Chapter 86: Foundation Establishment Achieved

A Foundation Establishment Pill with a thirty-five percent success rate—succeeded!

In the cultivation chamber, Li Guanzhen let out a long sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face. With this pill in hand, his own Foundation Establishment was nearly guaranteed.

To avoid any unexpected complications, he left the chamber to engage in dual cultivation with his three wives, storing up immortal energy as a precaution.

After nearly a month of exploring three different abodes, the Silky Blossom Spirit Tree within Li Guanzhen shone brilliantly, dazzling in its radiance.

Once all preparations were complete, he sat cross-legged in the chamber, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his spiritual energy.

The trial of divine sense had long since been passed, thanks to his previous dual cultivation with Qin Jiyue—so for him, that test was no obstacle.

Next came the trial of the physical body and blood vitality.

As a practitioner of the Survivalist Path, Li Guanzhen’s body was in perfect condition, free of hidden injuries or lingering ailments; even his blood vitality surged with vigor. Furthermore, the Azure Profundity Art continued to strengthen his physique. All he needed was to gently guide the spiritual energy, letting it cleanse his body.

At this moment, Li Guanzhen was like a rock battered by relentless waves on the shoreline. This surge was even more ferocious than what he had endured in the three abodes.

Fortunately, he was already accustomed to the onslaught on his body, easily weathering this trial as well.

With two tests passed, only the final hurdle remained—the trial of cultivation power!

Over the years, Li Guanzhen had mastered four techniques: Azure Profundity Art, Soaring Dragon and Phoenix, Explosive Flame Formula, and the Yin-Yang Foundation Lifeforce Art—all perfected.

To successfully enter the Foundation Establishment stage, he had to condense his gaseous spiritual power into liquid form.

Beneath the Peaceful Abode, the mid-grade tier-two spirit vein ceaselessly released spiritual energy, surging into Li Guanzhen’s body.

Combined with the trifold immortal essence from the dark space, the pressure within him grew exponentially, compressing the spiritual power in his dantian.

At this moment, veins bulged on Li Guanzhen’s forehead and pain twisted his handsome features.

This was what he had most feared: if the spiritual power failed to condense into liquid, both his dantian and foundation would be damaged. Attempting Foundation Establishment again would be nearly impossible.

With difficulty, he took out the Foundation Establishment Pill with its thirty-five percent success rate and slowly swallowed it.

Instantly, the pain in his dantian, foundation, and meridians diminished sharply.

At once, the mid-grade tier-two spirit vein was frantically drained of spiritual energy, and above the entire Peaceful Abode, clouds and mists formed by spiritual energy swirled into a vortex again.

...

“Someone’s attempting Foundation Establishment again?”

“That direction... it feels familiar...”

“I remember now, years ago, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator acted as protector over there.”

At these words, many cultivators recalled the events, shock and awe on their faces.

In just a few short years, two great Foundation Establishment cultivators were about to emerge from that same spot?

Could it be some auspicious land of fortune?

However...

Even if it was a land of fortune, after supporting two Foundation Establishments, it would be depleted. The spiritual energy in a mid-grade tier-two spirit vein would have been all but exhausted by those two cultivators.

“The peak Qi Refinement cultivators living there must feel terribly unlucky...” someone couldn’t help but complain.

Cao Mang certainly felt cursed.

When Qin Jiyue broke through to Foundation Establishment, he hadn’t minded—in fact, he was glad to have a powerful neighbor watching over the area, minimizing the chance of trouble.

But now Brother Li was also attempting Foundation Establishment! And by the look of it, he was thoroughly prepared and wouldn’t stop until he succeeded.

“There’s no way I can keep living next door,” Cao Mang lamented, burying his face in his hands. He’d finally managed to arrange a marriage, the matchmaker had set everything up, and a date had even been chosen...

Who could have predicted that two Foundation Establishment cultivators would spring up next door, draining the spiritual energy of the vein dry!

It would be a decade or more before it recovered.

Even the City Lord of Silver Maple City was dumbfounded.

When a Foundation Establishment demon cultivator was first born there, he’d been delighted, seeing it as a sign of the demon cultivators’ growing strength—a good thing!

But now, another one was breaking through?

Couldn’t they go elsewhere?

With the mid-grade tier-two vein drained, who would ever want to rent a house there again?

The City Lord gritted his teeth, intending to go and remind them, but as he drew near, he sensed a powerful aura—a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator standing guard.

Yet another peak Foundation Establishment protector.

---

The City Lord of Silver Maple City gnashed his teeth and demanded, “Fellow Daoist, must you insist on breaking through here? Can you not pick another place and leave this one barren?”

The one controlling the puppet was Liu Xiaoxian.

With her beloved disciple facing Foundation Establishment, she, as master, insisted on personally overseeing the process—she trusted no one else.

Liu Xiaoxian felt a little embarrassed and cupped her hands in apology. “Forgive us, truly. As compensation, we’ll voluntarily offer two hundred mid-grade spirit stones.”

“Two hundred mid-grade spirit stones?!” The City Lord’s eyes widened. “Do I look like a pauper to you?”

Liu Xiaoxian hesitated, then replied instinctively, “Don’t you?”

“...”

He had no idea that the person before him was the manager of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion branch in Merchant Valley City. Had he known, he would have immediately agreed that he was indeed a pauper.

Who could compete with a merchant in spirit stones?

In the end, the City Lord sighed and waved it off. “Just my luck this time. Succeed or fail, you all must move out afterward. My city simply can’t bear another round of this... there’s no need for spirit stones.”

“City Lord, you are truly magnanimous. Far superior to the other city lords—a good man... Oh, I mean, a good demon cultivator,” Liu Xiaoxian praised sincerely.

The City Lord forced a smile and returned to his residence.

Out of sight, out of mind.

---

With the aid of the Foundation Establishment Pill, Li Guanzhen faced much less resistance, but it was by no means easy.

Condensing spiritual power into liquid was a torturous ordeal.

In his dantian, the spiritual power gradually liquefied, drop by drop.

Over a year passed.

The sky filled with colorful clouds and auspicious rays, while the mist above finally dissipated, transforming into surging spiritual energy that poured into the cultivation chamber of Peaceful Abode.

Immediately after, mighty waves of spiritual power emanated, like a tidal wave bearing down.

“Foundation Establishment at fifty-eight—respectable enough…”

Li Guanzhen opened his eyes, feeling the boundless power coursing through him. He felt rejuvenated, full of vigor, his eyes shining with electricity.

He had now reached the first layer of Foundation Establishment, or, by common reckoning, the early stage.

At this level, the difference in spiritual power was most pronounced.

A knock sounded at the door.

With Li Guanzhen’s permission, Song Zhiqiao poked her head in, beaming with delight. “Congratulations, Brother Li, on your successful Foundation Establishment!”

“Don’t just congratulate me with words—actions are important too,” Li Guanzhen replied with a smile.

“Can’t verbal congratulations be enough?” Song Zhiqiao pouted, her eyes twinkling.

Li Guanzhen drew a deep breath. “Tonight, I’ll show you the might of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!”

He left the cultivation chamber, sunlight bathing his body as he stretched luxuriously, his joints crackling as if firing beans, every muscle and bone relaxed.

“At last, you’re at the same stage as me,” Qin Jiyue said, her face alight with joy.

She had once worried that Li Guanzhen would fall behind, which might affect his resolve.

But now it seemed she’d worried for nothing.

“A year or two of consolidation, and we’ll truly stand side by side.”

Li Guanzhen grinned, then looked to Wen Rongxin. “Wife, you’re about to break through to the seventh layer of Body Refinement, aren’t you?”

Wen Rongxin’s gentle smile was filled with love for Li Guanzhen, her almond eyes brimming with affection.

“Should be another year or two,” she replied, then turned to Song Zhiqiao, her voice soft. “In the meantime, husband and Sister Jiyue should help Sister Zhiqiao improve as well. We’re family—no one should be left behind.”

“Of course,” Li Guanzhen chuckled.

“No worries, Sister, I’ll look after everyone,” Qin Jiyue replied cheerfully.

Blushing, Song Zhiqiao asked, “Brother Li, Sister Rongxin, Sister Jiyue, should I start practicing a dual cultivation technique too?”

The three of them paused in surprise.

Qin Jiyue mused, “Dual cultivation techniques can be practiced by both men and women…”

Li Guanzhen’s heart sank. If all his wives learned dual cultivation arts, boosting their combat power, wouldn’t that spell disaster for him? He still had an earthen spiritual root to improve, after all…

He tucked these worries away. That could wait until after reaching late Foundation Establishment.

---

Life in the Li household proceeded as usual, with post-meal activities.

First, the principal wife demonstrated her body cultivator’s flexibility.

Next, the little green tea conspired with the white-haired witch to challenge the newly-ascended sword cultivator.

But in the end, both were roundly defeated.

There was simply no contest—the sword cultivator’s “Rainbow Pierces the Sun” technique was truly terrifying.

---

The next day, Li Guanzhen noticed something amiss. “Has Cao Mang moved out?”

“Not just him,” Qin Jiyue explained. “All our neighbors have left. We’ve both completed Foundation Establishment on this mid-grade tier-two spirit vein, draining it dry. If they didn’t move, their own Foundation Establishment prospects would be hopeless.”

Li Guanzhen couldn’t help but smile wryly—she was right.

A mid-grade tier-two vein producing two Foundation Establishments would inevitably be depleted, taking years to recover.

“We should move as well,” he said. “Let’s relocate to the central inner city. The spiritual energy is richer there; it will help Rongxin and Zhiqiao improve more quickly.”

“Really?” Song Zhiqiao was delighted, but then added softly, “But I heard the City Lord was quite displeased with us. He said, whether we succeeded or not, we had to move out…”

“Exactly—we’ll move out, into the city center,” Li Guanzhen replied with perfect logic. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it. With the Myriad Treasures Pavilion backing us, the City Lord will likely be eager for us to stay.”

On hearing this, the three women breathed a little easier.

For them, Silver Maple City was far preferable to Merchant Valley City.

Though the streets here were often filled with quarrelsome demon cultivators, they exercised restraint, avoiding harm to innocents.

In other cities, once a fight broke out, strangers were best advised to steer clear—those who strayed too close risked death or serious injury.

After lunch, Li Guanzhen returned to the cultivation chamber to continue refining pills.

---

A month later, in early spring, Li Guanzhen bid his wives farewell and headed to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

“Master Li—Senior Li…”

When Fugui saw him, he almost used the old title, but years of professional discipline made him change it at once. He bowed deeply. “Forgive me, Senior Li—Fugui was wrong.”

“There’s no wrong in it,” Li Guanzhen replied with a smile, helping him up. “I am, after all, a talisman master. Address me as you will.”

“It’s different now, Senior. Now that you’re a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you must be called ‘Senior’—anything else would be disrespectful. That’s the rule set by Registrar Li.”

Well, that’s that… Thinking of that stickler for rules, Li Guanzhen shook his head and asked curiously, “That bookworm hasn’t reached Foundation Establishment yet?”

Fugui looked up at him, not daring to utter a word.

“Never mind, you’re even more timid than I am. I won’t make it difficult for you,” Li Guanzhen patted his shoulder with a laugh. “Go on, I have no talismans for you today.”

“Thank you, Senior,” Fugui bowed deeply and hurried off to his work.

Li Guanzhen made his way straight to Zheng Huangjin’s chamber, fragrant with incense that soothed the mind and banished fatigue.

“You’ve finally emerged,” Zheng Huangjin greeted him, fatigue falling away as his face lit up with a smile, though tinged with helplessness. “Do you remember Murong Li, that mid-grade tier-two alchemist?”

“I do.”

“He jumped ship to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, and even poached a few of our guest cultivators. If you hadn’t come to save me, this branch might have closed its doors.”

“Well, here I am,” Li Guanzhen said, placing several porcelain bottles before Zheng Huangjin. “Detoxification Pills and Lifegate Pills—all premium quality. Please have a look.”

Even though Zheng Huangjin thought he was prepared, he was still deeply shocked by Li Guanzhen’s words.

In less than two years, Li Guanzhen was already able to produce tier-two pills—and all of the highest quality.

Such alchemical talent was truly unattainable for most.

“With these pills, I’ve been saved from ruin,” Zheng Huangjin sighed.

“You may have been saved, but I haven’t yet,” Li Guanzhen replied with a chuckle. “You must know that my home is now uninhabitable, so I’d like to move my family into the inner city center. Could you speak to the City Lord’s office for me?”

“What?!”

(End of this chapter)