Although this couldn't compare to Elian starting cultivation at the age of three with a heavenly and extraordinary talent, it was already far superior to most cultivators who only began their cultivation journey at eleven or twelve.
Time passed peacefully during his cultivation, and in the blink of an eye, more than four months had gone by.
"Whew."
Finishing his cultivation for the day, Elian exhaled a misty breath.
Feeling his spiritual energy increase once again, he revealed a hint of joy on his face.
After breaking through to the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage, a cultivator couldn't immediately proceed to establish their Foundation. Instead, they needed to refine their spiritual energy further.
The so-called Foundation Establishment involved compressing spiritual energy until it transformed into liquid true essence, bringing about a qualitative change and completing a leap in the level of life.
This process required an enormous amount of spiritual energy.
Typically, Qi Refining cultivators would refine their spiritual energy to the point where their meridians were fully saturated, then continue polishing it to condense their spiritual energy to the meridians' limits.
Additionally, they would temper their meridians with spiritual energy to ensure their strength reached its peak before attempting Foundation Establishment. This process often required nearly a decade of continuous refinement.
Even so, without the assistance of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the success rate was merely ten percent. If the transformation to true essence failed, the spiritual energy would explode within the meridians, leading to complete destruction and death.
The Sixth Elder, Chen Qingmeng, perished due to a failure at this critical step in Foundation Establishment.
The Foundation Establishment Pill served to smoothen spiritual energy and double the meridian strength in a short time.
For this reason, cultivators using Foundation Establishment Pills had a significantly lower risk; even if they failed, they would only suffer severe energy depletion rather than death.
Elian's physical body had been enhanced by Primordial Purple Qi, improving his foundation. From a young age, he had tempered his meridians with spiritual energy and Primordial Purple Qi, making his meridians much broader than those of ordinary Qi Refining cultivators.
The resilience and strength of his meridians also far surpassed the peak of typical Qi Refining cultivators.
By his estimation, with a few more years of nourishment from Primordial Purple Qi, his meridian strength would more than double that of an average person. At that point, his chances of successful Foundation Establishment would increase substantially, almost equivalent to the effects of a Foundation Establishment Pill.
"My meridians are broader, allowing them to hold 30 to 40 percent more spiritual energy than cultivators of the same stage. This alone boosts my odds of success by another 10 to 20 percent."
"So, as long as I proceed steadily, accumulating spiritual energy with spirit peaches and refining for a few more years, I might have a 50 to 60 percent chance of success."
Elian thought with satisfaction that with such a solid foundation and a Foundation Establishment Pill would almost guarantee success.
In a good mood, he concluded his cultivation session and left his wooden house to check on the spiritual fish and Purple-Striped Goose. He had barely taken a few steps when he noticed that the spirit peaches on the Spirit Peach Tree were nearing ripeness.
The joy of an impending harvest lifted his spirits.
"This year's spirit peaches seem slightly more plentiful than in previous years."
Elian observed the Spirit Peach Tree and raised an eyebrow slightly.
It appeared that the roots of the tree had changed due to the influence of Primordial Purple Qi, resulting in an increasing yield of spirit peaches each year.
The first year, the tree had produced fifty-six peaches; the second year, sixty. This year, there were already more than seventy unripe fruits.
This was nearly the limit of a Grade-One Low-Grade Spirit Peach Tree. Any further progress would elevate it to a Grade-One Mid-Grade level.
"Could this Spirit Peach Tree have surpassed its foundational limit and started advancing with age?"
"If that's the case, then judging by the trend, it might reach Grade-One Mid-Grade in one or two more years."
Elian was delighted by the thought. A Grade-One Mid-Grade Spirit Peach Tree would produce about twice as many peaches annually, typically around a hundred.
On the same day, at the edge of Linghu Isle, three cultivators—a woman and two men—were gazing toward the island at the center of the lake.
A middle-aged woman, still full of grace, admired the scenery and couldn't help but exclaim.
"Who would have thought the Chen family controlled such a picturesque spiritual lake?"
"It would be wonderful to claim this place as a cultivation site and spend the rest of my life here."
As soon as she finished speaking, an emaciated old cultivator shook his head.
"This Linghu Isle belongs to the Chen family. With our cultivation levels, it's a pipe dream to occupy it."
"The Chen family's unique resource, the Azure Spirit Fish, is most likely cultivated here."
"If we could seize them all, our cultivation resources for the next decade would be secure."
"Enough about the lake and spirit fish," the third person, a burly gray-robed cultivator, interrupted. "We have more pressing matters."
He fixed his gaze on the island at the lake's center, pondering.
"According to our information, the person who killed our junior brother is on Linghu Isle."
"We've been sent by Master to seek revenge. We can't afford to delay."
It turned out the three were disciples of Elder Zhang, the demonic cultivator. They had come to take revenge on Elian for killing a descendant of Elder Zhang, who had massacred Pingyuan Town.
Upon remembering their mission, the middle-aged woman's face darkened, and she cursed angrily.
"The old devil fears Chen Changxuan and doesn't dare come himself but sends us to risk our lives instead."
"Elian is a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator with formation protection. Aren't we walking to our deaths?"
Demonic cultivators were notoriously ruthless and selfish, often betraying even close relations for personal gain. The emaciated old man, however, was indifferent to the woman's complaints and coldly said:
"We all bear Master Zhang's Ghost Devouring Curse. Following his orders gives us a slim chance at survival; defying them ensures death. Are you thinking of rebelling?"
The burly cultivator, the strongest among them, wore a grim expression but remained composed.
"Before we set out, Master gave me a Six Ghost Talisman. It should suffice to deal with the formations here."
"With three late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, we can surely handle one person."
"Let's act quickly to avoid complications."
The three made their decision and set out on a small boat, rowing toward the island.
Unfortunately for them, Elian, who was checking the spiritual fish, spotted them halfway across the lake.
"Not good—demonic cultivators!"
Elian's pupils shrank. The ominous aura of the demonic cultivators was unmistakable. He immediately returned to the island and activated the protective formation.
Cloud Mist Formation enveloped the island in a thick fog.
"Damn it."
The three demonic cultivators cursed as their faces darkened. The burly one gritted his teeth and ordered decisively:
"No choice now. We break through!"
Entering the fog, their vision and spiritual senses were obstructed, limiting their sight to just a few meters.
The emaciated old man sensed the danger and quickly warned, "This fog blocks both vision and spiritual sense. We must stay within arm's reach to avoid being picked off one by one."
...
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