Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 150 Foundation Establishment Today! [Three-in-One Mega Chapter]

Water Dragon Sect, Four Directions Island, Alchemy Room.

This was not Ji Yuan's first time setting foot on Sifang Island, but it was his first time visiting the alchemy room here, especially one connected to the earth's veins.

As soon as he entered, he felt a wave of heat hit him.

The alchemy room wasn't very big, probably only thirty or forty square meters, but it was still bigger than Ji Yuan's alchemy room on Misty Island.

The walls were made of an unknown material, neither wood nor iron, and were also covered by a protective array that not only provided sound insulation but also prevented others from investigating.

In the very center of this alchemy room, there was a bonfire that seemed to burn eternally.

That's where the earth's veins connect, and where the alchemy furnace is placed.

Refining Foundation Establishment Pills requires melting demon cores, which can only be done with earth vein fire. Of course, Core Formation Realm fire can also be used, but unfortunately, Ji Yuan is still a little short of Core Formation Realm.

Normally, renting this earth vein alchemy room would cost 10 mid-grade spirit stones per month.

Therefore, most alchemists will prepare the medicinal materials at home in advance, and start refining pills after arriving, which will take at most two or three days.

So for them, the price is still acceptable.

But this time it was different for Ji Yuan. He hadn't even started processing the ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill yet. After processing them, he would still have to refine the pill.

Five furnaces are needed for each batch.

After finishing the alchemy, he still had to establish his foundation... He estimated that if he could successfully establish his foundation within a year, that would be considered good.

"Thinking about it this way, going to the Li family was worthwhile. Not only did we manage to keep it from the sect leader, but we also saved ourselves a lot of spirit stones!"

Yesterday, after Feng Yichen left.

Ji Yuan then contacted Li Changhe, only to be told that Li Changhe still hadn't returned. The person who came to see Ji Yuan was Li Changhe's second uncle.

Li Changhe had confessed, and Ji Yuan believed him.

So when Ji Yuan mentioned that he wanted to rent a room for alchemy using earth veins, Uncle Li immediately agreed.

For the Li family, this was just a matter of a word.

Even if we don't go to the Li family, as long as there are enough spirit stones, it's all fine.

Ji Yuan also made sure that Uncle Li Er concealed his identity... The final solution was that Uncle Li Er used the identity of a descendant of the Li family to rent a ley line alchemy room for Ji Yuan for a long time, for a total of two years.

Ji Yuan walked around the alchemy room several times and then used his divine sense to check it inside and out.

Nothing unusual was found.

He finally sat down in front of the earth vein and took out his second-tier alchemy furnace.

According to the recipe, refining the Foundation Building Pill requires warming the furnace for three days in advance with the fire from the earth's veins.

Another step is processing the materials. The Thousand-Year Illusionary Grass and the Thousand-Year Green Orchid Grass need to be soaked in the prepared earth vein spiritual spring for seven days in advance to remove the turbidity and nourish their spiritual energy.

As Ji Yuan finished dealing with all of this, he couldn't help but think as he sat in front of the earth vein.

"As far as Li Changhe is concerned, I have indeed done him a great favor, and the Li family's connections are indeed very useful, but connections always have an end."

"But it doesn't matter. The Li family's favor can help me succeed in establishing my foundation, which is already the greatest value."

"As for what happens after Foundation Establishment... well, that depends on what Hua Yaoyue says. People with masters have to listen to their masters."

With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan checked the three jars of spirit wine in his storage bag again.

Everything is fine.

Unfortunately, there's nowhere left to open the [wine cellar] here.

Otherwise, it can be nurtured for several more months, and by then, the taste of this spirit wine will definitely be even better.

Ji Yuan looked up.

Before I knew it, the mark "Alchemy Room: lv2" had appeared above my head.

After renting the [Alchemy Room], the panel automatically recognized it and classified it as one of my buildings.

If that's the case, then let's try refining a few batches of Spirit Gathering Pills first.

Ji Yuan had never used this earth vein fire to refine pills before, so he had to test the furnace and the heat first.

We can't use Foundation Building Pills to test the furnace.

Ji Yuan was refining elixirs.

Feng Yichen was looking for Xuan Shui Zhenren... He never expected that Ji Yuan would dare to run away!

It was already incredibly audacious of him to consider the matter entrusted to him before giving a reply, but no one expected that he would have even greater audacity.

They just ran away.

Is this some kind of death trap?!

Feng Yichen gave Ji Yuan two days to consider, but after waiting at home for two days, he still hadn't received a reply from Ji Yuan.

He had no choice but to come back again, hoping to ask Ji Yuan in person what he was thinking.

But when he arrived, he found that... Ji Yuan's house was locked, and the restrictions were visible.

This clearly indicates that Ji Yuan is no longer at home.

If he's not at home at this time, where else could he be? He's clearly run away.

"Damn, there are always ruthless people every year, but this year there seem to be more than usual."

Feng Yichen couldn't help but think of other things, but none of them shocked him as much as the matter of Ji Yuan.

How dare they defy the sect leader's orders, especially within the Water Dragon Sect? Are they plotting to betray the sect?

When Feng Yichen arrived at the main hall of the Water Dragon Sect's main island and met with True Person Xuanshui, he recounted the entire story in one go.

"Oh? You mean he ran away?"

This surprised not only Feng Yichen, but also Xuan Shui Zhenren.

After thinking for a moment, he couldn't help but chuckle:

"Are you that afraid of dying?"

"That's interesting. Wait for me a moment."

As he spoke, Master Xuanshui transformed into a beam of light and departed.

Feng Yichen could guess where Xuan Shui Zhenren was going; he must be going to investigate Ji Yuan's whereabouts.

In just a short while, a streak of azure light landed beside Feng Yichen and transformed into the appearance of Xuan Shui Zhenren.

"I went to check the sect's protective formation, and he hasn't left; he's still inside our sect."

"They didn't leave."

Feng Yichen breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.

As long as you're still within the sect, it doesn't count as betraying the sect. As long as it's not such a serious crime, you won't be implicated, so it's fine.

"Sect Leader, shall we continue the search?"

Feng Yichen cupped his hands and asked.

"try to find?"

Master Xuan Shui shook his head. "If he doesn't want to go to this Nine Netherworld Cave, what use would it be if he actually found it?"

"Let him be. Our Water Dragon Sect hasn't fallen so low as to need to rely on a Qi Refining stage cultivator."

After Xuan Shui Zhenren finished speaking, he waved his hand and said, "Go back and make your preparations."

"Yes."

"This disciple takes his leave."

Feng Yichen is gone.

Master Xuan Shui didn't feel anything either. Although he wasn't very magnanimous, he wasn't so petty as to argue with a disciple in the Qi Refining stage.

Of course, he also reminded the people on the sect's protective formation to keep an eye on Ji Yuan's aura.

If Ji Yuan manages to leave through the sect's protective formation, send him a message.

When the time comes, Master Xuanshui will take the time to meet this boy named Ji Yuan. He won't make things difficult for him; he just wants to ask him why he is unwilling to go to the Nine Netherworld Cave.

Could it be that he really doesn't want to build his foundation anymore?

After the thought passed, Master Xuanshui put the matter out of his mind.

With so many affairs to attend to at the Water Dragon Sect, he had no time to dwell on such trivial matters.

It seems that the team heading to the Nine Netherworld Cave will have to set off in just a few days.

……

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

After Ji Yuan finished warming the furnace, he also tried to refine three batches of Spirit Gathering Pills. Except for the first batch, which turned all the herbs into furnace ash because he couldn't control the heat of the earth vein fire, the other two batches were successful.

With everything prepared, Ji Yuan began to attempt to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Based on the experience and memories provided on the panel, the refining of this Foundation Establishment Pill is different from other pills.

In the process of extracting ordinary elixirs, the main ingredient is extracted first.

But Foundation Establishment Pills are different.

The Foundation Building Pill must first be made by fusing the demon core. After fusing the demon core, Three-Flower Jade Dew is added to turn it into "elixir".

After the elixir appears, add the Illusionary Spirit Grass and the Azure Orchid Grass, and refine it with a powerful fire until the liquid turns golden. Then add auxiliary herbs such as Gentian Grass.

Once all the medicinal herbs have turned into a golden liquid, the second step of alchemy can begin—removing impurities.

To remove impurities, you need to use a strong, intense attack.

However, the main ingredients of the Foundation Building Pill are all thousand-year-old medicinal herbs. Even if there are impurities in these herbs, they are all old and aged impurities that cannot be produced by ordinary heat.

The same applies to this demon core.

The demon core contains the spiritual energy absorbed by the demon throughout its life, and its composition is complex, including some demon beasts that have lived in poisonous miasma areas, or even some poisonous beasts themselves.

Their demon cores also contain a great deal of impurities.

Ji Yuan had deliberately prepared five mid-stage second-tier demon cores with pure spiritual power for this Foundation Establishment Pill refining.

This included the demon core of the giant serpent in the misty area, and afterwards the giant toad hunted down two fish demons in other places.

The remaining two were obtained by Ji Yuan from the Suspended Demon Shop using a second-tier early-stage demon core.

This is all for today!

The Foundation Establishment Pill, refined using a mid-stage second-tier demon core, should be of higher quality than one refined using an early-stage second-tier demon core.

"Fire!"

With a thought, Ji Yuan made a fire-igniting hand gesture, immediately igniting the earth's fire.

With a soft "bang," a ghostly blue flame immediately ignited beneath the Crimson Blood Three-Legged Cauldron.

The flames scorched the already warm bottom of the stove.

Ji Yuan waited for a while, estimating that the temperature was about right, and then used his divine sense to summon a demon core and put it into the furnace.

"Set off!"

With a shout from a Golden Core elder, a huge flying ship immediately rose from the main island of the Water Dragon Sect, disappearing into the clouds and heading west.

There were hundreds of people on the deck of the ship, but not a single one of them spoke.

They were all either standing or sitting, each lost in thought.

Others leaned against the railing, gazing intently at the Water Dragon Sect below through the gaps in the clouds.

This naturally included Du Wanyi.

She was wearing the standard robes of the Water Dragon Sect, and her facial features were slightly concealed. Her originally extraordinary appearance was now hidden in the crowd, making her seem ordinary.

She looked at the islands passing by below the clouds and couldn't help but think.

What is Ji Yuan doing now?

He never cultivated on the Dragon Hatchery Island, a fact unknown to outsiders, but known to Du Wanyi, who was on good terms with him.

Although Ji Yuan always made excuses, saying he had taken on a mission and gone out.

But given his personality, would he really go out on a mission?

Those 100 merit points that year were probably all earned by submitting talismans.

Du Wanyi knew, but never exposed it.

So now he's probably hiding in some cave, cultivating alone?

In terms of spiritual practice, Du Wanyi truly admired Ji Yuan.

At such a young and promising age, to be able to endure the loneliness of arduous cultivation—this person's will is truly extraordinary.

Most cultivators, though they can endure hardship, will eventually want to relax after a period of arduous practice.

Or go out for a meal and drinks.

Or perhaps they seek pleasure and listen to music in brothels.

Others simply enjoy the thrill of life-or-death battles.

Even Du Wanyi herself found it difficult to bear the loneliness of cultivation; she preferred liveliness.

So even when joining a sect, she chose the lively Shuiyi Sect.

"But... what if my fourth brother were here right now? How would he react?"

Du Wanyi couldn't help but have this thought pop into her mind.

A month ago, when Ji Yuan came to deliver the talisman array to her, he actually talked to her a lot and gave her a lot of advice.

The vast majority of them are small tips that might save your life.

It goes without saying that once inside, one must not trust anyone, not even Han Feiyu.

If anything happens, don't hesitate. Always make it a habit to stand behind the crowd so you can run faster.

If you are being chased by humans or monsters, you must be ruthless at this time.

Go to places with lots of people.

When that time comes, you won't need to run very fast; you'll just need to run faster than others.

In a place like the Nine Netherworld Cave, as long as you can survive, everything else is trivial.

Because once you emerge and reach the Foundation Establishment stage, others will naturally overlook your past.

Besides, even the dead can keep secrets.

Once Du Wanyi realized this, she stopped looking around and found a corner on the deck of the ship to squat down and silently nurture her spiritual energy.

During this time, she also discovered that Han Feiyu seemed to have become acquainted with Feng Yichen.

Or to be more precise, it seems that the powerful disciples of the Water Dragon Sect are always gathering together to discuss something... Before they knew it, Han Feiyu's strength had also grown considerably.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to stay with Feng Yichen and the others.

"It seems that once we enter the Nine Netherworld Cave, we'll have to stay away from Han Feiyu."

Because Ji Yuan once said something.

"Among those of the same level, the most powerful cultivator is basically a walking troublemaker. Even if he doesn't cause trouble, trouble will find him."

"..."

"Master, Master, I asked the senior brothers on the main island for the list of people going to the Nine Netherworld Cave Heaven this time, and sure enough, Ji Yuan is not on it."

Forget-Worry Island.

Feng Zhitao, holding a jade slip, said to Hua Yaoyue with a beaming smile.

Hua Yaoyue, who had seemed to be dozing, opened her eyes and glanced at her.

"Okay, I understand."

Feng Zhitao sat down next to her and tugged at her arm.

"Master, why do you seem reluctant to accept him as your disciple?"

Hua Yaoyue casually said, "He's going into the Nine Netherworld Cave. Be careful. If he's lucky enough to come out alive, he might become your junior brother within three to five years."

"But he hasn't gone to the Nine Netherworld Cave Heaven now. It's already quite good that he was able to successfully establish his foundation before the age of sixty."

Speaking of this, Hua Yaoyue couldn't help but chuckle, "By then, your junior brother will have just entered the sect and will have become the senior brother."

"Pfft—"

Upon hearing this, Feng Zhitao couldn't help but laugh out loud.

But as soon as she smiled, she realized something was wrong. This wouldn't do. What if an old man became her junior brother? That wouldn't be good.

The reason he couldn't establish his foundation with his pseudo-spiritual root was because he lacked foundation-establishing pills. Why don't you try to get him a few yourself?

That won't do. He's not even a junior brother yet, how can I be so nice to him?

But if I don't treat him well, he won't be able to establish his foundation and become my junior brother... Just as Feng Zhitao was hesitating.

But then Hua Yaoyue asked, "Why do you want him to become your junior brother?"

"this……"

Feng Zhitao had thought about this question, so she answered softly, "Because I have a special connection with him, and we knew each other beforehand, after he becomes my disciple, our relationship will definitely be better than his relationship with his two senior brothers."

"Then when my senior brothers bully me again, someone will help me."

"Anything else?"

Hua Yaoyue glanced at her and knew that she hadn't said everything.

"Also... he's better looking."

"Master, you wouldn't want to take an old man as your disciple either, would you? Like the eldest brother... well, the eldest brother is hard to say. Look how handsome the second brother is, right? I'm not bad-looking either, so the fourth brother can't be bad-looking either, right?"

Feng Zhitao said in a gentle voice.

"Alright, let it be. If we are destined to be together, I will take him as my disciple."

After Hua Yaoyue finished speaking, she took out a pot of wine from her storage bag and took a sip.

"Go on, don't bother me during my meditation unless it's absolutely necessary."

Feng Zhitao had no choice but to get up quickly, not daring to say another word.

If I say one more word, I'm afraid I'll have to stay and drink with them.

……

"Dan... complete!"

Inside the alchemy room, Ji Yuan gave a low shout and immediately waved his hand, and five pills the size of longan flew out of the furnace.

The aroma of medicine had already filled the entire alchemy room.

Five Foundation Establishment Pills floated above the alchemy furnace, one of which shattered into two pieces as soon as it appeared.

Of the remaining four... after a breath, one immediately became dull and lifeless.

It wasn't a failure, but it wasn't a success either.

Semi-finished Foundation Building Pills, also known as pseudo-Foundation Building Pills, can increase the chance of Foundation Building by 10%, but the price to pay may be damage to one's foundation, leaving one permanently stuck in the Foundation Building stage.

Generally, only those elderly cultivators who are already quite old and have virtually no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage would take the risk and gamble on this last glimmer of hope.

The remaining three were intact.

Ji Yuan glanced at it.

Two of the three Foundation Establishment Pills had two patterns, and one had one pattern. The surface of each pill had faint patterns, and the color was like amber. They emitted a fresh fragrance of herbs and trees, and just a light sniff made people feel refreshed.

After sniffing for a while, Ji Yuan felt that the shackles in his dantian seemed to be loosening slightly.

He quickly took out the jade box he had prepared beforehand and put away the three Foundation Establishment Pills.

Including the three that Li Changhe gave me earlier, I now have six.

Of the six coins, five are two-patterned, which is already considered very good.

Ji Yuan then rested for another day, both to let the alchemy furnace rest and to recover his spiritual energy, so as to ensure that he could always maintain his peak condition.

A day later, Ji Yuan opened the furnace again and began refining the second batch of Foundation Building Pills.

West of Medicine King Valley.

Beside a lake called "Blackwater Pool," the six major immortal sects of Shangdong gathered.

The entrance to the Nine Netherworld Cave is right here.

The Blackwater Pool was extremely large, seemingly without end, and the water was as black as ink.

The water was stagnant; the monks who had been there said that there was no living creature in the Blackwater Pool.

Some storytelling cultivators also said that the reason why the Blackwater Pool is black is because too many cultivators died in the Nine Nether Cave Heaven. The resentment of those cultivators after their deaths dissipated and dyed the pool black.

After the Water Dragon Sect's flying boat landed, Du Wanyi kept Ji Yuan's instructions in mind and found an inconspicuous corner to sit in, rarely looking up.

The few times he occasionally looked up, it was always to observe the behavior of those around him.

Several days passed in this way.

During this time, the Water Dragon Sect issued some more information, or rather, updated some information, such as which of the other five immortal sects had powerful Qi Refining stage disciples.

Disciples who could rival Foundation Establishment cultivators were specifically marked.

The one from the Water Dragon Sect is naturally Feng Yichen.

The Joyful Palace is led by a female cultivator named "Li Zhuanqing," who is extremely skilled in the Joyful Dual Cultivation Divine Art and possesses formidable strength. Her methods, especially those targeting male cultivators, are endless.

As for Medicine King Valley, the once powerful Jian Zong died for unknown reasons, and the remaining Zhang Zehuai was also killed by Feng Yichen.

However, I heard that there is still a powerful Qi Refining stage disciple this time, named Liu Duan.

In the north, the Yuling Sect also produced a Qi Refining stage disciple who could kill Foundation Establishment cultivators, named Huang Tian.

It is said that he obtained some kind of secret technique that allows him to control two late-stage first-tier demonic beasts at the same time. Others say that he controls a second-tier demonic beast, which is why he was able to kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In the Corpse-Driving Mountain, a man named Hu Fu controls a hairy zombie, and it is said that two Foundation Establishment cultivators have died at his hands.

The remaining Sword Ruins... are detached from worldly affairs; there are three Qi Refining stage disciples who have killed Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Qin Feng, Zhao Dun, and He Ruoyao.

However, those from the Sword Ruins are generally quite aloof and will not take the initiative to attack others unless provoked.

This is under normal circumstances.

No one knows what the situation will be like inside the Nine Netherworld Cave.

After all, as long as he silences the other party afterward, he can still maintain his aloof personality once he gets out of there.

After reading this information, Du Wanyi memorized the appearances of these people. If she encountered them in the Nine Nether Cave Heaven, she would run away as soon as possible.

Keep far away.

Several more days passed, until the day before the Nine Netherworld Cave Heaven was to open, when Han Feiyu finally came to find Du Wanyi.

"Junior Sister Du, once we enter the Nine Netherworld Cave Heaven, I might not be able to travel with you anymore."

Han Feiyu smiled apologetically, somewhat embarrassed.

Back at the Water Dragon Sect, before they even set off, the two had agreed to travel together once they entered the Nine Nether Cave Heaven, so they could at least look out for each other.

Du Wanyi had already guessed this outcome when she saw him walking with Feng Yichen and the others on her way here.

So I wasn't too surprised.

It's better not to go together; being alone... is actually quite convenient.

"Okay, it's alright. Brother Han, please be careful."

Du Wanyi said with a smile.

"Um."

After Han Feiyu smiled apologetically... that was it. There were some things he couldn't make decisions about, let alone offer Du Wanyi any compensation.

Just as he was about to leave, he remembered something, left Du Wanyi a note, and then departed.

After he left, Du Wanyi, seeing that no one was around, took out the note and read it.

There are a few words written haphazardly on it.

"Never go to Ghost Dragon Lake."

the next day.

A spatial passage appeared above the Blackwater Pool, which led to the Nine Netherworld Grotto.

After the Golden Core cultivators from the six major immortal sects and the Loose Cultivator Alliance joined forces and each cast spells to stabilize the passage, numerous Qi Refining disciples filed in and rushed into it.

Many went in, but very few came out.

……

Several months passed in the blink of an eye.

Ji Yuan refined one batch of Foundation Establishment Pills on average every half month. It took him two and a half months to refine five portions of medicinal materials.

The last batch of Foundation Building Pills has been produced.

Four out of five were successful; there were no fake Foundation Establishment Pills (half-finished products); three were two-pattern Foundation Establishment Pills and one was one-pattern Foundation Establishment Pill.

Seeing this, Ji Yuan also breathed a sigh of relief.

The first three batches of Foundation Building Pills could only produce three pills each time. By the fourth batch, with more experience, four pills could be produced in one batch.

After the Foundation Establishment Pill was finished, Ji Yuan put away the Crimson Blood Three-Legged Cauldron and took out a jade box from his storage bag.

He raised his hand and opened the jade box. Instantly, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the entire room. Ji Yuan only took a sniff, and the fatigue from refining pills earlier vanished.

He looked down and saw that he had refined 17 Foundation Establishment Pills, plus the 20 round Foundation Establishment Pills that Li Changhe had given him earlier, which were lying quietly in the jade box.

Of the 20 coins, 14 have two patterns.

The remaining 6 are all of the same pattern.

As for the legendary Three-Pattern Foundation Building Pill, whether due to insufficient skill or lack of certain materials, Ji Yuan was unable to refine it.

"A full 20 Foundation Establishment Pills! If I still haven't succeeded in establishing my foundation, I'll just kill myself on the spot and never cultivate again!"

Ji Yuan made a silent vow and put the jade box away again.

There was still enough time, so he planned to take a nap and relax for a few days. Once he was back to his peak condition, he would try to establish his foundation in one fell swoop!

Five days passed by in a flash.

Having reached the peak of both body and mind, Ji Yuan took out a full 200 mid-grade spirit stones from his storage bag, and then took out the remaining 20 Foundation Establishment Pills and placed them beside him.

With this kind of setup, there's no reason why they can't achieve Foundation Establishment!

He took a deep breath, summoned two mid-grade spirit stones with his divine sense, held one in each hand, and then circulated his cultivation technique to slowly absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within them.

With the infusion of pure spiritual energy, a long-lost feeling of comfort returned to the meridians.

The spiritual energy circulated through the meridians and finally entered the dantian in the lower abdomen.

In this way, the already nearly full dantian felt a sense of fullness, but that was not enough. For the dantian to be truly full, one must feel a throbbing pain.

Only after that is it appropriate to take the Foundation Building Pill.

The Foundation Establishment Pill contains a hidden power of compression, which can help the cultivator compress the gaseous spiritual energy in their dantian, causing it to liquefy, and also has the effect of stabilizing the dantian.

If one does not take the Foundation Establishment Pill and forcibly compresses spiritual energy...

Those with good luck will be fine, but those with bad luck may have their dantian destroyed if they misdirect their qi, and then they will become a real cripple!

Afterwards, Ji Yuan spent nearly half a month absorbing all 16 mid-grade spirit stones, and after his dantian was completely full, he summoned a Foundation Establishment Pill with a thought and swallowed it.

The Foundation Building Pill entered the body and was immediately refined.

Ji Yuan dared not delay and immediately guided the medicinal power into his dantian... "Spiritual energy, suppress it!"

With all his meridians strained, Ji Yuan immediately felt a stinging pain coming from his dantian, but the pain was quickly soothed by the medicinal power of the Foundation Establishment Pill.

This allowed Ji Yuan to continue exerting his strength, attempting to liquefy the spiritual energy.

No matter how hard he tried, the spiritual energy in his dantian was like a sponge; he tried harder... the spiritual energy was compressed, but no water came out.

The moment he relaxed his mind, the spiritual energy would rebound and fill his entire dantian once again.

difficult.

Ji Yuan took the first Foundation Building Pill and tried for two whole days with the help of its effects, but unsurprisingly, he failed.

He also knew where the difficulty lay.

Because he possesses four spiritual roots, all four spiritual roots within his dantian are resisting and fighting against him, so the difficulty... goes without saying.

If one has only one spiritual root, then the difficulty is naturally much less.

Two days later, Ji Yuan absorbed another mid-grade spirit stone to replenish his strength.

He was not discouraged, nor did he expect to succeed in establishing his foundation with just one Foundation Establishment Pill. He was neither a root of earth nor a root of true spirit.

After resting for a while, he took the second Foundation Establishment Pill.

continue!

……

Time passed day by day.

Two and a half months have passed since the opening of the Nine Netherworld Grotto, and in half a month, this secret realm will be completely closed.

Compared to when I went in, there were far fewer people inside.

Those who were satisfied with the trip, or those who experienced danger and were frightened into hesitation, have already escaped.

Some who have gained something but still want more, and those who haven't gained much yet.

They are still fighting inside, vying for that sliver of hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Time is almost up. The remaining disciples are either in Hidden Dragon Abyss or Ghost Dragon Lake."

The two familiar Golden Core cultivators communicated with each other through telepathy.

Meanwhile, in the Nine Netherworld Cave Heaven, within the Ghost Dragon Lake.

Han Feiyu and Feng Yichen hid on a small island piled with rocks, both panting heavily, their faces deathly pale.

"Brother Feng, did you see it? What was that thing just now? Damn, it was terrifying."

Even someone as bold as Han Feiyu was terrified when faced with this life-or-death crisis.

"A mid-grade Tier 2 Ghost Arrow Fish."

Feng Yichen possessed divine sense, so he could see everything clearly, which made him even more fearful.

"Didn't we agree that there couldn't be any second-tier demonic beasts here? What a damn bastard!"

Han Feiyu felt a chill run down her spine when she recalled the arrow that had just grazed her chest.

"Ghost Dragon Lake is an unusual place, as you know."

In contrast, Feng Yichen, who was not facing any life-or-death threats, appeared much calmer.

"Brother Han, this can't go on. It's one thing if we can't get the treasure the sect leader wants, but we haven't even gotten the Thousand-Year Illusionary Spirit Grass yet."

Upon hearing this, Han Feiyu, who had been somewhat frightened, immediately calmed down.

Compared to fear, the fact that he gained absolutely nothing was clearly more unacceptable to him.

"So, what does Brother Yifeng mean?"

After taking a few pills, Han Feiyu asked tentatively.

He knew that Feng Yichen must have already made up his mind when he said those words.

"Let's join forces and find someone to kill first. At least we'll get something out of it. As for the task the sect leader assigned us... if we can't complete it, so be it."

"good!"

Han Feiyu readily agreed; compared to going to that cannibalistic island, killing people would be much simpler.

"Brother Feng, who do you think we should kill?"

"What do you think, Brother Han?"

Feng Yichen countered with a question.

Han Feiyu pondered for a moment before saying, "The Sword Ruins group is definitely out of the question. If the three of them go together, the two of us would just be easy prey."

"That Li Zhuanqing from Huanxi Palace is too cunning. If we were women, it would be easier to deal with, but we are both men, so we would be at a disadvantage if we went up against him."

"Hu Fu from Corpse Driving Mountain is no good either. His hairy zombie isn't even a graded one, but it has the real strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It would be too dangerous for the two of us to fight."

Feng Yichen nodded repeatedly after hearing this, "If that's the case, then it's either Huang Tian from the Yuling Sect or Liu Duan from the Medicine King Valley."

"Um."

Han Feiyu said in a deep voice, "Huang Tiancheng's fame is short-lived. Regardless of whether he has any second-tier spirit beasts, even if he did, he wouldn't dare release them here. We have two late-stage first-tier spirit beasts. If we're careful, dealing with them shouldn't be a big problem."

"As for Liu Duan of Medicine King Valley, his identity has already been exposed. He fell back from the Foundation Establishment stage. He has strength, but after falling back to the Qi Refining stage... he is actually not as good as a veteran Qi Refining cultivator like Brother Feng. If the two of us join forces to take him down, it shouldn't be a big problem."

"indeed……"

After listening to Han Feiyu's analysis, Feng Yichen ultimately had to choose between Huang Tian and Liu Duan.

After a long silence, Feng Yichen said, "Brother Han, have you noticed that Liu Duan is always accompanied by a man who is also at the peak of Qi Refining, but we have never seen him make a move."

"That scarred guy in the yellow robe?"

Han Feiyu immediately remembered it upon hearing this.

"Hmm, I suspect he's also a Qi Refining cultivator who fell from Foundation Establishment... Medicine King Valley has unpredictable methods, and some people even specialize in refining these kinds of strange pills. If they can make one Foundation Establishment cultivator fall back to Qi Refining, they can definitely make two fall back. We have to be careful."

Feng Yichen said slowly.

"Indeed... then kill that one from the Spirit Control Sect!"

Han Feiyu was not one to hesitate, and immediately made up her mind.

"it is good."

Feng Yichen responded, "There are only half a month left. Let's act quickly and see if we can still seize a magic treasure after killing Huang Tian."

"If we can't get the item the sect leader wants, taking another magic weapon will at least be enough to complete the mission."

"Alright, Brother Feng, give me half a day to recover, and we'll set off immediately."

"it is good."

Half a day later, the two French ships silently broke through the water and sailed away.

Although it's impossible to fly here, the Dharma boat can still move normally on the water. As for entering the water... that's fine too, as long as you're not afraid of dying.

The two traveled together through Ghost Dragon Lake, encountering people from Sword Ruins along the way, but did not engage in combat.

Feng Yichen recognized Zhao Dun among them, went up to socialize with him, and in the process, found out the location of Huang Tian of the Yu Ling Sect.

Everyone wasn't stupid; they could tell what Feng Yichen was planning to do just by listening.

Just as they were about to leave, He Ruoyao from Sword Ruins spoke up to give them a word of advice: "Huang Tian is not as easy to deal with as you think. He is a disciple secretly kept by the Spirit Control Sect for this trip to the Nine Nether Cave Heaven."

"Thank you, Miss He."

Dangerous, killing anyone is dangerous.

Or rather, there is no safety to speak of once you enter this Netherworld Cave.

Therefore, Feng Yichen did not change his goal and still chose to kill Huang Tian.

Zhao Dun gave them the location, and Han Feiyu and Feng Yichen followed the directions and indeed found this powerful disciple of the Yuling Sect.

They came here to kill, so there's not much to say; they just kill on sight!

The two joined forces to kill one person, but this person happened to be raising two late-stage Tier 1 spirit beasts... a late-stage Tier 1 Water Arrow Turtle and a late-stage Tier 1 Sky-Splitting Falcon.

One shuttles through the lake, the other flies in the air.

They are all extremely difficult to deal with.

In this way, the two of them confirmed that Huang Tian was prepared by the Yu Ling Sect for this trip to the Nine Nether Cave Heaven. To be more precise, it was even prepared for the Ghost Dragon Lake. One flying demon beast and one water demon beast, it can be said that the combat power was maximized.

Even with Feng Yichen and Han Feiyu joining forces, the fight was extremely difficult.

The three fought for half a day, but none of them gained any advantage, and each of them suffered serious injuries.

Later in the fight, both Feng Yichen and Huang Tian used their talismanic treasures to fight each other.

Unexpectedly, perhaps because the battle was too intense, it attracted a second-tier demonic beast from Ghost Dragon Lake. The beast swallowed the Water Arrow Turtle whole and then, taking advantage of Huang Tian being attacked by the spirit beast, instantly killed him as well.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Han Feiyu quickly dragged the dying Feng Yichen away.

Before leaving, they also took Huang Tian's storage bag.

Half a day later.

The two, severely injured, huddled together on a small island once again. Stained with blood, they lay behind a boulder. After a long while, Feng Yichen finally regained a trace of his spiritual energy.

He was thinking of taking out a second-tier pill from his storage bag to save his life.

A quick scan with his divine sense revealed that his storage pouch at his waist was gone.

Everyone here has faced life and death countless times, so Feng Yichen understood everything immediately after a thought flashed through his mind. Looking at Han Feiyu, who had already sat up, he couldn't speak, so he could only transmit his voice:

"Since Brother Han has such intentions, why bother bringing me back? Why not just kill me on the spot?"

"The sect leader made us swear an oath on the Great Dao, promising not to attack each other... I don't want my path of cultivation to end like this."

Han Feiyu sighed.

"So, Brother Han, you mean I'm just going to be left to fend for myself here?"

Feng Yichen gave a bitter laugh, yet also felt somewhat relieved.

Feng Yichen is not the only one who would go to great lengths for his brothers, but also the kind of person who would betray them in a critical moment. In fact, it could be said that his rise to power was based on this ruthless nature.

So, in the end, we ended up in this situation; perhaps this is the cycle of cause and effect.

"No, no, no, actually there's another reason for bringing Brother Feng back, a... big one."

Han Feiyu turned around, his face expressionless, his face covered in blood, and said, "If I remember correctly, Senior Brother Feng should also have the four spiritual roots of metal, wood, water, and fire, right?"

As Han Feiyu spoke, he placed his hand on Feng Yichen's dantian.

In an instant, Feng Yichen felt an immense pain. He groaned, but Han Feiyu quickly stuffed a second-tier life-saving pill into his mouth.

At this time... I can't die.

Feng Yichen was speechless, but he could feel a great terror.

He could clearly feel that his spiritual root was slowly disappearing.

To be precise, it's being... sucked away!

……

Outside the alchemy room on Sifang Island.

The Qi Refining disciple on duty was dozing off when suddenly he sensed a powerful aura sweep past, only to vanish without a trace.

He was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what was going on.

A senior brother... oh no, a junior uncle has already established his foundation here?!

Inside the Alchemy Room.

Ji Yuan, who had been sitting in meditation for months, suddenly opened his eyes. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and then all the mid-grade spirit stones placed around him turned to ashes and disappeared.

He didn't need to use so many, but as the spiritual energy in his dantian began to liquefy, Ji Yuan stopped trying and absorbed one mid-grade spirit stone after another.

He went into seclusion for a year.

The value is two or three years old.

The plan was finally completed and the foundation was laid.

-

P.S.: This is a three-in-one chapter, a long chapter of over 10,000 words, not filler. One chapter marks the successful completion of Foundation Establishment, plus the conclusion of the Nine Netherworld Cave storyline, so... please support me with monthly tickets and recommendation votes!

(End of this chapter)