Chapter 253: Ten Years Later, Foundation Establishment Tenth Layer

"Perhaps it's better to convert it into spirit stones—I'll pay you for it?"

He Pingsheng looked at the female disciple.

The female elder smiled and shook her head. "That won't do—the Ancestor specifically said to give it to you. If I take back your spirit stones afterward, the Ancestor will punish me!"

"Friend, don't take it to heart!"

"Though Tianxiang Doukou is rare, its value is low!"

"Not worth much!"

"Alright!" He Pingsheng sighed inwardly, bowing to the woman. "Then, thank you very much!"

"By the way, may I ask the Elder of the Mi family's Dao name and surname?"

After receiving such a favor, at least one ought to know the giver's name, shouldn't one?

The female cultivator said: "Our Ancestor's name is Mi Cangyuan!"

"Excellent!" He Pingsheng thanked her again. "Thank you—deeply grateful!"

…

After leaving the Mi family, He Pingsheng once again rode his sword through the air, returning with Qiao Huiyu.

He still couldn't quite believe it.

Was it really this easy to obtain?

It was hard to know what to say.

One could only say that the Mi family truly was a refreshing presence in the cultivation world.

Because He Pingsheng's spiritual sense was now powerful and the effects of the Twin Divine Pills had not yet faded, his sword-flight speed was extremely fast.

The journey there took four days; the return took only one day, and he arrived at the western gate of Hongshi City.

Of course, prolonged sword-flight consumed great energy, but it didn't matter—he had Golden Bee Holy Juice; a few more drops would suffice.

He returned to his small courtyard!

The first thing he did was close himself off to refine elixirs.

First, reinforce the materials, then refine the pills.

After refining them, place them into the Treasure Basin for another reinforcement.

The result would be a top-grade 【Nourishing Spirit Pill】.

The top-grade Nourishing Spirit Pill was placed before Qiao Huiyu.

Qiao Huiyu extended her jade hand, pinching the tiny pill. "I can finally resume the path of cultivation!"

With that, she swallowed it whole.

Her spiritual root surged into wild activation.

Simultaneously, as her cultivation technique activated, the faint spiritual energy around her coalesced into thin veils of mist, drawing toward her body.

The spiritual root—was restored.

"Done!" Qiao Huiyu opened her eyes. "Husband… my spiritual root is fully restored!"

"Really?" He Pingsheng felt immense relief.

Qiao Huiyu said: "Of course it's true… don't believe me? Feel for yourself…"

…

It was time to close off for cultivation.

This period of traveling had been more than enough.

More than enough!

The more one travels, the more one feels one's cultivation base is insufficient.

But before closing off, there was one more thing to do: dispose of some items.

For instance, that cluster of Elixir Flame.

After reinforcing the Elixir Flame, two emerged—he had cultivated one himself; he originally intended to give the red one to Qiao Huiyu, but then decided to sell it instead.

After all, Qiao Huiyu doesn't refine elixirs.

If one doesn't refine elixirs, such flame is useless—it has no offensive or defensive capabilities.

He sold the Elixir Flame at the Crimson Moon Trading Society.

In addition to the Elixir Flame, he also sold the top-grade magic treasure 【Cloud-Piercing Boat】 with four sealing layers.

Because he now had something better.

After acquiring the spirit stones, he purchased more refining materials, then returned to his courtyard and began his seclusion.

He needed to elevate his cultivation base.

At the same time, he took out the 【Thousand Soul Banner】 and placed it into the Treasure Basin.

The next day, he found the Thousand Soul Banner had been reinforced into two.

The first: Ten Thousand Soul Banner.

Quality: Top-grade Magic Treasure.

Sealing Layers: Twelve.

Effect: Can absorb and refine ten thousand solitary souls; when summoned in battle, it transforms a vast area into a realm of slaughter.

The second: Soul-Nourishing Banner!

Quality: Top-grade Magic Treasure.

Sealing Layers: Twelve.

Effect: Can absorb and nurture souls within it.

This Soul-Nourishing Banner can be used to nurture souls.

He Pingsheng glanced at the two items, then waved his hand and stored them away.

For now, he truly had no use for them.

Ding dang… ding dang…

A large handful of low-grade spirit stones were tossed into the Treasure Basin, letting it slowly reinforce them.

He Pingsheng himself finally began his cultivation.

…

In cultivation, time has no measure; days and months revolve, day and night alternate.

In the blink of an eye, a year passed.

During this year, Qiao Huiyu's cultivation base returned to Foundation Establishment sixth layer.

He Pingsheng, meanwhile, raised his own cultivation base to Foundation Establishment fourth layer.

Because he had ample 【Spirit Gathering Pills】, he did not leave seclusion but continued to close himself off.

In his courtyard, peach blossoms bloomed, spring breeze arrived.

A pond of spring water turned deep blue.

Unnoticed, as peach branches swayed, yellow leaves fell once more.

Winter snow settled, the pond froze, and the world turned entirely white.

Year after year!

Spring and summer alternated, autumn and winter cycled.

Unnoticed, another ten years passed.

He Pingsheng's cultivation base had risen from Foundation Establishment fourth layer to Foundation Establishment tenth layer!

He could progress no further.

Because he had hit a bottleneck.

The Foundation Establishment bottleneck had arrived!

To break through, one must use spirit fruits infused with rule-force—otherwise, it is impossibly difficult.

But such rule-infused spirit fruits are not easily obtained.

Indeed, one might pursue them a lifetime and never find a clue.

He Pingsheng gently opened his eyes.

He took it calmly—if a bottleneck came, then travel and seek.

Yet these eleven years of enlightenment and seclusion had not merely raised his cultivation to tenth layer.

All five dantians had reached tenth layer.

Moreover, the Foundation Establishment section of the Nine Toxins Golden Body technique had also reached tenth layer.

His spiritual sense had reached tenth layer as well.

Now, He Pingsheng's spiritual sense spanned five thousand zhang.

Roughly equivalent to the spiritual sense strength of a Golden Core tenth-layer cultivator.

In addition, He Pingsheng had cultivated several divine arts.

The offensive spiritual sense art 【Formless Northern Dipper Nail】 had been brought to perfect mastery.

With a single thought, it erupted, effortlessly annihilating any Foundation Establishment disciple with spiritual sense alone.

The defensive spiritual sense art 【Nine Shields of the Purple Palace】 had also been brought to perfect mastery.

Now, within his mind sea, nine solid shields hovered like lotus petals, guarding the periphery of his consciousness.

Even a standard Golden Core cultivator's spiritual sense attack (non-divine-art type) could be blocked.

Besides these two spiritual sense arts, He Pingsheng had also cultivated the spell 【Holy Fire Cloud Spear Art】.

This technique, when paired with the 【Tian Que Divine Spear】, is perfectly suited.

Its power is immense.

Additionally, after ten years of seclusion and ten years of contemplation, He Pingsheng finally made significant progress in the art of arrays.

He can now set up the third-rank array.

For instance, right now, three third-rank arrays have been arranged outside this small courtyard.

One is a third-rank defensive array!

One is a third-rank spirit-sealing array!

One is a third-rank early-warning array.

Once these three arrays are activated, there is no longer any worry of being spied upon.

First, ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot pierce his third-rank spirit-sealing array with their spiritual sense.

If a Nascent Soul cultivator were to come, though their spiritual sense could penetrate the spirit-sealing array, the early-warning array would trigger an alarm.

Thus, he would be prepared in advance.

By the time your spiritual sense reaches in, I've already hidden the Treasure Gathering Basin inside my body—what do I have to fear from you seeing it?