Chapter 721: 5 Elements in One

「Back on Red Earth.」

There was still much to be done to improve the Floating Fortress.

Since his main body needed to focus on advancing his cultivation, Lü Zhong planned to delegate these tasks to his Incarnations. They would be responsible for the fortress’s “Immortal Dao Transformation,” which included but was not limited to: deploying a more powerful defensive Grand Array, constructing a large number of Primordial Cannons, and building docking bays for Flying Ships.

Ultimately, there was only one goal.

To make the fortress live up to its name!

After arranging everything, Lü Zhong slipped out of the Central City and traveled to the vast Red Earth Wasteland. He found an uninhabited spot, meticulously constructed a cave residence, and only then entered the Mountain and River Map.

The moment he entered, several gazes fell upon him.

They were Yu Feng’Er, Shuini, and Su Caocao.

Seeing their strange looks, Lü Zhong instantly realized what they were thinking. He gave a wry smile and said, “You’ve got the wrong idea. This woman is a cultivator from the Celestial Origin Immortal Palace. I can’t kill her, at least not right away, or it will certainly draw the attention of a Divinity Transformation expert. The best approach is to seal her cultivation and imprison her.”

“Oh!” Yu Feng’Er let out a long sigh of relief.

‘She had thought her husband’s old habits hadn’t changed and that he’d brought back another Furnace Cauldron.’

Shuini and Su Caocao simply exchanged a knowing smile.

With the three women helping, dealing with Zhao Bailin went smoothly. If removing her Nascent Soul wouldn’t cause her to die from lifespan exhaustion, Lü Zhong would have opted for a permanent solution.

‘After all, they were dealing with the Celestial Origin Immortal Palace, an irreconcilable enemy. There was no problem with being ruthless.’

For a while after that, he spent time with his family.

He met his grandson and held his great-grandson.

After indirectly experiencing a return to the mortal world, Lü Zhong’s capacity for emotion had grown much stronger. He savored the joy of doting on his grandchildren, and many dishes he had long grown tired of tasted delicious once more.

「Three years passed.」

Once the Spirit Medicines he had accumulated were refined into Pills, he finally began his secluded cultivation.

…

「In the days that followed.」

Propelled by some unseen hand, the Taichu Soul Revival Array began to spread far and wide across the Qinghe Realm. From the Far West of the South Barbarians to the Boundless Sea, and even to the Far Eastern Red Earth, these Grand Arrays were being constructed everywhere.

Thanks to these efforts, the once-turbulent Nai River was placated, and the outbreak of Soul Loss Syndrome was finally contained.

As time went on, the legend of the Star Sun Old Demon gradually faded into mere rumor.

In its place rose the stories of new prodigies. The world has always been fickle, and people soon forgot about the “number one expert below Divinity Transformation,” beginning to chatter excitedly about the new generation of geniuses.

Meanwhile, with the old powers gone, the various factions were busy consolidating their gains. As a result, resources became progressively easier to obtain, free from the exploitation and intense internal competition of the past.

In everyone’s eyes, a golden age of cultivation had arrived.

「A century passed in the blink of an eye.」

「On this day.」

「In the Quiet Chamber.」

Spiritual Qi swirled in a vibrant, colorful haze.

“BOOM!”

Lü Zhong’s body trembled as an invisible wave pulsed outward, churning the Spiritual Qi in the Quiet Chamber. At the same time, a cataclysmic transformation was taking place within him.

His Magical Power, originally of four elements, now contained an even more astonishing amount of energy thanks to the complete restoration of his Gold Spirit Root. Its color deepened, resembling the endless, starry night sky.

The phenomenon from his breakthrough even affected the world outside.

The once-clear, cloudless sky was suddenly filled with a multitude of stars.

‘So this is Five Elements Unification?’

Lü Zhong suppressed his excitement and carefully perceived the changes within himself.

‘In terms of raw power, there wasn’t much of an increase.’

‘That was to be expected.’

‘After all, he had only gained a single Spirit Root.’

‘The side effect was a slower cultivation speed.’

‘As for the benefits…’

‘His Magical Power circulated with perfect stability.’

‘It was an unimaginable stability, like a great mountain that had not moved for a million years!’

‘Something this good actually exists!’ A look of delight spread across Lü Zhong’s face.

Compared to this benefit, the side effect of a slower cultivation speed suddenly seemed much more acceptable. After all, the more stable his Magical Power, the easier it was to control.

For someone like him who frequently used the Furious Thunder Skill, the importance of stable Magical Power was self-evident.

All in all, the benefits of Five Elements Unification far outweighed the drawbacks.

After circulating his energy for a while to stabilize it, Lü Zhong rose to his feet. He turned his gaze to the Mountain and River Map before him. Nourished by the Kongsang Divine Wood, the map was no longer in its former dilapidated state; it had transformed into a beautiful ink wash scroll.

Now, with a single thought, he could project everything within the map’s space onto its surface in perfect, vivid detail.

Leaving an Incarnation to stand guard, he entered the map.

Returning after a century, he found the interior had transformed completely. The space now spanned a full three thousand li. Countless Spirit Medicine Gardens dotted the landscape like stars in the sky, the Spirit Medicines within them exuding a dense Spiritual Qi that made the place feel like a mortal paradise. If not for the limitations of Spiritual Qi and manpower, the number of Spirit Medicines would have likely been double what it was.

Lü Zhong smiled with satisfaction as he surveyed the scene.

The current yield of Spirit Medicines was still far from what the Bihai Sect produced, but it was now sufficient to meet the needs for ascending to Divinity Transformation. With the supply of Pills secured, the production of the Ten Thousand Spirits Liquid could be put on the agenda. As an essential resource for Divinity Transformation, the more of it he had, the better.

After a brief reunion with his family, he once again immersed himself in cultivation.

…

「Another seventeen years passed.」

On this day, Lü Zhong was forced to emerge from his secluded cultivation.

His Incarnation was calling for aid.

Just moments before, Sea Beasts had launched a massive invasion of the Red Earth.

The invasion came out of nowhere.

‘The Red Earth had always been barren of Spiritual Qi and held little value aside from its native Red Earth People. It had no Spirit Ores born from Spiritual Qi, nor did it have Spirit Grass that required such nourishment. Even Demon Beasts were a rare sight.’

‘Even its Spirit Veins were pitiful—just a few short, small ones. Only the five great families of the Red Earth treated them like priceless treasures, coddling them as if they might melt away.’