Chapter 102: Three Strikes and You're Out

Chapter 102: Three Strikes and You're Out

Inside the Mock Heaven Sect.

Fat Dragon lit a bonfire, and together with the Scholar and his brother, they sat casually on the ground, chatting.

"Although life was hard before," Fat Dragon said with a sigh. "I always believed that life wouldn't always be bitter. There will be a day when the bitterness turns to sweetness, and true strength will never feel humiliated by yesterday's kneeling."

"Look at me now; I've made it through," he boasted with a proud smile. "With my Heavenly Destiny Dual Cultivation Entry, it's possible that in just a few years, I'll be able to challenge the Golden Core Stage. When that time comes, I'll go and crush the Blossom Sect. I'll slaughter everyone in the sect!"

"Damn, I'll hold this grudge for a lifetime!"

"Moreover, with Chen Qiu protecting me, even if things are tough now, it's still much better than before. Even if the whole world is against us, at least we have this Little World as a place to stay and won't become stray dogs."

"I think things are pretty good now."

"Indeed," the Scholar laughed and patted his own legs. "I always thought that after becoming a cripple, my only motivation to live was my brother. But for some reason, after spending time with you guys, I feel like my life has some hope of my own."

"Hey." Fat Dragon smiled, putting his arm around the Scholar's shoulder. "Life will always get better. Let's celebrate our destined bright future with a toast!"

Even the Scholar's brother, who usually spoke little, raised his cup and said in a deep voice, "I've always hated it when my brother said he was living for me, but he always says that."

The three of them gathered around the bonfire, laughing and chatting, reminiscing about the past and looking forward to the future, their bond growing stronger.

Not far away, Chen Qiu sat alone, cross-legged on an oval-shaped stone, cultivating.

Yes, when he left the canyon, he had packed up the oval stone by the stream and placed it in the Little World.

This stone was quite comfortable to sit on for cultivation.

After absorbing all 142 of the Celestial Path Cultivation Pills, his cultivation level had risen from:

Cultivation Level: Foundation Establishment Fifth Stage (29%)



to:

Cultivation Level: Foundation Establishment Sixth Stage (0%)



"Foundation Establishment Sixth Stage," Chen Qiu slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath. Spiritual energy formed a thin film, covering his entire body. He casually cast a Thunder Summoning Technique towards the wasteland not far away and nodded in satisfaction.

The Thunder Summoning Technique at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Stage was significantly more powerful than before.

In an instant, with the effects of Double Spellcasting and Tenfold Spellcasting, the Thunder Summoning Technique transformed into twelve techniques.

At the Foundation Establishment Sixth Stage, he was just one step away from the Late Foundation Establishment.

Under the influence of the Celestial Path Cultivation Pills, his speed of breaking through cultivation levels was enough to astonish everyone. At the same time, the familiar interface, shrouded in clouds, reappeared above his dantian.

With the effect of the Rising Entry, every time he broke through a minor realm, he could freely choose one out of three randomly generated entries.

-

"Cultivation level increased, officially entering the Foundation Establishment Sixth Stage."

"Please choose one of the three random entries within ten breaths."

1:

Entry Name: Healing Others

Entry Level: Green

Entry Effect: All your healing spells will have no effect on yourself, but their effectiveness on others will be enhanced threefold.

2:

Entry Name: Slippery Hands

Entry Level: Green

Entry Effect: Every time you are attacked, you will automatically teleport to a random location within a ten-zhang radius.

3:

Entry Name: Mutual Enhancement

Entry Level: Green

Entry Effect: The larger your Dao Foundation, the farther your Divine Sense will reach.

-

"Hey," Chen Qiu's face finally showed a smile as he looked at the three entries. Without hesitation, he chose the third entry, as the previous upgrades had not given him suitable entries, but this time, he finally got one that perfectly suited him.

The accuracy of spells primarily depends on Divine Sense.

Once Divine Sense locks onto an enemy, no matter how fast they move, as long as your spell speed is faster, it will track and hit them.

The same principle applies to Sword Cultivators when controlling flying swords to attack enemies.

Projecting Divine Sense outside the body is a technique of Golden Core Powerhouses. Before reaching the Golden Core Stage, Divine Sense can only extend a distance of one or two zhang, used for opening Storage Rings. To lock onto an enemy is truly a fantasy.

This is why Foundation Establishment Cultivators rarely start battles by casting spells.

If they miss, their spiritual energy will be depleted, leaving them as lambs to the slaughter.

Even Spell Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage primarily use Spirit Treasures for attacks. They only cast spells when they are close enough to ensure a hit.

Of course, there are exceptions.

He is one of them.

He usually aims with his naked eye and casts hundreds of spells, ensuring that at least one will hit. This is a special case; ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators cannot do this.

With the Mutual Enhancement entry, even without reaching the Golden Core Stage, he can project his Divine Sense outside his body, significantly increasing his attacking methods.

"Go!" Chen Qiu's gaze intensified as he looked at a small stone in the wasteland not far away and casually cast a Thunder Summoning Technique towards it.

The twelve Thunder Summoning Techniques he cast simultaneously traced different arcs in the air and precisely hit the small stone.

"Good," Chen Qiu smiled in satisfaction. This entry greatly enriched his attacking methods, especially at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Many times, he could catch his enemies off guard. He could even cast hundreds of Thunder Summoning Techniques into the sky and then lock onto his enemies with his Divine Sense.

Hundreds of Thunder Summoning Techniques soared through the air in various arcs, crashing towards the enemy and delivering a huge surprise.

Although the distance he could project his divine sense was far inferior to that of a Golden Core Powerhouse, he had experimented and found that it was effective within a hundred zhang. This was sufficient; at least, within a hundred zhang, no matter how the enemy moved, they would be precisely locked onto by his Thunder Summoning Technique.

After advancing to the Golden Core stage, with the support of this Entry, his divine sense range would be much wider than that of his peers.

At that time, he would be able to launch his Thunder Summoning Technique before even entering the enemy's attack range, giving him the advantage of striking first in most cases.

That's good.

Actually, the first Entry was also quite good. If other cultivators had chosen it, they would only need to diligently cultivate healing techniques to recover from injuries. Then, on the battlefield, they could transform into a powerful support, constantly healing their teammates as long as they themselves didn't fall.

The second Entry was also excellent.

If it weren't for the third Entry being so well-suited to him, he would most likely have chosen the second one. With the 'Slippery Hands' skill and the 'Shrink Earth Technique' he hadn't learned yet, he could have achieved infinite random teleportation.

Forget about the enemies finding his position; even he himself wouldn't be able to locate his own teleportation destination.

"Huff!"

Chen Qiu exhaled in satisfaction, then once again circulated his Heart Technique to consolidate his cultivation at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment. Tonight, after consuming 142 out of the 389 Cultivation Pills, he still had 247 left.

If the Fame Ranking Chart remained in place for the next seven days, the Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills he obtained should be enough for him to break through to the Foundation Establishment Peak before the start of the Heaven's Pride Ranking Competition. With his numerous hidden aces, he might even dare to venture into the Celestial Path Secret Realm.

"At this rate, Brother Qiu won't be far from the Golden Core stage. Are there any restrictions on breaking through to the Golden Core?"

Fat Dragon looked at Chen Qiu's diligent cultivation and turned to the Scholar, asking curiously.

"Yes, there are."

The Scholar nodded and smiled, "The most basic restriction is that you need to reach the Foundation Establishment Peak and then choose a day with favorable conditions. You must circulate your Heart Technique to condense the spiritual energy within your body into a Spirit Condensate."

"And try to make the Spirit Condensate boil, continuously cleansing your Dao Foundation, scrubbing it countless times until the Golden Core is revealed within."

"Even if you successfully break the mirror, you will have achieved the Golden Core stage."

"Is it that simple?" Fat Dragon raised his eyebrows. "I've heard that in Great Xia, many cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Peak are unable to break through to the Golden Core stage. They have to submit to Great Xia and serve as City Lords, relying on the country's fortune to advance. I thought it was extremely difficult."

"It's just simple in theory."

The Scholar nodded.

"The process of condensing spiritual energy into a Spirit Condensate requires a large amount of spiritual energy. This means you must prepare a sufficient number of Spirit Stones. Lower-grade Spirit Stones won't be enough; they must be at least middle-grade."

"Qi Supplement Pills have impurities and are not suitable for such an important breakthrough."

"Even middle-grade Spirit Stones are not enough. You need to prepare at least forty-nine middle-grade Spirit Stones to set up a Spirit Gathering Array, and then sit at the array's heart to attempt the breakthrough."

"This is the first difficulty: wealth!"

"A middle-grade Spirit Stone is worth nearly 600 lower-grade Spirit Stones in the market, and they are extremely hard to come by. You must prepare almost 30,000 lower-grade Spirit Stones and spend several years to acquire forty-nine middle-grade ones."

"Just this first hurdle is enough to filter out most people from the Golden Core stage."

"If you don't have the support of a family or sect, to put it bluntly, you'd have to do a lot of evil deeds to accumulate forty-nine middle-grade Spirit Stones."

"The second difficulty: one failure, then two, and three is the limit."

The Scholar paused and continued, "After the spiritual energy turns into a Spirit Condensate, you must circulate your Heart Technique to make it boil and cleanse your Dao Foundation. This process is very painful; you'll experience a pain akin to having your skin scraped off."

"And there must be no room for error."

"If the supply of Spirit Stones from the outside world is insufficient, you fail."

"If there's interference from the outside, you fail."

"If the pain is unbearable and your mind becomes distracted, you fail."

"If your Dao Foundation has hidden injuries or an unstable foundation, the pain will multiply with each cleansing. If you become distracted, you still fail."

"If any unexpected situation occurs during the process, leading to a failed breakthrough, the spiritual energy within your Dao Foundation will turn into a Spirit Condensate. Although you won't have Golden Core cultivation, you will have the Spirit Condensate that comes with it."

"After the spiritual energy turns into a Spirit Condensate, your spellcasting power will increase significantly."

"At this point, you'll be known as a Pre-Golden Core cultivator."

"To break through from Pre-Golden Core to the Golden Core stage, the difficulty is much higher than the first breakthrough. If you fail again, the difficulty for the next attempt will be several times higher. Without a fortuitous encounter, you'll likely remain stuck at this stage for life."

"That's why most cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Peak will try to prepare everything they can before attempting the breakthrough. They will do so under the protection of their sect or family's Grand Array, with numerous people joining forces to safeguard their Dao. They will then focus all their attention and disregard everything else to break through to the Golden Core stage."

"As for solitary cultivators, they often choose a remote location and attempt the breakthrough alone."

"Wow!"

Fat Dragon was impressed. "It does sound incredibly difficult. No wonder so many people are stuck at the Foundation Establishment Peak and have to rely on Great Xia's fortune to enter the Golden Core stage. Just the 30,000 Spirit Stones are enough to crush most people."

"What if I don't?"

The scholar shook his head helplessly, "What do you think is the reason for creating a sect and finding a Golden Core Initial Stage powerhouse to help you cross the bridge, yet they only ask for 100 Spirit Stones from you?"

"Are you saying that those Golden Core powerhouses are only worth 100 Spirit Stones?"

"If you dare to ask for 150 Spirit Stones, you won't even get to see the list. Someone else will snatch it before you."

"Those families spend almost all their resources to nurture a Golden Core cultivator. If you don't give back to your family, they'll all starve to death."

"For a task like crossing the bridge, which isn't dangerous and doesn't require much effort, 100 Spirit Stones is already a good deal."

"This..."

"You feel it's already difficult, right?"

"Even if you complete all the tasks I mentioned, the Golden Core you condense will only be a First Rank Golden Core."

"Golden Cores are ranked from First to Fifth Rank."

"First Rank is the weakest, and Fifth Rank is the strongest."

"Each rank requires a massive amount of Heavenly Materials to be consumed, and those are all Spirit Stones. I almost lost half my life trying to obtain a Second Rank Golden Core."

"Hey."

Fat Dragon chuckled, "I'm not worried about that. Brother Qiu is definitely the strongest Fifth Rank Golden Core."

". "

The scholar rolled his eyes at Fat Dragon, "Although I believe in Brother Qiu, I have to tell you that in the past few hundred years, I've only heard of one person in Great Xia with a Fourth Rank Golden Core, and that's the current Emperor. As for how many people have it in secret, I'm not sure."

"But for Fifth Rank Golden Core, I can tell you for sure."

"No one has it."

"That's a legend recorded in history books."

"..."

The scholar had finished purifying the impurities and, after consolidating his cultivation with his cultivation technique, decided not to continue taking the Celestial Path Cultivation Pill. He wanted to adapt to the Sixth Layer of Foundation Establishment first to ensure a stable Dao Foundation.

Exiting the Little World, they prepared to continue their journey.

They walked and rested along the way, and by the time the sun reached its zenith at noon, the group had stopped at a certain high mountain in Nan Province. They had already covered one-third of the total distance to the Endless Ice Plain.

"Didn't we just go in a circle?"

Fat Dragon looked down at the map in his arms and asked in confusion, "Shouldn't taking a direct route from Choke State be faster?"

"Hmm."

The scholar shrugged, "In theory, yes, but a few years ago, the Emperor took a Flying Vessel to Choke State in disguise. On his way, he was overtaken by several Sword Cultivators flying with their swords. Shortly after, Choke State banned sword flight within its borders."

"Only the Choke State officials are allowed to fly with swords. Others are not permitted."

"So, we have to go around Choke State. Because of this decree, Choke State, which used to be a relatively prosperous state in Nan Province, has become quieter over the years due to reduced trade."

"It has become a haven for many Evil Demon Cultivators."

"Those Evil Demon Cultivators don't rely on sword flight, so they thrive in Choke State."

"Let me rest for a while. I took too many Qi Supplement Pills. We'll continue later, and if nothing unexpected happens, we should reach the Endless Ice Plain before nightfall."

In the capital, inside the Zhang family residence.

"Family Head."

A subordinate, clad in black, knelt on one knee and reported in a low voice, "We've investigated and confirmed that the former White-Robed Sword Cultivator who was being pursued by the Zhang family is still alive. However, his cultivation has dropped to the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. He appeared in the Ask Heaven Market a few days ago and bought a 'Heavenly Dao Jade Treasure' to suppress the toxins."

"He had been staying in the Ask Heaven Market for the past few years, but the current whereabouts of the Market's master are unknown, so we can't ask him."

"The Alchemy Cultivator who was with him, according to the Huang family of Fufeng City, was still at the Qi Condensation Stage a while ago. They have some grudges with the Huang family. In less than half a month, he has already reached the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment."

"He's just an Alchemy Cultivator, but he became famous for frequently casting spells multiple times."

"Wherever he goes, the Qi Supplement Pills in all the shops in the city are sold out. I suspect that this Alchemy Cultivator has a very compatible Entry, but to maintain his combat prowess, he must consume a large number of Qi Supplement Pills."

"Interesting." The middle-aged man sitting in the chair narrowed his eyes and looked up at the projected image of Chen Qiu and the scholar fighting together in Fufeng City. "It's good that he's still alive. It's really good."

"This time, I will find out how to achieve Nascent Soul from you."

In the past.

Everyone thought it was just a minor grudge, but the Zhang family of the capital mobilized their entire clan to hunt down Great Xia's First Sword Cultivator, the White-Robed Sword Cultivator. However, only the Zhang family knew the real reason.

That is, this First Sword Cultivator of Great Xia, the White-Robed Sword Cultivator, knew how to achieve the Nascent Soul stage!

This had been a problem that Great Xia couldn't solve for hundreds of years, but the White-Robed Sword Cultivator knew the secret. Back then, they had tried to capture him alive to force him to reveal this hidden knowledge, but he had died. They had been regretting this ever since.

However, they never expected that he had faked his death to escape, and this rekindled a glimmer of hope in their hearts.

"Pass down the order!"

"Don't be stingy with Spirit Stones. Collect all information about the White-Robed Sword Cultivator, the Alchemy Cultivator, and everyone around them."

"Find a suitable opportunity and capture them all with thunderous might."

"Understood."

The man in black replied solemnly, and only then did he slowly retreat from the dimly lit room.

"Very good."

After the man in black left, the Zhang family head slowly stood up, with his hands clasped behind his back. He paced around the room several times, and his face couldn't help but show uncontrollable excitement. Once the Zhang family obtained this answer, they would possess the only Nascent Soul in Great Xia!

At that time, even the name of Great Xia would have to be changed.

He must also go and sit on that throne.

But soon, his expression turned anxious, unsure if the White Robe had leaked this news. No, he must act quickly, before too many people notice the White Robe. We must capture him!

Although the White Robe's Escape Technique is extremely formidable, as long as we set up a trap in advance, he won't be able to escape even with wings.

"That's right!"

The Zhang family head suddenly thought of something and looked towards the shadows inside the room, his voice hoarse as he said, "Find something for Ji Taiping to do, preferably something that will take him away from the capital. He and the White Robe have a deadly feud. Let's avoid this fool causing trouble for me."

"Understood."

An old man's voice came from the shadows inside the room, but no one was seen.

In the capital, within a certain mountain peak.

Ji Taiping frowned as he looked at the message from the Communication Bracelet, standing with one hand behind his back at the edge of a cliff. After a long silence, he turned to Ji Renjian by his side and spoke softly.

"There's an order from the palace. There's turmoil in the western Hundred Nations, and I have to go to pacify the chaos and promote peace."

"This trip will probably take dozens of days."

"I'll go with you." Ji Renjian, barefoot, stood on a green stone, leaning against Ji Taiping's shoulder like a little bird, her eyes filled with longing.

"No."

Ji Taiping shook his head. "You've forgotten the agreement between us. You can't leave Capital State. Last time, when you secretly left without me, you encountered countless dangers on your journey. If I hadn't been secretly protecting you, would you still be standing here?"

"It's dangerous out there. Stay on Green Peak and don't wander around. Just wait patiently for me to return."

"Mhm."

Ji Renjian looked at Ji Taiping with reluctance, "Then be careful."

Previously, she had always thought that her brother's daily indulgence in wine and women was somewhat irresponsible. But after that time when she secretly left Capital State alone out of curiosity, even though she had disguised herself and intentionally made herself look ugly, being the Celestial Dao First Beauty, even a hint of her beauty was enough to drive many people mad.

But every time she was in danger.

There was always a Qingfeng sword flying from a distance to protect her.

Although no one was seen.

She had chatted a lot with that Qingfeng sword along the way, and it danced around her, seemingly expressing joy. She knew that only two people in Great Xia possessed such powerful sword intent.

One was the White Robe Sword Cultivator, and the other was her brother, Ji Taiping.

At that time, there was an order from the palace, sending the two of them to pacify the chaos in the Hundred Nations. Whoever succeeded in pacifying the turmoil would be granted the title of "National Sword Envoy," allowing them to harness a strand of Great Xia's fortune and enhance their understanding of the Sword Dao, significantly strengthening their power.

In her memory, the White Robe Sword Cultivator was a sword fanatic, only interested in sword cultivation and had only met her once.

The Qingfeng sword that protected her was naturally her brother, Ji Taiping.

After returning to Capital State from her adventure, she told her brother about this, and after a long silence, he admitted to it and forbade her from leaving Capital State without permission again.

It was said that soon after, he killed all the family members who had harbored ill intentions towards her during her journey.

Although she found her brother's actions a bit brutal, the thought that he was standing up for her made her feel happy.

From then on, her impression of her brother changed drastically.

"Mhm."

Ji Taiping pinched Ji Renjian's nose affectionately and then ruffled her hair, saying gently, "Rest assured, no one in this world can kill your brother yet."

"When I return, I'll bring you some specialties from the Hundred Nations."

Then,

Ji Taiping left without lingering, heading down the mountain. Only Ji Renjian was left, staring at Ji Taiping's departing figure with a dazed expression, speechless.

Her name was Renjian, meaning "human world."

Her brother's name was Taiping, meaning "peace."

When their parents gave them these names, they wished for peace in the human world.

She truly hoped for peace in the world, so her brother wouldn't have to constantly travel to the Hundred Nations to pacify chaos and could stay by her side. She could also follow her brother to visit other states.

Ji Taiping walked down the mountain, and as soon as he reached the foot of the mountain, a man in black rushed over, saying urgently, "National Sword Envoy, as you instructed, we've identified three storytellers who often boast about the White Robe's past deeds."

"Kill them all."

Ji Taiping's face turned cold as he strode forward, "From now on, don't ask me about such matters. Not just three, even if there were three hundred, anyone who dares to boast about the White Robe, kill them all without exception."

"Even if a great disaster occurs, I, Ji Taiping, can handle it."

"If one person in the world says I'm inferior to the White Robe."

"I'll kill one person."

"If everyone in the world says I'm inferior to the White Robe."

"Then I'll kill everyone in the world."

"You've come to report this, and the people are already dead. In the future, when you encounter problems, consult your predecessor. If there's another such foolish act, I'll start by killing you."

The man in black quickly lowered his head, fear flashing in his eyes, and whispered, "Understood, sir."

Fat State.

It was the southernmost of the ten states of Great Xia, known for its cold climate, which made many of its inhabitants stout and fat, hence the name "Fat State."

Beyond this state lay the Endless Ice Plain, their destination.

But the scholar insisted on bringing them to Fat City, the most prosperous city in Fat State, saying he wanted to show them a great treasure.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end