Still, even if he possessed a bloodline, it would only give him a slight push. If he ever grew complacent and relied too much on it, she could easily throw him into isolation for thousands of years after his ascension, forcing him to temper himself properly. Though she doubted he would require it.
With a wave of her hand, a shimring, multicolored pill appeared in the air and floated gently before Yu Xuan, who quickly caught it.
"Take this when you break through to the Foundation Establishnt Realm and open your middle dantian... No, let’s change the place first."
Before Yu Xuan could react, the scene shifted.
He now stood inside a simple, sealed chamber.
Yet despite its plain appearance, the spiritual energy here was overwhelmingly dense, it clung to the air like mist and even condensed into tiny droplets of liquid essence that shimred faintly along the stone walls and floor.
"You will attempt your breakthrough here," the Elental Heaven Peak Master said, her multicolored eyes watching him intently. "I am curious to see how your body responds."
Yu Xuan swallowed, feeling the pressure of her gaze. "M-Master, can we... perhaps do this later?" he asked cautiously.
Her eyes narrowed, sharp and unreadable, instantly silencing any further protest.
Without another word, Yu Xuan sat cross-legged in the center of the chamber.
He steadied his breathing, and reviewed his cultivation thod.
Slowly, he began circulating his qi, completing several rounds of the Minor Heavenly Cycle to calm his body and stabilize his foundation.
As he cultivated, his mind recalled the knowledge he had gained when reaching the perfected stage of Qi Condensation — the guidance on how to break into Foundation Establishnt.
He reviewed each step carefully, replaying the intricate pathways of ridians, the thod of stabilizing his dantian, and the critical mont of forming the spiritual foundation.
At last, his heart grew calm.
He was ready to break through.
***
Yu Xuan sat cross-legged, adjusting his posture into the Tortoise Lotus Form.
His back was straight, his breath slow, his mind steady. Before him, the pill his master had given dissolved on his tongue, and warmth spread like molten jade through his veins.
Imdiately, an imnse tide of spiritual energy surged, eager to burst outward.
He exhaled gently, carrying a faint shimr of qi into the mist-filled chamber.
His foundation was firm, his lower dantian vast like a still ocean. Now he would attempt the true threshold — stepping from Qi Condensation into Foundation Establishnt, from rely borrowing qi to truly commanding it.
Inhale. Hold. Exhale.
The Ren Mai and Du Mai — the twin vessels of yin and yang, pulsed faintly, already familiar companions from his previous breakthrough.
They glowed like twin rivers rising and falling with his breath, stabilizing the flow through his body.
Around them, four primary ridians — Lung, Large Intestine, Kidney, Bladder, alongside the Ren and Du, burned faintly in his mind’s eye like six lanterns.
But beyond those lanterns, more waited in the mist.
"Begin with the Heart," his master’s calm voice echoed in his consciousness.
He obeyed.
The Heart ridian opened first, at the Shentang Gate (Spirit Hall) in the center of his chest.
Heat blood within, flickering at first, then steady like a fla. His restless thoughts stilled; his spirit no longer drifted but anchored, consciousness stabilized by the gate’s protection.
Qi then shifted into the Small Intestine ridian, through the Lingdao Gate (Spirit Path) at his wrist crease.
A faint buzzing spread down his arms as vitality refined itself, pure and impure separating cleanly. His mind sharpened, his qi now ran more clearer than ever.
The Spleen ridian awakened next, through the Taiyuan Gate (Great Source) at his inner foot arch. A golden warmth suffused him, postnatal qi blooming like fertile soil after rain. His body felt grounded, nourished from within.
The Stomach ridian answered, the Tianshu Gate (Celestial Pivot) on either side of his navel glowing amber.
Qi pooled steadily into his lower dantian, filling it like a vast reservoir. The energy of the pill his master gave harmonized with the mist in the chamber, flowing into him endlessly.
Then ca the Liver ridian, through the Qin Gate (Cycle Gate) beneath his ribs. A surge of qi coursed like a freed river, no longer jerking but smooth, flowing. His emotions steadied, balance restored.
At his outer knee, the Yangling Gate (Yang Hill Spring) of the Gallbladder ridian burst open.
A sharp intent struck him, bold and decisive. Qi surged like a blade drawn, daring and unstoppable. His breath grew ragged, sweat dripping, but his determination hardened.
The Pericardium ridian stirred at the Shentian Gate (Heavenly Heart) behind his sternum. A soft veil wrapped his heart fla, shielding him from collapse, protecting him from the risk of inner deviation.
Finally, the Triple Burner ridian awakened, its Sanhuang Gate (Three Emperor Gate) spanning his torso line. Three faint nodes — upper, middle, lower, lit in sequence, before aligning into one flow. His qi now coursed seamlessly through his body, harmonizing every part of him.
The twelve primary ridians blazed like a constellation. His inner world pulsed with radiant light.
But this was not yet Foundation Establishnt.
His lower dantian roared, surging wildly.
He clenched his jaw, directing the torrent into the Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel), opening the Dantian Gate (Sea of Blood/Qi) below his navel.
Qi rushed like a waterfall, linking all ridians directly to his dantian. His flesh, bones, and organs flooded with vitality.
The pressure was imnse, his ridians trembling under strain — but they held firm.
Quickly, he guided the flow into the Dai Mai (Girdling Vessel) at the Yinchuan Gate (Silver Belt) along his waistline. A ring of qi circled horizontally, locking the tide in place. Instantly, the chaos balanced, the surge restrained. His body stabilized.
Just as his qi cycle steadied, another resonance stirred — higher, subtler.
At the crown of his head, the Baihui Gate (Hundred etings) burst open. A thread of qi shot upward, linking him faintly with Heaven itself. Consciousness expanded, his awareness rising beyond flesh, just slightly.
Then, at the base of his skull — Fengchi Gate (Wind Pool) flared. The final blockage dissolved. Qi rushed freely into his brain, clearing stagnation, completing the circuit of thought and spirit.
And then, sothing stirred unexpectedly.
[A/N: Bear with this, breakthroughs are important.]
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