Top-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill!

After a day of rest, Master Yan began the second batch of refining.

With the experience of the first attempt, Master Yan's technique was even more steady and seasoned.

Li Qingshan observed with focused concentration throughout the entire process, not daring to miss a single detail. His powerful divine sense silently recorded every movement and every fluctuation of spiritual power from Master Yan, continuously simulating them within his sea of consciousness.

This time, the process went much more smoothly.

Three pills were successfully formed; although they were still low-grade, their luster and pill patterns were significantly better.

There were as many as six failed pills.

Li Qingshan once again shamelessly asked for them, and Master Yan merely glanced at him, snorted, and gave his tacit consent.

For the third batch, Master Yan seemed to reach his peak state. His technique flowed like clouds and water, and his grasp of the heat and the fusion of medicinal properties was nothing short of masterful.

In the end, six pills were formed, with four failed pills!

One of them even displayed two pill patterns, becoming a mid-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, which made Master Yan immensely proud.

Li Qingshan once again got his wish and collected all the failed pills.

As the dozen days of high-intensity refining came to an end, Master Yan looked weary, but he nodded with satisfaction as he looked at the ten low-grade Foundation Establishment Pills in the jade bottle in his hand: "One mid-grade and nine low-grade; this can be considered fulfilling the commission."

He glanced at Li Qingshan, who was standing respectfully to the side, and his tone softened for once: "You old fellow, your comprehension is truly not bad. After observing these three batches, how much were you able to understand?"

Li Qingshan replied respectfully: "Master's skills are profound and mysterious. This disciple is dull-witted and could only grasp the surface. I deeply feel the vastness of the Dao of Alchemy and my own insignificance."

"Hmph, at least you have some self-awareness."

Master Yan snorted, but a trace of imperceptible appreciation flashed in his eyes: "Being able to grasp the surface means you didn't waste this year here. Pack up, there is nothing left for you to do here."

"Yes, Master."

Li Qingshan bowed and retreated, his heart pounding as he clutched the jade box containing the thirteen failed Foundation Establishment Pills.

Returning to his small hut, he did not hesitate to activate the restrictive barrier.

Li Qingshan couldn't wait to take out all the failed pills.

Most of these pills were distorted in shape, dull in color, and some were even charred black. Their surfaces were filled with chaotic and impure spiritual energy, emitting an unstable aura.

But in Li Qingshan's eyes, they were priceless treasures!

"Thirteen... that is more than enough!" His eyes burned with fervor as he carefully placed them in batches into the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd.

Next, it was time to wait for a miracle.

By the second day, he would harvest thirteen top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills!

At the same time, a more practical problem surfaced in his mind.

"Even with top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, where should I choose to undergo Foundation Establishment?" Li Qingshan fell into deep thought.

Undergo it within the sect? The commotion would certainly not be small! The phenomenon caused by the Longevity Technique during Foundation Establishment would likely be impossible to fully conceal. How would he explain a hundred-year-old handyman disciple suddenly reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm?

It would surely invite massive trouble!

He had to leave the sect and find an absolutely safe and hidden place!

"The mountain ranges near the sect... no, they are easily discovered by patrolling disciples. Remote areas... I fear there might be powerful demonic beasts..." Li Qingshan frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

"Perhaps... I could go to that place?"

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind. When he was brought to the Spring Autumn Sect from Peach Blossom Village years ago, the spirit boat he traveled on passed by a desolate, uninhabited mountain range where the spiritual energy was abnormally chaotic and violent. It was said to be the ruins of an ancient battlefield where space was unstable and strange occurrences were frequent; ordinary cultivators dared not venture deep inside.

"The chaotic spiritual energy there is perfect for masking the phenomenon of Foundation Establishment! And since it is rarely visited by humans, it is the perfect place for seclusion!"

With the location decided, the next problem followed.

"What about after Foundation Establishment? My cultivation will skyrocket; how do I hide it?" Although the Turtle Breath Technique was marvelous, whether it could perfectly conceal the mana fluctuations of the Foundation Establishment Realm remained an unknown.

"I must find a more powerful breath-concealing technique, or... a magical treasure that can mask my aura!" Li Qingshan's eyes flickered as his mind raced.

"As an outer sect disciple, I am qualified to enter the Scripture Pavilion to choose three techniques. I can go to the Scripture Pavilion first to take a look! Additionally, the sect's marketplace should have many good things; I can go there to pick out some as well!"

Li Qingshan thought to himself.

The second day.

Inside the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd, the fragrance of pills permeated the air.

The thirteen Foundation Establishment Pills were round and ancient-looking, appearing like purple pearls—brilliant and flawless, with four pill patterns emerging on their surfaces.

Even though Li Qingshan had anticipated this, seeing it with his own eyes left him deeply shocked and incredibly excited.

He hurriedly stored all thirteen top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills into the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd, his heart thumping wildly.

Li Qingshan did not let himself be carried away.

Foundation Establishment was no small matter; he had to be fully prepared.

"I must go to the Scripture Pavilion first!"

Li Qingshan thought to himself, keeping his composure.

Foundation Establishment was no small matter; he had to be fully prepared.

He first set his sights on the sect's Scripture Pavilion.

As an outer disciple, he had the right to select three Qi Refining stage spells for free.

There were not many people on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, and the jade slips were as vast as the sea.

Li Qingshan browsed seemingly at random, but his powerful divine sense swept rapidly across the introductions of each jade slip.

Fire Snake Technique, Quicksand Trap, Wind Control Technique... most were common first-tier low or mid-grade spells with nothing particularly special about them.

He paced to a remote corner, where most of the jade slips piled up were those that no one cared about, were incomplete, or were extremely difficult to cultivate.

Just as he was about to give up and pick two practical spells at random, the corner of his eye caught a black jade slip covered in thick dust and ancient in color.

The introduction consisted of only a few words: "Lesser Heaven-Veiling Technique (Fragment), an ancient secret method for concealing one's aura. When cultivated to completion, it can veil one's own heavenly secrets, avoid disasters, and hide one's cultivation level into the invisible. However, it is extremely difficult to cultivate, requires high talent in divine sense, and is incomplete. Choose with caution!"

Veiling heavenly secrets! Hiding cultivation into the invisible!

Li Qingshan's heart skipped a beat!

Was this not the very technique he had dreamed of?

It was far more powerful and miraculous than the Turtle Breath Technique!

Suppressing his excitement, he picked up the jade slip with a calm expression, then casually selected an Entanglement Technique (a wood-element binding spell) and an Earth Escape Technique (an escape and life-saving spell), and walked toward the deacon disciple on duty to register.

The deacon disciple took the jade slips lazily, but when he saw the Lesser Heaven-Veiling Technique, he was visibly stunned. He looked up at Li Qingshan with a gaze that suggested he was looking at a fool: "Old Senior Brother, are you sure you want to choose this? This thing has been sitting here for hundreds of years, and I've never seen anyone succeed in cultivating it. It's a pure waste of a selection opportunity."

Li Qingshan put on a simple, honest, and slightly stubborn smile: "Thank you for your concern, Junior Brother. This old man just thinks the name sounds impressive and wants to take it back to ponder over. Whether it succeeds or not, it'll serve to pass the time."

The deacon disciple curled his lips, and while registering, he lowered his voice and said: "Heh, seeing as you're older, I'll tell you an interesting story about this jade slip. I heard this fragment was dug out of some ancient ruin hundreds of years ago. It caused quite a stir at the time, but since no one could cultivate it, it was tossed here.

Some speculate that this is likely a tiny fragment of the true Heaven-Veiling Secret Technique, which is a supreme method from legends capable of blinding the perception of the Heavenly Dao! What a pity, what a pity, it's only a fragment, and no one has ever been able to cultivate it..."

He shook his head, wearing an expression of someone witnessing a waste of a precious treasure.