novelraw Chapter 173 : Dragon Fortune Sword Embryo
Chapter 173 : Dragon Fortune Sword Embryo
Chapter 173: Dragon Fortune Sword Embryo
Ji Yuan did not expect that the first thing Dong Qian did upon exiting seclusion was to come see him.
And the moment they met, she rushed forward and gave him a hug.
Ji Yuan had originally intended to dodge, but upon seeing his senior sister overwhelmed with joy and tears, he ultimately did not avoid it.
He understood that Dong Qian at this moment merely wanted someone to share her excitement and joy with—nothing more.
After the embrace, Dong Qian wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, her face slightly blushing as she let go.
"Martial Nephew Ji, th-thank you."
Dong Qian spoke with a trembling voice.
"No need for such courtesy, Senior Sister."
Ji Yuan sat down beside her and smiled as he asked,"How does it feel to have completed Foundation Establishment?"
Dong Qian followed and sat across from Ji Yuan. Now that she had achieved Foundation Establishment, even the skin on her face seemed to have become much firmer. Her entire demeanor no longer appeared as gloomy as before.
"The feeling?"
The expression on Dong Qian’s face gradually returned to calmness."Actually, there’s not much of a feeling. What about you back then, Martial Nephew Ji?"
"Me?"
Ji Yuan was slightly caught off guard when he heard this. Until now, no one had ever asked him such a question. Thinking it over carefully, it seemed having no particular feeling was quite normal.
Back then, he had completed Foundation Establishment just before the opening of the Nine Nether Grotto-Heaven. Immediately afterward, he encountered Real Person Xuan Shui—of course, he should now be referred to as “Dear Sect Master Martial Uncle”—blocking the entrance.
Later, it was Hua Yaoyue who saved the day.
Therefore, Ji Yuan’s feeling of achieving Foundation Establishment was actually marked by the moment Hua Yaoyue accepted him as a disciple.
Because after that moment, Ji Yuan knew he now had a backer within the Water Dragon Sect.
"Didn’t feel much, really. Before Foundation Establishment, I cultivated all day long. After Foundation Establishment, I’m still cultivating all day long."
Ji Yuan nearly said, “Might as well have not even established the foundation.”
"Though thinking about it now, there is one feeling—the pressure is no longer so great. Before, I always felt I wouldn’t get to see many more sunrises streaming through my window. But now it seems I’ll be able to watch many more."
The lifespan of a Qi Refining stage cultivator barely reached a hundred years, and most didn’t even live that long.
But Foundation Establishment cultivators were different.
For those who established their foundation, their lifespan began at around two hundred years.
Dong Qian felt quite deeply about this sudden increase in lifespan.
"Then just keep working hard, Senior Sister. When you form your Golden Core one day, you’ll be able to watch the world transform endlessly."Ji Yuan smiled.
He had achieved Foundation Establishment at a relatively young age, so he didn’t yet feel the weight of extended lifespan.
"Forming a core? I don’t dare think of it. I’ve combed through the records and haven’t found many False Spiritual Root cultivators who successfully formed a core."
Dong Qian shook her head with a smile."Being able to reach Foundation Establishment already makes me very satisfied."
"But I believe you definitely can do it, Martial Nephew Ji!"
Ji Yuan glanced at the Panel in his mind. If things proceeded smoothly, forming a core was indeed within reach. But whether it would actually happen…
"I’ll give it my best shot."
"Mm."
"In a few days, Sect Master Martial Uncle will summon you to discuss the matter of opening an island upon Foundation Establishment. Once that’s done, you’ll have a year of free time. After that, the sect will assign you tasks."
Ji Yuan reminded her.
"Alright, we’ll talk again after the island opening."
"By the way, how many Foundation Establishment Pills did you take to succeed, Senior Sister?"Ji Yuan asked curiously.
He had taken ten pills himself. Dong Qian also had a False Spiritual Root, so she should have needed about the same.
It was a simple enough question, but unexpectedly, Dong Qian hesitated for a moment before replying,"Three pills."
"What?"
Ji Yuan was stunned upon hearing the answer.
Although he found it hard to believe, he could sense that Dong Qian wasn’t lying.
If it were a lie, she wouldn’t have hesitated. That pause was probably because she knew the truth might be too surprising.
"Please keep this matter a secret, Martial Nephew Ji."
Dong Qian lowered her head slightly.
"Don’t worry, my lips are sealed."
Seeing this, Ji Yuan guessed this matter might be related to Dong Qian’s secrets. Achieving Foundation Establishment with just three Foundation Establishment Pills—One-Pattern Foundation Establishment Pills?
That didn’t seem likely.
But if it were Two-Pattern Foundation Establishment Pills, Ji Yuan had only managed to get her one. Did she have other sources?
Ji Yuan didn’t know. After chatting for a while longer, Dong Qian’s excitement gradually gave way to calmness. She then took her leave from Ji Yuan’s Wuyou Island.
Ji Yuan was genuinely happy for this old friend achieving Foundation Establishment.
At least for now, his friends weren’t falling behind one after another but were gradually catching up.
"Now that Senior Sister Dong has established her foundation, she’ll be able to help out if needed."
Before, Dong Qian had still been in the Qi Refining stage, with the pressure of achieving Foundation Establishment hanging over her, making it hard to focus on anything else.
Now that she had succeeded, no matter how one looked at it, she was now a real asset.
More importantly, Dong Qian was cautious and trustworthy—Ji Yuan felt reassured asking her for help.
After seeing Dong Qian, Ji Yuan returned to Misty Island to continue his cultivation. Lately, aside from training his Divine Sense in the Meditation Room, he had also been studying the《Sword Manual》in the Enlightenment Room.
Over a few months, with his extraordinary comprehension, Ji Yuan gained further insights into the《Sword Manual》.
With his deepened understanding, signs of a second sword embryo began to emerge.
For this second sword embryo, Ji Yuan planned to follow Hua Yaoyue’s advice and go to Pear Blossom River to condense it—at the same time seeing whether the sword embryo could absorb a trace of Dragon Fortune.
But going to Pear Blossom River meant he had to visit Linhai City again.
"Going now—should be safe enough, right?
Ji Yuan didn’t believe he would run into Demonic Cultivators again.
Besides, Linhai City now had a peak Foundation Establishment Water Dragon Sect cultivator guarding it—Liu Yuan’s senior sister, the one who carried the giant sword on her back, named『Rou Yi』.
If even she couldn’t protect the city, there was only one possibility left.
That the intruder was a Golden Core cultivator from the Demonic Sects. If that really happened—then Ji Yuan would have nothing to say.
Two days later, just as Ji Yuan was preparing to depart for Pear Blossom River, he received two Messaging Talismans, arriving shortly one after the other.
One was from Han Feiyu.
"Brother Ji, I heard Junior Sister Dong recently achieved Foundation Establishment as well. Are you free sometime soon? How about coming over to sit and chat?"
Han Feiyu’s island was named"Luohun Island", hence he was also called the Island Lord of Luohun Island.
His island lay just to the west of the Water Dragon Sect’s main island and had been constructed quite grandly and impressively.
He even recruited several Qi Refining female cultivators as attendants, already bearing the airs of a “Foundation Establishment Cultivator.”
Ji Yuan had only visited once—during Han Feiyu’s Island Inauguration Celebration—and hadn’t returned since.
But now Han Feiyu was a bit too good at playing favorites.
Back during the Water Dragon Sect Mutual Aid Association, it was understandable that Han Feiyu didn’t want to get involved. After all, those people hadn’t treated him kindly before.
But after achieving Foundation Establishment, he also distanced himself from Dong Qian.
Although Dong Qian never directly told Ji Yuan this—
He could see it for himself. Ever since Han Feiyu achieved Foundation Establishment, he had no further interactions with Dong Qian.
Now, right after Dong Qian had just established her foundation, Han Feiyu proposed a gathering.
It was a bit too obvious——
Ji Yuan understood and respected it. In the cultivation world, people like Han Feiyu were not few—in fact, they were many. Social ties were inherently exchanges of benefit.
A Qi Refining Dong Qian was of no help to Han Feiyu, so he distanced himself.
But a Foundation Establishment Dong Qian now held value, and so Han Feiyu naturally wanted to get closer again. Ji Yuan didn’t even need it spelled out—he could already guess:
When Dong Qian opened her island, Han Feiyu would surely present a grand gift.
To make up for the earlier cold shoulder.
"Alright, alright."
Ji Yuan laughed lightly, brushing it off without committing either way.
Another message was from Du Wanyi. She had probably heard about Dong Qian’s Foundation Establishment, so she sent a message asking if Ji Yuan was at Wuyou Island, and if so, to come meet her.
Ji Yuan thought it wouldn’t hurt to spend a day or two.
So he returned to Wuyou Island ahead of time and met Du Wanyi.
"So, Second Sister, you’ve finally made up your mind to establish your foundation?"
Ji Yuan asked with a smile.
When Du Wanyi first came out of the Nine Nether Grotto-Heaven, Ji Yuan had helped her refine eight Foundation Establishment Pills.
In the past two years, he had found excuses to buy two more One-Pattern Foundation Establishment Pills for her.
Of course, Du Wanyi only paid for one pill.
The other was still on credit.
She was only able to afford that one pill because she had picked up two storage bags belonging to peak Qi Refining cultivators inside the Nine Nether Grotto-Heaven.
Among Qi Refining cultivators, probably only she was as wealthy as Dong Qian.
So now Du Wanyi had a total of ten Foundation Establishment Pills, meaning she had long been able to attempt Foundation Establishment.
Previously, when she didn’t have enough pills, Du Wanyi was very anxious. But once she had enough, she stopped feeling rushed.
She told Ji Yuan that since there was still time, she might as well perfect her peak Qi Refining cultivation first.
When her cultivation was whole and complete, trying to establish her foundation would surely succeed in one go.
"Right, Senior Sister Dong has already established her foundation, so I can’t suppress the desire anymore."
Du Wanyi frankly admitted this.
"Good, the sooner you establish your foundation, the more at ease you’ll be."
Ji Yuan still wore that same smiling expression.
Whether Du Wanyi said before she wouldn’t establish her foundation yet, or now that she said she would, Ji Yuan always said okay.
He believed it was a virtue not to interfere with others’ choices and lives lightly.
Dong Qian was forty-one; Du Wanyi was thirty-eight, slightly younger. Logically, she could still wait, but since the thought to establish her foundation had arisen, there was no need to delay further.
"Mm, I plan to go into seclusion on Water Dragon Island in a couple of days to break through. I’ll come find you, Fourth Brother, after I come out."
Du Wanyi said with a smile.
"Alright..."
Ji Yuan smiled and was about to nod, but suddenly seemed to recall something. His smile faltered briefly before quickly returning to normal.
Du Wanyi didn’t notice.
"Here—Second Sister, take this."
Just as Du Wanyi was about to leave, Ji Yuan reached out and handed her a jade bottle.
"Fourth Brother, what’s this?"
Inside the jade bottle lay two plump Foundation Establishment Pills, one Two-Pattern and one One-Pattern.
"I already have ten Foundation Establishment Pills, so this should be enough."
"Take these just in case. It’s best if you don’t need to use them. If you do, then after your seclusion you can return them to me. If you use them, then after you establish your foundation, you’ll owe me a debt."
Ji Yuan said with a smile.
Du Wanyi hesitated briefly but still took them.
"Alright, then I’ll just sell myself to pay off the debt later."
"But Fourth Brother, where did you get so many Foundation Establishment Pills?"
"The two at the front were bought for you by Hua Spirit Stone. These two—well, didn’t I kill two Demonic Cultivators before? I got these from their storage bags. Demonic Cultivators are pretty rich."
Ji Yuan said casually.
"That makes sense."
After putting away the two Foundation Establishment Pills, Du Wanyi said a few more words and then took her leave.
Ji Yuan escorted her out of the island, and only after he could no longer see her figure did he turn and return to Wuyou Island.
As for those two Foundation Establishment Pills, just like Ji Yuan said, it would be best if she didn’t need to use them. If she did, whether or not she returned them later was up to her.
Ji Yuan never forgot what Du Wanyi had said when she first came back from the Nine Nether Grotto-Heaven.
Unaware that she had already established her foundation, she had offered him a thousand-year Millennium Illusory Spirit Grass.
Seeing him hesitate, she had insisted on giving him two.
Just those few words of friendship were worth far more than those two Foundation Establishment Pills.
Though this thought flashed through Ji Yuan’s mind, he didn’t dwell on it too much. His mind was full of another matter.
Du Wanyi had just said she would go into seclusion on Water Dragon Island.
Why Water Dragon Island?
Because the place with the richest spiritual energy in the Water Dragon Sect was Water Dragon Island. The sect’s training rooms were all built there.
Normally, disciples of the sect, whether upgrading from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment or making small breakthroughs at Foundation Establishment, all cultivated within the training rooms on Water Dragon Island.
Ji Yuan had broken through on Four Directions Island because he happened to be refining Foundation Establishment Pills there and due to urgent circumstances couldn’t change location.
Normally, cultivators—even if they refined their Foundation Establishment Pills on Four Directions Island—would choose to break through on Water Dragon Island.
But what about Dong Qian?
Ji Yuan clearly remembered she had succeeded on Four Directions Island, using only three Foundation Establishment Pills, plus always having Ji Yuan help buy the pills.
Following these clues, even Ji Yuan wasn’t foolish enough to not guess that she had some special technique or opportunity on the path of pill refining.
But the exact details were unknown.
With that matter done, Du Wanyi’s Foundation Establishment would take at least a few months.
Ji Yuan planned to first go to Pear Blossom River to condense his second sword embryo.
Leaving the Water Dragon Sect, he took the Sky-Slicer Flying Boat heading southeast.
Before, he had been led by the supreme-grade Thunder Falcon Boat. Now, having been Foundation Established for a few years and having made some small money in Linhai City, it was reasonable for him to afford a spiritual artifact-grade flying boat.
Heading south, once passing Yunyu Marshlands and seeing the mighty river, Ji Yuan knew he had arrived at his destination.
Pear Blossom River.
When Ji Yuan had previously guarded Linhai City, he had watched the sun rise countless times over this river, so he was very familiar with it.
But he had never imagined that this river was actually formed from the crash of a True Dragon into the earth.
Of course, what was truly smashed out was probably little; most was excavated by later generations.
Ji Yuan didn’t know where exactly the Dragon Energy remained, so to be safe, he deliberately stopped near Linhai City.
There, regardless of whether he could condense the sword embryo, at least safety was guaranteed.
If anything happened, he could ask the senior brothers and sisters in Linhai City for help.
Ji Yuan first piloted the flying boat to patrol both banks of Pear Blossom River several times, but unfortunately, he couldn’t find a suitable spot.
The banks were full of market towns, or even if not towns, there were gatherings of cultivators, much like villages among mortals.
That left only placing formations as an option.
Formation protection could provide some safety, at least avoiding disturbance.
Of the two formations he carried, Ji Yuan naturally chose the Star Whirl Cloud Obstruction Formation, which had little killing power but could trap intruders.
If he had chosen the Stardust Illusion-Kill Formation, it might have accidentally killed someone.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Ji Yuan traveled tens of li up the river and finally chose a marshland thick with miasma.
There, he summoned his Cave Dwelling and deployed the Star Whirl Cloud Obstruction Formation.
The heavy fog there already made the formation inconspicuous.
After preparing everything, he pasted over ten talismans on himself, purifying and steadying his mind.
He took out a meditation cushion, sat cross-legged inside the iron box called Cave Dwelling, and started circulating the spiritual energy in his dantian through his entire meridian circulation.
At the same time, he silently pondered the 《Sword Manual》.
No one knew how much time passed. It felt both instantaneous and long-lasting, but in that vague moment, Ji Yuan sensed the water energy of the meridian cycle converging toward him.
It was still faint and threadlike but flowing unceasingly.
Like spiritual energy, the cultivation technique circulated by Ji Yuan was absorbed into his body. After running through a full grand meridian cycle, it finally gathered into his dantian.
Water energy entered the dantian.
Ji Yuan’s original sword embryo seemed to sense something. It began to stir actively, spinning without pause.
As for the condensation of the second sword embryo, it appeared somewhat slower.
After the water energy entered his body, Ji Yuan could not see any sword shape even after half a day.
Only after two days had passed did he perceive the shape of a flying sword from the gathered water energy. Moreover, this second flying sword embryo seemed somewhat different from the first.
Within this water-condensed sword embryo, there appeared to be a faint trace of golden patterns.
"Is this the Dragon Fortune Master spoke of?"
Ji Yuan’s hunting heart quickened. Immediately, he accelerated the absorption speed, fully absorbing the water energy from Pear Blossom River.
Three days.
Four days.
Five days—after five days, his second sword embryo was basically condensed successfully. Yet, on the river surface, the blood energy Master Hua Yaoyue mentioned still did not appear.
Ji Yuan did not stop. Instead, he continued absorbing the water energy, attempting to dye the first flying sword with Dragon Fortune as well.
Another two days passed this way.
Before Ji Yuan could finish transforming the first flying sword, he suddenly sensed something was wrong with the absorbed water energy. There was a faint reddish tint.
Moreover, as soon as the water energy entered his body, he felt his mood growing irritable.
No good, blood energy is rising!
Ji Yuan immediately halted the cultivation technique. While suppressing the agitation in his heart, his divine sense swept out.
The river surface was as usual, showing no sign of anomaly. However, two cultivators had mistakenly entered his formation.
One old, one young. The elder was at the ninth level of Qi Refining; the younger man was at the sixth level.
At first, Ji Yuan was unconcerned, assuming they had accidentally entered his formation. But just as he was about to withdraw his divine sense, he suddenly heard the young man lower his voice and say:
"I excavated our Shui Family’s ancestral tomb. From the secret scripture dug out there, this Pear Blossom River conceals a True Dragon!"
"What?!"
"Is there really a True Dragon?"
The elder said in shock.