I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 367 - 350: Five Elements Smelting

"Elder Zhou... What are you doing here?" Ma Tian’Er’s mouth fell open in surprise. She had also thought it was Yang Ying.

Zhou Feng’s expression immediately fell. "You don’t welcome me? I’m heartbroken. I’m going back!"

Everyone immediately burst out laughing and dragged Zhou Feng back. "Old Zhou, of course we welcome you! From now on, you’re our Junior Brother!"

Wang Meng laughed heartily. His words made Zhou Feng’s head spin.

"Yes, Junior Brother Zhou. Please take care of us from now on!"

"That’s right, Junior Brother Zhou! All the brothers welcome you!"

Everyone knew Old Zhou had a cheerful and joking personality, so the group started teasing him relentlessly. They truly embarrassed him, but when they thought about it, it made sense. At the Cultivation Academy, everything started over. He had arrived later, so he was, in fact, everyone’s junior brother. In the Cultivation Realm, age never meant much. Still, the situation felt a little strange, but it was also quite amusing.

"Ahem! And now, a speech from our Junior Brother, Old Zhou!" Wang Meng cleared his throat.

"Everyone, I, Zhou Feng, will provide you all with the best Pill support in the days to come!"

Old Zhou pumped his fist, full of fighting spirit, but his voice instantly dropped an octave. "Of course, you all have to protect me. Don’t let the Demon Cultivators snatch me away."

Everyone roared with laughter. Old Zhou was still such a clown. Zhou Feng then explained the reason for his arrival, and everyone understood.

Yan Yuyue took it in stride. After all, she was from the Demon Heart Sect and had heard of Zhou Feng’s talent in Alchemy. If they could protect him and he could put his alchemical talents to use, it would be a great help to the current Holy Hall Faction.

Fan Xiaoniao and Jiang Qingqing, however, curiously sized up this "old disciple." At his age, he probably only had around forty layers of Elemental Power, which was the type of person who had absolutely no competitive edge at the Cultivation Academy.

’Is alchemy... even necessary?’

At the Cultivation Academy, some people practiced Alchemy Skill, but to be honest, they only learned the methods. If anyone needed Pills, they would just buy them directly from the academy. Who would go through all that trouble?

Despite their doubts, the others all welcomed Zhou Feng.

Zhou Feng was also given a place in the Little Holy Hall. It was spacious enough now anyway, and they could look out for one another. Wang Meng knew he couldn’t expect Zhou Feng to struggle from the bottom up like the other disciples. His purpose in coming to the Cultivation Academy was very clear: to use his exceptional Pill Book to help everyone. At the same time, this place would be a great opportunity for Zhou Feng’s own improvement.

Hu Jing’s arrangement had truly exceeded his expectations, but it was indeed crucial for the current Little Holy Hall.

Back at the Little Holy Hall, Arhat was still engrossed in his Array Technique. No one would disturb him. When he was hungry, someone brought him food; when thirsty, someone brought him water; when he needed Spirit Stones, someone gave them to him. All Arhat needed to do was devote himself wholeheartedly to studying Array Technique.

Wang Meng went to Zhou Feng’s room. Zhou Feng explained the Ancestral Masters’ thoughts in detail and also mentioned Yang Ying’s situation to keep Wang Meng from worrying. The Ancestral Masters had been very considerate of Wang Meng’s feelings, afraid he might hold a grudge.

Wang Meng smiled slightly. "Welcome, Old Zhou. Your arrival is a true blessing!"

Along the way, Zhou Feng had been deeply struck by the magnificence of this new place. The architecture was one thing, but the key was the endless stream of Cultivators. As an Elder, he was considered one of the best in the Holy Hall, but here, he truly felt like just another face in the crowd. There were elites from every Small Thousand Realm. Here, the Holy Hall was not like one of the Three Great Sects in the Four Directions Small Thousand Realm. The powers here were all Sects in their own right, and they were all incredibly strong.

For Zhou Feng, who was used to the pride of the Holy Hall, this was indeed a huge shock.

But this pressure also completely ignited the pride in Zhou Feng’s bones. True, he was definitely no good when it came to combat, but when it came to Alchemy, no matter where he went, he was Zhou Feng!

"Wang Meng, when do we start?" Zhou Feng was getting a little impatient. "I’ve brought all my equipment."

Wang Meng broke into a sweat. "Old Zhou, don’t be so hasty. Today, I’ll first help you get familiar with the academy, get your Star Ring, and go over some of the rules. How should I put it... this place is really different from the Four Directions Small Thousand Realm."

"Alright!"

Before he came, Zhou Luodan had a long talk with him about many things, the most important of which was his mindset.

He shouldn’t be arrogant; after all, the Great Yuan Realm wasn’t the Holy Hall. His former status would be meaningless here. Everything was like starting from scratch. Zhou Luodan wasn’t worried about that, as Zhou Feng had a good personality and wasn’t pretentious. But he couldn’t let himself feel inferior either. Geniuses were everywhere there, not just in combat, but likely in Alchemy as well. So, he had to work hard!

Zhou Feng was ready to face the challenge. To be honest, he really had nothing to fear. For someone like him, who believed one could die content in the evening after learning the great Dao in the morning, his lifelong obsession with the Alchemy Skill had never waned. And now, with a vast world before him, what other thoughts could he possibly have?!

The atmosphere inside the Little Holy Hall was excellent. Everyone was cultivating in their own Quiet Chamber, which was much more effective than cultivating alone. Suddenly, a roar erupted from somewhere.

"I did it! I succeeded!"

Arhat rushed into the main hall, shouting and jumping.

Everyone was startled out of their rooms by his cries. "Little Baldy, what did you succeed at?!"

Since joining the Holy Hall Faction, Arhat had barely spoken to anyone. In any case, he was never shy about asking for things when he needed them, and He Zui had insisted on becoming his logistics officer.

"Brother He, it’s done! I’ve deciphered the Five Elements Cultivation Array! It’s a perfect array, truly beautiful."

Arhat’s eyes held a tenderness as if he were looking at a lover.

Wang Meng and the others arrived. "Ah, you figured it out?"

Wang Meng was full of anticipation for what the Old Demon Dean had specially instructed him to do.

"Yes, Boss! This array is incredible. I think I can go take the test for Array Level 8 now. Its main function is group cultivation. It uses the principle of the Five Elements’ mutual generation to make cultivation twice as effective with half the effort."

Arhat said joyfully.

"That’s great news!" He Zui nodded. It sounded quite miraculous.

"Is it a kind of resonance theory? Based on the Five Elements, you cultivate according to their sequence?" Mingren asked with a slight smile.

"Brother Mingren has sharp insight! That’s exactly it. This array is amazing. It comes from the Thousand Machines Sect. The Thousand Machines Sect disappeared a long time ago. I never expected an array like this to still exist."

Arhat said.

Among the many Small Thousand Realms, Sects rose to prominence and others vanished. The Thousand Machines Sect was once a very powerful sect whose disciples excelled at Array Technique. But in the end, they became too obsessed with it, which led to their demise. After all, in the world of Cultivators, offensive power is still king.

"Tell us about it." Wang Meng had a feeling that the Old Demon Dean’s move was probably meant to strengthen the Holy Hall Faction.

"This array is divided into six parts. The center is the array core, and the other five are divisions. Each division represents one of the Five Elements. Everyone needs to position themselves in the corresponding division according to their Five Elements Attribute. The requirements for the array core are quite high. It needs five people with profound Five Elements Skills to act as the main controllers, regulating the generation and suppression cycles of the Five Elements. This radiates outward from the center, ultimately achieving the effect of getting twice the result with half the effort."

Arhat spoke with great excitement, constantly marveling at the profundity of the array.

"Arhat, according to what you’ve said, the key to this array is the controllers at the center. Not only do you need five people skilled in Five Elements Skills, but they also have to be adept at coordinating and transitioning between the Five Elements, while simultaneously adjusting the entire array?"

Mingren asked.

Arhat nodded. "Exactly. Such an exquisite array is truly amazing. The Thousand Machines Sect really lives up to its reputation. Sigh... how could a power like that be wiped out?"

Everyone looked at each other, speechless. Fan Xiaoniao couldn’t help but say, "If they didn’t get wiped out, who would? It’s way too idealistic. The idea is nice, but where are you supposed to find such incredible people?!"

Generally speaking, the Thousand Machines Sect became too focused on pursuing idealized arrays in the end, which led to their gradual demise. This Cultivation Array was actually one of their better ones; some had even successfully used it before. But ultimately, it couldn’t be widely adopted. In the current era of cultivation, methods needed to have simple and accessible requirements to be suitable for widespread use, especially an array like this that was designed for groups.

"Actually, at the Cultivation Academy, there are quite a few people with keen Five Elements perception and a solid foundation in cultivation techniques. It’s just that the Five Elements generation and suppression cycles this array requires are extremely advanced. Five people are not one person, after all. It’s impossible for them to achieve perfect, seamless coordination. On top of that, the array has five other external sub-arrays to manage. The burden is too great. The slightest mistake would make it worse than just cultivating on your own."

Mingren said.

Ma Tian’Er and the others nodded in agreement. Ma Tian’Er was currently practicing a Wood Element Cultivation Method and had reached a considerable level. Even though Five Elements Magic seemed basic, once it involved the generation and suppression cycles, it became extremely difficult to control.

Wang Meng pondered for a moment. "It’s not impossible. Tian’Er’s Wood of the Five Elements is exceptionally pure."

"If it’s the Water of the Five Elements, I can give it a try."

Yan Yuyue said. She and Ma Tian’Er were widely acknowledged as the two Five Elements geniuses this time.

"But that’s only two. We’re still missing three."

He Zui shrugged helplessly. The Five Elements of people like him and Ning Zhiquan were not pure, making them clearly unsuitable for the core of the array. They could only coordinate from the outer divisions.

"As for the Five Elements Flame, I can give it a shot," Li Tianyi said.

Wang Meng nodded. "We have Wood, Water, and Fire. Mingren, how about you and I each pick one of the remaining?"

Mingren smiled. "Earth and Metal. I’ll pick Earth. It doesn’t matter which one you pick anyway."

He Zui was a little curious. "Mingren, what are your Five Elements?"

Mingren smiled. "My Five Elements are primarily a triple attribute: Earth, Fire, and Water."

Everyone looked at him, slightly astonished. Mingren had always been the quiet, unassuming type. No one had expected his Five Elements aptitude to be so good.

"We have enough people. Whether we succeed or not, we have to try. Arhat, please explain it to us."

Wang Meng said.

Wang Meng was instinctively very interested in the Five Elements Formation. Everyone began to prepare the array’s layout. Arhat was also eager to test his Array Technique through practical application.

For a Cultivator specializing in Array Technique, this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity.

Everyone was busy preparing. As expected, the Dragon King Faction didn’t seem to be making any moves.

For the next few days, Wang Meng, Li Tianyi, Mingren, Yan Yuyue, and Ma Tian’Er familiarized themselves with the detailed usage of the Five Elements Formation and performed some preliminary balancing.

The core of the formation was now set up. All that remained was to see if they could successfully adapt to the array.

Fan Hong and the others waited nervously outside. If the five of them could truly coordinate successfully, it would be an absolute godsend for the Little Holy Hall!

The core was the most critical part.