Foundation Establishment Potion

Wu Tie leaned against the wall, sitting at its base.

Old Tie threw back his head and laughed loudly beside him. Unlike before, when sounds had emerged from him without his opening his mouth, this time Old Tie opened his jaws, his two rows of large teeth clacking continuously as he laughed in an exceptionally booming voice.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha... Grandpa here... is truly happy..."

"That shameless bastard died before Grandpa here did..."

"So what if his cultivation was deep?"

"So what if he was strong?"

"So what if his position was high?"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha... Dead!"

Old Tie's jaw opened and shut, his entire head shaking as his laughter echoed through the hall, especially chilling.

Wu Tie turned his head and watched Old Tie's hysterical laughter.

After a long, long while, Wu Tie softly said, "Actually, you're sad, aren't you?"

The laughter stopped abruptly. With a clang, Old Tie snapped his mouth tightly shut. Electricity flickered over one of his large teeth as he said coldly, "Little brat, don't talk nonsense. Grandpa here has no heart at all... How could I be sad?"

Wu Tie patted the top of Old Tie's head. "But you are sad, aren't you?"

Old Tie stubbornly said, "Grandpa here is very happy."

Wu Tie immediately jabbed back, "You have no heart, so how can you be happy? So you really are sad, aren't you?"

Blood-red light flickered in Old Tie's eye sockets. Then, all thirty-two of his neat, white teeth simultaneously spat out strands of extremely fine lightning, which struck Wu Tie's thigh with hissing crackles.

Wu Tie let out a miserable howl and collapsed to the ground, his entire body convulsing. Every strand of his long hair stood on end as countless tiny electric sparks merrily danced through it, popping sharply.

"Do you still want revenge?" Old Tie asked icily.

"I do!" Enduring the agony of his muscles spasming throughout his body, Wu Tie gritted his teeth and straightened up.

"If you do, then listen to Grandpa here." Old Tie spoke one word at a time. "Even if I say dog shit smells good, you have to believe that dog shit smells better than old hen stewed with red dates and wolfberries!"

"What is a dog?" Wu Tie asked blankly. "Red dates? Wolfberries? Old hen?"

Old Tie fell silent for a moment. Then, streaks of lightning shot from all thirty-two of his neat white teeth again, cleanly blasting Wu Tie to the ground.

"Heh, a brat won't behave unless he's beaten. A filial son comes from the rod—what a supreme truth, simply the truth itself!" Old Tie laughed happily. One of his eyeballs stared at Wu Tie, while the other turned toward the Crystal Ball containing Yang Jian and remained fixed there for a long while.

"Tch... Grandpa here is heartless and carefree... How could I be sad? I don't have that function..." As Wu Tie convulsed on the ground, Old Tie muttered softly to himself, "Feelings really are a bastard!"

Wu Tie trembled as he got to his feet. This time, he kept his mouth shut.

Old Tie had far too many tricks, and he struck ruthlessly without the slightest concern that Wu Tie was still a child. Wu Tie was truly afraid of him now.

"Pick me up and go to that door across the way." Old Tie said coldly, "Kid, let's see what luck you have."

Wu Tie's body stiffened briefly before he picked up Old Tie and carried him toward the wall opposite them.

If there really was some treasure there, as Old Tie had said, that could improve his cultivation efficiency, then Wu Tie would soon have enough power to take revenge, wouldn't he?

If there was not...

Would it take twenty years just to complete Foundation Establishment?

Wu Tie shuddered and quickened his pace—his enemies would die of old age by then, wouldn't they? How could he wait that long?

The door opened.

Beyond it was another deathly pale metal hall.

The hall was extremely spacious. Only a few strange objects, gleaming all over with peculiar crystalline light as if cast from crystal, stood within it. Apart from those, the hall, several times larger than the room outside, was utterly empty. Not even a speck of dust lay on the floor.

"Ah... oh..." Old Tie muttered. "Kid, there's good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear?"

Wu Tie's heart clenched violently. In a dry voice, he asked, "What's the bad news?"

"There are no Foundation Establishment Potions here." Old Tie answered bluntly. "That should be right. This is the last batch of emergency-reserve Ancient Divine Weapon Camps... So, as you can see, it's empty. Many resources that should have been here were never transferred in."

With a cold snort, Old Tie cursed, "Even this Ancient Divine Weapon Camp itself is incomplete in its functions... It doesn't even know what's in its own storerooms. I don't know what use it is."

No Foundation Establishment Potion?

Foundation Establishment Potion!

Wu Tie remembered the name. This was the treasure that could speed up his cultivation and rapidly raise his cultivation level.

"None... Then what about me?" Wu Tie's body swayed.

"The good news is, some fellow sent a set of alchemy equipment here?" Old Tie directed Wu Tie to carry him over to a strange apparatus several meters high, several meters wide, and dozens of meters long, entirely encased in a thick layer of white transparent crystal.

"As long as there are enough materials, it can refine Foundation Establishment Potions." Old Tie said, "As for the formula, I have it... After all, I am Bian Que's ninth-generation medical-care Ancient Divine Weapon. I still have this basic information."

In a strange tone, Old Tie continued, "All the materials can be found outside. I already spotted plenty along the way."

"But... the most important ingredient..." Before Wu Tie could be happy, Old Tie's "but" sent his heart soaring into his throat again. "I can help you gather all the materials needed for one Foundation Establishment Potion. After that, you'll have to rely on yourself."

"Rely on myself?" Wu Tie's body twitched. Not yet understanding exactly what he would face, he curiously asked Old Tie, "What is the most important ingredient?"

"Flesh and blood!" Old Tie said one word at a time. "Those venomous snakes, lizards, spiders, snails, cave rats, bats, insects, and vermin outside... Their flesh and blood. Roughly a thousand pounds of flesh and blood can make one Foundation Establishment Potion."

"Flesh and blood?" Wu Tie shuddered violently.

One thousand pounds of flesh and blood for one Foundation Establishment Potion. For no reason at all, the machine before him suddenly seemed far more sinister and terrifying.

"What did you think?" Old Tie countered. "What do you think Foundation Establishment is? Foundation Establishment means forging a perfect body and laying the most perfect foundation for future cultivation. What does a perfect body require? Nutrition and energy!"

"A Foundation Establishment Potion provides you with the purest nutrition and the most active energy, stimulating your body to absorb that nutrition and energy perfectly. Together with the Foundation Establishment Form, it transforms your body toward its most perfect state." Old Tie spoke quickly. "So flesh and blood equals Foundation Establishment Potion. Is there a problem with that?"

Wu Tie shook his head.

He understood what Old Tie meant.

Master Hui had told him that his father and elder brother never wasted even a scrap of food. Their powerful physiques and extraordinary strength all required massive amounts of food to provide enough energy.

"Flesh and blood equals Foundation Establishment Potion. I understand." A thousand pounds of flesh and blood, together with the other materials, could refine one Foundation Establishment Potion. Wu Tie firmly etched this into his mind.

Two hours later, Wu Tie carried Old Tie as he struggled out of the deep pit.

Streaks of red light continuously flashed through the mushroom thickets and fern groves. The red beams Old Tie spat from his eyes were astonishingly lethal, easily slaughtering great numbers of creatures.

In just a quarter of an hour, Old Tie had precisely killed enough prey to make up a thousand pounds of flesh and blood. Wu Tie panted as he ran back and forth dozens of times, finally carrying all the prey back to the hall where the alchemy equipment stood.

He also brought back the other materials needed to refine a Foundation Establishment Potion.

Three kinds of moss in different colors.

Seven types of distinctly poisonous mushrooms.

Two kinds of ferns said to cause severe consequences if consumed.

As well as several drops of venom extracted from the fangs of a Black Ring Snake, the silk sac of one Venomous Spider, and the anesthetic saliva of two Gray Mist Spiders.

After tossing these strange ingredients, along with the thousand pounds of prey, into the alchemy equipment, a layer of white light enveloped the entire apparatus. In less than the time it took to snap a finger, a faint ding sounded, and a tiny door slid open on one side of the machine.

A tray slowly extended. In a transparent crystal cup on the tray sat half a cup of thick emerald-green liquid, giving off a rich, pungent smell.

This was the Foundation Establishment Potion.

Wu Tie stared at the Foundation Establishment Potion with feverish eyes.

It represented hope for rapid cultivation, rapidly growing strength, and the power Wu Tie needed to take revenge on his enemies.

"Father... Brother..." Wu Tie clenched his fists, his body shaking violently.

Old Tie had been set on the ground by Wu Tie. Seeing him like this, Old Tie gave a dry laugh. "Although I know this mouth of mine is rather cheap... I just can't help saying it..."

"Kid, those prey were stuffed directly inside... Heh, they weren't cleaned. Fur, internal organs, and other filthy things... Heh heh, it takes some courage to drink that!"

Wu Tie looked down at Old Tie, picked up the crystal cup, and drank the Foundation Establishment Potion in one gulp.

It was thick and slick, with an extremely strong smell.

The moment the Foundation Establishment Potion entered his mouth, part of it was swiftly absorbed by the mucous membranes in his mouth. In his throat, nearly half the potion was rapidly absorbed. The half cup of potion, less than an ounce in volume, was completely absorbed by his body within a single breath after entering his stomach.

Threads of powerful heat spread from his mouth, throat, and abdomen into every part of his body.

His skin began to flush red. Wu Tie could clearly feel his strength increasing, and even his breathing became much hotter.

"Foundation Establishment means forging the perfect physical foundation."

"What is a perfect physical foundation? Strength, constitution, agility, and spirit."

"That is, great strength, vigorous vitality, swift speed, and abundant energy."

"Blood Qi Condensation, Origin Qi Transformation, Astral Force Infusion..." Old Tie laughed. "I heard you mention the cultivation levels of your family before... What a bunch of hopeless grandsons... These realms are no different from those in Grandpa's time, are they?"

As he laughed, blood-red light flickered in Old Tie's eyes, and large sheets of light spilled forth. The white figure clad in form-fitting armor appeared again.

"Foundation Establishment Form, First Form, begin!" A sweet, gentle female voice rang out, and the white figure began to move.

Wu Tie unconsciously followed the white figure's movements, performing one form after another. The movements were gentle and soft, filled with a natural, harmonious charm. The female voice carried a strange rhythm, and Wu Tie unconsciously began breathing in a rhythmic cadence along with it.

One inhale, one exhale, one inhale, one exhale...

As Wu Tie moved, the heat currents formed from the Foundation Establishment Potion gently flowed into every corner of his body.

Like spring wind turning into rain, nourishing all things without a sound.

Like mercury spilling across the ground, reaching every tiniest corner.

Gentle and slow, yet all-encompassing, leaving no blind spot untouched.

The human body had two hundred and six bones, six hundred and thirty-nine muscles, nearly six billion muscle fibers, and nerves that, if joined end to end, would stretch nearly four million miles...

Wu Tie's inherited Sky-Breaking Fist was domineering and fierce, swift and violent. It cultivated very quickly, but could only train several dozen specific bones and a little over a hundred muscles.

The Foundation Establishment Form was gentle and relaxed. Though it consisted of twelve hundred different postures and movements, it could perfectly engage the entire body and train every detail within it.

"Foundation Establishment Form... The theoretically most perfect method of Foundation Establishment... It just takes effect too slowly... What a pity it takes effect too slowly..." Old Tie muttered as he watched Wu Tie, whose body was drenched in sweat and whose skin burned crimson. "But... we don't lack time, do we, kid?"

"If perfect Foundation Establishment is possible, then why not take a gamble?"

Old Tie laughed. "Grandpa here had already fallen into despair... Lying in that dirt mound, not seeing a person for who knew how many years... I thought all hope was gone for good. Who would have thought... you would be sent in here..."

"Grandpa here never believed in gods, never believed in fate... But now my stance is wavering a little."

"You dragged Grandpa here out of despair... We have already endured that kind of despair, so why not take a gamble?"

"Though it is only theory... I choose to believe..."

"As long as perfect Foundation Establishment can be achieved..."

"You must achieve perfect Foundation Establishment... Grandpa here... still wants to make one last bid."

The light and gentle female voice echoed through the hall as the Foundation Establishment Form continued form by form. The movements became gentler and slower, and each posture was held for longer and longer.

Fine vibrations from tendons and bones gradually sounded within Wu Tie's body.

His body began subtly adjusting itself, slowly approaching a certain "most perfect physical form."

This would be an exceptionally long and exceptionally grueling process.

The Foundation Establishment Potion was still taking effect.

Sweat continuously dripped down. Threads of blue lightning flickered across the white metal floor, and the sweat that fell onto it instantly vanished without a trace. The ground remained spotless, without a speck of dust.

Wu Tie breathed long and deeply. The breath he exhaled was faintly gray, carrying a pungent fishy stench.

The Foundation Establishment Form gradually evolved to the one hundred and eighth form.

This posture stretched like a bow. He lay on his side upon the ground, with only his left elbow and left heel touching the floor.

Wu Tie maintained the posture as his spine wriggled faintly like a nimble long snake. Holding that position, he fell asleep.

The one hundred and eighth form was his current limit.

The Foundation Establishment Potion had already dispersed evenly throughout his entire body, nourishing every smallest component of him.

The nutritional essence refined from a full thousand pounds of flesh and blood, along with the other materials, was rapidly merging into Wu Tie's scrawny body of less than sixty pounds.

Crack...

A faint sound came from Wu Tie's body as he began to shoot up.

Beneath his skin, his muscles wriggled almost imperceptibly. Nutrients brimming with potent vitality were stimulating the growth of his muscles.

The strange postures of the Foundation Establishment Form ensured that those muscles maintained their optimal shape.

The red light in Old Tie's eyes receded. He stood quietly on the ground, patiently waiting.

"Grandpa here... is very patient..."