Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

He Yuzhu was the first to emerge from the bathroom. He was pale, his steps were unsteady, and he seemed completely exhausted, but his eyes were unusually clear. He lowered his head and sniffed himself. A strong, fishy stench made him frown, but at the same time, he felt an unprecedented sense of relief, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden he had carried for many years. His body felt light, and his senses were much sharper. The birdsong outside the window and the sound of the wind in the distance were clearly audible.

Immediately after, Chen Xueru came out carrying He Yushui. He Yushui had cried herself to sleep and was nestled in Chen Xueru's arms, her little face rosy and her breathing even. Chen Xueru also looked exhausted, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, and her already fair skin now radiated a crystalline glow, making her entire demeanor seem even more ethereal.

"Go wash up and change into clean clothes," He Damin said gently. "Drink some water and get some rest after you're done."

The three did as instructed.

When they returned to the living room, they felt as if they had been reborn. Although they were still a little weak, the refreshing and comfortable feeling that emanated from their very bones was an experience they had never had before.

"The marrow cleansing is complete." He Damin looked at the three radiant figures and nodded in satisfaction. "Rest for three days to allow your bodies to adapt and consolidate. After three days, begin foundation building."

He Yuzhu touched his arms and legs, feeling an inexhaustible surge of energy, and exclaimed excitedly, "Uncle, this Marrow Cleansing Pill is amazing! It just hurts like crazy!"

Chen Xueru smiled slightly: "After the pain, it really does feel different."

He Damin looked at them with expectation in his eyes: "This is just the beginning. The real cultivation only officially begins after the Foundation Establishment stage."

The three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, He Damin let the three rest and familiarize themselves with the changes in their bodies after the marrow cleansing, without teaching them any techniques.

Three days later, the study once again became solemn and dignified in the early morning.

He Damin took out the yellow jade bottle and poured out three pills, each the size of a longan and yellowish-brown in color—the Foundation Establishment Pills. The pills emitted a stronger medicinal fragrance than the Marrow Cleansing Pills, which was invigorating.

"This is the Foundation Establishment Pill." He Damin said solemnly, "Taking the Foundation Establishment Pill to open the Qi Sea and draw Qi into the body is a crucial step in entering cultivation. The process will be just as painful, even more so than the Marrow Cleansing, and it is full of risks. If you fail, at best your foundation will be damaged, at worst... you will die and your cultivation will be destroyed! It's not too late for you to regret it now."

He Yuzhu looked at his uncle, then at his aunt and sister, and gritted his teeth: "Uncle, I don't regret it!"

Although He Yushui was still a little scared, seeing the determined looks on her brother and aunt's faces, she clenched her little fists and said, "Yushui won't regret it!"

Chen Xueru looked at He Damin with gentle yet firm eyes: "I believe you."

He Damin took a deep breath and nodded: "Good! Sit cross-legged, palms facing upwards, relax your mind, and focus your attention on your dantian!"

The three of them sat cross-legged on the carpet as instructed, closed their eyes, and tried to clear their minds of distractions.

He Damin handed each of them a Foundation Establishment Pill: "Take these!"

The three of them swallowed the Foundation Establishment Pill at the same time.

If the Cleansing Marrow Pill brings the pain of cleansing the internal organs and meridians, then the Foundation Building Pill brings the pain of tearing apart and reshaping from the inside out!

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, transforming into an extremely violent heat current, more than ten times more intense than the Marrow Cleansing Pill, rushing towards the dantian in an instant!

"Ugh—!" He Yuzhu let out a painful roar, his body suddenly stiffening, muscles bulging, veins popping out. He felt as if his dantian had been smashed by a red-hot iron ball and exploded instantly! Excruciating pain! Indescribable pain! The violent heat surged and crashed through his dantian, as if it were about to tear his entire abdomen apart!

"Brother!" He Yushui screamed in pain, her face contorted instantly, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks. She felt as if her stomach was about to burst, as if a wild beast was rampaging inside, each impact bringing excruciating pain. Her small body curled up, trembling all over.

Chen Xueru's condition was equally critical. She bit her lip so hard it bled, but she didn't utter a sound. The power of the Foundation Establishment Pill was even more violent within her, not only impacting her dantian but also rampaging through her meridians. Wherever it passed, the meridians felt as if they were about to burst, causing excruciating pain. She felt as if her body was a balloon about to explode, ready to shatter at any moment!

"Concentrate! Guard your mind! No matter how much pain you feel, don't faint!" He Damin's voice boomed like thunder in the three's ears. "I will guide the medicinal power. Follow my guidance and try to direct the medicinal power into your dantian to open your dantian!"

As he spoke, He Damin struck out with both palms, placing his left hand on He Yuzhu's back and his right hand on Chen Xueru's back, while a gentle yet powerful divine sense enveloped He Yushui.

Pure true essence surged from He Damin's palm, carefully guiding the three violent medicinal forces, attempting to introduce them into his dantian and break through that invisible barrier.

"Ah—!" He Yuzhu felt a gentle force coming from his back, guiding the raging heat within his body. But this guiding process was equally excruciating! Each time the heat was guided to impact the dantian barrier, it felt like being slammed into his internal organs with a sledgehammer, the pain almost causing him to faint. Sweat poured down like a waterfall, soaking the carpet.

Under He Damin's spiritual guidance, He Yushui's condition improved slightly, but she was still in so much pain that her face turned pale, her body twitched incessantly, and her little teeth clenched together.

Chen Xueru possessed the strongest willpower. She focused her mind, following He Damin's guidance, and diligently controlled the raging medicinal power within her. Each time the barrier of her dantian was breached, she felt closer to death, but she did not give up, enduring the inhuman pain time and time again.

Time passed slowly, each second feeling like an eternity.

Only the suppressed cries of pain from the three men and He Damin's steady guiding voice remained in the study.

After an unknown amount of time, a soft "pop" sound suddenly came from He Yuzhu's body, as if something had broken. Immediately afterward, the violent heat instantly found its outlet, surging wildly into the depths of his dantian, where it swirled and converged.

"It's done! Pillar, hold on! Guide the medicinal power to form a sea of ​​qi in your dantian!" He Damin was overjoyed and quickly increased his true essence output to guide He Yuzhu to stabilize his dantian.

Although He Yuzhu was still in pain, he clearly felt that the tearing pain in his dantian was no longer there, but a feeling of fullness. He subconsciously followed He Damin's guidance, using his mind to control the heat flow. Gradually, the heat flow stabilized in his dantian, forming a small vortex. A weak but pure stream of energy began to flow slowly through his body.

"This... is this Qi?" A sudden realization flashed through He Yuzhu's mind, and the pain lessened considerably.

Almost simultaneously, a soft "pop" sound came from He Yushui's body, and her dantian barrier was also broken through! He Yushui cried out in pain, and then felt a warm current flow into her dantian. The pain in her body quickly subsided, and was replaced by a warm and comfortable feeling.

Finally, Chen Xueru remained. Her foundation was the strongest, but also the most resilient, and her dantian barrier was the most difficult to break through. He Damin focused most of his energy on her.

After another incense stick's time, with He Damin's full guidance of his true essence and Chen Xueru's own unremitting efforts, her dantian barrier was finally broken through! A gentler yet more enduring stream of energy slowly formed within her dantian.

Only when the last person successfully established their foundation did He Damin finally breathe a long sigh of relief, withdraw his hands, and find fine beads of sweat on his forehead. Guiding three people to their foundation-building stages simultaneously had taken a considerable toll on him.

The three slowly opened their eyes, their gazes filled with a hint of confusion, which was quickly replaced by ecstasy and excitement.

They could clearly feel a warm current flowing deep within their dantian, guiding their thoughts and moving slowly through their bodies. The feeling was both mysterious and real!

"I...I succeeded?" He Yuzhu murmured to himself, feeling the faint but real flow of energy within his body, his whole body trembling with excitement.

He Yushui stretched out her little hand, curiously feeling the changes inside her body, her little face full of surprise: "Auntie, brother, it feels like there's a little sun in my tummy, so warm!"

Chen Xueru smiled slightly, a smile tinged with weariness, but mostly filled with joy and relief. She could feel that her life had undergone a qualitative leap at this moment.

He Damin looked at them with a pleased smile: "Congratulations. You have successfully established your Foundation Establishment. From this day forward, you are cultivators at the first level of the Qi Refining stage."

He paused, gazing intently out the window: "This road has just begun. The road ahead is long and will be even more difficult. But as long as you persevere, you will see a whole new world, a vast and boundless universe."