Chapter 190: Initial Foundation Establishment, Overpowering Nangong

Chapter 190: Initial Foundation Establishment, Overpowering Nangong

Atop a verdant mountain peak, gentle breezes caressed the air, carrying the fragrant aroma of tea between two figures seated opposite each other.

A look of awe remained on Nangong Jin's face, unable to dissipate.

"Did you really succeed?"

His voice carried a hint of disbelief.

Luo Chen smiled slightly, blowing on the steam rising from his teacup.

He took a small sip.

"Well, my fellow cultivator, as you can see, there's no room for deception here."

As he spoke, a surge of powerful spiritual sense burst forth.

Nangong Jin's face turned solemn, and he released his own spiritual sense in response.

In just an instant, their spiritual senses collided and then retracted.

"Hmm!"

Nangong Jin grunted, his face paling slightly for a fleeting moment.

He was visibly shocked, gazing at Luo Chen in astonishment.

"Upon entering the Foundation Establishment stage, your Divine Soul Foundation is already so robust!"

Luo Chen smiled apologetically.

"My apologies, fellow cultivator. My stage is not yet stable, and I couldn't restrain my sharpness, causing you some offense."

He waved his hand, and Nangong Jin didn't mind this.

The two had merely performed a simple spiritual sense collision.

It was like ordinary people testing their arm strength, not engaging in a battle, so there was no question of injury.

What shocked Nangong Jin was that Luo Chen, having just entered the Foundation Establishment stage, possessed such a powerful spiritual sense.

The release of spiritual sense is an extension of the Divine Soul.

Such formidable spiritual sense could only indicate that Luo Chen possessed a Divine Soul Foundation far beyond his peers.

Nangong Jin smiled bitterly, "No wonder you succeeded in one go. I suppose your Divine Soul must have already reached completion during the Essence Condensation stage."

"With this, when breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, you can calmly mobilize the Essence Energy within your body and precisely impact the Energy Core Barrier."

Indeed, this was the only explanation.

Otherwise, how could Luo Chen have achieved such a feat in one step?

It is known that many outstanding solitary cultivators and sect elites often find themselves at a loss when the violent medicinal power surges during their attempt to break through the Foundation Establishment stage.

At that moment, how could they even consider breaking through the Energy Core Barrier and rebuilding their foundational cultivation?

Even if they were fortunate enough to break through the barrier, they would still fail due to insufficient time to control the chaotic Essence Energy flood, causing significant harm to their bodies.

Luo Chen smiled silently, but a sigh escaped his heart.

If only it were that simple!

He, too, had overcome these challenges through repeated attempts.

The strength of his Divine Soul Foundation had indeed brought him numerous advantages.

Without such a powerful Divine Soul, he wouldn't have been able to continuously use Foundation Establishment Pills and Imperial Stream Fluid to challenge the Foundation Establishment stage.

Moreover, aside from his Divine Soul, the strength of his Physical Body was also a crucial factor in his success.

Ordinary people attempting to break through the Foundation Establishment stage often end up harming their physical bodies.

However, Luo Chen had been consistently consuming Essence Cultivating Elixir, Golden Jade Liquid, along with demon beast meat and Spirit Rice without interruption for many years.

As a result, he possessed an exceptionally robust Physical Body.

According to Wang Yuan's standards, Luo Chen was infinitely close to achieving the Vajra Body.

In other words, his Physical Body was already on the verge of reaching the first stage of perfection in cultivation.

With this dual approach, combined with the accumulated medicinal power from repeated use of Foundation Establishment Pills and Imperial Stream Fluid, he surpassed the standards in all three aspects: Essence Energy Gate, Divine Soul Gate, and Physical Body Gate.

His success in one go was well-deserved!

If Nangong Jin knew that Luo Chen had consumed five portions of Foundation Establishment Essence Medicine in one go, he would probably curse him for his success in Foundation Establishment.

Of course, Luo Chen naturally wouldn't disclose the reasons behind his success to Nangong Jin.

Currently, another issue was troubling him.

"Fellow cultivator, do you have the Jade Elm Emperor Scripture?"

"The Jade Elm Emperor Scripture?" Nangong Jin's eyebrows rose, and he quickly realized, "You don't have a second-stage innate cultivation technique?"

Seeing Luo Chen nod, he asked in confusion, "That shouldn't be possible. As a family with a 300-year legacy in Foundation Establishment, the Duan family must have recorded corresponding cultivation techniques!"

"Yes, they do, but those techniques aren't suitable for me."

Luo Chen replied, his face also showing distress.

The Duan family's library indeed contained three second-stage cultivation techniques.

'Canghai Duanlang Jue'

'Dinghu Yiqi Fa'

'Youquan Minghuo'

The first two were the Duan family's primary cultivation techniques, one focusing on water and the other on fire, applicable to the realm of artifact crafting.

Both Duan Qiankun and Duan Feng cultivated these two techniques.

However, the third technique, 'Youquan Minghuo', was specifically sought by Duan Qiankun for his grandson, Duan Rui.

It was rumored to allow the simultaneous cultivation of water and fire, resulting in unparalleled combat power!

Given Luo Chen's Five Elements Spirit Root, transitioning to any of these three cultivation techniques wouldn't be a significant issue.

Especially with 'Youquan Minghuo', if he mastered it, the boost to his combat power would be immense.

Moreover, he wasn't concerned about the technique's compatibility with his attributes.

With the system's help, as long as he increased his proficiency, it would gradually align with his attributes.

What made Luo Chen hesitate was the Eternal Spring Technique!

This technique had already reached Great Perfection, and if it could seamlessly connect with the Jade Elm Emperor Scripture, it would save him a lot of foundational accumulation time.

Quickly entering the beginner stage would be a certainty!

However, if he transitioned to 'Youquan Minghuo', which had different attributes, entering the beginner stage would be a significant challenge.

He wasn't sure how much time it would take.

Therefore, after much deliberation, he decided to choose the Jade Elm Emperor Scripture.

If it were the Nangong Jin from before, he would likely have refused Luo Chen's request outright.

But now, times have changed!

Luo Chen has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and they are of the same stage.

Within Luo Tianhui, there is also a second-stage Explosive Ape and an additional Wang Yuan who is capable of fighting at the Foundation Establishment level.

With such strength, he couldn't help but treat them with caution.

After some thought, his eyes lit up.

"I don't have this scripture, after all, my Nan Gong family is from Snow Lotus Quarter, and most of the techniques passed down there are water, ice, and wind-based."

"However, there is someone in Da He Fang who might have what you're looking for."

Luo Chen's eyes lit up.

"Who?"

"Li Yixuan!"

Nan Gong Jin slowly uttered the three words.

"Li Yixuan?"

Muttering this name, Luo Chen recalled the Foundation Establishment female cultivator whose true appearance he had never seen.

...

The meeting with Nan Gong Jin only lasted until the evening, when Luo Chen made an excuse to retreat and consolidate his cultivation stage.

Of course, before Nan Gong Jin left, Luo Chen informed him that the Foundation Establishment Ceremony would be held in three days.

At that time, he must attend the ceremony.

Nan Gong Jin agreed, and also promised to help him contact Li Yixuan.

Whether it would be successful or not depended on what price Luo Chen was willing to pay and Li Yixuan's personal wishes.

After Nan Gong Jin left, a figure dragging shackles and carrying two large wine flasks approached the mountain.

"As expected, drinking wine is more refreshing than tea!"

Facing his friend, Luo Chen let his guard down.

No longer maintaining the ethereal and Taoist aura from the afternoon, he lazily sprawled on the chair, gazing at the clouds rolling in the mountain breeze and the birds returning home.

Wang Yuan raised the gourd.

"Congratulations!"

"Hehe, congratulations to both of us!"

Luo Chen picked up the large gourd and clinked it with Wang Yuan's.

His mention of 'congratulations to both of us' wasn't without reason.

With his current perception, he could clearly sense Wang Yuan's current state.

The Essence Energy fluctuations were no longer erratic but had stabilized at the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement.

Although it still didn't reach the Foundation Establishment stage, at least in battle, he could now display a stable level of strength.

"Speaking of which, Wang Ge, now that you've reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement, you should be able to try Foundation Establishment through pills!"

However, Wang Yuan shook his head at this suggestion.

He put down the wine gourd and sighed.

"Once you step onto the path of Blood Path Foundation Establishment, there's no turning back."

Luo Chen was surprised, "Is there no other way?"

"Yes, and there are only two chances left."

Upon hearing this, the two fell silent for a moment.

The method Luo Chen mentioned was naturally the Blood Tyrant Soul Stealing Array that Wang Yuan had fused with in the past.

By using this method for Foundation Establishment, one could achieve instant success.

However, this method had significant flaws, and the first failure had already caused severe aftereffects.

Although Wang Yuan seemed to be in good condition, the shackles that pierced his body indicated that his state wasn't as good as it appeared.

The Soul-Binding Oath only helped him maintain his original intentions and prevented the remnant soul of Duan Qiankun from disturbing him.

To solve this problem, he must successfully establish his foundation.

Moreover, the Blood Tyrant Soul Stealing Array only had three chances.

Wang Yuan had already failed once, and if the subsequent two attempts were also unsuccessful...

"It can be said that taking shortcuts is inherently risky."

Wang Yuan said calmly.

Looking at Luo Chen, whose entire body was brimming with vigor and whose Essence Energy fluctuations rippled continuously, he advised, "You must not repeat my mistakes. Every step must be taken with solid footing!"

Luo Chen nodded vigorously.

He also understood this principle well.

Wang Yuan had tried to take a shortcut and failed, and Luo Chen, on his journey, had relied on consuming a large number of pills, skipping decades of arduous cultivation, which was also a shortcut.

The consequence was the Essence Poison Barrier that still lingered around his Dantian.

Before solving this hidden danger, he dared not recklessly consume more pills.

Moreover, the top priority was not to accelerate his cultivation but to consolidate his cultivation stage.

"After the Foundation Establishment Ceremony, I will retreat for a while to consolidate my stage."

"At that time, I'll still need to trouble you, Wang Ge, to keep an eye on Luo Tianhui."

This was only reasonable, and Wang Yuan didn't refuse.

Moreover, those trivial matters didn't bother him anymore.

With Sima Huiwang, Murong, Gu Caiyi, and many others, he only needed to act as the Pillar of Stability, deterring all directions.

Furthermore, Luo Tianhui now had more than one Pillar of Stability!

Luo Chen - a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator!

This title, when spoken of, still carried significant weight.

"Won't you meet with Qin Liangchen and the others?"

Luo Chen shook his head, "It's not the right time yet. These days, I can't leave the Green Thatched Cottage."

Indeed!

Wang Yuan could sense that Luo Chen's state wasn't good.

He indeed needed to consolidate his cultivation stage.

Since this was the case, Wang Yuan didn't want to disturb him further and left after a brief chat.

Watching Wang Yuan gradually disappear into the night, Luo Chen sighed softly.

Perhaps these years were Wang Yuan's rare moments of quiet cultivation.

During their conversation, he seemed to have lost much of his previous vigor and had become more calm and steady.

After Wang Yuan left.

Luo Chen didn't go inside the house but instead faced the mountain breeze, slowly closing his eyes.

The first time.

His gaze fell upon his Dantian.

The newly reconstructed Dantian was ten times larger in volume than before!

Layer upon layer, it seemed to be divided into stages.

The term 'Dantian' no longer seemed appropriate.

According to the ancient records, it should now be called the 'Qi Sea'.

The Dantian transformed into a sea, accommodating all energies.

The Nine Heavens of Qi Sea, each layer represented a gate.

If one could perfect all nine layers, they would condense the Golden Core, hence the origin of the Golden Core Stage.

Similarly, the Foundation Establishment Stage is divided into nine layers, just like the Essence Condensation Stage.

It is categorized into three phases: initial, middle, and final, based on the numbers three, six, and nine.

For now, these were not of immediate concern.

What mattered to Luo Chen was his current state.

After successfully establishing his foundation, his Dao foundation was extremely stable!

Luo Chen didn't know how others' foundations compared, but for himself, if he wanted to rely on arduous cultivation to reach Supreme Completion of Foundation Establishment, it would take at least several hundred years, possibly even over a thousand years!

And this was just a rough estimate.

Without a natal technique, he could only rely on the Eternal Spring Technique at Great Perfection to refine the Essence Energy within his body.

At the bottom of the Qi Sea, there was a thin layer of Spirit Liquid.

This was another symbol of the Foundation Establishment Stage, where Essence Energy condenses into liquid, apart from the release of Spiritual Sense.

Only with Essence Energy condensation could a True Cultivator of Foundation Establishment wield various powerful techniques and even control Supreme Magical Tools with ease, and even Spirit Treasures to some extent.

Luo Chen's Spirit Liquid was not abundant.

But this was not his entire strength.

In his first layer of Qi Sea, he still had a large amount of Spirit Energy clouds.

These were the remnants of the five portions of Foundation Establishment Spirit Pills he had consumed.

Whether it was the violent energy of the Foundation Establishment Pill or the gentle Imperial Stream Fluid, the Spirit Energy they contained was immense.

Luo Chen's repeated attempts to break through the Foundation Establishment Stage in a short time would inevitably lead to some unutilized energy.

Now, all of it remained in the newly opened Qi Sea.

If he didn't refine it completely, he couldn't begin the true cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

"So, I must obtain the Jade Elm Emperor Scripture!"

Luo Chen examined his attributes.

【Lifespan: 32/150】

【Spirit Root: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth】

【Stage: Foundation Establishment Layer 1, 10/100】

【Technique: Great Perfection Eternal Spring Technique, Divine Spirit Annihilation Perfect 351/500, Ten Thousand Beasts Scripture Beginner 10/100】

【Spell: Great Perfection Fireball Spell, Great Perfection Freedom Flight Spell, Great Perfection Pulling Spell, Great Perfection Breath Holding Spirit Art, Great Perfection Spirit Eye Technique, Great Perfection Binding Spell, Great Perfection Cleansing Spell, Healing Spell Master 625/1000, Earthen Mountain Technique Perfect 315/500, Wave Technique Perfect 309/500, Soundproofing Spell Perfect 312/500, Mind Paralyzing Spell Beginner Proficient 179/200】

【Alchemy: Great Perfection Shattering Jade Hand, Pure Heart Hand Master 513/1000, Washing Hand Proficient 125/200, Cloud Transformation Hand Proficient 112/200】

【Martial Skills: Mountain Splitting Boulder Shattering Palm Master 880/1000, Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers Perfect 357/500】

【Skills: Second Stage Alchemist: Fasting Powder Great Perfection, All Wonders Pill Great Perfection, Jade Marrow Pill Great Perfection, Blood Burning Pill Proficient 150/200, Mystic Void Pill Beginner 80/100, Imperial Stream Fluid Beginner 3/100】

【Achievement Points: 3】

The first thing that caught his attention was the Lifespan attribute.

150!

"Finally, it's changed!"

Luo Chen couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.

All along, his lifespan had been different from that of ordinary people.

When humans embark on the path of cultivation, their bodies undergo a gradual transformation due to the refinement of Spirit Energy.

For ordinary Essence Condensation cultivators, the lifespan limit can reach around 120 years.

Take Sun Shou from the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion, for example; despite being in his nineties, he remains cheerful and energetic, showing no signs of aging.

Or Granny Yuan from the Luo Tianhui, whose age has already surpassed a century.

In her daily activities, she only exhibits a slight hint of old age.

It can be said that as long as cultivators don't suffer severe injuries, their lifespan will gradually increase with each breakthrough in their cultivation stage.

This is a slow transformation of their life essence.

It's not an overnight process but a gradual progression.

The saying, "One day of Foundation Establishment adds two hundred years of life," is just a general term.

But in Luo Chen's case, from the third layer of Essence Condensation to the Supreme Completion of Essence Condensation, his lifespan had never changed.

Luo Chen speculated that this might be related to his transmigration.

His lifespan was inherited from his previous life!

Back then, as a corporate slave, he worked diligently from nine to five, six days a week.

Living to the age of seventy-five was already considered quite an achievement.

But in the current cultivation world, that would make him a short-lived ghost.

Now, with his lifespan limit increased to one hundred and fifty years, it was truly a cause for great joy!

"Moreover, as my cultivation progresses and I break through stages, my lifespan will likely continue to change."

"After all, the lifespan limit of a True Cultivator of Foundation Establishment, according to historical records, is three hundred years!"

Luo Chen had previously looked into the lifespans of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Generally speaking, the limit is two hundred and fifty years.

Compared to Essence Condensation cultivators, it's double the lifespan, with an additional ten years or so.

It is precisely for this reason that various sects highly favor disciples who break through Foundation Establishment before the age of sixty.

This way, they will have nearly two hundred years to leisurely break through the Golden Core Stage.

As for the record of three hundred years of lifespan? Of course, it wasn't under normal circumstances.

It was due to the consumption of longevity-prolonging spirit pills and potions.

In the past, the Mountain Destruction Gang had once found a Six-Petaled Heavenly Emperor Lotus.

It was said that each petal could extend one's lifespan by ten years, and with all six petals, one could gain an entire cycle of sixty years. It was truly a rare treasure of heaven and earth!

Uncle Mi Hua also relied on this medicine to trade for a Foundation Establishment Pill from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

Naturally, Luo Chen also hoped to possess such a spirit herb.

This way, he would have more time to prepare for the Golden Core Stage.

However, at the moment, it wasn't that urgent.

With over a hundred years of abundant lifespan, he could accomplish many things.

"My stage is the first layer of Foundation Establishment, but the progress is quite different from usual."

In the past, when breaking through, whether it was the proficiency of spells and pills or the stage of cultivation techniques, it was often just "1".

This time, he directly gained ten additional points.

It must be the effect of those five Foundation Establishment spirit medicines.

Luo Chen quickly skimmed through the text, pausing at the Divine Spirit Annihilation section.

This was an excellent cultivation technique!

Amidst the intense pain brought on by the Foundation Establishment Pill and the warm and confusing illusion of the Imperial Stream Fluid, he managed to maintain sufficient clarity.

As for the other things, there wasn't much to see.

At this moment, Luo Chen was more eager to test the changes in his spells after Foundation Establishment.

There was no such thing as an unchanging spell!

As cultivators advanced in their stages, even the weakest spells would undergo significant transformations in the hands of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement cultivators.

First was the Fireball Technique.

This spell, which he had mastered to an extraordinary degree, could now be freely controlled with a thought.

"With just a trace of Spirit Liquid, it's comparable to the small fireball I used to cast with all my might."

"If I increase the Essence Energy input, its power will be several times greater than before."

This change didn't seem significant.

But Luo Chen also mastered the fusion technique of fireballs, forming the Blazing Sun Technique, which was a terrifying amplification!

"If I encounter an enemy now, I won't need to hide and cast the Blazing Sun Technique."

"Within a few breaths, I can condense a Blazing Sun Technique that can threaten those of the same stage."

Luo Chen nodded, retracting the Fireball Technique.

This was a huge improvement.

It meant that the Blazing Sun Technique, which he used as a trump card, could now be a regular combat method.

Of course, to maximize its power, he still needed ample time for fusion, but this didn't hinder anything.

The Blazing Sun Technique, when cast normally, already possessed the might of a second-stage spell.

After retracting the fireball, Luo Chen continued to familiarize himself with the other spells in his arsenal.

He even took out and experimented with magical tools like the Sword Pellet and the Musk Summoning Dragon Flag.

It was undeniable that after Foundation Establishment, the changes were immense.

With abundant spiritual power, he could easily wield these magical tools that used to consume a lot of Essence Energy.

"No wonder Duan Qiankun could manipulate the Yellow River Luo Sword almost infinitely when facing Wang Yuan."

"Now, I can also freely manipulate the Musk Summoning Dragon Flag!"

These were all related to offensive capabilities.

Luo Chen calmed his mind and carefully channeled a trace of Spirit Liquid into his eyes.

The next moment, his eyes shone with brilliance!

With the Great Perfection of the Spirit Eye Technique, he opened his eyes wide.

Standing atop the peak of Little Huan Mountain, Luo Chen's eyes scanned the surroundings.

A hundred li, two hundred li...

In an instant, Luo Chen saw a thousand li away!

"Thousand Mile Vision?"

"This must be considered a divine ability, right?"

Luo Chen marveled, surprised by this unexpected change.

But upon careful consideration, it seemed only natural.

He had cultivated the Spirit Eye Technique to the Great Perfection level, which was already extraordinary.

Over the years, he had consumed a lot of Brightening Liquid and had rarely stopped taking the Bright Pearl Liquid.

Although there was no qualitative change before.

But now, with the breakthrough in his stage, he welcomed a joyous harvest.

"This way, I can predict and counter my enemies in advance!"

Luo Chen's divine soul foundation was strong, which was why he could compete with Nan Gong Jin even at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.

And he even had a slight advantage! However, in terms of the range of his spiritual sense projection, it was only five li.

Three li more than an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

This was a significant improvement, especially at the initial stage.

But compared to the Thousand Mile Vision, it was far inferior.

There was no choice, as he hadn't consumed much of the Mystic Void Pill, and his divine soul foundation was still insufficient.

"Never mind, I've familiarized myself with most of the techniques. I'll just get to know one or two more after my stage consolidation."

Familiarizing himself with these techniques took Luo Chen a long time.

By now, the sky was already brightening.

Just as Luo Chen was about to deactivate the Spirit Eye Technique, his gaze paused in the most familiar direction.

"Huh?"

Thanks to the Alliance Leader Yan Hua Xiao Min for the 10,000 starting coins reward!

Thanks to readers a600, O_o100, 20210301106576412230, and 20210301106534375412 for the 100 starting coins rewards!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end