Chương 221: Chapter 110: A Month of Seclusion, The Dao of Foundation Establishment

In the realm of cultivation, time held no meaning. A single breath of deep meditation could pass, and a thousand years might slip away like dust in the wind. Of course, Reyn's current realm was nowhere near such a transcendent height. Yet, his latest stint of secluded cultivation had already stretched past a full month. During this time, Xing Tianxie and Ling You'er had both come searching for him.

But upon arriving before his courtyard and witnessing the glowing defensive restrictions sealing the boundary, they paused in silent deliberation before turning back and departing. Ge Yucheng had also stood on the open plaza a short distance away. His gaze drifted toward the locked courtyard with a wistful, lingering sorrow.

"Back then, I advised you not to step into these muddy waters," he murmured under his breath.

"Now, even if you wished to pull yourself out, it is already far too late." As the words left his lips, a shroud of melancholy dimmed his eyes. Whether they were cultivators of the Mu Family or disciples from the various sects across the eight states, anyone passing by Qinyuan Residence cast glances filled with burning envy and bitter jealousy. Yet not a single person dared to raise their voice or make the slightest disturbance.

Most took a quick, lingering glance before dropping their heads and hastening their steps away. The cultivation world of the North Yue State, which had been boiling with uproar over Reyn taking the Manifest Saint as his master, gradually quieted down as his seclusion dragged on. On this day, deep within the quiet confines of the meditation chamber, the figure clad in azure robes sitting upon the prayer mat abruptly opened his eyes.

A flash of sinister, fiery red crimson flared across his pupils for a fleeting second before fading back into deep, abyss-like blackness.

"This Scripture of Myriad Incinerations truly lives up to its status as a Heaven-grade technique. Its power is ferocious!" Genuine surprise flashed through Reyn's eyes. He extended a single hand, driving the internal spiritual energy through his meridians. Above his palm, a fiery crimson sphere the size of a pigeon's egg condensed into existence, swirling with terrifying intensity. Feeling the violent, destructive energy compressed inside this tiny fiery sphere, a cold smirk curled the corner of Reyn's lips.

If he suddenly shifted his mana signature mid-battle to unleash this technique by surprise, it would surely catch any opponent off guard with lethal results. At that exact moment, Reyn's expression shifted slightly. A streak of light pierced through the heavy stone door, revealing a transmission jade slip that hovered directly before him.

"Disciple Reyn, come to the Hall of Ten Thousand Longevities immediately." Mu Daguang's authoritative, deep voice resonated from within the jade slip. Hearing this, Reyn rose instantly to his feet, a wave of excitement surging through his chest. Has the Mu Family Ancestor summoned me because he finally found a secret method for my Foundation Establishment? Reyn had walked the path of cultivation for over two years now.

From obtaining the sky-defying Golden Seal to gaining the assistance of Yu Meiren, his journey had been filled with endless bloodshed and near-death battles, yet he had constantly reaped immense rewards. However, the matter of establishing his foundation hung over his mind like a crushing weight. Having reached the Seventeenth Level of Qi Condensation, pushing his cultivation further without breaking through was nearly impossible.

Only by completing Foundation Establishment could he break through his current bottleneck and overcome this stalemate!

"I must achieve Foundation Establishment!" Burning determination flared inside his pitch-black eyes. Without hesitation, he turned and strode out of the chamber. He kept his head lowered as he moved swiftly through the estate. Although the Mu Family strictly forbade cultivators from flying using escape light within the grounds, Reyn channeled his spiritual mana directly into his legs, sweeping forward like a shadow. Within moments, he arrived outside the Hall of Ten Thousand Longevities.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Reyn. The Ancestor instructed me to wait for you here. Please follow me." In front of the grand hall, a Mu Family cultivator wearing azure robes cupped his hands in respect, then turned to lead the way inside. Reyn's brow furrowed slightly. The person greeting him today was not Mu Nianxing. Where had that youth gone? But Reyn had no mind to dwell on such minor details at this moment. Offering a brief word of thanks, he followed the guide into the structure.

This journey clearly led to a different location than his previous visit. Following a winding stone staircase downward, they descended nearly a hundred meters into the depths of the earth.

"Senior Brother Reyn, the path ahead leads directly into the forbidden grounds. Without a direct summons, I am not permitted to step further. You may proceed on your own." The Mu Family cultivator cast an envious look at Reyn, bowed, and turned back the way he came. Standing at the mouth of the stone corridor, Reyn paused briefly in thought before stepping forward. After walking roughly a hundred zhang, a massive stone door blocked his path.

Standing ten zhang tall, the dark red surface looked as though it had been formed by streams of blood accumulated over countless millennia, emanating a chilling, ominous aura. Intricate, profound patterns covered the entire door, intertwining to form mysterious restrictions. Though Reyn could not gauge its exact destructive capability, he felt an acute threat to his life emanating from the stone. If these restrictions were fully unleashed, they would obliterate him in an instant!

"Disciple Reyn has arrived as ordered to pay respects to Master!" Reyn bowed respectfully outside the stone doors, his voice echoing cleanly through the subterranean tunnel. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. A few breaths passed. Suddenly, a crimson radiance erupted across the blood-colored stone doors. The engraved patterns writhed and twisted like living serpents.

As the formations shifted, the massive doors parted silently, revealing a narrow gap just wide enough for a single person to pass through.

"Come in," Mu Daguang's voice echoed from within, sounding noticeably fatigued. A sharp glint flashed in Reyn's eyes. Taking a firm step forward, he passed through the stone threshold. Behind the doors lay a vast, cavernous chamber, brightly illuminated by glowing illumination pearls attached to the surrounding walls. Inside the cavern stood Mu Daguang, his expression stern and solemn. Beneath his feet, a dark red array spanning three zhang in radius hummed quietly, emitting faint speckles of light.

Despite Reyn's growing understanding of array formations, a single glance at the complex pattern yielded no clarity—instead, his Primordial Soul throbbed with a sharp pain. Quickly pulling his gaze away, he bowed low and greeted, "Disciple pays respects to Master." Mu Daguang nodded slightly and turned around. His face appeared somewhat pale, and though his eyes retained their sharp brilliance, they could not hide the exhaustion lingering beneath.

"Over the past month, as your master, I have combed through countless ancient texts and scrolls. At last, within the biographical records of an ancient rogue cultivator, I discovered a method that can assist you in achieving Foundation Establishment!" Upon hearing those words, wild ecstasy surged in Reyn's eyes. He took several deep breaths, fighting to calm the turbulent sea of emotions inside his chest before bowing.

"Master, please forgive your disciple's presumption, but might I take a look at this secret method?"

"Heh-heh. This secret technique was researched specifically for you. Even if you hadn't asked, I would have handed it over." Mu Daguang chuckled softly. Without further ado, he slapped his storage bag and retrieved a pristine jade slip, placing it directly into Reyn's hands.

"Everything you wish to know is recorded inside. Study it thoroughly. If you have any doubts after reading it, come ask me." Clasping the jade slip in his palm, Reyn immediately sat cross-legged on the cold ground. He lowered his eyelids, channeling his Divine Sense directly into the depths of the slip. Nearly half an hour passed before Reyn pulled the jade slip away from his forehead. A look of genuine awe washed over his face.

As expected of a Nascent Soul cultivator, the intricate array layouts, energy routing, and tactical deployments described within were far beyond anything he had ever imagined. Yet, after pausing in quiet contemplation, he straightened his posture, rose to his feet, and bowed respectfully.

"Master, your disciple has reviewed the entire text. However, several uncertainties remain in my mind. I humbly ask Master to dispel my confusion."

"Speak freely of whatever doubts you hold. As your master, I shall naturally answer them for you." Mu Daguang offered a gentle smile. There was no trace of surprise on his face, as if he had long anticipated Reyn's questions.

"Thank you, Master." Reyn offered a formal deep salute, his brows furrowing slightly.

"The jade slip states that to coordinate with the grand array in breaking through to Foundation Establishment, I must cultivate a supplementary secret art. However, once cultivated, this art will condense all of my spiritual mana, essence blood, and Primordial Soul into a single concentrated sphere, completely stripping away my control over my physical body. May I ask why such a step is necessary?" As he spoke, his eyes flickered with a subtle trace of suspicion.

"Knowing your cautious nature, I foresaw that you would ask this very question." Mu Daguang cast a profound look at Reyn, his gaze seeming to pierce straight through to the youth's innermost thoughts.

"The potency of this grand array is exceedingly overbearing. When you throw all your strength into breaching the Foundation Establishment realm, the array will operate at maximum capacity, violently pulling in and devouring external spiritual Qi to convert it into raw mana, pouring it madly into your body.

Once the spiritual mana within your veins surges past a critical threshold, it should allow you to shatter the shackles of the Qi Condensation stage in one decisive push, stepping straight into the realm of Foundation Establishment!"

"This method forces a breakthrough by overwhelming power alone—violently surging the mana inside your body to force you into Foundation Establishment! Though crude and ruthless, it is the most effective approach I could devise for your situation."

"However, doing so creates a massive hidden danger. When the array operates at full strength, the chaotic torrent of inflowing mana will inflict tremendous trauma upon your physical vessel. If you cannot endure the agony and your Primordial Soul collapses under the strain, not only will the secret art fail, but it will also inflict severe damage upon your body. It is entirely possible that your cultivation would be completely destroyed, leaving you a mortal forever after!

That is why I forged a new path and developed this secret auxiliary technique. When the array activates, you will execute this art, pulling your mana, Primordial Soul, and essence blood tightly into a dense core. This will drastically reduce the physical agony and help you endure the ordeal. So long as Foundation Establishment succeeds, a minor injury to your flesh will pose no serious issue." Hearing this explanation, Reyn's eyes flickered slightly, and the skepticism in his mind began to dissolve.

After all, he was no novice when it came to the Dao of Formations. Having previously acquired the Path of Arrays and Talismans from that black-robed cultivator outside the hilltop market, he had derived immense insight from its teachings. Although he could not fully decipher the primary function of this complex array setup, he could easily confirm that its ability to gather and condense spiritual Qi was indeed extraordinarily powerful.

"Thank you for clarifying my doubts, Master. Your disciple has one final question: what are the chances of success using this secret method?" Mu Daguang smiled with pride upon hearing this.

"This This Seat has calculated and deduced every detail. So long as you execute the secret technique precisely as instructed, there is at least a seventy percent chance of success!"

"Seventy percent?" Reyn's expression relaxed slightly. Though the technique was domineering and brute-force, a seventy percent success rate was remarkably high. Provided no unforeseen mishaps occurred, his attempt at Foundation Establishment should proceed smoothly. The mere thought brought a rush of excitement back into his heart. Although breaking through now meant forfeiting the legendary Heavenly Dao rewards granted to flawless achievers, Reyn felt no regret.

Nothing in this world was ever truly flawless or went entirely according to plan. If one yielded to endless greed and refused to settle, luck would eventually run out, leading straight to a violent demise on the spot!

"Take this jade slip back and study it meticulously. Ensure you master every detail of the secret art to prevent any unforeseen accidents." A subtle glint flashed through Mu Daguang's eyes for a split second before returning to normal. He waved his hand dismissing him.

"Return to your quarters for now. Keep your mind calm and tranquil during this period—do not attempt further secluded cultivation. Once all preparations are complete, I will personally stand guard to protect you and guide your breakthrough into Foundation Establishment." His voice was warm and gentle, like an elder of a family giving earnest advice to a beloved junior. Plain and unpretentious, it carried a touch of warmth that stirred something in Reyn's chest.

"Yes, Master. Your disciple takes his leave!" A look of gratitude washed across Reyn's face. Carefully stowing away the jade slip, he offered a respectful bow before turning to walk out with large strides. The moment he stepped outside, the blood-red stone gate silently glided shut behind him. In an instant, the warmth on Mu Daguang's face vanished without a trace, replaced by a sinister, gloomy expression. He spoke in a cold, heavy voice, "Demonic Spirit, have you recorded this person's aura?"