Tokoro Chikuki

Cao Xueyan had recently lost her appetite for food and drink.

Do not misunderstand—this is meant quite literally.

That day, Xiao Menglan returned from Zhao Yunlong with several innate spiritual materials.

This meant that Cao Xueyan was about to begin preparing for Foundation Establishment.

This was nothing like those cultivation novels, where the protagonist’s cultivation suddenly surges and Foundation Establishment succeeds as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

In reality, Foundation Establishment was almost considered the second major turning point in a cultivator’s life.

The first turning point, naturally, was when their spiritual roots were tested.

To forge an innate Dao Foundation, having secret techniques and innate spiritual materials was not enough.

First, the cultivator’s age must not be too great.

Otherwise, the innate breath within their body would have been worn away by time, making Foundation Establishment extremely difficult.

Second, before Foundation Establishment, the cultivator’s diet must be strictly controlled.

Cao Xueyan’s loss of appetite came from this.

For a time, she could not consume any food containing worldly impurities, and this was truly hard on her.

She could not eat meat.

She could not even drink milk tea made with beast milk.

Her only joy in life—gone.

Most pills also had to be minimized.

All medicine carried poison.

Normally, the impurities from pills could be slowly expelled, but in such a critical period, it was better to avoid them as much as possible.

So what could she eat?

Only the “nutritional meal set” prepared by Xiao Menglan.

These were indeed rare and precious earthly treasures.

Unfortunately, most of them tasted awful.

In the mornings, she had to drink a large bowl of Earth-Mother Stone Milk.

Though “milk” was in its name, it only referred to its white color and thick texture.

It tasted like plain water with a bit of salt, but sticky and slimy in the mouth—very unpleasant.

For lunch and dinner, she literally ate grass.

This was not a metaphor.

Xiao Menglan had somehow turned precious spiritual herbs into salads.

The dressing was also no ordinary condiment, but something beneficial to Cao Xueyan’s cultivation.

But still—she was eating grass.

Finally, the day of the Demon Hunting Competition arrived.

Cao Xueyan was specially allowed to eat some normal food over the next few days, but only a little, or all previous effort would be wasted.

“Have you prepared all your pills?” Xiao Menglan reminded her yet again.

“Healing pills, detoxifying pills, those for regulating breath and stabilizing the mind—did you pack all of them?”

Cao Xueyan replied speechlessly, “Master, you personally put all of these pills into my bag. How could they possibly be missing?”

“You must always be careful,” Xiao Menglan scolded gently.

“Even though those beasts were raised by the sect, they still retain their wildness. If you are careless, they may attack. Every competition has foolish disciples who get themselves injured. Not life-threatening, but often bone-deep wounds.”

She stepped forward and touched Cao Xueyan’s arm.

“Your skin is so delicate. If you get even a little bruised, your master’s heart will ache unbearably.”

Cao Xueyan was helpless.

“Master, you were the one who insisted I should travel and train. If it’s training, getting hurt is unavoidable.”

“If you meet other disciples along the way, it is fine to travel together,” Xiao Menglan instructed.

“But people’s hearts are hard to see through. If someone becomes greedy for the treasures on you, do not hold back. I have already informed Elder Lin. Even if a conflict arises, he will turn a blind eye. Just don’t use this to bully others.”

The Elder Lin she referred to was the Golden Core elder supervising the competition.

Cao Xueyan could only silently acknowledge the privilege of belonging to a powerful faction.

“Master, do I look like the kind of person who would do such things?”

“I know your temperament,” Xiao Menglan sighed.

“You are shy. You panic when speaking to strangers. If you can continue to hold to your true heart, all will be well.”

She looked at her obedient disciple and truly could not imagine her ever being arrogant.

“If Master has finished explaining everything, then this disciple will set off now.”

“Shall your master escort you by sword for part of the journey?”

“E-Escort me only partway…”

Cao Xueyan did not wish to attract attention.

Arriving together with a Golden Core True Person would make her training difficult.

“Very well, just nearby.”

Xiao Menglan smiled gently and summoned her flying sword.

She took Cao Xueyan’s small hand and stepped onto the blade.

The sword turned in the air and flew toward the location of the Demon Hunting Competition.

It was still within the Azure Cloud Mountain Range, but deep inside.

The area had already been sealed off by a barrier days ago, controlled only by elders holding the formation token.

Along the way, they discussed her journey.

Xiao Menglan said, “Now that you have learned this technique, you have the foundation to stand on your own. Training outside will help your understanding. As for your inner knot… whether you can resolve it depends on yourself.”

Cao Xueyan felt lost.

She did not have much hope for discovering ancient ruins.

According to the simulator’s development, her journey with Xiao Menglan would bring no harvest.

Worse—she would not even return to the sect.

She would be ambushed and killed by demonic cultivators on the way.

She had been trying to find a solution, but none came.

Would she need to reach Foundation Establishment before she could grasp that fleeting insight?

The simulator besides fast simulation also had true simulation.

However, true simulation was currently locked.

Cao Xueyan felt there was something hidden in it—perhaps a great opportunity, or perhaps a trap.

True simulation seemed to allow her to experience the events directly, rather than simply watching text.

And perhaps the condition to unlock it… was Foundation Establishment?

Her head hurt.

Xiao Menglan insisted she build an innate Dao Foundation, and this required at least a year or two of dietary control.

But by then, everything might already be too late.

If she simply allocated all her points at once and forced a breakthrough—what kind of Dao Foundation would she achieve?

She had unrealistic fantasies.

But this was her Dao path.

And Xiao Menglan had high hopes for her.

If possible… she did not want to act recklessly.

While she was thinking, they arrived.

In the distance, disciples gathered—cultivation levels ranging from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment—each appearing well-prepared.

After bidding farewell to Xiao Menglan, Cao Xueyan quietly joined the crowd.

Few recognized her, so she was able to settle in peacefully and wait.

Looking up, she saw a floating boat suspended overhead.

Seated upon it was Elder Lin, supervising the competition.