Chapter 194: Chapter 163: How to Establish Foundation

The Cold Ice Boundary Technique is actually a weakened version of Qian Ruyi’s "Cold Ice Barrier".

Senior Sister was able to grasp the power of ice techniques from the legacy left by Qian Ruyi, including the "Cold Ice Barrier" and "Ice Mirror Illusion". This amazed and delighted Lu Qian. On one hand, it proved Jiang Qingfeng indeed had this talent; on the other, it validated her diligence in cultivation.

Over the past two years, aside from managing sect affairs, she devoted all her time to cultivation, with almost no leisure activities, so much so that she barely had time to supervise and teach Baitao.

Fortunately, her efforts finally paid off. After two years, she finally stepped through the gates of ice techniques, initially mastering the secret of condensing water into ice. Not long ago, by referring to the principles of the "Cold Ice Barrier", she successfully practiced this weakened version of the "Cold Ice Boundary Technique".

First, she created a favorable environment with large amounts of flowing water, then solidified it into hard ice to attack enemies from various angles and in numerous ways.

In this way, Senior Sister also gained a certain degree of self-protection, allowing her some peace of mind for the future.

However, after this match, Senior Sister’s proficiency in ice technique was fully revealed, and her opponents in future matches would target her specifically, making the results less effective than the first encounter.

As Lu Qian was lost in thought, Master Xuan Ji sighed, "How wonderful, Miss Qingfeng has now learned the ice techniques. In the future, she might establish her foundation through this path, adding strength to the Yunshan Sect and furthering its legacy."

Lu Qian sensed his mood and softly reassured, "Don’t worry, Elder Zhou. I will surely pass on the Five Elements Array at Yunshan. It’s just that we haven’t found any disciples with array talent yet, and we’ll need to wait a bit longer. But as our sect grows, and more disciples join, that day surely won’t be far off."

Master Xuan Ji nodded and then asked, "Speaking of Foundation Establishment, Lu the Kid, haven’t you felt your opportunity yet?"

When this subject was brought up, everyone shivered slightly and looked toward Lu Qian, hoping to hear good news.

But Lu Qian shook his head somewhat helplessly. "This seems to be something that cannot be achieved overnight. We can only wait patiently for the right moment."

Zheng Duan quickly suggested, "Sect Leader, how about we really buy a Foundation Establishment Pill to try?"

Guh Niqiang suddenly interjected with a sneer, "Fool, why believe in something like that? If Foundation Establishment Pills worked, how could only one out of every hundred Qi Cultivators establish their foundation?"

As Guh Niqiang, a great alchemist, had spoken, Zheng Duan naturally did not dare to continue.

Lu Qian laughed, "No need to act rashly in panic. Elder Guh is right. The so-called Foundation Establishment Pill is just like the ’Fertility Pills’ mortals crackpots buy with eager anticipation, merely a psychological comfort."

Though he spoke lightly, he was actually quite anxious inside.

In this world, foundation establishment happens after achieving Qi Cultivation Perfection and when the Spiritual Root is fully matured. It then blooms into a Spirit Bud that captures Dao Patterns and Dao Rhymes.

Dao Rhymes are a slight sense of understanding of the Three Thousand Great Dao of heaven and earth, while Dao Patterns transform that understanding into practical application, converting this perception into one’s abilities.

Dao Patterns are the most crucial capability of a Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar and when achieved as a Golden Core, will transform into a unique divine technique, which is the foundation of every Golden Core’s existence.

Only by marking Dao Patterns can one successfully establish their foundation.

Actually, Lu Qian’s Spiritual Root is now fully matured. He can at any time, with a thought, make it bloom into a Spirit Bud. But the critical issue lies in the next step: the Spirit Bud must successfully capture Dao Rhymes and inscribe Dao Patterns.

If it fails to capture Dao Rhymes and the Spirit Bud closes again, it will suffer a severe injury, an irreversible damage. A successfully blossomed Spirit Bud is the strongest, making the future Golden Core more potent.

However, if the Spirit Bud attempts to bloom three times without successful foundation establishment, the hope of establishing a foundation is utterly extinguished.

Thus, one must give their utmost effort when the Spirit Bud blooms, to capture the Dao Rhymes and inscribe the Dao Patterns.

This results in foundation establishment success being linked to two major factors.

First is "opportunity".

When the opportunity comes, the moment of enlightenment arrives, and the cultivator will feel connected to heaven and earth, vaguely sensing when and where they should expand the Spirit Bud to capture Dao Rhymes and inscribe Dao Patterns for the highest success rate.

However, no one can say for sure when this opportunity will come. From what the cultivation realm has gleaned over these millennia, the first opportunity arrives within five years of achieving Qi Cultivation Perfection. With good luck, the opportunity could arrive right at the moment of perfection. With bad luck, it might take five full years, all depending on the cultivator’s fortune.

If the first attempt fails, who knows when the next opportunity will arise or how many times it can arise thereafter. No one can ascertain any pattern.

Second is "cultivation".

Cultivators have discovered that the Dao Rhymes they can capture are closely related to their own cultivation during the Qi Cultivation Stage. The path in which they cultivate most profoundly during this stage is where they are most likely to capture the corresponding Dao Rhymes.

For example, those who focus on cultivating Fire Attribute Techniques during the Qi Cultivation Stage will have a high likelihood of capturing fire-related Dao Rhymes, and their Dao Patterns might be "High Temperature" or "Burst". Qian Ruyi, who specializes in ice techniques, has Dao Patterns of "Frost", while Zhuang Qing, who focuses on the Talisman Dao, has Dao Patterns of "Talismanic Form".

The deeper the cultivation, the greater the possibility of capturing Dao Rhymes and inscribing Dao Patterns.

Therefore, if a Qi Cultivator engages in superficial cultivation across the board, without personal insight and summary, purely gathering spiritual energy and consuming pills to reach Qi Cultivation Perfection, the chances of successfully capturing Dao Rhymes are also low.

That’s why cultivators from renowned sects have a much higher chance of successful foundation establishment compared to those from lesser sects.

One is "fortune". Some sects with ancient legacies have mysterious and wondrous methods for temporarily altering fortune, causing a surge of luck in a short period, which can accelerate the arrival of the first opportunity.

The other is "legacy". Renowned sects possess many profound cultivation techniques which, when practiced from the Qi Cultivation Stage, naturally lead to more in-depth insights in a specific path than rural loose cultivators. For example, Guh Niqiang’s "Golden Crow Grand Derivation True Technique" is the top cultivation technique for fire control. By practicing it, one is likely to easily capture fire-related Dao Rhymes during foundation establishment.

Additionally, renowned sects have numerous skilled teachers. Under their guidance and immersion, junior cultivators naturally deepen their understanding of a specific path.

Currently, Lu Qian’s cultivation in the path of arrays has deepened day by day. Master Xuan Ji has nothing left to teach him. He has mastered Li Zhenru’s "Array Insights" and has made astounding breakthroughs with the "Wave Array Secret Manual". Now he is proficient in Yin Yang Five Elements and adept in Qimen Five Elements, making him even stronger than ordinary Foundation Establishment Array Cultivators in the path of arrays.

So, in terms of "cultivation", it certainly suffices. As soon as an "opportunity" arrives, he will immediately be able to sense the treasure land and begin seclusion to achieve breakthrough foundation establishment.

But when will this opportunity come?

...Or maybe, should I really secretly buy a so-called "Foundation Establishment Pill" that claims to improve fortune and accelerate the arrival of opportunity, just as a ritual for luck?

Lu Qian now understood why "Foundation Establishment Pills" were always in demand. Even those who scorned them couldn’t help acting out of desperation.

Thinking of this, Lu Qian looked at Guh Niqiang, whose smiling expression made her uncomfortable all over. "Elder Guh, don’t you really have any Spirit Pills that could help?"