What horrified Su Changyu even more was that the faces of the corpses littering the ground were identical to that of the white-haired cultivator, as if they were all his own corpses!
Despite priding himself on his resolute will and extraordinary mental fortitude, Su Changyu couldn't help but break into a cold sweat at this nightmarish and chilling scene.
“Heh, don't be so tense. They're just dead men; what’s there to fear? You should know, the living are far more terrifying than the dead.” The white-haired cultivator spoke in an unnerving tone.
With a casual flick of his finger, a table and chairs rose from the ground.
"Sit. Enjoy the view. It's been many years since anyone visited this place."
After the initial shock of the strange, repeated voices and the horrifying surroundings, Su Changyu gradually steadied himself. Composing his mind, he sat down calmly.
Seeing the white-haired cultivator staring blankly at their surroundings for a while, Su Changyu ventured, "Might I know how I should address you, Senior?"
"My name is Yin Shangren. Heh, others call me Yinyin Shangren," Yin Shangren said with a hint of self-mockery.
"Greetings, Senior Yin. I am Su Changyu." Su Changyu introduced himself, neither subservient nor arrogant.
Yin Shangren suddenly turned his head, giving Su Changyu a thorough once-over. A long moment passed before he finally looked away.
"Tch, so it truly is the will of heaven at work..." Yin Shangren muttered under his breath.
Su Changyu heard the words but couldn't grasp their meaning.
After another long silence, Yin Shangren spoke again. "You've also encountered a bottleneck in Foundation Establishment, haven't you? Guided here by a sense of opportunity?"
"Foundation Establishment?" Su Changyu was taken aback. He had only just reached the late-stage Qi Refinement realm.
He was about to deny it when Yin Shangren continued, speaking as if to himself. "Heh, it’s a force of habit. Every few years, some cultivator or another gets guided here. Every single time, I have to repeat myself. I'm sick of the sound of my own voice.
"When gods fight, mortals suffer. Damn it all, how annoying..."
Su Changyu frowned slightly. This Yin Shangren seemed unhinged, spouting cryptic phrases.
"Ah, well. Once more won't hurt."
Yin Shangren also sat down. "So-called Foundation Establishment is the establishment of the foundation for your cultivation. But do you know what this Dao Foundation truly is?”
...
"I used myself as a Curio to forge my Dao Foundation!"
His body split down the middle, revealing another face nestled within his organs and flesh. Both faces, the inner and the outer, spoke in unison.
He concluded his explanation with two equally unnerving, grinning visages.
Su Changyu first shot to his feet, startled by the horrifying sight, then slowly sat back down as Yin Shangren returned to his normal appearance.
"Using oneself to forge a Dao Foundation..." An unusual light flickered in Su Changyu's eyes.
"Isn’t it tempting?" Yin Shangren asked with a chuckle.
"Such a Dao Foundation perfectly merges with your self. All divine abilities and arcane arts become wholly your own.
"From that moment on, no matter the technique or secret art, you learn it instantly and master it immediately.
"Punch peerless prodigies, trample reclusive powerhouses underfoot... Why hesitate? Why not act now?"
Yin Shangren looked at Su Changyu with a somewhat maniacal gaze, his voice dripping with persuasiveness.
Su Changyu forced himself to retain his rationality and calm. "Then, dare I ask, Senior, what is the price?
"If everyone could so easily achieve Self Foundation, wouldn't geniuses be as common as dirt underfoot? If everyone were a genius, then there would be no distinction between mediocrity and talent.”
Yin Shangren chuckled, a sound tinged with madness, and pointed at the hundreds of corpses littering the ground. "These... are the price!"
Su Changyu didn't understand, so he remained silent.
"Only after dissecting hundreds of versions of 'myself', and gaining sufficient confidence, did I dare to attempt Self Foundation anew," Yin Shangren explained, his laughter fading into a cold sneer. "Even then, I fell just a hair's breadth short of perfection. An ordinary cultivator recklessly attempting Self Foundation is simply seeking their own death.
"The human body is exquisitely intricate, impossibly complex. How could the average person possibly comprehend themselves fully enough to use their own self as a Dao Foundation? To accomplish this solely by oneself, without external aid, is a feat reserved for the rare geniuses of this age."
Hearing this, Su Changyu finally understood. A shadow of despondency fell over his heart.
To know others is wisdom; to know oneself is enlightenment. Su Changyu was painfully clear about the limits of his own cultivation talent.
He could not be called a genius by any stretch. He wasn't even average. Calling him “mediocre” would be no exaggeration. Achieving Self Foundation was utterly beyond his reach.
Yin Shangren observed the shift in Su Changyu's expression and chuckled. "Don't lose heart, young Su. That you have come before me at this very moment proves it is all fate's design."
As he spoke, he extended his index finger and lightly tapped the center of Su Changyu's forehead.
In that instant, a torrent of images and knowledge violently flooded Su Changyu's mind. There were scenes and insights from Yin Shangren's dissections of hundreds of Foundation Establishment corpses.
There were also his experiences of undergoing the Self Foundation process itself, and the lessons from his near-success.
The sudden influx of such vast information was overwhelming. Su Changyu's temples throbbed, and his skull felt as if it might split apart.
Yet he knew well that this strange encounter was likely his one and only chance to alter his destiny. So he gritted his teeth and endured.
After what felt like an eternity, he collapsed into a chair, utterly spent, his robes soaked through with sweat.
Yin Shangren watched, shaking his head repeatedly.
After a while, Su Changyu rallied his spirit and offered Yin Shangren a deep, formal bow. "My deepest thanks, Senior!"
"Hmph, don't thank me," Yin Shangren replied, his smile taking on a sinister edge. "Just now, you had already abandoned the idea of Self Foundation.
“By imparting my experiences to you, I've planted the seed of ambition, the desire to gamble on it.
“You must understand, every individual is unique. What worked for me may not apply to you. It's entirely possible that you will fail because of this and perish, your Dao dispersing. In that light, one could say I've harmed you."
Su Changyu's expression turned solemn. "Life and death are fated; wealth and honor lie with heaven. That is all."
The smile vanished from Yin Shangren's face. "Fine ambition," he said bluntly.
Then, without ceremony, he stated, "This matter is concluded. Now get out."
Taken aback by the sudden dismissal, Su Changyu was momentarily stunned. But since Yin Shangren had spoken, it would be improper for him to stay.
He bowed once more and prepared to leave.
Yet before departing, his gaze fell upon the countless corpses of Yin Shangren scattered across the ground, and he could not help but ask, "Senior Yin, might I ask... where did all these bodies come from?"
Yin Shangren's eyes swept the surroundings, his eyes growing momentarily vacant.
"Yes... where did they all come from?
“Ah! I remember now!
"It was a great downpour! Countless corpses fell from the heavens like rain, and I took the opportunity to gather some..." Yin Shangren muttered, his words slipping into a kind of demented reverie.
Hearing this answer, a fresh wave of cold dread coiled in Su Changyu's heart.
He dared not linger another moment on this disturbing island and made his hurried departure.
Watching Su Changyu's retreating figure, Yin Shangren gradually returned to himself.
His hand drifted to his chest, as if touching some treasured, irreplaceable thing hidden there.
A long time later, the extinguished flames ignited once more.
They rose, devouring Yinyin Island completely.