darknovel Chapter 39 First Encounter with Foundation Building Techniques
Chapter 39 First Encounter with Foundation Building Techniques
But Zhang Lin had a feeling that the potential of this hundred-times-refined bronze furnace was not limited to this.
He carefully examined the cloud patterns on the furnace and discovered that these patterns were not merely decorations, but rather an ancient rune, quite similar to a certain ancient rune he had seen in the "Hundred Herbs Elixir Classic".
"Where did this stove come from?" Zhang Lin asked.
The middle-aged cultivator thought for a moment and said, "My master acquired this furnace from a rogue cultivator thirty years ago. The rogue cultivator said he found it in an ancient ruin."
"But my master looked at it over and over and could only tell that it was made of refined copper mixed with Qinggang iron. It was of ordinary quality, so he didn't take it seriously and just put it in the storeroom."
"We just took it out of the warehouse during last month's inventory and put it on the shelves for sale. It costs three hundred spirit stones, a fixed price."
Zhang Lin already had a plan in mind.
This hundred-refined bronze furnace is made of materials far more than just hundred-refined bronze and green iron.
The ancient runes on the furnace are the true ancient techniques of weapon forging, which have long been lost.
If the system can be enhanced a second time to analyze this ancient weapon-refining technique, then that would be the true value of this alchemy furnace.
"Two hundred and sixty pieces," Zhang Lin countered.
The middle-aged cultivator hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Deal."
Zhang Lin took out 260 spirit stones from his storage bag and stacked them on the counter.
The middle-aged cultivator counted the items, put them into his storage bag, and then packed the hundred-refined bronze furnace into a wooden box and handed it over.
"Fellow Daoist, please take care. Welcome to visit again next time."
After Zhang Lin put away the alchemy furnace, he asked, "Shopkeeper, does your shop sell alchemy auxiliary materials? Charcoal, alchemy bottles, filters, and the like?"
"Yes." The old man turned around and took out a cloth bag from behind the counter. "Top-grade charcoal, ten spirit stones per box, burns slowly and without smoke, with a stable heat."
"There are two types of pill bottles: porcelain bottles and jade bottles. A porcelain bottle costs ten spirit stones, and a jade bottle costs one spirit stone. A set of filters costs three spirit stones."
Zhang Lin bought some of each and spent another thirty spirit stones.
With everything settled, he stepped out of the Xuanlu Studio; the sun had already risen high in the sky.
Zhang Lin strolled aimlessly down the street, found a teahouse, went upstairs, and chose a window seat to sit down.
The teahouse was packed, mostly with independent practitioners who gathered in twos and threes to chat, trade, or debate their spiritual insights.
Zhang Lin ordered a pot of tea, poured it for himself, and gazed out the window.
Outside the window is the main street of Qingxuan City, bustling with pedestrians and vehicles.
In the distance, a tall tower stands amidst the clouds, its tip faintly glowing with spiritual light—that is the teleportation array of Qingxuan City.
Lost in thought, I overheard the conversation at the next table.
"Have you heard? The eldest son of the Shen family has achieved Foundation Establishment today."
"You mean Shen Qinglan, the one who has reached the pinnacle of Qi Refining?"
"Indeed, the Shen family has gathered all the spiritual items of the five elements for him with the full strength of the clan. He has been in seclusion for half a year and today he will practice the earth-based foundation-building method."
"Establishing Foundation through the Underground Tunnel, that's incredible. How many years has it been since Qingxuan City produced a cultivator who has achieved Foundation Establishment through the Underground Tunnel?"
"That's right. The Shen family really went all out this time. Each of the five elemental spirit items is a hundred years old. To collect a complete set, it would cost at least tens of thousands of spirit stones."
"Tens of thousands of spirit stones? That's no small sum."
"So it's a matter of the entire clan's strength. The Shen family has accumulated wealth over generations in Qingxuan City, and this has probably emptied out most of it."
Zhang Lin held his teacup, listening to the discussion at the next table, and a slight thought crossed his mind.
Foundation building.
He is now in the late stage of Qi Refining, and is only one step away from the perfect stage.
However, he knew very little about the Foundation Establishment process.
The Shangqing Qi-Inducing Technique only records that after achieving the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, one needs to establish a foundation. After establishing a foundation, one's lifespan doubles and one's combat power greatly increases.
As for the method of foundation building, it was unheard of.
Just as I was pondering this, a strange movement of spiritual energy suddenly came from outside the window.
Zhang Lin turned his head and saw a beam of light shooting into the sky from the direction of the Shen family mansion in the distance, reaching straight into the clouds.
The aura was multicolored, with gold, green, blue, red, and yellow, representing all five elements. It intertwined and entwined in the sky, transforming into a huge pillar of light.
A faint dragon's roar could be heard emanating from the pillar of light, its sound reverberating across the surrounding area.
The spiritual energy of the entire Qingxuan City stirred at this moment, surging wildly towards the Shen family mansion.
The cultivators in the teahouse all stood up and rushed to the window, looking up at the five-colored pillar of light, exclamations of amazement rising and falling.
"Establishing a foundation through an underground passage—this is an unusual phenomenon!"
"Shen Qinglan succeeded!"
"Incredible! Qingxuan City has produced another Foundation Establishment cultivator!"
Zhang Lin also stood up, gazing at the colorful pillar of light outside the window, his heart filled with awe.
This is foundation building.
By drawing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to nourish the body, transforming true energy into true essence, one undergoes a complete transformation, transcending the ordinary and entering sainthood.
The beam of light lasted for about 15 minutes before gradually receding.
But the strange phenomenon in the sky did not disappear.
After the colorful beams of light disappeared, lines of large golden characters appeared in the sky. The characters were ancient and the strokes were vigorous, as if the heavens and earth themselves were writing them.
Zhang Lin stared intently at it; it was a poem:
Seeking immortal traces beyond the nine heavens, a hundred-year-old treasure gathers profound power.
The Five Elements flow and solidify the foundation; the sun and moon shine together and the Daoist energy merges.
Amidst the surging winds and thunder, a new realm unfolds; the frosty moon pierces the sky, slaying the dragon.
Once you break free from your cocoon, you soar to the clouds, roaming freely across the vast sky, east and west.
Every word in the poem contains a mysterious rhythm that captivates the reader at first glance.
The monks in the teahouse looked up at the sky; some chanted softly, some memorized silently, and some looked on with fascination.
Zhang Lin memorized the poem, and his desire to build a foundation grew even stronger.
The strange phenomenon dissipated, and the sky returned to its clear state.
The teahouse became lively again, with cultivators discussing Shen Qinglan's Foundation Establishment, their words filled with envy.
Zhang Lin sat back down and was about to refill his tea when he suddenly heard footsteps on the stairs, and two young cultivators came up.
The person in front was dressed in a moon-white robe, with a handsome face, elegant demeanor, and perfect cultivation.
The person behind him wore a gray Taoist robe, had an ordinary face, and was at the mid-stage of Qi Refining; he seemed to be a follower.
The young man in the moon-white robe glanced around the teahouse, his gaze lingering on Zhang Lin for a moment before he walked over and sat down at the table next to Zhang Lin.
"What would you like to drink, sir?" the tea server greeted.
"A pot of tea and two plates of snacks." The young man's voice was clear and bright, with a touch of scholarly refinement.
The tea server left as instructed.
Before long, the tea and snacks were served.
The young man picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and looked out the window toward the Shen family mansion, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
"Young Master, has the Shen family's member truly succeeded in establishing his foundation?" the attendant asked in a low voice.
"Success." The young man nodded. "With the foundation laid in the underground passage and the gathering of the five elements, the foundation is solid. The Shen family has produced an extraordinary figure this time."
"Young Master, you have also reached the Perfection of Qi Refining, so why haven't you also reached the Foundation Establishment stage?"
The young man gave a wry smile and shook his head: "You don't understand, establishing a foundation through the underground passage is no easy feat."
"Each of the five elemental spirit items must be over a hundred years old. Even the worst set would cost at least tens of thousands of spirit stones. Although my Lin family has been established in Qingxuan City for three generations, our family fortune is only a few thousand spirit stones. Even if we give up everything we have, we still cannot collect all five elemental spirit items."
He paused, then said, "Even if you gather all the elements, you may not succeed. The five elements are mutually generating and mutually restraining. If the attributes of the spiritual object are slightly off, you may fail to establish your foundation or even shatter your dantian."
"The Shen family's success is due to three factors: first, Shen Qinglan's exceptional talent; second, the guidance of a master on how to refine the five elements; and third, good fortune. All three are indispensable."
The attendant was silent for a moment, then asked, "So, how does the young master plan to establish his foundation?"
The young man sighed and said, "Let's try the Foundation Establishment stage. Even though the success rate of a Foundation Establishment Pill is only 30%, it's better than nothing. The Lin family's identity as cultivators has been passed down through three generations with only one successor, and it can't end in my hands."