177: Chapter 177 The Five Elements Minor World

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside Lin Wan's Immortal Cave, he slowly opened his eyes. The divine light in his eyes was restrained, and his aura was as deep and profound as an abyss. After three months of bitter cultivation, he had not only completely stabilized his Late Stage Earth Immortal Realm, but his comprehension of the four supreme dao rhymes had also deepened. The projection of his Dao Seed had become slightly more solid than before. Although it was still just a projection, it could now persist for a longer period, and the cyclical scene of the Universe's birth and death within it had also become a fraction clearer.

Aside from his comprehension of the dao rhymes, his greatest harvest was his deduction of the applications of his divine abilities. Although he had not truly created a new Divine Ability, his application of the four dao rhymes had become much more flexible. He had further streamlined and condensed the "Samsara Tribulation Finger," reducing its consumption while maintaining its power. Although the "Universe Birth and Death Finger" still consumed an immense amount of energy, he was now able to initially control its power level. It was no longer like before, where it would erupt with full force once unleashed; now, he could adjust it according to the situation.

At the same time, he made some improvements to his "Chaos Reincarnation Domain." It was no longer a simple defense and weakening. Instead, he attempted to integrate the dao rhyme of "existence" into it, allowing the power of "Chaos" and "Reincarnation" within the Domain to carry a trace of the anchoring of "existence" and the erosion of "the end," making it even more bizarre and difficult to defend against. However, this was only an initial attempt, and he was still far from a Major Achievement.

"The Five Elements Small World opens today." Lin Wan stood up, changed into a clean green Daoist robe, and checked his exchanged Talismans, Formation Flags, Medicinal Pills, and other items. Once he confirmed everything was in order, he walked out of his Immortal Cave.

Outside the Immortal Cave, Steward Zhao had already been waiting for a long time.

"True Disciple Lin, Elder Shen is already waiting in the main hall. Please follow me," Steward Zhao said respectfully.

Lin Wan nodded and followed Steward Zhao, flying toward the main hall.

On the plaza in front of the main hall, dozens of people had already gathered. The lowest cultivation among them was at the Middle Stage Earth Immortal Realm, with most being at the Late Stage Earth Immortal Realm. There were even a few with deep, profound auras who had shockingly reached the Peak Earth Immortal Realm! These were all Disciples of the Tianshu Immortal Palace who were about to enter the Five Elements Small World. Among them were Core True Disciples as well as inner court elites.

Emissary Shen Lian stood at the front of the crowd with his hands behind his back. Seeing Lin Wan arrive, he nodded slightly to him.

Lin Wan's gaze swept over the crowd, and he spotted a few familiar faces. For instance, the white-robed youth he had seen when tackling the Ascension Tower. His aura was now even sharper, and he seemed to have also broken through to the Late Stage Earth Immortal Realm. There were also others whose gazes toward Lin Wan carried scrutiny, curiosity, and even a hint of hidden jealousy and hostility. Clearly, Lin Wan, this "parachuted" Core True Disciple who had made a huge name for himself in such a short time, had drawn the attention and even dissatisfaction of many.

Lin Wan's expression remained calm. He walked over and stood not far behind Emissary Shen Lian, closing his eyes to rest his mind, completely ignoring the gazes around him.

"Everyone is here," Emissary Shen Lian's clear voice rang out, silencing the whispers on the plaza. "The opening of the Five Elements Small World this time brings both opportunities and dangers. You are all elites of our Tianshu Immortal Palace. After entering the mini-world, you must watch out for and help one another, standing united against outsiders. You must never kill your fellow Disciples and make a laughingstock of yourselves to outsiders!"

"Yes! We shall obey the Elder's command!" the Disciples responded in unison.

"The Five Elements Small World is a remnant from ancient times. Its internal rules are unique, and Heavenly Immortal and higher Cultivators cannot enter. Once you enter, you will be randomly teleported to different areas in the outer regions of the Small World. Within the Small World, the Five Elements Spiritual Qi is dense, and there are countless Heaven And Earth Treasures, but it is also fraught with peril. Not only are there powerful Five Elements Yao Beasts, but there are also Cultivators from other forces, so you must remain vigilant at all times," Emissary Shen Lian said in a deep voice. "The Small World will remain open for one month. Once the time is up, everyone will be automatically expelled. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, you can crush the 'Shift Talisman' I will distribute to you. It can instantly teleport you out of the Small World, but you will also lose this Opportunity. In addition, in the core region of the Small World, there is a 'Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform,' which is a Holy Land for comprehending the Dao. However, it can only accommodate nine people at a time, and it will only open during the final three days. Whether you can ascend the Dao Projection Platform depends on your own ability and fortune."

With that, Emissary Shen Lian waved his sleeve, and dozens of streams of light flew toward everyone. Lin Wan reached out and caught one. It was a palm-sized jade Talisman, warm to the touch, carved with complex spatial runes—it was indeed the "Shift Talisman." In addition, there was a Jade Slip containing basic information and a map of the Five Elements Small World.

"Are you all ready?" Emissary Shen Lian asked.

"We are ready!" everyone responded.

"Good! Let's go!" Emissary Shen Lian did not waste words. He raised his hand and sacrificed a massive silver flying boat. The flying boat expanded against the wind, growing to a size of a hundred Zhang, hovering above the plaza. Mysterious formation runes were carved all over its hull, radiating powerful spatial fluctuations.

The Disciples flew onto the flying boat one after another. Lin Wan also boarded the flying boat along with the crowd. The interior of the flying boat was extremely spacious, decorated in an ancient style, and filled with abundant Spiritual Qi. Emissary Shen Lian controlled the flying boat, which turned into a silver stream of light, soaring into the sky and instantly disappearing into the clouds.

The flying boat was extremely fast, traversing layers of clouds and flying toward the southeastern direction of the Donghua Immortal Domain. After flying for about half a day, ripples suddenly appeared in the void ahead, and a massive, illusory portal flashing with five-colored brilliance hovered between heaven and earth.

In front of the portal, quite a few people had already gathered, divided into several camps. There were Disciples of the Tian Sha Sect wearing blood-red robes and exuding a sky-rocketing Evil Qi; there were Cultivators of the Black Flame Valley with black flames rising around them and violent auras; and there were members of the Hehuan Sect, dressed in gorgeous attire, with most of the male and female Disciples possessing outstanding appearances, though a trace of wickedness lingered between their brows. Besides them, there were other forces of various sizes, as well as many Loose Cultivators, totaling over a thousand people!

"That is the entrance to the Five Elements Small World," Emissary Shen Lian's voice rang in everyone's ears. "Each time it opens, the location of the entrance will change slightly, but the general area remains the same. The people from other forces have already arrived. After you go in, be extra careful, especially of the people from the Xuan Yin Sect, the Tian Sha Sect, the Black Flame Valley, and the Hehuan Sect."

Lin Wan's gaze swept across those camps, and as expected, he felt several undisguised, murderous gazes firmly locked onto him. In the groups from the Xuan Yin Sect, the Tian Sha Sect, and the Black Flame Valley, there were several individuals with exceptionally powerful auras and cold gazes. Over on the Hehuan Sect's side, several male and female Disciples were also sizing Lin Wan up with great interest, their eyes filled with scrutiny and a hint of greed.

"As expected, they've all come," Lin Wan sneered inwardly, but his face remained expressionless.

"Elder Shen, we haven't met for many years, yet you still possess your old flair," a sinister voice rang out. At the front of the Tian Sha Sect's group, an emaciated old man dressed in a blood-red robe spoke with a fake smile. This person's aura was deep and profound; he was shockingly an Early Stage Heavenly Immortal Elder.

"Old Ghost Xue Sha, since you aren't dead yet, how could I dare to take my leave first?" Emissary Shen Lian replied indifferently, his tone calm yet sharp.

"Hehe, Elder Shen is still as sharp-tongued as ever," a young man with a face like jade and wicked eyes said with a light laugh, shaking a folding fan from the direction of the Hehuan Sect. This person was the leader of the Hehuan Sect's group this time, known as the "Jade-Faced Gentleman." His cultivation was also at the Early Stage Heavenly Immortal Realm, but his aura was even more feminine and bizarre than that of Old Ghost Xue Sha.

"Cut the crap. The Five Elements Small World is about to open. Let's each rely on our own abilities," a red-haired, muscular man leading the Black Flame Valley group said in a booming voice, his temper clearly fiery.

The leaders of the major forces mocked each other for a few more words before falling silent, all staring at the five-colored portal. The atmosphere in the area instantly became heavy and solemn.

"Buzz—!"

Suddenly, the five-colored portal shone with immense brilliance and vibrated violently. In the center of the portal, a slowly rotating five-colored vortex appeared.

"The portal is open, enter quickly!" Emissary Shen Lian shouted in a low voice.

The Disciples of the various forces and the Loose Cultivators, who had been prepared for a long time, turned into streams of light one after another, scrambling to rush toward the five-colored vortex!

"Go!" Emissary Shen Lian waved his hand, and the Disciples of the Tianshu Immortal Palace also leaped up one after another.

Mingling with the crowd, Lin Wan also flew toward the vortex. The moment he entered the vortex, he felt a powerful spatial tearing force sweep over him. Five-colored brilliance swirled before his eyes, and the world spun.

A moment later, his feet touched solid ground, and Lin Wan found himself in an unfamiliar world.

Beneath his feet was crimson earth, and the air was thick with dense fire-attribute Spiritual Qi. The temperature was extremely high, making him feel as if he were inside a furnace. Looking out, the land was crimson, with continuous volcanoes in the distance occasionally spewing scorching lava. The sky was dark red, with a burning "sun" hanging there, radiating intense heat.

"The Five Elements Small World, Fire Region." Lin Wan quickly determined his location. According to the records in the Jade Slip, the Five Elements Small World was divided into five major regions, corresponding to the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Each region contained Heaven And Earth Treasures of the corresponding attribute and was inhabited by powerful Five Elements Yao Beasts. He had been randomly teleported to the Fire Region.

"Such dense fire-attribute Spiritual Qi. Cultivating a fire-attribute Cultivation Technique here would yield twice the result with half the effort." Feeling the active fire spiritual energy in the air, Lin Wan slightly circulated the Chaos Immortal Energy within his body, absorbing and refining the scorching fire Spiritual Qi around him to replenish his own consumption. The all-encompassing nature of Chaos Immortal Energy actually made him feel like a fish in water in this environment rich in a single attribute of Spiritual Qi.

He spread his Divine Sense, covering a radius of a hundred miles. Within a hundred miles, he did not detect the aura of any other Cultivators. It seemed the random teleportation had scattered everyone. However, there were a few fire-attribute Yao Beasts with decent auras active in the distance.

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"First, find a place to determine my bearings, then head to the Wood Element region." Lin Wan already had a plan in mind.

The Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform was located at the center of the Small World, the place where the Five Elements converged.

According to the Jade Slip map, to go from the Fire Element region to the center, one needed to pass through the Wood Element region.

Moreover, he Cultivated Chaos Immortal Energy, which could absorb all Five Elements.

However, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, and Water generates Wood; the Five Elements generated each other.

He intended to travel through each region in the order of the Five Elements' generation, collecting Heaven And Earth Treasure while gaining insights into the Five Elements Spiritual Qi, drawing parallels to deepen his understanding of how Chaos evolves all things.

He selected a direction and was just about to set off when a sudden sense of impending danger struck his heart!

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Three crimson arrows, like venomous snakes emerging from their lair, tore through the air from three tricky angles.

Accompanied by piercing shrieks, they instantly struck at Lin Wan's face, back, and Dantian!

The arrows were burning with eerie black flames, emitting a scorching, corrosive, and sinister aura!

An ambush! And the timing was calculated with extreme precision, catching Lin Wan in the split second right after he had teleported, just as he was scanning his surroundings with his Divine Sense and his guard was slightly down!

"Seeking death!"

Lin Wan's eyes turned cold, and his Chaos Reincarnation Domain instantly expanded, with gray mist spreading out from him as the center.

The three crimson arrows shot into the Domain, their speed dropping sharply.

The black flames burning on the arrows, as if encountering their nemesis, quickly dimmed and extinguished.

The arrows themselves were also corroded by the Chaos Qi, losing their spiritual nature entirely.

They veered off course, crookedly embedding themselves into the ground beside Lin Wan, hissing and corroding several large pits into the crimson earth.

"Oh? You have some skill. No wonder you were able to make that piece of trash, Elder Liu Changfeng, fall into your hands."

A mocking voice rang out, and three figures slowly emerged from three directions, surrounding Lin Wan.

All three of them were dressed in Xuan Yin Sect attire and possessed powerful auras; they were clearly all Earth Immortal Late Stage Cultivators!

The leader was a sinister-looking youth with a hooked nose, holding a blood-colored longbow; the arrows from before were fired by him.

The other two, a man and a woman, were tall and thin, with the man holding a pair of pitch-black short blades, and the woman having a fiery figure but cold eyes, holding a black long whip.

"Xuan Yin Sect, you really are like persistent ghosts."

Lin Wan swept his gaze over the three, his tone flat.

These three had obviously been lying in ambush here for a long time, specifically waiting for him to teleport over.

It seemed that the Xuan Yin Sect had gone to great lengths to kill him, even calculating the spot where he might teleport.

"Lin Wan, obediently hand over the rewards from the Ascension Tower, as well as everything you obtained in the Secret Realm, and we can grant you a quick death."

The hooked-nose youth sneered, "Otherwise, we will let you taste the flavor of my Xuan Yin Sect's 'Bone-Eroding Yin Fire'!"

"Just the three of you?"

A trace of mockery appeared on the corner of Lin Wan's mouth.

"Arrogant! The three of us are enough to deal with you! Attack!"

The murderous intent in the hooked-nose youth's eyes surged, and he drew his bow and nocked an arrow once again.

This time, the black flames burning on the arrow were even more intense, and the faint sound of ghosts wailing and wolves howling could be heard.

The other two also attacked simultaneously.

The tall, thin man's figure flickered, disappearing like a ghost.

The next moment, he appeared behind Lin Wan, his pair of pitch-black short blades thrusting silently toward Lin Wan's back.

Black light swirled on the short blades, clearly quenched with deadly poison.

Meanwhile, the cold, beautiful woman's long whip lashed out like a venomous dragon, carrying a sharp whistling sound as it coiled toward Lin Wan's legs.

The whip was covered in barbs and shimmered with a ghostly blue light, clearly not something to be trifled with.

The three coordinated tacitly, clearly accustomed to fighting together.

The hooked-nose youth provided long-range suppression, the tall, thin man performed close-quarters assassination, and the cold, beautiful woman provided control and harassment, sealing off all of Lin Wan's retreat routes.

"Petty tricks."

Lin Wan snorted coldly.

Facing the three-pronged attack, he did not retreat but advanced instead.

He fully activated the Chaos Reincarnation Domain, and the gray mist churned, shrouding everything within a ten-zhang radius.

Inside the Domain, Chaos Qi permeated, corroding and assimilating all forms of energy; the power of Reincarnation flowed, interfering with and weakening the opponents' Divine Soul and attacks.

The arrow burning with black flames shot into the Domain, its speed greatly reduced, and the flames quickly dimmed before being dispersed by a casual wave of Lin Wan's Chaos Immortal Energy.

The tall, thin man's short blades stabbed into Lin Wan's back but were blocked by a faint purple light shield—this was the automatic protection of the "Purple Ribbon Immortal Garment."

The poison on the short blades invaded the purple light shield, making a hissing sound, but it could not break through the defense.

As for the cold, beautiful woman's long whip, the moment it entered the Domain, it seemed to sink into a quagmire, its speed greatly reduced, and Lin Wan easily dodged it.

"What?!"

The expressions of all three changed simultaneously.

They had not expected Lin Wan's Domain to be so bizarre, as their attacks had been easily neutralized.

Especially the hooked-nose youth; his Bone-Eroding Yin Fire Arrow was extremely powerful and specialized in breaking through protective immortal essence, yet it had been easily annihilated by that gray mist?

"My turn."

Lin Wan's eyes turned cold, and his figure suddenly vanished from where he stood.

"Not good!"

Alarm bells rang in the tall, thin man's heart.

Without thinking, he retreated rapidly, simultaneously dancing his pair of short blades into an impenetrable defense.

However, Lin Wan's speed was even faster than his!

"Samsara Tribulation Finger!"

A gray finger force, as if spanning space itself, instantly tapped the center of the tall, thin man's brow.

"Puff!"

The tall, thin man's body stiffened, and the vitality in his eyes rapidly dissipated.

A tiny blood hole appeared in the center of his brow; his Divine Soul had already been extinguished, and his corpse collapsed limply.

One strike, instantly killing an Earth Immortal Late Stage Cultivator!

"Senior Brother!"

The hooked-nose youth and the cold, beautiful woman were horrified.

They could never have imagined that, despite both being Earth Immortal Late Stage Cultivators, the tall, thin man could not even take one move from Lin Wan!

"Run!"

Their guts shattered with fear, and with no will to fight left, they turned and fled, speeding away in two different directions.

"Can you get away?"

Lin Wan's eyes were cold.

He locked onto the hooked-nose youth, took one step, and his figure, like a ghost, instantly appeared behind him.

"No! You cannot kill me! I am from the Xuan Yin Sect..."

The hooked-nose youth screamed in terror, firing an arrow as he turned back, while simultaneously crushing a life-saving jade Talisman.

A layer of black light shield enveloped him.

"Samsara Tribulation Finger!"

The gray finger force reappeared, ignoring the black light shield, and tapped his back.

The black light shield shattered like paper, and the finger force pierced through his body.

The hooked-nose youth's body trembled, the light in his eyes rapidly dimmed, and his corpse fell from the air.

Lin Wan did not even spare a glance, moving again to chase after the cold, beautiful woman who had escaped dozens of zhang away.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

Seeing that she could not escape, a flash of madness appeared in the cold, beautiful woman's eyes.

She bit the tip of her tongue and sprayed a mouthful of essence blood onto the long whip.

The whip instantly surged, transforming into a ferocious black giant python, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as it bit toward Lin Wan.

Its aura skyrocketed, reaching the Earth Immortal Late Stage Peak!

"Dying struggle."

Lin Wan's expression remained unchanged.

He shaped his fingers like a sword and slashed through the air toward the black giant python.

"Ssh-la!"

An invisible Sword Intent, containing the dao rhyme of "existence," swept past.

It was as if the black giant python had its existence "defined" by some power, and then "negated."

Its massive body suddenly stiffened in mid-air, and then, like an image erased by an eraser, it disintegrated and dissipated inch by inch!

"Sword of existence, Severing the Void and Turning it into Reality!"

This was an attempt by Lin Wan to apply the dao rhyme of "existence," using his own will to briefly define and negate the "existence" of the opponent's attack.

Although it was not yet mature, it was extremely effective against such forcibly activated secret techniques.

"Puff!"

The secret technique was broken, and the cold, beautiful woman suffered a backlash, spewing blood wildly, her aura wilting.

Lin Wan did not give her any more chances; he flicked a finger, ending her life.

From the moment the three ambushed him to them all being executed, it had taken only a few breaths of time.

The three Earth Immortal Late Stage elites of the Xuan Yin Sect were like mere straw dogs under Lin Wan's hand, unable to withstand a single blow.

Lin Wan waved his hand to collect the three people's Storage Rings and Magic Treasure, then flicked his fingers to release several streams of Chaos Immortal Energy, turning their corpses into ashes and destroying the evidence.

He swept his Divine Sense over the surroundings again, and only after confirming that there were no other ambushes did he relax slightly.

"The Xuan Yin Sect is really impatient, sending heads to me as soon as I enter."

Lin Wan sneered.

He checked the three Storage Rings and harvested some immortal crystals, Medicinal Pill, Materials, as well as the blood-colored longbow and black long whip; they were all Low Grade Immortal Artifacts, and their quality was passable.

As for the pair of short blades, they had been corroded by the Chaos Qi during the battle, their spiritual nature was greatly damaged, and they were of little value.

"It seems that this Five Elements Small World is even more dangerous than I imagined.

Not only must I guard against the dangers of the Secret Realm itself, but I must also be wary of these snakes hiding in the dark."

Lin Wan's vigilance deepened.

He had only just arrived and had already encountered an ambush; he did not know how many more people were waiting for him ahead.

"I must leave here as soon as possible; the fight just now may have already attracted the attention of others."

Lin Wan did not linger.

He chose a direction, his figure transforming into a streak of light, and sped off in the direction of the Wood Element region.

Not long after Lin Wan left, several figures flew in from the distance and landed at the scene of the battle.

"Such strong combat fluctuations, the lingering aura... is the Xuan Yin Sect's Bone-Eroding Yin Fire, and there is also a... very strange, deathly silent aura."

A Tian Sha Sect Disciple frowned and said.

"It seems the people from the Xuan Yin Sect made a move, but it appears they didn't get any advantage.

The lingering smell of blood and the aura of Soul annihilation here indicate that at least three people have fallen."

Another Black Flame Valley Disciple said in a deep voice.

"Is it that Lin Wan? Can he deal with three Earth Immortal Late Stage Xuan Yin Sect Disciples so quickly?"

Someone asked, doubting.

"Do not underestimate him.

Someone who could counter-kill three Earth Immortal Late Stage Elders in the Secret Realm is no simple character?

Our people, scatter and search.

Once you discover his tracks, send a signal immediately; do not act alone."

The leader, a Tian Sha Sect Disciple with a profound aura and Earth Immortal Peak cultivation, said coldly.

"Understood!"

The group quickly scattered, disappearing into the crimson land.

The hunting and counter-hunting in the Five Elements Small World had only just begun.