148: Chapter 148 Foundation Establishment Ceremony

Li Changsheng gently patted the Storage Pouch.

After a long while, Lin Jingyun looked up, his eyes slightly red, yet he forced a smile.

“Senior Brother Zhou was a stubborn person.”

“Once he set his mind on something, not even nine oxen could pull him back.”

Li Changsheng nodded.

Lin Jingyun took a deep breath and carefully put the Storage Pouch away.

“I will take these things back and hand them over to his Master.”

“Perfected Lord Lieyang has already gone to Qinghe Town; when he returns, I will personally hand them to him.”

He paused and looked at Li Changsheng.

“Brother Li, thank you. At least, he didn't die there all alone.”

Li Changsheng shook his head, saying nothing.

The two sat opposite each other, remaining silent for a long time.

Lin Jingyun suddenly took out a small wine jar from his robes and placed it on the table.

“I brought wine.”

“Have a drink with me?”

Li Changsheng looked at the wine jar and nodded.

Lin Jingyun slapped open the mud seal and poured two bowls.

The fragrance of the wine wafted everywhere; it was high-quality spirit wine.

The two picked up their bowls, clinked them together, and each took a large gulp.

The strong liquor went down their throats, burning hot, making their eyes sting.

Lin Jingyun set down his bowl and let out a long breath.

“Zhou Yuan was three years older than me,”

“He watched me grow up since I was a child. The first time I practiced the sword at age six, he taught me personally, hand-in-hand.”

“If I practiced incorrectly, he would hit my palm, then rub it for me afterward.”

“That man had a cold face but a warm heart.”

“On the surface, he seemed icy, but he was more protective of his own than anyone.”

“When I first entered the Sect, someone bullied me. Without a word, he charged in and fought three people alone. His face was covered in blood, but in the end, he still won.”

“Later, as his cultivation grew higher, he became increasingly silent and even more stubborn.”

“But he treated me the same as before; whenever he had something good, he thought of me, and whenever there was danger, he stood in front of me.”

He picked up the bowl and took another large gulp.

“When he went to Qinghe Town this time, I tried to persuade him again later.”

“I said it was dangerous and not to go. He said that in the face of Opportunity, there is no reason to shrink back.”

“That man was just that stubborn his whole life.”

Li Changsheng listened without interrupting, simply drinking with him.

The jar of wine soon reached the bottom.

Lin Jingyun's face was a bit flushed and his eyes were somewhat red, but his speech was still clear.

“Brother Li,”

He suddenly said.

“Do you know? Our batch of people has all started Foundation Establishment.”

Li Changsheng looked at him.

Lin Jingyun continued.

“Chen Yuanba succeeded in his Foundation Establishment; that was last month. Liu Ruyan as well, half a month earlier than him.”

“There are also several Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters who are all in secluded meditation.”

“When I go back this time, I will also enter secluded meditation.”

He paused and gave a bitter smile.

“Zhou Yuan should have been in secluded meditation as well.”

“His talent was better than mine and his cultivation was higher. If this hadn't happened, he might already be in the Foundation Establishment Stage by now.”

Li Changsheng was silent for a moment before asking,

“Are you confident in your secluded meditation?”

Lin Jingyun shook his head.

“I don't know. Who can say for sure when it comes to Foundation Establishment.”

“But I have to try.”

He stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.

“Brother Li, thank you for the wine. And thank you for... telling me all this.”

Li Changsheng also stood up and looked at him.

The two looked at each other, neither saying another word.

Lin Jingyun turned around, walked a few steps, and suddenly stopped.

“Brother Li,”

He said without turning his head.

“I've heard about the matters over at Qinghe Town.”

“The Demon Soul breaking the seal, the Blood Fiend Sect gathering, and all those messy Cultivators... take care of yourself.”

Li Changsheng nodded.

“You too.”

Lin Jingyun strode away, quickly disappearing into the night.

Li Changsheng stood in place, watching his retreating back, not moving for a long time.

The night wind blew past, and the Spirit Tea Trees rustled.

He picked up the wine bowl and finished the last gulp of wine.

At the bottom of the bowl, a waning moon was reflected.

A few days later, a transmission talisman landed by Li Changsheng's spirit field.

He put down the watering can in his hand, picked up the transmission talisman, and injected spirit power. Liu Qingchen's voice reached his ears.

“Tomorrow at the Hour of Chen, at the Shelter Platform. Mo Han is establishing his Foundation. You may come to Observe the Ceremony.”

Foundation Establishment.

Li Changsheng gripped the transmission talisman tightly, a surge of complex emotions rising in his heart.

From Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, it is the first true chasm in a Cultivator's life.

Cross it, and one's Lifespan increases greatly, strength explodes, and one truly steps through the gates of cultivation.

Fail to cross it, and at best one's cultivation regresses; at worst, one's body dies and the Dao vanishes.

He had seen too many people stuck at the Peak of Qi Refining for many years, never able to take that step.

He had also heard of many who failed to charge into Foundation Establishment, ending up crippled for life.

Mo Han was about to undergo Foundation Establishment.

That cold and reticent man with the sharp sword techniques, the 'Water-Severing Sword' who ranked seventh in the Exchange Meeting and had fought side-by-side with him as a fellow Disciple, had finally reached this step.

He should go and see.

The next morning, Li Changsheng rose early, changed into a clean set of robes, and headed toward the Main Peak.

The Shelter Platform was located at the summit of the Main Peak and was one of the most important places in the Qinglan Sword Sect.

There, a Foundation Establishment formation had been constructed by generations of Ancestral Masters using great magic. It could increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment by ten percent, and more importantly, even if one failed, it would not damage their Foundation.

Along the way, he encountered many fellow Disciples.

Some walked in small groups of two or three, while others hurried along alone, all heading toward the Main Peak.

“Senior Brother Li is also going to Observe the Ceremony?”

“I heard that quite a few people have come for Senior Brother Mo Han's Foundation Establishment this time.”

“Isn't that the truth? Almost everyone at the Peak of Qi Refining Level 9 has come.”

Li Changsheng followed the crowd, ascending the stone steps one by one.

At the summit of the Main Peak, clouds and mist swirled.

A stone platform about ten zhang across stood quietly in the mist. The platform was built entirely of white jade, its surface covered in dense runes that emitted a soft glow.

Nine jade pillars stood around the stone platform, with a Spirit Stone floating atop each one.

That was the energy supplied to run the formation.

This was the Shelter Platform.

At this moment, over a dozen people were already standing around the stone platform.

Some sat cross-legged, closing their eyes to rest; some spoke in low voices, exchanging cultivation insights; others looked up at the stone platform, their eyes full of anticipation.

Li Changsheng found an inconspicuous spot and stood quietly. Just as he settled in, Lu Yu ran up to him.

“Senior Brother Li, you've also come to watch the Foundation Establishment.”

“Mm.”

Li Changsheng sized up Lu Yu, who was already at the Late Stage of Qi Refining Level 9.

“Looking at you, you should be close to Foundation Establishment yourself, right?”

“Yes, I'm almost there too.”

Li Changsheng's gaze swept across the crowd, discovering many familiar faces.

There were several Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters from the Sword Guard Hall, all at the Peak of Qi Refining Level 9 with steady auras.

There was an alchemist from the Hundred Herb Garden, also at Qi Refining Level 9, speaking in low tones with those around him.

There were also several unfamiliar young Disciples who looked to be barely in their early twenties, yet their cultivation had already reached the Late Stage of Qi Refining Level 9.

Those were the true Prodigies of the Sect.

Among them was a young girl who looked to be only eighteen or nineteen. Her face was elegant and her temperament cold, with a cultivation at the Peak of Qi Refining Level 9.

She stood alone at the edge of the crowd, eyes closed to rest, turning a deaf ear to the discussions around her.

“Who is that?”

Li Changsheng asked Lu Yu in a low voice.

Lu Yu followed his gaze and lowered his voice.

“That's Luo Qinghan from Clear Moon Peak. She's only nineteen this year and is already at the Peak of Qi Refining Level 9. It's said her Spiritual Root Aptitude is excellent, and she's a Genius personally favored by the Sect Master.”

Nineteen years old, Peak of Qi Refining Level 9.

Li Changsheng nodded silently.

Such a Prodigy was indeed enviable.

In the crowd, there were also some elders at the Foundation Establishment Stage or even the Golden Core Stage.

They stood further away with their hands behind their backs, their gazes fixed on the Shelter Platform, occasionally exchanging a few words in low voices to point out the key points of Foundation Establishment.

“Look, that's Mo Han's Master, Immortal Master Jianchi.”

“Early Stage Golden Core, his sword techniques are superb.”

“The one next to him is Elder Qin from the Hall of Law Enforcement; he's here too.”

Li Changsheng followed their gaze and indeed saw several figures with profound auras.