I rely on learning to achieve immortality.

Li Zelei failed to establish his foundation in the past, and Xu Zhou once judged that he could only live for a dozen years at most.

Now, a long time has passed since that day.

Li Zelei finally reached the end of his life and passed away.

The funeral at the foot of the mountain was not a lively affair.

Since his failure to establish his foundation, Li Zelei has become less involved with other cultivators in the sect. Now, only a handful of them still come to see him.

This matter didn't even cause much of a stir within the sect.

I'm afraid that in a few days, no one will mention it anymore.

After offering incense, Xu Zhou stood there for a moment before turning and leaving.

Li Pochen was still outside and had not yet returned. His other children in the Li family had become somewhat estranged from him as they grew older. Therefore, he had no intention of staying here any longer.

Recalling the first birthday of the Li family's youngest daughter, when I visited and talked with Senior Brother Li, it feels like just yesterday.

In the past, no matter what happened, I could always find someone to talk to.

Now, those who could once converse with him are now buried in the earth.

Xu Zhou sighed inwardly.

He returned to his cave and remained silent for a while.

After calming down for a moment, he picked up the books on the table again.

Spiritual practice will never stop because of anyone's departure.

Inside the cave, the lights burned continuously.

Besides studying Foundation Establishment every day, Xu Zhou would deduce the changes in the operation of cultivation techniques after Foundation Establishment, and occasionally go out to collect information about spiritual objects and purchase the necessary materials.

And so, several more months passed.

Until one day.

A message suddenly came from the outside world.

Three years have passed since Zhang Wufeng's last failed exploration of the secret realm, and he is now venturing into it once again.

This time, we returned with a full load!

Not only did he reap unimaginable rich resources, but he also finally retrieved the most important Heavenly Spirit Fruit from the secret realm.

When this news spread, it sparked much discussion within the Baicaotang (Hundred Herbs Hall).

Some say that Zhang Wufeng went through many hardships to finally obtain the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, which means he has a good chance of establishing his foundation.

Some say that Zhang Wufeng exhausted his spirit stones for the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, and his resources may be insufficient. He will probably need to work hard for a few more years to achieve Foundation Establishment.

Many hoped he would succeed in establishing his foundation, while quite a few hoped he would ultimately fail.

Upon learning of this, Xu Zhou put down the book he was holding.

"Finally got it."

He nodded slightly, but was not in a hurry. He simply sat quietly in the cave and waited.

It was about two weeks after the news spread.

Zhang Wufeng paid a visit.

His long-cherished wish has finally come true, and his former high spirits are beginning to reappear.

As soon as he sat down in Xu Zhou's residence, he said with a smile, "Senior brother, now that we have the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, it's time to ask the elders to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill."

Xu Zhou didn't even raise an eyebrow, just smiled faintly.

"Judging from Junior Brother Zhang's confidence, he must have already found an elder willing to help."

"Senior brother is joking."

Zhang Wufeng looked at him and said, "Senior brother has been waiting for the Foundation Establishment Pill for many years. There's no need to fight now. Let's go find the elder and refine the Foundation Establishment Pill as soon as possible. It will be good for both of us."

Xu Zhou's expression shifted slightly: "If that's the case, and there's only one Foundation Establishment Pill when we open the furnace, how should we distribute it?"

"this..."

Zhang Wufeng's expression gradually turned serious.

After a while, he smiled again and stood up.

"It seems that Senior Brother is still not in a hurry."

Zhang Wufeng looked down at Xu Zhou and said, "Since Senior Brother hasn't made up his mind yet, I'm happy to wait a while before coming to bother you again."

Of course, if you've already come to your senses, you might as well ask someone to contact me, Zhang. However, if it drags on too long, Zhang might have other plans, and then things could get complicated.

Xu Zhou did not speak.

Zhang Wufeng then cupped his hands in greeting and prepared to leave.

He had just taken a step when Xu Zhou suddenly spoke.

"Wait a minute."

Zhang Wufeng was overjoyed and immediately turned around: "Is there anything else you want to say, Senior Brother?"

Xu Zhou nodded and stood up, saying, "I just suddenly remembered something and I need to remind you, junior brother."

Among the ingredients for Foundation Building Pills, the most precious is naturally the main ingredient, Heavenly Spirit Fruit, but the other auxiliary ingredients are also quite valuable and difficult to collect.

If Junior Brother Zhang wants to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill, he needs to collect these auxiliary materials as soon as possible. If it takes too long, it will inevitably delay the process.

Zhang Wufeng's expression froze.

After a long pause, he nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother."

"It's alright, take care."

Zhang Wufeng frowned slightly, and seeing that Xu Zhou really didn't intend to keep him, he left somewhat reluctantly.

Stepping out of the cave, he couldn't help but feel somewhat shaken.

I thought Xu Zhou was quite eager for the Foundation Establishment Pill, but judging from his indifferent attitude just now, it seemed that he really had no interest in it.

Could it be that the other party has given up on the idea of ​​Foundation Establishment all these years?

Zhang Wufeng hesitated.

But he quickly calmed down.

"It shouldn't be that bad."

"According to rumors, although Senior Brother Xu hasn't paid attention to the Heavenly Spirit Fruit in recent years, he has still been searching for Foundation Establishment spiritual items. Clearly, he still has his sights set on Foundation Establishment."

"His composure at this moment is merely a facade."

Thinking this way, Zhang Wufeng felt much more at ease.

"A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan."

"I've come this far all these years, what's a few more months?"

"Senior Brother Xu is getting old after all. The longer it drags on, the worse it will be for him. He'll be the one who's worried in the end."

"As long as I can remain calm, I will never be the one to bow down in the end."

He kept convincing himself to suppress his last shred of worry and slowly left.

...

While waiting for Xu Zhou to take action, Zhang Wufeng was not idle either.

Xu Zhou's reminder brought him back to his senses, making him realize that he had indeed been too happy for too long.

Although we've obtained the main ingredients for the Foundation Building Pill, there are also many valuable auxiliary materials. If we don't start searching for them soon, we might miss something important.

He wrote several letters to his fellow disciples in Red Leaf Market, asking them to inquire about the Thousand Veins Merchant Guild. At the same time, he also went to the Spirit Plant Hall within the sect to ask around.

half a month later.

Zhang Wufeng looked somewhat somber.

The news is not optimistic.

He originally thought that once he got the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, collecting the other auxiliary materials wouldn't be too difficult.

But after investigating, he discovered that the price of the auxiliary materials for the Foundation Building Pill was higher than he had expected.

In particular, the prices of some rare medicinal herbs have recently risen again.

It is said that someone bought up the goods in advance, resulting in a significant reduction in inventory. The Chamber of Commerce temporarily replenished the stock, but this inevitably led to a price increase.

When Zhang Wufeng heard about this, his heart sank inexplicably.

He suddenly remembered Xu Zhou's casual remark from half a year ago.

"The auxiliary materials for Foundation Building Pills are also difficult to collect."

He didn't pay attention at the time.

Now that we've actually started searching, we've discovered that it seems the other party had anticipated this all along.

The next moment, a thought suddenly popped into Zhang Wufeng's mind.

Could it be that Xu Zhou took these auxiliary materials in advance?

Thinking of this, Zhang Wufeng suddenly felt uneasy.

This matter, like a demon in his heart, lingered there for a long time.

...

Six months later.

Zhang Wufeng visited again.

In the past six months, he had actually tried to visit them again several times.

But each time, he forced himself to endure it.

Between him and Xu Zhou, whoever gives in first will have to bear the risk of losing the Foundation Establishment Pill.

I originally thought I had the upper hand.

But after waiting for so long, he gradually couldn't hold on any longer.

He had previously thought that Xu Zhou would come to his senses within a few months and take the initiative to seek cooperation with him.

Unexpectedly, six months have passed and there has been no movement from Xu Zhou's side.

There are even rumors that Xu Zhou hasn't left the cave entrance and has been staying inside all these days, seemingly in seclusion.

Zhang Wufeng finally lost his patience and went out on his own initiative.

He had reached the peak of Qi Refining many years ago, and as he grew older, he was no longer as composed as he used to be.

Now that he has the Heavenly Spirit Fruit in hand, the Foundation Establishment Pill remains undecided. For him, every moment is torture.

Finally, Zhang Wufeng, with a tentative mindset, knocked on the door of the Xu residence.

A moment later, he sat back in the same seat he had taken months earlier.

Xu Zhou remained calm, holding a booklet in his hand, seemingly engrossed in it.

Zhang Wufeng glanced at it, and a question lingered in his mind.

The Foundation Building Elixir.

Seeing the other party's somewhat hesitant expression, Xu Zhou smiled slightly: "Junior Brother Zhang, what brings you here again today?"

Zhang Wufeng remained silent for a long time before finally making no attempt to beat around the bush.

"Senior Brother Xu."

He looked at Xu Zhou with a solemn expression: "Senior brother, do you really want to reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Xu Zhou glanced at him.

"Of course I want to."

Zhang Wufeng immediately said, "If that's the case, why does Senior Brother still insist?"

He said in a somewhat urgent tone, "Senior brother should know that dragging this out will not benefit either of us."

The probability of successfully producing more than two Foundation Establishment Pills is extremely high; the chance of only producing one is less than 50%. It would be wise for us to refine the Foundation Establishment Pills as soon as possible and divide them equally.

If that's the case, why does Senior Brother insist on it?

Xu Zhou did not answer.

He simply looked at the other person calmly.

With unwavering focus, the answer is self-evident.

Zhang Wufeng's heart sank when he saw his gaze.

After a long silence, Xu Zhou finally spoke.

"Junior Brother Zhang, putting aside the distribution of Foundation Establishment Pills, have you finished collecting the necessary medicinal ingredients?"

Zhang Wufeng's expression froze.

"this..."

He frowned, but still said, "I haven't gathered them all yet, but I've found all the auxiliary materials. I just need to wait a while, and I'll be able to gather them all."

Xu Zhou didn't let him bypass the question: "How long is this period of time?"

silence.

After a long pause, Zhang Wufeng sighed.

"It can take anywhere from three months to a year."

Xu Zhou nodded slightly and continued, "Junior Brother Zhang went to the secret realm half a year ago, so he probably doesn't have many spirit stones left. To gather so many spirit stones in a short time, he will most likely have to borrow them from someone."

This would not only create unnecessary favors but also take a very long time. Even if I agreed now, you wouldn't be able to get the Foundation Establishment Pill immediately, would you?

Zhang Wufeng did not deny it.

During this time, he also sought help from many acquaintances and friends, but borrowing spirit stones was not an easy task after all, and saving up enough spirit stones in three months was the limit.

Seeing this, Xu Zhou reached out and tapped lightly on the table.

The next moment, the medicinal herbs in his storage bag filled the table.

Zhang Wufeng was slightly surprised and didn't understand what the other party was doing.

He then examined it closely, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Illusionary Heart Grass, Mystic Ice Flower, Nine-Leaf Ganoderma...

The coffee table was overflowing with all the necessary ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill!