182: Chapter 182 The Dao-Elucidation Platform Opens, Attracting World Attention

After the battle at the Five Elements Spirit Lake, Lin Wan shocked the crowd with his thunderous methods and departed, leaving behind a ruined lake surface and numerous deeply shaken Cultivators with complex expressions.

'Chase him! We absolutely cannot let him escape!' an Earth Immortal Peak Disciple from the Tian Sha Sect barked, his face pale with rage as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He was one of the three who had been severely injured when the edge of the five-color Chaos vortex swept over them earlier. His heart burned with towering rage—both a murderous intent toward Lin Wan and shame over his side's heavy losses.

'Chase? How?' another female Cultivator at the Earth Immortal Peak from the Hehuan Sect said. Her face was equally unsightly, but a trace of hard-to-detect fear lingered in her eyes. 'Didn't you see the power of his strike just now? Seven or eight Earth Immortal Late Stage Cultivators were instantly turned to ashes! Even the three of us working together were injured by it! If he risks his life to fight, who among us can stop him?'

'This brat has already become a major threat. I'm afraid the few of us alone won't be able to keep him here,' the last Earth Immortal Peak Cultivator from the Xuan Yin Sect, a pale youth with a cold aura, spoke slowly in a raspy voice. 'Moreover, he took the five elements origin bead and the Five-Color Spirit Lotus, so he will definitely be eager to refine them to increase his strength. Even if we catch up to him now, we might not get any advantage. What if he is driven to desperation and fights back to the death? Who among us is willing to be the cannon fodder?'

As soon as these words were spoken, the several Earth Immortal Peak Cultivators fell silent. Although they were allies, they were not a unified front; each had their own calculations. It was their duty to pursue and kill powerful enemies for their Sects, but if it came at the cost of their own lives, they had to weigh the risks. The terrifying power Lin Wan had just displayed, especially that bizarre five-color Chaos vortex, left them with lingering dread.

'Are we just going to let it go like this? Will the deaths of Yin Wuming, Blood Slaughterer, Hua Meiniang, and so many of our Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters go unavenged?' the Tian Sha Sect Disciple said, unwilling to accept it.

'Of course we will avenge them!' A cold light flashed in the pale youth's eyes. 'But there is no need to rush. The Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform is about to open, and he will definitely head to the central region. When the time comes, the Prodigies of all major forces will gather. We only need to spread the news, and someone will naturally take an interest in him. Don't forget, the five elements origin bead, the Five-Color Spirit Lotus, and his powerful fire-attribute Divine Ability—which suspectedly comes from the God Fire Sect's Legacy—are all hot potatoes. They are more than enough to tempt those Prodigies. We only need to bide our time and wait for an Opportunity.'

'You mean... killing with a borrowed knife?' The Hehuan Sect female Cultivator's eyes lit up.

'Exactly,' the pale youth nodded. 'Immediately send word of everything that happened here back to our Sects and spread the news, especially about Lin Wan obtaining the five elements origin bead, the Five-Color Spirit Lotus, and his suspected possession of the God Fire Sect's Legacy. Emphasize that this brat is only at the Earth Immortal Late Stage, yet he has the combat power to slay those at the Earth Immortal Peak and even threaten Heavenly Immortals. He must have shocking secrets and supreme treasures on him! Hmph, when the time comes, we won't even need to lift a finger; there will surely be "orioles" waiting behind him.'

'What a brilliant plan!' The Tian Sha Sect Disciple clapped his hands. 'I will send a message to my Sect's Senior Brothers right now, as well as Senior Brother Xue Sha. He will definitely be interested in this!'

'I will also send a message to my Senior Sisters in the Sect, and to Brother Tian Sha...' The Hehuan Sect female Cultivator also smiled.

The few of them quickly reached a consensus and stopped pursuing Lin Wan. Instead, they took out their transmission jade slips and sent the messages. Soon, news regarding 'Lin Wan of the Tianshu Immortal Palace, with an Earth Immortal Late Stage cultivation, suspected of possessing the God Fire Sect's Legacy and mastering a terrifying fire-attribute Divine Ability, having counter-killed the three Earth Immortal Peak experts Yin Wuming, Blood Slaughterer, and Hua Meiniang in the Thorn Forest, broken the Three Extremes Killing Array, fought the Five Elements Flood Dragon in the Five Elements Spirit Lake, seized the five elements origin bead and the Five-Color Spirit Lotus, killed seven or eight Earth Immortal Late Stage Cultivators with a single strike, and heavily injured three Earth Immortal Peak Cultivators' spread like wildfire through the Five Elements Small World, growing more and more exaggerated as it went.

'Have you heard? A Prodigy named Lin Wan has emerged from the Tianshu Immortal Palace. He can slay Earth Immortal Peak Cultivators while only at the Earth Immortal Late Stage, and he even obtained the ultimate treasure of the Five Elements Spirit Lake!'

'That's not all! It's said that he obtained the core Legacy of the ancient God Fire Sect, allowing him to control the Chaos Divine Fire, capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas!'

'The Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, and Hehuan Sect suffered major losses at his hands, and they are now offering a bounty for his head!'

'The five elements origin bead and the Five-Color Spirit Lotus! Those are supreme treasures for condensing the Five Elements Laws. It's said they can allow an Earth Immortal Cultivator to directly condense a Five Elements Law Seed, saving them a hundred years of hard work!'

'This brat has quite a few secrets. If we can capture him...'

For a time, undercurrents surged within the Five Elements Small World, and countless eyes turned toward Lin Wan. There was greed, wariness, curiosity, and murderous intent. The name Lin Wan instantly became the hottest topic in the Five Elements Small World, his fame even overshadowing several long-established Prodigies.

Meanwhile, at the eye of the storm, Lin Wan had already fled hundreds of miles away. Finding a secluded cave, he set up a Concealment Formation and began a closed-door session to refine his gains.

Inside the cave, Lin Wan sat cross-legged. Three items floated before him: a pigeon-egg-sized, multi-colored bead (the five elements origin bead); a translucent plant with five-colored leaves and a five-colored lotus blooming at its tip (the Five-Color Spirit Lotus); and a slightly dim, multi-colored inner core covered in tiny cracks (the Five-Element Flood Dragon Inner Core).

'The five elements origin bead contains the purest and most balanced Five Elements Origin, making it a supreme treasure for condensing the Five Elements Laws. The leaves of the Five-Color Spirit Lotus contain the Origin of their corresponding attributes, and its lotus flower and stem are also precious ingredients for refining top-grade Medicinal Pills. Although the Five-Element Flood Dragon Inner Core is damaged, it still contains a massive amount of Five Elements essence, which will be of great use in stabilizing my Five Elements Law Seeds.' Excitement gleamed in Lin Wan's eyes. His gains this time were truly immense, enough to elevate his strength to the next level!

'First, I'll refine the five elements origin bead!' Lin Wan reached out and held the five elements origin bead in his palm. The bead felt warm to the touch, emitting a soft yet majestic five-colored radiance. The Five Elements Origin within it flowed slowly, mutually generating and overcoming one another, forming a perfect cycle.

Lin Wan circulated the *Chaos Dao Scripture* and injected a wisp of Chaos Immortal Energy into the five elements origin bead. Instantly, the bead shone brilliantly, and the extremely pure power of the Five Elements Origin surged into Lin Wan's body like a bursting dam!

'What a pure and massive Five Elements Origin!' Lin Wan's spirits rose. He quickly composed himself and guided this immense power of the Five Elements Origin along a specific path, running it through his Meridians before finally merging it into the immortal essence sea within his Dantian.

Within his Dantian, the Chaos immortal essence sea violently churned as if sensing the arrival of 'food.' The five newly condensed embryonic Law Seeds were like hungry nestlings, frantically absorbing the incoming Five Elements Origin.

The Origin forces of the five attributes—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—surged into their respective embryonic Law Seeds.

The golden power of sharpness, solidity, and change nourished the Metal Law Seed, causing it to rapidly solidify and grow from a tiny speck of light, emitting a piercing white radiance.

The azure power of growth, nourishment, and extension surged into the Wood Law Seed, making this already highly solidified seed even more vibrant green and full of life, with a tiny sprout faintly preparing to burst forth.

The blue power of gentleness, moisture, and fluidity nourished the Water Law Seed, causing it to solidify from an illusory state, resembling a deep blue droplet of water rippling with soft luster.

The crimson power of heat, ascension, and light surged into the Fire Law Seed. This seed was already solid, and now, nourished by the power, its light grew even more blazing, burning fiercely like a miniature sun within his Dantian.

The yellow power of heaviness, bearing, and nurturing nourished the Earth Law Seed, causing it to change from fleeting to steady, becoming as heavy and solid as the earth itself.

With the continuous influx of the Five Elements Origin power, the five Law Seeds grew and solidified at a visible rate. The connection between them also became clearer, faintly forming a marvelous bond where the Five Elements generated and cycled through one another. Wood generated Fire, Fire generated Earth, Earth generated Metal, Metal generated Water, Water generated Wood... A miniature Five Elements cycle was preliminary formed within his Dantian.

Meanwhile, Lin Wan's comprehension of the Five Elements Laws surged like an opened floodgate. He seemed to see the sharpness of the Gengmetal Qi, the vitality of the Yimu Qi, the vastness of the Renshui Qi, the blazing heat of the Bingfire Qi, and the heaviness of the Wutu Qi... All kinds of sudden realizations flooded his mind, giving him a deeper understanding of the composition of the world and the Foundation of the Dao.

The Five Elements are the Foundation of all things. Mastering the Five Elements meant mastering the fundamental Laws of constructing and evolving all creation. This would bring immeasurable benefits to Lin Wan's future comprehension of Yin and Yang and Chaos.

Days passed. Lin Wan was completely immersed in the profound state of refining the five elements origin bead and comprehending the Five Elements Dao, entirely forgetting the passage of time.

The five elements origin bead was indeed a rare treasure of heaven and earth. The Five Elements Origin it contained was pure and massive, seemingly endless. Under the nourishment of the Five Elements Origin, Lin Wan's cultivation rose steadily, advancing toward the Earth Immortal Late Stage Peak. His Physical Body, tempered by the power of the Five Elements, also became more resilient and translucent, with a faint treasure light circulating through it.

Half a month later, the light of the five elements origin bead finally dimmed. With a soft 'pop,' it turned into a scattering of five-colored light rain, dispersing into the air. The Five Elements Origin contained within had been completely absorbed by Lin Wan.

Lin Wan slowly opened his eyes. A five-colored brilliance flashed through them before turning inward, restoring their deep look. The aura about him was more condensed and heavy than before, faintly carrying a rhythm that resonated with the Five Elements of heaven and earth.

'The Five Elements Law Seeds have finally completely condensed and taken shape!' Lin Wan looked inside his Dantian, his heart filled with joy. Within the Dantian's immortal essence sea, five brilliantly shining Law Seeds of different colors rotated slowly like five stars around the even more mysterious and profound phantom of the Chaos Dao Seed at the center. The five Law Seeds were connected by a faint five-colored light, forming a miniature, endless Five Elements cycle. As for his Chaos Immortal Energy, after absorbing the massive Five Elements Origin, it had also become more robust and pure, its color appearing deeper and its capacity for containment stronger.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Now, my Chaos Immortal Energy can easily transform into any of the Five Elements attributes, allowing me to unleash corresponding Divine Abilities with doubled power. Moreover, with the Five Elements generating each other, my recovery ability and endurance in battle will also be greatly enhanced."

Lin Wan felt the surging power within his body, his confidence greatly boosted.

With his current strength, if he were to encounter Yin Wuming and the other two again, he wouldn't even need to use the "Chaos Fireball" or "Five Elements Chaos Vortex".

Just by relying on the initially formed Five Elements Law combined with his Chaos Immortal Energy, he could easily crush them.

"Next, I will refine the Five-Colored Spirit Lotus and the Five-Element Flood Dragon Inner Core to stabilize my Realm and push towards the Peak of the Earth Immortal Late Stage!"

Lin Wan did not stop. He took out the Five-Colored Spirit Lotus, plucked five lotus petals each containing the Origin of a corresponding attribute, and consumed them one by one.

The lotus petals melted upon entering his mouth, transforming into five streams of pure Origin power that merged into the corresponding Five Elements Law Seeds, making them more solid and robust.

Afterward, he carefully put away the flower and rhizome of the Five-Colored Spirit Lotus.

These two were main ingredients for refining top-tier Medicinal Pills, possessing great value, and he would keep them for future use.

Finally, there was the Five-Element Flood Dragon Inner Core.

Although the inner core was damaged, it still contained vast Five Elements Essence.

Lin Wan opened his mouth and drew the inner core into his abdomen, wrapping and refining it with his Chaos Immortal Energy.

The power of the Five-Element Flood Dragon Inner Core was much more violent than the Five Elements Source Pearl, but under the refinement of the Chaos Immortal Energy, it quickly became docile, transforming into pure Five Elements Essence that nourished his internal organs and entire body, while simultaneously replenishing the Five Elements Law Seeds.

Another ten days passed.

When Lin Wan completely refined the Five-Element Flood Dragon Inner Core, his cultivation finally broke through the Bottleneck and stepped into the Peak of the Earth Immortal Late Stage!

He was only one step away from Earth Immortal Perfection.

The Five Elements Law Seeds in his Dantian also became more brilliant and solid, with their connections becoming tighter, allowing the Five Elements cycle to operate freely.

"Peak of the Earth Immortal Late Stage, the Five Elements Law Seeds have taken form, and my Chaos Immortal Energy is even purer and more profound... Now, if I unleash my full power, I wonder if I can fight against an Early Stage Heavenly Immortal?"

Lin Wan clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body, a trace of Battle Intent flashing in his eyes.

However, he also understood that there was a qualitative gap between Earth Immortals and Heavenly Immortals.

Heavenly Immortals had already begun to control Laws and could mobilize the power of heaven and earth, far surpassing what Earth Immortals could compare to.

He could fight against a Peak Earth Immortal, but when facing a true Heavenly Immortal, the outcome was still uncertain.

"However, in this Five Elements Small World, there are Restrictions that prevent Cultivators above the Heavenly Immortal Realm from entering."

"Those who have entered this place are at most at the Earth Immortal Perfection Realm, or half-step Heavenly Immortals who have suppressed their cultivation."

"With my current strength, as long as I don't get surrounded, self-preservation should be no problem."

Lin Wan calculated in his heart, "The most urgent task is to head to the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform."

"It is the core of the Five Elements Small World and also the place with the most Opportunities."

"Moreover, when the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform opens, the Great Dao manifests, which will be of immense benefit for my comprehension of the Five Elements, and even the Yin and Yang and Chaos Daos."

He dismantled the Formation and walked out of the cave.

Outside, the sun was bright, and the Spiritual Qi was dense amidst the mountains and forests.

Lin Wan identified the direction and, heading towards the central area of the Five Elements Small World where the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform was located, transformed into a five-colored streak of light and soared into the sky.

This time, he did not deliberately hide his aura.

His cultivation at the Peak of the Earth Immortal Late Stage, combined with the unique dao rhyme that faintly resonated with the heaven and earth's Five Elements, made him appear even more unfathomable.

The journey was uneventful.

Perhaps the news of the battle at the Five Elements Spirit Lake had already spread, or perhaps the aura emanating from Lin Wan made people wary, but the road was surprisingly calm, and he did not encounter any obstruction or attack.

Occasionally, when he met other Cultivators, they would avoid him from afar, not daring to approach.

Three days later, Lin Wan arrived at the central area of the Five Elements Small World.

Before him lay an incomparably vast plain.

In the center of the plain stood a massive stone platform, a thousand zhang tall, crystalline throughout, and flowing with five-colored radiance.

The platform was divided into five levels, each corresponding to one of the Five Elements colors, from bottom to top: earthy yellow, azure blue, crimson red, golden yellow, and cyan green.

The five-colored radiance flowed slowly across the stone platform, emitting a vast, ancient, and desolate aura of the Great Dao, as if it bore the supreme truths of the beginning of heaven and earth and the evolution of the Five Elements.

This was the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform, the core of the Five Elements Small World and the place with the greatest Opportunity.

At this moment, thousands of Cultivators from various Sects, noble families, and Loose Cultivators had already gathered around the Dao Derivation Platform.

It was bustling with noise, and the auras were mixed.

Earth Immortal Cultivators could be seen everywhere, and there were even many old men with deep, abyss-like auras, clearly half-step Heavenly Immortals who had suppressed their cultivation, or old monsters whose Lifespan was nearing its end and had come in to seek Opportunities for a Breakthrough.

The Dao Derivation Platform was shrouded in a five-colored light screen and had not yet fully opened, but the light screen had become very thin, and one could vaguely see the scene on the platform.

On the light screen, mysterious runes flashed from time to time; these were the manifestations of the Great Dao Laws, and merely watching them allowed one to gain insights.

"Look, that is the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform!"

"It is said that there are dao traces left behind by ancient powerful beings on it; cultivating here yields twice the result with half the effort!"

"More than that! The Dao Derivation Platform opens once every thousand years."

"Every time it opens, the sound of the Great Dao will resonate."

"If one can listen to it, one can comprehend one's own Dao!"

"I heard that on the top level of the Dao Derivation Platform, Five Elements Origin Qi gathers."

"If one can ascend to the top level and absorb the Origin Qi, one can reshape one's Foundation and even condense a perfect Five Elements Law!"

"Stop dreaming, is the top level so easily ascended?"

"In previous openings, those who could reach the third level were few and far between, not to mention the fifth level."

"It is said that to ascend to the fifth level, one not only needs supreme talent and strength, but also a very deep comprehension of the Five Elements Dao."

"I wonder who will take the lead this time?"

"Will it be the 'Fire God Child' from the God Fire Sect, the 'Ice Fairy' from the Tianshu Immortal Palace, or perhaps the 'Sword Fanatic' from the Heavenly Sword Pavilion?"

The crowd discussed spiritedly, their gazes occasionally sweeping over several figures in the crowd with exceptionally powerful auras.

Lin Wan restrained his aura and mixed into the crowd, observing calmly.

He saw many familiar figures, including fellow Disciples from the Tianshu Immortal Palace, but most had ordinary auras, with the strongest being only at the Earth Immortal Late Stage.

He did not see acquaintances like Emissary Shen Lian, Su Yuechan, or Qin Wuyi.

Presumably, they had gone to other areas or had not yet arrived.

He also saw people from the Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, and Hehuan Sect gathered together.

There were quite a few of them, twenty or thirty in total, among whom there were five or six at the Earth Immortal Peak, and two old men with unfathomable auras, suspected to be half-step Heavenly Immortals.

These people had gloomy expressions and their gazes swept across the crowd from time to time, clearly searching for something.

When their gazes swept past the direction where Lin Wan was, Lin Wan keenly felt a trace of chill, but his aura was restrained, and coupled with the fact that his appearance had been slightly adjusted using the "Shape-shifting Technique," he was not recognized.

Besides these three Sects, Lin Wan also noticed a few other special groups of people.

One group of people wore crimson robes and had scorching auras.

The leader was a red-haired youth with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, looking arrogant, with faint fire phantoms surrounding him.

This was the "Fire God Child" mentioned by everyone, the leader of the younger generation of the God Fire Sect, with Earth Immortal Perfection cultivation.

It was said that he possessed a special Fire Spirit Body and had astonishing combat power.

Another group, all dressed in white with cold temperaments, was led by a woman with a light veil covering her face, her temperament as ethereal as an immortal, with cold aura swirling around her.

This was the "Ice Fairy" of the Tianshu Immortal Palace, Su Yuechan, also at the Earth Immortal Perfection Realm, with ice-type Divine Abilities that were masterful.

There was another group, everyone carrying long swords on their backs with sharp auras.

The leader was a grey-clothed youth holding a long sword, eyes closed in meditation.

This was the "Sword Fanatic" of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, Ye Guchen, at Earth Immortal Perfection, with unfathomable sword cultivation.

Besides these, there were several other groups with equally powerful auras, clearly all from other top forces or hidden expert Loose Cultivators.

"Indeed, experts are gathered here."

Lin Wan thought to himself, but he felt no fear.

With his current strength, even against these top Prodigies, he had the power to fight.

Moreover, his true goal was to ascend to the higher levels of the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform, absorb the Five Elements Origin Qi, comprehend the Great Dao, and seek an Opportunity to Breakthrough to the Heavenly Immortal Realm, rather than engaging in pointless fighting.

"Look! The light screen of the Dao Derivation Platform is fading!"

"It's about to open! The Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform is about to open!"

Just then, there was a commotion in the crowd.

The five-colored light screen shrouding the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform began to fluctuate violently, and its color faded rapidly.

One could vaguely see the outline of the five-colored stone platform behind the light screen, as well as the dao traces on the platform that were incomparably mysterious and seemed to contain the supreme truths of heaven and earth!

"Dong——!"

A deep bell toll, as if coming from the ancient primeval era, rang out from the top of the Dao Derivation Platform and instantly spread throughout the entire central area.

The bell sound was melodious, carrying a mysterious power that cleansed the soul and led one to enlightenment.

Upon hearing the bell, everyone involuntarily felt their hearts calm down, and all distracting thoughts vanished.

"The Sound of the Great Dao! It is the Sound of the Great Dao!"

"The Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform has officially opened!"

As the bell rang, the five-colored light screen shrouding the Dao Derivation Platform, like a soap bubble, went "pop" and completely dissipated!

"Charge! Ascend the Dao Derivation Platform and seize the spots for enlightenment!"

"The Five Elements Origin Qi is mine!"

"Get lost! Those who block me shall die!"

The moment the light screen dissipated, the thousands of Cultivators who had long been unable to restrain themselves, like floodwaters released from a dam, rushed crazily towards the Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform!

Shouts of killing, roars, and the sounds of Magic Treasures colliding instantly resounded through the sky!

The Five Elements Dao Derivation Platform, Opportunity and slaughter, opened simultaneously!

Lin Wan's eyes narrowed, and he hesitated no longer.

His figure transformed into a faint five-colored streak of light, mixing into the crowd, and he shot towards the Dao Derivation Platform!

His target was the highest level of the Dao Derivation Platform—the fifth level!

Only there could the purest Five Elements Origin Qi be found, and only there was the most complete manifestation of the Great Dao!

However, the moment he was about to step onto the first level (Earth Element layer) of the Dao Derivation Platform, a cold and sinister voice, like a venomous snake, rang out behind him:

"Lin Wan! Did you think that by changing your appearance, we wouldn't recognize you?"

"You killed our Xuan Yin Sect Disciples and stole our Five Elements Source Pearl; today will be the day you die!"

Before the voice had even faded, three incomparably sharp attacks, carrying chilling murderous intent, struck fiercely from three different directions towards Lin Wan's back, head, and Dantian!

The attackers were none other than the two old men from the Xuan Yin Sect with unfathomable auras, as well as a sinister-looking youth at the Earth Immortal Peak!

They had actually been watching Lin Wan the whole time and launched a sneak attack during the chaotic moment when the Dao Derivation Platform opened!

Clearly, the people from the Xuan Yin Sect, Tian Sha Sect, and Hehuan Sect had long since locked onto Lin Wan through some secret method and were just waiting for this moment!