The Sixteenth Layer of Qi Condensation

Returning to Hidden Forest Mountain, Luo Yingkong found a storage bag and a note within her cave abode’s formation array.

Upon a quick glance, she realized this was her basic stipend as a disciple of Hidden Forest Mountain. Over this period, she had accumulated nine hundred spirit stones, which was quite decent. Adding this to her existing funds, she now possessed a total of sixteen thousand spirit stones.

This was no small sum. Having looted Senior Uncle Zhang’s storage bag and sold the ancient bell magical treasure, she now had enough to purchase many cultivation elixirs. However, Luo Yingkong was not in a hurry. Currently at the fifteenth layer of Qi Condensation, she decided to wait until her breakthrough before acquiring elixirs suitable for the Foundation Establishment stage.

She had often heard how incredibly difficult Foundation Establishment was, with only one in a hundred cultivators succeeding. Luo Yingkong felt uncertain herself. If she failed, she would simply buy more Foundation Establishment Pills to try again. Senior Yan had given her one previously, and with no missions during this time, she could attempt the breakthrough.

With Jiaofeng tending to the medicinal fields and the spiritual herbs found in the manor’s cave being sufficient for the Corrupting Butterflies, she could now enter seclusion with peace of mind.

With the aid of the Spirit Gathering Formation, she swiftly brought her aura to the peak of the fifteenth layer, maintaining her spirit in its optimal state. She reviewed the Thunderbolt Incantation in her hands, knowing that if she broke through its second layer, she would successfully establish her foundation!

As she circulated her cultivation technique, faint electrical arcs sparked around her delicate body. She consumed a Foundation Establishment Pill, and its medicinal power quickly dissolved within her.

True to its reputation, the Foundation Establishment Pill unleashed an astonishing surge of spiritual energy within her abdomen. The electrical arcs around her intensified, her Dantian expanded, and her meridians swelled to their absolute limit!

Fortunately, Luo Yingkong possessed an excellent physique, preventing her meridians from rupturing. This improved constitution also enhanced her chances of successful Foundation Establishment. An ordinary person would undoubtedly be overwhelmed by such potent medicinal power, their meridians constantly on the verge of tearing. They would have to meticulously suppress the efficacy to assault the bottleneck.

But Luo Yingkong did not need to. She directly channeled the energy upwards, converting all the medicinal power into pure spiritual energy.

The electrical arcs grew increasingly robust, and subtle changes occurred within Luo Yingkong’s Dantian. She remained seated for three days until a bolt of lightning as thick as a water bucket materialized, incinerating a nearby wooden table into ash!

‘It’s done?’

She assessed her own aura. Although there had been some progress, it had not reached the Foundation Establishment level. This felt more like breaking through a minor realm.

‘Hiss… What’s going on?’

She attempted to use the Thunderbolt Incantation. Spiritual energy surged violently in her palm, and a thick electrical arc shot out the door, shattering the Thousand Mechanisms Tower’s entrance! Jiaofeng, hearing the commotion, rushed over.

‘Strange, this is a spell only usable by Foundation Establishment cultivators, but my aura…’

Luo Yingkong’s aura had not reached the Foundation Establishment level; to be precise, it was still far off, though it had indeed improved compared to before.

“Master! What happened?!”

“Nothing,” Luo Yingkong replied, shaking her head. “You stay here. I’m going to find Master Li.”

She decided to seek advice from Li Yuan, fearing that self-practice might lead to errors. What was the point of having a master if she didn’t consult him? She left the cave abode directly. Li Yuan’s residence was not far, and she arrived within half an hour.

The formation array outside his cave abode was inactive, indicating Luo Yingkong’s good fortune. Li Yuan was in his medicinal field watering plants and came to greet her after sensing her presence.

“You…”

“Disciple Luo Yingkong greets Master,” Luo Yingkong said, cupping her fists and bowing. At the size of an eight or nine-year-old, she looked somewhat awkward yet utterly adorable, her voice soft and childish.

“You are Luo Yingkong?” Li Yuan had initially thought some child had wandered to the wrong door, but observing her features and white hair, he became convinced.

“Precisely.”

“No need for such formality… Your cultivation is at the fifteenth layer?! No! It seems even higher…”

“Disciple wishes to ask for Master’s guidance. A few days ago, I entered seclusion for Foundation Establishment, but my cultivation became stuck, and I did not succeed.”

The old man was stunned. “You’re attempting Foundation Establishment at such a young age? It would be strange if nothing went wrong! Come, let me see.”

Li Yuan took her delicate wrist, and spiritual energy flowed into her arm. A few breaths later, his eyes widened.

“You are at…”

“What?” Luo Yingkong asked eagerly.

“The sixteenth layer of Qi Condensation!”

****

The two sat in a pavilion, and the old man gestured for a cup of spiritual tea.

“Didn’t they say the fifteenth layer of Qi Condensation was the bottleneck? The sixteenth layer Master mentioned…”

The old man smiled. “Rest assured, this is a good thing. Occasionally, cultivators do reach the sixteenth layer of Qi Condensation, though it’s exceedingly rare. After they establish their foundation, their cultivation is far more powerful than ordinary cultivators; their spiritual energy more profound, surpassing others at the same stage in all aspects!”

Luo Yingkong nodded, recalling what Junzhu had told her: with her dual divine souls, her divine sense and cultivation were higher than others, and she would understand if she continued cultivating. So this was what he meant…

“Haha, I truly didn’t misjudge you. Now that you’re at the sixteenth layer of Qi Condensation, the sect will issue you another Foundation Establishment Pill, and I will gift you one more. While breaking through to Foundation Establishment from the sixteenth layer is powerful, it is also more challenging.”

“Thank you, Master…” Just as she was worrying about Foundation Establishment Pills, they were offered to her. Joining a sect was indeed beneficial; a rogue cultivator would have no way of finding such pills.

“You needn’t worry about anything. Focus on breaking through to Foundation Establishment. I will go and apply for the Foundation Establishment Pill shortly; the sect will also reward me handsomely.”

The old man beamed with joy. It had only been a year since she joined the sect, and her cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. If she became a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the sect would surely commend him.

“Thank you for your guidance, Master. Are these Foundation Establishment Pills available for sale? Disciple wishes to prepare more to increase my chances of a breakthrough.”

“They are, but the Foundation Establishment Pills sold by the sect are not cheap, and each person is limited to purchasing two.”

“How many spirit stones?” Luo Yingkong was still quite wealthy at this moment.

“One hundred mid-grade spirit stones!”

“That expensive!” Although Luo Yingkong was mentally prepared, she was still startled. All her current spirit stones combined would barely amount to one hundred and sixty mid-grade spirit stones, only enough to buy one Foundation Establishment Pill…

“Of course. The herbs for these Foundation Establishment Pills are difficult to acquire. The most crucial ingredient, Ice Spirit Fruit, can now only be found in the ancient battlefield. The auxiliary ingredients—Heavenly Spirit Fruit and Phantom Heart Grass—are also not cheap, not to mention the primer herbs like Nightshade, Light Spirit Grass, and Fran Grass.”

Though Luo Yingkong recognized many herbs, she was completely bewildered. “Disciple has heard of this ancient battlefield a few times. What kind of place is it?”

“You don’t even know this?”

Luo Yingkong shook her head. The old man took a sip of tea and slowly explained, “The ancient battlefield is where cultivators fought a great war long ago. In those times, spiritual energy was abundant between heaven and earth, and high-level cultivators were countless. This war lasted for a hundred years, and the major sects of that era suffered heavy casualties. What remained were merely bottom-tier disciples without combat power; even the various sect masters perished there.”

“Many formation arrays and restrictions still linger in this place, making it extremely dangerous. Even a Core Formation cultivator must proceed cautiously, for an accidental encounter with a spatial fragment could result in instant death. However, it also contains many fallen treasures, and some fearless cultivators treat it as a gold mine.”

After listening to the old man, Luo Yingkong gained a general understanding and then inquired, “Where is this ancient battlefield?”

“What? You want to go too? That won’t do! Even Core Formation cultivators must travel there in groups. As a Qi Condensation cultivator, entering means encountering demonic beasts that could be above the third rank. Isn’t that just seeking death?”

The old man did not elaborate, and Luo Yingkong did not press further. After all, he wasn’t the only one who knew; she could always ask Jiaofeng later.

“So, you’ll have to find another way for the Foundation Establishment Pills, or if you gather enough money, I can help you purchase them.”

“Thank you, Master. Disciple will take her leave,” Luo Yingkong said, rising and cupping her fists, her petite form utterly endearing.

“Go, and cultivate diligently. I will send the Foundation Establishment Pills to you later. I also have a Primordial Solidifying Pill for you; cultivating so quickly, you must also consolidate your realm and practice using spells more to prevent any regression.”

****

On her way back, Luo Yingkong pondered her future plans. There was still a year until the entrance assessment. She would seize this opportunity to attempt Foundation Establishment. If Foundation Establishment failed, she would continuously take on missions to earn more spirit stones.