Shi Jian Emerges from Seclusion, Foundation Establishment Late Stage!

"It's okay, it's really okay."

"Chieftain, I know you're in a hurry, but please don't rush."

"The ancestor is alright, please come and check on him first."

Sun Mao wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. Seeing the clan leader's anxious appearance made him a little flustered...

The cave abode behind the mountain.

The array's light barrier had been maintained for nearly seven years without a single interruption. The amount of Spirit Stone consumed was astronomical, but Sun Bo'an hadn't been willing to let it go for even a day...

At that moment, the light screen shattered.

Instead of slowly dissipating, it exploded from the middle, like a piece of ice being smashed by a heavy hammer, with cracks spreading in all directions before dissipating into Heavenly Light!

Immediately afterwards, a powerful Yao Qi surged out from the cave abode.

This eerie Yao Qi is completely different from what it was seven years ago.

Seven years ago it was robust, a furnace. Now it's an abyss, Shan Yue!

The grass and trees on the back mountain were flattened and bent over, the tribesmen who were irrigating the spirit fields fell to the ground, and several playful bear cubs lay down, emitting instinctive whimpers of submission.

The stone door was pushed open from the inside.

A black bear came out.

It was a size bigger than it had been seven years ago, with more defined muscles in its limbs and jet-black fur that gleamed with a faint sheen in the sunlight.

His eyes, like copper bells, were half-open and half-closed, with a shimmering light flowing deep within them.

Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

Shi Jian stretched his neck, his joints cracking. He exhaled a long, foul breath, which landed on the ground, instantly causing the grass and trees to wither and the soil to be scorched into a shallow pit.

Seven years...

He shook his head; this was the first time he had ever secluded himself for such a long time.

Blood Bodhi is indeed a good thing. He refined that violent medicinal power little by little, and forcefully pushed his Qi and Blood and qi to an unprecedented height!

Ultimately, by leveraging existing momentum, they broke through the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Foundation Establishment Late Stage Demon Beast, which is equivalent to Level 4 Demon Beast, would be among the strongest below the Golden Core stage in White Cloud Commandery!

Aside from Golden Core True Person, who can do anything to me?

"Beautiful, so beautiful."

In his heart, Shi Jian gave himself a thumbs up. His decision back then was indeed correct, considering the Blood Bodhi, the Blood-Coagulating Lotus, and countless other resources, Spirit Vein, and Spirit Stone...

These are things that no wild Demon Beast could obtain.

All told, he has been in the Human Race realm for about thirty years, and has broken through all the way from the Foundation Establishment Early Stage to the late stage.

In the same amount of time, one could only break through to the mid-stage at most in the Great Maple Mountain Range, which shows the difference between the two and the difference in opportunities.

Indeed, when it comes to resources, the Human Race world is far richer!

But outwardly, Shi Jian didn't even raise his eyelids.

A true master must be able to remain calm and collected.

He slowly walked out of the cave abode, stood on the edge of the cliff, and looked down at the entire Hongtian City.

The sight before him stunned him for a moment.

Seven years ago, Hongtian City was just as vast and prosperous, but now it has a completely different look. It used to be just an ordinary county town, but now it really has the air of a Blessed Land!

The inner and outer cities, the surrounding moat, the southern market town, the densely packed houses and the constant flow of people, and many cultivators...

"Not bad, it seems these past few years haven't been a waste of time."

Shi Jian nodded in satisfaction, then spread his Divine Sense, enveloping the entire city and taking it all in!

His Divine Sense was already powerful, and he could continuously use the Enlightenment System to strengthen his soul every year. Therefore, the strength of his Divine Sense far exceeded the scope of Foundation Establishment.

The fluctuations in the aura of every cultivator in the city, and the operational status of every Spirit Vein, were as clear as the lines on a palm.

As his Divine Sense swept across the back mountain, he detected several familiar auras.

They are bear cubs.

There was another aura that surprised him quite a bit...

Shi Mo, the most taciturn of the three bear cubs he had Enlightenment, possessed an aura more than twice as strong as it had seven years ago.

Moreover, there was a hint of Dark Gold sharpness mixed in with that aura!

"Interesting."

Shi Jian withdrew his Divine Sense and did not rush to look.

He lay down on the rock at the cave entrance, adopting an unfathomable posture, and waited.

It won't take long.

Footsteps came from the mountain path, hurried and orderly.

Sun Bo'an was the first to arrive.

The Sun Clan patriarch didn't dare fly on his sword, but instead respectfully jogged over, sweat beading on his forehead...

But the joy on his face was impossible to hide.

He stopped three zhang in front of the cave abode, bowed deeply, and said loudly:

Congratulations, Ancestor, on breaking through the barrier!

Behind him, key members of the clan, including Sun Mao, Sun Kezheng, and Sun Changping, arrived one by one, bowing respectfully to welcome him.

"Congratulations on your emergence from seclusion, Ancestor!"

The sound echoed in the back hills.

Shi Jian lay prone on the edge of the cliff, slightly raising his eyelids, his tone indifferent:

"Everyone's here?"

"Yes, get up."

Just these few words, a simple and understated description.

But everyone felt that the ancestor's voice was more steady and resonant than it had been seven years ago, and that imposing aura, even without anger, was so powerful that it was hard to breathe!

Savage Wilderness and ancient, yet possessing a solid, Shan Yue strength, this pressure did not instill fear in them; instead, it brought the Sun Clan family an unprecedented sense of peace.

Sun Bo'an took a deep breath, his pupils contracted sharply, and he sensed that aura.

Definitely Foundation Establishment Late Stage!

He suppressed his overwhelming joy, his voice trembling:

"Ancestor, you..."

"A breakthrough has been achieved, but it's harmless."

Shi Jian spoke in a flat tone, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

Upon hearing this, Sun Bo'an was so excited that he turned to look at his clansmen behind him.

The faces of the younger generation were filled with awe and excitement. A powerful demon guarding the clan in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage meant that the foundation of the Sun Clan had been greatly strengthened!

"Alright, stop standing there."

Shi Jian yawned. "Bo'an, stay. The rest of you, go do what you need to do."

The group accepted the order and withdrew.

Once everyone had left, Shi Jian rolled over and settled into a more comfortable position.

"Tell me everything. What has happened in the past few years? Focus on the important things."

Sun Bo'an responded and then gave a concise report on the major events of the past seven years, without daring to conceal anything.

The Autumn Cry Merchant Alliance is operating smoothly, the structure of the nine counties is stable, Sun Mao is taking charge, and the third generation of the Immortal Seedlings, numbering thirteen, has already established their generational names...

Shi Jian listened, nodding occasionally and offering a word of praise now and then.

"There's one more thing."

Sun Bo'an's tone became more serious at the end. "When Sun Mao was touring the Merchant Alliance, he received two things: a piece of Dark Gold Ape bone and a Thunder Essence Fruit Tree."

"The bone fragment has already been given to Shi Mo, causing a mutation in his bloodline and a rapid increase in his strength. It shouldn't be difficult for him to break through to the Foundation Establishment."

"The Thunder Essence Fruit Tree have been planted and are thriving. This year, they bore fruit for the second time, producing seven fruits."

Shi Jian's ears twitched.

Dark Gold Ape Bone Fragment? Thunder Essence Fruit?

He showed no emotional fluctuation, only asking, "Where is Shi Mo now?"

"The Beast Valley in the Back Mountain."

"Let it come to me."

Sun Bo'an accepted the order and left.

A moment later, he turned back, followed by Sun Mao.

Sun Mao was holding a chain, but it wasn't a real chain. It was a traction thread formed from spiritual energy, with the other end connected to a black bear-like demon Demon Beast that was almost the size of an adult.

Shi Mo.

Shi Jian's gaze fell on Shi Mo, his pupils contracting slightly.

On Shi Mo's back was a patch of Dark Gold fur the size of a palm, which gleamed with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.

With its four strong claws and the edges of its nails gleaming like blades, it left shallow claw marks with every step it took on the stone path.

But what Shi Jian cared about most was Shi Mo's gaze.

Those vertical pupils held a wisdom and composure far exceeding that of ordinary Demon Beast.

This is the effect of the Enlightenment.

One of the three bear cubs he personally Enlightenment back then has now grown into this form, which fills him with great satisfaction.

Shi Mo walked up to Shi Jian and stopped.

Then it did one thing: it slowly lowered its head, bent its forelegs, and knelt down in front of Shi Jian in an almost kneeling posture.

A low whimper escaped his throat, not from fear, but from the deep-seated submission and closeness to his superior.

Shi Jian stretched out his bear paw and placed it on Shi Mo's head.

The hair under the palms is coarse and stiff, and the skull is solid.

"Not bad, there's a hint of golden spiritual energy, and the bloodline has undergone some mutation, but unfortunately, the mutation isn't complete..."

"Foundation Establishment in the future is not a problem, but if you want to advance further, I'm afraid you'll face numerous difficulties, just like I did."