Chapter 277: Foundation Establishment (II)

At the foot of Xiao Huan Mountain, Xu Ji stood still, his youthful features framed by the breeze as he gazed up at the mountain that had been completely renewed.

Towering transplanted trees dotted the landscape, a small lake mirrored the blue skies and drifting clouds above, while halfway up the mountain, faint outlines of pavilions and towers emerged through the mist.

“Luo Tian Society?” he murmured under his breath.

He had heard of the name before—mentioned casually by his Grand Elder, Tian Xingzi. It was said to be a faction centered around alchemy, led by a cultivator at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. That alone would have made them unremarkable in the eyes of most sects, but what set them apart was their alchemist. According to Tian Xingzi, the man’s pill-refining skills were surprisingly refined.

At one point, Tian Xingzi had even suspected that the famed Blood-Burning pill might have originated from this very faction. That suspicion had only faded after it was revealed that Murong Yuan had the backing of a second-tier alchemist.

“A mere Qi-Refining faction like this managed to wipe out a Foundation Establishment family?” he muttered, feeling rather perplexed.

Xu Ji couldn’t help but feel somewhat despondent.

This is an unexpected complication...

He couldn’t tell whether the Duan family had simply been too weak to begin with or if multiple factions in the region had joined hands to bring them down in secret. If it was the latter, then there might be no value in pursuing the matter further.

Still, with a Foundation Establishment human puppet in my possession, perhaps we can talk things through?

Just as he was about to step forward, the mountain’s patrol team spotted him.

“Who goes there?” one of them called out sharply.

Xu Ji raised his hand and responded without hesitation, his voice clear and respectful.

“Xu Ji of Luoyun Sect. I’ve come to pay my respects to the mountain!”

His words resonated with power, amplified by the Foundation Establishment puppet—Mi Shuhua’s body beside him. The sound echoed across the foothills and up into the sky, trailing like a ripple of wind through the clouds.

***

“A scabbard? An enchanted artifact?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. “Fellow Daoist Xu, are you certain it’s not a flying sword?”

Xu Ji replied earnestly, "It’s precisely a scabbard."

Sima Huiniang frowned in thought.

The Duan family was known throughout Dahe Market as an artifact-forging family, renowned for crafting mid-grade flying swords. It’s common knowledge that flying swords as artifacts are rarely equipped with scabbards.

She glanced at him, her tone respectful but laced with doubt. “May I ask, what grade is the scabbard artifact you’re referring to?”

Though skeptical, she couldn’t dismiss him outright. Xu Ji was an inner disciple of the Luoyun Sect. Whether she liked it or not, he was someone she had to show proper courtesy to.

Thus, her words came out softer than usual, her tone more diplomatic than firm.

Xu Ji didn’t seem bothered by her skepticism. “I can’t say for sure,” he replied with calm patience, “but it should be at least top-grade.”

Who would forge a top-grade scabbard artifact of all things?

she silently cursed.

Still, none of it showed on her face. With the poise of someone used to navigating delicate politics, she smoothed her robes and said evenly, “All our top-grade artifacts are cataloged, and some are preserved in our treasure vault.”

Her gaze flicked to the Foundation Establishment puppet standing behind Xu Ji, then back to his face. Remembering Luo Chen’s prior instructions, her tone shifted slightly.

“How about this,” she offered, “I’ll take you to the vault myself. Perhaps there are items that simply escaped our rogue cultivator knowledge and we failed to identify.”

Xu Ji nodded in agreement and followed Sima Huiniang to the vault.

Before long, Xu Ji emerged from the vault, his expression tinged with disappointment.

Most of the items stored within were low- to mid-grade artifacts. While ten of them were top-grade and finely crafted, none matched the object he sought.

Unable to suppress his frustration, he asked, “Did Duan Qiankun’s storage pouch truly get destroyed in the explosion?”

Sima Huiniang gave a bitter smile. "That explosion back then was incredibly terrifying."

She gestured vaguely toward the mountain’s base. “That lake you saw when you arrived? It was formed by the blast itself.”

“In the face of that kind of destruction,” she continued, “do you really believe a simple storage pouch could have survived?”

Xu Ji’s gaze darkened as he recalled the lake at the foot of the mountain. His pupils narrowed slightly.

To have produced such devastation despite defensive enchanted treasure, the battle must have been brutal beyond imagination.

Storage pouches might be valuable, but they were hardly considered stable or fortified artifacts. Perhaps only spatial rings at the enchanted treasure level could have withstood such a blast.

And yet... he wasn’t ready to give up.

"May I request to meet your President?"

Sima Huiniang frowned and responded with displeasure. "That would be rather impolite, don’t you think? I told you earlier our President is in seclusion and is not to be disturbed by outsiders."

Xu Ji blinked, then a flicker of indignation rose within him.

He was an inner disciple of a grand Nascent Soul sect, yet he was being denied to meet with the head of a mere rogue cultivator society?

How is that impolite?!

"What if I insist on meeting him?"

Just as a glint of menace surfaced in Xu Ji’s eyes, Sima Huiniang’s gaze narrowed as well.

"Fellow Daoist, we’ve already shown you every courtesy. Don’t bring trouble upon yourself."

This was the stronghold of the Luo Tian Society! They had over a hundred cultivators here, and more than ten of them were at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. Xu Ji might be powerful but he was very far from being untouchable.

If a real conflict broke out, Xu Ji would undoubtedly be the one at a disadvantage.

But so what?

He had a Foundation Establishment human puppet in his hands!

Just as Xu Ji was about to speak harshly, two overwhelming energies erupted simultaneously from behind the mountain's base.

Faintly, the roar of a beast echoed in the distance.

"Second-tier demonic beast! Foundation Establishment cultivator!" he blurted out in shock, eyes widening.

Sima Huiniang was momentarily surprised, but then responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Without such strength, how could we have possibly destroyed a Foundation Establishment family?"

She smiled warmly. "Now that you’ve seen everything, Fellow Daoist, how about staying for a meal?"

Xu Ji tugged at the corner of his mouth in a half-smile, half-grimace.

"I’ll take my leave!" he said, and turned to go.

***

Outside Xiao Huan Mountain, Xu Ji wore a gloomy expression.

His gaze lingered on the serene, cerulean lake at the base of the mountain. If his senses were not mistaken... that Foundation Establishment energy he had felt earlier—had come from here.

He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

“Well, two out of three tasks are complete. That’s enough to report back to the Grand Elder,” he muttered.

“As for this Luo Tian Society... once I form my foundation, I’ll be back to properly greet them.”

Without any further hesitation, he departed on the spot.

Beneath the blue lake, hidden from the world above, two figures sat across from each other in silence.

Wang Yuan slowly drew back his gaze, as though his eyes had pierced through the lake’s surface to watch Xu Ji’s departure. His expression was heavy, laced with a complexity he couldn't quite name.

"Mi Shuhua... was really turned into a puppet?" he murmured, a strange emotion lacing his voice.

His tone carried a difficult-to-describe blend of feelings.

Mi Shuhua—once the brightest star in Dahe Market’s turbulent sky. A man of mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation who had single-handedly commanded the massive Poshan Gang and kept other powers firmly under his heel.

Even the Dajiang Gang, which had seemed a worthy rival, only dared to posture due to support from the Lianyun Trade Alliance.

Even sect cultivators like Miao Wen had treated Mi Shuhua as an equal. That was the level he had stood upon.

And yet in the end... he had died. His family was destroyed. His gang dissolved.

All the wealth he had amassed over a lifetime was scattered, carved up by others and his body, his very remains reduced to a tool, a puppet in the hands of another.

Wang Yuan couldn’t deny the irony. He remembered clearly the way Mi Shuhua had manipulated both him and Luo Chen, always pulling strings behind the scenes. And yet... they had gained much from him in return.

Now, seeing how that once-mighty figure had fallen, how could Wang Yuan not feel a bitter pang deep in his chest?

Luo Chen avoided the subject, instead looking at Wang Yuan curiously.

"Brother Wang, have you perfected the Soul-Stabilizing Oath?" he asked.

That earlier Foundation Establishment energy had clearly been released by Wang Yuan.

But Wang Yuan merely shook his head.

“After two years... I’ve only just managed to grasp the basics,” he admitted.

"Besides, that energy wasn’t truly my own Foundation Establishment—it was simulated, using the lingering soul of Duan Qiankun combined with my own cultivation."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Luo Chen, studying him for a moment.

“You, on the other hand... You’ve reached the Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining. Foundation Establishment is only a step away for you.”

Luo Chen’s smile was subtle, almost serene, as his thoughts drifted to the two Foundation Establishment pills tucked safely inside his storage pouch.

“Soon,” he said quietly. “Very soon.”

***

After Xu Ji's departure, the Luo Tian Society returned once more to its previous state of peace.

Luo Chen spent an entire month frantically refining a large batch of mid-grade Jade Essence pills, and then he officially announced his seclusion.

This time, it was a true seclusion!

Unless it was a matter of life and death, no one was permitted to disturb him.

Inside the thatched green hut, Luo Chen stared at the two Foundation Establishment pills in his hand, a troubled expression on his face.

Logically, he should make the breakthrough right away. He had reached the peak of Qi-Refining, prepared his resources, even secured rare pills few rogue cultivators could ever dream of acquiring.

But the things he'd seen over the years had made him truly unsure about Foundation Establishment.

There had been Fu Xiuxiu, who had failed to break through without a Foundation Establishment pill.

Then there was Duan Rui, who had not only taken two Foundation Establishment pills, but also consumed an eight-hundred-year-old Heaven and Earth Root... and still achieved nothing.

Even among sect disciples like Fu Xiuxiu's Dao companion and Duan Feng’s father, there were still tales of failure.

These accounts had only raised his awareness of how truly difficult Foundation Establishment could be.

Even Brother Wang, so brave and diligent on the path of cultivation, had stumbled at Foundation Establishment...

Two Foundation pills might not be enough for me either!

That’s why... I still need to refine the Imperial Nectar. I must!

After his hesitation came a resolute decision.

Luo Chen didn’t want to experience repeated failure, nor did he wish to endure blow after blow. Even though he had a powerful physique, a strong divine soul comparable to that of Foundation Establishment, and a wealth of supportive resources...

He still intended to do it right. Perfectly!

The Imperial Nectar had already reached the Beginner level, but it had cost him dearly.

After several failed attempts, he had slowly begun to grasp the key.

Success was just within reach.

If that’s the case, then why rush?

And so, the familiar rhythm of alchemy resumed once more, as Luo Chen threw himself into the alchemy work with everything he had.

***

A month later.

Luo Chen stood in the center of his thatched hut, exhausted but eyes bright with joy.

He looked up at the Four Symbols Cauldron, where streams of golden liquid flowed steadily, like spirit essence descending from the stars.

“There's so much of it!” he murmured in awe, a spark of disbelief flickering across his face.

Without wasting a moment, he retrieved three large jade bottles from his storage pouch.

With a smooth wave of his hand, he cast the Cloud Transformation Hand, guiding the golden nectar with precise control.

The golden Imperial Nectar trickled down into the three bottles, one after another.

Three full portions!

By raw cost alone, it was staggering. Luo Chen had poured over ten thousand spirit stones into the production of this Imperial Nectar is an expense that would be considered extravagant, even reckless, for something that was technically only a second-tier product.

Way over budget!

After all, this was merely a second-tier spirit liquid.

But considering its immense benefits to one's cultivation foundation, possibly even rivaling a Foundation Establishment pill, its value could no longer be measured by the number of spirit stones alone.

“With this... now it can finally be said—everything is ready.”

Luo Chen pursed his lips and dismissed the Four Symbols Cauldron.

He cast a Cleanse over the entire thatched hut.

With deliberate care, he brought out ten gleaming mid-grade spirit stones. Each was pristine, radiant with spirit energy.

With careful hands, he inserted them one by one into the small sockets carved beside the Ice-Fire Spirit Spring. As each gem clicked into place, a subtle hum began to rise from the ground.

His ten fingers weaved together as he held his breath, focusing intently while forming one hand seal after another.

This was no ordinary technique, it was a secret method he had discovered within the Duan family’s library, tucked away in a forgotten tome.

It served no offensive or defensive function. Its sole purpose was to momentarily unite the energies of ice and fire that coursed through the spring, elevating the cultivation environment from a first-tier spirit land to a temporary second-tier one.

Ice and fire are opposing forces. When clashing, they destroyed. When harmonized, they flourished.

Fuse!

At once, thick plumes of white mist surged outward, cascading across the hut in waves. The air grew dense, saturated with refined spirit energy. The mist swirled and thickened, though its strength seemed to fade quickly.

Luo Chen knew he couldn’t afford to maintain the seal himself, not while preparing to charge into Foundation Establishment. That was why he had arranged for the ten spirit stones to support the formation in his place. With their power and the array's structure, the heightened spirit energy could be sustained just long enough.

He inhaled deeply.

At that breath, his spirit soared, energized and uplifted. The feeling coursing through him now was identical to what he had once experienced in the heart of the second-tier spirit vein Mi Shuhua had constructed.

Yet there was one major difference.

Mi Shuhua had required eighty spirit stones to achieve that level of enhancement.

Luo Chen only needed ten.

And that, he knew, was the power of the Ice-Fire Spirit Spring.

In three days’ time, this second-tier spirit land will be fully stabilized.

Only then would the real window for Foundation Establishment open.

These three days... I’ll use them to recover my condition.

Without another thought, Luo Chen walked to the side of the hut and lay down on the small wooden bed.