Foundation Establishment
Supreme Mystery Mountain, Ancestral Hall.
Li Chengxuan suddenly opened his eyes.
"Hu Yueqiu... has entered the Qi Ingestion through Qi cultivation!" Li Chengxuan's consciousness connected with the [Two Worlds Pearl], sensing that Hu Yueqiu had entered the Qi Ingestion. He let out a long breath. "She does indeed have some Fate within her. It wasn't in vain that I gambled my [Mystic Marsh Submerged Thunder Qi] on her."
As the third Merit of [Continue Lost Teachings], a vast amount of Daoist energy flowed into Li Chengxuan's body, far more than the previous two times.
"Hua Chunning entered the Dao, with [Yi Wood] as the foundation and [Lesser Yang] as the foundation; only [Yi Wood] can be considered Merit."
"Duanmu Ren entered the Dao, and he became a purely [High Shaman]."
"Hu Yueqiu is different..."
Li Chengxuan pondered it carefully.
This immense Daoist aura is primarily composed of [Fu Water], but it also includes [Sword Dao] and [Mystic Thunder]!
The [Fu Water] lies in its [abundance], its imagery in lakes and marshes, its [depth is unfathomable].
In a way, it suits my role as the head of Supreme Mystery and the manager of the sect perfectly.
As for [Sword Dao] and [Mystic Thunder], they are both profound and abstruse traditions.
Although one cannot comprehend sword intent or condense a lightning body through the Daoist principles, one can still learn swordsmanship and practice Thunder Method to gain more means of dealing with enemies.
"Thanks to the protection of the Ancestral Master." Li Chengxuan stood up, bowed to the portrait of the Ancestral Master in the hall, lit a stick of incense, and looked up to examine it closely.
On the painting, a lake appeared.
The lake water was a deep blue, reflecting the crescent moon hanging in the sky.
Li Chengxuan was not surprised; instead, he nodded and said, "Just as I thought."
Hu Yueqiu's origins are unknown, and he claims to be a descendant of the "Greater Yin" lineage, which is truly awe-inspiring and makes one wish to keep one's distance.
It was clearly the Xue Household of Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain who intentionally arranged for Hua Chunning to ascend Supreme Mystery Mountain.
The Xue Household of Rosy Clouds Resting Mountain is a descendant of the [Human Emperor] lineage and immortals.
Whether the Xue Household was fearing the great karma of the [Greater Yin] lineage and harming their neighbors, or whether they were intentionally planting spies in Supreme Mystery Mountain, Li Chengxuan had no intention of arguing and simply left it to be dealt with in the General Affairs Hall.
Later, a strange phenomenon appeared in the sky [Venus accompanying the moon], and Hu Yueqiu actually comprehended the sword intent.
A faint crescent moon is even visible on the portrait of the patriarch.
With the patriarch's approval, Li Chengxuan was finally at ease and accepted Hu Yueqiu Registered Disciple, sending her to Earth to supplement the Manifestation.
Back at Supreme Mystery Mountain, Hu Yueqiu's Manifestation continued to wane.
Li Chengxuan did not give up, but instead let him go down the mountain to Mirror Moon Lake to seek fortuitous opportunity.
He even secretly sealed that precious [Mystic Marsh Submerged Thunder Qi] into the Grand Mysterious Token and gave it to Hu Yueqiu.
After several bets, the moment of reckoning has finally arrived.
"This can be considered a case of fortune favoring the bold." Li Chengxuan felt that as long as he focused on cultivation, he should be able to use this wave of Daoist energy to push his cultivation level to the peak of Perfected Qi Refining.
Next, you can try [Foundation Establishment].
"Um?!"
Li Chengxuan felt another mysterious and indescribable Manifestation descend upon him.
Unlike the merit-based Merit of [Continue Lost Teachings], this approach is of a much higher and more ambitious Manifestation.
"It is the favor of Heavenly Dao..." Li Chengxuan thought to himself, and suddenly realized.
Hu Yueqiu entered the Daoist path through the [Fu Water] method, which perfectly complemented the five Water Virtue traditions of Kanfu Lupin He on the South Cliff Continent.
This is Merit for the Old Method and for Heaven and Earth.
The [Two Worlds Pearl] has also undergone new changes.
From then on, Li Chengxuan was no longer confined to the small space of the Ancestral Hall, but could travel between the two worlds and return to Earth throughout the entire territory of Supreme Mystery Mountain.
"With this life-saving means that allows me to travel between the two worlds at any time, there's no need for me to sit idly on Supreme Mystery Mountain." Li Chengxuan had the idea of going down the mountain to travel.
As the head of Supreme Mystery Mountain, Li Chengxuan naturally could not leave the mountain at will.
If something goes wrong, the vast Supreme Mystery Mountain might fall apart.
Li Chengxuan then began to devote himself to cultivation, striving to achieve Perfected Qi Refining as soon as possible, and diligently studied Daoist scriptures to prepare for Foundation Establishment.
"The so-called Foundation Establishment is the construction of the foundation for the Great Dao."
"In High Antiquity, the Dao Ancestor transmitted his teachings to three thousand people, naming them [Dao Foundation]."
"In the Middle Ages, many immortals ascended to heaven, and the name was changed to [Immortal Foundation]."
"In ancient times, attaining immortality was extremely rare; it could only be called ' Foundation Establishment '."
"When the New Method rise and the Old Method decline, the ancient starting point of the Great Dao and the minor steps to immortality become a sublime realm that later generations of cultivators find awe-inspiring and unattainable."
Li Chengxuan thought of the few remaining Old Method of Foundation Establishment on the South Cliff Continent, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, continuing to study the Daoist scriptures.
"During the Qi Refining, one accumulates Law Power and unleashes spells."
"For example, Liu Zhijian has already grasped the prototype of [Old Man by the Stream], which can captivate people's minds, but it requires a lot of Law Power to cast."
"And Law Power comes from breathing in and circulating Spiritual Qi throughout the body."
"Essentially, the Law Power of Qi Refining cultivator is a consumable resource borrowed from heaven and earth; once it's used up, they have to borrow it again."
"[Foundation Establishment] is completely different."
"[Foundation Establishment] cultivators have already attained the manifestation of the Dao, possessing an inexhaustible flow of Law Power, and also carrying the inherent attributes and mysteries of the Dao lineage."
"However, breaking through to the [Foundation Establishment] stage is also extremely risky!"
Li Chengxuan, who was in charge of Supreme Mystery Mountain, knew many secrets and was also aware that there were probably quite a few Old Method cultivators on the South Cliff Continent who had reached the Perfected Qi Refining realm.
Despite the widespread rumors of the revival of the Old Method, no one has yet been heard of attempting to Foundation Establishment.
In the past century, many cultivators have attempted to Foundation Establishment, but only one in a hundred has succeeded, a truly remarkable feat.
Therefore, many cultivators would rather eke out a living at the Perfected Qi Refining realm to protect their families than risk everything to try and break through to the next realm.
Li Chengxuan carefully reviewed and sorted through the Foundation Establishment cases recorded in the sect's records.
"To break through from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, one needs to use the method of Liberation by Violence to shatter one's physical constitution, Manifestation Fate, spiritual awareness, Root Bone, and then condense Immortal Foundation within the Qi Sea."
"If the Immortal Foundation for immortality cannot be formed, one will die instantly and have no chance of survival."
"Furthermore, we cannot use Foundation Establishment Pill to protect our lives like the New Method."
Even if you fail, you can try again in the future.
After reviewing the essentials of Foundation Establishment, Li Chengxuan felt it was as difficult as ascending to heaven with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death, yet he showed no sign of retreat or fear. "Since the revival of the Old Method' fortunes, no one has yet attempted to break through to Foundation Establishment; it should begin with me."
Winter arrived in the blink of an eye.
Hu Yueqiu, wielding her sword to vanquish evil, returned to Supreme Mystery Mountain.
Ancestral Master Hall.
Everyone on Supreme Mystery Mountain turned out to welcome Hu Yueqiu and cleanse her of the dust of her journey.
Jiang Xiaoyu was the happiest, beaming from ear to ear as she held a pile of beautiful snail shells, a specialty of Mirror Moon Lake.
Hua Chunning herself had also had a rather difficult time in her cultivation journey, and she knew best that the hardships and difficulties on Hu Yueqiu's path of cultivation were truly unbearable for ordinary people. While she was happy for Hu Yueqiu, she also felt a little sorry for her.
Liu Zhijian was not so sentimental. Although he smiled happily, he was actually just happy that someone was sharing the chores with him.
As for Duanmu Ren, he felt rather wistful and emotional.
It seems that Xiao Hu was truly destined to be a civil servant.
Previously, the sect leader had set up a special quota system, only accepting one person per quota. Only Xiao Hu applied, and in the end, none of them passed the exam.
Duanmu Ren assumed that Xiao Hu had left the big city to return to her hometown, a small county, to get married and have children.
I never imagined I could defy fate and pass the exam again.
Li Chengxuan produced the sect's register of names and changed Hu Yueqiu from Registered Disciple to a True Disciple of the Supreme Mystery and the sect leader's disciple, placing her below Duanmu Ren in rank.
Hu Yueqiu's eyes welled up with tears. Suppressing her complex emotions, she respectfully performed a grand prostration to the patriarch and the sect leader.
"Not bad." Li Chengxuan then remembered that his [Miscellaneous Records of Supreme Mystery's Secret History] had not been updated yet, so he dismissed everyone and left Hu Yueqiu behind, saying, "Tell me about your experience of entering the Dao."