Bo'an Reaches Foundation Establishment!

Inside his Dantian, the liquid true essence churned violently.

Stray thoughts swarmed through his mind, countless ideas tumbling over one another.

"I refuse to accept this!"

Sun Bo'an bit down hard on the tip of his tongue, the taste of blood filling his mouth.

Countless images flashed before his eyes.

There were the obsequious smiles his clansmen wore in the market for a few low-grade Spirit Stones; Ancestor Shi Jian's enormous, mountain-like body; the ever-increasing white hairs at Sun Kezheng's temples; and Sun Yao's slender shoulders when she entered White Cloud Temple.

The images rampaged through his mind, threatening to tear apart his last shred of clarity.

"Are these stray thoughts?"

Sun Bo'an roared in his heart.

"No."

"They are the roots of my Sun Clan! They are my very life!"

"The path I cultivate is no bullshit Great Dao. I cultivate for this mortal world, for every member of my family, young and old!"

"For my branch of the clan, I betrayed the Lineage; for my branch, I gave up everything. Why is it that everyone else can succeed?!"

"Why can't I? What says I can't?!"

"Even if the heavens themselves come down, I'm breaking through today!"

"To safeguard my clan's future for a hundred years!"

His obsession became a blade.

Instead of retreating, Sun Bo'an pressed forward. He stopped suppressing his stray thoughts and instead opened his mind, pouring every one of them into his true essence.

The burden of his Lineage became the heaviest of chains, forcibly binding the liquid true essence that was on the verge of dispersing.

A tearing agony tore through his meridians.

Blood streamed from Sun Bo'an's seven orifices, and his face twisted, but he did not utter another groan.

True essence spun madly inside his Dantian. Violent Spiritual Qi battered its shrunken walls again and again, trying to forcibly stabilize his foundation!

At the cost of exhausting his lifespan, he actually managed to forcibly stabilize that pool of true essence.

At last, a muffled boom rang out.

His Dantian fell completely still, becoming a small lake of true essence.

Above Hongtian City.

In the darkness, the surrounding Spiritual Qi suddenly ran wild, turning into a gale that converged on the back mountain.

All across the city, members of the Sun Clan turned to look, their eyes blazing.

"A Qi-gathering phenomenon! It's Foundation Establishment!"

"Bo'an succeeded!"

Sun Kezheng's hands trembled and his voice was hoarse. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and mingled with his wild joy was a sense of relief, as though a great burden had been lifted.

Guest elder Zhou Sun stood to one side, his hand on his saber hilt, his eyes full of shock.

The Sun Clan now had two Foundation Establishment masters, and on top of that, Sun Yao had entered a True Lord's tutelage. They were poised to soar into the heavens!

The phenomenon was not large, and it lasted only a very short time.

In less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the gathered vortex of Spiritual Qi broke apart, dissolving into specks of spiritual light that vanished into the night sky.

There was no thunder, no rosy glow.

The commotion was much smaller than that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment breakthrough, but it did not matter. As long as he had succeeded, he was still a great Foundation Establishment cultivator!

The wild joy on Sun Kezheng's face froze, and a flicker of worry crossed his eyes.

Outside the cave abode on the back mountain, Shi Jian lay on a slab of blue stone. He opened his vertical pupils and glanced at the night sky.

"Forcing his way into Foundation Establishment damaged his foundation."

"Still, at least he survived."

Shi Jian yawned and closed his eyes again. He had seen far too many Demon Beasts and humans perish and have their paths come to an end in pursuit of Foundation Establishment.

Sun Bo'an had managed to tough it out. The old fellow's bones were harder than he had expected.

The stone door slowly opened, and morning light entered the cave abode.

Sun Bo'an staggered out, looking rather bedraggled.

His Daoist robe was soaked with cold sweat and tainted blood. He had grown so thin that his features were distorted, and rather than looking younger after reaching Foundation Establishment, his face appeared even older...

But the presence he gave off had indeed crossed that heavenly chasm.

Foundation Establishment Realm!

Sun Bo'an walked up to Shi Jian, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt heavily.

"Ancestor, Bo'an succeeded!"

Shi Jian did not get up. He merely swept his Demon Power over him and said mildly, "Your true essence is only half that of a normal Foundation Establishment cultivator, your meridians have hidden injuries in several places, and your Dantian is showing signs of shrinking..."

"Your cultivation will stop at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage for the rest of your life. Don't even think about advancing another half inch."

"Also, forcibly stabilizing your foundation exhausted your lifespan. I'm afraid you won't reach four sixty-year cycles. Three at most."

"Around the age of one hundred and eighty will be the end of your lifespan."

Shi Jian's words were blunt, with nothing concealed...

He could be called the weakest Foundation Establishment cultivator in the cultivation world.

After listening, Sun Bo'an felt no disappointment. Instead, he grinned, an unprecedented ease showing through the blood and grime on his face.

"Ancestor, it's enough."

"This junior has poor aptitude. To live another two sixty-year cycles and shelter the Lineage from wind and rain for another hundred and twenty years is already a stroke of heaven-sent fortune."

"As for whether my cultivation advances at all, I don't care."

"With this Foundation Establishment cultivation, I can also give the younger generation better support. Hongtian City will be all the more secure in the future..."

"Besides, even the weakest Foundation Establishment cultivator is still in Foundation Establishment, and even the strongest Qi Refining cultivator is only in Qi Refining. They are different in the end."

Shi Jian snorted. "Look at you."

"Still, since you've succeeded, straighten your back. Weak as you are, you have me behind you. Don't disgrace me when you go out."

"Go wash yourself. Your clansmen have been waiting for you all night."

Sun Bo'an bowed again, then rose and left.

Outside the formation on the back mountain.

Sun Kezheng, Sun Changping, and more than a dozen core members of the Sun Clan were waiting there.

The moment they saw Sun Bo'an emerge, everyone dropped to their knees as one.

"Congratulations, Patriarch, on reaching Foundation Establishment!"

Their voices echoed in the morning breeze, full of unrestrained joy and choked sobs.

Sun Bo'an hurried forward and helped Sun Kezheng to his feet with both hands, then looked at the gathered clansmen.

"All of you, get up."

He patted Sun Kezheng on the shoulder. "Kezheng, thank you for all your hard work these past six months."

Sun Kezheng shook his head, his eyes red. "Now that you've succeeded, Patriarch, our Sun Clan has roots! We have someone to hold us together!"

"All right, it's only Foundation Establishment. Why act like such a little woman?" Sun Bo'an spoke steadily, gradually taking on some of the bearing of a Foundation Establishment cultivator:

"Though I've reached Foundation Establishment, my foundation is unstable. I still need a month of seclusion to stabilize my realm."

"Kezheng, pass on my order."

"One month from now, the Sun Clan will hold a Foundation Establishment ceremony in Hongtian City."

"Send invitations far and wide!"

"White Cloud Temple, the major clans of all nine counties, the major shops in the markets, and all the prominent Rogue Cultivators-invite them all!"

Sun Kezheng was taken aback. "Patriarch, if we make such a grand show of it, won't a tall tree catch the wind?"

"It doesn't matter. Just do as I say."

"We've stayed hidden for so many years. Now White Cloud Temple has regained control of the overall situation, and we've just rendered a service. It's time to show our muscles."

As he spoke, Sun Bo'an looked into the unknown distance and said:

"This ceremony isn't just for White Cloud Commandery to see. It's also for those villains hiding in the shadows."

"Tell them that, from today onward, the Sun Clan of Hongtian City has two Foundation Establishment cultivators and has formally joined the ranks of the foremost great clans in White Cloud Commandery!"

"Anyone who wants to reach out a claw had better first weigh how hard their bones are!"

Sun Kezheng's expression turned solemn. He cupped his fists and accepted the order. "I'll see to it at once!"

Over the next month.

Hongtian City was in a complete uproar.

News of Sun Bo'an's successful Foundation Establishment spread through the nine counties of White Cloud Commandery as if it had grown wings, and the various factions reacted differently.

Friendly minor clans immediately prepared generous gifts and came early to offer their congratulations.

Some Rogue Cultivators who had once had friction with the Sun Clan moved away from the area around Hongtian City overnight, and some even fled White Cloud Commandery altogether...

At White Cloud Temple, True Person Yunxiao went so far as to send someone with a level-three demon core as a congratulatory gift, giving the Sun Clan ample face.

Sun Yao was also given permission to descend the mountain and return to visit her clan.

Her eyes reddened when she saw Sun Bo'an.

"Grandpa, you've gotten thinner."

Sun Bo'an stroked her head and smiled. "A little thinner is good. I look more spirited. How are things at the temple? No one's been bullying you, have they?"

Sun Yao shook her head. "Master treats me extremely well, and my senior brothers and sisters take good care of me too. It's just... I heard you forced your way into Foundation Establishment and damaged your foundation."

Hearing this, Sun Bo'an smiled and waved a hand casually. "It was already a great blessing to succeed in Foundation Establishment. I ask for nothing else. It's enough."

"Xiao Yao'er, just focus on cultivating. The Sun Clan's future rests entirely with your generation."

The month passed in the blink of an eye.

Hongtian City was decked with lanterns and decorations, bustling with excitement.

Outside the city gates, cultivators arrived in an endless stream. Zhou Sun and the guest elders were in charge of receiving them, their backs ramrod straight...

In Hongtian City's central square, tables were set for a feast with a constant flow of dishes.

The Rogue Cultivators took their seats, chattering among themselves.

"This time, the Sun Clan has truly found its footing. Two Foundation Establishment cultivators in one clan, and a talented junior who's entered True Lord Yun Du's tutelage..."

"Tsk, tsk, it truly makes us green with envy!"

"What do you mean, two Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

"Have you forgotten Ancestor Shi behind the Sun Clan? He's someone who can slap even a great Foundation Establishment cultivator to death!"

"He's terrifying to such an extent!"