62: Chapter 62 Foundation Building Success!

Sunlight spilled from the top of the cliff, spreading crushed gold across the surface of the pool. As the shadows shifted, it slowly crawled over his shoulders, his back, and the hollows of his knees before finally sinking into the western woods. Then the moonlight rose, its clear radiance like water, shining upon his seated figure and draping him in a layer of thin frost.

The sun rose and the moon set.

The moon rose and the sun set.

After an unknown number of cycles, Yun Ming opened his eyes.

He looked down at his hands.

His fingertips were lustrous, faintly gleaming with a jade-like sheen. This was a sign that his Spiritual Qi had reached a certain level of fullness and was beginning to manifest outwardly.

Three months had passed.

He glanced up at the sky. The distant cracks had deepened slightly, and the gray fog had drawn a bit closer. However, he did not panic; he simply withdrew his gaze calmly and closed his eyes again.

He could feel it.

The Spiritual Qi within his body had already reached a critical saturation point.

During these three months, he had easily crossed into Qi Refinement Level 9.

For a Trash with Five Spiritual Roots to break through from Qi Refinement Level 9 to Qi Refinement Level 10 within three months was a speed normally reserved for a Genius with Dual Spiritual Roots.

This was primarily thanks to this particular environment.

The Five Elements Spiritual Qi here was evenly distributed, perfectly blended. In ordinary places, where Fire Spiritual Qi flourished, Metal Spiritual Qi would decline; where Water Spiritual Qi was abundant, Earth Spiritual Qi would be weak. When a Cultivator with Five Spiritual Roots cultivated, they had to be extremely careful to balance the Five Elements. The slightest slip could lead to Qi disorder, resulting in damaged Meridians at best or Qi Deviation at worst.

But that wasn't necessary here.

The Five Elements Spiritual Qi here was like a pot of old soup simmered for a thousand years; every element was just right, and each was integrated into the others. He only needed to circulate his Cultivation Technique, and the Spiritual Qi would automatically proportion itself, submissively flowing into his Dantian and nourishing those five Meridians that should have been the most difficult to clear.

This blessed land was practically a cultivation Holy Land tailor-made for those with Five Spiritual Roots.

Yun Ming felt another surge of respect for Daoist Lord Wanfa. When that Daoist Lord left this blessed land behind, had he considered that one day a junior with Five Spiritual Roots might stumble upon it and use these unique conditions to forge a different path?

He didn't know.

But he was grateful.

He continued to Cultivate.

Another three months passed.

During these three months, Yun Ming had hardly moved. When thirsty, he drank from the pool; when hungry, he took spirit cuisine from his Storage Pouch. Every bite contained abundant spiritual power, which turned into a warm current upon entering his stomach, merging into his limbs and bones.

His aura grew deeper and steadier.

The Spiritual Qi within his body was no longer flowing but had solidified into a viscous mass occupying the center of his Dantian. That mass rotated slowly, and with every rotation, it drew in a wisp of Spiritual Qi from its surroundings, compressing it tighter, firmer, and denser.

This was the precursor to Foundation Establishment.

In the Qi Refining Stage, Spiritual Qi is like a gas—formless and weightless, traveling through the Meridians and stored within the Dantian.

In the Foundation Establishment Stage, True Qi turns into liquid, transitioning from a gaseous state to a liquid state, forming a vast ocean within the Dantian. The larger that ocean, the thicker the Foundation, and the higher the probability of successful Core Formation in the future.

And right now, he was at the threshold of this gas-to-liquid transformation.

Yun Ming could clearly perceive the viscous mass in his Dantian slowly contracting and condensing. With every bit it shrank, a wisp of True Qi was compressed into a liquid droplet, dripping into the deepest part of his Dantian.

One drop.

Two drops.

Three drops.

The droplets were incredibly fine and tiny, yet they weighed more than a thousand catties. As each drop fell, his Dantian trembled slightly, as if bearing some unspeakable weight.

Yun Ming's breathing gradually quickened.

It wasn't from exertion.

It was nervousness.

He sensed it.

After that viscous mass contracted to its limit, a soft sound suddenly echoed from deep within his Dantian—

Like the first fine crack on an eggshell.

Like the first tender sprout of a seed breaking through the soil.

Like the first drop of water falling into a deep pool as spring ice melts.

The opportunity for Foundation Establishment had arrived.

Yun Ming opened his eyes.

In that moment, his eyes were startlingly bright.

“Ding! Today is auspicious for cultivation. Cultivation speed increased. Ten-fold draw has been issued.”

Yun Ming opened his eyes, ignoring the gacha notification to focus entirely on breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

The opportunity was fleeting.

Without hesitation, he reached into his robes and pulled out the foundation establishment pill.

The Medicinal Pill was the size of a longan, entirely cyan-green, with a faint Pill Halo floating on its surface.

Yun Ming placed the foundation establishment pill into his mouth.

The pill dissolved upon reaching his throat, and a warmth rose from his stomach, instantly flowing into his four limbs and hundred bones. The warmth wasn't violent; instead, it was gentle and lingering, like an invisible hand softly supporting the restless Spiritual Qi within him, soothing and gathering them one by one.

He closed his eyes and sank back into cultivation.

Deep within his Dantian, the viscous mass had contracted to its limit. As the medicinal power of the foundation establishment pill flooded in, it seemed to be pushed by some force until finally—

It shattered.

Silently.

Like morning mist scattered by the wind, or thin ice melted by the spring sun. That viscous mass turned into countless tiny fragments of flowing light, scattering throughout his Dantian. Then, under the guidance of some invisible rule, those lights began to slowly coalesce.

The first drop.

A crystal-clear drop of spiritual liquid formed in the deepest part of his Dantian. It suspended there, rotating quietly and emitting a soft glow.

Yun Ming's heart surged.

It was a success.

But he didn't stop.

Because he could feel—he could continue.

Second drop, third drop, fourth drop...

The spiritual liquid formed drop by drop, rising from the depths of his Dantian like stars lighting up one by one in the night sky. As each drop fell, his Dantian trembled slightly, the frequency of the vibration faintly syncing with his heartbeat.

Ten drops.

Twenty drops.

Thirty drops.

Thirty-six drops.

Yun Ming's heart relaxed slightly.

Thirty-six drops was the minimum threshold for Foundation Establishment. Crossing this line meant truly stepping into the Foundation Establishment Realm. From then on, Spiritual Qi would be liquefied and the Dantian would be like a sea, incomparable to the Qi Refining Stage.

But he still didn't stop.

The spiritual liquid continued to condense.

Forty drops.

Fifty drops.

Sixty drops.

Seventy drops.

Seventy drops already.

Yun Ming's heart skipped a beat.

He remembered it being written in the Sect's records—during Foundation Establishment, if one could condense seventy-two drops of spiritual liquid, they would be considered among the ranks of geniuses. Those Core Disciples with Dual Spiritual Roots or Heavenly Spiritual Roots often reached this number.

And he, a Trash with Five Spiritual Roots, had actually condensed seventy drops?

No, it was still continuing.

Seventy-five drops.

Eighty drops.

Eighty-one drops.

Yun Ming took a deep breath.

Eighty-one drops—he remembered this number even more clearly. The records said that if one could condense eighty-one drops of spiritual liquid, it would be of great benefit to future Core Formation. It meant a depth of Foundation far exceeding ordinary people.

Yet he still didn't stop.

The spiritual liquid was still condensing.

Eightys-five drops.

Ninety drops.

Ninety-five drops.

One hundred drops.

Yun Ming's heart began to race.

One hundred and eight drops.

That was a legendary number recorded in the classics. Those who could condense one hundred and eight drops had a boundless future and limitless potential. It was said that the Ancestral Masters of the major Sects had condensed one hundred and eight drops during their Foundation Establishment, later advancing triumphantly all the way to the Nascent Soul stage.

And he was now—

One hundred and ten drops.

One hundred and twenty drops.

One hundred and thirty drops.

One hundred and fifty drops.

Yun Ming's breathing grew ragged.

It wasn't nervousness; it was disbelief.

He could clearly perceive that the spiritual liquid deep in his Dantian was still continuously condensing. Every drop was plump and translucent, each containing staggering Spiritual Qi. They emerged from the void, surging from the Foundation he had painstakingly cultivated for years, as if they were infinite.

One hundred and eighty drops.

Two hundred drops.

Two hundred and twenty drops.

Two hundred and fifty drops.

Yun Ming's consciousness became somewhat dazed.