Chapter 335: Wuxing Huo, the Secret of Antiquity

【Treasure Artifact Gourd: Upper-Grade Prototype, with boundless potential.】

【Originally forged by the Plague Elder, a Daoist of the demonic sect, this artifact was later cleansed of its seals and reforged into a nascent Treasure Artifact.】

【The artifact contains Chaos Divine Iron, capable of containing all things and absorbing any elemental force.】

【Multiple elemental seals have been embedded within, encompassing all five elements, forming a self-sustaining cycle—miraculous in its design.】

…

Staring at the glowing characters that emerged on the gourd—Zi Se Yi Neng Zhi Guang—and reading the inscribed notes, Lu Qing’s face split into a broad, satisfied smile.

This was his first official attempt at artifact forging. Though he had simulated the process countless times through his Abilities Simulation, succeeding on the first try—without a single flaw—was still a cause for genuine joy.

“From now on, you’ll be called Wuxing Huo.”

Lu Qing named the artifact, then tossed the gourd into the air before him. He exhaled a stream of his primordial essence directly onto it.

With the artifact seal now complete, the next, most critical step began: soul-binding, the process of claiming it as his own.

And for a personal treasure artifact, the binding was far more complex than for ordinary ones. It required sustained, uninterrupted cultivation using both his primordial essence and spiritual soul power—only then could the artifact become perfectly attuned to his spirit, merging as one, as effortless as moving his own limbs.

Eventually, when he advanced further, he would infuse his own spirit and vital energy into the artifact, nurturing its soul and transforming it into a true Spirit Artifact.

That was why the Plague Elder had been able to so easily abandon his mortal body and reincarnate into the artifact as an Artifact Spirit—because the gourd’s soul had originated from the same source as his own.

Otherwise, transforming a human into a treasure artifact while preserving one’s true spirit? That was impossible.

“Master Lu’s combat technique… it’s the Five Elements Body Cultivation Scripture,” Yan murmured, eyes widening.

The sight of Lu Qing’s primordial energy—manifesting all five elements—combined with the radiant glow that shimmered across his body during cultivation, left Yan stunned.

Ever since Lu Qing had absorbed the Lihuo Ding, he had sealed away all knowledge of his cultivation path. For years, Yan had known little of Lu Qing’s true nature—certainly not even the type of cultivation he practiced.

Earlier, when Lu Qing had helped him defeat the Plague Elder, he had channeled the cave’s magical formation energy, not his own Qi.

Only now, seeing the five elements in his breath and the light dancing over his flesh, did Yan realize: Lu Qing was cultivating the Five Elements Body Cultivation Scripture—a technique from the ancient cultivation era, nearly forgotten and scorned in modern times.

“Could it be… he’s really training in this? How could he even consider it? Was there nothing else in that Li Hua Zong Chuan Cheng he obtained? Or… did he not even know its flaws?”

Yan’s voice held a mix of disbelief and confusion.

The Five Elements Body Cultivation Scripture was hardly a high-level technique. Its cultivation speed was painfully slow, and its peak was limited. Even its creator had only reached the peak of the Golden Core realm before dying of old age.

That Lu Qing would choose such a technique was utterly unexpected.

But Yan knew better than to press now. So he remained silent, watching as Lu Qing continued to refine the artifact.

With each breath, Lu Qing poured more of his primordial essence into Wuxing Huo. The gourd gradually absorbed his spiritual imprint, until—

With a sudden flash of radiant light, it shot forward, merging into Lu Qing’s body and settling deep within his Dantian Qi Sea.

There, it began to circulate through the five elements of spiritual energy, drawing them in, purifying them, and releasing them back out. Then, it drew them in again.

Each cycle left Lu Qing’s spiritual energy a little more refined, a little purer.

He felt a surge of surprise.

For the Five Elements Body Cultivation Scripture required him to constantly refine his body using his own spiritual energy. As his body grew stronger, so did the demand for higher purity in his Qi.

Now, Wuxing Huo was purifying his Qi automatically—constantly, nonstop.

It was like having a perpetual cultivation assistant.

This could drastically accelerate his cultivation speed.

“Indeed, choosing Wuxing Huo as my personal treasure artifact was the right decision. Even at this early stage—just one seal—its benefits are already extraordinary. When it fully matures and evolves into a Spirit Artifact… the advantages I’ll gain will be beyond imagination.”

At present, Wuxing Huo had only one layer of seal. This seal was a complete Five Elements Array, forged from Lu Qing’s synthesis of the Divine Seal Sect’s heritage and the Lihuo Sect’s forging techniques.

Normally, a single seal could only produce a basic Spirit Artifact—barely more than a low-tier one.

But Wuxing Huo’s foundation was exceptional.

The Plague Elder had poured his entire life’s cultivation into it, investing every ounce of his power. Worse, he had unknowingly infused a legendary piece of Chunhun Shen Tie—Chaos Divine Iron—into the core.

Even without seals, Wuxing Huo’s material alone was strong enough to rank among the top-tier treasure artifacts.

With continued refinement, Lu Qing would eventually forge deeper seals into it—until, one day, it would awaken as a true Spirit Artifact.

And as its master, especially as a personal treasure artifact, he would reap immense rewards.

“Congratulations, young master. You’ve successfully completed the soul-binding. You now possess your personal treasure artifact.”

Yan’s voice rang out with genuine warmth.

Inside, it marveled at Lu Qing’s cultivation fortune.

Just a Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator, yet he already had two Spirit Artifacts—and now, a personal treasure artifact with the potential to become a Spirit Artifact.

Such luck… even in the ancient cultivation era, such a phenomenon would have been considered legendary.

And Yan, having existed for tens of thousands of years, had never heard of anything like it.

“Just one seal,” Lu Qing said, shaking his head. “There’s still a long road ahead.”

Even so, this was already his limit at current cultivation level. To forge another layer, he’d need to break through to a higher realm.

“Young master’s talent is exceptional,” Yan said with a respectful tone. “It won’t take long before you reach the stage to forge a second seal.”

“Though… there is one thing I’m still puzzled about,” Yan added, hesitating slightly. “May I ask… why did you choose the Five Elements Body Cultivation Scripture? Don’t you know its drawbacks?”

“Drawbacks?” Lu Qing smiled. “I’m well aware. But to me, they’re not problems. This cultivation method is perfectly suited for me. I chose it carefully. You needn’t worry.”

He didn’t elaborate.

Yan sensed the dismissal.

It was clear Lu Qing wasn’t going to explain further.

Still, it made sense. The boy was young, but sharp—calculating, even ruthless. He wouldn’t risk his future unless he had a solid foundation.

If he dared to cultivate this technique, there had to be a reason.

“By the way, Yan elder,” Lu Qing asked, “I’ve been hearing you speak of the Ten Heavenly Declines Cataclysm. What exactly is it? Could you explain it in detail?”

Yan’s expression stiffened.

Earlier, Lu Qing had asked the same question—then, Yan had used it as leverage, demanding something in return.

Now, with the boy asking again, Yan dared not play games.

Instead, he spoke seriously:

“The Heavenly Human Five Decay Cataclysm… was a great calamity that struck at the end of the previous cultivation era. It was caused by the decay of Qi laws and the transformation of Heaven and Earth’s principles.”

“It primarily targeted cultivators above the Zhu Ji Qi stage. For lower-level cultivators, it had little effect.”

“The rules of Heaven and Earth evolved relentlessly. The world gradually became unable to sustain powerful cultivators—especially those at the Golden Core and beyond.”

“Even if they did nothing, their cultivation and soul would slowly deteriorate under the new laws.”

“After all, a cultivator’s power is built over decades, even centuries. Their longevity depends on their cultivation. Without it, the true spirit cannot be sustained.”

“Once their cultivation and soul weakened past a certain point, their body and spirit would collapse. All their strength would vanish. Their true spirit would fracture and dissolve.”

“That was the Heavenly Human Five Decay Cataclysm—the inevitable, world-ending catastrophe faced by every great cultivator at the end of a cultivation era.”

Lu Qing finally understood why Yan had been so shocked upon learning the Plague Elder’s true spirit still lingered.

This wasn’t just a danger—it was a universal fate.

“Then… you, as an artifact spirit, are unaffected by this?”

“Correct,” Yan said. “We artifact spirits possess a true spirit, but we have no physical body. We don’t age, don’t decay. The decay doesn’t affect us.”

“However… if Qi fades and we’re starved of spiritual nourishment for too long, our true spirit weakens. We fall into deep slumber.”

“That’s why the Plague Elder performed Reincarnation Possession—into his own personal treasure artifact. That was his only hope.”

“Is there truly no way to resist it?” Lu Qing asked. “So many great masters in the ancient era… they couldn’t just sit and die?”

“Resist?” Yan gave a cold, bitter laugh. “Of course not.”

“Cultivators value life above all—especially the ancient, long-lived ones. As soon as the Heaven and Earth rules began to shift, and Qi started to decline… the old masters foresaw the coming disaster.”

“They began preparing immediately.”

“The later conflicts between sects—resource wars, brutal battles—were all orchestrated by them. Their goal? To consolidate all cultivation resources, to build a plan to survive the cataclysm.”

“What plan?” Lu Qing asked.

Yan hesitated. “I can’t be certain. Rumors spread widely. Some say they sought to carve out a hidden sanctuary, hiding from Heaven and Earth’s laws, waiting for the next cultivation era to return.”

“Others claim they intended to forge an unprecedented treasure artifact—capable of breaking through the world’s boundaries and escaping this realm.”

“Still others say they gathered all the finest herbs and pills, crafting supreme elixirs to push their cultivation to the absolute limit, then attempt transcendence through the Heavenly Tribulation.”

“Everyone has their theory. But I don’t know which is true. One thing is certain—by the time the cataclysm truly arrived, my Lihuo Sect had already been destroyed in battle.”

“Creating a sanctuary… to hide from the disaster?”

Lu Qing’s eyes flickered.

“Yan elder… today, there are several hidden realms in the world. Some claim they’ve existed for tens of thousands of years. Could they be the ones you’re referring to?”

He then shared what he knew about the Four Secret Places.

“Xuan Kong Shan, Yun Shui Mi Jing, Qing Yang Guan, Han Shui Gong?”

Yan frowned. “These four sects… in the ancient era, they were indeed top-tier powers. But their foundations… aren’t strong enough to build a sanctuary capable of surviving ten thousand years.”

“Could it be… something happened after I fell into slumber?”

“You mean… even with their legacy, they couldn’t possibly sustain a sanctuary for ten thousand years?”

“Not impossible,” Yan admitted. “In ancient times, sanctuaries were born from this world’s space, and they naturally died with it. But if a sect was willing to sacrifice a powerful Spirit Artifact—fusing it into the sanctuary’s core to stabilize the space—then it could endure.”

“Back then, the greatest sects all had one or two such sanctuaries as escape routes.”

“But… even sanctuaries are bound by this world’s Heaven and Earth laws. Hiding inside one won’t protect you from the Heavenly Human Five Decay Cataclysm.”

“Only if you could completely sever the sanctuary from the world’s space—shielding it from external laws—would there be a chance.”

“But that cost? Unimaginable. No single sect could afford it.”

“So even if these four sanctuaries are truly ancient… their disciples have long since changed. No ancient master could still be alive inside.”

“Unless… there are remnants like the Plague Elder—those who’ve performed Reincarnation Possession and preserved their spirit within an artifact?”

Yan paused.

“Possibly. But Spirit Artifacts are rare. Reincarnation Possession is dangerous. Even if successful, the soul is trapped. Not everyone would choose that path.”

“Even if such beings exist… there would be at most only a few.”

Lu Qing exhaled, relieved.

Yan, sharp as ever, sensed the subtle shift.

“Hmm… does that mean you have a grudge against these four sanctuaries, young master?”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end