Chapter 16: Pill Formed, Foundation Established
Deep within the Qingming Mountains, spiritual vapor drifted like a tide among the peaks. Wentai sat cross-legged at the center of the Spirit-Gathering Array, his fingertips brushing against the cool surface of a jade bottle. The medicinal fragrance of the Foundation Establishment Pill seeped through the cracks of the jade, intertwining with the spiritual energy evaporating from the array's core spirit stones to form a faint halo. For three days, he had driven the *Qingyuan Art* to its absolute limit, the gaseous spiritual energy within his Dantian surging like a boiling sea of clouds. The barrier of the 9th Layer of Qi Condensation grew increasingly clear under repeated impacts, yet it always lacked the transparency of that final step.
With a soft squeak, the wooden door of the stone house was pushed open slightly. Su Qingyao walked in holding a bowl of spiritual rice porridge, crystalline droplets still condensing along the rim of the cyan porcelain bowl. "Senior Brother, this was simmered with Green Husk Rice and Dewgrass. It can nourish the meridians." She placed the bowl on the stone table, her gaze sweeping over the gradually dimming low-grade spirit stones in the array. "The spiritual concentration of the Spirit-Gathering Array has dropped significantly. Shall I go fetch some more to replenish it?"
Wentai opened his eyes, a brilliant light flickering within the spiritual energy flowing through his pupils. "No need. These are enough to sustain me until the final step." He took the porridge bowl, the warm spiritual energy sliding down his throat into his body, instantly swept up and assimilated by the Dantian's vortex. "I've already finished reading the *Foundation Establishment Essentials* you brought yesterday. It says that when condensing Qi into liquid, mixing different spiritual energies is strictly prohibited. Using the original spirit stones is just right to maintain spiritual purity."
Su Qingyao nodded, her fingertips absentmindedly rubbing her cuffs. "Master said that during Foundation Establishment, inner demons are most likely to exploit an opening, especially for those like Senior Brother who are forcefully compressing spiritual energy to break through. You must be even more careful. These are Cleansing Heart Talismans I refined; keep them on you." She handed over three yellow talismans, the runes traced in cinnabar faintly glowing under the nourishment of the spiritual energy.
Wentai took the talismans and pressed them against his chest, feeling the cool sensation radiating from the talismans as a warmth gradually rose in his heart. Ever since he returned from Black Wind Valley half a month ago, Su Qingyao had brought him medicinal meals every day. Though unsaid, that care was far more effective at calming the mind than spiritual energy. He set the porridge bowl aside and took a deep breath. "You should go outside first. The spiritual fluctuations during the breakthrough will be violent, and I'm afraid they might accidentally injure you."
Once Su Qingyao had closed the wooden door properly, Wentai closed his eyes and concentrated once more. He activated the Spirit-Gathering Array with his vital blood, the array patterns slithering across the ground like living things, continuously drawing in the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy. He crushed the storage bag at his waist, and ten low-grade spirit stones tumbled into the array core. A pearly white radiance suddenly flared, and the spiritual concentration instantly multiplied severalfold, turning into visible spiritual mist swirling around his body.
The jade bottle was slowly opened, and the Foundation Establishment Pill hovered in his palm. A faint flowing light danced across the dark, lustrous surface of the pill—crafted by himself using the Sun-Scarlet Flowers and Dewgrass obtained from Black Wind Valley. Although it was only a mid-grade pill due to his unskillful pill fire, the violent medicinal power contained within still caused the air to vibrate faintly. Without hesitation, Wentai opened his mouth and swallowed the pill.
The moment the pill entered his throat, it transformed into a scorching torrent that rushed straight toward his Dantian. Wentai felt as though his internal organs were being scorched by a raging fire. The *Qingyuan Art* operated instinctively, guiding the medicinal power to spread along his meridians. He had seen records in the *Foundation Establishment Essentials* stating that the power of a Foundation Establishment Pill was inherently fierce and required one's own spiritual energy to gradually harmonize it. If left to crash about recklessly, light cases would result in damaged meridians, while severe cases would cause spiritual energy to dissipate entirely.
"Concentrate and maintain unity." Wentai recited the mental incantation silently, his divine sense sinking into his Dantian. He saw the power of the pill fire explode within his Dantian, churning the previously calm sea of spiritual energy clouds into a towering tempest. Carefully controlling the spiritual energy vortex, he integrated the medicinal power into it thread by thread. Every fusion was accompanied by a tearing pain in his meridians, and cold sweat dripped down his temples, condensing into tiny droplets in front of him.
Three hours quietly passed. The spirit stones within the Spirit-Gathering Array had turned gray and lifeless, and the glow of the array patterns gradually faded. The sea of spiritual energy clouds within Wentai's Dantian grew increasingly dense, and the previously formless spiritual energy began showing signs of condensation, only to dissolve apart the instant it was about to liquefy. His brows furrowed tightly as his divine sense swept across his Dantian, discovering that the lingering hidden injuries in his meridians were playing the mischief—those were old wounds inflicted by the aftermath of the Demonic cultivator in Black Wind Valley. Though treated with medicinal herbs, they were still dragging him down at the critical moment.
"I must force the barrier." Wentai bit down on the tip of his tongue, using the pain to clear his mind. He took out the final Foundation Establishment Pill—an upper-grade pill that Su Qingyao had secretly slipped to him. The pill's body was as lustrous as amber, with faint pill patterns revolving around it. There was no longer any room for thrift; he swallowed the pill, and the two streams of medicinal power intertwined within his body into an even more violent torrent, violently charging against the barrier of his Dantian along his meridians.
A crisp "crack" echoed with absolute clarity in his spiritual perception. The intangible barrier between Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment finally developed a crack, and the spiritual energy within his Dantian poured madly toward it like finding a vent. Concentrating all his mental focus, Wentai compressed the spiritual energy, guiding the gaseous spiritual energy to transform into liquid. This was the most crucial step of Foundation Establishment; just as the *Foundation Establishment Essentials* stated, those who condensed Qi into liquid succeeded in Foundation Establishment, while those whose energy scattered lost all previous efforts.
Just as the spiritual energy was about to completely liquefy, an inexplicable chill suddenly rose from the depths of his sea of consciousness. The scene before Wentai's eyes shifted abruptly; it was no longer the narrow stone house, but instead the Black Wind Valley from months ago, where corpses of cultivators piled up like mountains across the ground, and the grim laughter of Demonic cultivators echoed in his ears: "You trash, you can't even protect yourself, yet you still want to cultivate immortality?"
"An inner demon!" Wentai's heart tightened. Remembering Su Qingyao's instructions, he immediately operated his divine sense to activate the Cleansing Heart Talisman on his chest. The yellow talisman transformed into a cool curtain of light that enveloped his sea of consciousness, and the illusions melted away like snow meeting fire. However, the inner demon did not retreat; instead, it transformed into his own appearance, standing deep within his divine sense and sneering: "Your innate talent is mediocre. If not for stumbling into a fortuitous encounter, you would have long since become food for Monster Beasts. What use is Foundation Establishment?"
"I cultivate immortality not to defy the heavens and change my fate, but simply to protect those I wish to protect." Wentai's mind was as clear as a mirror, banishing all distracting thoughts. He remembered the concern in Su Qingyao's eyes when she handed him the Cleansing Heart Talisman, and his master's dying entrustment before passing away. These convictions pierced through the inner demon's bewilderment like a sharp sword. The illusions in his sea of consciousness completely shattered, and the radiance of the Cleansing Heart Talisman dimmed and dispersed along with them.
The instant the inner demon retreated, the spiritual energy within his Dantian finally completed its qualitative transformation. The previously violent gaseous spiritual energy was like a tamed wild horse, gradually condensing into crystal-clear droplets. One drop, two drops... Finally, they gathered into a shallow pool of spiritual liquid at the center of his Dantian, shimmering with a warm cyan glow. Wentai could clearly feel that the power contained within every single drop of spiritual liquid far surpassed all the spiritual energy from his Qi Condensation days.
"Did Foundation Establishment succeed?" He tentatively operated the *Qingyuan Art*. The spiritual liquid flowed along his meridians, and the damaged pathways rapidly repaired under the nourishment of the liquid. Every pore across his body opened up, greedily absorbing the spiritual energy in the air. Although the Spirit-Gathering Array had failed, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed guided as it converged toward him, and the pool of spiritual liquid in his Dantian gradually filled up in response.
Outside the stone house, Su Qingyao was pacing anxiously when she suddenly sensed a violent spiritual energy fluctuation erupting from within the stone house. Immediately following that, a cyan pillar of light soared into the sky, piercing through the clouds straight up into the firmament. A smile bloomed instantly on her face, and just as she was about to push the door open, the pillar of light abruptly contracted, and the wooden door of the stone house was blasted open by a wave of spiritual energy with a loud *bang*.
Wentai walked slowly out of the stone house. Sunlight spilled over him, reflecting the faint spiritual light circulating around his body. His aura was entirely different now; the impurities of the Qi Condensation stage had vanished completely, replaced by the condensed and steady composure unique to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Su Qingyao hurried forward, her eyes filled with joy. "Senior Brother, congratulations on successfully establishing your foundation!"
"It's all thanks to this upper-grade Foundation Establishment Pill of yours." Wentai smiled and produced the empty jade bottle. "And the Cleansing Heart Talisman. If not for it, I'm afraid I would have already fallen victim to the inner demon's backlash." He could feel that although the process of this Foundation Establishment had been perilous, his foundation was exceptionally solid. The purity of the spiritual liquid in his Dantian far exceeded that of ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators—which was likely related to his forcible suppression of spiritual energy and repeated tempering.
As they were speaking, two streaks of escaping light rushed over from afar, landing to reveal two cultivators dressed in cyan robes. The leader was Zhou Ming, an outer sect deacon. His gaze swept over Wentai, and feeling the condensed spiritual energy fluctuations within him, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Wentai, you actually managed to succeed in Foundation Establishment?"
The cultivator beside him was Zhang Hao, an outer sect disciple who had once participated in the entrance trials alongside Wentai. At this moment, Zhang Hao's face was full of jealousy. "Deacon Zhou, he must have used some unorthodox methods! Otherwise, with his aptitude, how could he break through so quickly?"
Zhou Ming frowned slightly and waved his hand to interrupt Zhang Hao. "Whether a foundation is orthodox or not, a spirit testing stone will tell." He took out a milky-white spirit stone the size of a palm. "Just channel your spiritual energy into it."
Wentai complied, placing his hand upon the spirit stone. The spiritual liquid in his Dantian flowed sluggishly as a wisp of spiritual energy was injected into the stone. The spirit stone instantly lit up with a cyan radiance, pure and steady, gathering into a tiny dot of light at the top. Zhou Ming's surprise grew even stronger: "Extremely high spiritual purity, with a solid foundation—definitely not an unorthodox path. According to sect rules, those who successfully establish their foundation may be promoted to inner sect disciples."
Zhang Hao's face alternated between green and white, but he dared not raise any more objections. Zhou Ming handed a jade plaque engraved with the two characters "Inner Sect" to Wentai. "Report to the Inner Sect Main Hall in three days. Cave dwellings and cultivation resources will be assigned to you then. Oh, and," he added as if remembering something, "the inner sect will soon organize Foundation Establishment cultivators to head to the outer fringes of Black Wind Valley to hunt down remaining Demonic cultivators. You can prepare in advance."
After Zhou Ming and his companion departed, Su Qingyao played with Wentai's inner sect jade plaque, her eyes full of yearning. "The spiritual concentration of the inner sect's gathering-spirit cave dwellings is three times that of the outer sect. Senior Brother's cultivation will surely get twice the result with half the effort from now on."
Wentai stroked the jade plaque, but his mind recalled the perils of Black Wind Valley. "This trial won't be easy, I'm afraid. Although the Demonic cultivators suffered heavy losses, remnants are still hiding in the valley. We must be extra careful going this time." He looked at Su Qingyao. "You are already at the 8th Layer of Qi Condensation now. I still have some Qi Condensation Pills here; take them for your cultivation and strive to break through to the 9th Layer of Qi Condensation as soon as possible."
Su Qingyao took the jade bottle and nodded gently. "I will work hard, and in the future, I want to become an inner sect disciple just like Senior Brother." Remembering something, she retrieved a beast-skin map from her storage bag. "I found this in Master's legacy. It marks a hidden spiritual herb garden in Black Wind Valley, which might be useful for your trial."
Wentai unfolded the map. The beast skin was densely marked with cinnabar symbols, and a glowing medicinal herb was drawn in the central position, with the three characters "Purple-Veined Ginseng" written beside it. His heart stirred. Purple-Veined Ginseng was the primary ingredient for refining Foundation Establishment-stage healing pills and was of considerable value. If he could find it, this trial would have a few more layers of security.
On the morning of the third day, Wentai packed his belongings, carefully collecting the dregs of the Foundation Establishment Pill and the ashes of the used Cleansing Heart Talisman. Though useless now, these items bore witness to his journey of foundation establishment. Su Qingyao escorted him to the outer sect mountain pass and handed him a cloth bundle. "Inside are antidote pills and concealment talismans I refined. Black Wind Valley has many poisonous creatures, so you must be careful."
"Rest assured." Wentai accepted the cloth bundle and stored it away in his storage bag. "When I return from the trial, I'll help you find medicinal herbs to break through your bottleneck." He turned and stepped onto his escaping light, the cyan radiance cutting an arc through the morning light as it flew toward the direction of the Inner Sect Main Hall.
The Inner Sect Main Hall was situated halfway up the main peak of the Qingming Mountains, featuring white jade stairs and glazed tiles. Outside the hall stood ten coiling-dragon pillars, each carved with intricate array patterns that emitted a heavy spiritual energy fluctuation. When Wentai arrived, more than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators were already waiting outside the hall, chatting among themselves or closing their eyes in meditation, their auras quite condensed.
"This Junior Brother looks unfamiliar. Did you just establish your foundation?" A blue-robed cultivator nearby initiated a conversation. He had handsome features and a steady aura, clearly having established his foundation for some time.
"I am Wentai, just promoted to the inner sect today." Wentai cupped his fists in response.
A trace of surprise flashed in the blue-robed cultivator's eyes. "So it's Junior Brother Wen. I heard about your exploits—slaying a Demonic cultivator leader with the cultivation of the 9th Layer of Qi Condensation is truly extraordinary.My name is Lin Hao, at Peak Early Foundation Establishment. If you have any need during this trial, you may travel with me."
Joy stirred in Wentai's heart. Lin Hao looked experienced, and traveling with him would indeed save many detours. "Many thanks, Senior Brother Lin."
As they spoke, the hall doors slowly opened, and an old man with white hair stepped out—none other than Inner Sect Elder Xuanchenzi. His gaze swept over the crowd, his voice resounding like a bell: "The purpose of this Black Wind Valley trial is threefold: to purge remaining Demonic cultivators, gather spiritual herbs, and search out resources hidden by the Demonic cultivators. Remember, do not fight stubbornly when encountering enemies; just crush the jade slip to return."
He flicked his sleeve, tossing out over a dozen jade slips and maps. "These are the outer Black Wind Valley maps and distress jade slips. We depart at noon."
Wentai caught the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. The map was even more detailed than the one Su Qingyao had given him, marking areas where Demonic cultivators were likely to frequent and known spiritual herb distributions. He took out Su Qingyao's beast-skin map to compare, finding that the location of the spiritual herb garden happened to lie right on the edge of a dangerous zone marked on the map—risky, but not entirely untryable.
As soon as noon arrived, Xuanchenzi summoned a flying boat. The hull was about three zhang long, crafted from an unknown spiritual wood, and its surface was carved entirely with Spirit-Gathering array patterns. Everyone boarded the flying boat, and Xuanchenzi pinched incantation gestures. The boat transformed into a streak of light, speeding toward Black Wind Valley.
On the flying boat, Lin Hao briefed Wentai on precautions for the trial: "The Demonic cultivators on the outskirts of Black Wind Valley are mostly at the Qi Condensation stage, with occasional early-stage Foundation Establishment ones. Our strength is sufficient to handle them. But beware of their demonic artifacts; they possess the effect of corroding spiritual energy." He took out a small bronze shield. "This is the defensive artifact 'Azure Scale Shield.' If you don't have a suitable defensive artifact, you can use this for the time being."
Wentai accepted the shield. It felt cool to the touch, and the scale patterns on the shield surface glowed faintly when spiritual energy was injected. "Many thanks, Senior Brother Lin. I will borrow this shield temporarily and return it when the trial ends."
Lin Hao waved his hand dismissively. "A trivial matter, think nothing of it. By the way, do you have an offensive artifact?"
"I only have a spirit sword." Wentai took out the iron sword he had plundered from Black Wind Valley. Although the blade had been tempered, its quality still belonged to mortal artifacts.
Lin Hao frowned slightly and retrieved a jade talisman from his storage bag. "This is a Thunder-Fire Talisman. When activated by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it can unleash a bolt of thunder-fire whose power is sufficient to severely injure an early-stage Foundation Establishment Demonic cultivator. Take it for self-defense."
Gratitude welled up in Wentai's heart. Just as he was about to decline, Lin Hao shoved the jade talisman into his hand. "When traveling outside, mutual support is only right. Besides, you've just established your foundation; it's normal to lack artifacts."
After traveling for about two hours, the flying boat finally arrived at the outer edges of Black Wind Valley. Looking from afar, the valley was shrouded in black mist, and the roars of Monster Beasts could be vaguely heard. Xuanchenzi stopped the flying boat and said in a deep voice, "This is the entrance. We will rendezvous here in three days. Depart!"
The cultivators leaped off the flying boat one after another, scattering according to their previously agreed teams. Wentai and Lin Hao headed together toward the direction of the spiritual herb garden. As soon as they entered the valley, they sensed a faint bloody stench and demonic aura permeating the air.
"Be careful, the demonic aura will affect divine sense." Lin Hao summoned his spirit sword, observing his surroundings vigilantly. "Ahead is the Foggy Forest. Demonic cultivators frequently set up ambushes here."
Wentai operated his divine sense, only to find he could scan a radius of barely a zhang, far inferior to his range in the Qingming Mountains. He took out the concealment talisman Su Qingyao had given him, holding it in his hand ready to activate at any moment. "Senior Brother Lin, let me clear the path."
No sooner had they stepped into the Foggy Forest than two dark figures suddenly darted out from the bushes, slashing down with demonic sabers wreathed in black Qi. Wentai was prepared; dodging the attack sideways, he injected spiritual energy into the Thunder-Fire Talisman. The talisman transformed into a crimson bolt of thunder-fire, hurtling straight toward the Demonic cultivator on the left. Caught off guard, the Demonic cultivator was struck in the chest by the thunder-fire and shrieked as he dissolved into black smoke.
Seeing this, the Demonic cultivator on the right flashed panic in his eyes and turned to flee. Lin Hao's figure flickered, and his spirit sword pierced straight through the fleeing Demonic cultivator's back like lightning. Black Qi gushed from the wound and quickly dissipated into the air.
"A 9th Layer of Qi Condensation Demonic cultivator. It seems the strength of the outer demonic cultivators indeed isn't high." Lin Hao put away his spirit sword and inspected the corpse. "However, the demonic aura on them is thicker than last time. I'm afraid there are changes inside the valley."
Wentai nodded, his divine sense sweeping the ground to find a black token dropped beside the corpse, engraved with the two characters "Blood Shadow." "I saw this token on the Demonic cultivator leader I slew earlier. It seems these Demonic cultivators belong to the same Blood Shadow Sect."
The two continued deeper, encountering a few more waves of Demonic cultivators along the way, all of whom they cut down together. By dusk, they finally arrived near the spiritual herb garden, only to discover that three Foundation Establishment Demonic cultivators were standing guard there, pacing back and forth around the garden.
"I didn't expect Foundation Establishment Demonic cultivators to be guarding this place. This is troublesome." Lin Hao frowned. "The two of us taking on three Foundation Establishment Demonic cultivators doesn't give us good odds."
Wentai carefully observed the Demonic cultivators' movements and noticed that their auras were somewhat unstable, as if they had just experienced a major battle. "Their auras are unsteady; they might still be recovering from injuries. We can launch a sneak attack and take out the weakest one first."
He pointed to the Demonic cultivator on the left, whose left leg was limping slightly—evidently injured. A sharp gleam flashed in Lin Hao's eyes. "Good idea. I'll use the Azure Scale Shield to draw their attention, and you take the opportunity to attack with the Thunder-Fire Talisman."
Having agreed on the plan, the two quietly circled to the side of the spiritual herb garden. Lin Hao suddenly summoned the Azure Scale Shield. With spiritual energy injected into it, the shield expanded to the size of a zhang, smashing toward the middle Demonic cultivator. Caught off guard, that Demonic cultivator was struck in the chest by the shield and spat out a mouthful of black blood.
Enraged by the sight, the other two Demonic cultivators lashed out with their demonic artifacts. Seizing the opportunity, Wentai hurled his final Thunder-Fire Talisman while drawing his spirit sword. Under the cover of the thunder-fire explosion, he lunged straight for the Demonic cultivator with the injured left leg.
Just as that Demonic cultivator dodged the thunder-fire, Wentai's sword pierced clean through his shoulder. The cultivator screamed and turned to cast a spell, but Wentai's follow-up surge of spiritual energy shattered his heart meridians, killing him on the spot.
Fighting one-on-one, Lin Hao was gradually falling into a disadvantage, and several cracks had already appeared on the Azure Scale Shield. Seeing this, Wentai immediately operated the *Qingyuan Art*. The spiritual liquid in his Dantian spun at high speed, routing spiritual energy along his meridians into the spirit sword. The blade glowed with a cyan light as he slashed toward the Demonic cultivator engaged with Lin Hao.
Attacked from both front and rear, the Demonic cultivator panicked and lost focus, allowing Lin Hao to pierce his lower abdomen with a sword. Wentai followed up with another strike, cutting off his breath entirely. Seeing all his companions slain, the remaining middle Demonic cultivator panicked completely and turned to run.
"Want to leave?" Lin Hao summoned his flying sword. A flash of cold light later, the Demonic cultivator's head hit the ground.
With the guards eliminated, the two were finally able to enter the spiritual herb garden. Spiritual energy was dense inside; dozens of spiritual herbs emitted a faint glow under the moonlight, and right in the center grew three stalks of Purple-Veined Ginseng. Their stems were thick, and the purple veins on their surfaces shimmered vibrantly under the nourishment of the spiritual energy.
"Three stalks of Purple-Veined Ginseng! We've struck it rich!" Lin Hao's face radiated joy as he carefully dug up the ginseng. "A single stalk of Purple-Veined Ginseng of this age can be exchanged for a hundred low-grade spirit stones."
Wentai also harvested several stalks of Dewgrass and Sun-Scarlet Flowers nearby, both of which were auxiliary materials for refining Foundation Establishment Pills. Just as they were preparing to leave, Wentai suddenly sensed a faint spiritual fluctuation coming from deep within the spiritual herb garden, as if something was hidden there.
"Senior Brother Lin, it seems there's movement inside." Wentai pointed toward the cave at the far end of the garden.
Lin Hao's expression turned solemn as he summoned his spirit sword and approached cautiously. The cave was not large, and many wooden boxes were piled inside. Upon opening them, they found dozens of low-grade spirit stones, several artifacts, and an ancient black book with the four characters "Blood Shadow Mental Cultivation Method" written on the cover.
"It's actually a Demonic cultivation technique!" Lin Hao picked up the ancient book and flipped through a few pages, his brows knitting tighter. "This technique cultivates by devouring the vital blood of cultivators; it's far too vicious. However, it records the distribution of the Blood Shadow Sect's strongholds, which might prove useful."
Wentai packed away the spirit stones and artifacts; these resources were enough to sustain him until the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Looking at the stronghold markings on the ancient book, he discovered that one of them was not far away, labeled as a "Treasure Cache." "Senior Brother Lin, shall we go check out this treasure cache? Perhaps there will be more gains."
Lin Hao pondered for a moment and nodded. "Very well, but we must be extra careful. The guards at a treasure cache will certainly be stronger."
Following the route recorded in the ancient book, the two arrived at a secluded valley half an hour later. A simple array was set up at the valley entrance, emitting a faint demonic aura. Wentai operated his divine sense to thoroughly probe the area, discovering two mid-Foundation Establishment Demonic cultivators guarding inside, alongside quite a few Qi Condensation Demonic cultivators on patrol.
"Two mid-Foundation Establishment ones—hard to deal with," Lin Hao said with a solemn expression. "We should head back first and return after rendezvousing with the other disciples."
However, Wentai noticed a trace of looseness at one corner of the array, clearly the sign of someone having forcefully broken in previously. "This array has a flaw; we can sneak in from there. If we pull off a surprise attack, we might just have a chance of success."
He shared his plan with Lin Hao. After a brief hesitation, Lin Hao nodded in agreement. The two quietly circled to the array's flaw, and Wentai channeled his spiritual energy, carefully tearing a small opening in the array. Lin Hao slipped inside first, with Wentai following close behind.
Inside was a natural karst cave, brightly lit and stacked with numerous treasure chests at the center. Two mid-Foundation Establishment Demonic cultivators were sitting by the chests drinking wine, their waist-hanging swords exchanging heavy demonic auras. Wentai and Lin Hao exchanged a glance and launched their attacks simultaneously.
Lin Hao summoned his flying sword straight for the Demonic cultivator on the left, while Wentai channeled all his spiritual energy, turning his spirit sword into a cyan streak that stabbed toward the Demonic cultivator on the right. Reacting with extreme speed, the two Demonic cultivators immediately summoned their demonic shields to block. A loud *clang* rang out, sending sparks flying in all directions.
"Intruders!" roared the Demonic cultivator on the left as he drew his demonic sword to counterattack. The blade was wreathed in black Qi, carrying a highly corrosive poison to spiritual energy. The moment Lin Hao's Azure Scale Shield made contact, a small pit was corroded into it.
Meanwhile, the Demonic cultivator on the right cast a spell, causing countless black tentacles to drill out from the ground and entangle Wentai. Wentai operated the *Qingyuan Art*, forming a protective barrier around his body with spiritual energy while swinging his spirit sword to sever the tentacles. But the Demonic cultivator's attacks were relentless, and the spiritual liquid in his Dantian consumed rapidly, making him feel somewhat overmatched.
"Use this!" Lin Hao suddenly tossed a jade slip. The jade slip exploded in mid-air, turning into a white light that enveloped the Demonic cultivator on the left. The Demonic cultivator shrieked, his entire body freezing up—he had been trapped by an Immobilization Talisman.
Seizing the opportunity, Wentai poured all his remaining spiritual energy into his spirit sword, unleashing a killer move from the *Qingyuan Art*: "Qingfeng Slash." A crescent of cyan sword Qi howled forth, striking squarely in the chest of the Demonic cultivator on the right. The cultivator spat out a mouthful of black blood, his aura withering away instantly.
Taking advantage of the moment, Lin Hao beheaded the immobilized Demonic cultivator with a single sword stroke and followed up to finish off the right-hand one. Both men were panting heavily, the spiritual liquid in their Dantians practically exhausted.
"Good thing we had the Immobilization Talisman, or we might have planted our lives here today." Lin Hao wiped the sweat from his brow and walked over to the treasure chests. Upon opening them, they revealed hundreds of low-grade spirit stones, three bottles of Foundation Establishment Pills, and a robe glowing with blue light.
"This is the Water-Ripple Robe, a Foundation Establishment-stage defensive artifact capable of withstanding a full-strength blow from a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator." Wentai recognized the artifact, his eyes filled with pleasant surprise.
Lin Hao handed the Water-Ripple Robe to Wentai. "Junior Brother Wen, thanks to you today, this artifact belongs to you. I'll take the Foundation Establishment Pills and spirit stones."
Wentai declined. "Senior Brother Lin, it was your Immobilization Talisman that made this a success. The Water-Ripple Robe rightfully belongs to you."
"You have just reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, you need defensive magic tools even more," Lin Hao insisted. "Besides, these spirit stones and Foundation Establishment Pills are already enough for me."
Unable to decline, Wentai had no choice but to accept the water-patterned robe and put it on. He immediately felt a cool spiritual energy shield his entire body. After dividing the treasures, the two were about to leave when they heard dense footsteps and angry shouts coming from outside the cavern.
"Not good, the other demonic cultivators have returned!" Lin Hao's expression changed drastically. "Let's take the secret passage quickly. The ancient texts record that there is a passage leading out of the valley here."
Following the guidance of the ancient text, the two found the entrance to the secret passage deep within the cavern and quickly squeezed in. The passage was narrow and winding, allowing only one person to pass at a time. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, Wentai suddenly sensed a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from behind—evidently, the demonic cultivators were in hot pursuit.
"They've caught up, let's move fast!" Lin Hao quickened his pace, continuously channeling his spiritual energy to drive his movement technique.
Wentai followed closely behind, the remaining spiritual liquid in his dantian consuming rapidly. Just as they were about to reach the exit of the secret passage, a black shadow suddenly darted out from ahead, a demonic blade slashing toward them with fierce momentum.
"Watch out!" Wentai pushed Lin Hao aside, dodging the attack with a sideways movement, and thrust his spirit sword forward, piercing the black shadow's arm. The shadow let out a miserable scream—it was the leader of the Blood Shadow Sect who had escaped earlier.
"Brat, how dare you ruin my Blood Shadow Sect's affairs! Today I will surely tear you to pieces!" Hatred filled the eyes of the small-scale leader as he summoned a black banner, from which countless ghost shadows flew out, pouncing toward Wentai.
Wentai channeled his spiritual energy to resist, but found that these ghost shadows could devour spiritual energy; the protective barrier he had just cast was instantly torn open. Seeing this, Lin Hao immediately took out his last Thunderbolt Talisman and threw it. The lightning and fire exploded, burning the ghost shadows into nothingness.
"Take the chance and run!" Lin Hao pulled Wentai and rushed out of the secret passage. Outside was already the valley's exterior, and Xuan Chenzi's flying boat was waiting not far away.
The two sprinted toward the flying boat. The demonic cultivators behind them pursued relentlessly, but Xuan Chenzi on the flying boat cast a spiritual energy barrier to block them. Seeing the two return safely, Xuan Chenzi nodded and said, "It seems your harvest is not small."
After all the disciples returned to the flying boat, Xuan Chenzi executed a magic art, turning the flying boat into a streak of light as it flew toward the Qingming Mountains. On the flying boat, everyone proudly displayed their harvest. Wentai and Lin Hao's gains were the most abundant, drawing envious glances from all around.
After returning to the inner sect, Wentai organized the spirit stones and spiritual herbs he had obtained, setting aside a portion to give to Lin Hao. Lin Hao tried to decline, but ultimately had to accept them. He returned to his assigned Spirit-Gathering Cave Mansion. The cave mansion was not large, but it was rich in spiritual energy, with a spirit-gathering array set up in the center—more than twice as good as the stone house in the outer sect.
Wentai sat cross-legged in the center of the spirit-gathering array, circulating the "Qingyuan Technique" to absorb spiritual energy, and the spiritual liquid in his dantian slowly filled up. He took out the Foundation Establishment Pill obtained from the treasure trove and swallowed one. The medicinal power quickly transformed into spiritual liquid, and the pool of spiritual liquid in his dantian gradually filled by a third.
"At this rate, I can break through to the Peak Early Foundation Establishment within a month," Wentai thought with joy, and then took out the "Blood Shadow Heart Sutra" to read. Although the cultivation method was sinister, the methods of utilizing demonic energy recorded within might provide him with some reference; after all, on the path of immortality, knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in every battle.
As he was reading, a knock came from outside the cave mansion, and Su Qingyao's voice sounded: "Senior Brother, have you returned from your trial?"
Wentai opened the door of the cave mansion and saw Su Qingyao holding a food box, her eyes full of concern: "I heard you encountered many demonic cultivators, are you hurt?"
"Rest assured, I'm fine." Wentai smiled and welcomed her into the cave mansion. "I also harvested quite a few treasures, these are the Qi Condensation Pills for you." He took out a bottle of Qi Condensation Pills and handed them to Su Qingyao. "With these, you should have no problem breaking through to the 9th Layer of Qi Condensation."
Su Qingyao took the jade bottle, her face beaming with joy: "Thank you, Senior Brother! By the way, Master once said that after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, one can cultivate divine sense techniques. I found this "Clear Heart Technique" in the Scripture Pavilion, it should be useful to you."
Wentai took the cultivation method jade slip, probed his divine sense into it, and discovered that this was indeed a cultivation technique specifically for training divine sense, which could just make up for his shortcoming of insufficient divine sense. Warmth flooded his heart. Looking into Su Qingyao's bright eyes, he said solemnly, "Qingyao, thank you."
Su Qingyao's cheeks turned slightly red, and she lowered her head to say, "Senior Brother, you don't need to be so polite, we are naturally meant to support each other."
Moonlight spilled in through the window lattice of the cave mansion, illuminating the figures of the two. Wentai knew that Foundation Establishment was merely the beginning of the path of immortality; ahead lay even higher realms such as the Golden Core and Nascent Soul waiting for him. But as long as he had the companionship and support of the person by his side, no matter how many hardships and obstacles he might encounter, he had the confidence to overcome them one by one.
As the night grew deeper, the spiritual energy inside the cave mansion became increasingly rich. Wentai sat cross-legged, the incantations of the "Clear Heart Technique" flowing through his mind, and his divine sense grew slowly under the nourishment of spiritual energy, like a newly sprouted seedling. His true journey on the path of immortality had only just begun.