Foundation Establishment Middle Stage

Foundation Establishment Middle Stage

Young Celestial Master Li Zhengxuan and Xu Yuanzhen met each other's eyes.

After a moment, Li Zhengxuan's gaze withdrew, turning deep and unfathomable. "Senior Sister, is the Celestial Writing Talisman your goal?"

Xu Yuanzhen waved a hand. "It's true that I'm somewhat interested in the Celestial Writing Talisman, but I won't trade Xiao Tang for it. I have time and patience to spare; there's no need to rush."

Young Celestial Master Li Zhengxuan nodded. "Senior Sister's rebuke is right. All these years, I have erred through impatience. I focused single-mindedly on cultivation until I became blind, neglecting to guide Junior Brother Li Ming and the others, and showing too little concern for our other fellow disciples. In today's matter, I am the one who ought to bear responsibility."

Inside the room, the middle-aged Taoist who had remained silent beside Li Xuan rose at this time and stepped before Xu Yuanzhen and Li Zhengxuan.

"For Zhengxuan to say so truly shames this old Taoist. I am the one who failed to discipline those under my charge properly. How can I let Zhengxuan bear the blame for our father and son?"

The middle-aged Taoist calmly met Xu Yuanzhen's eyes.

"Disciple Yuan Zhen is right. The death of that unfilial son Li Ming was brought upon himself. The wrongs he committed before should not be wiped clean because of it.

"Li Ming repeatedly violated the sect rules. He should be publicly punished according to the law, so that we may give an account to those fellow disciples he wronged."

The middle-aged Taoist was none other than Li Ziyang, the Contemporary Celestial Master's blood brother and one of the Celestial Master Mansion's senior elders.

With a stern expression, he looked at his eldest son Li Xuan, who stood waiting behind him.

"Not only must Li Ming be punished; you and I must likewise bear responsibility for failing to detect his deeds.

"To redeem ourselves through merit, begin investigating everyone connected to Li Ming from this day onward. See whether there are any others committing wickedness and breaking the law. Punish them all severely, and give everyone in the mansion an explanation!"

Li Xuan lowered his head. "Yes."

Xu Yuanzhen paid Li Xuan no mind, merely looking calmly at Li Zhengxuan and Li Ziyang, uncle and nephew. "Isn't this good? You have each heard from the other the promise you wanted."

She nodded to Elder Ziyang. "Then I'll leave what follows to you, Third Martial Uncle."

With that, she turned and departed.

Once Xu Yuanzhen's figure vanished from sight, Li Xuan abruptly raised his head. "Father! Eldest Senior Brother!"

"What your father said just now came from the bottom of his heart."

Elder Ziyang and the Young Celestial Master both calmly sat down.

"Though your father grieves for Ming'er's death, what Disciple Yuan Zhen stirred up today was brought upon himself."

Elder Ziyang said, "Over the past two years, your father thought you had matured, so I gave you fewer reminders. That led to Disciple Yuan Zhen stripping a layer of face from us today. We deserved that too.

"This infamy can only be borne by Li Ming himself. Otherwise, the entire Li Clan will have to bear it in his stead. Though he was my son and your younger brother, he was unworthy."

Li Xuan fell silent, only speaking after a long while. "Even so, it should have been our Li Family cleaning house ourselves, not Xu Yuanzhen overstepping her bounds!

"She has become more and more arrogant these past few years. The outside world gave her the nickname Second Celestial Master, and she truly thinks she is the Second Celestial Master now?!"

The Young Celestial Master at the side said lightly, "This Sect has suffered successive internal upheavals and its vitality has been badly damaged. We cannot allow internal turmoil to rise again.

"People outside call Senior Sister the Second Celestial Master precisely to divide us and stir conflict within This Sect. There is no need to take it seriously. Otherwise, we will have fallen into outsiders' schemes."

Elder Ziyang said, "Who the Second Celestial Master is does not matter. What matters is that the Celestial Master has always borne the surname Li. Do you still not understand even this most basic principle?"

Li Xuan lowered his head again. "Yes, this child understands."

Elder Ziyang looked toward the doorway. "What deserves attention today is that, beyond Disciple Yuan Zhen's reputation and personal strength, her eyes and ears within the mansion are also exceedingly sharp. She was able to produce so much material in such a short time.

"As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy. We underestimated her before. That truly should not have happened..."

Though an abnormal change had occurred within the Minor Cave Heaven, Lei Jun and the other disciples who entered for training had all gained immense benefits from this journey.

Nourished and cleansed by the Immortal Pool's waters, Lei Jun now cultivated the Inner Vision of One's Body and could see his Dao Foundation flashing with profound radiance.

The Dao Foundation of a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator was square and level, yet simple.

As Lei Jun continued his cultivation, new changes finally began to arise atop his Dao Foundation.

Along the edges of the square Dao Foundation, tangible city walls condensed from Lei Jun's Magic Power rose up.

Gates opened wide within those walls.

It was not that the Dao Foundation had developed flaws, but rather that he was following the Daoist inheritance's method of opening the Eight Gates.

The Eight Gates were Du, Jing, Death, Shock, Kai, Rest, Life, and Harm.

As the Gates opened one by one, Lei Jun's Dao Foundation revealed ever more wondrous Dao Essence.

Once all Eight Gates opened, it would mean Lei Jun's cultivation had successfully ascended another level.

Foundation Establishment Middle Stage was achieved.

Lei Jun smiled in satisfaction.

Over these past days, the mansion had also successively announced the relevant punishments.

Li Ming had failed to preserve even his posthumous reputation.

Quite a few Li Family descendants who had often kept company with him were punished.

People throughout the mansion discussed the matter fervently. Once word spread, even people beyond the mansion took notice.

Tang Xiaotang went about every day with a cheerful grin.

Even when someone else's spirit pet passed by, she might casually scoop it up and give it a few strokes.

"Just looking at that silly face of yours, I know that the next time you run into the same sort of thing, you'll still step right into their pit."

A few barbs from Xu Yuanzhen did nothing to affect Tang Xiaotang's current good mood. "I'm not silly. You people just have too many Mind's Eyes."

Lei Jun, meanwhile, sighed. "Eldest Sister has committed every evil under heaven."

Tang Xiaotang said, "Could you stop saying that with such an admiring, reverent expression and tone?"

Lei Jun casually replied, "Eldest Sister certainly had the ability to keep Eldest Senior Brother and Martial Uncle Ziyang from flipping the table, but she was clearly not content with using violence alone to win back face.

"Li Ming's reputation has been overturned. Those who previously listened to the Li Family's praise of him will feel the anger of being deceived, and it will be very difficult for Li Ming to turn things around again.

"It's a very simple matter of where people's hearts lean, but it is enough. After all, Eldest Sister secured plenty of solid evidence. Li Ming really did have a dirty backside."

He glanced at Tang Xiaotang. "Most people in the world are accustomed to judging matters by the person rather than judging the person by the matter.

"Since Li Ming is dirty and the Young Celestial Master has been implicated by him, it becomes much easier for Little Senior Sister, whom they once used as a negative foil to prop themselves up, to clear your name. At least, it is much easier than before."

"So that's how it is..." Tang Xiaotang turned to look at Xu Yuanzhen, who was sketching on paper nearby.

Xu Yuanzhen did not even raise her head. "No need to explain it in such detail. She won't remember it."

Tang Xiaotang gave two light coughs. "It's enough for me to remember the most important sentence. The most important thing is that after the Celestial Master entered seclusion, no one on the mountain is a match for you, Senior Sister."

She clapped her hands and laughed. "The spiritual energy of the world today is recovering far beyond what it once was. The younger someone is, the more they have caught a good age. Their cultivation rises rapidly, and before long they'll surpass those old men!"

Lei Jun had heard Yuan Mobai and Wang Guiyuan mention this as well.

In recent years, the world's spiritual energy had grown increasingly dense. Not only were more blessed lands and Cave Heavens being discovered, cultivators also found it faster and easier than before to raise their cultivation. The cultivation world was entering a golden age.

Lei Jun said, "Little Senior Sister, there will also be cultivators younger than you in the future."

Tang Xiaotang's smile froze on her face.

Only after a long while did she cry out, "Anyway, you and Senior Sister are both older than me! Even being two years older makes you old!"

Lei Jun merely smiled, unbothered.

Xu Yuanzhen still did not raise her head. "My face looks younger than yours."

The tall girl immediately grew even more vexed.

However, her emotions came quickly and went quickly, and her attention soon shifted elsewhere.

"Oh, right, Lei Jun. I heard you telling stories before. In those stories, when the protagonists grow up in a sect, it is often villains within the sect who suppress them, and then they strike back. But the protagonists rarely take the initiative to stir up internal strife?"

Lei Jun said, "In most cases, yes."

Tang Xiaotang stood up. "Li Ming is already dead. Senior Sister has swept away Senior Brother Li's and Third Martial Uncle's prestige, and I have no interest in bickering with them anymore. Since that's the case, we might as well go out and take a look around."

Lei Jun said, "As the protagonist of a story, when out in the world, they also usually take the initiative to cause trouble less often—at least, that is how it looks on the surface. They are usually still the victims before they strike back, putting on that... face-slapping act."

Tang Xiaotang nodded repeatedly. "Mm-hm, just like you said before: beat the little ones, then beat the old ones!"

...Your focus is a little off.

Lei Jun said, "If possible, occupy the moral high ground—at least in some people's hearts. For the sake of saving trouble and effort, it is best to make as few enemies as possible, as many friends as possible, and do more good deeds yourself, making your enemies stand out as the ones doing evil."

Tang Xiaotang clenched her fist. "Mm. Fine clothes should not travel by night; if one reveals sanctity, it should be before others. There must be an audience, preferably a cheering squad of family and friends."

Lei Jun pressed a hand to his forehead. As he watched her stride off in high spirits, he could not help feeling that he had no idea how far the whole style of things would go crooked.

Xu Yuanzhen put down her brush at this moment, her gaze moving back and forth between Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang.

Lei Jun said, "Eldest Sister?"

Xu Yuanzhen said, "She cannot suffer any major losses. Let her suffer a few more minor ones; it's quite good. As for you, good days should be coming next."

Lei Jun said, "...The good days you speak of give me an ominous premonition."