137138: Resentment Clings Like a Vengeful Ghost; Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, a Life of Glory

Whoosh whoosh--

Two sharp sounds of wind cutting through the air instantly swept across the sky, rapidly heading straight for the sky above, which was sometimes blocked by golden Formation Method Talismanic Script.

However, as soon as Chen Dengming and He Yingyu rushed out of Giant Valley, they felt a sense of oppression and coldness filling the valley.

The sun overhead seemed dim and lifeless, and the distant view was shrouded in clouds and mist.

A bleak and somber atmosphere immediately filled the heart with a strong sense of oppression and unease, as if something bad was about to happen at any moment.

Something's not right!

"Speed up and rush out!"

The two men looked solemn, their Divine Sense communicating in a flash.

They realized they might have underestimated the power of evil spirits.

Or rather, these strange things may seem similar to spirits and ghosts, but the power and strangeness they actually exhibit are quite different from those of spirits and ghosts.

The two accelerated their flight, but the higher they ascended, the more they felt as if their surroundings had come to a standstill, and an eerie atmosphere permeated the air, sending chills down their spines.

However, the surrounding winds and clouds dispersed, the sky was clear and blue, and there was not a trace of evil spirits to be seen.

However, both Chen Dengming and He Yingyu sensed it in their minds, as if they were being watched by something. Blurry images would occasionally appear in their minds, in which fragments of a rotting, dried-up corpse would flicker.

"Junior Brother, it seems like we've been going in circles."

He Yingyu's voice seemed to come from behind several doors, and then it disappeared in an instant, even her beautiful figure became blurry.

"All five aggregates are confused, like being lost in a maze?"

Chen Dengming felt a chill run down his spine. A warning sign suddenly appeared in his mind: an evil and sinister resentment and malice were invading his spirit, causing his body to gradually feel stiff and cold, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The next instant, this insidious force suddenly intensified.

In his mind's eye, a twisted, disheveled black shadow rushed up, its mouth wide open and roaring, as if to swallow him whole. A strong sense of fear and despair instantly filled his mind.

But in that instant, his Divine Sense coalesced, unleashing a lightning-like burst of light.

Boom!--

The thunder roared with imposing force, and the thunderclap cleared the sky.

This Divine Sense light, imbued with pure Yang lightning power, was like a blue flower illuminating mountains and rivers, instantly sweeping away all evil thoughts that had invaded his mind, and warming his body, which felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave.

Soul House in the chest, Little Array Spirit breathed a sigh of relief, and the Red Rhombus she was about to throw was retracted.

Chen Dengming felt as if a sharp scream suddenly exploded in his mind, like a balloon bursting.

The next instant, the world before his eyes returned to normal, and he saw a dark shadow flash past him, rushing straight towards He Yingyu.

At the same time, He Yingyu also let out a soft shout, and her powerful Foundation Establishment Late Stage Divine Sense suddenly erupted, forming almost tangible ripples on the spiritual level. The impact caused the black shadow to slow down abruptly, revealing a distorted human figure with disheveled hair and a sinister aura.

"Break!"

Chen Dengming quickly focused his Divine Sense and unleashed the Refining Divine Technique: Fierce Ghost Horror Technique.

His eyes suddenly flashed like lightning, their sharp light seemingly piercing through a person's very soul, shooting towards the distorted human figure in front of him.

"Bang--"

The twisted humanoid figure exploded like a black balloon, instantly turning into countless black shadows and dissipating into thick smoke. Faintly, one could still hear the shrill screams that echoed as it vanished, like the howling of a raging storm.

Chen Dengming felt a huge black, Yin Wind rushing towards him, filled with extreme resentment.

"Be careful, the resentment of evil spirits is more troublesome than the evil spirit itself."

The Little Array Spirit's reminder had just come through.

Chen Dengming had already summoned the Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions in advance.

A beam of bluish-white light suddenly erupted, piercing through the clouds and mist, shattering evil and sweeping away the large swath of black mist and resentment that had rushed in.

In an instant, the surrounding environment returned to its pristine state, the sky was cloudless and a clear, deep blue.

The sun hangs high in the sky, and as its rays shine down, a gentle breeze brings a sense of comfort to both body and mind.

"Junior Brother Chen, are you alright?"

He Yingyu flew over, her pretty face showing worry. Her eyebrows then sharply rose as she scanned her surroundings, feeling quite shaken.

Just like Demon Beast and demons, evil spirits are far more troublesome and insidious than ordinary Soul Spirit.

Even she almost fell victim to this trick just now; if it were an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, they might not be a match for her.

"No problem!"

Chen Dengming frowned and shook his head, feeling somewhat uneasy. At times, he would have a sudden urge to see a flash of blood in his mind.

He assumed it was the shadow of the evil spirit that had attacked him earlier, so he immediately activated the Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions, and the blue-white mirror light carefully shone on himself and He Yingyu several times.

They then summoned the Soul Guiding Banner, activated the Law Artifact and the brothers within the banner to perform a ceremony for them. After confirming that there were no hidden dangers, the two of them did not linger any longer and left together.

In the air, a spirit boat was summoned. "Junior Brother, I'm truly sorry that we encountered such a powerful evil spirit this time, dragging you into danger."

Fortunately, you are skilled in exorcising evil Dharma Gate, Junior Brother. Now that we have obtained the Three Yang Crystal, here, one for each of us."

"Hey, Senior Sister, why are you being so polite with me? Keep this Three Yang Crystal; one might not be enough. I'm still a long way from breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Perfection."

"Take it. One is enough. Any more won't do you any good. Even if you don't use it, you can sell it for a lot of spirit crystals."

On the spirit boat, Chen Dengming had no choice but to accept the Three Yang Crystal with a smile.

This crystal, about the size of a palm, resembles a warm, bright yellow gemstone, brimming with abundant, pure spiritual energy.

Chen Dengming asked curiously, "With this, can the success rate of breaking through to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage be increased?"

He Yingyu admired the Three Yang Crystal with a charming smile, "Of course, this contains the purest power condensed after the death of the Stone Crystal Giant, which is very similar to the spiritual energy we cultivate, and even better in purity."

In the Cultivation World, this is actually equivalent to a top-grade spirit crystal.

Unfortunately, top-grade spirit crystals are very hard to find. This piece of Three Yang Crystal can be exchanged for at least a hundred High-grade Spirit Crystal.

But no one would be foolish enough to exchange it for spirit crystals. We can use this item when breaking through to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage to accelerate the condensation of three false cores and increase the success rate of the breakthrough."

"Accelerate the condensation of the pseudo-core? The energy within is equivalent to the pure spiritual essence of Foundation Establishment cultivator? Isn't that like an experience orb in a game?"

Chen Dengming pondered for a moment and then asked, "If I were to use this item before the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, for example, now that I'm in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, would I be able to absorb the pure spiritual energy within it and accelerate my cultivation?"

Regardless of the stage, the Foundation Establishment Realm is essentially a process of accumulating spiritual energy and Divine Sense.

The difference between the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage lies in the abundance of spiritual energy and Divine Sense.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, as long as he can absorb the spiritual energy within the Three Yang Crystal, he can indeed accelerate his cultivation speed.

He Yingyu was stunned for a moment, then laughed and cried at the same time, "It's possible, but no one would do it, and I don't know if there's any danger."

Moreover, this would be a terrible waste, Junior Brother, you mustn't do something reckless.

These Three Yang Crystal are very precious. We managed to get them during a lull in the two-year war, before the other sects that had jointly sealed off the secret realm could react. We came immediately to take the Three Yang Crystal. We may get them this time, but not next time.

Even if you kill that Foundation Establishment Crystal Giant, it won't immediately condense the Three Yang Crystal after it dies.

This is because such a core of power requires the entity to voluntarily choose to coalesce upon its death.

If it is not voluntary, it cannot be formed.

You should know which is more important, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage or breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Perfection.

"I see. It seems you also received a hint from Senior Brother Liang, and we secretly came to get there first and plucked the most valuable treasure in the secret place."

Chen Dengming smiled and nodded, temporarily suppressing his thoughts.

These Three Yang Crystal were hard to obtain, so they should indeed be used later when you break through to perfection.

Because his Cultivation Method level was much higher back then, at least many times higher than it is now, using this item should be able to shorten the time considerably.

However, if you need it urgently, there's no big deal if you use it after verifying that there's no danger.

He broke through minor realms without encountering bottlenecks, and later, when he reached perfection, he didn't need to increase his chances of breaking through any further.

He also obtained the Three Yang Crystal on this trip, which can be considered a great harvest. If he had come alone, it would have been difficult for him to obtain the Three Yang Crystal.

Even if the leader of the Stone Crystal Giants is easy to talk to, it depends on the person.

Clearly, they had also sensed He Yingyu's Foundation Establishment Late Stage strength, which was why they were unwilling to cause the sacrifice of their clan and thus took out the Three Yang Crystal.

Even so, they still have to overcome the evil spirits in the end.

Although He Yingyu was strong, she was not skilled in the art of refining the divine spirit. Her powerful Divine Sense was not enough to deal with evil spirits, and the damage she caused was not as great as what she had done.

Therefore, this treasure hunt in the secret location was a collaborative effort between the two, seemingly easy but actually extremely dangerous. Only through sincere cooperation could they overcome the perilous situation.

The spirit boat moved with incredible speed, instantly leaving the secret place and returning to the Evergreen Sect more than an hour later.

Three days later.

Within the Evergreen Sect's cave abode, a series of calls seemed to come from afar, suddenly awakening Chen Dengming from his deep cultivation.

Two beams of light flashed from inside the room.

Chen Dengming frowned and stared, feeling an indescribable irritability and a chill running through his body. He had no choice but to stop his cultivation and let his consciousness return before he could gradually shake off that cold aura.

At that moment, a shadow flashing with spiritual light appeared from the opposite array plate.

The Little Array Spirit floated in the air, its body radiating spiritual light like rain, its hair dancing lightly, its beautiful eyes filled with surprise as it pointed to the exorcism talismans that had been burned to ashes and pasted all around the futon in front of Chen Dengming.

"Daoist, fellow Daoist, look, it seems you really are still haunted by the resentment of that evil spirit after its death. These exorcism talismans were just burned. I called you several times but you didn't respond."

Chen Dengming frowned, carefully examining the ashes of the talismans that surrounded him, his expression turning grim.

"Ling'er, didn't you spot any trace of that evil spirit?"

The spirit of the formation shook its head. "Dao, fellow Daoist, the main obstacle affecting your cultivation is not the evil spirits. You should have already eliminated those evil spirits back then."

But His resentment has transferred to you, which is why you've been feeling uneasy during your recent cultivation. You're now haunted by the resentment of this evil spirit after its destruction.

"The evil spirits are all dead, so why are they still haunting me?"

"Then, why can a cultivator become a ghost after death, and why can a ghost transform into an evil spirit?"

Because when resentment or obsession becomes strong enough, evil spirits will be born. As long as the resentment or obsession is not satisfied, it will be very difficult to eliminate them.

"This is like a stubborn plaster."

Chen Dengming's face darkened. "So how do we get rid of this resentment now?"

He had originally planned to stay for a while after returning, and once the War Zone was over, he was ready to set off for Jiamu Pass to bring Xu Wei back to the Evergreen Sect.

As a result, I have been feeling uneasy, and now I am even sure that I am being haunted by the resentment of evil spirits. I can't even concentrate on my cultivation, and I am often awakened by alarming omens and images flashing through my mind.

Yesterday, he also asked He Yingyu, but she said that nothing like that had happened.

It seems that after he killed the evil spirit that day, the dissipating black mist did indeed transfer the evil spirit's resentment onto him.

The Little Array Spirit said, "Actually, the situation isn't as serious as you might think. Now that the evil spirit has been eliminated, this resentment is just a tree without roots, water without a source. Fellow Daoist, if you just ignore it, it will naturally dissipate."

Chen Dengming was speechless.

This thing has been affecting his cultivation, waking him up from time to time. How could he possibly ignore it? That would be asking too much of him.

After expressing her doubts, the Little Array Spirit frowned, pouted, and asked curiously, "Logically speaking, unless something important happens around you, you wouldn't be so restless and create a mental void, giving resentment an opportunity to take advantage."

What important thing has happened around me?

Chen Dengming pondered with a strange expression, but couldn't figure it out.

He's fine now, and nothing dangerous has happened to him.

Aside from being haunted by evil spirits and resentment, there's nothing to worry about or feel anxious about. So why would anything cause a mental void or unrest?

"Could something have happened to Xu Wei?"

Chen Dengming thought it over and over, his heart tightening, the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

As the saying goes, what you think about during the day, you dream about at night. For a long time, he had been paying close attention to the whereabouts and safety of the Luo Family, just to make sure that Xu Wei was safe.

If this matter drags on for too long, it might become an obsession in his heart. If something were to happen to Xu Wei, he might indeed be restless.

With this thought in mind, Chen Dengming got up and paced back and forth in the room, his brows gradually furrowing. Suddenly, he patted his Storage Bag, looked at the Three Yang Crystal Storage Bag, and a thoughtful expression appeared in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist, there is another method that might help you resolve some of the resentment."

"What method?"

"The method of cultivating Fierce Ghost... The malevolent spirit beside you is a perfect candidate for cultivating Fierce Ghost, but it lacks the resources. However, now that this resentful force is entangled with you, you have the resources."

You can let that Fellow Daoist Zhu's vengeful spirit transfer its resentment once again.

"Let Old Zhu share some of my resentment? This... isn't this just making him take the blame?"

Chen Dengming was taken aback upon hearing this.

This is like betraying your own brothers.

Old Zhu doesn't work hard in his cultivation, and being a brother in the banner is already bad enough, but having to share his resentment is even worse.

The Little Array Spirit said, "After absorbing resentment, he might evolve into Fierce Ghost."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dengming breathed a sigh of relief.

However, if Old Zhu could absorb the resentment and evolve into Fierce Ghost, it would seem to be a great benefit to him, and wouldn't be considered a betrayal of Old Zhu.

Chen Dengming summoned the Soul Guiding Banner and sensed the presence of the Zhu Xun spirit within it, feeling both ashamed and moved.

Old Zhu, oh Old Zhu, let's be brothers, in the banner.

Now that he has both the method to cultivate Fierce Ghost and the power of resentment as a resource, he will never let his brothers suffer.

One day later.

Inside the cave abode, the vengeful Zhu Xun hovered around Chen Dengming's head, diverting his resentment, while constantly babbling like a dog.

Holding the Three Yang Crystal, which was filled with warm and surging spiritual energy, Chen Dengming took a deep breath and began to circulate the Everlasting Evergreen Merit. Using the Everlasting Spring spiritual energy as a catalyst, he drew out the surging spiritual energy within the Three Yang Crystal and transformed it into his own spiritual energy.

He Yingyu had reminded him that it would be best to use the Three Yang Crystal when breaking through to perfection in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, so as to maximize the value of the item.

For him, there was no bottleneck to breakthrough, and using it earlier wouldn't have any impact. At most, he might waste a little spiritual energy due to the absorption speed.

Moreover, he had already reviewed the materials in the sect's library and confirmed that there was not much risk in absorbing the power within the Three Yang Crystal Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

The only thing to pay attention to is the consistency of the spiritual energy conversion speed.

If the speed is too slow, the Spiritual Qi within the Three Yang Crystal may have nowhere to dissipate, potentially leading to an explosion. After all, the Spiritual Qi conversion speed of Foundation Establishment Middle Stage is absolutely inferior to that of Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

However, Chen Dengming felt that if he focused more and was more careful, he could minimize the dangers in this regard.

At this moment, countless strands of spiritual energy flowed into his Dantian along his meridians, directly strengthening the spiritual energy accumulated in his Dantian, which resembled three pools of water, and increasing the total amount of spiritual energy.

Above the three pools of water, Spiritual Qi and Divine Sense swirled and floated like mist.

In normal cultivation, Spiritual Qi is absorbed into the body and then forms a mist of Spiritual Qi that floats above the spiritual essence in the lower and middle Dantian.

Once the spiritual mist accumulates to a certain level, spiritual essence will drip out from it and flow into the spiritual essence, thus increasing one's cultivation level.

Once the spiritual energy in the lower and middle Dantian rises to a certain level, the spiritual mist within the lower and middle Dantian will continue to rise to the upper Dantian, where it will be further purified and gradually transformed into the floating Divine Sense within the upper Dantian.

This is the stage of Qi Cultivation into Spirit, a process of diligent practice, day after day, accumulating knowledge slowly.

However, as Chen Dengming continues to absorb the spiritual energy within the Three Yang Crystal, the spiritual energy in his three Dantian continues to grow, transforming into Everlasting Spiritual Energy, and gradually refining Spirit Transformation, increasing his Divine Sense. Consequently, his cultivation level continues to improve.

On the panel, the proficiency level of <Evergreen Merit> began to fluctuate continuously.

Chen Dengming only glanced at it briefly before immediately focusing his attention away from it, afraid that if he looked any longer, he would become somewhat addicted.

Having transmigrated for so long, his cultivation has always been achieved through his own hard work, step by step, with sweat and toil, until he reached this point today.

As a result, his peaceful and steady cultivation method was disrupted after he ventured into a secret place with the rich girl.

The Cultivation Method proficiency displayed on the panel is increasing like it's been given a cheat code; I'm adding points like crazy.

His cultivation level also increased rapidly, like a rocket.

Sure enough, his senior sister's pay-to-win cultivation method was invincible. He was essentially cultivating with top-grade spirit crystals, and his money pouch was burning hot.

But this feeling is simply too exhilarating, even more captivating than double masturbation.

If it weren't for the Little Array Spirit's reminder, he might not have been so eager to consume the Three Yang Crystal. He could have waited until he broke through to the Foundation Establishment Perfection Foundation Establishment Late Stage before using this item.

But after being reminded by the Little Array Spirit, Chen Dengming couldn't contain himself any longer.

I sense that something might have happened to Xu Wei at the Luo Family, so I need to head to Jiamu Pass as soon as possible.

To enhance our ability to protect ourselves abroad, we should focus on improving our strength first.

"I wonder if this piece of Three Yang Crystal is enough to fill the sixth level of my Cultivation Method proficiency?"

"Currently, cultivation doesn't seem to be like it's depicted in novels. There's no such thing as perfect Foundation Establishment or ten-fold Foundation Establishment. You need to accumulate more spiritual energy and foundation than others to break through. Then, you can instantly kill those of the same level, and even those at higher realms can quickly break through by defeating Golden Core cultivators."

"Since he can't accumulate a more substantial foundation than ordinary people, what about the Sha Star'?"

"How can the Sha Star kill enemies across a whole realm? What is it that he relies on? Is it some supreme treasure or a secret technique from the Daoist lineage?"

This idea had only been around for a short time.

Chen Dengming's body erupted with sounds like popping beans, his energy surged in all directions, his robes billowed, and his Divine Sense condensed between his brows like a blazing fire.

In an instant, his forehead, chest, and abdomen shimmered with spiritual light, like sunlight, overflowing with vitality.

Breakthrough achieved! Foundation Establishment Late Stage!

At this moment, the abundant spiritual energy within the Three Yang Crystal still had a considerable surplus.

Chen Dengming found this breakthrough rather dull and uninteresting.

It wasn't something he achieved through his own hard work and training; it was exciting, but it didn't provide much of a sense of fulfillment.

I don't know if this is just being a jerk.

He continued to maintain the speed of absorbing energy. After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, the speed of spiritual energy conversion became even faster, and the danger of the Three Yang Crystal explosion was greatly reduced.

In this quiet and the Unseen practice, time passed quickly.

Midway through, I vaguely felt a faint palpitation, as if resentment was attacking again.

But after a series of 'hehehe' sounds, the resentment vanished quickly, like a puppy that had been lured away.

The next day.

A long, exhilarating roar, like a Dragon's Roar echoing through a deep valley, reverberated from the cave abode for a long time. The immense spiritual power contained within it caused the Black Cloud Leopard outside the cave abode to stand on end, its fur bristling. The leopard turned its eyes to look into the cave abode, its eyes filled with astonishment and joy.

Inside the cave abode, Chen Dengming felt the abundant spiritual energy throughout his body, a smile appearing on his lips. He then looked down at the Three Yang Crystal in his hand, which had completely turned into white crystal and no longer contained any spiritual energy, and nodded with a sigh.

This piece of Three Yang Crystal helped him directly break through to the sixth level of the Evergreen Merit Technique.

Even the proficiency at the seventh level of the Cultivation Method has increased by more than half.

Although his Cultivation Method did not advance further, it stabilized his cultivation level, which had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, considerably, and his Law Power was more than twice as strong as before the breakthrough.

Chen Dengming observed his own status on the panel.

"Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator [Chen Dengming]"

Lifespan: 87/338/759

Spirit Root: Metal, Wood (Superior Grade 50/100)

Martial arts: Omitted

Daoist Techniques: <Evergreen Merit> (Level 7, 26116/40000), <Chen Family Daoist Magic Chapter> (Master, 69/100), <Reverse Glory Spring Return Technique> (Beginner, 73/100), others omitted.

After breaking through in both his Strength Realm and the Evergreen Merit, his Lifespan Limit was extended by another thirty years.

With such a long lifespan, if we disregard the impact of bone age on joining the Longevity Sect, he can already begin to continue cultivating the <Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique> to improve his cultivation aptitude, and at least obtain the final 20% increase in cultivation speed.

However, now that he has already broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage with the help of the Three Yang Crystal, and summer is just around the corner, he can continue to use lightning to temper his body and reduce his bone age with He Yingyu. There is no rush to start using his life force in these few months. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Now that his strength has increased, and he Foundation Establishment Late Stage, although he is not as powerful as Golden Core or False Core Great Cultivator, he can still be considered a figure of some importance.

Within the entire Evergreen Sect, besides Senior Sister He, the only ones with strength above the Foundation Establishment Late Stage are the sect leader and deputy sect leader. Let's see who dares to call him a pretty boy.

Now, he can set off for Jiamu Pass to find Xu Wei.

Chen Dengming stood up, sniffed his own scent, frowned, turned his head, and cast a Cleansing Technique on himself to remove the bodily fluids that had gushed from his pores after the breakthrough.

The smell after this process of "cleansing the body and marrow" is extremely unpleasant. Although it's not as exaggerated as the description in novels of spitting out feces from one's pores, it's comparable to squeezing pimples all over one's body and sweating profusely.

"I wonder why this scent wasn't there when Senior Sister He broke through? Was it because the cleanup was too fast, and it disappeared before I could even smell it?"

After finishing his personal cleaning, Chen Dengming summoned the spirit Zhu Xun examine him.

It was discovered that the brothers in the banner seemed to have gained more ferocity. Their faces were full of flesh and they looked fierce and menacing. When they opened their mouths, their already sharp teeth became like fangs, and their eyes were bluish-white, which was very creepy. It seemed that they were indeed beginning to develop into Fierce Ghosts, and their aura was even stronger.

These brothers in the banner, having merely absorbed some resentment from evil spirits, actually broke through to the Qi Cultivation Tenth Level, and their bodies also exuded a strange and evil aura.

"Fellow Daoist Zhu, it seems you truly have the talent to become Fierce Ghost."

Chen Dengming pondered for a moment, then activated the Soul Guiding Banner, taking Zhu Xun inside.

Once he has absorbed enough resentment, Zhu Xun might not only become Fierce Ghost, but his strength might also continue to break through. As long as he has enough special resources such as resentment, it is possible that he could become as strong as the evil spirit he encountered before, which would be a great help.

Now that he has broken through, he feels refreshed and invigorated, as if his strength has increased and his perspective on problems is also changing.

This is similar to how a person's perspective and mindset naturally change when they go from being poor to being rich in a previous life.

With his sleeves fluttering, he strode out the door.

The Black Cloud Leopard let out a "woof" and got up, eagerly preparing to take him out for a drive.

When will you be able to break through to the Foundation Establishment?

Chen Dengming glanced at the Black Cloud Leopard and felt that now that he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, the Black Panther was still at the Qi Cultivation Tenth Level, and it wasn't even cool enough as a mount.

The Black Cloud Leopard gave a pitiful look, pouting, its tail and ears drooping, and shook its head.

With a look of utter dismay, it opened its mouth again, drool dripping from its mouth, its eyes shining, and made two "whoosh" sounds.

Chen Dengming understood what he meant and asked suspiciously, "The meat of that Ice Python Demon from last time? You certainly have a big appetite."

After he received a portion of the Ice Python Demon's Flesh and Blood last time, he fed some of it to the Black Cloud Leopard and used the rest to try and cultivate it into a King Gu.

As a result, the Black Cloud Leopard showed no signs of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment after eating it, and now it's asking for more. It's unclear whether it's just greed or a genuine need.

Chen Dengming flipped himself onto the Black Cloud Leopard and urged the leopard to go out. He wondered if he should go to He Yingyu and ask for the Foundation Establishment water monster he had hunted on the Mist River Beach, and feed it to the Black Cloud Leopard. Perhaps the leopard would break through to the Foundation Establishment after eating it.

"Feeding Foundation Establishment Demon Beast to a Qi Refining level Demon Beast like you—that's a level of extravagance that probably only your master would do. Hei Zi, you must repay me well in the future!"

Chen Dengming stroked the black fur on the back of the Black Cloud Leopard's neck and chuckled.

He and He Yingyu originally planned to hunt down that Foundation Establishment Water Monster and use it in the secret realm.

According to the instruction manual, if one can communicate peacefully with the Stone Crystal Giants, they are willing to make trade, and the best traded item is a powerful living Demon Beast.

As a result, neither of them was able to use the Foundation Establishment Demon Beast in Giant Valley, and the Stone Crystal Giant easily offered up the Three Yang Crystal.

Therefore, the Foundation Establishment Water Monster is still trapped inside He Yingyu Beast Taming Bag.

However, as soon as Chen Dengming arrived at He Yingyu's cave abode on his Black Cloud Leopard, he discovered that the cave abode's Formation was activated, indicating that she was already in seclusion for cultivation.

"Is Senior Sister He also absorbing the Three Yang Crystal? It shouldn't be that fast; she's probably spending money on cultivation again."

Chen Dengming originally wanted to tell He Yingyu the good news that he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, but now he had no choice but to leave first. He rode the Black Cloud Leopard to the Evergreen Hall, intending to report the good news to Liang Yunsheng and then report to the sect before leaving the sect for Jiamu Pass.

If possible, he also hoped to borrow one of the sect's spirit boats.

This way, when traveling, you can not only move extremely fast and conveniently, but also avoid a lot of trouble.

Even Golden Core Cultivator would not easily offend him upon seeing him piloting a spirit boat bearing the Evergreen Sect's insignia.

The next day, early morning.

The morning bell of the Evergreen Sect suddenly rang twice. The extremely penetrating sound spread throughout the sect, immediately startling many disciples and causing an uproar both inside and outside the sect.

"The morning bell used to ring only once, but today it rang twice. Has another senior in the sect broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage?"

"Could it be that Deacon Zhou Yunji has returned? Rumor has it that he made quite a name for himself in the War Zone last year, by stealing... cough, he killed quite a few powerful Devil Cultivator."

Now that the war in the northeast corner has ended and the War Zone is entering its final stages, has he returned and made a breakthrough?

"It seems that Deacon Zhou has not returned yet. The last time the morning bell rang twice was when Deacon He broke through. This time it might be Deacon Wang Xuanfei. He is over 160 years old now and is considered one of the oldest Foundation Establishment Deacon in the sect, with profound knowledge and experience."

As Wang Xuanfei was riding his spiritual light, passing by several disciples who were gossiping, he heard this and his face turned red. He tried to pretend he hadn't heard, but the disciples had already looked up and seen him. They immediately bowed respectfully in unison.

Wang Xuanfei coughed awkwardly and said, "This time, it was your Martial Uncle Chen who broke through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. It's said that he did it by relying on the Three Yang Crystal. Sigh, that's really something."

He shook his head, ultimately refraining from uttering the words "wasteful," fearing his disciples might misunderstand him as jealous.

He immediately rode his spiritual light and headed straight for the gate of the Mountain Gate ahead, preparing to see Chen Dengming off.

Chen Dengming only reported the good news to Liang Yunsheng yesterday, and some of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect only received the news today.

Hearing that Chen Dengming had just broken through to the next level and was about to go to Jiamu Pass, regardless of what everyone thought in their hearts, they would definitely have to go and congratulate him and see him off.

Even Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator who broke through using the Three Yang Crystal.

After all, their Strength Realm are different now.

In the adult world, the process doesn't matter; only the result matters.

Even if someone is jealous, they would never dare to show it on their face and would have to greet them with a smile.

Because Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator almost represents the pinnacle of combat power for a sect below the Golden Core stage.

Those False Core Great Cultivator are ultimately a very small minority.

Moreover, if one takes another step beyond the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, they will be a genuine False Core Great Cultivator. Such a person would be considered a prominent and influential figure within the Evergreen Sect.

At this moment, a spirit boat hovered in the air at the entrance of the Evergreen Sect Mountain Gate.

Chen Dengming was politely and smilingly dealing with the many fellow disciples who came to congratulate and see him off.

"Thank you Senior Brother for coming to see me off. I will definitely hold a celebratory banquet for Junior Brother when I return. Please forgive Senior Brother."

Guan Le immediately responded with a smile, "Not at all, Junior Brother Chen, please go ahead and do what you need to do. The banquet can be arranged anytime, we won't mind. Here, please accept this gift first."

"Don't be modest, please don't be modest. I, Lao Guan, don't have much savings. This is just a small gift. If you refuse, wouldn't that be slapping me, Lao Guan, in the face?"

"Not bad, Junior Brother Chen, I'll also contribute. I wish you a safe journey. After you've accomplished your mission, bring Junior Brother Zhou back with you. We'll drink together then."

"Definitely, definitely!"

Chen Dengming received so many congratulatory gifts that his hands were sore, and his smile grew even wider.

After Guan Le broke through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, the gifts he received from his fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators became increasingly generous, with the least gift being a High-grade Spirit Crystal.

"Junior Brother Chen."

At this moment, Liang Yunsheng approached with a smile and also presented a congratulatory gift.

"Senior Brother Liang, didn't you already deliver it?"

Chen Dengming was surprised and was about to decline when Liang Yunsheng pressed his hand down and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Chen, this congratulatory gift was sent by Sect Master Qiu. The sect leader knew that after your breakthrough in strength, you would have to leave for Jiamu Pass immediately, so he asked me to deliver this congratulatory gift to you."

However, Junior Brother, you must remember that this gift from the sect leader is extremely precious. If you encounter any trouble or difficulties while you are away, you can take it out then!

Chen Dengming was surprised, his heart pounded, and his hand, which had been about to refuse, immediately accepted the Storage Bag that was being handed to him, saying solemnly.

"Senior Brother Liang, please be sure to thank the sect leader on my behalf!"

The others around Chen Dengming were secretly envious of the Storage Bag in his hand.

The gift from the master is something that can be used to resolve trouble when needed—isn't that a life-saving treasure?

They might even be able to handle Golden Core Cultivator directly; how could anyone not be envious?

But there's no use in being envious. None of them have broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, so even knowing that Chen Dengming broke through using the Three Yang Crystal doesn't help.

Without the strength of Foundation Establishment Late Stage, who would dare to venture into the secret realm to seize the Three Yang Crystal? Even Foundation Establishment Late Stage might not be able to secure it.

After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Dengming glanced at the location of the Evergreen Sect. Seeing that He Yingyu was not present and seemed to still be in seclusion, he smiled and bid farewell to everyone, urging his spirit boat onward and turning to leave.

Having broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, he now enjoys greater prestige. After reporting to Liang Yunsheng yesterday, he casually mentioned the matter of renting the sect's spirit boat.

Liang Yunsheng readily agreed, waving his sleeve and granting him a spirit boat for a monthly rental fee of one and a half High-grade Spirit Stone.

Compared to the value of the Lingzhou, this rental fee is negligible; the brand value of the Evergreen Sect alone exceeds the rental cost.

At this moment, a long wind brushed his face. Chen Dengming, dressed in the robes of Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Evergreen Sect, piloted the Evergreen Sect's spirit boat and, with the strength of Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, headed straight for the Luo Family in Jiamu Pass.

Compared to when he escaped from Bright Moon Workshop as a nobody Rogue Cultivator with no backing, he is now infinitely more glamorous and at ease.

Even if he were to appear at the Ming family's door again now, shouting "Wanted criminal Chen Dengming is here," the Ming family patriarch would probably just smile and say, "There are countless people in the world with the same name, brother, please don't misunderstand, let's keep things peaceful!"

This is the very path I once took to escape in my green robes; today, Foundation Establishment with boundless ambition. Returning home, I'll drink the immortal's wine, my smiling face now blurred with tears...

(Over 9,000 words to congratulate Fellow Daoist Chen on his Foundation Establishment Late Stage. Today's monthly votes are less than 200, but tomorrow's votes will still reach 10,000 words.)