togophonebook Chapter 4 Successful Foundation Establishment
Chapter 4 Successful Foundation Establishment
Three days later, at dawn, the rosy light pierced through the clouds of the Thousand Illusions Sect and shone upon the core area of the sect.
Su Yunluo, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, was surrounded by a faint Nascent Soul aura. Holding Su Mixin in his right hand, he transformed into a condensed streak of light and sped towards the valley where the secret realm was located in the core of the sect.
Su Mixin was dressed in a white brocade robe with gold thread. She had Bigu Pills and five Foundation Establishment Pills in her storage bag at her waist. She felt both anticipation and a bit of solemnity.
Before long, the two arrived at the valley where the secret realm was located.
The valley was shrouded in mist, a hazy white expanse.
Two middle-aged men stood at the entrance; they were the two Golden Core elders on duty here.
They were dressed in the black and gold Taoist robes of their sect, their bodies exuding a concentrated spiritual energy.
Upon seeing Su Yunluo arrive, he quickly cupped his hands in greeting.
Su Yunluo nodded slightly, said nothing more, and led Su Mixin through the valley entrance and straight into the mist.
After walking only a few dozen steps, Su Yunluo took out a palm-sized piece of black jade from her storage ring. She infused it with spiritual energy from her fingertips, and the jade immediately emitted a soft blue light.
As the azure light spread, the mist in front receded to both sides like a tide, and a semi-transparent gate of light slowly emerged. Spiritual energy overflowed from behind the gate, so dense that it almost became tangible.
"Let's go in." Su Yunluo put away the jade token, and the two passed through the light gate.
The moment she passed through the portal of light, a surge of powerful spiritual energy rushed towards her, and Su Mixin felt as if every pore on her body was opening up.
As a secret realm exclusively controlled by the Thousand Illusions Sect, this place is not very large, only about the size of a large village.
The secret realm is covered with lush vegetation, with countless towering trees and exotic flowers and plants.
Furthermore, numerous spiritual objects, including spiritual eye jade and spiritual eye springs, were placed around the area. Combined with the effects of layers of arrays, this greatly enhanced the spiritual energy within the secret realm.
Within the secret realm, dozens of medicinal gardens are scattered throughout, each shrouded in a transparent barrier. The gardens are planted with various rare and precious medicinal herbs, filled with spiritual energy and a rich medicinal fragrance.
The herb garden contains medicinal herbs ranging from a hundred to a thousand years old, including several rare species that have disappeared from the outside world, which are an important part of the sect's foundation.
As expected of one of the six major sects of the demonic path and a top sect in Tiannan, the Thousand Illusions Sect has the sole control over this blessed land and secret realm.
It's an exaggeration that the Ghost Spirit Sect, ranked last among the six demonic sects, could single-handedly contend with the six sects of Yue Kingdom, but the Thousand Illusions Sect would definitely be more than capable.
In terms of resources alone, the seven factions of Yue Kingdom jointly guard a blood-red secret realm, and they have to fight for Foundation Establishment Pill resources every year.
The amount of Foundation Establishment Pill materials produced annually in this secret realm is even greater than that in the Crimson Secret Realm.
Upon arriving at the center of the secret realm, one sees a place shrouded in thick fog, with visibility less than half a meter.
Su Yunluo took out a talisman and a jade pendant and handed them to Su Mixin, saying, "Activating the talisman will take you through the dense fog to the central Illusionary Mist Heavenly Pool. You will soak in the pool and wait until it's finished before being teleported out of the fog. At that time, I will sense the spiritual energy flowing into the jade pendant and come to pick you up."
"I understand." Su Mixin accepted the talisman and jade pendant, and nodded solemnly.
Looking at the determination in his eyes, Su Yunluo nodded slightly: "Remember, illusions are countless, just hold on to your true self."
Having said that, he watched Su Mixin step into the thick fog.
Su Mixin channeled spiritual energy into the talisman from her fingertips.
In an instant, the talisman transformed into a palm-sized firebird, its body ablaze with pale golden flames. Though the flames were not scorching, they radiated a warmth that dispelled the mist.
With a cry, the firebird flapped its wings and flew into the depths of the thick fog. Wherever it passed, the fog dispersed, opening up a narrow passage.
Su Mixin followed closely behind the firebird, stepping into the thick fog.
The surroundings were silent, save for the soft flapping of the firebird's wings and the faint whispers that drifted through the mist, seemingly there yet not there, captivating the senses.
He quickly calmed his mind, circulated his internal energy, and guarded his mental clarity.
After about half an incense stick's time, the firebird suddenly stopped, and the flames around it dissipated, turning into specks of spiritual light and vanishing.
Su Mixin looked up and saw that the fog in front of her suddenly cleared, and a circular celestial pool appeared before her eyes.
The Heavenly Pool is about several tens of feet wide, with pale blue water and a thin mist on its surface. The spiritual energy is so rich that it is almost liquefied, and there is a faint glow flowing at the bottom of the pool, making it look like a crystal fairyland.
This is the treasure of the core secret realm of the Thousand Illusions Sect—the Illusionary Mist Heavenly Pool.
Taking a deep breath, Su Mixin removed her outer garment, leaving only her inner shirt, and slowly stepped into the pool.
The pool water was slightly cool, and the moment it touched the skin, it transformed into wisps of spiritual energy, seeping into the body through the pores and circulating in the meridians, bringing waves of comfort.
He sat cross-legged in the pool, the water level reaching above his chest. He then closed his eyes, concentrated, and began to circulate his energy to absorb the spiritual energy in the pool.
The spiritual energy was pure and abundant, hundreds of times richer than that of the outside world, and Su Mixin's cultivation level improved rapidly.
However, the hallucinations arrived as expected not long afterward.
First, images of his parents in danger flashed before his eyes: Su Yunluo was besieged by several Nascent Soul cultivators, Ye Xinlian was seriously injured, her clothes stained with blood, and she cried out for help to him.
Su Mixin's heart tightened, and she almost got up and rushed out, but a cold electronic voice suddenly sounded in her mind: "Master, abnormal emotional fluctuations detected, suspected of being trapped in a hallucination. Countdown three seconds, three, two..."
"After the storm, I'm alright."
Su Mixin snapped back to her senses and pinched her thigh, the pain bringing her fully awake.
This was his prepared solution—to assist the artificial intelligence life form, Feng Hou.
He had given prior instructions that if Feng Hou detected that he was lost in the illusion for more than three seconds, he should immediately wake him up with a telepathic message; if there was no response within two seconds, he should activate a specially made magical artifact that could adjust the intensity to generate an electric shock in order to forcibly pull him back to his senses.
This method may seem simple and crude, but it is extremely effective.
The origin of this magical artifact dates back to when Su Mixin was in the early stages of Qi Refining. During her meditation practice, she also arranged for a medicinal bath.
By combining various spiritual herbs, one can not only slightly strengthen the physical body, but more importantly, expand and strengthen the meridians, laying the foundation for future cultivation.
When Feng Hou analyzed the available information and formulated the cultivation plan, he proposed that if the medicinal bath was combined with electric shocks to the body, the effects of the medicinal bath could be significantly enhanced by varying the intensity and frequency of the current.
So Su Mixin specially sought out an elder in the sect who was skilled in crafting artifacts to forge a special magical artifact.
This magical artifact is rod-shaped and can be inlaid with spiritual stones to provide an energy source and generate electricity.
Feng Hou can activate this magical artifact through divine control.
Upon seeing the information that the Illusionary Mist Heavenly Pool would continuously generate illusions, Su Mixin instantly thought of this cheating method.
It's definitely simpler and more effective than just toughing it out.
In the days that followed, hallucinations kept appearing.
Sometimes he becomes the sect leader of the Thousand Illusions Sect, wielding immense power and revered by thousands; sometimes he falls into dire straits, hunted by enemies, his cultivation destroyed, and suffers endless humiliation; sometimes he even returns to his childhood, enjoying a carefree life with his parents by his side, never having set foot in the world of cultivation.
Each illusion is incredibly real, as if you were actually there, and you could easily fall into its trap if you weren't careful.
But whenever Su Mixin was about to lose his way, Feng Hou's reminder would sound on time, or a slight electric shock would come, instantly bringing him back to his senses.
He no longer focused on the illusions, but concentrated on meditation and cultivation.
The spiritual energy in the pool continuously cleansed his body, removing impurities, widening his meridians, and slowly increasing the capacity of his dantian.
Day after day, month after month, Su Mixin devoted herself to cultivation in the Heavenly Pool, while time quietly passed in the outside world.
A year later, as Su Mixin was absorbing spiritual energy with her eyes closed, a sudden, intense throbbing sensation came from within her body. A warm current spread from her dantian to her entire body, as if her limbs and bones were being soaked in warm water.
He could clearly feel that his physical body was undergoing a transformation, his meridians were becoming more resilient, the speed of spiritual energy circulation had suddenly increased several times, and a faint illusory light was faintly surrounding his body.
"This is... the Acquired Thousand Illusion Spirit Body!" Su Mi was overjoyed. According to the information brought by the predecessors in the sect, this kind of spirit body would be of great benefit to the future cultivation of the 'Great Luo Thousand Illusion Technique'.
After awakening his spiritual body, Su Mixin's cultivation speed became increasingly rapid. He absorbed the spiritual energy in the pool water like crazy, and his cultivation level steadily improved.
Another year passed, and his body underwent another change. A violent tremor ran through his body once again, and the faint illusory light became increasingly dense, showing signs of condensing and taking shape.
"The spirit body has evolved!" Su Mi was shocked. He could sense that the evolved Thousand Illusion Spirit Body seemed to have awakened some kind of innate supernatural power.
The moment the spiritual evolution was completely completed, the spiritual energy within Su Mixin's body surged dramatically, breaking through the final barrier of the Qi Refining stage and reaching the Great Perfection of the thirteenth level of Qi Refining.
His body was filled with surging spiritual energy, and shimmering light flashed around him.
Su Mixin did not rush to establish her foundation. Instead, she continued to meditate in the pool, spending a whole week to completely stabilize her state of mind and cultivation, ensuring that there were no hidden dangers.
Once his energy and spirit were fully restored, "it's time to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage."
Su Mixin closed her eyes, and all the past events flashed through her mind: her mediocre and uneventful life in her previous life, the resentment of being tormented by illness before her death, and her boundless longing for immortality while watching "A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality".
The first ten years of this life were filled with innocence and happiness. After awakening his innate wisdom, he devoted himself to rigorous spiritual practice and experienced boundless ecstasy upon discovering his golden finger.
The path to immortality is long and arduous; only by striving for victory can one achieve eternal life.
Then, he took out a jade elixir bottle from his storage bag, opened the cap, and a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out, invigorating everyone.
He poured out a Foundation Establishment Pill, which was deep blue in color, about the size of a longan, round and smooth, with a rich medicinal fragrance.
He took a deep breath, put the Foundation Establishment Pill into his mouth, and the pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, turning into a pure medicinal power that flowed down his throat into his dantian.
However, in the next instant, a burning sensation, like being scorched by a raging fire, emanated from his dantian, and the burning sensation grew stronger and stronger.
My limbs and bones were ice-cold, and the sensations of hot and cold were distinctly different.
Before long, the sensations of hot and cold subsided, and the body temperature returned to normal.
Su Mixin decisively calmed her mind and silently circulated her cultivation technique. Sure enough, the next moment, a knife-like pain spread throughout her body. Su Mixin's face immediately turned pale, and she gritted her teeth as large beads of sweat fell from her forehead into the pool.
Before long, the medicinal power of the Foundation Building Pill erupted in the dantian, and a sharp pain overflowed from the dantian. Then the medicinal power transformed into a huge warm current, which flowed into the limbs and bones through the meridians.
The swollen meridians felt numb and itchy as if being bitten by ants, but Su Mixin remained focused, concentrating on using her divine sense to guide the spiritual energy mixed with the immense medicinal power, circulating it throughout her meridians and dantian.
During this time, illusions continued to appear, but his Dao heart was already as firm as a rock, and the blessing of his spiritual body allowed him to easily resist the erosion of the illusions.
Finally, one morning, a soft "crack" sound came from Su Mixin's body, and the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment was successfully broken!
A surge of spiritual power, several times greater than that of the Qi Refining stage, erupted within his body.
The icy blue gaseous spiritual energy in his dantian, which had become so dense that it was overflowing, transformed into a vortex, spinning and compressing wildly, gradually turning into a liquid state.
One drop, two drops, three drops... the gaseous spiritual energy in the dantian transformed into spiritual liquid.
The spiritual energy around him surged wildly into his body, and his cultivation officially entered the Foundation Establishment stage!
The moment she successfully established her foundation, Su Mixin felt refreshed and her vision broadened considerably, while the illusory light around her became increasingly solid.
Opening my eyes, I noticed that the mist around the Illusionary Mist Heavenly Pool had thinned considerably, and the water had become two feet shallower, with the water level dropping from my chest level when I first entered the pool to below my waist.
"The next time the sect uses the Illusionary Mist Heavenly Pool will be at least two hundred years from now," Su Mi sighed inwardly.
The Illusionary Mist Heavenly Pool is not unlimited; each use requires a long recovery period, making it a privilege reserved for the sect's most talented disciples.
Su Mixin secluded herself here for two whole years and even made it to the Foundation Establishment stage, which is unprecedented in the history of the sect. This time, her recuperation at Tianchi will definitely be recorded as a hundred years.
Just then, a gentle suction force emanated from the Heavenly Pool, slowly lifting him up, followed by a white light enveloping his entire body. Su Mi knew that his journey to the Heavenly Pool was over and he was about to be teleported out.
He did not resist, letting the white light envelop him.
The next second, Su Mixin appeared outside the thick fog, her feet firmly planted on solid ground.
He raised his hand, took out the jade pendant his father had given him, and poured his spiritual power into it.
The jade pendant instantly emitted a soft light.
Then, Su Mixin sat down to meditate and waited. He had just broken through and needed to seize the time to consolidate his cultivation.
Two quarters of an hour later, a streak of blue light flew over and arrived in an instant; it was Su Yunluo.
"Not bad, not bad at all. To be able to persist in this Illusory Mist Heavenly Pool for two years and even break through to the Foundation Establishment stage in one fell swoop, good kid, hahahahaha!"
Su Yunluo's laughter was full of satisfaction and pride.
Su Mixin stood up, facing Su Yunluo with a warm smile.
"Father, I have not failed you!"
"Alright, alright! Now is not the time for idle chatter. I'll take you back to consolidate your cultivation."
After saying that, Su Yunluo took Su Mixin in his right hand and transformed into a beam of light, heading towards the exit of the secret realm. After opening the gate of the secret realm, he did not stop and flew all the way back to Mixin Palace.
At the entrance of Mi Xin Palace, Ye Xinlian was already waiting. When she saw Su Yunluo's escape light flying over, she quickly went to greet him.
As soon as the two landed, Ye Xinlian quickly grabbed Su Mixin's hand. "Mixin, you've lost weight! You've suffered a lot these past two years! I'm so proud of you!"
Su Mixin smiled and called out loudly, "Mother!"
Su Yunluo advised from the side, "We'll talk about it later. The Illusionary Mist Heavenly Pool will activate teleportation to move him out as soon as it detects Mi Xin's breakthrough. He hasn't had a chance to properly consolidate his cultivation yet."
Ye Xinlian nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, yes!"
Under the watchful eyes of the two, Su Mixin entered the palace's quiet chamber to begin her secluded cultivation.