Chapter 167 –Foundation Establishment – Part 3

  Jun De’s consciousness rose slowly, and his dreams melted away like mist in the morning sunlight. The torrent of spiritual energy had ended, and the roaring in his meridians had been silenced. What remained was a deep, serene stillness that was so complete that it felt almost foreign.

  He blinked his eyes open and looked around him in confusion.

  The cultivation chamber looked the same as it had before, with its bare stone walls and lack of furnishings. But Jun De felt different. His body felt lighter and stronger, and his vision was clearer and sharper. The Qi flowing through his body was purer than he recalled it being, with a strong golden colour tinged with purple.

  Jun De stretched and stood up from his cultivation mat before focusing his spiritual senses inward.

  A perfect, crystalline foundation pulsed gently within his Dantian. The space was filled with golden and purple light that radiated outward with every breath he took. His meridians thrummed with stability and strength, while his Qi moved like a calm, deep river.

  Jun De exhaled sharply, and his face twisted with an expression of stunned awe.

  “This is Foundation Establishment!”

  Jun De had expected to feel a sense of pressure or strain, maybe some lingering pain or instability that would reflect the level of difficulty everyone spoke of regarding the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.

  Instead, he felt refreshed, clear-minded and ready to leave seclusion.

  Overall, the process had been incredibly easy!

  “Did something go wrong? I don’t remember anything after taking that pill.” Jun De muttered. He frowned slightly as he looked at the discarded jade box and the closed Tranquil Cultivation Method. Jun De remembered the pill dissolving and feeling the most pleasant warmth surging through him.

  “Did my Cheat activate?” Jun De wondered aloud, before shaking his head.

  “It doesn’t matter. What counts is that I’m in Foundation Establishment! But how long have I been mediating? Bai Xuelian told me that she would be in seclusion for months, maybe even an entire year, while she attempted to break through.”

  Jun De looked around again, but he couldn’t see anything to indicate how long he had been in the chamber. Dust didn’t accumulate in his Immortal’s Cave, something to do with the intense spiritual energy sweeping any dirt away before it could settle.

  “It’s probably been months. Maybe the entire winter! I should go and check on Mu Yanyu and Lin Yue; they will be worried sick about me.”

  Jun De placed the empty pill box and the Cultivation Manual in his storage ring before stepping out of the chamber. When the door slid open, a gust of warm air brushed against his face. It smelled of herbs and flowers, and Jun De adjusted his timeline slightly.

  “The winter really did pass.” Jun De muttered in wonder. He had thought he had only slept for a single day, but that would be impossible! It took months to form a Foundation, and it seemed as though he had been in seclusion for the entirety of fall and winter.

  Jun De walked into the courtyard, and bright, warm summer sunlight poured over him. Cicadas buzzed, and the trees surrounding his courtyard were in full bloom. Warm wind rustled through the leaves overhead.

  He froze as he quickly checked the array, and a faint glow indicated the total time that had elapsed since its activation.

  Jun De leaned in closer to double-check, and his eyes widened in shock.

  “One night? That’s impossible!” Jun De exclaimed, but the evidence was right in front of him. It took him several moments to come to terms with the fact that he had not only reached Foundation Establishment, he had done so far faster than anyone expected him to.

  “I need to go see Mu Yanyu. But first….” Jun De’s voice trailed off as he felt the new, vibrant flow of Qi within his body. On a whim, he pushed a thread of his Qi downward, and the ground drifted away from his feet.

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  He hovered a few inches above the ground, weightless and supported by nothing but his own willpower and Qi. Jun De began to laugh as he marvelled at this new feeling.

  “So this is Foundation Establishment! I can finally fly on my own!”

  Jun De turned toward the boundary formation around his courtyard that was still activated to keep out prying eyes and the sound from the outside world. With a thought and a flick of his hand, the barrier shimmered and dissolved.

  Jun De lifted higher into the air, letting Qi gather under his feet, and then he pushed off.

  His body shot upward, becoming a gold streak that arced through the skies above the Inner Sect. Wind roared past his ears, cool and deafening, before he used his Qi to surround himself in a ‘bubble’ that repelled the wind and maintained a comfortable temperature.

  Jun De twisted sharply to leave a spiralling rippled of Qi behind him, and he laughed loudly as he broke through a group of clouds.

  “This is amazing! I’m like a superhero!” Jun De exclaimed, not minding the display he was putting on for the rest of the Inner Sect. If someone happened to look up, they would have seen him laughing like a madman as he flew through the air, twisting and turning in loops.

  “How fast can I go?” Jun De whispered, and he summoned the Cloudvein Jade Edge with a thought from his storage ring.

  The sword that Mu Yanyu had given him scaled with his new strength, and the seal she had placed on it shattered the moment he touched it, giving him access to an artifact suitable for Foundation Establishment.

  Jun De tossed it into the air and stepped lightly onto the blade before pouring his Qi into it. The sword thrummed eagerly, and Jun De urged it to go as fast as possible.

  Qi surged beneath him, and the sword rocketed upward, carving through the sky in a sweeping arc. The Cloudvein Jade Edge responded to his command like it was a living thing, gliding, banking and dipping in smooth, almost gleeful, movements.

  Jun De whooped as he swept past the upper portion of the Tranquil Mountain, turning to move along the rainbow where a number of buildings had been constructed on its multi-coloured surface. Now that he was high enough, he could see Disciples walking along its length.

  He moved toward the ground, skimming above the forest canopies, and through the drifting mists that circled the Inner Sect.

  This was a freedom that he had dreamed about, and a power that could take him anywhere that he wanted to go.

  Jun De circled back, intending to cruise over the Inner Sect once again in a blinding burst of speed, when he froze. A figure was standing in the sky ahead of him, waiting patiently with their hands clasped behind their back.

  Shen Weifeng.

  His friend and mentor hovered without a sword, and Jun De brought the Cloudvein Jade Edge to a halt in front of him. He straightened his clothing, as he was suddenly aware of how ridiculous his exhilaration must have looked to everyone watching.

  Shen Weifeng lifted a hand before Jun De could stumble through an explanation.

  “Don’t be concerned, Junior Brother Jun De. I did the same thing when I reached Foundation Establishment.” A smile tugged at the older man’s face, raising the corner of his mouth.

  “In fact, most Disciples do. The moment they can finally fly under their own strength, they race around the Sect like wild birds. No one usually minds unless they come to the Outer Sect and attempt to show off to their former peers.”

  Jun De relaxed at the comment. It made him feel better to know that everyone acted like a fool when they reached Foundation Establishment.

  Shen Weifeng drifted a little closer, and he examined Jun De’s cultivation with open astonishment.

  “Congratulations on your achievement, Jun De.” Weifeng said sincerely.

  “But your timing is shocking. I only returned to the Sect yesterday, and I expected not to see you for months, if not for the rest of the year! To form a Foundation that quickly….” Shen Weifeng frowned, and his concern was apparent.

  “Jun De, did you encounter any instability or backlash? You shouldn’t rush the process. If your Foundation developed too swiftly, you will need to spend significant time and resources repairing it.”

  Jun De shook his head immediately.

  “No, Senior Brother. Everything feels perfectly fine. I didn’t see any flaws or defects.”

  Shen Weifeng studied him for a moment longer before nodding.

  “Good, but have Elder Mu check when you see her next. She will know exactly what to look for, and can recommend methods to repair any damage that may have escaped your evaluation.” Shen Weifeng advised.

  Jun De nodded and agreed before changing the topic.

  “How was your time at the Shen Clan?”

  Shen Weifeng exhaled slowly, and his expression turned complicated.

  “Strange.” Weifeng admitted.

  “I haven’t lived there since I was a child. Returning as an outsider who shares their blood was uncomfortable. But they have agreed to support my cultivation, and to stand with me against the Zhang Clan.” Weifeng shrugged lightly, and it seemed as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

  “I’m glad to hear that. I was worried that you would have a cold reception.” Jun De replied, but Weifeng waved his words away.

  Not being one to linger too long on personal matters, Weifeng returned to his normal style of mentorship.

  “Now that you have reached Foundation Establishment, you can’t waste any time. The Inner Sect Ranking Competition is approaching. Your current skills are still in the Qi Condensation level, and they won’t be effective for you now.”

  “I hadn’t considered that.” Jun De replied honestly.

  “No matter, you have plenty of time to learn new techniques before the competition, along with a new cultivation method suitable for Foundation Establishment. Come, I’ll accompany you to the Scripture Hall.”