Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 52 The first light of dawn breaks, and the long night begins anew.

On the cloud platform, the dust gradually settled.

Despite the pain in his chest and ribs, Zhou Li slowly walked down from the cloud platform.

"Senior Brother Zhou," Fang Yu helped Zhou Li up, handing him a healing pill, his face filled with undisguised shock, "You... you actually defeated my brother!"

He gazed at his brother in the distance, his face ashen, as he was escorted away by servants, his expression complex and unreadable. Fang Lan's once arrogant figure now appeared somewhat hunched.

"It was just a friendly spar." Zhou Li's voice was slightly hoarse. "The path of cultivation is long, and no one can win all the time."

"I, Situ Yangyang, am convinced! Utterly convinced!" At this moment, a clear, bell-like voice pierced through the crowd, and Situ Yangyang leaped to Zhou Li's side.

Her pretty face flushed with excitement, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she clicked her tongue in amazement: "That Fang Lan's eyes are practically on top of his head, but today you've finally slapped him back to the ground! That feels so good, so very good!"

She became more and more excited as she spoke, completely forgetting that she had also been one of those Fang Lan had arranged to teach Zhou Li a lesson. She clasped her hands and bowed, saying, "Senior Brother Zhou! No, Master! Please accept my bow!"

Zhou Li was both amused and exasperated by her naiveté, which aggravated his injury. He couldn't help but cough lightly and wave his hand, saying, "Junior Sister Situ is joking. With my meager skills, I can barely protect myself, how dare I be a teacher?"

Situ Yangyang didn't press the matter, and stood up with a grin, her eyes sparkling: "Then it's a deal, I'll ask you for guidance on magic another day! Your method of drawing upon the power of water spirits is truly ingenious!"

At this moment, Shen Qing also stepped forward. The powerful sword energy that Zhou Li had just used to cleanse the world stirred up a storm in her heart.

"Senior Brother Zhou," Shen Qing's voice was somewhat crisp, but his eyes were extremely serious, "the sword intent you just displayed drew upon the power of heaven and earth and water to your advantage... I am dull-witted, and although I sensed it, it was like looking at flowers through a fog. I wonder if you could spare some time to give me some pointers after you recover from your injuries?"

Zhou Li met her sincere gaze, his heart warmed, and he nodded in agreement, "Junior Sister Shen, you're too kind. Let me adjust my breathing for a while, and then we can discuss it together."

On the deck of the Cloud Boat in mid-air, Xia Mingduo looked down at the figure surrounded by a crowd, her fingers unconsciously tightening her sleeves.

"You... you really did it. That sword intent that drew upon the power of heaven and earth was far stronger than my Thunder Technique..." A faint, almost imperceptible bitterness welled up in her heart.

"The gap is even wider than it was back when I took the entrance exam..." She pursed her lips, but her eyes grew even more determined. "I need to work even harder, at least to be able to stand close enough to offer my congratulations."

In a distant corner, Xia Minghui clenched his fists excitedly, wishing he could rush over immediately to congratulate Zhou Li.

But then he remembered Wang Jian's instructions from a few days ago: "The Discipline Hall has its eye on Zhou Li, but they can't directly target the inner disciples. Since you're his friend, you're the perfect scapegoat. You should keep your distance from Zhou Li for now. You can't afford to get involved in this mess. Remember, only your own cultivation is fundamental!"

Xia Minghui dug his fingertips into his palm. He thought of the hardships he and his sister had gone through, and then looked at Zhou Li, who was surrounded by a crowd in the distance. In the end, he could only stomp his feet in frustration and leave quickly.

As the Dharma assembly drew to a close, Zhou Li and Shen Qing discussed the various sword techniques of the "Cloud-Walking and Rain-Listening Sword" when they heard three clear and melodious bird calls.

Three crimson kites, their plumage like fire and their movements incredibly graceful, landed steadily in front of Zhou Li. They lowered their heads and necks, their fierce aura subdued, displaying a somewhat docile demeanor.

Behind him was a cloud sedan chair carved from thousand-year-old sandalwood, adorned with pearls on the top, wind chimes hanging from the eaves, cloud patterns swirling around the body, and silk curtains, making it exceptionally luxurious.

Looking at the "Fire Cloud Sedan," a vehicle that once symbolized Fang Lan's status, Zhou Li smiled and said, "A bet is a bet, and Fang Lan is a man of his word."

Fang Yu guided Zhou Li to re-establish the spirit beast blood pact using the blood essence of the Crimson Kite left behind by Fang Lan, and also taught Zhou Li the incantation to control the Fire Cloud Sedan Chair.

Zhou Li felt that he was now in sync with the three red kites, so he said no more and calmly boarded the cloud sedan chair. The curtains of the sedan chair were lowered, shutting out the noise of the outside world and the countless envious or awe-inspiring gazes.

"Rise!" At the command, three fiery red kites flapped their wings and cried out, their crimson-gold tail feathers drawing a dazzling trail across the sky.

Inside the sedan chair, Zhou Li let out a long breath, as exhaustion and excruciating pain surged through him, but a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Since starting the course, all my doubts about the techniques have been resolved, which is the greatest gain from this trip.

…………

As dawn breaks, the first light of day begins to illuminate the long night.

On the futon in his cave, Zhou Li, who had been resting quietly for several days, had completely emptied his spiritual energy. In the past few days, he had studied the technique in his mind several times.

Inscriptions mark the path, lotus plate nurtures the spirit... Transformation from mortal to true, five elements originate from the same source... Mind unites with spirit, embracing the orifice to absorb the spirit.

The first step in practicing the Five Elements Danqing Technique is to step into this complete emptiness, which is called "transforming from the mundane to preserve the true nature".

Zhou Li lowered his eyes, focusing his mind inward. Under the clear light of his spiritual awareness, the five elements of spiritual energy in the surrounding world began to seep into his depleted meridians.

When the first wisp of the five elements' spiritual energy was introduced into the depths of Zhou Li's dantian, his mind had already sunk into the five-colored, misty void within his dantian.

His mind acted like a brush, and he began to sketch the meridian diagrams of the five ancient demons that he knew by heart. This was called "Inscription Dao".

The metal element is Clawed Crimson Falcon, the wood element is Palmed White Ape, the water element is Finned Turtle, the fire element is Winged Bifang, and the earth element is Hoofed Sheep.

The five magnificent scrolls must be contemplated simultaneously and in parallel without conflict in order to gather their essence and form a harmonious rhythm, so as not to dissipate. This is precisely the "five elements originating from the same source".

Zhou Li's spiritual thoughts, like silk threads, split into five strands within his dantian, carefully guiding the five-colored spiritual energy, constructing it inch by inch along that intricate trajectory.

At first, it was difficult and hesitant, like carrying a heavy burden. Gradually, however, the mind became immersed in it, and with each stroke, a sense of unrestrained freedom arose, as if the world itself were a canvas for the artist.

As the outlines of the five scrolls gradually took shape and the ancient demons appeared, Zhou Li felt a slight joy. However, the wisp of fire spirit power that was drawing the tail feathers of the Bifang was slightly deviated from its course due to this slight fluctuation in his emotions.

Within his dantian, the Bifang Scroll, which had been stabilizing, suddenly ignited, and the blazing fire spirit instantly went out of control, unleashing a scorching and violent backlash!

"Ugh!"

Zhou Li's body trembled violently, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of scalding blood. His internal organs felt as if they were being burned by a raging fire, and his meridians felt like they were about to burst.

The five-colored scroll that was about to be completed has now faded, with only the outlines of the Crimson Fierce and the Spinning Turtle still faintly glowing. The other three scrolls have all dimmed, and the shadow of the Bifang has almost completely disintegrated.

"As expected... I underestimated the danger of the Five Elements' mutual generation and restraint." Zhou Li wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, but there was no trace of frustration in his eyes. "Manipulating spiritual power is just a matter of patience. As long as the direction is right, no matter how difficult the path is, I can overcome it."

Inside the stone chamber, Zhou Li's face was as pale as paper, and his clothes were soaked with sweat, while the morning light outside the cave grew even colder.