Chapter 358: The Power of the Fire Element

Before the words had even faded, the three launched another fierce attack. Li Yan felt a trace of pressure; although the Star-Extinguishing Flame could effectively counter the extraterrestrial energy, he dared not lower his guard against the siege of three elite experts.

During the intense battle, Li Yan suddenly discovered a marvelous phenomenon: the Fire Element Component of the Heaven Origin Instrument seemed to have formed some kind of connection with the Star-Extinguishing Flame; whenever the flames drew near the component, their power increased significantly.

A bright idea struck Li Yan. He held the Fire Element Component in his right hand and unleashed the Star-Extinguishing Flame with his left. In an instant, the flames transformed into a giant dragon, its power several times greater than usual, sweeping toward the three Black-Clothed Persons.

The Black-Clothed Persons' expressions changed drastically, and they responded in haste, but their Ice Power crumbled rapidly before the enhanced Star-Extinguishing Flame. In less than a moment, the three were repelled and fled in a sorry state.

Li Yan did not pursue; he quickly stowed the Fire Element Component and left the volcano by the way he had come. On the return journey, he sent a message to Ling Bo via the Huo Fenghuang, reporting his discovery.

After safely escaping Huo Yan Dao, Li Yan found a secluded spot to study the Fire Element Component carefully once more. Now, he had enough time to observe every detail of it.

The runes on the component were extremely precise; one part of them matched the operational trajectory of the Star-Extinguishing Flame perfectly, while another part seemed to be some kind of interface, waiting to be connected to other components. Most striking was a small groove in the center of the component, with a special shape, as if waiting for some kind of key.

Li Yan pondered the information in Mo Yun's memories, as well as the reaction between the Fire Element Component and the Star-Extinguishing Flame, and suddenly made an important discovery: "Every Heaven Origin Instrument component corresponds to a basic element! This is the Fire Element Component, so the other components should correspond to the five elements of water, metal, wood, and earth respectively!"

This deduction made him incredibly excited. If this hypothesis held true, then the other components might also require experts with corresponding attributes to obtain and activate them. Furthermore, the existence of the groove hinted that the Heaven Origin Instrument might also require some kind of special "key" to start.

Li Yan immediately informed Ling Bo of this discovery via a transmission talisman and suggested that she contact the Houxuanzhe who excelled in other elements to search for the remaining components together.

As night fell, Li Yan looked toward the starry sky, his heart filled with both hope and a heavy sense of responsibility. The clues to the Heaven Origin Instrument were becoming clear step by step, but time was growing increasingly tight.

He gripped the Fire Element Component in his hand, feeling the powerful energy contained within, and whispered to himself: "Lin Xuan, Ling Bo, I hope everything is going smoothly on your end."

Ling Bo sat cross-legged on a stone platform at the highest peak of Xuanwu Island, facing the boundless sea; waves slapped against the island's reefs, emitting a rhythmic sound. The Spirit Qi here was abundant, and the erosion of extraterrestrial energy was relatively weak, making it an ideal place for her to study her mental Bond Ability.

"Slow your breathing, focus your mind inward, and feel the flow of the Qi Luck Power within your body," Mo Yun said, sitting opposite Ling Bo and guiding her softly. "Try to extend your perception to find those existences whose Qi Luck is similar to yours."

After this period of recovery and adjustment, Mo Yun had fully regained his vitality, and his ancient memories were even clearer. He was now assisting Ling Bo with all his might, studying the ancient texts provided by the Green-Robed Person and the secrets of the Heaven Origin Instrument together.

Ling Bo took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let her consciousness sink into her body. As her meditation deepened, a marvelous feeling gradually enveloped her entire body—she could perceive the presence of those Houxuanzhe in the distance, like stars in the night sky, each emitting a unique radiance.

"I can feel Lin Xuan; he is currently in an ancient temple on the Xibei Gaoyuan," Ling Bo's voice was calm and focused. "Li Yan is moving toward the southeast; he should be on his way back. There are several other Houxuanzhe scattered in different places, and their Qi Luck fluctuations are all stable."

Mo Yun nodded and smiled: "Your mental Bond Ability has made significant progress. Now try to go a step further: not just perceive their existence, but also attempt to establish an initial connection."

Ling Bo adjusted her state of mind as instructed, focusing her attention on those distant Qi Luck fluctuations. At first, these fluctuations were merely blurry points of light, but as she focused, they gradually became clear. She could feel the steady, mountain-like aura of Lin Xuan, the fiery, burning energy of Li Yan, and the unique Qi Luck characteristics of the other Houxuanzhe.

Suddenly, an unprecedentedly powerful Qi Luck fluctuation intruded into her range of perception. This fluctuation was like a giant wave rising suddenly on a calm sea, nearly scattering her mind.

"Mo Yun!" Ling Bo opened her eyes abruptly, a look of surprise flashing in them. "I have sensed a new Houxuanzhe; the Qi Luck fluctuation is extremely powerful, perhaps even exceeding Lin Xuan's!"

A look of surprise appeared on Mo Yun's face: "Can you determine the location?"

Ling Bo closed her eyes to perceive it again: "The general location is a village near Qingcheng Mountain. The strange thing is that this Qi Luck fluctuation has never appeared before, as if it were suddenly released by some kind of barrier."

"Qingcheng Mountain..." Mo Yun said thoughtfully. "That is one of the birthplaces of ancient Daoism, and there are many reclusive Practitioners there. We should head there immediately."

Ling Bo nodded in agreement, and the two quickly packed their belongings, preparing to set off. Just then, a Huo Fenghuang flew down onto the stone platform, bringing Li Yan's message.

"Li Yan has successfully obtained the Fire Element Component!" Ling Bo told Mo Yun joyfully, while also relaying Li Yan's speculation about the Heaven Origin Instrument components to him. "He believes that the Heaven Origin Instrument has five components in total, corresponding to the Five Elements."

Mo Yun nodded: "This matches the records in the ancient texts. And the Houxuanzhe you just sensed is very likely related to the Water Element Component."

The two set off overnight, rushing toward Qingcheng Mountain. Along the way, Ling Bo constantly tried to perceive the state of that mysterious Houxuanzhe through the mental bond, ensuring they would not miss their target.

Three days later, they arrived at a remote village at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain. From the outside, the village looked no different from an ordinary mountain village, with thatched roofs, stone paths, and curling smoke from cooking fires. But when Ling Bo and Mo Yun approached, they felt a peculiar energy field.

"There is a Qi Luck barrier here," Mo Yun said in a low voice. "A very exquisite arrangement that can isolate the influence of external extraterrestrial energy."

Ling Bo nodded: "No wonder the Spirit Qi here is so pure. I fear only the Ancient Guardians could master this kind of barrier technology."

Just as they reached the entrance of the village, they saw a youth wearing a green robe walking toward them. The youth was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features, but his eyes were unusually steady.

"The two of you have come from afar, presumably to see my Ancestor," the youth bowed politely. "The Ancestor has already sensed your arrival; please follow me."

Ling Bo and Mo Yun exchanged a glance and silently followed the youth into the village. Along the way, they noticed that the villagers looked no different from ordinary people, but each person had a faint trace of Spirit Qi fluctuation about them, clearly possessing a foundation in cultivation.