In the square, the gradually fading blackness thickened once more.
The calamity of the Five Elements, composed of four colors, slowly spread out for the fourth time.
Within fifty paces of Zhang Yaqi and Xiao Wenbing, various dazzling colors shimmered.
Their bodies were enveloped in a verdant green.
Water nourishes wood, the final tribulation of the Five Elements, the wood of the East.
Wood, when straight or curved, represents vigorous vitality and prosperity.
A vibrant, intense life force filled the entire world, and the two hearts merged together without any barrier. A surge of life-giving divine energy caressed these two sincere hearts.
All the previous harm has been completely healed.
The harsh winter is over, and the spring breeze is here.
After a period of hardship, things finally took a turn for the better...
The final tribulation of the Five Elements was, surprisingly, the tribulation of life itself. After enduring countless hardships, they finally ushered in their final joy.
Volume Three: The Tribulations of the Five Elements, Chapter Ninety-Three: The Unity of the Five Tribulations
------------------------
Zhang Yaqi smiled slightly, raising both hands above her head. In her hands was the Qiankun Ring, as heavy as Mount Tai, which no one could lift.
Xiao Wenbing looked back at his palm and was surprised to find that he was still a step away from Zhang Yaqi. He immediately understood as soon as his divine sense crossed his mind.
Zhang Yaqi was able to awaken from the Northern Calamity not because of the life-saving talisman, but because of her own abilities.
Just as she had asked Feng Baiyi to convey, she was determined to carve out her own path and create a world of her own.
The Qiankun Ring suddenly lit up, and the jade-like ring emitted an incomparably dazzling luster.
Little by little, the Universe Ring shattered, turning into countless points of light that flew into the air.
The five colors surrounding them seemed to be drawn by the Universe Ring, and together they flew upwards.
The boundless sky shimmered with colorful halos, transforming into auspicious dragons and phoenixes, dancing gracefully.
Suddenly, all the light condensed into one, and a dazzling and magnificent burst of light and fire erupted in the air.
A rain of fire poured down from the sky, and suddenly sixteen large golden characters appeared in the air.
Persistence and perseverance are essential.
The sea and sky meet at the horizon, and the five elements of heaven and earth are intertwined.
An extremely gentle light spread far and wide in all directions, gradually enveloping the entire mountain gate.
It pierced through the roof, through the walls, and through the restrictions. No building or Taoist method could withstand the light. In an instant, every inch of the place was illuminated.
Inside the mountain gate, from the sect leader of Tianyi Sect to the outer servants, everyone felt this peaceful and serene, gentle, and sacred aura, as if it could make people forget all the troubles of the world.
"Infinite Heavenly Venerable..." Led by a dozen or so old Taoist priests, countless disciples chanted loudly in the square.
A dozen or so bald old monks put their hands together in prayer and chanted the Buddha's name: "Amitabha Buddha."
"Lord, praise be to you! It is you who have brought holy light down upon the world, washing away all sins." The paladins praised their God loudly in a language no one could understand.
"Great God of Darkness, is this not your blessing?" All the dark creatures were also bathed in this gentle light. They looked at each other in bewilderment, because they knew very well that the God of Darkness would never emit such a soft and comfortable light; it was an absolutely impossible thing.
The sixteen large characters in the sky began to rotate, forming a circle that, before everyone's eyes, transformed into a jade-white bracelet, which wrapped around Zhang Yaqi's wrist.
The treasure recognized its master—almost everyone sighed with relief; the Qiankun Ring had finally found a new master.
Zhang Yaqi was smiling and about to speak when her expression suddenly changed, and boundless spiritual power erupted from her body.
Xiao Wenbing was overjoyed and exclaimed softly, "After one tribulation, your merits will be elevated to a higher level. Yaqi, you have experienced five tribulations. Quickly circulate your energy."
Zhang Yaqi nodded slightly, then sat down gently, cross-legged, and another change occurred in her body.
A red flame blazed up from within her, the joyful flames leaping and dancing on her body. As if oblivious to the heat of the flames, Zhang Yaqi reached out her fair little hand and gently touched the tiny flames.
Xiao Wenbing found it amusing and extended his finger. However, he suddenly staggered back several steps, grimacing and waving his arms. The flame, which posed no threat to Zhang Yaqi, nearly scalded him into a giant turkey.
An inner core rose from Zhang Yaqi's body, swirling in front of her and generating a powerful suction force that completely extinguished the flames on her body.
After absorbing the flames, the inner core became incredibly solid, growing several times its original size.
"Mid-stage Core Formation," Xiao Wenbing exclaimed with delight.
The earthy yellow hue replaced the flames, solid, heavy, and seemingly indestructible.
The inner core slowly descended, rolling around Zhang Yaqi's body. With each roll, it absorbed a portion of the earthy yellow hue. After a moment, it was finally completed.
The inner core, suspended high above, has grown larger and larger. It has evolved from its initial soybean-like shape, through the era of a ping-pong ball, and now successfully reached the size of a watermelon.
Xiao Wenbing stared dumbfounded at the inner core that resembled a watermelon. Was this the late stage of Core Formation? How could such a large thing be inserted into a person's dantian?
Countless white dots rose from Zhang Yaqi's body, and as if they had their own consciousness, they flew into the giant watermelon that was spinning in the air.
"Smack..."
A loud cracking sound rang out, and the watermelon finally burst open. Inside was a small golden sphere.
"The Golden Core Path..." Xiao Wenbing murmured with a hint of envy.
Black, boundless, flowing blackness emanated from Zhang Yaqi's body, swirling in the air before obediently entering her golden core.
Xiao Wenbing stared intently at it, but to his great disappointment, the golden core remained the same size, showing no signs of expansion. However, its color had become even more intense.
When the vibrant green, representing the breath of life, enters the Golden Core, the rich golden color flows endlessly, seemingly ready to burst open at any moment.
Zhang Yaqi stretched out her delicate hand, and the golden elixir obediently entered her body.
Having experienced five tribulations and merged them into one, Zhang Yaqi has advanced from the early stage of Core Formation to the top stage of Golden Core in one fell swoop.
Even Xiao Wenbing and Feng Baiyi were far inferior at this moment.
※※※※
"See that? This is all thanks to my good disciple..." the old Taoist said with a smug look on his face.
"Your disciple?" Zhang Daoren looked at the distance between them again carefully, and said hesitantly, "It seems that your disciple has not come into contact with Yaqi."
The old Daoist Xianyun blushed slightly and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, haven't you heard of casting spells from a distance? Although my disciple didn't encounter that woman..."
"Zhang Yaqi".
"What?" the old Taoist priest, Xianyun, asked in confusion after being interrupted.
"That woman is named Zhang Yaqi, and she is a friend of your disciple's family," Zhang Daoren explained.
"Ah..." Only then did the old Daoist Xianyun understand why Xiao Wenbing had risked so much to stand up for her; it turned out there was such a connection. He gathered his thoughts and suddenly asked, "How could Fellow Daoist Zhang know all this so clearly?"
Master Zhang smiled proudly and said, "Yaqi is indeed my daughter."
Volume Three: The Tribulation of the Five Elements, Chapter Ninety-Four: Success Completed
------------------------
"What?" The old Taoist priest Xianyun stared at Zhang Daoren suspiciously, and even the Tianyi Sect Master and others turned their heads.
Since Zhang Yaqi was Xiao Wenbing's lay friend, their ages must be close, at most around thirty. And this old fellow, so old and a cultivator, still had such interest decades ago—truly remarkable…
"Fellow Daoist Zhang has been blessed with a daughter, why are we so completely unaware?" Old Daoist Yi Su asked, as he and Daoist Zhang were old friends who had risked their lives for each other.
Master Zhang chuckled and said, "Adopted daughter, just an adopted daughter."
The old Taoist priests around him turned their heads at the same time, scoffing at him. They all thought this guy was an old tree blossoming, but it turned out he was just a cheap daughter.
"Ah... so it's my father-in-law." The old Taoist priest Xianyun walked up with a big smile. Taoist cultivation does not have any taboos about marriage. He was extremely satisfied with this girl who was able to pass the Five Elements Tribulation.
"Haha, my dear father-in-law." Zhang Daoren greeted him with a smile. Similarly, he had no complaints about Xiao Wenbing, who had achieved the Golden Core in a year and had played the hero who saved the beauty at the critical moment of life and death.
Amidst dozens of envious and feigned disdainful gazes, four large hands clasped firmly together in mid-air.
※※※※
The wind subsided and the clouds dispersed, and nothing changed again.
Xiao Wenbing looked up at the sky anxiously, muttering to himself as he devoutly prayed to heaven.
"Wenbing, what are you doing?" Zhang Yaqi noticed Xiao Wenbing's strange appearance at a glance. She took a step forward and asked in surprise.
"Get out of the way quickly, be careful not to get burned by the fire," Xiao Wenbing said urgently.
Zhang Yaqi was startled and looked around, but after searching for a long time, she still couldn't find the flame that Xiao Wenbing had mentioned. However, her face suddenly turned red, and she whispered, "Wenbing, what are you doing? So many people are watching you."
"Never mind them," Xiao Wenbing said casually. "Why haven't they arrived yet? It's driving me crazy."
"What's the matter, Fellow Daoist Xiao?" The Tianyi Sect Master and his group had arrived unnoticed and asked Xiao Wenbing, who looked anxious.
"This disciple is waiting for his cultivation level to advance."
"A realm advancement?"
“Indeed.” Xiao Wenbing bowed respectfully to the old Taoists and said solemnly, “Although I am not a disciple of your sect, I have still experienced five tribulations in this Five Elements Tribulation. Didn’t you say that after each tribulation, one’s merit will be elevated to a higher level? So I am waiting.”
"This..." The Tianyi Sect Master's expression was quite strange. He smiled bitterly and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, the Five Elements Tribulation can only save one person at a time. Since Yaqi has already improved her realm, there can be no further changes."
"Ah." Xiao Wenbing sighed in disappointment, muttering, "Then all my suffering was for nothing?"
"That's not necessarily true. As the saying goes, 'No pain, no gain.' Although Fellow Daoist Xiao has suffered so much for nothing, it will greatly benefit his future cultivation."
"Is it really that beneficial?" Xiao Wenbing muttered to himself, "I don't see it that way."