Black Wind Mountain Range!

"Third-tier! This definitely belongs to the category of third-tier spells! It might even be higher!" Li Qingshan's heart shook violently, and he could barely contain his excitement!

The Wish-Fulfilling Gourd had actually managed to complete this fragment to such an astonishing degree!

He forcibly suppressed his excitement and looked at the other two jade slips.

The jade slip for Entanglement Technique shimmered with spiritual light and had transformed into Wood-Ether Entanglement Technique!

It was still a first-tier superior spell, but its power was now on an entirely different level.

When cast, it could instantly summon incredibly tough spiritwood chains covered in barbed runes. They could not only bind an enemy's body but also entangle them and drain their spiritual power. They were extraordinarily difficult to deal with, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators would struggle to resist them.

The Earth Escape Technique jade slip had transformed into Five Elements Escape Technique: Earth Chapter!

It had likewise risen to first-tier superior, but its substance far exceeded that of an ordinary earth escape spell. Not only was it faster, deeper, and more concealed, it also contained a hint of the mysteries of Five Elements transformation. While underground, it could subtly adjust the caster's aura, merging them with the earth and making them extremely difficult to track or detect.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Li Qingshan clapped his hands and laughed softly, his eyes shining brilliantly.

With these three powerful spells at his disposal, his ability to protect himself and conceal his presence would rise to an entirely new level!

He immediately began studying the Lesser Heaven-Veiling Secret Art day and night.

As expected, this technique was exceedingly difficult. It was a third-tier spell that involved subtle applications of spiritual sense and a profound understanding of the heavenly way.

But his spiritual sense already far surpassed that of others at his level, and he had weathered a century of vicissitudes, leaving his resolve unshakable. On top of that, he had a foundation in the Turtle Breath Technique. Within just a few days, he had managed to make a tentative start. He could already form a rudimentary "Heaven-Veiling Spirit Domain" and perfectly conceal the fluctuations of his cultivation. To outsiders, he still appeared to be at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Of course, to continue cultivating it, he would probably have to wait until after he reached Foundation Establishment before he could fully master the Lesser Heaven-Veiling Secret Art.

With that, all his preparations were complete!

The next day, Li Qingshan returned to the outer sect's Mission Hall and walked straight to the familiar steward's counter—the very Deacon Wang who had assigned him to Qingyang Market all those years ago.

"Senior Brother Wang, long time no see."

Li Qingshan smiled and cupped his hands, still wearing the same honest, harmless expression.

Deacon Wang looked up and smiled too. "Oh, it's Old Li! I heard you were transferred to the Alchemy Hall. How is it? Easier than burning trash, right?"

His tone was familiar, with a touch of teasing.

"Thanks to you, Senior Brother, I've found a way to earn my keep in the Alchemy Hall. I'm learning a thing or two from Master Yan."

Li Qingshan smiled modestly, then changed the subject. "Senior Brother, I've recently taken an interest in alchemy and want to try refining a pill that strengthens the body and nourishes the essence. I need a few main ingredients, and the Gloomy Flower is hard to find. I heard it sometimes grows in the Black Wind Mountain Range to the north. I'd like to take a long-term mission and try my luck there, while gathering a few other herbs along the way."

His reasoning was perfectly sound. It was entirely normal for an Alchemy Hall disciple to go out collecting herbs.

Deacon Wang took Li Qingshan's identity jade token and casually browsed the mission list. "The Black Wind Mountain Range? That place is a bit remote. The famous ruins of the Ancient Battlefield lie even farther north. The spiritual energy there is chaotic, and there's not much to be gained. I've also heard strange things happen there from time to time. Hardly anyone goes there.

"The Gloomy Flower likes shade, so it might indeed grow there. All right, there's a 'Collect Gloomy Flowers' mission with a one-year deadline and a reward of thirty Spirit Stones. No one else is after it anyway, so you can have it!"

He processed the paperwork with practiced ease, handed Li Qingshan the mission token, and reminded him, "Old Li, you're not young anymore. Be careful going out alone. Don't venture too deep into those ruins. Come back as soon as you've gathered what you need."

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Wang. I'll keep that in mind. I'll stay around the outskirts."

Li Qingshan smiled as he took the token and cupped his hands in thanks once more.

After leaving the Mission Hall, Li Qingshan went to the market to replenish his talismans and daily necessities, making sure he had everything he needed.

The following morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten,

Li Qingshan changed into an ordinary gray robe and draped the "Shadow-Hiding Cloak" over it. He glanced back at Spring Autumn Sect, where he had lived for several years, his expression calm and resolute.

Without disturbing anyone, he slipped out of the mountain gate in silence.

He summoned a low-grade flying sword, checked his direction, then turned into an inconspicuous streak of light and sped north toward the Black Wind Mountain Range, where spiritual energy ran wild and few people ventured, and the ruins of the Ancient Battlefield beyond.

Deep in the Black Wind Mountain Range, in a hidden valley near the edge of the Ancient Battlefield.

The spiritual energy here was already chaotic and impure. No ordinary cultivator would choose to cultivate in such a place, making it an ideal location for Li Qingshan to attempt Foundation Establishment.

After spending several days carefully exploring the area, he finally found a naturally formed stone cave in the deepest part of the valley. Dense vines concealed the entrance, making it extremely well hidden.

Once inside, Li Qingshan spared no expense. He immediately took out the Five Elements Maze Formation flags he had bought for five hundred Spirit Stones and carefully set them up around the entrance and its surroundings.

The formation flags sank into the ground, and an invisible ripple spread instantly, covering the entire cave and the area around it for several yards. The light warped faintly. From the outside, the cave looked no different from the surrounding rock wall, and even its aura was perfectly concealed.

"With this formation protecting me, I should be safe."

Li Qingshan nodded with satisfaction. He also set up several warning restrictions inside the cave, and only then did he finally feel at ease.

The Five Elements Maze Formation's most important function was to conceal one's aura. It could also withstand a full-force strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was an excellent formation for Li Qingshan, which was why he had spared no expense to acquire it.

Once everything was ready,

he sat cross-legged in the center of the cave and took a deep breath, bringing himself into peak condition.

In his dantian, the Longevity Mana of a Qi Refining cultivator at great perfection was like a dormant volcano, vast and mighty, awaiting the moment it would erupt.

Without the slightest hesitation, he first placed a top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, enhanced by the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd, into his mouth!

The pill dissolved as soon as it entered his mouth, instantly turning into an indescribably mighty torrent. It was not mere spiritual energy; it also contained a trace of mysterious Dao resonance. Like the first ray of light at the birth of heaven and earth, it surged into his limbs and bones before finally rushing toward his dantian!

Boom!

Li Qingshan's entire body shuddered. He felt as though the terrifying force was about to burst his dantian!

But his will was unshakable. He immediately circulated the Foundation Establishment method from the Longevity Technique, guiding the torrent as it began compressing and refining the already immensely rich mana within his dantian!

A hundred days to establish the foundation—what one established was the foundation of the Great Dao!

This was the process of transforming gaseous mana into liquid true essence and building a "Dao Foundation" within the dantian, one that could bear the Great Dao and connect with heaven and earth!

Of course, that did not mean it had to take exactly a hundred days. A hundred days was only the baseline. Some powerful cultivators even needed longer to complete their ultimate transformation.

Days passed one after another.

Li Qingshan was enveloped in dense spiritual light, while the continuous rumbling from within his body sounded like a great river surging onward.

His body underwent earth-shaking changes. Impurities poured from him, his bones crackled softly as they grew more crystalline and resilient, and his flesh and meridians were torn apart and reformed again and again, growing broader and stronger.

Half a month later, he swallowed his second top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill.