Chapter 85: Foundation Establishment At Ancient Age |
To attempt Foundation Establishment, Lan Chang'an was essentially starting over.
This is beneficial for foundation building but not the most critical factor.
Having one foundation-building experience is not the same as having hundreds, and the cultivation method also differs.
His real confidence comes from the accumulation of this lifetime.
To ascend to Foundation Establishment, a cultivator must pass three trials.
The first trial is the physical body.
During foundation building, the influx of heaven and earth spiritual energy into the body imposes strict requirements on physical health and blood.
If the body has been seriously injured, leaving hidden ailments, or if the foundation is damaged, it leaves holes in the body. The influx of spiritual energy would put a greater burden on the body, reducing the efficiency of energy conversion.
Many cultivators fail in foundation building or even die from serious injuries because their bodies have flaws, and their blood vitality is not pure.
However, high-aged cultivators are not without chances.
If they have maintained their body well, avoided conflicts in their youth, and have a stable foundation, there is still hope.
In the cultivation world, a significant proportion of elderly cultivators advancing to the foundation stage practice wood-based techniques.
“In this lifetime, I have practiced Life-Nurturing Techniques, my body is flawless, and my blood vitality is at its peak.”
Lan Chang'an sat cross-legged on a stone bed, enduring the influx of violent heaven and earth spiritual energy.
He seemed like an impregnable fortress, remaining unmoved under the waves’ impact.
This trial is very stable!
...
The second trial is the mana.
Lan Chang'an practiced the Evergreen Technique, absorbing the Qi of the ages, taking one step at a time.
Restricted by the passage of time, he could not rely on pills to break through to a higher cultivation level, and thus rarely consumed them
“My mana is not strong, but it is extremely pure, almost without any impurities.”
The mana of a Qi-Refining cultivator is gaseous, while in the Foundation Establishment stage, it is liquid.
The higher the purity of mana, the easier it is to transform gas into liquid, achieving a substantial improvement.
In the Qi-Refining stage, taking too many pills or using breakthrough pills can lead to impure mana.
Mu Xiuyun’s failure to build the foundation was mainly due to the lack of a Foundation Establishment Pill, and she had taken breakthrough pills at the seventh layer of Qi-Refining, which affected her potential.
With the influx of heaven and earth spiritual energy, the pressure in Lan Chang'an’s dantian suddenly increased, and the Evergreen mana began to compress, with wisps of mana mist rising above the dantian.
“The mana trial is also very smooth.”
Lan Chang'an smiled calmly. Although the Evergreen Technique cultivates slowly, it adds some advantages for breaking through to higher realms!
Considering the mental state boost of this technique, it should also help in advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm and beyond in the future.
...
The third trial is the spiritual sense.
This is Lan Chang'an’s biggest advantage!
The Nine Seal Stele had bestowed upon him a soul far stronger than any ordinary cultivator. At the ninth layer of Qi-Refining, his spiritual sense surpasses the early Foundation Establishment stage of ordinary cultivators.
Spiritual sense helps in controlling mana, guiding the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and compressing mana into liquid.
This step is crucial.
“The three personal trials are nearly perfect.”
The amount of mana mist in Lan Chang'an’s dantian increased.
To transform this mana mist into liquid, it requires the cultivator's talent and external environment.
...
Besides the three personal trials, there are external requirements.
Firstly, a second-grade spiritual vein.
In such an environment, the “spiritual pressure” is stronger, which helps in foundation building.
If a cultivator could break through anywhere without needing a spiritual vein site, then rogue cultivators would have it too easy, and no one would aspire to join major powers The "wealth, companionship, techniques, and land" would become mere decorations.
Major sects and cultivation forces control spiritual vein sites, which is a crucial step in monopolizing resources.
Secondly, the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Actually, the Foundation Establishment Pill is not a necessity.
If one has a heavenly spiritual root, they can easily advance without the Foundation Establishment Pill.
With an earth spiritual root, there’s a fifty percent chance of advancing, higher than the boost provided by a top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill.
In theory, even with a poor spiritual root, there’s a slim chance of building the foundation without the pill.
The requirement of the Foundation Establishment Pill is a remedy for those with poorer aptitudes.
Its invention is a blessing for ordinary cultivators.
The core effect of the Foundation Establishment Pill is to enhance the absorption and conversion efficiency of the spiritual root towards heaven and earth spiritual energy, further compressing the mana.
As for protecting the meridians and dantian, that’s just an additional function.
“If I don’t use the Foundation Establishment Pill, I might still advance, but I would face certain resistance and wouldn’t be able to minimize the risks.”
Lan Chang'an noticed that the mana mist above his dantian wanted to transform into liquid but was somewhat sluggish, mainly due to his limited aptitude.
Reaching this step smoothly is already better than many with superior spiritual roots.
Lan Chang'an took a standard Foundation Establishment Pill.
A few breaths later.
The heaven and earth spiritual energy outside the cave residence suddenly accelerated, rushing in to form a vortex of spiritual energy with a diameter of dozens of zhang.
Above the dantian, the mist-like mana descended into crystal-like liquid mana.
...
“Someone is attempting to reach Foundation Establishment!”
“Looks like they've reached the critical stage.”
The unusual movement of heaven and earth spiritual energy attracted the attention of some cultivators in the cave residences near the foot of Huanglong Mountain.
The cave residences at the foot of Huanglong Mountain are for rent, and almost every year, some cultivators attempt foundation building or breakthrough here.
Attempting foundation building here is not uncommon, but those who succeed are still few.
Huanglong Immortal City has a large third-grade spiritual vein and many second-grade spiritual vein branches.
The same grade of spiritual veins also varies in size.
The second-grade spiritual vein of Bamboo Leaf Mountain is only medium to small, maintaining the second-rank formation and cultivation on the mountain.
Back then, when the Ning Family cultivator bought a Foundation Establishment Pill, the Huang family worried that attracting a large amount of heaven and earth spiritual energy would create weak points in the second-rank formation, causing disasters, and did not allow foundation building on the mountain.
In Huanglong Mountain, this problem does not exist.
Unless one is advancing to the Core Formation stage or nearly ten cultivators are building foundations simultaneously, it might cause an impact.
Lan Chang'an’s rented cave residence is on the edge of the mountain foot, about twenty or thirty li from the heart of Huanglong Mountain.
Outside the cave residence’s chamber.
A graceful female cultivator in a white dress sat outside the door for a whole month without leaving.
Zhao Siyao stayed here to protect Lan Chang'an.
First, to prevent outside cultivators from interfering with the foundation building.
At Huanglong Mountain, this possibility is low but cannot be ignored.
Secondly, if the breakthrough fails, there might be dangers that need immediate attention.
“Senior Zhao, please have some tea.”
Guan Qiaozhi kept pacing outside the chamber, serving tea and water.
Compared to Zhao Siyao’s calmness, her mood was more restless.
Guan Qiaozhi kept observing Zhao Siyao’s expression.
A month ago, Zhao Siyao’s expression was solemn, with a worried look.
Ten days ago, Zhao Siyao clenched her jade hand lightly, observing the spiritual energy situation above the cave residence in silence.
Until recently, Zhao Siyao’s brows relaxed, revealing a look of surprise.
“Senior Zhao, how is Senior Brother lan’s foundation building?” Guan Qiaozhi asked with concern.
“He has passed the first few checkpoints with ease. He only needs to take one last step to succeed.” Zhao Siyao was in a great mood.
Lan Chang'an’s foundation building has smoothly passed several important trials.
“Almost succeeded?”
Guan Qiaozhi’s beautiful eyes widened, with three parts joy and seven parts surprise.
In her imagination, Lan Chang'an’s attempt to build the foundation at seventy seemed hopeless.
Such an elderly person, even with the support of the Foundation Establishment Pill, would inevitably suffer from vitality loss, shaking the foundation, and affecting longevity.
Once failed, he probably wouldn’t live many years.
Although she had no ill intentions, this was the logical and normal script.
...
After several more days.
The vortex of heaven and earth spiritual energy above the cave residence began to emit a faint colorful glow and then gradually dissipated.
Inside the chamber, a surge of Foundation Establishment Realm pressure emerged.
That vigorous mana fluctuation exuded a breath of life like ancient trees in spring, bringing a wonderful fragrance.
“After fifty-two years of hard work, building the foundation at seventy is not too late.” A loud, cheerful laugh came from the chamber.
Guan Qiaozhi’s lovely face flushed, her legs wobbling.
“Fellow Daoist Zhao, you don’t need to stay outside to protect me. Let’s talk after I come out.” Lan Chang'an’s voice came out.
After advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage, he consolidated his realm while quickly restraining his aura.
The Evergreen Technique’s aura-concealing ability can hide him from cultivators nearly one great realm above him.
A Fake-Dan definitely wouldn't notice anything.
With two layers of second-rank formation protection, as long as he restrained his spiritual sense and didn’t interact closely with a Core Formation Realm Immortal or was deliberately probed, it’s not easy to notice any abnormality.
“Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Lan for successfully building his foundation!" Zhao Siyao's eyes, clear and bright like stars, shone with unprecedented cheerfulness, dispelling the gloom that had hung over them for the past two years.
The corners of her eyes were moist, her heart was excited and joyful.
This important friend who had accompanied her in her cultivation for fifty years had finally crossed the most difficult hurdle.
Going forward, each other would still be able to support each other on the path of the Dao and continue for more than a hundred long years.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother Lan." Guan Qiaozhi sobbed, her tears falling to the ground. They were tears of joy.
As Lan Chang'an's concubine, this reaction was not unexpected; Zhao Siyao paid her no mind.
"In Foundation Establishment, one can live over two hundred years?" At this thought, Guan Qiaozhi's tears flowed even more copiously.
"Foundation Establishment succeeded?"
The cultivators living in immortal caves near the foot of Mount Huang were filled with envy or despondency.
Near the foot of Mount Huang, in Huanglong Square, lived Alchemist Hua, the renowned alchemist.
"Seventy years old and reached Foundation Establishment? How is that possible?" Master Hua, that thin man, stared at the faint cloud of auspiciousness above Lan Chang'an's cave as if he had seen a ghost. He knew Lan Chang'an had chosen to cultivate there, but unexpectedly, he never observed the "old geezer" fail dismally and harm his vital energy.
At the same time, within another immortal's cave at the foot of Mount Huang, Fu Xuemei gazed down at the dispersing spiritual energy and cloud of auspiciousness.
"Ancient age Foundation Establishment??" Her face, quiet and beautiful, was filled with disbelief. "Such an age... It seems to have broken Liang Kingdom's thousand-year-old record for the cultivation world."
(End of chapter)
T/N; Sorry for the delay, forgot to schedule the chapter + came home late
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