Chapter 293

The chaos-colored light sea of the Myriad Laws Pool slowly circulated.

The five-colored light pillar that once shot up to the heavens had already dissipated, but the central core area within the pool still retained an awe‑inspiring remnant of law. All streams of colored light flowing to this point seemed to become docile, as if paying homage to a sovereign.

Suddenly, the core of that region's light flow inwardly slightly collapsed, forming a vortex.

A figure slowly stepped out from the center of the vortex.

It was Wang Ping.

He took his first step onto the light sea, and the chaos-colored warm jade ground beneath his foot silently rippled with five-colored rings—not intentionally done, but a phenomenon naturally arising from the resonance of his aura with the heavenly laws.

At this moment, he wore ordinary clothes, even slightly damaged from previous battles and baptisms, yet his entire demeanor was utterly different.

His skin was lustrous, faintly glowing with inner treasure light, as if repeatedly cleansed by the purest laws. As his eyes opened and closed, they were calm and deep like an ancient well, yet within their depths flowed the profound Dao rhythm of the five elements' birth and extinction and the turning of all things. His aura exerted no oppressive pressure; instead, it gave a sense of returning to simplicity, a harmonious completeness, as if he had formed an ineffable harmony with this heaven and earth, with the light sea of the Myriad Laws Pool.

But when he stood fully at the pool's edge, his calm gaze sweeping over the assembled crowd—

Hum!

All the heavenly pride still in the pool or already ashore felt their hearts sink slightly in unison!

That was not an impact of pressure, but an invisible 'might' brought by a higher level of life essence and a more complete Dao foundation—like a flawless, perfect round gem placed among assorted rough stones, the innate quality difference shaking mind and spirit.

"He… has come out!" someone whispered, voice hoarse.

"His aura… is unfathomable! Compared to before entering the pool, he's like a different person!" Another focused his senses, yet felt Wang Ping was like a bottomless vortex, the five elements flowing in unison, making his depth impossible to gauge.

"Is this the perfection of the five Dao techniques' point spirit, or is it the five category…? To have such a presence!"

Ancient God Clan's Mu Lan had long finished his baptism, standing at the pool's edge; his eyes now flickered with azure light, revealing undisguised gravity and inquiry.

He could sense that the complete five-element cycle on Wang Ping's body contained a near‑Dao prototype, its vast potential making even this descendant of Ancient God blood feel a shock of awe.

Fallen Immortal Clan's Yu Liuli was surrounded by intertwining immortal light; her peerless visage behind the veil was unreadable, yet those clear, cold immortal eyes lingered on Wang Ping, their light flickering—who knew what she thought.

Void Clan's Youying still stood in the corner's shadows, his deep‑gray cloak moving without wind, his void‑like eyes fixed on Wang Ping, rarely showing a hint of 'interest' and even 'danger'.

Heaven Azure Clan's Cangxuan stood with hands behind his back, silver hair fluttering slightly, his impassive brow faintly furrowed.

He was most attuned to the fluctuations of space and stars, and in his perception, Wang Ping was like a steadily operating five‑element star, containing the universe within, resonating perfectly with external law fluctuations, nearly flawless.

As for Leizhen, he grinned widely, unabashedly giving a thumbs‑up: "Brother Wang, awesome! This aura—even from far away I feel my heart pound!"

Wang Ping paid no heed to the crowd's reactions, closing his eyes slightly to look inward.

Within his dantian, five Golden Cores resembled five miniature stars, their inner light holding complete Dao patterns, slowly orbiting and spinning in wondrous trajectories, forming a stable, vital five‑element circulation system.

The five‑colored divine light coiled like five gentle yet mighty divine dragons around the Golden Cores, their thoughts linked—intent unleashed instantly.

After point‑spirit awakening, the five core Dao techniques' spirituality lay like stellar nuclei within their corresponding divine light, dormant until roused, when they would erupt with power far surpassing before.

His flesh was tough, his qi and blood surged like a dragon, his five viscera and six bowels faintly corresponded to the five elements, brimming with vitality.

Under the double nourishment of the Soul‑Nurturing Wood Heart and law baptism, his soul solidified utterly; the will‑star light in his sea of consciousness remained steady, as if able to illuminate all falsehood.

"The five‑element foundation has finally reached minor completion," Wang Ping thought, a strong confidence welling up. This was the sense of achievement that comes after enduring trials, seizing opportunity, and relentless striving—a natural fruition.

However, not everyone was pleased with his success.

"Five‑element perfection? Hmph! Nothing more than luckily stealing more origin from the Myriad Laws Pool!"

A stifled snort, filled with endless anger and jealousy, like the low rumble before a volcanic eruption, broke the subtle silence by the pool.

The crowd looked over and saw Five Elements Clan's Yan Jin staring fixedly at Wang Ping, eyes blood‑red, five‑colored flames uncontrolledly rising and leaping around him, scorching the surrounding air into distortion.

His aura was considerably stronger than before entering the pool, faintly touching the threshold of Golden Core perfection; his grasp of the fire‑element Dao was clearly deeper. Yet his face showed no joy, only overwhelming hatred and resentment.

"I am Yan Jin, fire‑line heavenly pride of the Five Elements Clan, painstakingly cultivating the 'Five Fire Burning Heaven Manual', eager to forge the five‑element fire! This Myriad Laws Pool was meant to be the key for me to refine a fourth strange fire and perfect the five‑fire cycle!"

Yan Jin's voice grew louder, hoarse: "You thief! You provoked that damned five‑element phenomenon, almost madly plundering the origin of fire and even the other four elements! Causing me to fall short, the fourth fire never fully refined, the five fires unbalanced! You cut my Dao's future—this feud admits no coexistence!"

He grew more and more excited as he spoke, finally almost roaring out, he took a step forward, and a scorching heat wave burst out explosively, forcing several nearby heaven's pride cultivators to either circulate their energy to resist or retreat.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions varied. Some showed a look of sudden realization, some flashed a hint of sympathy in their eyes, but most were indifferent. The struggle for opportunity has always been a matter of ability, survival of the fittest—where does the notion of 'theft' come from? Yan Jin's words are nothing but the resentment and displaced anger of a loser.

Wang Ping slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm as he looked at the seemingly frenzied Yan Jin, and said lightly: 'The opportunity of the Myriad Laws Pond belongs to those with affinity, and is occupied by those with strength. Your own ability is lacking; you failed to contend for enough source, yet you come to blame me? Ridiculous.'

"What did you say?!" Yan Jin exploded in rage; Wang Ping's flat tone was more humiliating than any mockery, 'Good! Good, one lacking ability! Then let this 'person lacking ability' of mine give you a taste of just how much your 'Five Elements Perfection' weighs! See if you deserve the source you have plundered!'

Before his words even finished, Yan Jin had already struck!

He knew well that Wang Ping was not easy to deal with; as soon as he moved, it was a killing move, with no intention of testing the waters!

"Five Fire Revolving, Burning the Heavens, Boiling the Sea!"

Yan Jin let out a mad roar, his hands forming complex seals; the five-colored flames rising around him suddenly surged, shooting up into the sky! The red, orange, yellow, green, and cyan flames were not chaotic burning, but followed a mysterious trajectory, rotating and merging, and in an instant condensed above his head into a gigantic five-colored fire phoenix with a wingspan exceeding three zhang!

This fire phoenix was lifelike, its feathers distinct; the five-colored flames flowed endlessly over its body, emitting a terrifying heat that could incinerate all things and smelt the void! With a spread of its wings, the phoenix let out a sharp cry that echoed through space, carrying Yan Jin's fury and resolve as it dove fiercely at Wang Ping! Wherever it passed, the air was completely ignited, leaving a scorched, blazing trail; even the light sea at the edge of the Myriad Laws Pond trembled slightly because of it!

This strike had already surpassed the ordinary late Golden Core realm, approaching the full power of a perfected Golden Core strike! Although Yan Jin had not fully refined the five fires, his anger-fueled blow still possessed earth-shaking power!

"Yan Jin is getting serious!"

"A five-colored fire phoenix! This is one of the killing techniques from the 'Five Fire Burning Heaven Scripture'! Its power is tremendous!"

"That Wang Ping just left seclusion; who knows if he can withstand it?"

Everyone's gaze locked, holding their breath and focusing. Top-tier heaven's pride cultivators like Cang Xuan, You Ying, Mu Lan, and Yu Liuli also turned their attention, clearly wanting to use this battle to truly gauge Wang Ping's strength after his Five Elements Perfection.

Faced with the five-colored fire phoenix that seemed to cover the sky and burn the eight wildernesses, Wang Ping's expression remained unchanged, only a hint of coldness flickering in his eyes.

"Obstinate and insensible."

He neither dodged nor used any magical artifact; he simply raised his right hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and lightly pointed at the oncoming five-colored fire phoenix.

"Five Elements Revolving, fire as the chief… scorch yang, break."

As his calm voice sounded, a crimson divine light flashed faintly within his body; the fire-patterned lines inside his Golden Core lit up, and the spirituality of the 'Golden Yang Burning Heaven' technique, activated after dotting the spirit, was instantly triggered.

Whoosh!

A speck of gold-red spark burst forth from Wang Ping's fingertip!

This spark was initially tiny, like a candle flame, but the instant it left his fingertip it suddenly expanded and ignited; in a blink it became a sphere the size of a human head, purely condensed from gold-red true solar fire—a miniature sun!

The radiance of this miniature sun was not blinding, yet it exuded a noble, domineering, purifying aura that sprang from the source itself! It seemed like the king of all flames, the origin of myriad fires!

The miniature sun hovered before Wang Ping, slowly rotating, and actively flew toward the raging five-colored fire phoenix.

In the next instant, the two collided with a boom!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no violent energy turbulence.

In everyone's incredulous gaze, the seemingly mighty and peerless Five-Colored Fire Phoenix, upon contacting the Gold-Red Blazing Sun, was like ice and snow meeting the true sun!

"Sizzle——"

A piercing sound of dissolution rang out. The five-colored flames composing the phoenix's body, as if encountering a natural nemesis, spontaneously disintegrated and dissipated!

That orb of Gold-Red Blazing Sun was like a greedy black hole, and also like a supreme furnace, incessantly devouring, purifying, and absorbing the onrushing five-colored flames!

The fire phoenix let out a silent lament, its massive body rapidly shrinking and dimming at a visible speed! No matter how Yan Jin roared and urged, it could not stop this essential crushing and devouring!

In just two or three breaths, the five-colored fire phoenix with a wingspan of three zhang and awe-inspiring might was completely devoured by the Gold-Red Blazing Sun the size of a human head! Meanwhile, the sun's volume only slightly expanded a trifle, its light becoming more warm and inwardly restrained.

"Impossible! My five-colored spirit fire!" Yan Jin's eyes nearly burst, his mind and spirit violently shaken, a mouthful of reverse blood surged to his throat. Since his mind and spirit were linked with the phoenix, when the phoenix was so easily shattered, he also suffered backlash.

"Your fire is mixed and impure, merely having its form." Wang Ping's voice remained calm, his fingertip twitched slightly, and the Gold-Red Blazing Sun gave a gentle shake.

Whoosh!

A thread of gold-red fire, refined to the utmost, shot forth from the sun, its speed exceeding the limit of visual perception, straight toward Yan Jin's face! Wherever the fire line passed, space was scorched with faint ripples of distortion.

Yan Jin turned pale with shock, in a frantic moment he bellowed, thrusting both palms forward; the remaining spiritual power in his body exploded wildly, condensing before him into a heavy shield of five-colored flames!

"Five Fire Mystic Gang Shield!"

The shield's light flowed, the five fires interweaving into a dense defensive layer, emitting a powerful protective undulation.

However——

Pfft!

In that soft sound, the gold-red fire line, like a red-hot iron needle piercing paper, passed through the five-colored fire shield without hindrance! The edges of the small puncture on the shield had their flames instantly extinguished, as if thoroughly "erased"!

The fire line's residual force undiminished, it shot straight toward Yan Jin's brow!

The shadow of death suddenly descended! Yan Jin's whole body turned ice-cold, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints; he could even feel the terrifying heat contained in that fire line, enough to incinerate and purify his body and soul!

"I surrender!" At the critical moment, the instinct to survive made him shout hoarsely.

The gold-red fire line halted less than an inch from his brow, hanging still. Its scorching breath almost singed his skin.

Wang Ping hooked his finger; the fire line reversed and coiled back, sinking into the Gold-Red Blazing Sun, which then turned into a stream of light and returned to his body.

The entire process, from Yan Jin's move to his defeat and surrender, took only ten breaths!

Fast! Too fast!

Moreover, it was a near-overwhelming victory! Yan Jin's astonishingly powerful Five-Colored Fire Phoenix, before Wang Ping's seemingly casual Gold-Red Blazing Sun, was as fragile as a clay chicken and tile dog, unable to withstand a single blow!

Even Wang Ping, from start to finish, used only fire-attribute power, his feet never moving an iota!

The poolside was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned into speechlessness by the result. Although they had anticipated Wang Ping's strength increase, his power to this degree still exceeded many's imaginations.

That was none other than Yan Jin, the top heavenly pride of the fire lineage among the younger generation of the Five Elements Clan! Yet he was defeated so cleanly and swiftly, without any power to retaliate!

"Is that… true sun fire? The true form of nascent sun fire?!" A knowledgeable person exclaimed in a trembling voice.

"Not only that! His mastery of fire attribute and understanding of power have already reached an unfathomable level!

"That blazing sun, though appearing small, has condensed terrifying primordial power, specially to break myriad flames!" Another person analyzed, voice hoarse.

"Five Elements Perfection… could the enhancement of a single attribute be this terrifying?"

Mu Lan of the Ancient God Clan had a brilliant green light in his eyes as he whispered: "It is not mere augmentation. Five Elements Perfection, endless circulation, fire-attribute power gains aid from wood (wood produces fire), and has no rear worries (fire produces earth, earth produces metal…), power is endless and exceedingly pure, far surpassing the cultivation of a single path.

What's more terrifying is that he seems to have comprehended a certain 'true intent' of fire, thus easily suppressing Yan Jin's miscellaneous fire.

Yu Liuli of the Fallen Immortal Clan softly sighed: "Seizing the work of creation, forming one's own Dao. This person… has become a formidable force."

You Ying of the Void Clan, shadows rippling around him, remained silent and speechless. The chill in his azure profound silver eyes deepened further.

Lei Zhen burst into loud laughter, his voice shaking the wilderness: "Exhilarating! Brother Wang, well done! What Five Elements Clan heavenly pride, just this!"

Yan Jin's face turned ashen as paper, his forehead beaded with cold sweat; the feeling of having just brushed past the god of death still lingered.

He gazed at Wang Ping, whose expression was calm as if he had merely done a trifling thing, and felt the surrounding gazes—some pitying, some mocking, some indifferent—upon him, a boundless sense of humiliation and defeat welled up in his heart.

"You…" his lips trembled, he still wanted to utter harsh words, but meeting Wang Ping's unfathomable gaze, all his words stuck in his throat. Finally, he stomped his foot hard and, without looking back, rushed toward the void at the edge of the Myriad Law Pool, as if trying to leave early this place of shame.

Just as Yan Jin's figure was about to disappear into the void passage——

An abrupt change occurred!

A dim, deathly shadow filled with ominous aura, like a venomous snake lurking long, suddenly erupted from a patch of shadow to Wang Ping's rear side and launched an attack!

The timing of this sneak attack was chosen with extreme cunning—exactly when Wang Ping had just "defeated" Yan Jin, everyone's minds shaken, their vital qi slightly fluctuating as they withdrew their divine abilities!

"Netherworld Boundless, Death Domain Descends!"

As the icy, hoarse voice sounded, a thick, ink-like gray domain exuding rot and decay aura, centered on that shadow, instantly expanded, enveloping the ten-zhang area around Wang Ping! Within the domain, light grew dim, temperature plummeted, vitality cut off, only the illusory wails of countless resentful souls and the deathly qi eroding the flesh permeated.

Evil Nether Clan, Ming Shang!

He had long suppressed his urge, like the most patient hunter, waiting for this lethal strike opportunity! He aimed to annihilate in one fell swoop this amazingly talented Five Elements Dao Child who had become a grave threat to his heart and belly!

"Despicable!"

"Sneak attack!"

The poolside echoed with several exclamations. But many more merely watched coldly, and some even had a gleam of schadenfreude in their eyes. The cultivation world is inherently survival of the fittest; sneak attacks and scheming are nothing surprising.

Lei Zhen shouted in anger, his thunderous power surging, about to charge into the deathly domain to assist, but the domain expanded extremely fast, the deathly qi thick, actually forming a strong barrier that blocked him!

At the domain's center, Wang Ping's face remained calm, even as the deathly qi touched his body, the corner of his mouth drew up a faint, almost imperceptible arc.

"I've been waiting for you."

He did not turn back, yet the five-colored radiance around him suddenly began to flow!