Thunderfall Valley
The valley remained shrouded in gloom, with flashes of lightning and rolling thunder reverberating through the air.
At the valley's entrance, silver-white lightning bolts, varying in thickness, roared as they struck a figure seated cross-legged. The figure seemed utterly unfazed, unmoving and unshaken, allowing the thunder to cascade over them.
Within their body, the final wisp of Gui Water Yin Thunder's origin completed its circulation through the meridians, returning to the kidneys.
The Ice Fire Yang Thunder, which had been restless in the heart, gradually calmed. Xiao Bai exhaled softly, his focus shifting away from the kidneys.
As if responding to a cue, the five organs within his body began to stir. First, the liver emitted a faint cyan glow. Then, from the now-quiet heart, strands of Prop Fire Qi rose, igniting into blazing flames.
Next, the Earth Thunder in the spleen stirred, radiating a heavy yellowish-gray light that pierced through his body.
A golden radiance followed, accompanied by a faint, resonant thunderclap. The lungs shimmered with dazzling golden light.
Finally, the kidneys, having just completed their refinement, pulsed briefly before the Gui Water Yin Thunder lazily emitted a subtle black glow.
In an instant, Xiao Bai's body was awash with five interwoven colors, dazzling and vibrant.
The liver's Yi Wood Thunder Qi pulsed with vibrant life.The heart's Bing Fire Thunder Qi surged with ferocious heat.The spleen's Wu Earth Thunder Qi exuded a profound, steady weight.The lungs' Geng Metal Thunder Qi gleamed with sharp, chilling lethality.The kidneys' Gui Water Thunder Qi flowed with serene, nurturing calm.
As the five elemental thunder lights blazed within, they radiated a powerful devouring force, relentlessly absorbing the external five elemental energies and thunder power. The residual thunder energy from his prior body refinement was completely consumed by these five radiant forces.
"What in the world is this?!"
Outside, the little golden dragon gaped as the silver-white lightning on Xiao Bai's body rapidly faded. With a sudden thunderclap, a halo of five-colored brilliance erupted, encircling him. He appeared divine, almost saintly, radiating an otherworldly aura.
Before the dragon could process what was happening, a tremendous devouring force descended upon it.
"Hey, hey, my lord, what are you doing?!"
The little golden dragon's eyes widened in panic. It could feel its own origin being tugged, nearly ripped from its body by the sudden devouring force.
Damn it, is this guy really after my origin?!
With a furious roar, the dragon struggled against the force. Golden lightning crackled as it flashed, causing the surrounding space to ripple faintly. Its massive form vanished, reappearing amidst the thick clouds above.
Its enormous pupils fixed on the black-robed, white-haired figure below, a hint of doubt creeping into its gaze.
Did something go wrong with him again?
The devouring force below had swept clean all five elemental and thunder energies within a hundred-meter radius. From Xiao Bai's body, waves of an inexplicable aura emanated, dominated by clashing water and fire energies, with faint traces of earth energy flickering intermittently.
Crack!
The storage ring on his finger, unable to withstand the force, shattered. The vast collection of herbs and magical beast cores inside eroded instantly, turning to ash as their energy was devoured.
"Five elemental energy, huh?" The little golden dragon mused, realizing Xiao Bai likely needed an immense amount of five elemental energy. Scanning the surroundings, it found only dense thunder energy.
What do I do? The jade slip for communication is down there, but I can't go near him, or I'm done for! The dragon circled anxiously in the clouds. If something happened to Xiao Bai, it would be trapped here forever.
For reasons it couldn't articulate, it despised the idea of being confined—loathed it deeply.
As the dragon fretted, changes unfolded below.
"What the—?! He's even devouring himself?!"
Xiao Bai's once lustrous, crystalline skin withered rapidly, shrinking until he was little more than skin and bones. His silky hair turned brittle, like dried straw. From a distance, he resembled a skeletal frame sitting cross-legged.
"Five elements? Circulation? Unity?"
As the little golden dragon scratched its head, watching Xiao Bai's aura weaken, a faint, rasping voice—like bones grinding—escaped his lips.
"What's that?" The dragon strained to hear, blinking in confusion.
"My lord, speak clearly! What's this about five elements circulating and uniting? Tell me what to do to save you!" A booming dragon roar echoed through the valley.
But after those few words, Xiao Bai fell silent, his life force seemingly extinguished. Yet the eerie devouring force lingered around him.
"Damn it!" The dragon's heart sank, its massive eyes wide with disbelief. It roared in anguish, "You bastard! You didn't just die like that, did you? What about me?!"
Its cries reverberated through the valley, unanswered amidst the relentless thunder.
___
Jia Nan Academy, Back Mountains
Stars blanketed the sky, and cool moonlight spilled across the mountain range, draping it in a silvery veil.
The distant roars of beasts occasionally broke the serene silence.
Under the cover of night, a small figure crouched behind dense foliage near a small valley, peering cautiously into its shadowy depths. Her nose twitched slightly.
So fragrant! It's gotta taste amazing! The figure's eyes sparkled with mischief as she muttered, Didn't expect that jerk to be that strong!
Recalling how the valley's inhabitant had repelled her earlier that day, a flicker of defiance flashed in her large eyes.
Hope the old man wasn't lying. That big guy's supposed to be weakened at night after its daytime outburst!
The small figure crept out from the bushes, moving with deliberate slowness to avoid making a sound, stealthily approaching the valley.
As the valley drew closer, she let out a quiet breath. Under the moonlight, faint bruises were visible at the corners of her mouth.
Thinking of the Snow Demon Sky Ape's berserk state, she patted her chest. Best to slip in quietly, grab the goods, and bolt. That dumb brute won't catch me then.
Entering the silent valley, she scanned her surroundings warily.
By the cave entrance, where the enticing aroma wafted, a massive creature lay sprawled, its snores echoing through the valley.
Breathing ever so carefully, she fixed her gaze on the white giant ape, as large as a small hill, and darted toward the cave with swift, light steps.
Suddenly, from the valley's dark depths, a pair of crimson lights flared. The ape's fur bristled as it locked eyes with the tiny intruder.
"ROAR!"
With a deafening bellow, the three-to-four-zhang-tall beast surged upright, its red eyes glaring with a mix of fury and wariness.
"Big guy! Quit yelling, you're so loud!"
The small figure, realizing she'd been spotted, dropped the stealth act. Rubbing her ears, she shouted in annoyance.
The white ape radiated a chilling aura, its heavy breaths puffing out as white mist from its massive nostrils. Its long arms and enormous hands dwarfed the tiny figure. Its crimson eyes glared menacingly.
For reasons it couldn't fathom, it sensed a bloodline pressure from this tiny being. Otherwise, she might have slipped into the cave unnoticed.
"ROAR!"
With another furious roar, the ape swung its massive paw down at her.
The small figure flickered, ripples spreading through the air. In a blink, she vanished from under the paw, reappearing at the ape's side.
BOOM!
The paw slammed into the ground, sending sand and stones flying. The impact against the valley walls echoed like thunder.
"Bleh, bleh, big dummy! Can't hit me!"
Unfazed, the small figure stuck out her tongue and made a face at the ape.
"ROAR!"
Enraged by the miss, the ape pounded its chest and let out a long howl. Its fanged maw opened, and a pale white energy orb surged forth, condensing into a massive, icy sphere that hurtled toward her with a piercing whistle.
The small figure eyed the plummeting ice sphere calmly. Clenching her tiny fist, she tracked its approach.
"Break!"
The massive ice sphere met her tiny fist in a colossal clash.
BOOM!
The valley shook with the impact. The cannonball-like ice sphere shattered, scattering in all directions.
A several-meter-wide trench scarred the ground. As the icy mist cleared, the small figure stood calmly at its end, exhaling a faint white mist.
"Big guy, that's all you've got? Who're you underestimating?" She dusted off her jade-like hands, sneering at the ape.
With that, she vanished, reappearing behind the ape. Her tiny fist, barely the size of its fingertip, rained down like a storm, hammering its body.
For a moment, the massive ape and tiny figure traded blows—fist against claw. It didn't resemble a human versus beast fight but rather two beasts brawling, relying purely on physical strength. The ape's furious roars echoed through the valley.
"Ugh, so annoying! Why's this guy so tough?!" The small figure landed a short distance away, rubbing her arms and glaring at the towering beast, panting.
Though it was weaker than during the day, her small size left her at a disadvantage.
The urge to grow larger burned stronger.
Her eyes darted, and she hefted a massive boulder, hurling it at the ape.
"Big guy, come chase me!" she taunted, trying to lure it away.
But no matter how enraged, the ape stayed near the cave entrance, dodging and weaving, refusing to leave. The small figure could only glare in frustration.
"So annoying!" Stamping her foot, she kicked a head-sized rock, shattering it instantly.
___
Within Xiao Bai's Consciousness
Xiao Bai's awareness drifted in a sea of darkness, silently observing the scene before him.
Five radiant lights clashed, vying for dominance.
Earlier, the five thunder seeds had ignited his five organs, and the next step was to circulate the five elements in harmony, creating an endless cycle.
Things had initially gone as planned. The five elements began to flow, generating a powerful devouring force within.
But when he attempted to unite the five elements, an issue arose.
After the Yi Wood True Thunder merged with the Prop Fire Yang Thunder, the fire's power surged dramatically.
Unhappy with this, the Gui Water Yin Thunder merged with the Geng Metal Tribulation Thunder, amplifying the water element.
Now, wood and fire were united, as were metal and water.
Instantly, Xiao Bai's body became a battlefield, like water poured into boiling oil, erupting in chaos.
Water and fire clashed relentlessly, each vying for supremacy by frantically absorbing all available five elemental energy to bolster itself.
The earth attribute, like a peacemaker, tried to mediate, but with the other two elements each backed by dual forces, its efforts were futile.
Balance, huh? Xiao Bai observed silently, his mind racing.
He paid little heed to the external state of his body. If he could balance the five elements within, his body would not only recover but advance further.
This wasn't a rebellion by Xiao Yi and the others but a reflection of his five organs' current state. Merely separating them was meaningless.
To balance the five organs, he needed to harmonize water and fire.
As he pondered, past insights into the five elements flooded his mind. Combined with his current state, his understanding deepened.
The qi of heaven and earth, united as one, splits into yin and yang, divides into the four seasons, and aligns with the five elements. Each moves differently, thus forming the five elements.
The five elements birth and restrain each other, the foundation of all things. Taiji begets two principles, which birth the four images—fire, wood, metal, water. The place where the four images arise and perish is earth.
So, my task is to strengthen the earth element to mediate water and fire, balancing the five organs.
And fortunately, the Wu Earth Nether Thunder has the power to regulate yin and yang, harmonizing water and fire!
Earth… how to strengthen earth?
Xiao Bai sank into thought, memories of the original story flashing through his mind until one moment crystallized.
That's it! Jia Nan Academy, the Snow Demon Sky Ape, the Earth Core Tempering Body Milk!
That place, capable of producing such a treasure, must be rich in earth energy—unlike here, where the earth's qi was scarce, preventing him from drawing on terrestrial energy.
Perfect, absolutely perfect! Heaven's on my side! Xiao Bai's heart surged with joy. That location wasn't far from here.
Outside, the little golden dragon gazed mournfully at the lifeless skeleton below.
What a jerk of a master, dying just like that, leaving me trapped here! I can't even send a message to the little master to save you!
Damn it! Why's that devouring force still active? Am I really stuck in this wretched place forever?
Irritated, the dragon circled the sky, probing the devouring force's range.
"Holy—?! He's come back to life?!"
With a startled yelp, the dragon shot far back, staring in horror as the skeleton suddenly stood.
The sunken eye sockets quivered, and a pair of eyes glowing with black-red light slowly opened, fixing on the dragon.
"Come here!!"
The voice, hoarse and grating like bones scraping, cut through the booming thunder.