Chapter 98: Elder Chen – I Have Good News to Share

Chapter 98: Elder Chen – I Have Good News to Share

"Strange... what did Elder Qi mean by that?"

Xiao Chen returned to the courtyard, still mulling over the encounter, his heart unsettled.

Logically, it made sense for her to give him spirit flowers as a gift—after all, something too cheap wouldn’t be appropriate. But why had she only given him spirit flowers, without adding anything else?

It wasn’t that Xiao Chen was fixated on receiving a gift. He simply couldn’t fathom her reasoning.

Knock knock knock!

The door rattled as Steward Chen’s voice followed: "Xiao Chen! You came back and didn’t even tell me."

Xiao Chen opened the door. "Zhi’an elder brother, why are you here?"

Chen Zhi’an countered, "You’re asking me? I only found out you’d reached Foundation Building because I saw disciples carrying lumber into Cuiwei Valley."

"This is such a momentous occasion—how could you not tell me yourself?"

Xiao Chen explained, "Zhi’an elder brother, you’re misunderstanding me. I just got back and was about to come find you."

Chen Zhi’an grabbed his arm. "Perfect! Come on, let’s go find Third Uncle. We need to celebrate this."

"Since my Foundation Building fifteen years ago, our Chen family hasn’t had another cultivator reach this stage."

"This deserves a grand celebration—a Foundation Building Ceremony!"

Xiao Chen, who’d been in the sect for five years, hadn’t heard of anyone holding such a ceremony. "No one else has done it. Wouldn’t that be too ostentatious?"

Chen Zhi’an shot him a surprised look. "Ostentatious? Others didn’t hold ceremonies because they weren’t qualified."

"You’re different, junior brother. You broke through before turning twenty-five and succeeded on your first attempt. Of course it’s worth celebrating!"

Xiao Chen tilted his head. "Why twenty-five?"

Chen Zhi’an shook his head. "That’s an old tradition set by our founding ancestor. Over the years, few have met this standard."

"The last Foundation Building Ceremony was nearly fifty years ago." He grinned. "Congratulations, junior brother. You’re the fastest to reach Foundation Building in half a century."

The two arrived at Elder Chen’s residence.

They found Elder Chen already preparing to leave, his face glowing with joy. Seeing them together, he smiled. "Xiao Chen, you’re just in time. I have good news to share."

Chen Zhi’an rushed in, "Third Uncle, I have good news too!"

They paused, exchanging startled glances.

Chen Zhi’an suppressed a chuckle. "Third Uncle, you first. I’ll tell you mine afterward."

Elder Chen pulled out a storage box and opened it, revealing a five-colored golden lotus. "Six days ago, I attended the Qianzhu Market and bought this five-color golden lotus."

For the Chen family, possessing the main ingredient meant they could now produce a Foundation Building Pill.

"Hmm? Why don’t you two look excited?"

Elder Chen studied their expressions. "Zhi’an, what’s that face?"

Chen Zhi’an glanced between Xiao Chen and the lotus. "Third Uncle… Xiao Chen already reached Foundation Building."

"What?!"

Elder Chen blinked, certain he’d misheard. "What did you say?"

Xiao Chen stepped forward. "Master, your disciple broke through two days ago."

Normally, a cultivator’s status rose with their cultivation realm, but the master-disciple relationship remained unchanged. Xiao Chen still addressed Elder Chen as his master.

Sensing the faint aura radiating from Xiao Chen, Elder Chen’s eyes darkened with complex emotions—pride, concern, and a flicker of dread.

Seeing his apprentice achieve Foundation Building filled him with satisfaction, proof of his own discerning eye. But Xiao Chen’s breakthrough in the wilderness stirred unease.

Didn’t I show him examples of failed Foundation Building? Doesn’t he understand the importance of Attaining Human Harmony first?

A cultivator was most vulnerable during a breakthrough. If the spiritual energy in a remote area surged, it might attract Bandit Cultivators.

Yet Elder Chen underestimated Xiao Chen’s preparation. He’d spent 640 spirit stones and an entire vial of greenwood spirit essence to create an environment brimming with spiritual energy. The cave’s interior had been saturated, leaving no detectable disturbance outside.

Finally, there was the lingering worry—where had Xiao Chen gotten the Foundation Building Pill?

Elder Chen quickly latched onto the question. Had another family secretly approached Xiao Chen, gifting him a pill?

Chen Zhi’an caught on too. "Third Uncle just acquired the five-color golden lotus… how did Xiao Chen already break through?"

He gasped. "Did you force the breakthrough using only your own vital energy?!"

"Human Path Foundation Building succeeds in one out of a hundred attempts. That was reckless!"

"You could’ve waited a few days. The family would’ve provided a Foundation Building Pill. We’re not destitute—why take such a risk?"

Xiao Chen waved him off. "Zhi’an elder brother, you’re mistaken. I didn’t take the Human Path."

Chen Zhi’an froze.

He’d assumed Xiao Chen had recklessly forced another breakthrough, like during the Outer Sect Trial. Now he realized—other families weren’t the only source of Foundation Building Pills.

Realizing his blunder, Chen Zhi’an winced.

But Xiao Chen hesitated slightly. "Actually, I gathered the five-element spirit herbs and took the Heavenly Path Foundation Building."

"I suppose I was just lucky."

"Oh! The Heavenly Path Foundation Building!"

Both Elder Chen and Steward Chen exhaled in relief.

Then they registered his words simultaneously. "What?!"

Elder Chen’s lips trembled. "Heavenly Path Foundation Building… I haven’t heard of that since childhood. I can’t even recall the last time it happened."

Xiao Chen blinked. "Master, while gathering five-element spirit herbs is difficult, shouldn’t major clans find it manageable?"

Though rumors claimed Li Zhou hadn’t seen a Heavenly Path Foundation Building in centuries, Xiao Chen had assumed solitary cultivators simply lacked access to such secrets.

"Manageable?" Elder Chen chuckled bitterly. "Li Zhou lacks blessed land cave heavens. Even decent forbidden realms are scarce."

"Outside the volcanic ranges, we lack sources for the other four elemental Foundation Building herbs."

"Before the trade routes collapsed, we occasionally imported sword bamboo from the Central Plains. Other spirit herbs, if acquired at all, were hoarded—never sold."

He stared at Xiao Chen, as if peering beyond him to the threads of fate. "Over a century… you’re the only one."

His voice wavered between awe and disbelief.

Chen Zhi’an took a step back, scrutinizing Xiao Chen anew.

Suddenly, he recalled Elder Chen’s mention of Heaven’s Chosen.

What is Heaven’s Chosen?
The ‘heaven’ in Heaven’s Chosen and the ‘heaven’ in Heavenly Path Foundation Building… are one and the same.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end