Chapter 31: The Fake Foundation Establishment of Nine-Layer Qi Refining

This arena must have been weakened—Chi Jiuyu propped her chin on one hand; the arenas at Dragon Elephant Soaring Heaven Sect were insulted far more harshly than this.

“Alright, here you go.” Xu Xing handed back her phone.

She took it and immediately opened the messaging app: “Uncle, did you explain things to Master?”

“I did.”

“Huh? Where’s the chat history?”

The chat interface was frozen on the message Master had sent right after she’d sent her silly emoji.

“Your Master told me to delete the chat history—she’ll deal with you when you get back.”

She’s even afraid her own disciple will see it—what exactly did you two talk about?

Wait—

“Uncle, you said you explained things to my Master!”

“That’s right.”

“Then why is she still going to punish me?!”

“What did you just call me?” Xu Xing suddenly asked.

“Uncle.”

“Then what is your Master to me?”

“She’s your senior sister…”

Xu Xing looked at her with the gaze of someone staring at a foolish child.

“So why would you think your senior sister would listen to me, her junior brother?”

“….”

That made perfect sense—I couldn’t refute it.

Chi Jiuyu fell silent, but for some reason, she felt Uncle was just pulling her leg.

Xu Xing smiled and turned his gaze back to the arena.

After Zhang Yunlu demonstrated her perfected sword art in her match against Fang Lin, no one dared challenge her anymore.

Unless something unexpected happens, she’ll surely be the top scorer of this Combat Trial.

This was undoubtedly beyond what many had expected.

After all, before this Combat Trial, Zhang Yunlu’s performance, while decent, still fell short of the top tier.

Just as most believed this Combat Trial would yield no further surprises…

Another figure appeared in the crowd’s view—someone riding a flying sword, his true energy dense and heavy, its quality far surpassing Qi Refining spiritual power.

Flying on a sword—Foundation Establishment! There’s a Foundation Establishment cultivator among this year’s students!

“It’s Xiao Fan!”

“Xiao Fan? You mean the one whose brother joined Dragon Elephant Soaring Heaven Sect before the college entrance exam? But wasn’t he only just Qi Refining ninth layer?”

“His brother must’ve given him some treasure.”

Unmoved by the gossip, Xiao Fan fixed his gaze on Zhang Yunlu.

Zhang Yunlu tightened her grip on her sword slightly.

A Foundation Establishment opponent—she had no confidence at all—but that didn’t mean she’d surrender outright.

The next instant, Xiao Fan dove down on his sword—Zhang Yunlu braced herself, not daring to let her guard slip for a moment.

But… Xiao Fan didn’t stop before her—he flew straight past and landed on the second-largest arena.

Whoo! The audience erupted—voices exploded in chaos.

You’re Foundation Establishment—and you’re afraid to fight a Qi Refining cultivator?

Yet Xiao Fan ignored them completely, sitting cross-legged on the arena to meditate.

In a corner of the audience seats, a middle-aged couple stared anxiously at Xiao Fan on the arena.

…………

“Fake Foundation Establishment.”

On the judging panel, the principal saw through Xiao Fan’s true nature.

This Xiao Fan had used Breakthrough Spirit Elixir to force his way into Fake Foundation Establishment—this explained why he didn’t challenge Zhang Yunlu.

A Fake Foundation Establishment facing a Qi Refining ninth layer cultivator who mastered perfected sword art—no one could predict the outcome. “Wasn’t he just Qi Refining ninth layer? Why use this method to establish his foundation?” Yu Ming frowned.

Fake Foundation Establishment was a path only those with no hope of true Foundation Establishment would choose—but Xiao Fan, at Qi Refining ninth layer, clearly didn’t belong in that category. Such a self-sabotaging act…

“Not long ago, a group of Dragon Elephant Soaring Heaven Sect cultivators withdrew from the Starfield Battlefield—some were severely wounded, and Xiao Fan’s older brother was among them. He’s still unconscious,” the mayor’s secretary explained.

Whether to enter the Starfield Battlefield was entirely voluntary—no one was forced, so risks were borne by the individual.

Clearly, Xiao Fan had taken the Breakthrough Spirit Elixir to qualify for this Combat Trial’s prize—to raise the medical funds.

“What a pity…” Yu Ming sighed.

He couldn’t say much about such matters.

His future path was severed—he must be suffering deeply inside.

…………

Fake Foundation Establishment? Indeed, astonishing.

Xu Xing stared at Xiao Fan on the arena, his gaze seeming to pierce through his body, seeing the delicate, illusory Dao foundation within his dantian.

The previous blond was too weak—he’d taken the Breakthrough Spirit Elixir at Qi Refining seventh layer.

But Xiao Fan was different—he was Qi Refining ninth layer.

Forming a Dao foundation at Qi Refining ninth layer using Breakthrough Spirit Elixir, though wasteful, still left a trace of the wondrous aura of a true Dao foundation.

Qi Refining seventh layer was inherently incomplete, yet with that trace of wondrous aura, it could still form a foundation—how could this not be considered another kind of ‘seizing the creative power of heaven and earth’?

“What a pity.”

Though Xiao Fan retained a trace of the wondrous Dao foundation aura, incomplete was still incomplete—he could advance no further. His fragile foundation could never bear the weight of a Golden Core.

Even attempting to abandon his cultivation and restart would be difficult—though fragile, his foundation was of extremely high grade; destroying it would be like detonating a fragment of a true Dao foundation inside his body.

Even with a Dao-Union cultivator guarding him, survival would likely leave him crippled, with only a sliver of chance he’d remain unharmed.

Still, Lingyin Workshop’s research had some merit—perhaps they might eventually uncover a solution.

This young man could be observed more closely in the future.

Beside Xu Xing, Chi Jiuyu was arguing fiercely online.

It started with a post.

【Help! I’ve just established my Foundation—what should I specialize in next?】

It included a special admission notice from the Zhengdao Alliance University.

As a passionate cultivator, Chi Jiuyu gave the answer she believed to be correct.

Future Master of the Sword Sect: “Of course Sword Cultivation! Sword cultivators are cool and strong—isn’t cultivation all about flying on swords and immortality? /wink”

Below were replies, but the first two were actually Chi Jiuyu’s alternate accounts.

Next Master of the Sword Sect: “Yeah yeah, I think Sword Cultivation’s best too.”

Destiny’s Master of the Sword Sect: “Sword cultivators are unbeatable at the same level—dare to fight me?”

Quietly Cultivating Xiao Zhao: “You three upstairs—why don’t you fight each other first? /nose-picking”

Quietly Cultivating Xiao Zhao: “You should choose our Artificer path—contemplate heaven and earth, command the cosmos, wield divine arts to subdue the world, transform all things, gather infinite power into one body, master the great Dao of the universe.”

Future Master of the Sword Sect: “All that talk—and you’re still just a fragile paper doll that dies to one sword slash. /nose-picking”

Quietly Cultivating Xiao Zhao: “Hah, are you any different from those muscle-brained brutes?”

Evergreen (Accepting Alchemy Orders): “No, sword cultivators are still prettier than body cultivators.”

Can That Stupid Arena in Our Sect Be Taken Down? (Wanted: Dragon Elephant Pill): “…”

Seriously, even lying down gets you shot—when will body cultivators ever stand up?

Future Master of the Sword Sect: “A fragile paper-doll alchemist still dares to judge?”

Qingyue Talisman (Wholesale, PM for details): “Laughable—would you dare say that to your own Cauldron Elder?”

Future Master of the Sword Sect: “A fragile paper-tossing alchemist—still alive?”

……

Chi Jiuyu, single-handedly, argued with every cultivator profession, switching between three accounts, and with sheer typing speed, held her ground.

Among them were Artificers belittling Body Cultivators, and all cultivators looking down on the Celestial Dao cultivators of the Joyful Sect.

Eventually, the original poster, terrified, deleted the thread—only then did Chi Jiuyu reluctantly put away her phone, still craving more.

Please collect, please follow!! (End of Chapter)