Suijun starts with the principle of rewarding diligence.

Bu Qu took the crystal necklace that He Qing handed him and examined it carefully.

The crystal chain was entirely azure blue, and the pendant featured a round mirror that resembled a full moon.

"The elders were unwilling to accept me as a core disciple, so the sect gave me this magic treasure as compensation?"

"This is not a magic weapon, this is a supreme treasure."

"Treasure?"

"Those crafted by human hands are called magical treasures, but those born from heaven and earth are called supreme treasures."

He Qing explained, "The elders responsible for training core disciples are unwilling to accept you, not only because they themselves are not water-attribute, but also for three other reasons."

Bu Qu nodded.

As the top scorer, I couldn't possibly have been rejected without a very good reason.

"The first reason is that water attribute is not suitable for combat. Of course, this statement is not entirely accurate."

If the battle takes place in water, other attributes simply cannot defeat the water attribute.

Even martial artists of the same level face significant limitations in water.

He Qing sighed: "However, from battles among mortals to wars between gods and demons, they usually take place on the ground. In this way, the advantages of water attribute cannot be brought into play."

Bu Qu nodded.

Only by harnessing the spirit of heaven and earth can the advantages of the Five Elements techniques be maximized.

Relying solely on one's own spiritual power to cast spells is much less effective.

"Of course, if it happens to be a rainstorm, that's a different story," He Qing smiled. "But that's quite rare and not the norm."

Bu Qu glanced at the treasure in his hand: "So, you gave me this treasure to compensate for my disadvantageous situation on the ground?"

"That's right." He Qing nodded. "This item is called the Water Mirror, and it can hold water. You'll know its specific effects once you try it on."

Bu Qu put on the water mirror and used his spiritual power to sense the space inside it.

Upon entering, one sees a pool about the size of a football field. The pool is filled with water and is about three zhang deep.

Sensing Bu Qu's gaze, He Qing explained, "With the Water Mirror, you can perform water manipulation on the ground. Of course, the water in the Water Mirror needs to be replenished after it's used up. It's formed by heaven and earth and will spontaneously absorb water from the air. But if you want to replenish it quickly, you still have to go to rivers, lakes, and seas yourself."

Bu Qu's lips twitched: "Senior Brother He, since I am of the water attribute, can't I create water from nothing? Do I still need to rely on the Water Mirror?"

He Qing shook his head: "That's what makes water so special. Water is a real thing; how could it appear out of thin air?"

"That's true. What about the other attributes?"

"The metal element is also known as metal lightning. The cultivation method of the metal element is to cultivate the physical body step by step in the direction of metalification. It can forge an indestructible body and transform into a sharp blade."

Because the metal element and the lightning element have excellent compatibility, controlling lightning is naturally a piece of cake.

Bu Qu nodded, pondering: 'So, the metal element means cultivating oneself into a lump of iron? That doesn't seem like a problem. It inherently possesses metal-type abilities, excelling in physical attack and defense; it can also manipulate lightning and unleash magical attacks. It's certainly suitable for combat.'

"The fire attribute allows the tangible to become intangible, unleashing flames to devour everything."

"Fire-attribute fuel is everywhere; when in doubt, just burn it. He's a pure mage."

"The wood attribute involves cultivating oneself to be like a divine tree, primarily using the branches and leaves of the wood attribute to attack and restrict opponents."

"This is a warrior with crowd control abilities."

"As for the Earth attribute, it is similar to the Water attribute, requiring the power of the earth."

"Got it, this is a tank. The difference between this and a water-type character is that humans typically operate on land, allowing them to maintain a home-field advantage for extended periods."

"In that case, the water attribute is indeed quite special. Without water, water control techniques cannot be used, and combat power is greatly reduced."

Bu Qu thought for a moment and then asked, "Is it possible that, besides the Water Mirror, there's no other way for water-attribute individuals to store water within themselves?"

"Of course there are."

He Qing smiled and took out a scroll from a token: "Take a look at this first."

Bu Qu watched as he slowly unrolled the scroll and discovered that it was covered with the names of various fish, most of which he had never heard of before.

Once the scroll was fully unrolled, he saw three large characters at the top: "The List of Strange Fish".

"A strange fish? What's the difference between it and a treasure fish?"

He Qing smiled and explained, "In some ways, the rare fish is an even rarer treasure fish."

Bu Qu blinked and looked at He Qing.

"Let me put it this way. You know the effects of the Treasure Fish. After eating it, you can receive corresponding treatments, have your cultivation level boosted, and experience other enhancements."

After eating the strange fish, you will gain the corresponding ability.

Bu Qu nodded: "So, the water-attribute ability is bound to the strange fish? Wait a minute..."

His gaze returned to the list of unusual fish.

Bu Qu was not surprised by Jin Lin's ranking first.

Golden scales are a symbol of the dragon. To become an immortal, golden scales are indispensable.

But the blue whale, ranked ninth...

"Its most likely effect is water storage. But is this the blue whale I understand? Should I eat it? How long do I have to wait?"

He Qing put away the scroll and handed it to Bu Qu.

"As you might have guessed, aside from basic water manipulation techniques, most water-attribute abilities reside in the strange fish. These strange fish are widely distributed, mostly in mountains, rivers, and seas, and their whereabouts are unpredictable. These are the other two reasons why the elders are unwilling."

Bu Qu accepted the scroll, thinking to himself, "So, water-attribute abilities can't be taught; we can only rely on strange fish. But these strange fish are hard to find, and even if we did find them, it wouldn't be of much use. They're not water-attribute, so they can't go into the water."

He Qing sighed and said, "The main reason they don't want to take you on is that they don't want to find the strange fish for you. Finding the strange fish is time-consuming and laborious, and they don't want to take on this difficult task."

Upon learning the reason, Bu Qu comforted him, saying, "Senior Brother He, this is a good thing."

"Good news? What makes you say that?"

"To force something that is impossible is bad for both sides. Since they realize they are incapable of teaching me, I will find the rare fish myself. I can find the treasure fish, and I can find the rare fish just as well."

"But without anyone to help you, it might be difficult for you to search every river, lake, and sea on your own..."

Bu Qu smiled and said, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. Since I am a celestial spirit, I will find it as long as I try hard."

He Qing shook his head again: "This matter is not as simple as you think. The reason why the sect sets up eight elders to select core disciples is to find helpers for them."

Now that you've lost that identity, who will be willing to team up with you? You'll have to do everything yourself.

So, how will you perform in next year's trial?

Bu Qu chuckled lightly: "Senior Brother He, there's no need to worry. It's just a little hardship. I can win the Dragon Gate Selection now; a year later, I can also stand out in the trials."