186: Chapter 186 Foundation Building and the Demon Tide

In the quiet room of No. 3 Courtyard, Qingyun Alley, in Qianliu City, Shattered Star Sea.

Lin Cangchen sat cross-legged in the center of the Spirit Gathering Formation, his five hearts facing the sky, with Spiritual Qi surging around him like a whirlpool.

Before him lay three items: a milky-white foundation establishment pill, a small jade bottle, and a crystal recording insights on Foundation Establishment.

The jade bottle contained a drop of true condensation jade dew brought out from the Secret Realm—for safety, the bottle had been prepared separately, apart from the condensing true jade dew bottle itself.

"It is about time." He took a deep breath, a flash of determination in his eyes.

He had stagnated at Qi Refining Perfection for three years, constantly polishing his Spiritual Qi, tempering his Divine Sense, and strengthening his Physical Body, all for this very moment.

Now that his state had reached its Peak, waiting any longer might cause him to miss the optimal opportunity.

He first picked up the jade bottle and carefully poured the transparent liquid into his mouth.

The true condensation jade dew melted upon entering his throat, transforming into a stream of warm, gentle Spiritual Qi that flowed through his limbs and bones.

He could clearly feel that the already pure Spiritual Qi within his body became even more refined, and the circulation of Spiritual Qi between his Five Elements Spiritual Roots became somewhat smoother.

"It is indeed effective." Lin Cangchen smiled slightly, then swallowed the foundation establishment pill without hesitation.

As the Medicinal Pill entered his abdomen, it erupted instantly!

The violent Spiritual Qi was like a bursting flood, rampaging through his Meridians.

If it were a Qi Refining Cultivator who was unprepared, they would likely be unable to control it by now, but Lin Cangchen had long been prepared—after three years of polishing, the toughness of his Meridians far exceeded those of the same stage; his Mental Energy, which had transformed into Divine Sense in advance, could even more precisely guide every strand of Spiritual Qi.

"Condense for me!"

He let out a low shout and exerted all his strength to circulate the Five Elements Spirit Nurturing Art.

Inside his Dantian, the five-colored Spiritual Qi began to rotate and compress, gradually forming a tiny vortex of Qi.

This was a long and painful process.

For every bit the Spiritual Qi was compressed, the tearing sensation it brought became stronger.

For every sliver the vortex solidified, the more Mental Energy was consumed.

If not for the true condensation jade dew consolidating his Foundation in advance, and if not for the Spirit Nurturing Art supporting his Divine Sense, the difficulty of this hurdle would have increased by at least thirty percent.

Time passed second by second.

Outside the quiet room, Lin Yaozong kept watch for three full days.

He held several bottles of healing Medicinal Pills in his hand, just in case.

He could feel the increasingly strong fluctuations of Spiritual Qi within the room, sometimes as violent as a tide, sometimes as solid as a mountain.

"It should be at the critical moment now." He gripped the pill bottles tightly, silently calculating the time in his heart.

The morning of the fourth day.

A crisp shattering sound suddenly came from the quiet room, as if some barrier had been broken.

Immediately afterward, an aura belonging to the Foundation Establishment Stage spread out; although it was not yet very stable, it was most certainly Foundation Establishment!

Lin Yaozong let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face.

It was a success!

Another half a day passed, and the door to the quiet room slowly opened.

Lin Cangchen walked out, his entire demeanor having changed significantly.

The "sharp and exposed" feeling from his Qi Refining Stage had disappeared, replaced by a sense of calm and restraint.

But if one sensed carefully, one could detect the Spiritual Qi hidden within his body, which was several times stronger than before.

"Early Stage Foundation Establishment, it has stabilized." Lin Cangchen smiled, his tone carrying a hint of relaxation. "Clan Chief, how long did I take this time?"

"Four days and three nights." Lin Yaozong looked him up and down, nodding with satisfaction. "It went more smoothly than expected. How do you feel?"

"Extremely good." Lin Cangchen stretched his limbs. "The total amount of Spiritual Qi has increased by more than five times, and the coverage range of my Divine Sense has expanded to about three hundred zhang. Most importantly—"

With a thought, his Divine Sense left his body and swept gently over the stone table in the courtyard.

The teapot on the table floated into the air by itself, steadily poured a cup of tea, and flew in front of Lin Yaozong.

"Controlling objects with Divine Sense, as easily as moving one's own arm." Lin Yaozong took the teacup, a flash of surprise in his eyes. "This range of your Divine Sense is already approaching the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment."

"It is the credit of the true condensation jade dew and the Spirit Nurturing Art." Lin Cangchen also poured himself a cup of tea. "By the way, Clan Chief, how about you…"

"I have already used the first drop of amber true condensation dew." Lin Yaozong nodded. "The effect is significant; I estimate that after another half year of polishing, I will be able to attempt the breakthrough to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage."

As the two were speaking, a rapid bell tolling suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

Dong—dong—dong—

The bell rang nine times in a row, spreading throughout the entire Qianliu City.

"The nine-ring alarm?" Lin Yaozong's expression changed. "Something big has happened!"

The two quickly came outside the courtyard, only to see many Cultivators on the street looking up at the sky.

In the sky, dozens of streams of light were flying from the direction of the City Lord's Mansion in all directions; those were the messengers of the City Lord's Mansion.

Soon, a dignified voice resonated throughout the city via an amplification Formation:

"Attention all Cultivators! There is a large-scale movement of the Yao Race in the Shattered Star Sea, and a Golden Core level battle has erupted on the front lines. Effective immediately, Qianliu City is entering a Level 2 alert state. The city defense Formation will be partially activated, and all Cultivators are not allowed to leave the city unless necessary. The mission hall has updated the emergency mission list; please accept tasks according to your capabilities."

The voice repeated three times and then fell silent.

The Cultivators on the street were discussing it fervently, and many Qi Refining Cultivators hurried toward the mission hall to see what was happening.

Lin Yaozong and Lin Cangchen exchanged a glance and returned to the courtyard.

Lin Yaozong took out the mission jade plate and activated it, and sure enough, he saw that the list had been updated with all-red emergency missions.

"Hunt and kill the second rank low grade sea Yao 'Iron-Armored Crab', each rewarded with three hundred contribution points and an additional five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"Clear the Yao Beast group at 'Black Reef Island' three hundred miles east of the city; estimated to have one second-rank mid-grade Yao Beast, five Low Grade ones, and several at the Qi Refining Stage. Mission contribution points: two thousand, with a team requirement of five or more people."

"Escort the Spirit Medicine collection team to 'Blue Wave Island', requiring two Cultivators at the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment or above. Mission contribution points: one thousand five hundred…"

"It seems the Yao Race is serious this time." Lin Yaozong said in a low voice. "The City Lord's Mansion is mobilizing all combat power to clear out the Yao Beast groups near the city to prevent them from forming an encirclement."

Lin Cangchen stared at the mission list on the jade plate and pondered for a moment. "Clan Chief, this is actually an opportunity."

"Hmm?"

"Look, although these missions are dangerous, the rewards are much richer than usual." Lin Cangchen analyzed. "During the Yao Beast Tide, it is a good time to quickly accumulate contribution points. Once the Yao Beast Tide passes, these high-reward missions will be gone."

Lin Yaozong understood what he meant, but still frowned. "It is too dangerous. You have just reached Foundation Establishment, and your strength has not yet been fully adapted. Furthermore, since the Yao Race dares to launch a large-scale offensive, they must have a backup plan."

"Wealth is sought in danger." Lin Cangchen smiled. "Besides, we can choose a safer mission. For example, this 'Escort Spirit Ore Transport Team', what do you think?"

He pointed to one of the mission descriptions: "The mission is to escort three ore transport ships from Qianliu City to Golden Rainbow Island; there may be Yao Beast attacks along the way. The team requirement is eight people, and the City Lord's Mansion will send one Late Foundation Establishment Cultivator to lead the team, with the other seven people volunteering to sign up. Eight hundred contribution points per person, with additional dividends upon completing the mission."

Lin Yaozong carefully looked at the mission description and pondered. "The ore transport ships have their own defensive Formations, and their speed is not slow. Even if they encounter danger, if we cannot hold them off, we can still run. Moreover, this is an official mission, and the safety is indeed higher than those hunting missions."

"Exactly." Lin Cangchen nodded. "We are new here, so following the official team is the safest. We can accumulate contribution points and familiarize ourselves with the situation during the Yao Beast Tide in the Shattered Star Sea."

Lin Yaozong pondered for a moment and finally nodded. "Good, then we will take this one. However, we must make full preparations before setting off; Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and Formation Plates must all be well-stocked."

"That is only natural."

After the two decided, Lin Yaozong accepted the mission through the mission jade plate.

Soon, they received a reply: The mission has been confirmed; assemble at Pier No. 3 in the east of the city at the hour of the dragon, three days later.

For the next two days, the two prepared separately.

Lin Yaozong went to the shop to transfer a batch of Medicinal Pills and Talismans—the Lin family's Hundred Treasures Pavilion had been open for nearly three years; although it was not large in scale, they never lacked supplies for their own use.

Lin Cangchen checked all the Formation Plates and Magical Artifacts to ensure they were in good condition.

On the morning of the third day, the two arrived early at Pier No. 3 in the east of the city.

Three large ore transport ships were already anchored in the port, their hulls engraved with defensive Formation patterns.

More than twenty Cultivators gathered on the pier; in addition to the dozen or so people who looked like crew members, there were seven Foundation Establishment Cultivators—plus the two of them, Lin Yaozong and Lin Cangchen, the escort team was exactly complete.

A Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator wearing the uniform of the City Lord's Mansion stood at the very front, and seeing that everyone had arrived, he cleared his throat:

"Fellow Daoists, I am Zheng Hai, a deacon of the City Lord's Mansion. I will lead this mission, and the goal is to escort these three ore transport ships to arrive safely at Golden Rainbow Island. According to intelligence, there may be attacks by second-rank Yao Beasts along the way, but there will be no large-scale beast groups. As long as everyone works together, completing the mission will not be difficult."

He scanned everyone and continued: "Let me make the rules clear: during the voyage, at least two Foundation Establishment Cultivators must remain on guard on each ship, taking turns to rest. If you encounter a Yao Beast attack, listen to my unified command. The spoils of war will be distributed according to the effort put in, and the contribution points will be issued uniformly after the mission ends. Are there any questions?"

Everyone expressed their understanding.

Zheng Hai nodded with satisfaction: "Good, board the ship. We will depart in half an hour."

Lin Cangchen followed Lin Yaozong onto the middle ore transport ship.

The hull was more spacious than imagined, and on the deck, besides the cargo hold, there were cabins specifically for the escorts to rest.

Standing at the bow of the ship, looking toward the distant horizon where the sea met the sky, Lin Cangchen took a deep breath of the salty, fishy sea breeze.

The first battle after reaching Foundation Establishment was about to unfold during the Yao Beast Tide.

There would certainly be danger, but it was also a good opportunity to test his strength and accumulate experience.

As for how much he could gain… let us wait and see.