Foundation Establishment, Changing Cultivation Techniques

Spring has passed and autumn has come; two years have gone by.

The door to Cultivation Room number thirty-seven in the Spirit Palace Hall opened, and Shen Long walked out. He was still at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, and in the past two years, he had been honing his Law Power.

There are three major hurdles in Foundation Establishment: first, Law Power; second, Divine Sense; and third, physical body.

The barrier of Law Power is usually overcome by Foundation Establishment, while the barriers of physical body and Divine Sense are usually overcome by taking miraculous elixirs.

Shen Long plans to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. He already has Foundation Establishment, but he still needs to purchase spiritual pills and medicines to strengthen his physical body and Divine Sense.

After leaving the Spirit Palace Hall, Shen Long used his flying Law Artifact to arrive at the Free Trade Valley.

After wandering around the streets, he arrived at the Golden Toad Pavilion.

Shen Long walked to a counter and said to a Green-Shirted Attendant, "Junior brother, is your steward here? I'd like to buy some things and speak with him privately."

The Green-Shirted Attendant nodded and summoned a man in his early forties dressed in blue. The man in blue led Shen Long into a side hall.

"I'd like to purchase a first-tier elixir to strengthen my physical body and Divine Sense. Do you have any good recommendations?"

Shen Long asked, having consulted relevant ancient texts, that he knew which elixirs and miraculous medicines he should purchase.

"The first-tier pills for strengthening the physical body include Blood Ginseng Pill, Bone Tempering Pill, and Golden Coral Pill. Azure Lotus Pill and Spirit Nourishing Pill can strengthen the Divine Sense. Here is the price list, junior brother, you can take a look."

The man in blue took out a Blue Dharma Disk and handed it to Shen Long.

Shen Long checked the list and bought a bottle of Blood Ginseng Pill and a bottle of Azure Lotus Pill, spending eight hundred Spirit Stone. Blood Ginseng Pill cost thirty Spirit Stone, and each Azure Lotus Pill cost fifty Spirit Stone.

After leaving the Golden Toad Pavilion, he strolled around the Free Trade Valley, visiting two shops and buying a bottle of Bone Tempering Pill, a bottle of Spirit Nourishing Pill, two bottles of Spirit Feeding Pill, and the corpse of a First Rank Late Stage Twin-Tail Scorpion before leaving the Free Trade Valley.

Shen Long went to the Scripture Depository to read the experiences of those who had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, hoping to gain more references.

Half a day later, Shen Long left the Scripture Depository and returned to the Spirit Palace Hall.

He arrived at Cultivation Room number thirty-seven, used his token to open the door, and went inside.

After closing the gate, Shen Long patted a Spirit Beast Bag at his waist, and the Iron Tail Scorpion flew out. It had already advanced to the First Rank Late Stage and had not yet mutated.

Shen Long took out the corpse of the Twin-Tail Scorpion he had bought and let the Iron Tail Scorpion eat it. He then fed it two twenty-year-old Ink Mustard Grass and put it back into his Spirit Beast Bag.

He sat cross-legged on the stone bed, meditating and regulating his breathing.

Fifteen minutes later, Shen Long opened his eyes. He first swallowed a Grain Avoidance Pill, then took out a blue porcelain bottle and poured out a blood-red pill with three pill Pill Pattern on its surface.

The lower grade of Blood Ginseng Pill has the effect of enhancing Qi and Blood, and strengthening the body.

If it's a mid-grade Blood Ginseng Pill, the price will be a bit higher. However, since it's just for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, there's no need to take Body-Forging Pill with strong effects. This is the experience of many Spirit Control Sect disciples when breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Shen Long put the Blood Ginseng Pill into his mouth. The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth. Before long, he felt a slight warmth in his abdomen, his Qi and Blood surging, and a feeling of heat throughout his body.

Shen Long quickly circulated his internal energy to refine the medicinal power.

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Golden Cicada Peak is a sprawling estate with pavilions, towers, waterwheels, and long corridors.

Xu Feng and a slender young woman in a blue dress sat in a Cyan Stone Pavilion, sipping tea and chatting.

"Senior Sister Chen, are there no other Spiritual Liquid?"

Xu Feng frowned and asked, "Two years ago, I bought four Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada Insect Eggs, but I tried everything I could, and none of them hatched."

"Yes, there is Spirit-Gathering Jade Liquid, but it's Third Rank spiritual item, and I can't get my hands on it. The vitality of those four Insect Eggs is too weak, so you should give up! There's no need to waste too many Spirit Stone and energy on it."

The young woman in the blue dress spoke up to offer advice.

Xu Feng was a well-known insect fanatic, and naturally wanted to hatch the Insect Eggs of the Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada.

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister Chen. I'll think of another way! If you know of anything that can help hatch the Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada, please keep an eye out for it."

Xu Feng said politely.

The young woman in the blue dress nodded and agreed.

······

Five months passed quickly, at the Spirit Palace Hall.

In Cultivation Room number thirty-seven, Shen Long sat cross-legged on Cyan Stone Bed, with several porcelain bottles placed in front of him. His aura was much stronger than before.

Shen Long took pills to strengthen his body and enhance his Divine Sense Divine Sense, and then took Foundation Establishment, thus smoothly advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"So this is Foundation Establishment?!"

Shen Long muttered to himself, he could clearly feel that his Divine Sense had increased significantly, and at the same time, the Law Power in his Dantian had changed from a gaseous state to a liquid state.

Shen Long's body was covered with a layer of black impurities, emitting a nauseating stench. These were the impurities he expelled from his body as he attempted to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

He cast a Dust Cleansing Technique, and the impurities fell off his body.

Shen Long's Spirit Beast Bag swayed slightly. He patted the Spirit Beast Bag, and Iron Tail Scorpion flew out, its tail stinger gleaming black.

"It's mutated!"

Shen Long exclaimed in surprise, "I fed the Iron Tail Scorpion with the corpse of a Tier 1 Twin-Tail Scorpion and Ink Mustard Grass for less than three years, and the Iron Tail Scorpion actually mutated."

According to the experience of the predecessors of the Spirit Control Sect in cultivating Mutated Spirit Insect, it takes at least eight to ten years for even a few to mutate, and only higher-level spirit objects have a chance of mutating.

Shen Long ordered the Iron Tail Scorpion to attack him.

A blue light shone from his body, revealing a thick Blue Water Screen that protected his entire body.

The Iron Tail Scorpion opened its mouth and spewed out a pungent Yellow Poison Mist, which struck the Blue Water Screen Blue Water Screen, causing a puff of smoke to rise and the spiritual light of the blue water curtain to dim. Its tail stinger twitched, striking the Blue Water Screen again, and the Blue Water Screen shattered like a bubble.

Shen Long stepped back, avoiding the Iron Tail Scorpion's stinger.

The Iron Tail Scorpion has mutated, its attacks now carry a potent venom, and its attack power has increased significantly.

The Iron Tail Scorpion emitted a sharp hiss, its stinger swaying left and right, seemingly trying to curry favor with Shen Long.

Shen Long took out a Spirit Feeding Pill and fed it to the Iron Tail Scorpion.

He took out the Spirit Control Tower and infused it with Law Power.

His Law Power surged uncontrollably into the Spirit Control Tower like a flood, causing the Spirit Control Tower to light up with a dazzling blue light and generate a powerful suction force. Shen Long's body was uncontrollably sucked into the Spirit Control Tower.

He appeared beside the Spirit Control Pool. Unlike before, there was a blue staircase of light leading to a Blue Light Gate, the destination of which was unknown.

"This is?"

Shen Long was slightly taken aback. Upon advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm, a Blue Light Gate had appeared. Could it lead to the second level?

"Could there be any Demon Beast?"

Shen Long muttered to himself, "Tower-type Law Treasure are usually used to trap enemies. It wouldn't be surprising if the previous owner of the Spirit Control Tower had raised Spirit Beast on the second floor."

After much deliberation, he decided to postpone his investigation and instead collect the sect's benefits.

Newly Foundation Establishment disciples can obtain cultivation resources from the Spirit Control Sect.

Shen Long looked towards the Spirit Control Pool Spirit Control Pool, where the Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada lay. It was still in the early stage of the first rank and had not yet recognized a master.

Having advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm, there was naturally no need for him to sell the Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada.

He has over 20,000 Spirit Stone on him, so he's not short of resources for the time being.

Shen Long placed a restriction on the Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada, but the difference in strength was too great, and the Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada was completely unable to resist.

After feeding the Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada a Spirit Feeding Pill, he withdrew from the Spirit Control Tower.

After leaving the Cultivation Room, Shen Long walked outside to the main hall, returned the token, and then used his magical artifact to head to the Deacon Tower.

According to the rules of the Spirit Control Sect, newly Foundation Establishment Cultivator can receive five thousand Spirit Stone and a Mid-grade Magical Tool. They can also choose a Cultivation Method from the Scripture Depository and move to the inner peak to have a new cave dwelling.

After receiving the benefits of being a newly Foundation Establishment cultivator, Shen Long rode his magical artifact to the Scripture Depository and headed towards the second floor.

The layout of the second floor of the Scripture Depository was similar to that of the First Floor. At the top of the stairs, there was Zhang Qing counter, behind which sat an elderly man in a blue robe with a ruddy complexion, engrossed in reading an ancient book.

Some disciples of the Spirit Control Sect were consulting ancient texts, selecting the best ones to hand over to the old man in the green robe for copying. Merit Points were required to copy these texts.

Shen Long walked towards a blue bookshelf with a wooden plaque on it that read "Cultivation Method." The bookshelf contained many classic texts, which he began to peruse.

"The Lion Roar Technique requires the Essence Blood of lion-type Demon Beast to aid in its cultivation. Successfully mastering the first three levels allows one to unleash sonic attacks on enemies, and also strengthens the physical body, granting immense strength."

"The Golden Cicada Canon requires the Essence Blood of cicada-like demonic insects to aid in cultivation. Successfully cultivating the first three levels will allow one to see far into the distance; the higher the cultivation level, the farther one can see."

"The Mystic Eagle Great Method requires the Essence Blood of eagle-like Demon Bird to aid in its cultivation. Successfully cultivating the first three levels will grant one the agility of a swallow and quick reflexes, providing a significant boost to the cultivation of wind-based Law Technique."

······

Shen Long picked up the books and carefully examined them. The Spirit Control Sect had three major sect-protecting Cultivation Method, but he didn't have the necessary skills and wasn't qualified to cultivate them.

Most of these Cultivation Method require the Essence Blood of Demon Beast for assistance in cultivation. There are also some Sword Dao and Dao of Alchemy Cultivation Method, but their Divine Ability are generally ordinary.

After a short while, Shen Long picked up a Red Jade Slip and immersed his Divine Sense into it.

"The Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Technique Flood Dragon Essence Blood divided into twelve levels. Our sect has only included the cultivation methods for the first seven levels, which we obtained from the Five Dragons Sect in the North Sea Cultivation World. This Cultivation Method is the Five Dragons Sect Sect's most treasured Cultivation Method, requiring the collection of flood dragon essence blood for cultivation. The first three levels only require the collection of Essence Blood from Demon Beast with Flood Dragon bloodlines. Successfully cultivating the first three levels will significantly enhance one's strength and physical body. The higher the level, the greater the enhancement. Upon reaching the tenth level, one can transform into Flood Dragon and unleash the Flood Dragon's Divine Ability to attack enemies."

Shen Long's eyes burned with fervor. The Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Technique, being the Five Dragons Sect Sect's most treasured Cultivation Method, was certainly not comparable to those common, ordinary techniques.

Of the four elements—wealth, method, companion, and place—method is ranked second, which shows that a good Cultivation Method is very important.

As far as Shen Long knew, in terms of physical strength alone, the Flood Dragon was among the top of all the Demon Beast, and its supernatural Divine Ability were far beyond those of ordinary Flood Dragon Demon Beast.

One of the 9 Prodigies of the Spirit Control Sect, True Man Red Flood Dragon, possessed a Third Rank Red Fire Flood Dragon as his Life-Bound Spirit Beast. It could fight two opponents at once without being at a disadvantage, and its fame spread throughout the region.

Shen Long put down the Jade Slip, picked up a Cyan Jade Slip, and immersed his Divine Sense into it.

He examined all the Cultivation Method manuals on the bookshelf and, through comparison, discovered that the Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Technique possessed the strongest Divine Ability, but also had the most demanding cultivation conditions.

The first three levels of the <Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Technique> require the Essence Blood of a first-tier demon Demon Beast with Flood Dragon Essence Blood to assist in cultivation; levels four to six require the blood essence of Second-Rank Flood Dragon dragon; and levels ten to twelfth require the Essence Blood of a fourth-tier Flood Dragon.

Too little Essence Blood is also not good; it's not that one bottle of Essence Blood is enough to successfully cultivate to the third level.

Shen Long walked toward another bookshelf, on which hung a wooden plaque that read "Insights from Our Predecessors".

The bookshelf was filled with Jade Slip of various colors, arranged in several sections. Each section contained a golden wooden plaque inscribed with characters such as "toad," "cicada," "tiger," "eagle," "ape," and "python."

Shen Long approached a golden wooden plaque inscribed with the character "Jiao". Behind the plaque were dozens of Jade Slip of various colors. He picked up a Cyan Jade Slip and began to examine it.

The Jade Slip were all sealed with restrictions, so only a portion of their contents could be seen, but that was enough.

After reviewing the contents of all the Jade Slip, Shen Long held a Red Jade Slip in his hand. This Jade Slip was written by the Master Ice Silkworm and recorded his insights into cultivating the Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Technique.

Master Ice Silkworm is one of the Nine Heroes of Spirit Control, and he raised a Third Rank Green-Eyed Ice Silkworm as his Life Spirit Insect.

Shen Long selected two Jade Slip, one containing the <Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Technique> and the other containing <Insights on Cultivating Dragon Transformation Technique>. He then went to the counter and took out his Identity Plaque.

"Senior brother, I would like to copy the contents of these two Jade Slip."

Shen Long handed the Identity Plaque to the old man in the green robe and said politely.

The old man in the green robe scanned the two Jade Slip with his Divine Sense, took out two blank Jade Slip and a Golden Glowing Dharma Disk, and placed the two blank Jade Slip on the Golden Dharma Disk one after the other. The Golden Dharma Disk lit up with a golden light one after the other.

He then took out a cyan Dharma Disk, placed Shen Long's Identity Plaque Dharma Disk on it, and after the cyan Dharma Disk lit up with a cyan light, he returned the Identity Plaque to Shen Long.

"Alright!"

The old man in the green robe picked up the book and continued to read it.

Shen Long thanked him, put away the two Jade Slip and his Identity Plaque, and walked downstairs.

As soon as he stepped out of the Scripture Depository, he saw Chen Qingqing standing not far away.

Congratulations, Junior Brother Shen!

Chen Qingqing smiled slightly and offered her congratulations.

"Senior Sister Chen, you came here specifically to see me, didn't you?"

Shen Long said he didn't believe that Chen Qingqing had just arrived at the Scripture Depository.

"That's right, you've just entered the Foundation Establishment Realm and don't have a cave dwelling yet, right? Let's go to my place first, and we can have a good chat. I know you have many questions."

Chen Qingqing said.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Sister Chen."

Shen Long agreed; he had long anticipated this day.

Chen Qingqing summoned a Blue Flying Boat and boarded it, with Shen Long following behind.

She made a hand seal, and the Blue Flying Boat immediately lit up with a dazzling blue light, soaring into the sky.

After a short while, the Blue Flying Boat appeared above a small valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. Inside the valley was a manor with green bricks and tiles, pavilions, gardens, fish ponds, artificial hills, and waterwheels.

Chen Qingqing made a hand seal, and the Blue Flying Boat landed in front of a Blue Stone Pavilion, where a spirited old man in a blue robe sat.

"Junior Brother Shen, let me introduce you. This is Junior Brother Qin from the Deacon Hall. He's in charge of assigning cave dwellings to newly promoted Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Which peak would you like to join?"

Chen Qingqing asked.

"Junior Brother Shen, I am Qin Hai. Only after you have chosen a suitable peak can I arrange a cave dwelling for you."

The old man in the blue robe introduced himself and said...

Are there any special considerations when choosing a peak location?

Shen Long asked, "The treatment varies among the 72 Inner Peaks."

"Generally speaking, the stronger the peak or clan you join, the better the treatment you receive. However, there are more monks than porridge, so the stronger you are, the more cultivation resources you will receive. Some peaks or clans are not very strong, and there are not many Foundation Establishment Cultivator. If you are outstanding, you can stand out and obtain more cultivation resources. This is some information about the 72 Inner Peaks. You can take a look."

Qin Hai took out a Dharma Disk that shimmered with blue light and handed it to Shen Long.

Shen Long took the Dharma Disk and examined it carefully.

The description of the Dharma Disk was brief, only introducing who the Peak Master was and the treatment of the disciples of that peak.

After some deliberation, Shen Long said, "I choose Sky Tiger Peak!"

The Peak Master of Sky Tiger Peak is True Person Green Tiger. Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivators can receive a stipend of seven hundred Spirit Stone per year, and there are more than thirty Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Qin Hai took out a Golden Dharma Disk and handed it to Shen Long, saying, "These are the empty cave dwellings on Sky Tiger Peak. Choose one yourself!"

Shen Long took the Golden Dharma Disk and carefully selected the items.

I choose Green Lotus Garden!

Shen Long said, taking out his Identity Plaque and handing it to Qin Hai.

The Green Lotus Garden covers an area of 52 mu, with 40 mu of spiritual fields, a fish pond, a lake, and a pavilion.

Lakes can be used to grow water-attribute spirit medicine, such as the blue lotus.

Qin Hai took out a shimmering silver Dharma Disk and placed his Identity Plaque on it. The silver Dharma Disk Dharma Disk lit up with a silver light, and he took out a square Cyan Token with a Cyan Lotus pattern engraved on the front and the words "Azure Lotus" written on the back.

"This is the key to Green Lotus Garden. Junior Brother Shen, please keep it safe. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Qin Hai handed the Identity Plaque and Cyan Token to Shen Long.

"Please, Junior Brother Qin, don't tell anyone about what happened today."

Chen Qingqing gave her instructions.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister Chen, I know the rules of your Intelligence Hall. Goodbye."

Qin Hai agreed and left on his magical artifact.

Chen Qingqing picked up the teapot, poured Shen Long a cup of Spirit Tea, and said, "Junior Brother Shen, I know you have many questions for me. Ask whatever you want!"

"Senior Sister Chen, shouldn't the Intelligence Hall have its own spies? Why are you suddenly sending me? Did something happen to our spy in the Zhao Kingdom?"

Shen Long asked.

The Zhao Kingdom also had sects and Lineage that practiced immortality. Strictly speaking, the State of the Zhao Kingdom belonged to the territory of the Demonic Path, Qin Kingdom belonged to the territory of the righteous path.

"That's right. Our intelligence network in the Zhao Kingdom has been almost completely wiped out, and we need to rebuild it. I've set my sights on you, Junior Brother Shen. When do you think you're at your poorest?"

Chen Qingqing asked.

Shen Long thought for a moment and said, "I was poorest when I only had five Spirit Stone on me."

"I asked the spies our sect sent out about this. Some said they were poorest when they only had 10,000 Spirit Stone. Others said they were poorest when they could only afford spirit rice that cost 5 Spirit Stone stones per kilogram. They went to the Zhao Kingdom as spies because they couldn't endure hardship and couldn't pretend to be Rogue Cultivator cultivators. Their intelligence network was destroyed because one of the spies said he liked to drink Green Moon Spirit Tea. His disguise was that of Rogue Cultivator cultivator who made a living by hunting Demon Beast."

Chen Qingqing said.

Green Moon Spirit Tea costs thirty Spirit Stone per pound; how could a Rogue Cultivator have such an extravagant hobby?

Shen Long frowned. He could only say that their upbringing was different. For that disciple, drinking Green Moon Spirit Tea at thirty yuan a pound was already poor enough. A true Rogue Cultivator would never buy Spirit Tea at thirty Spirit Stone a pound.

"Senior Sister Chen, why did you plant spies in the Zhao Kingdom?"

Shen Long was puzzled.

"We need to be informed of any rash actions by the cultivation Immortal Realm in the Zhao Kingdom. What you need to do is to investigate the situation of the local forces, such as how many Foundation Establishment Cultivator a certain group has, their relationship with a certain cultivation sect, and what cultivation resources they control."

Chen Qingqing explained.

That's all?

Shen Long looked confused; he felt that Chen Qingqing wasn't telling the truth.

"That's all for now. If there are any new missions, I'll send someone to meet you. Now that you've Foundation Establishment, you don't need to work for others anymore. I'll give you five Qi Refining Cultivator. They will cooperate with you on missions. They are currently all in Mysterious Yin Marketplace and don't know each other's identities. These are their real names and portraits."

Chen Qingqing took out five portraits and a Cyan Jade Slip.

"Our intelligence network was taken down not long ago; it's not appropriate to start gathering intelligence now!"

Shen Long asked.

"Of course, you can go there now. Just lie in wait and wait for new instructions. If you receive important intelligence, go to the Green Moon Pavilion in Mysterious Yin Marketplace. The manager is one of our people. Give him the code word and hand over the intelligence."

Chen Qingqing said.

"Senior Sister Chen, I'm going to infiltrate a foreign country; my treatment won't be too bad, will it?"

Shen Long asked, "Since we have to go, let's try to gain as much benefit as possible."

He had also considered leaving the Spirit Control Sect and going far away, but that Cultivation Method and subsequent cultivation resources. He had had enough of the life of Rogue Cultivator and didn't want to go back to Rogue Cultivator.

"With an extra allowance of five hundred Spirit Stone per year, and if you make a great contribution, it's not impossible to be selected as one of the 72 Talents- 72 Talents. Once selected, you'll reach the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, and the sect will provide you with a free Golden Core Spirit Item, a spiritual land, and Formation. This is something that Rogue Cultivator cultivators can't afford. Two of the 72 Talents work in the Intelligence Hall. I advise you not to think about going far away. If you don't do your job well while collecting intelligence in the Zhao Kingdom, at most it's dereliction of duty. But if you go far away, that's betraying the sect. You know the sect rules, so I won't say any more."

Chen Qingqing explained the pros and cons clearly. Disciples like Shen Long, who joined the Spirit Control Sect midway through their studies, did not have a strong sense of belonging to the Spirit Control Sect. Forcing them would only backfire; they needed to be lured in with incentives.

"I'll take this assignment. But the emperor doesn't need starving soldiers. Sending me to the Zhao Kingdom to gather intelligence is no problem. Senior Sister Chen, would you mind helping me with a few small favors?"

Shen Long said.

"Little favor? What's up?"

Chen Qingqing asked.

"Could you introduce me to a Second Rank Artifact Refiner? I want to learn weapon refining from him. Also, could you help me collect the Essence Blood of a first-tier Demon Beast with Flood Dragon bloodline? These two requests aren't too much to ask!"

Shen Long said.

After advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm, Shen Long planned to learn a skill. He had nearly 30,000 Spirit Stone on him, so he could try it out boldly.

He is quite familiar with weapon crafting materials, so learning weapon crafting would be a good choice for him.

"No problem, but don't go back to Azure Cloud Peak. The fewer people who know about your advancement to the Foundation Establishment Realm, the better, so you can stay hidden."

Chen Qingqing gave her instructions.

"Understood. I'll head to Sky Tiger Peak first. Once you've found a Artifact Refiner, come find me at Green Lotus Garden."

Shen Long said.

Chen Qingqing nodded, gave Shen Long a few words of advice, and then let him leave.