Jia-Shen Cave Dwelling.
Rumble!
The heavy ‘Dragon-Severing Stone’ descended. Fang Qing cast a spell art, and the identity token shone with a soft radiance, taking control of the entire cave dwelling’s restrictions and sealing it layer by layer.
Multicolored light flickered across the stone door before vanishing with a thunderous sound.
“Good! With this cave dwelling’s defenses, even if a Core Formation Ancestor ca to attack, it could hold out for a period of ti… Safety is well guaranteed.”
Fang Qing surveyed the interior. The cave dwelling was not large, containing only a table, a chair, and a ditation cushion.
Yet within the cave dwelling, spiritual energy billowed like mist. Just a single breath made his True Power stir slightly. It was undoubtedly a third-tier spiritual vein.
“Begin!”
He sat cross-legged upon the apricot-yellow cushion, silently adjusting his essence, qi, and spirit.
At the sa ti, a jade bottle was placed before him. Inside was a single Ice-Heart Vein-Protecting Pill.
‘In theory, the sect would at most support a disciple in attempting Foundation Establishnt twice… For this first ti, I’ll use the Ice-Heart Vein-Protecting Pill.’
Saving one Foundation Establishnt Pill was naturally for the Qi Ingestion Path.
Fang Qing’s mind sank into stillness as he entered ditation.
In an instant, scenes of his experiences on Jade Island surfaced one after another…
He did not know how much ti passed before he suddenly felt that his essence, qi, and spirit had reached their peak.
“Now!”
Fang Qing activated the secret Foundation Establishnt thod from Comntary on the Water Classic. The circulation of True Power throughout his body suddenly accelerated.
“Water flows a thousand tis; its intent turns of itself…”
The spiritual energy of the third-tier spiritual vein was rapidly drawn into his body, surging past that boundary!
Boom!
He gave a muffled groan, feeling an imnse force descend upon him. His muscles, bones, and skin all trembled.
The first of the Three Gates of Foundation Establishnt—the Essence Gate!
At that mont, a bronze radiance blood around Fang Qing’s body. The Horse-Headed Vajra Guardian Divine Art, having reached the completion of its first stage, began circulating on its own. Under the augntation of Great Vajra Divine Strength, his second-tier physique resembled a massive cauldron, suppressing the qi and blood throughout his body.
‘If a second-tier body refinent couldn’t pass the Essence and Blood Gate, then ninety-nine out of a hundred Qi Refining peak cultivators would die!’
Sure enough, this gate passed with ease.
Imdiately afterward, heaven and earth spiritual energy transford into a vortex, pouring madly into his Dantian, traveling through his ridians, compressing his True Power.
Crack!
Fang Qing clenched his teeth as intense pain coursed through his ridians, clogged by incomparably dense True Power.
Black-Water True Power surged like a vast river, continuously compressed and recompressed… It was an imnse test of the strength of his ridians. With the slightest misstep, his ridians would rupture and he would die!
“Now!”
His trembling hand extended as he swallowed the Ice-Heart Vein-Protecting Pill.
As soon as the pill entered his abdon, it released a steady, trickling chill that coursed through his ridians, as if forming a thin layer of frost, instantly reinforcing them.
“Good!”
With his ridians secured, Fang Qing poured his Divine Sense entirely into his Dantian, controlling the gaseous Black-Water True Power and compressing it madly into liquid form.
This gate was the Qi Gate, also known as ‘True Power Liquefaction.’ Only by completely liquefying his True Power could it be considered a success.
With Divine Sense, he held a considerable advantage at this gate. Fang Qing manipulated the gaseous Black-Water True Power—ten threads beca one strand, ten strands beca one stream, ten streams condensed into a single drop of pitch-black liquid True Power.
“Mm? The grade of Comntary on the Water Classic is ultimately sowhat low, and my True Power was accumulated through pill consumption, so it’s inevitably sowhat unstable…”
Feeling that all the gaseous True Power within his Dantian had been exhausted, yet still insufficient to et the minimum requirent for condensing a single drop of liquid True Power, Fang Qing sighed inwardly. “If I had a Foundation Establishnt Pill, its vast dicinal force would have sufficed to liquefy the True Power even if my foundation were sowhat unstable. But it doesn’t matter. Fortunately, I was prepared—Dao-Birth Pearl!”
With a thought, the Dao-Birth Pearl spun.
The Primordial Qi transford from the ninth layer of Qi Ingestion suddenly descended, converting into vast Black-Water True Power.
Crash!
Within the Dantian Sea of Qi, a pitch-black drop of liquid True Power instantly condensed!
Not only that, the Primordial Qi flowed endlessly. Mixed with the spiritual energy vortex, it refined two more drops of liquid True Power in one breath.
At this point, three drops of liquid True Power resided within Fang Qing’s Dantian.
Each drop of this True Power was almost equivalent to the total True Power of a peak Ninth-Layer Qi Refining cultivator!
“The final step—the Spirit Gate!”
Fang Qing took a deep breath and silently circulated his cultivation thod, guiding the liquid True Power through his ridians and throughout his body.
At his brow, his Divine Sense was incomparably jubilant. It left his body directly, then rged with the True Power. The Spirit Gate passed effortlessly.
After all, Fang Qing had long since cultivated Divine Sense. The Divine Sense Gate was not difficult; it could even be said to be accomplished in one stroke!
“Foundation Establishnt successful!”
As the liquid True Power completed a full circulation, Fang Qing abruptly opened his eyes. A brilliant light flashed within them, and a spiritual pressure far surpassing that of Qi Refining cultivators overflowed.
His Divine Sense extended wildly outward, rapidly expanding. It was no longer confined to the few zhang of the Qi Refining stage—ten zhang, twenty zhang—until it finally halted at approximately thirty-three zhang.
“Finally… the Foundation Establishnt stage. Lifespan of two hundred years, and physical flight.”
Fang Qing smiled faintly. Remaining in a seated posture, his body floated into the air. With a casual spell art, he cleansed his body—refined through tendon transformation and marrow cleansing—then changed into a clean daoist robe. A sudden impulse arose in his heart:
“Should I… try forging a Dao Foundation?”
……
Profound Heart Hall.
“Look… another spiritual energy vortex has ford.”
The disciple surnad Liu stood with his junior brother, gazing at the towering mountain.
“Judging by the cave dwelling, it’s Jia-Zi. That belongs to Senior Sister Qin of Array Island… She’s a Formation Master and previously failed once at Foundation Establishnt. This ti she slew a second-tier Demonic Beast with formations—truly defying fate…”
The junior brother sighed in admiration, then suddenly his expression shifted. “Eh? Another one?”
In his sight, yet another spiritual energy vortex ford, pouring into Jia-Shen Cave Dwelling. “So fast? Fortunately, this is a third-tier spiritual vein, with abundant spiritual energy and formation regulation. Even ten cultivators breaking through simultaneously could be sustained!”
“Jia-Shen Cave Dwelling? That would be Senior Brother Fang of Pill Island? To attempt so quickly and even form celestial phenona—this person’s foundation must be profound,” the disciple surnad Liu praised. “We’ll know the outco within a few days.”
One day later.
The spiritual energy vortex above Jia-Zi Cave Dwelling trembled violently before collapsing with a boom, dissolving into specks of light and vanishing.
“This… Foundation Establishnt failed? Failed even after taking Foundation Establishnt Pills twice? Senior Sister Qin is actually inferior to Five Dragons Child! At least on his second attempt, he didn’t even use a Foundation Establishnt Pill!”
The junior brother could not help but comnt.
“Sigh. The difficulty of Foundation Establishnt is harder than ascending the heavens,” the disciple surnad Liu said with lingering fear.
Several hours later, the spiritual energy vortex over Jia-Shen Cave Dwelling grew increasingly vast before suddenly retracting entirely into the cave dwelling.
Soon after, a spiritual pressure far surpassing the Qi Refining stage overflowed.
“Whew… this one succeeded. When he cos out, rember to address him as Martial Uncle and seek so auspicious words.”
……
“Pfft!”
Fang Qing spat out a mouthful of essence blood and wiped the corner of his lips. “As expected, it didn’t work… Fortunately, I stopped quickly and didn’t waste that Foundation Establishnt Pill.”
Earlier, on a whim, he had attempted to forge a Dao Foundation.
The result was that after converting Primordial Qi to bring his Qi Ingestion to completion, there was no further path forward.
Even forcibly terminating it caused backlash, injuring his newly established Foundation Establishnt body slightly.
If he had not possessed Foundation Establishnt cultivation, it would not have been rely a minor injury.
“Dao Foundation, Dao Foundation… It truly is a long and arduous road.”
Fang Qing sighed, reclaid his essence blood, swallowed a healing pill, and regulated his breathing. At last, he exited seclusion.
“Congratulations, Martial Uncle, on successful Foundation Establishnt. May you achieve great Core Formation and attain immortality upon the immortal path!”
The two disciples imdiately stepped forward, postures humble and respectful as they bowed deeply.
‘The difference of a major realm among cultivators truly is like heaven and earth.’
Fang Qing sighed inwardly and casually tossed out two Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. “Well said. A reward!”
‘Mid-Grade Spirit Stones? As expected of a second-tier Pill Master—truly generous.’
The disciple surnad Liu and his junior brother exchanged glances, their tone becoming even more cordial. “After Foundation Establishnt, Martial Uncle may go to Vast Sea Hall to receive the sect’s Foundation Establishnt stipend…”
They even offered a few small tips. “Sect Master Linghu is not present at the mont; seeking the Acting Sect Master is the sa.”
“Mm.”
Just as Fang Qing was about to fly away, he saw Jia-Zi Cave Dwelling open. A female cultivator flew out, her robes stained with blood, clearly heavily injured.
“It’s actually her?”
He stepped forward, intending to catch Qin Ruxue, but she had already bowed deeply. “Disciple Qin Ruxue congratulates Martial Uncle on successful Foundation Establishnt.”
“Mm. You are severely injured. Return to your cave dwelling and recuperate properly.”
Fang Qing’s gaze flickered. He secretly transmitted a Divine Sense ssage, causing Qin Ruxue’s expression to shift slightly before she bowed again and departed…
……
Vast Sea Hall.
Fang Qing descended in a streak of escape light before the main hall and extended his Divine Sense.
Within the hall, seated upon the main seat, was none other than Linghu Chong!
Linghu Chong’s Divine Sense was stirred and swept over in return. He imdiately burst into hearty laughter. “So it’s Junior Brother Fang! I said long ago that Junior Brother Fang was no ordinary man—Foundation Establishnt was certain. Co in, co in!”
A smile curved Fang Qing’s lips as he stepped into Vast Sea Hall. “I have yet to congratulate Senior Brother Linghu on becoming Acting Sect Master.”
“Sigh. Ever since my elder achieved Core Formation, I’ve been burdened by reputation and must shoulder more responsibility.”
Linghu Chong’s face was full of delight.
‘Oh? It seems the Tide-Birth Pearl is an absolute secret? Even Linghu Chong, a direct-line Foundation Establishnt cultivator, does not know the inside story…’
Fang Qing’s thoughts stirred with speculation.
Since the outside world believed Linghu Jin had truly ford his core, elevating his direct descendant to Sect Master was only reasonable—even if Linghu Chong was rely at the early stage of Foundation Establishnt!
“Junior Brother, newly advanced Foundation Establishnt cultivators of our sect receive ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and a second-tier cave dwelling as per custom… In addition, you may choose any Foundation Establishnt cultivation thod of the sect.”
Being familiar with him, Linghu Chong swiftly registered Fang Qing and completed the procedures. “Do you have any requirents for the second-tier cave dwelling?”
“Whether the spiritual energy is abundant is not important, but it would be best if there is a second-tier water vein, convenient for constructing my own spiritual pool…”
Fang Qing was not polite and directly stated his request.
“Previously, that would have been sowhat difficult… But now, due to the great war, quite a few Foundation Establishnt cultivators have fallen. A ‘Profound Azure Cave’ has beco vacant. Its forr owner was an alchemist who built a second-tier spiritual pool… None of his descendants or disciples have reached Foundation Establishnt, so the cave dwelling has naturally reverted to the sect. It suits you perfectly.”
Linghu Chong declared with a sweeping stroke of his brush.
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