Beginning Foundation Establishment

Cultivation knew no passage of time.

And so, Lu Li began his grueling seclusion.

Every morning, the first thing he did after waking was rouse Lady Red Furnace, then have her charge up his body.

While he was at it, he collected emotions of joy and sorrow.

Of course, nobody liked being bothered for no reason. Even the kindest person would get fed up.

So Lu Li came up with a new excuse every day.

Things like, "True Lord, my Purple Haze Sun-Refining Scripture vanished again," "I nearly went mad cultivating last night," or "I made chicken soup. Would you like some, True Lord?" and so on.

At first, when Lady Red Furnace's phantom drifted out of the bottle, she would exchange a few pleasantries with Lu Li.

Later on, as soon as she appeared, she would tap Lu Li on the forehead, then go straight back inside to catch a few more winks. She couldn't even be bothered to talk to him.

Lu Li began collecting emotions of the Evil of Seven Emotions.

The True Lord was starting to loathe him.

Lu Li understood.

After all, they were cultivating immortality, for crying out loud. Who would enjoy having to get up every day at six or seven just to clock in?

Anyone would get sick of that!

Lady Red Furnace hadn't killed him with a single palm strike. That alone made her merciful beyond measure.

So Lu Li immediately stopped that death wish of a routine.

He stopped for seven days.

The reason it was seven days was simple.

Women, after all, had seven days every month when they were in a bad mood.

Though Lady Red Furnace had already severed her Red Dragon, it should still have some effect.

Sure enough.

On the seventh day, Lu Li clocked in again and woke Lady Red Furnace.

This time, she still didn't say a word. She charged him up, then went back to sleep.

But he didn't collect any loathing.

Lu Li grinned and secretly marked the day.

At the same time, he sighed with emotion.

He'd met a benefactor on the road!

No!

A benefactor might lend someone a hand, but Lady Red Furnace had lent him several. She was a great benefactor!

Lu Li felt a boundless sense of gratitude.

Then, before dawn the next day, he woke Lady Red Furnace and had her charge him up again.

Eventually, at the first sound, Lady Red Furnace would wake in a daze, send out a clone, teleport into the jade bottle, emerge, tap Lu Li on the forehead, and then drift back into a hazy sleep.

It felt like she'd just had a dream.

When she woke, she began to wonder.

Today... hadn't she gone to send that brat true qi?

Oh no!

Huh?

What was wrong with her? How had she gotten used to this?

Lady Red Furnace stared wide-eyed, looking a little dazed.

Still, watching Lu Li's cultivation rise by leaps and bounds made her feel quite pleased.

Qi Refining, sixth layer.

Qi Refining, seventh layer.

Qi Refining, eighth layer.

Qi Refining, ninth layer.

In less than twenty days, Lu Li had already broken through to the ninth layer of Qi Refining!

She had definitely played a part in that!

Though being woken every day had left her unhappy, seeing Lu Li cultivate so diligently made it hard for Lady Red Furnace to blame him.

After all, she knew how difficult it was to work undercover!

Especially in the Demon Sect!

One wrong move, and you were reduced to ashes, doomed beyond redemption.

Wasn't Lu Li cultivating so earnestly and desperately raising his strength for the Dao Alliance?

At that thought, Lady Red Furnace's displeasure vanished, and she felt even more admiration for Lu Li.

Lu Li hadn't guessed that her attitude had changed.

But he did vaguely sense that Lady Red Furnace treated him differently now.

When he woke her each day, she was always pleasant and gentle.

She no longer wore an icy expression.

Lu Li couldn't make sense of it, but he couldn't be bothered to guess what women were thinking.

Because he had already reached the tenth layer of Qi Refining!

Kunpeng Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art: Tenth Layer (Progress: 50%).

As soon as he broke through to the eleventh layer, he could advance straight to Foundation Establishment!

Lu Li was excited and full of drive. Sitting in the Spirit Gathering Array, he began greedily absorbing the dense spiritual energy around him.

At the same time, he silently recited the scripture.

A small bump rose between his brows, pulsing up and down.

It was the Spirit-Devouring Fish, devouring and refining the Azure Flood Dragon True Blood.

Ding.

"Your Kunpeng Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art absorbed powerful spirit blood. Your cultivation has improved. Progress +1%."

"Progress +1%."

"Progress +1%."

"Progress +1%."

On the system panel, the progress of the Kunpeng Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art steadily climbed.

55%... 66%... 77%...

88%!

99%!

Qi Refining, Perfection!

In an instant, Lu Li sensed the bottleneck looming in the unseen.

That threshold!

Broad as a river!

Once he crossed it, his life would transform, and he would enter the innate Foundation Establishment realm!

Whew.

Lu Li let out a long breath. His eyes flashed, and he stopped cultivating.

He needed a good day's rest.

Then... he would break through to innate Foundation Establishment in one go!

Of course, before that, he needed to ask Lady Red Furnace, a Nascent Soul True Lord, for advice—and have her protect him during the breakthrough, just in case.

With that in mind, Lu Li left the cultivation chamber and jumped into the pool for a bath.

He spent the afternoon basking in the sun, then watched the stars and moon all night.

The next morning.

In the cultivation chamber.

Ding, ding, ding.

Lu Li knocked on the White Jade Snuff Bottle right on time.

Hum.

The White Jade Snuff Bottle trembled faintly and shone with a brilliant blue light.

A wisp of white smoke drifted out.

Then a graceful figure took shape in the smoke, revealing Lady Red Furnace's face.

"Oh? You've reached Qi Refining, Perfection?"

Lady Red Furnace's beautiful eyes swept over him, and she immediately exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes."

Lu Li smiled faintly and cupped his hands in a bow. "I owe this to you, True Lord! Without your help and guidance, I doubt I could have reached Qi Refining, Perfection so quickly!"

"No need to thank me. You're my junior. It's only right that I guide you a little."

Lady Red Furnace waved a hand and smiled.

At her words, Lu Li was about to ask her to protect him. But when he looked up, he couldn't help exclaiming in surprise. "Huh, True Lord, you... look a little different today."

"Hmm? What's different?"

Lady Red Furnace paused.

"You look especially beautiful." Lu Li praised her. "At first glance, you look just like a celestial maiden descended from the Ninth Heaven—peerlessly beautiful, enough to turn the world upside down."

"Hehe."

Lady Red Furnace's face lit up with a smile, gorgeous as an Epiphyllum in full bloom. "I've heard words like that countless times in the Demon Sect. But hearing them from you still makes me happy. Tell me, what would you like me to help you with today?"

"True Lord, you're wise and perceptive! Your gaze is as sharp as a torch! I'm in awe!"

Lu Li secretly collected her joy and cupped his hands in a bow. "I'd like you to protect me during my breakthrough! I want to advance to Foundation Establishment today!"

"Oh? So soon? Shouldn't you spend a few months tempering your cultivation and laying a solid foundation? The Kunpeng Devil Art you practice is a demonic cultivation technique. It raises your cultivation quickly by devouring spirit blood—a shortcut of the demonic path. Your foundation is shallow, so if you break through now, you could easily go mad while cultivating and fail. Even if you reach Foundation Establishment, the drawbacks will outweigh the benefits. How about waiting a day? I'll have someone bring you a few spirit fruits and spirit pills to strengthen your foundation."

Lady Red Furnace furrowed her brows.

Her soft voice held a trace of concern.

"Thank you for caring, True Lord! There's no need. That could expose your identity! I'm confident—I'll definitely break through to Foundation Establishment!"

Lu Li said confidently.

Seeing how sure Lu Li was, Lady Red Furnace blinked her beautiful eyes. After a brief pause, she asked gently, "Are you certain you want to break through to Foundation Establishment? Anyone who cultivates demonic arts will attract inner demons when attempting a breakthrough! Under their influence, illusions will rise around you: mountains of corpses and seas of blood, countless beauties, imperial power and riches... You'll have to overcome all kinds of temptations before you can steady your mind, condense your magic power, enter the innate realm, and lay the foundation of the Great Dao."

"Overcome temptations?"

Lu Li paused, then nodded firmly. "Don't worry, True Lord. That's what I'm best at!"

"Are you sure?"

Lady Red Furnace was still somewhat concerned. "You should have practiced the Scripture Protection Elder's Heavenly Demon Twenty-Three Swords, right? Now, you're entangled in the Power of Seven Emotions. That's sure to attract heavenly demons. When they detonate your inner demons, their power will be terrifying. One careless mistake, and you'll burn to death."

Right!

He'd nearly forgotten about that!

Lady Red Furnace's reminder jogged Lu Li's memory. He thought for a moment, then cupped his hands. "Then I'll ask you to protect me! Ghost Demon True Person wants me to break through to Foundation Establishment and compete for Chief Disciple. I have no choice but to obey! For the Dao Alliance's great cause of eradicating the Demon Sect, please lend me a hand!"

"Very well! I'll help you. Begin." Lady Red Furnace nodded solemnly.

"Many thanks, True Lord!"

Lu Li bowed again.

Then he sat cross-legged in the Spirit Gathering Array, exhaled a long breath of stale air, and let a keen light gleam in his eyes.

The next moment, he turned his hand over, and a small blood-red fish coalesced in his palm.

The Spirit-Devouring Fish!

Then he raised his other hand. In his palm lay a blood bead no bigger than a sesame seed.

Azure Flood Dragon True Blood!

"Go!"

Lu Li gave a sharp cry.

The Spirit-Devouring Fish swam over, darted onto his other palm, swallowed the Azure Flood Dragon True Blood in one gulp, then flicked its tail and shot into the space between Lu Li's brows, beginning to devour and refine it.

Boom.

Powerful spiritual energy erupted at once between his brows.

A clear ding rang out.

The system notification sounded:

"Your Kunpeng Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art absorbed powerful spirit blood. Your cultivation has improved."

"Progress +1%."

"Congratulations, host! Your Kunpeng Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art has broken through to the eleventh layer."

"Congratulations, host! You are about to begin Foundation Establishment..."

As the words faded,

one illusion after another began to appear before Lu Li's eyes.