211: Chapter 211 Second-Tier Upgrade

A year had passed since Ye Jing entered seclusion to charge for Foundation Establishment.

Outside the stone door, the Ye Family clansmen stood guard, all feeling a powerful surge of spiritual power emanating from within.

That force was pure, and its oppressive weight sent a tremor through their hearts.

This was immediately followed by shock and wild joy.

The moment the stone door opened, everyone in the Family swarmed forward.

They saw Ye Jing stride out; his steady Foundation Establishment aura appeared to them like a deep pool, concealing endless power.

As the eldest son, Ye Xuan's voice trembled slightly as he led the clansmen in a bow: "Congratulations, Family Head! On your Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment!"

Now possessing a Foundation Establishment cultivation, Ye Jing felt the surging spiritual power within his body; everything around him became incredibly clear.

The flow of Spiritual Qi, which in the past required focused perception to capture, was now as obvious as the light and shadows before his eyes.

Even the Qi Refining auras on the clansmen were clearly distinguishable.

"Rise," he said, lifting his hand slightly.

His gaze fell upon the teary-eyed Liu Xianglan, and he smiled: "This is all thanks to the foundation establishment pill Xianglan refined, allowing this old man to Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment in his lifetime!"

If one were to name the greatest helper in Ye Jing's Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, it would undoubtedly be Liu Xianglan.

Liu Xianglan hurriedly said, "This concubine does not deserve such praise."

Ye Jing looked at his sensible and capable second daughter-in-law, his eyes filled with warmth: "You child, you are always so modest. If not for the mellow medicinal effects of the foundation establishment pill you refined, no matter how hard I worked, I might not have broken through the shackles so smoothly. You deserve this credit!"

Now that Liu Xianglan had a successful precedent for refining a foundation establishment pill, the success rate for the Family's clansmen to reach Foundation Establishment would increase significantly in the future.

After a simple celebration.

Ye Jing immediately asked Ye Yi: "Yier, what is the situation with those Sects now?"

During his year of seclusion, he hadn't forgotten to have Ye Yi keep an eye on the outside world, wanting to know if the entrance to the Minghai Realm had appeared yet.

Ye Yi hurriedly replied: "Father, all the Sects in the Canggu Realm are searching for people from the Xuanyou Sect, but the Xuanyou Sect Cultivators might have caught wind of it and gone into hiding; there has been no other movement for the time being."

Hearing this, Ye Jing said: "A mysterious place like the Minghai Realm requires Golden Core Cultivators to jointly open the entrance. This entrance won't stay hidden for long. Since the Xuanyou Sect hasn't moved yet, the entrance likely hasn't opened."

"Father, what should we do next?" Ye Yi asked quickly.

Ye Jing narrowed his eyes and then said: "We will wait and see."

With all the Sects involved, it wasn't wise to wade into these muddy waters. He still needed to understand more about the thousand void ethereal map—whether it could allow him to quietly smuggle himself into the Minghai Realm.

After briefly instructing on Family matters.

Ye Jing entered seclusion again, but this time, he went directly into the Immortal Willow.

Beneath the towering Immortal Willow, Ye Jing looked at the seemingly endless space, then at the few willow branches on the tree.

Ye Jing couldn't help but sigh: "The Family disciples are still too few. It would be better if the younger generation could marry early; the more, the better."

Amidst his lamentation, Ye Jing summoned the thousand void ethereal map within the space. The scroll, which had exhausted everyone in the Chen Family, slowly unfurled before him.

There were no mountains or water on the scroll, no ink or paintings; only a hazy mist slowly circulated within, as if concealing thousands of Void Realms, or as if containing nothing at all.

This was the thousand void ethereal map.

Upon unfolding, golden glyphs appeared on top, floating slowly under Ye Jing's activation.

Having studied it for so long alongside his Cultivation, Ye Jing naturally understood it.

The most extraordinary aspect of this map was its ability to merge into the Void Realm and hide its traces.

Once activated, it could wrap a person inside.

Aura, spiritual power, and Divine Soul would all be shielded, making it undetectable to Golden Core Cultivators, and it could also protect a person while passing through the turbulent currents of the Void Realm.

That Senior from the Chen Family had escaped a calamity precisely because of the thousand void ethereal map, but unfortunately, he was severely injured at the time and could only temporarily protect his Divine Soul from dissipating.

The map contained its own folded Void Realm, allowing one to travel through the spatial cracks between the Canggu Realm and the Minghai Realm. Without relying on the help of the various Sect Masters, one could quietly smuggle themselves to the edge of the Secret Realm.

It had to be said that the Cultivator who could create such a powerful Magic Treasure was definitely no ordinary person.

The only trouble was that he still had to enter the Minghai Realm before those Sect Masters for safety.

After all, with so many Golden Core Cultivators, it would still be difficult for a Cultivator like Ye Jing, who had just entered Foundation Establishment, to get close.

He had to avoid unnecessary complications as much as possible.

Thinking of this, Ye Jing remembered that the Immortal Willow could help Yao Beasts Breakthrough to the second order. Conveniently, he now had a second-order moonlight spirit stone and second-order red copper ore.

He could upgrade the Yao Beasts under his command. This way, he would have two Second-Order Demonic Beasts by his side, providing some self-protection when entering the Minghai Realm.

With this in mind, Ye Jing took the moonlight spirit stone and red copper ore to the Demonic Beast Grotto-heaven.

Inside the Demonic Beast Grotto-heaven, the Yao Beasts were all breathing in Spiritual Qi or playing around, making it quite lively.

Ye Jing immediately called out: "Hei Feng, Golden Corrosion Insect Queen, come out!"

As soon as he spoke, the large, one-horned Black Dog and the Golden Corrosion Insect Queen obediently came before Ye Jing.

Ye Jing looked at the Black Dog, which was a full ten feet tall and looked quite majestic.

Since Hei Feng was a mutated Yao Beast that transcended the Five Elements, this moonlight spirit stone of unknown attribute was perfect for it.

"First-Order Demonic Beast, Mutated Dark Demon Dog, can consume five hundred Immortal Light to use a moonlight spirit stone for an upgrade. Upgrade paths: Bite, Soul Seizing, Extreme Speed."

Ye Jing saw that Hei Feng could have a fixed direction, with three options in total.

He thought for a moment; the Bite technique was Hei Feng's innate talent.

The Frenzied Bite at the first order was already a powerful killing move. If he focused on this path for the upgrade.

Later, upon entering the Minghai Realm, when facing demonic creatures in the Secret Realm or the servants of other Sect Cultivators, Hei Feng could rely on its powerful Physical Body to break through defenses with its Bite. Whether in a direct clash or a surprise finishing blow, it would be of great use.

As for Soul Seizing, although it complemented Hei Feng's Soul Extinguishing Deterrence, the first-order deterrence was already enough to deal with low-level Cultivators. Entering the Minghai Realm now, the priorities were self-preservation and breaking through defenses; the lethality of Bite was more direct.

And for Extreme Speed, Hei Feng already had the Hei Feng Sprint ability. Although not intentionally strengthened, its speed was already not slow. Compared to further increasing its speed.

Strengthening the destructive power of its Bite could better compensate for his own lack of Foundation Establishment cultivation, making Hei Feng a true powerhouse.

Not to mention, Hei Feng's Bite could destroy defensive formations and certain restraints, which would be very useful for his treasure hunting.

With a thought, Ye Jing no longer hesitated and said deeply to Hei Feng: "Then I choose the Bite path!"

As his voice fell, the five hundred Immortal Light slowly flowed into Hei Feng's body, and the moonlight spirit stone was also brought before Hei Feng.

With the continuous infusion of Immortal Light, Hei Feng's body began to slowly swell, its original ten-foot height growing by several feet.

Every inch of its black fur stood on end, gleaming with an oily luster. The blood-red rune patterns that previously only flowed on the surface were now clearer, spreading along its back to the tips of its claws, faintly revealing powerful fluctuations of power.

Ye Jing could clearly feel the spiritual power within Hei Feng's body skyrocketing. The surrounding Yao Beasts also felt this terrifying pressure and let out nervous howls.

After a moment, when Hei Feng had grown to a certain size, its original red patterns gradually turned a bright silver. Its canine teeth were sharp, and even its single horn had grown several feet, glowing with a silver light.

"Second-Order Mutated Dark Moon Demon Dog. Ability upgrades: Dark Moon Void-Breaking Bite, Melting Light Strike, Soul-Locking Deterrence (slightly enhanced), Gale Sprint (slightly enhanced)."