Chapter 134: Wang Xingwei’s Foundation Establishment
Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Wang Xingwei’s Foundation Establishment
The Immortal City conducted a large-scale investigation into Yan Liming’s attempted Possession for some time, but ultimately found nothing.
Yan Liming himself never appeared again. Left with no other choice, the Immortal City could only set the matter aside for the time being.
Before long, peace returned to the Immortal City.
On this day, the sky was clear and vast. Gentle sunlight spilled across the land, bathing the mountain valleys in the vibrant warmth of spring.
Inside Zhang Tie’s cave abode on Cyan Dragon Mountain.
Zhang Tie was packing, attended by his wives and concubines, preparing to head to the Immortal City to manage its logistical affairs.
Four years as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator had changed him; he was no longer the simple, honest young man he once was.
He now wore a pale blue Magic Robe, cinched with an interwoven gold and silver belt. A tall crown sat upon his head, and on his feet was a pair of black, high boots that were Dharma Artifacts.
He radiated confidence and authority. He looked less like a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and more like a high-ranking official from a mortal dynasty.
This was no surprise. As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, his status was inherently noble, and his recent appointment as the steward of logistics for the Immortal City had granted him even greater power and influence.
Never mind Low-tier Cultivators; even his peers had to approach him with careful flattery if they needed a favor.
Holding such a high position and looking down upon the masses of cultivators, he had naturally developed an air of authority.
Zhang Tie smiled at his wives and concubines and said, "Take good care of the children. I might be home late today."
At his words, his wives and concubines all nodded obediently.
Having instructed his wives and concubines, Zhang Tie walked outside. But just as he was about to leave his cave abode...
Suddenly—
The Spiritual Qi throughout the entire cave abode began to surge violently.
’What is this?’ Zhang Tie’s gaze fell upon a small hut in the courtyard, a look of surprise crossing his face.
He could clearly sense that the source of the surging Spiritual Qi was the small hut. And inside that hut was... Wang Xingwei, the man Cheng Yao had brought here to borrow his cave abode for his attempt at Foundation Establishment.
Zhang Tie was well aware of Wang Xingwei’s situation, and he greatly admired the man. ’To actually dare to attempt Foundation Establishment without a Foundation Establishment Pill!’
Just then, as Zhang Tie watched...
Above the hut, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi rapidly converged, gradually forming a spiritual vortex dozens of yards in diameter!
’To get this far without a Foundation Establishment Pill... I hope you succeed.’ With that silent blessing, Zhang Tie strode out of his cave abode.
...
Several days later, as a hastily-arrived Cheng Yao and Zhang Tie watched on...
The Spiritual Qi vortex above the hut collapsed with a clear, resonant cry. As it dispersed, a beautiful, rosy glow faintly emerged from within.
Then, a vast wave of Spiritual Pressure surged from the hut, forcing Cheng Yao to take several involuntary steps back.
She looked at Zhang Tie in disbelief. "Second Brother, did he... did he succeed?"
"Yes, his Foundation Establishment was a success." Zhang Tie nodded with certainty. "Wang Xingwei is now a Foundation Establishment Cultivator."
As he spoke, his expression was one of admiration, tinged with a hint of envy.
It was said that a Dual Spirit Root cultivator had about a thirty percent chance of success even without a Foundation Establishment Pill.
So, in theory, they could attempt Foundation Establishment directly without the pill.
But in reality, forget Dual Spirit Root cultivators—even those with Abnormal Spiritual Roots, who had a fifty percent chance of success on their own, would still prepare a Foundation Establishment Pill beforehand.
After all, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage was nothing like ordinary cultivation. Failure carried the risk of death.
To attempt Foundation Establishment without a pill was to gamble with one’s life.
Aside from cultivators with a Celestial Spiritual Root, for whom Foundation Establishment was a natural process, no one else dared to try it.
Of course, a cultivator who achieved Foundation Establishment on their own...
...generally possessed far deeper and more abundant Magical Power than their peers. They would also find it easier to break through future bottlenecks.
This was why Zhang Tie felt a flicker of envy. Now that Wang Xingwei had succeeded in his Foundation Establishment, he could easily overpower him.
’He really succeeded.’ Hearing Zhang Tie’s confirmation, Cheng Yao’s expression grew complex.
Wang Xingwei had succeeded in his Foundation Establishment. He was now a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, his status and standing a world apart from her own.
CREAK!
As they watched, the door to the hut was pushed gently open, and Wang Xingwei slowly stepped out.
Seeing the two of them, he calmly cupped his hands in salute. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Zhang."
Zhang Tie smiled in return. "My congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment, Fellow Daoist Wang. You are one step closer to immortality."
"I must also thank you, Fellow Daoist Zhang, for lending me your cave abode. Without it, how could I have possibly succeeded in my Foundation Establishment?" Wang Xingwei said gratefully.
Zhang Tie accepted his thanks with a smile, assuring him it was no trouble at all.
Wang Xingwei was a cultivator with Dual Spirit Roots who had also achieved Foundation Establishment unassisted. His future was boundless, and Zhang Tie was more than happy to build a good relationship with him.
As the two men chatted, Cheng Yao stood to the side, mouth slightly agape, unable to get a word in.
For some reason, watching Wang Xingwei speak so eloquently and with such confidence—a complete change from before—...
...the ignored Cheng Yao felt a strange sense of grievance well up inside her. ’So now that you’ve reached Foundation Establishment, you don’t even see me anymore? And after I took care of you for so long! The only reason you could even attempt your breakthrough here is because I begged Second Brother for you. Hmph! You jerk!’
Just as she was sulking in silence, Wang Xingwei finished his pleasantries with Zhang Tie and finally turned to her. "Sister Cheng Yao," he said, "let’s go home. We can visit Fellow Daoist Zhang again another time."
"Huh? Go home?" Cheng Yao looked up to see Wang Xingwei watching her with a smile.
While Cheng Yao was still in a daze, Wang Xingwei took her hand and bid farewell to Zhang Tie.
Zhang Tie nodded with a knowing smile. He could tell there was something unusual about the relationship between his fourth sister and this Fellow Daoist Wang.
...
Time flowed by like a river.
As Li Ping spent his days on Alchemy, cultivation, and feeding his bird, another year passed in the blink of an eye.
This year, aside from the incident with Yan Liming’s attempted Possession at the start, Li Ping’s life had been uneventful. He spent most of his time in arduous, secluded cultivation.
He broke his seclusion only twice.
The first time, he had run out of the Spirit Medicines needed to refine Tier Two Lower Grade Peiyuan Pills. He had to emerge to sell his finished Pills and purchase a new supply of ingredients for Alchemy.
The second time was for a grand auction held in the Immortal City’s black market. Many unique items were being sold, so numerous Foundation Establishment Cultivators from all over the Western Wilderness Cultivation Realm made special trips to the Immortal City to attend.
Among the participants were even disguised Demon Cultivators.
Li Ping seized the opportunity to sell off all the Dharma Artifacts he had taken from the Demon Cultivator, which were of no use to him. He exchanged them for medicinal herbs several centuries old, which he needed for his Alchemy.
Furthermore, having experienced the benefits of a Talisman Treasure...
...flush with cash, he acted decisively at the auction, spending 3,200 Spirit Stones to acquire a Talisman Treasure known as the ’Void Seal,’ adding another trump card to his arsenal.
He also took the opportunity to spend a fortune on a batch of exotic poisons, which he fed to his Blood Banner to refine.
The potency of the Blood Banner’s blood-corroding venom was now significantly greater than it had been during his great battle with Liu Wusheng.
...
「Immortal Peach Mountain Cave Abode.」
Zhang Tie, Gumu Sheng, Cheng Yao, and Bai Qing arrived one after another.
The five of them sat together in a pavilion.
Li Ping swept his Divine Sense over the other four, taking in their cultivation levels at a glance.
Zhang Tie’s situation was self-evident. He was now preoccupied with making babies and managing the Immortal City’s logistics, leaving him almost no time to cultivate.
Gumu Sheng had broken through to the Qi Refining Ninth Level two years ago. Even after two years of arduous cultivation, he was still a ways off from the Peak of Qi Refining. He might reach it next year and be able to attempt his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.
Thanks to the advantage of her Three Spirit Roots, Cheng Yao had finally reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level, catching up to Gumu Sheng’s cultivation stage.
Of course, having only just broken through, the depth of her Magical Power was still inferior to Gumu Sheng’s.
Finally, there was Bai Qing. After a year of hard cultivation, he had made significant progress at the Qi Refining Seventh Level. He might even break through to the eighth level before their gathering next year!
Seeing that everyone had progressed over the past year, Li Ping couldn’t help but look pleased.
After reviewing everyone’s cultivation progress, it was time to contribute to the Foundation Establishment Fund.
Neither Cheng Yao nor Bai Qing had any plans to increase their contributions. Thus, this period’s deposit to the Foundation Establishment Fund was still 560 Spirit Stones, bringing the total to 2,660 Spirit Stones.
With the routine business concluded, the group began to recount their gains and losses over the past year.
Zhang Tie said with some embarrassment that since he was now the Immortal City’s logistics Steward, his daily duties were so demanding that he had temporarily set aside his study of Artifact Refining to focus on administrative work.
He would probably only be able to resume his research into Artifact Refining after he grew more accustomed to his duties.
Li Ping gave him a strange look at these words, reminding him that a cultivator’s personal skills were their true foundation, and that he shouldn’t get too engrossed in administrative tasks.
Zhang Tie nodded, saying he understood.
But just when Li Ping thought Zhang Tie was finished, he brought up something else. He looked around at the others and said gravely, "I heard a rumor. Because of that business with Ye Chen, our master is preparing to put two Foundation Establishment Pills up for sale at next year’s Immortal City auction to restore the city’s reputation."
"Two Foundation Establishment Pills?" At these words, a look of delight appeared on Gumu Sheng’s face.
He had been planning to bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill at next year’s auction. If two were available, his chances of securing one would increase dramatically.
"Yes." Zhang Tie nodded, but then shook his head. "But it’s just hearsay. I can’t be sure if it’s true."
Gumu Sheng’s eyes gleamed. "I hope it’s true."
In truth, he already had one Foundation Establishment Pill stored with Li Ping. But as a cultivator with Four Spirit Roots, a single pill was no guarantee of success. He was hoping to use the Foundation Establishment Fund to win another one at next year’s Immortal City auction.
Two Foundation Establishment Pills, plus the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object he had acquired long ago, the Jade Heart Liquid.
With those, his chances of a successful Foundation Establishment would be greatly increased.
Hearing that there might be two Foundation Establishment Pills, Cheng Yao’s heart also stirred. With her Three Spirit Roots aptitude, she could reach the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Level within two years.
However, the Immortal City auction was held only once every five years. If she reached the peak in two years, she’d miss next year’s auction and have to wait another three years for the one after that.
But if two Foundation Establishment Pills were available at this upcoming auction, it seemed she might be able to secure one in advance.
With their minds occupied, the two of them gave only a brief account of their experiences over the past year.
Finally, it was Bai Qing’s turn. His experiences were much the same as usual, but Li Ping could sense that he seemed much more relaxed. He had likely moved past the troubles with his family.