Chapter 230: Foundation Building Benefits

"You actually succeeded in Foundation Establishment!"

In Divine Wood City, Yuan Chizhi stared in shock at Chen Mobai, who was currently having tea with E Yun.

"After leaving the sect, observing the mountains, rivers, and the cycle of blooming and wilting flowers, I had a revelation. I understood the principles of growth, prosperity, decay, and annihilation in all things, and felt that the opportune moment for a breakthrough had arrived. So, I found a market town, went into seclusion, and consumed a Foundation Establishment Pill." As Chen Mobai spoke, he feigned illness, coughing lightly twice.

"Junior Martial Brother Chen, you are a chosen one, destined to succeed in Foundation Establishment. Next time, you must not be so hasty. Attempting Foundation Establishment with insufficient spiritual energy could very well prevent you from completing the Qi Condensation into Liquid stage." E Yun, seeing Chen Mobai's appearance, frowned slightly and earnestly advised him.

"To establish one's foundation through enlightenment is the most orthodox method. I never expected to encounter such an exceptional genius as Senior Martial Uncle Chen in my lifetime. I have a premonition that bringing you into the Divine Wood Sect will be my greatest contribution to the sect in this lifetime." Yuan Chizhi spoke with a look of deep emotion.

Back when they were in Nanxi Market Town in Yun Kingdom, he had already highly regarded Chen Mobai as a genius with 'outstanding' spiritual root aptitude, believing that if brought into the sect and trained for ten years, he would at least become a True Disciple. However, he never imagined that Chen Mobai's talent far exceeded his initial estimations. It could no longer be described merely as 'outstanding'; to establish a foundation through enlightenment was a trait exclusive to Heavenly Spiritual Roots.

Before the Foundation Establishment Pill formula was developed, ancient cultivators relied solely on themselves to establish their foundations. Among these methods, the earliest breakthrough was through sudden enlightenment, where one's essence, qi, and spirit resonated with the primal energy of heaven and earth, directly forging a perfect foundation uniquely suited to oneself, ensuring smooth progress in future cultivation breakthroughs. Heavenly Spiritual Roots were highly valued by various sects precisely because such geniuses, upon reaching the peak of Qi Condensation, would naturally resonate with the corresponding elemental energies of heaven and earth during their breakthrough due to their exceptional spiritual root attributes, thus naturally achieving enlightenment during Foundation Establishment.

After enlightenment-based Foundation Establishment came might-based Foundation Establishment. This involved forcefully drawing upon the spiritual energy, cultivated to its peak in the dantian and qi sea, to trigger a qualitative transformation of one's essence, qi, and spirit. Unfortunately, this process was extremely difficult due to the lack of resonance with the primal energy of heaven and earth. Roughly eight or nine out of ten attempts ended in failure, often resulting in the body disintegrating and divine consciousness shattering, leading to an extremely tragic end.

There was no superior or inferior distinction between these two Foundation Establishment methods; the former was a natural, fluid breakthrough, while the latter was a struggle for survival. Correspondingly, however, cultivators who succeeded in might-based Foundation Establishment, having clawed their way back from the gates of hell, were all formidable individuals of the highest caliber.

"'For instance, the Old Ancestor of the Yuan family from Black Cloud Mountain is precisely such a formidable character.'" As the conversation progressed, the three naturally began discussing Yuan Hongyuan.

"'At the early Foundation Establishment stage, to face three opponents of the same realm and repel them—even I might not be able to achieve that. If Yuan Hongyuan didn't possess such strength, the Yuan family wouldn't be occupying Black Cloud Mountain and the third-grade Immortal Peach Spirit Tree at its peak.'" As E Yun spoke of Yuan Hongyuan, a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

"'Senior Martial Uncle, you're being too modest. Yuan Hongyuan could only achieve that by relying on the terrain and setting up a formation. If you had enough time to deploy the Heavenly Wood Divine Light Formation and were at the peak of early Foundation Establishment, you could do the same.'" Yuan Chizhi, however, shook his head. While he admired Yuan Hongyuan for succeeding in might-based Foundation Establishment, it was widely acknowledged within the Divine Wood Sect that the top three True Disciples of the previous generation—Hong He, Zhou Wangshen, and E Yun—would likely have been able to establish their foundations through might even without the Foundation Establishment Pill. No matter how formidable rogue cultivators were, they could never compare to disciples from major sects like theirs.

"'Let's not dwell on that. Junior Martial Brother Chen just completed Foundation Establishment, but during his breakthrough, due to insufficient spiritual energy and comprehending an exceptionally domineering sword technique, his mind was injured. He needs some healing elixirs.'" E Yun then steered the conversation back, explaining why he had summoned Yuan Chizhi.

"'There are still a few bottles of second-grade Mind Nourishing Pills in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. Junior Martial Brother Chen used all his sect contributions to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill. Take my identity token to exchange for them, and also get a Tranquility Talisman. Also, I recall there's a set of second-grade Spirit Nurturing Formation in your Formation Department's warehouse. Talk to Minister Niu and tell him it's for the newly established market town in Cloud Dream Lake. Book it by year-end, but go ahead and claim it now. Furthermore, Foundation Establishment Elders can choose a courtyard, a shop, and a third-grade spiritual vein location in Divine Wood City. Go inquire about the vacant ones and see which has the best location and can yield the highest rental income.'"

Upon hearing E Yun's words, Chen Mobai immediately waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that there was no need for such trouble; a minor mental injury could simply heal with two or three years of self-cultivation.

"'Consider these sect contributions a loan from me. Besides, since you are nominally under me, if I don't arrange these things for you properly, wouldn't it make outsiders suspicious of our relationship?'" With the conversation having reached this point, Chen Mobai could only nod with a wry smile. He wished he had chosen a different excuse earlier. The second-grade spiritual items E Yun was procuring for him to recover his mental energy would cost at least a thousand sect contributions. An additional debt was now being incurred even before the loan for the Foundation Establishment Pill was fully repaid.

"'Oh, right, now that I've established my foundation, can I go to the Divine Tree to obtain the true heritage of our Divine Wood Sect? Also, are the cultivation methods for the Immortality Scripture and the Foundation Establishment chapter of the Blazing Flame Sword Art directly available at the Scripture Pavilion?'" Chen Mobai asked about the matter he was most concerned about since returning to the Divine Wood Sect.

"'You'll need to go to the Transmission Department for that. And since you've advanced to Foundation Establishment, we also need to report it to the Sect Master. Come with me.'" The Divine Wood Sect's three great halls oversaw twelve departments. Among these, the Divine Wood Hall itself only directly managed two departments: Divination and Transmission, which were responsible for the sect's hidden forces and its foundational heritage, respectively.

Following E Yun, he paid respects to the Sect Master, Meng Hong.

"Excellent, excellent!" The old man, who had been fishing, immediately rushed back upon hearing the news of Chen Mobai's successful Foundation Establishment, laughing heartily. "The sect is flourishing under my guidance; my heart is deeply comforted." Meng Hong stood in the great hall, conversing with E Yun and Chen Mobai.

"'Master, Junior Martial Brother Chen's successful Foundation Establishment in one attempt allows him access to the Divine Tree Secret Realm.'" While Chen Mobai was still wondering how to subtly bring up the matter, E Yun stated it directly.

"'That is indeed his right. However, Lu Yi, the Head of the Transmission Department, who is always in charge of opening the secret realm, left for something a while ago. We might have to wait for his return.'" Meng Hong agreed with a nod, without any hesitation.

Next, the Sect Master chatted with them for a while longer, then suddenly asked Chen Mobai a question. "'You haven't taken a master yet, have you? Are you perhaps interested in becoming my disciple?'" Hearing this, Chen Mobai hesitated. He had heard that the Sect Master had already reached perfected Foundation Establishment and was about to go into seclusion to form his core. His sole focus was now on nurturing the next Sect Master. His offer to take a disciple was undoubtedly due to Chen Mobai's talent, like casting a net to see what he could catch, hoping to find a promising successor.

"'I still prefer to cultivate alone.'" Ultimately, Chen Mobai declined. Although becoming Sect Master Meng Hong's disciple offered many benefits, Chen Mobai had too many secrets. To avoid exposure, it was better to cultivate alone.

"'What a pity.'" Meng Hong could only sigh and shake his head, then waved his hand, dismissing the two of them.

"'How was it?'" After Chen Mobai and E Yun left, he suddenly turned to look at the shadows in the great hall. Cang Qi emerged and handed him a scroll. "'Our mole in the Five Elements Sect discovered that Chunyu Su has recently posted an assassination mission on the black market.'"

"'Who is the target? And what's the outcome?'" Meng Hong suddenly looked up, his eyes narrowing. The temperature in the entire Divine Wood Hall seemed to drop by over ten degrees, causing Cang Qi to shiver involuntarily. "'Someone took it, but the mission hasn't been closed yet.'" Not closed meant the mission had not yet been completed.

"'What about Lu Yi's side?'" "'Chen Guixian didn't leave Jian State. He investigated all Foundation Establishment cultivators within Jian State's borders and found that five individuals had left their cultivation places during this period. The most suspicious among them is Yuan Hongyuan from Black Cloud Mountain. The three Yuan Shaoyuan brothers claimed to have gone to Yun Kingdom to discuss business with the Luo family, but their disappearance time roughly coincides with Chen Guixian becoming a True Disciple. Since intelligence from Yun Kingdom hasn't arrived yet, we can't confirm its veracity. However, Yuan Hongyuan mysteriously left Black Cloud Mountain yesterday and returned severely wounded.'"

"'Severely wounded? Are you certain?'" Although he knew Yuan Hongyuan might be a mole planted by a rival sect in Jian State, Meng Hong was aware that this man was a ruthless character who had established his foundation through might, possessing astonishing combat prowess, capable of even contending with cultivators at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

"'Yes, Lu Yi said Yuan Hongyuan sent people to various market towns today to buy spiritual elixirs and miraculous medicines for sword wounds. He probably clashed with a Foundation Establishment sword cultivator and suffered a great loss.'" "'A Foundation Establishment sword cultivator!'" Meng Hong and Cang Qi exchanged glances. Remembering E Yun's account of Chen Mobai being injured during his breakthrough, they instantly had their answer.

"'If it truly was Chen Guixian, why didn't he mention it?'" "'I haven't had much contact with that young man, but he left a strong impression. He has a violent temper; he's probably planning to exact revenge himself once his injuries have healed.'" Cang Qi believed he had seen through Chen Mobai, this 'simple' sword cultivator. Meng Hong considered it and found the explanation quite reasonable.

"'Since he's not saying anything, let's pretend we don't know and leave Yuan Hongyuan as his whetstone for the sword. But this young man is truly ruthless! Immediately after breaking through, he fought against a renowned Foundation Establishment expert like Yuan Hongyuan, and even though he was weaker, he still achieved a great victory. He truly has the shadow of Senior Martial Uncle Mo from back then.'" Mo Douguang of Golden Light Cliff, before forming his core, once slew a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator while only in early Foundation Establishment, earning him the title of the Eastern Wilderness's foremost sword cultivator.

"'It's been four years since the last batch of Foundation Establishment Pills from the Heaven-Returning Valley was distributed. Issue a notice in the name of the Divine Wood Hall, stating that the Divine Tree Secret Realm will open in a month, to urge those young cultivators.'" "'Yes.'"

Chen Mobai, of course, had no idea about this conversation that took place in the Divine Wood Hall after he left. He then followed E Yun to the Scripture Pavilion. Opening the Divine Tree Secret Realm required arrangements by the Transmission Department, but for the cultivation methods of the Immortality Scripture and the Foundation Establishment chapter of the Blazing Flame Sword Art, one only needed the corresponding identity token.

Chen Mobai took out his newly upgraded Foundation Establishment token from the Divine Wood Hall. The custodian in the Scripture Pavilion was still the same decrepit cultivator named Hu. He clearly remembered Chen Mobai, and upon seeing that the latter had actually established his foundation, a look of shock appeared on his face. "What a young talent!" With a sigh, he felt his own increasingly aged body and couldn't help but regret not fighting for a chance at might-based Foundation Establishment back in the day.

For other Divine Wood Sect disciples, the Scripture Pavilion was naturally a treasure trove. However, Chen Mobai, after retrieving the Immortality Scripture and the Foundation Establishment chapter of the Blazing Flame Sword Art, did not linger.

"'Junior Martial Brother's sword heart is like iron!'" E Yun saw Chen Mobai go up, grab two books, and come back down in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, thinking that in his heart, there was nothing but the sword. Chen Mobai found it difficult to clarify and could only tacitly agree. What he was actually thinking, however, was to enter the Divine Tree Secret Realm before exposing his true capabilities, to see what secrets lay within this supposedly miraculous heritage of the Divine Wood Sect.

In any case, his two objectives for infiltrating the Divine Wood Sect had now been achieved. First, the Foundation Establishment Pill had perfectly aided his successful Foundation Establishment. Second, the Dual-Phase Cultivation method for increasing the chance of Core Formation, which could be considered complete after he obtained the Immortality Scripture, sufficient for cultivation up to perfected Foundation Establishment. He could now prepare to flee at any moment.

Nevertheless, he had made a name for himself in the Divine Wood Sect, and if he could maintain his persona as an unparalleled sword cultivation genius without it crumbling, he was quite willing to continue his stay here. After all, he quite liked the atmosphere here. No one disturbed his farming or cultivation.

The two returned to E Yun's courtyard in Divine Wood City. Chen Mobai would soon have his own, along with a shop and a third-grade spiritual vein cave dwelling. At this thought, his desire to leave the Divine Wood Sect faded further.

Yuan Chizhi was already waiting there. "'There's only one bottle of Mind Nourishing Pills left, and no Tranquility Talismans. I did manage to get the Spirit Nurturing Formation, but only because I'm a True Disciple of the Formation Department and went early to snatch it.'"

Upon hearing this, E Yun's brows furrowed. Although his face was ordinary, he now exuded an imposing aura without appearing angry. "'What's going on?'"

"'Ding Ying and Feng Hongxue failed their Foundation Establishment attempts, and each exchanged for a bottle of Mind Nourishing Pills and a Tranquility Talisman. Soon after you left, the Divine Wood Hall announced the upcoming opening of the Divine Tree Secret Realm. The other dozen or so True Disciples who had received Foundation Establishment Pills couldn't wait any longer and exchanged for all spiritual items that could potentially increase their Foundation Establishment success rate.'" Tranquility Talismans and Spirit Nurturing Formations could calm the mind, offering some assistance during the out-of-body experience for those with insufficient divine sense.

"'What about you then? After the Divine Tree Secret Realm opens, it needs a period of nurturing before it can be opened again. If you miss this opportunity, even if you succeed in Foundation Establishment, you'll have to wait another three years.'" Upon hearing this, E Yun realized that Meng Hong was urging Yuan Chizhi and the other True Disciples from the previous generation who had received Foundation Establishment Pills but had been hesitant to take this step. The last time the Divine Tree Secret Realm opened was when he, Hong He, and Zhou Wangshen had all successfully established their foundations.

"'I was just about to tell you about that. How about I use this Spirit Nurturing Formation first?'" Upon hearing this, E Yun turned to look at Chen Mobai, who nodded immediately without hesitation. "'Senior Martial Brother Yuan, please use it. I'll congratulate you here in advance on your successful Foundation Establishment.'" "'Thank you for your auspicious words. Then I'll go into seclusion.'" After speaking, a relieved expression appeared on Yuan Chizhi's face. If it weren't for this order from the Divine Wood Hall, he might not have truly had the courage to take this step.

"'Junior Martial Brother Yuan, this is a 'Heavenly Cicada Spirit Leaf' that I obtained during my last visit to the Divine Tree Secret Realm. I'm still exploring its full functions, but wearing it can clarify your vision and spirit, protect you from external demons, and it might also assist in Foundation Establishment. Take it and use it for now.'" E Yun took out a palm-sized leaf, thin as a cicada's wing, from his storage pouch. Chen Mobai and Yuan Chizhi looked surprised; this was actually a fortuitous encounter E Yun had gained in the Divine Tree Secret Realm. "'Many thanks, Senior Martial Uncle.'" Yuan Chizhi didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it directly.

Chen Mobai also gave him a first-grade superior-quality Revival Talisman, which could aid in a swift recovery if Foundation Establishment failed. It was a gesture of goodwill.