Chapter 134, Zhou Chun’s Foundation Establishment and Cultivation Method Choices

Translator: Raznick

 

After his initial Foundation Establishment failed, Zhou Chun rested for nearly ten days.

 

It was mainly to soothe the impact on the meridians and to summarize the lessons learned.

 

Failure was the mother of success; only by experiencing failure could one truly know how to find success.

 

Zhou Chun concluded that his previous attempt at Foundation Establishment likely failed primarily because he spent too long breaking through the illusions, wasting a great deal of the Foundation Establishment Pill’s potency.

 

Otherwise, the shockwave caused by the previous cyclone collapsing might not have been enough to break through the protective membrane formed by the Foundation Establishment Pill.

 

Another reason, of course, was that he made a mistake in controlling the cyclone when he was reversing his spiritual power in the final step, and he didn’t grasp the rhythm properly.

 

In his next attempt at Foundation Establishment, these two points remained the difficulties he needed to overcome.

 

However, with the experience of this first failure and the fact that he wouldn’t waste any potency from the second Foundation Establishment Pill on removing impurities within his body, Zhou Chun still had a great deal of confidence in reaching Foundation Establishment.

 

So, once his body recovered, he took a second Foundation Establishment Pill and began his second attempt at Foundation Establishment.

 

As expected, this time after taking the Foundation Establishment Pill, very few impurities appeared.

 

And he quickly began to challenge the Foundation Establishment level once more.

 

Unlike last time, the illusion Zhou Chun faced again was the disdain and abandonment he received from Grand Elder Zhou Mingde after failing to cultivate with two Foundation Establishment Pills.

 

He had always harbored doubts and worries about his lack of closeness with Grand Elder Zhou Mingde.

 

This illusion amplified his doubts and anxieties.

 

Within the illusion, after failing and exiting seclusion, Grand Elder Zhou Mingde not only ignored Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi’s pleas but also rejected the suggestion of a third attempt at Foundation Establishment with a Foundation Establishment Pill and, furthermore, demanded that he forfeit his entire fortune to compensate for the loss of two Foundation Establishment Pills.

 

When the other clan members learned that he had failed to achieve Foundation Establishment after consuming two Foundation Establishment Pills, they were consumed by jealousy and strongly supported Grand Elder Zhou Mingde’s decision.

 

Those clan members who had once been friendly to him now looked at him with disappointment and disgust.

 

Compared to the previous illusion, this illusion was more lifelike, perfectly portraying the darkness of human nature.

 

However, Zhou Chun did not linger in the illusion for long this time, quickly regaining his senses.

 

He was not a supporter of the notion of human nature being inherently evil and always believed in reciprocation.

 

The merits Zhou Chun had earned for the Zhou Clan were more than sufficient to cover two Foundation Establishment Pills, let alone three or five.

 

Moreover, the management skills and combat abilities he had demonstrated were the most outstanding among the Zhou Clan’s younger generation.

 

Furthermore, Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi and Third Elder Zhou Daoquan had both received the Heart Soul Fruit he had offered.

 

Therefore, he would never believe that he would be so ruthlessly abandoned simply because of a failed Foundation Establishment.

 

Even Zhou Jiacheng, after failing to achieve Foundation Establishment while consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill, had not been blamed by Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi.

 

How could Zhou Chun be abandoned?

 

Relying on this genuine sincerity, Zhou Chun easily broke free from the illusion.

 

And this time, after regaining consciousness, he realized that only twenty percent of the Foundation Establishment Pill’s power had been utilized.

 

This eased his mood and boosted his confidence.

 

Next, he attempted to condense the spiritual power vortex again, and thanks to the failed attempt earlier, he succeeded on the second try.

 

When it came time to reverse the spiritual power vortex, Zhou Chun steadied his mind and proceeded cautiously.

 

Although he still failed once in the process, the medicinal power of the Foundation Establishment Pill supported him, allowing the protective membrane to easily withstand the backlash of spiritual power.

 

When he began his third attempt, Zhou Chun smoothly pushed the spiritual power vortex to successfully complete the reversal.

 

Drip!

 

Suddenly, a crisp sound like a water droplet echoed from within Zhou Chun’s body.

 

Below the reversed vortex, a single droplet of spiritual power essence, radiating gold, azure, and emerald light, fell like the spring dew, landing on the previously empty Dantian.

 

Then, droplet after droplet of spiritual power essence fell, like water from a faucet, steadily accumulating a small pond within Zhou Chun.

 

Once the last droplet of spiritual power essence had fallen, no trace of misty spiritual power could be seen within Zhou Chun’s Dantian, only a pool of essence shimmering with three colors of light.

 

It was done!

 

Zhou Chun looked at the pool of spiritual power essence that had appeared within his Dantian and finally felt a sense of relief.

 

Next, he circulated his cultivation method, exporting the spiritual power essence and guiding it toward his other meridians.

 

He discovered that the Elemental Dawn, which he had cultivated previously, had a far less effective effect on guiding spiritual power essence compared to guiding the misty spiritual power.

 

The time it took to complete a single cycle of circulating power had increased by several times!

 

This meant that if he continued to cultivate with this cultivation method, his speed would be several times slower than before!

 

The difference was so vast; no wonder Foundation Establishment cultivators prioritized changing cultivation methods as soon as they achieved Foundation Establishment.

 

As spiritual power circulated through the meridians and acupoints, nourishing the surrounding flesh and bones, Zhou Chun quickly noticed his body changing.

 

He knew that this was the spiritual power beginning to temper and nourish his body, allowing his physical form to slowly transcend the mundane.

 

This step was slow and lengthy, typically taking more than six months to complete.

 

Only then would he truly be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, inside and out.

 

It wasn’t just his body; his Divine Sense was the same.

 

Zhou Chun felt his Divine Sense had grown considerably, but it hadn’t yet reached the level of a typical Foundation Establishment cultivator who could effortlessly extend it hundreds of meters.

 

However, each time the spiritual power circulated through acupoints, it nourished the soul and strengthened his Divine Sense.

 

In the long run, his Divine Sense would eventually grow stronger than that of an average early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

 

In the following days, Zhou Chun meditated within the chamber, sending spiritual power to nourish his body.

 

Although Elemental Dawn was now unusable, continuing to use this cultivation method to send spiritual power and temper his body was clearly more cost-effective than the time it would take to change cultivation methods.

 

Furthermore, his body, which hadn’t yet fully transformed, might not be able to handle the training demands of a new cultivation method.

 

After nearly three months of seclusion, Zhou Chun finally emerged.

 

At this time, Zhou Chun’s body hadn’t fully transformed, and his Divine Sense hadn’t yet reached its growth limit.

 

The abilities of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, such as flying, were already mastered.

 

After leaving seclusion, he was as eager as Zhou Jiarui, immediately riding the wind and experiencing the thrill of flying.

 

He raised his hands, and with a thought, his body floated lightly in the sky, drifting back and forth, cruising through the air.

 

As long as his spiritual power remained, he could maintain this state indefinitely.

 

This feeling of unrestrained flight was far beyond that of controlling a flying artifact.

 

Zhou Chun’s movements naturally attracted the attention of Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi.

 

Soon, his joyful laughter rang out on Pagoda Peak.

 

“Hahaha, Zhengchun, you’ve finally completed your seclusion!”

 

With a flash of cyan light, Zhou Daoyi’s figure appeared in mid-air.

 

His face was full of joyful smiles, appearing much happier than Zhou Chun, who had just emerged from seclusion.

 

Zhou Chun was touched, and he quickly descended, bowing to him: “Clan Leader is my superior, and I failed to notice.”

 

He added with a hint of regret, “It’s a pity I have limited abilities and was unable to save the clan a Foundation Establishment Pill!”

 

Hearing his words, Zhou Daoyi simply waved his hand, his smile undiminished: “As long as you reach Foundation Establishment, nothing else matters. We’ll get more in time.”

 

He then moved his body and descended to the ground, simultaneously saying, “Come, follow me into the hall and tell me all about it.”

 

Entering Central Palace, Zhou Daoyi simply asked a few questions about Zhou Chun’s feelings after Foundation Establishment, and soon got down to business.

 

“Now that you’re at the Foundation Established Stage, it’s time to fulfill some of the promises my clan made to you.

 

“Here’s what I propose: in three months, the clan will host a Foundation Establishment celebration for you. At that time, I will invite cultivators from other clans to attend, and then ask the Grand Elder to publicly announce your appointment as Deputy Clan Leader!

 

“As for the promise of a personal artifact from the Grand Elder, whether that still counts or not, I’ll need to check with him—there’s no need for you to rush.”

 

If Zhou Chun would reach Foundation Establishment by taking only one Foundation Establishment Pill, he would become the Deputy Clan Leader on the spot along with many other benefits.

 

But Zhou Chun had used two.

 

The extra Foundation Establishment Pill forfeited some of the perks.

 

Therefore, Zhou Daoyi couldn’t be certain what the Grand Elder, Zhou Mingde, thought about it.

 

And although Zhou Chun also wanted to obtain the things that Zhou Daoyi had spoken of, they weren’t absolutely necessary.

 

After all, he already held two second-grade artifacts in his own hands!

 

So he readily replied, “I understand. Clan Leader, rest assured, no matter how the clan decides, I will have no complaints whatsoever.”

 

“Mm, good attitude.”

 

Zhou Daoyi nodded, very pleased with Zhou Chun’s answer.

 

Then he asked, “What about your choice of cultivation method?”

 

Hearing him ask, Zhou Chun immediately replied without hesitation, “I’ve already decided. I want a cultivation method that will grant me a powerful special skill and allow me to rapidly advance my cultivation!”

 

“Oh, are you certain? This concerns your future, so you must be very cautious!”

 

Zhou Daoyi looked at Zhou Chun with a serious expression, seemingly surprised by his answer.

 

Zhou Chun stated firmly, “I am certain and willing to bear all consequences!”

 

Seeing his resolute answer, Zhou Daoyi knew he had truly made up his mind.

 

He only nodded and said, “Alright, since you’ve already decided, once you completely stabilize your cultivation, come find me. I’ll take you to choose a cultivation method that meets your requirements!”

 

“Yes, I understand.”

 

Zhou Chun returned to his residence to continue stabilizing his cultivation.

 

Very quickly, the news that Zhou Chun had reached Foundation Establishment spread rapidly throughout the Zhou Clan.

 

Following Zhou Jiarui and Zhou Jiahe, the two Jia generation cultivators who had reached Foundation Establishment, the first Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Zheng generation had finally appeared!

 

When this news spread, many Zhou Clan cultivators felt a mixture of happiness and complexity.

 

The happiness was, of course, that the clan had gained another Foundation Establishment cultivator, and their resources were further enhanced.

 

However, the fact that Zhou Chun, the thirteenth-ranked member of the Zheng generation, had reached Foundation Establishment, caused some seniors and peers to feel rather discontented.

 

Some were more than twice his age, and some had once cultivated alongside Zhou Chun.

 

But now Zhou Chun had reached Foundation Establishment, and they were very likely to never have the opportunity to reach Foundation Establishment in their lifetime!

 

This immense disparity naturally caused some discontent.

 

“I never thought he would progress so quickly!”

 

On Ganoderma Peak, Fifth Elder Zhou Jiahe heard the news and was both shocked and delighted at how quickly Zhou Chun had reached Foundation Establishment, marveling at his progress.

 

“I thought that by reaching Foundation Establishment before him, it would have made it easier to repay his kindness. Unexpectedly, he’s surpassed me now!”

 

When Zhou Jiapeng learned that Zhou Chun had reached Foundation Establishment, he was filled with complex emotions and was equally astonished.

 

“As I thought, Thirteenth Brother definitely has a brilliant future. A Foundation Establishment cultivator at the age of thirty-six, wow…”

 

Zhou Zhengyu, who had previously gone to Cloud Province with Zhou Chun to investigate the Flood Dragon situation, heard the news and could only marvel at the news.

 

Zhou Zhengtao, who had previously said sarcastic remarks to Zhou Chun during the capture of an Eight Antlers Stag, was completely stunned.

 

After a full moment of dumbfoundedness, he sighed softly, “Always comparing each other is infuriating!”

 

The reactions of the other Zhou Clan cultivators when they heard that Zhou Chun had reached Foundation Establishment weren’t that different.

 

After Zhou Chun returned to his residence, he couldn’t help but remember his previous conversation with Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi.

 

It turned out that after a cultivator reached Foundation Establishment, the stage’s cultivation methods were generally divided into three categories.

 

One category was a cultivation method that could give the cultivator a powerful special skill after cultivation, allowing them to defeat enemies. If this cultivation method were mastered, it would come with a relatively powerful mystical art special skill and some characteristics, which would greatly enhance the cultivator’s ability to fight and even allow them to skip stages!

 

The downsides were obvious, however. Typically, after cultivating it, the spiritual power growth was very slow, and it could take five or six decades to break through just one layer.

 

A cultivator who picked such a cultivation method had next to no hope of opening a Violet Palace!

 

The second category of cultivation method was the opposite. After cultivation, not only was the spiritual power growth amazing andeasy to master, but the probability of encountering a bottleneck in the future would also be much lower than that of the first category.

 

Its defect was just as obvious as the first, having no ability for self-defense. The special skill attached to it had a pathetic level of power, and the user wouldn’t get any boost in strength either.

 

If their cultivation was comparable, a cultivator practicing the second cultivation method would almost certainly not be a match for a cultivator practicing the first cultivation method and might even be defeated by the latter despite the difference in their cultivation.

 

But even so, many cultivators, in order to break through their cultivation and gain a longer lifespan, would still choose to cultivate the second cultivation method.

 

After all, the pursuit of immortality was the main goal for all who embark on the path of cultivation.

 

Beyond the first two cultivation methods, there was a third, the cultivation method that Zhou Chun had chosen.

 

This third cultivation method could be said to combine the advantages of the first two, capable of greatly enhancing a cultivator’s combat ability and granting powerful special skills, while also rapidly improving their spiritual power.

 

However, this type of cultivation method also had its drawbacks.

 

Cultivating this method not only had numerous restrictions but was also a very dangerous process, often carrying the risk of death. Those who weren’t extraordinarily gifted, with abilities beyond those of ordinary cultivators, wouldn’t choose to cultivate this third cultivation method.

 

Furthermore, compared to the first two types of cultivation methods, the third cultivation method was extremely rare and precious, and difficult to obtain.

 

Currently, within the Zhou Clan, there wasn’t even a single cultivator who dared to cultivate the third cultivation method.