Chapter 59: Refining Starlight

Xiao Fan experienced another stroke of fortune, but Zhang Yunlu was by no means idle.

At 11:15 p.m., the Foundation Establishment Comprehensive Service Center, lobby.

Zhang Yunlu sat upright, before her eyes were several lines of golden text visible only to her.

【Name: Zhang Yunlu】

【Realm: Qi Refining Ninth Layer】

【Current Rank: Ninth】

【Eligible to Enter Trial Space】

After passing the first round of trials, she could enter the Trial Space at any time, no longer forced to wait passively during sleep as before.

Zhang Yunlu was not satisfied with the ninth rank.

She had entered this space before anyone else, giving her an advantage over all others.

But as soon as she engaged, she discovered her weakness—lack of familiarity with other types of cultivators.

Facing a body cultivator she had never fought before, a style utterly unlike sword cultivators, she suffered from inexperience and failed to adjust her tactics.

As a result, she spent too much time and dropped to ninth place.

So after defeating her opponent, she remained inside the Trial Space, testing herself against various types of cultivators.

Yet what haunted her most was that Qi Refining Eighth Layer sword cultivator who understood principle.

Though her realm was one level lower, Zhang Yunlu had been utterly powerless against her.

【Creation Dao Foundation…】

“Look, Xiao Lu—someone just finished the first step of the Talent Extraction Method!” Zhang Xiu’s tone held awe. “And he walked out standing!”

The golden text before Zhang Yunlu vanished; she followed her brother’s gaze.

A pale young man, staggering as he walked, was being supported by others—clearly exhausted—but everyone waiting in the lobby regarded him with respect.

To walk out standing after completing the Talent Extraction Method? This guy was a real hardass!

As if trying to preserve dignity, the man attempted to straighten up—but barely did so before letting out a cry of agony and nearly collapsing, saved only by those beside him.

“...”

Why are you even doing this? Just rest already.

The young man was carried away by his companions.

“Zhang Yunlu, Trial Room Nine, Talent Extraction Method.” A cold, crisp mechanical voice rang out.

“Good luck, Xiao Lu,” Zhang Xiu encouraged.

“Mm.”

With a slight nod, Zhang Yunlu rose and walked inside.

At the metal door around the corner, she withdrew her card and inserted it into a slot, then infused a trace of spiritual power into a device beside it.

“Authentication confirmed. Zhang Yunlu. Wishing you success in your Talent Extraction Method cultivation.” The mechanical voice offered a lifeless blessing.

Hss~ The metal door slowly opened; inside, a uniformed staff member awaited.

“Please follow me. You purchased the third-tier care service—I will monitor your condition throughout.” She smiled.

“Thank you.”

The staff member’s duty was to monitor the cultivator’s condition in real time and intervene immediately if anything went wrong.

For cultivators like Zhang Yunlu who purchased care service, if they vomited blood, lost bladder or bowel control, the staff would instantly heal them and clean up the mess.

In ancient times, this process was called “Guarding the Dao,” typically occurring between master and disciple, cultivation partners, or blood relatives—and it also included defending against external threats.

Now, the last part is no longer a concern; the Sword Sect’s Miscellaneous Affairs Hall may not be absolutely safe, but it far surpasses ordinary places.

For cultivators who did not purchase care service, staff would carry them to a stretcher only after they were out of immediate danger, then transport them through the back door to a rest room for family or companions to receive.

Following the staff member, Zhang Yunlu arrived at a circular, sealed chamber.

The walls were silver-gray; at the far end stood a control panel.

In the center rested a meditation cushion; intricate glowing patterns traced the floor—array runes. The room was cold.

Zhang Yunlu walked to the center and sat cross-legged upon the cushion.

Hummm! The ceiling above opened, revealing a starry sky like a black velvet cloth studded with diamonds—profound and mysterious.

The staff member stood before the control panel: “You may begin.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yunlu closed her eyes, summoned three-tenths of her spiritual power, and formed the “Star Fishing” seal with flawless familiarity.

The array activated instantly; thin, pale silver, ethereal threads appeared—Starlight! This step was easy for anyone to succeed at; the real challenge lay ahead.

She extended a tendril of her soul force, like tiny tentacles, gently wrapping around the descending starlight threads.

The moment her soul force touched the starlight, a tidal wave of agony surged through her body—her mind felt as if a saw had been driven into her skull, slicing back and forth relentlessly.

Qi Refining cultivators could summon only limited soul force, granting them just one chance.

Zhang Yunlu frowned slightly; for her, this pain remained within tolerable limits.

Withstanding the agony, she retracted her soul force—and simultaneously “harvested” the starlight into her body.

The silver threads around her, drawn by unseen force, slowly drifted toward the Chengjiang acupoint and merged within.

At this stage, the “harvesting” was nearly complete.

The harvested starlight began descending from Chengjiang, traveling along the Ren Meridian, passing through Xuanji, Zigong, Zhongtan, until reaching the Qihai acupoint.

This process was excruciating—as if countless small knives sliced repeatedly through her meridians, as if her body would split in two.

Even Zhang Yunlu, who died countless times each night and possessed extraordinary pain tolerance, clenched her teeth, lips turning white.

After a long half-minute, the starlight finally flowed through the Qihai acupoint into her spiritual sea, merging into the six-sided crystal within.

Huh~ She exhaled slowly.

“Guiding” and “Harvesting” were complete.

Next came “Refining”—the most agonizing step. Nine out of ten cultivators failed here; the least consequence was vomiting blood, the worst, loss of bladder and bowel control.

With one surge of will, Zhang Yunlu did not pause. Her hand seals shifted; she drew a thin strand of starlight from the spiritual sea, and as it entered, it fused instantly with her spiritual power.

Itch—every inch of her body itched, and the itch grew worse.

But soon, the itch turned to piercing pain—every part of her body ached. After a long while, the piercing pain slowly faded.

Not too painful.

According to the “Basic Talent Extraction Method,” she could now gradually increase the amount drawn, with pain intensifying until she could no longer endure—or until full refinement was achieved. But...

That was too slow! Zhang Yunlu shifted her hand seals again.

Crack!

The six-sided crystal storing the starlight shattered; streams of starlight rained down, forming nine vortices above her spiritual sea, sucking the starlight in.

“Nine Qi Talent Extraction Method!” Instantly, an indescribable agony flooded every corner of her body—each strand of flesh felt sliced open. Zhang Yunlu bit down hard, face turning deathly pale.

The agony nearly overwhelmed her, yet she clung fiercely to the last shred of clarity in her spiritual core.

Fainting meant all progress lost. The observing staff member was startled.

The Talent Extraction Method she used was extremely violent—dangerous indeed.

And violence meant speed.

Seconds later, Zhang Yunlu snapped open her eyes, but her body, drained of strength, collapsed sideways.

The staff member rushed forward, gently probing her condition with a thread of magic power.

Soon, she smiled: “Congratulations! You succeeded!”

Remarkable—she endured such a violent method without a single cry.

Please collect, please follow! Explanation: Foundation Establishment is crucial to later plot developments, so it’s described in detail.

The next two stages will be summarized briefly.

(End of Chapter)