Foundation Establishment

The Lancang River. A streak of flying light broke through the sky. It plummeted rapidly, morphing into a boat as it landed upon the broad expanse of water. Luo Chen stood aboard the skiff, an expression of doubt on his face. "It should be here, shouldn't it?" The token Tianxingzi had left him was actually a mid-grade puppet. Its function was peculiar: it could take the place of a cultivator for surveillance, and it could also serve as a guide. Back when they attacked the Duan clan's Mount Xiaohuan, Luo Chen had suspended it high in the night sky to oversee the entire battlefield. Afterward, he kept it on his person, and it had never shown any movement. To his surprise, it had suddenly reacted today. Following the guidance of the five-pointed star puppet, he traveled downstream from Great River Market along the Lancang River. Yet he saw no sign of Tianxingzi. "Where is he?" Just as he was wondering, the rushing current suddenly surged violently. Luo Chen's expression shifted. Treading upon the skiff, he backed away against the flow. A massive whirlpool abruptly formed. The next moment, a figure slowly emerged from within it. Catching sight of that familiar face, Luo Chen's heart trembled violently, and an exclamation slipped from his lips. "Mi Shuhua!" The closed-eyed elder was none other than his intimately familiar old friend. The master of the Mountain Shattering Gang, the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator—Mi Shuhua! In that instant, Luo Chen felt as if confronting a deadly enemy and nearly turned to flee in panic. Yet he soon noticed something amiss. "Not Mi Shuhua? A puppet?" "Fellow Daoist, what keen eyes!" A clear voice rang out, and another figure emerged from the whirlpool. It was a young man who looked several years younger than Luo Chen. With red lips, white teeth, and skin like fine jade, he appeared almost boyish. Resting one hand on "Mi Shuhua," he smiled pleasantly at Luo Chen. "This object is a human puppet refined by my master using the physical body of a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. It was nurtured for three years by drawing on the Lancang spiritual vein here. "My arrival today, besides fulfilling my master's agreement with Fellow Daoist Murong, is also to retrieve this human puppet." A human puppet? Luo Chen parted his lips, hesitating to speak. He had never imagined that Mi Shuhua's corpse, which Miao Wen had searched for in vain, had ended up at the bottom of the Lancang River all along. And it had even been refined into a puppet. "How should I address you, Fellow Daoist?" Luo Chen asked, cupping his hands as he calmed his turbulent emotions. The young man smiled faintly. "An inner sect disciple of the Falling Cloud Sect, Xu Ji." Luo Chen's pupils contracted slightly. That the other party hailed from the Falling Cloud Sect was no surprise. When Tianxingzi departed, he had no longer bothered to hide his origins, bluntly telling Luo Chen that if he ever found it impossible to get by, he could seek him out at the Puppet Tower in Tianlan Immortal City. It was only natural that the person he sent belonged to the Falling Cloud Sect. What surprised Luo Chen was that this youth was clearly only at the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Yet he claimed to be an inner sect disciple of the Falling Cloud Sect! That was no casual claim. In major sects, cultivators were usually only called inner sect disciples after reaching Foundation Establishment. A tier above that were the Foundation Establishment true disciples with hope of attaining the Golden Core, and the Dao seeds chosen to be groomed as Core Formation successors. From the look of it, this person either possessed extraordinary talent or formidable combat strength. Whichever it was, Luo Chen had to tread carefully. "Fellow Daoist Xu, did you... bring the Foundation Establishment Pills?" In the end, Luo Chen steered away from the subject of Mi Shuhua. Xu Ji chuckled softly and tossed two jade bottles across. Luo Chen's brows twitched upward as he caught them with delight. Yet his brow quickly furrowed. "Why are there only two? Didn't Senior Tianxingzi agree on three?" "My apologies. The current situation is tense, and Foundation Establishment Pills are already strategic resources. One of the seniors who originally promised my master went back on his word." Xu Ji looked slightly awkward. "Securing even these two was no easy feat." Luo Chen had no recourse. Though the agreed quantity had been cut short, the other side had ultimately honored the pact by delivering two Foundation Establishment Pills. For a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator to grant him this much face was already remarkable. Xu Ji suddenly smiled. "Besides, given your peak condition and vigor, Fellow Daoist, two Foundation Establishment Pills should be more than enough!" *Hmm?* *What keen perception this person has, to see through my current state at a glance.* Luo Chen had altered his appearance and build, but he had not concealed his external spiritual power fluctuations in the slightest. He had done so mainly because he had been unsure whether the contact was friend or foe before arriving. Displaying his peak condition served to deter any ill intentions in advance. *Still, the Falling Cloud Sect specializes in puppets and spiritual consciousness, so having such perception is only natural.* With these thoughts brushing through his mind, Luo Chen kept his expression composed and said, "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Xu." "Not at all, I merely speak the truth." Xu Ji did not rush Luo Chen for payment, instead asking with keen interest, "I wonder if Fellow Daoist Murong still has any Blood Burning Pills on hand?" "None left." Luo Chen shook his head slightly. "After Senior Tianxingzi departed, we lacked the primary ingredient for the Blood Burning Pills. I truly have no surplus on hand." "Is that so? That is quite a pity, then." Xu Ji frowned and could not help but sigh. Luo Chen's mind stirred. "Do you need Blood Burning Pills so urgently?" He recalled the phrase Xu Ji had casually let slip earlier: "the current situation is tense." Xu Ji looked at Luo Chen, scanned the surroundings, and finally nodded. "It seems you have lived in a remote corner like Great River Market for so long that you are unaware of the great upheaval in the Jade Cauldron Domain." "Great upheaval?" "Yes. Our Falling Cloud Sect and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect are like fire and water. Right now, swords are drawn and local skirmishes break out continuously." Xu Ji spoke freely, not minding sharing the news at all. "Under such circumstances, things like Foundation Establishment Pills and Blood Burning Pills are vital strategic resources. "It was precisely through the merits Master earned in Great River Market that he secured an inner sect disciple quota for me. "Speaking of which, a share of that contribution belongs to you, Fellow Daoist!" Luo Chen had a sudden realization. No wonder Tianxingzi had departed in such a hurry. Though the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had few core disciples, it was still a Nascent Soul supreme sect governing an entire domain. Before this, the Falling Cloud Sect had merely been a Golden Core sect. Even if, as Luo Chen suspected, Supreme Elder Han Zhan had broken through to the Nascent Soul realm, the sect's overall foundation remained constrained to its former level. A Foundation Establishment combatant like Tianxingzi would certainly not be left idling outside. Right now, tensions were high and local frictions were erupting. Perhaps before long, all-out war would begin! Luo Chen recalled the words Tianxingzi had spoken before leaving. They had carried more than a little regret. Presumably, that regret stemmed from not having finished refining Mi Shuhua's body into a Foundation Establishment human puppet. Sending an emissary now, exactly two years later, was not only to honor their agreement but also to retrieve this human puppet. Luo Chen had no intention of welshing on his debt and promptly handed the ten thousand spirit stones he had prepared over to Xu Ji. With that, their accounts were settled. Yet after the transaction concluded, Xu Ji did not depart. He looked at Luo Chen and inquired, "Fellow Daoist, do you happen to know where the Duan clan's ancestral estate in Great River Market is located?" Luo Chen froze for a moment, asking instinctively, "Do you share past ties with the Duan clan, Fellow Daoist Xu?" Xu Ji smiled faintly. "Hardly ties. It is just that a Duan clansman nearly became a disciple under my master, Tianxingzi. Unfortunately, he failed Foundation Establishment, and the karmic affinity ended there." Luo Chen's brows twitched. He remembered that Duan Feng's father had once been a disciple of the Falling Cloud Sect. Perhaps that was where the connection lay. "Before Master left, he had a transaction with the Duan clan's ancestor. I came here partly to fulfill that agreement as well." A transaction! Luo Chen's heart sank. He had no idea what trade Duan Qiankun and Tianxingzi had agreed upon. How had Tianxingzi left behind so many loose ends before his departure? Now that Duan Qiankun was dead, this transaction... Without hesitation, Luo Chen spoke up. "I naturally know where the Duan clan's ancestral grounds are, but the estate has long since changed hands. I fear you will leave disappointed." "Oh?" "The Duan clan is no more. Duan Qiankun was blasted to ash, leaving behind only a magic treasure named the Zeguo Gui Chart, which was seized by another Foundation Establishment cultivator, Nangong Jin." Xu Ji stood stunned. "He is dead?" Without hiding anything, Luo Chen recounted the battle in which the Luotian Association attacked Mount Xiaohuan, laying out the details clearly. He emphasized in particular that Duan Qiankun had been blown to pieces without leaving a corpse. Having finished speaking, Luo Chen piloted his skiff and took his leave. After he departed, Xu Ji remained where he stood, his expression flickering between dark and light. *** Up in the sky. Luo Chen stood aboard the skiff, his expression equally conflicted. *To think such origins existed, and even an unfinished transaction.* *The item Tianxingzi sought must be exceedingly valuable.* *Judging from the spoils Sima Huiniang cataloged, although there were valuable treasures, none could be what Tianxingzi wanted.* *In other words, that object is very likely inside the storage bag Duan Qiankun left behind.* Duan Qiankun's storage bag was currently on Luo Chen's person. Surrendering it directly was something he would never agree to. This booty belonged partly to him, partly to Wang Yuan, and partly to Duan Feng. If he gave it away, the gains from conquering Mount Xiaohuan would be drastically diminished. Luo Chen had long made up his mind. Once he reached Foundation Establishment, he would use his spiritual consciousness to wear down the brand Duan Qiankun had left upon it bit by bit. Now, someone else had set their sights on it. Pursing his lips, Luo Chen stowed the skiff. Activating his Cloud-Treading Boots and Carefree Wind Riding simultaneously, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished past the horizon in the blink of an eye. *** At the foot of Mount Xiaohuan. The youthful-looking Xu Ji gazed up at the revitalized Mount Xiaohuan. There were transplanted giant trees, a small lake mirroring the blue sky and white clouds, and pavilions nestled faintly against the mountainside. "The Luotian Association?" He had heard his patriarch, Tianxingzi, mention this force before. It was an organization led by alchemists, boasting an alchemist at the ninth level of Qi Refinement. In terms of alchemy attainment, he was quite extraordinary. Tianxingzi had even suspected at one point that the Blood Burning Pills originated from this faction. Only later, upon learning that a second-tier alchemist stood behind Murong Yuan, had he dispelled that suspicion. "How could a mere Qi Refinement faction overthrow a Foundation Establishment clan?" Xu Ji felt rather frustrated. Was this not an unexpected complication? He could not tell whether the Duan clan had simply been too weak, or if several local factions had secretly joined hands to strike the killing blow. If the latter were true, his journey would likely yield nothing. *Still, with a Foundation Establishment human puppet in my hands, perhaps I can negotiate with them.* Just as he was about to step forward, the mountain patrol spotted him. "Who goes there?" "Xu Ji of the Falling Cloud Sect, here to pay a visit!" The clear voice, amplified through the Foundation Establishment human puppet that was Mi Shuhua, spread across the mountain in an instant. The lingering sound echoed straight into the azure clouds. *** "A scabbard? A magic artifact?" Inside Huanyu Hall, Sima Huiniang looked utterly bewildered. "Fellow Daoist Xu, are you certain it is not a flying sword artifact?" Xu Ji said earnestly, "It is indeed a scabbard." Sima Huiniang felt troubled. "The Duan clan was a renowned artifact-refining family in Great River Market, famous for forging mid-grade flying swords. As everyone knows, artifact flying swords are rarely paired with scabbards. "May I ask what grade this scabbard artifact you speak of is?" He was, after all, an inner sect disciple of the Falling Cloud Sect, and Sima Huiniang had to show him ample courtesy. Consequently, her words carried a tone of accommodating conciliation. Xu Ji replied patiently, "I cannot be certain of its exact grade, but it is at least high-grade." *Who on earth would forge a high-grade artifact scabbard?* Sima Huiniang complained silently, though her expression remained composed. She said slowly, "We catalog all high-grade magic artifacts, and some are stored in our treasury." Her gaze drifted toward the Foundation Establishment puppet behind Xu Ji. Recalling Luo Chen's earlier instructions, she immediately said, "How about this: I will take you to the treasury to have a look? "Perhaps there is something our rogue cultivator eyes were too inexperienced to recognize." Xu Ji nodded and followed Sima Huiniang to the treasury. Before long, he emerged, looking disappointed. The vault held mostly low-grade and mid-grade artifacts. The ten high-grade artifacts were well-crafted, but none were what he sought. He could not help asking, "Was Duan Qiankun's storage bag truly destroyed in the blast?" Sima Huiniang gave a wry smile. "The explosion back then was terrifying beyond belief. "The small lake you saw at the base of the mountain was blasted out by that very detonation. "Do you believe a mere storage bag could survive an attack like that?" Thinking of the lake he had seen on his way up the mountain, Xu Ji's pupils constricted slightly. To cause such destruction despite the defense of a magic treasure spoke to the sheer brutality of that battle. Though valuable, a storage bag was hardly an artifact with robust defensive formations. Among spatial containers, perhaps only a spatial ring of the magic treasure tier could have survived such a blast. Yet he was still unwilling to give up. "Might I meet your association's president?" Sima Huiniang frowned, displeased. "That would be rather impolite, wouldn't it? I told you earlier that our president is in seclusion and may not be disturbed by outsiders." Xu Ji froze, and anger flared within him. As an inner sect disciple of a Nascent Soul sect, he wished to see the head of a small coalition of rogue cultivators. How could that be called impolite? "And if I insist on seeing him?" Just as malice surfaced in his eyes, Sima Huiniang narrowed hers as well. "Fellow Daoist, we have given you ample face. Do not bring trouble upon yourself!" This was the Luotian Association's stronghold! There were over a hundred cultivators here, and more than ten at the ninth level of Qi Refinement. If a conflict truly broke out, Xu Ji would certainly suffer the loss. Yet so what? He had a Foundation Establishment human puppet in his grasp! Just as Xu Ji was about to utter a threat, two immense auras erupted simultaneously from behind the mountain and its base. Faintly, the roar of a beast carried through the air. "A second-tier demon beast! A Foundation Establishment cultivator!" Xu Ji lost his voice, shock and horror written across his face. Sima Huiniang was startled at first, but then said as if it were only natural, "Without such strength, how would we dare to wipe out a Foundation Establishment clan?" She smiled. "Now that you have looked, Fellow Daoist, would you care to stay for an informal meal?" Xu Ji's mouth twitched. "Farewell!" *** Outside Mount Xiaohuan, Xu Ji looked grim. His gaze fell upon the azure lake at the mountain's foot. If his senses were not mistaken, one of the Foundation Establishment auras had come from right there. To think things were like this. *Ah well, two out of three tasks are complete. That is enough to report back to Patriarch.* *As for this Luotian Association, I will deal with them after I reach Foundation Establishment!* Without lingering, he took his leave on the spot. After his departure, two figures sat facing each other at the bottom of the azure lake. Wang Yuan withdrew his gaze, which seemed capable of piercing through the water's surface, his eyes carrying complex emotions. "Was Mi Shuhua truly turned into a puppet..." His voice held feelings too complicated to describe. Mi Shuhua had once been the most dazzling figure in Great River Market. With his mid Foundation Establishment cultivation, he commanded the vast Mountain Shattering Gang and suppressed every major force. The seemingly matched Great River Gang would have been nothing before him were it not for the backing of the Lianyun Merchant Alliance. Even when dealing with sect cultivators like Miao Wen, Mi Shuhua had interacted on equal footing. Yet who could have thought he would meet such an end—man dead, clan wiped out, gang destroyed. His life's wealth had been divided among everyone. Even his corpse had been crafted into a puppet. Thinking back to what Mi Shuhua had done to him and Luo Chen, though much of it had been exploitation, they had ultimately gained numerous benefits from it. Seeing his fate now, how could Wang Yuan not sigh? Luo Chen skirted the topic and merely looked at Wang Yuan with curiosity. "Brother Wang, have you reached Great Perfection with the Soul-Fixing Oath?" That Foundation Establishment aura earlier had been released deliberately by Wang Yuan. Yet Wang Yuan shook his head. "In two years, I have barely attained entry level. "Furthermore, that was not my own Foundation Establishment fluctuation, but something I simulated using Duan Qiankun's remnant soul combined with my cultivation." As he spoke, he looked toward Luo Chen. "You, on the other hand, have reached Qi Refinement Great Perfection. Foundation Establishment is just a step away." Thinking of the two Foundation Establishment Pills in his storage bag, Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Soon. Very soon!" *** After Xu Ji departed, the Luotian Association returned to its former tranquility. Luo Chen spent an entire month frantically concocting a large batch of mid-grade Jade Marrow Pills, and then announced his seclusion. This time, it was true seclusion! Unless it was a matter of life and death, no one was permitted to disturb him. Inside the green thatched cottage. Luo Chen looked at the two Foundation Establishment Pills in his hand, feeling torn. By all logic, he should sprint toward Foundation Establishment immediately. Yet what he had witnessed over the years left him with little confidence in the breakthrough. First, Fu Xiuxiu had failed her attempt without a Foundation Establishment Pill. Then Duan Rui, despite two Foundation Establishment Pills and an eight-hundred-year Root of Heaven and Earth, had achieved nothing. Interspersed among them were sect disciples like Fu Xiuxiu's Dao companion and Duan Feng's father, who had also failed. This repeatedly elevated his estimation of the difficulty of Foundation Establishment. *Even Brother Wang, who advanced so valiantly on the path of cultivation, fell before this hurdle of Foundation Establishment.* *Two Foundation Establishment Pills might still not be enough for me!* *Therefore, I must refine Emperor Flowing Liquid. I have no choice!* Following his hesitation came a resolute decision. Luo Chen did not wish to endure repeated failures, nor did he want to suffer blow after blow. Even though he possessed a powerful physique, a soul foundation comparable to Foundation Establishment, and an abundance of auxiliary breakthrough resources, he still intended to make his attempt as perfect as possible. He had already attained entry level in Emperor Flowing Liquid, which had cost him immense effort. After several failures, he had gradually grasped the knack. Success was not far off. Since that was the case, why not wait a bit longer? Once Luo Chen devoted himself wholly to the task, the familiar work of pill refinement began once more. *** A month later. Exhausted, Luo Chen beamed with joy. Looking up at the Four Symbols Cauldron, streaks of golden liquid flowed like spiritual nectar descending from the stars, gurgling smoothly. "To think there is this much!" Without hesitation, he produced three large jade bottles. Using the Cloud Transformation Hand, he guided the liquid down stream by stream. The descending golden Emperor Flowing Liquid flowed slowly into the three jade bottles. Three portions! In terms of cost, Luo Chen had spent over ten thousand spirit stones just for these three portions of Emperor Flowing Liquid. A severe budget overrun! After all, this was merely a second-tier spiritual liquid. Yet considering its immense efficacy in elevating one's foundation—perhaps not inferior to a Foundation Establishment Pill—its value could not be measured simply in spirit stones. "Only now are all preparations truly complete!" Pursing his lips, Luo Chen put away the Four Symbols Cauldron. He cast the Cleansing Art across the entire thatched cottage. Beyond that, he solemnly produced ten mid-grade spirit stones and slotted them one by one into the apertures beside the spiritual spring. Interlacing his fingers, Luo Chen held his breath and cast a series of hand seals. This was a technique obtained from the Duan clan's scripture pavilion. It had no other use besides fusing the spiritual energy of the Ice-Fire Spiritual Spring, briefly elevating it from a first-tier spiritual ground to a second-tier spiritual ground. Ice and fire were two extremes; when clashing, they destroyed, but when fused, they flourished. "Fuse!" Instantly, vast swathes of white mist billowed outward. The mist dispersed, yet it carried a feeling of flagging momentum—unless Luo Chen constantly maintained the spell. Yet since he needed to charge toward Foundation Establishment, that was naturally impossible. Thus, with the aid of the formation, those ten mid-grade spirit stones could temporarily sustain the current state. Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen felt his spirits soar. This sensation was identical to the second-tier spiritual vein environment Mi Shuhua had created back then. Except when Mi Shuhua did so, it required eighty spirit stones. Luo Chen required only ten. The difference lay in this Ice-Fire Spiritual Spring! "In three days, this second-tier spiritual ground will fully stabilize. "That will be the true moment to break through to Foundation Establishment. "These three days are just what I need to restore my condition." Luo Chen let out a long breath and lay straight down onto the small bed inside the cottage. *** Three days later. Having bathed, changed his clothes, and lit the incense burner, Luo Chen sat cross-legged with leisure beside the Ice-Fire Spiritual Spring. Spirit Calming Incense burned quietly, and moonlit grass bloomed in the corner, releasing a faint fragrance. He smeared Glazed Paste, which strengthened physical resilience, across his body. He drank the Yang Restoring Water in advance. Only after completing all these steps did Luo Chen solemnly produce a Foundation Establishment Pill. "Let me attempt the breakthrough with an orthodox breakthrough pill first!" Without hesitation, the pill entered his mouth. In just an instant, an immense medicinal force abruptly erupted. This was unlike pills used for ordinary cultivation. A Foundation Establishment Pill was forged specifically to shatter realm barriers. Its hallmark was violent medicinal potency, using sheer momentum to break through obstacles. Success or failure hung entirely upon the coming assault. Yet before Luo Chen could reach the step of using spiritual energy to batter the dantian barrier, an immense wave of agony surged from every corner of his body. Especially the tip of his tongue! The pain was so excruciating he nearly bit his own tongue off to end it. He could no longer maintain his cross-legged posture. He collapsed to the floor, writhing and rolling back and forth. His face flushed crimson, looking like a boiled lobster. Veins bulged, and large beads of sweat dropped steadily onto the ground. His lips and teeth were already bitten raw and dripping blood. He felt on the verge of fainting from the agony. *No, this won't do!* In his haze, Luo Chen instinctively circulated Spirit-Clearing Fiend-Breaking. The thirty-six acupoints stimulated in the past now became focal points. All the agony converged toward those thirty-six acupoints. Pain! Even more intense pain! Yet amidst this torment, Luo Chen found a familiar rhythm. *In the end, it is still within my tolerance!* With a ferocious expression, Luo Chen forced himself upright through sheer willpower. He must not waste the effect of this Foundation Establishment Pill! He circulated his Great Perfection-level Eternal Spring Art. Bearing unyielding willpower, Luo Chen forced his cultivation method to mobilize the abundant spiritual energy cloud within his dantian, using it to absorb the vast medicinal force unleashed by the Foundation Establishment Pill. After absorbing the pill's power, the massive cloud of spiritual energy swelled even larger. Its bloated volume began battering the solidified dantian of the Qi Refinement stage. Only by breaking the dantian's constraints and expanding it to a higher level could spiritual energy liquefy, marking a true step into the Foundation Establishment realm. Under Luo Chen's desperate control, the spiritual energy cloud repeatedly assaulted the dantian. With his meticulous control over spiritual energy and his formidable soul foundation, it should have succeeded in one stroke. Yet for some reason, the dantian barrier stood firm as bedrock, impossible to destroy. Again, and again! The cloud, transformed into a vortex, surged violently against the dantian wall. In the end, it proved futile. "Failed..." Bitterness touched the corners of Luo Chen's mouth. He had not expected that, rather than being overwhelmed by the pain or thrown into disarray by the violent medicinal potency, he would fall at this exact step simply because he could not break the barrier. Struggling to his feet, Luo Chen collapsed onto the bed. "Three whole days slipped by unnoticed during this attempt." He felt no hunger. Long before this, he had consumed peak-grade Fasting Powder refined by his own hand, so he would not feel hungry for a very long time. *Where did the failure lie?* Luo Chen could sense that the Yang Restoring Water within him and the Glazed Paste on his skin had not even taken effect. Aside from feeling somewhat languid in spirit, he had suffered virtually no injuries. It seemed abnormal. After all, those who failed their breakthroughs typically suffered damaged meridians at best, or regressed cultivation at worst, requiring years of recovery. Yet in truth, this was completely normal. Those injuries mostly occurred after breaking through the dantian's constraints, when the immense spiritual power surged out like a flood. Like a breached dam, the raging torrent naturally inflicted severe physical trauma wherever it swept. That was why the three hurdles of Foundation Establishment existed: the spiritual energy hurdle, the physical body hurdle, and the soul hurdle. Yet Luo Chen had failed to break the dantian's constraints entirely. If the dam was never breached, how could the flood rage? *Is it because my five-spiritual-root aptitude is too poor?* *No, having five spiritual roots only slows my cultivation speed.* *Could it be that my five-spiritual-root aptitude is actually too exceptional?* Luo Chen recalled a legend. The five-spiritual-root aptitude, deemed utter trash by the world, was considered within the Five Elements Divine Sect to be second only to a Heavenly Spiritual Root. The Five Elements Divine Sect held a doctrine different from the traditional cultivation world. In their eyes, a cultivator's body was like a water vat. The more spiritual roots one possessed, the larger the vat. Spiritual power was the water that filled the vat. Naturally, those with fewer spiritual roots could advance to higher realms faster. Long ago, Luo Chen had felt that his spiritual power was several times greater than that of his peers. Thus, he agreed deeply with this theory. So he had poured countless resources into forcefully filling this vat of his. Yet he had never expected: *Not only is my vat bigger than others', but the walls are also sturdier!* Smiling bitterly, he looked inward. The spiritual energy cloud within his dantian was even heavier and denser, having expanded by nearly a tenth compared to before! In the past, accumulating this much additional spiritual power would have taken several months. Yet this time, it had been completed in just three days. *Perhaps only now am I truly at the peak of Qi Refinement Great Perfection?* Luo Chen took a deep breath, refusing to be discouraged. He still had another Foundation Establishment Pill! He still had room for error! Since his body was uninjured, after a brief rest, he could simply try again. *I refuse to believe that adding more water to an already brimming vat won't make it spill over!* Sitting on the bed, the young man set his jaw, a ruthless glint crossing his face. *** Luo Chen's seclusion did not cause much disruption to the Luotian Association. Of course, that was only true in the short term. With the large batch of Jade Marrow Pills Luo Chen had refined in advance, their pill trade with the Great River Gang, the Nangong family, and the Li family could still be maintained. If he remained in seclusion for too long without emerging, it would eventually cause severe repercussions. Yet for now, everything was still developing in a positive direction. When Xu Ji of the Falling Cloud Sect visited earlier, two powerful auras had erupted from the Luotian Association. One of them had distinctly reached the Foundation Establishment tier. All the ninth-level Qi Refinement experts within the association had sensed it at the time. They had begun to form a suspicion. Ever since the battle of Mount Xiaohuan, War Hall Master Wang Yuan had vanished from view. From the look of it now, he had already reached Foundation Establishment! Ignorant of the secret truth, that was naturally what they assumed. And along with Luo Chen's seclusion, a rumor began circulating among the upper echelons of the Luotian Association: "He is charging toward Foundation Establishment!" After a busy day, Gu Caiyi arrived at the cave dwelling behind the mountain. Feng Xia had already prepared a sumptuous meal to receive her. The two women chatted about current affairs in the association over dinner, and the core of their conversation was naturally Luo Chen. "His progress is that fast?" Feng Xia asked in astonishment. Gu Caiyi nodded gently. "It truly is that fast; we simply overlooked it in the past." Deeply moved, she recalled Luo Chen's unusual behavior over the years. He had lingered in Crescent Moon Valley for long periods, often entrusting her or Duan Feng with purchasing pills and medicinal herbs. Looking back now, Luo Chen had been cultivating diligently all along! Feng Xia smiled faintly. "That makes sense. Luo Chen has always been the most hardworking among us, and the most talented." *Talented?* Gu Caiyi pursed her lips in a smile. Luo Chen's five-spiritual-root aptitude could hardly be called good. "I hope he succeeds!" Feng Xia said firmly. Gu Caiyi teased, "Then you don't hope that man of yours reaches Foundation Establishment?" *That man* was undoubtedly Duan Feng. Yet at the mention of that name, Feng Xia's expression turned somber. Even though his great vengeance had been exacted, Duan Feng had become even more taciturn than before. Nowadays, he spent most of his time in the Artifact Hall, leading a group of apprentices in forging artifacts. Seeing her dejected look, Gu Caiyi raised a brow. "By the way, what is going on between the two of you? Don't you plan to become Dao companions? "Even that dissolute Zeng Wen has settled down, and his child is already a year old. "You two ought to pick up the pace as well!" Yet Feng Xia smiled bitterly. "This cannot be rushed." "Hmm?" "Duan Feng wants to preserve his virginity so he can borrow that breath of primordial yang to charge toward Foundation Establishment in the future." Gu Caiyi curled her lip. "The claim that retaining one's primordial yang aids Foundation Establishment is just a rumor. How can you take it seriously?" "Yet it is true that most who achieve Foundation Establishment were people of few desires during their Qi Refinement days." Gu Caiyi froze, unable to refute her. During her early years at the Tianxiang Brothel, she had seen far too many dissolute Qi Refinement cultivators and had long stopped taking the preservation of primordial yang seriously. Yet to think Duan Feng still clung to this tradition. *Thinking about it, could Luo Chen also be...* Gu Caiyi formed a faint guess. Back when Luo Chen sold unorthodox pills like Myriad Wonders Pills, she had never considered him an innocent virgin. Especially with Zeng Wen constantly addressing Luo Chen as a fellow traveler, she had assumed Luo Chen was cut from the same cloth as Zeng Wen. However, Luo Chen's subsequent refusals of Murong Qinglian's matchmaking attempts showed that his heart was set on the Great Dao. Gu Caiyi had watched Luo Chen rise step by step from a rogue cultivator to the head of the Pill Hall earning thousands of spirit stones a month. Later, he founded the Luotian Association and became a faction leader in his own right. To say she harbored no feelings would be a lie. In the quiet of the night, she had also wondered what it would be like to be with Luo Chen. There was no answer! Whenever she showed occasional intimacy, Luo Chen never took a step forward. Back then, she had merely assumed he had no interest in her. Now it seemed Luo Chen was truly single-minded, his entire heart devoted to the Dao! Thinking of the hardships Luo Chen had endured along the way, Gu Caiyi smiled bitterly. "What kind of ending could ever be worthy of the rugged path he has walked?" "Perhaps Foundation Establishment?" Feng Xia murmured, her words carrying a deeper meaning. *** "Only Foundation Establishment!" After ten days of recuperation, Luo Chen had adjusted his condition and sat once more beside the Ice-Fire Spiritual Spring, which he had stimulated into a second-tier spiritual ground again. Even after a failure, he would not give up. He understood clearly that without Foundation Establishment, everything was an illusion! Without Foundation Establishment, he would eventually lose the foundation he had painstakingly built. Without Foundation Establishment, he could not display his alchemy skills freely, as doing so would only make him a target of greed. Without Foundation Establishment, the struggle between the two Nascent Soul supreme sects would inevitably catch him in the crossfire. "Only through Foundation Establishment can I step onto the path of longevity!" A Foundation Establishment Pill rested upon his open palm. Without hesitation, Luo Chen swallowed it. This time, before the agony could strike, he guarded his mind and used the Spirit-Clearing Fiend-Breaking method to adapt to the rhythm of pain in advance. As expected, the agony struck once more. The tip of his tongue throbbed worse than if he had eaten ghost peppers, feeling as though sharp needles were stabbing into it. *"Above lies the Yellow Court, below the Guan Yuan; behind is the Dark Gate, before is the Mingmen. Breath passes through the cranium into the dantian; the jade pool's clear water irrigates the spiritual root. He who cultivates thus shall endure long!"* *"The spiritual root is rooted in the tongue!"* *If nothing is amiss, a cultivator's spiritual root lies hidden within the body, with the tongue being its foremost external manifestation.* *Not only that, the tongue is the upper spiritual root, while the lower spiritual root resides within the seminal chamber.* *Enduring the agony of the tongue's root and preserving the true essence of primordial yang means I only need to conquer the middle spiritual root!* Luo Chen had not remained idle after his first failure. Beyond analyzing the causes of that defeat, he had studied the three volumes of Foundation Establishment insights from the Duan clan. Their discourse on spiritual roots had enlightened him greatly. A major reason for his first failure was that he had wasted too much time grappling with the agony at the root of his tongue, leaving him insufficient time to conquer the middle spiritual root. As for what the middle spiritual root was—without question, it was the dantian! *Use the explosive power of the Foundation Establishment Pill to shatter the dantian's constraints and reshape a new dantian.* *Only then can the middle spiritual root be established as the foundation of the Great Dao!* *This is the true essence of Foundation Establishment!* How could an ordinary person's dantian support the Great Dao of longevity? That was why the dantian solidified in late Qi Refinement; it was the limit of the mortal body. Only by breaking through that limit could a new realm be opened! The immense medicinal force surged into the small dantian like a deluge. Eleven clouds of spiritual energy moved under Luo Chen's direction, surging alongside the pill's power toward the dantian wall. Once! Twice! After an unknown span, fractures covered the dantian like the cracks on an eggshell, on the verge of shattering under the immense force. Yet a membrane remained caught there, stubbornly wrapping around the dantian. Even when Luo Chen lost consciousness, he had still not succeeded. When he woke again, a dark cloud hung over his face. Ignoring the spiritual energy clouds that had grown even denser than before, he identified the reason for his failure. If the first attempt was due to lack of preparation and an overly thick dantian wall, then the second was because of that membrane that appeared after the dantian cracked. And he was all too familiar with that membrane. "A pill barrier!" Moreover, it was no ordinary pill barrier, but a pill poison barrier! Ordinary pill barriers were mostly damage inflicted upon a cultivator's body from consuming massive quantities of certain pills, such as the jade transformation of the dantian caused by Jade Marrow Pills. Luo Chen had always striven to avoid such things. He rarely consumed low-grade or mid-grade Jade Marrow Pills, mostly using high-grade or even peak-grade ones later on. Naturally, no ordinary pill barrier existed. Yet the membrane coating the inside and outside of his dantian was an exceedingly rare "pill poison barrier." As the name implied, this barrier was formed by the accumulation of pill toxins—not something built in a single day! *Possessing five spiritual roots yet matching the cultivation speed of a Heavenly Spiritual Root was entirely due to the unbroken support of pills along the way.* *Who would have thought that at the very final step, it would become the critical obstacle blocking my Dao?* The pills meant to aid his cultivation had instead become the culprit impeding it. For a time, Luo Chen did not know what to make of it. He only knew that unless he broke through this barrier, he would never reach Foundation Establishment in this life. *No wonder major sects strictly limit their talented disciples from taking too many pills. They knew about this problem long ago.* Major sects certainly did not lack wealth—at least, not the resources for a few low-tier disciples. Yet the number of pills their disciples could receive each month was strictly capped, even for those of exceptional talent. Looking back now, the far-sighted elders of those sects had surely anticipated this step. *If I had a poison-neutralizing technique, I might be free of worry.* *Yet in the short term, where could I possibly find one?* Luo Chen slapped the ground fiercely, leaving a five-fingered indentation in the hard mineral floor of the thatched cottage. *** Ten days later, Luo Chen sat once more beside the Ice-Fire Spiritual Spring. His previous exasperation had vanished, replaced by calm composure. In his hand was a large jade bottle filled with golden Emperor Flowing Liquid. Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen drank it down. *So what if it is a pill poison barrier?* *In the end, it is merely an obstacle!* *If I could shatter the dantian wall forged by a five-spiritual-root aptitude, can I not break a mere pill poison barrier?* As the Emperor Flowing Liquid slid down his throat, it turned into a warm fluid that spread through his stomach in an instant. Strands of medicinal power converged toward his dantian like streams gathering together. Compared to the violent force of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the Emperor Flowing Liquid was vastly gentler. It even gave Luo Chen a warm, drowsy sensation. There was no pain; it made him want to sleep. Luo Chen's instinctive circulation of Spirit-Clearing Fiend-Breaking awakened him through the mild prickling pain of the acupoints. *A completely different method of Foundation Establishment?* With a thought, he mobilized the massive spiritual energy cloud within him to devour that medicinal power. Streams gathered into an ocean; crashing waves battered the shore! The cracked dantian wall crumbled steadily beneath repeated impacts, until finally, he faced the pill poison barrier once more. This time, Luo Chen deliberately controlled the surge of spiritual power, not striking with blunt force, but grinding it down like dripping water wearing through stone. Days slipped by! The effects of the first bottle of Emperor Flowing Liquid began to wane. *Water wears through stone—how can I stop halfway?* Without resting as he had before, Luo Chen drank a second bottle of Emperor Flowing Liquid. Under his relentless grinding, that thick pill poison barrier grew thinner and thinner. The first bottle, then the second. His spiritual power grew ever more majestic, long surpassing his peers at Great Perfection and nearly matching a cultivator at the first layer of Foundation Establishment. Yet he still could not advance an inch! The massive buildup of spiritual power within his dantian even created a sensation of impending explosion. Luo Chen forcefully endured that strange, distorted feeling. He understood the principle of momentum: strong at the first drumbeat, weakened at the second, and exhausted at the third. If he missed this chance, his dantian would heal and merge with the pill poison barrier, making future breakthrough attempts even more arduous. Until the third bottle entered his stomach! A wondrous, profound sensation suddenly surfaced in Luo Chen's mind. *Success or failure hinges on this single attempt!* With an inkling of enlightenment, he mobilized the vast cloud mass within him, like a sky laden with storm clouds, to charge against the pill poison barrier. This time, he succeeded! *Crack!* The moment the pill poison barrier shattered, a crisp sound of fracture echoed through his dantian—audible to Luo Chen alone. Simultaneously, the clouds of spiritual energy seemed stimulated and gathered abruptly. *Drip!* A drop of spiritual liquid, refined to the absolute extreme, fell from the cloud. Then, a gentle rain of spiritual energy began to fall. Seizing this moment, Luo Chen mobilized vast amounts of this spiritual rain, using the method of the Eternal Spring Art to reconstruct his dantian! Using the original dantian walls as the foundation and the newborn spiritual liquid as the material, the rolling stream of Emperor Flowing Liquid, carrying a tinge of gold, merged into the structure. After an unknown period, he looked inward at the vast dantian—perhaps it should now be called a "Qi Sea." The dantian transformed into a sea, embracing a hundred rivers to forge the foundation of the Great Dao! The corners of Luo Chen's mouth curved upward. "It is done!" Murmuring softly, he collapsed in exhaustion. And from his unconscious body, a sharp, blazing fluctuation of spiritual power slowly rippled outward. It was only halted when it reached the entrance of the green thatched cottage. No one cheered for his success. It was as if no one knew how many trials and tribulations he had endured along the way just to establish his foundation. *** "Has Luo Chen still not emerged from seclusion?" "My apologies, Senior Nangong. Our president remains in seclusion." Inside Huanyu Hall, Sima Huiniang sat cautiously opposite Nangong Jin. She did not dare sit in the high seat, for the man before her was a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. Nangong Jin frowned deeply and slowly shook his head. "This will not do!" Faced with his demeanor, Sima Huiniang could only smile wryly. Who could have foreseen that Luo Chen's seclusion would last an entire year? This was a first since the founding of the Luotian Association. For a full year, the president had not shown his face. In the beginning, the consequences had been manageable, but over time, unease had spread among the members. If that were all, Sima Huiniang still had methods to soothe and manage them. However, the pills Luo Chen refined were what maintained the fragile balance among the major factions. A year was enough to change far too much. First, the supply of high-grade Jade Marrow Pills to the Nangong family had dried up. Next, their cooperation with the Great River Gang had ground to a halt. Finally, the high stipends paid to the cultivators within the association made the entire faction difficult to sustain. Even with the Medicine Hall and Artifact Hall striving to generate profits, they were now buckling under the strain. Nangong Jin had come in person today precisely because of the pills. Others might not care about the pills, but he could never let the matter go. Without a steady supply of high-grade Jade Marrow Pills, how could he rapidly restore the strength of his family's cultivators? Qi-Nourishing Pills? What a joke! The Medicine King Sect was notoriously ruthless, selling a single bottle for a hundred spirit stones. With news from the inner domain that war had broken out between the Falling Cloud Sect and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect over domain supremacy, the Medicine King Sect had seized the opportunity to gouge prices even further. Qi-Nourishing Pills now sold for one hundred and twenty spirit stones a bottle. Where else could one find high-grade pills at eighty spirit stones, of such exceptional quality, like those from the Luotian Association? Thus, even while the Great River Gang bided its time, he had arrived in person. Watching Sima Huiniang temporize with excuses, Nangong Jin suddenly let slip a remark: "In seclusion for so long... could he be charging toward Foundation Establishment?" Sima Huiniang's expression changed instantly. The rumor of Luo Chen's breakthrough was confined strictly to the upper ranks of the Luotian Association. How could Nangong Jin know? Noticing the shift in her expression, Nangong Jin quickly confirmed his suspicion. "Three years ago, Luo Chen approached us to discuss matters regarding Foundation Establishment Pills. "From the look of it, he truly is doing just that!" Murmuring to himself, he stood and walked toward the exit. Sima Huiniang's face drained of color as she hurried after him. "Senior, what do you intend to do?" Nangong Jin looked up toward the mountain peak. With a smile, he said, "I won't do anything, of course. I merely wish to remind you that breaking through to Foundation Establishment is fraught with danger. If your president died quietly during the breakthrough, after all this time, his bones might already be cold. "So I don't mind going up to check on your behalf. Rest assured, I won't disturb him..." His words were brutally cut short. "I advise you to stay right here and be a well-behaved guest." A cold voice carried from afar. The next moment, a figure dragging a long crimson chain marched up the mountain step by step. With each stride, his aura surged higher and higher, swiftly escalating into the spiritual power fluctuations of Foundation Establishment. Nangong Jin's expression shifted. Wang Yuan! How could he have reached Foundation Establishment? Yet he soon noticed something amiss. "A pseudo-Foundation Establishment?" Wang Yuan halted within a hundred zhang of him. "A pseudo-Foundation Establishment is enough." Nangong Jin drew a deep breath. A hundred zhang was Wang Yuan's battlefield. Though his spiritual cultivation was only at the peak of Qi Refinement Great Perfection, he was a genuine cultivator of the second realm of body refinement. Those fluctuating Foundation Establishment auras indicated he possessed another explosive technique. If a conflict broke out, even with a defensive magic treasure, Nangong Jin would hardly gain the upper hand in the short term. If the matter blew up and the Luotian Association swarmed him... He had no desire to follow in Duan Qiankun's footsteps. With a hearty laugh, he smoothed things over. "Fellow Daoist Wang, you misunderstand. I was merely..." Just as he tried to defuse the tension, an immensely powerful aura erupted violently from the summit of Mount Xiaohuan. A long whistle pierced straight into the clouds! A figure stood amidst the white clouds, wide sleeves billowing in the fresh breeze. A clear voice rang out across the peaks: "In youth downcast along the river, bleak dust wearied my brow; How absurd to promise oneself longevity, exhausting mind and soul for what end? In one dawn of enlightenment the Dao foundation is cast, a thousand peaks and valleys ease my heart; Through the black sun celestial light breaks forth, soaring straight into azure clouds to look down upon the Eastern Wilderness!" The tone was impassioned, brimming with boundless triumph. The figure looked down, his gaze piercing like lightning toward the pavilions below. "Fellow Daoist Nangong, why not come up for a chat!"