"Ahhh..."
"What's going on? How is this guy a Pseudo-Spirit Root? And how could the one outside, the heir my former master chose, the one with a Chaos Origin Spirit Root, take in such a disciple?"
As Li Tianwei listened intently, the Book Spirit in his hand was practically collapsing.
After it had been freed from the Immortal Ruin, it had come into Bai Muxu's possession. In the Book Spirit's eyes, Bai Muxu was the heir its master had chosen.
Unfortunately, after obtaining it, Bai Muxu had not chosen to switch cultivation methods. Instead, he had continued cultivating the methods he had originally learned, intending to create an immortal art that belonged solely to himself.
Thus, he had kept it, planning to find it a suitable inheritor in the future.
That was why he had opened Tianmen Peak within Lingxu Sacred Land, intending to take in a disciple of exceptional talent to inherit the Five Intentions Condensing Heaven Art.
And now, he had found one: Li Tianwei.
Naturally, Bai Muxu could not possibly say any of this aloud.
If he said it and his disciple came to believe that he had tossed the immortal art to him only because he disliked it, that would be disastrous.
Yet the Book Spirit knew this extremely well. To avoid gathering dust, it had been desperately waiting for Bai Muxu to choose it a new inheritor.
When it first learned that Li Tianwei had achieved Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days, the Book Spirit had been excited.
Because it had not met Li Tianwei, all it knew through Bai Muxu was that Li Tianwei possessed a Pure Yang Spirit Root. Though it could not compare with Bai Muxu's Chaos Origin Spirit Root, achieving Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days and climbing Lingxu Sacred Land's Heart-Questioning Stairway already marked him as exceptionally gifted.
But the moment it left Bai Muxu and entered Li Tianwei's hand, everything went wrong.
As an immortal art, the Book Spirit naturally possessed a trace of immortal power.
Even the Heart-Questioning Stairway had discovered Li Tianwei's problem upon coming into contact with him. How could the Book Spirit, an immortal art, fail to notice?
Before coming into contact with Li Tianwei, it truly could not tell what his aptitude was like.
But now that it had touched him—
The pill Li Tianwei had taken could barely deceive a cultivator of the Spirit Transformation Realm, but it could not escape the discerning eyes of the Book Spirit, which possessed immortal power.
Within Li Tianwei's Spiritual Platform, the Spirit Root mixed with five colors and glimmering faintly was crystal clear.
A Pseudo-Spirit Root, without the slightest doubt. A Pseudo-Spirit Root from beginning to end.
At that moment, the Book Spirit was dumbfounded. It even wanted to flee back to Bai Muxu and tell him about this.
Unfortunately, its former immortal master had long ago placed a restriction upon it. Aside from the person touching it, no one else could sense the Book Spirit's existence—not even through voice transmission.
As it struggled, the Book Spirit seemed to think of something.
"How could a Pseudo-Spirit Root possibly achieve Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days? Could it be..."
At that moment, a life-and-death battle of earth-shattering intellect was unfolding within the Book Spirit's mind.
As for Li Tianwei, when he heard the Five Intentions Condensing Heaven Art's Book Spirit yelling about how he was a Pseudo-Spirit Root, just like the system had, he immediately blocked it off.
At this moment, in his eyes, these strange things—the spirits, the system, the Heart-Questioning Stairway—all had enormous problems. The instant they encountered him, they claimed he was some Pseudo-Spirit Root or another.
Sure enough, once these objects awakened spiritual intelligence, they became vastly different from normal people. They were simply short-sighted.
The Heart-Questioning Stairway could not speak, so never mind it. It was understandable for an unconscious program to malfunction. The system was trying to fool him into signing those tyrannical contracts, which was understandable too. But now even a cultivation art—a mere book—was insulting him.
Li Tianwei was somewhat angered, but he quickly calmed down.
"Alas, it can only be blamed on my aptitude being too high. These things simply cannot sense it. Unlike the disciples and elders of Lingxu Sacred Land, and the various peak masters—now those people truly know how to recognize a pearl in the mud."
Li Tianwei could not help sighing over the matter.
Before long, Bai Muxu explained some insights into the Foundation Establishment Realm, as well as how to cross the Golden Core tribulation later and attain the Fruit of Enlightenment of the Golden Core.
Through Bai Muxu's explanation, Li Tianwei gained a general understanding of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Foundation Establishment—just as the name implied, it was the laying of a foundation. The Foundation Establishment Realm was the starting point of the immortal path, and also its most crucial stage.
Otherwise, there would not be such a thing as Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days. The goal was to forge a supreme Dao foundation within the body, so one would possess deep and solid roots and travel farther in the future.
Compared to the Qi Refining Stage, the Foundation Establishment Realm was already a complete transformation.
Though those in the Qi Refining Stage could cast spells and wield magic artifacts, that was no more than entry-level skill. Once one reached Foundation Establishment, one could soar through the skies without relying on spells or magic artifacts.
At the Qi Refining Stage, casting a few spells using the spiritual power in one's body could take considerable effort. The Foundation Establishment Realm was different. It did not merely use one's own spiritual power; through hand seals and incantations, one could draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cast spells.
After such a transformation, even a hundred Qi Refining cultivators might not be able to defeat a single Foundation Establishment cultivator.
At the Foundation Establishment Realm, one had to begin condensing spiritual power and choose the path one wished to walk, preparing for the Golden Core Fruit of Enlightenment in the future.
The path one chose was also simple: select a route suited to one's Spirit Root. For example, someone with a Water Spirit Root could condense the intent of Gui Water, draw weak water over the body, and attain the Gui Water Fruit of Enlightenment, one of the Five Elements.
This would grant greater combat strength in the future Golden Core Realm, as well as one's own insights and understanding regarding spells and methods of that attribute.
However, one still had to explore that path oneself.
Under Bai Muxu's explanation, Li Tianwei had already found a rough direction.
What he needed to do now was stabilize his cultivation, properly learn various simple spells, and cultivate the Five Intentions Condensing Heaven Art in his hands.
The road ahead was clear.
"That is all I have to say regarding cultivation in the Foundation Establishment Realm and my understanding of the Golden Core Realm afterward."
"If there is anything you do not understand, you may come ask me at any time."
"You have only just broken through as well. Rest properly for a while."
After Bai Muxu finished speaking, he carefully examined Li Tianwei. Seeing him seriously savoring his words, Bai Muxu nodded lightly.
"I have already built you a cave abode below. Come down the mountain with me!"
Bai Muxu casually waved his hand, stirring up a gentle breeze. Under his manipulation, Li Tianwei was slowly lifted into the air and carried toward the foot of Tianmen Peak.
Before long, they arrived before a cave abode. Its upper levels were paved with all kinds of Spirit Stones, while its lower levels sat in the core region of Tianmen Peak's Spiritual Vein.
All sorts of formations had been arranged around it. Most importantly, the interior held all manner of luxurious decorations, clearly prepared with great care.
Seeing such a lavish cave abode filled with dense spiritual energy, even Li Tianwei rarely showed such excitement.
"Thank you, Master."
Li Tianwei thanked Bai Muxu once again.
"Then rest well. I shall not disturb you any longer."
Seeing Li Tianwei's excited expression, Bai Muxu assumed that he was pleased with the cave abode.
After all, this was Bai Muxu's first time truly acting as a master. He could only give Li Tianwei the same treatment he himself had once received.
Judging from things now, the result was not bad.
Then Bai Muxu patted Li Tianwei on the shoulder and transformed into a long rainbow, vanishing into the sky.
After watching Bai Muxu leave, Li Tianwei turned and entered the cave abode.
Li Tianwei had originally thought that the cave abode already looked luxurious enough from outside, but once he entered, he realized just how narrow-minded he had been.
Jade paved the floor, fragrant wood formed the cabinets, and golden threads were woven into cloth. The entire cave abode overflowed with immortal radiance and precious aura, while dense spiritual energy rushed over him.
Moreover, through the cave abode, Li Tianwei could sense that Bai Muxu had opened up a separate space for him inside.
Looking into it, he saw spiritual herbs carpeting the ground, while all kinds of spirit beasts ran about within.
Li Tianwei was very satisfied with this cave abode.
"Next, it is time to stabilize my cultivation and deal with this thing."
Li Tianwei took out the Five Intentions Condensing Heaven Art and removed the block he had placed on it. The Book Spirit's voice immediately rang out again.
"You damned bastard, are you an Evil Demon sent from that side to plague this world..."
"A Pseudo-Spirit Root actually achieved Foundation Establishment in a Hundred Days. You must be an Evil Demon, an incomparably great Evil Demon."
The Book Spirit's frenzied torrent of abuse kept pouring out and reached Li Tianwei's ears, making him frown in displeasure.
"Shut up!"
Hearing such filthy words, Li Tianwei had his limits too.
The system was one thing, but now there was another Book Spirit as well.
Li Tianwei could not help activating the Dao foundation deep within his consciousness. As the round fan-shaped, three-leaf mark emerged, an intense aura of ominousness and destruction surged toward the Book Spirit.
Under that fissile, violent power, Li Tianwei appeared extraordinarily terrifying. Even more explosive energy was compressed within his body, as though it contained the heat of hundreds of millions, like a great sun bearing down face-first.
For a moment, the Book Spirit fell silent.