After their conversation under the banyan tree, the three decided to return to their respective quarters, agreeing to study the scroll further before making a decision. Ren Yan remained hesitant, while Murong Xuan seemed lost in thought.
Hun Yan, however, felt something different. To him, this scroll felt like destiny.
He arrived at his quarters—a simple wooden room on the edge of the Plantation area. The space was cramped, containing only a hardwood bed and a small table. However, to Hun Yan, this was a sanctuary.
After ensuring the door was locked, he sat cross-legged on his bed. He took out the parchment scroll Zhang Li had given him. As his fingers touched its ancient texture, a strange sensation coursed through his mind.
Just then, a cold, mechanical sound, one he hadn't heard in a long time, suddenly echoed within his consciousness.
[Ding!]
Along with the sound, a transparent data panel, visible only to him, appeared before his eyes.
[HOST STATUS]
Name: Hun Yan
Age: 16 Years Old
Spiritual Root: Five Elements Spiritual Root (Ordinary Quality)
Cultivation Level: Mortal
Cultivation Technique: Five Elements Cultivation Technique (Incomplete)
Evolution Points: 43
And as expected, a new notification flashed below the status panel.
[Ding!]
[High-quality cultivation technique detected. Would you like to consume 10 Evolution Points to perfect it and obtain the complete "Five Elements Cultivation Technique"?]
[Yes / No]
Hun Yan's heart pounded.
This was what he had been waiting for. 10 Evolution Points was a heavy price—equivalent to months of hard work. However, the reward was the complete version of the ancient technique!
Ren Yan's doubts and Zhang Li's warnings about the slow cultivation speed echoed in his mind. But the system never lies. If this technique could be perfected, it would mean its flaws would be removed.
"Yes," Hun Yan answered in his mind without hesitation.
[Processing... Evolution Points deducted by 10.] [Current Evolution Points: 33]
[Beginning data transmission... Five Elements Cultivation Technique (Complete) successfully obtained.]
The moment after that confirmation, his Evolution Points dropped to 33. The next second, the scroll in his hand suddenly glowed dimly before returning to normal, but Hun Yan no longer needed it.
A massive, unimaginable wave of information flooded his brain.
It felt like an ancient dam had burst. Complicated information began to flood his mind, and profound insights into the complete elemental cultivation technique poured into his consciousness.
He now understood.
The scroll Zhang Li had given him wasn't even one percent of the actual technique. It was merely an introduction, a key that didn't even explain how to open the door.
The complete Five Elements Cultivation Technique wasn't just any ordinary cultivation technique.
This technique not only taught how to absorb Qi, but also how to balance the five basic elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Most people had single or dual spiritual roots, allowing them to absorb one type of element more quickly. But Hun Yan, with his Five Elements Spiritual Roots, was considered trash in the cultivation world because the five elements would fight and destroy each other within his body.
But now, Hun Yan knew that was wrong. It wasn't a curse; It was the greatest blessing.
This complete technique taught the "Cycle of Generation": Wood ignites Fire. Fire creates ash (Earth). Earth produces Metal. Metal gathers Water (through condensation). Water grows Wood.
As long as this cycle was maintained, not only would the elements not clash, but they would reinforce each other, creating a foundation a hundred times more solid than that of ordinary cultivators!
His eyes were closed, but his mind was clearer than ever. He could sense the essence of the ancient text. Hun Yan wasted no time. With the new knowledge ingrained in his mind, he immediately began his first cultivation attempt.
He calmed his breathing, emptied his mind, and began operating the technique according to the instructions perfectly memorized.
Slowly, he expanded his awareness to the outside world.
For the first time, he perceived the world differently. He felt the lush life energy of the trees surrounding the valley. He felt the residual warmth of the sun in the air. He felt the steady, nurturing energy of the earth beneath him. He felt the sharpness and solidity of the rocks deep within. And he felt the moisture flowing from the small stream nearby.
The world was a sea of five-colored Qi.
"Pull..." he whispered to himself.
Using the technique's circulation method, Hun Yan acted as the center of the vortex. The five types of spiritual energy (Qi) were drawn towards him like moths to a flame. Wisps of five-colored Qi—green, red, yellow, gold, and blue—began to flow from all directions, seeping through his pores and entering his body.
If Zhang Li had seen this, she would have been shocked. Pulling in all five elements at once was usually suicidal for a beginner.
However, as the colorful Qi entered Hun Yan's meridians, they didn't clash. Under the guidance of a perfect technique, the green Wood Qi immediately flowed to strengthen the red Fire Qi. The Fire Qi then purified and stabilized the yellow Earth Qi. The Earth Qi condensed and strengthened the golden Metal Qi. The Metal Qi then liquefied, producing blue Water Qi. And finally, the Water Qi flowed back to nourish the Wood Qi.
A perfect cycle was formed within his body!
Spiritual energy flowed through his meridians, clearing away the blockages and impurities accumulated since birth. It felt like thousands of ants were biting him from within, slightly painful but also refreshing. His body, exhausted from working all day in the fields, was now filled with pure vitality.
The incoming Qi continued to circulate faster and faster within his dantian—the area below his navel.
Time seemed to stop. Hun Yan was completely immersed in this meditative state. He repeated the cycle over and over again, nine times, thirty-six times, eighty-one times...
Suddenly, he felt a barrier. It was the boundary between a Mortal and a Cultivator.
"Now!" he thought.
With a single mental push, all the five-colored Qi gathered in his dantian suddenly contracted before gently exploding.
BOOM!
A warm, comfortable sensation spread from his dantian to all his limbs. His narrow meridians now felt wider and firmer. The five-colored Qi mist that had previously swirled in his dantian had now condensed, forming the first drop of sparkling five-colored Liquid Qi.
Hun Yan opened his eyes.
A sharp glint flashed across his pupils. The previously dark room was now clearly visible. He could hear the cicadas outside with incredible clarity, and he could smell the faint scent of impurities and sweat being expelled from his body—a classic marrow cleansing process.
He clenched his fists. The strength he felt now was at least double what it had been before.
He had succeeded. He was no longer a mortal.
[Ding!]
[Host Status]
Name: Hun Yan
Age: 16
Spiritual Root: Five Elements Spiritual Root (Ordinary Quality)
Cultivation Level: First Stage of Qi Refining
Cultivation Technique: Five Elements Cultivation Technique (Beginner)
Evolution Points: 33