Chapter 149: Perfect Foundation Establishment

Three days later.

Chen Luo had elevated his vitality, spirit, and focus to their pinnacle, fully integrating the seven divine abilities within himself.

With this step, all preparations were complete.

He reached into his bag of holding and retrieved the Foundation Establishment Pill he had kept safely for some time.

To ensure safety, Chen Luo had already asked Daoist Wuwei, his Shizun, to inspect the Foundation Establishment Pill, confirming it contained no hidden threats.

“It’s time for Foundation Establishment.”

Chen Luo secured the medicinal pill carefully and attached his Inner Sect disciple identity token to his waistband.

Then, descending the mountain towards Divine Lake Peak, the main summit.

Having met all prerequisites for perfect Foundation Establishment, the only remaining requirement was access to spiritual meridians. Within the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, the area with the densest spiritual energy was undoubtedly where the sect leader practiced secluded cultivation. However, attempting entry there was not feasible; intruding without cause would surely be deemed treasonous and result in execution. After the sect leader’s brief appearance, they vanished again. Now, the secret chamber is guarded around the clock, making it too risky for Chen Luo to attempt.

The next tier of spiritual energy hotspots were the secret chambers used by the ten peak lords for cultivation. However, these locations were occupied by Foundation Establishment cultivators, and Chen Luo lacked the strength to challenge them. The third-level spirit sites consisted of the cultivation rooms on Divine Lake Peak, which could be rented out. As long as one had enough spirit stones, they could stay for any duration.

At the market down the mountain, Chen Luo sold his stock of medicinal pills and spirit talismans, accumulating sufficient spirit stones to afford half a month’s stay in the highest-grade cultivation room at Divine Lake Peak.

For him, this period was more than ample.

Upon reaching Divine Lake Peak, Chen Luo presented his identity token as an Inner Sect disciple from Wu Dao Peak, allowing him unimpeded access to the Cultivation Mountain.

As he approached, the crowd around him thinned significantly.

A Divine Lake Peak disciple assigned to Cultivation Mountain duties yawned lazily at the entrance. Without even lifting his eyes upon seeing Chen Luo, he mechanically recited the prices for different cultivation rooms.

“Class D cultivation room: one spirit stone per day; Class C: ten spirit stones per day; Class B: one hundred spirit stones per day; Class A: one thousand spirit stones per day.”

One thousand spirit stones per day! Even robbery isn’t this swift. Compared to the business with the sect leader, his modest income from pill concocting seemed insignificant.

Ridiculously expensive!

Glancing at his remaining spirit stones in the bag of holding, Chen Luo once again felt the sting of poverty calling out to him. No wonder so many disciples in the immortal sect frequented the library for free spiritual energy; the prices on the main peak were outrageously high.

“Class A, twelve days.”

Chen Luo retrieved his bag of holding, which contained a total of twelve thousand three hundred spirit stones. He had initially thought it would be enough for half a month, but now realized he severely underestimated the costs within the sect.

No wonder people from Nine Poisons Valley and the Corpse-Raising Sect called Divine Lake Immortal Sect’s members heartless merchants—it seemed they weren’t exaggerating one bit.

‘Once I reach Foundation Establishment, I’ll reclaim these spirit stones sooner or later!’

Taking a deep breath, Chen Luo handed over the required amount of spirit stones.

In an instant, he was left with only three hundred spirit stones, plunging him into abject poverty.

“Here’s your token. Exit by yourself when your time is up; overstaying will incur additional charges. Any debt owed to Divine Lake Peak accrues interest.”

The gatekeeping disciple didn’t even blink, swiftly collecting the spirit stones with a wave of his hand. Nonchalantly, he tossed a dark-colored token towards Chen Luo and issued a final reminder.

And with interest… Chen Luo’s understanding of the sect’s ruthless nature deepened further.

Holding the token for the cultivation room, Chen Luo followed the assigned number to locate it on the topmost floor. He placed the token against the stone door’s sensor panel.

Click, click, click.

The formation shimmered, and the stone door automatically opened.

A dense wave of spiritual energy emanated from within. Chen Luo took a deep breath, feeling his internal spiritual energy surge with vitality. Quality comes at a price; although the sect’s fees were steep, the place was genuinely impressive. The concentration of spiritual energy nearly matched that of Daoist Wuwei’s secluded cultivation hall.

Entering the room, he turned to close the stone door behind him and cautiously set up a small confusion array near the entrance. This was part of his preparations for Foundation Establishment, and currently, it was the only array technique he had mastered.

The cultivation room was not spacious, approximately ten square meters in size, with rudimentary furnishings. The walls still bore marks from excavation, resembling a primitive cave dwelling, as if no effort was spared even for smoothing them out.

To maximize profits, the immortal sect undoubtedly aimed to minimize the space per cultivation room, striving to create more rooms. Chen Luo even suspected that if not for the fundamental requirements of the spirit gathering array, the sect would have reduced each room’s size to just three square meters.

Stepping to the center, Chen Luo sat down on a straw mat. He carefully arranged the Foundation Establishment Pill, Blood and Qi Pill, and Gathering Spirit Pill beforehand. Having witnessed Wang Tianji’s Foundation Establishment process, he naturally prepared meticulously to anticipate any potential unforeseen circumstances.

“Let’s begin.”

Chen Luo activated his cultivation technique, inhaling spiritual energy for a moment while simultaneously engaging all his external brains. Sensing his body’s state, he picked up the Foundation Establishment Pill and swiftly swallowed it.

The medicinal pill dissolved instantly upon entering his mouth.

Transforming into a warm current, it flowed down his throat into the stomach, permeating throughout his internal organs and spreading within his body. Instantaneously, the hundred little spiritual energy snakes inside Chen Luo surged to life.

Boom!

His spiritual energy began boiling fervently.

One by one, these little spiritual energy snakes left the dantian, traversing through his qi vessels and circulating throughout his entire being. As they moved, each area felt as if scorched by fire, undergoing reshaping and transformation, gaining a newfound energy that steadily increased his maximum lifespan.

From a longevity of 150 years, he embarked towards the threshold of 500 years.

After completing one full circuit, the speed of the spiritual energy snakes slowed down. The first step of Foundation Establishment was accomplished; now, it was time to advance using blood qi.

“Condense blood qi!” A hint of redness flashed in Chen Luo’s eyes as he channeled his blood qi, instantly reaching its peak due to his mastery of the Iron Body Art.

As his blood qi ignited, Chen Luo felt his body become like a whirlpool, voraciously absorbing surrounding spiritual energy. The entire cultivation room’s aura converged upon him. Not only that, but by harnessing the power from his Iron Body Art, he transformed his blood qi into a driving force, guiding the little spiritual energy snake to cleanse his entire being.

Typically, for a cultivator to achieve Foundation Establishment, completing three cycles would suffice. However, Chen Luo had already surpassed seven cycles.

With each additional cycle, his body grew stronger. By the seventh pass, his aura surpassed all Qi Refining cultivators, officially transcending to another level. Yet, Chen Luo did not stop; he needed to complete nine cycles. According to the mummified brain’s calculations, performing nine cycles was the first prerequisite for achieving ‘Perfect Foundation Establishment.’

“Your blood qi is depleted; continuing further will damage your longevity.”

Suddenly, amidst the numerous brains Chen Luo controlled, one nearly forgotten—the feral tiger’s brain—emerged with this warning.

As a monster beast’s brain, its control over blood qi surpassed all other brains Chen Luo had accessed thus far. This mastery was instinctive to demonic cultivators, an innate talent humans lacked.

Damage longevity? Chen Luo glanced at it and promptly ignored the warning. Many cultivators attempting Foundation Establishment face this issue, which is why most aim to achieve it before reaching fifty years of age.

Beyond fifty, with only a century left to live, their waning vitality makes it challenging to drive the transformation of spiritual essence.

In Woodmount City, Wang Tianji, who met his demise by self-detonation, had encountered a similar problem. At that time, he managed to push through by relying on performance-enhancing drugs. From Chen Luo’s current perspective, Wang Tianji’s attempt at Foundation Establishment was actually unsuccessful. It was the ‘evil fiend’ within him that helped him endure that crisis; otherwise, without its aid, he would have undoubtedly perished from exhausting his longevity.

Chen Luo, however, did not share these concerns.

Considering his cultivation so far, even counting generously, it amounted to just over five years. Including his original age, he could be no more than twenty-six, leaving ample longevity and negating any need for such worries.

With Chen Luo’s persistence, when his longevity reached eighty-two years, the government granules successfully completed nine cycles.

Upon finishing the ninth cycle, Chen Luo’s body underwent a remarkable transformation. All the little spiritual energy snakes converged at a single point, forming a ‘Scarlet Flood Dragon.’ As the Scarlet Flood Dragon took shape, it coalesced into a surge of energy that ascended swiftly from his dantian region to the center of his forehead.

A buzzing sensation filled Chen Luo’s mind.

Crack

A sound emanated from within his forehead.

His divine soul strength shattered like an eggshell, giving birth to a newfound force. Even with his eyes closed, Chen Luo could perceive everything in the cultivation room vividly.

This perception was exponentially clearer than simply observing with the naked eye.

The spiritual energy transformed, and his blood qi rejuvenated.

An unprecedented sense of immense power surged through him.

‘Spiritual energy has evolved into magical power; Foundation Establishment achieved!’ The thought echoed simultaneously across more than thirty Foundation Establishment brains in his mind, filling his entire being with a profound elation. This marked the moment Chen Luo officially transcended human limitations and became a cultivator.

Five hundred years of longevity lay ahead!

The Foundation Establishment Pill alone sufficed; Chen Luo didn’t need any additional preparations. With such profound accumulation, reaching Foundation Establishment was not challenging for him. Had he not aimed for ‘Perfect Foundation Establishment,’ he likely would have broken through with minimal effort.

Still seated on the meditation cushion, Chen Luo felt the vibrant spiritual energy within his body gradually receding from its peak.

At this moment, the seven divine abilities cultivated before Foundation Establishment surfaced in his mind, each undergoing a qualitative transformation.

Chen Luo opened his eyes, and a hint of grayish-white energy flickered deep within them—this was the power of divine sense.

He extended his palm, channeling magical power within him.

A Gale Lotus, roughly the size of his hand, appeared in his grasp. It consisted of one hundred and eight exquisitely detailed leaves, with visible veins running through each petal. Compared to the thirty Gale Winds he could barely muster at Peak Qi Refinement, this was immeasurably more potent.

Seated cross-legged, Chen Luo observed the ‘Wind-Controlling Lotus’ in his hand, sensing the changes within his body.

After Foundation Establishment, the energy expenditure to use divine abilities decreased significantly.

Maintaining the Gale Lotus now required minimal effort for Chen Luo. After another moment, just shy of fifteen minutes, he began to feel slightly fatigued.

He dispersed his magical power, and the spiritual energy gathered in his hand retreated back into his body like a living entity. The brief fatigue swiftly dissipated.

“The quality of my spiritual energy matches expectations; only one final step remains.”

Having tested his magical power, Chen Luo closed his eyes once more, delving deep within his divine sense. He altered the flow of his primary cultivation technique, gradually transforming it with the assistance of the mummified brain.

As before, it involved nine cycles.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, completing these nine cycles was no longer challenging, easily achieved. Upon the pure Scarlet Flood Dragon spiritual energy, a thread of black appeared. Chen Luo then switched techniques again, performing another set of nine cycles. Following this, a faint azure hue emerged atop the dual-colored spiritual energy.

With the formation of three-color spiritual energy, Chen Luo’s aura surged dramatically, advancing significantly beyond the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.

“Perfect Foundation Establishment accomplished.”

At that precise moment, the mummified brain finally provided its feedback.