Dao Cheng Gui Xian

Chapter 284 Fierce Competition, Five Elements United (5,000 chapters)
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
During this period, the landscape inside and outside Wangxian City was also quietly changing.

Although the five giants of Huazhou have all gone into seclusion since the last time the Heavenly God was summoned, everything is running smoothly under the supervision of several elders.

Although the Moth Queen's calamity killed many people, the pain was mainly concentrated in the major aristocratic families.

This is not to say that civilians were not harmed, but because of the characteristics of the moth-like flying insects, once they affect civilians, basically every household will be wiped out.

What pain is left when everyone is dead?
Only the powerful families, being so large, suffered some deaths and injuries, leaving behind only a few relatives and kinship members who survived, still bearing the lingering pain.

The Gongsun family, for example, suffered terribly.

Therefore, people from all sides were the first to recover from the pain.

In this world, which ordinary person doesn't have this kind of resilience?
As for the powerful families like the An family head, the father and son had just reconciled the night before, but the next day they received news of their son's death. When he arrived at the farm after the banquet at the Hanging Mountain, all that was left was bone dust. Apart from a few pieces of An Chengping's clothes, there was nothing left.

Doesn't he feel pain? But he has to restrain himself!

There wasn't even a proper funeral arranged, because there was still more than a month left before the deadline agreed upon by Chi Xiutian, and there was no time left for him to grieve.

If they do not want to be swept out of the game in this great upheaval in Huazhou, they must contribute the strength of their families when clearing away the calamities.

This is something that all the major families are well aware of. Their current status is the result of their ancestors' hard work hundreds of years ago. Whether they can continue this life of wealth and honor depends on themselves.

Therefore, even without the orders of the four clan elders, the entire clan prepared for war.

With the clan treasury open, clan members nearing the breakthrough stage can use their merit contributions in advance to exchange for elixirs and spiritual materials to improve their cultivation and forge suitable magical artifacts to enhance their combat power.

They were all eager to make a name for themselves in the great battle a month later.

In the water-curtain farm, magic is used around the clock to grow grain, which is then transported to thirty-six cities on both banks of the Hengyang River.

It can be said that supplies must be prepared before troops can move.

The plan for the Suspended Mountain was to eliminate the Misfortune, so in addition to the farms outside Wangxian City, they also prepared a lot of food. This food was stored in the Dragon Palace and was not distributed together, in preparation for any eventuality!

As long as the people have enough to eat, there will be no problem with the path of worship.

In addition, the Suspended Mountain has also opened a channel for exchanging elixirs and spiritual materials for major families.

At this point, instead of piling these things up in the warehouse, it would be better to use them on people. Once the misfortune is cleared, even more will be recovered.

Elder Yun also established a comprehensive merit exchange system, which allows everyone from the Hanging Mountain to various aristocratic families to set their own goals.

Meanwhile, all thirty-six City Gods, except for Mu Tong, returned to their respective cities eight or nine days ago, following Chi Xiu's orders.

And three days ago, the first grand sacrificial ceremony was held for the Heavenly God Chi Xiu.

Including Wangxian City, all thirty-seven cities held sacrifices simultaneously, and the people's hearts were instantly united to the extreme.

The seals of the City Gods from all sides trembled incessantly, eager to expand into the Land of Calamity.

Xiao Panshan also received separate instructions, and the first sacrificial ceremony in Wufang City was held in a fairly standard manner.

The main reason was that the Martial God had dominated the area, killing three previously disobedient and treacherous gods, which greatly boosted the morale of the entire ceremony. In an instant, the Five Directions City was once again shrouded in fear under the shadow of the Martial God.

The entire area along both banks of the Hengyang River in Huazhou can be said to have instantly entered a state of combat readiness after the "Heavenly God" ceremony a dozen days ago.

From cultivators to ordinary people, everyone was preparing for the great battle that would take place in a month or so.

Strangely, faced with the perpetually shrouded eerie mist, a place usually avoided at all costs, no one chose to back down, and no one questioned whether the eerie mist could be cleared away quickly.

There is only the unity of all people, and that is the difference between having a god and not having one.

Especially after the sacrificial rites were held on both sides of the strait, the determination of the Heavenly God Chi Xiu to conquer the land of Mi'e subtly influenced and guided the hearts of the people.

As for cultivators, such as the Five Surnames, Seven Noble Families, and Twenty-Four Clans, they do not need his influence. They dare not disobey the will of Mount Suspended, and the enormous benefits also drive them.

Wangxian City Wufang City God Temple
Li Wushou was in the side room of the back hall.

A dark shadow rose up behind him, its outline inhuman, its body elongated and twisted eerily, like a writhing dragon.

From time to time, fleshy growths would swell up in the shadowy body, then slowly dissipate with the wriggling motion. Occasionally, the remains of various creatures would burst out from the shadowy body, baring their fangs and claws in the room.

Five days ago, after the old beggar finished refining the incense from the Dragon King's transformed dragon body, the shadowy figure began to devour it.

This time, devouring the remaining Yin spirit within the mutated dragon's body is an unprecedented challenge for the Shadow.

Every moment, the shadowy figure seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

It wasn't a physical breakdown, but a mental one.

The Dragon King's Yin spirit was already severely distorted, and after being tempered by the Dragon King's essence, it was left with nothing but chaotic and evil thoughts.

As it continued to devour, the dark figure felt as if someone was constantly urging it to swallow Li Wushou whole.

In its eyes, Li Wushou seemed to have become an extremely delicious delicacy, making it extremely hungry.

This is far too dangerous for it!
In its limited memory, it did have times when it wanted to eat Li Wushou's things, but none of those attempts ended well.

It was afraid that it might lose its composure and open its mouth to Li Wushou.

Then it really has no future.

Therefore, this dragon god, transformed into a yin spirit, ate with extreme fear and trepidation, which was far more suffocating than the physical exhaustion he experienced on Evil Calamity Island.

It wanted to cry countless times, as its days by Li Wushou's side seemed to be getting harder and harder!

This is what it means to be physically and mentally exhausted!

Li Wushou had no interest in guessing what the shadowy figure was thinking; he thought the shadowy figure was just being pretentious.

When you're full, you have all sorts of thoughts; when you're hungry, you only have one thought!
Seeing that the black shadow was almost refined, the golden core turned and took a deep breath towards the black shadow.

A large amount of Yin energy then rushed into the dantian and seeped into the golden core.

The black shadow wailed silently. Its previously distorted and alienated form returned to normal in the blink of an eye, resembling a black dragon coiling behind Li Wushou.

His chaotic thoughts instantly became clear!

He hurriedly threw himself into devouring and refining the next mutated Yin God.

At the same time, Li Wushou opened his mouth and poured in a large mouthful of milky white liquid.

The fluid was white with a reddish tinge, and occasionally a drop would splash out and land on the ground, writhing like a worm. After a few breaths, the original wooden floor began to mutate and grow flesh and blood, and from time to time, tiny figures copulating would emerge from the flesh and blood.

With a thought, Li Wushou crushed the flesh and blood that had formed from the dripping juices into nothingness.

These sap drops were the dragon marrow that Li Wushou extracted from the body of the Dragon King.

The Dragon King's dragon body, due to the corruption of his Yin spirit, is also undergoing mutation. During this period, without the suppression of the Dragon King's Yin spirit, his flesh and blood have begun to mutate and disintegrate, as if he is about to re-evolve that pool of flesh and blood.

Therefore, these dragon marrows also have extremely strong mutability.

For ordinary people and even ordinary cultivators, this dragon marrow is no less potent than poison that can mutate the body.

But for Li Wushou, it was an excellent medicine to replenish his qi and blood.

A large amount of blood and qi, along with yin energy, flowed into the dantian.

The way of heaven turns to the left, and the way of earth turns to the right.

Blood and Qi, along with Yin energy, differentiate into Yin and Yang, replenishing the spiritual energy within the Golden Elixir, and then, guided by the Golden Elixir, flow into the Divine Aperture.

Above the Five Elements Burial Soul Forest behind the Three Immortals Hall, a Five Elements Ring flows rapidly, and a large amount of Yin and Yang power flows from all directions into the mound in the center of the Burial Soul Forest.

Even the low hills underground are constantly permeated with the power of Yin and Yang.

As the forces of Yin and Yang converge, the Five Elements Ring slowly contracts, becoming increasingly solid.

The five mounds below, corresponding to the five elements, burst forth with vibrant colors and drew closer together as the five-element ring contracted.

Suddenly, the sky above the Burial Soul Forest trembled violently, erupting with a loud buzzing sound.

The five mounds suddenly merged into one, and their original colorful appearance quietly turned milky gray.

Then a tender sprout emerged from the milky-gray mound of earth and grew into a towering tree in the blink of an eye.

Five fruits grew on the crown of the big tree, each one a milky gray color that shimmered with light.

Just then, one of them shook gently and fell from the tree crown.

The moment she landed, the Tree Goddess stood gracefully on the ground.

His appearance seemed unchanged, yet it also seemed quite different, with some features subtly resembling Li Wushou.

Her long, dark green hair turned milky gray, as did her long dress.

Her overall demeanor had lost some of its allure, gaining instead a cool and ethereal quality, yet she remained stunningly beautiful. The Tree Goddess was quite pleased with her transformation, a faint smile playing on her lips. She beckoned to the Five Elements Rings, which had also turned milky gray above the Burial Soul Forest, and the rings instantly flashed a streak of light and landed on the Tree Goddess's wrist, resembling a jade bracelet.

Under the eaves of the back wall of the Three Immortals Pavilion, the old beggar and Chen Gou'er squatted on the ground, both of them absentmindedly scratching at the mud on the ground.

Chen Gou'er looked at the fruit growing on the big tree and swallowed hard.

He could smell the scent of Li Wushou's blood on it; this fruit must be delicious, and the woman the fruit transformed into must also be delicious.

The old beggar also swallowed hard. He hadn't expected that after the Tree Goddess combined the five elements, she would have such an extraordinary temperament, like a fairy.

Thinking of this, he secretly regretted it. If he had known it would be like this, he would have dug the pit himself that day.

Pity!
That kid Li Wushou is clueless about romance, what a waste!

At the same time, the Paper Goddess, who was meditating in the White Paper Taoist Temple, changed her expression. She knew who had made the commotion on the back mountain.

Apart from that arrogant Tree Goddess, who in the Three Immortals Pavilion wasn't diligent and low-key? Who would have died so ostentatiously?
You deserve to be abandoned!

She silently berated herself, and the Paper Goddess also felt a sense of pressure.

She had sensed that the Tree Goddess had awakened long ago, but the other woman had been lying half-dead in the wasteland behind the Three Immortals Pavilion.

The Paper Goddess didn't consider her a competitor. However, a few days ago, a big commotion suddenly occurred at the Three Immortals Pavilion. When the Paper Goddess looked closely, she realized that the dead man's head had suddenly become radiant.

These past few days, the eldest master has been taking the third master around the wall of the White Paper Taoist Temple every day, and they'll spend half a day squatting in the wasteland behind the mountain.

Although the Second Master did not appear in person, the Yin and Yang power constantly gathering in the sky indicated that he was also helping the other party refine the Five Elements.

How could this not put immense pressure on the Paper Goddess?

Compared to the Tree Goddess, the likes of the shadowy figures are simply not worth mentioning!
After all, aside from food, this was the first time the Paper Goddess had ever seen anything that could attract the attention of three gentlemen at the same time.

After glancing at her paper form, the Paper Goddess curled her lip and snorted inwardly, "So what if I'm a little bigger!"

That's what she thought, but she clenched her teeth tightly.

Staring at the blob of ink in front of her, the Paper Goddess hardened her heart and muttered through gritted teeth, "This abbot will surely refine you!"

This blob of ink was brought to the White Paper Taoist Temple by Li Wushou six days ago.

After taking some time to study the ink with the old beggar, Li Wushou finally determined that the ink should be an object in which the painter Yan Qiubai entrusted his spirit.

The reason the other party was able to make the illusion appear real must be because of this blob of ink.

This ink, refined by the painter, has a very high potential; it should be able to lift even the gods without much trouble. Its material properties are definitely better than the paper body that Master Xuan Yang refined for the Paper Goddess.

Normally, refining it would be beneficial to the Paper Goddess.

However, since the Paper Goddess's true form is paper, Li Wushou is unsure whether refining it will drastically change her appearance, turning her into the Ink Goddess.

He consulted Xuan Yang and Chi Xiu, but both of them were unsure.

Li Wushou had no choice but to hand it over to the Paper Goddess to choose for herself!

Li Wushou had considered refining it himself, but remembering his experience of folding the short paper donkey, he gave up the idea.

I have high standards for this kind of craftsmanship, so it's best to stay away from such jobs.

Don't end up with a drawing that looks completely different from the real thing. People won't be able to tell from the aura, but they'll see the clues with their naked eyes. That would be a laughing stock.

When the Paper Goddess received the ink, she also struggled with the decision for a long time.

But at this moment, she finally made up her mind: she had to refine this ink. Putting everything else aside, she had to refine it for the sake of the ability to paint the unreal as real.

What will it look like then? I, the abbot, cannot paint it!

Li Wushou was delighted to notice the commotion inside the Three Immortals Pavilion.

After ten days of effort, the five elements have finally been united.

After the Tree Goddess consumed Gongsun Wang, Li Wushou secretly met with Gongsun Huoyao once. As one of the only two remaining Golden Core cultivators in the Gongsun family, Huoyao held a high position and great power.

The other party retrieved the original text of the Five Elements Method for Li Wushou.

After studying it carefully, Li Wushou learned that the unity of the five elements is the highest level of the Five Elements Method.

However, the cultivation method was quite complicated, involving the purification of one's heart and blood, the cultivation of tree species, and the merging of them into one. Li Wushou simply did not have the patience to cultivate step by step.

However, during the subsequent infusion of Yin and Yang power, Li Wushou unexpectedly discovered that when the Tree Goddess operated the Five Elements Technique, his Yin and Yang power could promote the fusion between the five elements.

Therefore, during this period he increased the intensity of the Yin-Yang power applied to the Burial Soul Forest.

Now that the mission is finally accomplished, the Tree Goddess has indeed undergone another transformation.

Not only has the mastery of the Five Elements method become stronger, but unexpected changes have also occurred.

Li Wushou quietly observed the four fruits hanging on the tree crown and the Tree Goddess who had just taken human form, and gradually a prediction formed in his mind.

These fruits, like the substitute leaves that grew on the big tree in the Burial Soul Forest, should possess the ability to substitute for death.

This made Li Wushou feel more at ease about letting the Tree Goddess enter the Land of Misfortune.

Even if someone dies in an accident, they can be resurrected in the Three Immortals Pavilion with the help of this fruit. It's just unknown whether the fruit can be replenished after it's used up, or if there are only five of them in a lifetime.

Li Wushou, absorbed in the question, asked the Tree Goddess, but the Tree Goddess herself didn't seem to know the answer.

But she didn't want to disappoint Li Wushou, so she replied directly:
"If you're curious, Second Master, how about I die once and try it out?"

Li Wushou was speechless. He thought the Tree Goddess had improved, but he didn't expect her to still be so neurotic.

Just as they were about to leave, they saw Chen Gou'er and the old beggar squatting in the corner.

After giving the two a stern warning that they were not allowed to eat the fruit, Li Wushou regained his composure.

Inside the room, Li Wushou calmed his mind and immersed himself in the Five Elements Technique. Sure enough, as the Tree Goddess underwent her transformation, his own understanding of the Five Elements Technique also improved.

With a thought, the spiritual energy in the room surged, and five-colored spiritual light emerged from the void, slowly converging towards Li Wushou's wrist.

Five-colored spiritual light flowed in one after another, and after a moment a buzzing sound rang out in the room. A milky gray five-element ring was wrapped around Li Wushou's wrist and rotated gently.

With a thought, the Five Elements Ring detached from his wrist and flew toward the square table beside him.

Suspended on the square table, it gave a gentle tremor, and the table instantly turned into powder, shattering the void around it as well.

Even Li Wushou, who had some expectation of its power, was still deeply moved and shocked. This casual strike had already crossed the threshold from Golden Core to Nascent Soul.

Seeing the void shatter, it began to absorb the furnishings in the room.

Li Wushou uttered softly: "Imprisonment!"

The absorption of emptiness suddenly stopped.

This is far more domineering than Elder Gongsun's Five Elements Imprisonment. If the opponent had possessed such a Five Elements Imprisonment that day, he wouldn't have been killed on the spot by Liu Qingmei's Porcelain Heaven and Earth breaking through the imprisonment.

And this was only Li Wushou's initial attempt; how could it not be gratifying?
If used at full strength, Li Wushou felt it should be no worse than the Void Sealing Technique!

Just as Li Wushou was about to try out the various applications of the Five Elements Method again, he suddenly had a thought and looked towards the door.

With a wave of his hand, the door to the side room opened gently, and Chi Xiuzheng stepped through the courtyard gate and walked towards the side room.

Seeing the door wide open, Chi Xiu stepped into the room, bowed to Li Wushou, and said directly:

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li! The incense array diagram is complete!"

"Oh? So fast!"

With two days left until the agreed-upon half-month mark, Li Wushou was somewhat surprised.

Chi Xiu smiled slightly upon seeing this, which surprised him somewhat.

"Although Huazhou is small, the people are simple and honest, so the incense offerings are pure and the process is quick."

Li Wushou nodded, feeling somewhat pleased. He had already felt the time was a bit tight, and now that it was two days faster, it was good.

"Excellent! God, just wait for the final attack a month from now, and leave the rest to me!"

"Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Li. I am deeply grateful!"

Chi Xiu was overjoyed. He cupped his hands in greeting again, took out a Ren Plate and handed it to Li Wushou, then left the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

Li Wushou held the Ren Plate, examined it for a moment, then focused his mind on the Three Immortals Pavilion and said to the Tree Goddess:
"Get ready, I'll send you to the Land of Calamity tonight."

(End of this chapter)