Chapter 175: Chapter 163: Foundation Establishment

"After the ceremony is complete, you can choose a Daoist title for yourself, or you can request help from the senior brother assigned to guide you. We Foundation Establishment Cultivators are no longer ordinary mortals. This title will be your official name for navigating the vast Cultivation Realm, so it must be chosen with care."

He then concisely outlined some of the post-Foundation Establishment arrangements: "Once the ritual is complete and your Identity Token has been updated, the Sect will select a new cave mansion for you in accordance with the rules. It will certainly be situated on a Tier Two Spirit Vein, though I can’t say for sure what grade it will be."

"Furthermore, the annual Spirit Stone stipend for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the privileges to exchange for High Tier resources at the Merit Hall, access to the third floor and above in the Library Pavilion, and even the ranking and corresponding rewards for Sect missions—all of it is a world apart from your time as an Outer Sect Steward. The specific, intricate details will be explained to you clearly by the guiding senior brother when he comes to find you."

"Those are the general arrangements after Foundation Establishment," Tian Bufan concluded. "You should return to your original cave mansion and rest for now. In as little as a day or two, or three to five at most, the senior brother in charge of guiding you will certainly come to your cave. Everything will be sorted out then."

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Tian." Lu Zhao rose once more and bowed deeply to Tian Bufan.

Leaving the Spirit Vein Bureau and walking along the Sect’s mountain path, Lu Zhao felt a distinct change from his days in the Qi Cultivation Stage.

The Outer Disciples and Outer Sect Stewards he encountered along the way, regardless of whether they were acquaintances, all grew solemn the moment they sensed the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator about him. They would bow low from a distance, their postures humble as they saluted and called out in unison with the utmost respect:

"Disciple pays his respects to Martial Uncle!"

Even though he still wore the black robes of an Outer Sect Steward, no one dared to show the slightest disrespect. While Foundation Establishment was only one stage above Qi Cultivation, the two were worlds apart. Within the strictly hierarchical Bixia Sect, Foundation Establishment Cultivators were the true pillars of strength. They had entered a different echelon, enjoying indisputable honor and tangible, extraordinary privileges.

Back in the familiar yet humble 210 Cave Mansion of the Xin Character, the stone door slid shut, sealing him off from the outside world.

Lu Zhao sat cross-legged on the cold stone pallet. The ’thin’ Spiritual Qi, so much weaker than that of a Tier Two High-Grade Spiritual Vein, made him slightly uncomfortable. He closed his eyes, and as his mind settled, the dangers and hardships of the Foundation Establishment process surged into his thoughts like a tidal wave.

He had taken the first Foundation Establishment Pill, which he had acquired at an immense cost... Its vast Medicinal Power had dissolved within him. For a full half-month, the nine streams of gaseous Magical Power inside his Dantian—the fruit of decades of painstaking cultivation—had churned and roared under the terrifying catalytic effect of the Pill. They had violently slammed against the first barrier of Foundation Establishment, time and time again.

But... the barrier to the Foundation Establishment Stage hadn’t budged an inch. There was no glimmer of hope that his Magical Power would liquefy. On the contrary, the bloating, tearing pain of his power rampaging through his meridians, combined with a sluggish resistance, caused his Heart Spirit to waver.

Utterly desperate, he had fiercely shoved the Nascent Condensation Pill into his mouth. ’Maybe I’m just a hair’s breadth away. Maybe this is the last obstacle before everything falls into place...’ The very instant the gentle yet potent energy from the Nascent Condensation Pill surged into his meridians...

CLICK!

It was as if some invisible gear had been shifted in the grand scheme of things. The stubborn barrier... finally split open, forming a nearly imperceptible crack.

His Magical Power began to transform at an agonizingly slow pace. It struggled, drop by drop, sliver by sliver, through an extremely difficult metamorphosis. This process took another entire half-month.

Over that half-month, the intense consumption of his Heart Spirit and Magical Power had been so severe that even his thoughts became sluggish. Sensing his deteriorating condition, Lu Zhao had swallowed the Concentration Dew without hesitation, which barely managed to stabilize his mind.

He was only able to breathe a tentative sigh of relief when the nine streams of Magical Power finally completed their initial liquefaction, each condensing in the center of his Dantian Qi Sea into a tiny, azure drop of Liquid Magical Power, like a fresh bead of morning dew.

But soon after, his relief was replaced by an even greater terror. The nascent Liquid Magical Power was extremely unstable, as if forcibly condensed from the finest mist. It felt as ephemeral as a candle sputtering in the wind, on the verge of disintegrating at any moment.

He mobilized the entirety of his Power of Divine Sense, frantically circulating the Foundation Establishment Chapter of the *Little Spirit Rain Technique* in an attempt to stabilize and soothe the drops. Yet, it had little effect. No matter how he pushed his Divine Sense or how carefully he guided the energy, the nine minuscule drops of Liquid Magical Power continued to tremble violently.

An overwhelming sense of crisis instantly enveloped him. If he failed his Foundation Establishment, even with the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill, he wouldn’t die on the spot, but the consequences would still be severe. At best, his Primordial Qi would be devastated, and his future on the path of Cultivation would become bleak. At worst, his meridians would be utterly destroyed, and he would be reduced to a cripple for life.

At that thought, a violent, ruthless glint—the light of someone burning their bridges—flashed behind Lu Zhao’s tightly shut eyes. He cast aside all hesitation and hope for an easy way out, swallowing the second Foundation Establishment Pill and the bottle of Life Essence Liquid, with its boundless Life Essence Qi, in one go.

An even more violent Medicinal Power and a boundless surge of Life Essence Qi instantly detonated within his body. Gritting his teeth against the searing pain of his meridians tearing, he used his tenacious will to guide this deluge, repeatedly flushing, compressing, and refining the nine drops of liquid True Essence.

Time slipped by in a haze of extreme pain and focus. One month later, just as the Medicinal Power was about to run out, the nine drops of Magical Power finally stabilized completely. They began to emit a dense, mercury-like azure glow, circulating slowly within his Dantian in a self-sustaining cycle.

At that exact moment, the transformation of his Flesh Body and Spiritual Soul arrived as expected. A complete rebirth, a cleansing of marrow and a reforging of his form. His bones and tendons sang in unison; his blood surged through his veins. His Sea of Consciousness expanded, and his Divine Sense grew more condensed and pure. The feeling, as if the very essence of his being had ascended to a higher plane, was indescribably wonderful.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.