Cultivating Immortality in Two Realms

Chapter 42 Cui Zhe Foundation Building

Dan Island.

"Big news... This time the sect released three Foundation Establishment Pills. The first one was indisputably taken by Cui Zhe... The second one fell into the hands of Senior Brother Ruan Tianshou."

"The third one... was just swapped by the Fifth Prince!"

"The Fifth Prince? I remember his merits were still lacking, I wonder who he borrowed from... This man is cold-hearted, how could anyone dare to gamble on him?"

"The sect distributes Foundation Establishment Pills, and contribution points are just a hard requirement. We dozens of disciples can scrape together enough. Do you think the sect will exchange them for you? Giving them to that Fifth Dragon Prince is naturally because they think he has a chance of achieving Foundation Establishment..."

……

On Cold Spring Peak, many disciples chatted casually while refining pills using water magic, their tone revealing envy and jealousy towards the Five Dragon Princes.

Fang Qing didn't care about this.

Although he paid spiritual money, he viewed it as protection money.

The Five Dragons Society collected protection money and provided shelter to him when he was weak, as well as many connections and relationships.

Putting everything else aside, without the Five Dragons Gathering, the spirit pool inside the cave could not have been built!

And once protection money is paid, I've never heard of it ever being taken back.

Or rather, he never expected to take it back when he gave it.

"Five dragon sons...I wonder if it will work?"

Back in his cave, Fang Qing habitually thought of divination, but then forcibly suppressed it and began to calculate Hua Lian's fate: "Hmm? So the sect had already noticed and was secretly investigating? I didn't even need to lift a finger; this person is already cursed, not only will he die, but the entire sect will suffer?"

Although the matter of being a spy on Flying Fish Island was kept very secret, everything that was done would inevitably leave a trace!

Needless to say, Bihaimen won't reason with Flying Fish Island!

If there is any suspicion, the entire family can be wiped out and their property confiscated immediately... and then evidence can be searched at a leisurely pace!

"A familiar face, and another one is going to be gone..."

Fang Qing sighed, went to the spirit pool, and began refining pills.

This time, he did not refine a low-level spirit water warming furnace, but directly began refining 'Ice Soul Spirit Water'!

The method for refining this spiritual water came from Zhong Wufu. During the battle between Bihaimen and the Zhong family, they seized many ice-type spiritual items. Fang Qing simply strolled around the stalls in the General Affairs Hall and easily collected them all.

"The key to water-based alchemy... lies first and foremost in refining spiritual water!"

"First-tier Ice Soul Spirit Water, second-tier Ice Soul Cold Light, third-tier Ice Soul Profound Light... I wonder if I will ever be able to witness the true form of this renowned divine power?"

"This Ice Soul Spirit Water is extremely cold in nature, and it is quite effective in crushing medicinal materials and even preserving their medicinal properties..."

Several hours later, Fang Qing looked at the jade bottle in his hand and nodded to himself.

The surface of the jade bottle was now covered with a layer of white frost.

Clearly, this batch of Ice Soul Spirit Water has been successfully refined.

"Next up is the Qi Refining Powder..."

Fang Qing casually pointed, and with the Water Control Technique, the Ice Soul Spirit Water resembled a cold dragon, swirling above the spirit pool.

Several portions of the main ingredients of "Qi-refining powder" exploded instantly, turning into powder.

……

With the help of divine sense and spiritual water, Fang Qing was lucky enough to succeed on his first attempt at refining Qi Powder, even though it was his first time.

"The quality is slightly inferior to the genuine product... and the erysipelas is slightly excessive."

He scanned the spirit pool with his divine sense, gazing at the powdery crystals beginning to settle at the bottom, and pondered to himself.

At the same time, he formed hand seals and channeled streams of magical power into the spirit pool.

"Water-based alchemy is slow, but it has one advantage: time can be used to increase the quality of the pills..."

"For example, this pool of 'Qi Refining Powder' that isn't quite perfect, if it's nurtured for a few more days... it should be able to reach the level of a genuine product... and the purgative effect will also be reduced to a reasonable level."

"If it's a perfectly sized, genuine 'Qi Refining Powder,' nurtured using water techniques... perhaps it could become a premium elixir?"

Several days later.

Fang Qing looked at the genuine Qi-refining powder in his hand, nodded, and licked it slightly.

In an instant, the surging black water magic power in his dantian seemed to be drawn in, and began to circulate wildly, flowing through his meridians.

"Excellent, indeed the most suitable pill for late-stage Qi Refining cultivators to improve their cultivation... With the help of this pill, I am confident that I can raise my cultivation to the ninth level of Qi Refining within four or five years..."

Five years later, the Grand Competition of True Disciples will take place!

Fang Qing secretly calculated: "By then, my 'Horse-Headed Vajra Guardian Divine Skill' should also be able to achieve its first perfect form, comparable to the second stage of body refinement..."

"The secret to Foundation Establishment lies in the transformation through the unity of essence, energy, and spirit... I have already cultivated divine sense. If I were to undergo a second stage of body refinement, the barriers of essence and spirit would absolutely not be able to stop me!"

"Even the key to overcoming the Qi barrier lies in 'transforming magical power into liquid,' which requires a very high level of both quality and quantity of magical power... But I can completely avoid converting the 'Commentary on the Waterways Classic' into the ninth level of Qi Refining after cultivating it to perfection, and instead store it away. Then I can cultivate the 'Book of Viewing the Black Tomb' to the ninth level of Qi Absorption, converting it all into primordial Qi... That's at least two levels of Qi Refining at the ninth level. With that combined, I should be able to overcome the Qi barrier, right?"

"It seems that even without the Foundation Establishment Pill, my success rate in establishing my foundation will be frighteningly high!"

"But failing to establish a foundation almost always results in death from severed meridians, so you can't gamble... You should at least have a Foundation Establishment Pill as insurance..."

"We can't just keep accumulating Qi without breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, hoping to become the strongest Qi Refining cultivator in history, can we?"

Even if one masters more than a dozen sets of nine-level techniques, the Qi Refining stage is still inferior to the Foundation Establishment stage; this is a matter of quantitative change versus qualitative change.

Fang Qing secretly plotted his own Foundation Establishment plan. If everything went smoothly, he could achieve Foundation Establishment after the next True Disciple Competition!

"By then, even if that wretched place... never mind, that wretched place has always been unreasonable. I thought Foundation Establishment cultivators could act tough, but who knows, a Purple Mansion cultivator might come and blast me..."

However, even knowing that Ancient Shu was a cesspool and a desolate place, Fang Qing found it hard to give up.

After all, his lack of qualifications remains a persistent source of pain.

Most cultivators with mid-grade aptitude spend their entire lives stuck in the Qi Refining stage, with only a slight chance of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, cultivation almost stagnates, with 99% of them getting stuck at the early Foundation Establishment stage!

Without abundant resources, Fang Qing felt that achieving the Core Formation stage was somewhat of a pipe dream.

The resources and cultivation techniques of ancient Shu... are the best remedy for this problem!

If it weren't for "The Book of Viewing the Black Tomb", he might still be stuck at the threshold of water-based alchemy.

Without the "Horse-Headed Vajra Protector Divine Skill," divine consciousness is out of the question.

Furthermore, the "Plum Blossom Divination" solved the major problem of their own safety.

"So... I still have to go to that lousy place. I still have an agreement with the old fox about the Great Sun Technique. I hope this monster can keep its word... Also, don't blow up my fish. Before the next transaction, I'll definitely have to do some divination to ask about the outcome..."

It has to be said that ever since Fang Qing was blasted by the slovenly Taoist priest, he has become somewhat paranoid.

……

Just as Fang Qing was in seclusion, he was cultivating diligently.

Wanbaodao.

Inside a cave.

Hua Lian slowly finished his practice, stroking a vibrant green jade pendant at his waist: "I handed over all the spoils from last time to my family... As agreed, they should send me a batch of pills to improve my cultivation."

"In the Qi Refining stage, as long as there are enough pills, even those with inferior aptitude can make rapid progress."

"With this help, perhaps I can contend for the next position of true disciple?"

"If I obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect, and my family provides another one, with two Foundation Establishment Pills, I will definitely succeed in establishing my foundation!"

He was envisioning a bright future when his expression suddenly changed.

Rumble!

The cave trembled, and a barrier of light was torn open.

Splash!

A large amount of gravel flew everywhere.

"Who dares to attack my cave?"

Hua Lian hurriedly took out a tortoise shell shield to protect himself, his voice tinged with fear.

Only…

"Heavenly Punishment Island, Hall of Punishment, Cui Zhe!"

A sword light flew out, not particularly intense, but carrying a chilling intent to shatter all laws.

With just one sword strike, the top-grade magic weapon, the Tortoise Shell Shield, was reduced to fragments.

A terrifying gust of wind followed, causing Hua Lian to cough up blood and stick to the wall like a painting.

"Is it Senior Brother Cui? No... Uncle-Master Cui? You... you've successfully established your foundation? Why are you here to arrest me? I'm innocent!"

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Hua Lian immediately shouted.

"It's no use. All of the Hua family's people in the sect have been captured. We can't even send out a single communication talisman..."

Cui Zhe looked very young, with a slightly pointed chin, bright eyes, and a cynical smile on his lips: "You Flying Fish Island dared to pledge allegiance to the Zhong family and leak our sect's secrets. Are you prepared to have your entire clan exterminated?"

Hua Lian's face turned ashen: "I... how did you find out?"

Now that things have come to this, it's no use for him to try to argue his way out of it.

"Speaking of which... it was you who made the mistake here."

Cui Zhe's smile grew increasingly eerie.

"Impossible! I'm certain there's not a single flaw in my statement..."

Hua Lian's pupils constricted. If the leak was due to him, his Dao heart would collapse!

After all, he considered himself to be a cautious person and should not have left any clues!

"Heh... Just because you asked, does that mean I should tell you?"

Cui Zhe sneered, and a flash of sword light appeared.

Hua Lian's head flew off, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

After doing all this, Cui Zhe walked out of the cave and met Elder Tianxing.

Clearly, everything that just happened was under the divine sense of this late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Elder, everything has been taken care of."

Cui Zhe bowed respectfully.

"Hmm... After that, issue the 'Island Massacre Order' and wipe out the Hua family of Flying Fish Island."

Elder Tianxing said expressionlessly, "That Hua family patriarch has cultivated diligently for many years, but he is still only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. He is perfect for you to test your sword skills... I will personally back you up."

"Thank you, Elder!"

Cui Zhe bowed respectfully, a hint of eagerness in his eyes.

As a sword cultivator, one prefers combat and seeks opportunities for breakthroughs in cultivation through battle.