vstars Chapter 176 Foundation Establishment Completed
Chapter 176 Foundation Establishment Completed
Time flies.
The situation in Xiaohuanhai is turbulent. It is said that the Zhong family master of Taibai Island and the Heiyuan master joined forces to try to attack the Bihaimen mountain gate of Biyu Island, but ultimately had to retreat.
However, this Master Zhong gathered independent cultivators under the name of "Taibai Island," and indeed assembled a large force to fight against the Bihai Sect.
The Extinction Alliance naturally came to help, causing great distress to the entire Azure Sea Sect.
However, as the opening of the secret realm draws closer, the number of battles between high-level cultivators is decreasing.
Clearly, cultivators seek longevity and immortality, and wouldn't risk their lives fighting before their destined opportunity arrives...
The forbidden area of Taibai Island is the Ice Soul Cave.
Rumor has it that a third-tier alchemist is imprisoned here, and occasionally some top-grade pills are leaked from Zhong Lingxiu's hands to win over the cultivators of Taibai Island.
The surrounding area is rich in spiritual energy, faintly reaching the third level.
Inside the Ice Soul Cave.
Contrary to the austere living conditions outsiders might imagine, Fang Qing moved all the original decorations from his cave dwelling over, and added many rare treasures from the East Sea presented by Zhong Lingxiu, making it even more beautiful, comfortable, and relaxing...
Furthermore, after so many years of recuperation, the third-order spiritual veins on Taibai Island have slowly recovered.
The Ice Soul Cave where he is now is the place with the most abundant spiritual energy, where he can enjoy third-level spiritual energy.
Inside the secluded room.
Fang Qing sat cross-legged, circulating the Azure Sea Technique within his body, and a pool of dark azure water appeared.
A large amount of third-order spiritual energy surged in like mist, swirling around him, making him appear even more like a celestial being.
Tick tock!
Time passed indefinitely. Fang Qing absorbed the misty spiritual energy into his body, circulated it through his body, and it fell into his dantian, condensing into a drop of dark green liquid magic power, which he then dripped into the lake.
In an instant, the lake presented a sense of completeness.
No matter how many pills she continued to consume to enhance her mana, or how many Dao-born Pearls she used for primordial transformation, she could no longer condense more liquid mana. "Ninety-nine drops of liquid mana... I have finally perfected my mana cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage."
Fang Qing opened his eyes and did some quick calculations: "Unknowingly, I've been in seclusion for so many years, and I've even celebrated my 100th birthday... Heh heh, if I were to return to the Azure Sea Sect, I'd definitely be bogged down in all sorts of affairs. How could I possibly have such a leisurely time for cultivation?"
Originally, he had planned to celebrate his 100th birthday in a grand way.
However, since they are currently only living in seclusion in public, they need to avoid suspicion...
"Since there's nothing going on in Ancient Shu, it's time to seize the opportunity and strive for the Pseudo-Core Formation realm at the peak of Foundation Establishment!"
Fang Qing took out a jade bottle from his pocket, opened it, and saw a purple pill inside, with four intricate and exquisite pill patterns on it. It was a Tier 3, Level 1 Breakthrough Pill!
He incorporated many Qigong techniques into the refining of this pill, which not only made it form faster but also enhanced its medicinal effects.
The only effect is to help cultivators in the late Foundation Establishment stage, whose magical power has been cultivated to the limit, break through the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment Perfection!
"As expected, the path of Qi cultivation has its advantages. As long as there are enough resources, even pigs can form cores and condense nascent souls..."
Fang Qing swallowed the Great Barrier-Breaking Pill, closed his eyes, and began to slowly refine its medicinal power.
Outside the cave, spring comes and autumn goes, and the seasons change.
Inside the Ice Soul Cave, the Ice Soul Cold Spring surges forth, constantly overflowing with wisps of chilling air.
For Fang Qing, who had already reached the third level of body refinement, these provided a comfortable, cool breeze, much like air conditioning.
He silently practiced the "Azure Sea Technique" and entered a deep state of seclusion.
When he came to his senses in a daze, his dantian was completely different!
"Has the bottleneck been broken and the foundation building stage been completed?"
Fang Qing looked inward at his dantian and saw that the original dark blue liquid mana lake had disappeared.
Instead, a water balloon was used!
After breaking the upper limit of ninety-nine drops of liquid mana, the one hundred drops of the Azure Sea Technique mana merged seamlessly, forming a turquoise water sphere! Moreover, its color was pure turquoise, and its volume had shrunk by more than half. At its very core, there were even wisps of semi-solidified crystallized mana traces…
"It wasn't in vain that I took the Great Barrier-Breaking Pill to assist in cultivating Master Bihai's secret technique... I did indeed gain some wisps of crystallized mana." "The so-called Core Formation in the Qi Refining Path is nothing more than compressing liquid mana to its limit and turning it into a solid 'True Core'..."
"The completion of Foundation Establishment is the lower limit for condensing a True Core! If one's cultivation technique is excellent and one possesses a specific secret method, one can attempt to semi-solidify the mana in the dantian upon reaching the completion of Foundation Establishment... greatly benefiting Core Formation and increasing the probability of Core Formation by at least 20%!"
Fang Qing gazed at his own magic-powered pill and nodded to himself: "Ordinary 'Azure Sea Technique' doesn't have so many secret techniques; at most, it comes with a 10% chance of forming a core... But what I've learned is the true teaching of True Person Azure Sea. By using secret techniques to enhance the effect, combined with the power of the Great Barrier-Breaking Pill, and with years of seclusion, I can increase the chance by 20%..."
But this is not his limit!
"Besides, my divine sense has broken through and transformed into Core Formation level divine sense... which is also beneficial for Core Formation, increasing the chances by at least 10%." "And the third-tier physique and blood energy... should also increase by 10%."
Combined, this results in a success rate of around 40% for Core Formation.
This means that Fang Qing could begin forming his core right now, even without consuming any elixirs or special materials, and his chances of success would already surpass those of many Lesser Ocean Realm cultivators. But for him…
"Trying to form the Core with less than a 50% chance? What's the difference between that and courting death?"
Fang Qing's unhurried seclusion and cultivation was precisely because he was waiting for the opening of the Zhou Tian Star Palace's secret realm ruins so that he could obtain the "Five Elements Spirit Fruit" and refine the "Golden Core"!
Even with the addition of the Golden Core, the probability of achieving Golden Core isn't maximized, and it still feels somewhat inadequate.
This is where the benefits of cross-border trade become apparent.
"The supernatural powers of the ancient Shu are extraordinary, including the miraculous ability to greatly benefit the formation of the Golden Core, as well as other spiritual objects that can assist in the formation of the Golden Core... We can certainly have Sangji borrow, buy, or beg for them... to ensure complete safety!"
Fang Qing let out a long sigh, then calculated with his fingers: "This time, I took the Great Barrier-Breaking Pill to break through to the next realm... and also practiced the Core Formation Secret Technique of True Person Bi Hai, which promoted the crystallization of my mana... It actually took several years."
"Am I already 110 years old? There are less than three years left until the Zhou Tian Star Palace Secret Realm opens..."
"One hundred and ten years old, Foundation Establishment complete, that's not slow..."
Fang Qing's mind stirred, and he sensed the Tide-Rising Pearl again. Ultimately, this external core needed the cultivator's own magical power to activate it.
Now that his magic power has reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, once activated, the Tide-Generating Pearl became extremely active, releasing a magic power fluctuation close to that of the mid-stage Core Formation! Fortunately, Fang Qing has a third-level body refinement, which he can fully withstand.
Taibai Island.
Today, Taibai Island is filled with various buildings and has attracted many more cultivators.
Many of them were just a bunch of rabble that Zhong Lingxiu casually recruited, used as cannon fodder to harass the Bihai Sect.
Fang Qing walked out of the Ice Soul Cave with an air of nonchalance, strolled around Taibai Island, and suddenly felt that everything had changed, much like the feeling of stepping out after seclusion and finding the world transformed. "Haha... Fellow Daoist, are you that alchemy master?"
A Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator with a scarred face and a fierce appearance, carrying a black sword-like spiritual weapon, stopped Fang Qing: "I need a 'Breakthrough Pill'... You'll get your share of the benefits."
Fang Qing rolled her eyes inwardly.
In the eyes of these outsiders, he probably already had a restriction placed on him by Zhong Lingxiu, turning him into a servant...
"Peng Yidao, this is not the place for you to speak."
Xiang Dahu flew over, his voice sharp and menacing: "Why aren't you getting out of here?"
"Yes, Chief Steward!"
Peng Yidao lazily clasped his hands in a salute, seemingly looking down on Xiang Dahu, before transforming into a streak of light and flying away.
"What happened?"
Fang Qing found it strange.
After Xiang Dahu transmitted a few words through his divine sense, he finally understood.
After Xiang Dahu, Bei Lingshu and most of the Qi Refining cultivators also surrendered and became part of Taibai Island, forming a kind of independent faction. However, after a few years, some of the Zhong family's descendants who had been living in seclusion returned, and everything changed.
Zhong Lingxiu only listened to Fang Qing and did not dismiss Xiang Dahu as her chief steward, but it was inevitable that she would favor and cultivate a few members of the Zhong family.
Peng Yidao had allied himself with a young master from the Zhong family, secretly making things difficult for Xiang Dahu and trying to oust him from his position as chief steward. This time, he clearly regarded Fang Qing as one of Xiang Dahu's faction.
"A small temple has a strong demonic wind; shallow water has many turtles..."
Fang Qing remained silent and walked into the Ice and Snow Palace.
Zhong Lingxiu was refining her Ice Soul Profound Light when she saw this scene. She immediately sealed the hall and bowed down, saying, "Welcome, Young Master, out of seclusion!"
"I was planning to go out for a walk to clear my head, but unfortunately I ran into a few clueless people..."
Fang Qing only mentioned it briefly before asking, "How is the matter regarding the secret realm?"
"Young Master Qi..." Zhong Lingxiu's heart skipped a beat: "I went to that underwater bronze palace with True Person Heiyuan. It should open within three years... And because it was opened last time, the flaws in the great formation have become larger. This time, perhaps we can send in a few Foundation Establishment cultivators..." "Hmm."
Fang Qing produced a jade slip containing Zhong Lingxiu's observations of the cultivation world in the East Sea: "You said that the cultivation world in the East Sea has nine major forces: 'one palace, one temple, three islands, and four sects,' each with a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in command... The top-ranked palace and temple even seem to have produced cultivators who ascended to the Divine Transformation stage... Sects like the Heavenly Frost Sect, with only one or two Nascent Soul elders, are only considered moderately powerful in the cultivation world of the East Sea..."
"Indeed... The cultivation world of the East Sea is vast and its cultivation resources are incredibly abundant... I've even heard that some auctions feature Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivation items..."
Chung Ling-hsiu's face was full of longing.
"Have you ever heard of the celestial constellations?"
Fang Qing asked.
"Zhou Tian Xing Palace? I have never seen it in the records of the Tian Shuang Sect... Perhaps it is a force that has been lost to history."
Zhong Lingxiu thought about it carefully and then answered.
"Um."
Fang Qing nodded, feeling that this method of salvation was much more effective than his own "Soul-Searching Technique of Divine Splitting".
After all, this technique has many omissions even when searching for souls, so where can you find a subordinate who is so devoted to you?
Once they've all become your subordinates, aren't their memories and experiences your own?
However, there are limits to salvation; for example, it cannot save the children and consorts of other masters...
"However... the Zhou Tian Star Palace is not well-known, I wonder why?"
Fang Qing's mind raced: "Perhaps... I should personally go and see the secret realm ruins? Are there any Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Lesser Universe Sea who can surpass me now?"