Five Tides

The waterfall where Shen Yi stood had begun to flow backward into the sky. The enormous treasure cauldron overhead spun without cease, drawing in the qi of heaven and earth until it grew ever more vast, finally blotting out the sky above.

From afar, the treasure cauldron's imposing aura was enough to make every cultivator who saw it suck in a cold breath, shaken to the core.

Beneath the giant cauldron, every breath Shen Yi took stirred the spiritual qi. With each inhalation and exhalation, the spiritual qi rose and fell. This was a true tide.

"That's Kong Ming!"

Someone in the crowd recognized Shen Yi and cried out. The entire Qingxuan Sect was stunned.

"As expected of a peerless genius who burst onto the scene—he's actually the first cultivator in the secret realm to achieve Earthly Dao Foundation Establishment!"

"Anyone capable of killing the Song brothers is no weakling. I need to hurry as well!"

Spurred on by Shen Yi, many people departed one after another, each seeking out a Law Node to begin Foundation Establishment.

For a time, thunderous rumbles rang out across the entire secret realm as countless streams of spiritual qi were dragged through heaven and earth.

Deep within the snowy mountains, a violent surge of spiritual power shot through the clouds, frantically tearing at the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.

"Another ruthless cultivator achieving Earthly Dao Foundation Establishment!"

"He's a disciple of our Blazing Fire Sect!"

Everyone was astonished. In such a short span of time, a second person had appeared who could stir up a vortex of spiritual qi.

Shen Yi had no time to concern himself with others. He focused all his strength on breaking through the first Spiritual Qi Tide.

Spiritual qi entered his body, entered his dantian, and transformed into spiritual liquid. When the sea of qi became a sea of spirit, Foundation Establishment was achieved.

One tide formed one layer of spirit sea. At the peak of Earthly Dao Foundation Establishment came nine tides and nine spirit seas. In the Qingxuan Sect's hundred-year history, no one had ever accomplished this. Even seven tides of Earthly Dao Foundation Establishment had been achieved by only two people.

Time passed. The treasure cauldron above Shen Yi gradually stopped growing. Just as everyone believed his Foundation Establishment had failed, Shen Yi let out a low roar. The roar struck the cauldron and spread outward like thunder, shaking people's hearts. After the roar faded, the treasure cauldron expanded once more.

In an instant, the spirit cauldron within him abruptly contracted, continuously refining the spiritual power in his dantian. The spiritual power was compressed to its limit, forming a bead the size of a soybean. The next moment, it exploded with a boom, bursting through his meridians and abruptly spreading through every inch of his flesh and blood.

Shen Yi's entire body trembled. At that moment, his dantian collapsed and shattered into pieces, then gathered together again to form a vast sea.

Spiritual qi transformed into a sea—success!

"Dong—"

The spirit sea struck the treasure cauldron, producing a resonant tone.

"What?! The first Spiritual Qi Tide truly succeeded—Earthly Dao Foundation Establishment!"

It was not over yet.

Shen Yi shouted, his voice resounding through heaven and earth. Another spirit cauldron formed within his body, and likewise, a corresponding giant cauldron appeared in the sky. It was even larger than the first, so conspicuous that countless people looked up.

"The second tide is stronger than the first. Every tide is more majestic than the last and absorbs even more spiritual qi."

"Damn it! We must stop him. Once he uses his cultivation art to complete three or four tides, I'm afraid none of us will have another chance at Foundation Establishment!"

Just as the cultivators in the secret realm were in a state of utter panic, earthshaking booms erupted from several other directions. Amid the roars, three to five spirit cauldrons suddenly appeared in the sky.

As those spirit cauldrons emerged, clouds churned in all directions, forcibly dragging in the spiritual qi of this world and standing alongside Shen Yi beneath heaven and earth.

"Six spirit cauldrons have appeared. We must stop them!"

In their desperation, everyone's eyes turned red. Those who had begun Foundation Establishment fought desperately to trigger tides, while those who had not begun ran about disrupting and killing cultivators who were establishing their foundations.

Shen Yi took a deep breath. The second Spiritual Qi Tide had already ended, and he felt the spirit sea within him had doubled in size.

"Third tide! Release it—icy qi!"

Shen Liang roared. The cold qi stored in his left arm instantly spread out, freezing the entire waterfall. Flurries of snow even began to fall from the sky. Endless cold qi spread into the air along with the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, and a third treasure cauldron abruptly appeared.

"What is that? From so far away, I can already feel its chill!"

The treasure cauldron condensed from ice slowly rotated. Under the erosion of the cold qi, Shen Yi's spirit sea froze, quickly becoming covered in white snow.

The world sank into silence. Then came a faint sound as the treasure cauldron trembled, followed by an earthshaking ring:

"Dong—"

The ice and snow shattered bit by bit. Shen Yi's spirit sea finally broke through the ice and frantically absorbed the icy qi. The third tide was complete.

"We absolutely cannot let him continue! Fellow Daoists, charge and kill him!"

At last, some cultivators recovered from their shock. Gathering the cultivators around them, they charged at Shen Yi, seeking to snuff him out.

Shen Yi snorted coldly. Seeing more than a dozen cultivators charging toward him, his gaze turned icy.

"Fourth tide! Battle art: Godfall Halberd Art!"

With a thought from Shen Yi, the Coiled Dragon Halberd shot into the sky. Its black radiance transformed into a black dragon that howled as it surged upward.

A fourth spiritual qi treasure cauldron appeared in the sky!

Within his body, a fourth spirit cauldron also appeared. A vast suction force instantly unfurled, seeking to swallow all the spiritual qi in heaven and earth like a whale gulping down the sea.

The black dragon circled and howled around the cauldron, its aura shaking the heavens and making the giant cauldron spin even faster.

"Fifth tide, emerge!"

Shen Yi shouted. Before his words had even faded, two giant cauldrons appeared in the sky, a sight that truly horrified everyone.

A decayed aura permeated the air. It was the deathly aura devoured by the Coiled Dragon Halberd, carrying the momentum to destroy all things. The black dragon dove downward, and with a single rise and fall, sent everyone sprawling.

"Get lost!"

A dark, ghostly light flickered in Shen Yi's eyes. He looked terrifying, like a cold statue devoid of all emotion, making those dozen people too afraid to move even half a step.

Just as Shen Yi rebuked them, several distant giant cauldrons simultaneously rang out. Their second spirit cauldrons had already appeared.

From the depths of the snowy mountains, a third tide had already appeared.

As the situation grew increasingly urgent, the dozen or so people finally broke through their fear. Releasing their spiritual power, they charged at him once more.

Impatience flashed through Shen Yi's eyes. At last, his anger was roused. The Coiled Dragon Halberd descended from the sky, wrapped in boundless spiritual power, and crashed down in a single strike.

"Boom!"

The enormous blast made hearts tremble. When the smoke and dust dispersed, a massive crater had appeared before Shen Yi. The Coiled Dragon Halberd hovered in midair, blood dripping from its blade. As for the dozen people who had tried to hinder him, they had been pulverized beneath that strike.

The slaughter in the other areas was even more brutal. To save their own lives, many cultivators in the midst of Foundation Establishment had no choice but to stop, fighting the disruptors with hearts full of fury. Then, they vented their hatred and rage at being unable to establish their foundations upon the other cultivators still undergoing Foundation Establishment.

Before long, just as everyone had gone mad and their eyes turned red, a thunderous boom erupted from the waterfall where Shen Yi stood. The fifth tide had ended.

Above the heavens, the black dragon roared. Within Shen Yi's body, two even more majestic and boundless spirit seas appeared.

"He's already reached five tides. Even in the sect's hundred-year history, only a handful of people have accomplished such a feat."

"Look, it seems it isn't over yet. A sixth tide seems to be forming!"

"Blazing Fire Sect disciples, heed my command! Stop Kong Ming with all your strength!"

Shen Yi felt the surging spiritual power within him, as if he possessed inexhaustible strength. Watching the cultivators continuously surround and attack him, his expression remained cold and stern.

"Dragon Elephant Fist—Dragon Force!"