The spiritual pressure behind them surged violently. The people from the Great Saber Sect were about to catch up.
Bi Lan didn’t dare hesitate any longer. She grabbed the Immortal Profound Token with her left hand, seized Yan Zhao tightly with her right, and leapt into the air, fleeing on her sword.
Behind them, several streaks of light flashed past the mountain gate. The experts of the Great Saber Sect had indeed given chase.
The whistling wind scraped past their ears. Bi Lan didn’t dare look back, the scenery in her vision receding rapidly.
They gradually widened the distance between themselves and the pursuing experts.
Bi Lan ran for two days and a night. She didn’t dare rest even when her dharma power was completely exhausted, traversing mountains and rivers, hiding and dodging, until she entered the largest Immortal Domain in the southern part of the Tianchen Continent—Taiyan.
Her original plan was to journey from Fuyun Sect to Taiyan over the course of a month. She hadn’t expected the change in plans, arriving so early—more than twenty days ahead of schedule.
Within the Taiyan Immortal Domain, Immortal Sects stood in great numbers. Mortals seeing immortals was nothing unusual. Immortal laws were strict, and seekers of the Dao were numerous.
Bi Lan flew on her sword, entering the territory of the Taiyan Immortal Domain. Even if the Great Saber Sect experts wanted to hunt them down, they were now powerless to do so.
Private combat was forbidden within the Taiyan Immortal Domain, unless the other party was a notorious villain on the wanted list.
Yan Zhao, having been dragged all the way to the Taiyan Immortal Domain by Bi Lan like a little chick, finally escaped the pursuit.
After entering the Immortal Domain, looking around, Yan Zhao saw palaces and pavilions everywhere, making her dizzy.
Large and small sects all had recruitment posts within the Immortal Domain, and marketplaces had been upgraded to trade associations. Truly, Golden Core cultivators were as common as dogs, and Nascent Soul experts walked everywhere.
Yet among the five great Immortal Domains of Tianchen, the Taiyan Immortal Domain ranked at the very bottom.
The Bright Mirror Platform, where the Immortal Sect Disciple Assembly was to be held, was located in the northernmost Taixu Immortal Domain, whose scale was incomparable to Taiyan.
The Tianchen Continent was vast. For an ordinary Foundation Establishment disciple to travel from south to north would take at least half a year.
They were currently still at the southernmost border of the Taiyan Immortal Domain. Even the nearest Immortal Market, though considered remote, was several times the size of Wuyou Immortal Market.
In the mountain ranges near the Immortal Domain, Fierce Beasts lurked, including powerful ones at the Golden Core or even Nascent Soul stage.
The sky had already darkened; it was unwise to camp outdoors. Bi Lan led Yan Zhao into the Immortal Market and sought a Relay Station where they could meditate and cultivate.
It was more of a manor than a Relay Station. Within the manor were several courtyards, and a pagoda stood in the center.
This Relay Station was an industry under the famous alchemy sect of the Taiyan Immortal Domain. Thus, many medicinal herbs were planted in the manor, irrigated by disciples of that sect on a rotational basis.
The reception disciple addressed Bi Lan and Yan Zhao neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Are you two here to trade medicinal herbs, or to stay overnight?”
“Lodging, one superior room.”
As Bi Lan spoke, she took a dark purple Spirit Crystal from her sleeve and placed it gently on the counter.
Seeing the Spirit Crystal, the reception disciple’s smile became much more sincere: “Please, come in.”
Filled with curiosity, Yan Zhao followed behind Bi Lan, looking around as she walked.
The flowers, grasses, and plants growing in the surrounding medicinal fields all seemed edible.
Smelling the fragrance, Yan Zhao paused for a moment.
Before she could hesitate further, Bi Lan grabbed her sleeve and pulled her away from the entrance of the medicinal field.
Their guest room was located in the pagoda. They followed the reception disciple into the pagoda’s first floor and stepped onto a Teleportation Array.
The Medicine God Pagoda had seventeen floors in total; the superior rooms were located on floors fourteen through seventeen.
The scenery before Yan Zhao and Bi Lan’s eyes shifted. They arrived at the teleportation exit. A plaque hanging on the corridor was inscribed with the character: Sixteen.
Many strange and novel things she had never seen before piqued Yan Zhao’s curiosity. When she stepped off the Teleportation Array, she even stomped her foot.
Creak.
The room door was pushed open. The reception disciple stood outside, inviting Bi Lan and Yan Zhao inside.
Bi Lan nodded and thanked her, then led Yan Zhao into the room.
The reception disciple lit the incense in the room, and then the door closed behind Bi Lan and Yan Zhao.
The Little Fox poked her head out from Yan Zhao’s embrace, looking left and right.
The guest room was spacious, decorated with elegant simplicity and spiritual grace. The tables and chairs were all made of fine ebony, understated yet luxurious.
She tilted her head, her eyes showing a hint of confusion as she looked at Bi Lan.
One Spirit Crystal was worth a hundred thousand Spirit Stones. An inner disciple of Fuyun Sect, cultivating hard for ten years, might not have the spare funds to afford a superior room in the Medicine God Pagoda.
This Junior Sister Bi, only at the Foundation Establishment stage, was spending so freely. Her origins were indeed extraordinary.
Even though it was a superior room, there was only one bed.
The bed was very wide, a full half-zhang. Even if two people lay side-by-side, there would still be space for another person between them.
“Junior Sister Yan,” Bi Lan called out to Yan Zhao. “We will rest here tonight.”
To escape the Great Saber Sect’s pursuit, they had been traveling for days. She didn’t know if Yan Zhao was tired, but Bi Lan herself could run no more.
Yan Zhao was very accustomed to this. She kicked off her shoes and lay down on the bed, pulling the quilt up to wrap herself tightly.
Yan Zhao had never slept on such a soft bed. Her head had barely touched the pillow before she instantly fell into a dream.
Seeing this, Bi Lan’s lips curved into a smile.
She walked to the bedside. The Little Fox immediately poked her head out from Yan Zhao’s embrace.
Seeing the Little Fox’s ears pricked up, looking thoroughly alert, Bi Lan shook her head: “I won’t fight you for her.”
This little fox was exceptionally spiritually aware. If she wanted to sleep next to Yan Zhao, then let her.
The Little Fox was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood what Bi Lan meant. A flash of awkwardness crossed her eyes, and she turned her head away from Bi Lan.
Bi Lan’s eyebrows curved up, unable to suppress her amusement.
Then she leaned over, took out the brilliant yellow Immortal Profound Token, and placed it into Yan Zhao’s Universe Pouch.
This object was obtained by Yan Zhao, so it should naturally belong to Yan Zhao.
Even though Yan Zhao seemed to have no interest in the Immortal Sect Disciple Assembly, Bi Lan wouldn’t take advantage of Yan Zhao’s naivety to steal her opportunity.
Seeing this, the Little Fox’s eyes flickered.
After putting away the Immortal Profound Token, Bi Lan turned and walked to the other side of the room.
There was a soft couch near the window. She sat down on it and began to meditate.
Soon after falling asleep, Yan Zhao heard Yan Yuanqing calling her again.
This always happened whenever she felt sleepy and closed her eyes. Yan Zhao had gradually gotten used to it and felt less resistance in her heart.
With a thought, she arrived at the Immortal Abode.
This time, her landing point wasn’t the courtyard, but the lakeside—the place Yan Zhao had been randomly teleported to when she first entered the Immortal Abode.
The view on the shore was wide open, with nothing blocking the sight, yet Yan Yuanqing was nowhere to be seen.
Yan Zhao frowned, looking around.
Suddenly, a hand burst out from the ground and grabbed her ankle.
Yan Yuanqing crawled out from underground.
Yan Zhao: “……”
“Did Mama scare little Zhaozhao?!” Yan Yuanqing giggled, half her body still buried in the earth.
Yan Zhao replied expressionlessly: “No.”
“Eh!” Yan Yuanqing was greatly disappointed. “Was it really not scary at all?!”
Yan Zhao curled her lip: “Not scary.”
A ghost-like wisp of primordial energy burped out of Yan Yuanqing’s mouth, and she sprawled on the ground, dejected.
“……” Yan Zhao’s eyelid twitched. She glanced at her, then turned her head away and said, “The Divine Movement Spell Mother taught me last time isn’t good at all.”
Yan Yuanqing instantly revived with full health.
She swooshed out from underground, somehow managing to keep her clothes perfectly neat and clean.
Yan Yuanqing grabbed Yan Zhao and planted several loud, smacking kisses on her, then asked cheerfully: “My dear daughter, tell me, what’s not good about it?”
Yan Zhao replied: “Can’t run far.”
Yan Yuanqing ruthlessly exposed her: “That’s because your cultivation base is too low!”
Yan Zhao didn’t say a word, but her cheeks puffed up in a pufferfish pout of anger.
Her expression made Yan Yuanqing laugh. Yan Yuanqing cupped her little face and rubbed it, rubbing until it turned red.
Yan Zhao felt like Yan Yuanqing was teasing her.
“Oh dear, are you unhappy now?”
Yan Yuanqing smiled, her eyes narrowed, pinching Yan Zhao’s cheeks, finding the texture surprisingly good.
Yan Zhao wanted to escape her hand, but failed.
Yan Yuanqing was so happy she squinted, her smiling face seeming almost to glow: “Alright, alright, how about Mama teaches you how to cultivate?”
Yan Zhao was silent.
She had no talent for cultivation at all.
As she thought this, she was suddenly embraced.
Yan Yuanqing opened her arms and wrapped her in a hug, patting her head.
Yan Zhao rested her head on Yan Yuanqing’s shoulder. A strange feeling flooded into her chest like a torrent.
Yan Yuanqing transmitted the mental cultivation method and mnemonic verses for training to Yan Zhao, guiding her gently: “Close your eyes. Feel the flow of your inner breath.”
Yan Zhao clearly wanted to break free from this embrace, yet her body seemed to have a mind of its own. As Yan Yuanqing’s voice landed in her ears, her heart trembled slightly, and she couldn’t help but obey, submissively closing her eyes.
A warm stream of qi circulated within her body, round and round.
She could clearly see the trajectory of that qi pulse flowing. Every time it completed a cycle, the mass of clear qi beneath her navel grew a little denser.
Yan Zhao thought to herself: This is cultivation?
Inside the guest room of the Medicine God Pagoda, the Little Fox’s ears twitched. Then she suddenly opened her eyes, looking at Yan Zhao with astonishment.
On the soft couch nearby, Bi Lan was still focused on her own cultivation, completely unaware of the unusual phenomenon in the room.
But the Little Fox, being extremely close to Yan Zhao, could clearly sense the violent change in the surrounding spiritual qi of heaven and earth.
In the space adjacent to Yan Zhao, a vacuum layer of spiritual qi suddenly appeared, causing all the spiritual Qi in the room to converge towards Yan Zhao.
It wouldn’t be long before this disturbance woke Bi Lan.
The Little Fox stood up, jumped off the bed, and upon landing, transformed into her human form. Forming hand seals, she cast a spell on Bi Lan—a Deep Sleep Spell.
Bi Lan, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly swayed. Then her upper body tilted, and she collapsed onto the couch into a deep slumber.
Having finished her precautionary work, Ren Qingyue returned to the bedside. The flow of spiritual qi around Yan Zhao was now even faster than before, and the amount of qi absorbed was even greater.
This is…
Ren Qingyue’s pupils constricted, her face showing shock.
The prelude to Foundation Establishment.
Wasn’t Yan Zhao supposed to have blocked meridians and be unable to cultivate?
But looking at the speed of this spiritual qi circulation, her own Foundation Establishment probably hadn’t been much different in scale.
Furthermore, who could establish their foundation while lying down and sleeping?
Ren Qingyue’s heart was full of doubts.
For a mortal, breaking through to Foundation Establishment was the first step into the Immortal Sect. Its importance could be great or small, but traveling outside was never as safe as being in a sect.
Ren Qingyue made an immediate decision, casually casting several talisman spells to shield Yan Zhao’s aura.
With a flick of her hand, she also took out several talismans and flicked them with her finger, attaching them to the door, windows, and four walls to isolate any spiritual senses that might probe curiously from outside.
Having done all this, she sat cross-legged beside Yan Zhao, circulating her power and forming hand seals to act as Yan Zhao’s Protector.
In her dream, Yan Zhao felt her body becoming lighter and lighter, while simultaneously, the mass of qi in her lower Dantian grew hotter and hotter.
The qi flow gathered more and more, becoming increasingly dense.
At a certain point, condensation formed within the qi, bursting out with an immense suction force that abruptly absorbed and refined all the spiritual qi in her Dantian, transforming it into a single, clear, colorless liquid droplet.
At the same moment, she felt her limbs light, her muscles and bones completely at ease.
Her body felt as if bathed in sunlight, immersed in a hot spring, experiencing an unprecedented ease.
“Alright.” Yan Yuanqing released Yan Zhao and patted her flushed cheeks. “Congratulations to our little Zhaozhao for successfully establishing her foundation. You are now a qualified cultivator!”
Yan Zhao was dazed. She raised her head and met Yan Yuanqing’s eyes.
Yan Yuanqing’s brows and eyes were curved, her smile gentle.
Yan Zhao’s eyelashes fluttered rapidly.
Bewildered.
That was Foundation Establishment?
Could cultivation really be this easy?
