95: Chapter 95 The Dao Ancestor's Foot Bath Water?

Boom!

The torrent transformed from that Medicinal Pill was not a gentle Spiritual Qi, but a waking ancient Dragon, savagely crashing through every inch of his Meridians.

His long-dried, fragile, spiderweb-like Meridians were torn apart by this force like dry twigs, only to be reshaped and widened in an instant.

The intertwining of intense pain and the pleasure of rebirth nearly made him faint.

Within his Dantian Qi Sea, that single wisp of Qi sensation was now forcibly torn into a chaotic storm.

Spiritual Qi was being compressed, purified, and compressed again with unprecedented efficiency!

Qi Refining First Layer... Qi Refining Second Layer... Qi Refining Third Layer...

In the face of this tyrannical force, the barrier of his cultivation could not even be called an obstacle; it was merely a layer of window paper, easily pierced with a single poke.

In just a few short breaths.

Su Changge's cultivation had reached a height he had never touched in this life—Qi Refining Great Perfection!

"It's coming!"

Su Changge's mind shook violently. He forcibly controlled this out-of-control energy and launched a desperate charge toward that legendary chasm—the Foundation Establishment barrier!

With no Medicinal Pill to assist, no Senior to act as Protector, there was only forward-moving determination.

Because the potency of the System Medicinal Pill was his greatest source of confidence!

"Pop."

A crisp sound, so slight it was almost imperceptible, echoed deep within his Divine Soul.

That Foundation Establishment barrier, which had trapped countless Cultivators to their deaths, shattered.

The gaseous Spiritual Qi poured into his Dantian like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, beginning a sacred transformation.

One drop.

A single drop of crystal-clear spirit liquid, containing boundless vitality, slowly condensed and formed in the center of his Dantian.

Success!

Foundation Establishment Stage!

A tyrannical aura, far surpassing the Qi Refining realm, erupted uncontrollably from within Su Changge, only to be retracted into nothingness in an instant.

He was finally no longer that powerless special effects Revered Master!

However, before he could even revel in his joy, a sudden change occurred!

That first drop of spirit liquid, which had just formed, began to rapidly become illusory and dim under his horrified gaze.

Then, as if it had never appeared, it dissipated completely!

The Spiritual Qi that had been surging and roaring within him was like a punctured balloon, retreating madly at a speed even faster than when it grew.

Foundation Establishment Stage... falling!

Qi Refining Great Perfection... falling!

Qi Refining Ninth Layer, Eighth Layer, Seventh Layer...

Su Changge opened his eyes abruptly, the depths of his eyes filled with undisguised horror and bewilderment.

The Spiritual Qi within his body, once vast as a river and sea, was ultimately reduced to a single weak wisp of Qi, floating lonely in his Dantian, as if everything had been but a dream.

[Ding! Host cultivation fluctuation detected...]

[Congratulations to the Host for successfully... consolidating Qi Refining First Layer cultivation.]

[Host: Su Changge]

[Surface Cultivation: Unfathomable, Dao Returning to One (Dao Rhyme affinity special effect applied)]

[True Cultivation: Qi Refining First Layer]

[emotion points: 11,897,543 (The lecture has ended; the followers' fervor has brought you massive earnings)]

[Mastered Special Effects: ... (List expanded)]

[Items: Special Effect Customization Card * 1, True Damage Conversion Card * 1]

Looking at the glaring "Qi Refining First Layer" on the panel, Su Changge's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

His mentality collapsed.

It truly collapsed.

Going from Hell to Heaven, and then free-falling from Heaven to crash through the eighteen levels of Hell, was exactly this.

Fortunately, the tens of millions of emotion points, along with those two trump card cards, were his final consolation.

Especially that "True Damage Conversion Card"; next time someone is blind enough to cross him, he would definitely make them understand what it means for "special effects to also deal damage"!

As for the "Special Effect Customization Card", the top priority was to customize a top-tier special effect for self-preservation or escaping.

Like "Absolute Evasion"? Or "Karma Immunity"?

As he was deep in thought, a "knock, knock, knock" sound came from the courtyard gate, extremely rhythmic, carrying a sense of pilgrim-like piety.

The horror and madness in Su Changge's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by an eternal, unchanging indifference and depth.

"Come in."

The voice was not loud, yet it seemed to contain a certain peculiar rhythm.

The courtyard gate was gently pushed open, and Qin Wudao and Xia Yunxi walked in, one after the other, with heavy steps.

As soon as the two entered the courtyard, they performed a full prostration toward Su Changge, their foreheads pressed deeply against the cold bluestone floor.

"Disciple Qin Wudao pays respects to the Dao Ancestor Saint!"

Their posture was filled with unprecedented awe and trepidation.

Everything that happened on the square today had shattered the cognitive understanding they had held for hundreds and thousands of years.

Su Changge sat calmly on the stone stool, neither speaking nor allowing them to rise, merely watching them quietly with eyes that seemed capable of piercing through eternity.

"What is it?"

After a long while, he spat out two words.

Qin Wudao raised his head, his aged face a mix of excitement, guilt, and fervor.

"Disciple... has come specifically to seek the Dao Ancestor's forgiveness!"

"This Disciple was blind and foolish, actually daring to question the Dao Ancestor's method of preaching, nearly missing the supreme immortal fate. Please, Dao Ancestor, mete out your thunderous punishment!"

Su Changge sneered inwardly, *You didn't just question it, you nearly attacked.*

Yet, verbally, he still uttered those two words.

"It is of no consequence."

The more nonchalant he was, the more ashamed Qin Wudao felt, wishing he could crawl into a crack in the ground.

"The Dao Ancestor is magnanimous, but this Disciple... this Disciple could not repay even one ten-thousandth even with death!"

Qin Wudao kowtowed heavily once, then from his Storage Ring, he brought out a pile of bottles, jars, and Heaven And Earth Treasure that were shimmering with light and overflowing with Spiritual Qi.

"Dao Ancestor, this is the entire foundation of our Taixuan Sect since its founding three thousand years ago. Disciple knows these vulgar items are unworthy of your eyes, but... but this is the only token of sincerity that this Disciple and the entire Taixuan Sect can offer. Please, you must accept it!"

Millennium spirit marrow, ten-thousand-year stalactite milk, and even a few Dao Artifacts with restrained brilliance.

Any one of these would be enough to stir up a bloody storm in the outside world.

Su Changge didn't even raise his eyelids.

He wasn't pretending.

Having just experienced the earth-shattering potency of the cultivation-enhancing Medicinal Pill, looking at these things really did feel... ordinary.

Furthermore, wouldn't accepting these make him seem inferior?

"Take them back."

Su Changge waved his sleeve, his movements nonchalant.

Qin Wudao's body stiffened, and he said anxiously, "Dao Ancestor, you..."

"I do not need them."

Su Changge interrupted him.

Three words, yet like a heavenly decree, they shook Qin Wudao's soul so violently that he couldn't say another word.

He could only look full of disappointment, his trembling hands preparing to take back the treasures.

Meanwhile, Xia Yunxi, who had been kneeling beside him, had been trembling slightly since she entered the door, her pretty face flushed red, as if she were experiencing some kind of internal struggle.

Seeing her Revered Master's offering rejected, she seemed to have made a decision.

She raised her head abruptly, and in those eyes, cold and clear as autumn water, a flame of near-madness burned as she stared fixedly at Su Changge.

"Dao Ancestor... Senior, these vulgar items of the Sect naturally stain your eyes."

"It is just... this Disciple has a wish, a confusion, and a tribulation in her heart... I do not know if I should ask."

Her voice trembled, carrying a hint of desperate resolve.

Su Changge glanced at her.

"Speak."

Having received permission, Xia Yunxi's cheeks instantly flushed so red it seemed blood would drip from them. She bit her lower lip hard, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

"Disciple... has been trapped at the Golden Core Perfection for over a hundred years. The path to Nascent Soul is unreachable."

"Today, I was fortunate to hear Senior's Dao preaching and caught a glimpse of heavenly secrets, yet I always feel... separated by a barrier I cannot pierce."

Saying this, she paused, her chest heaving violently, as if she were gathering all her courage to say the next sentence.

Qin Wudao, beside her, was stunned, not understanding what his proudest Disciple wanted to do.

Finally.

Xia Yunxi spoke word by word, using all her strength to utter a heaven-shocking sentence that caused Qin Wudao's brain to crash and Su Changge to petrify.

"This Disciple is bold, and implores Senior... to grant this Disciple a bowl of..."

She raised her head, her gaze burning with pilgrim-like piety and fervor, looking toward Su Changge's feet.

"...The holy water you have used!"

"This Disciple firmly believes that the holy water, containing your supreme Dao Rhyme, will surely cleanse my body and mind of dust and filth, and help me break through the secret of the Nascent Soul!"