Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 280 Foundation Establishment! Foundation Establishment!!! Foundation Establishment!!! (4000)

Within Zhang Yuanzhu's dantian, the calm and still magical power began to ripple.

The ripple spread rapidly, and within moments, it had transformed into layers of waves, rolling and coalescing, all with effortless ease.

Within his body, his muscles, bones, internal organs, and skin trembled simultaneously, and his blood and qi surged like a vast ocean. Strands of pure and divine qi and blood emerged from his blood and qi, pouring into his dantian like a torrential rain and falling into his magical power.

The young man recalled everything from the past, from struggling to survive in Jiang Shuicheng and fighting in the snowy night, to crossing thousands of miles of demonic land, conquering many enemies, winning every battle, and sweeping all the way, without shame for himself or his Dao heart.

A stream of divine light burst forth from his mind, descended, and converged into his dantian.

At this moment, the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit all enter the dantian, intertwining and merging with magical power.

The crimson-gold waves within the dantian began to compress, coalesce, and then solidify.

At the same time, the two small seals formed by the magical runes suddenly dispersed, leaping out in a crimson-gold wave that floated above the dantian.

The energy gradually shrank from the size of the pool, transforming into a high platform that shimmered with crimson gold light.

Just as the platform was about to take shape, one magical rune after another transformed into chains imbued with Daoist principles, winding down and embedding themselves into the platform.

In an instant, the crimson-gold light shone brightly, making the already sturdy platform even more imposing and dazzling.

At this moment, if this high platform were to be transformed into a spiritual platform, it would undoubtedly be of superior quality, a true seed for the Golden Core, but...
"Far from enough!"

Zhang Yuanzhu laughed loudly, his black hair dancing wildly, exuding an indescribable unrestrained arrogance.

He grabbed the measuring rod and placed it on his abdomen.

In the blink of an eye, the snow-white ruler seemed to melt into his body like liquid.

Within the dantian, on the high platform, a crystal-clear, flawless long ruler slowly unfolds and floats above.

In an instant, an immense sense of oppression was transmitted, causing the high platform to tremble, yet it withstood it.

Zhang Yuanzhu's expression was calm, his gaze lowered as he looked at the jade tree embryo on his lap.

A thought.

The embryonic spirit then transformed into a stream of light, disappeared into the abdomen, and appeared on the high platform.

In an instant, the platform trembled violently.

Click!Click!
Cracks appeared, as if the path to collapse and sever the foundation-building process at any moment.

Call ~
The young man's double pupils were deep and mysterious. He raised his hands and suddenly clenched his fingers together.

"Red Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, Qilin, Azure Phoenix, the Five Elements Nuo Masks, rise!"

A low drink.

Around the Lingtai, the five illusory divine beasts, which had remained motionless, roared to the sky.

Five beams of light—red, yellow, gold, blue, and cyan—rose one after another.

Strands of light overflowed and transformed into runes, which intertwined and surrounded the shattered platform within the formation.

Roar roar~
The roar grew ever louder, and the five-colored radiance became ever more dazzling and mysterious, carrying the ceaseless power of creation as it swept across the high platform.

The cracks began to heal; the fallen debris resurfaced; even the violently trembling platform began to level off.

In that instant, Zhang Yuanzhu could clearly sense that if he stopped there, he would have a high chance of transcending the upper-grade spiritual platform and achieving the supreme-grade spiritual platform, ranking first in history.

There's no need to take any more risks, no need to risk the platform tearing apart, and to activate the array beside us.

"Not enough, far from enough!"

Zhang Yuanzhu whispered, his five fingers shifting, and without the slightest hesitation, he directly activated the lightning-summoning array.

He came into this world not to be some kind of greatest figure in history.

He will surpass all living beings throughout history, accomplish what no living being could achieve, and reach the end of the Great Way!
He wants to be one with the Tao!
Boom!

Thick, dark clouds stretched for dozens of miles, with flashes of lightning resembling dancing silver snakes.

The world was filled with an aura of destruction.

Zhang Yuanzhu stood up, his red robe fluttering, his black hair dancing wildly, and his eyes shining brighter than the Milky Way.

"bring it on."

A whisper.

boom!
Boom! !
Boom! ! !
Azure lightning tore through the dark clouds, streaked across the sky, and landed overhead.

In an instant, his body stiffened, and strands of lightning entered his body, entered his dantian, and coiled around the high platform.

The already sturdy platform began to rise again at this moment.

boom! boom!
One bolt of lightning after another struck down, as if the heavens were punishing them, vast and explosive.

His skin was charred black, his red robe was stained with blood, and there were also charred streaks in his dantian and on the high platform.

Thunder is ultimately too violent; trying to temper it with its life force is somewhat of a stretch.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained expressionless, offering no defense whatsoever, enduring wave after wave of lightning to continuously temper the platform, unwilling to overlook even the slightest improvement.

His slender figure gradually staggered, the crimson color entwined with lightning flowing out, staining the earth, becoming the only color besides the scorched black.

It is unknown how much time passed before the lightning slowly dissipated, revealing the blood-red figure.

Within the dantian, five-colored light and lightning intertwined on the high platform, where two natal artifact embryos, one tree and one foot in size, exuded a mysterious aura.

The platform was extremely sturdy at this moment, but it was also covered with scorch marks, which made it flawed.

The young man sensed this and a smile crept onto his face; he was about to succeed.

Without hesitation, he took out the jade box from his bosom and extracted the Creation Liquid.

The pure white elixir, like the sun, floated between my fingers, radiating dazzling light.

He raised his palm and swallowed it in one gulp.

In an instant, boundless warmth filled my heart.

The charred skin peeled off, the torn flesh healed, and even the high platform was enveloped in pure white light. The scorch marks left by the lightning tempering gradually faded until they disappeared.

The platform became increasingly solid and perfect.

Zhang Yuanzhu quietly sensed the changes on the high platform, waiting for the completion of the triple upgrade.

A day later, the lightning on the high platform dissipated.

Two days later, the five illusory images of divine beasts disappeared one by one.

Three days later, the pure white light slowly disappeared.

The youth stood on the earth, his hand gestures rising.

At this moment, the platform trembled slightly and began to shrink, its crimson-gold radiance as tangible as a physical object, dazzling and radiant.

One after another, mysterious patterns appeared in the radiance, constantly combining and intertwining, like two slender chains, spreading across the radiance.

"Congeal!"

Zhang Yuanzhu snorted softly.

In an instant, the radiance vanished, revealing a spiritual platform.

The spiritual platform was a reddish-gold color, with two natal artifact embryos floating on it, drifting slowly.

The entire sphere of the mind is inscribed with two mysterious patterns from top to bottom. Sometimes they converge to form small seals, and sometimes they disperse to form magical patterns, constantly changing.

The moment the spiritual platform is formed, the skin, muscles, bones, and even the five internal organs begin to transform, leaping towards a higher level.

Every inch of flesh and blood was frantically increasing in size and strength.

At the same time, an invisible wave surged in his mind.

In an instant, everything in the world seemed to have been wiped clean of dust, becoming clear, and the 'vision' expanded rapidly.

"Is this what spiritual consciousness is?"

Zhang Yuanzhu sensed the changes in his mind and muttered to himself.

After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, one's physical body and magical power will both increase, and spiritual consciousness will be born, allowing one to observe the surroundings more clearly.

In his view, the ability to detect with spiritual sense overlaps somewhat with the 'Insightful Eye Technique,' but spiritual sense, if cultivated with techniques, can kill without leaving a trace, while the 'Insightful Eye Technique' can see through the essence of things.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. As he pondered, his spiritual awareness continued to rise, his physical body rapidly transformed, and even his crimson-gold spiritual platform grew increasingly larger.

The profound accumulation of Qi Refining Realm experience transformed into a crazy increase in strength at this moment.

He waited quietly, savoring the afterglow of his breakthrough. About three hours passed before the transformation was completely over.

He forged a supreme spiritual platform, entered the Foundation Establishment realm, and from then on lived for 240 years.

Zhang Yuanzhu sensed his dantian and spiritual platform, experiencing the profound mysteries of spiritual awareness and feeling the surging of his blood energy.

The young man stood tall, gazing at the vast sky, his crimson robes fluttering, faintly echoing with the prayers of living beings. A smile played on his lips as he softly murmured:
"Thunder and fire scorch the body, a calamity of heaven and earth; the golden crow falls from its wings, burning the spiritual embryo."

Dragons and elephants temper their sinews and ignite their blood and spirit; a thousand battles lead to eternal victory and sharpen their minds and spirits.

Nine deaths did not extinguish my desire for the Dao; a single breath can save countless ghosts.

Who dares to bind me, Heaven and Earth? I will tread upon the stars, transcending time and space!

A soft murmur drifted away on the wind, echoing through the sky for a long time.

Rays of Buddhist light emanated from the blood-red robe, purifying the crimson color, and the torn brocade was stitched back together, transforming into a brand-new crimson robe.

He raised his hands and patted away the dust that might not even exist.

Looking down at the ravaged landscape, a thought struck him.

Boom!

Despite making no movement, its powerful and domineering aura soared straight into the sky.

The billowing air surged forth, impacting the vast wilderness, causing the entire land to tremble and creak under the immense pressure.

Scorched black soil flew up and fell back down, leveling the earth riddled with pits.

In the blink of an eye, the land returned to its former state, with no difference whatsoever except for being leveled.

His figure vanished, disappearing into an underground cave. He had just broken through to the next level and still had many things to deal with.

Only when everything is ready can the strength of the Foundation Establishment realm be fully unleashed.

Inside the simple cave dwelling, Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes closed, casting his spiritual sense onto the two natal artifacts on the jade platform.

At this moment, the two natal artifacts, which had broken through along with the youth, had undergone tremendous changes.

The Measuring Ruler: Snow-white and crystal clear, it is like the most perfect treasure in the world, and it has gained a touch of Taoist charm compared to before.

Zhang Yuanzhu carefully observed the long ruler, his spiritual sense sweeping over it inch by inch.

In his plan, his two natal artifacts were to be used in two different ways: one to carry the Great Dao, and the other to conquer enemies.

The Measuring Ruler is undoubtedly a weapon primarily used for combat.

"In that case, from the past to the future, you shall be my witness to my journey."

The youth whispered.

As the words fell, a blurry figure appeared on the long ruler; it was a withered old man lying on a straw mat.

Following closely behind was a second figure, a girl with skin as smooth as jade and eyes as clear as autumn water. Although her face was veiled by a light veil, she still exuded an ethereal and noble aura.

The third figure was a ferocious black dragon, domineering and arrogant.

One by one, adversaries worthy of Zhang Yuanzhu's remembrance appeared on the Measuring Ruler, and an inexplicable aura emerged and permeated the air.

This aura brought those engraved figures to life, as if they had returned to the world.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained indifferent, turning his spiritual sense towards the cyan jade tree, a ripple of emotion stirring deep within his eyes.

"Since it's also a tree, then let's try to find our own way."

"From now on, it will be the Yin-Yang Jade Tree!"

Strands of red glow rose from the Lingtai and merged into the blue jade tree.

These rays of light are all his insights into the principles of fire and yang, gained through his cultivation, and now they are all converging on the jade tree.

As the crimson glow filled the jade tree, Zhang Yuanzhu had a thought.

In an instant, the crimson-gold spiritual platform transformed into sky blue, its foundation completed in the blink of an eye.

Strands of ice crystals rose and merged into the jade tree, and a touch of icy blue light emerged, spreading continuously, each accounting for half of the red light.

The opposing yet intertwined Daoist principles of ice and fire permeated the spiritual platform, creating an extraordinary and mysterious atmosphere.

Zhang Yuanzhu's spiritual sense swept over the Yin-Yang Jade Tree, and he chuckled softly:

"This is the path I've chosen!"

He withdrew his spiritual senses and opened his eyes.

The thought of cultivation begins: foundational transformation, acquisition of cultivation techniques, and refinement of spiritual artifacts.

The transformation of one's foundation is undoubtedly the most important matter, as it concerns one's own path and requires careful consideration.

According to the tests conducted at Daofeng, he possesses a total of five attributes: ice, fire, earth, lightning, and wood.

The ice attribute is based on the base physique, and the fire attribute, after adding the [trait] Fire Soul, is also based on the base physique.

The remaining three attributes—earth, thunder, and wood—are all of grade C in terms of root quality.

However, he now possesses:
[Level 1] Golden Pearl (Characteristic: Golden Soul);
[Level 2] Azure Ruler (Characteristic: Thunder Soul).

In other words, a sixth attribute—metal—needs to be added to the five existing attributes.

He has four choices besides fire and ice.

A series of thoughts flashed through Zhang Yuanzhu's mind, and he quickly ruled out the earth and wood attributes. Without the corresponding [characteristic] soul, his cultivation would be delayed.

Cultivating at the Foundation Establishment stage also requires speed and all-out effort to ascend to the Great Dao.

That leaves only two options: Gold and Thunder.

"According to the principles of Yin and Yang, after metal comes wood. The two are mutually restraining and mutually generating. I also had some insights on the Azure Spirit Tree."

"And the Way of Thunder, where destruction and life coexist, and Yin and Yang coexist, is also excellent."

The young man remained silent, continuously analyzing the pros and cons.

After an incense stick had burned, he made his decision.

thunder!
Possessing the [Level 2] Azure Ruler (Characteristic: Thunder Soul), as long as one wields it, one's physical constitution will inevitably far surpass that of metal-type physical constitution.

Secondly: Experiencing the principles of Yin and Yang in a single realm surpasses the properties of metal.

After making the decision and planning the attributes for Foundation Establishment cultivation.

Zhang Yuanzhu then began searching through his storage bag for lightning-attribute cultivation techniques.

Soon, the young man's lips twitched, and he looked helpless.

He found a few lightning-attribute foundation-building techniques among the loot, but they were all incomplete, let alone leading directly to the Qi Condensation Realm.

Even reaching the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment stage is a struggle.

'Should we go back to the lineage to search for it?'

Whispering in the heart of a young man.

After much thought, this is the only way.

However, at his current speed, he will be able to return to the lineage in a few months.

Since a lightning-attribute foundation-building technique cannot be found for the time being, then we will continue to cultivate the "Blazing Sun True Fire Record". Although the cultivation speed will be much slower, there will still be progress.

It seems we have to go back now, but before that, I'll refine the low-grade spiritual weapon to improve my combat power.

As he pondered this, he waved his hand, and three streams of light flew out of his storage bag and hovered in front of him.

Low-grade spiritual artifacts: Mountain-Embracing Seal [Characteristic] Immaculate; Bloodlight Pearl [Characteristic] Tracking; Azure Fire Furnace [Characteristic] Explosive!
These three magical artifacts were spoils of war he acquired during his conquests.

Apart from the Azure Fire Furnace, which was somewhat damaged due to the array formation, the other two items were intact and could be used as tools for Foundation Establishment cultivators to fight.

As for the Azure Mystic Ruler, it concerns his path to enlightenment, so he has no intention of using it.

(End of this chapter)