Chapter 142: Fortune Seized Amidst Peril

Tang Wei’s process of advancement this time was, on the whole, fraught with tension yet ultimately safe. Had the Five Spirits failed to merge with the Chaos Spirit Pearl as scheduled, the consequences would have been beyond anyone’s imagination.

The Chaos Spirit Pearl within Tang Wei’s dantian was akin to a seed of a world. For it to sprout smoothly, it required time, humidity, and a proper temperature—each indispensable. Fortunately, after the recent series of actions, it was just beginning to sprout. To truly grow into a towering world tree, countless perils surely awaited. Once Tang Wei figured out how to fuse the Five Spirits, it would then be like a young sapling. But how to merge the Five Spirits? These five elements both nurture and restrain each other; how could they be linked without resistance? Tang Wei was currently at a loss. If it were the naturally formed Earth element law, once her cultivation reached a certain level, it would naturally evolve into a higher principle without her needing to worry.

As for the Five Spirits, though they had entered Tang Wei’s Spirit Pearl, commanding them felt even more effortless than before. After this fusion, they seemed part of her body, their connection tighter than ever. When fighting, they would come and go at her call. However, attempting to manipulate their fusion yielded no reaction—likely because Tang Wei had yet to discover the precise method. But there was no rush; she had ample time.

Time did not pass within the Chaos Spirit Pearl. While this fusion process felt lengthy to Tang Wei, how much time had elapsed outside? She was immensely curious, especially since she had an appointment and didn’t want to be late. Looking around, she saw no sign of time passing on the long green carpet. Only a few fiery rabbits remained motionless in the distance, attentively watching her. A pot of hot soup still steamed on the stove, its volume unchanged, and the fire beneath burned brightly. It seemed the time Tang Wei felt inside the pearl had actually stopped outside. This made sense, for the Chaos Spirit Pearl contained nothing at all; no time passed within.

This was fortunate, as it prevented her from missing her meeting with Wanwan. Yet, without the protection of the Five Spirits, she would have to tread more cautiously in the world of cultivation. With these thoughts, Tang Wei began experimenting to see if she could convert the internal spiritual energy into the attributes she required. To her delight, the pearl could emit spiritual energy of various attributes. Its very form could freely transform—if she wished it to appear as a golden core, it would; if as a nascent soul, it could become a small figure of Tang Wei guarding the dantian. This was truly a perfect tool for playing the innocent while harboring great power.

So, at what stage was Tang Wei’s cultivation? Nascent Core? Nascent Soul? Or higher? She did not know. She realized that cultivating the Chaos Technique could not be measured by conventional standards. As long as she merged the five fundamental elemental principles—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—she could traverse the cultivation world at will. Once she perfected the four great fate laws of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, even the Celestial Emperors would have to give her a wide berth. If she mastered the four supreme laws, there would be no place in the universe she could not enter.

None of this was recorded in the Purple Pearl Space. Zi Yang only knew that to achieve the chaos spiritual body, one had to reach the Nascent Core stage; beyond that, he was clueless. Chaos spiritual bodies were rare since the dawn of time, with only one or two ever appearing—people he had never even seen, only heard of. How could there be any official records?

Zi Yang had been fortunate, stumbling upon success with two chaos spiritual bodies after only a short time. He could very well be the first in the universe. When Tang Wei and Zi Xuan achieved their breakthroughs, his name would echo throughout the cosmos for eternity.

Some might say Tang Wei’s hard-earned progress was nothing more than a space similar to Zi Yang’s Purple Pearl Space—what was so remarkable about that? But such thinking was flawed. Zi Yang’s space was a lifeless artifact. Even with its spirit, the contents were moved in piece by piece by Zi Yang. Every blade of grass or tree required seeds or some medium to grow, and the space itself could never develop or produce its own lifeforms. It remained merely a divine artifact.

Tang Wei’s world was different. Given enough room to grow, it could spontaneously generate all manner of creatures—those that fly, crawl, or swim. As Tang Wei’s cultivation advanced, it could gradually nurture these beings. When the world was fully established, it might even evolve into a galaxy or a universe.

Of course, this was still far in the future. Tang Wei had yet to truly begin. Even after merging the Five Spirits, she would need to reach full fruition before considering the next set of laws. For now, her priority was finding a way to fuse the Five Spirits.

Tang Wei had some understanding of the Five Spirits, thanks to the little spirit who constantly chattered near her ear: “Earth gives birth to Metal, Metal to Water, Water to Wood, Wood to Fire, Fire to Earth.” Without this endless recitation, she might never have grasped their relationships.

“Sigh! Anyway, there’s nothing else to do. The Purple-Golden Vine can’t sprout all at once. Since I have time, I’ll try fusing the Five Spirits!” Tang Wei murmured, glancing at the timid fiery rabbits peeking over. Having benefited so greatly earlier, she now understood their instinct—they were drawn to anything that would enhance their cultivation. But their cautious nature made them wary of her; after all, she had chased them so far and found their nest, so their fear was natural.

Tang Wei shook her head with amusement. Having Snowy as an example, she knew how to lure them, but these fiery rabbits weren’t much use—low combat value and not particularly rare. They were mostly for amusement or, perhaps, a nice gift for Wanwan.

With little effort, several fiery rabbits became enthusiastic companions. Only then did Tang Wei pour out some soup, setting a large bowl beside them. Watching them eagerly compete for the food, she finally settled down to study the fusion of the Five Spirits.

No matter how hard she tried, the Five Spirits refused to cluster. Instead, they occupied separate corners, each acting independently. Tang Wei, impatient by nature, felt helpless after repeated attempts and nearly gave up. Suddenly, she recalled seeing a Five Elements diagram online, arranged according to the principles of mutual generation and restriction. Perhaps forming the Five Spirits into that pattern would yield surprising results? To do so, she first needed them to revert to spherical forms—though she wasn’t sure if that would work.

Tang Wei summoned her soul once again into the Chaos Spirit Pearl. This time, the misty gas began to cleanse her soul, expanding it from a mere droplet into a vast lake. When the soul’s growth ceased, Tang Wei felt a qualitative leap. Why hadn’t this happened the first time? Because then, only her consciousness had entered, not her entire soul. This time, for some reason, her soul alone ventured in. Now that her soul had grown so powerful, she wondered if her weak body could endure it. But she wasn’t thinking of that now—she didn’t know what torment awaited her outside.

Next came the real task. With no clue how to fuse the Five Spirits, Tang Wei could only urge them to shrink. Gradually, the spirits responded. When they shrank to the size of a dantian, Tang Wei used her will to guide them into five distinct positions. As the Five Elements diagram took shape, a dazzling five-pointed star burst forth inside the pearl. The Five Spirit treasures spun rapidly, converging toward the star’s center. When all five reached the center simultaneously, a tremendous energy erupted, scattering in all directions like petals cast by a heavenly maiden.

Though the dispersed spiritual energy did not harm her soul, Tang Wei’s physical body outside was certainly suffering. She grew anxious, the scene before her feeling like the apocalypse. Now, stopping was impossible. She believed the energy unleashed could have shattered Earth itself.

Once the energy subsided, the Five Spirits had fused into a small sphere, which began to swell. When it reached a certain size, Tang Wei sensed it was slowly revolving along its unique orbit. How large the sphere was, she did not know, but she felt it was much larger than Earth. Guiding her soul to one point on the sphere’s surface, she saw a landscape of pits and barren wasteland, eerily like a radiation-scorched Earth region, shrouded in impenetrable darkness. Was this the state of the world at chaos’s dawn? She was fortunate to witness it.

Tang Wei’s soul chuckled silently and tried to contact the Five Spirits. They appeared utterly exhausted. Regardless, at least they were unharmed, so her bold experiment had succeeded.

Tang Wei always acted impulsively, driven by momentary excitement, disregarding consequences. Though this time she had been lucky, the risks were clear to any observer. She had never suffered losses in such ventures; the perils were always loud thunder but light rain, leaving her unscathed and often profiting the most. Her boldness had only grown, treating it all like a game, never truly reflecting afterward. Perhaps this was what they called seeking fortune through peril.

She allowed her soul to roam the sphere’s corners. Though unremarkable, it was her first fully owned creation—an immense joy. When she had explored enough, she named it Ziwei Star.

The moment her soul left the Chaos Spirit Pearl, a ripping pain surged through her, nearly causing her to faint. She had no time to ponder as she sensed her tendons snapping and internal organs rupturing—the unmistakable signs of imminent death. Another wave of pressure threatened to burst her body apart. Acting decisively, Tang Wei dragged herself back into the Chaos Spirit Pearl. Had she delayed a moment longer, she would have shattered entirely.

This was no time to hesitate over whether she could enter. Since the pearl could repair her soul, healing her frail body should be no problem. At this critical moment, Tang Wei was astute, despite not understanding why this had happened—whether her internal microcosm had exploded or some other unknown cause.

The moment she entered the pearl, the pain vanished, replaced by a warm, soothing sensation as if submerged in a warm ocean. Her soul drifted into a dreamy state, yet her mind remained clear, absorbing every external sound.

The chaotic energy flowed into her body, repairing damaged areas and cleansing impurities. As it circulated, Tang Wei’s body grew increasingly radiant, her aura nobler. Though her appearance remained the same, she now emitted an ethereal, transcendent beauty—like a celestial maiden descending from the Nine Heavens. If she stepped out now, she would surely captivate countless hearts.

Yet the chaotic energy did not cease. Gradually, Tang Wei’s physical form returned to its original plainness. Now, walking among the crowd, she would draw no special attention. Was this the so-called return to simplicity?

After this purification, Tang Wei had become living treasure—her entire body a remedy more potent than any herb. Though it could not bring the dead back to life, it could cure all ailments.

Time passed unknowingly before Tang Wei gradually awoke. The misty sky remained, dark and impenetrable. Feeling the lingering comfort in her body, she knew she was largely healed.

Exiting the pearl, the outside world was unchanged—the sun still hung in the same place. Time indeed stood still inside the pearl.

Stretching and taking a deep breath, Tang Wei savored the fresh air. How wonderful it was to breathe freely once more!