195: Chapter 193 The Five Elements Return to One

Yun Ming was in no hurry to begin Alchemy.

He sat down cross-legged.

Although he had achieved a Breakthrough to the Late Golden Core Stage, the Realm still needed to be consolidated.

It was like a newly built house: the walls and beams were new, but the cement hadn't fully dried yet; one had to wait a while before moving in.

He closed his eyes and looked inward at his Dantian.

Five Golden Cores were suspended there, a full circle larger than before, and their radiance was even brighter.

Gold, green, red, black, and white—the five colors of light intertwined, illuminating the entire Dantian.

They rotated slowly at a steady pace and consistent rhythm, like five planets orbiting the same center.

He tried to circulate his Spiritual Qi, which surged out from the Golden Cores and flowed through his Meridians to every part of his body.

It was more than ten times more robust than before.

If his Spiritual Qi during the Golden Core Middle Stage was a gurgling stream, then now it was a surging river.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking; the power welling up from deep within his body made him feel as though he could crush his past self with a single hand.

This was no exaggeration.

The gap between the Golden Core Middle Stage and the Late Golden Core Stage was much larger than he had imagined.

He spent several days thoroughly stabilizing his Realm.

Every day he meditated, circulating the Dao Scripture, letting the Spiritual Qi flow through his Meridians over and over, washing through every inch of his Meridians and nourishing every inch of his flesh.

Under his nourishment, the five Golden Cores grew brighter and more stable, and their rotational rhythm became increasingly synchronized.

By the third day, he felt that his Realm was completely stabilized.

He began to study those five Golden Cores.

Previously, he only knew that five Golden Cores were stronger than one, but he couldn't say exactly where the strength lay or how it worked.

He only knew how to activate all five Golden Cores at once to crush his opponents with sheer numbers.

But now, with the elevation of his Realm and the deepening of his understanding of the Dao Scripture, he gradually began to grasp the inner workings.

He tried to activate one of the Golden Cores and poured the Spiritual Qi from the other four into it.

As the Spiritual Qi surged in, that Golden Core suddenly flared with light, its radiance exploding as its rotational speed increased slightly.

He sensed the output of that Golden Core; it was nearly twice as strong as usual.

He tried again, pouring even more Spiritual Qi from the other four; the Golden Core's light grew even more intense, and its output became stronger—five times, a full five times.

His heart skipped a beat; so it could be used this way.

He then tried other combinations.

He set the Wood-attribute Golden Core as the primary core and poured Water-attribute Spiritual Qi into it.

Water generates Wood; the Wood-attribute Golden Core brightened, more so than before, but it was different from the simple infusion of Spiritual Qi from earlier.

The previous method was a direct infusion; while it provided an amplification, there was loss between the different Spiritual Qis, making it inefficient.

However, by infusing them according to the generative cycle of the Five Elements, the Wood-attribute Golden Core was like a sapling being watered—it brimmed with vitality, the conversion of Spiritual Qi had almost no loss, and the amplification effect was even better.

It wasn't just five times; he sensed it was at least seven or eight times, and the outputted Spiritual Qi was purer and gentler.

He tried again with the Fire-attribute as the primary core, with Wood generating Fire.

The Golden Core lit up, and flame-like Spiritual Qi surged from it, blazing and violent, many times stronger than usual.

He quickly stopped, afraid he might set the Quiet Room on fire.

Then came the Earth-attribute as the primary core (Fire generates Earth), the Metal-attribute as primary (Earth generates Metal), and the Water-attribute as primary (Metal generates Water).

Each combination had different effects: some were suitable for attack, some for defense, some for healing, and some for escape.

Five Golden Cores, five attributes, and the generative cycle of the Five Elements covered almost every situation he might encounter.

He opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

This was only the generative cycle of the Five Elements. What about the overcoming cycle?

Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, and Fire overcomes Metal.

Following this sequence, he could transform one attribute of Spiritual Qi into another completely different attribute.

Metal overcomes Wood; Metal-attribute Spiritual Qi restrains Wood-attribute Spiritual Qi—not just simple restraint, but transformation.

Through a specific method of circulation, Metal-attribute Spiritual Qi could be transformed into the Lightning Attribute.

Wood overcoming Earth transforms into the Poison Attribute.

Earth overcoming Water transforms into the Ice Attribute.

Water overcoming Fire transforms into the Wind Attribute.

Fire overcoming Metal transforms into the Lava Attribute.

He didn't test it, but he knew it was feasible.

The usage of the Five Elements' generative cycle was realized through an Epiphany, and the usage of the overcoming cycle was realized at the same moment.

When one principle is mastered, all principles are mastered.

The generative cycle of the Five Elements follows the will of Heaven, while the overcoming cycle moves against it.

Those who follow Heaven prosper, and those who defy it perish, but that doesn't mean Heaven-Defying methods cannot be used.

It just means one must be more careful and precise when using them; there can be no room for error.

Sitting in the Quiet Room, Yun Ming went over the principles of the Five Elements' generative and overcoming cycles in his mind again and again.

He felt as if he had opened a new door.

Previously, he only knew how to use five Golden Cores as five separate units; now he knew that five Golden Cores could be used as one, as fifty, or even as a hundred.

If he wished, he could make one of them erupt with power several or even dozens of times beyond its own.

Of course, this was only theoretical.

To actually use it would require a great deal of practice.

He opened his eyes and reached into the map of mountains and rivers to take out a leaf of enlightenment tea.

The tea leaf was emerald green with faint golden veins on its surface, emitting a crisp and refreshing tea fragrance.

He placed the leaf in his palm and looked at it for a long time.

enlightenment tea, truly good stuff.

He used to only know that this thing could grant an Epiphany, improve one's Comprehension Ability, and cleanse the mind.

But he hadn't expected its effects to go far beyond that.

The fact that he could achieve a Breakthrough to the Late Golden Core Stage without a Bottleneck was certainly due to his years of bitter cultivation, but the catalytic role of the enlightenment tea could not be ignored.

His ability to realize the generative and overcoming cycles of the Five Elements Golden Cores was even more dependent on the enlightenment tea.

Without that tea leaf, he might never have thought of these things in his entire life.

Previously, he drank enlightenment tea like it was water, brewing a leaf whenever he felt like it and not when he didn't.

Now he knew that this thing shouldn't be wasted like that.

In the future, he would have to drink it less often, having one leaf during each Breakthrough and trying not to drink it normally.

It wasn't that he was stingy; it was that drinking too much would diminish the effects.

It was like taking medicine; taking too much would create resistance. Although enlightenment tea wasn't medicine, the principle was the same.

He put the tea leaf back into the map of mountains and rivers and decided not to drink it today.

Over the next few days, while consolidating his cultivation, he practiced the new uses of the Five Elements Golden Cores.

He didn't use his full strength, only gently activating his Spiritual Qi in the Quiet Room to feel the rhythm of the Five Elements' flow.

Generation, overcoming, following Heaven, defying Heaven.

He tried it over and over, feeling it again and again, until the sensation was etched into his very marrow, allowing him to circulate it freely even with his eyes closed.

His cultivation hadn't increased, but his combat strength had.

It wasn't just a small amount; it was a qualitative leap.

With the Late Golden Core Stage combined with the generative and overcoming cycles of the Five Elements Golden Cores, he felt that even if he faced an Early Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator now, he would have the strength to fight.

Of course, this was just a feeling.

He didn't know how an actual fight would turn out.

But he wasn't in a hurry and had no desire to test it.

He only wanted to stay here quietly, performing Alchemy, drinking tea, and living his life.

His cultivation was consolidated, and he had mastered the usage of his Golden Cores.

He glanced at the entry on the System panel—'Today is auspicious for Cultivation.'

He waited a few days.

The first thing he did upon waking every day was check the entry; if it didn't say 'Today is auspicious for Alchemy,' he wouldn't move.

By the third day, the entry refreshed. Five words: 'Today is auspicious for Alchemy.'

When Yun Ming saw these words, he felt at ease.

He took the Mother Qi Cauldron of All Things out of the map of mountains and rivers and placed it before him.

Then he took the Materials sent by Zhou Qian out of his Storage Pouch and arranged them one by one.

The Materials for the Heavenly Dew Spirit Nourishing Pill and the Xuan Ying Pill were all laid out neatly.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and ran the Pill Formula through his mind.

Then he opened his eyes and began to work.