate faster. It was just like how cultivators with pure spiritual roots progressed far more quickly than those with mixed spiritual roots. If one cultivated the Dao of the five elements, their progress would be severely delayed. Therefore, those capable of reaching the Divine Domain mostly cultivated a single attribute, with only a rare few cultivating multiple. As for the Heavenly God, he had been a rare case: metal as his primary element, supplemented by the other four. "To what extent do I need to reach before I can take control of the Five Elements Forbidden Ground?" Qi Yuan asked, raising the question he cared about most. "The Five Elements Forbidden Ground has Five Ancestors in total. If you bring the metal element to completion, you will gain my recognition. "Complete the water element, and you gain Ancestor Shui's recognition. "When all five elements are complete, you shall be the Master of the Forbidden Ground!" Ancestor Jin said. This condition was exceedingly, impossibly difficult. To cultivate the metal element to completion had taken even the Heavenly God several centuries. Cultivating all five elements to completion? The Demon Slaying Assembly would long since be over. Moreover, not every powerhouse was compatible with the other elements. Even if they slew the Five Spirits, they would be unable to absorb the power of the five elements within. "Understood." Qi Yuan grew enthusiastic. Wasn't this just like gathering shards in a game? Gather all five kinds of shards, then redeem them for the title of Master of the Forbidden Ground. With that in mind, he took Xiao Jia by the hand, glanced at Ancestor Jin, and said, "I'm going in." Watching Qi Yuan enter, Ancestor Jin cheerfully reminded him, "There are also some prodigies from the Five Elements Forbidden Ground inside the trial ground. If you run into them, look out for one another." "Sure!" Qi Yuan replied, and his figure vanished. Just then, a watery silhouette appeared, coalescing into the human form of a mature woman. "Ancestor Jin, do you think he can gather all five elements?" The newcomer was none other than Ancestor Shui. Ancestor Jin shook his head, then said, "I hope he can. "If so, when the Demon Slaying Assembly arrives, we will have another peak Divine Domain powerhouse. "That would give us better odds." Ancestor Shui said, "Only slightly better odds, alas." "Hmph, you two are so eager for him to become the Master of the Forbidden Ground? "Even if he does, he probably won't be able to defeat the extraterrestrial demons. "Meanwhile, we'll all kick the bucket!" A flame flared into the air as the short-tempered Ancestor Huo appeared. "We perished long ago, leaving only a wisp of lingering obsession. What does kicking the bucket even mean to us?" Ancestor Mu walked barefoot, carrying an aura of peaceful rejuvenation. "Aiya, you old coot, why do you always have to bring that up?! I worked so hard to forget the fact that I'm already dead, and you just have to remind me!" Ancestor Huo cursed and bolted off in a flash. "Now I won't be able to sleep tonight!" The remaining ancestors exchanged glances, each lost in different thoughts. Meanwhile, within the Five Elements Trial Ground, Qi Yuan held Xiao Jia's hand and looked into the distance. "These monsters aren't high-level at all—mostly level forty or fifty. The stronger ones are level seventy or eighty. Wait, there are some at level ninety too." Looking at the elemental monsters, a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "If I achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, wouldn't my Qi Refinement stage be lacking in stability? "If this power of the five elements can be converted into the qi of the five elements, couldn't it reshape my Qi Refinement? "If I succeed, my foundation should far surpass my peers, right?" What Qi Yuan was thinking was that his Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment seemed slightly lacking in foundational depth. But if he packed it with the power of the five elements... If he found a desolate, barren planet, could he perhaps re-establish earth, water, wind, and fire?