Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

Chen Li remained stunned for a while before he regained his senses. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He looked around him.

He saw that radiant spiritual light was dissipating from his body, tiny points of light twinkling nearby, emitting a subtle yet incessant pressure.

"The opportunity for Foundation Establishment... so that’s what it is..." A multitude of feelings flooded his heart, "After waiting for more than half a year, I’ve finally... finally awaited this moment!"

He immediately left without lingering.

Swift as the wind, he returned to the cave, and then he pushed out a colossal stone ball weighing over ten tons, rumbling loudly as he rolled it to the cave entrance to seal it.

The cave swiftly darkened, lit only by a faint halo emanating from his body, providing a slight illumination.

Chen Li sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.

He took out various elixirs from his storage bag, arranging them neatly within arm’s reach.

Foundation Establishment Elixirs, Qi Nurturing Elixirs, Qi and Blood Elixirs, Fasting Pills; and in case the Foundation Establishment failed, he had Healing Elixirs, Solid Foundation Nourishing Origin Elixirs, Muscle Regeneration and Bone Continuation Elixirs — a full range of elixirs.

He meticulously checked them over, and before he knew it, he became lost in thought once again.

He couldn’t help but smile at himself.

"Success is my fortune, failure is my fate. At this point, there’s no room for hesitation. Success or failure lies in this one battle," he murmured.

He picked up a bottle of Foundation Establishment Elixirs, pulled out the stopper, and dumped a reddish Foundation Establishment Elixir into his palm. It rolled around as he gritted his teeth, without the slightest hesitation, he tilted his head back and swallowed it.

Then he sat cross-legged and began to run his cultivation technique.

The Foundation Establishment Elixir, like a piece of burning coal, started to dissolve with the medicinal power, setting his stomach ablaze, which spread the heat throughout his body; his skin reddened as if on fire, and then his whole body began to itch unbearably.

At first nearly imperceptible, the sensation quickly intensified, even penetrating deep into the bones as if countless ants were gnawing at him.

Simultaneously, the spiritual power inside his body circulated faster and faster, the spiritual pressure mounting, not only exerting great stress on his meridians but even giving his body an illusion of exploding.

An attack from within and without.

Chen Li had never imagined Foundation Establishment could be so painful.

In fact, he didn’t know that for another person undertaking Foundation Establishment, the pain would be a hundred times worse, the discomfort a hundred times stronger, the torment a hundred times more grueling.

Foundation Establishment is essentially a process of rebirth and transformation, of cleansing the marrow and changing the tendons. Fortunately for Chen Li, who had achievements in Body Refinement, most of this process had already been completed in advance, and in terms of physical strength, he was no less than a standard early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Time ticked away, second by second, and the spiritual power within his body, under immense spiritual pressure, began to compress, becoming denser and gradually giving off a sensation of liquefaction... a protracted transformation process.

As the power of the Foundation Establishment Elixir faded, and the internal transformation ended, his previously pained expression grew calm, and he gradually entered a deep meditative state.

...

A month later.

Chen Li suddenly awoke from deep meditation, exhaled a breath of foul air, and slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light briefly flashing in his gaze.

He was bewildered, as if he had just awakened from a big dream, momentarily unsure of where he was.

It was only after a long while that he slowly regained his senses.

The dense, liquid spiritual energy within his body flowed smoothly; he felt as if he was soaked in a hot spring — utterly comfortable. His consciousness felt exceptionally clear, his thoughts seemed to move much faster.

Memories he thought he had forgotten emerged clearly, and even his Spiritual Sense expanded several fold, reaching a radius of over thirty meters, clearer than ever before.

"Have I... established my Foundation?" he muttered to himself.

He looked around, the scene was a mess, various porcelain bottles and elixirs all shattered, even the backup Foundation Establishment Elixir was thoroughly destroyed. Normally, he would feel a painful loss, but at this moment, it didn’t linger in his mind at all.

He quickly checked his game panel.

The original "Realm: Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation: 100/100"

Had changed to "Realm: Foundation Establishment First Layer: 1/100"

And his lifespan, from "Lifespan: 46/142 years old"

Had changed to "Lifespan: 46/268 years old"

"Ah, with such a long life, how shall I live?"

A surge of intense joy filled his body and mind, and he couldn’t help but reveal a slight smile, which quickly grew into a large grin, finally bursting into hearty laughter echoing throughout the cave:

"From now on, I too am a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

From the difficult survival after his initial transmigration, to the cautiousness in Luoluo City, and now, after a full six years, he had finally reached Foundation Establishment.

He rose from the meditation cushion, took control of his somewhat unfamiliar body, and slowly stepped towards the cave entrance. He felt incredibly light, without the slightest sense of heaviness; even walking induced a desire to soar.

It was indeed so.

After taking a few difficult steps, with a mere thought, his feet left the ground and hovered.

No need for Magic Artifacts or Spells — a Foundation Establishment cultivator could naturally fly.

He floated to the massive stone blocking the cave entrance, raised his hand tentatively, and with a single swing, spiritual energy instantly responding to his will, he shattered the stone with a booming sound.

A mass of broken rocks tumbled down the mountainside.

"Is this the release of Gang Qi from Foundation Establishment? Excellent!" He reveled, comparing to the loose spiritual power of the Qi Cultivation Stage, the spiritual power of Foundation Establishment was many times more powerful.

Chen Li looked into the distance; outside it was a bright sunny day, the vegetation lush and verdant. It was deep autumn when he first arrived here, and now it was the height of summer.

At this moment, the entire world seemed to peel away a mysterious veil in his eyes, revealing an unprecedented reality. He could see the Earth’s magnetic field, the Spiritual Energy in the air, and even more things beyond his understanding.