Chapter 18: The Integration of the Five Elements Bridge

Inside the cultivation room, the light and shadows of the Spirit Gathering Array flickered as Jiang Yuebai sat cross-legged.

In her Dantian, five-colored cyclones were slowly circulating, balanced in size and speed, adjusted to their optimal state.

Next is the most crucial step: to integrate the Five Elements Bridge.

The "Five Elements Return to True Technique" does not explicitly mention this step. In each Qi circulation and cultivation, one must transform the Five Elements, which can be somewhat time-consuming and laborious.

In the past half month, Jiang Yuebai has gained a deeper understanding of the Five Elements Cycle from Li Jiuchuan's teachings and has sought his advice several times. Following Li Jiuchuan's suggestion, she has formulated this efficient method.

According to Li Jiuchuan, only Yuanying cultivators can transform the Five Elements out of thin air. Foundation Establishment cultivators need to rely on their Five Elements spiritual roots to integrate the Five Elements Bridge and let the Five Elements spiritual energy form a natural cycle in their Dantian.

If successful, she will no longer need to transform the Five Elements during cultivation. This means erasing the most difficult step in the "Five Elements Return to True Technique," saving five times the time and increasing efficiency fivefold.

Li Jiuchuan's comprehension is extremely high. When he was in Foundation Establishment, he grasped the Five Elements Cycle method from the natural world's operation, and successfully integrated the Five Elements Bridge, which allowed him to reach the Golden Core stage with Five Elements spiritual roots.

Guided by his teachings, Jiang Yuebai spent three days in the cultivation room and gained insights into the natural Five Elements.

The cooling aura poured into her mind from the Mingxin Hairpin, and Jiang Yuebai calmed her mind and concentrated, reciting silently.

Wood produces fire, burning wood produces ash, and ash is also earth. Gathering earth forms mountains, and mountains must yield rocks, hence earth produces metal.

Melting metal also becomes water, and mountain rocks are nourished by water, hence metal produces water. Water's nourishment gives rise to grass and wood, thus water produces wood.

The way of the Five Elements exists in nature, with the heavens and earth rotating without the need for intervention.

In an instant, with clear comprehension and clear thoughts, the Dao naturally formed!

Hum!

Jiang Yuebai's Sea of Consciousness hummed, and the profound Dao pressed from the outside to the inside, squeezing towards her Dantian.

She 'saw' the Five Elements cyclone suddenly accelerate, and the wood element's spiritual energy condensed into fine threads and rushed into the fire element.

The fire element surged, burning fiercely and heating her heart. The fiery energy burst out and flowed into the earth element.

The earth element was thick and then entered the metal element. The metal element was sharp and entered the water element.

Metal gave birth to water energy, and the Five Elements were integrated, forming the Cycle Bridge!

Boom!

The radiance of the Five Elements cyclone surged, connecting with each other like bridges, arranged in a pentagon in Jiang Yuebai's Dantian, rotating at the same speed.

The Five Cycles shone like stars, reflecting each other.

With a thought, the spiritual energy no longer needed transformation and flowed out from her Dantian, entering her organs, meridians, skin, and bones.

A strong wind swept, the pressure of the Spirit Gathering Array doubled, and it rotated at full speed.

Jiang Yuebai's Dantian resembled a black hole, frantically absorbing the Five Elements spiritual energy inside the cultivation room.

Intense pain struck; Jiang Yuebai's eyebrows tightened, gritting her teeth. Following the Qi circulation route in the "Five Elements Return to True Technique," she guided the Five Elements spiritual energy to travel throughout her body.

The spiritual energy refined her meridians and tempered her flesh, bones, and skin. The meridians were tightly stretched and forcibly widened, while her body's bones crackled, rapidly growing.

【The predecessors planted the tree, and the later generations enjoy the shade. You have initially comprehended the operation of the Five Elements in the world and integrated the Five Elements Bridge. The great Dao is favoring you, and your spiritual energy has surged.】

【Congratulations, your cultivation has directly advanced to the Second Layer of Qi Refinement.】

【You begin to cultivate, and the Five Elements spiritual energy naturally revolves, widening your meridians and clearing out residual impurities. Proficiency in the Five Elements Return to True Technique +10.】

【You begin to cultivate, and your meridians become unobstructed, allowing Qi to flow freely. Proficiency in the Five Elements Return to True Technique +20.】

【You begin to cultivate, it's like you are using cheats. Proficiency in the Five Elements Return to True Technique +30.】

【... Proficiency in the Five Elements Return to True Technique +40.】

【... Proficiency in the Five Elements Return to True Technique +50.】

Jiang Yuebai's cultivation continuously ascended, showing signs of a substantial accumulation leading to a breakthrough. This feeling made her feel comfortable all over, immersed in it, unable to extricate herself.

After two hours like this:

【Congratulations, your cultivation realm has advanced to the Third Layer of Qi Refinement.】

At this moment, the feeling of restlessness and itchiness she used to experience during meditation suddenly struck her fiercely.

An indescribable obstruction made the previously smooth and flowing Qi circulation dissipate.

"Yue'er...?" (TL Note: er is a commonly used diminutive suffix. It is often added to the end of words to express familiarity, affection, or informality )

"Sister...?"

"You little brat!"

"What's in the jade slip in your hand?"

Flashes of her parents, younger brother, Lin Suiwan, and Lu Nanzhi's faces filled Jiang Yuebai's mind, causing her mental focus to falter. The Qi circulation was abruptly interrupted, and she felt a heavy blow to her chest, causing her to cough up blood.

【Your greed has led to insufficient essence and self-harm from desire. Young lady, do you want to ascend in one day?】

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

Jiang Yuebai coughed violently, her breath in chaos, and it was difficult to calm down.

"My grandfather said, 'Excess is just as bad as insufficiency.' It was my greed."

Wiping the bloodstains from the corners of her mouth, Jiang Yuebai calmed her emotions and found herself covered in mud and a foul smell. Her sleeves and pants were also three inches shorter.

She stretched her muscles and bones, making crackling sounds all over her body.

With a thought, she used the Cleansing Dust Art, and her whole body became refreshed, with her clothes perfectly fitting.

Jiang Yuebai clearly felt the changes in her body, her meridians had expanded several times, her body was agile, and her energy was abundant. The exact level of improvement would be evident when she went to find the lantern monster to test it out.

She took out the woodcutting blade, her fingers dancing, and the Edge Sharpness Formula activated!

In just three breaths, golden brilliance formed at the tip like a cone.

Go!

Pressing her index and middle fingers, the edge of the blade embedded into the woodcutting blade, and runes lit up on it.

"It's faster by a breath compared to before, and the power of the Edge Sharpness Formula has tripled. Let's see how many times I can perform it in one go now."

Jiang Yuebai stirred her ten fingers, and golden light edges danced on her fingertips, becoming faster and stronger, injecting into the woodcutting blade.

Until the fifteenth time, Jiang Yuebai stopped.

In her dantian, the metal spiritual energy's radiance dimmed, squeezed dry, only using the metal spiritual energy, she cast it five more times than before.

At this moment, the other four rotations accelerated, converting spiritual energy to replenish the consumption of the metal spiritual energy’s rotation, gradually returning to balance.

If she pushed herself to the limit, she could still perform the technique fifteen times for four more times.

Jiang Yuebai's eyes blazed with excitement. Li Jiuchuan was right. The five-element roots are not weaker but stronger than single-element roots. She had truly achieved it!

Previously, the spiritual energy in the metal root could only be used for metal-related spells. Now, she had lifted the restriction, and the spiritual energy in the other four roots could also be converted into metal spiritual energy.

Truly five times the strength!

"Originally, it took a hundred days to reach the peak of the Edge Sharpness Formula's second level. If I practice non-stop every day now, won't it only take twenty days?"

Jiang Yuebai was thrilled, then quickly calmed down.

With her current cultivation, if she depleted the golden spiritual energy, it would take about a quarter of an hour to reach a new balance of the five elements. As her cultivation improved and spiritual energy increased, the required time would be longer.

To shorten this time, she still needed to continue comprehending the deeper aspects of the five elements, the deeper the understanding, the faster the conversion.

**Chaos divides Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang transform the Five Elements, Five Elements give birth to all things, all things in heaven and earth.**

Li Jiuchuan was right, the five elements are the great Dao. At this moment, she had only opened a small crack in the door of this great Dao, and she still needed to continue her efforts.

Glancing at the hourglass in the training room, there was half an hour left until the end of the third day.

"I’ll stay for half an hour, and then I’ll see how to arrange the training plan next."

【Name】 Jiang Yuebai

【Spirit Roots】 Five Elements Root

【Cultivation Realm】 Third Layer of Qi Refinement

【Cultivation Techniques】

Five Elements Return to True Technique (Third Layer: 1/1000)

【Spells】

Edge Sharpness Formula (Second Layer: 58/1000)

Grass and Wood Technique (First Layer: 5/100)

Cloud and Rain Technique (First Layer: 13/100)

Crimson Flame Technique (First Layer: 5/100)

Earthquake Technique (First Layer: 5/100)

【Martial Techniques】

Chasing Star Steps (Minor Achievement: 385/1000)

Chopping Wood Sword Technique (Minor Achievement: 410/1000)

"Grandfather does not know the Earthquake Technique and the Grass and Wood Technique, so I'll focus on the Edge Sharpness Formula, Earthquake Technique, and Grass and Wood Technique."

During her cultivation, she would focus on improving the levels of these three techniques, striving to reach the Fourth Layer as soon as possible, so she could become a Spirit Farming Master and share the burden with her grandfather.

In addition to that, she planned to learn talisman-making to earn spirit stones to support her grandfather.

However, she wasn't sure if her entire fortune of fifteen spirit stones would be enough to buy talisman brushes, talisman paper, and talisman sand. It was probably barely enough.

Originally, she only had ten spirit stones, but later she couldn't use five Qi-Refining Pills, so she sold them to Shi Xiaowu, who was also an apprentice in the Huaxi Valley, in exchange for five spirit stones.

And that darn cultivation room is really too expensive!

But, she had to admit, the spiritual energy here is really abundant. Otherwise, when she had her sudden enlightenment just now, if there wasn't enough spiritual energy, she might not have been able to advance to the third layer of Qi Refinement in one go.

This expenditure of spirit stones for wealth, getting guidance from Li Jiuchuan for a partner, obtaining the "Five Elements Return to True Technique" as a method, and acquiring the cultivation room as a place, truly showed that the four essential elements of cultivation—wealth, partner, method, and place—are indispensable!

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