Chapter 006: The Generative Cycle of the Five Elements and the Spiritual Essence of Metal

At that moment, a dazzling golden light radiated from Wen Zifu, and the golden spiritual energy gradually began to be absorbed by him. The golden light slowly entered his body, and the instant the golden light completely merged with Wen Zifu, a flash of multicolored brilliance passed by, and he opened his eyes. In that instant, blue, red, brown, green, and golden lights flashed successively from his eyes. Wen Zifu's five-element body had finally achieved great success, advancing to the ninth level of the yellow grade. The spiritual power of each of the five elements flowed ceaselessly through his limbs and bones, thriving endlessly. In that instant, blue, red, brown, green, and golden lights flashed successively from his eyes. Wen Zifu's five-element body had finally achieved great success, advancing to the ninth level of the yellow grade. The spiritual power of each of the five elements flowed ceaselessly through his limbs and bones, thriving endlessly. From now on, he only needed to integrate the interactions of the five-element spiritual power, and during his cultivation, he could achieve twice the result with half the effort, with the speed of cultivating one type of spiritual power equaling that of others cultivating all five types.

After finishing his meditation, Wenzi Fu felt a significant improvement and was filled with excitement at the thought of achieving the foundation of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. In the following days, he only needed to gather the spiritual energy of metal and then separate his perception of the spiritual energy of earth, and the summoning of metal-type spiritual energy would soon be within reach. He reported this progress in his cultivation to Lu Zhongdao, who was delighted and repeatedly praised him, saying he was a teachable child, as if Wenzi Fu's mastery of the foundational aspects of the Yin-Yang and Five Elements talisman was even more gratifying than his own advancement.

Lu Zhongdao, who had originally gone off to drink, suddenly appeared in front of Wen Zifu. He looked at his disciple, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, emanating faint brown light, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. This disciple was not only intelligent but also possessed exceptional talent and worked diligently in his cultivation. Having such a disciple naturally brought him joy. Suddenly, a faint golden light emitted from Wen Zifu, who was sitting cross-legged, and in an instant, it vanished. Lu Zhongdao couldn't help but be taken aback. Although he was no longer surprised by Wen Zifu's astonishing speed of cultivation, he did not expect that after just explaining to him the principles of the Five Elements' mutual generation, Wen Zifu could sense the presence of golden spiritual energy in such a short time. This kind of talent, even when looking back over the ages, is truly unparalleled and extraordinary.

Wenzi sighed, stood up after finishing his practice. Fortunately, after experiencing half a month of failures, he had now grasped a bit of the method and felt the presence of the golden spiritual energy. From now on, as long as he practiced diligently, he would naturally be able to sense the call of the golden spiritual energy. He clenched his fist to encourage himself, and feeling elated, a tune he did not recognize suddenly burst forth from his lips: "As common folks, we are truly happy tonight..."

As Lu Zhongdao said, haste makes waste. Wenzi Fu sat in meditation for an entire night but gained nothing. The next day, he was too fatigued and dozed off after sitting for a while, making it impossible to practice. Lu Zhongdao offered some words of advice. Wenzi Fu realized that he was too anxious, so he adjusted his mindset and took a good rest for a day before resuming his practice.

Lu Zhongdao, upon hearing this, could not help but laugh loudly and said: "Do not be too greedy; be careful not to overreach and end up unable to digest it. I have long told you that the spiritual energy of the Yin-Yang and Five Elements talisman methods is different from the five elemental spells used by ordinary talisman masters. If you truly wish to inquire about the metal elemental spells or wood elemental spells, I can only tell you! I cannot!"

Lu Zhongdao took a satisfying sip of wine and thought to himself: It is better not to disturb his cultivation. As a disciple of the Eastern Emperor, I might one day become a figure even more formidable than Zhang Tianshi. Perhaps I could shatter the void like Zhang Tianshi, or it might not be impossible to earn the title of the God of Talismans! With this thought in mind, Lu Zhongdao quietly withdrew.

Relaxing his entire body, Wenzi Fu effortlessly entered a state of selflessness, using his consciousness to sense the overwhelming earth-type spiritual energy around him, attempting to find the presence of gold-type spiritual energy within the dense earth energy. After all, he had already sensed a trace of gold-type spiritual energy before, so this time, during his practice, Wenzi Fu had a clear objective, carefully feeling the sharp and striking sensations of spiritual energy within the earth energy. After this careful exploration, he indeed managed to perceive a considerable amount of this spiritual energy, which was intermingled with the earth energy and overshadowed by the surrounding powerful earth energy. After all, he had already sensed a trace of gold-type spiritual energy before, so this time, during his practice, Wenzi Fu had a clear objective, carefully feeling the sharp and striking sensations of spiritual energy within the earth energy. After this careful exploration, he indeed managed to perceive a considerable amount of this spiritual energy, which was intermingled with the earth energy and overshadowed by the surrounding powerful earth energy

Unbeknownst to Wen Zifu, who was focused on his cultivation, Lu Zhongdao had already come to inspect his progress. At that moment, he had just discovered a sharp sensation amidst the dense earth-type spiritual energy, a feeling of being able to break through all things in the world that he had never experienced before. With his experience in merging four types of spiritual energy, Wen Zifu suppressed his inner joy, opened his mind, and pursued that unique sensation.

"Think for yourself. For the next few days, do not rush to practice. Continuing to train without understanding the principles will be of no use to you." Lu Zhongdao waved his hand, and the disciple of martial arts left, while he went off to drink.

Having established this beginning, the subsequent cultivation becomes significantly simpler. One merely needs to guide their consciousness into the golden spiritual energy, and then attract the newly emerging golden spiritual energy from the surroundings. Once the golden spiritual energy becomes sufficiently vast, one can completely merge their consciousness with the spiritual energy and attempt to integrate the spiritual power into oneself.

Wenzi nodded, murmuring the principles of the Five Elements' mutual generation, furrowing his brow in contemplation. Usually, he did not feel much about keeping this principle in mind, but at this moment, as he continuously recited the laws of the Five Elements, it seemed as if something deep within his consciousness was about to surge forth. For some reason, he developed a sense of disdain towards himself, as if the principle of the Five Elements' mutual generation was so fundamental, yet he remained utterly ignorant of it. Was he not a complete fool?

Rest assured, Master Zhang can traverse the world with his Yin-Yang and Five Elements talismans, and he is even capable of slaying deities. It is likely that there are specific methods for their use. In the past, Master Zhang used the Nine Thunder Pearls to defeat the God of Music. I believe that the talismans and spells used by ordinary talisman masters are merely derived from the Yin-Yang and Five Elements talismans. So, put your heart at ease. As far as I know, the old talisman master has a small portion of the Yin-Yang and Five Elements talismans. If it truly comes to that, I will set aside my pride and seek this secret manual for you. At that time, will we still fear not being able to use the talisman spells?

With the immense temptation of having successfully established a foundation and the teachings of Lu Zhongdao on talismanic arts, along with some experience in sensing golden spiritual energy, Wen Zifu devoted himself to rigorous practice in the days following. The golden spiritual energy, which had originally been the size of a basketball, gradually increased in size as he persevered in his training. When the golden spiritual energy ball grew to a size that could be embraced by two people, Wen Zifu felt that the energy was sufficient and slowly began to attempt to sever his connection to the earth-type spiritual energy.

Thinking along these lines, Wen Zifu felt reassured and said, "Then I will go back to practice; perhaps I will sense the call of spiritual energy!" With that, he walked towards his residence. Lu Zhongdao looked at his disciple's retreating figure and said, "Haste makes waste; it is already late today, so it is better to rest early!" Wen Zifu casually acknowledged with a sound to indicate he understood and then entered his small wooden house.

Upon hearing Lu Zhongdao say he would teach him how to use talismans, Wenzi was overjoyed. He lifted the wine poured by the old man and gulped down a few mouthfuls, wiping his mouth with his sleeve and saying, "Can I learn the Thunder Elemental spells? Are there Wood Elemental spells? Do you know any Metal Elemental spells..." In his excitement, he inquired about all the talismans related to the Five Elements.

Although Lu Zhongdao was unable to cultivate the Yin-Yang Five Elements talisman technique, he still understood quite a bit about the principles of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. Upon hearing his disciple ask him this, he said: "Please describe to me how you sensed the four types of spiritual energy, and share with me in detail what feelings you experienced during this process."

Wen Zifu advanced to the ninth rank of the yellow level at the mere age of fifteen, making him quite formidable in Luojiang City. Even the officials in Luojiang City would have to give him some respect. Moreover, given his youth, it is only a matter of time before he steps into the blue level or even the purple level. If he were to return to the Wen family at this moment, it is likely that the Wen family would immediately strip Wen Zixing of his inheritance rights and allow Wen Zifu to inherit the family estate.

Lu Zhongdao chuckled and replied, "With the spiritual energy of the five elements within oneself, to rely on talismans would be a waste of natural resources. Naturally, it is essential to learn this. Moreover, mastering its application will lead to a deeper understanding, which will greatly benefit your integration of the five elements' spiritual energy. Therefore, it is indeed necessary to learn it."

Wenzi Fu then recalled that generally, talisman masters categorize spiritual spells into five elements: thunder, fire, water, earth, and wind. However, the five-element talisman methods do not include attributes of thunder and wind. It seems that when it comes to actual usage, the differences between the yin-yang five-element talisman methods and ordinary talisman techniques must be quite significant.

Forget it, it doesn't matter. He must just be too happy and humming casually! Wen Zifu paid no mind and excitedly went to report the good news to Lu Zhongdao. Upon hearing Wen Zifu's report on his cultivation progress, Lu Zhongdao chuckled, poured some wine from the jug into a bowl, and handed it to Wen Zifu, saying: "Cultivate well, and when you have mastered all five elements, I will teach you how to use talismans!"

What is so difficult about this! The characters represent the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal; this is the cycle of generation among the five elements. Metal restrains wood, wood restrains earth, earth restrains water, water restrains fire, and fire restrains metal; this is the cycle of restraint among the five elements. Currently, the Yin-Yang Five Elements talisman technique I am practicing is still in the foundational stage. I need to imprint the attributes of the five elements within my body, so that my future cultivation can be more effective.

"What if my Yin-Yang and Five Elements talisman methods do not correspond with the incantations of ordinary talisman masters? Wouldn't I then possess spiritual power but be unable to use it?" Suddenly considering this extreme scenario, Wenzi could not help but ask with concern. When it came to the issue of utilizing his own power, he even forgot to use the self-deprecating term "old man" that he had been forced to adopt by Lu Zhongdao.

This spiritual energy is actually akin to the principles of the world. The reason I was unable to perceive the existence of metal-type spiritual energy before was due to my excessive focus on the five elemental spiritual energies, as if the five types must coexist. In reality, this metal spiritual energy is buried within the earth spiritual energy. If I wish to integrate the metal spiritual energy, I must first temporarily set aside my perceptions of the water, fire, and wood elemental energies and concentrate on seeking the existence of metal spiritual energy within the earth spiritual energy. With this thought in mind, Wen Zifu disregarded the fact that it was already night and immediately sat cross-legged, hands in the yin-yang position, and began to cultivate.

What is the principle of the mutual generation of the Five Elements? After listening to Lu Zhongdao's analysis, Wenzi nodded thoughtfully and asked, "But what causes these Five Elements to generate one another?" Upon hearing his disciple's question, Lu Zhongdao did not respond directly; instead, he said lightly, "This is something you must contemplate for yourself. The path of cultivation cannot be rigidly applied; you must have your own understanding and methods. Otherwise, you will never surpass me, and what you learn will only be what I already know."

Unconcerned with the changes in his own psyche, Wenzi Fu focused solely on contemplating the principles of the Five Elements' generative cycle. He recited these principles countless times, as if inspiration struck him, or perhaps something from his subconscious emerged. He suddenly realized that the generative cycle of the Five Elements was not a particularly complex issue. In a few words, it can be summarized as follows: wood can burn to create fire, fire can reduce wood to ash, the earth contains various metals, metals can melt into liquid at high temperatures, and water can nourish trees. He suddenly understood that the generative and restraining relationships of the Five Elements, though seemingly mysterious, are merely phenomena that exist in everyday life.

Wenzi Fu recounted his experiences with the four elemental energies one by one, detailing the gentle sensation of merging with the water energy, the passionate feeling of the fire energy, the weighty essence of the earth energy, and the vibrant spirit of the wood energy, all of which he elaborated on in the book. As Lu Zhongdao listened to him describe these various sensations, he stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Indeed, you have integrated these four elemental energies very well. However, before I explain the existence of the metal energy to you, please elaborate on the principles of the five elements' mutual generation and restraint."

After seven days and nights of relentless practice, Wen Zifu finally completely severed his connection to the earth element spiritual energy. The metal element spiritual energy then became active, and a sense of unparalleled dominance emerged within him. Filled with joy, Wen Zifu did not rush to merge his consciousness with the spiritual energy, but instead waited for the gradual summoning of the energy.

Lu Zhongdao nodded and said, "You are not wrong, but you do not truly understand the principles of the mutual generation and restriction of the Five Elements. Right now, you only know that it is so, but do not know why it is so. Let us consider the place where you are cultivating..." Lu Zhongdao pointed to the location where Wenzi Fu was practicing and continued, "You are meditating under the giant tree, surrounded by Wood Element spiritual energy; beneath you is the entire island, representing the Earth Element; the sea surrounding the island represents the Water Element; the blazing sun overhead represents the Fire Element! But do you have any representative objects of the Metal Element around you?"

Wenzi shook his head to indicate no, and then listened as Lu Zhongdao continued: "The surrounding sea is vast, and the water element is abundant. This is why the first thing you sensed was the call of the water element, followed by the earth, fire, and wood elements. The reason you have not been able to sense the presence of the metal element is not that there is no metal element here, but rather that the metal element is too weak for you to perceive. However, the earth element is plentiful here. If you can truly understand the principle of the mutual generation of the five elements, then you will be able to sense the presence of the metal element from the earth element."

Wenzi couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. After thinking for a long time, he realized he had never heard such a nonsensical tune. He couldn't help but wonder, "Could it be that this old man has a talent for composing music? Although this little melody is crude, it is catchy, and if I could compose the entire piece, it would surely become a sensation across the world." Unfortunately, as he thought this, he found himself unable to recall the melody that followed the little tune.

Returning to the wooden cabin, Wenzi Fu sat cross-legged again to meditate and practice his skills. His dedication to practice could be considered diligent, as he spent his days, apart from eating and sleeping, pondering over his training. Lu Zhongdao observed this and often lamented that if he had put in such effort during his foundational training, he would not now be inferior to a mere Silver-level Seventh Stage talisman master.

Unfortunately, he had only just grasped the principle of the Five Elements' mutual generation. Coupled with the overwhelming interference of the surrounding water element's spiritual energy on the other elemental energies, even though Wen Zifu wanted to disregard the sensations of the water element's spiritual energy, it was impossible to truly isolate himself from its interference. Although he had relaxed his thoughts, this very act caused his separation from the water element's spiritual energy to collapse in an instant. The surging water element's spiritual energy, like a mischievous child, rushed forth and completely obscured the subtle sensations of the metal element's spiritual energy.

After three more days of intense practice, Wen Zifu's affinity with the gold elemental spirit energy grew increasingly strong, and the vague sense of summoning that had appeared four times before finally manifested. Wen Zifu suppressed the immense joy arising from the imminent success, striving to completely release his consciousness, allowing it to merge with the spirit energy in response to its call.

Old man, I have finally achieved great success!" Wen Zifu excitedly approached Lu Zhongdao, eager to share the news of his diligent training. However, Lu Zhongdao did not respond with the praise he expected; instead, he reminded him: "At present, you have merely laid a solid foundation. The five elemental attributes within your body are still operating independently. You must integrate and harmonize the five elemental spiritual powers; only then can you truly consider it a great success. It is still too early to speak of success at this stage"

Upon hearing Master’s reprimand, Wenzi Fu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He let out a low sound of dismay, recalling Lu Zhongdao’s words about teaching him the art of talismans. With some trepidation, he asked, "Old man, does this mean I still cannot learn the art of talismans?"

Indeed, as he had thought, once he set aside his perception of the water, fire, and wood elemental energies, he began to sense a feeling he had never experienced before within the earth elemental energy. This small island is surrounded by the sea, and the suppression of the other elemental energies by the water elemental energy is quite significant. He had not noticed this during his previous training, but now, by releasing his perception of the water elemental energy, his awareness of the earth elemental energy became exceptionally clear, as if the weight of the earth itself had merged into his very blood. This small island is surrounded by the sea, and the suppression of the other elemental energies by the water elemental energy is quite significant. He had not noticed this during his previous training, but now, by releasing his perception of the water elemental energy, his awareness of the earth elemental energy became exceptionally clear, as if the weight of the earth itself had merged into his very blood.

Wenzi Fu understood that what he sought was the golden spiritual energy, so he merged his consciousness into the strands of golden spiritual energy. Using his own consciousness as a guide, he slowly gathered the golden spiritual energy that was mixed within the earth spiritual energy. This process resembled ants moving their home, as he collected more and more of the golden spiritual energy that was covered by the earth spiritual energy, gradually forming a sphere of spiritual energy the size of a basketball, radiating golden light.

One should not underestimate the mere Yellow Level Nine. It is important to note that since the transmission of the talisman cultivation techniques by Master Zhang, these techniques have become widely disseminated. However, among the talisman masters of the five levels—Gold, Silver, Purple, Blue, and Yellow—99 out of 100 remain stuck at the Yellow Level and cannot advance further. For instance, Wen Zifu's grandfather, Wen Dingguo, was considered quite talented in the Wen family. He advanced to Yellow Level Nine in his thirties and, after diligently practicing until his sixties, still could not step into the Blue Level. He merely became more proficient in the use of talisman techniques.

"Old man, how can I sense the presence of the Golden Elemental Qi?" It has been half a month since the successful fusion of the four elemental Qis, but my recent cultivation has made no progress. Therefore, I inquired about methods from Lu Zhongdao. As the saying goes, a master leads you to the door, but the cultivation is up to the individual. Having a master who is a Silver-level talisman master, if I still have to explore on my own, that would not be just foolish, it would be extremely foolish!