Chapter 537: 虚流五劲

Luo Dongcheng nodded.

"Although he didn't say it, you could tell he was disappointed."

Xia Chaoge immediately asked, "How many merit points?"

Luo Dongcheng was astonished. "You want this? I advise you to choose something else. These are outdated old materials; their value isn't high. However, because they are ancient texts from a thousand years ago, the merit points required are exceptionally high — a full three thousand points."

Three thousand? She only had two thousand eight hundred merit points.

After thinking for a moment, she pulled out the hairpin from her hair, glanced at it regretfully, and said, "Commissioner Luo, this is a top-grade magical artifact hairpin. Can I exchange it for two hundred merit points from you?"

Luo Dongcheng was momentarily stunned. He looked at the hairpin, a surprised expression on his face. "What high quality! It seems like a product from another domain; it's worth at least a thousand merit points."

Xia Chaoge shook her head. "Two hundred is enough. I just want to exchange it for this stack of books."

Commissioner Luo paused, then said, "This hairpin is an old item; it must have been with you for many years, hasn't it? Are you sure you want to sell it for this stack of books?"

Xia Chaoge took a final look at the hairpin in her hand. A hint of reluctance flashed in her eyes. This was a farewell gift given to her by an older brother when she left home alone. She cherished it and had always kept it with her. But now, she was exchanging it for a stack of books.

"Exchange it," Xia Chaoge said softly.

The hairpin remained in the tent. The stack of books left with Xia Chaoge.

In the hidden space, Liu Qingxian marveled as she surveyed the mysterious space filled with ancient combat weapons.

"There's no one here, so feel free to test out your two magical treasures," Jiang Fan said with a light chuckle. He found a corner and took out the ancient book with the colorful cover.

After tearing open the seal, that terrifying oppressive aura descended once more. Jiang Fan's body swayed, nearly losing his balance from the impact.

"A Spirit Transformation Realm expert is truly like a land immortal. Even five hundred years after death, their dried blood can still exert such pressure! I can't imagine the overwhelming, heaven-like pressure if a true Spirit Transformation expert stood before me."

Jiang Fan clicked his tongue. Then, he carefully opened the first page. Just as before, a multicolored light temporarily obscured his vision before quickly dispersing. The pattern of the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain then appeared.

However, the first page only had one pattern. There were no other words besides it, leaving him bewildered. And as he turned subsequent pages, each one also displayed the pattern of the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain.

"This..." Jiang Fan's heart sank. Could it be that he had spent a full ten thousand merit points only to get something useless?

After pondering for a moment, he took out the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain from the Heavenly Lightning Stone. The moment the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain appeared, the pattern on the book immediately changed. He saw the pattern of the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain on the first page gradually blur, melting into multicolored ink. Then, as if alive, it wriggled and coalesced on the paper into four large characters:

Five Elements Divine Art!

Jiang Fan's anxious heart finally settled. His eyes held an irrepressible excitement. As expected, this book contained hidden mysteries. Not only could ordinary methods not penetrate the multicolored light to see the pattern, even if someone fortuitously saw the pattern, they would need the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain nearby to fully unlock its secrets. To obtain the inheritance of the Five Elements Divine Monarch, both the cultivation technique and the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain were indispensable.

He eagerly turned to the second page. The pattern on it also melted and reformed into new characters.

"'Five Currents of Emptiness,' a Heaven-grade cultivation technique. They are: Empty Sky Current, Empty Earth Current, Empty Lightning Current, Empty Fire Current, and Empty Wind Current."

Jiang Fan's heart pounded as he read. It was another Heaven-grade cultivation technique! Along with the 'Great Evolution Sword Array' from the Grand Void Ancient Tree and the 'Six Sections of Heavenly Lightning' from the Lightning Evolution Token, this was the third Heaven-grade cultivation technique Jiang Fan had encountered.

However, the former required Jiang Fan to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm before he could retrieve it from the ancient tree. And the 'Six Sections of Heavenly Lightning' from the Lightning Evolution Token was only accessible as a remnant scroll of 'Cloud Shadow', one of the six sections. Only 'Five Currents of Emptiness' before him was a complete version that Jiang Fan now possessed.

With burning eyes, he eagerly turned to the next page.

"'It is said that ancient immortals created heaven and earth: their bodies became the land, their blood the rivers and seas, their Qi the winds and clouds, their bones the minerals, their eyes the sun and moon, and their hair the myriad trees.'

"'Though I am but an ant, I aspire to emulate the ancient immortals. After a hundred years of exploration, I am ashamed that my talent is limited; I could not achieve the ancient immortals' ability to transform myself into heaven and earth. I merely created a minor technique, perhaps for future generations to scoff at. This technique is named "Five Currents of Emptiness," and it unifies the five forces of wind, lightning, fire, earth, and sky. Heaven possesses the power of the five elements. Within my body, too, five forces ceaselessly circulate, forming a miniature heaven and earth.'"

Jiang Fan was stunned as he read. What immense ambition did the Five Elements Divine Monarch possess? To actually attempt to emulate the ancient immortals who created heaven and earth, transforming himself into them? Furthermore, although he failed, he successfully cultivated the power of the five elements within his body during the process. The five forces ceaselessly circulated within him, forming a small heaven and earth within his body. Corresponding to the vast heaven and earth outside, this internal miniature realm was called "Empty Heaven." The circulating five currents were thus named "Five Currents of Emptiness."

What an unparalleled genius! To be able to create such an heaven-defying cultivation technique?

He continued reading.

"'Of the Five Currents of Emptiness, he who masters one can command the world.'

"'He who unifies all five currents and achieves great mastery of Empty Heaven, will be unrivaled under heaven, unless a Saint appears!'"

Thump-thump—

Jiang Fan felt his heart pounding wildly. The power of the Five Currents of Emptiness far exceeded his expectations. To think that merely cultivating one of them would grant invincible power capable of dominating a region? His mouth felt dry. He couldn't resist continuing to read.

However, after finishing, his expression darkened slightly.

"'To achieve great mastery of each of the Five Currents of Emptiness, one must cultivate the origin of that specific element?'"

Wind, Lightning, Fire, Earth, Sky. He had currently only cultivated lightning-based techniques, and he was quite good at it. So much so that Lei Zhenhai wanted to poach him and recruit him into the Heavenly Lightning Sect. Yet, Jiang Fan's current understanding of the lightning path wasn't even considered great mastery, let alone the origin of lightning.

"This Heaven-grade cultivation technique really isn't meant for ordinary people to cultivate," Jiang Fan said bitterly.

Nevertheless, since he had finally obtained it, he might as well try cultivating it. Given his comprehension ability, this Heaven-grade cultivation technique was also extremely difficult to grasp. It took him a full three days and three nights. Only then did he truly understand the principles of the five currents.

With a flicker of enlightenment, he attempted to cultivate the Empty Lightning Current. After the technique began to operate, the wild lightning power within his body surprisingly became exceptionally docile. It all gathered around his Dantian. Then, with a thought from Jiang Fan, the lightning transformed into a type of inner force for Jiang Fan. Like a person's physical strength, it became a part of his body, no longer an external force.

"Go!" He tapped his toes. A miraculous scene occurred. He instantly transformed into lightning and teleported two hundred zhang away!

Jiang Fan looked back at the spot where he had been standing, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Even with 'Cloud Shadow' from the 'Six Sections of Heavenly Lightning' cultivated to its first stage of perfection, I could only teleport a hundred zhang. Moreover, it required a significant expenditure of lightning power. Now that lightning has become a part of my own power, not only are lightning techniques twice as effective, but the consumption of lightning force has also decreased by a full tenfold!"

With Jiang Fan's current lightning reserves, activating Cloud Shadow wouldn't even be enough to teleport a hundred zhang. After teleporting fifty zhang, he would stop due to the depletion of lightning power. But now it was different. With lightning power now an integral part of his own strength, it was much more economical. It was enough for him to use the doubled "Cloud Shadow" ten consecutive times. Furthermore, it shouldn't just be "Cloud Shadow" that had doubled in effect. The Thunder Dragon Lightning Leg and Five Thunders Heavenly Palm from 'Three Pure Lightning Shadows' should also have their power doubled.

Jiang Fan was ecstatic. "I can't believe I've only just scratched the surface of cultivating the Empty Lightning Current. And yet, I'm nowhere near achieving great mastery, and it already has such an effect! 'Master one current, and you can command the world.' This truly isn't an exaggeration!"

Unbeknownst to him, in a distant outer domain, an ancient palace floated in the sky. Multicolored heavenly lightning served as its ground, the high-hanging sun and moon as its sky, and the myriad stars as its tiles. Rows of unparalleled powerhouses stood respectfully in the void on either side of the palace.

At this moment, within the profound palace, a pair of eyes suddenly opened and closed. Streaks of terrifying lightning shot forth from them:

"Who is cultivating the Empty Lightning Current?"