The sea of five-colored clouds stretched endlessly across the heavens.
Every few breaths, another streak of light shot through the sky before disappearing into the distance. Countless cultivators chased after them with burning eyes, believing each one concealed a heaven-defying opportunity.
Explosions echoed one after another.
Some cultivators celebrated after obtaining treasures.
Others were immediately besieged by nearby experts, their newly acquired fortune becoming the cause of their deaths.
The sky had already descended into complete chaos.
Yet Lin Sheng ignored everything around him.
His attention remained focused entirely on the countless layers of multicolored clouds before him.
Crystal continued processing enormous amounts of information.
Its analytical capability, coupled with Lin Sheng's terrifying spiritual perception that now extended eighty-five li, allowed him to peer far deeper into the phenomenon than ordinary cultivators.
Even so...
Finding Astral Qi was far more difficult than expected.
Most of the clouds contained nothing but dense Heaven and Earth Essence mixed with traces of Dao Rhythm.
Although these substances were incomparably precious to ordinary cultivators, none of them were what Lin Sheng sought.
His twelve Innate Acupoints required genuine Astral Qi.
Nothing else could replace it.
Minutes slowly passed.
On his right hand floated a sphere of crackling silver-blue energy.
Lightning Astral Qi.
After searching through countless clouds, this remained the only complete strand of Astral Qi he had successfully extracted.
It was stable.
Violent.
Pure.
More importantly...
Crystal had already determined that its quantity was barely sufficient to fill all twelve Innate Acupoints.
Had he possessed only nine acupoints like ordinary martial artists, this amount would have been more than enough.
Lin Sheng looked at the sphere thoughtfully.
"If I don't find anything better..."
"This will have to do."
Lightning possessed immense destructive power.
Its explosive strength was among the greatest of all Astral Qi attributes.
It would certainly increase his offensive capability after entering the Astral Realm.
Yet...
Some instinct deep within him told him to continue searching.
Perhaps because the Heavenly Phenomena appeared only once in countless years.
Or perhaps because opportunities like this could never be encountered again.
He slowly dispersed the Lightning Astral Qi into a specially prepared jade vessel before sealing it with Gang Qi.
This would preserve it for a short period.
Crystal's calm voice echoed inside his mind.
•[Remaining Astral Qi stability: 94.7%. Estimated preservation time: three minutes forty-six seconds.]
Three minutes.
That was all the time he had left.
Lin Sheng's figure flashed through the heavens once again.
His spiritual perception spread outward like an invisible ocean, continuously sweeping across the surrounding clouds.
One minute...
Nothing.
Another minute...
Still nothing.
The Lightning Astral Qi remained his only option.
Just as he was preparing to give up—
His perception suddenly paused.
Within an unusually small five-colored cloud several hundred meters away...
Something shimmered.
It wasn't particularly large.
Compared to the enormous clouds surrounding it, it appeared almost insignificant.
Most cultivators completely ignored such a tiny cloud.
Their attention was focused on the massive cloud formations where the opportunities seemed more abundant.
Lin Sheng's pupils narrowed.
"There."
Without the slightest hesitation, he transformed into a streak of light and shot directly toward it.
The instant he entered the cloud...
His eyes widened.
The interior was completely different from what he had expected.
Instead of ordinary spiritual mist...
Countless streams of five-colored energy floated quietly through the air.
Gold.
Green.
Blue.
Red.
Yellow.
The five colors intertwined continuously while maintaining a mysterious balance.
Unlike ordinary elemental spiritual energy, these streams neither repelled nor devoured one another.
Instead...
They revolved harmoniously around an invisible center.
Crystal immediately completed its analysis.
•[Unknown composite Astral Qi detected.]
•[Elemental composition: Metal... Wood... Water... Fire... Earth.]
•[Five-element balance confirmed.]
•[Probability of naturally occurring Five Elements Astral Qi: 0.00031%.]
Even Lin Sheng's usually calm expression changed slightly.
"So rare..."
Five Elements Astral Qi.
He had read about it only briefly within ancient records.
It was said that ordinary Astral Qi usually contained only one elemental attribute.
Dual-attribute Astral Qi was already considered extraordinarily rare.
Triple-attribute Astral Qi could only appear under extremely special circumstances.
As for perfectly balanced Five Elements Astral Qi...
Many cultivators believed it existed only within legends.
Lin Sheng quietly observed the swirling energy.
The five streams continuously approached one another.
Separated.
Merged again.
It almost seemed...
As though they wished to become one.
Crystal projected another analysis.
•[Current balance unstable.]
•[Fusion tendency detected.]
•[Estimated dissipation time: one minute fifty-eight seconds.]
Lin Sheng frowned.
He couldn't wait.
If the balance collapsed before complete fusion...
The Astral Qi would simply disperse into Heaven and Earth.
He lowered his head, looking at the sealed Lightning Astral Qi within his storage ring.
Lightning offered certainty.
The Five Elements offered possibility.
His mind rapidly weighed the advantages.
Lightning Astral Qi possessed overwhelming destructive capability.
Five Elements Astral Qi, however...
Represented balance, growth, compatibility and perhaps...
Limitless future potential.
Lin Sheng slowly exhaled.
"There won't be another chance."
"If I choose safety today..."
"I may regret it for the rest of my life."
His eyes gradually became resolute.
"I'll take the risk."
Since he had made his decision...
He acted immediately.
His hands moved like flowing water as countless runes appeared one after another.
Unlike ordinary array flags...
These were Void Imprinting Runes.
Using space itself as the medium, he directly engraved formation patterns into the surrounding void.
One after another...
The runes quietly disappeared into empty space.
Soon—
An invisible defensive formation enveloped the entire cloud.
No spiritual fluctuations leaked outward.
Even cultivators passing nearby would struggle to notice anything unusual unless they deliberately investigated.
Crystal confirmed its completion.
•[Rank Three Concealment Formation successfully established.]
•[Rank Three Defensive Formation successfully established.]
•[Estimated resistance against early Purple Palace attacks: thirty breaths.]
Thirty breaths.
Not much.
But enough.
Lin Sheng slowly sat cross-legged within the center of the cloud.
Before him floated the swirling Five Elements Astral Qi.
Its balance had already begun weakening.
He could no longer delay.
His twelve Innate Acupoints activated simultaneously.
The Heavenly Circulation Cycle began revolving throughout his entire body.
Without another moment's hesitation...
Lin Sheng extended his hand.
The Five Elements Astral Qi instantly entered his palm.
The instant the Five Elements Astral Qi touched his palm, Lin Sheng no longer hesitated.
His fingers closed.
Then—
He swallowed it whole.
The five-colored stream shot down his throat like a living dragon.
Boom!
An indescribable pain exploded within his body.
It wasn't simply hot; nor was it merely cold.
Rather it was both simultaneously.
His throat felt as though molten lava had been poured into it while an endless glacier froze every inch of flesh from within.
The contradictory sensations collided violently, causing every muscle in his body to convulse.
Even his breathing almost stopped.
The Five Elements Astral Qi descended into his meridians.
Immediately...
The true torment began.
Unlike spiritual energy, Astral Qi possessed its own violent nature.
It refused to obey.
The instant it entered his meridians, the five-colored current surged wildly like an untamed flood, smashing into every pathway before it.
Crack...
Tiny tears appeared throughout several minor meridians.
Blood seeped from the corners of Lin Sheng's mouth.
His expression remained calm despite the agony.
Anyone witnessing this scene would believe he had gone mad.
Swallowing Astral Qi...
Was a complete taboo among martial artists.
Every Astral Gang expert understood the proper method.
One slowly guided the Astral Qi toward the labor palace acupoints within the palms.
Then...
Using those acupoints as intermediaries, the Astral Qi would gradually enter the body little by little before finally filling the Innate Acupoints.
It was slow.
Painstakingly slow.
Yet it was safe.
The Astral Qi would naturally become accustomed to the cultivator's body during the gradual absorption process.
Although nearly half of it would dissipate into the surroundings...
Life was preserved.
Lin Sheng had chosen the exact opposite.
He had swallowed all of it at once.
To outsiders...
This was suicide.
Crystal's calm voice echoed within his sea of consciousness.
•[Warning. Meridians undergoing structural damage.]
•[Damage percentage: 8.2%... 11.7%... 14.3%.]
Lin Sheng remained unmoved. Gritting his teeth, he said:
"This amount..."
"...is acceptable."
The greatest reason swallowing Astral Qi was forbidden had never been the Astral Qi itself.
It was the cultivator's body.
Peak Xuan Gang martial artists possessed physiques at roughly the same level as their cultivation.
Their flesh simply couldn't withstand the violent Astral Qi rushing through every meridian simultaneously.
Their bodies would collapse long before reaching the Innate Acupoints.
Lin Sheng was different.
His Body Refinement had already reached the peak of Rank Three Early Stage.
Every bone.
Every tendon.
Every muscle.
Every drop of blood.
Had long surpassed ordinary Xuan Gang martial artists.
His body could endure what others couldn't.
The raging Astral Qi continued charging recklessly.
Lin Sheng immediately mobilized his Gang Qi.
Unlike the violent Five Elements Astral Qi, his Gang Qi flowed steadily through his meridians.
The two energies collided.
Boom!
The Astral Qi resisted violently.
It was like attempting to force an enraged dragon into a narrow cave.
Lin Sheng's brows twitched slightly.
He didn't retreat.
Instead...
His Gang Qi wrapped around the Five Elements Astral Qi from every direction.
Suppressing it.
Compressing it.
Driving it forward.
"If you won't obey..."
"...I'll make you."
The five-colored current struggled desperately.
Metal slashed apart portions of his meridians.
Fire scorched everything in its path.
Water froze surrounding tissues.
Wood expanded wildly.
Earth sank heavily, slowing every movement.
The five attributes continuously shifted, making control several times more difficult than ordinary Astral Qi.
Even Lin Sheng's forehead became covered with cold sweat.
Fortunately...
His meridians had already been tempered repeatedly through years of cultivation.
Combined with his terrifying physique, they barely endured the assault.
The first destination soon appeared.
The first Innate Acupoint.
Located deep within his body, it had remained empty ever since he reached Peak Xuan Gang.
Now...
The Five Elements Astral Qi finally reached it.
The acupoint instantly erupted with dazzling five-colored brilliance.
Boom!
Rather than entering peacefully...
The Astral Qi crashed into it.
The entire acupoint trembled violently.
Lin Sheng felt as though a needle had pierced directly into his soul.
His vision blurred for a moment.
Still...
His consciousness never wavered.
Gang Qi continued pressing from behind.
Little by little...
The Astral Qi finally entered.
The first Innate Acupoint became completely filled.
Before Lin Sheng could even relax—
The remaining Astral Qi surged toward the second.
Then the third.
Fourth.
Fifth...
His twelve Innate Acupoints were connected through the Heavenly Circulation Cycle.
The Five Elements Astral Qi flowed through them one after another like an unstoppable river.
Every time one became filled...
It expanded.
The diameter increased slightly.
Its walls became sturdier.
The Astral Qi wasn't merely occupying the acupoints.
It was transforming them.
Stretching them beyond their original limits.
Lin Sheng's body trembled violently.
Every completed acupoint produced another wave of excruciating pain.
By the seventh...
His robes were completely soaked with sweat.
By the ninth...
Fresh blood flowed from both ears.
By the eleventh...
Even breathing became difficult.
Crystal continuously reported his condition.
•[Acupoint One: Complete.]
•[Acupoint Two: Complete.]
•[Acupoint Five: Stable.]
•[Overall completion: 67%.]
Lin Sheng ignored every warning.
He concentrated solely on maintaining his consciousness.
This process...
Required absolute control.
The Astral Qi could not complete the transformation by itself.
His will had to continuously guide every movement.
Should his consciousness collapse...
The Five Elements Astral Qi would instantly lose restraint.
Instead of entering the final acupoint...
It would explode throughout his body.
No Rank Three physique could survive that.
His body would burst apart from within.
He clenched his teeth.
"Not yet..."
"I'm not finished..."
The final stream of Five Elements Astral Qi finally arrived before the twelfth Innate Acupoint.
This time...
There was no resistance.
Almost as though sensing completion, the five-colored current quietly flowed into its final destination.
Boom!!
All twelve Innate Acupoints resonated simultaneously.
An invisible vibration spread throughout his entire body.
For an instant...
Lin Sheng felt incomparably full.
Every acupoint seemed swollen to its absolute limit.
Yet...
The pressure didn't stop.
Instead...
Each acupoint continued expanding.
Like twelve stars being forged.
Their internal space widened continuously.
The Five Elements Astral Qi finally settled down.
The savage violence from earlier completely disappeared.
Replacing it was a mysterious balance.
Lin Sheng slowly opened his eyes.
His breathing had become slow.
Steady.
Almost imperceptible.
He instinctively understood.
The most dangerous step had passed. Now it was time for the most painful yet stable process.