Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

Long separations make reunions feel like a wedding night.

That evening, after a series of intense encounters, they were both spent.

The passion of the process was so intimate that it wasn’t meant for others to know.

Afterwards!

Zhou Hong lay lazily and weakly cuddled in Chen Li’s embrace, and after a long while, suddenly let out a chuckle.

Chen Li was puzzled, "Why are you suddenly laughing out of the blue?"

"I never imagined that my man would become a Foundation Establishment great cultivator; it feels like I’m dreaming," Zhou Hong tightened her grip on Chen Li and whispered as if talking in her sleep.

"Haven’t you always said that I’m a genius?" Chen Li stroked Zhou Hong’s smooth back and smiled, "In the future, our days will only get better. We won’t have to live in fear like we did in the Green River District!"

That night, the two of them exchanged intimate whispers all night long.

Only when the sky began to lighten did Zhou Hong finally succumb to sleep from sheer exhaustion.

Chen Li, who had traveled continuously for several days and had not slept the night before, was still full of vitality. He quietly got out of bed and used a Cleaning Skill to remove the traces of last night’s joy.

Next, he picked up his robe, preparing to put it on, but suddenly discovered that the robe had several small tears and was severely worn in many places.

"When did this happen?" Chen Li muttered to himself.

This was a top-grade robe of the first order, with material that was extremely flexible and impervious to water and fire, and difficult to damage with ordinary weapons. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to wear it for decades with ease.

He thought back for a long time but couldn’t recall any recent incident where something had come close enough to attack him.

"Could it be the practice of Gang Qi that damaged the robe!" he pondered.

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to be the case.

Gang Qi and protective shields such as the Protective Shield were different; the former clung close to the body while the latter was a mana shield with some distance from the body.

Spiritual Power may seem gentle and tame within the body, but once transmuted by secret techniques into protective Gang Qi, it’s utterly violent, akin to ignited gasoline, and can only be described as explosive.

"It seems that first-order robes are simply not suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators!" Chen Li considered, "That’s going to be another considerable expense."

Luckily, he still had a sizable savings, currently possessing 34 top-grade Spirit Stones.

Zhou Hong had returned all the money at home to him the night before.

So, there was no need to worry about this financial matter.

He took out a spare robe from his storage bag, put it on, and tidied up his hair meticulously, feeling that he now looked the part of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, before he leisurely walked out of the bedroom.

He poured himself a cup of Spiritual Tea, comfortably sitting by the door.

The sky was still dimly lit, an early summer morning with a refreshing breeze, the air crisp and fresh.

In a corner of the yard, an unknown wildflower grew carefree, its dew-laden buds quivering in the early morning, releasing a faint fragrance.

Chen Li gently sipped his Spiritual Tea.

It had been a while since he felt this completely relaxed.

His whole body was filled with a serene sense of peace.

In the entire Longevity Domain... no, the Returning True realm, there were probably only about thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators, a truly rare breed.

With this step forward, he had entered another world, with boundless possibilities ahead of him.

His status, position, class, strength, and lifespan all significantly improved, and he was no longer the same as a Loose Cultivator.

"Ah, in the future, I’ll lose most of my troubles!"

"However, the Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique is indeed a problem, and I have no idea how those families obtained theirs?" Chen Li pondered internally, "And I also need to understand the Returning True Sect’s stance toward Loose Cultivators who reach Foundation Establishment. It seems that I will need to pay visits in all directions next."

Fortunately, the issue with the Cultivation Technique was not urgent.

Chen Li planned to wait a while before addressing it.

As he had just reached Foundation Establishment, he was not yet fully accustomed to his new power. Plus, given that he would be interacting with other Foundation Establishment cultivators, he had to be extra careful when dealing with such figures.

At the very least, he should first master the Gang Qi to an expert level, where its power would increase further, providing him with an added layer of self-defense in case of conflict.

He was aware of his own limitations.

Although he had managed to kill Zhou Xutang when he was merely at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation.

Now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, his strength was far greater than before, but that assassination was premeditated, and his opponent was completely unprepared, which couldn’t be considered a measurement of true strength. By his own estimation, he was only in the range of an ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Definitely not beyond mid-stage Foundation Establishment!

Chen Li leaned back in his chair, sipping tea while his thoughts wandered.

As the sky gradually brightened and the shops in Luoluo City began to open, he finished the now cold tea and went back inside to put down the cup.

He leaped over the courtyard wall and headed to the shops, ready to sell a large amount of Spiritual Medicine and Second Order Demon Beast bones he had on hand.

After visiting several shops and selling all his items, he earned a total of more than 160 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

The majority of the income came from the Second Order Demon Beast bones. As for the array of Spiritual Medicine and various other items he acquired along the way, they only sold for eight Mid-grade Spirit Stones, which was at least better than nothing.

On his way back, he passed by Zhang Yan’s house and his steps involuntarily paused.

Now that he had returned.

It felt right to say hello.

He walked up and knocked on the door.

"Bang bang bang!"

"Old Zhang, open the door quickly!"

"Who is it, so early in the morning!" A rough voice came from inside — Zhang Yan’s. The door soon creaked open, and upon seeing the younger-looking Chen Li, he was stunned, pointing at Chen Li as if he had seen a ghost, "You... you... you..."

"What about me? You don’t recognize me anymore?" Chen Li pushed open the courtyard door and walked in.

Zhang Yan was dazed for a moment, then suddenly pinched his thigh hard. The sharp pain brought him back to his senses. He hurriedly closed the door and followed with quick steps, his face a mix of shock and complexity, "You... you’ve achieved Foundation Establishment!?"

"Not long ago, I was fortunate to establish my foundation. I just returned to Luoluo City yesterday and came to see you today," Chen Li said with a smile.

"Wow, that truly is an honored guest at the door. Shu, your uncle is here, quickly serve the tea!" Zhang Yan suppressed his emotions and quickly put on a beaming smile.

"Ah, is uncle back?" An excited voice came from inside the house. Zhang Shuniang soon appeared at the doorstep; upon seeing Chen Li, she paused, her eyes turning round and round as she stared at him.

"Have I become better-looking again?" Chen Li teased with a smile.

Hearing this, Zhang Shuniang snapped back to her senses, her face flushing red with shyness, "Uncle! I... I’ll go make you some tea right now."

Saying so, she ran back inside like a startled little deer.

Sigh, the little girl from back then has grown up, no fun to tease anymore.

"She’s so grown up, yet she doesn’t even have the slightest sense of manners," Zhang Yan scolded, then quickly added with an apologetic smile, "Chen... Elder, please don’t take offense."

"What kind of relationship do we have? We’ve known each other for so many years. Calling me ’Elder’ just creates distance. After all, you’re still a few years older than me. How it was before is how it should be in the future; no need for such formality."

"That won’t do, it won’t do at all. How could a mere Qi Cultivator like myself dare to address an Elder as a fellow daoist? If others found out, they would think I’m arrogant and ignorant," Zhang Yan said hastily, waving his hands. Looking at Chen Li’s young, handsome face, his heart was filled with mixed feelings, indescribable.

The other was still young, but he was starting to age.

Chen Li said it several times, but Zhang Yan insisted on using that form of address. In the end, Chen Li had no choice but to let him be. In the world of cultivation, strength is respected, and the hierarchy is stark and unyielding.

Zhang Shuniang brought over the tea, her cheeks blushing: "Uncle, have some tea."

She took the opportunity to steal a few more glances at him secretly.

Chen Li thanked her and chatted with Zhang Yan for a while, but he didn’t stay long before leaving.

...

After seeing off Chen Li,

Zhang Yan closed the courtyard door and went back inside with his daughter. He plopped down in a chair and sighed to her, "I never thought Chen would have established his foundation so soon. It hasn’t been that long; it really is true that you can’t compare people."

"Uncle has always been amazing. If he hadn’t been delayed in his youth, he would have been able to establish his foundation a long time ago," Zhang Shuniang said.

Hearing this, Zhang Yan couldn’t help feeling a twinge of frustration.

This daughter of his.

The more she grew up, the less close to his heart she became.

Always turning her elbow outwards.

"I was held back because of you when I was young!" Zhang Yan huffed, "If it weren’t for having you as a burden, I would have... I would have reached the late stage of Qi Cultivation long ago."

Zhang Yan had wanted to say Foundation Establishment, but he felt somewhat uncertain.

Having said it, though, he felt even more depressed.

"I know it’s been hard for Dad to raise me, and that it’s delayed your cultivation. I will definitely be more filial to you in the future," Zhang Shuniang quickly said in a sweet, coaxing voice.

"That’s more like it!" Zhang Yan’s mood softened slightly upon hearing this, "Go on, make me another cup of tea!"

...

Chen Li did not deliberately hide the news of his Foundation Establishment, and it quickly spread throughout the neighborhood.

Gu Mengqing, Zhao Chang Er, and others came to congratulate Chen Li on his Foundation Establishment.

Even the Yu Family sent a gift, though they did not visit in person, after hearing the news.

Whether in the former Longevity Domain or in the current Returning True realm, the number of Foundation Establishments remains largely unchanged, typically only adding one every few years, and that includes the numbers from within the sects.

The probability of a Loose Cultivator achieving it was even smaller.

Every occurrence was an extraordinary event.

So much so that every time he went out, Chen Li could feel all kinds of respectful, curious, and awe-struck gazes, to the point that he had to disguise himself before going out if he wanted some peace; fortunately, Chen Li did not go out often.

Before Chen Li had even perfected his Gang Qi to an expert level,

people from the Returning True Sect had already sought him out.

"Junior Zhang Songlin, an external affairs executive of the Returning True Sect, pays his respects to Elder Chen. Congratulations on your Foundation Establishment!" The visitor was a middle-aged Qi Cultivating cultivator who seemed amiable, evidently accustomed to handling such matters.

Chen Li welcomed him into his home.

"There’s no need for formalities, please sit down. May I know the reason for your sect’s visit?"

"I wonder what Elder Chen’s plans are after establishing your foundation. Do you intend to stay in the Returning True realm, or are you planning to leave?" Zhang Songlin enquired respectfully, "Additionally, Elder Chen, you haven’t established your cultivation technique for Foundation Establishment, have you?"

"I haven’t decided yet. If you have something to say, please speak frankly!" Chen Li frowned slightly.

"The junior has come for two reasons: firstly, of course, to congratulate Elder Chen on your Foundation Establishment, and secondly to invite Elder Chen to become a Guest Elder of the Returning True Sect. In return, the sect will provide the cultivation techniques you require for your training and allow you to choose a cave dwelling on a Third Order spiritual land to facilitate your cultivation. After serving for twenty years, Elder Chen will be free to come and go as you please." Zhang Songlin clarified his intentions.

PS: Sorry for being late today; consider this Chapter for yesterday.