Chapter 440 - 239: The Eerie Dao Arena

Chapter 440: Chapter 239: The Eerie Dao Arena

Without a doubt, that wisp of Five Elements qi had been drawn to Xuzhuang because of the Five Elements technique he cultivated, which led him to a certain conjecture.

According to legend, if a master of a Five Elements Dao Technique comprehended the Five Elements Great Escape, they could harness the infinite transformations of the five elements. They could hide a world within a grain of sand, leap out of the Three Realms, transcend the five elements, and break free from the shackles of physical matter, allowing them to evade calamities until the very end of the universe...

Perhaps there was a real possibility that the Primordial Extreme Immortal Venerable, in order to evade calamity, had used a Supreme Divine Technique—the Five Elements Great Escape—to make the entire Five Directions Five Elements Dojo ’leap beyond the Three Realms,’ hiding it somewhere unknown.

And this wisp of Five Elements qi was the very key to enter it, which was why it was drawn to someone who had received the true inheritance.

He would know for sure once he investigated.

Limited by his cultivation level and Dao skills, Xuzhuang didn’t dare claim to have comprehended the Five Elements Great Escape, but he had indeed touched upon its threshold.

He pushed his Five Elements Escape Skill to its absolute limit, transforming into a five-colored rainbow light and abruptly plunging into that wisp of Five Elements qi.

Instantly, Xuzhuang felt his spirit jolt as if an infinite, endless tide of Five Elements vital qi was surging toward him. With just a single cycle of his mystic art, the bit of Magical Power he had expended on his journey was instantly replenished to its peak.

The Mixed Element Child, meanwhile, began to guzzle it down like a whale drinking the sea. The amount of Five Elements vital qi it absorbed in that single moment was enough for countless Daoist cultivators to use in their breathing exercises.

’What is this?’ Xuzhuang thought in surprise. He quickly took the Five Qi Heroic Spirit Pouch from his sleeve. In just a few breaths, a Five Elements Spirit Essence visibly condensed within the pouch.

This was no illusion. That wisp of Five Elements qi, so thin it was nearly imperceptible in the cosmos, had transformed into a boundless, endless ocean of vital qi.

’Infinite transformations, a world hidden in a grain of sand... This is truly the Five Elements Great Escape, a truly Pure Yang technique.’

Xuzhuang grew even more certain. He circulated his Dao technique again, and sure enough, after a few breaths, he suddenly felt a thread of spiritual light in the unseen, guiding him to follow.

Within the immeasurable vital qi, there was nothing to use as a reference point. Xuzhuang could only press forward. Time, direction, and distance seemed to lose all meaning. Gradually, even his senses grew hazy. It wasn’t until he emerged that Xuzhuang abruptly came to his senses.

He didn’t know how long he had traveled, how far he had gone, or how he had left that ocean of vital qi to appear in this place.

Moreover, the same was true for his Taiyi Rainbow Sword and Primordial Treasure Lotus Parasol. The moment he came to, the Mixed Element Child cried out, "Xuzhuang, be careful! Something seems off about this place."

"I know," Xuzhuang replied calmly. He scanned his surroundings. The scenery looked ordinary at first glance, but an eerie strangeness permeated everything.

Beneath his feet were stone slabs with grass sprouting from the cracks. The Celestial Vault was a vast azure, but there was no sun. From sky to ground, a seemingly frozen Smoke Mist drifted at an extremely slow pace, so dense that not even Xuzhuang’s mystic eyes or Spiritual Sense could pierce it in the slightest.

Before him stood a vermilion wall, much of its lacquer peeled away. Beyond a moon gate, a small path snaked through a patch of green and disappeared into the unknown. Amidst the dreadful silence, a strangely tranquil and peaceful atmosphere arose.

He seemed to be in the corner of a Daoist Temple. For some reason, Xuzhuang had the inexplicable feeling that he didn’t belong here, as if even though he was physically present, he was viewing everything through a thin veil.

’So this is the Five Directions Five Elements Dojo?’ Xuzhuang wasn’t asking the Mixed Element Child; he already knew it had never truly been to the dojo. He was just asking himself. Cautiously, he stepped through the gateway and onto the small path.

On both sides were what looked like flowerbeds. Though clearly untended for a long time, many flowers were still growing wild, exuding a different kind of brilliance.

As for why he wasn’t certain, it was because the ’flowers’ in these beds were all precious medicines for cultivators. A few of them were herbs Xuzhuang had only ever seen recorded in Daoist Scriptures.

What’s more, a brief glance was all Xuzhuang needed to tell that these precious medicines were easily thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years old. One could imagine how valuable they were.

But these rare treasures were planted so casually along the path, clearly without any meticulous care. It seemed a stretch to even call this a medicine garden.

Although the place had the air of being abandoned, it was highly likely the Five Directions Five Elements Dojo. A few precious herbs were not enough to distract him. Xuzhuang carefully followed the path, and before long, the view opened up before him.

He had arrived at a square, and here, another strange sight presented itself to Xuzhuang.

To the left was a great hall. To the right were several courtyards and refined cottages. The strange thing was, the great hall looked like a decaying scroll painting, its plaque having already fallen, while the cottages in the other direction still looked brand new.

"I know what’s off now," the Mixed Element Child said suddenly.

Xuzhuang asked, "Please, tell me."

The Mixed Element Child said gravely, "As we’ve been walking, the speed at which time flows has been constantly changing. It has sped up and slowed down, but because the fluctuations were relatively minor, it was extremely difficult to notice."

Hearing this, Xuzhuang couldn’t help but frown. A Mystic Cultivator at the Nascent Soul Third Layer could clearly perceive every single drop of their own lifespan ticking away. This terror of directly facing the great limit of one’s life was a kind of ever-present, haunting affliction.

But during his exploration just now, he hadn’t noticed any abnormality. The flow of his lifespan seemed unchanged, which was not a good sign...

He pondered this, then suddenly looked left and right. A flash of understanding appeared in his eyes. After giving the Mixed Element Child a word of caution, he strode toward the decaying great hall.

At first, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn’t until he was at the foot of the great hall, just about to ascend the steps, that he suddenly froze. A sense of terror welled up from within him.

Sure enough, the Mixed Element Child immediately cried out, "Wait! Don’t go any further!"

Xuzhuang obediently took two steps back and asked, "What is it?"

The Mixed Element Child said solemnly, "I have a premonition. The speed at which time is flowing up ahead is extremely fast—so fast that ’doubling’ or ’tripling’ can’t even describe it. It’s best not to get close."

"’Just as I thought.’" Xuzhuang took a deep breath. This place was truly a region where time was utterly chaotic and unpredictable.

If it were just the minor fluctuations from before, it would be one thing. But it was best not to carelessly enter a place where the difference in the flow of time was so terrifying.

For one, with his cultivation, Xuzhuang might not be able to withstand such an instantaneous, drastic change.

For another, a change like this could very well lead to an outcome Xuzhuang did not want to see.

He knew of legends that spoke of ’a day in the heavens is a year on earth,’ or even ’a single day in the mountains is a thousand years in the world.’

If he rashly entered such a place, it was very likely that by the time he left, thousands or even tens of thousands of years would have passed in the outside world. The seas would have turned to fields, the world would have changed, and everything he was familiar with might have vanished before he even realized it.

Of course, there was also the possibility that a long time could pass for him here while only a brief moment went by in the outside world. Judging by the situation, this latter possibility was even greater.

Regardless, it was never wrong to prevent accidents.

"’It seems I must be extremely careful while moving through this place,’" Xuzhuang murmured. "’Mixed Element Child, I may have to ask you to protect me at all times.’"

"’You can count on me!’" the Mixed Element Child snorted in reply. It then unfurled above Xuzhuang’s head, casting down a protective aura of treasure qi.

The Primordial Treasure Lotus Parasol was said to be impervious to all techniques. If it unleashed its Divine Techniques, it could protect Xuzhuang completely even if he carelessly stepped into a place with drastically altered time.

"’Thank you,’" Xuzhuang said with a nod, then turned to search the courtyards and cottages.

As expected, this area was not as dangerous as the great hall. Although the flow of time still fluctuated, it was within a range Xuzhuang could accept. But just as he stepped into a courtyard, his Spiritual Sense twitched.

He looked up and saw a Warrior about three zhang tall, clad in a five-colored short shirt, with muscles like coiled dragons. It glared at him, then stomped its foot, leaping three zhang into the air. Swinging a Black Gold Long Staff with both hands, it ruthlessly smashed down toward Xuzhuang.

Xuzhuang had long since realized that using Magical Power here was not as easy as in the outside world. A Divine Technique that could shake mountains and move the earth outside might not even be able to knock down a vermilion wall here. Yet this Warrior’s staff attack still carried the force of a collapsing mountain—its power was truly astonishing.

However, this strike, which was like a great mountain crashing down, instantly vanished without a trace the moment it touched the Primordial Treasure Lotus Parasol. It failed to cause the slightest ripple. The Mixed Element Child, however, cried out in delight:

"A Mud Gold Warrior! This really is the Five Directions Five Elements Dojo!"

"Normally, there’s no need for Warriors to patrol the Five Directions Five Elements Dojo. But this is no ordinary Warrior. This is a Superior Dao Skill from the dojo that transforms Five Elements vital qi into Dao Soldiers in the form of Warriors. Many Daoists practice it."

The Mixed Element Child quickly explained, "This Warrior was probably created by some High Cultivator from the dojo and left behind for their disciples to command..."

A flash of sword light suddenly burst from Xuzhuang’s waist, instantly dispersing the Warrior and reducing it to a cloud of golden qi. He then remarked with admiration, "To think a created Warrior can be maintained for ten thousand, or even tens of thousands of years?"

"Perhaps it has the ability to absorb Spiritual Qi," the Mixed Element Child said. "A pity these Warriors have no sentience, or we could have asked it what happened."

"This place looks quite a bit like the Dharma Origin Grotto Heaven did," Xuzhuang said as he stepped into the inner room. "Perhaps the Five Directions Five Elements Dojo has also been completely abandoned, with no one left."

"I just don’t understand... What could have possibly happened to a grand Immortal Venerable Dojo to leave it in this state? And where did everyone go..."

Xuzhuang stepped into the main hall, and his words came to an abrupt halt.

On the wall hung a piece of white paper with the two words ’Heaven and Earth’ written in black ink. Beneath those two words, a skeleton wrapped in a Daoist Robe sat upright on the main seat.