Chapter 198 - 117: The Tribulation of Strife Arises, Turning Stone into Gold (Part 2)

On Chongyun Peak, Xuzhuang was inside his cave-abode, consolidating the insights from his cultivation in the Innate Tai Su Realm.

For eighteen years, Xuzhuang had been continuously comprehending the innate evolution. While his cultivation level hadn't advanced much, his foundation had progressed by leaps and bounds. He even experienced the long-absent sensation of his Magical Power being insufficient. This disparity wasn't as dramatic as it had been in the past—the difference between a stream and an ocean—but one had to remember how immense Xuzhuang's Magical Power had become. Even a ten percent increase was a quantity an ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator could hardly imagine.

Beyond that, his sensitivity to the subtle changes within his Magical Power had also grown considerably. While difficult to quantify, this provided a significant boost whenever Xuzhuang cast Daoist techniques, wielded Magical Artifacts, or even performed his daily cultivation exercises.

Yet these improvements in his Magical Power and cultivation were merely the tip of the iceberg. What Xuzhuang valued even more was his progress in his Daoist techniques and his overall Dao attainment.

He sat in the main seat, his gaze suddenly falling upon two rows of armchairs before him. These chairs were made from a type of Cangyun Strange Wood, a timber said to grow into the clouds. It wouldn't rot even after a thousand years and would remain as sturdy as new, making it highly favored by the members of the Tai Su Sect.

Gazing at the two rows of Cangyun Wood armchairs, Xuzhuang mulled it over for a moment. He suddenly formed a Magic Formula, then pointed a finger at one of the chairs.

There was no flash of light, no sound, yet the armchair suddenly transformed, becoming a stone chair!

A look of delight appeared in Xuzhuang's eyes. He pointed again and again, and the armchairs transformed one by one: a golden chair, a silver chair, pearwood, redwood, quartz, clay...

Had anyone else been present, they would have been utterly stunned. A scan with one's Spiritual Sense would reveal that the stone chairs, gold chairs, and wooden chairs were all completely real. They were not mere illusions created by some spell or Illusion Technique, but a true alteration of their form and substance—a genuine method of 'turning stone into gold' that changed their very essence.

This was a skill he had comprehended as his Tai Su Taoist Technique deepened—the ability to change the form and substance of objects. It suddenly reminded Xuzhuang of one of the punishments within the Tai Su Sect:

The punishment of being transformed into a beast.

In the past, Xuzhuang had assumed this punishment meant forcing a criminal's soul to reincarnate as an animal. 'But now,' he thought, 'could it be that they literally transform a living person into a pig, a dog, a cow, or a horse...?'

'If that's really the case, what an incredible Divine Technique that must be!'

Xuzhuang was already proficient in the Five Elements Escape Technique and had diligently studied the Five Elements Dao, a fundamental Grand Dao of the esoteric arts. He later obtained the exquisite *Five Elements Primordial Union Formula*. Heeding the Book Immortal's advice, he had designated it as a candidate for his fundamental Daoist technique and had since studied it extensively, benefiting greatly from it.

Perhaps for this reason, during the repeated cosmic evolutions within the Innate Tai Su Realm, he gained the most comprehension of the transformations of the Five Elements—second only to the transformations of Tai Su itself, and more so than the abstruse concepts of 'creation from nothingness' and 'the One born from existence'.

The Innate Tai Su Realm, as its name implied, naturally prioritized the transformations of Tai Su. It didn't encompass the entirety of creation or the evolution of the Five Ultimates, and its demonstration of the principles of the Five Elements was but a minor aspect. Even so, to a Nascent Soul Cultivator's level of Dao attainment, it was incomparably profound.

Therefore, although Xuzhuang had not yet begun to practice the *Five Elements Primordial Union Formula*, his understanding of the principles of the Five Elements could already be considered profound.

However, to alter form and substance, merely understanding the process of transformation was far from enough; one also needed a deep understanding of the 'target substance.' This was why all the changes produced by his technique were confined to the Five Elements.

Even so, Xuzhuang discovered that the chairs' new forms and substances were slowly becoming unstable. 'Is my understanding of the Five Elements still too shallow?' he wondered. 'Or is my Magical Power insufficient to sustain the transformation? Will they eventually revert to their original forms, or will they disintegrate completely?'

Therefore, Xuzhuang couldn't yet fathom what level of Dao attainment would be required to permanently transform a person into a beast.

Xuzhuang wasn't one to be troubled by things he couldn't figure out. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind for now. His Magic Formulas continued as he transformed all the tables and chairs in the hall. This was no game; after transforming each piece, he would pause to contemplate the changes involved.

This continued for half a day. Xuzhuang only stopped when the hall was filled with gold, silver, bronze, iron, woods of red, yellow, and brown, and objects of white stone and grey clay. He looked at the chaotic mess and chuckled to himself, "The transformations of the Five Elements are truly marvelous."

Having consolidated his insights into his Daoist techniques, Xuzhuang sat quietly in the hall. He spread his Spiritual Sense throughout the room, patiently waiting and observing the reversal of his 'stone to gold' transformations, while also contemplating his next steps.

'I never thought I'd spend eighteen years in the Innate Tai Su Realm. In the blink of an eye, the Celestial Waterfall Dharma Assembly is already here. But I still have so much to do in Profound Yellow; time is incredibly tight.'

'But no matter what, my cultivation comes first. Consolidating my understanding of my Daoist techniques is the most urgent task.' He pondered for a moment. 'Three months should be just enough. To be safe, I'll set aside one hundred days. It won't be too late to handle other matters after that...'

As he was thinking, Xuzhuang's brow suddenly twitched. He looked toward the entrance of his abode and called out, "Come in."

Before leaving for the Celestial Waterfall, Xuzhuang had dismissed his Daoist Children and hadn't brought Xue Yuren back, so there was no one to do the chores. Fortunately, he hadn't activated any restrictive wards, so the person outside heard his call and opened the door to the cave-abode.

A boyish, monkey-like head peeked in. The figure straightened up and entered the hall. He froze for a moment at the chaotic sight before striding over to Xuzhuang and bowing. "Greetings, Master."

Xuzhuang knew he had come for a reason and asked directly, "What is it?"

Yuan Hao took a golden leaf from his robes and presented it, smiling sheepishly. "Senior Brother Zhou wishes to pay his respects to you, Master."

"Oh?" Xuzhuang already knew that Zhou Jun was waiting outside. He took the golden leaf, glanced at it, and chuckled. "Such a formal visit..."

He shot a sideways glance at Yuan Hao, who immediately stood up straighter. "Show him in," Xuzhuang said.

Yuan Hao was overjoyed. "Yes, Master!" He turned and ran toward the entrance, calling out, "Senior Brother Zhou, you can come in!"

A voice came from outside the abode, "You rascal, show some decorum."

Then, Yuan Hao was seen leading Zhou Jun into the cave-abode with a very serious expression. Upon entering the main hall, Zhou Jun was also taken aback.

Xuzhuang, of course, didn't know that a rather unusual Five Elements Child was currently screaming in Zhou Jun's mind. This caused Zhou Jun's respect for Xuzhuang to deepen even further. He stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, "This disciple greets Martial Uncle." He then took a jade box from his sleeve and presented it. "This is a greeting gift from this disciple. I implore Martial Uncle to accept it."

This was a matter of etiquette, so Xuzhuang saw no reason to refuse. He took the jade box, placed it on the table, and said coolly, "Sit."

Zhou Jun obediently sat down on one of the quartz armchairs. He then heard Xuzhuang ask, "This Primordial Jade Gui, did you prepare it specifically for me?"

Zhou Jun replied, "Yes. This disciple heard that Martial Uncle once sought this item but was unable to find it. Though I do not know if you still have need of it, I took the liberty of presenting it, hoping it would please you, Martial Uncle."

'He's well-informed,' Xuzhuang thought with a small smile. "You're very thoughtful," he said aloud. "Since you've come to visit, you must be seeking something."

Zhou Jun replied respectfully, "Yes. This disciple dares to ask for Martial Uncle's guidance in my Daoist techniques."

"Oh?" Xuzhuang said in surprise. "I know you practice the Five Elements Wanderer Dao Technique. Why are you seeking guidance from me?"

"Well," Zhou Jun choked out, instinctively glancing around at the room full of gold, stone, iron, and wood. He answered haphazardly, "I heard that Martial Uncle has also researched the Five Elements Dao..."

"I see. I do know a thing or two about the Five Elements Dao. As for guiding you," Xuzhuang gave him a faint, unreadable smile, "you are a promising junior of the sect, a talented disciple with the potential to become a true heir. I certainly won't be stingy with my guidance... However."

Zhou Jun's heart tightened. He then heard Xuzhuang say, "I have important matters to attend to, so I can only permit you to follow me in my abode and cultivate for a period of one hundred days. Are you willing?"

Zhou Jun was overjoyed. He rose to bow, saying, "Thank you, Martial Uncle! This disciple is willing!"

Xuzhuang raised a hand, stopping Zhou Jun's bow. He said coolly, "In that case, you may reside in my abode for these hundred days. I will have Hao'Er take you to get settled in a moment."

Then he instructed Yuan Hao, "During these hundred days, you will also stay in the abode and listen to my lectures, understand?"

Yuan Hao replied joyfully, "Yes, Master."