With a shallow foundation, one's fortune was unlikely to last. How could one hope to outcompete those with deep foundations and heaven-defying blessings when the great calamity struck?
"System, use the free Foundation Deduction Opportunity now!" Zhao Gongming's gaze was resolute, and he didn't hesitate. Fixing the weakness in his foundation was the top priority!
[Command received. Using "Initial Foundation Deduction Opportunity" to deduce and enhance the host's foundation...] [Deduction will consume 500 Primordial Points... Deduction in progress...] A gentle yet profound power descended from the unseen, enveloping Zhao Gongming from head to toe. He felt as though his essence had been immersed in a clear spring, washed and nourished, then placed in a furnace to be tempered and refined. The Innate spiritual essence originating from his Formation from Clear Wind began to undergo a subtle yet fundamental transformation. It grew more solid and pure, while his affinity with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth quietly increased.
[Deduction complete!]
[Congratulations, host! Your foundation has risen from "Innate Being (mid-to-low)" to "Innate Being (pinnacle)"!]
A buzz!
The instant his foundation's enhancement was complete, the Immortal Essence that had been flowing steadily within Zhao Gongming suddenly surged!
It was as though an invisible shackle had been broken. His vast Immortal Essence spontaneously raced along the course of the Shangqing Basic Immortal Method, and the dense Innate Spiritual Energy on Jin'ao Island gathered around him once more. Though the spectacle was nowhere near as terrifying as when he had imagined possessing the foundation of a Chaos God and Demon, it still far surpassed the scene of an ordinary Heavenly Immortal cultivating.
The bottleneck shattered at once!
Late Stage Heavenly Immortal... Perfected Heavenly Immortal!
It came as naturally as water flowing down a channel, without the slightest impediment.
The total amount of his magical power surged several times over, becoming purer and more concentrated. His Nascent Soul grew clear, and his perception and control of the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy sharpened considerably.
Zhao Gongming clenched his fists, feeling the power coursing through him—far greater than before. Hope blazed in his eyes.
Pinnacle Innate Being!
This was already an extraordinary foundation, enough to place him among the foremost of the countless beings in the Primordial World.
Though he still fell short of the very best, his foundation was no longer a weakness others could exploit at will. He now had the initial qualifications to contend for the Great Dao!
More importantly, he had seen hope—seen the infinite possibilities the system could bring.
A single initial deduction had brought such an improvement. If, in the future...
"I have 500 Primordial Points left..." Zhao Gongming looked at the panel in his mind, his thoughts racing.
His most pressing need was to obtain a stronger cultivation method, make the most of his foundation's potential, and raise his strength as quickly as possible.
He sat cross-legged but didn't immediately spend the remaining Primordial Points. Instead, he first stabilized his newly attained Perfected Heavenly Immortal realm, while rapidly contemplating the path ahead.
The Investiture of the Gods calamity hung over him like a sword, but at least for now, he was no longer the Zhao Gongming who stood bewildered and helpless, waiting for fate to pass judgment.
He drew a deep breath. Memories from another life intertwined with his determination in this moment, becoming an unshakable resolve deep within his eyes.
"The road must be traveled one step at a time. The calamity, too, must be overcome one step at a time." Zhao Gongming spoke softly, yet his words seemed edged with the force to sever the shackles of fate.
"I'll start with Jin'ao Island, with my identity as the Outer Sect Grand Disciple of Biyou Palace... In this life, I decide my own fate!"
He slowly closed his eyes. His aura gradually settled, quietly harmonizing with the spiritual resonance of Penglai Immortal Island. Thus began his true cultivation in this life.
It was an unprecedented experience.
If his earlier cultivation had relied on the instincts of one formed from clear wind, fumbling about in ignorance, then now, with the support of his "pinnacle" Innate Being foundation, cultivation had become as instinctive as breathing.
The dense Innate Spiritual Energy on Jin'ao Island was no longer something he had to labor to draw in and refine. Like a homesick bird returning to its nest, it naturally gravitated toward him and surged into every part of his body.
Every pore opened wide, greedily breathing in spiritual resonance and the secrets of the Dao. A faint yet profound glow seemed to linger around him, the natural manifestation of his increased affinity with the Great Dao as he resonated with Heaven and Earth.
In just a few short hours, he had fully consolidated his Perfected Heavenly Immortal realm. The purity of his magical power far surpassed what it had been before.
Zhao Gongming could clearly feel that a single wisp of Immortal Essence now rivaled three wisps from before. The increase in combat strength brought by this qualitative change was nothing like a simple multiplication of quantity.
"Phew..." He slowly breathed out a mouthful of stale air. It formed a faint white stream that shot several yards forward before dissipating.
Feeling the unprecedented, surging power within him, Zhao Gongming finally managed to suppress most of the terror born from his fate. Power—only power was the foundation for survival in the Primordial World.
He once again focused his mind on the translucent screen, looking at [Primordial Points: 500]. His brow furrowed slightly.
Enhancing his foundation had cost five hundred points.
Those five hundred points had bought him limitless possibilities on his path to the Dao; they were worth a fortune. But the five hundred he had left still seemed woefully inadequate.
"System, how many points does it take to deduce a cultivation method?" he silently asked.
``` [Technique Deduction options are now available:]
[1. Innate Level Shangqing Immortal Method: Deducted from the Shangqing Basic Immortal Method. It perfectly matches the host's foundation, increasing cultivation efficiency tenfold and the purity of magical power threefold. Cost: 800 Primordial Points.]
[2. Chaos-Level Nine Revolutions Chaos Divine Art: Traces the host's primordial origin and deduces the supreme inheritance of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage. It cultivates both the body and qi; upon completing the nine revolutions, one may attain the Primordial Unity. Cost: 10,000 Primordial Points.]
Looking at the two options, Zhao Gongming's eye twitched.
Ten thousand points!
Even the name Nine Revolutions Chaos Divine Art exuded an indescribable dominance and profundity, but its cost of ten thousand points was an impassable chasm. He could only look on helplessly.
The Innate Level Shangqing Immortal Method, meanwhile, still cost eight hundred points. He was three hundred short.
"Points... I have to get more Primordial Points as soon as possible!"
Zhao Gongming stood up, deciding not to sit around any longer.
He needed to familiarize himself with Jin'ao Island, which was both familiar and strange to him, and to settle into his identity as the Outer Sect Grand Disciple of the Interception Sect.
Shutting himself away to cultivate was ultimately a lesser path. Only by venturing out could he find opportunities.
He opened the stone door of his cave dwelling. A mild sea breeze, carrying the scent of plants and trees and the refreshing aura of spiritual energy, swept toward him.
Before him stretched verdant mountains shrouded in mist. Immortal flowers bloomed everywhere, while auspicious beasts lurked in the shadows.
In the distance, a waterfall plunged like the Milky Way into a green pool, scattering countless droplets of spiritual energy. Sunlight refracted through them, forming a rainbow of colors.
This was Biyou Palace, a Sage's cultivation ground, where immortals from every direction gathered.
He walked slowly along the mountain path paved with bluestone, relying on his fused memories to find his way.
Along the way, Interception Sect disciples occasionally flew past on the wind or rode clouds. Most stopped when they saw Zhao Gongming and bowed to him from afar.
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