161: Chapter 120 Foundation Establishment Completed

Wanyao Immortal City.

Inside Chen Xuan's Immortal Cave's quiet room, white smoke from the Soul-Calming Incense curled in spirals.

He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, a thin layer of dust covering his robes. His face was gaunt, but his eyes were deeper than they had been three months ago.

Since returning to the city, he had barely stepped out.

Every morning he practiced sword arts, in the morning he meditated on the Meteor, in the afternoon he cultivated the Haohai Sword Art, and at night he consumed Medicinal Pills to push toward Foundation Establishment Perfection.

The Medicinal Pills were being consumed rapidly; he had used up thirty percent of the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce's inventory.

Liu Lili never asked how many Spirit Stones he had used; she simply delivered a new batch of Medicinal Pills every few days.

She knew what he was doing.

He was risking everything.

For the competition in three months, for the survival of the Southern Region, for everyone he cared about.

Chen Xuan closed his eyes and looked inward.

In his Dantian, the five-colored light of the Purple Mansion flowed.

The four images of City Wall Earth slowly rotated within the Purple Mansion. The miniature ancient city wall had already grown two zhang tall, and the runes on the wall were clearly visible, with the three ancient characters "City Wall Earth" faintly discernible.

The four images of Heavenly Fire floated on the other side of the Purple Mansion like four miniature suns, their light weaving together to illuminate the entire Purple Mansion.

His cultivation at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment was already at Perfection.

He was only one step away from the Peak of Foundation Establishment.

He had been stuck at this step for two months.

Every time his mana surged toward the bottleneck, it would be bounced back.

It was like a wall, indestructible.

Chen Xuan opened his eyes and took a Medicinal Pill from his Storage Pouch.

A Third-Grade Peiyuan Medicinal Pill.

This had been obtained by Master Liu Yun from the Baimu Peak Medicine Hall; there were only three in the entire Liuyang Sword Sect.

One was used by Senior Brother Zhang Qian when he attempted to form a False Core, one was given to Second Senior Sister Xu Miao for healing, and the last one was in Chen Xuan's hand.

He held the Medicinal Pill in his palm, feeling the profound medicinal power contained within.

A third-grade Medicinal Pill, one that only a Golden Core Master could refine. If a Foundation Establishment Cultivator took it, the medicinal power would be too violent and could easily burst their Meridians.

But Chen Xuan was not afraid.

His Meridians had been widened by his Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, tempered by mana crystallization, and reinforced by the City Wall Earth images.

He could withstand the medicinal power of a third-grade Medicinal Pill.

Chen Xuan opened his mouth and swallowed the Medicinal Pill.

The medicinal power exploded in his belly, like a sun burning inside his body.

Scorching waves of energy spread from his Dantian to his limbs and bones, making his Meridians ache faintly.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto his robes.

He clenched his teeth, his hands resting on his knees, his knuckles turning white from the force.

But Chen Xuan did not stop.

He guided the medicinal power to strike at the final bottleneck.

Mana surged through his Meridians, and the images in his Purple Mansion trembled violently.

The four images of City Wall Earth hummed simultaneously, while the light of the four images of Heavenly Fire flared up.

As the two types of images resonated, a strange phenomenon appeared in the Purple Mansion.

Golden flames ignited on the ancient city wall.

The flames and the earth's light intertwined, forming a radiance never seen before.

Chen Xuan's Divine Sense probed into that cluster of light.

It was warm and heavy, like the rising sun over the earth.

City Wall Earth, guarding one side, indestructible.

Heavenly Fire, illuminating all directions, burning everything.

One defensive, one offensive; one static, one dynamic.

The two Metal-attribute images merged perfectly at this moment.

It was not a conflict, but a complement.

The city wall needed the sunlight to shine upon it, and the sunlight needed the city wall to support it.

Without the city wall, the sunlight had nowhere to land.

Without the sunlight, the city wall would remain silent forever.

Chen Xuan felt a sudden clarity in his heart.

The bottleneck loosened in that instant.

He guided his mana to strike again.

His mana surged toward the bottleneck like a tide, washing over the top of the wall.

The bottleneck melted away bit by bit under the infusion of mana.

Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Chen Xuan's aura soared suddenly.

It was not just soaring; it was a metamorphosis.

The aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is Acquired Qi, which needs to be drawn from Spiritual Veins, replenished from Spirit Stones, and recovered from Medicinal Pills.

The aura of a Golden Core Master is Innate Qi, which circulates on its own, endless and inexhaustible.

Chen Xuan was not yet a Golden Core Master, but his aura had begun to transform into Innate Qi.

A trace of purple light seeped from his Dantian; that was the color of Innate Qi.

One strand, two strands, three strands.

The purple Innate Qi circulated in his Dantian, interweaving with the images of City Wall Earth and Heavenly Fire.

Chen Xuan opened his eyes, and a flash of purple light vanished from them.

Foundation Establishment Perfection.

He was only a Metal-attribute away from the Golden Core.

He stood up and stretched his limbs.

His bones cracked and popped, and the humming sound of his Innate Sword Bone echoed in the quiet room.

He had completely mastered the Sword Dao Thunder Sound.

Once the thunderous sword light was unleashed, nothing would grow within a thousand zhang.

And he had vaguely touched the threshold of the next Realm.

The next Realm of Sword Dao Thunder Sound was called Sword Dao Heavenly Sound.

Thunder Sound was the sound of killing, while Heavenly Sound was the sound of the Great Dao.

Thunder Sound killed enemies; Heavenly Sound saved people.

Once the Sword Dao Heavenly Sound was unleashed, wherever the sword light reached, it was not just physical slaughter, but a shock to the Divine Soul itself.

Chen Xuan could not yet perform the Sword Dao Heavenly Sound, but he had already touched the threshold.

He only needed an opportunity to step across.

His Meteor Divine Ability had also improved.

After three months of hard cultivation, he could condense three star cores within one breath and control them to fall from different directions simultaneously.

The power of each star core was comparable to the full-force strike of a Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

With three falling at once, their combined power was enough to threaten a Golden Core Early Stage Cultivator.

He also had new insights into the Mountain Lifting Divine Ability.

Previously, he could only condense a phantom of a mountain to suppress enemies, but now he could compress the mountain phantom into a fist-sized earth core.

When the earth core was thrown, its power was several times stronger than the mountain phantom, and it was faster and harder to dodge.

He combined these two methods: first using Mountain Lifting to compress an earth core to trap the enemy, then using Meteor to bombard them.

Using the earth core to restrict the opponent's movement, and the star core to end their life.

One trap, one kill; the coordination was seamless.

Chen Xuan walked out of the quiet room.

Liu Lili was standing in the courtyard, holding a Jade Slip.

Seeing Chen Xuan come out, she looked up.

"Junior Brother, you've come out of seclusion?"

"Yes. Foundation Establishment Perfection."

Liu Lili's eyes brightened.

"Congratulations."

She handed him the Jade Slip.

"Revered Master wants to see you after you come out of seclusion. The people from the Buddhist Sect have arrived, and the competition starts in three days."

Chen Xuan took the Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Sense.

The Jade Slip contained the detailed arrangements for the competition.

Location: Central Square of Wanyao Immortal City.

Time: Mao hour, three days later.

Best of three, one person per round, Foundation Establishment Realm.

The three participants from the Buddhist Sect: Nianzhen, Fa Ming, and Hui Ke.

Nianzhen, female, Foundation Establishment Perfection, Sword Cultivator, the number one person of the Nian generation in the Buddhist Sect.

Fa Ming, male, Foundation Establishment Perfection, Body Cultivator, Indestructible Vajra Body at Major Achievement.

Hui Ke, male, Foundation Establishment Perfection, Spell Cultivator, skilled in the Buddhist Sect's secret technique "Nianhua Finger".

The three participants from the Southern Region: Yun Qi, Senior Sister Wen Yao, and Senior Brother Zhang Qian.

Yun Qi, Liuyang Sword Sect, Foundation Establishment Perfection, Sword Cultivator.

Senior Sister Wen Yao, Liuyang Sword Sect, Foundation Establishment fifth level, Sword Cultivator.

Zhang Qian, Qingcang Sect, Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Sword Cultivator.

Chen Xuan put away the Jade Slip and walked out of the courtyard.

Liu Lili followed behind him.

"Junior Brother, Senior Sister Wen Yao is at Foundation Establishment fifth level; against the Buddhist Sect's Foundation Establishment Perfection, can she win?"

Chen Xuan shook his head.

"It will be difficult. But Revered Master has his reasons for letting her participate."

Liu Lili did not ask further.

The two walked along the bluestone path toward Master Liu Yun's Immortal Cave.

The streets of Wanyao Immortal City were decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, even more lively than during the New Year.

The competition between The Three Sects was a major event unseen in the Southern Region for a hundred years, and all major families, Sects of all sizes, and Loose Cultivators had sent people to watch.

The streets were crowded with people, Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining Cultivators, locals from the Southern Region, and guests who had traveled from the Central Plains.

They were discussing the competition, the young geniuses of the Buddhist Sect, and the odds of the Southern Region.

"Have you heard? All three from the Buddhist Sect are at Foundation Establishment Perfection, while we only have Yun Qi at Perfection."

"Wen Yao is at Foundation Establishment fifth level, Zhang Qian is at Foundation Establishment Late Stage; the gap is too large."

"Then what should we do? Concede?"

"Concede? If we concede, we have to hand over the third-grade Spiritual Vein in the northern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range. That's something we exchanged our lives for."

"What else can we do if we don't concede? If we can't beat them, we can't beat them."

Chen Xuan listened to these discussions with a calm expression.

He knew that what these people said was the truth.

Each of the three sent by the Buddhist Sect was at Foundation Establishment Perfection.

And on the Southern Region side, apart from him, the cultivation levels of Wen Yao and Zhang Qian were not enough.

But he didn't care.

Wen Yao was at Foundation Establishment fifth level, but she was a Disciple of Master Liu Yun and one of the successors of the Conquest Hall's Dharma lineage.

She had the Liu Family's secret techniques, the Red Lotus Petal mark, and the Wen Family's trump cards.

Zhang Qian was at Foundation Establishment Late Stage, but he was the Senior Brother of the Qingcang Sect, the earliest to enter the Sect, and the most experienced.

He had the heritage of the Zhang Family, the Talisman Treasure bestowed by his Revered Master, and the determination to risk his life.

Chen Xuan trusted them.

Just as they trusted Chen Xuan.

Arriving at the entrance of Master Liu Yun's Immortal Cave, Senior Sister Wen Yao was just coming out.

She was dressed in a green martial outfit, with two swords hanging at her waist, her long hair tied in a ponytail, and the Red Lotus Petal mark between her brows glowing red in the sunlight.

"Junior Brother, Revered Master is waiting for you."

Chen Xuan nodded and pushed the door open to enter the Immortal Cave.

Master Liu Yun sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his white hair disheveled, his left sleeve hanging empty at his side.

A map was spread out in front of him, marking the layout of the Central Square of Wanyao Immortal City.

"Revered Master."

"Sit."

Chen Xuan sat down on the meditation cushion.

Master Liu Yun looked up at him.

"Foundation Establishment Perfection?"

"Perfection."

Master Liu Yun nodded.

"The competition starts in three days. On the Buddhist Sect side, Nianzhen, Fa Ming, and Hui Ke are all at Foundation Establishment Perfection. Your opponent will likely be Nianzhen."

Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because she is a Sword Cultivator. The Buddhist Sect wants to use swords to control swords, defeating you in your own way."

Chen Xuan was silent for a moment.

"Revered Master, Senior Sister Wen Yao is at Foundation Establishment fifth level; her odds against Fa Ming or Hui Ke are not high."

Master Liu Yun looked at him.

"I know. But the competition is not just about cultivation level. Wen Yao has the Red Lotus Petal mark, which is a secret technique left by the ancestors of the Liu Family. Once the Red Lotus Petal mark is activated, it can boost her cultivation to Foundation Establishment Perfection for a short time. The price is that she will be weak for three months afterward."

Chen Xuan's pupils contracted slightly.

"This is a life-risking strategy."

"The competition is about risking one's life anyway," Master Liu Yun's tone was very calm. "The Buddhist Sect will not show mercy. We cannot either."

Chen Xuan nodded.

"This Disciple understands."

Master Liu Yun took a Jade Talisman from his Storage Pouch and handed it to him.

"This is for you. A Life-Bound Sword Talisman, containing five Sword Intents, each equivalent to a full-force strike from a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator. Do not use it during the competition unless it is an absolute last resort."

Chen Xuan took the Jade Talisman and tucked it into his robe.

"Thank you, Revered Master."

Master Liu Yun waved his hand.

"Go. Three days later, at the Central Square, do not be late."

Chen Xuan stood up, bowed to Master Liu Yun, and exited the Immortal Cave.

Chapter 126: Buddhist Sect

On the north side of Wanyao Immortal City, in the courtyard where the Buddhist Sect was stationed.

Nianzhen sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion with a sword laid horizontally in front of her.

The sword body was snow-white, with three blood grooves on the blade, shimmering with cold light.

This was a Spiritual Artifact bestowed upon her by the Buddhist Sect, named "Severing Thoughts," a Second-Grade High Grade, with Buddhist scriptures engraved on the blade, which had a restraining effect on Demonic Path Cultivators.

She kept her eyes closed, her fingers gently stroking the blade.

Every time she stroked it, the sword would emit a clear hum.

Fa Ming sat opposite her, shirtless, his muscles knotted, and a faint golden luster on his skin.

The sign of Indestructible Vajra Body at Major Achievement: the Golden Body.

Ordinary Magical Artifacts could not even leave a white mark on it.

He opened his eyes and looked at Nianzhen.

"Senior Sister, what are you thinking about?"

"Thinking about Yun Qi."

Fa Ming laughed.

"A Southern Region Cultivator at Foundation Establishment seventh level, what is there to think about?"

Nianzhen opened her eyes.

"He is at Foundation Establishment ninth level now. He was at seventh level three months ago, and ninth level three months later. Have you ever seen such a cultivation speed?"

Fa Ming's smile faded.

"So fast?"

"Yes. The news from Revered Master is that Yun Qi has reached Foundation Establishment Perfection," Nianzhen withdrew her hand and placed the sword across her knees. "On the day of the competition, my opponent will most likely be him."

Fa Ming was silent for a moment.

"Are you confident?"

Nianzhen did not answer.

She looked at the moonlight outside the window and remained silent for a long time.

"His sword is very steady. So steady that there are no flaws."

Fa Ming frowned.

"No flaws? How can there be no flaws?"

"His sword is not fast, but every strike is very steady. So steady that you cannot see where his next sword will come from," Nianzhen paused. "I tested him at Nanming Port. My sword grazed his ear, and he didn't even blink."

Fa Ming's frown deepened.

"That's because you didn't use your full strength."

Nianzhen shook her head.

"It wouldn't have mattered even if I had. His Divine Sense is stronger than mine. No matter how fast my sword is, it cannot be faster than his Divine Sense."

Fa Ming stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the night view of Wanyao Immortal City was brightly lit.

His gaze crossed the city wall and looked toward the south.

That was where the Liuyang Sword Sect was stationed, and Chen Xuan's Immortal Cave was there.

"Senior Sister, if you can't beat him, I will."

Nianzhen looked at him.

"You are not a Sword Cultivator. If you go against him, you will lose even faster."

Fa Ming turned to look at her.

"I have the Indestructible Vajra Body. His sword cannot break my defense."

Nianzhen shook her head.

"You forgot. He has killed Golden Core Yao Beasts. A Golden Core Middle Stage Cloud-Swallowing Eagle; no matter how strong your Indestructible Vajra Body is, can it be stronger than the Physical Body of a Golden Core Yao Beast?"

Fa Ming was silent.

Hui Ke walked in from outside the door, holding a Jade Bead, playing with it.

His face was ordinary, his aura was peaceful, and he looked like an innocent young monk.

But Nianzhen knew he was the most dangerous of the three.

Hui Ke's Nianhua Finger, a secret technique of the Buddhist Sect, specifically targeted the Divine Soul.

Those hit would suffer from Divine Soul tremors; the mildest result was temporary amnesia, and the worst was becoming an idiot.

He walked up to the two of them and sat down on a meditation cushion.

"Senior Sister, Senior Brother, what are you worrying about?"

Nianzhen looked at him.

"We are worrying about the competition."

Hui Ke laughed.

"What is there to worry about? The Buddhist Sect lost in the Central Plains, but that is the business of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs. We, as Disciples, just need to do our part."

He placed the Jade Bead on the table.

"Revered Master said that this competition cannot be lost. If we lose, the Buddhist Sect will have no foothold in the Southern Region. So we must win."

Nianzhen nodded.

"I know."