The searing pain lasted for a full half hour before gradually subsiding.
Supporting himself against the side of the vat, Zhao Huai barely managed to sit up, then continued absorbing the medicinal power.
He was drenched in sweat, as though he had just fought a great battle. His entire body felt sticky, coated in a layer of gray residue that gave off a strange smell.
Yet Zhao Huai was exceptionally excited, because he discovered that the efficiency of the True Qi circulating through his meridians had increased tremendously, and it had also been nourished by the medicinal bath.
The True Qi within his body had turned to mist, showing signs of transforming into true essence.
The Foundation Establishment Pill had merely begun altering his meridians, yet even this initial alteration was countless times stronger than Qi Refinement.
The heat in his dantian began to spread, flowing throughout his body. Gradually, he began to feel comfortable, as if he were soaking in a hot spring.
Zhao Huai's bones had already been strengthened by the Bone Refinement Like Jade destiny. They were incomparably hard, and after the Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Transforming, his bones seemed to have been coated in fluorescent powder, emitting a faint glow.
He had indeed followed the normal Foundation Establishment process, but after the first round of Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Transforming ended, a great deal of lingering medicinal power remained unabsorbed within him. That was because similar steps had to be repeated several times.
Foundation Establishment was a process of refining one's cultivation anew.
The advantages of choosing a safe place for secluded cultivation were obvious. He could remain in the basement for three days and three nights without going out.
All that time was spent converting the true essence within his body, absorbing medicinal power, and nurturing magical power.
True essence was the formal term; magical power was the common name.
After all, this was only the beginning.
A day and a night passed.
Zhao Huai endured the agony of marrow cleansing. The same experience had to be repeated several times, and eventually he gradually went numb to it. At the same time, fewer and fewer impurities seeped out of his body, indicating that the marrow cleansing was nearing its limit.
Then there was the fact that his aptitude truly was rather ordinary. If it had been an outstanding sect disciple, they probably could have successfully entered the Foundation Establishment Realm after a single marrow cleansing.
Yet he needed several rounds, enduring the pain again and again.
For the remainder of the process, Zhao Huai continued adjusting his body's condition.
On the second night, he finally refined all of his True Qi into true essence.
His meridians were filled with magical power. Compared with True Qi, it was denser and more powerful in quality, appearing in a mist-like state, a substance resembling clouds.
He discovered that even though the Foundation Establishment process was already more than halfway complete, a great deal of medicinal power still remained in his body.
Zhao Huai did not stand on ceremony and simply turned all of it into a source of magical power.
This was an excellent opportunity to increase his magical power.
His entire body grew scorching hot once more. Zhao Huai mobilized all the remaining medicinal power, converting it into more true essence and consolidating his cultivation.
The third day.
His entire body finally reached saturation. With a crack, it was as though a lock had shattered, and his cultivation completely entered a brand-new stage.
Foundation Establishment Realm, achieved! A flash of spiritual light passed through Zhao Huai's eyes. He had never felt so good before.
His Lower Dantian brimmed with true essence and immense strength; his Upper Dantian, his sea of consciousness, was likewise vigorous, his spiritual power solidified.
"Finally, I succeeded!"
Zhao Huai shouted in boundless excitement.
His physical body had been tempered until it was impervious to all assaults, far harder than Spirit Jade. Blades and spears could not harm him, his strength could carry ten thousand jun; phrases like a body of steel had already become beneath him. He had stepped into an entirely new level.
The entire process had been filled with hardship. Perhaps there had been no earth-shattering spectacle, but the changes within his body were unquestionably immense!
Zhao Huai stood up, but because his movement was too forceful, the large vat beneath his feet shattered directly, crushed apart by a single step.
Splash!
The medicinal bathwater, filled with black impurities, spilled all over the floor.
Zhao Huai scratched his head awkwardly as he looked at the increasingly handsome face reflected in the water.
He clenched his fist, feeling the strength in his body. The muscles in his arms were incredibly full, and his abdominal muscles were sharply defined.
This warm, explosive power thrilled him beyond measure.
He slapped the ground with his large hand. With a splat, water splashed up.
The splashing droplets floated in midair, slowly coming to a stop as they glimmered faintly.
With a gentle wave of his hand, Zhao Huai turned the water into the shape of a sharp sword and shot it outward.
A dark-blue Sword Qi suddenly formed, piercing through the underground rock layer.
Boom!
The commotion was far from small, and the entire basement trembled.
Simply infusing magical power into ordinary water could unleash such formidable strength.
If he learned Sword Arts and spells, what kind of effects would they produce?
Thinking of this, Zhao Huai grew excited once more.
His most urgent task was indeed to find a few cultivation techniques to practice.
At the same time, the Soul-Subduing Mind Technique within his sea of consciousness naturally advanced to its second stage.
His spiritual power could now be released outward, intimidating external enemies.
In other words, pressure.
"It's time to leave seclusion."
Zhao Huai brushed the dust from his clothes, changed into a white robe, and left the basement.
Huai Pawnshop was furnished exquisitely.
The basement lay beneath the left side of the study. To the right was the kitchen, while behind it were the garden and rear courtyard. Altogether, it provided access to every corner of the place.
When Zhao Huai emerged from the basement, he happened to arrive in the study.
The study was antique and elegant. Inside stood a rosewood Eight Immortals table, upon which lay talisman paper, an inkstone, and several towering stacks of business ledgers. Beside it sat a large-bellied, wide-mouthed blue-and-white porcelain jar, filled with more than a dozen rolled Xuan paper paintings.
Farther back stood a wooden screen painted vermilion and decorated with golden flowers, vaguely revealing one corner of a bed behind it.
His wife was adjusting a vase, carefully arranging flowers.
"Wife."
Zhao Huai curled his lips into a smile, his large hand mischievously settling on her slender waist.
Hearing his voice, Yu Qinghan turned to look. When she saw him, delight appeared between her brows.
"Husband, did you leave seclusion smoothly?"
Zhao Huai chuckled. "Yes, it went smoothly. It took a little longer, but I advanced steadily and made quite a few breakthroughs."
"Cultivation isn't as difficult as I imagined."
"It's good that you broke through."
The smile on Yu Qinghan's face deepened. Then she deliberately puffed out her cheeks and instructed him,
"The first three realms of Qi Refinement only require diligence, hard work, and the assistance of pills. It is normal to cultivate quickly. What comes later will not be so simple."
"I know. I'll just keep working hard."
Seeing Zhao Huai's earnest expression, Yu Qinghan revealed a gratified smile. Then, remembering something, she added,
"Husband, I have been planning to renovate the shop lately, add a few furnishings, and raise some little creatures—cats and dogs, for example. What do you think?"
"Of course."
Without a second thought, Zhao Huai readily agreed.
When he had lived alone, he had grown used to being plain and low-key. He had not hired servants or shop assistants, lacked the patience to tend plants, and had even less interest in caring for pets.
Now that his wife had married him, it was long past time to improve their quality of life. They should add some furnishings, animals, and plants. At the very least, the place should feel warmer, more like a household.
"Whatever you need, just tell me. I'll go buy it. I've been cooped up underground for three days, so it will be good to get some fresh air."
Zhao Huai patted his chest and voluntarily took on the errand.
Yu Qinghan took out a sheet of Xuan paper from the table and smiled. "Then I'll trouble you, Husband. I have a separate list of the items here. Just buy according to it."
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