35: Chapter 35: The Five Elements and Mutual Generation

Li Qing looked at his remaining Spirit Stones: 1,100.

Upgrading the farmland, Spirit Well, beast enclosure, and fish pond to level 3 would require 2,000 Spirit Stones.

Not having enough Spirit Stones, Li Qing decided to upgrade the farmland and beast enclosure first.

The farmland provided the most stable income, and he hoped the Red-tailed Fox in the beast enclosure would reach adulthood as soon as possible.

[farmland Lv3]

[Effect: Spiritual plant growth speed is eight times that of the outside world.]

[farmland Lv4 Upgrade Requirements: Foundation Establishment Early Stage, 50 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, 5 black spirit soil.]

"Eight times!"

Li Qing's eyes lit up. Eight times speed meant he could harvest a crop every twenty days. Awesome!

[beast enclosure Lv3]

[Effect: Growth speed increased by 40%, 20% chance to advance, 4% chance to actively submit.]

[beast enclosure Lv4 Upgrade Requirements: Foundation Establishment Early Stage, 50 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, 5 Spirit Milk Grass.]

Li Qing nodded in satisfaction.

The Red-tailed Fox seemed to sense the change, spinning around happily in the beast enclosure and letting out a soft cry at Li Qing, as if in gratitude.

The spirit rice in the farmland would be ready in a few days, so Li Qing decided to wait two days before upgrading the remaining buildings.

He would use this time to study the Five Elements Art.

...

"This taste… it's not right…"

Li Qing's heart skipped a beat.

He was Cultivating the Thick Earth Art, but the path of Earth Spiritual Qi circulating in the Five Elements Art was… practically carved from the same mold as the Thick Earth Art he had been Cultivating for over a decade!

No, it wasn't just "like" it.

The Thick Earth Art he had been painstakingly Cultivating was simply an "Earth-type branch" stripped directly from the Five Elements Art!

It was like a big tree; he had only taken one branch to plant, thinking it was the whole tree.

"Damn, does this mean I got a huge bargain?"

Li Qing opened his eyes, a glimmer of light flashing in them, before he fell into deep thought.

He remembered the five major Sects in the Yunling Mountain Range: Houtu Sect, Luoshui Sect, Blazing Flame Sect, Green Wood Sect, and Golden Light Sect.

The Thick Earth Art was the Cultivation Technique of the Houtu Sect. Could the Cultivation Techniques of these five major Sects all be tributaries branched off from this Five Elements Art?

Houtu Sect corresponds to Earth-type, Luoshui Sect to Water-type, Blazing Flame Sect to Fire-type, Green Wood Sect to Wood-type, Golden Light Sect to Metal-type… Isn't this just a textbook case of the Five Elements separating?

"If that's the case, didn't I, a Loose Cultivator, make a killing?"

This was a huge stroke of luck!

Since the Cultivation Technique was connected, the path ahead would be easy.

The Five Elements generate and restrict each other, in an endless cycle. Li Qing now had an Earth Spiritual Root as his foundation; he could use the principle of Earth generating Metal to use the existing Earth Spiritual Qi in his body to activate the long-dormant Metal Spiritual Root!

No need to disperse his Cultivation! No need to start over!

He could complete the Five Elements cycle directly on his existing foundation!

"Thanks, Dad! Choosing the Thick Earth Art for me back then, it seems you really had foresight!"

...

[training room Lv3]

[Effect: Cultivation Technique and spell Cultivation speed increased by 40%, 3% chance of Epiphany.]

[training room Lv4 Upgrade Requirements: Foundation Establishment Early Stage, 50 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, 5 Clarity Grass.]

After selling this batch of spirit rice, Li Qing built the training room and upgraded it to level 3.

Li Qing was tight on Spirit Stones now and had to spend every one carefully. Upgrading a building that improved Cultivation speed was definitely worth it for his Cultivation of the Five Elements Art.

Stepping into the new training room, he felt the concentration of Spiritual Qi was clearly a level higher than in the outside stone cave; there were even tiny, barely visible golden specks of light floating in the air.

Li Qing sat in the center, and instantly felt his pores relax; even his breathing became long and steady.

"Start!"

Li Qing closed his eyes, his mind sinking completely into his body.

Following the method of the Five Elements Art, he first mobilized all the Earth-type Spiritual Qi in his body.

That heavy, earth-like Spiritual Qi flowed slowly through his Meridians. With every circulation, he felt his Physical Body become a bit sturdier, a bit heavier.

The Earth Qi was dense, steady as a mountain.

Next was the critical step: Earth generates Metal!

Li Qing, following the oral formula, guided the Earth-type Spiritual Qi, slowly surging toward the long-dormant Metal Spiritual Root area deep in his Dantian.

Previously, his Metal Spiritual Root was like a decoration, almost in a dormant state.

But it was different now!

He had the complete guidance of the Five Elements Art, with Earth-type Spiritual Qi acting as the spark.

"Move for me!"

Li Qing whispered in his heart, controlling the Earth-type Spiritual Qi like a diligent farmer, carefully tilling the barren land of the Metal Spiritual Root.

A faint sensation came through.

"There's a reaction!"

Li Qing's spirit lifted, and he dared not be the slightest bit negligent. He controlled the Earth-type Spiritual Qi, following the laws of the Five Elements, bit by bit to "nourish" this Metal Spiritual Root.

Earth attributes can generate Metal, just like Ore hidden in the earth.

The Spiritual Qi constantly squeezed, permeated, and tempered, transforming from the heavy Earth essence into the sharp Metal essence.

The process was quite agonizing.

His Meridians were like water pipes, and as the Spiritual Qi circulated at high speed inside, every transformation from Earth-type to Metal-type felt like being crushed by a millstone—soreness, numbness, swelling, pain, all kinds of sensations hit him at once.

But Li Qing gritted his teeth and endured.

He knew this was the key step for him to escape the fate of a bottom-tier Loose Cultivator.

Time passed minute by minute.

The golden light in the training room grew brighter and brighter. Li Qing's skin was gradually covered with a faint metallic luster; his skin was tight, yet filled with explosive power.

Inside him, the originally lifeless Metal Spiritual Root was finally completely activated!

Hum—!

A barely audible hum sounded in his Dantian.

That Metal Spiritual Root lit up instantly, emitting a cold, sharp, and domineering aura.

The originally dormant Spiritual Qi, like a sleeping Dragon being awakened, suddenly surged to life, roaring through his Meridians.

The Earth-type Spiritual Qi opened the way, and the Metal-type Spiritual Qi followed closely behind.

Once the two combined, Li Qing felt his five senses instantly become countless times sharper.

Success!

Li Qing opened his eyes abruptly, two golden lights flashing and disappearing.

He clenched his fists.

Now Li Qing had level 7 Earth Spiritual Qi and level 1 Metal Spiritual Qi.

Li Qing grinned, a confident and slightly smug arc forming on his lips.

Earth generates Metal successfully; now he needed to grind the Metal Spiritual Qi to level 7, then use Metal to generate Water, and wake up the Water Spiritual Root too!

Li Qing roughly sensed that once the Metal Spiritual Qi reached level 7, with both Earth and Metal at level 7, his strength would definitely skyrocket!

Especially once the rest of his Spiritual Roots were all activated and his Spiritual Qi all cultivated to level 7, completing the Five Elements cycle.

With a Cultivation of Qi Refining Stage 7, the density of his Spiritual Qi could rival the Peak, and he could even trade blows with experts at the Peak.

Suddenly, Li Qing felt a great path to the heavens open its doors to him.

Silently closing his eyes, Li Qing sat cross-legged in the training room and began the Cultivation of Metal Spiritual Qi.