Chapter 64: Preparations for Foundation Establishment
【Tianxuan City】
"This is Tianxuan City!"
As they entered the Immortal City, countless people were left in awe by the scene before them.
Built against the mountain, with waterfalls cascading down, amidst the peaks one could clearly see numerous small mountain summits protected by formation barriers, each serving as a cultivation site.
"Those three largest and most spiritual energy-rich Immortal Peaks—in the center is the cultivation site of Master Lu of the Blackwater Turtle, on the left is the Palace of Blazing Fire, and on the right is the Pavilion of Mystic Sound."
"The surrounding mountain ranges below are the cultivation sites of Foundation Establishment cultivators. As long as you have spirit stones, even Qi Refinement cultivators can live and cultivate at the sites of Foundation Establishment cultivators."
As the crowd arrived here, they began to disperse. Hearing the introductions, Lin Chang'an and his companions were inwardly shocked.
"No… that's not right!"
Suddenly, Lin Chang'an froze. Looking at this clearly completed Immortal City, even though cultivators had vast magical powers, could such a city truly be built overnight?
It was obvious that the Palace of Blazing Fire, the Pavilion of Mystic Sound, and this Master Lu of the Blackwater Turtle had likely reached a consensus long ago, only publicly announcing it after the city had been completed.
"Zhou Clan cultivators, follow me to the clan grounds."
With a greeting from a Zhou Clan cultivator, Li Erniu excitedly bid farewell with a cupped-fist salute. At that moment, Lin Chang'an came to a realization.
As expected! The fat meat at the top had long been divided before they were even informed.
Erniu might not know, but the Zhou Clan's upper echelon definitely knew about this in advance. Otherwise, how could they already have clan grounds upon just arriving at the Immortal City?
"Such dense spiritual energy."
Regaining his senses, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but feel invigorated. Beside him, Shen Lie also exclaimed:
"Brother Lin, we've only just entered the city, and already the spiritual energy density surpasses that of the Bamboo Mountain Marketplace. I can't even imagine how dense it must be at the Foundation Establishment cultivators' sites."
"No wonder so many cultivators are flocking here."
Lin Chang'an nodded in agreement. Outside the city gates, one could see an endless stream of cultivators daily. Within half a year, this place would likely become the most prosperous Immortal City in Yue Kingdom.
"Come on, let's go rent a place."
…
Lin Chang'an, Shen Lie, and their group arrived at the office responsible for handling rental affairs within the Immortal City.
Recently, with a large influx of cultivators daily, the place was bustling.
"Fellow Daoists, you've come at a good time. With Master Lu of the Blackwater Turtle overseeing this city, it is divided into inner and outer sections, with differing degrees of spiritual energy concentration.
Prices are transparent. There are still many vacant houses in the Immortal City. For those preparing for Foundation Establishment, you can even co-rent a cave-dwelling with others. These are large enough for Foundation Establishment cultivators to train in, with spiritual energy as dense as you can imagine."
Upon seeing the prices inside the city, although they had mentally prepared, Shen Lie and Wei Buyi's expressions still changed.
"Brother Lin, we won’t accompany you further."
Both Shen Lie and Wei Buyi were still far from reaching Foundation Establishment and had no choice but to grit their teeth and settle in the inner city.
Even that required five lower-grade spirit stones per month.
Keep in mind, a mid-grade first-rank talisman or alchemy master, without disrupting their cultivation, could only earn a dozen or so spirit stones per month.
Seeing this, Lin Chang'an nodded slightly but still chuckled and said:
"We're all cultivating in the city, so we'll see each other often."
The two also smiled and cupped their hands in return, though there was a hint of bitterness in their smiles.
At this moment, the gap between them became apparent.
Thinking back ten years ago, Lin Chang'an was merely at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, a mid-grade first-rank talisman master—not much of a gap between them then.
But in just ten short years, Lin Chang'an had already outpaced them.
However, they had also seen with their own eyes Lin Chang'an's bitter cultivation over the years.
Unlike them, who had married and raised families, diverting much of their attention and resources to their offspring.
"At the foot of the mountain, this entire area consists of cultivation sites with slightly lesser spiritual energy."
After surveying the area, Lin Chang'an finally chose a cultivation site that caught his eye.
"Excellent choice, Fellow Daoist. The spiritual energy in this area is rich. It was specially designated by Master Lu for cultivators preparing for Foundation Establishment. The annual rent is only two hundred spirit stones."
Upon hearing this price, Lin Chang'an reluctantly handed over the spirit stones.
For a premium-grade first-rank talisman master, earning two hundred spirit stones in a month or two was feasible; if in good condition, even one month would suffice.
But for rogue cultivators preparing for Foundation Establishment, they would spend every single spirit stone with utmost care.
Preparing for Foundation Establishment required spirit stones, and purchasing defensive magical artifacts also required them. Then there were the usual cultivation resources. If one had wives and children, even more expenses were involved.
"No wonder the two great sects would jointly establish this Immortal City."
Holding the jade token for the cultivation site, Lin Chang'an finally understood. To put it in mortal terms, this Immortal City was a goldmine that raked in profit daily.
"At the same time, this Immortal City also gathers most capable rogue cultivators from Yue Kingdom and its neighboring states. Whether for recruitment or other purposes, it's certainly not good news for the Divine Sword Sect."
Lin Chang'an thought to himself, but all this had little to do with him. His only current goal was to prepare for Foundation Establishment.
"During this time, I’ll cultivate diligently and strive to reach the ninth level of Qi Refinement as soon as possible. Once the situation stabilizes, I can begin preparations for Foundation Establishment."
Thinking about Foundation Establishment made Lin Chang'an's heart burn with anticipation. This was the very reason he had come here.
As for Shen Lie and Wei Buyi, their primary concern was more for their children—to provide them a better cultivation environment, so they wouldn’t follow in their fathers' footsteps.
…
On one side adjacent to the Silver River Waterfall stood a series of exquisitely built cave dwellings and pavilions, surrounded by extremely dense spiritual energy.
Farther up were the cultivation sites for Foundation Establishment cultivators nestled among the mountains.
"This really is a place of stunning scenery."
Arriving at his rented cave dwelling, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. These two hundred spirit stones were well spent.
The pavilion was refined, with a courtyard, lotus pond, and the Azure-Horned Bull roaming happily among the flowers.
Right next to the majestic Silver River Waterfall, one could distinctly feel the water-attributed spiritual energy in the air.
"This place is suitable not only for cultivators who practice water-attributed techniques but also for those who cultivate wood-attributed ones."
Water nurtures wood, and Lin Chang'an's supreme Evergreen Art could clearly feel his inner mana becoming slightly more vigorous.
"As expected, the environment of a cultivator's cave dwelling really does matter."
He hadn’t had the conditions before, but this personal experience made Lin Chang'an deeply emotional. The mysterious veil of this path of cultivation truly stirred the soul.
In the following months, Tianxuan City became livelier by the day, with a continuous influx of rogue cultivators.
Around Lin Chang'an’s cave dwelling, many new neighbors moved in. Most were late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, all hoping to prepare for Foundation Establishment. They visited and acquainted themselves with one another.
However, he also noticed that those who could afford to live here mostly possessed some skill or craft.
Most were talisman masters, followed by alchemists, while those skilled in artifact forging or formation arts were few.
Of course, there were also quite a few cultivators exuding a fierce and murderous aura who focused primarily on hunting spirit beasts.
There were also some late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators who were either unskilled or not adept at such crafts, choosing instead to co-rent these spiritually rich places with a few friends or as couples.
Inside the cave dwelling—
At this moment, Lin Chang'an had a solemn expression. With the second-rank spirit brush dancing like a dragon and phoenix, talismans flickered with spiritual light one after another.
"Premium-grade first-rank talisman!"
Looking at the glowing talisman, Lin Chang'an revealed a satisfied smile.
Coming to Tianxuan Immortal City, the biggest advantage was the sheer number of cultivators—and that number kept growing with each month. Throwing a few talismans into the city was like a drop in the ocean.
He only needed to be cautious, use a few disguises and identities, and he could easily sell his talismans.
A regular high-grade talisman master, excluding expenses and material costs, could earn a little over a thousand spirit stones per year.
But if he went all out drawing talismans, he could earn tens of thousands of spirit stones annually.
Lin Chang'an mused inwardly. Of course, he couldn’t flaunt his wealth. For Foundation Establishment, it would be best if he could buy or hunt a demon core.
After all, if he found someone to refine pills, a lucky furnace might yield three Foundation Establishment Pills. Even if luck was worse, it could still yield one pill. Only in cases of extreme bad luck or when dealing with a novice alchemist would an entire furnace be wasted.
With his low-grade spiritual root, even if the Evergreen Art was cultivated to perfection, he would still need at least two Foundation Establishment Pills—perhaps even three to be safe.
"If I buy just one Foundation Establishment Pill, that’s normal. But if I buy two or even three, it’ll definitely raise suspicions."
Lin Chang'an silently shook his head. To play it safe, he planned to prepare materials first and approach from both angles.
Whether the alchemy yielded one or two pills, he could still go to an auction and purchase another if needed.
After all, with his talisman master identity and the spoils he gained from slaying a rogue cultivator with Yun Yao previously, his resources were quite abundant.
Buying another Foundation Establishment Pill would still fall within a reasonable range.
He needed to prepare at least two Foundation Establishment Pills before he could enter seclusion for Foundation Establishment.