Bai Zichen did not rush to leave the thatched hut. He sat cross-legged, experiencing the many changes that came after his Foundation Establishment.

He rubbed two fingers together, and a Fire Thunder Bead spun on his fingertip before he pinched it out of existence.

’The same Magic, when cast by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator versus a Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator, differs in power by several times at least... Right now, a casually formed Fire Thunder Bead could probably pierce a Top-Grade Defensive Magical Artifact.’

Bai Zichen then took the All Living Beings Bell from his storage bag. He hadn’t used this Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact a single time since getting it.

The Magical Power requirement for a Spiritual Artifact was simply too high. Even when he reached Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivation, infusing all his Magical Power would only be enough for a single strike.

After that, his Magical Power would be depleted, leaving him helpless.

Only after a qualitative change in one’s Magical Power could one truly control a Spiritual Artifact.

Bai Zichen mobilized the Liquid Magical Power in his Qi Sea. The Ancient Copper Bell immediately lit up. The engraved mountains and rivers, the bustling traffic of people and carriages—they all seemed to come alive, flowing and moving across its surface. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’This Spiritual Artifact is balanced for both offense and defense. It was quite famous in the Celestial Principle Sect, and it even has the potential to be upgraded... As expected of the inheritance from a Nascent Soul Major Sect.’

The Jade Scroll he had obtained from Meng Zhaode detailed the methods for upgrading and refining the All Living Beings Bell.

After a moment of thought, Bai Zichen decided to go all out and complete the Refinement of the All Living Beings Bell.

’I’m a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now. It would be too shabby to still be fighting enemies with Magical Artifacts when I’m out and about. I need a proper Spiritual Artifact to maintain appearances.’

As the Refinement progressed, some of the copper rust on the surface of the All Living Beings Bell flaked off. The scenes of mountains and rivers, of bustling traffic, all became even more vivid and lively.

With a long, resonant chime, the All Living Beings Bell was completely refined.

’This isn’t a good place to use it, so I can’t fully test the power of the All Living Beings Bell. Judging by its aura alone, it should be quite formidable... But there’s one thing. The Magical Power I used for the Refinement is recovering way too slowly.’

Bai Zichen quickly discovered that the level of Liquid Magical Power in his Qi Sea had dropped, but at the rate the Chang Chun Skill refined Spiritual Qi, it would take several hours to recover.

After his Foundation Establishment, the problem with his Cultivation Technique immediately became apparent.

However, he had already planned to choose a suitable Cultivation Technique after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage. The Chang Chun Skill itself was only a Qi Refining Stage technique, meant merely as a transitional one.

A crude Cultivation Technique like this would be of no use during the Foundation Establishment Stage.

’Once I get out, choosing a Cultivation Technique has to be my top priority... But it has to be one that’s right for me. Foundation Establishment Stage techniques aren’t like those from the Qi Refining Stage; you can’t just switch them out whenever you want.’

After stowing away the All Living Beings Bell, Bai Zichen tried sending out his Divine Sense to feel the change in its strength after his Foundation Establishment.

’There’s an Array isolating the outside of this hut, so I can’t get an accurate measurement... But based on its strength, my current Divine Sense range should be at least fifty zhang!’

A Divine Sense strength of fifty zhang had already reached the standard of an ordinary Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Moreover, with the Divine Casting Technique in hand, Bai Zichen’s advantage in Divine Sense would only continue to grow in the future.

Bai Zichen finished inspecting himself and pushed open the door of the hut, only to feel that the environment outside was vastly different.

Viewing the world from the perspective of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator naturally brought a different understanding.

"The junior is out. Staying inside for two months, he probably failed at the Divine Sense trial. I told him not to be too hasty... Huh? You succeeded in your Foundation Establishment?"

The Elder Daoist was still leisurely fishing. At this moment, he tossed his fishing rod aside and jumped up as if he’d seen a ghost.

A normal Cultivator’s closed-door seclusion for Foundation Establishment takes about a hundred days. Since Bai Zichen came out in less than sixty, he had assumed Bai Zichen had definitely failed.

But looking at him now, he was glowing with health and full of vigor. He showed no signs of the depleted vitality and regressed Cultivation typical of a failed Foundation Establishment. Instead, his body was clearly emitting the Magical Power fluctuations of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"I was lucky enough to succeed... Bai Zichen pays his respects to this Senior Brother."

Bai Zichen figured that because he had spent less time on the physical body trial and passed the Divine Sense trial in one go, his Foundation Establishment process had been much faster than that of an ordinary Cultivator.

A sweep of his Divine Sense revealed that the Elder Daoist was also at Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, and he understood his identity.

Qiu Song, the Elder in charge of the Ancestor Hall.

His position was respected but held no real power in the Qingfeng Sect. His high seniority and deep experience had simply landed him this retirement post.

Among all the Foundation Establishment Elders, only Tan Changkong, the Alchemy Hall Master, surpassed him in seniority and age. He was a man who could pass away at any time.

The entire Ancestor Hall, aside from him, had only one Steward and a few Firework Daoists.

It housed the memorial tablets of a few Ancestors, and the Elder Council sometimes met there. Other than that, this hall truly had little presence in the Sect.

"Junior Brother Bai, excellent, truly excellent..."

Qiu Song laughed twice to dispel the awkwardness and sent out a transmission talisman with a flick of his hand.

"When the Sect gains a new Foundation Establishment Cultivator, by convention, the Transmission Hall, Law Enforcement Hall, Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, and Ancestor Hall must all be notified... You’re going to be busy for the next few days, Junior Brother Bai."

"Qiu Song congratulates Junior Brother Bai on achieving Foundation Establishment. May your path on the Great Dao be evergreen."

Qiu Song straightened his clothes and cap and spoke with a solemn expression.

Despite the fish scales and water stains still clinging to his clothes, and his appearance as a sloppy, unkempt Elder Daoist, he exuded a simple and dignified solemnity.

Bai Zichen returned the gesture with an ancient, formal bow.

Upon returning to Moon-Locking Pool and just as he sat down, his escorts came forward to offer their congratulations.

They knew Bai Zichen had gone into seclusion for Breaking Realm. His triumphant return naturally meant he had successfully achieved Foundation Establishment.

The futures of these few people were, it could be said, entirely tied to Bai Zichen, so their congratulations were undoubtedly sincere.

In the time that followed, a large number of transmission talismans converged on Moon-Locking Pool.

"I knew you’d have no problem, Junior Brother Bai! From now on, we’re fellow Daoists... Once you’re done with all this, we brothers should get together for a good long chat!"

This was the message from Peng Chong.

"Nicely done, and within the timeframe I set for you... Come to my place next month and pick out a Spiritual Artifact for yourself..."

Pei Dongyong had also sent a message at the first opportunity, even taking the initiative to mention the Spiritual Artifact he had promised as a reward.

"Of the eight Foundation Establishment Pills that were given out, Junior Brother Bai is the first to succeed in Foundation Establishment. A true heaven-sent talent... When you have time, come visit the Law Enforcement Hall. Senior Brother Liang is very concerned about you."

The message was from Elder Zhang of the Law Enforcement Hall.

Bai Zichen hadn’t yet learned the Magic for sending these transmissions, so he could only receive them and silently take note, unable to reply immediately.

「The next day.」

The Miscellaneous Affairs Hall delivered a full set of ceremonial robes for a Foundation Establishment Elder, and Elder Gu Xisheng came in person.

"Junior Brother Bai, this is the first time we’ve met, isn’t it... Three days from now, the Elder Council will hold your investiture ceremony in the Ancestor Hall, and you will officially become a Sect Elder."

Gu Xisheng had the appearance of a kind-faced middle-aged man. Perhaps due to his long years of handling miscellaneous affairs, he gave off the impression of being a smooth and sophisticated operator.

"Thank you for informing me, Senior Brother Gu."

Bai Zichen glanced at the schedule of procedures. No wonder Qiu Song had said he would be busy; there was indeed a lot to do.

Three days later, Bai Zichen returned to the Ancestor Hall.

Today, he was dressed in an Indigo Daoist Robe embroidered with the sun, moon, and stars in gold and silver thread. He wore a Pure Yang Cloth on his forehead, a Golden Lotus Crown on his head, and held a Jade Ruyi in his hands.

This was the traditional ceremonial attire of the Qingfeng Sect; no Elder would dress like this on a normal day.

This kind of rule was one of the reasons other sects in the Liang Country called the Qingfeng Sect old-fashioned and decadent. After all this time, they were still dressing like Ancient Cultivators.

Regardless of where this tradition came from, every Elder had to go through it before their investiture.

Bai Zichen walked up steps strewn with fresh flowers, flanked on both sides by Sect Elders. There were more than twenty of them present.

"From this day forward, Bai Zichen is an Elder of the Qingfeng Sect... We wish Junior Brother Bai an evergreen path on the Great Dao."

Sect Leader Wei Dao sprinkled a few drops of Spirit Water, handed over an Elder Token, and the other Elders also bowed low in an ancient, formal salute of congratulations.

Bai Zichen accepted the Elder Token, hung it at his waist, and returned the salutes to thank everyone.

Next, Liang Yu took the stage and gave a lecture on the tenets of the Qingfeng Sect, admonishing that as an Elder, one must uphold the glory of the sect and not disgrace the inheritance of the Ancestors.

Afterward, the Transmission Hall Master, Yingg Zhong, spoke. His words were much more pleasant to hear, as they concerned the benefits and remuneration for Foundation Establishment Elders.

When the lengthy ceremony finally ended, Bai Zichen returned to his Quiet Chamber, took off the ceremonial attire, and changed into a plain Daoist Robe.

He felt more exhausted from the day’s events than from breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

’Becoming a Sect Elder has raised my benefits by another notch. Once I’ve dealt with these miscellaneous matters, I’ll have to put a few important things on the agenda...’

For a newly promoted Elder, the Sect would not assign any duties for ten years. This was to allow the new Foundation Establishment Cultivator time to consolidate their Realm, travel, or refine a suitable Spiritual Artifact.

It was a case of drawing a salary without having to do any work.

They received one thousand contribution points per year. If one didn’t spend a single point, they could accumulate ten thousand points in ten years.

But in reality, a bottle of Spirit Enhancement Pills cost six hundred contribution points, and according to Peng Chong, he could refine a whole bottle’s worth in half a year.

Not to mention the expenses for Spiritual Artifacts.

As for Moon-Locking Pool, because it was a Spirit Land exclusive to True Disciples, he could live there for another ten years at most before he had to give it up.

Like the other Foundation Establishment Elders, he would have to get in line to choose a Tier Three Low Grade Spirit Land.

The new Elder Token was actually his old True Inheritance Token, which had been re-refined. Half a tael of Tier Two Red Jade had been added, along with a few new functions, and his access level within the Sect’s Arrays was raised by one tier.

...

Su Li carved a Rune into a piece of Mortal Iron with a wave of his finger. His finger strength was profound, etching a smooth Rune.

Just as he finished the Rune and withdrew his finger, he spat out a mouthful of Essence Blood, staining several of the Runes red.

The Mortal Iron flashed with Spirit Light, and the mark of a long-handled spear appeared.

Su Li threw the piece of Mortal Iron, and it transformed into a Golden Spear in mid-air, blasting a several-zhang-long trench into the ground.

"A Tier One Top-Grade Golden Spear Talisman! Senior Brother Su, your mastery of the Void Talisman technique has deepened again..."

A trace of worry appeared in Chen Wei’s eyes.

Su Li had clearly made up his mind before to temporarily abandon the Talisman Dao and focus wholeheartedly on breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

But a few days ago, when the news came that Bai Zichen had successfully reached Foundation Establishment and had already become the Sect’s thirty-eighth Elder, Chen Wei clearly saw him freeze for a moment.

Even now, he was still only at the Peak of Ninth-Layer Qi Refining. He had been stuck before Qi Refining Great Perfection for nearly two years.

Since then, Su Li had once again picked up the Talisman Dao that he had set aside for several years.

"A Foundation Establishment Cultivator at twenty-three... the youngest Foundation Establishment Elder in the Qingfeng Sect since Ancestor Ge..."

Su Li’s expression was dazed as he spoke slowly.

"Ancestor Ge had Celestial Spiritual Root talent. He was a favored child of the heavens with no bottlenecks on his Cultivation path, so his speed was understandable... But Bai Zichen only has Three Spiritual Roots Talent. How could he possibly be this fast?"

"Didn’t Junior Martial Uncle Luoo say? That Bai Zichen must possess a Spirit Body... Otherwise, how could his Three Spiritual Roots Talent have triggered the phenomenon at the Inheritance Stele in the Five Mountains Temple back then?"

Chen Wei didn’t want Su Li to be so discouraged that he lost his fighting spirit, so she had been trying to console him for the past few days.

"Your Spirit Body’s strength lies in the Talisman Dao, while his aids his Cultivation speed. You each have your own advantages. Besides, you both have it better than me. This Thunderfall Body of mine is completely useless except for attracting Celestial Thunder."

"You’re right. My strength lies in the Talisman Dao... I’ve decided! I’ll take up the Talisman Dao again. The day I become a Tier Two Talisman Master will be the day I officially attempt my breakthrough to Foundation Establishment!"

Su Li’s head shot up, and he once again displayed the flair befitting a genius of the Talisman Dao.