Foundation Establishment!
At the very moment Jin Somyeong began his attempt at Foundation Establishment, more than a dozen Qi Refining cultivators gathered in the crowded eastern district of Cheongdan City, murmuring uneasily among themselves.
“Doesn’t the flow of spiritual energy feel strange today?”
“It does. That’s exactly why I came out in the middle of cultivation.”
“I think it’s coming from somewhere in the eastern district…”
They roamed about like men searching for a culprit, until all their gazes converged on one place.
“A second-rank low-grade cave abode? Don’t tell me a Foundation Establishment senior is staying there?”
“No. That cave abode belongs to an independent cultivator named Yeo Dongbin.”
“That sword cultivator who arrived a few years ago?”
“Ah, yes. I know who you mean.”
Among the natives of Cheongdan City, Yeo Dongbin was fairly well known. After all, he was an independent cultivator and a sword cultivator besides, yet with only eighth-layer Qi Refining cultivation, he had rented a second-rank low-grade cave abode.
“He’s always been the sort of fellow Daoist who quietly keeps to his cultivation. This is unusual.”
Their faces were full of puzzlement. It was extremely rare for a second-rank spirit vein to become unstable. For something like this to happen, an enormous amount of spiritual energy had to be consumed, and that was not something a Qi Refining cultivator could easily accomplish.
“Surely he isn’t challenging the three trials of Foundation Establishment?”
“Foundation Establishment!”
Everyone’s eyes flew wide. If there was one goal that Qi Refining cultivators dreamed of even in their sleep, it was precisely that: Foundation Establishment.
“How old was Fellow Daoist Yeo again?”
“Hard to say. He looks to be in his thirties, but he’s probably using some disguise artifact.”
“Hmm. As someone sensitive to vitality, I can say Fellow Daoist Yeo is young. Forty, early forties at most.”
“That’s young! Foundation Establishment in his forties!”
“Ha. I’m truly envious. If I could cultivate in a second-rank cave abode, Foundation Establishment wouldn’t be just a dream for me either.”
“…Tch.”
The reactions of the Qi Refining cultivators varied. Most were simply envious or admiring, but a few clenched their teeth. Some even twisted their faces, unable to hide the jealousy boiling up inside them.
As gazes filled with all manner of emotions poured toward the cave abode, a cold voice cut through the commotion.
“What is this disturbance?”
“S-Senior! We greet Senior!”
A Foundation Establishment steward of Cheongdan City appeared, frowning. His expression was anything but pleasant. Naturally so—this was a densely packed cave-abode district where quiet was supposed to be maintained.
The steward was about to rebuke them, but then paused. He looked toward the cave abode where Jin Somyeong was cultivating, clicked his tongue as if he understood what was happening, and spoke in a stern voice.
“The City Lord of Cheongdan City has strictly forbidden any interference with another’s Foundation Establishment. All of you, leave at once!”
“Y-yes! We apologize!”
The Qi Refining cultivators scattered in a rush. The Cheongdan City steward remained until the last of them had gone, then turned his gaze back with a sidelong glance.
Looking at the second-rank cave abode where spiritual energy surged and trembled, he murmured, “This cave abode… could it be that young man? It would already be astonishing if he had reached the ninth layer so soon, and now he’s attempting Foundation Establishment?”
The steward stroked his wrinkled face and let out a dry chuckle.
“The next time I see him, I may truly have to call him Fellow Daoist…”
Meanwhile, Jin Somyeong swallowed a groan as he challenged Foundation Establishment.
Boom!
The spiritual energy that had broken past its critical point could no longer withstand the pressure and exploded. At the same time, an unidentified suction force formed within his dantian and began devouring the energy.
Whoooosh!
A vast whirlpool expanded with him at its center. All the spiritual energy compressed toward a single point, and the suction force grew stronger without end. It absorbed so much energy that even the second-rank spirit vein, which had felt as boundless as an ocean, began to run dry.
How much time had passed while he remained in that trance?
Just as a drop of cold sweat slid down the nape of his neck, the change within his dantian reached its peak. Spiritual energy, compressed beyond its limit, underwent a qualitative transformation.
Drip.
In his inner vision, a single drop of water fell.
A thrilling current shot up along his spine. His entire body trembled with an indescribable ecstasy.
“Aah!”
A single drop of spiritual power, born from spiritual energy that had been as light as vapor, condensed and condensed again. That tiny drop was more powerful than all of Jin Somyeong’s energy combined.
The instant spiritual power—the proof of Foundation Establishment—settled in his dantian, the dantian collapsed.
Boom!
The dantian he had cultivated during Qi Refining could not endure spiritual power that had reached the second rank.
“Kgh.”
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but this was not a bad thing.
No destruction, no establishment.
Without breaking the old, one could not receive the new. If his dantian was to surpass its limits, it had to be shattered and rebuilt.
Wuuung!
The moment his dantian broke apart, the spiritual power freed from restraint began to run wild. The three trials of Foundation Establishment had truly begun.
A dizzying sensation swept through his head, and he nearly lost consciousness.
If my soul had been lacking, I would have fainted by now.
That was how intense the pain was. The spiritual power flowing through his meridians scattered a violent force in every direction.
In that moment, he understood from the depths of his heart why those who failed while challenging the three trials of Foundation Establishment became cripples.
Second-rank spiritual power was dozens—no, a hundred times stronger than ordinary spiritual energy. No one could remain unscathed when such a force rampaged through the entire body.
Yet it was also a necessary process. If one could endure it, the rewards were immense. As spiritual power spread through the meridians to the tips of the limbs, it evolved the flesh itself. Even Jin Somyeong, who already possessed the body of a Foundation Establishment-level body refiner, benefited from it; for other cultivators, the effect would have been beyond question.
“Mmm…”
How long had he endured the unending agony?
Alongside a sense of liberation, as though he had shed a layer of skin, the spiritual power that had climbed his spine reached his brain.
His vision flashed white.
An indescribably strange sensation extended through the space between his brows and into his soul. It was a grotesque experience—cool as drinking ice-cold water, yet burning hot enough to feel as though he might be scorched to death.
His senses twisted until he could no longer distinguish pain from pleasure. Just as he sat with his mouth opening and closing, unable even to scream—
Crack!
He heard something break, and his Divine Sense stretched outward in every direction. The range of his perception, originally only about five meters, expanded more than tenfold. An ordinary cultivator at early Foundation Establishment awakened a Divine Sense of roughly ten zhang—about thirty meters—but his far exceeded that.
He had no time to rejoice at the sudden change. Instinctively, he realized what he had to do next.
Using his strengthened mental power, he seized the spiritual power rampaging through his body. Like taming a violent wild horse, he forced it under control.
Wuuung!
He gathered every strand of spiritual power and settled it within his dantian. Starting from the small spring that had appeared in his inner vision, he firmly laid the foundation of the dantian anew.
It seemed as though he should rebuild the collapsed walls, but there was no need. Now that its limits had vanished, this was in fact the most ideal form.
“Hoo.”
Once he passed the dangerous moment, the process grew gradually easier. He steadily filled that place, known as the sea of qi—the qi sea dantian—with spiritual power.
By the time the seemingly inexhaustible second-rank spirit vein was on the verge of depletion, he had filled it with ten drops in total.
At some point, the cave abode that had been shaking in the violent whirlpool became silent.
“…Hahahaha!”
Jin Somyeong’s eyes snapped open, and a refreshing laugh burst from him.
Foundation Establishment.
To have achieved the goal he had pursued even at the risk of his life—it could not have felt better.
“Hoo.”
He was so delighted he wanted to run through the streets shouting, but he forcibly calmed the emotions surging inside him. He had heard that after breaking through to a new realm, it was best to keep one’s heart as tranquil as possible.
After consuming a large amount of Boundless Great Ability to stabilize his spiritual power, he focused his mind.
He tried to calm down, but it was useless. Just looking at the status window made laughter spill from him.
Foundation Establishment.
It was only two words, and yet how much happiness they brought… No one who had not experienced it themselves could ever understand.
My lifespan is over two hundred years!
His original maximum lifespan of seventy-three years had increased by a full hundred and forty. The fifty-one years he had spent to obtain the Mental Secret Realm no longer felt painfully costly.
And this isn’t the end.
He took a red pill from his subspace. This pill, thick with vitality, was called a first-rank Longevity Pill. If he ate it, his lifespan would increase by another thirteen years.
Jin Somyeong smacked his lips and stared at the pill, then shook his head.
I’ll eat it later.
He intended to use it someday at a crucial moment as fuel for a powerful wish in place of his lifespan. In any case, if he kept it in his subspace, there was no chance of losing it.
Click.
After storing the Longevity Pill in a jade box so its medicinal efficacy would not dissipate, he examined the status window again.
His Boundless Great Ability had reached a staggering one thousand.
“Incredible.”
Memories of the past suddenly surfaced—the moment he first awakened Boundless Great Ability after entering Qi Refining. Back then, there had been only ten golden beads. Compared to that, this was a hundredfold increase.
It was an absurd rise, but when he thought it over carefully, it made sense.
That must be how powerful a great Foundation Establishment cultivator is.
If a hundred first-layer Qi Refining cultivators gathered together, could they kill a single Foundation Establishment cultivator?
Of course not.
Even without using spells, the Foundation Establishment cultivator could simply lash spiritual power like a whip and sweep them all away.
Suddenly, he became curious just how powerful spiritual power truly was.
Since I’m thinking about it, should I test it?
With a soft rustle, he took off the Blue Bamboo Dharma Robe he usually wore and fixed it in midair. He gazed at the first-rank peak defensive artifact, extended a finger, condensed spiritual power into the shape of a spear, and lightly shot it forward.
Thud.
A faint impact was all that sounded. A coin-sized hole appeared in the sleeve of the Blue Bamboo Dharma Robe. Even though it was a first-rank peak artifact and had produced a protective energy membrane, it could not block a mere lump of condensed spiritual power.
“The difference is far worse than I expected.”
Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining.
There was only one step between them, yet a thick wall that could never be crossed stood in the middle.
How powerful would it be to wield second-rank artifacts and spells with spiritual power like this?
Suddenly, he recalled the old Foundation Establishment monster he had killed in the Red Cloud Secret Realm. How bitter that man must have felt, dying to a mere Qi Refining cultivator…
Tsk, tsk.
He now understood at once why other Foundation Establishment cultivators absolutely refused to enter the Red Cloud Secret Realm. With this kind of power, if one were to be killed by a Qi Refining cultivator, the resentment would be maddening.
In any case, there was no meaning in dwelling on what was already past.
Jin Somyeong put the Blue Bamboo Dharma Robe back on as the hole slowly began to regenerate, then concentrated. Now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment and his Divine Sense had strengthened, there was something he had to try.
How long had he kept his eyes closed in focus?
His Divine Sense, ten times stronger than before, converged inward. He used every sense at his disposal to comb through his entire body. He could feel something faint, but it was still just beyond reach.
The instant he consumed additional Boundless Great Ability—
Found it!
He sensed a power more repulsive than the sludge in a sewer ditch, a filthy aura like refuse.
The resentment the demonic cultivators had attached to him as they died.
With something this foul clinging to his soul, it was almost strange that he had not noticed it before.
Shrring!
The Boundless Divine Sword sprang from its sheath in a single motion, and sharp Sword Qi surged from the blade. Jin Somyeong controlled the keen edge that seeped into his brow and cut away the repulsive aura in one stroke.
It felt exhilarating, as though a blockage inside him had been cleared clean through.
Naturally so. He had resolved the demonic bastards’ trickery, which had been bothering him in the back of his mind.
Jin Somyeong dusted off his clothes as if something filthy had splashed onto them, then paused. Seeing the hole in his sleeve, regret rose within him. The defensive power of this artifact was now far too weak.
Now that I’ve reached Foundation Establishment, I should replace all my artifacts with second-rank ones.
The Faceless Mask in particular. That disguise artifact was extremely useful, but it seemed it was time to let it go. Since it was only first-rank peak, there were times when it failed to deceive great Foundation Establishment cultivators.
I have too much to do.
As he scanned the status window, Jin Somyeong focused on the cultivation arts section.
He was beginning to want to change his primary cultivation art as well. The Five Elements Qi Refining Art improved by the system was excellent, but in the end, it was still a basic cultivation art meant for Qi Refining.
It would take nearly nine thousand points of Boundless Great Ability to push it to the next realm, and that felt somewhat wasteful. If he invested that enormous amount of Boundless Great Ability into a proper cultivation art, he felt he could become far stronger.
A cultivation art, huh…
If possible, he wanted to choose one that was powerful and useful when wielding a sword. As he wondered where he might acquire a primary cultivation art, he suddenly stopped.
First, I should go outside.
Now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment, the quality of information he could obtain would be different. Rather than agonizing alone, it would be better to investigate outside.
Rumble!
The moment he opened the formation he had firmly sealed for his Foundation Establishment attempt, dozens—no, hundreds—of transmission talismans poured in.
“What is this?”
He barely knew anyone in Cheongdan City, so what was going on?
Frowning, Jin Somyeong caught one of the transmission talismans and checked its contents.
Congratulations from the bottom of my heart on achieving Foundation Establishment. I am Muk Hyeongsan, head of the Muk Clan. If Senior finds it acceptable, our clan would be honored to invite you as our protector. Should you contact us at any time…
— Muk Hyeongsan, Head of the Muk Clan
Fellow Daoist Yeo Dongbin, congratulations on achieving Foundation Establishment. If you have not yet joined any organization, consider our Blue Dao Alliance. Cultivating together with companions is far better than cultivating alone…
— Blue Dao Alliance
There was no end to them.
After skimming through them, he found that they were all roughly the same: they congratulated him on reaching Foundation Establishment and invited him into their forces.
Some Qi Refining clans even tried to entrust to him their precious daughters, raised like treasures—or rather, to place their entire clans under him and cling to his protection.
Jin Somyeong checked them one by one in case any useful letter was mixed in, then sighed.
What would I even do with a Qi Refining clan?
They were more likely to become baggage than help. If he took something like that onto his shoulders, he would no longer be able to move as freely as he did now.
Just as his interest was fading, Jin Somyeong paused.
Fellow Daoist Yeo, I never imagined that you, who were at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, would achieve Foundation Establishment so quickly. Truly, congratulations. Contact me once your seclusion is over. If it is agreeable to you, I will visit with a gift.
— Steward Go
It was a transmission talisman from Steward Go, whom he had met when renting the second-rank cave abode.
Even a steward of Cheongdan City contacted me.
Indeed, now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, his treatment was different.
After a moment of thought, Jin Somyeong took out a transmission talisman and sent a reply. He was curious why the steward of a Golden Core-level force had contacted him.