I Have an All-Knowing Mirror

Chapter 156: Great Cycle of Yin-Yang and Five Elements

Mental Cultivation Hall.

The Dayong Emperor paced back and forth in restless anxiety.

Ever since he learned that his Uncle Ancestor had personally welcomed Su Yuan into the ancestral temple...

He knew that his side had lost. The Dayong Dynasty had lost, and they needed to bow their heads to that Pavilion Master Wu.

The fate of the Dayong Dynasty now entirely depended on the whims of Pavilion Master Wu.

"Your Majesty..."

An Imperial Guard rushed in and knelt before the Dayong Emperor.

"Speak quickly, what is the situation at the ancestral temple right now?"

The Dayong Emperor looked tense.

"The Uncle Ancestor... the Uncle Ancestor ordered the cancellation of the arrest warrant for Pavilion Master Wu," the Imperial Guard reported in a hushed tone."Cancel the arrest warrant..." The Dayong Emperor fell silent.

Ever since the otherworldly strangers appeared, anyone placed on the Dayong Dynasty's wanted list had either been swiftly apprehended or forced into hiding, barely surviving.

As for actively canceling the warrant for a stranger? Such a thing had never happened before.

After all, from the very beginning, the Dayong Dynasty had always maintained absolute dominance over those strangers.

"Pass down my decree. Cancel the arrest warrant for Pavilion Master Wu."

The Dayong Emperor pondered for only a single breath before issuing the command.

Times had changed. Now that Pavilion Master Wu was inside the Imperial Palace and no one could stop him, the situation was completely different.

Under these circumstances, as long as the demands were not too excessive, the Dayong Emperor would naturally do everything in his power to accommodate them.

"Also... he ordered the army outside the city to withdraw," the message-bearing guard added.

"The army outside the city..." The Dayong Emperor looked toward the perimeter of the Imperial Palace and sighed inwardly.

"What a pity."

If the army outside the city had not been intercepted, they would currently be encircling the Imperial Palace. Facing that Pavilion Master Wu with such numbers, the victor would have been uncertain.

But there were no ifs. The reality was that the massive army was still blocked outside the city, and Su Yuan had already seized absolute initiative within the Imperial Palace.

"Let them all withdraw."

The Dayong Emperor waved his hand in resignation.

"Understood."

Several Imperial Guards departed the Mental Cultivation Hall to relay the Dayong Emperor's orders.

Outside the four great gates of the Capital City.

A densely packed army was furiously laying siege to the city.

Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She and Vice Pavilion Master Yang were calmly coordinating the members of Azure Wave Pavilion to defend the walls.

Armed with Su Yuan's carefully pre-planned defense strategies, and bolstered by the fearless Imperial Citizen Players who did not fear death, they miraculously managed to hold back the millions of soldiers outside the Capital City.

"The Pavilion Master predicted everything..."

Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She marveled inwardly. Relying solely on the members of Azure Wave Pavilion, even after occupying the four great gates in advance, holding them should have been harder than ascending to the heavens.

They did not just have to face the massive siege army outside the city; they also had to guard against threats from within.

Caught in a pincer attack from both inside and out, Azure Wave Pavilion would normally not last long, not to mention the other Imperial Citizen Players who were trying to fish in troubled waters.

However, the defense plan Su Yuan had given them accounted for both internal and external threats, even preemptively manipulating the complex web of factions within the Capital City.

That was the only reason the members of Azure Wave Pavilion had been able to hold their ground until now.

"However, the Pavilion Master..."

Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She looked toward the Imperial Palace with a trace of worry.

He had naturally been informed immediately about Su Yuan storming the Imperial Palace alone and being placed on the Red-Tier Wanted Order.

Although Su Yuan had not yet died within the Imperial Palace and was continually venturing deeper, Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She still could not help but worry.

That was the Imperial Palace—the most dangerous location in the entire Dayong Dynasty. With tens of thousands of Imperial Guards and a Super Grade-1 expert, it was a place where any Player at the current stage would be courting death by entering.

The only reason the previous Pavilion Master of Azure Wave Pavilion had successfully infiltrated the Imperial Palace was by catching them completely off guard. Relying on the techniques of a late-stage Starry Sky Lifeform, he had struck while the Super Grade-1 expert deep within the palace was immersed in deep cultivation, finally succeeding.

In fact, if Su Yuan had not desperately blocked the pursuers at the end of Vermilion Bird Street, whether the previous Pavilion Master could have succeeded would still be entirely up for debate.

Just as Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She was deep in thought, his expression abruptly shifted.

"This is bad!"

He snapped his gaze toward the outside of the city.

A colossal siege engine slowly rumbled into view. Immediately after, a massive, pitch-black iron ball, a hundred meters in diameter, was violently hurled toward the city gates.

An iron ball with a hundred-meter diameter? Its sheer weight alone exceeded five million tons. Coupled with the propulsion from the siege engine, the immense momentum and kinetic energy of the crashing sphere struck with a force of at least tens of millions of tons.

A force of tens of millions of tons? For Imperial Citizen Players whose physical attributes were locked at the Level 1 tier, stopping it was an absolute impossibility.

Boom!

The black iron ball slammed down, violently obliterating the city gate in an instant.

"The gate is breached?"

Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She's face turned incredibly grim.

The surrounding members of Azure Wave Pavilion also wore expressions of sheer terror.

Once the millions of soldiers flooded into the city, their first target would be the members of Azure Wave Pavilion.

Following that, they would immediately reinforce the Imperial Palace.

Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She and the others did not care about their own survival. After all, even if a Player died in the game, they could simply spend a hundred thousand Azure Surge Coins to respawn.

However, if the city fell and the Imperial Palace received reinforcements, it would cause the Pavilion Master's grand plan to fail. That was something Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She simply could not accept.

"Not good!"

Vice Pavilion Master Yang stared at the surging army that was beginning to pour through the shattered gate, his expression growing exceedingly solemn.

The elite forces of the Dayong Dynasty were clad in heavy armor. Even if ordinary experts of the Middle Three Ranks or Top Three Ranks unleashed their full strength, they might not necessarily be able to kill more than a few soldiers in a single strike.

Just as expressions of total despair began to surface on the faces of the Azure Wave Pavilion members...

Swoosh!

A firework suddenly shot into the sky from deep within the Imperial Palace. It immediately exploded, showering the air with cascades of four different colored flames.

"What is that?"

Before Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She could even react, utterly confused about the significance of such a signal flare originating from the depths of the palace...

The army that had been steadily pouring into the city abruptly fell dead silent.

A few dozen breaths later, the massive army inexplicably began an orderly retreat from the Capital City.

"The army... is retreating?"

Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She's eyes widened in disbelief. "Was that signal flare from deep inside the Imperial Palace an order for the army to pull back?"

Although it was an easy conclusion to draw, Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She felt it was becoming increasingly unbelievable.

The question was, why would such a command be issued from deep within the Imperial Palace?

Had they already dealt with Su Yuan?

Or had Su Yuan, through his own sheer power, seized total control of the situation within the Imperial Palace?

"Hm? The Pavilion Master's arrest warrant has been canceled?"

Vice Pavilion Master Zhu She's heart skipped a beat as he simultaneously realized he had lost the coordinate tracking prompt for Su Yuan's location.

"Is the Pavilion Master... dead? Did he die in the Imperial Palace? Is that why he was taken off the wanted list?"

"How could this happen?"

Many members of Azure Wave Pavilion began to murmur with trembling voices.

Had the Pavilion Master's master plan failed?

Even the strongest Imperial Citizen Player could not rival the mighty Dayong Dynasty?

"No, that's not right."

Just then, Vice Pavilion Master Yang interjected sharply, "The Pavilion Master isn't dead. I have him added to my friends list, and he is still alive right now."

Imperial Citizen Players within the game could add each other as friends to facilitate easy communication.

By checking the status on the friends list, one could see the general condition of a Player.

For instance, if someone died in the game, their status bar would simply turn black.

But right now, Su Yuan's displayed status was still 'Online.' He had not died.

"The Pavilion Master isn't dead, he's been removed from the wanted list, and the army outside the city has retreated. The Pavilion Master has completely taken control of the situation inside the Imperial Palace!"

Vice Pavilion Master Yang announced loudly.

The moment those words were spoken, the many members of Azure Wave Pavilion exchanged bewildered glances. Amidst their surge of joy, they also felt an overwhelming sense of shock.

Imperial Palace, Ancestral Temple.

Su Yuan only had to wait for a brief moment before he noticed that his wanted status had disappeared. He was now completely free to comprehend the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual in his hands.

"Excellent."

Su Yuan gave a slight nod. From the very moment he had stepped into the Imperial Palace, everything had played out exactly according to his expectations.

'I must be under observation right now,' he thought.

His mind remained perfectly calm.

As for who was observing him? It was naturally the game observers within the Shattered Void World.

These so-called game observers functioned much like game administrators or GMs. They constantly monitored everything within the game, fixing bugs, maintaining balance, and overseeing the simulation.

At that very moment.

On another dimensional plane of the Shattered Void World.

Numerous game observers were staring intently at a massive screen floating a short distance away.

The image on the screen displayed the ancestral temple of the Dayong Imperial Palace. The eyes of every single observer were entirely fixated on Su Yuan, who was standing quietly inside.

"Incredible."

"Absolutely beyond comprehension."

"A Mid-Stage Starry Sky Lifeform can actually unleash such immense power within the game?"

"This Wu's Combat Bonus is already approaching three hundred times. If it weren't for the fact that his fundamental life essence fluctuations are still at the level of a Mid-Stage Starry Sky Lifeform, I would have honestly thought he was a late-stage Starry Sky Lifeform."

The game observers all wore expressions of sheer awe. Across the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire, and even throughout all thirty-six great universal human empires, monstrous geniuses were too numerous to count.

The myriad observers present had witnessed more so-called prodigies and freaks of nature than they could possibly remember.

But someone like Su Yuan? Forget the Shattered Void World—even in other evolutionary worlds, among all the Imperial Citizens at the Mid-Stage Starry Sky Lifeform level, he could only be described as a true monster.

"What should we do now?"

One of the observers voiced the pressing question.

"What do we do? We just watch. This Wu reached this point relying entirely on his own strength. He hasn't violated any game rules, so we have no grounds to interfere."

"That's true."

"However, judging by Wu's actions, it doesn't seem like he has any intention of usurping the Dayong Dynasty. This is a good thing. A very good thing!"

The observers breathed a collective sigh of relief. If Su Yuan had intended to replace the Dayong Dynasty, they wouldn't have just sat by and watched idly, even if they couldn't intervene directly.

They would have had to activate deeper game mechanics to specifically target Su Yuan, which would naturally increase their workload significantly.

"Based on the Cosmic Force that Wu is currently displaying, he possesses the dual forces of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements Power of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, plus a trace of supreme governing laws..."

"I am actually quite looking forward to seeing what level this Wu will reach after comprehending the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual."

A chubby observer remarked, his face lighting up with genuine anticipation.

To become a game observer, one had to be at least a Stellar Life Form. Others might not be able to see through the true essence of Su Yuan's techniques, but as Stellar Life Forms, they naturally saw it all as clearly as reading the lines on their own palms.

"First comprehending Yin and Yang, then mastering the Five Elements. The existence backing this Wu is extraordinary. Truly extraordinary. I wonder which saint of our human empire it is? Or perhaps... which Great Sage?"

Another observer could not help but praise aloud.

Inside the ancestral temple.

Through the gray mirror, Su Yuan was fully aware that he was currently being spectated by a multitude of game observers.

In truth, this was completely normal. After all, with Su Yuan's current strength, he could absolutely be considered a living bug within the game—and one that was strictly permitted within the rules.

It would be difficult for him not to attract attention.

However, Su Yuan also knew that these game observers would stop at merely watching. They would not step in to directly interfere.

He glanced down at the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual in his hands.

Su Yuan then looked at the elderly man standing nearby and ordered casually, "Go wait outside and stand guard."

"Understood." The old man immediately turned around and exited the ancestral temple.

Whoosh!

The heavy doors of the ancestral temple were pulled shut.

Only Su Yuan remained inside the vast ancestral temple.

"Let's begin the comprehension."

Su Yuan sat cross-legged on the floor and slowly opened the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual before him.

While comprehending a Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual, the practitioner would be entirely immersed in the process, causing their perception of external danger to drop drastically.

In other words, if Su Yuan attempted to study the manual inside the ancestral temple, and that Super Grade-1 old man from the Imperial Palace harbored any treacherous thoughts...

And decided to launch a sneak attack...

It would be incredibly difficult for Su Yuan to defend himself.

However, Su Yuan knew for a fact that the old man wouldn't dare.

The old man simply couldn't afford to take that gamble. If he lost that bet, the consequences would be far beyond anything he could endure.

Compared to a Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual, the pull that the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual exerted on Su Yuan's mind was infinitely more profound and heavy.

The very instant Su Yuan began his comprehension, his consciousness was forcefully drawn into a dimension that resembled the boundless starry cosmos.

In the distance, countless stars twinkled brilliantly.

'Those stars...'

As his gaze swept across the expanse, he realized that every single star represented a distinct type of Cosmic Force.

And the cosmic formations appearing before his eyes numbered in the millions, if not billions.

'The Five Elements Power...'

Among the myriad stars, Su Yuan could distinctly sense that his affinity was highest with the Five Elements Power.

After all, his current comprehension of the Five Elements Power had already surpassed ninety-five percent.

In addition, there were over ten other types of Cosmic Force that radiated a deeply resonant aura.

'I will comprehend the Five Elements Power!'

Without a shred of hesitation, Su Yuan immediately selected the five stars representing those very elements.

Rumble.

In an instant, the five massive stars plummeted directly toward him.

Outside the ancestral temple.

The old man stood guard by the doors, his expression fraught with deep apprehension.

Exactly as Su Yuan had predicted, the old man harbored absolutely no thoughts of launching a sneak attack.

This was largely because the old man never even anticipated that Su Yuan would dedicate the entirety of his consciousness to comprehending the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual right then and there.

Who could have possibly predicted such a reckless move?

"The Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manual was left behind by the founding emperor and contains the secrets to shattering the void. Only the otherworldly strangers are capable of comprehending it. We subjects of the Dayong Dynasty cannot glean a single thing from it..."

The old man sighed inwardly, then obediently stood his ground outside the temple, guarding it with utmost diligence.

Time trickled by slowly.

In the blink of an eye, three hours had passed.

Inside the ancestral temple.

Su Yuan, who had been sitting cross-legged the entire time, silently opened his eyes.

"So that's how it is," he murmured.

Deep within Su Yuan's eyes, the dual energies of Yin and Yang intertwined, while the Five Elements Power surged fiercely. Faintly, they began to form a flawless cycle, endlessly repeating and flowing in perfect harmony.

The Great Cycle of Yin-Yang and Five Elements.

Compared to an isolated Yin-Yang Cycle or an independent cycle of the Five Elements...

This Great Cycle of Yin-Yang and Five Elements was incomparably stable and perfect. Every single fraction of power could be utilized and seamlessly integrated into the endless rotation.

"Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements?"

Su Yuan raised his right hand. At his fingertips, the seven types of Cosmic Force—Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements—collided dynamically.

Whoosh—

With just the slightest upward motion of his hand, Su Yuan felt that the surrounding space had become as fragile as thin paper, capable of being torn apart with absolute ease.