Chapter 76 Foundation Establishment Celebration

Five days later, at the beginning of the Si hour (9-11 AM), Ji An's talisman bird landed near the weapon-refining hall of Chitong Mountain.

He then bypassed the buildings and climbed the mountain path.

The Refining Hall is a public area, and the cave dwellings of all Foundation Establishment cultivators are located at the spiritual vein nodes on the mountain.

The area above the mountainside has been sealed off by law, and it is impossible to enter without a token.

Halfway there, he saw Chu He, Zhao Mengyao, and a somewhat familiar-looking but unfamiliar female disciple waiting by the roadside.

Ji An paused for a few seconds, recalling that this female disciple also came from Qingsong Dao Academy, but entered the sect three years earlier than him. She was a member of a family in a nearby immortal city.

He quickened his pace and stepped forward to greet everyone: "Senior brothers and sisters, thank you for waiting."

Yue Rong glanced at Ji An subtly a few times, vaguely recalling that he was a rather dull disciple in the Daoist academy. Her impression was very vague, which meant that he was a rogue cultivator without any background.

He wondered what abilities the other person possessed that made Zhang Yuanshan invite him to the celebration. After all, those invited to this occasion were people Zhang Yuanshan approved of or had connections with.

Chu He laughed and said, "Haha, everyone's here, let's go in."

He took out a token and activated it with a magic incantation, sending a golden light that transmitted a message into the mountain.

Two quarters of an hour later, a streak of fiery light flew out from inside, accompanied by the spiritual pressure of Zhang Yuanshan, who was at the Foundation Establishment stage, as he fell from the sky.

"Fellow Daoists, we've kept you waiting."

Zhang Yuanshan was wearing a dark black Taoist robe, with two gold threads on the cuffs shimmering in the sunlight.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang."

The four of them bowed with their hands clasped in greeting. At this point, calling someone "Shishu" (a respectful term for a senior martial arts master) would seem too formal and would lower one's seniority.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, congratulations on your Foundation Establishment. This is my congratulatory gift."

Zhao Mengyao took out a gift box, and Ji An and the other two also took out their congratulatory gifts. He gave a piece of Crimson Copper Ore.

The other party is a weapon refiner, so the ore must be useful.

"Haha, thank you very much, fellow Daoists."

Zhang is merely taking the first step. The path to immortality is long; we will walk hand in hand from now on, and you will not be alone on the journey.

Zhang Yuanshan took out a white jade flying boat about an inch long. After making a hand seal, the flying boat grew longer in the wind, instantly reaching a length of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters).

"Everyone, please board the flying boat!"

The flying boat carried everyone into the forbidden area.

Ji An immediately sensed the pure and rich spiritual energy, which was many times stronger than his residence. He focused his mind on the stone tortoise and noted down how much spiritual energy he currently possessed.

[Spiritual clues: Kan (坎) spirit 120.6, Kun (坤) spirit 664.8, Xun (巽) spirit 389.7, Zhen (震) spirit 6.6]

Soon, the flying boat landed halfway up a mountain, which was the cave dwelling that Zhang Yuanshan had chosen.

The cave dwelling covers a large area, with outdoor features including a small lake, gardens, and medicinal fields, and indoor features such as a guest hall, a clean room, a beast-taming room, and a weapon-refining room.

At this moment, more than a dozen cultivators gathered in the spacious guest hall.

When Zhang Yuanshan personally welcomed the four Qi Refining stage disciples in, everyone cast curious and inquisitive glances at them.

The moment Ji An entered, he felt his consciousness tremble. Inside the cave, there were at least seven or eight Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

Even though these Foundation Establishment cultivators didn't deliberately exude their aura, the sheer number of gazes focused on them created an invisible pressure that made it hard to breathe.

Zhang Yuanshan led the group to a table in a corner and said with a smile:

"Fellow Daoists, please don't stand on ceremony. Enjoy the food and drink. I will not keep you company for now. Those over there are my senior brothers and sisters."

Chu He suppressed the slight tremor in his heart and smiled slightly:

"Fellow Daoist, go and attend to your business."

He knew in his heart that the other party had entered another level, and if the gap between them gradually widened, they would disappear from each other's memories.

As cultivators' cultivation levels gradually increase, their lifespans also become longer. If they cannot work together, they will inevitably drift apart.

It's cruel, but it's the truth, because cultivators don't want to experience the sadness of losing a close friend, so they prefer to sever the bond sooner rather than later.

He clenched his fist gently, his desire to reach the Foundation Establishment stage growing stronger.

At this moment, Chu He suddenly realized that among the four people who came with him, he had the lowest chance of being at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Senior Sister Yue has already reached the peak of Qi Refining and is currently refining her divine sense. She already holds the Foundation Establishment Pill in her hand.

Senior Sister Zhao has top-grade aptitude; she'll be able to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill in a few years, and Foundation Establishment will definitely not be a problem.

Junior Brother Ji is all alone, but the speed at which the other party earns crystals is incredibly fast; he is definitely number one among the four.

Zhao Mengyao secretly observed the group and found that all the other invited Qi Refining disciples were at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Observing the temperament of these people, it is easy to find that most of them are disciples from prominent families.

Needless to say, in Zhang Yuanshan's mind, these people were all considered Foundation Establishment candidates.

She said softly:

"Junior Brother Chu, do you know those Qi Refining stage disciples?"

Chu He nodded slightly:

"They are disciples of the Weapon Refining Hall. Several of them are the same age as us, and they all have talent in weapon refining."

He felt somewhat embarrassed. He had no choice but to leave the Weapon Forging Hall back then, and now that he saw his old friends doing better than him, he felt quite bitter.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators sat at one table, while the Qi Refining disciples sat at two separate tables, much like the distinct circles in interpersonal relationships.

Ji An didn't think about expanding his network. The current situation was that people were not on equal footing, and sticking his neck out would only make people look down on him.

Just like selling insurance in a past life, if a customer talks to you with a condescending attitude, it's impossible to close a deal.

He sat down comfortably and followed Zhang Yuanshan's instructions, eating and drinking well.

"My name is Yue Rong. I haven't asked my junior brother's name yet, or which mountain he's been assigned to."

Watching someone calmly begin eating and drinking, Yue Rong asked curiously.

"My name is Ji An. I have met you, Senior Sister. I have been assigned to a valley near Biyue Lake and can only serve as a spirit farmer."

Chu He laughed:

"Senior sister, don't listen to his nonsense. Although Junior Brother Ji has planted several acres of spiritual fields in Biyue Lake, he has a deep understanding of magic. He mastered the Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique in just three years after joining the sect."

At the same time, my junior brother is also quite skilled in combat. A few days ago, when we were hunting demons together at Moya Mountain, he turned the tide of battle several times.

He began to vividly recount the scene of hunting the demon.

Although Chu He's voice was low, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators could hear it clearly.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator laughed:

"Everyone knows how difficult it is for a disciple who has just entered the sect to master a spell within three years."

Junior Brother Zhang, your guest likely possesses a special constitution. If he can acquire a cultivation technique that suits him after reaching Foundation Establishment, his future achievements should not be underestimated.

Someone chuckled:

"Senior brother, that's hard to say."

Being assigned to cultivate spirit fields indicates that one's aptitude is average and there is no one supporting them, making Foundation Establishment still difficult.

Moreover, the competition for Foundation Establishment Pills is extremely fierce right now; who knows how long the other party will have to wait to exchange for one.

While aptitude isn't everything, it's extremely important in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages.

It is not uncommon for disciples with special physiques to waste their lives due to insufficient talent within sects, which is the most agonizing thing.

Cultivating immortality requires courage and diligence. If one's confidence is frequently shaken while constantly striving for external things in the process of cultivation, the cultivator will gradually lose the indomitable fighting spirit.

Zhang Yuanshan nodded slightly; Foundation Establishment was indeed just the threshold.

(End of this chapter)