Chapter 791: Full Element Mastery

Sensing his intense emotional fluctuations, Mi Li, who was standing nearby, remarked, "You needn't worry so much. Earlier, when you were with Yun Jianyue, and even when you were with the Empress, there were no suspicious individuals spying on you."

Hearing this, Zu An finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had been using the jade cong to monitor his surroundings, he had little confidence in detecting someone like the Nether Shadow Tower Master, who led the world's most mysterious assassin organization. Mi Li's reassurance finally put his mind at ease. After all, her cultivation and insight far surpassed those of ordinary people. Even the formidable Nether Shadow Tower Master couldn't compare to her at her peak.

It also occurred to him that Yun Jianyue, being a Grandmaster herself, hadn't noticed anything unusual back then, suggesting his activities had indeed gone unnoticed by the Nether Shadow Tower Master. Nevertheless, he couldn't afford to be complacent. Back then, he was insignificant, perhaps not even warranting the Nether Shadow Tower Master's attention. But his recent activities in the capital had drawn the notice of major powers, meaning the Nether Shadow Tower Master was likely observing him now. He would need to exercise extreme caution in everything he did from now on.

Zu An then inquired about the Nether Shadow Tower, but unfortunately, Ma An knew very little.

When he felt he had asked enough questions, Zu An finally asked, "Did you tell anyone else about your visit here today?" He needed to ascertain this; otherwise, if Ma An had prepared a contingency, Zu An's information might be exposed after he dealt with him.

Ma An, in a zombie-like trance, replied, "I have no friends, and I don't trust anyone else. Moreover, I only came here to confirm a suspicion, so I didn't inform anyone. However, as a precaution, I recorded in my notebook that I came to see Zu An today. If anything happens to me, those in the palace will know Zu An is the culprit."

Zu An was speechless. What a devious character. Luckily, he had asked that extra question, or he would have been utterly trapped by this fellow.

He quickly ascertained the notebook's location, then swiftly dealt with Ma An. While Zu An disliked killing, he found no reason for leniency toward someone who had clearly intended to take his life.

Ma An collapsed softly to the ground, and two porcelain vials, one black and one white, tumbled from his clothes. The black vial was inscribed with the characters "Ice Heart Snow Soul," while the white one read "Antidote."

Zu An picked up the black vial, feeling an icy chill even through its porcelain. Mi Li floated over. "This must have been Ma An's ace in the hole," she remarked. "It's potent enough to fell even a Grandmaster. He couldn't have known that your recent breakthrough with the Primordial Chaos Scripture has rendered you immune to all poisons."

Zu An glanced at the still-burning candle, reflecting on Ma An's misfortune. Mi Li was a soul body, and Daji an unknown, mysterious entity. Had they been susceptible to poison, Ma An would have had leverage to bargain.

At that moment, Mi Li stretched, her graceful curves on display. She yawned and said, "After a night's work, I, too, need to go back and get some rest." Having been together for a long time, Zu An now understood why Mi Li required so much sleep. Initially, it was to stabilize the Xiangfei Red Tears poison within her. Now, lacking a physical body, her soul form expended significant energy during prolonged exposure outside, necessitating frequent periods of slumber for replenishment. To this end, Zu An had even specifically purchased a bed and placed it within the Tai'a Sword's spatial dimension, though he wasn't sure if her soul form could actually use it for sleep.

Just as Mi Li was about to depart, she suddenly recalled something. "Oh, by the way," she began, "I've been observing the divine birds awakened by your 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture,' and I've noticed you primarily use their inherent special abilities."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Zu An asked, surprised.

"Of course there's something wrong; it's an egregious waste!" Mi Li exclaimed, a hint of frustration in her voice. "I've been pondering why you failed to awaken elemental abilities after reaching the sixth rank, initially thinking the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' was simply too unique and required a higher level. But now you've reached the ninth rank with no elemental awakening. Considering the divine birds that appear with each breakthrough, I've finally pieced together the reason."

"What reason?" Zu An eagerly asked. Other cultivators could perform various feats using their elemental abilities, yet he alone had not awakened any, relying solely on physical strength. It felt rather crude.

Mi Li sighed. "Because you've actually already awakened elemental abilities; you just haven't realized it. Haven't you noticed how quickly you've progressed in cultivating the 'Snowflake Divine Sword'?"

"As a protagonist blessed with extraordinary talent, isn't rapid cultivation to be expected?" Zu An countered.

Mi Li was speechless. Ignoring his comment, she continued, "The 'Snowflake Divine Sword' is an ice-element combat technique. Normally, without an ice elemental affinity, even with exceptional talent, one can only grasp its form, not its true essence. Yet you wield the Snowflake Divine Sword remarkably well, even activating its inherent ice and snow abilities."

Zu An pondered this. "I suppose it's because I utilized the Snow Phoenix's ability..."

Mi Li interrupted him, "It's not the Snow Phoenix's specific ability, but rather that the Snow Phoenix is fundamentally ice-aligned, granting you the foundation to cultivate ice-type techniques and combat skills. It's similar to how you needed to borrow Daji's fox fire when practicing the Flame Blade. However, now that you possess the Fire Phoenix, you should be able to cast it without Daji's aid."

A thought sparked in Zu An's mind. He immediately began circulating his qi following the Flame Blade's path, deliberately not contacting Daji. To his surprise, a faint blade of flame appeared on his palm, and this time, its color was a brilliant golden, identical to the Fire Phoenix's flames.

"Do you understand now?" Mi Li continued. "In essence, each divine bird corresponds to a different element. For instance, the Great Wind represents wind, the Hundred Cries is mental, the Blue Teal is water, the Snow Phoenix is ice, the Green Luan is wood, the Golden Phoenix is metal, and the Fire Phoenix is fire. Given this, it's actually correct that you haven't awakened a single elemental ability in isolation, because what you've awakened is the entire spectrum of elements. The difference is that unlike others who can use an element simply by awakening it, you must also practice combat techniques corresponding to that element to fully unleash its power."

Zu An was ecstatic. "So that's it! That's it! Hahaha, a protagonist simply wouldn't be complete without mastering all elements! Wahahaha!"

"Are you feeling unwell?" Mi Li asked, rendered speechless by his unbridled laughter.

"Just a bit excited, that's all," Zu An chuckled.

Mi Li nodded, acknowledging his excitement. "Throughout history, most cultivators specialize in a single element. On rare occasions, a genius might master two, but that's the absolute limit. Your mastery of all elements is truly unprecedented, so a little excitement is understandable. However, I strongly advise you not to reveal this publicly. Otherwise, all the powerful individuals in the world will become consumed by envy and jealousy. The more benevolent among them might capture you for study, while the more malicious will most likely try to eliminate you as soon as possible, nipping you in the bud."

Zu An expressed some dissatisfaction. "I've already committed myself to pursuing the Great Dao. A true man should charge forward and become the strongest in the world."

Mi Li rolled her eyes. "Temporarily biding your time doesn't contradict those ambitions. History is filled with countless powerful figures, yet those who charged ahead without caution met tragic ends. Your death wouldn't be an issue for you, but don't drag me down and destroy my hopes as well."

Zu An thought, this woman is truly contradictory. She clearly cared about him, yet insisted her motives were purely for her own benefit. He said in a low voice, "Does this mean I must continue to live cautiously, enduring insults even when others bully me?"

"Not necessarily. If someone bullies you, find a way to hit back. Just be sure to plan the aftermath carefully, so the whole world doesn't learn you've mastered all elemental arts," Mi Li replied.

Zu An nodded. "Understood. Either I don't reveal it at all, or if I do, I ensure that those who witness it don't live to see another day. That way, it naturally won't be exposed."

Mi Li was speechless. "You truly are a sneaky one."

"Empress Sister, you've picked up some bad habits. Where did you learn such language?"

"From you, of course."

Zu An was speechless again.

"Therefore, if you have the opportunity, you should cultivate other corresponding elemental combat techniques; they will significantly enhance your strength. Anyway, I'm done talking now. If I don't get some sleep, I'll develop dark circles under my eyes..." Mi Li yawned, then swiftly returned to the Tai'a Sword.

Zu An, meanwhile, fell into contemplation. He had the Snowflake Divine Sword for ice and the Flame Blade for fire. But what about the other elements? Hmm, for water, he could consult Zheng Dan. For wood, Xue'er. And for mental arts... Yun Yuqing seemed to possess mental abilities. "Hahaha, I'm a genius!" he thought. "Indeed, a male lion thrives with his pride of lionesses."

But whom could he find for wind and metal elements? Did any of his female confidantes possess elemental abilities in those two categories? He sighed. He used to feel quite proud in this regard, but now he realized there was still a long road ahead. "All for cultivation," he concluded. "Yes, that must be it!"