166: Foundation Building Seven Levels

Not long after, Bai He gave Lin Yan a clear message: the spot for the Sword Washing Pool had been secured.

However, he still had to wait three months to enter the Sword Washing Pool.

During this period, Lin Yan did not idle away his time, continuing to Cultivate and farm at his own pace.

He nurtured Dragon Carp, extracted Essence Blood, cultivated mutated Dragon Blood Grass, enhanced his True Dragon Bloodline, and activated his Sword Bone...

By now, half of his Sword Bone had been completely activated, with mysterious patterns emitting a faint golden glow that appeared quite extraordinary.

The power of the Innate Sword Qi he mastered also grew increasingly formidable.

Lin Yan estimated that relying solely on this Innate Sword Qi, he could contend with any Prodigy.

If unleashed with full force, he could crush an average Prodigy.

However, Lin Yan also discovered that after the Sword Bone reached fifty percent activation, the difficulty increased sharply.

In the past, catalyzing a single Dragon Marrow Grass would result in a significant improvement, but now the gains were much smaller.

"At this rate of decay, after catalyzing three more Dragon Marrow Grass, this method will become completely ineffective..."

Lin Yan had to start contemplating his future path for improvement.

"It's difficult..." Lin Yan sighed inwardly.

By now, there were already fifteen Dragon Marrow Grass in his spirit plant field.

The first mutated Dragon Marrow Grass had also reached maturity.

[spirit plant Name: Dragon Marrow Grass]

[growth progress: 10000 / 10000]

[spirit plant Trait: Contains the power of Water-element Dragon Marrow; refining it can improve the Water Spiritual Root]

[Growth Status: None]

...

He had originally intended to keep it for now and observe the subsequent situation.

Considering he was about to enter the Sword Washing Pool, Lin Yan decided to refine this Dragon Marrow Grass and awaken his Water Spiritual Root.

The Dragon Marrow Grass, crimson as blood, exuded a spiritual aura under the moonlight, its leaf vein patterns as clear as dragon scales.

With spiritual power like silk wrapping around the Dragon Marrow Grass, he gently guided it with his right hand, uprooting the entire plant.

Channeling his Fire Spiritual Root, a stream of spirit fire erupted from his palm, enveloping the Dragon Marrow Grass.

Before long, the leaves were refined and purged, leaving only a mass of pure Dragon Marrow essence.

He decisively swallowed the essence.

A stream of extremely cold and crisp marrow fluid slid down his throat into his abdomen, like a ten-thousand-year-old cold spring washing through his limbs and bones, causing his sinews and bones to crackle.

It then transformed into wisps of Water-element spiritual aura, meandering through his Meridians; wherever it passed, any stagnation vanished, replaced by a sense of clarity.

His Dantian Qi Sea felt as if it were being moistened by a fine rain, and his willow-shaped Dao Foundation swayed gently in response.

As the fine rain moistened the Spirit Willow, new Spirit Patterns quietly emerged on the willow's branches and leaves.

The Spirit Patterns were as gentle as spring water, injecting new vitality into Lin Yan's Spirit Willow Dao Foundation.

His already formidable Grade 8 Dao Foundation became even stronger.

However, it was still far from reaching Grade 9.

The further one progressed, the more difficult it became to improve the Dao Foundation.

About the time it takes to burn an incense stick later, a clear ringing sound echoed in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, like a river flowing into the sea.

A crystalline phantom of a root sprouted from the center of his Qi Sea, rapidly branching out and connecting with all his Meridians, forming a water-pulse circulation.

In an instant, Lin Yan's affinity with the Water-element Spiritual Qi in the world surged; wherever his Divine Sense reached, the spiritual aura felt like a tide, and he could "hear" the undulations of water veins and the breathing of tides within a hundred miles.

With a slight shift in his thoughts, a thread of water as thin as silk swirled at his fingertip, condensing into a clear droplet that hovered without falling.

The Water Spiritual Root connected with the Wood Spiritual Root.

Water generates Wood; although the improvement of Spiritual Roots has no direct relation to cultivation base.

However, Lin Yan's cultivation base had already reached the Peak of the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, and this Water Spiritual Root unexpectedly triggered the Bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer.

The moment the Water Spiritual Root formed, the Water-element Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth suddenly converged toward him, surging into his body.

In an instant, the newly born Water Spiritual Power in his Meridians met the Wood Spiritual Power.

The Water Spiritual Power was extremely soft and moist, yet it did not lack a crisp sharpness.

Wherever it passed, the previously slightly stagnant pathways of Wood Spiritual Power were moistened and combed inch by inch.

Wood governs growth, while Water governs nourishment; when the two met, a marvelous cycle of mutual generation was born.

The Wood Spiritual Power, gaining the moisture of Water, no longer depleted its Origin due to rapid circulation.

The Water Spiritual Power, borrowing the growth of Wood, generated a more enduring stamina within his Meridians.

Deep within his Dantian, the spiritual power that had been firmly established at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer quietly expanded under the nourishment of this Water-Wood interaction.

Like a spring sprout breaking through frozen soil, the dense spiritual aura surged endlessly through his circulation pathways, directly shaking the barrier of shackles.

The transition from the sixth to the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment is the greatest hurdle within the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Lin Yan's mind remained calm; he did not forcefully attempt the Breakthrough, but instead used the Azure Emperor Longevity Art to guide the Water and Wood powers to slowly merge, allowing them to naturally wash against the barrier.

Gradually, faint "crack" sounds came from the barrier, like a thawing glacier, as cracks spread into a web.

His True Essence surged like a tide, rushing out from the cracks, circulating through his body; with every cycle, it became clearer and more solidified.

He felt as if his entire body was being cleansed simultaneously by a gentle web of water and vibrant Wood Qi, with both his endurance and spiritual perception rising to a new level.

This was the benefit of Awakening the Water Spiritual Root.

When his True Essence returned to clarity, the barrier had shattered into dust, and his Dantian Qi Sea was nearly twice as expansive as before.

Lin Yan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as clear as if washed, his breathing long and steady, and the spiritual aura within his body circulated smoothly and continuously; nourished by the water, the Wood-element vitality appeared even more abundant.

Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer, achieved naturally.

The Breakthrough in cultivation base gave Lin Yan more confidence for the upcoming trip to the Sword Washing Pool.

Unlike the True Dragon Secret Realm, the competitors at the Sword Washing Pool were absolute experts; although he had confidence, he dared not be careless.

Time flowed like water, and soon the day arrived for the opening of the Sword Washing Pool.

On this day, Bai He personally led Lin Yan flying deep into the Jian Ge Mountain Range.

The outer perimeter of the Jian Ge Mountain Range was occupied by the various halls of the Outer Sect, covering a vast area.

The interior of the mountain range, including the core area, was rich in Spiritual Qi and was where the Sword Pavilion Inner Sect was located.

Lin Yan had been here a few times before; Su Wan Yue resided in this area, and the passage to the Sword Tomb was also located in this region.

And in the deepest part of the Jian Ge Mountain Range stood the highest Peak.

This was the most mysterious place in the Jian Ge Mountain Range; given Lin Yan's status, he could not set foot here at will.

The mountain was towering, as precipitous as if carved by blades and axes, piercing straight into the azure clouds.

At the foot of the mountain was a stone staircase that led straight to the summit.

It was endless at a glance and was known as the Azure Cloud Staircase.

Lin Yan followed Bai He, climbing the Azure Cloud Staircase step by step, a sense of reverence involuntarily arising in his heart.

The higher they climbed, the denser the Spiritual Qi became.

When they reached the summit, the Spiritual Qi was as thick as clouds and mist, and the surroundings seemed like a fairyland.

An ancient gate stood amidst the sea of clouds, inscribed with two archaic characters: "Sword Pavilion."

Bai He stopped and softly chanted an ancient incantation.

"Boom..." The gate slowly opened.

The eaves of magnificent jade palaces were faintly visible within the gate.

Bai He turned to the side and gestured: "This is the core of the Sword Pavilion!"