Free Web NovelChapter 86: Chapter 82: Du Youqian’s Foundation Establishment... Fake Foundation Establishment
’Would a cautious person really let me discover all his cards so easily?’
’A cunning rabbit has three burrows, as they say. Did Helan Ruojin really pin all his hopes on that one fawn?’
’That would hardly fit the image of a (former) prodigy of the Demon Sects.’
Du Youqian snapped back to his senses and began a more meticulous inspection of the Grand Array.
After sweeping the area several times, Du Youqian finally discovered something. About a hundred feet from Lin Sha, under a rock, a katydid was gently vibrating its wings.
A hundred feet was the absolute limit of a Qi Cultivation Perfect Practitioner’s Divine Sense without the aid of external objects.
The sensory range of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s projected Divine Sense, however, was dozens or even hundreds of times greater.
This katydid was positioned right at the edge of Lin Sha’s sensory range.
If it had moved even a few inches closer, she might have detected it.
On the surface, there was nothing unusual about it.
But Du Youqian’s control over the Grand Array was absolute, and by leveraging the power of the Tier Two Grand Array, he was able to detect the faint fluctuation of Divine Sense attached to it—a presence that did not belong to an insect.
That Helan Ruojin!
Du Youqian was both shocked and impressed.
If it had managed to sneak up to Lin Sha’s side undetected and pull something right as she finished her breakthrough, it would have been disastrous.
As for doing anything before her breakthrough, Helan Ruojin wouldn’t have risked it, lest he cause a flaw in her Dao Foundation.
After all, he planned to steal that Dao Foundation for himself. He probably cherished it even more than Lin Sha did.
This was something Du Youqian and Lin Sha had repeatedly confirmed beforehand, even using a Tier Two Talisman to check. There was nothing unusual within her physical body or Divine Soul.
Du Youqian still didn’t act immediately, merely marking the katydid’s position within the Grand Array.
He checked several more times, confirming there were no other intruders inside the array, before making his final preparations and waiting for the moment Lin Sha’s breakthrough succeeded.
Suddenly, a powerful wave of energy erupted from Lin Sha’s seclusion. She rose into the air and chanted aloud, "All arts are born from the mind, and the mind itself is the art. A mind without doubt is a mind made true; to guard the One is the righteous path. Guard the One, harbor no doubt, and all arts become arts of the mind!"
It seemed she had gained a new epiphany during her breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.
After reaching Foundation Establishment, she was even more dazzlingly radiant. Her bare, tender white feet seemed as if carved from crystal, shimmering with iridescent light under the sun.
The long black dress she habitually wore also seemed to be trimmed with a layer of gold, making her look sacred and magnificent.
She looked for all the world like a Fairy of the Righteous Dao having a breakthrough, not a Demoness of the Demon Sects. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Feeling her spiritual pressure, which had surged tenfold, Du Youqian knew her breakthrough was a success.
Du Youqian didn’t let his guard down, however, keeping a close watch on the katydid and the fawn.
He didn’t know what method Helan Ruojin was using, but he saw the auras of the katydid and the fawn begin to rapidly intensify. Helan Ruojin must have been using some mysterious connection to control them with his Divine Sense, preparing to use some technique against Lin Sha.
Although Du Youqian was curious what that technique might be, he hadn’t lost his mind. He immediately took control of the Grand Array and incinerated them with True Fire.
After all, the katydid and the fawn were not mutated beasts. fгeewebnovёl.com
They were just ordinary creatures being controlled by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s Divine Sense.
How could they possibly withstand the power of a Tier Two Grand Array?
In an instant, they were reduced to ash.
"Hmph!"
A muffled, angry grunt came from outside the Grand Array.
"Junior, you’re courting death!" The tone was bone-chilling.
’He probably had a plan to take Lin Sha down without a fight and plunder her Dao Foundation,’ Du Youqian guessed. ’But now that his plan was ruined, his only choice was to capture her by force through Magical Combat. The difficulty had just increased exponentially!’
If he injured Lin Sha during the fight or destabilized her Dao Foundation, his plan would be dead in the water.
Lin Sha, standing atop a colorful cloud, took out a Spiritual Artifact she had long prepared. Her almond-shaped eyes welled with tears, seemingly filled with respect and affection for her venerable master. "Master! I am so grateful for your years of guidance. In my heart, you are like a second father to me! But since we have walked this path to a life-or-death struggle for the Dao, please forgive your disciple for her impiety!"
"Hmph, you treacherous disciple. You haven’t disappointed my hopes. In all my decades of roaming the world, my proudest achievement was my keen eye for talent, which led me to take you in. Go on, resist with all your might! Though the outcome will still be your death. But rest assured, I will refine your bones into this Spiritual Artifact. In the future, you can accompany and witness me achieve Core Formation, and from there, Longevity and Vision."
As he spoke, Helan Ruojin appeared outside the array.
By now, he had suppressed his anger and returned to his usual smiling expression. Standing on a Flying Sword, his robes fluttering, he looked dashing and unrestrained, his presence captivating.
Although Du Youqian had seen his portrait in intelligence reports, this was the first time he had seen the man in person.
His features weren’t perfectly handsome on their own, but together they created a face that drew everyone’s admiration. And his smile, as innocent as a child’s and utterly harmless, was something that a portrait could never capture.
Especially his eyes—the kind known as "Peach Blossom Eyes." They were always brimming with deep affection, making anyone who met his gaze feel, ’This person must think very highly of me.’
He was indeed a man of immense charm, worthy of his former title as the prodigy of a Second-class Sect.
At that moment, Helan Ruojin’s gaze was fixed on Lin Sha, his expression a mixture of gratification and satisfaction, like an artist watching a masterpiece he had personally crafted and polished radiate with unparalleled brilliance.
Du Youqian figured that anyone from the Heavenly Emotions and Oceanic Resentments Sect who had any real success in their Cultivation was probably seriously messed up in the head.
Lin Sha was a case in point.
And her master was clearly even worse.
While the master and disciple were having their reunion, Du Youqian quickly swallowed the Celestial Demon Sacrifice Pill.
As the Elixir entered his stomach, a burst of warmth spread out.
Soon, that warmth began to travel, rapidly spreading through his meridians to every corner of his body.
It grew stronger and more violent at an incredible speed, raging to the point where it felt like it would tear his meridians apart.
Du Youqian gritted his teeth and held on for dear life.
As the Elixir’s potency fully dissolved, the power grew so immense that Du Youqian could barely control it. Only then did he begin to guide it, drawing in a massive amount of the surrounding Spiritual Qi to transform his physical body—this was the first step of Foundation Establishment, Spiritual Power Body Purification.
Under the cleansing of Spiritual Power, his body rapidly grew stronger and tougher, undergoing a swift metamorphosis.
Because he was disregarding all consequences, his Spiritual Power Body Purification process was hundreds, even thousands of times faster than a normal breakthrough. He didn’t care that this baptism of Spiritual Qi was riddling his body with hidden injuries.
He quickly completed the Spiritual Power Body Purification and began the Unity of Spirit and Qi.
Using his Divine Sense, which had been temporarily enhanced by the Elixir’s power, he forcibly merged his own Magical Power, rapidly converting it into the Liquid Magical Power of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
One drop, two drops...
Likewise, because he was ignoring the consequences, this process was also thousands of times faster than a normal breakthrough and was completed in a flash.
As for the third step of Foundation Establishment, True Fire Refining God, which would enhance his Divine Sense—because he had taken shortcuts and cut corners on the first two steps, it was impossible for him to proceed with it.
