My Foundation Establishment Seemed a Little Off?

Night fell.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of an unknown Grandmaster and three True Disciples, Lu Ze's Demonic Value had already surpassed the two-thousand-point mark.

He could now achieve Foundation Establishment.

According to ancient records, the Myriad Manifestations Xuan Demon Immortal Physique caused an enormous commotion when it broke through.

To avoid exposure, Lu Ze chose to leave the dormitory and head for the Back Mountain.

In the world of cultivation, the weak were prey to the strong.

Even in a Righteous Path sect, there was no guarantee that some people did not harbor wicked intentions.

His Myriad Manifestations Xuan Demon Immortal Physique was exceedingly rare.

He understood the principle that a common man was innocent, but possessing jade made him guilty.

If some ill-intentioned Grandmaster set their sights on him, his days ahead would likely be anything but peaceful.

After finding a secluded spot with no one around, Lu Ze took out a set of array stones for concealing one's aura from his Storage Ring and arranged them around himself.

He had bought this formation from a disciple of the Formation Array Pavilion, specifically to conceal one's aura.

It was said to completely isolate the aura of cultivators below the Golden Core Realm.

The Ice Breath Technique he had received from Li Moran that afternoon was a high-level Spell for concealing one's aura, but he had no proficiency in it and could not use it very smoothly.

In any case, he was only achieving Foundation Establishment. Even if the commotion was a little bigger, how big could it possibly be?

The Qi Concealment Array should have been enough.

To be safe, he set up two sets, then sat cross-legged in the center.

Holding his breath and calming his mind, he opened the panel.

"System, add points!"

Seeing that there was no one around, Lu Ze gave a solemn shout.

With a thought, all two thousand points of Demonic Value were added to his realm.

There was none of the struggle and pain he had imagined would come with breaking through a bottleneck.

With the system's help, Lu Ze's breakthrough came as naturally as water flowing into a channel, extraordinarily smooth.

Other than the incomparably massive aura that had suddenly appeared within him, Lu Ze's only feeling was:

Was that it?

He had achieved Foundation Establishment just like that?

He closed his eyes and carefully sensed the spiritual power within his body, which had transformed into spiritual liquid,

as well as the liquid vortex at his dantian described in the books—the spiritual lake.

Only,

the spiritual lakes of Foundation Establishment cultivators described in the books were usually mere trickles when they first formed.

Most people's spiritual lakes were only small ponds.

But why was his spiritual lake as vast as the sea, bottomless and boundless?

Lu Ze naturally did not suspect that cultivators had rather vague ideas about the sizes of "rivers," "lakes," and "seas."

So the answer could only be his Myriad Manifestations Xuan Demon Immortal Physique.

"As expected of something that needs ten times the Demonic Value to level up. It's freaking awesome."

Lu Ze praised it with satisfaction.

Just then.

Within the spiritual lake... no, the spiritual sea, a violent storm suddenly rose.

The surrounding spiritual energy gathered toward him as though it had gone mad.

How had Lu Ze ever seen such a spectacle before?

He inwardly cried out in alarm and hurriedly took the last set of Qi Concealment Array stones from his Storage Ring, placing them around himself.

The instant he finished setting them down, the first set of array stones suddenly shattered into fragments.

Immediately afterward, cracks appeared in the second set as well.

Above his head.

Beneath the deep starry sky, enormous phantom images suddenly appeared one after another...

Numinous Ascent Peak.

Second Elder Ding Mingcang stared at the phenomenon in the night sky, his eyes full of astonishment.

"Has any Steward of Glazed Fire Peak broken through recently?"

He set down his cup, cast a glance aside, and asked the peak's Steward beside him.

"Not that I have heard."

The Steward shook his head.

"Such a strange heavenly phenomenon... what a pity, truly."

Ding Mingcang shook his head, not taking it too seriously.

In the night sky, the phantom images shifted.

From flowers and grass to insects and beasts, there were occasionally human figures, but nothing particularly remarkable.

A breakthrough that drew forth heavenly phenomena meant this person had considerable talent.

But the phenomenon was so ordinary...

Most likely because the Cultivation Method this person practiced was unimpressive.

It would have been fine if they had been discovered earlier.

Now that they had already reached the Spirit Transformation Stage, altering their foundation would probably be difficult.

Still, a cultivator capable of drawing forth heavenly phenomena had some strength, at the very least.

Ding Mingcang was about to pick up the cup he had just set down and continue drinking tea.

The light outside the window suddenly flared brightly.

The ordinary phantom image suddenly transformed into a Vajra with three heads and six arms, crushing heaven and earth beneath its feet.

The surprise in Ding Mingcang's eyes turned to horror.

The moment his fingertips touched the cup, it abruptly disintegrated into Powder.

He had no time to think. His powerful Spiritual Sense instantly sped toward Glazed Fire Peak.

At the same time.

Within several spirit peaks, the Elders activated their Spiritual Sense one after another and probed toward Glazed Fire Peak...

Quenching Fire Peak.

Zhong Yi and Mu Yawen, who had been happily battling each other, suddenly withdrew from the Illusion Realm together and stared in shock toward Glazed Fire Peak.

"Junior Brother Mu, an expert has broken through. It seems the sect's Celestial Bridge will flourish even more."

"To be able to draw forth heavenly phenomena, they must be at least in the Transformation God Realm... no, definitely beyond the Transformation God Realm. I cannot sense even the slightest aura!"

The moment cultivation matters were mentioned, Mu Yawen immediately became serious.

Zhong Yi looked at the flickering phantoms in the sky, his expression strange as he said:

"Why are these phantom images so strange? The Vajra crushing heaven and earth, the scholar holding a Scroll, the fairy flying on a sword... They somehow feel a little like you, me, and Junior Sister Li."

"And what is that immortal wielding the power of lightning? It cannot be the Grand Elder, can it?"

"Perhaps I am overthinking it."

Zhong Yi nodded.

He recalled that before those shocking phantoms had appeared, there had been many unimpressive images as well.

Insects, ants, grass, beasts, immortals, gods, humans, demons—ever-changing and boundless in variety.

"With my realm, I still cannot see through the meaning of these phantom images... The road of cultivation is long and arduous!"

Zhong Yi sighed and resolved to cultivate diligently.

"Senior Brother, I picked up a Superior Fire Talisman. You are going to lose again."

"You fucking sneak-attacked me! This round does not count. Again!"

Sword Inquiry Mountain.

Li Moran opened her eyes.

The phantom of a woman with a frosty face, flying on a sword, flashed past.

"Was it him?"

Ice-colored light flowed through Li Moran's beautiful eyes.

The cultivator on Glazed Fire Peak who had drawn forth heavenly phenomena.

For some reason, Li Moran's first thought was of the cultivator who had concealed his identity while fighting her that afternoon.

"Truly extraordinary."

In just an instant, Li Moran's aura calmed.

Her heart was clear as a mirror.

"One day..."

"I will defeat you."

At this moment.

Lu Ze knew something huge had happened.

In his three years at the Spirit Cloud Sect, he had never seen any cultivator cause such a tremendous commotion when breaking through.

Most crucially...

He had only just achieved Foundation Establishment!!

If he were caught, it would be one thing for the Myriad Manifestations Xuan Demon Immortal Physique to be discovered.

But if the secret that he was on the Demon Path, or the secret that he possessed a system, were discovered, then he would truly be finished!

There was no need to think about it. The Spiritual Sense of the Elders from the major spirit peaks would definitely cover this area at any moment!

In his panic, Lu Ze suddenly recalled the Spell he had received from Li Moran that afternoon.

"Ice Breath Technique!"

Lu Ze's eyes lit up.

According to its description, once this technique was cultivated to mastery, it could even evade the Divine Sense Probe of the Integration Realm!

Although he only had beginner-level proficiency at the moment,

he had another reward—

the ten years of martial insight he had received from Zhong Yi!

With that thought, he opened the system again.

"Ten years of martial insight... enlighten me!"

A massive amount of insight into cultivating the Ice Breath Technique suddenly appeared in his mind, as though he had truly studied it for ten years.

In an instant, his Ice Breath Technique had reached mastery.

Generally speaking, ten years of study could not raise the Ice Breath Technique from beginner level to mastery.

Not even Li Moran herself could do that.

But he possessed the Myriad Manifestations Xuan Demon Immortal Physique! When it came to cultivation, he stood in a league of his own!

With no time to think further, Lu Ze hurriedly used the Ice Breath Technique.

Almost at the same time, the divine thoughts of several Elders gathered in the Back Mountain.

Several streams of Spiritual Sense continuously moved around Lu Ze.

Yet they could never detect the slightest trace of his aura.

"Hoo..."

Lu Ze let out a breath.

At last, he had escaped this calamity.