I rely on learning to achieve immortality.

The stone gate slowly opened.

Xu Zhou walked out from there.

In that instant, he could clearly perceive the sounds of the wind, the spiritual energy, and the aura of the surrounding cultivators.

Everything became incredibly clear, as if even the flow of spiritual energy in the world could be vaguely felt.

As Xu Zhou experienced this novelty, a glint of light appeared in his eyes.

When the people waiting outside saw him, they all fell silent.

Unlike others who undergo a complete transformation upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, Xu Zhou's appearance did not immediately change drastically.

He cultivated health-preserving techniques, so he already looked young. Even now that he has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, there hasn't been much change.

However, after taking a few more glances, everything seems quite different.

I can't quite put my finger on what the difference is.

Li Pochen was almost stunned.

It took him a while to realize what was happening, and then he looked delighted and quickly went to greet him.

"Congratulations, Master! You have finally achieved Foundation Establishment, and there is hope for immortality!"

Li Pojing was stunned for a moment before stepping forward and saying, "Congratulations, Uncle Xu!"

He was somewhat dazed at that moment.

He thought Xu Zhou would inevitably fail in his Foundation Establishment attempt, and he only came to observe, hoping to help Xu Zhou if he failed, thus fulfilling the old friendship between the two families.

But he never expected that Xu Zhou would actually succeed in establishing his foundation!

Now, belatedly realizing what had happened, a thought suddenly popped into my head.

If Xu Zhou achieves Foundation Establishment, doesn't that mean that the Li family has another Foundation Establishment backer besides Ouyang Ming?

Thinking of this, Li Pojing's congratulatory tone became even more sincere, almost as if he were treating Xu Zhou as his own master.

Xu Zhou smiled slightly and nodded to the two of them.

"It was just a lucky breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage; there's no need to make a fuss about it."

When he looked up again, he immediately met Song Rou's gaze.

Song Rou's expression was complicated, and she even seemed somewhat lost in thought.

Seeing him look over, Song Rou seemed to snap out of her daze. After a long silence, she softly uttered:

"You really did come this far..."

Xu Zhou smiled and said, "I was just lucky."

He had only recently broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and his magical power was not yet fully stable. In addition, the Longevity Technique naturally possessed a peaceful aura, making him appear less sharp and imposing than other newly established Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Song Rou noticed this and nodded: "We'll talk about it later."

Xu Zhou responded and looked at the slender cultivator standing in the distance.

If I'm not mistaken, the other party has come to see him, a newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator.

...

The subsequent process was simpler than Xu Zhou had imagined.

I thought that since he was old enough to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, he would be questioned, perhaps even have to meet with the sect leader, or even alarm the Supreme Elder like Ouyang Ming did.

But in reality, the slender monk did not make such a request.

The slender cultivator asked a few simple questions and then used a secret technique to confirm that Xu Zhou's aura was unharmed before asking no further questions.

Then, he cupped his hands and smiled, saying:

Congratulations, Junior Brother Xu.

From this day forward, I will be a Foundation Establishment Elder of this sect.

Xu Zhou asked with some confusion, "At my age, if I successfully establish my foundation, shouldn't I inform the sect leader?"

The slender cultivator pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "If it were someone else, I would have asked a few more questions."

However, judging from the aura of your cultivation technique, you should be primarily practicing the Longevity Technique, right?

After Xu Zhou nodded in agreement, the other party smiled and said, "Cultivators of the Longevity Technique naturally have a longer lifespan than others."

In addition, Junior Brother Ouyang came first...

He shook his head and chuckled.

"It seems that in recent years, the sect has indeed produced a few extraordinary individuals."

Xu Zhou immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

In this light, it seems that the sect's test has been passed.

Knowing that one needs to meditate after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, the slender cultivator didn't say anything more, only saying, "Since you've just successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage, I'll first help you find a quiet place to stay in Jade Forest Mountain so you can stabilize your cultivation."

As for what happens after you become an elder, you can come find me at the summit of Jade Forest Mountain once your cultivation is stable.

The temporary cave dwelling was quickly prepared.

When Xu Zhou stepped inside, he already felt somewhat tired.

The fatigue on his face was originally a disguise created by his magic, but now he really looked tired.

After all, he had just established his foundation, and his cultivation was not yet stable.

He also forcibly used his internal energy to disguise himself, which was a burden for him as well.

Fortunately, everything was handled well.

Now I can finally cultivate in peace and stability.

Xu Zhou sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to practice his internal energy.

With a moment of focused concentration, he completely immersed himself in a state of self-forgetfulness, concentrating on his own cultivation.

With such a calm and focused mind, countless hours passed without realizing it.

...

Xu Zhou woke up from his seclusion.

After a long period of focused cultivation, his Foundation Establishment cultivation finally stabilized, and he gained more and more control over his realm, no longer feeling tired when his cultivation level fluctuated.

"How long have I been in seclusion?"

A question arose in Xu Zhou's mind, and a vague answer subconsciously rose in his heart.

About six months.

He paused for a moment.

In the past, when he was practicing Qi cultivation, he would always feel a blur in time whenever he was in seclusion or studying for a long time, and he would need to rely on the spiritual sand water clock in his cave to confirm the time.

But things are different now.

After establishing one's foundation, one's soul and spirit interact with heaven and earth.

Even after months of seclusion, when I open my eyes again, I can accurately sense the passage of time.

Xu Zhou pondered for a long time.

"Only half a year..."

"That took quite a while."

"I've heard that the weaker a cultivator's foundation is after they've just established their foundation, the longer it takes for them to solidify their cultivation."

"Junior Sister Song spent four or five years in seclusion back then, and Zhang Wufeng will probably need another ten years of seclusion."

"Senior Brother Ouyang is an exception. I heard that when the Supreme Elder investigated him, he gave him a near-third-tier spiritual pill as compensation to accelerate the stabilization of his cultivation, saving him a lot of time in stabilizing his cultivation."

"In comparison, it was indeed quite fast for me to stabilize my cultivation in just six months."

Xu Zhou thought about it and didn't find it particularly strange.

After all, when he established his foundation, his physical age was only thirty-six, and his qi, blood, mana, and spiritual sense were all quite good. Looking across the entire sect, there are probably few people as well-prepared as him.

In fact, the foundation-building process went so smoothly that he didn't even need to use a foundation-building pill.

It's quite remarkable that the Foundation Establishment Pills, which were so hard-earned, were ultimately saved.

"However, it would be quite shocking to emerge from seclusion at this time."

After pondering for a while, Xu Zhou finally decided to stay in the cave for some time instead of leaving the seclusion.

He doesn't need to exchange for a Foundation Establishment cultivation technique.

Because the Longevity Technique is essentially a foundation-building technique.

As a health cultivation method, the Longevity Cultivation Technique is relatively simple among the foundation-building techniques. It is also because of its life-extending properties that the earlier one cultivates it, the better. That is why it is open to Qi Refining cultivators.

For this reason, Xu Zhou saved the time of learning the Foundation Establishment Technique and could start cultivating immediately.

He closed his eyes and began to circulate the Longevity Technique.

The next moment, the surrounding spiritual energy was continuously absorbed into the body, instantly transforming into specks of spiritual light that flowed into the meridians and limbs, like streams returning to a lake.

Each breath was much heavier than during the refining period.

After only a few cycles, a slight gap appeared in the spiritual energy within the cave.

After a moment, Xu Zhou stopped breathing exercises.

He slowly opened his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Cultivating during the Foundation Establishment stage places too much strain on spiritual energy."

"During the Qi Refining period, no matter how hard I try to breathe, I can't possibly sweep away all the spiritual energy around me."

Xu Zhou sensed his surroundings and found that the spiritual energy around him only began to recover after he stopped breathing exercises.

The spiritual energy absorbed in just a few breaths will need several more breaths to replenish.

This is only because the cave has a first-level spirit-gathering array; otherwise, the changes in spiritual energy would be even more difficult to recover.

"No wonder, the Foundation Establishment elders in the sect spend most of their time in the various spiritual lands."

"Once a Foundation Establishment cultivator begins cultivating, their demand for spiritual energy is enough to affect the environment, making it unsuitable for them to stay outdoors year-round."

"However, with such a rapid cultivation speed, I wonder how long it will take to advance to a higher realm?"

After making a brief deduction, Xu Zhou was also taken aback.

Based on the breathing speed of his Longevity Technique, even with abundant spiritual energy, it would take him at least thirty years to fill the foundation accumulation needed for the early stages of Foundation Establishment, even after years of secluded cultivation.

This number left Xu Zhou speechless for a long time.

Qi-refining cultivators rarely live past one hundred years.

However, once one has established a foundation, a single period of seclusion could last for ten years.

Thirty years of secluded cultivation is only the accumulation of a small realm.

After a long while, he came to his senses.

"This is only the speed without the aid of elixirs."

"If the right medicine can be taken, this time will naturally be reduced again."

"With the addition of a second-tier spirit-gathering array and a suitable spiritual site, the cultivation speed will definitely be even faster, so it won't really take thirty years."

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is not difficult."

"After I emerge from seclusion, I will begin refining and consuming elixirs; my cultivation speed should then increase."

Xu Zhou hesitated for a long time before temporarily giving up cultivation.

If he were to fully circulate his cultivation technique here, it would likely cause the surrounding spiritual energy to become depleted before long, thus revealing to the outside world that he had stabilized his cultivation level.

Even if you don't actively cultivate, the Longevity Technique will still operate automatically, slowly promoting your cultivation level.

At most, it's just a bit slower.

Fortunately, he's gotten used to slowly waiting for the right time.

Xu Zhou patted the storage bag and took out the classic texts from it.

"At least we should complete the inheritance of alchemy first."

Afterwards, he devoted himself to studying the spirit-gathering array in his cave, using the faint light it emitted.

The Longevity Technique operates naturally, absorbing external spiritual energy with each breath, thus promoting the improvement of cultivation.

The cave was completely silent.