Chapter 278: Foundation Establishment (III)

Three days later.

After bathing and changing into fresh robes, Luo Chen meticulously prepared the room. He calmly sat cross-legged beside the Ice-Fire Spirit Spring. The calming incense wafted gently as the Moonlight Herb bloomed faintly in the corner, emitting a subtle fragrance. He applied Glazed Balm to his skin known to reinforce physical resilience and drank the revitalization liquid.

Only then did Luo Chen carefully take out the Foundation Establishment pill.

"Let’s begin with the orthodox Foundation Establishment pill," he murmured to himself.

Without another thought, he swallowed the pill.

In an instant, an immense wave of medicinal power burst within him.

This was no ordinary cultivation pill. It was a pill crafted specifically for breaking through to Foundation Establishment. Its principle lay in the violent medicinal force, meant to break through barriers with overwhelming might.

Success or failure would be determined by this single surge.

However, before Luo Chen could even reach the stage of using spirit energy to assault the dantian barrier, a wave of excruciating pain erupted from every limb and bone in his body.

Especially his tongue tip!

The pain there was so sharp, so piercing, that he almost bit through it, nearly losing consciousness in a moment of blind agony.

His seated posture collapsed. He crumpled to the floor, rolling uncontrollably.

His face flushed a deep crimson, veins bulging at his temples like taut cords, as if he had been boiled alive.

Sweat poured from him in heavy drops, pattering against the ground. His lips were torn, blood spilling from where he’d bitten down.

In the haze of agony, his vision blurred. It felt as though he might pass out from the pain.

No... I can’t let it end like this!

Through sheer instinct, Luo Chen activated Divine Breaker of Malevolence, the thirty-six acupuncture points once stimulated for clarity and resilience now surged to life, becoming the eye of the storm within his body.

Pain that had been chaotic, formless, now began to converge. All of it was drawn to those thirty-six points, channeling into them like rivers to a sea.

Pain! Even more painful!

Yet amidst the searing pain, Luo Chen found a sense of familiarity.

So, in the end... it's still within what I can endure!

His face twisted, but with immense willpower, Luo Chen forced himself upright.

He couldn’t afford to waste the effects of the Foundation Establishment pill!

He activated his Perfected Mastery Long Spring Art. Clinging to unyielding willpower, he used the technique to manipulate the dense spirit energy cloud within his dantian, attempting to absorb the pill’s raging medicinal strength.

As the spirit energy soaked in the essence of the Foundation Establishment pill, it expanded rapidly, swelling to a size that threatened to overwhelm his very core. And then—it began to strike.

Its massive size began to slam against the rigid boundary of the Qi-Refining Realm dantian.

Only by breaking through that invisible barrier, allowing the energy to liquefy, could he truly step into the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Under Luo Chen’s desperate control, the spirit energy cloud repeatedly struck against the boundary.

With his meticulous spirit control and strong divine soul, it should have succeeded in a single push.

But for some reason, the barrier around his dantian was as unyielding as stone—unbreakable.

Again and again!

The swirling cloud turned into a vortex, repeatedly battering the wall of his dantian.

In the end, all was in vain.

"I... failed......" A bitter smile crept across Luo Chen’s lips.

He hadn’t been crushed by the pain, nor overwhelmed by the pill’s violent surge.

And yet, he had failed because he could not break through the barrier.

He had fallen at that one critical step.

Struggling to his feet, Luo Chen collapsed back onto the bed.

Three full days... I didn’t even realize I’d spent that long trying to break through.

He felt no hunger. Long before beginning his attempt, he had already taken a supreme-grade fasting concoction, one he had refined with his own hands. With its effects coursing through his body, he wouldn't need to eat for a long time.

But what puzzled him the most and gnawed at him in the silence was—

Where exactly did it go wrong?

He could feel that the revitalization liquid within and the Glazed Balm on his skin hadn’t even begun to take effect.

Aside from the slight weariness tugging at his spirit, his body was completely unharmed.

It seemed odd.

Most cultivators who failed to establish their foundation ended up with damaged meridians at best or, at worst, suffered a drop in cultivation and needed years to recover.

But in Luo Chen’s case, there was nothing strange about his condition. In fact, it made perfect sense.

Those injuries others sustained didn’t come from the initial attempt itself. They typically occurred after breaching the dantian barrier when the vast reservoir of spirit power was released like a raging flood.

It was like a dam collapsing. The unleashed torrent swept through the body, often leaving devastation in its wake.

This was why the Foundation Establishment Realm was said to have three great hurdles.

The trial of spirit power, the trial of the physique, and the trial of the divine soul.

And yet, Luo Chen hadn’t even broken through the dantian barrier at all.

If the dam never broke, how could the flood have raged?

“Could it be... because my five-element spirit root is too weak?

“No. That wasn’t it. The five-element root was known for slowing cultivation progress, not preventing breakthroughs entirely.

"Then could it be that my five-element root is... too strong?"

A strange thought struck him—a legend he’d once heard.

What the wider cultivation world regarded as the worst possible spirit root by possessing all five elements was actually seen by the Five Elements Divine Sect as second only to the mythical Heavenly Spirit Root.

The Five Elements Divine Sect followed a belief quite unlike that of the conventional cultivation world.

In their eyes, a cultivator’s body was like a vast water tank. The more spirit roots one possessed, the larger that tank became.

Spirit power was the water meant to fill the tank.

Naturally, those with fewer roots had smaller tanks, easier to fill, faster to ascend. But those with more roots had a higher ceiling, though the path was longer and steeper.

Luo Chen had long sensed it. Even back in his early stages, his spirit energy reserves had been several times greater than others at the same stage.

So he wholeheartedly believed in this theory.

So he had committed himself to it. Poured countless resources, painstaking effort, and years of cultivation into filling that metaphorical tank to the brim.

But what he hadn’t expected...

“My tank isn’t just bigger than everyone else’s. It's sturdier too!”

A dry, helpless smile touched his lips as he turned his senses inward.

Inside his dantian, the swirling cloud of spirit energy had grown even denser nearly ten times more than before.

Ordinarily, acquiring that much additional spirit power would take months of effort.

But this time, it had taken just three days.

Perhaps... I’ve only now truly reached the Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining?

Luo Chen took a deep breath, undaunted.

He still had another Foundation Establishment pill!

He still had room for failure!

Since his body had sustained no injuries, he could rest for a bit then simply try again.

“Don’t tell me pouring more water into an already full tank won’t make it spill over?”

Sitting on the bed, the young man’s lips curled with resolve, and a faintly feral glint flickered across his face.

***

Luo Chen’s seclusion, at least for the time being, didn’t have much of an immediate impact on the Luo Tian Society.

Of course, that was only in the short term.

Thanks to the large batch of Jade Essence pills he had prepared in advance, business with partners like the Dajiang Gang, the Nangong family, and the Li family could continue without interruption. As long as those supplies held out, so would the delicate balance of their trade.

But if Luo Chen stayed in seclusion too long... that would be another matter entirely.

For now, however, everything was still progressing smoothly.

When Xu Ji from the Luoyun Sect had visited earlier, two powerful auras had erupted from within the society’s stronghold. One of them had clearly reached the level of Foundation Establishment. Every ninth stage Qi-Refining expert within Luo Tian Society had felt it.

Naturally, a theory began to take root.

After the Battle of Xiao Huan Mountain, Battle Hall Leader Wang Yuan had vanished without a trace. Now, with this sudden surge of power, many began to believe he had succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment.

None of them knew the full truth, so it was only logical they would arrive at such a conclusion.

And now, with Luo Chen having officially entered seclusion, a new rumor had begun to quietly circulate among the upper ranks of Luo Tian Society:

“He’s attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment!”

At the end of a long day, Gu Caiyi made her way to a secluded cave residence on the far side of the mountain.

There, Feng Xia had already prepared a hot and hearty meal, ready to greet her with warmth and conversation.

As the two women ate, their conversation naturally drifted to the topic that was on everyone’s minds.

And at the center of it all was, of course, Luo Chen.

“He’s progressed that quickly?” Feng Xia asked, visibly surprised.

Gu Caiyi gave a quiet nod. “Yes. That fast. We just never noticed it before... or maybe we didn’t want to.”

She couldn’t help but sigh, thinking back on all of Luo Chen’s unusual behaviors in the past.

Her voice was filled with quiet wonder as she recalled Luo Chen’s long history of strange behavior, the time he had spent hidden away in Crescent Moon Valley, the many requests he had made for pills, herbs, and alchemical ingredients. More often than not, it had been her or Duan Feng who fetched them for him.

Looking back now, it was clear that Luo Chen had always been diligently cultivating.

Feng Xia offered a soft smile. “He’s always been the most diligent among us... and honestly, the most talented too.”

Talent?

Gu Caiyi couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

She couldn’t help a wry smile. With five spirit roots, Luo Chen’s talent really wasn’t anything to brag about.

“I hope he succeeds,” Feng Xia said firmly.

Gu Caiyi gave her a playful glance. “Oh? And you don’t hope your man breaks through too?”

Her man, of course, could only be referring to Duan Feng.

At the mention of his name, Feng Xia’s smile faded, her expression dimmed.

Even after avenging his family, Duan Feng had grown even more reserved, quieter than ever. These days, he spent nearly all his time buried in the Artifact Hall, leading his disciples in forging enchanted artificats.

Noticing the gloom in her friend's eyes, Gu Caiyi arched an eyebrow. “Come on, what’s really going on with you two? You’re not seriously still not planning to become Dao companions, are you?”

“Even that rascal Zeng Wen has settled down. His kid's already a year old.

“You two should probably pick up the pace too!”

But Feng Xia gave a bitter smile.

“This isn’t something that can be rushed.”

Hm?

“Duan Feng wants to remain chaste, hoping to use his unspent vital essence as a springboard to break through to Foundation Establishment in the future.”

Gu Caiyi curled her lips. “That whole ‘preserve your vital essence to aid Foundation Establishment’ thing is just a rumor. You can’t take that seriously.”

“But it’s true that those who succeed in Foundation Establishment are often the most disciplined during their Qi-Refining years,” Feng Xia replied calmly.

Gu Caiyi paused, momentarily at a loss for words.

During her early days at Tianxiang Tower, she had met more than her fair share of lustful Qi-Refining cultivators. She had long since stopped taking the idea of ‘preserving one’s virginity’ seriously. But she hadn’t expected Duan Feng to stick so staunchly to that old-fashioned belief.

Now that I think about it... could Luo Chen be the same?

She wondered silently.

A faint suspicion began to take root in Gu Caiyi’s heart.

Back when Luo Chen had been peddling those shady Myriad Wonders pills, she’d never once considered the possibility that he might still be a virgin.

Especially with Zeng Wen always jokingly calling Luo Chen “Fellow Daoist” in that way...

She’d long assumed Luo Chen was just like Zeng Wen.

But later, when Luo Chen repeatedly rejected Murong Qinglian’s matchmaking offers, it showed clearly that his heart was set on the Dao.

Gu Caiyi had watched him rise, step by step, from a rogue cultivator to the hall leader of the Alchemy Hall, earning over a thousand spirit stones per month. Then, he’d gone even further and founded Luo Tian Society, becoming a true power in his own right.

To say she’d never imagined a future with him would be a lie.

In the quiet hours of night, when all was still, she had sometimes wondered what it would be like... if she and Luo Chen were together.

But there had never been an answer.

Even when she hinted at affection, Luo Chen had shown no sign of reciprocation.

At the time, she thought he simply wasn’t interested.

But now... it seemed Luo Chen truly was devoted to the Great Dao, free of all distractions.

Thinking about everything Luo Chen had endured on his journey—

Gu Caiyi gave a wry smile. “What kind of ending could possibly be worthy of the hardships he’s faced all the way here?”

“Perhaps... Foundation Establishment?” Feng Xia murmured beside her. But the weight in her tone spoke of more than just cultivation.

***

“Only by establishing Foundation Establishment can I move forward!”

Ten days of rest had passed.

After a full recovery, Luo Chen once again sat by the Ice-Fire Spirit Spring, which he had reawakened as a second-tier spirit land.

Even after one failed attempt, he wouldn’t give up.

Luo Chen understood without Foundation Establishment, everything else was meaningless.

Without it, he would eventually fail to protect the foundation he had worked so hard to build.

Without it, he wouldn’t be able to reveal his full alchemical techniques without becoming a target.

Without it, the looming conflict between the two Nascent Soul sects would inevitably pull him in, leaving him defenseless.

“Only by establishing my Foundation Establishment can I embark on the path to longevity!”

A Foundation Establishment pill lay in his open palm.

Without hesitation, Luo Chen swallowed it down.

This time, he was prepared.

Before the wave of pain could even surge through his body, he had already anchored his mind, guarding his consciousness with the Divine Breaker of Malevolence technique. He aligned himself with the rhythm of agony, letting it come but on his terms.

The pain struck again with familiar, merciless intensity. Especially at the tip of his tongue, it burned worse than eating demonic peppers. it was as though countless needles stabbed into him again and again.

“Above lies Huangting [1], below Guanyuan [2] ,” he recited silently, his mind steady. “Behind is Youque [3], before is Mingmen [4]. Breath flows from the skull into the dantian, jade-pool waters nourish the spirit roots. Thus, one who cultivates may endure.”

”The tongue is the root of the spirit!

”Spirit roots dwell within the body, and the tongue is the first to manifest externally.

”The tongue is the upper root. The lower root lies within the essence chamber.

”If I endure the pain at the tongue and preserve my vital essence, then all that remains is to break through the central root!

He hadn’t wasted the time since his last failure. Not only had he reflected deeply on what went wrong, but he had also pored through three Foundation Establishment treatises from the Duan family archives.

The writings on spirit roots had given him valuable insight.

His first failure, he now knew, had not come from weakness but from being overwhelmed too early. The pain of the tongue had consumed too much of his focus and time, leaving him unprepared to face the true barrier.

As a result, he hadn’t had enough time to challenge the central spirit root.

As for what that central spirit root was, it is none other than the dantian!

“With the explosive power of the Foundation Establishment pill, I can break open the sealed dantian and reconstruct it anew.

“Only this way can I solidify my central spirit root as the foundation of the Great Dao!

“This is the true meaning of Foundation Establishment!”

A regular dantian would never support the pursuit of immortality. That was why, in the late stages of Qi-refining, the dantian became fixed and sealed off by the limitations of the human body.

Now, to break that limit, only then could he step into a new world!

The massive medicinal power surged into his small dantian like a flood.

Eleven clouds of spirit energy, driven by Luo Chen, smashed into the dantian’s boundary along with the force of the pill.

Once!

Twice!

***

Luo Chen had no idea how much time had passed, but when he came to, his dantian was riddled with fractures, fine cracks spider-webbing across its surface like the shell of an egg on the verge of breaking.

Yet, a thin film clung stubbornly to the surface, holding it all together at the last moment.

Until the moment he passed out, Luo Chen still hadn’t succeeded.

When he awoke again, his face was clouded with frustration. He barely spared a glance at the now even denser clouds of spirit energy churning inside him.

He had found the reason for his failure to reach Foundation Establishment!

If the first attempt had been lost to inexperience and the sheer density of his dantian’s barrier, then this time, it was something else entirely.

It was this membrane that formed after his dantian cracked, and in this film, he knew it all too well.

A pill barrier!

And not just any pill barrier, it was one formed by toxins from pills!

This kind of barrier was rare, far more insidious than the common ones formed from overuse of low-tier pills. Typical pill barriers came from bodily strain or spirit backlash, like the jade transformation of the dantian from overuse of Jade Essence Pills.

Luo Chen had always taken care to avoid such things. He had rarely used low or mid-grade pills. Most of the pills he’d taken in recent years had been top-grade, even supreme.

By all accounts, he shouldn’t have developed any kind of barrier.

Yet the film coating his dantian was an extremely rare “pill toxin barrier .”

As the name suggests, such a barrier is formed from an accumulated pill toxin.

It was not something created overnight.

“With the aptitude of five spirit roots, yet the cultivation speed of a heavenly root, all thanks to endless support from pills...

“And yet, in the final step, they had become the very thing blocking my path to the Great Dao.”

The very pills that should have aided his cultivation had turned into the culprits of obstruction.

For a moment, Luo Chen didn’t know whether to laugh or curse.

He only knew one thing, unless he broke through this pill barrier, he would never reach Foundation Establishment.

“No wonder the great sects strictly limited their talented disciples from overusing pills. They’d known all along,” he muttered bitterly.

It was never about cost.

The great sects had spirit stones to spare. They could easily flood their disciples with resources if they wished. But they didn’t. Even the most promising cultivators received only a strict monthly quota of pills.

Looking back, their elders had clearly foreseen this very problem.

“If only I had a way to purge toxins, this wouldn’t be a problem.”

“But where could I find such a method in the short term?”

Luo Chen slammed the floor in frustration, leaving a five-finger crater in the mineral-forged tiles of the hut.

1. Huanting is an acupoint located in the middle dantian, associated with the spleen and spirit. In Daoist meditation texts, it often represents a mental palace for visualizing internal energies and deities.

2. Guanyuan is located below the navel on the Ren meridian. It governs reproductive energy and is a critical center for storing essence and cultivating life force.

3. Youque does not appear in standard Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) charts and it is possibly a fictionalized acupoint in this context. It evokes a sense of deep stillness and hidden access and is often used in cultivation texts to imply a mysterious inner gateway or threshold.

4. Mingmen is located on the lower back between the kidneys. It is considered the source of original yang energy and plays a vital role in nourishing life, vitality, and inner fire.