Chapter 152: The Five Elements Great Escapes Are All Complete

Inside the Mansion of the Grand Marshal of the Fire Department, two divine generals were executing their respective divine powers, eager to outdo each other.

One was the fiery-tempered Grand Marshal, and the other was the Third Prince Nezha of Heaven.

As they clashed, the battle was so fierce that the heavens grew dark and the sun and moon lost their brilliance. Nezha manifested his three heads and six arms, wielding a myriad of magical treasures and countless transformations, which for a time threw Huaguang into a fluster.

Finally, accompanied by a resounding crash, Nezha stepped upon his fire-wheels, suspended in mid-air, and laughed heartily.

Huaguang stood upon the ground, holding a golden spear with a triangular golden brick tucked at his waist. Though he was uninjured, he looked rather dusty and disheveled.

"No more, no more! The Third Prince possesses too many magical treasures. Once I go down to the mortal realm in a few days to retrieve my treasures, I shall spar with the Third Prince once again."

Nezha asked with curiosity, "How is it that the Marshal has left his treasures behind in the mortal realm?"

"A few days ago, I was ordered to capture the Wind and Fire Judges of the mortal realm. I encountered a Daoist who lent me a hand, and he wished to borrow the Wind and Fire Wheels to gain enlightenment. I consented, and within a few days, I should be able to reclaim them."

Nezha's interest was piqued. "There is such a thing? A Daoist capable of assisting the Marshal must possess extraordinary abilities."

Huaguang pondered, "His martial prowess is hard to say, but this man excels in wind-attribute divine powers, and his escape techniques are quite remarkable."

"What is this person's name?"

"Unknown. I only know his Daoist title: Dongzhen, who resides at the Hidden Mist Mountain near the Kingdom of Qin Dao."

Upon hearing this, Nezha's expression shifted in surprise, as he instantly guessed who it might be.

It had not been long since he subdued the demons of the ninety-six caves, yet a Daoist in the mortal realm possessed the strength to assist Huaguang—truly a startling fact. A sudden impulse stirred within him, and he decided he would follow him down to have a look when the time came.

"I have an old acquaintance with this person. Why don't I accompany the Marshal when you go to retrieve your treasures?" Nezha proposed.

Huaguang was astonished. "What is this man's background that he can prompt the Third Prince to make a personal visit?"

Nezha laughed heartily. "This person is named Cao Kong, and he is a disciple of the Taiyi Savior, the Celestial Venerable."

Huaguang nodded in shock. To think he was a disciple of the Four Majesties! Unawares, he fell into deep contemplation—was he not perhaps a bit too arrogant with what he had said to that Daoist on that day?

......

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Hidden Mist Mountain, much like a living being, quietly grew taller by about three fingers, though no one save Cao Kong could possibly know.

Perhaps many years from now, when Hidden Mist Mountain became even more towering and majestic, would people suddenly realize whether this mountain was truly "growing."

The mountain scenery was hazy and boundless, with floating mists and inexhaustible spiritual essence. Ordinary mortals living on this mountain would surely prolong their lives and enjoy longevity.

There were many spirits and monsters that had gained sentience within the mountains. Fortunately, under the patient guidance and benevolent instruction of the Twin Deer and Crane Spirits, they never committed evil, dwelling peacefully within the mountains instead.

Cao Kong's cultivation of the Water Yuan convergence also took a massive leap forward over these three years, yielding remarkable progress.

Furthermore, his endeavors in the Divine Way were flourishing. According to the Calamity-Saving True Monarch's grasp and calculations regarding the Divine Way, in roughly another fifty years, he would be able to use a single character of imperial edict to confer divinity upon a subordinate deity.

At this rate, in less than three hundred years, Hu Yan and the others could all become subordinate deities, attaining eternal life and steadfast preservation.

Although Cao Kong's nature favored tranquility, the path of the immortals was bitter, cold, and long. If one or two companions walked alongside or kept him company, it did not seem like a bad idea to soothe the long, protracted years on the path to longevity.

Sometimes, when his thoughts wandered wide, he figured this was perhaps why the immortals in heaven so often took in boy attendants and mount beasts.

As for Cao Xiang, there was even less need for worry. His plucking of the silver flowers was practically a guaranteed outcome; he only wondered whether the threshold for becoming the direct-line disciple of the Longevity Old Immortal required silver or golden flowers.

As for the Seven Lions, their chamber of commerce business was growing increasingly prosperous, and they had even established ties with the King of Myriad-Year Foxes.

More amusingly, the three demons of Green Dragon Mountain, due to their deep addiction to Suhe Sandalwood oil, had actively joined the Nine Spirits Chamber of Commerce for the sake of the oil, working for Yellow Lion and the others.

This could not help but arouse curiosity: having long resided in the Xuanying Cave, the three demons had been deeply mired in greed and defilement. Now, stepping out of the cave because of this very greed, one wondered if they might comprehend the true essence of the characters "Xuanying" and win for themselves an opportunity to attain the Dao and seek the truth.

Leaving these idle matters aside, over the past three years, all of Cao Kong's divine powers and Daoist techniques had grown to varying degrees.

Only the Golden Escape technique seemed to have stagnated, always feeling a fraction away from reaching the Lesser Accomplishment realm.

This left Cao Kong somewhat depressed. In the past, his Sword of Golden Radiance had been the first to achieve Lesser Accomplishment, but now the Golden Escape had instead become a drag on him.

"Very well. When the Seven Lion brothers arrive next time, I shall see if I can ask them to help me find some metallic spiritual objects to aid in my comprehension."

Just as Cao Kong thought this, he suddenly paused, realizing he had overlooked something all along—was not the golden hook of As-You-Will True Immortal precisely a metallic magical treasure?

After acquiring this item in the past, Cao Kong had studied it once, only to find nothing. Aside from being hard, it possessed no other miraculous properties. He guessed that it probably required a specific incantation to wield.

He had once intended to destroy it and melt it down into ordinary metal and iron, but alas, lacking spiritual fire on his person, it was difficult to melt, so he had simply set it aside.

Thus, he took it out. Seeing it flash with golden light, it was indeed extraordinary. This hook had been able to contend with the Ruyi Jingu Bang for a short time, so its material should undoubtedly belong to the top tier.

He thought to himself, 'I might as well melt this object down. Who knows, it might turn out to be another fine material, and I can ask Lord Laozi to inspect it another day so we can refine it into a divine weapon together.'

Hence, he exhaled the genuine breath of Bing and Ding, refining it successively with gentle and fierce fires.

At first, the Ruyi Golden Hook showed little reaction. But as time flowed on, roughly a month later, a faint light first emerged—these were the inscriptions upon it, the "array patterns" that endowed it with its miraculous properties.

Another month passed, and the golden hook was seen gradually melting, with drops of golden liquid slowly trickling down.

As droplets of golden liquid fell, the sharp intent within them could no longer be concealed and radiated completely outward. If anyone with insufficient cultivation stood nearby, they might even be injured by that sharpness.

Cao Kong caught the liquid with a piece of jade, repeatedly contemplating the changes in the golden Qi within it. His gaze grew brighter and brighter, and the Golden Escape divine power, which had stagnated within his body for so long, began to loosen.

What was even more surprising was that he vaguely sensed the profound mysteries of the Golden Yuan convergence from within it—though shallow, it was indeed there.

Thus, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to comprehension. Unaware of the passage of time in the mountains, in the blink of an eye, yet another year passed.

One day, Cao Kong opened his eyes, a divine light flashing within them that made the empty room spark with electricity. A smile could not help but form on his face: the Golden Escape was now accomplished, and from this point onward, the Five Elements were complete.

How marvelous was the completeness of the Five Elements! Though his escape at most covered ten thousand miles in a single bound for now, this escape of his was executed within the Five Elements, possessing the added effect of concealing his aura.

Should he face enemies in the future, escaping by means of objects within the Five Elements—vanishing into the earth the previous instant to leave pursuers digging three feet deep in vain, only to materialize in the wind the next—made his movements unpredictable and unfathomable.

One could say that from now on, unless someone possessed strength far surpassing Cao Kong's, it would be difficult indeed to pin him down.

"Four odd years have already passed. At most another year, and it will be the time for my Senior Brothers to descend to the mortal realm. It is time to make preparations."

As Cao Kong pondered what else he needed to seek, his brows suddenly furrowed. He vanished from Hidden Mist Mountain, abruptly reappearing amidst a cloud.

*Hmm~ Water mist is also water.*

He raised his eyes to survey his surroundings, but found nothing at all.

"Strange, did I misfeel? No one is spying on me."

With that, his figure vanished from the spot.

After another long moment, he appeared once more. Still finding nothing amiss, he finally returned to the mountains.

Ten thousand miles away, an eagle demon had all his feathers standing on end. *This person's spiritual perception is terrifying!* He had been hiding ten thousand miles away just to observe, yet he had almost been discovered.