The moment Su Wan’er immersed her Spiritual Sense into the Jade Slip, she became completely absorbed in it.

The text of the Dao Scripture of the Primordial Five Elements was not long, but the instant each character reflected in her mind, it exploded into layers of ripples within her spiritual platform.

She believed she already had some ability to distinguish the quality of a Cultivation Technique. The True Art of Clear Water was Earth-Grade Low-Rank, a top-tier Cultivation Technique in the Heavenly Veil Sect that only Core Disciples could cultivate. She had always thought that was the ultimate limit of a Cultivation Technique.

Only now did she realize she was nothing but a frog in a well.

The opening of the Dao Scripture of the Primordial Five Elements had only 16 characters: “In the Primordial there is Dao, the Five Elements are unformed. Yin and Yang are undivided, all is absolute chaos.”

Su Wan’er felt that what she was seeing was no longer text, but a picture scroll. Within the chaos, there was no sky, no earth, no light, and no darkness; there was only a mass of completely undifferentiated aura rotating slowly. That mass of aura had no color, yet it contained all colors; it had no form, yet it encompassed all forms.

That was the “Primordial.”

She continued to read on. The text began to narrate the evolution of the Dao of the Five Elements, and the further she read, the more shocked Su Wan’er felt.

The True Art of Clear Water only cultivated the Water Element, bringing the Water Element to its absolute limits. When cultivated to a profound level, one’s Spiritual Power would become like an abyss or an ocean, continuous and endless.

She had always thought this was the best ultimate destination for a Water Spiritual Root cultivator, but the Dao Scripture of the Primordial Five Elements told her that the Water Element was merely one of the five elements, and the five elements were nothing more than divisions of the Primordial Qi. If she only cultivated the Water Element, it would be like taking a single scoop of water from a river while forgetting where the river itself came from.

What this Cultivation Technique sought to cultivate was not water, nor any single element among the five elements; what it cultivated was the path of return to the Primordial.

Su Wan’er’s hands began to tremble. She had always thought her Supreme Water Spiritual Root was a blessing, but now she understood that it was also a limitation.

The higher the quality of a Water Spiritual Root, the higher its affinity for Water Element Spiritual Qi, and the faster the speed of practicing a Water Element Cultivation Technique.

But at the same time, its rejection of the Spiritual Qi of the other four elements would also become stronger. Cultivated to the extreme, she would become the purest of rivers, but she would still be just a river.

However, the Dao Scripture of the Primordial Five Elements gave her a possibility: to trace back from a river to the sea, from the sea to the clouds and rain, and from the clouds and rain back to that mass of completely undivided Primordial Qi.

Su Wan’er suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Lai Li’an. Her Honored Master was sitting cross-legged not far away, resting with his eyes closed, looking just like an ordinary person taking a nap.

The Honored Master knew from the very beginning. He knew that her Heaven-Grade Water Spiritual Root was both a blessing and a cage, knew that her practicing the True Art of Clear Water was a reckless waste of natural gifts, and knew that she needed a Cultivation Technique capable of breaking the shackles of her Spiritual Root.

That was why he had said, “You are more fortunate than she was.” It wasn’t because the Honored Master was playing favorites, but because what the Honored Master gave her was much, much more than what he had given her mother.

Su Wan’er took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. The Spiritual Power within her body began to slowly circulate along the route of the True Art of Clear Water.

Water-blue Spiritual Power flowed out from her Dantian and coursed along her Meridians. The foundation of her Cultivation Technique, condensed from ten years of bitter cultivation, appeared clearly in her inner sight at this moment.

Then, without hesitation, she reversed her Spiritual Power. A tearing, agonizing pain erupted from her Meridians.

The Cultivation Technique route she had spent ten years refining was crushed inch by inch. Those Spiritual Power circulation trajectories, familiar to her very bones, slowly dissipated from her Meridians.

Cold sweat broke out on Su Wan’er’s forehead, and she bit her lip until it turned pale, but she did not stop.

Until finally, Su Wan’er felt as if her body had been entirely hollowed out. She had personally destroyed the foundation of her Cultivation Technique.

Su Wan’er felt no heartache over it. Her consciousness touched the introductory mental method of the Dao Scripture of the Primordial Five Elements within that Jade Slip, and she subsequently began to cultivate.

The Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth in this cave had originally been torn to shreds by the heavenly lightning, leaving the five elements indistinguishable and the clear and turbid mixed together.

But now, this chaotic spiritual qi seemed to have been combed through by an invisible hand, and the spiritual qi dissipating in the chaos began to surge toward Su Wan’er from all directions.

Was this also the Honored Master’s consideration, to cultivate this cultivation technique by absorbing chaotic spiritual qi? Thinking of this, Su Wan’er’s mind became completely immersed in her cultivation. The foundation of her cultivation technique, which she had destroyed with her own hands, began to grow anew under the nourishment of this chaotic spiritual qi.

Drawing Qi into the Body was a success. This hurdle, which had taken her three months back then, was overcome in less than half a quarter of an hour after her cultivation technique foundation had been destroyed.

The efficiency with which the spiritual qi circulated within her body was more than just a tier higher than the True Art of Clear Water. But what shocked Su Wan’er even more was yet to come.

The circulation route of the Dao Scripture of the Primordial Five Elements began to extend on its own. She didn’t consciously guide it at all; the cultivation technique itself seemed to have a life of its own. It sensed the potential of those unformed meridians in her body and automatically opened up new circulation routes.

This was the true terror of a Heaven-Grade Cultivation Technique. It wasn’t “a person cultivating a technique,” but “a technique cultivating a person.”

The chaotic Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth inside the cave formed a massive vortex centered around her. The Spiritual Qi was dominantly torn apart, separated, and devoured, then converted into the purest Spiritual Power, pouring into her Dantian.

Centered around Su Wan’er, the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth within a radius of several zhang was swept completely clean. Faced with the Dao Scripture of the Primordial Five Elements, that chaotic Spiritual Qi didn’t even have the slightest room to resist.

From crippling her own Cultivation Technique to re-entering Foundation Establishment, less than two hours had passed.

Su Wan’er opened her eyes, panting heavily. She looked down at her hands; water-blue Spiritual Power flowed slowly in her palms, much purer and denser than before.

She had only just grasped the basics, yet she could already feel the terrifying nature of this Cultivation Technique.

No, it was the terrifying nature of her Honored Master. Her Honored Master had casually taken out such a Cultivation Technique. Just how many more things did her Honored Master have that she didn’t know about?

Su Wan’er raised her head and looked toward Lai Li’an’s position, but froze in place the next second.

Her Honored Master had unknowingly appeared right in front of her, looking at her with an expression she had never seen before. It was a complicated expression, there was anticipation, nervousness, and a hint of something she couldn’t quite name, like… anxiety?

“How is it?” Lai Li’an’s voice was a bit faster than usual.

Su Wan’er hastily stood up and respectfully bowed, but she didn’t know how to answer.

She lowered her head and said timidly, “Honored Master, this disciple is foolish and was unable to fully comprehend this cultivation technique, only managing to understand a fraction of it. I ask Honored Master to impart your guidance.”

“What!” Lai Li’an’s voice suddenly rose in pitch.

Su Wan’er’s shoulders shrank in fright. It was the first time she had heard her Honored Master speak so loudly, and his voice carried a hint of panic.

Lai Li’an also seemed to realize his loss of composure. He coughed twice, and the expression on his face quickly returned to calm. He couldn’t help but feel annoyed that even Su Wan’er couldn’t comprehend it, which meant he was probably fated to have no chance of cultivating it.

Su Wan’er was already in a panic at this moment. Her Honored Master had never lost his composure like this before. It must be that her performance had disappointed her Honored Master. Her eyes instantly turned red, and she buried her head even lower.

“I’m sorry, Honored Master! This disciple is truly too foolish and has failed to live up to Honored Master’s teachings! This disciple… This disciple clearly has a Heaven-Grade Water Spiritual Root and the Heaven-Grade Cultivation Technique passed down by Honored Master, yet could only comprehend one or two parts of it. This disciple is incompetent, please punish me, Honored Master!”

As she spoke, her knees bent and she was about to kneel down, but Lai Li’an reached out and pressed down on her shoulders.

“It’s fine.”

Su Wan’er raised her head. Through her tear-blurred eyes, she looked at her Honored Master’s face. The fleeting panic that had flashed across his expression had already vanished, replaced by a gentleness she was familiar with.

“This Venerable also knows that the difficulty is not small,” Lai Li’an resumed his unhurried rhythm. “For you to have reached this step is already very good.”

Su Wan’er sniffled, feeling slightly better. However, she still felt that her Honored Master was merely comforting her. In her Honored Master’s eyes, the Dao Scripture of the Primordial Five Elements was perhaps just an introductory text.

Yet, holding an introductory text, she had only managed to comprehend its superficial layers. How could her Honored Master not be disappointed? Before she could speak, Lai Li’an spoke again.

“Tell your master how you circulated this Cultivation Technique, how you understood it, and how you guided it. Explain it all in full detail, leaving nothing out.”

Su Wan’er froze for a moment, suddenly recalling what her Honored Master had said to her previously: “I will impart a new Cultivation Technique to you. After you learn it, explain your comprehensions of it to me.”

At the time, she had assumed this was her Honored Master’s unique teaching method, intended to deepen her understanding through the dual process of ‘learning’ and ‘teaching.’ Now, her Honored Master actually wanted her to explain it.

Su Wan’er’s heart grew solemn. Not daring to be negligent, she sat back down cross-legged and recounted every detail of her comprehension of the Dao Scripture of the Primordial Five Elements from beginning to end.