Reality Experienced in Illusion

The next day, Zhang Xiu took a leave of absence.

Zhang Yunlu, following Xu Xing's instructions, went to school early to report her cultivation realm and inquire about Foundation Establishment.

Along the way, whenever she saw people, she would subconsciously scan them for their vital points.

"..."

This was a lingering side effect, and it would likely persist for quite some time.

After entering the school, she went straight to see the Dean of Students.

Normally, such matters should be discussed with one's homeroom teacher, but Fang Chi... it was better to just forget it.

In the Dean's office.

"Ninth level of Qi Refining, a solid foundation—quite impressive." A bright thread of mana was drawn from Zhang Yunlu's wrist.

The Dean of Xuanjian City No. 3 Middle School was named Yu Ming. He was an elderly man who appeared somewhat stern and rigid, with graying hair and age spots on his face, giving him a weary, listless air.

However, after spending time with him, one would realize he was actually a very gentle elder.

It was said that in his younger years, he loved exploring various secret realms. It was precisely because of this that his foundation was damaged in an accident, costing him the possibility of further advancement and eventually leading him to become the Dean at this school.

"Since your realm has reached this stage, it is indeed time to explain some things about Foundation Establishment to you." Yu Ming handed her a glass of water. "The information on the Spirit Net is a mixed bag. While the three grades of Foundation Establishment described there have their merits, they are incomplete."

Yu Ming knew very well why Zhang Yunlu had come to see him today. According to the rules, she should have asked her homeroom teacher about Foundation Establishment.

"There are currently three mainstream methods of Foundation Establishment: Pseudo Foundation, External Object Foundation, and Heaven-Forged Dao Foundation."

To Yu Ming, the conflict between teacher and student and some trivial rules were far less important than a student's future.

He conscientiously explained the three methods of Foundation Establishment as he knew them.

Pseudo Foundation was much like what Zhang Yunlu had initially understood.

External Object Foundation was equivalent to the second and third types she had known, plus the first category she had heard about from Xu Xing.

Heaven-Forged Dao Foundation was exactly as Xu Xing had described it.

But was there not another one?

"The Heaven-Forged Dao Foundation is extremely difficult to achieve. It not only requires an exceptionally strong foundation, but the process of gathering solar essence, condensing lunar radiance, and refining starlight is also incomparably painful." Yu Ming chuckled. "Your foundation is sufficient; it just depends on whether you can endure these three trials."

"I think my willpower is decent enough." After all, I'm someone who died over a hundred times in a single night. "But aren't Heaven-Earth Rarities supposed to be very hard to come by?"

Xu Xing had said he would gift her one, but Zhang Yunlu still wanted to ask.

"Heaven-Earth Rarities are indeed rare, but seventy-three years ago, someone developed a substitute. I personally recommend the 'Disposable Foundation Establishment Divine Essence' from the Pure Moon Flying Sword brand."

Disposable Foundation Establishment Divine Essence?!

"The price isn't too expensive, and its efficacy is on par with other brands."

For instance, the ones sold by the Mystic Moon Pavilion were quite pricey, even though the effects were identical; they were nothing but a bunch of profiteers.

Yu Ming opened his drawer and took out a crystal card from a small box, handing it to Zhang Yunlu.

"This is the Basic Refining Method created by the Saint Emperor Abyss. Study it well when you go back."

"Teacher, this is too..."

"Don't refuse. It's not me playing favorites; every student at the ninth level of Qi Refining gets one. Otherwise, how could it be called a Basic Refining Method?"

The school also possessed various refining methods from major immortal sects, but they were all too extreme and violent. This Basic Refining Method was considered relatively mild.

Even so, the school only dared to distribute it to students who reached the ninth level of Qi Refining during their senior year.

Oh, so that was it.

Zhang Yunlu took the crystal card and placed it into her storage ring.

"Does Student Zhang have anything else to ask?"

"Have you ever heard of... the Creation Dao Foundation?"

"..." Yu Ming was silent for a moment. "It exists, but it is not mainstream, and the difficulty is far too great."

"The current Pseudo Foundation is a new type of Foundation Establishment method created by the Spirit Sound Workshop after they studied the Creation Dao Foundation."

Although the Heaven-Forged Dao Foundation was rare, one could always see a few in every college entrance exam, but the Creation Dao Foundation had not appeared in fifteen years.

Knock, knock!

"Dean, this is for tomorrow's combat test..."

Zhang Yunlu turned around and discovered that the person who had arrived was none other than her teacher, Fang Chi. The two stared at each other, the atmosphere becoming somewhat awkward.

At noon, the senior students left the school one after another.

Because of the combat test tomorrow, the school had given them the afternoon off to prepare.

Zhang Yunlu was among them, but after leaving the school, she did not go home. Instead, she hailed a taxi and headed toward the villa complex where Xu Xing lived.

During class today, quite a few classmates she rarely spoke to had come to urge her to apologize to Fang Chi, saying that there was no conflict between teacher and student that couldn't be resolved.

However, Zhang Yunlu had ignored them; she only found them noisy.

We're almost at graduation, and you want me to go and smooth things over with the teachers?

Seeing her so "unappreciative," those people simply declared that they would see the real results at tomorrow's combat test.

Though they were students, they were also cultivators.

The combat test... among her own classmates, how many would actually be stronger than that pain-immune monster from her dreams?

As she thought about it, she suddenly felt a sense of anticipation.

If there were opponents strong enough to hone her swordsmanship at this combat test, perhaps she wouldn't have to suffer as miserably as she did last night the next time she faced that monster!

The driver, watching Zhang Yunlu alternate between silence and smiling in the rearview mirror, couldn't help but sigh to himself.

The pressure on high school seniors really is immense.

He decided not to strike up a conversation and simply turned up the volume of the music.

Soon, the car arrived at the destination.

"We're here, student. I can't drive in past this point, so I'll have to ask you to walk the rest of the way."

After paying the fare, Zhang Yunlu walked into the residential complex and made her way to the villa belonging to Xu Xing.

She used the array hub to deactivate the barrier and walked up to the door, just about to press the doorbell.

"Come right in, the door isn't locked."

Sure enough, with a light push, the door swung open, and everything inside remained exactly as it had been when she visited yesterday.

She eventually found Xu Xing in the garden.

At this moment, Xu Xing was leaning back on a rattan lounge chair with a pot of tea on the table beside him; as the sunlight spilled over him, he looked incredibly relaxed.

"Sit. Your performance last night was indeed quite good; you should have no trouble handling tomorrow's combat test."

"Um... about last night, I actually have a question." After a pause, Zhang Yunlu continued, "Was everything I experienced real, or was it fake?"

Xu Xing did not answer, instead asking in return, "What do you think?"

"It must be fake; otherwise, I couldn't have been resurrected so many times, and I woke up in my own room afterward."

How could one person have so many lives?

"Since you understand that, why ask the question now?"

"But my spiritual power has undeniably increased, as if the pills I consumed in that trial were truly effective."

Zhang Yunlu frowned; this was the very reason for her confusion.

"Illusion or reality."

She watched as Xu Xing tapped his finger lightly, causing a drop of tea to float up and rapidly expand until, under her gaze, it transformed into a round, plump medicinal pill.

"When the real is treated as fake, the fake becomes real; this is the art of refining the false into the true."

As Xu Xing's voice faded, the pill dissolved back into a drop of tea and fell into the teacup.

"If you need an explanation, everything from last night was equivalent to you experiencing the truth within a falsehood. Do you understand now?"

Zhang Yunlu nodded, though she only half-understood.

Xu Xing didn't mind; after all, these concepts were still very, very far from her reach.

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