Chapter 73 Late Foundation Establishment Stage! 4 Miles of Divine Sense! Feedback Power!
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Huangfeng Valley Market.
Wanbaoge.
Zhou Ding stepped into the familiar shop, his eyes sweeping over the dazzling array of goods on the first floor before heading straight upstairs to the private room.
The lobby on the first floor was still bustling with activity. Several rogue cultivators in the Qi Refining stage were haggling at the counter, arguing heatedly over a spirit stone.
The shop assistant behind the counter had sharp eyes and recognized Zhou Ding at a glance. He immediately bowed and greeted him respectfully.
Zhou Ding nodded slightly in response, then stepped onto the stairs.
He was already a regular here and knew the place like the back of his hand.
Over the past few years, the medicinal herbs he has purchased from Wanbaoge have become extremely valuable.
Manager Wan treated him like a god of wealth, personally welcoming him and serving him the finest spiritual tea every time he came.
Pushing open the door to the private room, Manager Wan's familiar smiling face came into view.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you've finally arrived!"
Manager Wan greeted him with a beaming smile, his small eyes gleaming with shrewdness.
He wore a dark blue brocade robe, with a bulging storage bag hanging from his waist, and exuded the shrewdness of a businessman.
He strode up to Zhou Ding, cupped his hands in a warm greeting, as if he were seeing an old friend he hadn't seen for many years.
Zhou Ding nodded and sat down in the chair.
Without wasting any words, Manager Wan took out several jade boxes from his storage bag and carefully placed them on the table.
Those jade boxes were pure white, carved from the finest mutton fat jade, with exquisite patterns engraved on their surfaces. These jade boxes alone were quite valuable.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, these are the spiritual herbs you need. I went to great lengths to gather them, even sending people from the Yuanwu Kingdom."
His tone carried a hint of boasting, but more than anything, it was full of enthusiasm.
As he spoke, he opened the jade boxes and showed Zhou Ding the medicinal herbs inside one by one.
This fellow Daoist Zhou is very generous. He has placed several large orders with Wanbaoge, requiring a large quantity of spiritual herbs. He is considered a major client among major clients.
Over the past few years, the value of the spiritual herbs purchased from him has exceeded 20,000 spirit stones.
Such a wealthy patron is not to be trifled with; one must serve him well.
Zhou Ding picked up the jade boxes, opened them one by one, and examined them carefully.
Ten plants of Qingling Grass, each three hundred years old.
The leaves are emerald green, the roots are intact, and it exudes a fresh herbal fragrance.
Eight 400-year-old Ganoderma lucidum plants.
It is entirely purple, with faint cloud patterns appearing, and has a strong medicinal fragrance.
There were also various auxiliary medicinal herbs, such as golden thread grass, black huang root, blood ginseng root... a table full of them, with as many as twenty or thirty kinds.
He examined each herb meticulously, picking it up to check if the roots were intact, the leaves were fresh, and the aroma was pure.
These are all for making elixirs, so we can't be careless.
The slightest mistake could ruin an entire batch of pills.
After a moment, he nodded in satisfaction.
"no problem."
He took out a bag of spirit stones from his storage bag and placed it on the table.
That bag was bulging, worth at least several thousand yuan.
"This is the final payment. Manager Wan, please count it."
Manager Wan took the bag of spirit stones, scanned it with his divine sense, and his smile widened, his eyes narrowing into slits.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you're so kind! If you need anything again next time, just come find me!"
Zhou Ding nodded and then instructed, "Continue to collect these spiritual herbs for me, as many as you have. Price is not a problem."
Manager Wan nodded repeatedly, patting his chest to assure him.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, rest assured, leave it to me! As long as you can afford the price, I, Wan, will run my legs off to raise the funds for you! I have connections in the Tianxing Sect market of Yuanwu Kingdom, and even in the surrounding countries!"
Zhou Ding smiled slightly, stood up and took his leave.
……
After leaving Wanbaoge, Zhou Ding strolled along the streets of the market.
The market was as bustling as ever, with cultivators coming and going in an endless stream.
Zhou Ding remained calm and walked with unhurried steps.
With Xiao Jin's Earth Listening Technique and his powerful divine sense, even if he is a bit high-profile, he doesn't need to be afraid of being blocked by cultivators.
If there were ambushes by cultivators, he could sense them very early on.
Those thieves specifically target vulnerable, isolated individuals.
They hid in the shadows, observing every passing monk, searching for a suitable target.
But if they're foolish enough to come after me, they're asking for death.
With his current strength, ordinary cultivators who try to block his path would only be offering themselves up for death.
A cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment can be instantly killed with a single Soul-Destroying Thorn, without a sound or even a scream.
Even those in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage cannot last more than three breaths.
As soon as the Golden Fiend Sword appeared, thirty-six flying swords instantly surrounded him, and no matter how powerful he was, he could not escape.
Even those in the late Foundation Establishment stage, or even those who are Pseudo Core cultivators, cannot gain an advantage in front of him.
He has many trump cards; any one of them would be enough to give those cultivators a hard time.
He walked out of the market, took out the Divine Wind Boat, and transformed into a white streak of light, flying towards the Taiyue Mountains.
The Divine Wind Boat sped through the air at an astonishing speed.
Below are rolling mountains, lush forests, and winding rivers.
Occasionally, a few birds can be seen flying by, accompanied by their clear chirping.
The late stage of Foundation Building is not far off.
……
A moment later, Zhou Ding returned to his cave.
Inside the cave, the air was filled with spiritual energy, and all was peaceful.
The Spirit Eye Spring gurgled in a corner, its misty spiritual energy permeating the entire cave.
The spiritual energy flowed slowly like white mist, and you could feel it circulating within your body with every breath.
Xin Ruyin was studying the formation in her quiet room. The door to the quiet room was tightly closed, but faint light could be seen flickering inside. It was the spiritual light that she generated when she was deducing the formation.
Xiao Mei was serving her from the side, and occasionally you could hear her asking questions softly and Xin Ruyin patiently answering them.
Zhou Ding did not disturb them and went straight to the alchemy room.
The alchemy room was a stone chamber he had specially built, about three zhang square, and surrounded by soundproofing and protective arrays.
In the center stood a purplish-red alchemy furnace with three legs and two handles. Its body was engraved with intricate cloud patterns. It was the top-grade alchemy furnace obtained from Qingyangzi's cave.
He took out the jade boxes one by one and placed them on the stone platform in front of him.
The large quantity of elixirs purchased this time were actually mainly auxiliary medicines.
He already had the main ingredient.
He had collected quite a few of those five-hundred-year-old tonifying and nourishing medicinal herbs during his years of treasure hunting in the Taiyue Mountains.
Blood ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, Polygonum multiflorum, Polygonatum sibiricum... one rare medicinal herb after another is neatly arranged in a jade box, exuding a rich medicinal fragrance.
What he was going to refine was an ancient elixir formula called the True Profound Pill.
This pill is extremely helpful for cultivators in the mid-to-late stages of Foundation Establishment, and can greatly increase their cultivation speed.
The main ingredient for refining this elixir needs to be a small amount of a five-hundred-year-old tonifying and nourishing medicinal herb.
The older these kinds of medicinal herbs are, the better their effects become, but they also become increasingly rare.
Five hundred years old, it is already a rare treasure that is priceless and unavailable on the market.
Zhou Ding took a deep breath and began refining pills.
He sat cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing. After a moment, he opened his eyes, which were clear and bright.
He raised his hand and sent a stream of true fire into the alchemy furnace.
The furnace heated up instantly, and its body glowed red.
He picked up a blood ginseng and carefully placed it into the alchemy furnace.
Under the scorching heat of the true fire, the blood ginseng slowly melted, turning into a pool of red liquid.
He then picked up a Ganoderma lucidum mushroom and put it into the stove in the same way...
The addition of each elixir requires precise control of the heat and time.
If it's a minute too early, the medicinal power won't be fully released; if it's a minute too late, the medicinal power will be lost. The slightest mistake will ruin the entire batch of pills.
Zhou Ding was completely focused and dared not be distracted in the slightest.
……
A month later.
Inside the alchemy room.
Zhou Ding sat cross-legged, with nearly ten bottles of pills placed in front of him.
Each bottle contains ten perfectly round True Profound Pills.
The pills were golden in color and emitted a rich medicinal fragrance that was invigorating just to smell.
Although many attempts were wasted—the furnace exploded several times, the loud noises shaking the entire alchemy room, but fortunately there was a protective array to prevent greater damage; twice the condensation failed, and when the furnace was opened, there was only a pile of black slag inside, emitting a burnt smell; twice the heat was out of control, and cracks appeared on the surface of the pills, resulting in the loss of most of the medicinal effect.
Fortunately, most of them were successful.
The success rate is around 60%, which is quite a good result for a Foundation Establishment stage alchemist.
After all, the difficulty of refining the True Profound Pill is far greater than that of ordinary pills.
Zhou Ding walked out of the alchemy room looking exhausted.
His eyes were sunken, his face was pale, and he looked like he had lost a lot of weight.
For the past month, he has barely slept a wink, spending all his time refining pills.
Although his eyes were bloodshot, they gleamed with excitement.
Ten bottles of True Profound Pills, containing over a hundred True Profound Pills, would be enough for him to cultivate for quite some time.
Xiaomei was wiping the tables and chairs in the hall when she saw him come out and quickly went to greet him.
"Young master, you're out!"
Her voice was filled with heartache, and her eyes were full of concern.
For the past month, every time she passed by the alchemy room, she could hear sounds coming from inside, knowing that her son-in-law was working hard to refine pills.
Sometimes it was the roar of the alchemy furnace, sometimes it was the sigh of Zhou Ding, and sometimes it was a long silence.
She wanted to knock on the door and ask several times, but she was afraid of disturbing her son-in-law.
She helped Zhou Ding sit down in a chair, then brewed a cup of spiritual tea and handed it to him.
"Young master, have some tea first."
Zhou Ding took the teacup, took a sip, and felt much more comfortable as the warm tea flowed down his throat.
The tea contained honey, which Xiaomei specially prepared, saying it could relieve fatigue.
Xiaomei then went behind him and gently massaged his shoulders.
Her technique was gentle and skillful, and the pressure on my sore muscles felt incredibly comfortable.
As she massaged him, she asked, "Young master, you must be exhausted. Let me massage you. Is this area sore? How about this one?"
Zhou Ding closed his eyes, enjoying her service.
This little girl is getting more and more considerate.
……
After resting for a day, Zhou Ding entered the meditation room and began his secluded cultivation to break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
The quiet room was a cultivation place he had specially prepared. It was about two zhang square and surrounded by spirit-gathering arrays.
A futon was placed in the center, next to the Spirit Eye Spring, and the misty spiritual energy permeated the entire meditation room.
He placed the ten bottles of True Profound Pills in front of him, took out a pile of auxiliary pills, then sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.
Within his body, the azure true essence flowed slowly through his meridians.
He took a deep breath, took out a True Profound Pill, and put it in his mouth.
The pill entered the stomach and transformed into a warm medicinal power, which merged into the true essence.
He began to circulate the Azure Origin Sword Technique, guiding the medicinal power to flow through his meridians.
Time slips away quietly during cultivation.
……
Time flies, and a year has passed.
The main hall of the cave.
Xin Ruyin was intently looking at the array manual in her hands.
It was a pale blue jade slip, the "Qinghe Array Manual" obtained from Li Huayuan's treasure vault.
She held the jade slip in one hand and gently traced the formation in the air with the other.
He would sometimes frown, as if he had encountered a problem, his fingers would pause in the air, and a thoughtful look would flash in his eyes.
Every now and then, a look of surprise flashes in his eyes, and his fingers quicken their strokes, as if he has found the answer.
He would sometimes mutter to himself, muttering something under his breath, "So that's how it is... It should be like this... No, that would create a conflict..."
She was completely immersed in the world of the array, forgetting everything around her.
For the past year, she has devoted almost all her time to the research and practice of formations.
She had studied all of the dozens of formations recorded in the "Qinghe Formation Manual".
She was already able to set up some simple formations; she was still figuring out some complex ones; and there were some ancient formations that had been lost for a long time, which she needed to ponder repeatedly in order to understand their mysteries.
Her skill in formations improved by leaps and bounds during that year.
Xiaomei, on the other hand, sat unhappily in the corner.
She rested her chin on her hand, looking at her young mistress's focused expression, feeling a deep sense of grievance.
She was so bored that year.
She finally couldn't help but speak, her voice tinged with resentment.
"Miss, you've changed."
Upon hearing this, Xin Ruyin raised her head and looked at her.
"How have I changed?"
Her voice was calm, but there was a hint of doubt in her eyes.
Xiao Mei pouted and counted on her fingers.
"You weren't like this before. Although you used to enjoy studying formations, you would occasionally accompany Xiaomei out for a stroll, to relax, and to buy some delicious food. You would visit the market to see the colorful stalls, buy some fresh spiritual fruits, or simply sit in the courtyard, basking in the sun and chatting. But now? All you see all day is formations, cultivation, and your son-in-law."
As she spoke, a hint of disappointment crept into her voice.
"Xiaomei is so bored all by herself. She wants to talk to someone, but Miss is cultivating. She wants to play with someone, but Miss is reading. She wants to go shopping with someone, but Miss is studying formations. Xiaomei is about to go crazy."
Xin Ruyin couldn't help but chuckle at her pitiful look.
She put down the jade slip, walked over to Xiaomei, and sat down next to her.
"Xiao Mei".
"Um?"
Xiaomei looked up at her, her eyes still showing a hint of grievance.
Xin Ruyin looked at her seriously and asked, "Do you think the young master will form his core in the future?"
Xiaomei was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.
"With the son-in-law working so hard, he'll definitely be able to form his core."
In her heart, her son-in-law was the most amazing person.
Moreover, the son-in-law is so diligent every day, either cultivating or refining pills. If someone like that doesn't achieve the Golden Core, who will?
Xin Ruyin then asked, "Do you want to be with me forever?"
Xiaomei nodded vigorously.
"Yes! Xiaomei wants to serve Miss and Son-in-law for the rest of her life!"
Her voice was firm, without the slightest hesitation.
From as far back as she can remember, her mistress was the most important person to her.
The young lady treated her well, never regarding her as a servant. She taught her to read and write, taught her self-cultivation, and provided her with the best food and clothing.
She had long ago sworn to stay with the young lady for the rest of her life.
Xin Ruyin smiled slightly and continued, "Central Core Formation cultivators can live for five hundred years. How can you accompany us for a lifetime?"
Xiaomei was stunned.
Five hundred years...
She had never thought that far ahead.
She's only at the Qi Refining stage now, but she can live for over a hundred years.
Five hundred years was too far away for her, so far away that she couldn't even imagine it.
She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but found that she couldn't say anything at all.
Looking at her bewildered expression, Xin Ruyin said softly, "I'm cultivating diligently now because I don't want to end up like this: Lu Lang has become a Core Formation cultivator, while I'm still a Qi Refining cultivator. I don't want to die of old age while Lu Lang is still in his prime..."
Her voice was soft, yet firm.
"Xiaomei, with Lu Lang by our side, we won't lack cultivation resources in the future. You should cherish this opportunity and cultivate diligently."
Xiaomei listened and remained silent for a moment.
She had her head down, lost in thought.
His fingers unconsciously tugged at the hem of his clothes, his brows furrowed.
After a long while, she raised her head, a determined light flashing in her eyes.
"Miss, I understand. From now on, I will also cultivate diligently and strive to reach the Core Formation stage! I will serve you and your husband for the rest of my life!"
Her voice was firm, no longer showing the confusion and grievances she had felt before.
Xin Ruyin felt gratified seeing her determined expression.
This little girl has finally grown up.
She reached out and touched Xiaomei's head.
"Okay. From now on, we'll cultivate together and improve together."
Xiaomei nodded vigorously, a smile spreading across her face.
Xin Ruyin looked in the direction where Zhou Ding was in seclusion, her eyes resolute.
She also needs to work hard in her cultivation, otherwise the gap between her and Lu Lang will only widen.
Core Formation...
She is determined to achieve the Golden Core stage.
……
Another half month passed.
Quiet room.
Zhou Ding sat cross-legged, his body radiating spiritual energy.
The ten bottles of True Profound Pills in front of him were already empty.
He refined all the pills in one bottle, then one hundred in ten bottles, and finished the process in a year.
Within his body, the azure true essence circulated rapidly through his meridians, washing over the invisible barrier again and again.
He had already attempted to breach that barrier several times.
But each time it was just a little short.
Every time, they failed at the last minute.
But he did not give up.
He gritted his teeth and circulated his internal energy again and again, guiding his true energy to impact the barrier.
The true energy in his dantian roared and howled, like a trapped beast frantically pounding against its cage.
If you fail, try again.
Another failure, let's try again.
I don't know how many times it was repeated—
"boom!"
A muffled rumble came from inside his body.
The barrier that had troubled him for so long was finally broken through by his true energy!
In that instant, Zhou Ding felt light as a feather, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
The azure true essence in the dantian surged into the new meridians like a floodgate being opened, forming an even larger circulation within the body.
The amount of true essence was nearly double that of before.
The purity of that true essence was also more refined than before. As it flowed through the meridians, it made a faint whooshing sound, like a rushing river.
An aura several times stronger than before suddenly erupted from Zhou Ding's body!
The aura was so tangible that it instantly swept through the entire quiet room, causing the luminous pearls on the wall to tremble slightly and flicker.
The spring water of the Spirit Eye Spring was impacted by the aura, splashing up droplets that landed on Zhou Ding, but he was completely unaware.
Zhou Ding opened his eyes.
Two beams of light shot out from his eyes, flashing through the void for a full three breaths before slowly dissipating.
Late foundation building!
We've finally broken through!
He took a deep breath, feeling the surging true energy within his body, and an uncontrollable joy appeared on his face.
The purity of true essence has greatly increased!
He could clearly feel that the true essence was more condensed and purer than before.
If the true essence before was water, then the true essence now is mercury, with a completely different density.
The total amount of True Essence has greatly increased!
The true energy in his dantian was nearly double what it had been before.
If the mana in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage is a flowing river, then the mana in the late-Foundation Establishment stage is a lake, unfathomable in its depth.
He could clearly feel that his strength had reached a new level.
With a thought, his divine sense surged forth like a tide, spreading outwards.
Quiet room... cave dwelling... valley... Taiyue Mountains...
The divine consciousness continued to extend, going further and further.
Ten li... twenty li... thirty li... forty li...
The rocks outside the cave, the moss growing in the crevices of the rocks, the flowers, grasses and trees in the valley, the butterflies fluttering among the flowers and grasses, and the birds nesting on the treetops.
All of these appeared in his divine sense.
Finally, at a distance of forty miles, the divine sense detected the boundary.
Forty li!
Zhou Ding's pupils contracted slightly, and a look of shock flashed across his face.
He remembered clearly that his spiritual strength was previously thirty miles.
And now, it has risen to forty li!
Although it is still within the range of the spiritual sense of a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, it is already quite close to the late-stage Core Formation.
After all, the spiritual sense of a cultivator in the late stage of Core Formation is generally only about 50 to 70 miles.
He, at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, already possessed a divine sense spanning forty miles!
What does this mean?
This means that his current spiritual strength is comparable to that of a cultivator at the peak of the mid-stage of Core Formation!
One more step and you can reach the late stage of Core Formation!
An overwhelming sense of excitement welled up inside Zhou Ding.
In the late stage of Foundation Establishment, one possesses the divine sense of the mid-stage Core Formation.
After he forms his core, to what extent will his spiritual sense reach?
He couldn't imagine it.
Perhaps, it's possible to directly reach the peak of Core Formation?
Perhaps, it can rival baby babies?
He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.
Then, Zhou Ding's gaze fell on Xiao Jin in the corner.
The little guy was curled up in the corner, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
The next moment, a familiar warmth surged from the mysterious connection between the two!
That's the power of feedback!
Every time he breaks through, Xiao Jin will be strengthened.
Similarly, he receives feedback every time Xiao Jin makes a breakthrough.
Upon synchronizing his consciousness, Zhou Ding instantly felt an immense pain sweep over his entire body.
The pain was like being pierced by a thousand arrows, or being burned by raging fire, enough to break any cultivator.
That's the pain Xiao Jin is enduring.
The feedback force was frantically reshaping Xiao Jin's body, tearing apart its meridians, burning its flesh and blood, and shattering its bones.
The pain was indescribable.
With their consciousnesses connected, he could clearly feel that every bone in Xiao Jin's body was breaking, every meridian was tearing, and every piece of flesh was burning.
Inside the quiet room, Xiao Jin's roar could be heard.
The roar was filled with pain and struggle, making one's heart tremble.
It was curled up on the ground, its body trembling violently. Beneath its fur, it seemed as if countless small snakes were wriggling, bulging and twisting. Those bulges rolled under the skin, sometimes rising and sometimes falling, a horrifying sight.
After Xiao Jin's breakthrough alarmed Xin Ruyin, Zhou Ding strengthened the soundproofing array.
This time, the two women outside were not disturbed.
Zhou Ding gritted his teeth and endured the pain.
He could sense that Xiao Jin's physical body was being transformed and becoming stronger.
He had experienced that kind of pain many times. Every breakthrough required enduring it.
He's used to it.
But getting used to it doesn't mean it won't hurt.
That kind of pain goes deep into the bone marrow, yet it is indescribable.
He could only silently endure and wait.
After a full hour, the feedback force finally stopped modifying Xiao Jin.
Little Gold lay on the ground, panting heavily, its body covered in sweat, its fur clinging damply to its skin.
Its eyes were half-closed, its gaze tired and weak, yet a glint of excitement shone deep within.
Zhou Ding could sense that Xiao Jin had become stronger again.
Zhou Ding's consciousness entered Xiao Jin's body and began to check on Xiao Jin's condition.