Chen Yu sat cross-legged beneath the towering tree, trying to focus on what the system had told him. He needed to draw in the spiritual energy from his surroundings, but it wasn't just ordinary Qi he was after—it was the raw essence of the five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Lightning.
He took a deep breath, trying to imagine his body as a sponge, soaking in the ambient elemental energy in the air. He visualized the dense earth beneath him, the flowing rivers he had passed earlier, the faint crackle of energy in the atmosphere, and the gentle caress of the wind on his skin.
At first, nothing happened. He felt like just another guy sitting under a tree, pretending to meditate. "Maybe I'm overthinking this," he muttered under his breath, but he forced himself to focus. He deepened his breathing, imagining the elements around him slowly being pulled into his body—earth strengthening his bones, water nourishing his blood, fire igniting his spirit, wind lightening his body, and lightning sparking life into his meridians.
It took a moment, but slowly, he began to feel it: a faint tingling sensation on his skin. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, like a soft breeze brushing against him from all directions at once. The earth beneath him felt solid and warm, the wind stirred gently around him, and there was a faint crackle in the air as tiny sparks of lightning danced at his fingertips.
"Am I actually doing it?" he wondered, excitement bubbling up inside him. He focused harder, imagining the five elements flowing into him, circulating through his body, strengthening his bones, muscles, and Qi channels. The sensation grew, a delicate balance of the elemental forces merging inside him.
But then, without warning, something went wrong. A sharp, searing pain shot through his chest, causing him to gasp and lose all concentration. His eyes snapped open as his body tensed up, and he doubled over, clutching his chest, his breathing ragged.
[Warning: Improper elemental absorption detected. Attempting to balance all five elements without proper cultivation foundation may lead to elemental backlash.]
"Backlash?" Chen Yu wheezed, the words barely leaving his lips as the pain intensified. His muscles seized up, locking in place as waves of heat, cold, and electricity surged through his veins, each element out of sync with the others. Fire blazed in his core, but it was too wild, burning uncontrollably. Earth pressed down on him, making him feel as if his bones were being crushed. Water swirled chaotically, leaving him disoriented, while wind whipped around his limbs, pulling at him erratically. And lightning—it shot through his body like jagged shards of glass, leaving him paralyzed with pain.
"This is… worse than Qi deviation," he thought, panic rising in his chest. He had read about Qi deviation in novels, but this—this was elemental chaos. His body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside, each element fighting for control.
[Recommendation: Cease forced absorption immediately and focus on stabilizing elemental flow.]
Chen Yu nodded weakly, barely able to form coherent thoughts through the pain. He tried to follow the system's advice, closing his eyes once again and forcing himself to take slow, steady breaths. "Calm down... you're not dying yet. You've just... messed up a little." He exhaled, focusing not on absorbing more of the elements but on balancing them inside his body. He imagined them settling, like five unruly forces being calmed into harmony.
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He visualized earth grounding him, making his body stable and strong. He imagined water flowing gently, soothing the fiery burn in his veins. Wind wrapped around him like a breeze, cooling and calming his mind, while lightning became a steady pulse of energy, crackling in time with his heartbeat. Fire, once out of control, now smoldered, providing warmth and power without overwhelming him.
Gradually, the pain began to subside. His muscles relaxed, and the chaotic energy within him smoothed out like a storm passing over calm waters. The elements inside him slowly came into balance, each one contributing to his strength without overwhelming the others.
Chen Yu let out a long breath, his body sagging with relief as the pain finally faded. He opened his eyes, still panting from the ordeal, sweat dripping down his face. His body ached like he'd just been in a battle, and his muscles twitched involuntarily from the residual energy.
"Damn… that was close," he muttered, rubbing his chest where the sharpest pain had been. "I nearly fried myself from the inside out. Stupid, stupid." He leaned back against the tree, trying to collect his thoughts. "I can't just force this stuff... I've gotta ease into it or I'll tear myself apart."
He let the cool forest air wash over him, calming his nerves. Despite the close call, he couldn't shake the feeling of progress. He had felt the elements. He had absorbed them, even if just for a moment, and it was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
As he lay there, catching his breath, a warmth spread through his limbs, different from the scorching heat from before. It was soothing, comforting, like the gentle flow of a river mixed with the strength of stone. The five elements within him seemed to stabilize, and he could feel his body subtly adjusting to their presence.
Suddenly, the system's mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations! You have triggered the first stage of the Primal Heavenly Body. Your body is now adapting to the elemental forces within you. Further cultivation will enhance your connection to the five elements.]
Chen Yu's eyes snapped open, disbelief washing over him. "Wait… I did it? Seriously? How?"
The system continued.
[Through accidental balance of the five elements, your body has begun to align with the natural forces of the world. You may now continue absorbing and utilizing the elements at a basic level. Caution: Overexertion or forced absorption may still lead to elemental backlash.]
Chen Yu couldn't help but laugh, the sound shaky from exhaustion. "I actually did it... by accident. I guess that's progress?" He grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Looks like I'm getting the hang of this, even if I almost blew myself up in the process."
As he leaned back against the tree, feeling the subtle hum of energy inside him, Chen Yu realized that this was only the beginning. He had barely scratched the surface of what the Primal Heavenly Body could do, and if he could learn to control the elements better, who knew what kind of power he could tap into?
Chen Yu sat up straighter, feeling the subtle hum of elemental energy still pulsing through his body. He couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. "So, how would you rank this technique in this world, oh great system of mine?" he muttered sarcastically, still catching his breath. "And, are you sure it works the same in this universe?"
There was a moment of silence before the system's mechanical voice echoed in his mind once again, calm and clinical as always.
[The Primal Heavenly Body is a cultivation technique that defies conventional ranking systems in this world.]
Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Defies rankings? What, is it off the charts or something?"
[Correct. The Primal Heavenly Body operates outside the established framework of cultivation techniques in this universe. Most techniques focus on a singular element, energy type, or spiritual pathway. This technique, however, is different. It draws upon the essence of all five primal elements—Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Lightning—simultaneously, allowing the cultivator to harmonize and command them as one. The true potential of the Primal Heavenly Body depends entirely on the user's ability to balance these forces within themselves.]