The second level of the Fallen Sect of Tranquility Archive was not a physical trap, but a mental one. They entered a vast, circular chamber where five immense statues stood, each radiating the power of a core element: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
Yin Xiu, her fox ears twitching nervously, pointed to the chamber. "This is the Five Element Illusionary Seal. It doesn't attack the body; it attacks the Dao Heart. It creates an overwhelming environment saturated with five conflicting elemental Laws. Any Origin King whose Domain favors a single element will be crushed by the imbalance. It's designed to enforce the Sect's philosophy of absolute neutrality and tranquility."
"The imbalance is too extreme," Xia Qingwu agreed, taking a cautious step back. Her pure Phoenix Fire Domain was instantly suppressed by the dominating presence of the Water and Earth statues. Her face was pale with effort. "If I push my Domain, the Fire will clash violently with the Water, ripping my core apart."
Lin Feng, however, felt a strange, detached curiosity. His Void Domain, though unstable, did not favor any single element; it was a field of pure absence. Yet, the five conflicting elemental Laws were pressuring his mind with immense, agonizing force.
The spectral figure of a new formation guardian—a master specializing in elemental control, at the Peak Origin King level—materialized before the central dais where the Essence of Transcendent Insight shimmered.
"Your chaos will not pass this place of balance," the guardian stated, his voice a fusion of five resonant tones. "Return to the outer world, where your brute force is valued."
Lin Feng did not retreat. His past experience had taught him that retreat meant loss, and loss meant failure to protect what was his. He thought of Su Wanying, trapped in a political cage, and Xia Qingwu, struggling to stabilize her clan's legacy. He thought of the humiliation suffered at the Crimson Cloud Sect.
A cold, undeniable arrogance, rooted in his destined power, surfaced. This was the confidence of a Sovereign who knew his future exceeded the limits of the current plane.
"Balance is only a word for those who cannot control everything," Lin Feng declared, his voice hard, amplified by his chaotic Void Domain. "You seek to stop me with five Laws? My Dao transcends your five elements."
The guardian laughed, a cacophony of elemental noise. "Arrogant whelp! Face the Five-Color Smothering Array!"
The five elemental statues activated, unleashing immense torrents of pure elemental energy—Wood vines, Fire dragons, Earth spikes, Metal blades, and Water currents—all converging on Lin Feng.
Xia Qingwu gasped, ready to rush forward, but Lin Feng raised a hand, stopping her. "Stay back, Qingwu. Yin Xiu, guard the exit. This is my trial."
Lin Feng stood unmoving as the elemental deluge hit his unstable Void Domain. The clash was catastrophic. His core screamed in pain as the five conflicting Laws battered the boundaries of his spatial field.
But as the elemental torrent tried to overwhelm his Void Domain, something profound happened within his spiritual sea.
The Void Soul Seal—the core of his destiny—which had only been passively refining energy before, violently activated its true potential.
The Seal was not merely a container for spatial energy; it was a fundamental Collector and Integrator of Laws. The five elemental energies, instead of dissolving his Void, were violently pulled into it.
Lin Feng felt a flash of comprehension—the Void Sovereign's Mandate. The Void Seal existed not to utilize space, but to utilize all things by consuming and integrating them through the absolute neutrality of the Void.
Inside his spiritual core, a swirling vortex of primal darkness formed, and within that darkness, five new, tiny, perfectly formed Elemental Cores materialized, each fed by the captured elemental energy.
Wood Core formed!
Fire Core formed!
Earth Core formed!
Metal Core formed!
Water Core formed!
Lin Feng's cultivation base did not increase, but his Domain changed instantly. It was no longer a chaotic ripple; it was a stable, absolute field. His Void Domain could now command the five elements, drawing on the purity of the newly formed Elemental Cores.
The realization was exhilarating, fueling his inherent arrogance towards his enemy. He was no longer limited; he was omni-elemental.
"Your balance is my foundation," Lin Feng declared, raising his hands.
He tested his newfound power. From his left hand, a searing, focused Void Fire erupted—not the raw Phoenix Fire of Xia Qingwu, but fire perfectly integrated and controlled by the Void. From his right, a blinding spike of pure Void Metal solidified.
Lin Feng unleashed a coordinated, dual-element attack: the Void Fire struck the Water statue, and the Void Metal struck the Wood statue. The controlled, pure Void-integrated elements were perfectly antithetical to the Guardian's elemental balance.
CRASH!
The Water and Wood statues exploded, their elemental energies feeding Lin Feng's burgeoning new cores. The spectral guardian recoiled in horror.
"Impossible! To wield all five... You are a demon of the Great Void!"
Lin Feng did not argue. He channeled the full power of his Domain, integrating the Void Cutter Finger with a massive blast of Earth Qi. The resulting attack—a spatially slicing, earth-shattering wave—was too stable, too potent, and too fast for the Peak Origin King manifestation to handle.
The phantom master vanished instantly, his spiritual essence utterly annihilated.
Lin Feng walked to the central dais, his aura now a complex, stable weave of Void and the five elements. He felt a ruthless determination to succeed, a sense that his power justified any means.
"The Essence is ours," he stated, his voice resonating with his newfound, controlled power.
Xia Qingwu and Yin Xiu stared at him, their expressions a mixture of awe and slight fear. Xia Qingwu, the expert of fire, felt Lin Feng's Fire Core, and it was frighteningly perfect. Yin Xiu, the master of deception, recognized the absolute, integrated control he now possessed.
"You have found your true Dao, Feng," Xia Qingwu whispered, her eyes shining with renewed admiration and a possessiveness fueled by their recent shared vulnerability. "You are an elemental Sovereign."
"He's a frightening one," Yin Xiu muttered, but she moved forward, her distrust overridden by the promise of the reward.
Lin Feng reached out and claimed the Essence of Transcendent Insight—a small, glowing orb that pulsed with mental clarity.
"We have two months until the Blood Oath Ceremony," Lin Feng stated, his tone firm and commanding, the voice of a king. "I will stabilize this Essence and perfect my control over all six Laws. We now have the power to face the Dynasty's capital. Luo Han is nothing to me. It's time to prepare a trap for Young Master Jian."