14: Chapter 14 Foundation Establishment Successful

He felt the golden lake of spiritual power within his Dantian, and his heart surged with excitement.

This trial was far easier than he had anticipated; the combination of the top-grade foundation establishment pill and the Pure Yang Holy Body was simply flawless.

Without resting, he immediately closed his eyes to strike the second trial—the Divine Sense trial!

This trial tested a Cultivator's Divine Soul strength and Heart-Nature composure.

He needed to construct a divine platform within his Sea of Consciousness, condensing scattered spiritual awareness and transforming it into Divine Sense.

During the process, various illusions would arise. Those with weak willpower would easily become lost within them, resulting in failure of Foundation Establishment at best, or damage to the Divine Soul and becoming an idiot at worst.

Baili Yunche held his breath and concentrated, his consciousness sinking into the Sea of Consciousness.

Within the boundless darkness, a speck of golden light lit up; that was his natal Divine Sense.

The golden light gradually expanded, outlining the rudimentary prototype of a pedestal in the Void Realm.

Right at that moment, illusions struck!

Fragments of memories from his past life rushed forth like a tide.

His parents' admonitions, his younger sister's smiling face, working overtime at the company, that flash of lightning striking the high-speed rail...

Joy, anger, sorrow, joy, love, hate, affection, and enmity intertwined into various scenes, attempting to shake his mind.

"All of it is an illusion."

Baili Yunche's willpower was as hard as iron, and he remained unmoved.

Having lived two lifetimes, he had long seen through many things.

Although these memories were precious, they were merely scenery on his path forward rather than obstacles.

The illusions shifted once more, conjuring the figures of Xu Yuehuan and Liu Ruyan.

The two women were either as cold as frost or enchanting and alluring, their clothes half-undressed, their eyes shifting seductively, emitting seductive low groans...

"Hmph!"

Baili Yunche let out a cold hmph, and his Pure Yang spiritual power spontaneously circulated, transforming into roaring golden flames that burned the erotic illusions into nothingness.

Having experienced true intimacy, what did this bit of temptation amount to?

The illusions stacked layer upon layer, becoming increasingly perilous.

There were ferocious Yao Beasts transformed by Heart Demons, terrifying scenes of lava in Hell, and a tragic future where his cultivation was entirely crippled and he was reduced to living on the streets...

However, Baili Yunche's willpower grew even steadier amidst the wave after wave of illusionary impacts.

"My Dao Heart is as firm as a rock!"

"No one can block my immortal path!"

"Break—!"

With a clear shout in the Sea of Consciousness, the golden divine platform was forged with a bang!

The Divine Sense trial, passed!

Next was the final trial—the Physical Body trial.

This trial was the most perilous; it required surging spiritual power to scour and temper the flesh, blood, and bones of his entire body, expelling Impurities and undergoing a complete rebirth.

During the process, the Physical Body would endure unimaginable pain, and once the spiritual power went out of control, it would lead to the shattering of Meridians and the collapse of the Physical Body.

Baili Yunche took a deep breath, mobilizing all the liquid spiritual power within his Dantian, rushing toward his limbs and bones like a breached flood!

"Crack, crack!"

An indescribable excruciating pain instantly engulfed him; every inch of flesh wailed, and every cell trembled.

Black foul blood oozed from the surface of his skin—that was the Impurities deeply hidden in his bone marrow being forcibly expelled.

But he clenched his teeth tightly, not uttering a single sound.

At this moment, the Pure Yang Holy Body displayed its terrifying aspect—its physical recovery speed far exceeded that of ordinary people!

Wherever the spiritual power passed, the damaged flesh healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, becoming even tougher and full of vitality.

One day, two days...

In the valley outside the Immortal Cave, strange phenomena began to appear.

At first, it was just a slight fluctuation of Spiritual Qi above the Immortal Cave.

But soon, the fluctuations became increasingly violent, and the Spiritual Qi within a radius of a hundred zhang seemed summoned, crazily converging toward Immortal Cave Number Nine of Grade Yi!

"Whoosh—"

The wind rose abruptly, and the flowing Spiritual Qi formed a visible airflow, circling in the valley.

Above Immortal Cave Number Nine of Grade Yi, a Spiritual Qi vortex several dozen zhang in diameter slowly formed, pouring a massive amount of Spiritual Qi into the Immortal Cave like a funnel!

This commotion immediately attracted the attention of nearby Cultivators.

"Look quickly! Someone is undergoing Foundation Establishment, triggering Spiritual Qi infusion!"

"Such a huge commotion! The scale of this Spiritual Qi vortex is nearly twice as large as ordinary Foundation Establishment!"

"It's the Grade Yi area... which Immortal Cave?"

"Yi-Nine! I remember it was rented by a Utility Disciple; did he actually succeed in Foundation Establishment?"

Cultivators stopped one after another to watch, their eyes filled with envy and amazement.

Spiritual Qi infusion was the critical stage of Foundation Establishment; being able to trigger an anomaly of this scale indicated that the person undergoing Foundation Establishment had a profound foundation, and their strength after Foundation Establishment would by no means be comparable to an ordinary Early Stage Foundation Establishment.

At the market management office, that deacon Disciple also sensed the Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

He walked out of the hall, looked toward the waist of the mountain, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Yi-Nine... Baili Yunche?" He muttered to himself, "I actually underestimated this Utility Disciple. With such momentum, his strength after Foundation Establishment is likely not weaker than the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment."

He shook his head, returned behind the counter, and paid no more attention.

The Xuanyang Sect had hundreds of thousands of Disciples, and geniuses emerged every year. Although a Utility Disciple succeeding in Foundation Establishment was rare, it wasn't unheard of.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Baili Yunche was completely unaware of all this.

All his mind was immersed in the transformation of his Physical Body.

Spiritual Qi surged into his body like a tide, fusing with the Pure Yang spiritual power, scouring every inch of flesh, every bone, and every Meridian over and over again.

The light golden flowing light beneath his skin became increasingly obvious, ultimately forming a thin golden light film on the surface of his body.

His bones were like jade, his blood like mercury, and his five viscera and six bowels emitted a faint golden luster.

Undergoing a complete rebirth, the Physical Body becomes spiritual!

On the twenty-third day, early morning.

"Boom—!"

A muffled sound echoed inside the Immortal Cave, and all Spiritual Qi fluctuations abruptly stopped.

Immediately afterward, a streak of golden auspicious light soared into the sky from the top of the Immortal Cave, piercing through the mountain rock straight into the clouds!

Phantom images of lotus flowers faintly bloomed within the auspicious light, and the sound of the Dao reverberated, lasting for a full three breaths before slowly dissipating.

The anomaly vanished, and the valley returned to peace.

But every Cultivator who witnessed this scene understood.

This meant Foundation Establishment was successful!

Inside the Immortal Cave, Baili Yunche slowly opened his eyes.

The golden light in his pupils shot out three chi like substance, slowly retracting after a long while.

He stood up, stretched his bones and muscles, and a series of crackling explosions immediately came from within his body, as if he possessed endless strength.

Inspecting internally with his Divine Sense, the golden lake of spiritual power within his Dantian was calm and motionless, but the energy contained within it was more than a hundred times stronger than the Qi Refinement Stage!

The divine platform in the Sea of Consciousness was stable, and the range of Divine Sense had expanded to a hundred zhang! Furthermore, his Physical Body had undergone a complete rebirth, with wind and thunder accompanying his every gesture.

"This is... Foundation Establishment."

Baili Yunche clenched his fists, feeling the surging, mighty power within his body, and unspeakable excitement welled up in his heart.

Seeking immortals and inquiring about the Dao for eighteen years, the first ten years were wasted like an ant, yet the last eight days saw him soar straight into the sky! The hardship in this was something only he himself knew.

But all of this was worth it.

He pushed open the stone door and walked out of the Immortal Cave.

Sunlight spilled over his body, a breeze brushed his face, and the world seemed to have completely changed.

Swept by his Divine Sense, every blade of grass, every tree, every insect, and every ant within a hundred zhang was clearly visible.

As his spiritual power circulated, his figure became as light as a goose feather, and a single step crossed a distance of several zhang.

This was a true Cultivator!

Baili Yunche did not delay and went straight back to the market management office.

Seeing him walk over and sensing that steady and condensed Foundation Establishment Spiritual Pressure, the deacon Disciple on the other side of the counter wore a smile:

"Congratulations to Junior Brother Baili for successfully achieving Foundation Establishment, promoting to an Inner Sect Disciple, and enjoying three hundred years of Lifespan."

Baili Yunche cupped his hands in return: "Thank you, Senior Brother. This is the Immortal Cave token."

He handed over the bronze token.

The deacon Disciple took it, checked it, and said: "Junior Brother initially rented it for one month, but actually used it for twenty-three days. According to the rules, a seven-day rent refund is given, totaling 210 Spirit Stones."

He took out a small cloth bag from under the counter: "Count it."

Baili Yunche swept it with his Divine Sense, confirming the amount was correct, and accepted the Spirit Stones: "Troublesome to you, Senior Brother."

"It is only my duty."

The deacon Disciple paused and continued: "Since Junior Brother has already completed Foundation Establishment, you can go to the Internal Affairs Hall to exchange your identity token and receive the benefits of an Inner Sect Disciple."

"Additionally... after Foundation Establishment, there is one free opportunity to choose a Cultivation Technique, do not miss it."

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for the guidance." Baili Yunche thanked him sincerely.