Chapter 72: Charging at Foundation Establishment!

The next day, Lu Yang left the Refining Arts Secret Realm.

As for what happened inside the secret realm, he naturally kept his mouth shut. Luo Wuya also maintained silence, as if Lu Yang had never visited the secret realm at all.

As for the Yun Family Ancestor’s soul, it had already been cleaned up by Perfected One Yin Shan. Lu Yang was happy to quietly make a fortune and naturally wouldn’t go around blabbing. To put Perfected One Yin Shan at ease, after leaving the secret realm, he simply didn’t go far, directly excavating a Cave Abode within Yin Mountain to settle down.

Cultivating in the mountains knows no years; in the blink of an eye, another ten springs and autumns passed.

On this day, Lu Yang awoke with a start from his seclusion. He opened his eyes to look at the Dao-Illuminating Jade Slip that hadn’t left his hand for ten years, only to find several cracks had surprisingly appeared on it.

“It seems this secret treasure also has its limits…”

Over the past ten years, he had been urging this secret treasure almost constantly. Thanks to it, his attainments in various fields had made considerable progress.

Formation Arts, Talisman Arts, Cultivation Base.

And most importantly, the secret method to master the Grand Yin Corpse Liberation Transformation True Method without triggering [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes]—he had finally deduced it.

Lu Yang named it the Yin Spirit Ghost Immortal Method.

To put it plainly, it was actually a method of feigning death. It involved guarding the soul internally, keeping the will from scattering, and upon physical death, the Yin Spirit would emerge, allowing the soul to remain in the world.

Using this secret method, Lu Yang could adjust his soul to a state approximating that of a Foundation Establishment Perfected One. Thus, after his physical body died, he wouldn’t enter reincarnation. This fulfilled the condition of ‘Death and then Transformation’ required to master the Grand Yin Corpse Liberation Transformation True Method without triggering [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes].

“In the next life, I shall make this my goal.”

After all, just mastering The Sage Steals took him decades.

The Grand Yin Corpse Liberation Transformation True Method was only stronger, not weaker, compared to it. The time required would likely be even longer, so there was definitely no hope in this life.

Thinking of this, Lu Yang took out another jade slip.

Recorded within was a secret method called ‘Stealing Heaven’s Mystery,’ which Zhao Xuhe had traded to him back in the day, placing a confidentiality restriction on it.

If mastered, it could increase the chance of Foundation Establishment by another ten percent!

Lu Yang reached out and tapped it lightly. As expected, after eighty years, the restriction on the jade slip had dissipated. He easily saw the contents within.

“Senior Brother Zhao was an honest person; there are actually no omissions, and he even wrote annotations.”

While firmly memorizing the art of Stealing Heaven’s Mystery, Lu Yang sighed with emotion: “Oh right, Senior Brother Zhao still owes me money in this life. I can’t forget that in the next life…”

Another month passed before Lu Yang left the Cave Abode.

However, this time, he heard news that greatly surprised him: Luo Wuya, the Second Senior Brother of the Three Rivers Society, charged at Foundation Establishment, failed, and perished.

“How could this be…”

Inside Perfected One Yin Shan’s Cave Abode, Lu Yang sighed deeply: “I had a close friendship with Senior Brother Luo. I thought that upon exiting seclusion this time, I could drink wine and share joy with him…”

Perfected One Yin Shan shook his head upon hearing this: “It’s a pity about Number Two. His technique was the Saint Sect’s True Inheritance Heavenly Works True Scripture. The ‘Heavenly Works Precious Qi’ refined upon perfection ranks Grade 3. Besides that, he also mastered a Great Divine Ability and had a Foundation Establishment Pill. He should have had a thirty percent hope of breaking through.”

Foundation Establishment is difficult, harder than ascending to the blue sky.

Lu Yang was already a centenarian in this life. Luo Wuya was only older, not younger. A thirty percent hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment was already worth risking his life for.

It was just a pity he lost the gamble.

Perfected One Yin Shan sighed for a while, then looked at Lu Yang: “I observe that your exit from seclusion this time indicates you have made up your mind and intend to charge at Foundation Establishment?”

“Senior Brother sees clearly.”

Lu Yang cupped his hands, took out the Yun Family Ancestor’s soul, returned it to Perfected One Yin Shan, and said in a deep voice: “After seeing Senior Brother, I plan to enter seclusion.”

“You… truly are a talent; you should be cultivating in the Saint Sect.” Perfected One Yin Shan stroked his beard and smiled: “Thinking about it now, I actually regret hooking your Qi destiny at Skull Mountain back then, causing you to waste thirty years for nothing. Otherwise, if you were thirty years younger, your hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment would be greater.”

Lu Yang shook his head: “Senior Brother praises me too much.”

“I never speak empty words.” Perfected One Yin Shan shook his head, then with a wave of his hand, a jade tablet landed in front of Lu Yang. Written on it were two large characters: Ascension.

“The Ascension Token I didn’t give you back at Skull Mountain because you exchanged it for the Dao-Illuminating Jade Slip… Number Two couldn’t use it, and Number Three died early on the battlefield of the Orthodox and Demonic paths.”

“Take it.”

Lu Yang was stunned, then hurriedly waved his hand: “Senior Brother is too kind, I cannot accept this…”

“Cut the crap.” Perfected One Yin Shan looked impatient: “If I tell you to take it, take it. If you can truly achieve Foundation Establishment, it will count as forging a good karmic tie.”

Lu Yang had no choice but to accept the Ascension Token, and a few expectations suddenly rose in his heart: His intention in charging at Foundation Establishment this time was merely to accumulate experience for the next life. But now, with Grade 3 True Qi, The Sage Steals, and adding this Ascension Token, he actually had a thirty percent hope?

There wouldn’t be any conspiracy, right?

Thinking of this, Lu Yang found it somewhat funny. It couldn’t be helped; there were too many ‘talents’ in the Saint Sect. Unprovoked help really made him unable to set his mind at ease.

‘But even if there is a conspiracy, I accept it.’

‘Anyway, even if I die in this life, I plan to die on the road to charging at Foundation Establishment. Success or death—whether there is a conspiracy or not doesn’t matter.’

‘If there really is a conspiracy, at worst, I’ll guard against it in the next life…’

Thinking of this, Lu Yang stopped hesitating. He stood up and bowed respectfully to Perfected One Yin Shan, then turned and left directly.

Little did he know that after he left, another figure appeared beside Perfected One Yin Shan.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance. Between his brows lay a soaring sharpness, as if nothing under heaven could stump him.

Perfected One Yin Shan spoke first: “How is he?”

“…No good.”

The newcomer shook his head: “The best age to break through to Foundation Establishment should be seventy or eighty. This person is over a hundred; the hope of breaking through is minimal.”

“It’s a pity that although he cultivated the Grand Yin Corpse Liberation Transformation True Method, he didn’t complete the final transformation to refine the stature of ‘Corpse Liberation Immortal.’ Otherwise, it would add another ten percent chance of winning… With one less Foundation Establishment Perfected One to help, I fear the two of us alone cannot break into that place.”

“Let’s hope he succeeds.”

“If not, we can only risk inviting an outsider to help.”

Perfected One Yin Shan looked helpless: “Senior Brother Chong Guang, you are already at the Perfection of Foundation Establishment. Adding the reincarnation of the Master of the ‘Overturned Lamp Fire,’ this opportunity must not be missed, for it will not come again.”

“Indeed. Things having reached this stage, we have only one gamble.”

Perfected One Chong Guang looked resolute as he said: “Success is my fortune, failure is my fate. Moreover, the Millennial Tribulation is approaching. Without becoming a Perfected Lord, how can one be the chess player?”

“It is nothing more than the difference between dying early and dying late!”

“At least dying for a breakthrough is far better than having one’s mind clouded by tribulation when the great calamity arrives, becoming someone else’s pawn, and finally dying in ignorance.”

“You and I have both charged at Foundation Establishment; we should understand this principle.”

“What Senior Brother says is very true.”

Perfected One Yin Shan nodded, seemingly recalling various events of the past, then sighed: “Qi Refining cannot transcend, and Foundation Establishment finds it hard to seek freedom.”

“The way of the world is just so.”

Perfected One Chong Guang’s tone was cold: “Otherwise, why would there be the sayings of Perfected One (Zhenren) and Perfected Lord (Zhenjun)?”

“Qi Refining cultivators, no matter how amazing, are just ‘materials’ (Cai) that can be consumed at any time.”

“Only by breaking through to Foundation Establishment will one be treated as a Human (Ren). And only by achieving the Golden Core can one be considered a Sovereign (Jun) who stands high above and rules over ten thousand people!”

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