Breaking Through to Foundation Establishment

Tonight, the moon was bright and the stars sparse.

Two figures sat atop the roof, admiring the moon.

They were Tang Xichen and Qin Yuan.

The two spoke of amusing memories from the past.

"Do you remember when I said you were short? Without realizing it, you've grown a whole head taller than me."

"Time passes so quickly..."

It was mostly Tang Xichen speaking.

Qin Yuan listened quietly.

He was not a naturally silent person.

Yet he did not know when it had begun.

In front of Senior Sister, he always spoke little.

After a long while.

Tang Xichen finally mentioned that she would soon be traveling far away, declaring her resolve not to return home unless she succeeded in Foundation Establishment.

She patted Qin Yuan on the shoulder and softly instructed him:

"Junior Disciple Brother, you're not young anymore."

"You should seriously consider starting a family and carrying on the Qin Clan bloodline."

Qin Yuan fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.

At last, he slowly rose to his feet and said in a low voice:

"Senior Sister, I wish you success in Foundation Establishment and an Immortal Path that endures forever."

Tang Xichen burst into laughter:

"I'll gladly accept your auspicious words!"

A month flashed by.

Within the Pill Workshop.

The family made their final farewells.

Huang Yueyang's hair had already turned completely white. He slowly handed over a Storage Bag.

"Inside are a top-grade robe and some Spirit Stones. Take them."

Tang Xichen accepted it. "Thank you, Grandfather."

Chen Sheng also handed over a Storage Bag, filled with many Pills, Talismans, and three thousand Spirit Stones.

"Take them. Be careful out there."

"Thank you, Father and Mother."

Huang Wangyou held her hand and carefully reminded her of many things.

Tang Yijing had grown two small mustaches, making him seem more mature. At this moment, he too spoke reluctantly:

"Big Sister, remember to come back."

Tang Xichen's eyes reddened. Rarely showing such a young woman's tenderness, she gently nodded.

"Mhm. I'm leaving."

With that, she gathered up her reluctance and strode out of the courtyard.

At the gate, Qin Yuan had been waiting for a long time. When she emerged, he softly said:

"Senior Sister, I'll see you off."

Tang Xichen gently nodded.

"Let's go."

The two first joined up with the main merchant caravan.

Then they headed east.

Tang Xichen walked along the roadside with her sword in her arms.

Qin Yuan followed behind her at an unhurried pace.

Time passed quickly.

Before long.

The group had left the Market Town and traveled thirty li.

Finally.

Tang Xichen turned around, looked at him, and let out a soft sigh.

"Junior Disciple Brother, don't tell me you intend to come with me?"

Qin Yuan stiffened, then slowly shook his head.

"Your Junior Disciple Brother is too weak. I fear I would only hold you back, Senior Sister!"

Tang Xichen gently patted his shoulder, removed a crescent-shaped piece of Green Jade from her robes, and placed it in his hand.

"Take it, Junior Disciple Brother. Keep it as a memento."

"Stop here. I should be going. Don't forget what I said last night."

With that, her figure swiftly receded into the distance, like a streak of azure Escape Light.

Qin Yuan tightly gripped the Green Jade and suddenly ran up to higher ground, watching her retreating figure.

Until she was nearly out of sight!

Suddenly.

Qin Yuan gathered his courage and shouted:

"Senior Sister, I'll wait for you to come back!"

He did not know whether she had heard him.

He stood there for a long while longer. Only after the merchant caravan's shadow had completely vanished did he solemnly put away the Green Jade in his hand and slowly turn to leave.

The peach blossoms in the courtyard bloomed for another three years.

"Chen'er has sent a letter back!"

Huang Wangyou's face was full of excitement as she opened the letter Tang Xichen had sent back through the Qingmu Merchant Association.

Chen Sheng also leaned in to read it, a smile appearing on his face.

In the letter, Tang Xichen said that she had already arrived at Linglong Immortal City and had successfully joined a Monster Hunting Team, hunting many demon beasts...

The cultivation resources in the Immortal City were abundant.

Her cultivation had progressed rapidly.

Everything was going smoothly, so they need not worry.

Then.

Tang Xichen began asking about things at home.

Whether her family was in good health, whether her father had attempted Foundation Establishment...

At the end.

She left several lines mentioning her Junior Disciple Brother, Qin Yuan.

She asked whether he had married and had children.

If not.

She asked Mother to show more concern and urge him along.

"That girl really has her hands in everything!"

Huang Wangyou complained softly, though her face was smiling.

Chen Sheng patted her shoulder.

"You can rest easy now, can't you? Chen'er is fine."

"With her abilities, and her knack for reading the situation and adapting, she surpassed this old fellow long ago. What could possibly happen to her?"

Huang Wangyou looked at him and teased:

"Am I the only one who was worried?"

Chen Sheng curled his lip in explanation.

"She said she would write back every two years, yet there was no news at all. Anyone would be anxious."

Huang Wangyou saw through her husband's bravado and revealed a gentle smile.

Changing the subject, she mentioned Qin Yuan again. Over the past two years, she had made many efforts to arrange matches for him, all of which had been rejected.

She said:

"Yuan'er is stubborn too. I'm afraid I can't persuade him. How about..."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Chen Sheng.

Chen Sheng waved his hand.

"Don't come looking for me. Yuan'er has no such intentions at all, so don't force him."

"Besides, why is Chen'er allowed to devote herself single-mindedly to the Dao?"

"Yuan'er is twenty-nine this year. He has reached the peak of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, is proficient in all kinds of techniques, and is even a high-grade alchemist. He's good Foundation Establishment material too."

At this point.

Chen Sheng also showed a trace of satisfaction.

His disciple was catching up to him in every aspect. It truly was as the saying went: blue came from indigo, yet surpassed indigo.

Huang Wangyou rolled her eyes at him helplessly.

"Fine, fine, we'll do as you say. When Yuan'er ends up alone in his old age, let's see whether you'll be anxious then."

Chen Sheng waved his hand, not caring in the slightest.

"Each of them has their own ideas."

"Why should I worry?"

Huang Wangyou helplessly shook her head, then added:

"By the way, Brother Yun, when do you plan to attempt Foundation Establishment?"

Several months earlier.

Chen Sheng had successfully reached Qi Condensation Perfection.

He was fifty-five years old.

This was more than a year slower than he had estimated, mainly because expelling Pill Toxin had delayed him.

Chen Sheng pondered for a moment, calculating the time, then held up three fingers.

"Three more months. I'll clear the blockages in my meridians."

After saying that, his gaze shifted toward his wife, his eyes scrutinizing.

"How long until you reach Qi Condensation Perfection?"

Huang Wangyou hesitated upon hearing this.

"Six... seven years?"

Chen Sheng was immediately helpless.

"You should put some more effort into it."

Huang Wangyou had also broken through the Qi Condensation Late-stage bottleneck twice before successfully reaching the Qi Condensation Seventh Level.

Then she began swallowing Pills like mad.

She had now reached the Qi Condensation Ninth Level as well.

However, she was still some distance from the peak of the Ninth Level.

Huang Wangyou linked her arm through his and gently swayed it, rarely acting coquettishly.

"Brother Yun, don't worry. I'll make it in time!"

Hounded by her until he had no choice, Chen Sheng could only nod.

"Fine! If you say you'll make it in time, then you'll make it in time!"

At the same time, he was calculating the timeline in his heart.

Huang Wangyou was two years younger than him. If she took seven years to succeed, she would be cutting it right at the Sixty Year Limit.

The timing was far too tight!

Chen Sheng immediately made up his mind. He had to come down hard and vigorously urge her on tonight!

Three months later.

A secluded cultivation chamber.

Chen Sheng sat cross-legged upon a Cattail Mat.

He adjusted his entire state to its peak.

He took an apricot-yellow Pill from the jade bottle—the Pulse-Protecting Pill.

"Begin."

With a thought.

He began circulating the Hand Seal and attempting Foundation Establishment.

Two days later.

Chen Sheng's face was deathly pale, fresh blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Mana ran wildly through his body, and he was in terrible condition.

Had he not taken the Pulse-Protecting Pill beforehand to protect most of the meridians throughout his body, he likely would have died long ago.

"As expected, I failed!"

"It's too difficult!"

"I wonder how those people managed to achieve Foundation Establishment?"

He recalled the process of Foundation Establishment.

The three barriers of Foundation Establishment.

Only the Blood-Qi Barrier had he barely passed, at the cost of grievous injuries.

The Mana Barrier had only just begun. As he gathered mana into his Dantian, its purity proved insufficient and its impurities too numerous; he could not control it at all.

His body suffered another severe blow, and he failed completely.

The Spiritual Sense Barrier.

There was even less to say about that—it was nowhere in sight.