"Refine!"
With a low shout in his heart, Chen Ye began refining the wood element’s Phantom Wood.
The pure wood element spiritual power, like a hundred rivers converging into the sea, surged crazily into his body, following the method of the Withered Prosperity Mysterious Light Technique, it cleansed the impurities and retained the essence. Finally, it transformed into a primordial cyan airflow, steadily settling into the eastern position of his Dantian Energy Sea!
Next came the Earthfire Essence, Phoenix Feather Gold, Seal Stone Water, Earth Vein Mystic Crystal...
He had no idea how much time had passed before he finally struggled to refine the five major spiritual objects.
With each refinement of a spiritual object, Chen Ye’s face would turn paler by a degree.
Before this, although his Dantian contained the five major spiritual objects, they hadn’t been refined and merely presided within the grand cycle.
But this time,
he turned himself into a furnace, forcibly refining the spiritual essences of heaven and earth.
This process was extraordinarily domineering, placing enormous burden on both his mind and body.
Especially since he practiced ancient techniques, whereas practicing modern techniques would only require swallowing a Foundation Establishment Pill, greatly reducing most of the pain.
Even though Chen Ye had a powerful divine soul and a robust body, at this moment he was drenched in sweat like rain, his whole body convulsing.
"No... the body simply can’t endure this!"
Chen Ye’s eyes shone brightly, with the Evergreen Technique continuously healing his injuries, but the simultaneous emergence of the five spiritual objects was beyond what the Evergreen Technique could bear.
His gaze fell upon the Nine Apertures Spirit Ganoderma before him.
This was a middle-grade Spirit Plant of the second tier, meant to be used by the Vine King for their own cultivation, incomparably precious!
Generally, it was used for the breakthrough of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
But for Chen Ye, the current Foundation Establishment was of utmost importance!
With a slight movement of his hand, the Nine Apertures Spirit Ganoderma transformed into a stream of light and entered his mouth.
The Ganoderma melted upon entry, and its enormous medicinal power erupted like a breached heavenly river, instantly blasting throughout his limbs and bones.
His meridians, which had already been on the verge of collapsing, were further widened and strengthened by several folds under this medicinal power!
For Chen Ye, this was an unexpected joy.
Everything was ready, only the breakthrough was missing!
Chen Ye desperately endured the inhuman pain, with a comprehension of cultivation techniques far exceeding that of ordinary people, he frantically guided the five furious spiritual object forces to merge with the medicinal power of the Nine Apertures Spirit Ganoderma, and then circulate.
A flawless grand cycle began to boom into formation within his Dantian.
"Crack—!"
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Chen Ye seemed to hear the sound of shattering glass.
At this moment, he felt an unparalleled comfort, as if he had merged with heaven and earth.
Within the Dantian Energy Sea, the spiritual power which was originally gaseous, driven by the grand cycle, began to compress and condense at an incredible speed!
The first drop...
The second drop...
Like bamboo shoots after a rain, drop after drop of colorful liquid spiritual power continuously condensed from the energy sea.
Finally, it coalesced into a lake of swirling five-colored spiritual power.
The Tao Foundation had been established!
...
Six days passed in a flash.
Outside the house.
Zhiwei held the little white fox, also too nervous to move, her pair of clear black eyes fixed intently on the tightly closed door.
The master’s Foundation Establishment had reached the most critical moment.
But just yesterday, the cloaked man they had once encountered on the Sixth Layer Heaven managed to track them down.
It seemed,
that the day they went to the Ninth Layer Heaven, the cloaked man had set his sights on them, secretly searching for their whereabouts ever since.
Only the Eighth Layer Heaven blocked divine senses, so it took him five days to find their group’s whereabouts.
He wasn’t aware that Chen Ye was in seclusion for Foundation Establishment, only assuming they were temporarily staying there.
Though No Thought Valley publicly forbids fighting, Uncle He had long mentioned that these constraints were insignificant for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Sure enough, the man showed up and immediately attacked mercilessly.
And Uncle He, in order not to affect the master’s Foundation Establishment, had to lure the cloaked man away.
That cloaked man indeed fell for the trick, or perhaps considered the master at the Qi Cultivation Stage irrelevant, seeing the Foundation Establishment Stage Uncle He as the real threat, he let out a cold laugh and chased after him.
Now, after a whole night, Uncle He was still missing!
Zhiwei was worried that if Uncle He couldn’t handle it, the man would come back, and the master was still undergoing Foundation Establishment...
Just when her anxiety grew more intense,
"Boom—"
Spiritual power surged out from the house behind her, blowing the hair of the black-haired little girl.
"Success!"
Zhiwei instantly hugged the little fox tightly, almost suffocating it:
"Kyuu kyuu! (I’m being strangled!)"
"Squeak—"
The door creaked open, and the master’s figure appeared in the doorway.
Six days had passed, his appearance hadn’t changed much, but every gesture carried an aura of grandeur as if in harmony with heaven and earth.
This aura seemed like Zhiwei’s illusion, as within a few breaths, it was withdrawn again.
The master turned back to the previous master.
"Zhiwei, what’s the matter?" the master asked worriedly, looking around for Uncle He’s presence.
"Master!" Zhiwei couldn’t hold back anymore and leapt into his arms.
"Where’s Uncle He?"
Chen Ye hugged his disciple’s slender waist, gently stroking her black hair, and finally managed to calm the little girl’s emotions.
"Master..."
Zhiwei then remembered the uncertain fate of Hee Qi, and hurriedly recounted everything that happened yesterday.
She hugged the master’s leg, burying her face in his stomach, and said in a small voice:
"Master, that... that Myriad Puppets Cultivator has a second-tier puppet. Master... if you can’t beat him, then... don’t worry about Uncle He."
Chen Ye was momentarily stunned, then said solemnly, "Uncle He acted as my guardian, leading the Myriad Puppets Cultivator away! You... you and the little white fox stay here! I’ll be back shortly!"