Chapter 1761: Five Elements Control

Before long, one of the cultivators stepped forward. It was the man who had entered the core elite ranks alongside Yan Qingchen during the internal selection.

Though he tried his best to maintain a facade of calm, the joy in the corners of his eyes was unmistakable. This was a stroke of unexpected luck. He knew he couldn’t compete with the likes of Zheng or Qian, but the method for determining the order had been their own suggestion, and he had emerged the winner after drawing straws.

To him, this was a magnificent omen. Could it be a sign that his fortunes were about to soar during this journey?

No matter how disgruntled the others felt, they had to abide by their agreement. The rest of the group retreated a short distance. Naturally, Zheng and Qian maintained a noticeable gap between themselves, their hearts filled with mutual dissatisfaction and silent curses.

Liu Siyu stood by Yan Qingchen’s side. A faint, gentle smile graced Yan Qingchen’s handsome face, projecting an aura as refreshing as a spring breeze.

They all watched as the first cultivator flew to the diamond-shaped light on the cliff face and immediately summoned a magical treasure…

Yan Qingchen watched the man’s poorly hidden delight, then glanced toward the others from the corner of his eye. Inwardly, he let out a cold, mocking sneer.

He had provided the location and brought them here, yet these people were so insatiably greedy that even his right to choose the first artifact had to be matched by equal conditions for them. Furthermore, in Qian’s earlier words, he had only mentioned letting Yan Qingchen pick first; he hadn’t said a word about how the subsequent treasures would be distributed or exchanged. He was deliberately ignoring their prior agreement.

Among the others, only Liu Siyu had looked as if she wanted to speak up, but in the end, she had remained silent.

Moreover, while everyone had mentioned the concern of other cultivators stumbling upon them, no one had discussed how to handle such an interloper. This was a tacit admission—everyone had already developed a murderous intent.

Including Liu Siyu. If an outsider appeared now, they would simply surround and kill them to resolve the matter.

‘If any of you could actually break this array, then the extra time I allocated for the attempts would be wasted on you…’ Yan Qingchen thought.

However, as his gaze flickered over Liu Siyu, a trace of hesitation appeared in his heart. She was indeed exceptionally beautiful, the kind of woman who could actually stir his interest. He was well aware of her feelings for him. Since she was so submissive and obedient, he wondered if he should truly execute her during the later stages of his plan…

Over six hours later, the expressions of the cultivators had turned grave. Not one of the three had succeeded in breaking the array.

Zheng, driven by his eagerness for success, had attempted to use forceful means. In the next instant, the formation’s restriction had lashed back at him. His right shoulder was shattered instantly. Had he not been prepared, his entire head might have been lopped off. He was filled with both shame and fury, yet there was nothing he could do.

During these six hours, Yan Qingchen had acted three times. The hand seals he used to manifest the diamond light only lasted for two hours before the Hidden Reef Array would vanish again. This was why he had set the two-hour limit for each person; he had to repeatedly manifest the entrance.

“I won’t bother trying. If you seniors couldn’t do it, how could my formation skills possibly compare? It’s better if Brother Yan acts now,” Liu Siyu said as the third man retreated and Yan Qingchen manifested the gateway once more. Everyone looked at her, but she shook her head, unwilling to step forward.

She was the weakest among them, and her formation attainments were no better than the others. While the others were making their attempts, she had scanned the area repeatedly and failed to find the array’s core. Her confidence was nonexistent.

Originally, she had hoped to save Yan Qingchen some time, but since she had no certainty of success, she didn’t want to waste any more of his time.

“Oh? Formations can be quite specialized. Perhaps if Sister Liu tries, she might find a way to counter this specific array?” Yan Qingchen’s eyes flickered. As he said this, the other three men showed flashes of disdain in their eyes or at the corners of their mouths.

They could all see that Liu Siyu was blinded by love, making her exceptionally obedient to Yan Qingchen. This was likely the main reason he kept such a woman by his side. Otherwise, he would have brought someone stronger—someone at least on par with them.

“There is no need. Brother Yan, please begin,” Liu Siyu said, shaking her head again.

“Very well. This method of mine only has a thirty percent chance of success. it is a method of using an array to break an array, researched by my Master over many years.”

“The technique is called the Five Elements Control Formation. Shortly, I will stand at the Metal position, the point of sharpest attack. You four will follow my guidance and occupy the positions of Fire, Earth, Wood, and Water.”

“Once I begin the ritual, I will draw upon the power of the natural laws of the five elements. At that time, I will need you four to assist me in channeling that celestial energy. During this process, you must give your absolute all. If we fail, then all our efforts will have been for nothing.”

Yan Qingchen’s face was the picture of solemnity.

“The Five Elements Control Formation? You intend to use the power of the five elements to break the array… but why not choose five people with matching elemental roots? Within Huangqi Valley, while most disciples favor Fire and Wood, there are plenty with other excellent auxiliary roots. Finding five people to match the five elements shouldn’t have been an issue,” Zheng asked. After consuming a pill, his shoulder bone was rapidly mending, but he looked suspicious.

He wasn’t entirely sure of the elemental roots of Yan Qingchen, Liu Siyu, or the other Spirit Transformation cultivator, but he knew Qian well. Qian, like himself, possessed top-tier Heaven-Grade roots in both Fire and Metal. Such talent was the foundation of their pride. If Yan Qingchen was taking the Metal position himself, it didn’t seem like they could form a complete cycle of the five elements.

His question echoed the doubts of the others.

“Haha… I said I needed you to assist me in channeling the energy of heaven and earth, not that you needed to communicate with the five elements yourselves. The external elemental power will be provided by a Five Elements artifact I shall summon. You only need to follow my lead and pour your magical power into it.”

“Once the artifact is activated, it requires a massive amount of power from different directions to continuously purify and accumulate the elemental energy. The key here is the formation’s method, not your own elemental affinity.”

Yan Qingchen looked at them with profound gravity.

“A Five Elements artifact? Such treasures are rare. But since Brother Yan is confident, we shall follow your lead!”

The group was slightly stunned. Artifacts containing all five elements could be bought in markets, but they were uncommon. Usually, their power was underwhelming because even a Grandmaster Forger couldn’t possibly possess roots for all five elements, making it impossible to perfect the internal elemental cycle. Consequently, the power of such tools was limited. They were typically refined for special auxiliary purposes.

To think Yan Qingchen would use such an artifact to break the array… but then again, his Master had researched it for years. Perhaps it was a viable path.

“Let’s begin. We’ve wasted enough time!” Qian nodded. The difficulty of the Hidden Reef Array had only whetted their appetites further.

Seeing their expressions, Yan Qingchen knew his patient waiting had finally paid off. He cupped his hands toward them and moved to the space directly above the diamond light.

“Sister Liu, take the Wood position. Brother Qian, take the Water position…”

He was no longer polite, directing them to their respective spots. At this stage, the four had no reason to hesitate. They had agreed to help, so they took their positions as ordered.

However, a careful observer would have noticed that except for Liu Siyu, the other three had their magical power subtly churning. Though they had agreed to help, they didn’t trust anyone completely. They remained vigilant of each other while keeping a close eye on Yan Qingchen. At the first sign of trouble, they would either flee or strike him down instantly.

Yan Qingchen seemed oblivious. Once they were in place, he gestured with one hand, a faint dark-gold light shimmering in his palm. Within his hand appeared a golden alms bowl, no larger than an adult’s fist.

The moment the bowl appeared, the four others felt the magical power in their dantians tremble violently, as if sensing some sort of summon.

‘Law Resonance!’

The thought flashed through their minds simultaneously. Their gazes toward the dark-gold bowl were now filled with a strange, covetous light. If an artifact could trigger such resonance just by being summoned, its grade was beyond question. Such a treasure was extremely rare in the hands of Spirit Transformation cultivators; it was something one would expect to see with a Void Refining powerhouse or higher.

Yan Qingchen remained focused. His hands moved like butterflies weaving through flowers. He tossed the dark-gold bowl into the air and rapidly formed a series of hand seals.

In an instant, dark green runes appeared between his hands. They drifted upward as if pulled by an invisible force, flowing into the dark-gold alms bowl. After a mere five breaths, the upward-facing mouth of the bowl erupted with a pillar of blinding white light!