Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Lin Zhao could sense the clan chief's genuine concern and a hint of anger in his words. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something in defense of his grandfather, saying that he was willing to take responsibility.

But then Lin Shanhe sighed helplessly, shook his head, and laughed, "That old fox! He must have calculated that I wouldn't sit idly by after I successfully established my foundation. He's making it a fait accompli before putting me on the pedestal!"

After the laughter and scolding, Lin Shanhe's expression returned to solemnity. He led Lin Zhao to the seemingly ordinary stone wall.

He made a hand seal, and a stream of pure cyan spiritual energy entered the stone wall.

In an instant, a spiritual light flowed across the surface of the stone wall, the moss receded, revealing a smooth, mirror-like jade tablet about ten feet tall. On the jade tablet, countless fine, ant-like ancient seal characters and profound cultivation diagrams slowly emerged, exuding an aura of vastness and antiquity.

At the very top are five large, naturally elegant characters—"The Five Elements Rhyme Spirit Technique," which is also the fundamental cultivation technique of Lin Zhao. The difference is that there is another section following it.

"This is the core inheritance of my Lin family, a secret technique that normally only cultivators who have reached the ninth level of Qi Refining can obtain." Lin Shanhe's voice was deep. "Now, I will pass on to you the most important secret technique in this 'Five Elements Rhyme Spirit Technique,' which can solve your current predicament. It is also an important direction for your future cultivation path. Your grandfather had already planned this out and was waiting for me here."

His finger pointed to a particularly brilliant passage of scripture in the middle of the jade tablet.

"Look closely, this is the secret technique of 'Three Transformations of the Spirit'!"

Lin Zhao held his breath and stared intently, his mind instantly drawn to the profound scriptures.

Lin Shanhe slowly explained, "Ordinary cultivators stop at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and the chance of reaching Foundation Establishment is extremely slim. The tenth level of Qi Refining is a realm specially established by powerful cultivators to solve the problem of the success rate of Foundation Establishment. It breaks down the Foundation Establishment process, allowing the liquefaction of mana to be completed in advance, preparing for the future formation of the Dao foundation! This 'Three Revolutions of Rhythmic Spirit' is the secret technique to reach the tenth level of Qi Refining!"

"The first step is 'purification' of this secret technique, which can compress and temper the spiritual energy in the body to the extreme, like sifting sand from a great wave, removing the dross and keeping the essence. The pill toxins accumulated from taking the Transformation Pill and previous pills, the impurities in the spiritual energy, and even the obstacles left by the operation of the cultivation technique can all be gradually refined in this process."

Once the first transformation is complete, your problem of a weak foundation will resolve itself. This is also why your grandfather felt comfortable letting you take the Transformation Pill; it's a secret technique for the Foundation Establishment stage, and a mere Transformation Pill is naturally no problem for him. Now he's passing it on to you ahead of schedule.

Lin Shanhe stopped explaining, realizing that this was a small test from Lin Zhao's grandfather to see if Lin Zhao's attitude towards the family had changed after he established his foundation.

A startling light flashed in Lin Zhao's eyes—this was exactly what he needed right now!

"The second stage is 'liquefaction'," Lin Shanhe continued. "When spiritual energy reaches its purest state, one can attempt to transform it from a gaseous to a liquid state. This requires compressing and condensing one hundred strands of magical energy into a single liquid strand. Liquefaction of magical energy is also a fundamental requirement for Foundation Establishment."

This is equivalent to breaking down the Foundation Establishment process into steps and preparing for it in advance. Such a cultivator could barely be considered to have reached the tenth level of Qi Refining. The power of each burst of mana released using liquid mana would be greatly enhanced. However, liquid mana is a consumable resource; it disappears after one use, requiring further cultivation to gather it, which is extremely troublesome.

"The third stage is the process of 'accumulation.' It involves accumulating ten drops of this liquid mana to eventually form a cycle! At that time, as long as your liquid mana is not completely depleted, it can continuously generate more liquid mana. Your combat strength and spiritual power will far surpass that of ordinary Qi Refining cultivators. This is what a true Qi Refining level ten cultivator is, and it is also the prerequisite for your future Foundation Establishment!"

Lin Zhao was deeply moved. He had no idea that there was such a vast world beyond Qi Refining!

Next, Lin Shanhe began to explain the Foundation Establishment Realm to him in detail.

"What is the Dao Foundation? The Dao Foundation is the essence of life, magical power, divine consciousness, and physical body; it is also the vessel that will support your future Golden Core and even Nascent Soul." His expression was extremely solemn.

"There are three levels of Taoism.

Low-grade Dao Foundation: Liquid magical energy is mixed and its potential is limited.

Within the dantian, although the magical power has liquefied, the foundation of the Dao is indistinct, only possessing a basic, vague form. Although it has taken shape, its connection with the physical body and soul is delicate and fragile. For those who possess this foundation, their path forward is almost completely severed. Their true essence recovers slowly, and they essentially remain at the early stage of Foundation Establishment throughout their lives.

Mid-grade Dao Foundation: Clear liquid mana, promising path to enlightenment.

Within the dantian, the Dao Foundation is clearly visible. It is a tangible object forged from the essence of life. The Dao Foundation has established a strong connection with the meridians of the physical body and the sea of ​​consciousness between the eyebrows, enabling it to efficiently circulate throughout the body and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Although there is a chance to form a core, the chance of success is slim. For ordinary cultivators, reaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment is already quite good.

As for the superior Dao foundation, legend has it that it requires the perfection of essence, energy, and spirit—all three stages—to be possible to achieve. No family has the secret techniques passed down through generations; only sects possess these methods.

Lin Shanhe patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Your grandfather fought for the Transformation Pill for you, to secure your present. Today, I am passing on the 'Three Turns of the Spiritual Essence' to you, to plan for your future."

The family has given you everything it can; the road ahead has been paved for you. How far you go depends on yourself. I hope you will not let your grandfather and me down.

Lin Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement and shock, and solemnly bowed to the jade tablet and the clan leader.

Emerging from the clan chief's misty mountaintop cave, Lin Zhao made no delay and headed straight for his grandfather's cave on the back mountain.

Inside the cave, the grandfather, unusually, was not cultivating but brewing spiritual tea. When Lin Zhao entered, he raised his eyelids slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Greetings, Clan Chief. Did you get scolded?"

Lin Zhao sat down opposite his grandfather and recounted in detail the clan leader's account of the Transformation Pill and the subsequent teaching of the "Three Transformations of Rhyme Spirit" secret technique.

Grandfather listened without the slightest surprise, instead slowly pouring a cup of spiritual tea and pushing it towards Lin Zhao. "Well said."

He snorted, then laughed, a smug smile on his face. "But I'm going to make you take that Transcendent Pill first."

He looked at Lin Zhao with sharp eyes: "The pills have some side effects? We can make up for it later! But the five or even ten years saved by improving your cultivation level is real!"

You've now reached the eighth level of Qi Refining and obtained a secret technique that leads directly to the tenth level, meaning the door to Foundation Establishment is already half open for you! Zhao'er, on the path of cultivation, opportunities are fleeting.

If you didn't have the cultivation of the eighth level of Qi Refining, but combat power comparable to the tenth level, do you think the clan leader would so readily reveal this secret technique? Sometimes, you have to take a gamble! Get the benefits first, and then figure out a way to deal with the trouble later.

His tone carried the decisiveness of someone who had been through it all, but also revealed a hint of weariness that was barely perceptible: "You are young, talented, and have a long road ahead of you."

I'm getting old, and there's not much I can do to pave the way for you younger generations. But using these less-than-honorable methods to buy you these five years and this secret technique for Foundation Establishment is worth it.

Don't test human nature; it's not worth testing. Only self-interest can last.