Chapter 324: Chapter 198: All Five Elements Complete, Arabian Nights! (Part 2)

At this moment, Su Mu tried to activate the Fire Element Divine Skill, gently extending his fingertip; the air at his finger suddenly twisted, and during this, Su Mu’s brows furrowed slightly, for he sensed a certain stagnation within.

"Shall I try the Fire Sparrow Breathing?"

Su Mu attempted to use the Fire Sparrow Breathing to replace the Fire Element Breathing Technique that was included with the Fire Element Divine Skill. In an instant, Su Mu’s brows relaxed.

With a ’pop’, a tiny flame sprang up from his fingertip.

At once, Su Mu carefully felt the differences between the two breathing techniques as they operated, and soon, a look of astonishment spread across his handsome and resolute face.

"The Fire Sparrow Breathing draws Spiritual Qi into the body and tempers it into Attribute Power with an efficiency that’s thirty percent higher than the breathing method of the Five Elements Technique!"

Having discovered this, Su Mu was both delighted and even more determined to keep inferring and expanding upon the Five Animals Qigong.

"Let me try tempering the viscera, then."

Su Mu immediately followed the Attribute Power circulation path from the Fire Element Divine Skill and began to activate Fire Sparrow Power to scour his heart. Normally, this step required the assistance of the Five Elements Pill, but now Su Mu intended to try directly anyway.

The instant the Fire Sparrow Power touched the heart—

Hiss!

Su Mu’s lips suddenly went pale; his entire body twitched slightly, as if his heart beneath his chest was being roasted by raging fire, and as if countless steel needles were stabbing into it—far more agonizing than pain that pierced the heart.

Su Mu couldn’t help but suck in a breath, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"Damn, that’s sharp... Looks like the Five Elements Pill is absolutely necessary."

His first attempt at skipping the Five Elements Pill and trying to directly temper the viscera thus ended, and Su Mu realized he truly needed the pill; in his state of introspection, he sensed the Gu Insect growing restless, and the spot on his heart being tempered now showed a tiny red dot. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The viscera were fragile, unlike bones and flesh which could endure more; once damaged, they could easily leave hidden dangers, so naturally Su Mu dared not continue lightly.

"Best to cultivate the other three Martial Arts first... After a few days, I’ll return to Qingyun City."

The Five Elements Technique required maintaining the balance of the Five Elements; if the Five Elements Pill didn’t protect the viscera, cultivating a single technique too deeply could lead to elemental imbalance and damage to the organs.

After obtaining the complete Five Elements Technique, Su Mu realized even more the importance of the Five Elements Pill. He decided to go see Li Zhihe in a few days to ask about news regarding the pill.

Just then, the cry of a rooster came from outside the courtyard; in the blink of an eye, Su Mu had spent the night absorbed in Martial Arts insight.

"Continue!"

Among the Five Viscera, the kidneys correspond to the Water of the Five Elements; guided by Kidney Essence, the body can be cleansed of impurities.

The first cycle, Su Mu saw a dried-up well.

On the second cycle, the well produced the first drop of clear water, faint blue luminescence swirling around Su Mu.

By the fifth cycle, the well overflowed, turning into a stream; instantly, paired with a particular breathing technique, a refreshing current coursed through Su Mu’s limbs and meridians, finally merging as tranquil flowing water into the kidneys.

Water Element Divine Skill (entry-level 1%)

Comprehension: 120 (Dragon-and-Phoenix Level)

"I gained one more insight with the Fire Element Divine Skill... Seems the foundation of the Fire Sparrow Transformation made it easier for me to comprehend the Fire Element Divine Skill."

Su Mu pondered briefly, immediately discerning the difference within.

After comprehending two cultivation techniques in succession, Su Mu felt no fatigue whatsoever, still energetic and planning to learn all five in one go; at once, he began studying the remaining two techniques of the Five Elements Technique.

With each comprehension, Su Mu could feel the bottleneck of the Sixth Grade ever clearer; with each comprehension, he could also sense his own progress and growth in power.

Su Mu’s lips curved slightly as he cultivated—this sense brought great comfort.

...

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away—

In a blacksmith shop in Baihe Town, a worried-looking woman watched her husband. Ever since that expert passed through and gave a few pointers, her husband seemed possessed.

"Er Gou, why don’t you rest a bit?"

The iron-forging man wiped sweat from his brow, revealing a similar smile.

"I’m not tired! Almost done—soon I’ll break through the Seventy-Ninth Forging!"

Er Gou’s eyes glittered, utterly tireless, and he continued to wield his Forging Hammer.

A hundred miles away, in Qingyun City—

"Father, you’re still alive? You... You almost scared Qiao’Er to death!"

"Eh—Master Chen, Master Wu, Master Li, you’re all alive too?!"

Wu Qiao’Er darted forward and rushed into Wu Lie’s arms; the three master forgers raised a brow at her words, but seeing Wu Qiao’Er—whom they treated as their own granddaughter—crying her eyes out, they all glared at Wu Ning.

Soon, several elders from the Forging Workshop arrived upon hearing the news; when they saw Wu Lie returning with all three master forgers, each was both wild with joy and inwardly shocked, casting astonished looks at Wu Lie.

Wu Lie had actually brought back all three master forgers safe and sound from the clutches of Black Mountain Army. Could Black Mountain Army’s reputation be hollow after all?

Under those gazes, Wu Lie’s aged face flushed, and he hastily spoke.

"This... is a long story."

After comforting Wu Qiao’Er and his son, Wu Lie sent them off and began to recount the night’s events. When everyone heard Wu Lie admit he’d lost several rounds to a Thousand Man Commander under the Purple Shirt, all present stared in disbelief.

"Were those rebel army bandits really so strong?"

Several elders from the Forging Workshop looked appalled upon hearing this.

The three master forgers, hearing the tale’s dangers and remembering Wu Lie’s brave solo attempt to rescue them from the Black Mountain Army, were deeply moved. Chen Yuntian immediately waved his hand, offering Wu Lie reassurance.

"Wu Lie, you’ve worked hard for the Forging Workshop’s business these years, and as a result your Martial Dao has slipped a bit; most of those bandits were likely Third-Time Yijin experts, while you’ve only tempered your tendons twice. It’s natural you couldn’t match them."