Chapter 98. Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm), Qinghe's Letter

It is done.

Eldrin gazed at the 3 Soul-Shattering Pills before him, unable to suppress a flicker of delight in his eyes.

After leaving seclusion, he rented another second-tier, high-grade cave abode. Spending 2 days to readjust his condition, he prepared to break through to Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm).

Logically speaking, having broken through to the third layer of Foundation Establishment less than a year ago, even with the aid of spirit peaches, he would still require 5 years to accumulate enough spiritual energy to reach the limit of Foundation Establishment, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm).

However, to break through to Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm), Eldrin had specifically purchased a Marrow Purification Pill from the Sky Ruin Pavilion this time.

This Jade Marrow Elixir was a high-grade Tier 2 treasure. Su Mingwei had refined it using 2 Tier-2 precious materials: millennium jade marrow and snow jade ginseng. It was an exceptionally rare treasure pill—consuming just 1 could increase a Foundation Establishment cultivator's cultivation by approximately 20 years.

The Celestial Ruins Pavilion had only a limited stock of this elixir, priced as high as 2,000 spirit stones—a cost most Foundation Establishment cultivators would genuinely hesitate to pay.

However, this elixir also has a drawback: it can only be consumed once every 60 years. Chen Changxuan had taken 1 over 30 years ago, which was why he hadn’t acquired another even though the conditions now permitted it.

After taking the Marrow Elixir, Eldrin spent 7 full days cultivating before finally pushing his true essence to the absolute limit of Foundation Establishment, Early Stage.

At this moment, the spiritual energy within his meridians had reached full capacity. To advance further, he would typically need to temper his cultivation for another 20 to 30 years before naturally breaking through to Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm).

Over these decades, cultivators found their spiritual power nearly impossible to advance, requiring day after day of monotonous refinement. Many cultivators, seeing no hope of breakthrough, lost motivation in their cultivation.

Once confidence wanes and the resolve for arduous cultivation falters, a cultivator’s refinement of true essence becomes sporadic—working in fits and starts. This is precisely why nearly 80 to 90 percent of Foundation Establishment cultivators remain stagnant at the early to middle stages of Foundation Establishment.

However, with the Shattered Origin Pill, there was now a possibility of directly breaking through to Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm).

This elixir differs from the Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object). The Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object) and items like the Li Fire Crystal (Spiritual Object) serve to temper spiritual energy into a milder state while safeguarding the meridians.

Although this helped cultivators reduce the difficulty of breakthroughs, it inadvertently made their true essence become unstable, lacking the solid foundation and sharpness that came from breaking through on 1's own.

The effect of the Breakthrough Elixir was similar to that of the Gathering Essence Pill—both caused a cultivator's spiritual energy to surge dramatically, forcibly breaking through bottlenecks and increasing the probability of success.

This saved the time needed to refine 1's spiritual energy. Once 1 broke through to the Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm), reaching the required level before circling back to temper 1's true essence would be like operating from a strategically advantageous position—making it remarkably effortless instead. It would not cause a cultivator's foundation to become unstable in the slightest.

Eldrin was brimming with confidence at this moment. A single Primordial Rupture Pill could boost his chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage by 30 percent. With 3 such pills in his possession, his success was virtually guaranteed.

In truth, Eldrin used only a single Yuan-Breaking Pill. With meridians broader than ordinary cultivators and primal energy far more potent and sharp, the moment he consumed the pill, it triggered an instantaneous chain reaction.

Without expending much effort, he smoothly broke through to the fourth level of Foundation Establishment, his spiritual energy increasing by over 40 percent out of thin air.

It is done.

Feeling the surging spiritual energy within his body, Eldrin couldn't help but smile. After breaking through to Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage, his power would experience explosive growth.

Next, he only needed to refine his true essence to perfection, and it would become no weaker than that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivator. This would allow him to unleash the full power of the Violet Light Mirror and the Violet Sun Furnace.

Moreover, the Solarflame Skyfire Sword and the Goldenmetal Divine Thunder techniques, when wielded by him, would unleash power nearly on par with that displayed by the Old Patriarch.

Most crucially, he had already refined the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) to the second-tier upper grade. When the time came, the sword would unleash a 30-meter-long blade radiance, and its power would be substantially enhanced.

At this thought, Eldrin couldn’t help but reveal a look of delight. Once the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss was successfully refined, his strength would likely surge by a significant margin.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment, Late Stage cultivator would typically possess only 1 or 2 decent second-grade, high-tier magical instruments at best. A select few powerful ones might have mastered a single divine ability. Yet he was unlike any other—lacking in neither magical instruments nor divine abilities, and even wielding a superior immortal sword. Naturally, his strength far surpassed that of his peers.

By then, he would be like the old clan leader, capable of single-handedly confronting 2 or 3 Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators.

Moreover, the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) was an exceptionally superior immortal sword. While its defensive capabilities might not have matched those of the old clan leader, its offensive prowess was likely even more formidable by a fair margin.

At this thought, Eldrin suppressed the urge to end his seclusion and spent another 20-some days meticulously refining his zhenyuan. Only when the process was complete did he finally emerge from the meditation chamber with exhilaration.

But as soon as he exited the seclusion chamber, he found several family cultivators had been waiting for a long time, each wearing expressions of profound sorrow.

"Has something happened?"

Eldrin observed the expressions on their faces, and his heart suddenly sank as a sense of foreboding welled up within him.

Among the crowd, the leader Chen Nianyong wore a pained expression, his face filled with sorrow as he spoke.

"Uncle Qinghe... he has passed away in meditation!"

"What?"

The night was hazy, a light rain falling from the sky.

Eldrin stood before the sealed cultivation chamber where Chen Qinghe had undergone secluded training, his gaze falling upon the white shroud covering the departed. He could not help but close his eyes.

"Uncle Qinghe left you a letter."

"And this 1..."

Chen Nianyong, standing nearby, handed over a letter along with a small, exquisitely crafted jade box.

Eldrin opened the jade box to find the Foundation Establishment Pill emanating a soft cyan glow, perfectly preserved within.

Eldrin opened the letter, his expression unreadable as he scanned each word with deliberate focus.

Chapter 1 A piercingly cold drizzle fell from the heavens, shrouding the entire Verdant Summit in a curtain of misty rain. Eldrin stood alone at the mountain's precipice, his white robes already soaked through, yet his gaze remained as sharp as an unsheathed sword. "1 100 years had passed." He murmured softly, his fingers unconsciously tracing the jade slip tucked within his sleeve. This was the final legacy left to him by his master—the "9 Revolutions Profound Art." According to the slip, this cultivation technique contained 9 layers of profound mysteries, each breakthrough capable of increasing 1's lifespan by a 1000 years. "Master, your disciple will surely master this technique," Eldrin whispered, his voice barely audible. Suddenly, a streak of crimson light tore through the sky, landing before him and transforming into a messenger talisman. Eldrin reached out to receive it, and as his spiritual sense touched the talisman, a voice echoed in his mind: "Eldrin, the Demon Sect's army is advancing toward the Northern Wastelands. The alliance requests your presence at the Grand Summit in 3 days." The Northern Wastelands—that was the very place where his master had fallen a century ago. Eldrin's eyes narrowed, a flicker of cold light passing through them. He knew this day would come. He turned and strode toward the cave dwelling, where the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss hung silently on the stone wall. This magic treasure had accompanied him through countless battles, its blade still shimmering with a faint, chilling glow. "Old friend, it's time to set out again," Eldrin said, gently stroking the sword's body. He sat cross-legged, circulating the spiritual energy within his body. The 9 Revolutions Profound Art had already reached the fourth layer, granting him a cultivation base equivalent to 50,000 spirit stones. Yet, he knew this was far from enough. To confront the Demon Sect's leader, he needed to break through to at least the sixth layer. After a long time, Eldrin slowly rose and walked to the alchemy room. He took out several jade bottles from the storage pouch, each containing a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Pills. These were all he had refined over the past 10 years. "Nearly a 1000 pills, yet still not enough," he sighed softly. Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from outside the cave, shaking the entire mountain peak. Eldrin's expression shifted slightly—this aura... it was the Demon Sect's vanguard! Without hesitation, he grasped the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss and stepped out of the cave dwelling. Outside, dozens of black-robed cultivators had already surrounded Verdant Summit, their leader a burly man wielding a serrated blade. "Eldrin! Hand over the 9 Revolutions Profound Art, and we might spare your soul!" the burly man roared. A cold smile tugged at Eldrin's lips. "Just a bunch of Foundation Establishment stage lackeys, and you dare speak so boldly?" As his voice fell, the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss erupted with dazzling crimson light. The sword energy transformed into a fiery dragon, roaring as it swept toward the crowd. In that instant, the entire sky seemed to be dyed blood-red. This was only the beginning.

Little Eldrin (Person Name), you've finally grown up. Nearly 30 years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you've now become the pillar of our family.

You are far stronger than I am. Your Uncle Qinghe is incompetent—achieving nothing in his youth, lacking the courage to attempt Foundation Establishment in his prime, and now in old age, only fit to manage the family's business.

Before my final breath, I shall make 1 last attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm. Consider it this old man's final act of defiance.

I knew it was impossible to succeed, even with the Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object). Rather than wasting 1 Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object) just to preserve my life, it would be better to keep it for someone who needs it more.

You are still young, still too sentimental. You may not understand, but I must!

Take this Foundation Establishment Pill (Spiritual Object) back to the clan. May it help nurture another Foundation Establishment cultivator for our family. Consider this my final contribution as an old man to our lineage.

After I die, do not grieve.

To me, dying while attempting to breakthrough to Foundation Establishment is far better than watching my lifespan dwindle day by day, only to perish in regret and resentment.

I also hope you can learn from my lesson. When faced with a dilemma, do not hesitate. Charge forward boldly and act decisively—succeed, and you shall achieve your desires; fail, and you will have no regrets!

If you hesitate and miss this chance, you’ll only lament your lifelong regret and wither away in sorrow when it’s far too late!

Eldrin (Person Name) closed the letter with an expressionless face, only to feel an unexpected chill on his cheeks. When he reached up to touch them, he realized they were already streaked with tears he hadn't noticed falling.

That night, the moonlight was hazy as a light drizzle fell beneath the gloomy sky.

His long hair was tied up by a silver crown, and his snow-white robes billowed around him as he sat alone on the mountain cliff, strumming his zither. Silently drenched by the rain, he played a melody of autumn's longing.

Time had lost all meaning when a paper umbrella extended over him. Clad in a snow-white gown, she stood motionless beneath the sheltering silk, a tranquil silhouette weathering the storm in his stead.

The 2 of them fell into silence, a deep and prolonged silence...

Until the sky lightened and the drizzle subsided, Eldrin pressed his hand upon the strings and inquired.

"Should the day come, will you too depart from me?"

"Departing..."

Her words trailed off as she lifted her gaze to the distant firmament, a certain brilliance gleaming in her eyes.

"All powerlessness stems from nothing but insufficient strength."

"I will walk with you until the end of time."

Chapter 1: The Reborn Youth The biting cold wind swept across the training grounds, carrying with it the scent of frost and decay. Li Yao stood at the edge of the platform, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns on the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss. 1 100 years had passed since his rebirth, yet the memories of his past life still haunted him like persistent ghosts. "Senior Brother Li, the sect leader summons you," a junior disciple called out, bowing deeply. Li Yao nodded, his gaze distant. He had been cultivating the 9 Revolutions Nirvana Art for over a decade now, barely reaching the third level. In his previous life, he would have scoffed at such meager progress, but now... now things were different. The Grand Elder's voice echoed through the main hall. "The Demon Sect approaches. We must prepare the 32,000 spirit stones for the protective formation before the blood moon rises." Murmurs filled the chamber. Li Yao remained silent, calculating. 30-2 1000 stones wouldn't be enough - not with the ancient demon they faced. He remembered the last time, centuries ago, when countless cultivators fell before the Abyssal Fiend. "Eldrin approaches with 20-some disciples," an outer sect member reported, breathless. "They carry the Banner of 10 1000 Souls." Li Yao's hand tightened around his sword hilt. The Banner of 10 1000 Souls - a artifact that had consumed over a 100 innocent lives in its creation. He had witnessed its horror in another lifetime. "Let them come," Li Yao whispered, his voice barely audible. "This time, things will be different." The air crackled with gathering energy as he began drawing upon his core cultivation. Though his current realm was low, the knowledge of millennia flowed through his veins. He would need every advantage against what was to come. Deep within his spatial pouch, 3 Foundation Establishment Pills glimmered - his last resort. Nearly a 1000 lesser pills accompanied them, but against Eldrin, only the finest would suffice. As twilight descended, Li Yao recalled the ancient texts he'd studied countless cycles ago. Some battles weren't won by strength alone, but by wisdom accumulated through ages. And he had lived through more ages than any cultivator in the current era could comprehend.