Heavenly Dao Qi

Chen Xuan understood now.

So the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye wasn't something one could master just by learning the Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique.

He had mastered it right away, so he'd assumed learning the technique would grant it.

He had only joined the sect recently and had been cultivating too quickly. He also had no master. Though he'd made an effort to learn about many things, he still only had a vague understanding of them. He knew the Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique was powerful, but he hadn't expected there to be a catch.

Fortunately, for him, this catch wasn't a catch at all.

Although his talent was poor, the Cloud Sea Heaven-Observing Technique could be awakened through Spirit Awakening.

Anyone might fail to cultivate the Heaven-Observing Divine Eye, but there was no reason he couldn't cultivate it himself without the technique.

Still, he'd have to be more careful in the future. Before doing anything, he should make sure to ask around and learn more about the situation.

The two chatted for a while longer.

Li Junmo suddenly brought up Bai Wei. "Junior Brother, when you came here, did you happen to meet a junior sister from the Green Spirit Sect named Bai Wei?"

Chen Xuan nodded. "I did. What about her?"

"Nothing in particular. I just didn't expect the Green Spirit Sect to have a Spirit Body disciple.

"I'd been here for a few days without finding anything, and was about to leave when she came to ask me for guidance.

"It's a little embarrassing to say, but I couldn't beat her... Oh, right. She was the one who told me about you, so I found out you'd come too. Before leaving, I made a point of coming to see you, Junior Brother."

As he spoke, Li Junmo smiled at Chen Xuan and asked, "Junior Brother, did you tell her you weren't good at fighting with Dao Techniques?"

Li Junmo had seen Chen Xuan in action.

Chen Xuan had only won first place in the Outer Sect Grand Competition, but if he really fought a Spirit Body disciple, there was no guarantee Chen Xuan would lose.

After all, Li Junmo also knew that Chen Xuan had taken first place in last year's Floating Cloud Trial and had personally defeated a Spirit Body disciple of the same rank.

If that counted as being bad at fighting with Dao Techniques, then the rest of them were just playing house.

Chen Xuan nodded without changing expression. "It was just an excuse to turn her down."

"I could tell she really believed you. I didn't tell her about your situation, but she said she wanted to join Spirit Firmament Peak after entering the main sect.

"Who knows, maybe you two will cross paths again in the future, Junior Brother. That could get interesting."

Li Junmo looked like he was enjoying the prospect of watching the excitement unfold.

"Senior Brother, if you don't have anything else to do, hurry up and search for spirit items and Heavenly Dao Qi. Don't wait until I've reached Foundation Establishment while you still haven't found any spirit items."

Chen Xuan didn't care about Bai Wei's situation.

"All right. Take care, Junior Brother. I'll be off."

Li Junmo stopped bothering Chen Xuan and left after saying his farewells.

Time passed.

In the blink of an eye, the three-month period had come to an end.

On this day, the spiritual energy of the Green Spirit Secret Realm began gathering toward Chen Xuan, who stood beneath its sky.

Across the hundreds of miles surrounding the solitary peak, the world's spiritual energy seemed drawn by an invisible force. It formed waves of milky-white energy that surged in from every direction.

Plants swayed and spiritual mist rose, all flowing toward the summit of the solitary peak.

As the vast spiritual energy poured into the stone platform atop the mountain, ripples appeared in the air, visible to the naked eye. A faint golden aura, ethereal and elusive, imbued with boundless Dao essence and pressure, slowly took shape, emerging from the void to manifest in the world. It was Heavenly Dao Qi!

The instant the Heavenly Dao Qi appeared, an indescribably profound fluctuation spread out with it.

Chen Xuan had been prepared. The moment the golden radiance fully formed and its aura solidified, he focused his thoughts and used his spiritual power to draw it toward himself.

Heavenly Dao Qi was different from spirit items. After it appeared, it wouldn't try to escape.

As soon as the Heavenly Dao Qi reached his hand, a warm yet powerful Dao essence flowed up his arm.

Daring not to delay, Chen Xuan immediately called upon the connection between his Dao Seals and silently summoned the Purple Imperial Dragon Flame back to him.

[Your Dao Technique "Purple Imperial Dragon Flame" has returned.]

The moment the light curtain appeared, the Purple Imperial Dragon Flame, far away, let out a high-pitched dragon's roar and vanished from where it stood.

In the blink of an eye, it returned to Chen Xuan's side. Like the most loyal of guards, it circled around him, purple flames rising as it radiated a scorching, imposing aura.

This was the Cloud Sea Sect's Heavenly Dao Secret Realm. Perhaps no one would dare kill him here, but someone might still dare to steal his Heavenly Dao Qi.

One could never be too wary of others.

He might as well summon the Purple Imperial Dragon Flame back to serve as a protector for the time being.

With the Purple Imperial Dragon Flame at his side, he wouldn't need to worry about other Spirit Sea Realm cultivators.

After all, the longer he waited, the more could go wrong.

So he didn't plan to wait any longer. Today, he would complete Foundation Establishment in the Green Spirit Secret Realm.

Chen Xuan then took out the Two-Pattern Spirit Item.

Chen Xuan sat cross-legged and placed the Two-Pattern Spirit Item in front of him. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately circulated his cultivation technique and drew upon the power of the Two-Pattern Spirit Item and Heavenly Dao Qi, officially beginning his attempt to achieve Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment!

As Chen Xuan drew upon the Spirit Sea within his body, the Two-Pattern Spirit Item suddenly erupted in brilliant azure light. Its two golden patterns seemed to come alive, releasing pure energy from heaven and earth.

At the same time, the restrained Heavenly Dao Qi trembled gently, releasing an even more profound golden Dao light.

Guided by Chen Xuan, the two forces slowly began to merge and flow into his body together.

Once inside Chen Xuan, the two forces began to meld with the Spirit Sea within him.

In an instant, celestial phenomena appeared around the solitary peak where Chen Xuan sat!

First, Chen Xuan himself was shrouded in azure and gold light. Illusory dragon shadows and flowing clouds appeared and vanished behind him in turn, while faint sounds of the Great Dao echoed around him.

Then the sky changed. The once-clear skies above the secret realm were now filled with layers of auspicious clouds. A sea of clouds churned, rays of rosy light blazed across the heavens, and streaks of golden light cascaded down like hanging silken ribbons, illuminating the entire solitary peak until it resembled an immortal mountain.

Ordinary Spirit Sea Realm cultivators didn't create such a spectacle when they established their foundations, but Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment was no ordinary feat.

By now, some people in the Green Spirit Secret Realm had noticed the unusual spectacle.

Those with experience immediately realized that someone had obtained Heavenly Dao Qi and was beginning Foundation Establishment.

Those nearby quickly made their way to the mountain.

The Purple Imperial Dragon Flame circling Chen Xuan let out a dragon's roar as it watched the cultivators around them.

Its roar carried a trace of warning and menace.

Don't come any closer.

"What kind of flame is that? It's incredible!"

"Looks like Mystic Fire... But can Mystic Fire protect a cultivator during Foundation Establishment?"

"No, this person must have fellow disciples hiding nearby to protect him while he's breaking through. Anyone who tries to interfere could be ambushed the next moment..."

People began to speculate.

No one thought Chen Xuan could still use a Dao Technique to protect himself while breaking through.

Before long, quite a few people really did start to suspect that someone was protecting him from the shadows.

So they all behaved themselves a little more.

No matter how jealous they were, no one dared act rashly at that moment.

The main reason was that Chen Xuan was one of their fellow disciples, and there were more and more people around them. Otherwise, someone would certainly have risked giving it a try.

If they attacked a fellow disciple for resources, they'd be punished by the sect unless they could kill everyone and make sure the matter never came to light. At best, their cultivation would be crippled; at worst, they'd lose their lives and have their Dao extinguished.