CHAPTER 21
— Establishing the Immortal Foundation —
While Ding Ding's fragile young heart was shattered by the true nature Ye Zhiqiu had inadvertently revealed, prompting him to volunteer to move to Lichen Peak—He Gu's subordinate peak—under the guise of recuperation and immerse himself in rigorous cultivation, Tong Tong, still unconscious in her cave dwelling on Luoxia Peak, was also forced into cultivation mode by her master's decision.
Based on the principle of "saving someone thoroughly and seeing them through to the end," as well as Ye Zhiqiu's casual entrustment, Su Yan had no choice but to surrender her beloved soft bed to someone who claimed to be cultivating diligently but was actually just sleeping soundly. She also had to provide round-the-clock bedside care, never leaving for fear of returning to find a cold corpse lying on the bed.
In a way, Tong Tong's accidental consumption of eight Baining Pills turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Due to her unique constitution, even eighteen Baining Pills wouldn't have been a problem—rendering Su Yan's efforts, under Ye Zhiqiu's guidance, to protect her heart meridian with true essence unnecessary, as she had feared Tong Tong's meridians would shatter from the violent surge of internal energy.
On the third day of Tong Tong's continued unconsciousness, the protective barrier of Luoxia Peak was breached.
Su Yan sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed, suppressing the sweetness rising in her throat, and waved for the anxious Jiya to retreat. She turned her head calmly to look at the newcomer—dressed in a purple robe and crystal crown, with eyes like autumn water, features dignified yet stern, and an aura so pure it seemed untouched by worldly dust.
"May I ask what brings Elder Yuan here?" As the second most powerful figure in Chonghua—a fact known to very few—yet willingly serving as a mere transmission elder in Qingyun Hall, Yuan Qiongshuang's mystery was hidden beneath her icy exterior, making her unfathomable.
True to her reputation as an expressionless figure, Yuan Qiongshuang glanced at Su Yan, seemingly letting out a faint laugh, though no emotion showed on her face. "I am not here for you."
With a light rustle of her robe, she appeared by the bedside in a flash. Under Su Yan's piercing gaze, she reached out and placed her hand on Tong Tong's wrist.
After a moment of contemplation, a flicker of surprise crossed Yuan Qiongshuang's eyes. She then helped Tong Tong sit up, placing one hand against her back and slowly channeling her own spiritual energy into her.
Watching her actions coldly, though unable to guess her intentions, Su Yan knew she meant no harm to Tong Tong. After a moment's thought, she spoke up, "Elder Yuan, she—"
"She's fine." Yuan Qiongshuang cut her off coldly without even glancing her way.
"..." A flash of irritation crossed Su Yan's jade-like face, but curiosity still drove her to ask, "Then you—"
"I'm not healing her injuries." As if she had long anticipated Su Yan's question, Yuan Qiongshuang once again mercilessly cut her off.
Even a clay Buddha has its temper, let alone the proud and arrogant Su Yan, who had been raised with such pride. Being interrupted repeatedly, her anger surged uncontrollably, yet she suppressed it out of respect for her elder. She simply closed her eyes resentfully, ignoring the situation and focusing on her meditation.
Unexpectedly, her sulky demeanor piqued Yuan Qiongshuang's interest, prompting her to take the initiative to explain, "Though this child's talent may not match yours, she is blessed with strong fortune. In just a few months, she has successfully cultivated Qi, and now, she is about to establish her Immortal Foundation [Foundation Establishment]."
With a sudden snap, Su Yan opened her eyes, ignoring the other's keen gaze. She looked with a complex expression at Tong Tong, unconscious and cradled in Yuan Qiongshuang's arms. 'To think this clumsy girl is actually about to reach Foundation Establishment?'
Although Foundation Establishment is only the first hurdle in the path of cultivation, it is not an easy one to cross—even someone like Ding Ding, with his mutated spiritual roots, spent twenty years without breaking through to Foundation Establishment.
Unlike forming the Golden Core or condensing the Nascent Soul, establishing the Immortal Foundation does not require overcoming inner demons or enduring heavenly tribulations. It simply demands a vast amount of spiritual energy to lay the groundwork and fill the meridians—a process crucial to the speed of future cultivation.
If the meridians are solidified and strengthened during Foundation Establishment, the internal energy cultivated afterward will be more profound, providing an advantage in combat and accelerating subsequent cultivation.
Thus, Foundation Establishment is the key to laying the groundwork for future cultivation.
Typically, after reaching the peak of Qi Refining, one would seek a place abundant in spiritual energy to prepare for the breakthrough into Foundation Establishment. The process of gathering heaven and earth's spiritual energy to fill the meridians begins during the Qi Refining stage and continues until enough spiritual energy is stored to unblock the key points and expand the meridians. This often takes years, even decades. Someone like Su Yan, who successfully reached Foundation Establishment within a year, is an absolute rarity.
According to Yuan Qiongshuang's implication, Tong Tong faced the possibility of reaching Foundation Establishment within a year. If this news spread throughout the cultivation world, it would undoubtedly cause a major uproar.
"Jealous?" Yuan Qiongshuang's expression remained as indifferent as ever, yet her tone carried a hint of teasing mischief.
Su Yan frowned but did not respond, simply closing her eyes once more.
Her spiritual senses, however, detected Yuan Qiongshuang feeding Tong Tong a pill before beginning to guide her internal energy.
A series of soft pops followed—sounds Su Yan knew all too well. They were the sounds of key points being unblocked!
Ignoring Yuan Qiongshuang, Su Yan remained silent with a cold expression, her mind racing to guess the elder's true intentions.
Seeing Su Yan shift from hostility to indifference, a flicker of intrigue lit up Yuan Qiongshuang's clear eyes before fading back into a stillness even more unreadable than Su Yan's own impassive demeanor.
"The disciple she taught, how could he be so dull..." Muttering a few words, she placed Tong Tong on the bed, then vanished from Su Yan's cave in a flash—just as silently as she had arrived. Even after breaking three layers of restrictions, she caused no disturbance.
From this, it was clear that her cultivation was at least at the Nascent Soul stage or higher, and she had a close relationship with her master—truly something to ponder.
Su Yan glanced at Tong Tong, who lay peacefully on the bed, breathing steadily with a rosy complexion, the picture of a healthy baby. Only then did she close her eyes and focus on regulating her internal energy—the destruction of the restrictions around Luoxia Peak had left her with minor internal injuries.
Though she cleared her mind of all distractions, a trace of doubt toward Yuan Qiongshuang and dissatisfaction with the silly girl beside her, who possessed such astonishing luck, remained.
Thus, when Tong Tong finally woke up half a year later after successfully reaching Foundation Establishment, Su Yan rose without a word and left, not even sparing her another glance. She simply left Jiya to watch over her and flew off on her sword to inform her master, Ye Zhiqiu.
"Hey! Don't go! Don't leave me all alone! Hey—" Tong Tong cried out tearfully, sprawled on Su Yan's bed, but the other only left her with a carefree retreating figure. Fuming, Tong Tong gnawed at the bedsheet beneath her, tearing at it as if it were someone in particular.
Unable to understand what she had done to offend the other, Tong Tong was utterly confused and could only stew in her anger—well, vent her fury in front of another bystander.
"Little Jiya, tell me, isn't your master just too awful? Abandoning a young girl in the prime of her life—is that something a gentleman would do?" Turning to the Zhubo leaning lazily against the doorway, Tong Tong complained bitterly while clutching her empty stomach. "That big iceberg must be the kind of person they say is a gentleman on the surface but a perv3rt underneath! Couldn't he at least leave me something to eat?"
Ignoring the thick mockery in Jiya's golden eyes, Tong Tong continued rolling around on the sheet that carried a mix of pine scent and her favorite mint fragrance. "Little Jiya, I'm hungry... Could you go find something to eat? You understand what I'm saying, right? You're very smart, right? Go on, go on..." She showed no discomfort at all in acting coquettishly toward a fierce beast.
Harassed relentlessly by her incessant whining, Jiya bared its teeth, its golden eyes looking helplessly at the sky. With a flick of its tail, it headed toward the cave entrance—this lord needs to stay far away from this foolish woman!
"Little Jiya, I knew you were the best! Oh, right! Don't bring back the feed you eat..." Thinking she was about to get her wish, Tong Tong cheerfully instructed, only to make the beast, which had already reached the cave entrance, stumble—grinding its teeth, it suppressed the violent urge to tear her to pieces and reluctantly chose a sunny patch of ground to lie down and sleep.
—'Stupid human! This lord can't be bothered with you! Go find your own food! Hmph...'
"Master, she's awake." Su Yan paused, then added, "Her foundation has been successfully established."
"Oh, Little Seven truly is blessed with great fortune." Ye Zhiqiu glanced at her disciple's serious expression and teased with a smile, "Yan'er, come to think of it, Little Seven has reached Foundation Establishment even earlier than you did! What are your thoughts?"
—'Why do these two ask such similar questions?'
"This disciple has no thoughts on the matter." Su Yan pursed her lips, then hesitated before adding, "Little Junior Sister's success in Foundation Establishment should also be credited to a certain person."
"Oh? Who is it?" Ye Zhiqiu raised an eyebrow, noticing her unusual expression.
"Elder Yuan." Su Yan stared intently at her master's face, trying to discern something from her expression—but was disappointed.
Ginger is spicier when old. Upon hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu's expression remained unchanged, the curve of her lips unwavering, and even her gaze showed no hint of hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
T/N: [Ginger is spicier when old is an idiom meaning "older people are more experienced/shrewd.]
"Elder Yuan, is it? I understand," she nodded, offering no further comment and simply shifted the topic with a faint smile. "Since Little Seven has woken up, why not take her down the mountain to buy some clothes? The market in Chaohua Town is bustling right now."
—Chaohua Town was the most prosperous town at the foot of Chonghua Sect. Every year at this time, a large number of merchants and vendors would set up stalls here, including those specializing in cultivation supplies. Over time, it had evolved into a highly influential event, attracting not only disciples of Chonghua Sect but also followers from other sects.
Just as Su Yan nodded and turned to leave, Ye Zhiqiu's gentle voice added with a hint of playfulness, "Same as always: Rose Dew from Jiannan Winery, Vegetarian Smoked Fish from Lugu Hall, Crispy Sugar Cakes from Xu Fuji, and spices from Mulan Workshop—oh, and don't forget the Tanghulu [candied hawthorn] seller at the northern corner of Yunwu Alley—get two sticks."
"...Understood." Su Yan bowed, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. Who would have thought that her dignified and graceful master shared the same inexplicable obsession with food as that silly girl Tong Tong?
Perhaps this was the real reason she took her in as a disciple...
Muttering silently to herself about her master, Su Yan didn't notice that after she left, the smile on Ye Zhiqiu's face vanished. Her beautiful eyes lowered slightly, as if lost in memory. "Shuangshuang..."
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