Chapter 276: Foundation Establishment (I)

At the Lancang River, a streak of light tore across the sky, cutting through clouds like a blade of flame. With a sharp whistle of displaced air, it dropped rapidly toward the ground only to slow, shift, and transform midair into a slender, elegant boat. It touched down on the wide, rushing surface of the river without a ripple.

Luo Chen stood at the bow of the boat, eyes narrowed, a faint crease of confusion forming on his brow.

"It should be here, no mistake..."

The token left behind by Tian Xingzi had not been some ordinary trinket. It was a mid-grade puppet. More than a simple construct, it could act in place of a cultivator to observe, to watch, to guide.

Back when he attacked the Duan Family’s Xiao Huan Mountain, Luo Chen had suspended it high in the night sky to observe the entire battlefield. Since then, it had stayed on him without ever stirring.

He hadn’t expected it to suddenly activate today. Guided by it, Luo Chen had followed the signal of the star-shaped puppet, he had made his way to the downstream outskirts of Dahe Market along the Lancang River.

And yet... there was no sign of Tian Xingzi.

"Where is he?" Luo Chen muttered, scanning the tranquil waterline.

Just as confusion set in, the turbulent waters suddenly surged violently.

Torrents of water twisted violently as if stirred by an invisible force. Luo Chen’s expression shifted as he stepped onto his flying boat and retreated against the current.

Moments later as the water parted, the silhouette grew clearer: an elderly man with his eyes closed, his face hauntingly familiar.

Upon seeing that familiar face, Luo Chen’s heart jolted, and he couldn’t help but cry out.

"Mi Shuhua!"

The old man with closed eyes was none other than his dearly familiar old friend. The Gang Leader of the Poshan Gang. A Foundation Establishment Initiate, and once... a friend—Mi Shuhua.

For a brief instant, Luo Chen felt as though he were facing a deadly enemy, nearly turning to flee.

But soon, he sensed that something wasn’t right.

“That’s... not Mi Shuhua?” he murmured. “A puppet?”

A clear voice rang out. “Fellow Daoist, sharp eyes!”

From the churning whirlpool, another figure emerged, this one markedly different from the last. He was a young man, appearing to be a few years younger than Luo Chen himself. His features were striking with ruby lips and gleaming teeth, his face resembled sculpted jade, like that of a youth.

With one hand resting casually atop the lifeless figure of "Mi Shuhua," the young man smiled cheerfully at Luo Chen.

"This object was refined by my master using the fleshly body of a Foundation Establishment Initiate into a human puppet. It was nourished for three years here in the spirit vein beneath the Lancang.

"Today I’ve come not only to fulfill an agreement between my master and Fellow Daoist Murong, but also to retrieve this human puppet."

Luo Chen's gaze flickered.

Human puppet?

His mouth parted slightly, but no words came out. For a moment, he stood frozen, unable to speak.

He had never expected this. The body of Mi Shuhua sought for so long by Miao Wen, without a single clue had been lying right here, buried beneath the waters of the Lancang, and even refined into a puppet.

"May I ask how to address you, Fellow Daoist?" Luo Chen asked, suppressing the storm in his heart and offering a polite cupped fist salute.

The young man chuckled and replied, "Xu Ji. Inner disciple of the Luoyun Sect."

Luo Chen’s pupils contracted. It wasn’t surprising that this person hailed from the Luoyun Sect.

Tian Xingzi had made no secret of his origins when he left. He had spoken plainly, even casually, saying that if Luo Chen ever found himself unable to survive here, he could seek him out at the Puppet Tower in Tianlan Immortal City.

It made perfect sense that the person Tian Xingzi sent would be from the Luoyun Sect. Luo Chen had no issue with that.

What surprised Luo Chen, however, was that this man was clearly only at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining yet he had just introduced himself as an inner disciple of the Luoyun Sect.

That wasn’t something one could casually claim. In great sects, the title of "inner disciple" was typically reserved for those who had already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Above that were the True Inheritors at the Foundation Establishment Realm with the potential to reach the Golden Core Realm, and the Dao Seeds, who were nurtured as future Golden Core cultivators.

Which meant, for this man to carry such a title at only the Qi-Refining Realm.... he either possessed an exceptional talent or had astonishing combat ability.

Whichever it was, Luo Chen knew better than to take him lightly.

Still, he didn't waste time dancing around the subject. His tone was steady, direct. “Fellow Daoist Xu, did you bring the Foundation Establishment pills?”

In the end, he didn’t mention Mi Shuhua again. That matter, for now, he chose to let it pass.

Xu Ji gave a carefree chuckle and, without hesitation, tossed two jade bottles in Luo Chen’s direction.

Luo Chen caught them smoothly, his expression lifting with joy, only for that joy to fade a heartbeat later as a slight frown formed on his face.

“Why are there only two?” Luo Chen asked, his tone calm but edged with disappointment. “Senior Tian Xingzi promised me three.”

“Apologies,” Xu Ji replied, his expression slightly uneasy. “The situation is tense right now, and Foundation Establishment Pills have become strategic resources. One of the seniors who originally promised my master backed out.

“To even get these two was no small feat.”

Luo Chen exhaled quietly, resignation softening the sharp line of his jaw. The delivery may have fallen short, but the essence of the deal had been upheld. For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to offer him even this much it was already more than most would be granted.

Xu Ji suddenly smiled and said, “Besides, with your spirit so complete and your qi and blood so rich and potent, two Foundation Establishment pills should be more than enough, Fellow Daoist.”

Hm?

What sharp senses... He saw through my state at a glance.

Luo Chen had only altered his appearance and stature before coming, not his spirit power. There’d been no point in hiding it. He hadn’t known if the one he was meeting would be an enemy or an ally, and revealing his strongest condition would help deter any unwanted intentions.

Still, the Luoyun Sect is renowned for its expertise in puppets and spirit perception. That kind of insight is only natural.

With these thoughts swirling in his heart, Luo Chen kept his expression neutral and said,

“I’m flattered by your praise, Fellow Daoist Xu.”

“Not at all,” Xu Ji replied with a casual wave. “I merely speak as I see.”

He didn’t press for payment, showing no urgency or impatience. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, as if struck by a thought, and asked with a hint of amusement, “By the way, does Fellow Daoist Murong still have any Blood-Burning pills on hand?”

“None left,” Luo Chen replied, his expression calm as he gave a slight shake of his head. “After Senior Tian Xingzi left, we’ve been short on the primary ingredients. There are no surplus Blood-Burning pills available.”

“Is that so? What a pity.” Xu Ji frowned, letting out a quiet sigh, the disappointment on his face fleeting but genuine.

Luo Chen’s mind stirred at the reaction.

They need Blood-Burning pills badly?

He recalled that earlier, Xu Ji had let slip a single phrase—“the situation is tense.” At the time, it had seemed like an offhand remark, but now it rang with deeper meaning.

Xu Ji glanced at him, then swept his gaze across the surrounding riverbanks and quiet currents, as if ensuring no unwelcome ears were near. At last, he gave a slow, deliberate nod.

“It seems you’ve spent too much time in the secluded Dahe Market, Fellow Daoist,” he said, his voice lower now, more serious. “You’re unaware of the upheaval brewing in the Jade Cauldron Domain.”

“Upheaval?” Luo Chen echoed.

“Yes,” Xu Ji said evenly, his tone calm despite the gravity of his words. “My Luoyun Sect and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect are like water and fire fundamentally at odds. Right now, tensions are running high. We’re in a state of constant strain, with skirmishes erupting along the borders.”

He spoke with a practiced ease, showing no concern about revealing such sensitive information. It was clear that none of this was meant to be a secret.

“In times like these, Foundation Establishment pills and Blood-Burning pills become invaluable strategic resources. Every pill counts.

Then he added with a small smile, “It’s thanks to the merit my master earned here at Dahe Market that I was granted an inner disciple’s position.

"And speaking of that, Fellow Daoist, you had a part to play in it too!"

Luo Chen finally understood.

So that’s why Tian Xingzi had left in such a rush.

The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect might not have had many core disciples, but it was still a Nascent Soul sect, one that presided over an entire region. In contrast, Luoyun Sect had only been a powerful Golden Core sect until recently.

Even if Luo Chen’s earlier speculation was right, if Supreme Elder Han Zhan had truly ascended to the Nascent Soul Realm, Luoyun Sect’s overall strength was still tethered to its former standing.

There was no way someone like Tian Xingzi, a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a key battle asset, would be left wandering freely if war was looming..

At present, the two sects were merely sharpening their blades, testing the waters with small clashes. But perhaps it wouldn't be long before a full-blown war erupted.

Luo Chen thought back to the things Tian Xingzi had said before his departure, words laced with subtle regret. It made sense now.

That regret must have stemmed from the fact that the puppet made from Mi Shuhua’s body—a Foundation Establishment-level human puppet hadn’t been fully refined in time.

Now, sending a messenger precisely two years to the day, it wasn’t just about fulfilling an old promise. It was also the perfect time to retrieve the human puppet that had been cultivated beneath the Lancang River.

Luo Chen didn’t drag his feet. Without hesitation, he handed over the prepared ten thousand spirit stones to Xu Ji. With the payment complete, the transaction was officially settled.

But to Luo Chen’s surprise, Xu Ji made no move to leave.

Instead, he turned toward him with a look of casual curiosity. “I wonder, Fellow Daoist, would you happen to know where the Duan family estate is located in Dahe Market?”

Luo Chen was momentarily stunned. He reflexively asked, "Fellow Daoist Xu, do you have past ties with the Duan family?"

Xu Ji gave a small, almost nostalgic smile. “Not quite. But once, a member of the Duan clan nearly became a disciple under my master, Tian Xingzi. Unfortunately, the man failed to reach Foundation Establishment, and the opportunity was lost.”

Luo Chen’s brow twitched. He remembered Duan Feng’s father—hadn’t he once been part of Luoyun Sect? Perhaps that was the thread tying them together.

Xu Ji continued, “Before my master departed, he had an agreement with the Duan family’s patriarch. I’ve also come to complete that deal.”

A deal?

Luo Chen’s heart sank slightly. He had never heard of any agreement between Tian Xingzi and Duan Qiankun. Just how many loose ends had Tian Xingzi left behind?

Now that Duan Qiankun was dead, what would become of this deal?

Without hesitation, Luo Chen said, "I know where the Duan family estate is, of course. But it's long been renamed and taken over. I’m afraid you’ll be leaving disappointed."

“Oh?” Xu Ji tilted his head slightly.

“The Duan family is gone,” Luo Chen said calmly. “Duan Qiankun was obliterated—nothing left of him. The only thing that survived was an enchanted treasure called the Zeguo Gui Diagram, and that was taken by another Foundation Establishment cultivator, Nangong Jin.”

"Dead?"

Luo Chen didn’t conceal anything. He laid out in full detail the events of Luo Tian Society’s assault on Xiao Huan Mountain to Xu Ji.

He especially emphasized how Duan Qiankun had been blown apart, leaving not even a trace of his remains.

After he finished speaking, Luo Chen stepped onto his flying boat and departed.

After Luo Chen left, Xu Ji remained where he was, his expression flickering between light and shadow, clearly unsettled.

***

In the skies above, Luo Chen stood aboard his flying boat, his face a study in shifting emotions. Thoughts churned behind his steady gaze.

So there was such a connection... and even an unfinished transaction?

If Tian Xingzi had left behind an agreement with the Duan family, whatever he sought must have been something truly valuable. Luo Chen’s mind sifted through the known spoils of war, as cataloged by Sima Huiniang there had been precious items among them, yes, but none that seemed like they would’ve attracted a cultivator of Tian Xingzi’s caliber.

In other words, the item in question was most likely inside Duan Qiankun’s leftover storage pouch.

And that pouch, at this very moment, was in Luo Chen’s possession.

There was no way he’d simply hand it over.

That particular spoil didn’t just belong to him, it was shared, in part, by Wang Yuan and Duan Feng. Surrendering it now would severely diminish the returns from their hard-won battle at Xiao Huan Mountain.

Luo Chen had made his decision long ago: once he reached Foundation Establishment, he would use his own spirit consciousness to slowly erase the lingering imprint Duan Qiankun had left on the pouch.

And now, someone else had their eyes on it.

Pressing his lips together, Luo Chen stored away his flying boat.

He activated both the Cloud-Stepping Boots and Carefree Wind-Control simultaneously.

In the blink of an eye, he turned into a streak of flowing light and vanished into the horizon.