Chapter 93: Mighty Soul Transformation, Reactions Everywhere!

A few more days passed, yet it felt like an instant.

Xiao Zhangqing suddenly snapped out of a mysterious state, his eyes opening, a flash of brilliance flashing, and the spiritual pressure unique to the Foundation Establishment Realm spread outward in all directions.

It seemed to be the aura of a higher being, causing the two Lin sisters, who had been guarding the cultivation chamber for over half a month, to suddenly feel an immense pressure, their hearts trembling, nearly unable to keep their legs steady and kneeling.

"What is this..."

The sisters exchanged a glance, staring at each other, each seeing the other's speculation in their eyes.

Such a powerful aura could not possibly belong to a Qi Refining Realm cultivator!

Lord, he really succeeded in foundation establishment?!

At that moment, a hearty laugh echoed from within the cultivation chamber.

"After crossing for over ten years, this mortal body, now forty‑eight, has finally established the foundation!"

Xiao Zhangqing felt immense exhilaration, a surge of heroic spirit.

After years of cautious, low‑key conduct in Nanshan Fang, he finally reaped a reward! Having forged the foundation of the Dao, he has at last risen out of the lowest ranks of the Cultivation World, truly distinguishing himself from ordinary mortals.

From now on, the vast Cultivation World can be roamed freely.

Unlike when he was in the Qi Refining Realm, when fear of the outside kept him from venturing into unknown territories, lacking confidence in his own strength.

Any cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm, upon arriving at any cultivation market in Da Yu's Cultivation World, can be called a 'big shot'.

Even in large immortal cities, a foundation cultivator can barely be considered a top figure, at least not someone easily bullied.

In the foremost Golden Core sects, foundation cultivators can also hold elder positions.

Moreover, Xiao Zhangqing is far from an ordinary Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator.

Although he has only just broken through the Foundation Establishment Realm, due to his Earth‑spirit root, Xiao Zhangqing's gains are far greater than those of ordinary cultivators! His internal magical energy becomes more viscous and purer! Perhaps ordinary cultivators need seven or eight years, even a decade of arduous cultivation after foundation to achieve the purity he now possesses.

Having taken no Foundation Pill and relying solely on his own breakthrough, Xiao Zhangqing feels his 'foundation' is sturdier than that of cultivators who used a Foundation Pill! Such a root is profoundly subtle, perhaps impossible to manifest clearly through strength alone.

Yet during future cultivation, he will often sense it.

For example, among the cultivators of Nanshan Fang, there were as many as six foundation cultivators, but before Cao Hao, all were in the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.

Even several elderly cultivators who had been at foundation for decades never broke into the mid‑stage of foundation!

The reason is that their breakthrough of foundation was already strained; even after taking a Foundation Pill, they endured countless hardships, barely passing, their roots too weak, making the small hurdle of breaking into the mid‑stage of foundation a near‑impossible task for them.

But when Xiao Zhangqing later seeks to break into the mid‑stage of foundation, the bottleneck will be minimal, almost nonexistent.

All that is needed is patient grinding, gradual accumulation of time, and eventually the breakthrough will come naturally, like water finding its channel.

As for the amplification of his Soul Transformation, it also exceeded Xiao Zhangqing's expectations.

Without the Dragon Caging Bracelet's boost, his Soul Transformation already extended to a full forty‑two zhang; with the bracelet's skill doubling it, that becomes eighty‑four zhang! This is only attainable by Golden Core Realm cultivators, since a Golden Core Initial Stage cultivator's Soul Transformation is only about a hundred zhang!

Xiao Zhangqing cannot confirm yet, but he predicts that, with his current use of the Dragon Roar Technique, the vast majority of late‑stage foundation cultivators would certainly be unable to withstand it!

It is enough to threaten a Golden Core Realist! "Lifespan should exceed two hundred years!"

Xiao Zhangqing sensed the condition of his mortal body.

It may be due to his Earth‑spirit root, or perhaps because he did not take a Foundation Pill; the benefits of breaking through foundation extend beyond magical power and spiritual awareness, and Xiao Zhangqing's lifespan also surpasses that of ordinary foundation cultivators.

He can clearly sense that, if he maintains himself properly and avoids severe injury to his source, living beyond two hundred years poses no problem.

The upper limit for ordinary foundation cultivators is one hundred eighty years.

"No, it could also be because of the Longevity Technique."

Xiao Zhangqing pondered this in his heart.

Although the Longevity Technique is the most widely circulated foundational method in the Cultivation World, it can even occasionally be seen in the Mortal World.

When Xiao Zhangqing was a mortal prince, his ascent to the Dao was thanks to discovering this cultivation method, the Longevity Technique.

For some unknown reason, this technique spread so widely.

But it must be said, this technique is indeed not inferior; its magical power, cultivation speed, entry difficulty, and ceiling all lack shortcomings.

Moreover, its name 'Longevity' is not a fanciful illusion about the cultivation path; the technique genuinely aids in extending lifespan when breaking through great realms!

Xiao Zhangqing knows nothing else about other places.

But in Da Yu's Cultivation World, records estimate that three out of ten cultivators who practice the Longevity Technique!

It's not only Scattered Cultivators; even some cultivation families and sects have disciples who choose to practice the Longevity Technique.

After a brief joy, Xiao Zhangqing gathered his thoughts, adapting to the changes after foundation; with a single thought, he withdrew the spiritual pressure and powerful Soul Transformation belonging to the Foundation Establishment Realm, relieving the two Lin sisters outside the door of the oppressive pressure.

"Ziyu, Zixi, you may go attend to your own matters now," Xiao Zhangqing said, smiling as he transmitted his voice.

The Lin sisters, though already having guessed the outcome,

Lin Ziyu still couldn't help but ask tremblingly, "Lord, have you... have you completed the breakthrough?"

Xiao Zhangqing replied, "Of course. If anyone comes to visit during this period, I will not see them. I will now close off for a while to consolidate my cultivation." The two sisters immediately burst into tears of joy and embraced each other.

Beyond their sincere happiness for Xiao Zhangqing, with their lord becoming a foundation cultivator, the sisters, as concubines, will naturally reap endless benefits and enjoy greater security in the future.

Sensing the sisters' excitement outside, Xiao Zhangqing gave a slight smile.

Is this the end? For many Qi Refining cultivators, foundation is the ultimate goal; achieving it once in a lifetime brings no regrets and suffices.

But for Xiao Zhangqing,

Foundation is merely a threshold! Crossing it leads to a true boundless sea where fish leap and a sky where birds freely soar! Not speaking of farther horizons, even now he can equip the 'Longevity Stone Fragment'!

The two major skills of the Longevity Stone Fragment have long enticed him, stirring his heart.

"Let me see how wondrous 'External Avatar' and 'Nightmare Technique' truly are!"

Focusing his mind, he opened the inventory; the Longevity Stone Fragment wrapped by the Demon-breaking Talisman and the Spirit‑Stabilizing Talisman appeared in his hand.

"Equip!"

Xiao Zhangqing let out a low shout.

…

…

"Auspicious clouds shroud. Xiao Symbol Master, did he really succeed in establishing the Foundation?"

Ruan Qingzhu of the No. 1 "Yi" cave gazed far at the celestial phenomenon over Cave Jia‑1, feeling beyond words how envious they were.

Not long ago, Xiao Symbol Master was still asking her and Zhu Pill Master how to purchase a Foundation‑establishing pill. They had assumed that when Taohua Fang was suddenly invaded by Evil Cultivators, Xiao Symbol Master would have no short‑term hope of establishing the Foundation and would have to wait like them.

Yet who knew it would breakthrough so quickly.

At this moment, her son Ruan Bufan ran over, excited and thrilled, and asked: "Mother, the auspicious clouds have appeared; does that mean Xiao Symbol Master has successfully entered the Foundation Establishment Realm?"

Ruan Qingzhu nodded and said: "He succeeded. Nanshan Fang has produced another Foundation establisher."

Ruan Bufan clapped his hand hard, excitedly saying: "Xiao Symbol Master truly lives up to being Nanshan Fang's number one, a model for countless cultivators! A low‑grade spiritual root Foundation, the second such case in the Cultivation World of Da Yu in over four hundred years! Truly remarkable!"

Ruan Qingzhu looked at her son with amusement; he usually worries her and always likes to oppose her. This was the first time she saw him admire someone so much.

"Xiao Symbol Master saved your life, but just remember the gratitude; you don't have to be closer to Xiao Symbol Master than to me, right? If in the future I also have a chance to establish the Foundation, I don't think you'll be as excited as today." Ruan Qingzhu said.

Ruan Bufan's expression grew cold at the words, muttering: "Do you still have the resolve to establish the Foundation now?"

He is very annoyed by Pill Master Zhu Youlong, who relentlessly chases his mother, thinking the other is a toad wanting to eat swan meat, and doesn't consider his own age or how many years he has left.

If it were Xiao Symbol Master courting his mother, he wouldn't be so resentful; he might even be glad to see it.

He always feels that his mother was dragged down; she was originally a promising disciple of Baihua Valley, but because he was demoted, she lost her prospects.

He wants his mother to remember his status, not to look down on him, for example by taking an old man like Zhu Youlong.

If his mother could be with someone like Xiao Symbol Master—a Second‑rank Talisman Master, a Foundation cultivator, capable of slaying late‑stage Second‑rank evil spirits—her value wouldn't drop; instead Baihua Valley would look at her anew and re‑recruit her.

But he doesn't know how to express these thoughts; he just loses his temper and opposes everything, so the mother‑son relationship becomes increasingly strained.

……

Zhu Youlong naturally doesn't know the conversation between Ruan Qingzhu and her son, nor does he know what Ruan Bufan thinks of him.

He was also in his own cave courtyard, gazing from afar at the auspicious clouds after Xiao Zhangqing's Foundation establishment, pondering, and silently thought: "How extraordinary is this Xiao Symbol Master? Is he a child of destiny? He really obtained the Foundation‑establishing pill and succeeded with a low‑grade spiritual root Foundation? Should I reveal the secret to him? Perhaps he is the best candidate I can find! Even better than the head of the Cao family!"

Zhu Pill Master comes from Character: Liyang Immortal City and has his own secret.

Otherwise, with his rank as a First‑rank Upper‑grade Pill Master, although he isn't highly esteemed in Character: Liyang Immortal City, he's at least not at the bottom and can live comfortably, so there's no need to come to a small place like Nanshan Fang to suffer.

……

Cao family: "Really succeeded in establishing the Foundation!"

Cao Hao, although a few days ago, when he saw the spiritual energy vortex, already knew that Xiao Zhangqing had passed the hardest step of the Foundation, and was highly likely to succeed.

Now seeing it with his own eyes, he still can't help but sigh.

A low‑grade spiritual root Foundation is truly rare.

In a sense, this is even harder than forming a Golden Core! "Perhaps I should find a way to probe Xiao Zhangqing's depth, to see how much real skill he truly has."

"At least, don't catch me off guard again like Mu Renjie did before."

Cao Hao thought to himself.

He didn't pay much mind to Xiao Zhangqing in the Qi Refining Realm, but after the Foundation, things were different.

Not knowing exactly how strong Xiao Zhangqing truly is, he always felt uneasy.

(End of chapter)