Foundation Establishment

So, Blue Star really isn't the only planet with life in the universe? The ancestors of the Dragon Kingdom people actually came from outer space! Dragon Kingdom civilization is essentially an extraterrestrial civilization!

Furthermore, the reason he lost his memory at the age of twelve was that an alien had used the Soul Search Technique on him.

Zhang Shuai suspected that the mutations his body had undergone—surviving electric shocks, not needing food or water, yet requiring electricity to replenish his energy—might all have been caused by the Lesser Creation Pill the alien had fed him.

The conversation also conveyed another piece of information: Spirit Root talent!

Zhang Shuai possessed a four-element Spirit Root talent of Water, Wood, Fire, and Metal!

If Zhang Shuai's ability to break through human limits and gain immense strength after practicing Big Dipper Long Fist was because he possessed Spirit Root talent, then by that logic, were all the people in the country who had broken through while practicing Big Dipper Long Fist over the past few months and been recruited by the 749 Bureau, all talented individuals with Spirit Roots qualified for immortal cultivation?

This news left Zhang Shuai extremely shocked, his heart surging with waves of emotion. It took a long time for him to digest it all before his mood finally calmed down.

Since the 749 Bureau already had so many immortal cultivators, the entire world's landscape would likely undergo massive changes once these people achieved success in their cultivation. If Zhang Shuai wanted to gain any advantages in the coming transformation, the most urgent task was to begin cultivating as soon as possible to increase his own strength.

Over the next few days, Zhang Shuai combined his efforts with the human acupoint chart found on the USB drive. This chart labeled the names of various human acupoints in alien script, which served as Zhang Shuai's breakthrough point for deciphering the alien language by cross-referencing these characters with modern Dragon Kingdom script.

Then, he slowly began to decipher the Small Heavenly Cycle Art.

Ten days passed in this manner, and Zhang Shuai finally finished deciphering the Small Heavenly Cycle Art in its entirety.

Zhang Shuai felt a great sense of accomplishment. He, someone with only an elementary school education, had single-handedly completed a task that would have required a team of the country's top professors in ancient linguistics to decipher; it was nothing short of a miracle!

Zhang Shuai believed that his translation of the Small Heavenly Cycle Art should be error-free. Since he had already deciphered it, there was no need for him to continue auditing classes at Hanjiang University; his current priority was to begin cultivation.

According to the introduction of cultivation realms in the Small Heavenly Cycle Art, cultivation is divided into three major realms: the first is the Initial Realm, the second is the Dao Realm, and the third is the God Realm.

Each major realm is further divided into three minor realms. For instance, the Initial Realm is divided into Foundation Establishment, Qi Nourishing, and Soul Fusion.

The Dao Realm is divided into Dao Seed, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul.

The God Realm is divided into Spirit Transformation, Void Void, and Tribulation Transcendence.

The first realm of cultivation is Foundation Establishment.

The Small Heavenly Cycle Art states that Foundation Establishment requires the use of Spirit Stones.

A so-called Spirit Stone is a stone containing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; the gray stone Zhang Shuai had obtained from the female spy from the island nation was indeed a Spirit Stone.

In his room, Zhang Shuai first warmed up by performing the Big Dipper Long Fist, then sat cross-legged, holding the Spirit Stone, and began to cultivate according to the meditation method in the Small Heavenly Cycle Art, his mind entering a state of absolute stillness.

Before long, Zhang Shuai felt a surge of heat rising from below his lower abdomen; this must be the Innate Qi located in the Sea of Qi Acupoint mentioned in the Small Heavenly Cycle Art.

Zhang Shuai carefully guided this heat from the Sea of Qi Acupoint, through the Quchi Acupoint, past the Zhongwan Acupoint, into the Zhongfu Acupoint, and gathered it at the Baihui Acupoint...

He did not know how much time had passed when he suddenly felt a scorching, hot current flowing from the Spirit Stone in his right hand, slowly entering his body through his palm.

Once this heat entered his body, it quickly merged with the Innate Qi already present, instantly expanding and growing, beginning to flow throughout Zhang Shuai's body.

Zhang Shuai felt as if a ball of fire were burning inside him.

Hot!

So hot!

Wherever the heat passed, Zhang Shuai felt waves of tearing pain. Under the impact of this heat, his meridians and acupoints were constantly expanding and strengthening. It was both itchy and painful, as if thousands of ants were gnawing at his bones and meridians.

The pain was one thing, but the intense itching was the real challenge.

This sensation was truly agonizing!

Zhang Shuai bitterly endured the urge to scratch, constantly controlling the heat to strike his Sea of Qi Acupoint again and again.

Under the impact of the heat, the Sea of Qi Acupoint kept expanding, swelling up like a balloon being inflated.

The balloon grew larger and larger until, at a certain moment, Zhang Shuai couldn't help but let out a roar toward the sky. He felt as if a sharp weapon had pierced a certain part of his body, and a piercing pain shot through him.

Faintly, a muffled sound came from within his body; the balloon had finally reached its limit and burst.

The Sea of Qi exploded, and the Dantian appeared!

Zhang Shuai was overjoyed; he had completed the crucial step of Foundation Establishment: opening the Sea of Qi Dantian!

Following the massive explosive force generated by the bursting Sea of Qi, the scorching heat inside his body surged like a high-pressure water jet, instantly rushing straight toward his forehead.

BOOM!

It felt as if Zhang Shuai's head had been struck by a thousand-pound hammer; his brain buzzed, and he saw stars.

Before Zhang Shuai could recover, a second wave of impact followed.

BOOM!

A violent pain struck him, and Zhang Shuai's vision went black. His entire body went limp, and he collapsed, losing consciousness.

Hungry!

So hungry!

He did not know how much time had passed, but a fierce sense of hunger woke Zhang Shuai up.

His head ached, and his stomach was so empty!

It was time to charge and replenish his energy.

However, what puzzled Zhang Shuai was that only seven days had passed since his last charge. Based on his past experience, a single charge should have lasted him at least a month; how could he be hungry after only seven days?

It seems this cultivation consumes too much energy; I didn't expect it to be depleted so quickly.

I should tidy up first and find a place to recharge. As for cultivation, there is no need to rush; I can take it slow.

This attempt at Foundation Establishment must have failed, but it doesn't matter. I'll just try again next time. As long as I remain persistent, Zhang Shuai believes he will succeed in Foundation Establishment sooner or later.

Huh! Where is the Spirit Stone?

Zhang Shuai immediately went to look for the Spirit Stone. It was the only one he had, the very foundation of his cultivation, so he had to keep it safe.

Yet, to his astonishment, the Spirit Stone was gone!

How is this possible?

No one else had entered the room, and he clearly remembered holding the stone in his hand before he lost consciousness. So, where did it go?

This is too bizarre. How could such a large stone suddenly vanish? Could it have grown legs and flown away?

Soon, Zhang Shuai's gaze fell upon the floor.

There was a shallow pile of gray powder on the floorboards.

An incredible thought crossed Zhang Shuai's mind: could the Spirit Stone have exhausted its energy and turned into dust?

Blue Star lacks spiritual energy, and cultivation requires it. If one wishes to cultivate on Blue Star, they must rely on Spirit Stones.

But now that Zhang Shuai's only Spirit Stone is gone, how is he supposed to cultivate in the future?

He had already translated the Small Heavenly Cycle Art, Foundation Establishment was within reach, and he was on the verge of becoming a legendary cultivator...

Yet, at this critical moment, the Spirit Stone is gone!

A profound sense of loss welled up in Zhang Shuai's heart. He had spent half a year working toward immortality, but now that the Spirit Stone is gone, hasn't his path to immortality been severed?