Metal, wood, water, fire, earth!
At the pagoda's core, five innate spiritual restrictions imbued with the laws of heaven and earth linked end to end, as though born within the tower itself. The Dao resonance of the five elements descended from the endless void and flowed into them without cease.
Hum... hum... hum...
When the Dao resonance faded,
dazzling five-colored light and an overwhelming pressure burst from the refining cauldron. The top-grade cauldron shattered into countless fragments that lodged in the cave's walls, leaving only a man-shaped space behind Yellow Dragon untouched.
A streak of five-colored Spirit Light shot straight through the rock above the cave and into the sky.
"Trying to run? Not a chance!"
Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, Yellow Dragon chased the glowing pagoda out of the cave.
Above the Five Elements Grotto-Heaven, the streak of light was about to smash through the five-element formation overhead. Yellow Dragon immediately took control of the formation, raising barrier after barrier before the pagoda to stop its escape.
The barriers slowed the pagoda's charge until it hovered beneath the formation. Before Yellow Dragon could reach it, a force that seemed capable of swallowing everything spread from the tower and began devouring the surrounding Innate Spiritual Energy.
In an instant, that force swept across the entire Grotto-Heaven. After consuming every trace of Innate Spiritual Energy accumulated there over the past century, it even began draining the energy and vitality from the Spiritual Roots and Immortal Herbs.
With no time to investigate, Yellow Dragon drove the five-element formation at full strength, drawing Innate Spiritual Energy from ten thousand li around and pouring it into the pagoda. Only then did the Spirit Treasure stop draining the many Spiritual Roots and immortal plants in his cave.
What pained Yellow Dragon most was that a great many ordinary Innate Spiritual Medicines had withered into dead stalks.
Several days later, the storm of spiritual energy rushing toward the pagoda gradually subsided, and the light around the Spirit Treasure slowly faded.
A three-tiered pagoda stood motionless in the air, roughly a foot tall, its surface glowing with the gentle sheen of the five elements.
Forged from several kinds of innate divine iron, its five colors blended and echoed one another, giving it an appearance both weighty and subtly alive.
The pagoda streaked toward Yellow Dragon and circled him, sending him a faint sense of affection.
Yellow Dragon sent a strand of his Primordial Spirit into the tower. Meeting no resistance, he imprinted it upon the pagoda's source.
Every function of the pagoda was now under his control.
"I inscribed it with five-element spiritual restrictions while forging it. I'll call it the Five Elements Tower!"
With a stir of his Primordial Spirit, a thin layer of light covered the tower. As it shimmered, the pagoda drew in strands of Innate Spiritual Energy, and drops of refined five-element essence flew from its base into Yellow Dragon's hand.
Under Yellow Dragon's control, the power of the five elements cycled endlessly, each nourishing the next. The pagoda suddenly cast a thousand-zhang phantom that radiated boundless pressure.
At a thought, five-colored light unfolded from the tower in layers and formed a seamless shield. Yellow Dragon casually struck it with a burst of Magic Power. The five elements flowed across its surface, blocking his attack completely.
"Not bad. A Golden Immortal would struggle to break it, and at full power, it could even withstand Taiyi for a while."
Yellow Dragon was thoroughly pleased with the Five Elements Tower's abilities.
"It can attack and protect its master. For your first attempt, forging a Spirit Treasure so capable in both offense and defense is quite rare among low-grade Spirit Treasures."
A figure suddenly appeared beside Yellow Dragon. With a casual beckon, he summoned the Five Elements Tower from Yellow Dragon's hand, and it obediently spun above his palm.
When Yellow Dragon saw that the newcomer was Yuanshi, he immediately straightened and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Master!"
Yuanshi looked at Yellow Dragon with mixed feelings. He had accepted this disciple out of consideration for Green Dragon and to settle his karmic ties with the Dragon Race.
Yet this disciple had surprised him. Despite being only a Golden Immortal, Yellow Dragon had comprehended the artifact-refining inheritance he had left behind and successfully forged an acquired Spirit Treasure.
Perhaps having such a disciple was not bad after all. A rare hint of a smile appeared on Yuanshi's face, usually solemn and unchanging.
Yellow Dragon thought he was seeing things. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but Yuanshi's face had returned to its usual solemnity.
Yuanshi tossed the Spirit Treasure back to Yellow Dragon, ignoring his disciple's bewildered expression.
With a trace of authority, he said, "Keep working hard. If there is anything you do not understand, come to the Jade Pure Palace and ask me."
Yellow Dragon held back his excitement. "Yes, Master! When the time comes, please don't find me too slow-witted or resent me for disturbing your cultivation!"
Seeing Yellow Dragon tremble, Yuanshi shook his head, and his figure slowly faded.
Once Yuanshi had vanished completely, Yellow Dragon clenched his fists and shouted with joy, sending ripples through the spiritual energy of the entire Five Elements Grotto-Heaven.
At last, he had earned Yuanshi's recognition. He was no longer a disciple who could be overlooked without a second thought.
After a moment, Yellow Dragon composed himself. He fully refined the Five Elements Tower, then placed it at the heart of the Grotto-Heaven's five-element formation, allowing it to work with the formation to draw in spiritual energy and condense pure five-element essence.
Yellow Dragon stretched his arms and loosened his body.
He looked at the cave, which the Five Elements Tower had left looking like a battlefield, and at the Spiritual Roots and immortal plants that had lost their energy—especially his three treasures: the Blood Jujube, the white lotus, and the Dao Enlightenment Tea.
After checking them all, Yellow Dragon let out a long breath of relief.
The Dao Enlightenment Tea and white lotus had fared well enough. Their grades were high, and since the Five Elements Tower's devouring power had not targeted them specifically, they had barely managed to retain their energy.
The Blood Red Dates had suffered much worse. Most of their energy had been drained, and the newly formed fruits were shriveled and dull, as though starved of nourishment.
Yellow Dragon summoned Ziling and had her lead the bees in replanting the Immortal Herbs and Medicines from seeds they had collected earlier. Once every Spirit Field was sown, he cast a spell to bring down Sweet Dew while restoring the flow of energy through the earth.
Several months later, the immortal herbs and plants had regained their vitality. Yellow Dragon instructed Ziling to tend the cave, then mounted an Auspicious Cloud and headed for Three Purities Peak.
He intended to obtain Martial Uncle Tongtian's formation inheritance and his eldest martial uncle's alchemy inheritance first. Whether he studied them could wait. Once the Three Pure Ones went their separate ways, obtaining either inheritance would be difficult!
Before the Upper Pure Palace, Yellow Dragon slowly descended from his Auspicious Cloud. Looking at the formation that held Martial Uncle Tongtian's inheritance, he placed a tea leaf in his mouth and stepped inside...
Several months later, Yellow Dragon emerged from the formation, rubbing his head. He sat down to meditate, and after several days, the throbbing in his head finally eased. He bowed toward the Upper Pure Palace, then flew straight to the Supreme Pure Palace.
The Supreme Pure Saint's alchemy inheritance demanded even greater comprehension. Merely committing it to memory took Yellow Dragon several years.
Receiving the personal inheritances of two Sages one after the other exhausted Yellow Dragon's mind, despite his cultivation at the Late Golden Immortal Stage and the aid of Dao Enlightenment Tea.
He had taken in far too much knowledge beyond his current level. His head felt ready to burst from it all.
He bowed toward the Supreme Pure Palace, then mounted an Auspicious Cloud and drifted unsteadily back to his abode.
Inside the Jade Pure Palace, Yuanshi watched Yellow Dragon leave. He shook his head, then nodded. Whether he was disappointed by his disciple's greed or approved of his actions was hard to tell.
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