66: The Secrets of Foundation Building (Part Two)

Gu Yuchuan stared with wide eyes, his expression one of serious attention. This concerned his future, and he had promised to do something quite dangerous, so he couldn't afford not to take it seriously.

"Listen well. Let's start with the simple part: your Legacy. Actually, it's not a problem at all. For those of us Cultivators in the Dragon Transformation lineage, we only receive our Legacy once we become Mid-grade Spirit Beasts. In this world, only four races receive their Legacy as Mid-grade Spirit Beasts: the Dragon Clan, the Phoenix clan, the Qilin, and the Three-legged Golden Crow. All other Yao across the world receive theirs as low-level Spirit Beasts. So, don't worry. Once you become a Serpent, you will naturally receive your Legacy. My Dragon Clan's Legacy includes everything from Cultivation Techniques to ancient secrets. You'll see then that it's immensely beneficial to your cultivation."

Gu Yuchuan nodded. He had thought things were going wrong because of his Transmigration, but it turned out to be because of the Dragon Clan. He felt much better now. He had been mentally exhausted by this issue for a while, and such internal strife really took a toll on one's life.

The Serpent continued, "I won't charge you for that question. What's truly difficult is the method of Foundation Establishment. Last time, I briefly mentioned Foundation Establishment to you, but you still don't know the cultivation method for it, right?"

Gu Yuchuan agreed, "Indeed. My accumulation is almost sufficient, but because I don't know how to achieve Foundation Establishment, I've been stuck at this Realm. Please enlighten me."

The Serpent organized his thoughts and changed his posture. "It's easy to explain, but let me remind you of one thing: the Heavenly Profound Secret Realm is only open to Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Stage. Therefore, you must wait until you come out to Breakthrough."

Gu Yuchuan nodded repeatedly. The other party continued speaking.

Foundation Establishment is the first true Bottleneck in immortal cultivation. In ancient times, one was only considered to have truly begun Cultivation once they reached Foundation Establishment; those in the Qi Refinement Stage were just Mortals.

The first step of Foundation Establishment is to turn gaseous spiritual power into a liquid state. This step alone has stumped many. It requires constant compression. As the gas slowly turns into liquid, the spiritual power becomes heavier. This process makes it increasingly difficult for your Divine Sense to control your spiritual power. This first trial tests your Divine Sense and patience; only when these are sufficient can you complete this step.

The second step is a test of the Physical Body. Once your spiritual power has turned into liquid, it will spread throughout your body again. This process is extremely painful. As the liquid spiritual power passes through the Meridians, it puts immense pressure on them. This pain is physical and must be endured. If you can't hold on, your Meridians will explode, and you will lose all your cultivation. This is the second trial of Foundation Establishment: the Physical Body trial.

The final step is to forge a Dao Foundation. You need to use all your abilities to forge a Dao Foundation within your Dantian. This step tests your comprehensive abilities; any deficiency could cause your Dao Foundation to collapse. The more substantial your accumulation, the stronger your Dao Foundation will be. This is the final trial of Foundation Establishment: the accumulation trial.

Once you pass all three, your Dao Foundation is formed. From then on, you are no longer at the bottom of the cultivation world; you truly become a mainstay, and in some Schools, you would even be an Elder with real power.

Gu Yuchuan understood. The Serpent recorded everything he had just explained into a Jade Slip and handed it to him.

"Don't be in a hurry to achieve Foundation Establishment. Since your accumulation is already so substantial, I advise you to obtain a foundation establishment pill. It can protect your Meridians and provide significant help during the second trial. Moreover, if you fail, it prevents your Meridians from exploding. It's also useful in the third trial. Although with your Aptitude and Bloodline, you'd likely succeed even without a foundation establishment pill, no one would turn down a higher success rate. Of course, this is just a suggestion; the final decision is yours."

Gu Yuchuan straightened his body and bowed. "Thank you, brother. I'll keep that in mind."

In fact, Gu Yuchuan already had a foundation establishment pill. Even if the other hadn't mentioned it, he definitely would have taken it. He wasn't the type of little snake to hoard resources; anything that could increase his success rate was worth using.

"Also, don't think you understand the difficulty of Foundation Establishment just by listening to me once. After you go back, study this Jade Slip thoroughly. Only attempt to Breakthrough once you're certain you've fully comprehended it. Foundation Establishment is no joke. Once you've mastered it yourself, it will also be good for you to preach the Dao to your subordinates in the future."

These words were truly heartfelt, earning Gu Yuchuan's thanks once again. However, before he could speak, the other flicked his tail. Given their relationship, overly formal thanks weren't necessary.

At that moment, the Clam Maiden knocked on the door, and the two stopped their conversation. Gu Yuchuan rose to take his leave, as this was likely personal business, but he was stopped. After the Clam Maiden entered, she spoke directly.

"My Lord, the Black Tortoise Demon General has arrived."

He was a rare visitor. Although the Yao Race didn't have many rules, generally, those of lower status visited those of higher status. His arrival definitely meant something was up.

"Come, little brother. Let's go meet the Demon General. Let the Yao Race higher-ups know that another extraordinary talent has been born here."

After saying that, he didn't give him a chance to refuse and led him to the front hall. Given the Black Tortoise Demon General's status, he couldn't be simply received in a cultivation room; that would be too impolite.

When they arrived, the Black Tortoise Demon General was already drinking spiritual tea. He saw them and was about to speak when his pupils dilated, and he even gasped in surprise. "No way... are all you Yao Beasts on the Dragon Transformation path this formidable? Another Earthly Fiend Dao Foundation? Wait, there are many Yao Beasts in the inner Cloud Sea Marsh following the Dragon Transformation path, yet many of them can't even touch the threshold of becoming a Spirit Beast. Good, good! The two of you truly possess great Luck."

The Black Tortoise Demon General himself only had a Purple Mansion Dao Foundation, yet he already held a significant position. Now, seeing that the two Yao Beasts who were ostensibly his subordinates both had Earthly Fiend Dao Foundations, he was overjoyed. Although he certainly couldn't truly subjugate them, this favorable connection would surely pay off in the future.

"You flatter us. May I ask what brings the Demon General here?"

Only then did the Black Tortoise Demon General get down to business. "The Hundred Flowers Sect has an underwater property nearby where they raise many Spirit Fish. I want you to take a few people and destroy it. That place brings in several thousand Spirit Stones a year, so it's quite a significant asset. It's time they learned that if they enter the fray, they must face the consequences. Your combat power in the water is comparable to an ordinary Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, which is why I'm entrusting this to you. Why don't the two of you go together? If you can bring back those Spirit Fish and Cultivate them, they'll make good subordinates. You can each pick a few to be your Yao soldiers then."