A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

"My goodness, these peach blossoms smell amazing!"

A female investigator reached out and caught a few falling petals, brought them to her nose and took a deep sniff, her face filled with ecstasy, her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Smells good? Smell this peach!"

A burly man had already darted under a peach tree, craning his neck and staring wide-eyed.

Staring at the plump, pink, and juicy peaches above him, each the size of a fist and seemingly bathed in soft light, his saliva was practically dripping down his feet.

"Just smelling this makes my spiritual sea swell with excitement! Hey, this trip was definitely worthwhile!"

The crowd chattered and jostled as they strolled through the dreamlike, filtered-looking peach blossom forest in the clouds.

Beneath our feet lies soft, fluffy soil, like stepping on cotton wool, while overhead are flowers and fruits as radiant as rosy clouds.

The surrounding spiritual energy was so strong it felt like a humidifier on its highest setting. I took a breath, and wow, all the pores on my body opened up. I felt so comfortable I wanted to hum.

Many impatient people couldn't wait any longer and reached out to grab the peaches from the drooping branches.

"Ouch!"

The moment my finger touched that layer of fine down, it felt like I'd been electrocuted, and I recoiled instantly.

"Hiss... This peach... it even bites?!"

The man swung his hand, grimacing, and a small cut was visible on his fingertip, from which a tiny bit of bright red blood seeped out.

Good guy!

As a Qi cultivator at the ninth level of the Spirit Palace, he usually can't even get a scratch from swords and axes, yet today a single peach broke through his defenses?!

This is weird!

Not only him, but all those guys who were quicker with their hands than with their brains, every single one of them, fell for it.

Some were scratched, some had their tendons go numb from the shock, some had their fingertips instantly covered in a layer of white frost and were shivering from the cold, and some felt as if they had touched a branding iron, jumping up and down from the heat...

A wide variety of things, all sorts of strange and wonderful.

"Holy crap, there's something wrong with these peaches!"

"Nonsense, would it grow in the sky if there were no problems?"

"Looks fresh, tender, and harmless, but it turns out to be a real troublemaker!"

Looking at the tempting, almost irresistible peaches so close yet so tempting, everyone was at a loss for words, unsure where to begin.

"The dolls..."

Old Zhang's cheerful voice rang out at just the right moment.

"This peach is called the Five Elements Spirit Peach."

"As the name suggests, it contains the pure power of the five elements, namely metal, wood, water, fire, and earth."

"As you can see, because the power of the five elements inside is too strong and excessive, a layer of five-element barrier has condensed on the surface of the body."

"To break through this barrier of the five elements and pick the peach, we must use opposing forces to wear it down and eliminate it."

"This will test your mastery of the Five Elements techniques. You'll find out how good they are once you try."

"Don't be impatient. If you haven't completely broken through the Five Elements Barrier, don't rush to take a big bite..."

Old Zhang smacked his lips, revealing a meaningful yet unsettling smile:

"I reckon they'll end up with a gruesome, disemboweled state. If they're lucky, they'll be bedridden for a few months; if they're unlucky, they'll be sent down to the lower levels to get a head start on their training."

"Of course—"

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone now carrying an undisguised seduction:

"If you eat enough, the five elements within your body will circulate and revolve endlessly..."

"Then in the future, when you advance from the Dharma Aspect to the Supernatural Power, that invisible and intangible chasm that has truly blocked countless geniuses, hey, it might be three or five points easier for you."

"This peach orchard is only open for one hour each year. Once it's gone, it's gone forever."

"In this one hour, how much can be eaten, how much can be digested, how much karmic connection can be accumulated...?"

"That all depends on your own abilities."

"Buzz—"

These words were like a drop of cold water falling into a pot of boiling oil, and the audience instantly erupted in uproar!

Five Elements Spirit Peach! An opportunity to advance to supernatural powers!

Every investigator present had their eyes turn red instantly, like wolves that hadn't eaten for three days seeing a fat sheep!

They were all carefully selected and nurtured by Bureau 749 with countless resources, and they were basically just one step away from the Dharma Aspect Realm, or even half a step away.

Once they enter the Dharma realm, they are full of confidence. Give them some time, and it's as easy as eating and drinking.

Can it be upgraded to supernatural powers?

That's a completely different story!

That's not something you can achieve just by relying on talent and hard work. Once you reach that level, it really depends on fate, destiny, and that elusive glimmer of heavenly secret!

And now, this sliver of heavenly secret is right before our eyes, so bright and clear!

What else is there to say?!

Damn it!

"Five Elements magic, huh? I specialize in fire magic, I'll burn you to death, you little brat!"

"What a coincidence! I'm a master of water magic! I use softness to overcome hardness, and I can subdue any kind of stubbornness!"

"Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth... Damn it, let's do the math right here, let's do the math right here!"

For a time, the investigators used all their unique skills and abilities.

Firelight, water vapor, golden rays, vines, earth and stones... five colors of light rose and fell, and a cacophony of clanging and crackling sounds filled the air.

What was once a beautiful, ethereal peach blossom forest in the clouds has been turned into something resembling a New Year's celebration with firecrackers and a hardware store demolition site.

Only one hour?

What the hell are you standing there for?!

He swung his arm and got to work!

Oh, right.

I almost forgot to mention.

These Five Elements techniques are kept secret by major sects and aristocratic families, guarded more closely than their own lives, and ordinary disciples wouldn't even dare to glance at them...

Hey, at Bureau 749, learn for free!

As long as you have the aptitude and are willing to work hard, you can learn it.

Learn as much as you want, there's plenty!

To paraphrase the chubby head of the Logistics Department of the 749th General Bureau, who's always smiling and tells everyone, "The bureau's budget is tight again":

"I'm not worried about them not being able to learn it, I'm worried about them not being able to learn it at all!"

"Why are you hiding away such wonderful magic, a treasure passed down from our ancestors? To have children?"

"Learn freely! Use freely! Only spells forged from the blood of our enemies and the blood of our victories are truly good spells!"

It's simple, it's rough, and it's also very 749.

Therefore, at this moment, in this peach forest above the clouds, you can see the most authentic Taoist Samadhi Fire, and you can also see the grassland shaman's method of communicating with the earth...

Let a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend.

However, their goals are all the same—

Picking peaches.

Eat peaches.

The method of accumulating good karma.

So that one day in the future, I can smash that damned insurmountable barrier with a single punch and see the view from a higher vantage point.

It's that simple, yet that's how exciting it is.

But despite their initial enthusiasm, the investigators soon realized just how difficult the Five Elements Barrier was to overcome!

That thin, paper-like film, once you actually get to it, turns out to be a real piece of junk!

An investigator who specialized in fire magic and had mastered the Samadhi Fire was brimming with confidence, his nostrils practically pointing to the sky.

Why?

Samadhi Fire!

In fire magic, that's top-notch and the best!

When used in ordinary times, it can burn demons and ghosts, and it can burn anything. It's very powerful!

The peach tree in front of him had several golden peaches hanging from its branches, radiating the aura of metal. At first glance, they were clearly metal-elemental spiritual peaches.

"Fire overcomes metal; it's a matter of course!"

The guy rubbed his hands together, grinning so hard his back teeth were showing. "This is totally professional! A sure thing, we've got it covered!"

His spiritual sea surged within him, and with a flick of his fingertips, a cluster of incredibly solid, pure-colored, and frighteningly hot Samadhi True Fire burst forth with a "poof".

"Break it for me!"

He gave a low shout and thrust his finger forward. The cluster of true fire seemed to come alive, and with a "hum," it enveloped the nearest golden spirit peach.

Flames roared, and the heat was oppressive.