Chapter 359: Five Virtues

The Five-Elements Qilin Pavilion beside the Wuying Hall was not constructed by the Xuanyuan Army, but rather manifested as five nine-story towers after the Five Xuanyuan Generals activated the Great Qilin Formation.

It was a training ground specially forged for the Xuanyuan Army at the founding of Xuanyuan City, crafted by gathering hundreds of high-grade human artifact refiners.

The stone-carved qilins guarding the Qilin Pavilion are not true stone statues, but manifestations of the Earth's Mother Qi.

The Earth bears all things with virtue; to repel the stone qilins and obtain the key to open the Qilin Pavilion, brute force alone is insufficient. Otherwise, even if severely injured, the Five Xuanyuan Generals would have vowed to combine their strength to open the pavilion themselves.

Those who open the Five-Elements Qilin Pavilion must possess the corresponding Five-Elements Virtue. Wood.

Chu Junyi of the Central Sacred Land possessed Earth Virtue and opened the Earth Qilin Pavilion; not long ago, Dongfang Hao, who came to pay respects at Xuanyuan Prefecture, possessed Wood Virtue and opened the Qilin Pavilion.

Now Hua Changxi claimed she was the same as Dongfang Hao...

Hua Changxi entered Xuanyuan Prefecture through the Fire Gate; could it be that she is capable of opening the Fire Qilin Pavilion?

The Five Xuanyuan Generals exchanged glances; although all five harbored doubts, what if she could?

Since Hua Changxi managed to find Xuanyuan Prefecture, perhaps she truly possesses Fire Virtue; what if she really can open the Fire Qilin Pavilion?

The sooner the Qilin Pavilion is opened, the sooner the Xuanyuan Army can undergo training; to avoid missing this slight possibility, the Five Xuanyuan Generals decided to take Hua Changxi to the Qilin Pavilion.

Lu Zhenting smiled at Hua Changxi: "We all trust in Young Friend Hua's abilities; since that is the case, please accompany us to spar with the Fire Qilin."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi's eyes flickered with light; Fire Qilin? Did he mean the two stone-carved qilins outside the Fire Qilin Pavilion?

"If I help you, then the Hua family..."

This time, Lu Zhenting was quite straightforward: "If Young Friend Hua opens the Fire Qilin Pavilion, we will accept every member of the Hua family."

Hua Changxi perceived the importance the five generals placed on this matter; after a moment of silence, she added a condition: "After my family joins Xuanyuan Prefecture, I hope they can serve under General Lu, and I also hope General Lu will assign duties based on the individual personalities of the Hua family members."

Among the Five Xuanyuan Generals, Lu Zhenting was clearly the leader, responsible for arranging specific affairs.

The Hua family joined Xuanyuan Prefecture to ensure their survival; requesting assignment under Lu Zhenting was to ensure they could develop within the prefecture.

Qin Feng spoke helplessly: "You certainly have many demands."

Hua Changxi responded calmly: "I make demands because I offer something in return; I am conducting an equal transaction with the five generals." She was not begging for favors.

Qin Feng snorted but said nothing further.

Fearing Hua Changxi would continue listing conditions, Lu Zhenting pretended to hesitate for a moment before reluctantly nodding: "Very well, this general agrees."

In truth, compared to the matter of opening the Qilin Pavilion, accepting the Hua family was hardly a significant issue.

Moreover, if Hua Changxi could truly open the Fire Qilin Pavilion and indeed possessed Fire Virtue, her value as an associate would be immense.

With the terms settled, Hua Changxi followed the Five Xuanyuan Generals away from the Chengqian Hall, heading toward the plaza behind it.

Along the way, at every location, Hua Changxi would ask the Five Xuanyuan Generals questions, quickly gaining a deeper understanding of the situation within Xuanyuan Prefecture.

The first plaza of Xuanyuan Prefecture is named Chengtian Plaza, with a palace complex centered on Chengqian Hall at its end; the second plaza is named Houde Plaza, ending with a palace complex centered on Linde Hall; the third plaza is named Wude Plaza, ending with a palace complex centered on Wuying Hall.

The Five-Elements Qilin Pavilions are distributed on either side of Wuying Hall; passing through Wude Plaza, Hua Changxi was taken directly by the Five Xuanyuan Generals to the exterior of the Fire Qilin Pavilion, beyond which she could no longer inquire about the subsequent plazas and palace complexes.

Looking at the two stone-carved qilins outside the Fire Qilin Pavilion, and noting that nothing stood outside the Earth and Wood Qilin Pavilions, she asked: "Do I just need to smash these two stone qilins?"

As soon as these words left her mouth, the Five Xuanyuan Generals knew that Hua Changxi knew nothing about the Qilin Pavilion.

Lu Zhenting took a deep breath, silently repeating to himself 'What if she can open it?' several times, before pointing at the Fire Qilin Pavilion: "Do you see the Taiji lock on the door?"

Hua Changxi nodded, thinking to herself that this door lock was quite unique.

Lu Zhenting said: "The two keys to unlock the Taiji lock are located within the bellies of the two qilins."

Hua Changxi nodded again: "I understand; I just need to smash the stone qilins to retrieve the keys."

Hearing this, Qin Feng could no longer hold back: "Do you know what the Qilin beasts are formed from?"

Seeing the grim expressions on the faces of the five generals, Hua Changxi realized there was a problem and shook her head: "What are they formed from?"

Qin Feng replied: "They are manifestations of the Earth's Mother Qi; you cannot scatter or destroy them; the Qilin beasts only appear to be stone statues."

Hua Changxi: "......."

Earth's Mother Qi?

It seemed like a very formidable thing.

Watching Hua Changxi's reaction, the Five Xuanyuan Generals felt even more doubt in their hearts.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi offered no explanation; her strength was absolutely superior to that of the Dongfang brothers; she believed that if the Dongfang brothers could achieve it, naturally she could as well.

However... if the qilins formed from Earth's Mother Qi could neither be scattered nor destroyed, how was one to retrieve the keys?

Hua Changxi intended to ask the five generals, but unexpectedly, the five of them had already retreated to a distance.

Seeing this, she could only walk toward the two stone-carved qilins.

From afar, the skepticism on Qin Feng's face was the most intense: "Can she do it? Won't we have to save her in a moment?"

Lu Zhenting said: "Whether she can or not, we will know once she makes her move."

The stone-carved qilins remained motionless until Hua Changxi walked between the two beasts; with a sudden 'boom', the two stone qilins instantly came to life, transforming in a flash into Fire Qilins engulfed in raging flames.

Outside the Fire Qilin Pavilion, the original jade ground also transformed instantly into a sea of fire.

As far as Hua Changxi could see, everything was flames; the Fire Qilin Pavilion, Wuying Hall, and the Five Xuanyuan Generals had all vanished; at this moment, it seemed as though only fire remained between heaven and earth.

To this, Hua Changxi showed not the slightest panic.

She knew that this scene likely meant she had been pulled by the two Fire Qilins into a sealed space of the Fire Domain they had constructed.

At the same time, the Five Xuanyuan Generals were watching Hua Changxi with unwavering attention.

At this moment, in the sight of the five, a Fire Spirit Cover burning with fierce flames rose outside the Fire Qilin Pavilion, trapping Hua Changxi and the two Fire Qilins within.

"Hua Changxi is certainly calm enough."

"It is undeniable that Hua Changxi's strength is indeed formidable, but since the Fire Qilins cannot be scattered or destroyed, how can she make them willingly spit out the keys?"

Within the Fire Domain, Hua Changxi had expected a fierce battle, but unexpectedly, the two Fire Qilins not only did not attack her proactively, but instead directly lowered their bodies and lay flat.

"......"

Hua Changxi looked on in complete confusion; after a long while, she tentatively walked toward the Fire Qilin on the left.

Seeing her approach, the Fire Qilin lifted its eye to glance at her; seeing she made no move to attack, it ignored her and continued lying still.

"Crack!"

Seeing that the Fire Qilin truly showed no intention of fighting, Hua Changxi, unwilling to just stand there, hesitated a moment before taking out her whip and lashing the Fire Qilin.

"Roar~"

Struck by the whip, the Fire Qilin immediately flew into a rage, lifting its front hoof to strike Hua Changxi.

Although Hua Changxi dodged the hoof, she was still caught in the surging waves of fiery qi stirred up by the Fire Qilin, which blasted her right in front of another Fire Qilin.

The reaction was identical: if Hua Changxi did not move, the Fire Qilin did not move.

After a long silence, Hua Changxi slowly raised her whip as if to strike; immediately, the Fire Qilin stood up, assuming a battle stance.

When Hua Changxi lowered her whip, the Fire Qilin instantly lay back down.

"Uh..."

Hua Changxi was baffled; wasn't this supposed to be a fight? Could it be that she had encountered two Fire Qilins who preferred to lie flat and slack off?