Within Lingxu Sacred Land, as the newly admitted disciples successively set foot on the path of cultivation, the various peaks became lively as well.
Compared to the older disciples, the newcomers were especially passionate, constantly exchanging for resources and cultivating earnestly.
It seemed that in these new disciples' eyes, once they embarked on the path of cultivation, they would be able to advance toward higher realms.
Unfortunately, to the older disciples who had squandered more than a decade because of their aptitude, such a sight only seemed laughable.
Setting foot on the cultivation path was easy, but how difficult was the progress that followed?
To put it plainly, the ordinary disciples of Lingxu Sacred Land were nothing more than consumable materials.
How difficult was Foundation Establishment? Golden Core was even harder still.
Although Lingxu Sacred Land had taken in many disciples, far more of them merely lingered in the Qi Refining Stage.
Once one truly understood it, the gap between people was like the gap between dogs and humans.
They entered the sect, stepped onto the path of cultivation, and cultivated without pause, while those with Heavenly Spirit Roots and top-grade spirit roots had already begun Foundation Establishment the moment they entered.
That was right. Ordinary disciples struggled even with Qi Refining, while those of exceptional talent began charging toward the Foundation Establishment Realm as soon as they entered the sect.
Yet because of these new disciples' arrival, Lingxu Sacred Land gained a little more vitality. Those who had once been called junior brothers had finally reached the day when others called them senior brothers.
All manner of entry ceremonies and disciple arena battles were continuously held. Naturally, these had nothing to do with those newly admitted Personal Disciples; from the moment they entered, they had been charging toward the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Outside Lingxu Sacred Land's Technique Pavilion.
As the place where disciples most loved to gather, all kinds of news circulated here.
"Did you hear? Senior Brother Yuan from the previous class succeeded in his tribulation some days ago and has already achieved the Golden Core Realm. He even obtained a Fruit of Enlightenment."
"Senior Brother Yuan seems to have cultivated for only a little over ten years! Since he is already at Golden Core, Nascent Soul within a century is surely within sight!"
"Compared to that, I think the newly admitted disciple who reached the top of the Heart-Questioning Stairway is even more likely..."
The many disciples exchanged cultivation experiences and occasionally gossiped as well.
"The hundred days are almost up. I wonder whether anyone among this batch of disciples will complete Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days."
"Fang Mochen of Yunxiao Peak—I heard from Yunxiao Peak disciples that he already reached the Tenth Level of Qi Refining some days ago. Foundation Establishment is close at hand."
"As for that person from Tianmen Peak, there has not been any news at all."
Li Tianchen held a jade slip transcribed from the Technique Pavilion. Hearing these disciples' expectations for Li Tianwei, he suddenly wanted to laugh.
"Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days—how could a Pseudo-Spirit Root possibly accomplish that?"
Li Tianchen could not help sneering.
With his Top-grade Fire-Wood Dual Spirit Root, even with Elder Ling's guidance from his days in the Out-of-Body Realm, along with Muxu Peak's endless supply of pills and spiritual medicines, he had only reached the Eighth Level of Qi Refining.
Reaching the Ninth Level of Qi Refining within a hundred days was already no easy feat.
"Looks like I can only condense an acquired Dao foundation."
Li Tianchen sighed.
Compared to Li Tianchen, who knew Li Tianwei inside and out, the most anxious person on Tianmen Peak was Bai Muxu.
Ever since he had barged onto the summit that day, the strange condition covering Li Tianwei's body had still not stopped. It was as though because of this, Li Tianwei's realm had remained stuck at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining, without moving even half a step.
"What exactly is going on?"
Bai Muxu anxiously paced back and forth through the cave dwelling.
Who could have imagined that the famed Star River Sword Immortal of the Cultivation World would behave like this?
It was no wonder Bai Muxu was like this. Even as a mighty expert of the Deity Transformation Realm, he truly could not make sense of Li Tianwei's bizarre condition.
Most importantly, Li Tianwei had stopped advancing after he barged onto the summit where Li Tianwei had been cultivating. It looked as though it had been his fault, so how could Bai Muxu not be anxious?
Bai Muxu had placed great hopes on Li Tianwei. Lingxu Sacred Land had stood for thousands of years, yet barely three people had reached the top of the Heart-Questioning Stairway. If such a promising seed were ruined in his hands, mere regret would not be enough to make amends.
"Ten days remain. How can he go from the Fifth Level of Qi Refining to the Foundation Establishment Realm in ten days? How could that possibly be done?"
Sensing the aura atop Tianmen Peak, Bai Muxu could not help sighing.
"Let's hope."
Bai Muxu lamented, but at that moment, he seemed to sense something. His earlier dejection vanished as he raised his head and looked toward the summit.
At this moment, Li Tianwei, who had originally been unable to advance, began to rapidly raise his aura.
Sacrificial Dao Undying Body.
After all these days atop Tianmen Peak, Li Tianwei finally moved. Not only had he moved, but his aura was continuously rising.
During this time, perhaps only Li Tianwei himself knew what he had been experiencing.
Through the eruption of all kinds of secret techniques, Li Tianwei had completely burned away everything on his body, even incinerating his own life force.
Yet under the terrifying constitution of the Sacrificial Dao Undying Body, the various side effects of those secret techniques had not killed Li Tianwei. To recover, he swallowed massive quantities of Grain Abstinence Pills to replenish his energy, along with all sorts of sacred healing treasures.
At last, over this period of time, he had fully recovered. Of course, it was not merely recovery.
At the same time, relying on those secret techniques and the Sacrificial Dao Undying Body's doubled power when employing secret arts, he had glimpsed a higher realm.
And now, he had finally completed his comprehension of that higher realm.
Li Tianwei already felt that he could step into the Foundation Establishment Realm. That was why he had finally returned from his enlightenment.
Calculating carefully, ninety days had already passed. Ten days remained, and within those ten days, he had to establish his foundation—and forge an unparalleled Dao foundation.
"Come, then! Let the world witness my true aptitude!"
Li Tianwei gave a cold snort. He no longer concealed his aura, which rose without end.
Rumble...
Li Tianwei immediately felt his Spiritual Platform shake. The spiritual qi he had suppressed these past days, his comprehension of himself, and his complete alteration of the Heavenly Origin Dao Foundation Method—
If Li Tianwei explained his revised Heavenly Origin Dao Foundation Method to anyone now, they would probably discover that it had long since become unrecognizable, covered in all kinds of strange symbols and densely packed formulas.
Even Li Tianwei had forgotten how much he had added to the Heavenly Origin Dao Foundation Method. In any case, he possessed the knowledge of two worlds, and all he had done was fuse them together.
It was simply that the knowledge from his world accounted for a little more. Combining the two, Li Tianwei felt that he had already entered the groove.
Very spirited, very effective—Foundation Establishment was close at hand.
Fission Qi Gathering Method.
Li Tianwei drove the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, guiding it to collide, stir, and combine with itself.
As the spiritual qi continuously grew stronger, Li Tianwei operated his altered Heavenly Origin Dao Foundation Method and thoroughly absorbed the spiritual qi into himself.
Under the guidance of this period, Li Tianwei's body had long since adapted to the effects of the fission five-colored spiritual qi.
Visible to the naked eye, the violent, explosive spiritual qi in the heavens and earth howled as it erupted.
Very quickly, under his guidance, this spiritual qi was completely drawn in.
"Begin!"
After drawing it in, Li Tianwei controlled the spiritual qi and slammed it toward his Spiritual Platform.
Crack...
Bang...
Crisp sounds rang out beside Li Tianwei's ears. Soon, the spiritual qi within his body became like a great river, flowing through his entire body.
A phenomenon also burst forth in midair.
"Sixth Level of Qi Refining..."
With every inhalation and exhalation, Li Tianwei's Spiritual Platform thundered. After the fission spiritual qi poured in, it spread from his Spiritual Platform toward every acupoint and meridian, opening Li Tianwei's spiritual sense.
Under such changes, Li Tianwei simply could not suppress it. As divine consciousness emerged from his Spiritual Platform—
He continuously guided and propelled it.
Soon, the Spiritual Platform thundered once more.
"Seventh Level of Qi Refining..."
To Li Tianwei, these successive breakthroughs were only natural.
And after Bai Muxu on Tianmen Peak sensed Li Tianwei awaken, he had never expected Li Tianwei to break through two barriers in one stroke—and he still seemed to be rising without end.
At this moment, Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days was within sight.
"Perhaps it can be done... Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days..."
Bai Muxu murmured, recalling the heavenly phenomenon when Li Tianwei had first entered the Qi Refining Realm, as well as his ascent of the Heart-Questioning Stairway.
No matter how he looked at it, Bai Muxu believed that if Li Tianwei succeeded in achieving Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days, ascension would be within sight. Perhaps he could even use this opportunity to open the heavenly gate and restore the great cultivation era of old.
Bai Muxu clenched his fists. At this moment, he was even more nervous than when he himself had achieved Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days.