novelraw Chapter 88 Ancient Cultivator Foundation Establishment Method
Chapter 88 Ancient Cultivator Foundation Establishment Method
Chapter 88: Ancient Cultivator Foundation Establishment Method
“If you want revenge, you must first possess formidable strength. This is the Foundation Establishment Pill Ninth Sister risked her life to bring back for you. Do not betray her painstaking efforts.”
Song Luzhou handed a blood-stained jade bottle to Song Changsheng, his voice low.
Song Changsheng numbly took it, feeling the bloodstains piercingly red, and the small jade bottle in his hand weighing a thousand catties.
The scheme was real, and it was for him; Song Luoyao became like this because of him.
This debt of gratitude was immense, so immense that he didn't know how to repay it.
“Alas, alright. Let Luoyao rest well. Luzhou, please take the trouble to look after her. I will go invite Big Brother out of seclusion.” Song Xianyun sighed softly and walked out of the Hundred Arts Hall.
Song Luohuai had also suffered serious injuries in the battle and needed to go into seclusion to heal quickly, lest he follow in Song Xianming's footsteps. Song Lutong, after dispersing the people outside, also returned to seclusion. Having just broken through to Foundation Establishment, he had experienced such a major battle, which shook his foundation. He needed to consolidate his cultivation again, otherwise there would be a risk of his cultivation level dropping.
In the blink of an eye, only Song Changsheng, Song Luzhou, and the unconscious Song Luoyao remained in the Hundred Arts Hall.
“Take good care of your Ninth Aunt. I’m going to refine some healing pills for her,” Song Luzhou said in a booming voice, then walked into the alchemy room.
Everyone had left. Song Changsheng looked at Song Luoyao, whose aura was weak, and could no longer control his emotions, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
He had originally thought he had grown accustomed to life and death, but he was wrong. When he saw his own kin lying there like that, that feeling… it was beyond words.
Song Changsheng knelt by the soft couch, just watching over Song Luoyao. The sun rose and the moon set, stars shifted; a night quickly passed.
In the early morning, a broad hand rested on Song Changsheng’s shoulder, a gentle voice saying, “When Luoyao made this decision, she had already considered the worst outcome. To have preserved her life is already a blessing from Heaven.
Do not wallow in sorrow. What you need to do now is to adjust your state as quickly as possible and prepare for Foundation Establishment. Do not let Luoyao’s painstaking efforts be in vain.”
“Once Auntie wakes up, this grandson will go into seclusion,” Song Changsheng said softly, his eyes filled with determination. He wanted to establish his foundation; he wanted to make those people pay the price!
Song Xianming said nothing, turned, and walked out of the Hundred Arts Hall.
Outside the door, Song Lutong quickly saluted respectfully.
Song Xianming looked him up and down, then sighed, “You have become the clan’s seventh Foundation Establishment cultivator. According to the rules, a grand ceremony should be held for your Foundation Establishment, but given the current situation, it will have to be postponed. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Big Uncle, you exaggerate. These things are superficial. With Ninth Sister injured like this, how could I be in the mood for such things? All I want now is to twist off the heads of those beasts from the Earthfire Sect and Lieyang Sect!”
Looking at Song Lutong’s gritted teeth, Song Xianming whispered, “They will pay the price. Lad, do you dare to come with this old man?”
Song Lutong grinned, and said bluntly, “I dare.”
“Then follow me.” Song Xianming took a few steps, conjured a formation flag, and headed down the mountain. Song Lutong seemed to guess what he was about to do, and a sudden glint of excitement appeared in his eyes as he quickly followed…
...
Soon after, a massive earthquake shook the entire Ling Province. Whether loose cultivators or clan cultivators, everyone was discussing one thing:
“Hey, have you heard? The Earthfire Sect and Lieyang Sect colluded and ambushed an elder of the Song clan. In a fit of rage, the Song clan head set up a third-rank grand array at the foot of Fire Cauldron Mountain! Now, no one from the Earthfire Sect, except for their Foundation Establishment cultivators, can get down the mountain.
It's said that the Earthfire Sect Master led his people to forcefully break the array, but who knew? Not only did they fail, but they also suffered many casualties. This time, the Earthfire Sect has truly lost face!” In a tavern, a shifty-eyed cultivator mysteriously whispered to his table-mates.
“Clan Head Song’s move is truly ruthless, directly blocking their gates with a grand array. He’s the only third-rank formation master in our Ling Province, and an array laid by his own hand, tsk tsk tsk…”
“Indeed! The ordinary disciples of the Earthfire Sect don’t even dare to go down the mountain now. It's said they just wander in a thick mist if they try to descend, completely unable to get out.”
“The Earthfire Sect has truly lost all face this time.”
...
Liuyun Mountain Range, Fire Cauldron Mountain.
Chang Wudao’s face was ashen as he shattered his favorite jade bottle, glaring furiously at the formation masters in the hall. “No matter what method you use, you must break this damned array for me, or else you will all go dig in the mines!”
The formation masters were so terrified they didn't dare to breathe loudly, and quickly went to figure out how to break the array.
After they left, Chang Wudao smashed a rosewood table with a single palm, gritting his teeth and saying, “Song Xianming, you are truly going too far!”
“Sect Master, since our alliance with the Lieyang Sect has been exposed, should we directly further our cooperation with them?” Li Tiancheng respectfully asked.
“Hmm, send someone to contact them. First, break that damned array!”
“Understood.”
...
After Song Luzhou administered the refined pills to Song Luoyao, she showed improvement within two days, already able to open her eyes and speak.
She showed little reaction to the fact that her legs were crippled, remaining very calm. She resumed her work at the Law Enforcement Hall, beginning to search for the clan traitor.
Song Changsheng, seeing her out of danger, finally felt the burden in his heart lift. After leaving letters for his mother and grandfather, he entered the seclusion chamber that Song Lutong had previously used, preparing to break through to Foundation Establishment…
Inside the seclusion chamber, Song Changsheng looked at the Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand, then suddenly seemed to make a certain decision. He re-sealed the Foundation Establishment Pill and set it aside, instead taking out another pill.
This was the Meridian Guarding Pill, a second-rank low-grade pill that aids in Foundation Establishment. Cultivators who take it during their breakthrough can increase their success rate by five percent.
Compared to the Foundation Establishment Pill's thirty percent, this five percent was practically negligible.
But Song Changsheng had still exchanged for it before going into seclusion. He had made up his mind not to use the Foundation Establishment Pill, but to establish his foundation using the ancient cultivator’s method.
This was not due to overconfidence, but after careful consideration.
As the saying goes, there is gain and there is loss. The Foundation Establishment Pill allows cultivators to pass the three Foundation Establishment hurdles more easily, which is essentially a shortcut, preventing cultivators from undergoing true tempering.
As a trade-off, cultivators who break through to Foundation Establishment using the Foundation Establishment Pill are inherently a few points weaker in terms of their spiritual energy, physical body, and soul compared to those who do not use it.
This gap is particularly evident in actual combat. Therefore, elite disciples of major sects generally do not use Foundation Establishment Pills.
Song Changsheng had once vowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with the heaven-defying talents of those great sects, so he made this bold decision: to emulate the ancient cultivators who established their foundations without Foundation Establishment Pills.
This process was fraught with peril, for according to historical records, only one in ten ancient cultivators succeeded in establishing their foundation.
...