Any cultivation technique that defies the heavens always comes with a price.
The Three Lives Body technique was undeniably powerful—its might beyond question.
But its drawbacks were equally terrifying.
After cultivating this art, Mu Lingxi's path to Foundation Establishment had become unimaginably difficult.
Even with a purified Foundation Establishment Pill, she still couldn't break through!
"Could it be… that only a legendary Perfect Foundation Pill could work?"
"But in today's cultivation world, perfect-grade pills have nearly gone extinct."
"Where am I supposed to find one?"
A faint despair flashed in her eyes.
Letting out a long sigh, Mu Lingxi left the attic.
Feeling unsettled, she decided to walk around the sect to ease her frustration.
As she passed through an inner-sect area, a casual conversation nearby caught her attention.
"Hey, did you hear? Something huge happened in the outer sect recently."
"Pfft, who even cares what goes on in the outer sect? You must be really bored."
"Hehe, no, seriously—this one's explosive."
"What happened?"
"Three months ago, Zhou Feng from the outer sect kicked an iron plate. Got himself killed by a newly advanced Foundation Establishment disciple!"
"No way—that's insane! Who's bold enough to kill someone inside the sect?"
"Apparently a guy named Wang Jianqiang."
…
Wang Jianqiang!
That old man actually formed his foundation?!
Mu Lingxi froze, then hurriedly approached the two talking disciples. "Did you just say… the outer-sect disciple Wang Jianqiang successfully formed his foundation?"
The two inner-sect disciples frowned.
Someone just interrupted them? In the outer sect?
Who had the guts to be so rude?
Their faces turned fierce as they turned around—
—and then froze.
She was… beautiful. Almost unreal.
The killing intent in their eyes vanished instantly.
They quickly forced out awkward smiles. "Ah, so it's Junior Sister Mu! We didn't realize you were here—please forgive us!"
Ignoring their earlier arrogance, Mu Lingxi repeated calmly, "The person you mentioned, Wang Jianqiang—was he an old man?"
The disciple nodded. "Yeah, I heard he's older. Used to be a well-known useless cultivator in the outer sect. No one knows how, but he suddenly started improving."
Mu Lingxi's eyes brightened.
It was indeed that old man.
He had truly succeeded in Foundation Establishment!
And then she remembered—back in the secret realm, Wang Jianqiang had told her he could help her form her foundation.
At the time, she'd dismissed it as nonsense.
But now?
A five-element waste root like him had succeeded! Maybe… he really could help her.
Hope rekindled in her heart.
Without hesitation, she took to the skies, flying straight toward the outer sect.
Outer Sect
Dong Yue had been waiting outside Wang Jianqiang's residence for most of the day.
She kept glancing toward the house, unable to calm her nerves.
Although she trusted his alchemy skills, he was still only a newly promoted Tier-2 high-grade alchemist—and this ancient formula was extremely difficult to refine.
Her future depended entirely on whether he succeeded.
"I wonder how it's going in there…"
She looked up again—
—and the door suddenly opened.
Wang Jianqiang stepped out.
"Wang Shizhi, how did it go? Did the pill succeed?" she asked eagerly.
Wang Jianqiang smiled but said nothing. Instead, he extended his palm.
Three perfectly round pills lay there, releasing a rich medicinal aroma.
Dong Yue's heart, which had been hanging by a thread, finally relaxed.
Her eyes filled with excitement.
He'd succeeded!
After all these years of waiting… the day had finally come.
She carefully accepted the pills, examining them closely—then froze.
"Wait a second… this medicinal potency—it's different from what the formula described…"
Stronger. Much stronger.
This was—
A Perfect Pill!
Dong Yue was utterly stunned.
Wang Jianqiang hadn't just refined the Minor Creation Pill—he had perfected it!
Did such monstrous alchemy talent even exist in this world?
She was speechless.
Seeing her shocked expression, Wang Jianqiang chuckled. "Go back and refine it. Restoring your foundation is what matters most."
Dong Yue quickly came to her senses and bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
She gave him a long, meaningful look before flying off.
As her figure vanished into the sky, Wang Jianqiang turned to head back inside—
—but another figure was rapidly approaching from afar.
Mu Lingxi.
His brow arched slightly.
"Well, well… today really is a good day."
Remembering the promise he'd made to her in the secret realm, Wang Jianqiang couldn't help but smile.
Moments later, Mu Lingxi landed before him.
"So it's true—you've broken through to Foundation Establishment!"
"Five-element waste roots shouldn't even be able to advance. How did you do it?"
Seeing his youthful appearance, she was visibly shaken.
Even in ancient times, a cultivator with five conflicting spiritual roots forming a foundation was almost impossible.
Now, it was practically unheard of.
Wang Jianqiang just smiled. "You didn't come all this way just to confirm my breakthrough, did you?"
Mu Lingxi's expression froze, then she hesitated awkwardly. "What you said before… that you could help me break through—was that true?"
"Of course."
"Then… what do you want in return?"
Wang Jianqiang looked at her for a moment, then said slowly, "Before we talk about terms, I need to confirm something."
"What is it?"
"How old are you?"
Mu Lingxi blinked. "Does that matter?"
In the cultivation world, age was rarely important—unless someone was nearing death.
"It matters," Wang Jianqiang said seriously.
"Twenty-one."
As she spoke, her appearance shifted, revealing the form of a young woman—one of her three incarnations.
"This is my true form."
"Good," Wang Jianqiang exhaled in relief.
"Then we can talk."
"If you want my help, the condition is simple…"
He paused, smiling faintly.
"Spend one night with me."