[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-borrowing-the-sword":3,"chapter-borrowing-the-sword-borrowing-the-sword-chapter-52":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Borrowing the Sword",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2214617,3888,"Chapter 52: Foundation Establishment Twelve","borrowing-the-sword-chapter-52",52,"\u003Cp>Foundation Establishment Twelve\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cultivation path of the Langhuan Zhou Tian follows the Yin-Yang Five Elements Dao Ancestor, a long-standing lineage inherited from the old universe. The six major realms of Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Cave Heaven, and Dao Ancestor have gone through thousands of tribulations without any changes. The changes in each realm have long been thoroughly understood by the masters and written into the classics. Although in the eyes of others, Ruan Ci is just a tool cultivator, Tianlu has told her a lot about these common sense of the cultivation world, and she has also searched for a lot of knowledge from Diwu Cang's soul. She knows that the jade pool is as wide as a lake, which is not very rare in the Sheng Sect, but this twelve-layer Dao foundation is truly unheard of. Whether it is Tianlu or Diwu Cang, they have never heard of anyone whose Dao foundation exceeds nine layers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diwu Cang is one thing, but Tianlu is extremely learned. Whether it is the size of the Shangqing Sect's affairs or the strange things in the Langhuan Zhou Tian, he talks about them freely, as if he had swallowed an entire library into his belly. If he doesn't know, then it probably doesn't exist. According to Ruan Ci, there shouldn't be any cultivators who dare to cast their Dao foundation above nine layers. You know, the nine-layer Foundation Establishment is already very difficult, and it is almost impossible to succeed without special opportunities. For example, Diwu Cang, as a Sheng Sect disciple, is valued by the Old Ancestor, and the external medicine bestowed during Foundation Establishment is of top quality, but even so, there is still a little bit missing in the dark, and he cannot touch the edge of the ninth layer, finally only stopping at the eight-story high platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Heavenly Record, not every cultivation disciple who forges a nine-layered Dao foundation can reach the Jin Dan stage. This is the same principle as the size of the Jade Pool. The Dao foundation forged during Foundation Establishment is merely a phantom image; a cultivator must condense Qi into spiritual energy, bit by bit filling the high platform, transforming the virtual into the real. Only when the Primordial Spirit ascends upon it, receiving the jade dew of heaven and earth, and condensing the spiritual energy into pure essence to form a core, does one cross the threshold from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Jin Dan stage. Furthermore, the amount of spiritual energy required for each additional layer of the high platform is not the same, especially for the seventh, eighth, and ninth layers. For these three, every time one ascends a level, the spiritual energy required is at least the sum of all previous levels, if not more. Even the cultivator themselves cannot know the exact number; they can only continue to cultivate until the high platform is full, which is when the Dao foundation is considered complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For cultivators in the last three layers, the amount of Qi required is so huge, but spiritual energy is not infinite, and cultivators cannot rely solely on the absorption and transformation of spiritual energy. At this stage, if you don't want to be left behind by your peers, there is always a lot of external medicine to supplement. Otherwise, those six-layer and seven-layer Foundation Establishment cultivators have already condensed Golden Cores, while eight-layer and nine-layer cultivators are still in the Foundation Establishment period. Then, when they reach the Golden Core stage, they will be one step behind, and they will be restricted everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is also because of this that although a high platform is good, the nine-layer Foundation Establishment is said to have unexpected benefits when advancing from Nascent Soul to Cave Heaven, but those small sect disciples, even if their aptitude is reached, do not have the courage to try. If the Foundation Establishment layer is too high and the sect's resources cannot keep up, they will be trapped in the Foundation Establishment period for many years, delaying their cultivation, not to mention that there are separate obstacles for nine-layer disciples when advancing to Golden Core and Nascent Soul. Without the guidance of predecessors, it is very easy to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianlu couldn't explain clearly how to cast a nine-layer high platform, but he was very sure of one point: if there is a trace of doubt or cowardice in your heart, you will definitely not be able to ascend to the ninth layer. Ruan Ci also understands those cautious and mature disciples. If she had a choice, she would never cast a nine-layer one. Isn't eight layers good? It can also be looked up to by others. As for advancing from Nascent Soul to Cave Heaven, even Xie Yanhuan hasn't done it, so she never thought she could achieve it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, the jade hairpin transformed by the Donghua Sword in her hair suddenly jumped lightly, as if expressing dissatisfaction. Ruan Ci couldn't help but be slightly stunned. She had obtained the sword for more than ten years, and before she only refined it to be as she wished, but she couldn't feel the sword's emotions. Unexpectedly, after entering the Foundation Establishment period, the connection with the Donghua Sword also deepened a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pulled out her jade hairpin and, with a shift of her mind, transformed the Donghua Sword into a long sword. She tried to pull it out, but was still unable to draw the blade, so she had to give up. According to the Heavenly Record, it is almost impossible for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to draw the sword from its scabbard. At the Foundation Establishment stage, disciples mainly use spiritual energy rather than spiritual essence. Spiritual energy is not pure enough; it might not even be able to activate the inherent restrictions of the Donghua Sword. Even Xie Yan and Wang Panpan had mentioned by chance that she herself was only able to draw the sword from its scabbard upon reaching the Jin Dan stage, though she rarely used it to face enemies. Her own cultivation base was already hard to find a match for among cultivators of the same rank, and as the first disciple of the Shangqing Sect, everyone would yield a step wherever she went; there were no opponents worthy of her using the Donghua Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This attempt failed, so she found a hairpin and inserted it into her hair. With a thought, she transformed the Donghua Sword into a jade bracelet and kept rubbing it on her hand. The Donghua Sword transmitted a light emotion, as if it was very comfortable being rubbed, and the pure spiritual energy it fed back to Ruan Ci was also more than before. I don't know if this is a natural change after Foundation Establishment, or because she has repeatedly traveled back and forth with Qingjun, stained with Qingjun's aura, and invisibly deepened the connection with the Donghua Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you look down on my heart?\" She muttered in her brain, not knowing if the Donghua Sword could understand, \"Do you like sword envoys like Xie Sister, who compete for everything and are duty-bound?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Donghua Sword heated up slightly, as if affirming Ruan Ci's words. As a Donghua sword envoy, yet not even having the ambition to become a Cave Heaven Old Ancestor, this seemed to have lost the Donghua Sword's face. Ruan Ci couldn't help but laugh and thought, \"Good, good, you like Xie Sister. In the future, I will return you to her properly. Now you help me practice first. If I cannot protect myself, in the future you will have no sword envoy to sacrifice and refine, and I think you will be sad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought well, but she didn't change her ambition because of this, and didn't make a vow to become a Cave Heaven Old Ancestor. In Ruan Ci's view, although the Donghua Sword is a Great Dao spiritual treasure, its power and supernatural powers are not something she can imagine now, but she didn't even have any awe in front of Qingjun, so how could she listen to a sword's opinion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Donghua Sword seemed to be able to see through her most secret thoughts, and this secret thought could not be hidden from it. It transmitted a sense of disdain, and then suddenly input a stream of spiritual energy. The wave was so large that it almost broke the jade pool. Ruan Ci hurriedly sat cross-legged and refined the spiritual energy according to the mental method recorded in the *Qinghua Secret Records*. She relied on the *Yin Jun Yi Huan Dan Ge Zhu* to break through the barrier, but she still relied on the *Qinghua Secret Records* to refine spiritual energy on weekdays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the Donghua Sword transmitted spiritual energy at an extremely fast speed. Ruan Ci exerted her magic power to the fullest, but could only barely refine it. Seeing the Jade Pool water filling up, she managed to refine a trace of essence from the spiritual liquid in the Jade Pool to fill the Dao foundation high platform. The Donghua Sword's momentum of transmitting spiritual energy did not cease, so Ruan Ci had to focus all her spirit to refine it with all her might. Unknowingly, she entered a state of forgetting both object and self. By the time she came to her senses, the spiritual energy scattered throughout her limbs and bones had been completely refined. The Donghua Sword no longer transmitted spiritual energy, the Jade Pool was half-full of spiritual liquid, and of the twelve-layered Heaven-Ascending Platform in the pool, the first layer was originally a physical object, while the rest were all phantom images. At this moment, amidst the flickering spiritual light, a small piece of the second layer transformed from virtual to real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a cultivator establishes their foundation, they can naturally abstain from grain, and their control over their own body and surroundings is much stronger than in the Qi Refining period. Ruan Ci forgot both things and self when entering meditation. At this moment, with a thought, she naturally knew that she had been in seclusion for more than a month. She calculated the time required to fill the second layer of the high platform and couldn't help but change her face, \"Diwu Cang spent twenty years to condense the first layer of the high platform, but his speed of refining spiritual energy is not as fast as mine. According to my current speed, the first layer only takes ten years, and the second layer takes at least twenty years. And each layer is more than the previous one. After the sixth layer, each layer of spiritual energy is at least the sum of all the previous high platforms, and I, I have, I have twelve layers...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the time required for this cultivation, her eyes went dark, and she almost didn't fall down. \"If I maintain the current cultivation speed, assuming each layer takes ten years more than the previous one, then it will take two hundred and seventy years for me to cultivate to the sixth layer, five hundred and forty years to cultivate to the seventh layer, one thousand and eighty years for the eighth layer... This, one layer of the Foundation Establishment period high platform extends life by two hundred years. The Qi Refining period cultivates a Flawless Golden Body, and the longest life is three hundred years. The longest life of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is two thousand one hundred years. Those nine-layer cultivators, if they don't use any external medicine, it is very difficult to cultivate to the ninth layer perfection even if their life is exhausted. Not to mention that I still have the Donghua Sword inputting spiritual energy, which is very pure, and I can refine it a little and merge it into the jade pool. They don't have such conditions and have to slowly refine and extract spiritual liquid from the heaven and earth spiritual energy, which is more work...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I don't use the mind cultivation method, how can I ascend to the twelve-layer high platform before my life is exhausted?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition to the shock, thousands of thoughts flashed by. In many troubles, Ruan Ci was still most concerned about this one, \"Even if I have infinite life, how terrifying is it for me to sit cross-legged in this quiet room for sixteen thousand years to form a core? These sixteen thousand years, I am equivalent to not having lived! All the life I have cultivated is in seclusion. Then what is the meaning of my cultivation? Don't I become a human puppet that refines spiritual energy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the twelve-layer high platform, even if she is willing to practice, there is no Foundation Establishment cultivator who can live for more than ten thousand years. This matter must be solved. Ruan Ci believes that the sect also has a way, at least to greatly reduce the time she practices. After all, Qin Fengyu is a nine-layer cultivator, and she reached the peak of Foundation Establishment in more than eight hundred years—Ruan Ci only then knew that she was not practicing slowly, or that Wang True Person was stingy and didn't cultivate her. Nine-layer cultivators can reach the peak of Foundation Establishment in more than eight hundred years. Qin Fengyu is really a genius, and Wang True Person must have spent a lot of effort to cultivate her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ruan Ci still had a trace of doubt about Wang True Person's decision to choose Qin Fengyu for cultivation, this had nothing to do with her. This twelve-layer Foundation Establishment, it seems, can only fall on Wang True Person. At least Ruan Ci herself had no clue. The sixteen thousand years she envisioned were actually the most ideal situation. It is very likely that these three extra layers are not just simply that each layer is the sum of all the previous layers, but there are some other strange considerations. And Ruan Ci, even if she can find many time-based spiritual objects, dare not abuse the *Yin Jun Yi Huan Dan Ge Zhu* again. Not to mention the soul karma, compared to dying of old age, she fears the virtual number backlash that Qingjun warned about more. She is not afraid of death, only afraid of dying without a result. This point has not changed from before she cultivated the Dao until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she still didn't know how to pass this threshold, after worshipping under the master, this would be Wang True Person's problem, so Ruan Ci put aside her worries, drew spiritual energy again, and went into seclusion for another two or three months. Only then did she collect her breath, shake the silver bell, summon He Tong, and instructed, \"Send a letter to Linggu Peak, saying that I have successfully established my foundation. Now I am going to the Purple Void Heaven to see the True Person, and then go to Linggu Peak to register and offer incense. Please take care of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the rules of the Shangqing Sect, Qi Refining disciples are not assigned errands, but after Foundation Establishment, they must immediately inform the sect to re-register. After that, the monthly allowance should be raised, and they must also be sent out to handle affairs. For most outer sect disciples, the monthly allowance is indispensable, and going out to train is something they are eager for. But some Cave Heaven disciples don't lack spiritual materials and medicines, and are afraid of getting involved in disputes after going out, so they refuse to inform the sect for a long time after Foundation Establishment, hiding in the Cave Heaven to practice wholeheartedly. The sect cannot tolerate this kind of behavior, and has its own way of verification. Unless you never go to Linggu Peak, or establish your foundation outside the sect for some reason, otherwise delaying registration will be severely punished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Ruan Ci, who didn't go to Linggu Peak first, but went to the Purple Void Heaven to see the True Person, it was actually a slight violation of the rules. He Tong couldn't help but want to speak but stopped, but Ruan Ci had great prestige, and he didn't dare to persuade her, knowing that the Young Lady had her own ideas. He hurriedly knelt down to congratulate Ruan Ci on her Foundation Establishment, and summoned the remaining servants. Everyone was happy and said, \"The Young Lady established her foundation in ten years of Qi Refining, which is very rare in the sect. We are really lucky to be able to follow the Young Lady. The day of ascending to heaven is just around the corner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Ci had already established her foundation, and it was not a problem to choose a day to protect the servants and open their meridians. She also knew that the master was happy, so she should reward the whole mansion. However, she was eager to see the True Person in the Purple Void Heaven, so this kind of thing was not urgent. She smiled and accepted the congratulations, and asked, \"Where is Panpan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Tong had already gone to arrange for the letter, and Li Ji said, \"The cat went to the wild forest to play. The slave will go and call her back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This little Panpan had rough cultivation, and most of the time her sensing of spiritual energy was not careful enough, so she probably didn't think Ruan Ci would establish her foundation so quickly. Ruan Ci was in seclusion, so she went everywhere to play, and only came home every few days. Li Ji went out to call her, and the black and white pattern ran back from the wild mountains, meowing all the way into the cave, \"How did you establish your foundation so quickly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Panpan was so surprised that Ruan Ci felt a bit proud in her heart. Her mouth curled up, and Wang Panpan meowed and jumped around her, \"Hurry, hurry, let me see how many layers you established!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Ci had already used the magic weapon sent by Tianlu to send a message, asking him to drive the carriage to pick her up. Hearing this, she pondered for a while, and looked at Li Ji and the others. All the servants knew the opportunity and retreated. Even if they hadn't opened their meridians, they didn't dare to get involved in suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the followers of the Nine Kingdoms were not much worse in aptitude than the Three Kingdoms of Southern Zhuzhou. Even if they hadn't opened their meridians, some of them could vaguely look at the momentum with the naked eye. Ruan Ci cast a spell of magic power and activated the array in the hall. Wang Panpan couldn't help but meow and laugh, \"Are you afraid of losing face because your Foundation Establishment layer is too low—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she finished speaking, her cat eyes couldn't help but widen, her body stood up, and her tail exploded into a big duster. She stared at Ruan Ci and couldn't come back to her senses for a long time, until a chill came out, and she said in horror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This... how is this possible... Foundation Establishment twelve, you, you, you... you ate that treasure gourd, did you—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you know that Foundation Establishment twelve is, is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Panpan stammered, actually a bit timid. After repeating it several times, she still couldn't say it. Her cat eyes gradually turned red. Suddenly she let out a 'woo' sound, turned and jumped out of the small hall, rushed into Ruan Ci's bedroom, dived under the bed, and refused to come out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Updated, sorry for the long wait, everyone. I'll be sending out red envelopes for this chapter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did I do the math wrong? Did I get the number of years for Foundation Establishment twelve wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ate rice noodle takeout at noon today. Hey, the kitchen sewer in my house is blocked again. This house is good in everything, but the sewer is poorly done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I've been watching *Han Hou* on this site these past few days, and it's also quite good. It can be considered a war novel that I can accept. Although I think some parts of the war are written in a fantasy way, it's cool enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>. Thanks to the little angels who cast overlord votes or irrigated nutrient solution for me between 2020-08-11 11:54:25 and 2020-08-12 11:56:10~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the little angels who cast rocket launchers: The Lychee That Had Its Account Stolen (2);\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the little angels who cast hand grenades: Li Xianxian, Mountain Wind (1);\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the little angels who cast landmines: The Lychee That Had Its Account Stolen, PandaL, Zhen, Yu Wanyao, Time's Delusion, truedfy, Shao Xia, fengyuanwe, Xi Yue (1);\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the little angels who irrigated nutrient solution: Li Xianxian (80 bottles); Xiao Yan, rabbitjean (20 bottles); Wa Wang Wang (10 bottles); Mo, Spring Water Dingdong, xiaoxiao (5 bottles); 18205385, Shake Shake~, baby Le Yao (1 bottle);\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard! ===== CHAPTER 57 =====\u003C\u002Fp>",3541,"2026-06-17T08:48:53.797Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","2d085d36805b6a62c6e959ddefdd2d22ab8bf088bf0950e913729b0e5f530da1","borrowing-the-sword-chapter-53","borrowing-the-sword-chapter-51",286,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fborrowing-the-sword-cover.jpg"]