Leaving the medicine garden, Ji An rode his Gray-Feathered Sand Goose toward the mountain summit.
The following month was midsummer, the time when the sect distributed Foundation Establishment Pills. He had already heard that the sect's medicinal gardens were preparing and processing the various spirit herbs needed for the upcoming refinement.
Once the herbs were ready, the alchemists would begin opening their furnaces to refine the Foundation Establishment Pills.
The pill Ji An had exchanged for would only be available five years later. But since his master was one of the sect's renowned alchemists, perhaps she had been given the task of refining the pills this year.
If she had, then with her skill, she would surely produce more than the required quota. In that case, Ji An hoped he could exchange his pill due in five years for one of this year's batch.
And if his master hadn't received the assignment, she could still speak on his behalf. Maybe there was a chance to secure one.
To form his foundation even a year earlier meant enjoying the privileges of a Foundation Establishment cultivator a year earlier, his own cave-dwelling, and twenty acres of spiritual farmland at his free disposal. To him, that prospect was simply irresistible.
He landed outside his master's cave abode, intending to ask a maidservant if she was free today. But before he could, the protective warding of the cave opened on its own, revealing an entrance.
Ji An stepped inside and saw his master sitting leisurely, sipping tea.
"Greetings, Master." He bowed respectfully, then explained his plan with a smile.
Success depended on fate, but preparation lay in human effort. If he could secure a pill early and succeed in his breakthrough, it would save him several years at least.
Master Ge Ying did not immediately respond. She set her cup down and asked instead:
"Tempering your divine sense and opening the secondary meridians of your immortal channels consumes much time and energy. Have you completed all of that?"
This disciple had once been very attentive about nurturing his meridians to improve his foundation, yet for the past two years, he hadn't asked her for guidance on the matter. That surprised her.
"Yes, it's all done.
According to the sect's secret meridian-opening method, I've already opened all the secondary branches a Qi Refining cultivator can.
As for strengthening my divine sense, I have practiced diligently, and my natural spirit sense is somewhat stronger than most. So as long as I obtain a Foundation Pill, I am certain I can break through."
Ji An spoke with firm confidence. He had done all the preparation that could be done; his foundation was solid, and his success should flow naturally.
"Indeed," Ge Ying nodded. "For the past two years, I've seen your qi become increasingly round and balanced. Now, it is smooth and unified. You truly have reached the right moment for Foundation Establishment."
She smiled faintly. "A few years ago, when three of the primary ingredients matured in my medicinal garden, I refined a furnace of Foundation Establishment Pills. Here, take this one, it is a premium pill."
Inwardly, she was pleased. Compared to Lingyu's hesitation, Ji An's self-confidence was far more appropriate. This was good. Foundation Establishment was only a small threshold in the path of cultivation; it was not as insurmountable as some feared.
She handed him the pill she had long prepared and repeated the same words she once gave to Li Lingyu, adding with a smile:
"Luo Ying, as a sword cultivator, will need countless high-grade spirit materials to temper her flying sword in the future. But sword cultivators are not skilled in management; they rarely amass wealth to buy such resources, and can only seek them through their own means.
You, however, excel in planting and talisman-making. Your income is steady. In the future, within your ability, I hope you will lend her support for my sake, if nothing else."
Although she could leave Luo Ying some assets, they would not last long if they were only consumed without replenishment.
Ji An rose to his feet without hesitation:
"So long as it is within my ability, I will never let Senior Sister Luo Ying be left wanting."
He agreed without hesitation, inwardly sighing at how thoughtful his master was planning so far ahead for the sake of her junior.
Ge Ying was very satisfied with his attitude and asked gently:
"When do you intend to attempt Foundation Establishment?"
"Rather than wait for an auspicious date, it's better to seize the moment. Tonight.
Master, is there any particular technique or detail I should pay special attention to during the process?"
"Foundation Establishment marks your true entry onto the immortal path. It is a transformation that tears the body and soul, far from pleasant.
But as long as you guard your mind firmly and do not fear the pain, you will surely break free of your cocoon and emerge as a butterfly."
Ge Ying had already studied Ji An's records in detail. In the sect's Illusionary Heart Trial Array, he had been the first among his peers to awaken. That alone showed that his mental state and willpower were both strong, and his determination to seek the Dao was firm.
Ji An carefully stored away the Foundation Pill, rose, and bowed:
"Once I succeed in forming my foundation, I will return tomorrow to seek Master's further guidance."
"Go, then. I shall await your good news."
Returning to the bamboo lodge at the mountain's foot, Ji An tossed a Spirit-Nourishing Pellet to his sand goose. The bird swallowed it happily and then took off toward the nearby creek to hunt fish and shrimp. He also released his Spirit-Seeking Rat from the room tonight; both beasts would spend the night outside.
Closing the protective wards, he brought out the Foundation Pill. A faint fragrance immediately wafted into his nose, refreshing his spirit.
The pill gleamed with crystalline luster, its surface inscribed with three coiling pill patterns like tiny dragons.
A standard Foundation Pill could increase the success rate of a breakthrough by twenty percent. A premium one, like this, increased it by thirty percent.
Ji An bathed and changed clothes, lit a brazier of calming incense, and laid out the pill, Clear Void Water, Hundred-Flower Spirit Liquid, and other supplies within arm's reach.
He then sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, calming his heart and adjusting his energy, essence, and spirit to their optimal state.
As the golden crow sank in the west and the jade rabbit rose in the east, moonlight spilled through the bamboo lattice, casting silver radiance across the room.
Ji An opened his eyes, starlight flashing in his gaze.
Sensing that his condition had reached perfection, he no longer hesitated. He began circulating the Foundation Establishment method recorded in the Clear Source Sutra.
Spiritual energy entered his body with each breath, flowing through his immortal meridians before being refined into mana, waves of power surging into his dantian like the endless tide.
As more and more mana poured in, a vortex began to take shape, spinning faster and faster.
The rapid draw of ambient qi caused spiritual energy from the surroundings to converge upon the bamboo lodge, forming a whirlpool of qi.
This was the first trial of the Foundation Establishment of the Body Gate.
The method drew in massive amounts of spiritual energy in a short time, subjecting the body to immense strain. The immortal meridians had to be tough enough to withstand wave after wave of influx.
Meanwhile, the body itself had to endure the repeated tempering of the flooding qi. If a cultivator had suffered severe injuries in the past, leaving hidden damage in their foundation, the influx would magnify those flaws.
Likewise, if their vitality had already declined with age, they would find it hard to endure this baptism, hence why older cultivators rarely succeeded in forming their foundation.
The second trial was the Mana Gate.
In this stage, the cultivator had to compress the mana within their dantian, refining it from a gaseous state into a liquid. The purer the mana, the smoother this transformation.
Excessive reliance on cultivation-boosting pills or worse, using realm-breaking elixirs would leave impurities and weaken mana, making the process treacherous.
Ji An had never used such realm-breaking drugs. Though he had taken many pills to enhance his cultivation, he had always been careful to neutralize residual toxins, leaving his mana relatively untainted.
On top of that, he had spent two full years further purifying his power. While his mana could not be called the most pristine, it was certainly of excellent quality enough to be considered high-grade.
The third trial of Foundation Establishment was the Divine Sense Gate.
A strong divine sense allowed one to control mana with greater precision, guiding and accelerating the refinement of heaven and earth's spiritual energy, and making the transformation of mana from vapor to liquid much easier.
Ji An's dantian vortex spun faster and faster, the mist of gaseous mana growing denser but still showing no sign of liquefaction.
This was the limit of his innate aptitude. With lower natural talent, the efficiency of refining mana was slower, making it difficult to reach the minimum density needed for liquid condensation.
At such a point, one had to rely on a Foundation Pill.
Opening Vein Pills and Foundation Pills were considered among the greatest inventions in the cultivation world. The former allowed humans to draw qi into their bodies earlier, nourishing immortal meridians and the flesh, thus granting more time to reach Foundation Establishment.
Foundation Pills, on the other hand, served two crucial roles:
Protecting the meridians and dantian, reducing the destructive strain of qi infusion on the body.
Increasing the efficiency with which low-aptitude cultivators absorbed and refined spiritual energy into mana.
Ji An swallowed the pill. At once, he drew in qi like a whale swallowing water. Spiritual energy surged into his body, and the vortex above his bamboo lodge doubled in size.
In his dantian, the stone tortoise floated up and down gleefully, swallowing half of the incoming mana. The mist thickened further, yet still refused to liquefy.
Ji An had already expected this. He uncorked a vial and swallowed several drops of Hundred-Flower Spirit Liquid. At once, the influx of mana surged. Even with the tortoise devouring half, the mist grew thicker.
He continued this process, taking a few drops every so often. Gradually, traces of liquefaction began to form within the dantian.
But as the influx of qi dragged on, his meridians began to ache.
The pain spread quickly, the circulating qi burning like fire through his channels. From the Yongquan acupoint trickled a cooling current, and from the Yuquan acupoint a gentle warmth, slightly soothing the agony, but it was far from enough.
Soon, the pain invaded his flesh. Ji An felt as though blades were carving through his muscles, the tearing sensation making his body tremble, sweat soaking his forehead and back.
In the grip of pain, time seemed to crawl.
Every second dragged like torture. The qi he breathed in felt like fiery coals, searing his meridians and scorching his organs.
Yet he had prepared for this. Though every cell of his body screamed in agony, he endured it all, maintaining the circulation of the Foundation method.
The most terrifying suffering was meaningless suffering. But this pain was an investment, a price paid for the chance at eternal life. That thought gave him strength.
Though his body grew numb, his spirit only grew sharper, honed by torment.
At some point, the two bottles of Hundred-Flower Spirit Liquid were empty. Ji An picked up the vial of Clear Void Water and swallowed a few drops.
The whirlpool above the bamboo lodge expanded once more. His dantian's vortex spun faster still.
Finally, a single crystalline drop of liquid mana formed and fell, marking the most critical breakthrough.
The first step was always the hardest: from nothing to something, from quantity to quality.
With that drop, his pores exuded foul, dark blood, residual toxins, and turbid qi forced out of the body.
He took another sip of Clear Void Water, holding it in his mouth, swallowing only when the density of his mana mist began to thin.
A second drop of liquid mana condensed. Then a third. And with each, the process grew smoother, faster.
Soon, sensation returned to his body, the pain fading with every heartbeat.
At last, the qi flowing through his meridians was directly refined into liquid mana. A wave of Foundation Establishment aura erupted from the bamboo lodge.
The spiritual vortex above shimmered with radiance before slowly dissipating into the heavens.
Ji An opened his eyes. Sunlight slanted across the wall.
A whole night had passed.
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