Foundation Establishment High Stage

Foundation Establishment High Stage

Generally speaking, aside from the most difficult-to-quantify matter of fortuitous opportunities and luck, a cultivator's ultimate height and speed of progress were determined jointly by innate constitution, comprehension, and personal resolve.

People often said that the human heart was unfathomable. A person's resolve was likewise difficult to measure accurately, especially since hearts were ever-changing and could differ from one period to another.

Thus, people generally preferred to assess innate constitution and comprehension.

Most of the time, innate constitution and comprehension were inborn, difficult to alter or seize through later means.

Only because of this did the cultivation world not truly become a place where birth and bloodline decided everything.

Children of humble families still had a chance to become outstanding, rather than being scouted, plundered, transplanted, and robbed by great clans while still in swaddling clothes—or even in their mothers' wombs.

Yet after experiencing his innate constitution rise from Average Talent to the level of a Spirit Body, Lei Jun believed that when one's luck was good enough, there was a chance to defy the heavens and change one's fate.

He hoped there would be further opportunities to improve his innate constitution and comprehension.

But Lei Jun did not force the matter blindly.

Besides keeping watch for and seizing various opportunities, he continued focusing wholeheartedly on his own cultivation.

After seeing off an especially delighted Tang Xiaotang, Lei Jun returned to the company of Azure Stone Ink, continuously nurturing his Dao Foundation and Magic Power.

After Eldest Sister Xu Yuanzhen left the mountain again, she did not return for a long time.

Later, Little Senior Sister Tang Xiaotang entered seclusion to cultivate.

Fewer people came to visit Lei Jun in ordinary days, but he did not mind.

Whenever Yuan Mobai came to the Private Residence to teach him, or Wang Guiyuan came to visit, they would occasionally mention news from outside.

Since Xu Yuanzhen had caused an uproar the previous year, the prevailing mood in the Residence had been that Li Clan Disciples were no longer as high-profile—or even as overbearing—as before.

Most of the Li Clan's senior elders in the Residence adopted conciliatory, low-key attitudes, easing the fervent outrage caused by Li Ming and the others.

The disparity in treatment between disciples with the Li Surname and disciples of other surnames had narrowed somewhat, while more disciples of other surnames received attention and important assignments.

Among the young disciples who had entered the sect during the previous Ordination Ceremony, Lei Jun had been put under "house arrest" by his master.

Among the other disciples of other surnames, Chen Yi, Shangguan Hong, and Guo Yan had stood out.

Chen Yi was particularly representative of this.

During the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool incident, Chen Yi entered the Upper Immortal Pool. Not only did he fail to receive nourishment and cleansing from the Immortal Pool water, he was instead burned by it.

To a certain extent, it had even damaged his Limpid Sky Spirit Body!

Such a loss could not be compensated for even by the Blazing Cloud Lotus Seed he had obtained in the Upper Immortal Pool.

Yet it was precisely because of this that the Li Clan, seeking to soothe and win over the hearts of disciples of other surnames, held Chen Yi up as an example.

It truly answered the old saying: misfortune and fortune depended upon one another.

From then on, Chen Yi received key cultivation from the Residence. With large quantities of spiritual medicine to make up for the loss, he successfully repaired his damaged Spirit Body.

Although this delayed his progress from the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, with the continuous supply and support that followed, Chen Yi strove to catch up. He reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage not much later than Li Ying, Shangguan Hong, and the others.

"I heard Eldest Senior Brother and Senior Sister Zhang Jingzhen have both given Junior Brother Chen quite a bit of guidance lately."

While taking a break from teaching at the Private Residence, Wang Guiyuan chatted with Lei Jun.

Lei Jun said, "Never mind everyone else—doesn't Junior Brother Chen's master, Martial Uncle Yao, mind crops from another family growing in his own field?"

Wang Guiyuan shook his head. "This Junior Brother Chen is still quite clear-headed. I heard that after Eldest Senior Brother gave him a gift, he immediately turned around and gave it directly to Martial Aunt Hongyu and Martial Uncle Yao."

Lei Jun said, "And then Martial Uncle Yao and the others were surely magnanimous enough to bestow it back upon Junior Brother Chen?"

Wang Guiyuan nodded.

It looked as though the item had merely changed hands in a circle.

But what many people cared about was precisely that process, not the item itself.

"Still, this Junior Brother Chen is not steady enough."

Wang Guiyuan said, "Eldest Senior Brother and Martial Uncle Ziyang have recently placed even greater importance on Junior Brother Chen. They want to forge him into a new standard-bearer among disciples of other surnames and win him over twice as hard. Junior Brother Chen accepts anyone who comes and plays both sides with ease. If this continues, it will be hard to say what happens."

According to him, Chen Yi had recently received a new assignment.

At the Young Celestial Master's and Elder Ziyang's arrangement, Chen Yi had recently joined the Discipline Hall as part of his training.

As its name suggested, the Discipline Hall enforced discipline, corrected errors, conducted investigations, and could even directly administer punishment.

The Discipline Office at the Dao Child Courtyard had been only one of its subordinate branches.

If Chen Yi truly gained the authority to enforce discipline after joining, with powerful figures behind him watching over and backing him, many people would not sleep soundly.

After all, while still at the Dao Child Courtyard, he had already been a prominent figure and had grudges with quite a few people.

"It is true that once power is in hand, but it is also a job that offends people."

Lei Jun gave a simple assessment. "First, it depends on whether anyone supports him. Second, it depends on whether he himself stands upright."

Lei Jun, who often judged others by the worst possible intentions, had one immediate impression:

If Master Yuan Mobai hadn't put me under 'house arrest' back then, Chen Yi's current position would very likely have been mine.

At the very least, I would have had a share of it.

Amid the bombardment of sugar-coated shells, the hidden whirlpool was gradually beginning to reveal itself.

Of course, Chen Yi might have had his own considerations and viewed it as an opportunity.

From what Lei Jun had seen, the other man was highly ambitious, daring and willing to fight, possessing both calmness and boldness, yet he also repaid kindness and grudges alike.

Others might want to use him as a blade, but he might well intend to seize the momentum in turn and achieve his own aims.

"You are still the steadier one, Junior Brother Lei." Wang Guiyuan looked at Lei Jun with feeling.

Lei Jun said, "Perhaps it's because I'm a few years older."

Wang Guiyuan laughed. "I can hear it—you are actually mocking me for being old."

After laughing, Wang Guiyuan grew solemn. "Besides Junior Brother Chen's matter, Martial Uncle Ziyang, Eldest Senior Brother, and Martial Uncle Shangguan have all sounded me out about you. Even Martial Uncle Yao asked Master about you."

Lei Jun said, "To plead on my behalf?"

Wang Guiyuan nodded. "Martial Uncle Ziyang and the others now want to make up for the blow Li Ming and the others dealt to the Li Family's reputation and win over the hearts of disciples of other surnames. Besides Junior Brother Chen, they will naturally make some gesture toward you as well."

Even if it was only verbal.

Later, Yuan Mobai himself spoke to Lei Jun about the matter.

"The initial objective has been achieved. The heat should not be overdone. Once you reach the Foundation Establishment High Stage, move back into your own residence."

Lei Jun said, "I will follow Master's arrangements in all things."

Naturally, the supply of Azure Stone Ink would not cease because of this. It would merely change to mined raw ore from the vein, delivered in fixed quantities to Lei Jun's residence at regular intervals, or available for Lei Jun to collect whenever he wished.

For now, Lei Jun, still at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, remained in the Azure Stone Ink Mine beneath Yuan Mobai's Private Residence.

Winter passed and spring arrived, the four seasons flowed onward.

Cultivation in the mountains knew not the length of time, and the years slipped swiftly away.

In the blink of an eye, Lei Jun had been on Dragon Tiger Mountain for nearly four years.

Another year-end passed. It had been two years since Lei Jun had formally entered the Residence through Chuan Du Initiation.

On this day, within the Azure Stone Ink Mine, Lei Jun was Sitting Cross-Legged in Meditation.

With Inner Vision of One's Body, he saw that within the eight gates of the city walls upon his internal Dao Foundation, another six curtains had appeared, arrayed to the left and right in the front region of the Dao Foundation Altar's central area.

The six curtains gathered together, marking Lei Jun's successful attainment of the Foundation Establishment High Stage!

He spent some time recuperating, stabilizing his newly enhanced Dao Foundation.

Then he performed a fasting ritual, set out an incense altar, and attempted to craft talismans.

At the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, without using the Vermillion Point Brush, Lei Jun had an eighty percent success rate in crafting his natal talismans and a seventy percent success rate with other talismans.

With the Vermillion Point Brush, his success rate for natal talismans was a perfect hundred percent, while for other talismans it was ninety percent.

Now that Lei Jun himself had advanced to the Foundation Establishment High Stage, without using the Vermillion Point Brush, his success rate in drawing natal talismans was ninety percent and eighty percent for other talismans.

If he used the Vermillion Point Brush, whether natal talismans or other Spirit Talismans, his success rate in crafting talismans reached a perfect hundred percent!

When drawing natal talismans, on top of ensuring absolute success, he could further increase his speed and conserve Magic Power.