Chapter 116: Striking for Foundation Establishment

Qin Ming raised his hand and fully activated the second-grade high-grade defensive formation.

Then, he closed his eyes and meditated for a while.

As his thoughts drifted, scenes from before his transmigration—struggling to haul bricks, struggling to survive in the shantytown after transmigration, being exploited and oppressed as a spirit farmer in Lingyu Sect, living in constant fear and helplessness, tread carefully as if walking on ice, his first encounter with a bandit cultivator—flashed before him like vivid memories, along with every person he'd met since: some he hated, others he cherished as friends.

Now, all of it was like mist and smoke of the past.

Foundation Establishment is the first great threshold on the immortal cultivator's long path.

Countless cultivators spend their entire lives striving with all their might, yet fail to cross this heavenly chasm.

Qin Ming opened his eyes; his gaze was clear and bright as the full moon, and a powerful conviction rose within him.

Through this prolonged accumulation, his foundation was now immensely profound.

Externally,

he had the superior spiritual vein environment of a second-grade mid-grade spiritual island, sufficient to support the spiritual energy demand of Foundation Establishment.

He still possessed the Foundation Establishment spiritual essence, "Heavenly Fire Spirit Liquid," which could further increase his Foundation Establishment chance by twenty percent.

He had even refined the rare "Ultimate Foundation Establishment Pill" of the Immortal Realm.

Internally,

he had fully met the three critical thresholds for a cultivator to break through to Foundation Establishment.

First threshold: the Blood and Qi barrier.

When striking for Foundation Establishment, celestial spiritual energy floods the body, imposing specific demands on the physical body's blood and qi.

The body must be flawless, with abundant blood and qi; if there are hidden injuries, chronic illnesses, or insufficient blood and qi,

during the influx of spiritual energy, it will collapse like a thousand-li dike breached by an ant's hole, unable to withstand the high-pressure load, facing imminent destruction.

Hence, it is advisable to strike for Foundation Establishment before age sixty; if one waits until old age, with withered blood and qi, to attempt Foundation Establishment,

the reverse flow of spiritual energy will trigger magical power chaos, shatter all meridians, and lead to certain death and spiritual annihilation.

In this regard, Qin Ming had already achieved physical Foundation Establishment, and his blood and qi had reached the level of refined primordial heavenly astral qi—no concern remained.

Second threshold: the Magic Power barrier.

Qi Condensation stage magic power is mist-like; Foundation Establishment stage magic power is liquid.

Transitioning from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment requires condensing mist-like magic power into liquid form.

The purer and more abundant the magic power during this process, the easier it is to transform into liquid and complete the qualitative change.

During the Qi Condensation stage, excessive consumption of pills, accumulation of pill toxins, or use of breakthrough pills all lead to impure magic power.

Fortunately, although Qin Ming had previously consumed many magic power-enhancing pills, after switching to the "Ancient Wood Longevity Technique," his magic power had been purified and washed countless times, becoming exquisitely pure, and his magic power reserves now rivaled those of a beginner Foundation Establishment cultivator.

As for the breakthrough pill, the "Bone Cleansing Pill," he never used it later; when breaking through to late Qi Condensation, he used the term.

Third threshold: the Spiritual Awareness barrier.

During his Qi Condensation stage, Qin Ming's spiritual awareness had already fully transformed into spiritual thought, even surpassing ordinary beginner Foundation Establishment cultivators by several times.

The birth of spiritual thought facilitates control over the magic power within the dantian sea, compressing and transforming it into liquid form.

This was Qin Ming's greatest advantage.

He had also cultivated the afterbirth spiritual body—the Ultimate Wood Body—whose efficiency in converting external spiritual energy rivaled that of a high-grade spiritual root.

Now, Qin Ming's essence, energy, and spirit had all approached perfection in these three thresholds!

"If this doesn't succeed in Foundation Establishment, it's an outrage against heaven!"

With a resolute expression, Qin Ming immediately pulled out an exquisite porcelain bottle.

He tilted it, spilling out an Ultimate Foundation Establishment Pill radiating astonishing pill essence, its surface adorned with eight Dao patterns.

Without hesitation, he swallowed it whole.

Then, he tipped back his head and drank the Foundation Establishment spiritual essence, "Heavenly Fire Spirit Liquid," in one gulp.

Just these two rare treasures raised his Foundation Establishment chance to sixty percent.

Hū—Qin Ming's confidence surged, and he began activating the "Ancient Wood Longevity Technique," charging toward his peak with all his might!

The surrounding celestial spiritual energy began gathering, forming a massive spiritual energy vortex above Qin Ming's head.

In truth, for cultivators with extraordinary talent,

the Foundation Establishment pill is not essential.

For instance, a Heaven-grade spiritual root cultivator can achieve Foundation Establishment effortlessly without any external aid.

Next are Earth-grade spiritual roots; even without taking the Foundation Establishment pill, they still have considerable success rates.

The emergence of the Foundation Establishment pill is a blessing for cultivators like Qin Ming, who possess average talent.

Those with inferior spiritual roots have an extremely slim chance of achieving Foundation Establishment on their own.

The primary effect of the Foundation Establishment pill is to greatly enhance the cultivator's spiritual root efficiency in converting spiritual energy during the breakthrough, further compressing magic power.

It also protects the meridians.

Even if the first attempt fails, as long as the meridians remain unharmed, one can continue attempting.

Without pill protection, the influx of spiritual energy can damage the meridians, causing hidden injuries or direct death and spiritual annihilation.

Hence, even geniuses preparing for Foundation Establishment always carry Foundation Establishment pills, just in case.

They spare no cost to minimize the risk of failure.

Half a stick of incense later.

Boom! The spiritual energy vortex in the heavens expanded again; Qin Ming stood at the center of a spiritual energy storm.

At this moment,

even the second-grade high-grade formation could not conceal such an extraordinary phenomenon.

……

On the lower slopes of Wangyue Island, Wu Jiang and his wife, tending their fields, were drawn by the grand celestial phenomenon, stunned as they looked up toward the main peak.

"This"

"Such a vast vortex of celestial qi."

"Comrade Qin is attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment!"

"It seems he has reached the most critical moment."

Wu Jiang's expression was filled with shock, his heart surging with turbulent waves.

Mu Ruyin pressed her small mouth with both hands, her eyes wide with astonishment, speechless and choked.

In Wangyue Lake, the Xuan Shui Crocodile, dozing off, had always been in tune with Qin Ming's spirit—now it seemed to sense its master was breaking through a major realm.

It hurriedly shook its head and swam up to the Lingdao, guarding outside the formation to protect Qin Ming's cultivation.

Fortunately, Wangyue Island lay in the extreme north of the spiritual energy Archipelago, rarely visited by mortals.

No one had discovered the astonishing celestial phenomenon on the island.

Boom—boom—! Vast celestial qi poured down from the heavens like a mountain collapsing and sea surging; no matter how wild the storm, Qin Ming's body remained unmoved.

At his third eye, a green rune ignited. Instantly, it transformed into a colossal phantom identical to Qin Ming, floating behind him.

The green phantom appeared.

As celestial qi flooded his body, the efficiency of conversion through Qin Ming's spiritual roots increased several-fold, continuously transforming into green mist-like magic power.

The green mist-like magic power flowed like rivers merging into lakes and seas, ceaseless and unbroken.

It grew denser, grander.

At this moment.

A flash of insight pierced Qin Ming's mind—he suddenly understood intuitively.

His spiritual sense sank above his dantian's qi sea, beginning to manipulate his spiritual sense to compress the magic power.

Gradually.

Drip… drip…! Drops of green liquid magic power fell like spring rain.

In Qin Ming's dantian, they gathered into a pool of clear, crystalline green liquid spring.

As the Ancient Wood Longevity Technique completed its celestial cycle, the liquid magic power flowed through all his meridians, repeatedly cleansing blockages.

This was the Foundation Establishment breakthrough's transformation of the sinews and marrow! It lasted for several days.

The vortex of celestial qi gathering in the heavens gradually dispersed.

A streak of rosy aurora rose in the sky, casting its glow over Wangyue Island.

In the spirit fields beneath the main peak.

A sudden Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure erupted, accompanied by a vibrant, rejuvenating life force like an ancient tree blooming in spring.

Qin Ming resembled a withered tree, resonating with his life-spirit plant, the Longevity Vine, as if traversing the river of time, untouched by years.

From this moment on.

Qin Ming officially crossed the threshold into the Immortal Realm.

His lifespan doubled again.

From two hundred and ten years, it increased to four hundred and twenty years.

More than double that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Inside Qin Ming, the abundant liquid magic power cultivated through the Ancient Wood Longevity Technique far surpassed peers of his level, already rivaling that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator.

In addition,

Qin Ming's spiritual sense, previously spanning dozens of zhang, surged several-fold, now covering a one-li radius.

After ascending to Foundation Establishment, he quickly suppressed his magic power aura.

The Ancient Wood Longevity Technique he cultivated possessed strong concealment effects.

When Qin Ming suppressed his aura, he became like a withered log—spiritual sense sweeping over him could no longer detect his specific cultivation realm.

He could nearly conceal an entire major realm.

As long as he did not encounter or interact with a Jin Dan Laozu who deliberately probed him, no one could detect anything amiss.

…

Qin Ming waved his hand and gathered the items on the ground.

He restored the second-rank formation to its normal level.

He opened the formation and stepped out.

"Congratulations, Comrade Qin, on your Foundation Establishment!"

"No, no! It should be Senior Qin!"

Wu Jiang and Mu Ruyin bowed before Qin Ming, trembling as they offered their congratulations.

In the Immortal Realm, ranks were strictly hierarchical; even if they were close to him, they dared not address him improperly without Qin Ming's permission.

Even now, the two of them were still in a dazed state.

Unable to believe it.

Their island master, who had always been so unassuming.

Had suddenly leapt forward, breaking through into a Foundation Establishment grand master.

Yet, with Wu Jiang's quick wit, he had long foreseen this day would come.

Others looked down on Qin Ming's four-element pseudo-spiritual roots, but Wu Jiang did not think so.

Over these many years, living day and night with Qin Ming on the island,

Wu Jiang had always held an inexplicable intuition: his master would one day become a dragon.

He just never expected this day to arrive so swiftly.

"Heh, Comrade Wu, no need to be so formal."

"Just call me fellow cultivator."

Qin Ming's magic power cultivation had also broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage; his overall strength had surged dramatically, and his mood was exceptionally buoyant.

He then took out a bottle of spirit pills and tossed it to Wu Jiang and his wife.

"Since I see you have joyous news, consider this a token of congratulations. For all these years you've looked after the Lingdao for me, running hither and thither, this is just a small return favor."

Wu Jiang took the porcelain bottle, opened it, and his face instantly erupted with delighted surprise; he quickly pulled Mu Ruyin close, and the two together bowed deeply to Qin Ming again! "Many thanks, Fellow Cultivator Qin, for bestowing these pills!"

"From now on, if Fellow Cultivator Qin has any orders, I will never shrink from them even at the cost of my life!"

Wu Jiang, such a sharp-witted person, seeing his benefactor growing ever more formidable, knew that if he didn't pledge loyalty now, when would he? "Heh, Fellow Cultivator Wu, there's no need for such extremes; I won't send you to climb mountains of blades or plunge into seas of fire."

As Qin Ming spoke, his tone suddenly shifted.

Fixing his gaze on Wu Jiang and his wife, he said in a cold voice:

"Additionally, regarding my breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, the two of you must not spread the word for now."

Wu Jiang immediately reined in his earlier joy, gave a start of alertness, and hurriedly replied: "Yes, yes, yes! Rest assured, Fellow Cultivator Qin, we will certainly comply."

Only then did Qin Ming nod in satisfaction.

It wasn't that he feared the news of his Foundation Establishment leaking out; he simply wished to avoid inviting numerous troubles.

Nowadays, even against an ordinary mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had the confidence to fight and win.

He no longer needed to be as cautious and restrained as before.

Nevertheless, keeping a low profile was always a good thing.

After all, within the Wei State Immortal Realm, there were still Foundation Establishment cultivators like Master Huangfu Qi and Lin Zixiao whom he could not yet overcome.

Moreover, Lin Zixiao bore a life-and-death vendetta against him.

He still needed to continue lying low on Wangyue Island; farming and developing in peace felt far more comfortable. One day, he believed, he would simply outlive all these people.

Thanks to the big shot 160719153609810 for the 500-coin donation! (End of chapter)