Chapter 99: The Five Elements Li-Fire Array

Wei Zijian was now certain he had consumed the Mortal Transformation Pill.

He could feel something deeply wrong with his body. It was like a house with holes punched through its walls—his Spiritual Power was leaking out continuously, draining away faster than he could recover it.

Li Meng flicked his sleeve. A gentle wind lifted Senior Brother Wei to his feet.

“Senior Brother, there’s no need for excessive worry,” Li Meng said, his voice calm and reassuring. “After all, it’s an ancient pill, and later generations have long since developed antidotes. The Second-Grade, High-Quality Spirit Nurturing Pill this Junior gifted you is precisely the cure. It can repair your spiritual veins. However, I’m afraid your current cultivation realm cannot be preserved. You will likely fall back to the early Foundation Establishment stage. It will require at least ten years of mending your spiritual veins to completely eliminate the hidden danger!”

Wei Zijian was overjoyed. His face twisted with a mixture of elation and sorrow, creating a bizarre expression. He didn’t know what look could possibly convey the chaotic storm of feelings inside him.

Wei Zijian fell to his knees once more with a thump.

He kowtowed several times towards Li Meng, his forehead hitting the stone pavement with sincere force.

This scene left the observing Inner Disciples exchanging bewildered glances.

Those of the mountain sects did not have the habit of kneeling. Even when facing higher-level cultivators, they would maintain their posture and offer a bow from the waist. This was the proud backbone of mountain cultivators—those who defied the Heavens. How could they kneel to another?

“Junior Brother’s great kindness, this Senior Brother will remember it forever. I take my leave!”

Wei Zijian rose to his feet, dusting off his robes. He hurried out of the courtyard, stumbling slightly in his haste. Then, summoning the wind, he mounted his sword and flew into the distance, desperate to begin his recovery.

The Inner Disciples in the courtyard looked at each other, their expressions varied as they glanced at Junior Brother Li on the recliner.

Junior Brother Li truly was a great and kind soul!

Li Meng, lying comfortably on the recliner, narrowed his eyes as he swept a glance over the observing Senior Brothers and Sisters.

“What are you all standing around for? Don’t you want your pills and artifacts?”

Everyone quickly stepped forward, shaking off their stupor. They presented their sect tokens one by one.

Just like with the previous disciples, Li Meng gifted each a small present along with their commissioned items. These small gifts were precisely the pills each Senior Brother or Sister currently needed most.

Merely a single Second-Grade, High-Quality pill.

To gain a favor in return for one such pill—this kind of transaction would absolutely never be a loss.

In the following days, Moon Gaze Peak opened its gates wide to the sect.

“Senior Sister, take care on your way!”

Sitting on his recliner, Li Meng watched with a beaming smile as a Senior Sister’s graceful figure departed on her flying sword.

He watched until her sword flew into the clouds and mist, vanishing from sight. Only when her alluring form was completely gone did Li Meng reluctantly withdraw his gaze.

“How strange. Why hasn’t any Senior Sister batted her eyelashes at me?”

This was the Joyous Union Sect, after all. Yet not a single Senior Sister had employed any Charm Technique to tempt him.

This left Li Meng feeling a little disappointed.

“Could it be that I’m too ugly?”

Li Meng took out a bronze mirror and examined his reflection—white hair, youthful face, sage-like demeanor.

“Not ugly at all. Quite dashing, actually!”

Somewhat dejectedly, Li Meng put away the mirror.

Why? He also wanted to experience the feeling of being charmed by a Foundation Establishment Senior Sister! Taking the initiative himself was fine, but changing things up occasionally would be even better.

“Forget it, forget it…”

Li Meng squinted up at the azure sky.

The first wave of ‘clients’ had mostly come and gone by now. Those who hadn’t come were either not in the sect or were in secluded cultivation.

Li Meng flicked his sleeve.

The clouds and mist surrounding the peak churned, sealing the entrance. The passageway gradually vanished.

The golden spiritual characters above the peak also changed.

[Sealing the Mountain. Do Not Disturb.]

In the courtyard before the peak’s pavilion, Li Meng reclined on his chair, browsing through the materials within his Treasure Pavilion interface.

Magic Treasures were not like mere Artifacts.

Materials from First-Tier, Second-Tier, Third-Tier, and Fourth-Tier Demon Beasts could be refined into Artifacts.

Materials from Fifth-Tier and Sixth-Tier Demon Beasts could be refined into Magic Treasures.

Materials from Seventh-Tier and Eighth-Tier Demon Beasts could be refined into Spiritual Treasures. An Eighth-Tier Demon Beast was a Great Demon capable of transformation—a being that gained intelligence and took human form, becoming part of the Demon Race or a Yao Spirit.

A Third-Tier Demon Beast possessed strength comparable to a mid-stage Foundation Establishment human cultivator. A Fourth-Tier Demon Beast rivaled a late-stage Foundation Establishment human cultivator at Great Perfection.

Over these past few months, Li Meng had swindled quite a lot of refining materials from his fellow disciples. Calling him a profiteer wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

However, what Foundation Establishment cultivators could obtain in terms of refining materials was extremely limited. Either they were rare natural treasures or materials from Third-Tier Demon Beasts. Materials from Fourth-Tier Demon Beasts were exceedingly rare.

“Better to refine a set of Five Elements Formation Flags first.”

Using Formation Talismans to set up arrays was too extravagant. Even Divine Firmament Talismans couldn’t be used many times. While their deployed power exceeded that of Formation Flags, their inability to last was a fatal flaw of talisman-based arrays.

Formation Plates had the longest duration, as they could be powered by Spirit Stones. But refining a Formation Plate required a material called “Golden Essence Copper Mother,” which Li Meng currently did not possess.

The Five Elements refining materials needed for crafting Formation Flags were all prepared. A set of Formation Flags comparable to Zenith Artifacts would suffice during the Foundation Establishment stage. He could refine a higher-quality set after forming his Golden Core.

Li Meng stood up from his recliner. With a flick of his sleeve, he ambled leisurely towards the pavilion’s main doors.

With a soft click, he pushed open the door and entered.

Once inside the pavilion, he proceeded directly to the refining chamber. He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in the center of the room.

Another flick of his sleeve sent five golden talismans flying out. They sank into the ground in five different directions, embedding themselves deep in the stone.

Li Meng formed hand seals with both hands. Five-colored spiritual light erupted from his body as a Five Elements Magic Array materialized on the floor. The Spiritual Power traced intricate circuits before roaring flames burst forth from the Formation Cores anchored by the talismans.

Li Meng waved his sleeve again. A large quantity of refining materials swarmed out from his Sword Nurturing Gourd, hovering in mid-air above him like a metallic cloud.

Hands forming seals once more, Li Meng uttered softly,

“Five Elements Li-Fire Array… Rise!”

From each Formation Core surged streams of Five Elements Li-Fire that converged into torrents of flame above him. The flames enveloped all the refining materials instantly.

Five Elements Li-Fire was among the highest-quality flames for artifact refinement. With Li Meng possessing that useless Five Spirit Roots constitution—complete with all five elements—the Five Elements Li-Fire Array seemed tailor-made for him.

Under the refining power of these flames, the materials began to twist and warp visibly, shedding impurities.

Refining was a lengthy process. Li Meng closed his eyes and used his Divine Sense to control every minute detail.

Five days passed at Moon Gaze Peak.

Suddenly, a streak of golden light shot across the sky from afar. Its speed was so immense it closed the distance in an instant. Without any hesitation, it plunged directly into the clouds and mist surrounding Moon Gaze Peak.

Within the peak’s boundaries, the streak of light shot out from the mist and headed straight for the pavilion. Its speed remained incredibly fast. A closer look revealed its true nature—it was a Message Flying Sword.

The Message Flying Sword flew through an open window into Li Meng’s refining chamber, where it began circling above his head, buzzing urgently.

Li Meng opened his eyes and looked up at the small sword flitting about overhead. His Divine Sense swept over it once.

“Go to Lijiang City to eliminate demons!”

It was Master’s Divine Sense voice message left within it.

“Master,” Li Meng replied mentally, his expression pained. He flicked his sleeve towards the sword, sending a return pulse of Divine Sense. “This Disciple is currently refining artifacts at a critical juncture; there is no time to leave for external missions!”