Chapter 110: Foundation Establishment

When a cultivator establishes their foundation, there are three rays of radiant light in total. The first ray represents the Heart-Inquiry Realm. Generally speaking, as long as a person is not overly stubborn or extreme, the second ray will quickly follow.

This second ray tests their cultivation method and level. The light follows the flow of the cultivator’s spiritual energy to complete a grand circulation. If it flows without obstruction, all is well. But if it fails, the attempt at foundation establishment fails. It is worth mentioning that many whose cultivation bases are unstable will take a Foundation Establishment Pill to increase their success rate, and this is the step where the pill takes effect.

Once the second ray of light is passed, foundation establishment is basically a sure thing.

The so-called third ray of light is actually an extra credit question issued by the Heavenly Dao. To put it plainly, foundation establishment is like a cultivator’s elementary-to-middle-school transition exam. Once the basic preschool knowledge assessment is passed, they are in the foundation establishment reserve. The third ray of light is the standard line that separates cultivators into different classes. To put it vividly, it is a placement exam.

Those near the passing line are in the ordinary class, the excellent ones are in the elite class, and the rarest, most outstanding ones are those who approach or achieve Perfect Foundation Establishment.

“I’m so nervous, I’m practically more nervous than Senior Sister Mingjing!”

Bian Chunzhou wiped the sweat from his palms. After the first two rays of light dispersed, the third was the crucial “perfect level.” He had heard that the third ray of light would change according to the cultivator’s characteristics. The normal ones were ordinary changes of wind, frost, rain, and snow, while the outrageous ones had no limit. There had even been cultivators who entered illusion realms to seek immortality.

This was like an elementary school student who had just learned addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division being forced to do calculus. The failure rate was a hundred percent. Furthermore, if a cultivator failed to establish their foundation, the difficulty of a second attempt would double. By extension, after three failures, they could basically say goodbye to ever successfully establishing their foundation.

Of course, disciples of Yonglu Mountain, even outer sect disciples, rarely had to try a second or third time. Most of them only chose to establish their foundation when they were absolutely sure of success. For example, at this very moment, after the third ray of light fell upon Mingjing, a look of struggle began to appear on her expressionless face. It was clear that the trial of the third ray of light held a certain degree of difficulty for her.

Out of the three people, two stared without blinking, but Wen Xu only took a stealthy glance at the very beginning before his attention was drawn to the surrounding wind.

Yonglu Mountain was a massive sect. While one couldn’t say someone advanced every month, every year there were always people who successfully advanced to Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, or Nascent Soul. In the three years since he entered the mountain, he had seen Foundation Establishment and Golden Core advancements from a distance. However, because he wasn’t close to the advancing cultivators, he had only watched from afar. As for the scene of a Nascent Soul advancement, he had never witnessed it.

It wasn’t that no new Nascent Soul True Monarchs had appeared in Yonglu Mountain over the past three years. Rather, after reaching Golden Core, most disciples chose to travel down the mountain. Many cultivators broke through and advanced during their travels. For instance, Little Martial Uncle Zheng Jin had broken through to Nascent Soul during his travels. Not long after returning from the Five Sects Conference, he had left the mountain again with Zhi Lianshan and had not yet returned to the sect.

Of course, with Wen Xu’s current realm, there was really no need for him to watch a Nascent Soul advancement. Even a Golden Core advancement was a bit too much for him. On the contrary, during the process of foundation establishment, he actually saw more when he closed his eyes.

This was a subtle, profound feeling. When he opened his eyes, they would unconsciously fall upon the radiant glow. That was the moment a cultivator was closest to the power of the Heavenly Dao, and no one could resist the temptation of the glow. But when he closed his eyes, the wind became his eyes.

Wind has no shape, but the radiant glow that fell during Senior Sister Mingjing’s foundation establishment mapped it into the “shape of the glow.” Wen Xu discovered that he could actually clearly and distinctly “see” the flow of light. It was like light falling on a lake after a rain, completely straight and clear. And when it fell on Senior Sister Mingjing, the straight, clear light was dyed with Mingjing’s color.

This process was not slow. Wen Xu even held his breath. For a brief moment, he felt as if he were Senior Sister Mingjing. Thus, when he snapped out of it, his mind was racing wildly.

So, this was foundation establishment.

Wen Xu asked himself: Did I really not meet the conditions for foundation establishment? Was I really being too hasty? Or is it that the moment a cultivator feels they can establish their foundation, their mind gains an extra perception?

Wen Xu did not know, so he remained in a daze until Mingjing successfully established her foundation.

When the radiant glow faded, Mingjing slowly opened her eyes. She knew she had succeeded. From now on, she would no longer be shackled by her former self. She would walk a new path and see more scenery. The Jiang Family of the past was already a passing cloud; she should have better and higher goals.

When she truly and completely accepted her current self, foundation establishment became as simple as breathing. A flash of spiritual light crossed her eyes, and her entire aura was more restrained and steady than before. She checked her state; although she had not achieved Perfect Foundation Establishment, she was very close to it.

In the past, she had felt that foundation establishment was the goal of her life, but now, it was only the beginning.

Wen Xu could be said to have watched Mingjing transform step by step into the high-spirited cultivator she was today. From a victim of her parents’ and family’s persecution to an open-minded female cultivator, cultivation was truly a magical and mysterious thing. It could give someone a complete rebirth.

After Mingjing successfully established her foundation today, he could not help but ask her a question.

Mingjing’s answer to him was to believe in himself.

Wen Xu asked himself: Do I not believe in myself enough? Perhaps.

His master had told him before not to easily dismiss his own efforts. Later, after returning from the Five Sects Conference, his master had also said that escaping the invasion of the Demon Seed was not just due to fate, but also a result of his own persistence and hard work.

Wen Xu felt he had taken it to heart and cared more about his own feelings, but thinking about it carefully, it was only superficial, a form of passive compliance.

It seems I really don’t trust myself enough.

Wen Xu had grown up groping his way through life. No one had ever taught him the rules of the world. Therefore, from small matters like food and clothing to major ones like studying and taking the imperial examinations, he always measured himself against others. For example, knowing that passing the provincial exam at eighteen made someone a young genius, he would work toward that goal. Achieving the limit of what others could do was his benchmark.

If there was a path that others had never walked, he would feel panicked and apprehensive. An untrodden path meant the risk of trial and error was very high, which, to him, was unwise.

Rather than saying he did not trust himself, it was more that he feared the high cost of trial and error. He preferred safer, more reliable paths. For example, when it came to learning the sword, he had always let things take their course. It wasn’t that swordplay was bad, but compared to formations, learning the sword did not offer much past experience to draw from. It required him to guide his own progress entirely. Formations, talismans, and even spiritual farming, however, all had complete jade slips to guide him. He only needed to follow them step-by-step, and at least he wouldn’t make mistakes.

Wen Xu suddenly realized that when he was in the Mortal Realm, he had never felt he had so many shortcomings. Now, he could find them one after another. Cultivation was the cultivation of the heart; this was indeed completely true.

Therefore, Wen Xu steadied his breath. So, is my desire to establish my foundation really just because I’m being too hasty?

The record for the youngest age to reach Foundation Establishment in the cultivation world had been set by Bushi at twenty-four. He was twenty-three this year, twenty-four by nominal age, and had only been cultivating for a short three years. Was three years really enough time to accumulate and settle?

He subconsciously wanted to look at others, ranging from Chunzhou and Chen Zui nearby, to the deceased fellow disciples whose records were left in the Library Peak. Then, Wen Xu realized that none of them were him!

He came from the Mortal Realm. Before the age of twenty, he didn’t even know cultivators existed. He was ignorant when he stepped into cultivation, and entering the sect was also just going with the flow. He had not been instilled with the concepts of cultivation since childhood, so… could he assume that he was completely unique, and did not need to strictly follow the rules of the cultivation world?

Perhaps if I had grown up in the cultivation world, with my talent, reaching Foundation Establishment just a little earlier than Sword Venerable Meixi would have been only natural?

Wen Xu thought to himself, My current hesitation is nothing more than fear of the consequences of failing Foundation Establishment.

After a whole night of contemplation, Wen Xu simply took his sword to the Sword Practice Terrace to practice. The Sword Practice Terrace on Guochun Peak was an elevated clearing that had not originally been there. Later, his master told him he could come up here to practice so he could offer guidance, and so he developed the habit of practicing on the terrace.

There was no denying that practicing his swordplay calmed his mind. With this thought, Wen Xu’s movements grew increasingly swift. Executing the Jianfeng Sword Art on Guochun Peak felt far more natural and fluid than anywhere else, like a fish returning to water. He even became somewhat obsessed with this feeling of merging as one with the heavens, the earth, and the mountains.

After a long time, Wen Xu sat on the ground, panting heavily as the pale light of dawn began to break on the horizon.

This was the sunrise on Guochun Peak. Wen Xu had seen it many times, but in truth, he was not someone who easily noticed beauty. Just like now, as he looked up at the horizon, he did not feel there was anything special about today’s sunrise.

He thought, Maybe I should just forget it and wait until next year to attempt Foundation Establishment. My cultivation might be more stable by then. Others don’t reach Foundation Establishment until they are twenty-four or twenty-five. Why do I have to rush? If my foundation is unstable, it will only invite ridicule.

A single year was something he could afford to wait, Wen Xu told himself.

Yet for some reason, after making this choice, an unbearable ache suddenly clawed at his heart. Wen Xu reached out and touched the Zhefeng Sword lying in the snow. Zhe Feng let out a low, muffled hum, trembling from side to side as if resisting the grip of a coward like him.

Wen Xu froze, only to realize: Oh, so I’m unwilling to accept this.

He clearly possessed exceptional talent, had a master at the Body Integration stage to protect him, had joined a major sect, and had friends and fellow disciples. Yet, he still did not dare to try, did not dare to take a risky step. What on earth was he afraid of?

Wen Xu stood frozen on the spot. In an instant, the wind whipped snow particles against his face. They fell into his heart as well, slowly settling at the very bottom.

At that very moment, the round sun, rising just as it did every day, leaped into his field of vision. It was bright red and exceptionally beautiful.

Wen Xu thought, Actually, there is nothing to fear. At worst, I will just have to attempt Foundation Establishment a second time. Just as Master said, there is nothing to fear from demons either. The cultivation world has gone through so much, yet the sun still rises every single day.

The world was still here, and so was he. There was nothing to fear.

Wen Xu reached out to grip Zhe Feng and sat down right where he was, his mind instantly clearing: I will reach Foundation Establishment, right here and now.