From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 113 A Battle of Wits Amidst a Dilemma

Master Huoyun's question struck me like a thunderbolt. Converting fire-attribute spiritual power into water-attribute spiritual power? This was far beyond my current understanding of cultivation. None of the cultivation methods or scriptures I had encountered mentioned such a profound conversion technique. My throat tightened, my previously eloquent debate abruptly ended, and a chill ran from my feet to the top of my head.

The room fell silent. All eyes were on me, as if awaiting my answer or watching a spectacle. I tried to remain calm, but my clenched fists betrayed my nervousness. I forced myself to take deep breaths, attempting to find a clue amidst my chaotic thoughts. The five elements—water overcomes fire, fire overcomes metal, metal overcomes wood—swirled in my mind, yet I couldn't piece together a complete answer.

Just as I was racking my brains, Fairy Qinglian's clear voice rang out with a hint of mockery: "Fellow Daoist Xiao Yao, if you can't answer, there's no need to waste everyone's time. The Dao Discussion Conference is a place to discuss the Great Dao and exchange ideas, not a stage for some people to show off."

Her words, like sharp needles, pierced my pride. I bit my lower lip tightly, a surge of defiance rising within me. I admit, my understanding of spiritual energy conversion is indeed limited, but I will never give up. I looked up directly at Fairy Qinglian, my eyes flashing with unwavering determination: "Fairy, you are mistaken. Though I am not talented, I have been diligently studying the Great Dao. Daoist Huoyun's question is indeed profound, but I am not entirely without a clue."

I paused, my gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on Daoist Huoyun's impatient face: "What you asked, Daoist, is how to transform fire-attribute spiritual power into water-attribute spiritual power. This question is not unsolvable. The five elements interact and restrain each other, complementing one another. No single type of spiritual power exists in isolation; they can be transformed into one another..."

I struggled to organize my thoughts, trying to find some clues based on my past cultivation experiences. I talked about the principle of water and fire counteracting each other, the balance of yin and yang, and the laws of the circulation of spiritual energy in heaven and earth... However, my explanations seemed weak and lacked practical examples, more like a patchwork of unrelated ideas and sophistry.

The Palace Mistress of Cold Moon Palace snorted disdainfully, her cold voice like a winter wind, sending a chill down my spine: "Fellow Daoist Xiao Yao, what you've said is all superficial and lacks substance. If everyone spoke so carelessly, wouldn't the cultivation world be in complete chaos?"

Her words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, filling me with despair. I knew I was in a very dangerous situation; if I couldn't find a reasonable explanation soon, my reputation would be completely ruined.

The carefree hermit yawned lazily and said casually, "Fellow Daoist Xiao Yao, when you say 'creating nature,' do you mean this kind of ability to imagine and fabricate things out of thin air?"

His words, though spoken casually, were like daggers, piercing my heart, making me feel as if I had been stripped naked and exposed to the public eye. I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my anger and resentment, and was about to retort when I heard True Monarch Ziyang slowly say, "Everyone, please calm down..."

He paused, his gaze falling on me with a hint of encouragement and expectation. "Fellow Daoist Xiao Yao, there's no need to be nervous, tell me slowly..."

The words of True Lord Ziyang flowed like a warm current through my cold body, giving me a sliver of courage to continue. I nodded gratefully to him, trying to calm myself down. I knew this was not the time to be discouraged; I had to seize this last opportunity to defend myself.

"Seniors, I am not speaking carelessly, nor am I making unfounded claims." I took a deep breath and tried to speak in a calm tone. "I admit that my understanding of spiritual energy conversion is still shallow, but I believe that anything that seems impossible has the possibility of being realized. The mutual generation and restraint of the five elements is not an immutable law, but can be transformed and integrated with each other."

I tried to recall my past cultivation experiences, attempting to find examples that could support my viewpoint. "When I was cultivating at a volcano, I discovered that fire-attribute spiritual energy was not purely fire-attribute; it also contained traces of water-attribute spiritual energy. This shows that even in extreme fire-attribute environments, there is a trace of water-attribute energy. Therefore, it is not entirely impossible to transform fire-attribute spiritual energy into water-attribute spiritual energy."

My explanation still seemed somewhat far-fetched, but I could feel my thinking gradually becoming clearer. I continued, "I once saw a cultivation method called 'Yin-Yang Harmony' in an ancient book. This method can transform the Yin and Yang spiritual energies within the body to achieve a balanced state. If we can apply this method to the transformation of the five elements' spiritual energy, perhaps we can find a way to transform fire-attribute spiritual energy into water-attribute spiritual energy."

My voice grew firmer, and my eyes brightened. I felt I was getting closer to the truth, closer to finding the answer. However, my explanation still couldn't completely convince everyone.

Palace Master Lengyue scoffed disdainfully, her cold voice like a winter wind, sending a chill down my spine. "Fellow Daoist Xiao Yao, what you've said is merely theoretical speculation, lacking any concrete evidence. Your concept of 'yin-yang harmony' only applies to the two spiritual energies of yin and yang; how can it be applied to the five elements of spiritual power?"

Her questioning was like a bucket of cold water poured over my face, instantly extinguishing the flame of hope that had just been ignited. I opened my mouth, wanting to refute her, but found myself speechless. I knew that my explanation did indeed have significant flaws and lacked substantial supporting evidence.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to calm down. I couldn't give up like this; I had to keep trying, keep searching for answers. I took a deep breath, preparing to speak again, when suddenly I felt a powerful pressure envelop the entire venue.

This oppressive force, like Mount Tai pressing down on me, made it difficult to breathe and caused a tightness in my chest. I looked up and saw that True Lord Ziyang's expression had become extremely solemn, his gaze fixed on the entrance to the venue.

"Who is it?" Ziyang Zhenjun's voice was deep and powerful, with a hint of barely perceptible tension.

I followed his gaze and saw a figure dressed in black slowly walk into the venue. He was tall and imposing, and his face was covered by a black mask, obscuring his features. With each step he took, he seemed to exude a powerful aura, causing the entire venue to tremble.

He stopped in front of me, his gaze fixed on me. I felt his gaze was like two sharp knives piercing my body, sending chills down my spine.

He spoke slowly, his voice low and hoarse, like a demon from hell. "What you said is very interesting..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on me. "Let me tell you how to convert fire-attribute spiritual power into water-attribute spiritual power..."

The appearance of the man in black made the already tense atmosphere even more so. The oppressive aura emanating from him made it almost impossible for me to breathe. The Carefree Hermit laughed loudly, pointing at me and saying, "Haha, Xiao Yao, look, even this senior thinks you're just making excuses!"

I glared at him fiercely, my heart filled with resentment. I clearly felt I was so close to the truth, yet I always fell just short. True Monarch Ziyang shook his head slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes, which made me feel even worse. His previous encouragement and support now felt like sharp thorns, piercing my heart.

“Soliciting nonsense?” The man in black repeated Xiaoyao Sanren’s words, his voice low and terrifying. “Perhaps…” His gaze fell on me again, sending a chill down my spine. “But I think what she said isn’t entirely without merit.”

These words struck like a thunderbolt through the hall. Everyone was stunned, including me. I stared at the man in black in disbelief, my mind filled with questions. Who exactly was he? Why was he speaking up for me?

"The five elements interact in a cycle of mutual generation and restraint, which is not immutable." The man in black spoke slowly, his voice deep yet possessing a peculiar charm that compelled listeners to continue. "All things in the world are in a state of flux. Fire can generate water, and water can overcome fire; this is merely common sense, not a law."

He stretched out his hand, and a flickering flame suddenly appeared in his palm. This flame wasn't ordinary red; it had a faint blue tinge. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the flame actually contained a trace of moisture.

"Look closely." The man in black said, and the flame in his hand began to slowly change, gradually deepening in color until it finally turned into a crystal-clear water sphere.

This scene stunned everyone present. Even the usually aloof and arrogant Palace Master of Cold Moon Palace showed a look of shock. I was completely dumbfounded, unable to believe my eyes. This... how could this be?

The man in black tossed the water ball into the air, where it slowly spun, emitting a cool aura. "The transformation of the five elements is not impossible. The key lies in finding the balance point."

He withdrew his gaze and looked at me again. "What you called 'yin-yang harmony,' while not directly applicable to the transformation of the five elements, does offer a framework. Yin and yang are mutually generating and restraining, and so are the five elements. As long as we find the balance point between them, we can achieve the transformation of the five elements."

His words were like a wake-up call, enlightening me completely. I had been preoccupied with how to directly convert fire-attribute spiritual energy into water-attribute spiritual energy, but I had overlooked the principle of balance among the five elements.

I bit my lip, trying to calm myself, and began to analyze the argument from a completely new perspective, gradually making some progress. I felt I was getting closer and closer to the truth…

The man in black looked at me, a strange smile suddenly appearing on his lips. "Do you want to know more?" He slowly extended his hand, pointing at me. "I can teach you..."

The man in black's words were like a beacon, illuminating my chaotic thoughts. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my wildly beating heart. The Five Elements do not exist in isolation; they influence and restrain each other, like a precise instrument where a change in one affects the whole. I had been fixated on a single point, focusing only on how to transform fire into water, forgetting to consider the influence of the other elements.

I spoke slowly, my voice still trembling slightly, but carrying a firm conviction born of new discovery: "Seniors, my previous arguments were indeed flawed. The transformation of the Five Elements is not a simple one-way conversion, but requires consideration of the overall balance. As the senior in black demonstrated, fire contains water, and water can overcome fire. The key lies in how to control the balance point within it."

I paused, my gaze sweeping over the crowd. I saw the doubt in some eyes gradually fade, replaced by curiosity and inquiry. This gave me more confidence, and I continued, "The concept of Yin and Yang harmony lies in finding the balance point of opposites, and the transformation of the Five Elements is the same. To transform fire into water, it is not a direct transformation, but rather achieved by adjusting the other three elements—metal, wood, and earth."

As I spoke, I rapidly constructed a model of the five elements' mutual generation and restraint in my mind. Metal generates water, water restrains fire; wood generates fire, fire restrains metal; earth generates metal, metal restrains wood... The relationships between the various elements are intricate and complex, like a huge network that tightly entangles my thoughts.

I tried to sort out these relationships and find a usable balance. Suppose I want to transform fire into water, then I need to enhance the energy of metal, because metal generates water; at the same time, I need to weaken the energy of wood, because wood generates fire. Earth, then, is the key to regulating metal and wood.

“For example, we can use metal-attribute spiritual artifacts or formations to enhance the energy of metal, thereby promoting the generation of water; at the same time, we can use earth-attribute spiritual power to suppress the growth of wood, thereby weakening the intensity of fire…” I explained while gesturing in the air, trying to demonstrate the model in my mind.

Although my explanation was not perfect, it had already made some people re-evaluate me. A hint of approval flashed in the eyes of True Monarch Ziyang, Fairy Qinglian nodded slightly, and even the hot-tempered Daoist Huoyun showed a rare thoughtful expression.

However, the carefree hermit remained disdainful, sneering, "All that fancy talk is just empty rhetoric. If you're so capable, demonstrate it for me right here!"

His words resonated with some people around him, putting me under pressure. I knew I needed to present more convincing evidence to completely turn the tide.

I took a deep breath, about to speak, when I suddenly felt a powerful pressure coming from behind me, making it almost impossible for me to breathe. I turned around abruptly and saw the man in black standing behind me, his deep eyes seeming to pierce through my soul.

“I can help you,” his deep voice whispered in my ear, like a devil’s murmur, “but you will have to pay a price…”