Chapter 421 - Elemental Energy Pools, One By One
The surface of the previously boiling lake suddenly became sleek and smooth like a mirror. It looked like a hand had smoothened out a creased bedsheet. Wisps of mist rose from the surface of the lake, making the lake looked like a misty fairyland.
A small mass of cloud formed in the air seven meters above the surface of the lake, resembling a lump of soft cotton candy.
No one had ever seen such a mini cloud that flew so low to the ground. Its reflection was projected on the tranquil surface of the lake, resembling a phenomenon that could only be found in fantasyland. Shi Xueman, Sang Zhijun and a few other girls wished they could touch it.
The level of the lake decreased visibly while the mass of the cloud increased with a visible speed. As the mass of the cloud increased, the cloud slowly rose towards the sky.
Disappointment flashed across the girls’ eyes. After the mass of the cloud had increased, it was no longer as cute as its previous smaller self. At this moment, the size of the cloud was somewhat similar to the lake’s. It had flown to a height that was level with the highest point of the valley.
"It’s raining," Sang Zhijun’s eyes lit up.
Everyone reached out their palms at the same time. A soft drizzle, as fine as hair, rained down from the sky. In the blink of an eye, the area around the lake was draped in a misty rain.
The concentration level of water elemental energy in the area increased significantly. A slight chill engulfed the area, making it looked as if they were in the misty depths of a mountain. The peculiar thing was that the misty rain only covered a small area surrounding the lake and would not extend beyond that by the slightest bit.
Shi Xueman closed her eyes to feel the air around her. After a while, she opened her eyes and said, "The concentration level of water elemental energy has increased by approximately ten percent."
Upon hearing Shi Xueman’s words, Ai Hui replied, "The concentration level of water elemental energy here is too low. Using the elemental energy pool alone won’t increase the concentration level greatly."
An elemental energy pool did not have the ability to create something from nothing. It could not generate elemental energy on its own and there were a lot of requirements in building it. A suitable location for building it was more important than anything else.
For example, an area that had a high concentration level of metal elemental energy would be suitable for building a metal elemental energy pool.
An elemental energy pool worked in the way that it would first absorb all elemental energies from its surrounding. Then, it would preserve its target elemental energy and filter out other types of elemental energy. By doing this, the concentration level of its target elemental energy in the surroundings would increase.
The valley was generally low in water elemental energy, therefore, the water elemental energy pool could not work to its full effect. However, since the water elemental energy in the lake was pure in nature, it satisfied the requirements for a water elemental energy pool to work. Similarly, an elemental energy pool needed to consume elemental energy for it to operate. If the concentration level of a particular elemental energy was too low, the elemental energy pool would not work.
This was also why some places were worthless, even though they had all five elemental energies.
Ai Hui anticipated that this would happen and he had explained it to everyone beforehand. As such, all of them were not really disappointed.
Successfully setting up the water elemental energy pool was only the first step. There were still four more elemental energy pools to be set up. The fire elemental energy pool would be set up the last.
One could tell that Ai Hui was an ambitious individual despite his low-profile nature. His design plans had completely displayed his lofty aspirations.
The wood elemental energy pool would have to depend on Duanmu Huanghun.
Duanmu Huanghun worked extremely fast. He knew the design plan for the wood elemental energy pool thoroughly. With regards to this aspect, he was better than Shi Xueman. The first time he saw Ai Hui’s modified design plan for the wood elemental energy pool, he was flabbergasted. However, two days later, he understood all the details clearly. By the third day, he could even come up with suggestions to improve the design. This proved that he had a deep understanding of the structure of the elemental energy pool.
The use of drifting jadesword bamboos was his suggestion and it was accepted by Ai Hui.
Right now, Duanmu Huanghun was cultivating drifting jadesword bamboos. He planted them near the brook so as to ensure there was a sufficient amount of water elemental energy flowing into the bamboo forest.
Before this, Duanmu Huanghun had already nailed the twelve energy-stabilizing pillars into the ground.
The body of a drifting jadesword bamboo was long and thing. Its bamboo leaves were long and narrow like the blade of a sword. The bamboo was jade-green in color. These were the reasons why it was called drifting jadesword bamboo. The bamboo leaves of drifting jadesword bamboos fell throughout all four seasons. When they fell and drifted in the air, they resembled dancing butterflies, looking extremely beautiful.
There would be swishing jade-green bamboos, the whispering of the wind and the sword chimes from the fallen leaves.
Such beautiful scenery...
Other than its good-looking appearance, Duanmu Huanghun had chosen drifting jadesword bamboos for its other advantages too. Drifting jadesword bamboos were naturally suitable for being used in sword formations. They had defensive capabilities that could kill enemies. The bamboo leaves were also an excellent type of weapon. If there was an ample amount elemental energy in the future, they could sell the bamboo leaves to create a source of sizeable income.
Because of this suggestion, Ai Hui began to see Duanmu Huanghun in a new light.
Duanmu Huanghun could sense it and was extremely pleased with himself for a long time. He thought that Ai Hui was finally bowled over by his superb aesthetic sense. Unexpectedly, Ai Hui was already inquiring about questions like how much a piece of bamboo leaf would cost, how big the bamboo forest would be, what would be the output value and etc.
The drifting jadesword bamboos were planted on both sides of the brook. Ai Hui applied some of the insights he’d obtained from [Yin Yang Sword Formation] on them as well.
The forest of one hundred and eight drifting jadesword bamboos, each with the width of a thumb, would be split into half by the brook. On each side of the brook, there were six energy-stabilizing pillars. If one looked down at the forest from the sky, he or she would see the shape of Yin and Yang.
Even for someone like Duanmu Huanghun, it was extremely exhausting to plant one hundred and eight drifting jadesword bamboos.
When he planted the last drifting jadesword bamboo, the nature of the wood elemental energy in the area began to transform. Unlike the turbulent transformation of the water elemental energy previously, the wood elemental energy’s transformation was very calm and gentle.
The drifting jadesword bamboos were growing at a visible speed. Section by section, the bamboo grew longer while the jade-green bamboo leaves grew on the branches continuously.
After around one hour, the sparse, young bamboo sprouts began to look somewhat like a bamboo forest. The bamboo leaves looked like tiny jade-made swords that hung on the branches of the bamboos.
At this moment, a bamboo leaf fell and drifted across the bamboo forest.
After a bamboo leaf broke away from the branch of a drifting jadesword bamboo, it would drift in the air forever, not touching the ground at all. Eventually, it would vaporize into a puff of wood elemental energy and dissipate into the air. This was how the word "drifting" in its name came about.
"It’s beautiful," Shi Xueman could not help but say.
"We can make money off them as well!" Ai Hui quickly added in, "Once there are more of these bamboo leaves, we can gather them. I have already done my research. When the wood elemental energy in the bamboo leaves becomes more concentrated, the bamboo leaves will become clear and pristine like pieces of jade. They will be worth more money that way. We will earn a huge income just by selling the bamboo leaves every year!"
A vision for the future appeared in Ai Hui’s eyes.
All the wood elementalists entered the bamboo forest to experience it for themselves. This could be an ideal place for them to meditate in the future. The wood elemental energy in the bamboo forest was clearly more concentrated than in the other areas’. Furthermore, the wood elemental energy in the bamboo forest was flowing in some kind of unique way. There was a tiny difference between the two bamboo forests. The difference was subtle and thought-provoking. Some sharp wood elementalists wished they could stay in the bamboo forest forever.
However, right now, they could not do so.
The wood elementalists reluctantly walked out from the bamboo forest. Before the entire set of design plans was executed, all the five elemental energies in the valley would be extremely weak.
The job of setting up the earth elemental energy pool was left to Wang Xiaoshan.
The hillock was made up of soot from the volcano and it was extremely sturdy and thick. However, it wasn’t much of a problem to Wang Xiaoshan. Even though his fighting capabilities were not as good as the others, his construction skills far surpassed everyone else.
The shape of the earth elemental energy pool was octagonal. There would be a stone-made energy-stabilizing pillar in each corner of the earth elemental energy pool.
The other four pillars would be placed in the direction of the metal wind cavern.
When the earth elemental energy pool was set up, the ground in the centre of the eight energy-stabilizing pillars suddenly became soft and caved in, forming a hole that was of an unfathomable depth. The hole resembled a deep well.
Through the hole, loud rumbles could be heard from the depths of the ground, sounding as if there was an army with thousands of men and horses marching underneath.
The rumbles got increasingly close while the ground shook more and more violently.
With a loud boom, quicksand erupted from the hole like a fountain. Very soon, the quicksand began to flood the surface of the ground and kept on extending outward.
Quicksand gushed out from the hole endlessly. Using the other four energy-stabilizing pillars as direction markers, a portion of the quicksand slowly flowed towards the entrance of metal wind cavern. A small river of quicksand was formed.
Wang Xiaoshan could not contain the joy on his face as he stood on the quicksand. The earth elemental energy made him felt extremely comfortable. In the blink of an eye, the earth elemental energy pool’s surroundings was fully covered with quicksand.
Lou Lan curiously asked Ai Hui, "Ai Hui, will this place become the next Yellow Sand Corner in the future? Lou Lan has never been to Yellow Sand Corner. Master Shao said that Yellow Sand Corner has many types of sand materials."
Ai Hui blinked his eyes and replied, "You might be right. Give it another one thousand years and there will be a sea of yellow sand here."
When the rest heard Ai Hui’s words, they could not help but roll their eyes. Was Ai Hui trying to bully Lou Lan just because he was innocent and naive?
"Ai Hui, really? If that’s the case, Lou Lan must make sure this place can last for another one thousand years," Lou Lan widened his eyes and replied happily.
"Alright, this shall be Lou Lan’s territory in the future. All of you better not vie with him over this area," Ai Hui put on a solemn look on his face and announced.
"Thank you Ai Hui! Thank you everyone!" Lou Lan was overjoyed.
The rest cast a look of disdain at Ai Hui. They had never seen such a shameless individual before. How could he even lie to the kind-hearted Lou Lan! One thousand years? Sigh, Lou Lan is really innocent and naive!
Shi Xueman, San Zhijun and the rest were filled with jealousy. They wished they could take Lou Lan for their own.
The earth elemental energy pool had been set up and the entire earth elemental section of the valley would become sandy. This process would continue slowly as time passed. But if there was an abundance of earth elemental energy, this process would speed up greatly.
Ai Hui was duty-bound to set up the metal elemental energy pool.
Everyone was amazed by Ai Hi’s actions.
He carried twelve elemental energy pillars and a huge bundle of See You Laters on his back. Following which, he closed his eyes and his body slowly floated up into the air. At this point of time, he resembled Blind He who drifted around like a ghost.
He slowly rose into the air and reached a point that was twenty meters above the ground. Everyone was holding their breaths.
Suddenly, he stopped rising and took out a silver-colored energy-stabilizing pillar. He used his fingers to hold one end of the energy-stabilizing pillar. Naturally, the pillar drooped down and pointed towards the ground.
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, he let go of the pillar.
Everyone widened their eyes in an instant. To their surprise, the heavy pillar stayed motionlessly where it was. It was as if there was an invisible platform supporting it.
However, there was really nothing there!
Ai Hui carefully unbundled the See You Laters on his back and took out one arrow. Following which, he pointed the tip of the arrow at the top end of the energy-stabilizing pillar such that the arrow and the pillar formed a wide angle.
Once again, he let go of his hand and the See You Later stayed motionlessly where it was.
Ai Hui took out the second See You Later and placed it beside the first arrow while pointing its tip at the top end of the energy-stabilizing pillar at the same time. When he finished placing the twelfth See You Later, he’d formed a circular canopy of See You Laters. Suddenly, each of the twelve See You Laters emitted a faint silvery glow. The twelve silvery glows came together and formed a silvery light screen.
A silvery glowing umbrella floated silently in the air.
Ai Hui did not take a break. One by one, the silvery glowing umbrellas were propped up in the air.
Twelve silvery glowing umbrellas hovered in the air above everyone’s heads, looking extremely beautiful.
Everyone suddenly realized that the piercing metal wind had disappeared. Numerous gentle air vortices appeared in their surroundings. Apparently, these silver-colored air vortices contained an extremely high concentration level of metal elemental energy. Each of them resembled an impish sprite.
Everyone was dumbstruck by this sight.
Ai Hui’s words became exceptionally loud and clear.
"Now we are left with the fire elemental energy pool."