It had already been one hundred steady breaths, yet the faint, wispy traces of azure Qi lingered thickly beneath Ji Wuye's gleaming crimson pupils.
His gaze was transfixed, carefully studying the ethereal tendrils as they drifted and pulsed with a mesmerizing rhythm. "Amazing," he murmured with an approving nod, promptly deactivating his Quick Adaptation skill.
Unfortunately, there was no luxury of time to further test this newfound ability. If not for his current urgency - the weight of his pressing agenda hanging overhead - he would have eagerly devoted countless hours dissecting its potential.
"I didn't expect it to be this...formidable," Ji Wuye mused aloud, a hint of pleasant surprise edging into his tone.
However...
As the Quick Adaptation skill slowly wound down, the crimson glow within his eyes dimmed, and the vision of floating azure wisps began to fade into the shadows.
His sight gradually cleared, the veil of energy lifting to reveal his unobstructed surroundings.
Yet... something nagged at him, an instinctive prompting that gave pause to his next step. Ji Wuye's brow furrowed slightly as the corners of his mouth tightened into a pensive line.
image [https://i.ibb.co.com/rxt18v0/Notif-4.webp]
With a blink, Ji Wuye's crimson eyes reignited their luminous blaze, casting the fading azure tendrils into stark visibility once more. But that was not his aim.
Again, he willed the Quick Adaptation skill to deactivate, and this time the floating Qi vanished completely...yet the process halted abruptly before concluding.
A look of dawning realization spread across his features. "I was right," he murmured, the words carrying a hint of satisfied triumph.
With focused mental effort, Ji Wuye managed to preserve the second facet of Quick Adaptation without triggering the unexpected third effect he had just unveiled. The tight line of his mouth broke into a sly smile, his eyes narrowing with unrestrained glee at the exciting discovery.
Now a newfound mastery over his skill burned within him like a stoked flame. It was finally time to proceed.
With a deft flick of his hand, two herbs materialized from his inventory.
They materialized in a brilliant flash, the blinding azure light announcing their arrival and bathing the dimly lit basement in fleeting, radiant splendor.
Resting delicately atop the chilled stone bricks was a breathtaking crystal bloom - its six razor-edged petals arrayed in flawless, geometric harmony.
Yet unlike any ordinary flower, these petals were crafted of translucent, pale sapphire crystal that seemed to subtly pulse with an inner azure light.
The crystalline blossom's faint, ethereal glow cast shifting incandescent patterns across the chamber's walls, animating the shadows into a silent dance.
Tiny, glistening veins of purest silver ran through each crystalline petal like delicate, frozen lightning - intricate icy threads that shimmered and danced with ethereal light.
"The Frost Lotus," Ji Wuye uttered the name softly. As the words left his lips, his crimson pupils blazed with renewed intensity, revealing a previously unseen type of floating Qi now made visible within his perception.
It manifested as pale, icy blue tendrils, their frosty forms twisting and undulating like intricate six-sided snowflakes stirred by an unseen breeze.
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An Ice Qi - crisp and biting, its very presence seemed to leech warmth from the air around the delicate bloom.
Beside the Frost Lotus rested another curious entity - a tangle of tough, sinewy vines twisted into an unkempt braid.
They were long and thin, not unlike strands of polished silver necklaces, with small, wickedly sharp leaf blades jutting outward at irregular intervals.
The vines themselves possessed an alluring dark silver-gray hue with the faintest metallic luster that caught the low light, refracting it in kaleidoscopic shimmers across their smooth surfaces like liquid mercury.
Meanwhile, the small leaf blades were darker still - nearly pitch black - their razored edges exuding an air of wicked, unforgiving lethality.
"Iron Vine Grass," Ji Wuye stated. Just as the crystalline Frost Lotus emanated its icy essence, so too did this tangled creeper bleed its own unique Qi into the world.
The dark, Qi manifested as a dense, roiling orb that hung suspended in his mystical vision - its energies radiating not with the fluid grace of wind or water, but with the unyielding, monolithic presence of stone and mountain.
It gleamed with a heavy, faint luster under the crimson blaze of Ji Wuye's observant gaze.
A Metal Qi.
Having previously absorbed the essence of Wood and Water, Ji Wuye now found himself considering an ambitious experiment - could he add the elemental forces of Ice and Metal to his nascent harmonic resonance?
His eyes moved thoughtfully between the crystalline blossom and tangled creeper laid before him as one hand rose to rub his chin in contemplation.
"Now...which one should I choose?" He mused the words aloud.
He had a theory—or rather, a vague idea—about why he had been able to absorb Wood Qi and Water Qi previously.
The first factor...
"It thanks to my Unbreakable Vajra...it left elemental traces behind," Ji Wuye murmured, realization accompanying his theory regarding the previous elemental attunements. His tone took on a sense of certainty, the pieces clicking into place.
The second factor, he posited, was likely that mysterious Qi training skill granted to him by the God of Martial Arts.
"Lastly..." Ji Wuye's voice trailed off as his thoughts delved into the nuanced intricacies of the Five Elemental Rules that governed the harmonious dance of forces.
These ancient tenets emphasized that each element not only generated new essences in a nurturing cycle, but also restrained others - a dynamic, perpetual cycle of birth, growth, and tempering that maintained the cosmic balance.
Reflecting first on the generating cycle, Ji Wuye murmured aloud, "Water generates Wood."
A natural relationship of sustenance - water providing the vital moisture and life force that allowed wood to thrive, just as it nourished all growing things.
Yet their link ran deeper still, a symbiotic channel with wood acting as a grounding force, stabilizing and directing the ever-flowing waters.
"In nature, the roots of trees guide and anchor the path of streams and rivers," he noted, seeing now how this harmonious relationship played out in the natural world around them, elements intertwined.
"This balance explains why the two elements within my body do not clash." Their inherent compatibility represented growth, nurturing, flexibility - a harmonious relationship reflected in the lush groves and babbling brooks.
After carefully contemplating this elemental concord, Ji Wuye's logical path became clear. "Ice Qi," he stated decisively, having weighed the natures of the two essences laid before him.
His reasoning was rooted in the Five Elemental Rules themselves. Ice, though carrying a solidity and chill unto itself, was ultimately an expression of Water - its essence existing in a frozen, crystallized state.
Within this cycle, Ice represented the stillness, the dormancy, that tempered and balanced Wood's unchecked expansion and growth.
"Ice cools and slows growth," Ji Wuye explained his perspective. "It symbolizes a period of rest, of conserving energy as trees do in winter before the coming thaw."
Just as the cold seasons enforced a slumbering peace upon the forest, so too could ice Qi provide a stabilizing, grounding influence to balance the rampant energies of Wood while still preserving their nourishing, symbiotic tie to the waters that gave them life.
Ice and Wood could remain compatible when existing in moderated harmony. However, the essence of Metal presented a very different, more hazardous challenge entirely.
Metal, by its inherent nature, existed to restrain the unbridled growth of Wood - its sharpened edges and razor discipline serving as a harsh pruning force. While Ice could emulate Earth's grounding presence, Metal carried the potential to inflict deep imbalance by its restraining, cutting influence.
Yet even here, Ji Wuye could see the dualistic potential. "Metal's relationship with Water and Wood is...dual in nature," he mused carefully. "On one path, it can oppose and harm the Wood principle due to its restraining mechanism. But on the other..."
"For instance, Metal generates Water in the Creative Cycle," Ji Wuye continued his careful analysis. "Condensation forming upon metal surfaces produces water itself, which could potentially strengthen Water's nourishing, sustaining effect upon Wood."
His crimson gaze shifted contemplatively to study the dense, roiling orb of metallic Qi hovering before him as he spoke. However, Ji Wuye was equally cognizant of the dangers inherent in allowing Metal's influence to grow unchecked.
"Excessive Metal holds the potential to obstruct the flow of Water," he cautioned, "Symbolizing overly controlling or domineering forces."
A faint crease formed between his brows as Ji Wuye realized that absorbing and harnessing the power of the Metal element would require him to constantly walk a fine line - striving to maintain a delicate, precarious balance to ensure it did not over-dominate or disrupt the harmonious resonance of Water.
As for the more contentious relationship between Metal and Wood...Ji Wuye shook his head slowly. "They are fundamentally incompatible by nature," he admitted reluctantly.
"Metal cuts and restrains the growth of Wood, symbolizing pruning, unyielding structure, or obstacles deliberately placed to restrict expansion." The words hung heavy between them like a steel vise gripping a tender sapling.
Yet even here, the wise martial artist could see the potential for synergy amidst the evident clash. "However..." he allowed, "If properly balanced and tempered, Metal can refine Wood - much like the pruning of a gardener strengthens the core of a tree, promoting healthier, sturdier growth."
Ji Wuye fell silent for a moment, crimson eyes narrowing pensively as he studied the tangle of dark, metallic vines. At last, he nodded slowly in acceptance of the inherent complexity.
"To incorporate the essence of Metal would undoubtedly amplify the difficulty of maintaining harmony between the elements of Water and Wood," he concluded.
"If allowed to grow too dominant in influence, Metal could irrevocably destabilize that symbiotic structure, hindering Wood's growth and vitality."
A thoughtful pause followed before Ji Wuye's next words emerged with a hint of eager curiosity. "But a balanced infusion of Metal...it could provide stronger, more versatile power." His gaze sharpened appraisingly upon the Iron Vine Grass.
Still, for his current endeavor of expanding his elemental attunements, Ji Wuye’s prudent choice was clear—the crystalline essence of Ice Qi was the safer and more compatible path forward.
If not for the final element he still had to consider…