Chapter 62: Foundation Building – A Slaughter Tribulation Begins, A Single Thought Stirs Heaven and Earth
Chapter 62: Foundation Building – A Slaughter Tribulation Begins, A Single Thought Stirs Heaven and Earth
"Given my current state, eliminating that little devil won't be easy."
The Yun Clan Patriarch wore a contemplative expression. Having just reincarnated into an infant’s body, he possessed only a powerful soul and divination abilities – his martial cultivation strength was nonexistent.
"Still, it's not a problem."
He wasn’t concerned. After all, Lv Yang would never detect him in this fragile form. He had ample time to develop – within a decade, he’d recover to Refining Qi Perfection.
"That brat’s slippery, though. Now that he controls this Refinement Realm, he’ll flee the moment he senses danger. Even at Refining Qi Perfection, killing him will require careful planning. I’ll need to lure him into a trap where escape becomes impossible."
As he mused, the Patriarch resumed his divination calculations.
"The Three Steps of Martial Dao – mastering the Five Elements within one’s body, opening the Nine Celestial Orifices, and shattering the Mystic Gate of Creation. A perfected practitioner rivals Refining Qi Late Stage cultivators. What a profound technique."
Awe flickered across his face.
Having cultivated Foundation Building across two lifetimes and lived over six hundred years, he’d encountered countless devil cultivators. Some even mastered the Sage Body Theft Cultivation Technique, but none matched Lv Yang’s brilliance.
"One cannot comprehend Heaven’s Mandate without reaching Foundation Building. Divination skills lack the power to create new techniques. Even if someone forces a creation, it’s fragile – like mud bricks crumbling at a touch. A cultivator reaching Refining Qi Mid-Stage through self-created methods is already exceptional. To achieve Refining Qi Late Stage? Near perfection."
"Could that devil truly possess such celestial talent?"
The Patriarch’s admiration deepened into wariness. Determination solidified – he must prevent Lv Yang’s Foundation Building breakthrough at all costs, lest the Devil Dao gain unstoppable momentum.
But how?
"The Sage Body Theft Cultivation Technique steals the world’s vitality at the cost of karmic merit. Completing it invites calamity. My reincarnation must be part of his karmic retribution."
Suddenly enlightened, the Patriarch grasped the cosmic mechanism:
"Luckily, the ‘Ultimate Heaven Instrument’ protects me. He cannot detect my existence, but I can track him effortlessly. That’s my advantage."
"If I create a tribulation for him – not too easy, not too difficult. Let him see a glimmer of hope in overcoming it. That’s when he’ll act personally. I’ll use this tribulation as bait to draw him into my trap."
The saying goes: A lion hunting a rabbit still uses full strength.
Having already reincarnated once, the Patriarch refused to underestimate Lv Yang due to his Foundation Building status. His planning was meticulous, bordering on obsessive caution.
"Now, what form should this tribulation take?"
After brief contemplation, a sly smile spread. "What worries that child most is the risk of failure in his Sage Body Theft Cultivation Technique."
"Then I’ll help him – by creating the Fourth Step of Martial Dao. But this time, I won’t restrict myself to his framework."
With that, the Patriarch began weaving causal threads.
In the blink of an eye, ten years passed.
Within this decade, heroes rose across the land. Martial Dao flourished, reaching its zenith. The Three Steps became widely practiced techniques.
Yet during this martial golden age, a storm erupted one midnight over the Heavenly Capital. Thunder roared, dragons and serpents writhed across the earth, and torrential rains fell. Suddenly, a magnificent pillar of energy pierced the heavens, shattering the rain clouds and reversing the natural order. Within two hours, the skies cleared, revealing brilliant sunlight.
The next day, a shocking announcement swept the realm.
The Hao Ran Academy, custodians of a heavenly scripture, declared their reclusive leader, the ‘Saint-Heart Scholar’ Wang Boyuan, had attained enlightenment overnight. He’d broken through to the Fourth Step of Martial Dao!
"The First Step masters the Five Elements within the body – when the five internal organs reach perfection, one becomes a martial artist."
"The Second Step opens the Nine Celestial Orifices – eyes, ears, nose, tongue, tendons, bones, flesh, blood, and mind. Opening all nine elevates one to master-level."
"The Third Step shatters the Mystic Gate of Creation – three feet above one’s head dwells divine consciousness. Channeling essence through the organs and drawing power through the opened orifices, when heaven and earth unite, one sees the ‘divine’."
The world believed the Third Step marked the pinnacle of Martial Dao.
Yet Wang Boyuan’s breakthrough ignited boundless hope. Rather than hoarding his insights, the Saint-Heart Scholar shared his revelation with all.
"The Fourth Step is called ‘Exploring Heaven and Humanity’s Transformation’!"
"To achieve this, one must transcend Martial Dao’s limitations. Forge your own path to realize the harmony between heaven and humanity!"
The Saint-Heart Scholar broke free from Martial Dao’s constraints, creating the ‘Heavenly Fortune Observation Art’. He could read heavenly mandates, perceive cosmic rhythms, and even alter fate itself. Devoted to his nation, he sought to extend the Great Zhou Dynasty’s reign indefinitely, establishing an unshakable empire and eternal peace.
As this breakthrough rippled through causality, the world changed dramatically.
The second to breakthrough was Chang Qingjing, the ‘Barefoot Taoist’ and current disciple of the Dragon-Tiger Sect’s Heavenly Master Mansion, who awakened while treating a patient.
Third was Xuan Ku, the ‘Mercy-Granting Divine Monk’ of the Hanging Temple, who attained enlightenment during morning meditation.
Fourth. Fifth. Sixth...
Within a decade, seven Martial Dao Heaven-Beings emerged, proving this path’s viability and completely overturning Lv Yang’s original Martial Dao framework!
"Hmm?"
Deep in the westernmost reaches of the Refinement Realm, surrounded by countless talismans within the Bloodwash Celestial River Sword Formation, Lv Yang suddenly opened his eyes.
All he saw was darkness – a sky sealed under eternal storm clouds.
The next moment, radiant halos flared behind his head as he activated the Imperial Secret Canon. All events of the past decade flooded his consciousness in an instant.
"The Fourth Step of Martial Dao – Exploring Heaven and Humanity’s Transformation? How swift!"
Lv Yang felt both exhilaration and suspicion. Joy at Martial Dao’s rapid evolution, yet doubt at its unnatural speed.
"According to my design, reaching the Third Step matches Refining Qi Late Stage. Now that these Secret Realm cultivators have achieved the Fourth Step, these so-called Heaven-Beings might rival Refining Qi Perfection. But this isn’t Martial Dao anymore!"
His expression darkened as calculations confirmed all details aligned perfectly.
Only one issue remained – Martial Dao’s loss of control threatened the Sage Body Theft Cultivation Technique’s failure. He’d have to intervene personally.
"This isn’t right!"
Realization struck like a thunderclap. Though he couldn’t detect the Yun Clan Patriarch’s schemes or causal manipulations, one fact remained clear:
"No one’s making me leave this place!"
Here, he commanded endless talismans and array formations. Even a dozen Refining Qi Perfection experts wouldn’t threaten him – he was untouchable.
But leaving? That was another matter entirely.
Moreover, he stood as the unseen player above the board. Entering the mortal realm would mean stepping onto the chessboard himself, becoming a piece in the game.
One misstep, and the entire match would be lost.
Calm returned to Lv Yang. While these Heaven-Beings could disrupt his Sage Body Theft Cultivation Technique, time remained on his side.
"For now, I’ll send a clone to investigate."
Mental command issued, the Ten-Thousand Spirit Banner materialized in his palm. A wisp of white energy formed at his fingertip – pure Primordial Qi, refined from his own essence across lifetimes.
This energy had once propelled his third-life breakthrough to Refining Qi Mid-Stage. Though less useful in later incarnations, it still served its purpose now.
"Time to make use of discarded scraps."
(End of Chapter)
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