Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Harvesting the Talents of Demonic Beasts

Chapter 157 Dividing the Core and Breaking Through the Mountain, Sixty Years of Foundation Establishment

Gu Chang'an was also pleasantly surprised.

He had high hopes, but not many, and was also thinking of other ways to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills. But now he had succeeded, and thought to himself, "This Alchemist Lin... is truly amazing!"

At this moment, Lin Changheng also spoke up, announcing the result: "I have fulfilled my mission. Three Foundation Establishment Pills, two of which are correct."

The pill with a thinner spiritual light and slightly less medicinal energy was a second-grade pill.

The other two are genuine.

This pill is not as good as the genuine Foundation Establishment Pill, but it can still increase the chance of establishing a foundation by 15%.

Lin Changheng can accept this result.

However, Lin Changheng also felt somewhat emotional about this. His alchemy process had gone quite smoothly without any mistakes, yet he still managed to produce a substandard pill.

I can't figure it out right now, so I'll just have to put it aside.

Everyone knows that once this furnace is used to produce pills, Lin Danshi's reputation will explode in the Immortal City.

Become a hot commodity!
Looking at that calm and composed figure, many eyes were filled with reverence, flattery, and a faint longing.

……

Next, naturally, comes the process of separating and selecting the elixir.

At Lin Changheng's nod, the Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Qian stepped forward and took a genuine pill.

"Thank you very much, Master Lin."

The Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Qian grinned, showing no airs of a Foundation Establishment cultivator whatsoever. At the same time, he took out a cloth bag with ten mid-grade spirit stones inside, the opening of which was open, and handed it over.

This person was quite perceptive; with the bag open, Lin Changheng glanced at it and immediately realized that the number of spirit stones inside was correct.

He immediately nodded and smiled.

Then he looked at Mo Zhaoli, "Fairy Mo."

Mo Zhaoli also accepted a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill and handed over a bag of spirit stones.

Gu Chang'an accepted the last substandard Foundation Establishment Pill.

Another box was handed over, containing a thousand low-grade spirit stones neatly stacked.

The difference between Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Refining cultivators lies in this.

Foundation Establishment cultivators don't care about the exchange rate difference between exchanging a mid-grade spirit stone for a low-grade spirit stone, but Qi Refining cultivators are different and are more meticulous in their calculations.

Thus, the crowdfunding project to refine the Foundation Building Pill has come to a successful conclusion.

Lin Changheng did not keep these people any longer, and they had no desire to stay after achieving their goal. After some polite exchanges, they all took their leave.

The once bustling cave fell silent again, leaving only Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli gazing at each other.

Mo Zhaoli did not leave.

Logically, the best solution would be to leave with them, create a false impression, and then quietly turn back halfway.

This also provides the best possible ending to this disguise.

But this involves a test of human nature and a dual issue of trust.

After all, a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill can fetch over 25,000 low-grade spirit stones at an auction.

Even Foundation Establishment cultivators can't remain completely unmoved; they could buy three low-grade spiritual artifacts for that price.

It's a considerable resource!

After Mo Zhao left, she only needed to walk straight away to easily pocket the pill, and Lin Changheng had no way to deal with her.

Even if Lin Changheng tells the truth, it will be useless. Everyone present can testify for her, and no one believes her.

They might even be accused of slandering Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Even assuming this actually happened, Lin Changheng wouldn't even be able to get into the Ziji Sect's mountain gate if he wanted to find someone...

Therefore, this will be a test of human nature under the impact of conflicting interests.

But the cleverness of a smart person lies not in making choices, but in not making choices at all.

Mo Zhaoli stopped on his own and stayed in the cave, preventing any further choices from being made, and ignored any loopholes left behind.

Her idea is simple:
What do the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the sect do and how do they do it? Who are you outsiders and rogue cultivators to comment on?
……

Lin Changheng returned the bag of spirit stones that Mo Zhaoli had just handed to the female cultivator.

But then, a flicker of undisguised excitement flashed in Mo Zhaoli's beautiful eyes—a mixture of joy, appreciation, and even a hint of something inexplicable…

"Brother Lin's alchemy skills are amazing, I admire him greatly."

Mo Zhaoli immediately snapped back to his senses, his heart pounding slightly, but he showed no sign of it on his face, and took out the Foundation Establishment Pill that he had just put away.

"Should we immediately go into seclusion and attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"good."

Lin Changheng accepted the genuine Foundation Establishment Pill and nodded slightly.

He will go into seclusion to hone his skills, adjust his state of mind, and seek an opportunity for a breakthrough.

"I am out here to protect Brother Lin."

Mo Zhaoli smiled gently, her eyes full of encouragement.

A deep-seated worry was carefully concealed, not revealed, for fear of affecting Lin Changheng.

"Wait for my good news."

Lin Changheng smiled calmly, turned around and stepped into the secluded meditation chamber.

With firm steps.

As for Cui Jianshui's plans, his relationship with Gu Chang'an, and the people behind him and their schemes, none of that matters at this point.

His first attempt at refining Foundation Establishment Pills resulted in the successful production of all three pills from a single batch. What kind of shock, astonishment, and fame would this cause if word got out? These things are even less important; he has no need to be concerned about material possessions.

He now has only one thought in mind: to establish his foundation!

Foundation building!!!

"boom!"

As the heavy stone that broke the dragon fell, and dust settled, the figure in the green robe slowly disappeared from the gaze of the beautiful eyes outside.

"I wish Brother Lin good luck."

With a slight movement of her red lips, Mo Zhao did not leave. She immediately sat down to meditate outside, her moon-white skirt spreading out on the bluestone slabs, like a blanket of fresh snow covering the ground.

Her back was ramrod straight, her hands were in a mudra on her knees, and her whole demeanor was extraordinary, like a solitary snow lotus on a snow-capped peak, determined to carve out a pure land to protect the noisy world of cultivation.

……

in the secret room.

Lin Changheng, who had set up the spirit-gathering array, carefully reviewed the [Foundation Building Insights] given to him by Mo Zhaoli, and after sorting through it again to confirm that he understood it all,

He began to carefully introspect and examine himself.

"no problem."

Lin Changheng was very cautious.

Then he began to adjust his own state. After ten days of alchemy, his magic power, energy, and mental strength had been somewhat depleted, and he needed to adjust himself to a perfect and peak state.

After swallowing a top-grade pill called "Green Wood Rejuvenation Pill," an extremely comfortable and warm sensation immediately arose in his abdomen.

My magical power and energy are gradually and comprehensively recovering, slowly but steadily.

This elixir was personally refined by Lin Changheng.

The pill formula was obtained by Lin Changheng from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was quite miraculous, supposedly a simplified version of a third-tier pill formula, intended for his grandchildren. Lin Changheng was specially invited to refine the pills.

The difficulty of refining this pill is no less than that of a second-grade low-level pill. It contains a vast and pure medicinal power, yet it can be taken by a first-grade cultivator.

That's truly amazing.

After realizing something while refining pills, Lin Changheng also refined a batch for himself.

This is the advantage of a skilled alchemist; many rare pill formulas are personally presented to them, eliminating the need for them to search for them themselves.

Those who are suitable will be directly recruited for our own use.

This elixir came in handy at just the right moment.

Three days later, Lin Changheng opened his eyes again, and flames seemed to leap in his pupils.

At this point, he was at his peak.

At the same time, an extremely mysterious feeling emerged and rose in my heart...

"Foundation building begins now!"

Lin Changheng made a decisive decision.
He directly formed a hand seal to activate the dense and pure magical power within his body, which then began to circulate rapidly.

The magical power initially flowed gently, like a mountain stream, slowly moving forward. Then it grew stronger and stronger, no less powerful than a great river, with surging waves that swept in!

"The preliminary preparations are complete, nothing more needs to be added! The details of the [Foundation Establishment Comprehension] have also been internalized! With the added boost of the Foundation Establishment Pill, the chance of achieving Foundation Establishment this time is only 100%!"

The rich, mid-grade second-tier spiritual energy was drawn in by the Spirit Gathering Array, like clouds and mist in the high sky, enveloping him.

Lin Changheng's eyes were piercing, his aura was deep, and his confidence was more abundant than ever before, along with an unwavering determination!
His gaze seemed to pierce through illusion, seeing three illusory, towering mountains blocking the cultivator's path to Foundation Establishment!

"Shatter these three mountains, and we will build the foundation for the Dao, seeking the path to immortality!"

Lin Changheng's gaze was firm, his mind was focused, all distractions were abandoned, and with an unwavering belief, he opened a path and broke through the mountains!
...The first mountain standing in front of us is called the [Mountain of Essence]!
The so-called essence is the origin of a cultivator, the root of life. It is not only the material foundation that carries life, but also the physical foundation for establishing one's path.

To break through it, the cultivator must ensure that their physical body is flawless and without leaks in order to receive the spiritual energy of heaven and earth without it leaking out.

Furthermore, one needs abundant Qi and blood, which circulate in an orderly manner, to transform the body into the foundation of the Dao and lay the groundwork for the path to immortality!
Lin Changheng is kind to others, avoids conflict and fighting, has no hidden injuries, and is also blessed by the [Triple Self-Healing Technique], which eliminates all possible hidden dangers of injury, so there are no flaws. This is one of the supports.

At the second stage of Body Refinement, one's Qi and blood are condensed like silver and mercury, and muscles are harder than gold and jade. With the additional support of [Limb Hardening - Level 5] and [Great Strength Technique - Level 3], one's physique is incredibly strong and flawless. This is the second pillar of support!
At the age of sixty, he appears old, but the combined influence of two demonic beasts grants him sixfold longevity and the true meaning of the transformed "Glorious Life Divine Power," adding a full sixty-two years to his lifespan, making his essence abundant! This overcomes the decline of qi and blood and the aging of the body that come with advanced age, which is the third support!
Although he has been taking elixirs for many years, he possesses the [Demon Poison Removal Technique], which not only clears away all poisons and eliminates the elixir poison, but also removes all the darkness and filth from his body, making his flesh crystal clear and radiant. This is the fourth support!
With these four pillars of support, Lin Changheng can break through mountains with just a thought!
"Break it for me!"

Lin Changheng uttered a low murmur. Before he finished speaking, the surrounding spiritual energy was absorbed by a giant whale, turning into a white, surging wave that condensed into a rotating vortex of light on his body.

Looking inside his body again, he found that all the spiritual energy had been steadily absorbed into his body without any leakage! His blood and qi surged like a torrent, carrying the spiritual energy and flowing through his body in an instant, all of which settled into a profound foundation.

……

The second mountain that follows is the [Mountain of Qi].

Qi refers to the spiritual energy that enters the body from the universe, and it is also the Qi that cultivators refine, which is the fundamental source of a cultivator's magical power.

During the Qi Refining stage, the cultivator's internal magical power is in a gaseous state, the same as spiritual energy, making cultivation easier.

When entering the Foundation Establishment stage again, the gaseous magical power will initially liquefy, gradually returning to the dantian to form a "lake".

Once the liquid magical power transforms into a solid state, it is called "forming the core".

This process is a transformation of the quality of magical power, and it is also the source from which the dantian can hold more magical power!

Small quantity, superficiality, and impurity are the three core problems of mana liquefaction.

Lin Changheng was prepared for this.

He cultivated his magic power to the peak of Qi Refining, and his gaseous magic power filled his entire dantian.

He then used the Crimson Sky Profound Flame to refine and temper his magic power every day for eight years, until it became incomparably pure and dense!
Three major problems are directly overcome!

Lin Changheng then used his inner vision to compress the energy slightly, and wisps of spiritual energy condensed into liquid and dripped down.

This mountain can be easily broken!
……

The third mountain is the "Mountain of the Gods".

This mountain is related to one's state of mind, the ambition to seek immortality and the spirit of forging ahead!

It is also called divine consciousness, which is an important reliance for Foundation Establishment cultivators to understand and explore the world.

Only by achieving these two points and transforming the internal divine thought into external divine consciousness can one break through this mountain.

Lin Changheng's mindset had long been tempered by the trials and tribulations of life, and he had never retreated a step.

With the added blessing of the "Double Source Treasure Seeds," the challenge was easily overcome.

Divine consciousness is related to the soul.

Lin Changheng has lived two lives, and his soul has entered two bodies one after another. After being tempered several times, he is much stronger than other Qi Refining Peak cultivators of the same level!

The transformation of consciousness is now going much more smoothly!

Furthermore, he successively seized dozens of precious seeds, all of which entered his body through his divine soul, and naturally had a nourishing effect!

With a loud "boom," the mountain collapsed!

……

At this moment, Lin Changheng saw through all the illusory, towering mountains that were blocking his way.

With no obstacles in sight, the real "foundation building" process begins.

Therefore, many cultivators do not fall at the "Foundation Building" stage, but are blocked by the Three Mountains and severely injured due to the reverse flow of their magical power.

At this time, if one has a Foundation Establishment Pill, one can swallow it and use its power to forcibly break through the mountain.

However, the power of the Foundation Building Pill is also limited. If it is used in advance, it will become weak afterward, and only its effect of protecting the body from serious damage will continue.

If you have a Foundation Building Spiritual Object, you can continue to use it to break through mountains and build a foundation.

Different spiritual objects can be used multiple times to protect you all the way to success. In theory, if you have enough spiritual objects for Foundation Establishment, you can escort them all the way to success.

This illustrates the role of resources and the advantages of having a solid foundation.

At this moment, Lin Changheng's illusory Dao foundation was slowly condensing.

The liquid magic power formed by the liquefaction of gaseous magic power in the dantian moistened the Dao foundation, attempting to stabilize the nascent Dao foundation, but it still trembled slightly.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Changheng decided to take out the genuine Foundation Establishment Pill he had refined and swallowed it, just to be on the safe side.

"Om~"

As the elixir entered his stomach, a mysterious change began to occur, and Lin Changheng felt that the formation of his Dao foundation was accelerating.

Accelerate steadily and smoothly!
This process is inherently related to the quality of one's own spiritual roots.

In the world of cultivation, those with a Heavenly Spiritual Root can easily establish their foundation without needing Foundation Establishment Pills; the process can be completed in one fell swoop.

Earth Spirit Roots come with a 50% chance of success, making it easy to obtain. Foundation Building Pills are usually used as a backup.

The probability of obtaining a spiritual root decreases in the order of superior, middle, and inferior grades.

The chances of getting a mixed spiritual root are pitifully low.

There's also the risk of unexpected events during this process.

If one's mind becomes unstable due to deviations in the foundation-building process, or if one fails to maintain harmony and unity of essence, energy, and spirit, the foundation of one's path can easily crack or even collapse.

Cracks only mean there's no hope of forming a golden core, but collapse means certain death.

Extremely dangerous.

With the support of the Foundation Building Pill and a calm mind, Lin Changheng made steady progress.

……

at this time.

The high-class cave dwellings on the outer lake.

Suddenly, spiritual energy from heaven and earth gathered in the sky, increasing in quantity until it condensed into an exaggerated cloud of spiritual energy, which slowly evolved into a funnel-shaped vortex and crashed down upon the cave below.

Noticing this change, several Foundation Establishment cultivators who were staying in their caves flew into the sky and looked over.

Some cultivators with second-tier skills in all arts also came out of their caves and looked up to watch.

"Someone is building a foundation again."

Who lives in that cave?

"I don't know, it seems to have been empty before..."

Several people were talking.

But no one interfered or disturbed them.

Firstly, obstructing someone from building a foundation is a matter of life and death. They are not stupid; they will not do anything that is harmful and unprofitable.

Both of them are unaware of the existence of protectors.

Thirdly, the fact that expensively rented cave dwellings are all being maliciously attacked will surely cause unrest, which is the root of the problem in Digging Immortal City.

Mo Zhaoli was nowhere to be seen in the main hall of the cave.

She was already standing in the courtyard, holding a three-foot-long sword, her divine sense fully extended, paying attention to all possible influencing factors!

She knew this was a crucial moment.

When she was establishing her foundation, her master protected her in the same way.

No carelessness is allowed.

……

Five days later.

The vortex above dissipated, and the clouds of spiritual energy lost their ability to gather, drifting away in all directions.

Inside the secret room, the fluctuations in spiritual energy had subsided.

An astonishing aura emanated from Lin Changheng.

But he remained seated cross-legged, his eyes tightly closed.

At this moment, he was scanning his body in surprise, but he could not find even a trace of his Dao foundation!
"Truly mysterious and interesting."

Not long ago, his Dao foundation in his dantian was fully formed, but it trembled and disappeared without a trace.

He was greatly surprised, but not alarmed.

The Foundation Establishment Insights gifted by Mo Zhaoli did not mention anything about what happened after Foundation Establishment.

A moment later, he realized that his Dao foundation seemed to have been integrated into every part of his body, invisible yet omnipresent.

"This is... Foundation Establishment!"

"I have completed the foundation!"

"After forty-two years of arduous cultivation, at the age of sixty, I have finally... established my foundation!"

A glint flashed in Lin Changheng's eyes. He had thought he would have a loud, triumphant laugh, a joyful release of all his bitterness and pent-up emotions.

However, he simply stood quietly in place, feeling the immense magical power flowing within his body, his expression as calm as a deep pool.

All of this came about...it was only natural!

(End of this chapter)