"It's done," Elian said, his face lighting up with joy as he gazed at the three Breaking Origin Pills before him.
After exiting his seclusion, he rented a high-grade second-tier cultivation chamber, spending two days adjusting his state of mind in preparation for breaking through to the mid-stage Foundation Establishnt realm.
By conventional wisdom, he shouldn't have attempted this so soon. He had only reached Foundation Establishnt Stage Three less than a year ago. Even with the aid of spiritual peaches, it would normally take five years of accumulating spiritual energy to reach the peak of the early stage.
However, to accelerate his progress, Elian had specially purchased a Jade Essence Pill from the Tianxu Pavilion.
The Jade Essence Pill, a high-grade second-tier elixir, was refined by Su Mingwei using thousand-year jade essence and Snow Jade Ginseng—rare treasures in their own right. This pill could instantly grant a Foundation Establishnt cultivator the equivalent of 20 years of cultivation.
The Tianxu Pavilion had only a few of these precious pills in stock, each priced at a staggering 2,000 spirit stones. Most Foundation Establishnt cultivators wouldn't dream of spending such a sum.
The pill did have a limitation: it could only be consud once every 60 years. For this reason, Chen Changxuan, who had taken one decades earlier, could no longer benefit from it even though he now had the ans to purchase one.
After consuming the Jade Essence Pill, Elian spent seven days refining its effects, pushing his spiritual energy to the peak of the early Foundation Establishnt stage. His ridians were now brimming with energy. Without intervention, it would typically take another 20 to 30 years of tedious cultivation to naturally break through to the mid-stage.
This phase of slow progress often led cultivators to lose motivation. Faced with years of stagnant advancent and an unclear path forward, many would beco disheartened and complacent. This was why the majority of Foundation Establishnt cultivators never advanced beyond the early or middle stages.
The Breaking Origin Pill offered a solution to this dilemma. Unlike pills such as the Foundation Establishnt Pill, which softened spiritual energy and protected the ridians, the Breaking Origin Pill violently expanded a cultivator's spiritual energy, forcibly breaking through bottlenecks.
This thod bypassed years of refinent. Once a cultivator reached the next stage, they could return to polishing their spiritual energy, ensuring a solid foundation without the drawbacks of artificial advancent.
Elian felt confident. A single Breaking Origin Pill could increase the chances of breaking through by 30%. With three pills in hand, his success was almost guaranteed.
As it turned out, Elian needed only one pill. His naturally broad ridians and sharp, vigorous spiritual energy reacted imdiately to the pill's effects. The breakthrough was swift and effortless.
"It's done," he said again, sensing the surge of spiritual energy within him. His reserves had increased by more than 40%.
With this breakthrough, Elian's strength would grow exponentially. Once he polished his spiritual energy, it would rival that of many late-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivators. He would be able to fully unleash the potential of his Purple Radiance Mirror and Purple Sun Furnace.
Moreover, his divine techniques—such as the Heavenly Fla Sword Art and tal Essence Divine Thunder—would beco nearly as powerful in his hands as they were when wielded by the family patriarch.
The greatest gain, however, was the ability to refine the Fiery Void Sword to a high-grade second-tier artifact. Once fully refined, it would radiate a ten-foot sword aura, vastly enhancing its destructive power.
Elian couldn't help but smile at the thought. With the Fiery Void Sword in hand, his combat strength would surpass most late-stage Foundation Establishnt cultivators. He would stand shoulder to shoulder with the family patriarch, capable of taking on multiple opponents at once.
After spending another half-month refining his spiritual energy, Elian finally erged from seclusion, his heart brimming with anticipation.
However, as he stepped out of the chamber, he noticed several family cultivators waiting for him, their faces solemn.
"What happened?" he asked, a sinking feeling in his chest.
Chen Nianyong, the group's leader, stepped forward with a pained expression.
"Uncle Qinghe… he's passed away."
"What?" Elian froze, his mind blank.
The night was dim and draped in a light rain.
Elian stood before Chen Qinghe's ditation chamber, staring silently at the shrouded figure of his uncle. His eyes closed as he tried to suppress the emotions welling up within him.
"Uncle Qinghe left you a letter," Chen Nianyong said softly, handing over an envelope and a small jade box.
Elian opened the box to find the Foundation Establishnt Pill, still radiating a faint azure glow, perfectly intact.
He unfolded the letter and read its contents, his face expressionless.
"To Elian,
Little Elian, you've finally grown up. Almost thirty years have passed, and you've beco the pillar of our family.
You are so much stronger than I ever was. I, Qinghe, achieved nothing in my youth. I lacked the courage to attempt Foundation Establishnt in my pri and could only help the family manage its affairs in my old age.
In my final days, I tried to break through to Foundation Establishnt as a last act of defiance against my fate.
I knew it was impossible. Even with the Foundation Establishnt Pill, I couldn't succeed. Rather than waste it to prolong my life, I decided to leave it for soone more deserving.
You're still young, Elian, and too sentintal. But I had to make the wise choice where you could not.
Take this pill back to the family and use it to nurture another Foundation Establishnt cultivator. Let this be my final contribution to our clan.
Don't grieve for . For , dying in an attempt to achieve Foundation Establishnt is far better than waiting for death to co as I wallow in regret.
Learn from my mistakes. When faced with difficult choices, act boldly. Whether you succeed or fail, you will have no regrets.
Hesitation leads only to missed opportunities, regret, and a life of sorrow.
— Qinghe"
Elian closed the letter, his face expressionless as tears silently stread down his cheeks.
The rain continued to fall that night. Sitting alone on a cliff, Elian played a lancholic lody on his zither, his white robes soaked through. The somber notes of longing for autumn echoed in the misty rain.
He didn't know how long he had been playing when a paper umbrella appeared beside him. Jiang Linglong stood there, dressed in a snow-white gown, silently shielding him from the rain.
The two remained silent, unmoving, until dawn broke and the rain began to fade. Elian finally stilled the strings and murmured, "Thank you."
"Mm," she replied softly.
Without another word, Jiang Linglong turned and walked away, her figure disappearing into the faint morning mist, the paper umbrella still in hand.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gim Power Stones :D
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