45: Chapter 45 The five elements coexist

That warm and slightly heavy sensation in the Dantian was still there.

The two light orbs of the Fire Attribute Node and the Earth Attribute Node, one red and one yellow, were spinning steadily there, interacting with each other.

"System, the Earth Attribute Node is considered stable now, right?" He flexed his wrists.

[Earth Attribute Node is operating stably.]

[The mutual generation resonance of 'Fire generates Earth' with the Fire Attribute Node has been initially established.]

[Current Feedback Efficiency: 7.5%, output is steady.]

"That's good." Lin Muchen breathed a sigh of relief. "Fire is there, and so is Earth. According to the Five Elements generating each other as you said, the next step should be 'Earth generates Metal,' right? Where can I find a Metal Vein?"

[Logically correct.]

[However, according to the current Origin Star energy network analysis, with both Fire and Earth nodes operating, the energy has trended toward saturation.]

[If 'Metal' attribute is introduced prematurely, it may trigger risks of imbalance such as 'Too much Earth buries Metal' or 'Fire overcomes Metal.']

"What do you mean?" Lin Muchen was taken aback. "I can't just go straight to Metal?"

[The Five Elements emphasize a cycle of mutual generation, endlessly repeating.]

[Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, and Wood generates Fire.]

[Currently, there are only Fire and Earth elements; the energy flow is a one-way 'Fire → Earth' and lacks a closed loop.]

[The most secure evolution path is to prioritize constructing a 'Wood' attribute node after 'Earth.']

"Wood?" Lin Muchen scratched his head. "Why Wood? Isn't it Earth generates Metal?"

[A Wood Attribute Node can form an intermediate buffer for 'Fire → Earth → ?' and provide the foundation for the loop of 'Wood generates Fire' later.]

[The 'Wood' attribute is full of vitality and can effectively harmonize and channel the tendencies of 'dry heat' and 'stagnation' that the dual attributes of Fire and Earth might bring.]

[It enhances the stability and resilience of the entire energy network.]

[To put it simply, do some 'landscaping' first to improve the living environment of the Dantian 'neighborhood.']

"...The way you put it is quite down-to-earth." Lin Muchen chuckled. "Fine, I'll listen to the expert. So where do I find a Wood Vein? Is there one in the back mountain?"

[Scanning Sect map and Spiritual Qi distribution records...]

[According to the analysis of 'qinglan records of wonders: Back Mountain Chapter' and Outer Sect mission records, there is a 'Qingmu Forest' in the eastern area of the back mountain.]

[This area is lush with trees, and the Spiritual Qi leans toward vitality, with a high probability of nurturing Wood attribute Spiritual Veins or related spiritual materials.]

[It is recommended that the Host go to explore.]

"Qingmu Forest..." Lin Muchen noted it down. "Sounds much more comfortable than Chen Tu Valley; at least I won't have to eat dirt."

He walked to the table, pulled out the "qinglan records of wonders," and found the records for the eastern foot of the back mountain.

"Qingmu Forest, home to many century-old trees, with streams in the forest, fresh and vital Spiritual Qi, and occasional sightings of low-tier Wood attribute Yao Beasts..."

"System, to detect a Wood Vein, just like detecting an Earth Vein, I need to use a specialized Talisman, right?"

[Correct.]

[It is suggested to exchange for a 'Wood Spirit Sensing Talisman' (Elementary).]

[Once activated, it can sense objects or Spiritual Vein fluctuations containing pure Wood attribute Spiritual Qi within a hundred-meter radius and display the approximate direction.]

[points required for exchange: 150 points.]

Lin Muchen glanced at his point balance.

14.

"..." His lip twitched. "Big brother, I just finished paying off my debts; my pockets are cleaner than my face."

[points are a hard currency.]

[It is suggested that the Host plan for acquisition.]

[Qingmu Forest itself is a common gathering area for the Sect, with many gathering missions available.]

[The Host can take on related missions to earn points while completing them, and detect Wood Veins along the way.]

"Got it, working and treasure hunting at the same time." Lin Muchen slapped his thigh. "Let's do it! I'll head to the Mission Hall to check it out now."

He packed up and pushed the door open to head out.

The Mission Hall was the same as ever, crowded with people.

Lin Muchen squeezed in front of the bulletin board and looked up to search.

"System, scan for gathering missions related to Qingmu Forest, prioritizing those with high rewards."

[Scanning...]

[Mission 'Ding-122': Gather twenty 'qingling vines.']

[Location: Outer perimeter of Qingmu Forest, back mountain.]

[Reward: One hundred contribution points, one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone.]

[System conversion to points: Approximately 200 points.]

[qingling vine is a common Wood attribute spiritual material; gathering difficulty is low and it is not time-consuming.]

[The mission location highly overlaps with the potential area of the Wood Vein.]

[Recommended to accept.]

"This is it!" Lin Muchen was quick and snatched the yellow paper.

A short, stout Disciple beside him glanced at him. "qingling vines? Those are easy to find, but 'Mu Xu Snakes' sometimes pop out in Qingmu Forest. Although they're only First-Order, they're quite a hassle if you get ensnared."

"Thanks, brother, I'll be careful." Lin Muchen nodded and took the mission token to register.

The registration deacon glanced at him. "Qingmu Forest mission? Alone?"

"Yes."

"Fine, the mission deadline is two days. If you don't complete it, contribution points will be deducted." After the deacon finished registering, he handed the token back to him.

Lin Muchen took the token and turned to leave.

Leaving the Sect, he headed straight for the eastern side of the back mountain.

After walking for about half an hour, the scenery before him changed.

The trees had clearly become taller and denser, and a fresh scent of vegetation drifted through the air; one breath made him feel refreshed.

"This place is truly a world apart from Chen Tu Valley." Lin Muchen took a deep breath. "System, scan it; do the Spiritual Qi characteristics match?"

[Scanning...]

[Environmental Spiritual Qi detection: Wood attribute characteristics are significant, with vitality concentration 47% higher than the average.]

[Matches the nurturing environment for a Wood attribute Spiritual Vein.]

[Arrived at the outer perimeter of Qingmu Forest.]

"Alright, work first." Lin Muchen opened the mission token and looked at what the qingling vine looked like.

It was a type of emerald-green vine that liked to wrap around ancient trees.

"System, mark the areas where qingling vines are likely to grow."

[Three high-probability spots have been marked based on tree density and lighting conditions.]

[Route planning complete.]

Lin Muchen followed the markings and entered the forest.

The path in the forest was difficult to traverse, with many vines and shrubs.

But his 7.5% Feedback Efficiency was no joke; he was full of stamina and moved nimbly.

He soon found seven or eight qingling vines at the first marked spot.

He took out a prepared knife, carefully cut them down, and placed them in his Storage Pouch.

"System, how's the quality of these things?"

[Scan confirmed: Standard quality qingling vines.]

[Twenty vines can be submitted for the mission.]

[System conversion to points: Approximately 200 points.]

"That's enough." Lin Muchen was satisfied and continued toward the second marked spot.

The second spot was a small hillside with plenty of sunlight, where the qingling vines grew thicker.

He harvested another ten or so.

"Exceeded the goal!" Lin Muchen patted his bulging Storage Pouch. "System, calculate my current points."

[Complete 'Gather qingling vines' mission]

[Obtained points: 200 points.]

[Balance: 214 points.]

[Sufficient to exchange for 'Wood Spirit Sensing Talisman' (150 points).]

"Beautiful!" Lin Muchen was delighted. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's buy the detection equipment first!"

[Exchange for 'Wood Spirit Sensing Talisman (Elementary)' successful.]

[Consumed points: 150 points.]

[Current point balance: 64 points.]

[Item has been issued.]

An emerald-green Talisman paper appeared in Lin Muchen's hand.

The Talisman paper felt soft to the touch, with a pleasant grassy scent and complex patterns drawn on it.

"How do I use this thing? Stick it to my palm like the Earth Vein Sensing Talisman?"

[Stick it to your palm and inject Spiritual Power to activate it.]

[Once activated, the Talisman will connect with the Host's consciousness, feeding back sensed pure Wood attribute Spiritual Qi sources as 'green light spots' in your field of vision.]

"Understood." Lin Muchen tucked the Talisman into his robe. "No rush to use it yet. I'll turn in the mission first to secure the points. In the meantime, I'll wander around Qingmu Forest a bit more to familiarize myself with the environment."

He turned around, preparing to return the way he came.

After just a few steps.

In the Dantian, those two node light orbs suddenly moved slightly at the same time.

The crimson light orb of the Fire Attribute Node released a wisp of warmth, and the earthy-yellow light orb of the Earth Attribute Node released a wisp of heaviness.

The two breaths intertwined, following the Meridians and faintly pointing deeper into the forest.

At the same time, the Wood Spirit Sensing Talisman in Lin Muchen's robe also grew slightly warm.

"A reaction?" Lin Muchen stopped and pulled out the Talisman paper.

The green patterns on the Talisman paper were emitting a faint fluorescence.

"System, what's going on?"

[Detected a weak resonance between the Origin Star's Fire and Earth nodes and an unknown Wood attribute Spiritual Qi source!]

[The Wood Spirit Sensing Talisman is also reacting, indicating the presence of a pure Wood attribute Spiritual Qi source nearby.]

[Direction: Straight ahead, approximately three hundred meters deep into Qingmu Forest.]

"Three hundred meters..." Lin Muchen looked into the depths of the forest.

The trees were even taller, their branches and leaves blotting out the sun, making the light significantly dimmer.

"System, analyze the risks. The mission description said there might be guardian Yao Beasts in the depths of Qingmu Forest."

[Scanning...]

[In the area three hundred meters ahead, tree density is extremely high, and the vitality concentration of Spiritual Qi has leaped.]

[Detected a weak life reaction, quantity one, energy level approximately First-Order Demonic Beast Peak, suspected to be a Wood attribute guardian-type Yao Beast.]

[Comprehensive assessment: Low risk.]

[The Host's current strength is sufficient to handle it.]

[Recommended to activate the Wood Spirit Sensing Talisman to precisely locate the Spiritual Vein.]

"First-Order Peak, not a big problem." Lin Muchen weighed his own strength. "Let's do it!"

He no longer hesitated, putting the qingling vine mission aside for the moment and heading toward the direction of the sensation.

The deeper he went, the thicker the trees became.

Some ancient trees required several people to encircle them, their bark covered in moss.

The fragrance of vegetation in the air grew stronger and stronger; one breath made his whole body feel comfortable.

Lin Muchen could feel that the two node light orbs in his Dantian were becoming increasingly active.

The Wood Spirit Sensing Talisman in his robe also grew hotter and hotter.

After walking for about two hundred meters.

He stopped.

Ahead was a forest clearing.

In the center of the clearing, there were no tall trees; instead, a patch of low, strange shrubs emitting a faint green glow grew there.

In the center of the shrubs, a small section of exposed tree root could be faintly seen, deeply rooted in the soil.

Around the tree root, the Spiritual Qi was so dense it had almost turned into a faint green mist.

"That's it!" Lin Muchen's eyes lit up.

He immediately activated the Wood Spirit Sensing Talisman in his palm.

Buzz...

An emerald-green light flared up.

Immediately after, he "saw" it.

In the center of the clearing, at the position of that emerald tree root, a fist-sized, incredibly solid green light orb was slowly pulsating.

The pure Wood Spiritual Qi emitted by the light orb rippled out like water waves.

[Confirmed: Small Wood attribute Spiritual Vein node exists!]

[Quality is pure, vitality is dense!]

[Scale is similar to the Fire and Earth nodes, but activity is higher!]

"Found it!" Lin Muchen was overjoyed.

Just then.

Hiss—!

A faint hiss came from the side.

Lin Muchen turned to look.

On the trunk of an ancient tree at the edge of the clearing that required two people to encircle, a small snake, entirely emerald-green and only as thick as a thumb, was coiled.

The small snake held its head high, its pair of emerald eyes staring intently at Lin Muchen, its forked tongue flicking in and out.

The aura it emitted was exactly that of a First-Order Demonic Beast Peak.

"Mu Xu Snake?" Lin Muchen recognized it. "This is the guardian Yao Beast?"

[Mu Xu Snake, First-Order Wood attribute Yao Beast, adept at constriction and toxins, agile in movement.]

[Weakness: Seven inches, fears fire.]

"Fears fire?" Lin Muchen smiled. "What a coincidence, I happen to have a 'furnace' at home."

With a thought.

In the Dantian, the crimson light orb of the Fire Attribute Node suddenly brightened!

A stream of pure Fire attribute aura surged through Lin Muchen's Meridians toward his right hand.

His right palm was instantly covered with a faint red halo.

The Mu Xu Snake seemed to sense the threat; its hissing became sharp, and its body arched, poised to strike.

Lin Muchen didn't give it the chance.

He kicked off the ground, his Qi Refinement Stage level eight speed exploding as he instantly rushed to the ancient tree.

With his right hand carrying that Fire attribute aura, he grabbed directly for the snake's seven-inch mark!

The Mu Xu Snake reacted extremely quickly, twisting its body to try and dodge.

But Lin Muchen was even faster!

Snap!

His five fingers, like hooks, precisely clamped down on the seven-inch mark of the emerald snake's body!

Sizzle—!

A puff of blue smoke rose.

The Mu Xu Snake let out a painful hiss, its body twisting frantically as it coiled around Lin Muchen's arm.

But the emerald-green light on its body quickly dissolved as soon as it touched the red halo on Lin Muchen's palm.

The snake's strength rapidly diminished.

A few seconds later, the Mu Xu Snake went completely limp, its emerald eyes losing their luster.

"Done." Lin Muchen let go, and the Mu Xu Snake's corpse fell to the ground.

He shook his hand and looked toward the emerald tree root in the center of the clearing.

In his Dantian, the two node light orbs of Fire and Earth were already vibrating slightly with excitement.

That tree root seemed to sense something as well, as the green Spiritual Qi it emitted became even more active.

Lin Muchen could even feel a faint green node prototype slowly condensing and trembling in that empty spot in his Dantian.

It produced an extremely weak resonance with the nearby crimson and earthy-yellow light orbs.

Fire generates Earth, and Earth... is calling for Wood.

"System, mark these coordinates!" Lin Muchen grinned. "The Wood Attribute Node is looking promising!"

[Coordinates marked: Depths of Qingmu Forest, Ancient Tree Spiritual Root.]

[Five Elements Collection Progress: Wood (Location confirmed, node prototype resonating).]

[Prompt: Official guidance of Spiritual Vein energy is required to construct the node.]

[However, current points are insufficient to exchange for 'Spirit Guiding Technique' (200 points).]

"Not enough points?" Lin Muchen glanced at his balance: 64 points.

"No matter, mark it first. I haven't turned in the qingling vine mission yet; I'll have money once I do."

He took one last look at the emerald tree root and the Mu Xu Snake.

"Brother Wood, and you too, Little Green, just you wait."

"Once I have the money and buy the 'ticket,' I'll come to take you home."

He turned and quickly left the forest clearing.

On the way back, his steps were so light he felt like he was flying.

Fire, Earth, Wood.

Three of the Five Elements have been seen.

The 'neighborhood landscaping' in his Dantian was finally about to get started.