An immortal foundation, without regret

Seeing the young man's soaring ambition, Shang Qingzheng secretly admired him, yet could not help reflecting that the ignorant knew no fear.

Still, she could not bear to discourage him, so she merely advised:

“Then work hard. If you can join one of the peaks during the Court Examination and receive its inheritance... wait, you broke through?!”

As Shang Qingzheng spoke, she suddenly noticed the faint fluctuations in Jiang Yang's aura and exclaimed in surprise.

"Heh..."

Jiang Yang chuckled at her words and explained:

"Just luck, just luck. Last night, moonlight happened to spill over the earth just as the night dew began to rise. After taking a pill, I broke through smoothly. Even I hadn't expected it.

“But most of the credit for breaking through so quickly goes to this assignment. Spiritual energy as rich as what surrounds the Rain Listening Pavilion isn't easy to find elsewhere.”

"Congratulations. It's only been a little over a month, hasn't it? To think you'd advance so quickly..."

Shang Qingzheng was happy for Jiang Yang at first, but then a trace of doubt arose. This rate of progress hardly seemed consistent with middling aptitude.

A breakthrough was a good thing regardless, however, and she did not dwell on it. Instead, she stirred her Spirit Sense, examined him carefully, and said:

"Oh, roughly between the third and fourth levels of Qi Refining. Your magical power is clear and solid. You're firmly in the middle stage of Qi Refining now."

After hearing this, Jiang Yang said thoughtfully:

"Is that so? My cultivation method doesn't divide things that finely. I just build up my cultivation day by day, and once I broke through, I counted myself as being in the middle stage."

“That doesn't matter. The Dew Essence Consumption Method is an Ancient Method. The third and fourth levels are divisions used by Modern Methods.”

Shang Qingzheng waved a hand as she explained.

Then her sea of qi surged as she mobilized her Magic Power. The swelling pressure swept aside the fallen leaves around her. Even the soundly sleeping Little Sixteen suddenly bristled and stared over with wide eyes.

Shang Qingzheng briefly released her Magic Power, then withdrew it. Only after reaching out to soothe the tabby cat's head did she say:

“By the Ancient Method's reckoning, my current cultivation would be at the Late Stage of Qi Refining. By the Modern Method, I'm actually at the eighth level of Qi Refining. Cultivators these days find the old terms too broad, so they divide that stage into the seventh, eighth, and ninth levels to make things clearer.”

Ancient cultivators had rather vague divisions for their cultivation realms. They simply divided the Qi Refining Realm into early, middle, and Late Stage—very straightforward, and casual above all.

Cultivation methods created after Recent Antiquity were called Modern Methods. They divided the Qi Refining Realm into nine distinct levels, with every three levels forming a minor stage corresponding to the early, middle, and Late Stage. Some methods had even more levels, along with special stages such as peak and perfection.

Overall, the divisions were finer and more standardized. This realm, which bridged what came before and what followed, had been broken down and worked through in detail, leaving no more vague designations or crucial points and making it easier to begin cultivating.

This was yet more knowledge the Lower Court had never taught. Jiang Yang listened beside her, nodding repeatedly.

After all, Shang Qingzheng was a direct disciple of the sect and had read widely since childhood. Whether in cultivation or knowledge, she stood far above Jiang Yang, whose training had come through unorthodox channels.

She was never stingy with her knowledge, either, and said whatever came to mind. Thus, every conversation brought him something new.

After the two had chatted at length about ancient and modern methods, Shang Qingzheng steered the conversation back to where it had begun and warned him solemnly:

“When I said you should join one of the peaks, I wasn't joking. If you still hope to reach the Violet Palace, you absolutely must do it!”

"Hm? Why is that? Does it have something to do with the Violet Palace?"

At this, Jiang Yang immediately sat up straight and questioned the young woman opposite him.

"Of course it does. Our tradition follows the ancient system, known as 'one peak, one inheritance,' and that inheritance is the most important thing of all."

Shang Qingzheng's expression turned solemn, lending her lovely face an added dignity. She continued with a question:

"However good the Dew Essence Consumption Method may be, once you reach the limit of the Qi Refining Realm, you still have to switch cultivation methods. What do you intend to do then?"

"Uh... exchange for a cultivation method at the Library Pavilion... I suppose..."

Jiang Yang answered with some hesitation.

Mostly, Shang Qingzheng's serious tone had affected him, leaving him a little less certain of himself.

Since it concerned his future path, Jiang Yang had naturally looked into it. His current cultivation method only went as far as Qi Refining, so he would certainly have to switch to another method if he wanted to reach Foundation Establishment.

That senior brother, Zhou Yanwei, had mentioned that the Sect had a Library Pavilion, where disciples could exchange Dao Merit for the Spells and Cultivation Arts stored within, satisfying all their needs.

Jiang Yang had originally planned to see how much Dao Merit he received once this assignment ended, then take the opportunity to browse the Library Pavilion.

Upon hearing his answer, Shang Qingzheng first gave a cold laugh, then said gravely:

"Then it would all be over. Foundation Establishment is the beginning of the immortal Dao. Once the foundation is built, there is no turning back."

"This realm marks the beginning of all cultivation, because once an Immortal Foundation is established, you cannot undo it. If you casually pick a cultivation method from the Scripture Pavilion to establish your foundation, the Violet Palace will become a stranger to you forever."

"That..."

Hearing such a claim for the first time left Jiang Yang utterly astonished. He could not help guessing:

"How could that be? Are there errors in the Scripture Pavilion's texts?"

Shang Qingzheng shook her head and said softly:

"Of course not. Fine though the Scripture Pavilion is, it holds countless books and scrolls. Its cultivation methods come from a vast range of sources, mixed together with unclear origins. If you hastily choose one to practice and fail to ingest spiritual energy and refine baleful intent properly, you will most likely achieve a Lower-grade Immortal Foundation."

Jiang Yang froze and murmured:

"A Lower-grade Immortal Foundation? Even Foundation Establishment has upper and lower grades?"

Shang Qingzheng smiled and continued beneath Jiang Yang's curious gaze:

"Ordinary disciples don't know the crucial details. You only need to understand that choosing a Dao is like choosing a lord, and choosing a master is like choosing the womb you're born into. Without an inheritance, even if you establish your foundation through sheer luck, you will ultimately achieve nothing more than a lower-grade one."

“A Lower-grade Immortal Foundation not only means insubstantial Magic Power, feeble Spirit Sense, and poor skill in magical combat, but also far inferior strength. Your road ahead is cut off, with not the slightest hope of reaching the Violet Palace. This is also why most Sect disciples look down on rogue cultivators.”

Only now did Jiang Yang fully understand, and he could not help remarking:

"An inheritance... so it isn't just aptitude. Even cultivation methods and Immortal Foundations are sorted into every rank and grade."

"Is the reason you insist I join one of the peaks that they have methods for building an Upper-grade Immortal Foundation?"

Reaching the Violet Palace was difficult. An inheritance alone was not enough; aptitude, fortune, and temperament were all indispensable. A poor start stripped one outright of the right to advance any further. How cruel.

Shang Qingzheng sighed softly.

"Yes. That's why I've stressed it so many times. Without a profound cultivation method and inheritance, you're estranged from the Violet Palace from the very outset."

Such a momentous secret first filled Jiang Yang with wonder, then excitement. No one willingly fell behind others. This information was far too important—if he had carelessly cultivated a lower-grade foundation, it would have been too late even for tears.

Previously, Jiang Yang had approached the Court Examination with the attitude that success would be welcome but not essential. His main goal had been to meet True Person Dawn Rain and explore the secret of his Dao Fruit. Now, however, with his Dao Path at stake, it seemed he had no choice but to contend.

The path of immortal cultivation was, at heart, a matter of contention: a thousand crags vied in beauty, and streams raced through ten thousand ravines. He ought to be grateful he was not a rogue cultivator. Otherwise, a single cultivation manual would seem like a priceless treasure in his hands—how could he have any room to choose?

Shang Qingzheng had only told Jiang Yang so much because his spirit had moved her. Yet once the words were out, seeing the young man's expression, she suddenly felt a little regret.

Was it really good for him to tell him all this so rashly?

Shang Qingzheng withdrew into her thoughts, silent and troubled.

In her view, with Jiang Yang's aptitude, he really ought not to reach beyond his grasp. Perhaps he could otherwise have steadily established his foundation, enjoyed a lifespan of two hundred years, and lived freely all his life.

Now that he knew the truth and had hopes of reaching the Violet Palace, he might instead refuse to settle for less. If he then frittered away his days, her good intentions might end up doing harm.

At this thought, Shang Qingzheng's thin lips moved hesitantly. Afraid the young man would brood too much, she gently reassured him:

"You needn't take it quite so much to heart. Among the countless cultivators, how many ever gain the immortal fortune needed to reach the Violet Palace? Just set your mind at ease."

For one thing, Jiang Yang was a newborn calf unafraid of tigers; for another, he had his Dao Fruit. He felt none of the apprehension Shang Qingzheng imagined. Instead, he felt a sense of clarity, as though the mist had parted.

He appreciated her kindness and simply smiled in thanks:

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts. You know, there's an old saying in my homeland: only strive to do good, and do not ask what lies ahead.

"No words could set the heart more at ease. I'll leave them with you now, so we can encourage each other."