Inside the cultivation chamber, three jade boxes lay arranged in a row. Each was a different color and gave off a faint glow, illuminating the entire quiet room like a treasure trove.
Yan Hongchen sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his back straight and his hands resting naturally on his knees. His gaze slowly swept across the three jade boxes as he silently recited the names of the three treasures: Yin-Yang Wood Lotus, Heartblood Jade, and Ren Water Essence.
He extended his right hand and lightly placed his fingertips on the edge of the first jade box's lid. The instant he lifted it, a crisp, pure scent of vegetation rushed toward him.
The Yin-Yang Wood Lotus lay quietly within the box, one half black as ink and the other white as jade. Its black-and-white radiance reflected against each other, casting the entire chamber in strange, shifting hues.
The lotus's petals slowly unfurled. Fine spiritual patterns covered every petal, like the rings of an ancient tree—circle upon circle, layer upon layer—recording the pure life force of wood between Heaven and Earth.
Yan Hongchen stared at the lotus, pondering inwardly: If I truly use it as a bridge, I'll need to fuse in the surplus energy of a treasure with vitality to sustain it.
The life force left behind by the Gold of Life was perfectly suited to his current stage of cultivation. Even if it was only half-finished, it was better than nothing. He could not possibly sit around doing nothing.
Previously, aside from not having gathered all the materials, there was another matter that worried him. Though the Yin-Yang Wood Lotus was of no low grade, he was unsure whether it could sustain a complete reconciliation of water and fire.
If its wood energy ran dry midway, at best all