Chapter Ninety-Four: The Three Tribulations of Foundation Establishment (Please Subscribe and Vote)

Having obtained the Five Elements Thunder Transformation Technique, Zhou Changwang felt a surge of joy in his heart. After some thought, he decided against purchasing the Lesser Five Elements Thousand Thunder Technique as well.

Although, with his current wealth, he could easily afford both spells, he knew that excess could be detrimental.

One thunder technique was sufficient; two would cost over a thousand lower-grade spirit stones. If he flaunted that much wealth, it would draw too much attention.

Thus, after acquiring the Five Elements Thunder Transformation Technique, he did not linger in the Bai Trading Company and promptly turned to leave.

“Hmm?”

At that moment, Zhou Changwang’s expression shifted slightly.

He noticed a low-rank cultivator not far away, discreetly watching in his direction.

If it were just a glance, that would be normal enough.

The Bai Trading Company was the largest in Fengmingwu Market, naturally attracting attention. Being observed was nothing unusual.

But this person was different.

Zhou Changwang had already seen him before at the freelance market.

While he was selling his spoils and sundries, this man had passed by his stall three or four times.

Now, appearing again at the Bai Trading Company’s entrance, it was hard not to read into it.

Yet Zhou Changwang remained composed.

He quickly exited the Bai Trading Company, continuously turning through several blocks. After confirming he had temporarily lost his follower, he swiftly changed clothes.

This was the advantage of having a storage pouch—he could carry several sets of clothes just in case.

But soon, his face darkened.

He realized the man was still tailing him, albeit at a greater distance.

This was no mere casual observation.

The man had cast a spell on him.

A tracking spell.

Zhou Changwang was familiar with tracking magic.

To locate the nest of the Black Needle Poison Bees, he had once learned a tracking spirit technique, which led him to the manor of the insect lord Xue Tong.

Clearly now, the man had also cast a tracking spell on him, enabling him to catch up quickly despite Zhou’s evasive maneuvers.

Moreover, the man seemed aware his tracking was exposed.

He gradually ceased hiding and openly followed behind him.

Fortunately, since they were in the market town, the man dared not act recklessly. Occasionally, market guards patrolled nearby, keeping a steady distance of seven or eight zhang.

Zhou Changwang felt a flare of anger but forcibly suppressed it; he truly did not want unnecessary trouble.

He then cast a cleansing spell on himself.

Sure enough, he soon detected a faint aura mark on the heel of his shoe.

He cast two more cleansing spells in succession, completely erasing the mark.

This was another benefit he had discovered since mastering the cleansing technique.

Not only could it clear battlefields and dissipate spiritual fluctuations, but it could also remove any spiritual aura not belonging to oneself, including tracking marks.

After turning several more blocks, Zhou Changwang finally managed to shake off his pursuer.

Only then did he head toward his residence on South Street.

Just as he was about to enter his door, the gate opposite suddenly opened.

A middle-aged cultivator of about thirty or forty, with a simple and honest appearance, stepped out.

Upon seeing Zhou Changwang, he smiled warmly and clasped his hands respectfully.

“Greetings, fellow cultivator. I am your next-door neighbor, Zhao Shanhe, known as ‘Ghost Eye’ among outsiders. I specialize in spirit detection, tomb exploration, and grave robbing. May I ask your name?”

“I am Zhou Changwang, just a humble spirit farmer, nothing worth mentioning,” Zhou replied with a clasped-hand gesture, while pondering the man’s intentions.

He naturally sensed that Zhao had deliberately waited for him, coming out just as he was about to enter his home.

‘Ghost Eye’? Spirit detection, tomb exploration, grave robbing?

For a moment, Zhou was uncertain of the man’s background.

“Spirit farmer? Then Zhou Daoist is quite extraordinary for a farmer,” Zhao Shanhe said, looking at him earnestly.

Zhou’s face flickered briefly but remained silent.

“Perhaps you don’t know my profession. I am called ‘Ghost Eye’ because I’m adept at detecting spirits and tombs, and skilled in grave robbing... Though, to be honest, it’s a disreputable trade, looked down upon by many. We call ourselves tomb raiders or mountain-moving Taoists, but outsiders simply see us as grave robbers.

“However, my ‘Ghost Eye’ title is not a boast. With these eyes, I can see whether someone has died nearby or if there’s a tomb underground at a glance.”

He looked at Zhou Changwang with meaning.

Zhou’s expression remained calm as he asked, “Then what brings Zhao Daoist to seek me out today?”

He felt a bit helpless. He had anticipated that the commotion from the battle with Xue Tong in his backyard would have drawn attention from neighbors.

He had thought that activating the Mist Array and Sound Isolation Array afterward would keep things quiet, and even if someone overheard something, they would keep to themselves.

Yet, his neighbor turned out to be a tomb robber with ‘Ghost Eyes’ who could perceive the ‘death aura’ left after someone dies.

Although his cleansing spell could calm spiritual fluctuations, the ‘death aura’—linked to the soul—might not be so easily erased.

Still, he was not overly worried.

The market town was not a place of strict law enforcement, and he had not killed Xue Tong in public. Even if the neighbor reported it, Xue Tong had barged into his yard and died as a consequence.

His only real concern was Xue Tong’s friends, family, and sect elders.

After some inquiry today, that last worry had dissipated, so he was unafraid of threats.

“I know Zhou Daoist is a man of great ability. Recently, I discovered a large tomb, possibly that of a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.

“I’m alone and lack confidence to explore it by myself.

“So I’d like to invite you to join me in investigating it. Afterwards, we split the gains fifty-fifty. How about it?”

Zhao Shanhe lowered his voice and spoke.

“No interest,” Zhou Changwang shook his head decisively and prepared to return to his yard.

“Not even interested in the Foundation Establishment pill?” Zhao pressed again.

“Foundation Establishment pill?” Zhou paused, then sneered coldly. “Are you joking, Zhao Daoist? Such a precious pill would never be hidden in a tomb.”

“Of course not the pill itself, but what about Foundation Establishment spiritual treasures?

“That’s not impossible.

“The Qingyuan Sect publicly claims that three Foundation Establishment spiritual treasures can be exchanged for one Foundation Establishment pill.

“If you acquire one treasure, your chances of reaching Foundation Establishment improve significantly.

“Surely, you, a man so young yet capable, have ambitions toward Foundation Establishment cultivation?

“Not to mention, treasures carried by Foundation Establishment cultivators are numerous, and even a single item is valuable, providing income far beyond farming.”

Zhao Shanhe knew he had perhaps overstated things and quickly amended his tone, continuing to persuade.

“Farming suits me fine; I only seek peace.

“Whether tomb raiding or gold seeking, I will not partake. Zhao Daoist should find someone else.”

Zhou shook his head again and entered his yard.

Foundation Establishment spiritual treasures were the main materials for refining Foundation Establishment pills.

Even if not used to craft pills, consuming them could still raise the probability of Foundation Establishment, making them highly valuable.

For an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, the temptation was immense.

If the opportunity arose, he would surely want them.

But setting aside whether the tomb truly contained such treasures—even if it did, likely only one—how would they split it?

The other party was an expert tomb raider, with far greater advantage in such an environment.

Most importantly, Zhou did not trust him.

He suspected Zhao’s invitation was not benevolent but a ploy to use him as expendable cannon fodder to scout risks.

Tombs of cultivators were far from safe.

No one wished their final resting place to be disturbed and plundered.

Those capable would have set deadly formations and traps.

Especially for Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, their tombs would be carefully prepared.

Moreover, the cultivation world truly had zombies and ghosts.

The likelihood of encountering such entities in tombs was high.

If the Foundation Establishment cultivator’s corpse became a zombie or his spirit turned into a restless ghost, disturbing them would be disastrous.

Even ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators would avoid such dangers.

Returning to his small yard, Zhou took out a jade pendant and lightly stirred its spiritual power.

A flash of light appeared on the pendant, and a refreshing coolness spread through his mind.

He calmed his breath and focused.

The irritation from being tracked and the strange visit from ‘Ghost Eye’ Zhao Shanhe quickly subsided.

Then, he slowly walked to the backyard.

“Xue Tong dared to storm my yard yesterday, now someone’s tracking me, plus the dispute between the Bai and Chen families that Qian Xiaoyue mentioned is growing intense... The market town is becoming more unstable.”

Zhou sighed.

He only wished for a quiet place to farm and cultivate.

But trouble always found him.

His small yard was not as safe as he’d imagined.

Danger was ever-present.

He resolved to find a safer place.

At least, he needed a way to escape swiftly if danger came.

Like a crafty rabbit with three burrows.

Yesterday, he was lucky to break through his cultivation and greatly increase his strength, allowing him to kill Xue Tong.

But what if next time a stronger foe appeared?

If trapped in his yard without the ability to fight back, death would be certain.

Therefore, he must prepare one or two quick escape routes.

The first idea that came to him was to dig a tunnel.

Without doubt, digging tunnels was a common choice among low-rank cultivators.

He knew many survived the chaotic night on the market outskirts by hiding in underground chambers accessed through tunnels.

This method suited him as well.

“But where should the tunnel lead? The back mountain?

“The back mountain is on the east side and higher in elevation, so not ideal.

“Then only one choice remains...”

Zhou’s gaze fell on the south—the cliff side.

Standing atop the southern wall, he looked down.

The cliff stood nearly thirty zhang high.

Even a cultivator like him would risk being shattered if he jumped.

But what if the height were halved to twenty zhang, or even fifteen?

With his current mastery of Lightness Technique, he might suffer only minor injuries.

Not to mention, he could use ropes.

To his surprise, he found that about ten li west of the cliff bottom was the foot of Changling Mountain, where he had first rented spirit fields to cultivate.

He was quite familiar with that area.

“So, if I dig a tunnel, the exit will be beneath the cliff.

“As for the entrance, it cannot be in the backyard, so it must be in the front yard.

“The best place is my cultivation chamber, which is closer to the cliff edge and easier to work from.”

After steadying his mind, Zhou quickly made his decision.

He wasted no time, grabbing his spirit hoe and rushing to the cultivation chamber.

As he compared directions, just as he was about to start digging, he remembered something and immediately cast Spirit Eye Technique.

He could not dig blindly.

Especially in a spirit vein area like this—damaging a branch of the earth pulse could harm the spirit vein node beneath his cultivation chamber.

That would reduce the spiritual energy density there and ruin his cultivation efficiency.

If that happened, the danger might not have arrived, but his cultivation chamber would be destroyed—an unacceptable loss.

Indeed, Spirit Eye Technique revealed more than ten spirit vein branches intertwined beneath the chamber.

At the center was the legendary spirit vein node, the source of the chamber’s richer spiritual energy compared to other places.

If he damaged even one branch, the spiritual energy concentration would drop, affecting his cultivation.

“Good thing I noticed in time.”

Zhou exhaled in relief and changed direction before beginning to dig.

As a spirit farmer, digging and tilling was his specialty.

Plus, after mastering the Heavenly Yuan Eight Techniques, his strength had greatly increased.

In no time, he had dug a hole three feet deep.

Then he began piling earth, moving soil into the backyard.

After two hours, he stopped, covering the hole with a stone slab.

This was no small task.

To avoid damaging underground spirit vein branches, he had to constantly adjust his digging path, winding back and forth, which lowered efficiency.

He had not expected to finish in one day; devoting one or two hours daily was sufficient.

His main focus remained on his spirit fields.

The Spirit Converging Grass was nearing maturity and required tending.

The Thunder Spirit Rice Trees had begun flowering, needing abundant thunder stimulation to grow.

So he busied himself in the backyard.

Only after all the spirit plants had absorbed sufficient nourishment and were sprinkled with spirit rain did Zhou rest.

He then retrieved a pale golden jade slip from his storage pouch.

It was the spell he had just purchased from the Bai Trading Company—the Five Elements Thunder Transformation Technique.

Unlike the Thousand Thunder Flash, the Five Elements Thunder Transformation Technique was a genuine offensive thunder spell, powerful and relatively rare.

As Zhou’s mind delved into the jade slip, a protective seal appeared.

It was a special high-level cultivator’s anti-leakage spell.

By swearing not to divulge the spell orally, the seal would dissolve naturally.

Even if the spell were leaked, the seal’s backlash was minimal—a protection against honorable men but not scoundrels.

Yet, cultivators aspiring to reach Foundation Establishment would never break such oaths.

It was well known that the breakthrough to Foundation Establishment for a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator involved three barriers: the Qi and Blood barrier, the Spiritual Power barrier, and the Divine Consciousness barrier.

The Qi and Blood barrier required no hidden physical injuries, an age under sixty, and no exhaustion of vitality.

This explained why success rates drop sharply after sixty.

The Spiritual Power barrier tested the depth and stability of one’s spiritual power foundation.

Most ninth-level cultivators could pass this by refining their power for several years.

The hardest was the Divine Consciousness barrier, related to mental strength and spiritual realm.

According to market town rumors, if one broke the oath not to spread this thunder spell, their mind would become unsettled upon attempting Foundation Establishment, making breakthrough nearly impossible despite Foundation Establishment pills.

Though the truth of this was uncertain, no cultivator would risk such an obstacle.

Zhou himself was no exception.

After swearing, the cultivation method for the Five Elements Thunder Transformation Technique finally appeared before him.

Long after, Zhou put down the jade slip, his brow deeply furrowed.

The technique was unquestionably an unparalleled offensive thunder spell, capable of surpassing all spells of its rank.

Yet its cultivation difficulty far exceeded ordinary spells and even the Thousand Thunder Flash he had learned.

The Thousand Thunder Flash consisted of over twenty rune structures, and it took him a full seven days to grasp.

But the Five Elements Thunder Transformation Technique contained over fifty rune structures, most of them thunder runes, incredibly complex.

Though seven runes were familiar from before, over forty still required relearning and meticulous tracing.

“No wonder few cultivate thunder spells of such power—not for lack of desire, but inability.”

Zhou mused, undeterred by difficulty.

While his entry was not easier than others’, it was after entry that his attributes would shine.

Others lacked such advantages.

Yet mastering this spell to its true potential was no simple feat.

In battle, every second counted.

Who would grant you a dozen breaths to cast?

In that time, a low-rank cultivator could kill you three or four times over.

High-rank cultivators’ attacks were even swifter and stronger.

Thus, though thunder spells were powerful, if unusable in actual combat, they were less practical than simpler, cheaper spells.

Of course, all spells needed casting time to take effect.

Hence, many cultivators preferred talismans and magical tools for their instant strike power.

Magical tools were especially favored for their speed and strength.

There was a saying: beyond three zhang, magical tools were stronger; within three zhang, they were faster and more powerful.

Cultivators like Zhou, who favored spell combat, were in the minority.

One hour, two hours, three hours…

Whenever free, Zhou practiced the Five Elements Thunder Transformation Technique.

Progress was slow, but he embraced the challenge.

He firmly believed diligence, repetition, and ample practice were the keys for any ordinary person to succeed.

He considered himself ordinary.

To survive in the cultivation world, achieve longevity, and reach Foundation Establishment, only such effort could be relied upon.

As dusk fell, Zhou quietly slipped out.

Using a concealment technique, he suppressed all his aura.

Standing in the night, no one could sense his presence.

He avoided crowds as much as possible.

After a short incense burn, he arrived before a large gate.

This was Fengmingwu Market’s eastern district, home to most high-rank cultivators.

And here stood the manor of insect lord Xue Tong, who had died by Zhou’s hand.

After killing Xue Tong, Zhou had taken the manor’s gate key from his storage pouch.

He had hesitated to come due to potential danger.

But now, learning from “Falling Sunset Fairy” that no one was guarding it, he would not miss this chance.

His first fortune had come from plundering the residence of a pair of innate cultivators.

Though stained with blood, the gains were great.

Moreover, from “Falling Sunset Fairy,” he had learned much about Xue Tong, including information on treasures not found among his initial spoils.

If his guess was correct, they might be hidden within this residence.

Therefore, Zhou came at night to avoid detection.

Standing before the gate, he scanned the surroundings, ensuring no one watched.

He then produced the gate key and subtly activated it.

With a silent hum, the gate opened.

***

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