Chapter 2198: New Hope

Many hands make light work; one manifestation of elemental power is its power of aggregation. Artifacts too powerful for a single person have a much higher chance of being activated when many people combine their power.

"'Even the national diviners can only 'channel' elemental power, not 'use' it,' Xu Shichu added. 'They merely allow elemental power to unleash or amplify an artifact's inherent abilities.'"

He Lingchuan thought of the Greenery Vase; indeed, Nian Zanli had only used the entire army's elemental power to activate its properties.

He also recalled how the Qingyang National Diviner, when pursuing him and Granny Zhu on Mount Xu, had used elemental power to transform arrows into snakes, but that was an inherent ability of the Vine Serpent Arrows themselves.

"'Does Director Xu's 'use' mean controlling it as effortlessly as one's own limbs, just like the true energy within one's body?' He Lingchuan instantly grasped the implication, his heart quickening. 'Have you found a way?'"

Xu Shichu and Zhong Shengguang would not make such a statement idly.

Previously, no matter how potent elemental power was, its application remained superficial and crude, merely offering minor enhancements to the wielder or offsetting incoming divine attacks.

If he could use elemental power with the same mastery as he wielded true energy...

Just imagining the sheer density of the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities' elemental power sent a thrill through him!

"'Half a month ago, General Hong was practicing her spear by the Sandsong River until she entered a state of self-oblivion,' Zhong Shengguang recounted. 'With one thrust, she reversed the river's flow, and it took a full twenty breaths for the waters to resume their natural course and close again. Afterward, she tried to replicate that spear's power but couldn't. General Hong is certain that elemental power entered her Thunderclap Spear at that moment, then merged with her true energy to unleash such immense power.'"

He Lingchuan suddenly realized, "So that was the spear thrust!"

Just a few days prior, he had heard rumors of General Hong delivering a world-shaking blow by the Sandsong River, which caused the water to surge backward, even flowing upstream!

The scene was akin to ten thousand galloping horses or a clash of dragons; its mighty roar reverberated for ten miles, leaving soldiers and passersby on the riverbank utterly stunned.

This was a spectacle typically seen only during violent storms, yet General Hong had achieved it through her own power.

Moreover, the Sandsong River was in its flood season, with a width of fifteen zhang at that point and a substantial flow. General Hong not only halted the current but also sent the water surging backward. The power was astonishing, and the sight truly magnificent!

Thus, the story spread rapidly throughout the army, becoming widely known. He Lingchuan, upon hearing it, felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't been able to witness it firsthand.

Zhong Shengguang added, "Reversing the flow with a spear throw is not a special ability of the Thunderclap Spear."

He Lingchuan knew this was true; he had used the Thunderclap Spear himself.

Under the previous understanding of elemental power, it could only activate an artifact's inherent characteristics. However, General Hong's strike was clearly a manifestation of her own martial arts prowess.

He Lingchuan murmured, "Entered the Thunderclap Spear? And then?"

General Hong was a master of elemental power; it was impossible for her not to distinguish whether the elemental power for that strike had merely adhered to the spear's surface or had truly permeated it.

So, the elemental power truly entered the Thunderclap Spear and was then used for her martial technique?

"'And then it was used naturally,' Zhong Shengguang stated gravely. 'Once she emerged from that state of self-oblivion, the process became elusive, like an antelope hanging its horns — impossible to trace or recall.'"

"'Given the power she exerted then, even if it were merely an amplified effect of elemental power, it shouldn't have caused the river to reverse its flow, unless—'"

He Lingchuan understood: "Unless the elemental power was genuinely wielded by her, rather than merely offering a minor enhancement to the existing effect."

Elemental power offered various benefits to soldiers, such as reducing damage from divine spells, piercing illusions to resist confusion, and so forth. It could also enhance offensive capabilities, but the amplification was limited.

Even if the current Great Emperor of Nine Serenities or General Huye launched a full elemental power attack, it would only make their martial arts techniques about forty to fifty percent more potent.

While this 'forty to fifty percent' might sound fantastical to others, He Lingchuan harbored even greater expectations for it.

He had always believed that the true potential of elemental power had yet to be fully unearthed.

General Hong's spear thrust against the current revealed new possibilities for using elemental power, which was truly tremendous news for him and for Panlong City!

Unfortunately, General Hong herself wasn't clear on how the elemental power had functioned at that moment.

This was quite normal; He Lingchuan himself, when entering the state of self-oblivion, fought and cast spells with instinctive fluidity. Afterward, no matter how he tried to recall it, he could never replicate that same power.

The state of self-oblivion was profound and ethereal; one couldn't even remember the specifics, retaining only a vague sensation.

"'General Hong's ability to unleash a spear thrust that reversed the river's flow indicates significant untapped potential in elemental power.' Zhong Shengguang raised his hand and activated elemental power, but the light emanating from his body was a vivid red, missing the faint trace of purple."

His elemental power was not as potent as He Lingchuan's.

While it would be an odd sight elsewhere for a leader's elemental power to be less potent than a general's, it was a common occurrence in Panlong City.

"'I've tried repeatedly myself,' Zhong Shengguang sighed. 'At best, I can channel elemental power into an artifact, but I can't wield it at will. Old Xu and I have conducted extensive research and both believe the key to success might lie in the elemental power's solidification.'"

Xu Shichu stated, "This fundamental principle of elemental power might not have truly changed. It's simply that, previously, no one's elemental power reached a level of tangible substance, which might be why it couldn't be used like true energy."

"'I'll try,' He Lingchuan said, stepping back two paces and pondering carefully before summoning his Clashing Dragon Battle Armor."

Zhong Shengguang offered guidance, "First, try channeling elemental power into the armor. You can try multiple times..."

Most generals couldn't achieve this step, as channeling large amounts of elemental power was typically the domain of monarchs or national diviners; generals and commanders, at best, could only make rudimentary allocations.

But before he finished speaking, he saw elemental power flowing like water over He Lingchuan's body, as if being drawn into the armor through its seams.

"...Is this extraordinary talent?"

He Lingchuan had no time for pretense; he fully immersed his consciousness into the Clashing Dragon Battle Armor.

In his native world, he was a monarch, and channeling elemental power like this was commonplace. However, he had never considered directly absorbing elemental power into his personal artifact before.

In his current perception, the elemental power resembled large masses of clouds floating in the air, without any fixed direction or discernible shape, simply drifting and swaying at a fair speed.

He Lingchuan summoned Fusheng and practiced a set of blade movements on the spot.

He practiced with restraint, attempting to force the elemental power out of the armor and guide it to the blade.

But it was futile. Whether he tried to control or guide it, the power remained like a detached cloud in the sky, leisurely ignoring him.

It was utterly unresponsive.

He sheathed his blade and shook his head. "No, it's completely unresponsive."

"'If it were that easy, General Hong wouldn't have puzzled over it without a solution,' Zhong Shengguang said, taking it as a matter of course. 'However, she's currently busy with secluded cultivation and can't spare the mental effort. I'm afraid this task will fall to us to figure out.'"

He Lingchuan immediately agreed.

Given the solidified elemental power within Panlong City, no more than four or five individuals were truly qualified to ponder this matter. However, with General Hong dedicating herself to intense cultivation in preparation for future major conflicts, the task of researching internal elemental power usage naturally fell to others.