Zhou Xuanhao Achieves Foundation Establishment

Zhou Xuanhao was in seclusion, attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment, a major event for the entire Zhou Family.

It had been decades since anyone in the Zhou Family had attempted Foundation Establishment. The last Zhou Family cultivator to attempt Foundation Establishment without taking a Foundation Establishment Pill was an elder of the "Guang" generation over fifty years ago.

Therefore, after Zhou Xuanhao entered his seclusion chamber, not only Zhou Yang and Lin Yuting stayed by the chamber to guard and protect him, but even Zhou Xuantai and Zhou Xuanbin, two elders of the Zhou Family, temporarily put aside all their affairs and joined the guarding team.

Their caution was well-founded.

This was because during a cultivator's Foundation Establishment, not only could their entire body's mana not be moved even slightly, but their mind could not be disturbed by any external force.

At such a time, it wasn't even necessary for someone to directly attack the cultivator undergoing Foundation Establishment. Merely creating some commotion outside the Haoyang Cave's spirit vein, agitating the spirit vein's spiritual qi, could potentially disturb Zhou Xuanhao, causing him to fail his Foundation Establishment directly.

Therefore, before attempting Foundation Establishment, cultivators would first ensure the safety of the surrounding environment, letting their closest and most trusted people guard the seclusion chamber to protect them, before daring to attempt the Foundation Establishment breakthrough.

Generally speaking, there was a time limit for cultivators attempting Foundation Establishment. It could be as short as a month, or as long as three months. If there was no news after three months, it was a hundred percent failure.

After Zhou Xuanhao entered seclusion, for the first month, Zhou Yang and the others could still calmly sit and read outside.

However, when a month passed and there was still no movement from the seclusion chamber, Mother Zhou, Lin Yuting, was the first to become impatient, a look of anxiety appearing on her face.

It was understandable. According to the experience summarized by senior cultivators, the longer the time taken to attempt Foundation Establishment, the lower the success rate. After two months, even if Foundation Establishment was barely successful, there would be side effects that would hinder future cultivation.

"Father didn't take a Foundation Establishment Pill, so it's normal for the Foundation Establishment to take longer. Mother, you should have faith in him."

After noticing his mother Lin Yuting's anxious expression, Zhou Yang's lips moved slightly, and he whispered to comfort his mother.

"I..." Lin Yuting opened her mouth. Seeing her son and two younger clan members looking at her, she immediately realized her loss of composure. She quickly closed her mouth, silently recited a calming hand seal to control her anxiety, and nodded gently to indicate she understood.

However, when they had been guarding outside for fifty days and there was still no movement from inside, even the usually calm Zhou Yang's expression changed, let alone Lin Yuting's.

"Don't worry, no news is the best news. With Big Brother Xuanhao's cultivation, even if he failed Foundation Establishment, there should be some movement. If you and your son find it difficult, why not go out for a while to calm down, so as not to cause any disturbance that might alert Big Brother Xuanhao."

"Uncle is right, no news is the best news!"

The telepathic message from his Second Uncle, Zhou Xuantai, jolted Zhou Yang's mind, instantly bringing him back from his anxious state. He nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Then he walked over to his anxious mother, Lin Yuting, grabbed her hand firmly, and comforted her, "Mother, we must believe in Father, he will definitely succeed!"

"Son, Mother is so scared, so scared I'll never see your father again!"

Lin Yuting tightly gripped her son's palm, her delicate face had turned pale, her eyes filled with fear.

She had actually always opposed Zhou Xuanhao's risky attempt at Foundation Establishment and had repeatedly persuaded her husband to give up this dangerous idea. But the result was obvious; she hadn't managed to dissuade her husband, who wanted to fight for it.

For this reason, she had always been very pessimistic. As Zhou Xuanhao's seclusion time grew longer, this pessimism intensified, bordering on despair.

"He won't. I believe Father will succeed. Mother, you have to believe in Father too, he won't disappoint us!"

At this point, Zhou Yang could only comfort his mother this way.

Although he knew in his heart that the prolonged silence clearly meant that Zhou Xuanhao's Foundation Establishment attempt was far from "smooth sailing."

However, for Lin Yuting, who was close to despair, his comforting words were like a life-saving straw. Even though he knew they might not be very effective, he still held onto them as if they were hope.

"That's right, my husband won't disappoint us. He has never disappointed Mother, and he won't this time either!"

She murmured to herself, her expression slowly returning to calm.

Time flowed by, and it was soon over two months since Zhou Xuanhao entered the seclusion chamber.

By this point, even Zhou Xuantai and Zhou Xuanbin's expressions had become solemn.

In so many years, no one in the Zhou Family had ever successfully attempted Foundation Establishment for over two months. Could Zhou Xuanhao break this record?

Finally, on the sixty-seventh day after Zhou Xuanhao entered the seclusion chamber, a powerful spiritual qi fluctuation erupted from the chamber, which had been silent until then.

"It's Spiritual Energy Infusion! Is Brother going to succeed?"

Zhou Xuantai, with the highest cultivation, was the first to sense the change in spiritual qi. His expression changed drastically as he stood up from the ground, looking at the seclusion chamber with shock.

"It is indeed Spiritual Energy Infusion! This is the final hurdle of Foundation Establishment. As long as he endures the Spiritual Energy Infusion and refines the surging, violent spiritual qi into Foundation Establishment True Essence, he will have successfully achieved Foundation Establishment!"

Zhou Xuanbin also stood up from the ground, looking at the seclusion chamber with a solemn expression, a deep envy flashing in his eyes.

That was the Foundation Establishment Stage!

It was a realm they had no hope of reaching in their lifetime.

Once Zhou Xuanhao successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, it not only meant that the Zhou Family would have another Foundation Establishment cultivator, but it also meant that Zhou Xuanhao, the oldest cultivator of the "Xuan" generation, would be the longest-living cultivator of their generation in the future.

Thinking about Zhou Yang, who also had a high chance of achieving Foundation Establishment in the future, Zhou Xuanbin felt a pang of jealousy.

What an enviable family!

He glanced sideways at Zhou Yang and Mother Zhou, who were embracing each other and cheering, knowing the complex emotions he felt.

"Mother, he succeeded, Father has successfully achieved Foundation Establishment!"

Zhou Yang tightly hugged his mother's shoulders, the worry in his eyes vanishing, his face filled with ecstatic joy.

"Son, son, pinch me. Am I dreaming? Mother is so afraid this is a dream!"

Lin Yuting also tightly embraced her son's shoulders, her expression a mixture of tears and laughter, her face in a daze.

It could only be said that the surprise came too suddenly.

Who would have thought that after more than two months, Zhou Xuanhao could still succeed in Foundation Establishment without taking a Foundation Establishment Pill!

Such an event, let alone in the Zhou Family, even if magnified to the entire Cultivation World of the Land of Extreme West, was likely a rare wonder that occurred only once in several decades.

Rumble!

Just three days after the "Spiritual Energy Infusion" appeared, the door to the cultivation chamber, which had been closed for seventy days, was finally opened from the inside.

Then, under the wide-eyed gaze of Zhou Yang and the others outside, Zhou Xuanhao, dressed in a cyan robe, walked out with a face full of smiles.

The original Zhou Xuanhao, nearing a hundred years old, not only had loose skin and wrinkles but also had hair that had turned mostly white, resembling a man in his fifties in the mortal world.

However, after successfully achieving Foundation Establishment, his lifespan greatly increased, causing both his hair and complexion to revert to the state of a middle-aged man around forty years old.

Seeing him emerge looking like a middle-aged man, both Zhou Yang, his son, and Lin Yuting, his wife, were slightly stunned.

"Dad!"

"Husband!"

Gazing at the man walking towards them with a smiling face, the stunned Zhou Yang and Lin Yuting finally snapped back to reality and rushed forward to embrace him tightly.

"Fifth brother, eighth sister, let's go out first. The Old Clan Leader and the family are still waiting for our news!"

Zhou Xuantai, watching the Zhou Yang family embrace tightly, smiled slightly and subtly winked at Zhou Xuanbin and Zhou Xuanyan beside him. The three quietly retreated from the stone chamber.

Zhou Xuanhao's successful Foundation Establishment was a joyous occasion for the entire Zhou Family, celebrated by the whole clan.

Upon receiving the news, the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan immediately flew over on his sword from Jade Spring Peak, wanting to see for himself before he could rest assured.

"Xuan Tai and the others sent word that it took you over two months to achieve Foundation Establishment. To be honest, when I first saw this news, my immediate reaction was whether they had made a mistake. I even specifically confirmed it with that girl Yu'er before I dared to believe it was true!"

Inside the "Haoyang Cave," Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan, upon seeing Zhou Xuanhao approach, said this amusing anecdote with a smile.

The aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator emanating from Zhou Xuanhao was undeniable. Upon seeing it, his last shred of worry completely vanished, hence his desire to tease this junior.

Zhou Xuanhao didn't mind the elder's teasing, simply chuckling and saying, "Heh heh, let alone you finding it unbelievable, Old Clan Leader, I myself feel fortunate. If I had to choose again, I would absolutely not dare to take such a risk!"

Hearing his answer, Zhou Minghan seemed to gain some insight and couldn't help but sigh, "Luck is also a form of strength. In our lifelong cultivation as cultivators, we will always encounter various opportunities. Some seize their opportunities and soar, while others miss them and are thus buried!"

Zhou Yang, who was listening, had a subtle shift in his expression, as if he had understood something.

He recalled the "Foundation Establishment Assembly" that the Old Clan Leader had once mentioned to him. After the "Foundation Establishment Assembly," the Zhou Family would definitely deplete their savings to purchase a "Foundation Establishment Pill."

If he couldn't break through to Qi Refining Layer Nine before then, wouldn't he miss out on this opportunity?

Thinking of this, his heart tightened, and he suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of urgency.

He was only one step away from Qi Refining Layer Nine. Logically, he still had plenty of time to break through calmly.

But who knew if any accidents might occur in the meantime?

What if, what if the "Foundation Establishment Assembly" was suddenly moved up?

"I've heard that many senior cultivators in the Cultivation World choose to travel and cultivate when facing bottlenecks to temper their minds and broaden their horizons. It seems a trip to the market town is inevitable. Perhaps my breakthrough opportunity lies there!"

He seemed to have a realization, and his expression gradually relaxed.

Thanks to the 100 Qidian coins from book friends Yujian Xiaoyao Ke, Ran Shang Shu Yin, Hui Shou Ru Meng, and others. The number of book friends who gave rewards today reached ten. You are all too awesome! This book is now firmly in fourth place on the Xianxia New Book list, which is a result I never expected before. I only hoped to stay in the top ten! Hahaha, the previous chapter seemed to have a cliffhanger, and everyone was a bit anxious. There are several comments in this chapter. I'll release this chapter early to harvest your recommendation tickets as soon as possible, so you don't get addicted to other books and vote for them.