txolops Chapter 33 Finally...
Chapter 33 Finally...
[The Foundation Establishment Pill is in hand, but every moment of delay could lead to unforeseen changes.]
[Given that you've excelled in every aspect, it's natural that you intend to immediately attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.]
[Put away the jade box containing the Foundation Establishment Pill and head to the Cave Dwelling area of the Immortal City.]
[The Azure Moon Immortal City is divided into an outer city, an inner city, and a core. The inner city's cave dwelling area provides cave dwellings with second-tier spiritual veins, meeting the external conditions for Qi Refining to break through to Foundation Establishment.]
Walking through the inner city streets, your gaze is calm, constantly adjusting your state of mind.
The state of mind here refers to a mental state, not a physical one.
[Two simulations, over a hundred years, and you have finally reached the Foundation Establishment stage.]
Compared to the Qi Refining stage, the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators have vastly different status, identity, and strength.
[You can tell just by looking at their lifespan.]
The maximum lifespan for a Qi Refining stage cultivator is 120 years.
[And some ordinary people can live to be over a hundred years old.]
However, Foundation Establishment stage cultivators enjoy a lifespan of two hundred years.
Compared to ordinary mortals, this is no longer even considered the same species.
Not to mention the terrifying destructive power caused by a Foundation Establishment cultivator's mere gestures and movements.
[Flying through the air, soaring through the sky and disappearing into the earth—even Foundation Establishment stage cultivators can do this.]
Soon, you arrived at the Inner City Cave District.
"I plan to rent a mid-grade Tier 2 cave dwelling for a month."
You looked at the female cultivator who was receiving you and said directly, "It's for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage."
Cultivators rent cave dwellings either for their regular cultivation or for breakthroughs.
These two are not the same price.
The latter requires far more spirit stones than the former.
[A cultivator's normal cultivation, involving the absorption and exhalation of spiritual energy, is a gradual process and will not have any impact on the surrounding environment.]
However, breakthroughs are different, especially breakthroughs to major realms, which cause vortexes of spiritual energy in the world and affect the surrounding spiritual environment.
Simply put, you only have one cave dwelling for normal cultivation.
However, the cave dwelling used for a breakthrough must ensure the stability of the surrounding spiritual energy environment, which may involve several or even more nearby cave dwellings.
[The cave dwelling is built on a spiritual vein and possesses spiritual pressure, which allows cultivators to absorb spiritual energy more efficiently. During a breakthrough, the spiritual pressure can also increase the probability of success. This is why cultivators do not directly absorb the spiritual energy within spirit stones.]
"Renting a mid-grade second-tier cave dwelling for one month to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, costing 1,000 spirit stones."
The female cultivators who were receiving guests in the cave area did not show any unusual behavior.
Outside the market, such as in major marketplaces, it might be rare to see someone at the Qi Refining stage attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment, perhaps only once every few years.
However, in Azure Moon Immortal City, almost every few days, cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining come to attempt to break through to Foundation Establishment.
However, most people who have reached the Qi Refining stage choose a cave dwelling that is of the second-tier lower grade. Basically, the second-tier lower grade spiritual vein environment meets the external conditions for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
[You're willing to spend more spirit stones just to be on the safe side, even if it only increases the chances by a negligible amount.]
You took out the thousand spirit stones you had prepared beforehand, and then you were taken to a cave.
The cave dwelling is several hundred square meters in size and is rich in spiritual energy. Ordinary people who stay here for a long time can prolong their lives.
You sit cross-legged in the very center of the cave, beginning the final adjustments.
Seeing this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but feel nervous.
Even if he fails to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and dies, it will have no impact on Zhou Qing. At most, he can just try again in the next simulation.
But if we can successfully establish our foundation this time, that would be the best outcome.
"With my preparations, physical body and blood essence, and the quality of my magical power, if I can't achieve Foundation Establishment, it would truly be an injustice..."
Zhou Qing collected his thoughts and continued watching the simulation process.
The virtual font continues to change.
[You have finished adjusting your state. Without further hesitation, immediately circulate the Foundation Building Technique from the "Mountain and Sea Manual." The abundant Mountain and Sea magical power within your body begins to circulate rapidly.]
Using the Foundation Building Technique to draw in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, in an instant, a vortex of spiritual energy faintly formed in the sky above the cave, and the vast spiritual energy flowing into the sea rapidly poured in.
[The spiritual energy is infused into the body, which requires overcoming the Qi and Blood barrier, one of the three barriers to Foundation Establishment.]
The Qi and Blood Barrier is also known as the Physical Body Barrier or the Body Temperament Barrier. This barrier requires the physical body to withstand the vast spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
If one fails to withstand the test, it naturally means failure in overcoming the Qi and Blood barrier, and failure in attempting to establish a foundation.
Why is it said that a cultivator's hope of breaking through in their later years is extremely slim? It's because their vital energy and blood decline, and their physical body simply cannot withstand the boost brought about by the transformation of their cultivation realm.
The abundant spiritual energy of heaven and earth continuously flows into your body.
[You have already cultivated the "Mountain and Sea Body Refining Technique" to the third level. With your physical body alone, you are enough to rival a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. Receiving this spiritual energy of heaven and earth will naturally be a piece of cake.]
Soon, the Qi and Blood barrier, one of the three barriers to Foundation Establishment, was successfully overcome.
[Second stage of Foundation Building: The Mana Barrier]
How does magical power change from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment?
The mana of a Qi Refining stage cultivator is gaseous, while the mana of a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator is liquid.
Therefore, the so-called "power barrier" is the process by which magical power transforms from a gaseous state to a liquid state.
This level is very difficult. If the magic power is even slightly impure and cannot be successfully converted into a liquid state, then the magic power level will be failed.
"The mountain and sea magic I cultivate is incredibly pure and refined; there shouldn't be any major problems."
You begin to manipulate your own magical power, condensing it into a liquid state.
At the same time, you also took out the Foundation Establishment Pill and swallowed it in one gulp.
The greatest use of the Foundation Building Pill is to purify mana and promote its transformation into a liquid state.
As for protecting the heart meridian and ensuring the survival of cultivators who fail to establish their foundation, that is actually a side effect of the Foundation Establishment Pill.
The cultivators who purchase Foundation Establishment Pills do not wish to use them for protecting their heart meridians.
As strands of mountain and sea magic power were continuously compressed and gathered in the dantian, the first drop of liquid magic power began to take shape.
"Liquid mana?"
You carefully sense the drop of liquid magical power condensing in your dantian; an invisible spiritual pressure begins to spread out.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator can easily sweep away a Qi Refining cultivator with a single spell, thanks to liquid mana that surpasses gaseous mana.
[Ordinary cultivators newly entering the Foundation Establishment stage can eventually convert all their gaseous mana into nine drops of liquid mana. However, the "Mountain and Sea Manual" is known for its richness and can ultimately convert into thirteen drops of liquid mana...]
[As drops of liquid mana took shape, several days passed, and within your dantian, thirteen drops of liquid mana, radiating invisible spiritual pressure, were already suspended.]
[The magical barrier has been overcome.]
Having overcome the challenges of Qi and Blood and Magic Power, more than ten days have passed in the outside world.
Normally, the time required to advance from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment should not exceed twenty days if everything goes smoothly.
[Because you condensed a larger amount of liquid mana than ordinary cultivators, it took you longer.]
【"Divine Consciousness Barrier!"】
[Your mind is at peace, sinking into the sea of consciousness.]
[Two simulations, over a hundred years—the time you've spent on alchemy is no less than your time on cultivation.]
Alchemy requires controlling the earth's fire and fusing the medicinal properties, which demands a high level of control over the alchemist's spiritual sense.
Therefore, you also have confidence in the Divine Consciousness stage of the three stages of Foundation Establishment.
Just as you begin to undergo the test of divine consciousness, the Mountain and Sea Ring you wear on your right index finger begins to slowly change in the outside world.
Originally, this Mountain and Sea Ring was predominantly sky blue, with only a faint hint of crimson hues.
But at this moment, the wisps of crimson light began to surge rapidly, the crimson light resembling blood, vast as the sea. In an instant, the sky-blue Mountain and Sea Ring completely transformed into a blood-red ring.
[Within the blood-red ring, there seemed to be an endless sea of blood.]
Wisps of crimson aura rose from the ring, coalescing into a phantom blood-red figure not far away.
[This illusory, blood-red figure, watching you as you close your eyes to break through, seemed to see an incredibly delicious meal, and let out a long, drawn-out sigh.]
【"finally......"】