Chapter Twenty-Four: The Five Elements Qi Sea Technique and the Gluttonous Gold-Engraved Spear

Wan Yi flipped through the introduction of the "Five Elements Qi Sea Technique," and the more he read, the more he liked it.

According to the text, once this technique is mastered, one can open five additional qi seas in the body, surrounding the primary one. These five seas are formed by the energies of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, respectively, and they remain connected to the primary sea. When cultivating, the primary sea draws spiritual energy from the heavens and earth, which is then separated into its five elemental components and channeled into the respective secondary seas. In battle, one can wield the power of these five elements to cast spells or, without external aid, arrange a grand formation of the five elements. Furthermore, when the primary sea is exhausted, one can draw upon the reserves of the other five. In other words, while others at the same level have only one sea of energy, a practitioner of this technique possesses six. Not only does it grant control over the five elements, but it also provides six times the spiritual energy of one's peers.

Curiously, the technique had no defined grade. The preface stated that it required neither talent nor innate comprehension, only a vast amount of spiritual energy. In the early stages, one could use large quantities of spirit stones to open the seas. In the middle and later stages, as one’s cultivation grew, one would need to seek out supreme treasures imbued with elemental power to fill and strengthen them. Simply put, anyone could practice it, provided they were prepared to burn through money.

After reading the summary, Wan Yi was ecstatic. He decided this was the one. "So it needs a massive amount of spiritual energy? I don't have spirit stones or elemental treasures, but I have the 'Emperor Slashing Art'!" After hunting down an Emperor-realm cultivator, the heavens would bestow a divine infusion of power; surely that pure energy would be superior to any treasure or stone. If that wasn't enough, he could simply prioritize killing Emperors who cultivated metal, wood, water, fire, or earth arts.

Having made his choice, Wan Yi approached Qi Mingyue, held up the manual, and smiled. "Pavilion Master Qi, I've chosen this one. Keep a tab on the cost of the spirit stones."

Seeing the manual, Qi Mingyue’s expression turned strange. "Are you sure about this?"

Wan Yi frowned, puzzled. "Why, can this one not be chosen?"

Qi Mingyue shook her head repeatedly. "It can, it can! It’s just... you read the introduction, didn't you? This technique has its unique points, but it is notoriously difficult to cultivate."

Wan Yi nodded with a smile. "Rest assured, Pavilion Master. I am a bit unique myself; given my circumstances, practicing this should be no problem."

Seeing his resolve, Qi Mingyue ceased her persuasion. With a graceful motion of her hand, she produced a ledger from her storage ring, scribbled something down, and handed the brush to Yan Wuji. "Please, sir, leave your mark as a witness."

Yan Wuji brushed her hand aside impatiently. "What's the rush? My brother hasn't chosen his weapon yet. We'll sign for everything at once!" He turned to Wan Yi and smiled. "Brother, go check the weapon rack over there and see if anything catches your eye!"

Before Wan Yi could move, Qi Mingyue said thoughtfully, "Wait." Seeing their confused looks, she blushed slightly and explained, "I wonder, Head Constable Wan, do you have any specific preferences for weapons?"

Wan Yi was bewildered. "What do you mean, Pavilion Master?"

Qi Mingyue rolled her eyes at him, feigning annoyance. "You silly man, I'm asking if you have a preference for the style of the weapon. If not, I have one to recommend that might suit you." She led him to the rack and pointed to a long spear. "Why don't you take a look at this one?"

Wan Yi grabbed the spear. The moment it touched his hand, he frowned. The spear was pitch black, with a head shaped like a mythical beast, its mouth wide open, spitting out the spear tip. Although unique, it was not a magical artifact, a treasure, or a spiritual weapon. There was no trace of spiritual fluctuation; it felt like a mundane weapon used by common martial artists. Wan Yi looked at the spear, then at the beautiful woman, his eyes conveying, "Darling, are you messing with me?"

His expression made Qi Mingyue burst into laughter. After a long while, she steadied herself, covering her lips with her hand. "You fool, this is a real treasure. If you don't believe me, drip a drop of your blood on it to claim ownership. If you don't like it, you can simply erase your spiritual imprint and choose another."

Skeptical, Wan Yi dripped a drop of his essence blood onto the spear. Instantly, a surge of information flooded his mind: *The Taotie Gold-Chasing Spear! Nine feet eight inches long, forged from extraterrestrial dark iron. Though a mundane weapon, it is indestructible, capable of piercing any armor or shield, and slicing through high-grade spiritual weapons as if they were nothing.*

Beyond the description, the information included the "Taotie Spear Technique," specifically crafted for this weapon. The two complemented each other perfectly; when used together to kill an enemy, the spear would devour all the spiritual energy within the victim and feed it back to the wielder.

Wan Yi was stunned. This was clearly tailored for him!

Seeing his dazed look, Qi Mingyue giggled. "Well? I didn't lie to you. This spear is too overbearing for others to handle, but just because they can't use it doesn't mean you can't."

Wan Yi asked, confused, "Why can't others use it?"

Qi Mingyue looked at him as if he were an idiot. "You really are dense. The technique is aggressive; it devours the enemy's energy and feeds it back to the user. It’s fine at first, but who could endure that in the long run? Every cultivator follows a different path, so the attributes of their spiritual energy vary. The absorbed energy becomes messy and impure; it’s no wonder they would suffer qi deviation! But since you intend to practice the 'Five Elements Qi Sea Technique'—I don't know much about it, but I do know it has one special property: it can swallow all kinds of spiritual energy and convert it into elemental energy for your use. It doesn't matter how impure the absorbed energy is!"

Wan Yi was shocked. *Damn, I was careless. I must have missed that part when I skimmed the introduction. I really have struck gold!*

...

After selecting his items, the group moved to the backyard of the Wangchuan Pavilion. This was Qi Mingyue’s residence, where Niu San and Ma Si had already prepared a feast. After taking their seats, they began to chat and drink.

A few rounds later, Wan Yi and Qi Mingyue had grown familiar with one another. Amidst the clinking of glasses, Qi Mingyue suddenly asked, "Head Constable Wan, since you now hold the position of the Underworld’s Envoy in the mortal realm and can travel freely between the two, do you have any way to bring some Soul-Nurturing Pills from the world of the living?"

...To be continued...