Chapter 28: Foundation Establishment

"Ding, congratulations on successfully taking on a disciple."

Bai Yuan flicked his hand, looked at the disciple before him who was originally handsome but now no longer human in shape, and said: "If you had been like this earlier, wouldn't it have been better? It's made my hand go numb."

The man nodded, seeming somewhat muddled-headed.

"It's... it's all the disciple's fault, the disciple's fault." the man spoke unclearly.

Bai Yuan nodded, casually dispelled the ice on his limbs, and put a magical artifact robe on him.

"Knowing one's faults and correcting them is the greatest virtue. Rest assured, as long as you sincerely follow me, I will never let you suffer loss, and you will surely achieve something in the future."

The man dropped to both knees and said: "Disciple will sincerely follow the master; if I harbor a second heart, may heaven strike me with thunder."

Bai Yuan satisfiedly rubbed his disciple's head, then handed him a blood-red pill.

Bai Yuan said: "This is the Blood-Melting Pill; it can help you quickly recover internal injuries and also dissolve stagnant blood."

"Disciple thanks master." The man took the pill, without a word, endured the numbness in his face, and swallowed it in one gulp.

Bai Yuan turned and continued walking in the forest.

The man lowered his head, silently followed, not speaking, but his furtive glance at Bai Yuan revealed a hint of fear.

The two swiftly moved through the forest, when Bai Yuan suddenly felt an astonishing transformation occurring within his body.

Bai Yuan first startled, then rejoiced, knowing this was Bai Yu's successful breakthrough, which also dragged him into breaking through together.

Without further thought, Bai Yuan hastily closed his eyes and sat cross-legged; since he currently had no cultivation technique, he simply quietly sensed the transformation of his body.

Foundation Establishment, though merely the beginning of the Great Dao, still represents a qualitative leap compared to the Qi Refining stage.

The most obvious is that one's appearance will no longer age, lifespan basically starts at two hundred years, and one no longer needs the mortal cycle of grains.

At the same time, Bai Yuan could sense everything within a thirty-meter radius, which is more direct than visual perception, allowing 360-degree coverage without blind spots.

"Is this the divine sense of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?" Bai Yuan stretched lazily and sighed inwardly.

However, having just gained this sense, Bai Yuan was slightly unaccustomed; after feeling it for a while, he withdrew it.

"Ding! Congratulations host for reaching Foundation Establishment, reward: disciple limit doubled, ten thousand Virtue points."

Hearing the system's voice, even though Bai Yuan already felt Bai Yu's breakthrough was a sure thing, he still couldn't suppress inner joy.

He had just taken on a disciple here, while Bai Yu over there immediately broke through—truly double joy arriving at the door.

Slowly opening his eyes, Bai Yuan turned his head and saw the man pinching his nose; he also realized this was his own body, having expelled too many impurities.

With a wave of his hand, Bai Yuan's inner spiritual power surged forth, instantly sweeping away impurities from his skin and clothing.

The man released his pinched nose, eyes wide with amazement as he examined his master.

He could feel that his master had become stronger.

If the previous Bai Yuan gave him a sense of danger, the current one gives him no sense of danger, only feeling that Bai Yuan is like an ordinary person.

But how could this be?

Bai Yuan slowly rose to his feet, he circulated the greatly strengthened spiritual power within, and unconsciously lifted his gaze toward the horizon.

All that could be seen was a dark-golden claw mark stretching a kilometer long suddenly appearing, tearing space; even a mountain was split into pieces under this terrifying claw mark and collapsed with a boom.

Faintly, Bai Yuan seemed to see five figures hurriedly dodging, with some fragmented human limbs falling from the sky.

The man beside Bai Yuan swallowed his saliva while watching.

He knew those were at least Title Douluo-level powerhouses; yet now five or six of them besieging a single Soul Beast were repelled by a single claw.

Bai Yuan withdrew his gaze; he had no mood to continue watching the battle between the ferocious beasts and Title Douluo, and now thought only of finding another disciple.

Thus Bai Yuan's disciple count would reach six; then, going back to take Ning Rongrong as well would make exactly seven.

Without further thought, Bai Yuan continued forward in the forest.

However, because subduing the man just now took a lot of time, causing those Soul Beasts to flee deeper, Bai Yuan encountered none on his way.

"Looks like I can only look for plants again." Bai Yuan glanced around; the trees here are at least a few hundred years old in cultivation, yet they have not opened even a hint of spiritual intelligence, not even the ability to protect themselves.

"Master, do you still want to take on disciples?"

The man spoke up at this moment.

Bai Yuan turned back and said: "Do you have a way to help me?"

The man hesitated a moment, then lowered his head and said: "Master, I still have a wife and a newborn daughter; if you don't disdain them, you may take them as disciples."

Bai Yuan glanced at the man in surprise, smiling: "You weren't so stubborn before; why are you now thinking of bringing your wife and daughter along?"

The man lowered his head with a wry smile: "Master, don't tease the disciple; earlier I was ignorant of good and bad, but since you can let weak Soul Beasts like us awaken spiritual intelligence, with this opportunity I naturally want to benefit my family."

Bai Yuan smiled: "Then lead the way."

"Disciple thanks master." The man knelt on one knee.

Bai Yuan waved his hand: "Lead the way ahead."

The man beamed as he weaved through the forest, not running toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Because he had merely come out to hunt for his wife and daughter, got caught up in the battle between Title Douluo and ferocious beasts, and fled out of animal instinct.

The cave where his wife and daughter reside is very safe.

The Silver Moon Fox dwells in a mountain cave.

Now that Bai Yuan's cultivation has increased, his speed has also improved accordingly, so it didn't take much time.

Seeing the cave entrance before him, the man's face lit up with joy and he immediately rushed inside.

After all, he survived a great calamity and successfully awakened his spiritual intelligence, truly eager to see his wife and daughter.

Bai Yuan grabbed the man's tail from behind in one swift motion.

"Wait, something's not right inside."

Bai Yuan stared at the cave, his brow slightly furrowed.

Since reaching Foundation Establishment and gaining divine sense, his five senses have become extraordinarily sharp; at this moment he smelled a faint scent of blood from the cave.

The man stared blankly, then closed his eyes and sniffed carefully.

In an instant, the man's expression turned ferocious as he said, 'You bastard, how dare you come steal my home while I'm away!'

The man again wanted to rush inside.

Bai Yuan grabbed him and said, 'What's the situation.'

This is the disciple he painstakingly earned after spending ten thousand teacher virtue points; how could he let her go into danger?

The man, unable to contain his anger, said, 'Master, my disciple once had a love rival; I have smelled that beast's scent, I am certain.'

Bai Yuan decisively let go of his hand.

The man shot off like an arrow released from a bow.

Watching the man's retreating back, Bai Yuan's mouth twitched.

He truly hadn't expected that his own disciple, out hunting, would be caught up by a ferocious beast; now returning home, he again smelled the love rival's scent.

(End of chapter)