Immortality and cultivation: Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable.

On the third level, the sun hangs high in the sky, blazing with intense heat.

Unlike the second level, this is a boundless desert, where every Foundation Establishment cultivator who arrives must endure the scorching heat.

At this moment, Jiang Shi sat cross-legged on the second floor and began to cultivate the "Gold Devouring Technique".

He took out all the magical artifacts he had obtained after entering the secret realm from his storage bag.

Only the following items remained: the superior-grade magic weapon Chixiao, the superior-grade magic weapon Qingyue Spear, the superior-grade magic weapon Qianhui Banner, the superior-grade magic weapon Fen Sui Tou Gu Needle, the superior-grade magic weapon Yu Hu Lu Ruo Shui, and the superior-grade magic weapon Ding Shui Zhu.

The six superior-grade magic implements, each belonging to a different category, are the most useful and valuable superior-grade magic implements for Jiang Shi.

The rest can be devoured, transformed into Geng metal essence, and integrated into Jiang Shi's lungs to strengthen himself.

[Proficiency +30]

[Proficiency +50]

[Proficiency +100]

With these superior magical artifacts, Jiang Shi's proficiency in the "Gold Devouring Technique" increased rapidly.

Three days later, all the magical artifacts beside Jiang Shi had been completely used up.

Jiang Shi opened his eyes and let out a roar.

"Ah!"

A golden light shot out from Jiang Shi's mouth and flew into the sky.

The Geng Metal Divine Light is faster and more powerful!

Then Jiang Shi recited the incantation again:

"Golden light swiftly appeared, covering and protecting my body!"

Geng metal true energy surged from Jiang Shi's lungs.

It transformed into a golden light curtain, enveloping Jiang Shi's body.

This spell is called [Golden Light Shield]!

It is a protective technique that Jiang Shi comprehended after mastering the "Devouring Gold Technique," which, along with the [Gengjin Divine Light], serves as both defense and offense.

【Gold Devouring Technique: Great Success (200/3000)】

In just three days, he mastered this mid-grade Earth-level cultivation technique.

Those mid-grade and high-grade magic artifacts played an indispensable role.

Jiang Shi's cultivation technique has no bottlenecks; as long as he has enough resources, he can quickly master it!

Currently, Jiang Shi has mastered the two major techniques he is cultivating, namely the "Devouring Gold Technique" and the "Yi Wood Mysterious Azure Finger".

This caused Jiang Shi's cultivation level to increase significantly.

The strengthening of Jiang Shi's lungs and liver was also subtly strengthening his body.

Jiang Shi is now just one step away from the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment!

"Since that's the case, then let's break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment in one go!" Jiang Shi thought to himself.

He didn't rush to the third floor; the further he went, the greater the danger.

The group consisted of Wei Wushang from the Wei family, a top family in Central Continent; Xuan Yuanyi from the Xuanyuan clan in Western Desert; Zhou Yuan, a disciple of the Beast Taming Mountain, one of the ten major sects; and the three brocade-clad cultivators.

These disciples from top-tier forces are incredibly powerful, and no one can rival them. Only by breaking through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage can one have a fighting chance against them!

Therefore, the main goal now is to break through to the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment period!

Jiang Shi sat cross-legged above the pool, suspended in mid-air.

The true qi of Yi wood and Geng metal in the lungs and liver surged out and flowed into the dantian.

Jiang Shi is going to use these two streams of Five Elements True Qi to break through the three barriers!

The true qi of Yi wood and Geng metal entered the dantian, and the three drops of magical liquid exploded, transforming into fire-type spiritual power, water-type spiritual power, and earth-type spiritual power, which converged with the two true qi, and the five elements intertwined, rotating and merging.

Then Jiang Shi controlled the flow of the Five Elements True Qi through his meridians. Wherever it passed, the meridian walls shone brightly, and a strange sensation of burning, swelling, pain, numbness, and itching came through.

Faint light paths appeared on the body surface at the corresponding meridian points.

This is the first hurdle in the early stages of the Foundation Building period—the Meridian Barrier.

Soon, Jiang Shi's meridians expanded nearly twice as wide, and his main meridians were covered with a layer of warm, jade-like luster. The speed at which his spiritual energy flowed increased by nearly 50%.

The meridian barrier has been mastered!

Immediately afterwards, Jiang Shi withdrew his Five Elements True Qi and channeled it deep into his dantian.

Deep within the dantian, under the impetus of the five elements' true energy, the spiritual root trembled. A point of light was born from nothingness, gradually unfolding and finally transforming into a budding five-colored lotus flower, swaying gracefully in the sea of ​​qi.

In an instant, the lotus shadow solidified into three parts, its radiance flowing. Jiang Shi felt an unprecedentedly clear resonance with the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

This is the second stage of the early Foundation Establishment period—the manifestation of spiritual roots!

These two levels were easily overcome. Next is the third level, which is also the last level of the early stage of Foundation Establishment - the Acupoint Connecting to the Divine Level!

Jiang Shi condensed his divine sense into a tangible form, combining it with the immense Five Elements True Qi, and forcefully struck the Laogong acupoint on his right hand! The barrier shattered in response, and a point of golden light exploded within the acupoint, shining like a star.

The refreshing power surged against the sea of ​​consciousness, and the world suddenly became clear.

His spiritual awareness had tripled again! The amount of magical energy and spiritual liquid in his dantian had also doubled.

In the early stages of Foundation Establishment, there are twelve drops of mana essence liquid. By the middle stages of Foundation Establishment, this number increases to twenty-four drops of mana essence liquid.

At this moment, Jiang Shi was in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and he succeeded!

All of this happened naturally, without any obstacles!

If other Foundation Establishment stage cultivators knew about this, they would be utterly astonished.

Ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators need to possess Foundation Establishment spiritual items to break through these three barriers.

Only with the power of a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Being can one achieve a safe breakthrough!

Only Jiang Shi, with the destiny of "Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable," was able to break through to a higher realm without any bottlenecks.

After cultivating to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, Jiang Shi looked at the five-colored lotus deep in his dantian. The lotus shadow was just an illusion, and only the gold and blue colors on it had solidified.

The other three colors—black, red, and yellow—have not yet solidified.

Jiang Shi had a slight understanding: if he could solidify these three colors as well, and gather all five colors together, he could naturally break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment!

These three colors—black, red, and yellow—represent the three elements of water, fire, and earth.

The main goal now is to find a method for refining the body using fire, water, and earth elements, strengthen the five internal organs, and cultivate the true qi of the five elements.

This is also the key to his future formation of the Golden Core and entry into the Golden Core stage!

Jiang Shi had already reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, but he hadn't gotten up yet; he still needed to consolidate his realm.

While Jiang Shi was diligently cultivating on the second level, things had already changed on the third level.

Two Foundation Establishment stage cultivators were swept up by the gale and sped through the air, with more than a dozen dark figures chasing after them.

"Damn it! The centipede statue was activated so quickly! And we can't even find the original body!" Ouyang Yu said as he rode the whirlwind.

The person with him was Lu Chuanxing.

"Someone must have started the killing prematurely, allowing the centipede statue to devour the blood!" Lu Chuanxing replied with a somber expression.

The two of them were very familiar with the demonic puppet statue, after all, they were the main force in exploring the Misty Mansion.

I've also fought against this centipede statue.

The most terrifying thing about this centipede statue is that each leg can split off and transform into a smaller centipede to chase after the enemy.

The centipedes on the third level of this stone tower are all much stronger than those in the Misty Mansion, possessing cultivation levels equivalent to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Ouyang Yu and Lu Chuanxing were no match for these dozen or so Foundation Establishment stage centipedes, and were chased around for their lives.