NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 8: How Did I Reach the Peak of Foundation Establishment?
Inside the cave dwelling on the Ninth Peak, Zhang Yun was startled by the deafening dragon's roar that echoed throughout the sect.
He turned to Xu Ming, who was now enveloped in a dense golden light. A faint dragon-shaped shadow seemed to flicker around his body, exuding a heart-pounding aura of pressure. However, the aura gradually faded, and the golden light around Xu Ming began to dim.
Zhang Yun was puzzled.
**'Insufficient spiritual energy in the surroundings. Provide spirit stones for absorption.'**
A prompt from the Celestial Insight appeared before his eyes.
Without hesitation, Zhang Yun took out over a dozen spirit stones from his storage ring. As soon as the stones were placed near Xu Ming, the golden light around him enveloped them, and in an instant, the spirit stones were completely drained.
The dimming of the golden light slowed briefly but resumed after less than two seconds.
"Not enough?" Zhang Yun raised an eyebrow and took out several dozen more spirit stones.
Yet again, the golden light devoured the stones in a flash, and the dimming continued.
**'Please continue to provide spirit stones.'**
"This kid's a spirit stone vacuum!" Zhang Yun muttered, exasperated.
He pulled out five hundred spirit stones this time, determined to see if Xu Ming, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, could drain them all at once.
This time, the stones weren't absorbed instantly, but it didn't take long.
One hundred spirit stones vanished in a flash, then another hundred, and another…
By the fifth flash, all five hundred spirit stones were gone.
Zhang Yun was dumbfounded.
Is this kid a spirit stone-eating monster?
Five hundred spirit stones would take even a Golden Core cultivator half a day to absorb!
**'Please continue to provide spirit stones.'**
Seeing the prompt again, Zhang Yun suppressed the urge to strangle his first disciple and gritted his teeth as he pulled out another two thousand spirit stones.
Let's see if he can drain these quickly!
This time, the absorption slowed. After consuming roughly fourteen hundred spirit stones, the golden light around Xu Ming stabilized and began to shine brightly once more.
Roar!
A dragon's roar echoed through the cave as the faint dragon shadow around Xu Ming solidified into a roaring golden dragon, which then merged into his body.
Xu Ming's aura began to surge rapidly.
Qi Refining Stage Two… Qi Refining Stage Three… Qi Refining Stage Four…
In just a few blinks of an eye, Xu Ming had reached Qi Refining Stage Five.
"Ah!!"
Xu Ming let out a loud shout, and with a crack, it seemed as though a bottleneck had been broken. His aura skyrocketed once more.
Qi Refining Stage Six… Qi Refining Stage Seven…
Zhang Yun watched in stunned silence as Xu Ming's cultivation soared all the way to Qi Refining Stage Nine.
From Qi Refining Stage One to Stage Nine in an instant?
Zhang Yun's jaw dropped.
Is this kid riding a rocket? How is this even possible?
But considering the sheer number of spirit stones Xu Ming had just absorbed, it wasn't entirely unbelievable.
**'Your disciple, Xu Ming, has advanced from Qi Refining Stage One to Qi Refining Stage Nine. You have received a hundredfold cultivation energy return!'**
Before Zhang Yun could process this, a surge of immense energy erupted within his body.
"Holy—"
Without thinking, Zhang Yun immediately sat down cross-legged and began circulating his cultivation technique to refine the energy.
In no time…
Foundation Establishment Stage Four… Foundation Establishment Stage Five… Foundation Establishment Stage Six…
Peak of Foundation Establishment!
Zhang Yun's aura climbed steadily until it reached a peak, then stabilized.
"???"
Feeling the sudden surge of spiritual energy and strength in his body, Zhang Yun was utterly baffled.
What just happened?
How did I reach the peak of Foundation Establishment?
"Master…?"
Xu Ming, who had just opened his eyes, was equally stunned.
He had been thrilled by his own rapid breakthrough and was eagerly anticipating Zhang Yun's reaction. Instead, he saw his master sitting cross-legged, his cultivation level skyrocketing like a rocket.
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yun had gone from Foundation Establishment Stage Three to the peak of Foundation Establishment!
What's going on? Wasn't I the one breaking through? Why is Master's cultivation level soaring too? And it seems even more outrageous than mine!
"Ahem, don't mind it. It's just a technique I've been practicing to restore my cultivation level," Zhang Yun quickly fabricated an excuse.
"A technique? To restore your cultivation level?" Xu Ming was confused.
Does this mean Master's cultivation regression was intentional? And he can restore it at will?
Xu Ming's eyes widened as he looked at Zhang Yun with newfound reverence.
Master is a true hidden expert!
In Xu Ming's mind, Zhang Yun's status had instantly risen to the level of the sect master himself.
Unaware of Xu Ming's thoughts, Zhang Yun changed the subject. "How do you feel, disciple?"
Xu Ming smiled. "Master, your Nine Transformations of the Golden Dragon is incredible. Just by practicing the first transformation, I felt my blood boiling. My cultivation level surged uncontrollably, and I even broke through the bottleneck at Qi Refining Stage Five that had stumped me before my spiritual root was taken!"
Zhang Yun nodded with a faint smile. "This is the result of accumulated potential. While your spiritual root was taken and your cultivation declined, the energy remained stored within you. With the right technique, it all burst forth at once."
"Take some time to consolidate your current level and aim to reach the peak of Qi Refining as soon as possible."
"Understood, Master!" Xu Ming replied earnestly.
"Alright, you may go now."
"Disciple takes his leave."
As Xu Ming left the cave, Zhang Yun immediately began inspecting his own condition.
"Wait, I'm really at the peak of Foundation Establishment?"
Feeling the immense surge of spiritual energy within him, Zhang Yun inhaled sharply.
This Celestial Master's Return Body is absolutely insane!
At this rate, reaching the Golden Core Realm is just around the corner!
"I feel like my strength is already at the Golden Core level," Zhang Yun mused, testing his power by punching the air and watching the resulting ripples.
Even when he was at Foundation Establishment Stage Three after transforming his physique, his strength had rivaled that of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. Now, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, he felt his power was comparable to what he remembered from his predecessor's Golden Core days.
"Is this the effect of the Celestial Master's Return Body?"
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Such special physiques often enhanced one's strength in unique ways.
Exhale.
Zhang Yun smiled softly. "It feels good to have power again."
But his smile faded as he glanced at his storage ring, now significantly lighter in spirit stones.
The improvement is great, but the cost is steep!
Xu Ming's absorption had consumed nearly a fifth of the ten thousand spirit stones he had won from Meng Zhong. If this rate continued, the remaining stones wouldn't last long.
"Looks like I'll need to pay a visit to the sect master for a refill," Zhang Yun muttered, his gaze drifting toward the direction of the sect master's peak.
Meanwhile, on the sect master's peak…
The sect master suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.