Five Elements Earth Fire

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Qi Yuan gathered all the treasures from the depths of Fire Cloud Cave into his storage bag, a satisfied smile on his face.

These treasures had remained untouched for so long due to the layers of natural illusions concealing them. If the former Fire God Sect had known about them, they would have gone to great lengths to break into the cave's depths.

With such abundant fire spirit energy, there had to be something truly valuable hidden within.

Qi Yuan summoned five yellow ancient flying knives, infusing them with colorful mana. They radiated a golden glow and shimmered with power.

Kill!

The knives shot forward, striking the ground.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The earth remained unscathed.

Qi Yuan frowned, examining his weapons. Were they fake?

The crust here was unnaturally tough.

Storing the knives away, Qi Yuan summoned the Chaos Cauldron. Since he couldn't infuse it with magic power yet, he relied on his spiritual sense to lift it high before slamming it down with full force.

Boom!

The cave trembled violently, and the shaking didn't stop.

Qi Yuan's expression changed. The mountain couldn't withstand the weight of the Chaos Cauldron—it was about to collapse.

Without hesitation, he withdrew the cauldron and spotted a deep crack in the ground. At the bottom of the fissure, a fire spirit vein pulsed with intense fire energy.

A top-grade fire spirit vein.

If it were broken apart, each piece would be a top-tier fire spirit stone.

But with the cave collapsing, there was no time to extract it. If he lingered, he'd be buried alive.

Qi Yuan dodged and swiftly escaped using the Chaos Cauldron for support. Hovering in mid-air, he watched as the thousand-foot mountain crumbled with a deafening roar.

Moments later, an old man in white flew over, his expression alarmed as he stared at the ruins.

"Fellow Daoist Qi, what happened? That earthquake nearly scared me to death."

Other cultivators soon arrived, their faces filled with confusion.

The deep cave had been protected by restrictive barriers, blocking their spiritual senses. None of them had any idea what had transpired.

Qi Yuan coughed lightly. "I accidentally used too much force while exploring Fire Cloud Cave and, well… disturbed everyone."

Pei Ao stared in disbelief. "Fellow Daoist Qi, you actually collapsed the Fire Cloud Cave? That mountain was one of the hardest in the Chaos Star Sea!"

The female cultivator in yellow robes looked at Qi Yuan with newfound wariness. His strength was not to be underestimated.

Ling Yuling's expression darkened slightly. She realized she didn't understand Qi Yuan as well as she thought. Her gaze lingered on him, unreadable.

Qi Yuan sighed. "I just swung my magic weapons around inside. Maybe I hit something strange by accident."

No one believed him.

Ling Yuling, especially, sneered inwardly. Qi Yuan's casual attitude had caught her off guard, and she had walked right into his deception without even realizing it.

Still, they couldn't force the truth out of him, so the others left, each with their own thoughts.

Once they were gone, Qi Yuan's eyes flashed. Without wasting time, he flew into a palace to continue searching for traces of the Five Elements Earth Fire.

As for the fire spirit vein, he would deal with it later. Trying to extract it now would only expose the truth.

Fire Cloud Cave was nearly indestructible in the Chaos Star Sea—except to him.

It was better to find the Five Elements Earth Fire first.

Qi Yuan searched through three palaces but found no trace of it. Growing impatient, he suddenly saw Ling Yuling walking in.

Why wasn't she with the yellow-robed female cultivator?

Moreover, while Ling Yuling's figure was tall and elegant, her proportions were somewhat unfortunate. Long legs, but her chest… a bit lacking.

"Fellow Daoist Qi, I just saw traces of the Five Elements Earth Fire," Ling Yuling announced as soon as she entered. Her fragrance filled the air, washing away the palace's ancient mustiness.

Qi Yuan's face lit up. "Oh? Where did you see it? I'll go right away. Whether I find it or not, I appreciate the information."

"I was about to capture it, but it suddenly disappeared. I have a rough idea of where it went. Why don't I take you there?" Ling Yuling's expression shifted from regret to generosity. She seemed eager to help.

Qi Yuan chuckled, walked over, and suddenly pulled Ling Yuling into a firm embrace, patting her on the back. "Brother Ling, you're truly righteous! How about we become sworn brothers once we get out?"

He barely felt a curve.

Ling Yuling had been about to snap at him in anger, but hearing his words, she paused. Then, she laughed heartily. "Alright! When we get out, we'll chop off the chicken's head and burn yellow paper to seal our brotherhood!"

Qi Yuan, satisfied with his mischief, released her and teased, "Brother Ling, you forgot something."

"What is it?" she asked, puzzled.

Qi Yuan smirked. "Brother, why don't you go to a brothel? That's part of the full sworn brotherhood process—you can't skip it!"

Ling Yuling's expression froze. A blush crept up her flawless face, spreading to her swan-like neck.

Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Brother Ling, have you never been to a brothel?"

"Of course, I have! But now isn't the time to discuss such things. The Five Elements Earth Fire is more important." Ling Yuling quickly grabbed Qi Yuan's sleeve and pulled him out of the palace. In a flash, both figures vanished.

They reappeared before the entrance of a strange cave.

"This is where the Fire God Ancestor secluded himself. Brother Ling, are you sure the Five Elements Earth Fire is inside?"

"Based on its movement, it should be here," Ling Yuling said with certainty.

Qi Yuan's expression turned serious. "Even though the Fire God Ancestor is long dead, a Nascent Soul cultivator's cave is not to be taken lightly. Brother Ling, wait outside. I'll go in alone. If I don't find anything, I'll leave immediately."

He could use the Chaos Cauldron to break through, but not in front of Ling Yuling.

"Brother Qi, don't worry. I won't step into danger," Ling Yuling reassured him with a solemn expression.

Qi Yuan nodded and summoned an ancient yellow flying knife. Its tip gleamed with cold light as it shot forward, breaking through the first barrier with ease. The second restriction, however, stopped its advance.

Qi Yuan snorted and pressed his palm forward, unleashing a burst of colorful mana. The force propelled the knife forward, shattering the remaining restrictions.

Ling Yuling's eyes sparkled. She could sense Qi Yuan's deep reserves of magic power. Recruiting him into the Star Palace would greatly benefit her side, especially with the two Saints in long seclusion, leaving the sect vulnerable.

With the defensive wards broken, Qi Yuan recalled the flying knife and released two fierce flying centipedes from his spirit beast bag. The creatures pushed open the stone door.

"So, Brother Qi practices beast taming?" Ling Yuling mused.

Qi Yuan only smiled in response, stepping into the chamber.

Ling Yuling clicked her tongue in annoyance. Her usual tricks didn't seem to work on him.

Qi Yuan had already prepared ten golden sword talismans in his sleeve, his spiritual sense scanning every inch of the chamber. He remained on high alert—this was a Nascent Soul cultivator's retreat, after all.

Then, his gaze landed on a skeleton at the center of the room. Above the green bones, a three-inch colorful flame hovered, pulsing with elemental energy.

The Five Elements Earth Fire!

Ling Yuling followed his gaze and smirked. "Brother Qi, was I wrong? It's right here." Then, her brow furrowed. "This must be the Fire God Ancestor… but why have his bones turned green?"

Qi Yuan wasted no time. Forming a seal, he swiftly contained the Five Elements Earth Fire and stored it away.

"The Five Elements Earth Fire is secured. Let's leave, Brother Ling."

Ling Yuling, however, pulled out a secret manual from the skeleton's robes.

Burning God Green Fire—a fusion of soul techniques and ancient fire cultivation methods.

Qi Yuan glanced at it and raised an eyebrow.

The claims were bold. Was it really that powerful?

(End Of Chapter)