Starry Sky Professional

The Foundation Establishment is considered the first major threshold for a cultivator.

In the prosperous era of ancient spiritual energy, it is said that only cultivators who have reached this stage are truly considered practitioners of cultivation, earning the title of "True Foundation."

Generally speaking, the process of establishing a foundation is often linked to a cultivator's spiritual roots and techniques, typically not exceeding a hundred days, thus the term "Hundred Day Foundation Establishment."

...

Ten days later.

Outside the complex of second-tier caves, a streak of light flew by.

As it landed, a Foundation Establishment cultivator emerged.

Clad in a purple robe and possessing a gallant appearance, he bore a purple jade spiritual sword on his back.

He silently gazed at the rental caves before sending out a sound-transmission talisman.

Soon, Steward Wang hurried over, bowing respectfully, "Greetings, Elder Min!"

This Elder Min Yixing held a mid-stage Foundation Establishment level, directly affiliated with the City Lord's Mansion, overseeing law enforcement in Purple Iris City.

His prowess as a sword cultivator was well-regarded, and his position in the city was undeniably significant—not someone a mere steward could afford to offend.

"Have you seen this person?!"

Min Yixing casually tossed over a jade slip, which contained the visage of a young man in silver, none other than the appearance of the rumored cultivator.

"Reporting to the elder, I saw him ten days ago.

He claimed his surname was Fang, a rogue cultivator who rented a top-grade second-tier cave, intending to establish a foundation..."

Sensing potential trouble, Steward Wang dared not delay, explaining everything in detail.

"Foundation Establishment? And with someone else?"

Min Yixing nodded slightly, "It seems the massacre of the Zhou family was his doing..."

"What?!"

Steward Wang was shocked.

A few days earlier, the Zhou estate was found annihilated, everyone within perished, including the Zhou family ancestor who had even reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

He had always assumed it was the work of some demonic cultivator, never imagining it to be that refined young man.

‘It’s truly a case of knowing the face but not the heart. Luckily, I didn’t intentionally make things difficult, or my old bones would have been in trouble...’

Secretly relieved, Steward Wang quickly said, "He rented Cave Seven of the Jia character group... Elder wishes to...?"

"Lead the way,"

Min Yixing instructed, having the steward lead them to the entrance of Fang Xing’s seclusion. His gaze was deep, contemplating something unknown.

"Are you certain it was his doing?

He’s merely at the Qi Refinement stage, accompanied by a warrior servant... Could he have possibly massacred the entire Zhou family?”

Steward Wang appeared troubled, "The formations of this cave do have secret entrances, but if we forcefully enter, our future credibility might be destroyed..."

"Hmph, before the Zhou family was wiped out, only he visited them.

Later, people saw him leaving the Zhou estate with someone... He is so brazen, suggesting that warrior servant is his protector, at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

With their aura slightly restrained, naturally you wouldn’t notice anything..."

Min Yixing huffed coldly, eyeing the cave, but refrained from rashly entering.

Seeing this, Steward Wang felt assured.

It appeared that despite being a sword cultivator, Elder Min was cautious, unwilling to directly confront the formidable person behind the Zhou family massacre.

Otherwise, forcibly entering the cave would lead to a relentless confrontation.

Fang Xing stood there for a while, deciding to wait alongside Elder Min.

A few days later, the skies above the cave dwelling trembled suddenly. A vortex of spiritual energy appeared, voraciously drawing in the surrounding mist of spiritual energy.

“Is that... a spiritual energy vortex? No doubt about it... someone is attempting Foundation Establishment?!”

Drawn by the vortex, many cultivators gathered around, spotting Elder Min and Steward Wang. His presence startled them, and they hastily moved aside, guessing at the identity of the cave's occupant.

“To attract the energy of the heavens and earth so swiftly?”

Watching the scene unfold, Steward Wang felt a complex mix of sourness and bitterness in his heart.

Years ago, he had failed at Foundation Establishment but was well-versed in the process.

He never imagined that this young lad, who didn't even seem to have fully mastered the Qi Condensation stage, could reach such a level in one attempt.

“The spiritual energy vortex looks quite stable; success seems likely.”

At this, Elder Min spoke, his expression showing amazement and disbelief. “Such a sharp aura... could it be another sword cultivator?”

A few days earlier.

Inside the cave dwelling.

Fang Xing opened the Ever-changing Cauldron and took out two Foundation Establishment Pills.

The faint black line that had once marred the inferior pill had faded away completely.

The other pill, an authentic Foundation Establishment Pill, had shrunk in size, emitting a crystalline, jade-like sheen.

“An exceptional Foundation Establishment Pill.”

Nodding, he sat cross-legged and silently practiced the Foundation Establishment method from the ‘Metamorphosis of Gold’ technique.

In mere moments, he entered a profound and clear state where the spiritual energy within the cave was wildly attracted to him, flooding into his limbs and bones.

“Foundation Establishment... has begun.”

Murmuring to himself, Fang Xing consumed the exceptional pill.

With a whoosh, the pill melted into a warm stream upon reaching his belly, seemingly igniting the spiritual energy completely.

Countless waves of spiritual energy bombarded his body, repeatedly undertaking the process of ‘cleansing the muscles and purifying the marrow.’

A slight sheen of sticky sweat appeared on Fang Xing’s skin.

“Hmm... I must be innately gifted, with all my meridians open. Because I only used top-tier pills for cultivation, there's no pill poison... hence, the cleansing doesn’t yield much impurity.”

“I passed the physical threshold of the three trials of Foundation Establishment with relative ease, experiencing little pain.”

“Even the power of the exceptional Foundation Establishment Pill wasn't greatly depleted...”

Nodding again, he sensed the concentrated pill power amassing in his elixir field, pushing his Qi Cultivation Stage power to surge once more, soon reaching perfection.

Next, the power swirled, taking on a viscous quality, forming a vortex.

Droplet by droplet, a light gold bead of liquid power coalesced at the vortex's center.

It was profoundly thick, resembling a gold pearl, hovering within Fang Xing’s elixir field.

“The liquid mana of a Foundation Establishment cultivator... just a single drop can rival the entire mana of a normal Qi Refinement cultivator. Transforming this mana into a true essence shield, ordinary first-tier methods can't possibly break through.”

Fang Xing nodded, watching drop after drop of pale golden mana appear.

One, two, three...

Six, seven, eight...

Finally, nine whole drops of pale golden 'pearls' floated and sank within the dantian's sea of qi, each drop full and glistening, hinting at a subtle solid state.

“Typically, the amount of liquid mana one refines during the first Foundation Establishment depends on a cultivator's foundation and technique...”

“The weakest Foundation Establishment cultivators might only manage to condense one or two drops of liquid mana...”

“I possess a Heavenly Spiritual Root, even exceeding slightly beyond. Though the Transform Gold Art seems average to me, it's still a technique capable of being cultivated to the Core Formation stage, a feat that ordinary rogue cultivators can't even dream of...”

“In total, that's nine drops of liquid mana? If I had cultivated to complete Qi Refinement before establishing my foundation, perhaps I could have achieved ten drops of liquid mana.”

“However, this mana cap can be enhanced even after Foundation Establishment...”

Fang Xing manipulated the nine drops of liquid mana, barely managing to move them along the Foundation Establishment pathway of the Transform Gold Art.

With each circulation of the technique, he felt his body strengthen slightly, and his mana grew increasingly sharp.

Most crucially, something seemed to be sprouting in his mind, an indication that his spiritual awareness was about to transform into divine sense!

“Now's the moment!”

Fang Xing channeled the remaining medicinal power of the Foundation Pill into his Niwan Palace, and his head exploded with a mighty roar.

Subsequently, a third eye seemed to open at his brow, slowly surveying his whole body and the external world.

Five zhang, ten zhang...

Quickly, he maneuvered his divine sense to overlook the entire cave residence, seeing the 'original self' seated cross-legged outside!

He even attempted diving deeper into his original self's body but was stopped by a mysterious mental force.

“Divine sense perceives the world more minutely than mental force, even carrying a touch of x-ray ability. Common items pose no resistance, hence why my puppet could be seen through...”

Fang Xing opened his eyes: “Though I remember when Su Ye broke through, her divine sense could only cover a ten-zhang radius... Is her 'Spirit' among the three treasures of essence-energy-spirit indeed that frail, or am I just too strong?”

Clearly, after Foundation Establishment, there's an augmentation in every aspect.

He pondered briefly and then raised his hand.

A metallic sword aura, several feet long, materialized, its golden radiance dazzling, with some runes wandering inside.

Surely, destroying the defense of a high-quality magic weapon would just take a single strike.

“Indeed, a Foundation Establishment cultivator truly overwhelms a Qi Refinement cultivator...”

Fang Xing sighed, glanced at himself, and shook his head: “Post Foundation Establishment, magic artifacts become virtually useless. It's best to replace them entirely with spiritual artifacts. That spirit fan suits me poorly; I should sell it and get a second-tier flying sword, a defensive spiritual artifact, and ideally, a flying spiritual artifact as well...”

Although Foundation Establishment cultivators can fly with their physical bodies, for long-distance travel, wasting mana like this is unwise.

He closed his eyes, and upon reopening them, his body instinctively hovered mid-air.

“Is this physical flight? Enveloped in domain power, combined with Air Dance Step, this indeed feels different.”

Fang Xing played briefly, then descended, leaving the cultivation chamber side by side with his original self.

"It seems like things have been quite lively outside while I was in seclusion."

He took out his token for the cave dwelling and slightly relaxed the restriction.

Messages flew in like butterflies, most of them from Qi Refinement cultivators, congratulating him, their senior, on successfully reaching Foundation Establishment.

Only one of them carried the mana fluctuations of a Foundation Establishment-level cultivator.

Fang Xing plucked it gracefully and swept his divine sense over it, smiling slowly. "They've come knocking, haven't they? Looks like we still have room for negotiation; otherwise, they'd have attacked directly..."

"What a pity. I was hoping to witness the combat power of a pseudo-Core Formation cultivator."

…

Outside.

The entrance to the cave dwelling opened with a thunderous sound.

Clad in a silver robe, Fang Xing emerged, his face as handsome as jade, his eyes like polished lacquer, exuding the pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, walking out serenely.

His true self appeared as a common warrior, following behind.

"Indeed, a Foundation Establishment Patriarch!"

"Judging by his appearance, he must have practiced some youth-preserving technique…"

The Qi Refinement cultivators all bowed their heads, offering their congratulations: "Congratulations to Senior on achieving Foundation Establishment. May you enjoy eternal life and prosperity..."

"Hmm, rewards!"

Fang Xing feigned a casual tone, whereupon his true self immediately fetched some low-grade spirit stones, tossing them out willy-nilly.

"Such generosity from Senior!"

The later-stage Qi Refinement cultivators maintained their composure, but the early to mid-stage juniors were overjoyed, collecting the spirit stones while continuously showering him with praises.

Meanwhile, Fang Xing’s gaze had already sharpened on the sole Foundation Establishment cultivator present.

Judging by the mana fluctuations, he might no longer be at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

"Daoist Fang!"

Min Yixing stepped forward, offering a greeting, then glanced at Fang Xing’s true self, his eyes reflecting uncertainty and doubt.

He had initially assumed Fang Xing's true self was akin to a guardian, merely concealing his aura.

Yet face-to-face, Min still perceived him as a mortal devoid of any mana!

Such a method of concealing one's aura is truly astonishing!

"And this is?"

Fang Xing feigned a puzzling expression.

"Senior Fang, this is Senior Min Yixing, an esteemed law enforcer of this city... He has been protecting you in the outside world for many days."

Steward Wang hastily introduced.

"I see, my gratitude to Daoist Min for your protection." Fang Xing naturally realized that the so-called "protection" was merely a formality, yet one doesn't strike a smiling person, so he accepted it graciously.

"This place is rather noisy; why not come to my residence for a chat?" Min Yixing cordially invited.

"It would be my pleasure."

Fang Xing laughed heartily as the two transformed into streaks of light, soaring into the sky under the envious gazes of the Qi Refinement cultivators, swiftly disappearing from sight.

...

Min Yixing's cave dwelling was unexpectedly infused with third-tier spiritual energy.

Perched atop a small peak, it was a pavilion with an exquisite and ancient design.

In front of the pavilion, there was a patch of unusual flowers and grasses, their roots resembling swords, standing straight towards the sky, with specks of golden light gleaming like fireflies among them.

“Is this... Sword Cage Grass?”

When Fang Xing saw these acres of grass, he couldn't help but marvel, “Using this grass as the main material, one can mix a Sword Pool. It's perfect for refining flying swords...”

“Haha, you truly must be a sword cultivator as well.”

Min Yixing invited Fang Xing to the second floor of the pavilion and personally made tea for him, “This is my treasured 'Thousand Rocks Competing in Splendor', have a taste.”

“You invited me here, I doubt it's just for tea, right?” Fang Xing asked, insinuatingly.

“Haha, indeed, I wanted to ask, what connection do you have with the annihilation of the Zhou family?”

As Min Yixing finished speaking, he fixed his gaze firmly on Fang Xing's true form.

Fang Xing's true form smiled slightly and sat down directly, “It was my doing!”

“Why?”

Min Yixing frowned.

“My nephew went to him for the concoction of Foundation Establishment pills, but that old fool Zhou deceived him, so I killed them all.” Fang Xing shrugged.

“I see, then the Zhou family's fate was well-deserved. In Purple Swallow Immortal City, we uphold honest trade and absolutely despise big businesses bullying customers...”

Min Yixing nodded, seemingly convinced, “Oh right, I forgot to tell you... the Zhou family of Purple Green Lake has been eradicated by rogue cultivators recently, and their name no longer exists in these parts.”

Hearing this, Fang Xing couldn't help but fall silent.

Had he not slaughtered the Zhou family's ancestor, they might have lived in peace.

Yet, given a hundred chances again, he would surely still kill the Zhou family ancestor, no doubt in his mind.

“Do you and your nephew have any plans to open a spiritual field for cultivation? If so... I can authorize you to rent in Purple Green Lake, what do you say?”

Min Yixing offered suddenly.

“Purple Green Lake, a place for cultivation?”

Fang Xing fell into deep thought.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, his split soul indeed needed a second-tier spiritual land for cultivation.

Simultaneously, he felt a chill in his heart: ‘This world's cultivators are indeed fickle... After the Zhou family ancestor died, particularly after I reached Foundation Establishment, all ties were severed... Now they want to cooperate with me...’

This realization made Fang Xing feel the capriciousness of the world.

‘But, this must be a test, right?’

After thinking it through, he chuckled softly and replied, “I have no intention of establishing any power; just having a place in Purple Swallow Immortal City to cultivate with a second-tier cave dwelling is enough...”

“I see, I was being presumptuous.”

Min Yixing sipped his spirit tea, his face revealing no emotion.

(End of Chapter)