As Xu Yuan pondered, he and Mu Ye had already arrived at a low valley nestled among the mountains.
"Here."
Xu Yuan suddenly realized something.
He quickly ascended into the sky, looking down at the earth below. He noticed that the surrounding mountain ranges seemed to naturally converge toward this central valley, as if all the forces of creation were flowing toward this spot.
Carefully sensing the fluctuations in the ambient energy, Xu Yuan grew even more astonished.
"This..."
The Five Elements!
Xu Yuan was certain he hadn't sensed incorrectly.
The surrounding mountain formations aligned perfectly with four directions, each imbued with the essences of metal, wood, water, and fire. The ambient energy carried subtle traces of these elemental attributes. Meanwhile, the valley at the center radiated a strong aura of earth.
The Five Elements converged here.
Xu Yuan's gaze locked onto the heart of the valley.
There, he saw a lake.
At first glance, the lake appeared to simply be rich in energy. But upon closer inspection, one could sense that the energies of the Five Elements within it were perfectly fused, balancing into yin and yang, ultimately forming an even higher quality of energy without any specific elemental bias.
"I discovered this lake by chance," Mu Ye said, flying up beside Xu Yuan, shoulder to shoulder.
He pointed down at the lake below.
"This lake gathers the power of the Five Elements and refines it into yin and yang. It's a great opportunity for your Heaven Origin Brush. Your cultivation efficiency will be much higher here, and it will also help your martial soul develop in the direction of yin and yang. Didn't you mention this idea before?"
Xu Yuan nodded.
He never expected such a treasure trove to exist.
Frowning slightly, he asked, "Logically speaking, shouldn't the Star Luo Empire have discovered such a valuable place by now?"
Mu Ye shook his head and gestured for Xu Yuan to carefully sense the surroundings. "Do you think anyone can discern the Five Elements and yin-yang attributes in the energy here, aside from noticing its richness?"
"This mountain range contains numerous valleys. If you don't look back and observe the flow of the mountains with the lake as the core, you wouldn't notice anything unusual," Mu Ye continued.
"Of course, the most important factor is the soul beasts."
This was a gathering place for soul beasts.
The Star Luo Continent was discovered later on, and after the Star Luo Royal Family migrated from the Douluo Continent, they invested significant effort into preserving the ecosystem here.
Compared to the three major soul beast gathering places on the Douluo Continent, which were almost entirely exploited, the soul beast habitats on the Star Luo Continent still retained their original essence.
This was why many excellent soul masters on the Star Luo Continent could obtain ten-thousand-year soul rings at the Soul King stage.
For example, Hua Lantang had a soul ring configuration of four purple and one black—not because he reached the Spirit Abyss realm, but because his fifth soul ring came from a ten-thousand-year soul beast. Similarly, Dai Yun'er's fourth soul ring for her Netherworld Spirit Cat was also derived from a ten-thousand-year soul beast.
The overall concentration of energy in this mountain range was high, naturally attracting soul beasts.
"But this isn't the true fortune," Mu Ye said.
He led Xu Yuan back down to the lakeside.
"Feel around and see if you can sense any fluctuations coming from the bottom of the lake."
Xu Yuan released his spiritual power, extending it toward the lakebed.
A powerful fluctuation appeared in his perception.
It was...
The aura of bloodline.
What kind of bloodline?
Xu Yuan could tell that this bloodline was extremely advanced—on par with, or perhaps even surpassing, the True Dragon bloodline.
Its energy essence was incredibly potent.
Perhaps due to multiple layers of obstruction, its fluctuations were significantly weakened, making them difficult to detect. However, its inherent strength was undeniably immense.
"What kind of bloodline is this?" Xu Yuan asked curiously.
Mu Ye, with his vast knowledge, explained, "Qilin."
"What?"
Xu Yuan thought he must have misheard.
His voice rose sharply.
Mu Ye hadn't expected Xu Yuan to react so strongly, but it was understandable. After all, the Qilin's bloodline was on the same level as the True Dragon's. Moreover, Qilins were exceedingly rare on Douluo Star—not just pure-blooded Qilins, but even soul beasts with a trace of Qilin blood were few and far between. So, being shocked upon hearing about such a bloodline was quite normal.
"Qilin, the Five Elements!" Xu Yuan took a deep breath.
"Teacher, is there a possibility that what lies beneath the lake isn't the remains of a dead Qilin, but rather... a living entity?"
Mu Ye was taken aback.
"Surely not?"
His expression turned surprised.
"If it's alive, then it would be even better! Wouldn't it make the perfect first soul spirit for your Heaven Origin Brush?"
Xu Yuan's Heaven Origin Brush currently lacked a soul spirit after losing the contract with the Five Elements Spear Spirit, leaving it somewhat weakened. A Five Elements-aligned soul spirit was needed to fill the void.
If there were indeed a living Five Elements Qilin, it would be the perfect solution to compensate for Xu Yuan's missing soul spirit.
Xu Yuan's lips twitched.
"Teacher, is it possible that what's imprisoned below isn't a Qilin, but a person?"
He reminded once again.
Mu Ye was stunned yet again.
He carefully sensed the fluctuations emanating from the lakebed.
With this new perspective in mind, the more he sensed, the stranger his expression became, shifting continuously.
This...
The fluctuations of this bloodline didn't resemble those of a soul beast's bloodline.
Considering the differences between various bloodlines in soul beasts and soul masters—even though neither had ever encountered Qilin bloodline or Qilin bloodline soul masters—Mu Ye, with deliberate focus, managed to discern the truth.
Though equally fierce, the fluctuations of this bloodline were smoother, lacking the primal savagery typically associated with soul beasts.
Could this truly be someone with Qilin bloodline?
"Teacher, shall we go down and take a look?"
Xu Yuan, confident in his abilities, wasn't afraid to venture forward.
He had already guessed who might be imprisoned at the bottom of the lake.
Even if the individual were terrifying, with Mu Ye by his side, he felt reassured.
"Alright, let's go!"
Mu Ye didn't object.
He had intended to investigate this lake from the start.
However, after discovering this place earlier, the first stroke of fortune he encountered had delayed him.
Influenced by the yin-yang balanced energy here, the final step of Little Red's fusion with the mech's spirit essence had been completed instantly, giving him the sensation of an impending breakthrough. As a result, he hadn't thoroughly explored the lakebed.
Moreover, the Five Elements Qilin held little significance for him but was highly beneficial for Xu Yuan. Thus, after stabilizing his breakthrough, he brought Xu Yuan along.
The two submerged into the lake.
As they descended deeper, the light gradually disappeared.
In the pitch-black waters, Xu Yuan relied on the faint glow emitted by the spirit-infused alloy of his mech to illuminate the immediate area.
Continuing their descent, the fluctuations they sensed grew increasingly intense.
"It really is a person!"
Mu Ye had pinpointed the source of the bloodline fluctuations.
It was undoubtedly human.
Deep at the bottom of the lake sat a figure in meditation.
Above the figure hovered the faint silhouette of a Qilin.
The Five Elements energy converging from the surrounding terrain flowed through the water toward the figure, sustaining its life with every breath.
Surviving underwater using the Five Elements?
From afar, Xu Yuan was astonished by the individual's mastery over the Five Elements.
Theoretically, the Five Elements could give rise to all things. With a continuous supply of Five Elements energy, maintaining vitality underwater for extended periods was indeed feasible.
However, to achieve this seamlessly with every breath required an extraordinary level of control over the Five Elements.
As the two approached, the figure at the bottom of the lake abruptly opened its eyes. Dormant soul power surged to life instantly, and a terrifying pressure erupted. A pair of piercing eyes locked onto the master and disciple.
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