Chapter 26

Spiritual Power poured endlessly out of his Dantian. After being catalyzed by the tribulation lightning into liquid Spiritual Power, it flowed back into his Dantian.

The liquid Spiritual Power in his Dantian grew thicker and darker.

Shan Heyuan knew what he had to do next. He had to circulate his Cultivation Method and catalyze the liquid Spiritual Power, making it form a tiny foundation platform—that was the essence of Foundation Establishment.

The tribulation lightning that had rumbled without ceasing for ten thousand years in Spring Thunder Valley boomed.

Shan Heyuan sat at the bottom of the valley, his expression growing calmer and his mind clearer.

Over and over, he circulated his Cultivation Method, setting the liquid Spiritual Power in motion.

Again and again, from dawn to dusk, and from dusk to dawn.

The tribulation lightning overhead gradually struck less often, until it finally stopped altogether.

The heavy thunderclouds above Spring Thunder Valley slowly dispersed, revealing the valley below.

Shan Heyuan sat cross-legged in the middle of Spring Thunder Valley, covered in blackened char, looking like a monkey after being struck by lightning.

Even so, his expression was utterly serene, so serene that it held a trace of divinity.

The final bolt of heavenly lightning faded, and the tribulation clouds completely dispersed. Shan Heyuan opened his eyes.

He felt more refreshed than ever before, his body brimming with strength. If a piece of steel were placed in front of him, he could leave a dent in it with a single squeeze.

The sky cleared overhead, and sunlight poured down, shining on the valley ravaged by lightning and on him.

The valley had been struck by lightning for so many years that bare rock and earth lay exposed everywhere. The ground was pitted and golden yellow, quite dazzling to behold.

Shan Heyuan stood up, and the char on his body rustled as it fell away.

He soon realized he was running around naked and hurriedly reached for a set of clothes from his storage ring.

But when he felt for it, his hand met nothing. There was nothing there.

Only then did he remember that before undergoing Tribulation Transcendence, he had already given his storage ring to Shen Duheng for safekeeping.

Where was his Brother Shen?

Shan Heyuan instinctively looked around. When he raised his head, he saw Shen Duheng standing not far away, watching him with a smile.

When Shen Duheng saw him look over, he raised a hand and tossed something to him. "Congratulations."

Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Shan Heyuan caught it. He opened his palm and saw that it was his storage ring.

He couldn't help smiling too.

Shan Heyuan quickly pulled out a set of clothes and put them on. "Brother Shen, I succeeded in Foundation Establishment!"

Shen Duheng said, "As expected."

Shan Heyuan said, "Even if it was expected, it's still a joyous occasion. Shall we go eat to celebrate later? My treat!"

Shen Duheng asked, "How do you feel now?"

Shan Heyuan flashed Shen Duheng his white teeth. "My Spiritual Power has more than tripled!"

Shen Duheng nodded. "The quality of your Foundation Establishment is indeed high."

Shan Heyuan quickly finished dressing and reached around, looking for the broken sword.

During Foundation Establishment, his Dantian had undergone violent changes, so he had taken the broken sword out.

Afterward, in all the commotion, he had no idea where he had put it.

Shan Heyuan asked, "Brother Shen, did you see where the broken sword went?"

Shen Duheng said, "Isn't it right at your feet?"

Shan Heyuan looked down and saw a patch of reddish brown standing out against the golden earth.

He bent down and picked up the broken sword. Just as he was about to casually infuse it with Spiritual Power and slash at Spring Thunder Valley to test the results of his Foundation Establishment, he noticed a touch of tender green along its edge.

That tender green stood out all too clearly amid the warm colors filling his vision.

Startled, he looked closely and realized that the tender green was actually a bud the size of a grain of rice.

The broken sword had sprouted?!

The broken sword had been struck by lightning and sprouted!!!

An old tree sprouting was understandable, but how could a broken sword sprout?

For a moment, Shan Heyuan couldn't say exactly how he felt. He cried out, "Brother Shen, come take a look!!!"

Startled by his shout, Shen Duheng flashed over. "What?"

Shan Heyuan held the broken sword up high. "The broken sword sprouted! Quick, see if my eyes are playing tricks on me!"

Shan Heyuan had worked in cultivation for a long time and had heard of withered trees being awakened by spring thunder, but this was the first time he had heard of a spirit sword sprouting after being struck by tribulation lightning.

It was a sword!!!

A sword that had been forged countless times, engraved with countless formations, and used against enemies!

Even if it was made of wood, wasn't it a bit much for it to sprout so suddenly?

Most importantly, wasn't Shen Duheng the sword spirit of this sword? Now that the broken sword had sprouted and broken down, wouldn't something happen to the sword spirit?

Though he was unwilling to dwell on it, at this moment he still had deep doubts about Shen Duheng's identity.

In any case, his Brother Shen at least wasn't a sword spirit?

Holding up the broken sword, Shan Heyuan wore a complicated expression. "Are you all right?"

Shen Duheng knew what he was thinking and said calmly, "I was gravely injured back then and hid in the broken sword to take refuge and recuperate. I'm not a sword spirit in the strict sense, so its sprouting doesn't affect me much."

Before Shan Heyuan could speak, Shen Duheng added, "While I was hiding inside it, I could feel that the broken sword was full of life. Its sprouting is indeed unexpected, but it might also be your fortuitous opportunity."

Shan Heyuan held the broken sword and looked again at the tiny bud on it. He murmured to himself, "Huh? Should I try planting it?"

Shen Duheng said, "Go ahead. This broken sword is yours."

Because of the momentous event of the broken sword sprouting, Shan Heyuan had completely put the joy of his successful Foundation Establishment out of his mind.

His cultivation had gone too smoothly all along. He had encountered no bottleneck at all in Foundation Establishment, and his success had seemed only natural, not particularly worth paying attention to.

Now, all he cared about was why the broken sword had sprouted and how he should plant it.

It was a spirit sword!

After returning home, Shan Heyuan placed two jade vats in the spot in the courtyard with the most Spiritual Qi.

He put the Illusionless Tree branch in one vat and the broken sword in the other.

He sat cross-legged in front of the jade vats and used Gentle Breeze to cleanse the Spiritual Power inside the Illusionless Tree branch and the broken sword over and over.

The former was to dispel the Illusionless Tree's presence, and the latter was to sustain the life of the broken sword's bud.

No, he couldn't call it the broken sword. He had to call it the Lightning-Struck Wood Sprout.

Shan Heyuan carefully held the Lightning-Struck Wood Sprout and examined it again and again.

He had consulted a great deal of information, but he couldn't tell at all what kind of Spirit Plant the wood bud was, much less find a way to grow it.

It had only one tiny bud, with no roots or shoots.

The bud was so small and delicate that it looked as if it would fall off at an accidental touch.

Shan Heyuan didn't know how to grow it, but just as Shen Duheng had said, this was his fortuitous opportunity. If he failed to care for it properly and killed the bud-

He would die of heartbreak.

Despite Shan Heyuan's nervousness and caution, he didn't manage to plant the Lightning-Struck Wood Sprout.

The main problem was that the lightning-struck wood had no roots or stem, just one tiny bud. He didn't even know which part to bury in the soil.

To plant it, shouldn't he at least first figure out what Spirit Plant it was, and then look for reference materials?

Shen Duheng passed through the courtyard twice and saw that he hadn't even changed his posture. He reminded him, "This bud is one of the heavenly materials and earthly treasures. It's not that fragile. You can try a few more things."

Shan Heyuan said, "I'm afraid I might accidentally kill it."

Shen Duheng said, "If you really do kill it, that just means you weren't fated to have it. Why don't you try taking it into your Dantian as you did before?"

Shan Heyuan looked up at Shen Duheng. "I already did. It didn't react at all in my Dantian. It neither grew nor released Spiritual Qi, just as when it was still a broken sword."

It was the same even after he took it out. Unless he looked at it with his own eyes, he couldn't even tell there was a bud on it.

Shen Duheng thought for a moment. "Perhaps the time and opportunity haven't come yet. Keep it for now."

Shan Heyuan said, "That's all I can do."

Chapter 26

In the dim morning light, Shan Heyuan opened his eyes. Before he could throw back the covers, he paused in surprise.

The morning breeze blowing in through the window carried a distinctly warm, damp air.

Feeling the wind, Shan Heyuan immediately realized that this spell of late-spring cold had ended. The biting wind had turned into a warm spring breeze overnight, and it was time to sow new seeds.