Daytime Fantasy Art

Qi Yuan cautiously entered the core region. Ahead lay an unbroken expanse of mountain ranges. Standing upon a patch of level ground, he halted his steps. Further forward lay a bottomless abyss. It plunged into unseen depths, shrouded in swirling mist. Within it, no flora or fauna could be seen. Yet five colors could faintly be discerned, representing the power of the five elements. Those five colors churned like boiling, flowing pigments; if anyone fell in, even their bone fragments would likely be melted away. If this were the Qi Yuan before embarking on cultivation looking down into the abyss, his slight fear of heights would surely have made his legs tremble, overcome by an urge to leap. Right now, however, he felt no such thing. "According to normal game logic, shouldn't I have to slaughter all the Five Spirits here before reaching the final reward area? "To think the Five Spirits are gone. I didn't even have to grind any mobs to reach this place." Qi Yuan scooped Xiao Jia up around her waist. "Careful now." Qi Yuan leaped down into the abyss. In an instant, he felt as if he had plunged through a thin membrane. He squeezed inside. Looking outward, Qi Yuan saw an even greater profusion of the five colors. This place appeared to be a pool. Inside it boiled the five colors. Qi Yuan felt a tingling itch spread over his body. Glancing at Xiao Jia, he noticed the crimson of her dress growing increasingly vivid, as if she were trapped in a sauna; she seemed very uncomfortable here. Share the Same Robe! Qi Yuan chose to fuse with Xiao Jia. Not to boost his strength or defense, but to protect Xiao Jia. Xiao Jia's true form was not particularly durable, and lingering here could easily harm her. It was far better for her to transform into armor and imprint herself upon Qi Yuan's chest. Clad in the armor, Qi Yuan waded through the pool. His pace, however, was sluggish, as if trudging through thick paste. "This place looks pretty ordinary. There shouldn't be anything useful here, right?" The five colors filling the pool were exceptionally pure. To use an imperfect analogy, each color was like a simple substance—a pure element composed of a single kind of matter. Thus, although vast, there was actually very little variety here. His gaze swept across, and a cascade of notifications appeared: [This is Gold Flowing Sand, coalesced from metal essence scorched and corroded by the Great Sun. Bathing in Gold Flowing Sand increases the probability of comprehending metal essence qi.] [This is Wood Flowing Sand, coalesced from wood essence scorched and corroded by the Great Sun. Bathing...] [This is Water Flowing Sand...] What he saw were byproducts formed when the essences of the five elements were scorched and corroded by an entity known as the "Great Sun." These byproducts could improve one's chances of comprehending the five-element essence qi. Perhaps they would be of immense value to the trio Qi Yuan had met earlier. To Qi Yuan, however, they were virtually useless. "My drop rate is already 100%. This five elements flowing sand is completely useless to me. Can it push a drop rate past 100%? "Then again, those three NPCs I ran into earlier might have a use for it. "Their drop rates are probably below 1%. How tragic." With that thought, Qi Yuan reached out and scooped up a large handful of the five elements flowing sand. Useless to him, but useful to others—that made it valuable. Grabbing a handful was never a loss. Besides, coming all this way just to return empty-handed would be far too boring, wouldn't it? Suddenly, Qi Yuan paused. He spotted something else amid the five elements flowing sand. [Radiance of the Great Sun: Touching it by hand may allow one to hear remnant thoughts of the Great Sun. The fortunate may even acquire useful cultivation arts.] Qi Yuan looked at a wisp of light ahead, roughly the size of a firefly. He closed his hand around it. Intermittent murmurs drifted into Qi Yuan's ears: "Wangyue Continent is my foundation! How dare you!" "Extraterrestrial demon, aaaaagh!" "Great Sun's Inundation!" ... "I refuse to accept this!" As these fragmented remnants of consciousness struck Qi Yuan's ears, he swayed, slightly unsteady on his feet. "Is standing in this five elements flowing sand draining me too much? I've been in the game too long today; I need to get out soon." After that thought passed, Qi Yuan began analyzing the fragments he had heard. "Sounds like an expert fought another expert in a massive battle and lost? "Extraterrestrial demon? Does that refer to this game's final boss? "And this Great Sun... could he be the Heavenly God? "He fought a desperate war against the extraterrestrial demon and ended up suffering a crushing defeat, only managing to burn the demon's leg? "Looks like this extraterrestrial demon is quite something. The Heavenly God was probably around Level 99? Combined with the Bridal Gown Imperial Princess back then, their battle power was likely Level 104, yet they were still defeated by the extraterrestrial demon, only injuring it! "It seems if I want to solo this big boss, I'll need to reach Level 100 to be safe. "Besides, so many years have passed—who knows if this big boss has leveled up?" "A pity the monsters in the Four Great Forbidden Grounds are too scarce. Otherwise, no matter what, I'd grind all the way to Level 999 before going to solo that big boss." Just then, the wisp of light in his hand flared violently, like the brief final rally of a dying elder, before instantly plunging into darkness and vanishing completely. A fragmented cultivation art flowed into Qi Yuan's mind. "Daytime Fantasy Art?" When he learned the art was called the Daytime Fantasy Art, Qi Yuan was dumbfounded. "Daytime Fantasy? Might as well call it daydreams. No wonder the Heavenly God couldn't beat the extraterrestrial demon," Qi Yuan grumbled. "This Heavenly God is even more unreliable than me!" He then processed the fragmented information of the art. The Daytime Fantasy Art certainly lived up to its name. Though most of its contents were missing, even the scattered remnants convinced Qi Yuan that it earned such a title. This art had been created by its master—presumably the Great Sun—through visualizing the myriad stars in the sky. It centered around devouring all things. The earlier stages were relatively grounded, but the later portions were wildly unconstrained, seeking to devour the stars across the heavens to strengthen oneself. "The universe is so big, yet I only take one bite? "A shame. This technique is destined to never succeed!" Qi Yuan looked up through the abyss toward the stars dotting the firmament. [This is the Moon: projection of the Moon.] [This is the Broken Soul Star: projection of the Broken Soul Star.] The sky was full of stars spanning the firmament, yet none were real entities; they were merely projections cast across the heavens. If the stars and moon were fake, how was anyone supposed to eat them? "Then again, if he had lived on the Blue Star, this art would have had great potential. "With so many stars, eating one a day from the Caveman era until the destruction of the Blue Star still wouldn't finish them off." Qi Yuan let his imagination run wild. "Time to get out. The drain is getting a bit heavy." Having obtained the fragmented Daytime Fantasy Art, Qi Yuan left the abyss. Finding a secluded spot, he repeated his old trick: digging a deep pit and burying Xiao Jia and himself. Only after logging out did Qi Yuan feel a bit more comfortable physically. "Once I reach Foundation Establishment, I definitely have to cultivate an art that bolsters the divine soul!" Qi Yuan secretly resolved. "The Daytime Fantasy Art is too damaged, but some of its contents share an affinity with the Qi Yuan Scripture. "Still, I need to find similar arts first as references to refine and complete it." Qi Yuan was a man with a plan. Unfortunately, the Black Mountain Sect definitely had no such techniques. He could go ask Jiang Lingsu. His junior sister was clearly wealthy and well-informed. He tidied up and prepared to visit the thatched cottage next door to see Jiang Lingsu. Meanwhile, inside the thatched cottage, a layer of frost coated Jiang Lingsu's face. She opened her eyes, and the frost dissipated, a wisp of distress appearing on her youthful face. "Is this the price of wielding the Qiankun Mirror?" After awakening her bloodline, she had gained a single opportunity to wield the Qiankun Mirror, glimpsing a fleeting fragment of the future. Yet how could a supreme treasure like the Qiankun Mirror be casually wielded by someone at her level of cultivation? She had been left with severe lingering affliction. At regular intervals, frost invaded her body, causing excruciating agony. This time was relatively mild and tolerable. When it worsened later on, the pain would be enough to drive someone unconscious. To relieve this agony required the intervention of a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator who possessed a water-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root. Well, the Jiang Clan was acquainted with a few great cultivators of the Purple Mansion Realm, and the clan itself had Purple Mansion elders, but none possessed a water-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root. Even if one existed, spending a massive price to ask a grand cultivator of the Purple Mansion Realm to intervene merely to alleviate such "trivial" suffering was hardly worth it. Sensing something, Jiang Lingsu stood up and walked out into the courtyard. Seeing Qi Yuan outside the door, she asked, "Eldest Senior Brother, are you looking for me?" Qi Yuan glanced at Jiang Lingsu, staring closely at her face. "Junior Sister, are you sick? "Do you want me to brew some chicken soup for you?" Qi Yuan asked solicitously. Jiang Lingsu said helplessly, "No need, Eldest Senior Brother. I just didn't sleep well. "What did you come to see me for? Speak freely." Seeing this, Qi Yuan didn't conceal anything and explained his purpose. Hearing his words, Jiang Lingsu gave Qi Yuan a strange look. "The kind of art Eldest Senior Brother is asking about shouldn't exist in this world. "If there ever was one, legends say that in ancient times, beneath the depths of the East Sea, there lived a race called the Jujin whose clan arts were somewhat similar. "Unfortunately, this race was wiped out long ago. It is unknown whether any of their legacy remains in the world." "Thank you for telling me, Junior Sister." Qi Yuan felt a bit disappointed, but felt it was only natural—it wasn't as if every question he had would be instantly solved. He looked at Jiang Lingsu. "Junior Sister, if you ever run into any trouble, tell me directly. Your senior brother has decent strength; I can still settle ordinary matters for you." Caring for wealthy benefactors was everyone's duty. Besides, his junior sister had helped him quite a bit. Qi Yuan well understood the principle: 'Give me a peach, and I will repay with fine jade.' Hearing this, Jiang Lingsu smiled faintly. "Thank you for the kind thought, Senior Brother." Though Eldest Senior Brother was eccentric, unreliable, and lacked real strength, his nature was inherently good. ... Entering the game once more, Qi Yuan was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Five Spirits in the core of the Five Elements Trial Ground—who had gone out to throw a wild party—had actually all returned! Qi Yuan was overjoyed. "Xiao Jia, how about you hide in the pit, and I'll be right back?" Qi Yuan said to Xiao Jia. Xiao Jia's cold little hand—or rather, her sleeve—clutched at the corner of Qi Yuan's robe. A wooden plaque painted with a crying face slipped out from her sleeve. The crying face represented Xiao Jia's meaning: she was unwilling. "Sigh, do we have to fuse every day? "Why does it feel like paying my marital dues after getting married!" Even as he spoke, he fused with Xiao Jia in an instant. Blood-red armor covered his entire body, its barbs sharp and menacing. His colossal physique and coldly dazzling scarlet formed a stark contrast against the Five Spirits. "My sword thirsts for blood! "Too bad none of you bleed! "In that case, die!" Qi Yuan raised his forty-meter greatsword. Without any fancy maneuvers, using pure brute force at its absolute peak, he cleaved straight down. Technique? That was something for melee finesse and ranged spellcasters to worry about. Right now, he had pure brute strength. The sword came down, kicking up a heat wave several meters high. In an instant, dozens of Five Spirits failed to dodge in time, reduced to souls slain beneath Qi Yuan's blade. Level 90 and Level 89 were completely different concepts. Furthermore, with Xiao Jia's enhancement, so long as he wasn't surrounded by several Level 90 Five Spirits in the core area, he could slaughter as he pleased! Of course, he had to keep an eye on his energy consumption. "Kill!" Like a rampaging monster crashing into a cozy little island nation, Qi Yuan charged wildly, swinging his greatsword with chaotic abandon. However, aside from the initial surprise attack where nearly a hundred Five Spirits were caught off guard and slain, his subsequent kill rate noticeably slowed. "Too slow! At this rate, it'll probably take half a month to max out all five elements! "Sigh, I'm such a piece of trash, so utterly useless!" Meanwhile, some distance from the core region, four pairs of eyes were watching Qi Yuan clash with the Five Spirits. In addition to the original trio, a thin, slight man had joined them. Watching Qi Yuan slaughter indiscriminately as wisps of five-element essence qi were comprehended as if they cost nothing, the thin man widened his eyes in sheer disbelief. The red-robed man held out a smug, cheeky hand. "Li Qin, hand over that water essence crystal." Li Qin looked deeply pained. "This is absurd! How does that even make sense?!" Originally, the red-robed man had told him that the newly arrived Master of the Robe Division comprehended water essence qi at frightening speed—almost one wisp per kill. Naturally, Li Qin hadn't believed it. Taking advantage of this, the red-robed man made a bet with him. Without a second thought, Li Qin agreed. Little did he expect it would actually be true. Having secured the water essence crystal, the red-robed man was exceedingly smug. At that moment, however, Tang Yan stared fixedly at Qi Yuan's figure, his face bathed in utter astonishment. "Look! He's also comprehending earth essence qi... No, fire essence qi too!" The others turned to look, only to see Qi Yuan cutting through Water Spirits and storming toward the other spirits among the Five Spirits. Instantly, an enviable profusion of five-element essence qi surged around him. The four onlookers were dumbfounded. Originally, Tang Yan had thought the Master of the Robe Division merely possessed top-tier talent in the water attribute. Now it seemed... he had supreme talent in all five elements! Beside him, the red-robed man could not help blurting out, "Doesn't that mean he might achieve five-element completion in less than a month?" Having said that, the red-robed man's face flushed slightly red. Just earlier, he had badmouthed the Master of the Robe Division behind his back, accusing him of arrogance and delusions of five-element completion. Now it turned out that it wasn't a delusion at all—it was real. What's more, it might only take the Master of the Robe Division a month or two to achieve it. Tang Yan clenched his teeth, his customary scholarly composure completely shattered. "Five-element completion... He truly can master the Five Elements Forbidden Ground! "Such talent... such talent..." As he spoke, he suddenly wept tears of joy. "Could it be that the heavens have taken pity on us?" The power of the extraterrestrial demon was unfathomably terrifying. Even the Heavenly God in his prime had fallen before the extraterrestrial demon. Later on, powerhouses in the forbidden grounds nearing the end of their lifespans had charged into Dijue one after another to probe the extraterrestrial demon's secrets. Yet most... had achieved nothing. Forget the extraterrestrial demon itself—they could not even defeat the demon's foremost demonic monstrosity, the former Heavenly God Jin Jia! Heavenly God Jin Jia seemed to possess an immortal body, completely unkillable! If they couldn't even vanquish the demonic monstrosity, how could they ever hope to defeat the extraterrestrial demon?