Marketplace

The outer sect of Yunxiao Sect was calm, and after the turbulence of the previous night, Wang Quan resumed his careful approach, continuing his cultivation and recovery while thinking about his next steps.

The day was bright and sunny, and Wang Quan decided to visit the marketplace to see if he could find materials suitable for cultivating the Five Elements Art. The strength of the Five Elements Art lay in its ability to control the forces of the five elements, each interacting with the others. However, to fully harness this power, each elemental force required specific materials for support.

The marketplace was a bustling hub near Yunxiao Sect, where disciples exchanged materials, pills, and magical tools. As Wang Quan walked through the streets, he saw countless vendors and cultivators selling an array of items. The air was thick with the scent of spiritual energy from the various goods displayed at the stalls.

Wang Quan kept a calm expression as he scanned the stalls. However, he soon realized that materials suitable for his Five Elements Art were scarce, especially the high-grade materials. Most were priced far beyond what he could afford.

He stopped in front of a stall, eyeing a piece of wood that emitted a faint aura of Wood Element energy. Wang Quan considered it for a moment, but after hearing the vendor's price, his heart sank. The cost of the Wood Spirit Stone far exceeded his budget, leaving him no choice but to walk away.

"It seems that gathering Five Element materials won't be easy," Wang Quan sighed inwardly, feeling a bit disappointed. He understood that while the Five Elements Art was powerful, it also demanded extremely rare and expensive resources. Keeping the balance of the elements required a variety of spiritual materials to maintain their harmonious interaction.

Just as Wang Quan was about to leave, something caught his eye at a nearby, unassuming stall. The vendor, a plain-looking middle-aged cultivator, didn't have many items on display. However, a small fragment among the goods piqued Wang Quan's interest.

The fragment glowed faintly with a red sheen, and under the sunlight, it seemed as though a flicker of fire danced within it.

"Is this… a Fire Element material?" Wang Quan's heart stirred, and he immediately stepped forward.

"How much for this fragment?" Wang Quan asked calmly, his gaze fixed on the red-hued shard.

The vendor glanced up at Wang Quan, about to answer when another cultivator in inner sect attire approached. The man, with a refined and composed demeanor, smiled warmly and walked up to Wang Quan, pointing at the fragment. "Are you interested in this piece?" he asked with a gentle smile.

Wang Quan turned to the man, momentarily surprised, before cupping his hands in respect. "Greetings, senior brother," he said, recognizing the man as an inner disciple with a deep cultivation base. His presence was steady, clearly not an ordinary cultivator.

The inner disciple nodded slightly, smiling. "This fragment comes from a task I completed at Smoky Cloud Volcano, where I killed a Flame Crystal Lizard. It's a piece of its horn. While it's not a top-tier treasure, it's an excellent Fire Element material for a Qi Refining stage cultivator like yourself."

"A Flame Crystal Lizard horn fragment?" Wang Quan's heart skipped a beat. The Flame Crystal Lizard was a fierce Fire Element beast, and its body contained intense fire energy. The horn was the most concentrated part of its essence, making it an ideal material for cultivating Fire Element techniques.

Hurriedly, Wang Quan clasped his hands and asked, "Senior brother, I happen to need this material. Would you be willing to part with it?"

The inner disciple smiled again and said, "You've got a good eye. Since we're fellow disciples, there's no need to talk about parting with it. This fragment isn't particularly useful to me. If you can offer a reasonable price, I'll sell it to you."

Wang Quan's heart lifted with excitement. "Thank you, senior brother. I'm willing to offer ten spirit stones for the fragment. Does that sound fair?"

The inner disciple chuckled and nodded. "That's acceptable."

Without hesitation, Wang Quan handed over the ten spirit stones to the vendor, who took them with a satisfied smile. Wang Quan carefully stored the fiery fragment, feeling lucky to have secured such a valuable material at a reasonable price.

"By the way, what's your name, junior brother?" the inner disciple asked.

"I'm Wang Quan," he replied, bowing. "Thank you, senior brother, for your kindness."

"Haha, no need to be so polite, Wang Shidi. My name is Xiao Fei. If we have the chance in the future, we can spar together," Xiao Fei said, still wearing his friendly smile.

Wang Quan, impressed by Xiao Fei's approachable manner, nodded and said, "If the opportunity arises, I will certainly seek your guidance, Xiao Shixiong."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xiao Fei took his leave. Wang Quan continued to browse the marketplace, but he didn't find any more suitable materials. Having acquired the Flame Crystal Lizard's horn fragment, he decided not to waste more time and returned to his straw hut to resume his cultivation.

Back at the hut, Wang Quan took out the fragment, feeling the intense fire energy contained within.

"The power of fire is all about ferocity and destruction. I can use this to enhance my offensive capabilities," Wang Quan thought, calculating how best to integrate the fragment's energy into his Five Elements Art.

Each element of the Five Elements Art had its own unique purpose. The Wood Element was best for defense and healing, while the Fire Element was focused on attack, providing immense destructive force.

Sitting cross-legged, Wang Quan placed the fragment in front of him and began circulating his spiritual energy. Following the Five Elements Art's method, he guided his energy to merge with the fire essence contained within the fragment.

As the technique activated, the fire energy in the fragment was slowly drawn out, gradually merging into Wang Quan's body. He felt the fierce heat flow through his meridians, as if a blazing fire was igniting within him.

"This fire energy is incredibly powerful!" Wang Quan was startled, feeling the intense strength of the Fire Element. The fire energy surged through his body, its violent nature threatening to burn through his meridians. However, the Five Elements Art helped him slowly adapt to the energy, refining it and making it his own.

"The Five Elements Art truly is profound!" Wang Quan thought as he cultivated. Normally, a Qi Refining cultivator could only rely on basic spiritual energy and physical strength in the early stages. Only in the mid-to-late stages would they begin to grasp some basic spells. However, the Five Elements Art was different. It allowed him to manipulate elemental power even at the Qi Refining stage, granting him strong offensive abilities early on.

As Wang Quan continued to refine the fire energy, he felt his attack power increase rapidly. His spiritual energy grew fiercer, and with each cycle of the Fire Element, it seemed as though his strikes would carry a devastating force.

At that moment, Wang Quan made a silent vow—next time he encountered an enemy, he would use the Fire Element to give them a "surprise."