112. The Heavenly Secret Order

This Foundation Establishment had been entirely unexpected.

Trapped inside the stone cavern with no way out, they had decided to attempt Foundation Establishment only because they had no other choice. In truth, neither Lingyu nor Qian Jiale had ever imagined that they would succeed.

They had only recently reached the completion of Qi Refining. They had taken very few Meridian-Tempering Pills, and they had only just begun to grasp the rudiments of sword intent. Under normal circumstances, they would have needed at least several years of comprehension before reporting to the sect and applying for Foundation Establishment. If they failed, they would have been like all sword cultivators, comprehending sword intent while saving money to buy Foundation Establishment Pills.

Among disciples like them in the cultivation world, more than sixty percent of those who ultimately succeeded in establishing their foundations did so around ten years after reaching the completion of Qi Refining. It was not unheard-of for someone to get lucky and succeed on the first attempt, but such cases were pitifully rare.

Originally, if they had attempted Foundation Establishment under those circumstances, their chances of success would not have exceeded ten percent. Yet neither of them had expected that these few feathers were anything but ordinary. With the Immortal Book’s assistance, Lingyu had managed to stagger into the Foundation Establishment stage.

After confirming that she had succeeded, Lingyu tidied herself up. Then, after listening to Abi recount everything that had happened, the more she thought about it, the more bewildered she became.

Take the Immortal Book, for example.

“You mean my book came out on its own and ate all the feathers?” Lingyu asked incredulously.

“Yes.” Abi nodded while noisily fiddling with the fire crystal in her hands.

“And then it ran into my head?”

“That’s right.” Abi continued nodding.

Her head—didn’t that mean her sea of consciousness?

Lingyu shook her head and sank her divine sense back into her sea of consciousness. Compared with the Qi Refining stage, a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s sea of consciousness was more than ten times larger. At present, it was completely empty.

Wait. Where was the spirit network?

Lingyu had long grown accustomed to having a spirit network hidden inside her head, but now it had vanished without a trace.

While she was still puzzled, a book suddenly appeared out of thin air where the spirit network had once been. Its cover was dark and faintly traced with golden patterns. Opened wide, it slowly revolved within her sea of consciousness.

“Damn it! How am I supposed to read books from now on?” Lingyu stared in astonishment. That was the first thought to flash through her mind.

The Immortal Book answered with action.

With a thump, the scene before her blurred, and a book dropped onto her lap. At the same time, the spirit network reappeared in its original place.

“…”

Lingyu let out a long breath and silently calmed herself. There was no need to be too surprised. She had known for a long time that the book possessed human-like intelligence.

But really—whose book needed to eat meat?

She flipped through it. It seemed no different from before, so Lingyu tossed the Immortal Book back into her Cosmos Pouch and turned to Abi.

“Did Senior Brother Qian leave any other instructions?”

Abi thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No.”

Since he had left no instructions, all they could do was wait.

The joy of successful Foundation Establishment made the waiting bearable. Lingyu regulated her breathing for a while, confirming that her condition after Foundation Establishment was stable, and began considering their current situation.

The success of this attempt had been far too smooth, completely beyond her expectations. Lingyu had been caught unprepared, and her state of mind had yet to adjust. She felt as though everything were unreal.

Previously, so many people had told her how difficult Foundation Establishment was. Even those with extraordinary talent rarely succeeded on their first attempt. Most people spent ten years slowly solidifying their foundations and exploring the path toward Foundation Establishment.

Yet she, Lingyu, had not even been at the completion of Qi Refining for a year. She had not even comprehended sword intent, and she had already succeeded in establishing her foundation…

“Actually, I must be dreaming,” Lingyu muttered to herself.

In the Azure Abyss Realm, her aptitude could not be considered top-tier. She was far inferior to the direct disciples of those Nascent Soul Patriarchs. The only thing worthy of praise was her dual spiritual constitution.

As far as she knew, Lu Yingfeng, the direct disciple of Manifestation True Person, and Duanmu Cheng, the direct disciple of True Person Yang of Lesser Yang Peak, had both reached the completion of Qi Refining while still in their teens. They were genuine prodigies, yet even they had spent several years slowly tempering and solidifying their foundations before attempting Foundation Establishment.

And Cheng Lingyu had established her foundation even faster than they had. It was practically as if smoke were rising from her ancestors’ graves!

Regardless, once she had succeeded in Foundation Establishment, she was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The immortal path stretched endlessly before her, but at last, she had taken the first step.

Lingyu smiled, her heart light and joyful. Her gaze settled on Qian Jiale, who was still meditating. After a brief pause, a trace of worry appeared in her eyes.

She hoped Senior Brother Qian would succeed as well. She hoped everything would go smoothly…

This wait lasted another two months.

Lingyu’s Foundation Establishment had not taken long—about three months, which was within the normal range. Qian Jiale, however, was behaving somewhat unusually. It had been nearly half a year. Whether he could establish his foundation should have been clear long ago.

Moreover, they had already shared out all their Fasting Pills. They could only hold on for another month or so. If there were still no result by then…

“What’s that smell?” Abi fanned at her nose.

Lingyu stopped cultivating. A sour, foul stench had filled the air. She was stunned at first, then delighted. Turning toward Qian Jiale, she saw black grease continually oozing from his body, covering his entire face in the blink of an eye.

He had succeeded in Foundation Establishment!

Once the cleansing of the meridians and marrow began, Foundation Establishment had entered its final phase, and the worst of the pain was already over. Lingyu let out a long breath. Her two months of waiting had not been in vain after all.

The cleansing did not last long. A day later, Qian Jiale opened his eyes.

After confirming that his Foundation Establishment was real and not a delusion, Qian Jiale was beside himself with joy. He clenched his fist and swung it through the air.

“I succeeded!”

The movement sent a wave of sour stench rushing into his nose. Qian Jiale looked down and immediately flushed with embarrassment. He hurriedly cast a Dust-Cleansing Spell, wiping away the filth covering his body.

“Congratulations, Senior Brother Qian, on successfully establishing your foundation.”

Lingyu’s voice came at just the right moment, reminding Qian Jiale that there was someone else present besides him.

“Thank you…” He had only spoken half a sentence when his eyes widened and fixed on Lingyu. “Junior Sister Cheng, you…”

Lingyu assumed he was surprised that they had both succeeded in establishing their foundations and was about to tease him when he continued, “Why do you look a little different?”

“Hm?” Lingyu lowered her head and examined herself, baffled. “How am I different?”

“You seem… You seem more like a woman now…”

After saying this, Qian Jiale touched his own face and exclaimed joyfully, “Could Foundation Establishment have this effect? Will I look more like a man too?”

Full of anticipation, he cast a Water-Mirror Spell. The next moment, his expression collapsed.

Foundation Establishment could transform the body, but it could not change one’s fundamental appearance. Lingyu looked more feminine because the impurities had been expelled from her body, leaving her skin crystalline and her features softened, smoothing out the slightly angular lines she had possessed before.

As for him, the same thing had happened.

He looked even more like a woman.

Qian Jiale was utterly depressed. Even the joy of successfully establishing his foundation was diminished. Was he truly destined never to escape that effeminate appearance?

Before he had finished brooding, he heard Lingyu’s muffled laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Qian Jiale demanded, half embarrassed and half annoyed.

Lingyu turned her head away. Once she had laughed enough, she turned back and said solemnly, “Senior Brother Qian, both of us have successfully established our foundations. It is certainly cause for celebration. At last, we can leave this cursed place!”

…

At that moment, inside the Great Unity Hall on the main peak of the Supreme White Sect, more than a dozen cultivators were standing or sitting. Every one of them possessed an otherworldly bearing and extraordinary presence.

Lan Muyang stepped into the hall and bowed deeply.

“This disciple pays his respects to Sect Master, Senior Uncle Manifestation, Senior Uncle Yang, and Junior Uncle Manifestation-Proclaimer.”

“Rise.”

The person seated in the place of honor was a kindly-looking Daoist of about forty. He was Gu Qinghua, True Person Gu, the sect master of the Supreme White Sect. He was at the middle stage of Nascent Soul. Among the sect’s many Nascent Soul Patriarchs, he ranked only third in cultivation, but because of his gentle disposition and dignified appearance, he had been chosen as sect master over the two True Persons, Manifestation and Yang Qizhen.

Lan Muyang straightened and bowed to everyone around him.

“Greetings, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.”

The seven or eight Core Formation cultivators seated below the four Nascent Soul Patriarchs returned his greeting one after another.

A white-robed woman who appeared to be around twenty smiled and said, “It’s been several years, Junior Brother Lan, but you’re still as courteous as ever. In fact, you’re far too courteous. Every time I see you, I feel so constrained.”

Her tone was familiar and her manner lively, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately relaxed.

True Person Manifestation-Proclaimer, seated above, laughed.

“Isn’t that the truth? Everyone says this boy is steady, but if you ask me, he’s simply too steady. He lacks some of the sharpness young people ought to have.”

True Person Manifestation-Proclaimer was the junior sister of True Person Manifestation, belonging to the same lineage. Despite her youthful, beautiful, and elegant appearance, she was actually at the middle stage of Nascent Soul and one of the sect’s foremost experts. Even more unusually, before she had reached the Nascent Soul stage, she had never put on airs. She was therefore one of the most beloved elders among the Supreme White Sect’s many Core Formation cultivators.

Lan Muyang had always been exceedingly proper. Being teased by his junior aunt and senior sister made his face redden slightly, and he looked somewhat embarrassed.

“Senior Sister Lingxiao, weren’t you preparing to break through to the late stage? Why did you leave seclusion so early?”

“What, are you unhappy that your senior sister came out early?” Senior Sister Lingxiao cast him a sidelong glance.

Lan Muyang hurriedly denied it. “How could I be? Senior Sister, you misunderstand. It’s just that I…”

“All right, Lingxiao.”

A cool voice interrupted her before she could continue teasing Lan Muyang. A handsome young man glanced over, his eyes carrying a faint warning.

“You know Junior Brother Lan is an honest man. Why bully him?”

Lingxiao shrugged helplessly. “I knew Senior Brother Wei would defend Junior Brother Lan. The two of you have the same temperament—dull as dishwater.”

She truly stopped teasing him after that.

Lan Muyang cast the young man a grateful look, then stood properly to one side.

Seeing that the banter had ended, True Person Gu, who had watched them with a smile, spoke.

“All right. Everyone is here, so let us discuss the matter at hand.”

The moment he spoke, the Nascent Soul Patriarchs seated above and the Core Formation cultivators standing below all straightened their expressions and assumed attentive postures.

“A few days ago, I received a Heavenly Mechanism Decree.”

True Person Gu’s calm words immediately raised a tremendous wave. The Core Formation cultivators all revealed looks of shock.

A Heavenly Mechanism Decree—so it was a Heavenly Mechanism Decree!

These people were either direct disciples of Nascent Soul Patriarchs or elders of the seven halls. They had been summoned here without explanation, and they had been wondering what could have happened to bring them all together—even True Person Manifestation had personally appeared.

They had never expected it to be a Heavenly Mechanism Decree.

The Heavenly Mechanism Decree came from Great Reflection City. Whenever a cultivator in the Azure Abyss Realm reached the Deity Transformation stage, they would leave their sect and travel to Great Reflection City without exception. Once they entered Great Reflection City, they rarely appeared in the mortal world again. Even cultivators from their former sects could not meet them unless it was absolutely necessary.

The decrees came from the city’s master, the Heavenly Mechanist. In the ten thousand years since Great Reflection City had been established, he had issued only three of them. Each one had concerned an earth-shaking event capable of throwing the entire Azure Abyss Realm into turmoil and bloodshed.

The Azure Abyss Realm had been peaceful for nearly a thousand years.

Could that peace finally be coming to an end?