Chapter Twenty-Nine: Severing Foundation Establishment

Climbing up the cliff, he picked dozens of spirit blossoms.

The idea of brewing wine had come to him after reading a secret recipe in the library, which required Frost Spirit Stones and over a dozen varieties of flowers and fruits to create Sanggan Fruit Brew. The word "Sang" was a homonym for "throat." This Sanggan Fruit Brew was the most common table wine among immortals in the Celestial Realm, but in the world of cultivators, it was a legendary liquor. It possessed no extraordinary powers—its only merit was its exquisite taste. Liu Junhuai, struck by sudden inspiration, thought to brew a little for Uncle Huan.

He lacked the necessary Frost Spirit Stones, but in their place, he possessed the even rarer Extreme Frost Crystals, which he guessed would yield even better results.

Unleashing his divine sense to scan his surroundings, Liu Junhuai confirmed that no powerful cultivators were within several dozen miles. Reassured, he stepped onto his flying sword and headed straight for Yunluo City.

The Yunluo Mountain Range was dense with forests. In a thicket Liu Junhuai had just passed, a middle-aged cultivator at the early Foundation Establishment stage dashed to the forest’s edge and reported to several mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators resting there, “A young cultivator just flew over the canyon above, dressed in a gray short robe, matching the description sent by Young Master Lin. Should I send a message to intercept him?”

“Did you see his face clearly, Brother Hu? The culprit who killed Cheng’er was said to have a mutilated left ear and early Foundation Establishment cultivation. We must not intercept the wrong person and waste precious time searching this area,” one of them replied.

Brother Hu answered, “His speed wasn't exceptional, but by the time I noticed him, he had already passed. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but he was sword-riding, clearly Foundation Establishment level. We’ve searched here for two hours without finding anyone; this man is highly suspicious. I suggest we intercept him—if we let him go and Master blames us, we’ll have no excuse.”

At that moment, Liu Junhuai was thoroughly enjoying his first time traveling by sword, unaware that his movements were already being tracked.

Before long, several streaks of sword light shot toward him from ahead, blocking his path.

“Friends, may I ask why you’ve stopped me?” Liu Junhuai inquired after a brief moment of surprise.

“How dare you murder disciples of Golden Maple Temple and then swagger about on your sword, not knowing life from death! Today, Golden Maple Temple will destroy you here and refine your soul into a lantern!” roared a burly, red-faced man with a bristling beard.

Liu Junhuai was even more confused. “I've just come from Cloud Valley and haven’t seen a soul in days of travel. What’s this about killing disciples of Golden Maple Temple?”

“Kill him at once—no need to waste words!” As the command fell, a burly middle-aged cultivator at mid-Foundation Establishment level swung his sword at Liu Junhuai.

Caught in this disaster without cause, Liu Junhuai had no intention of lingering in battle. He dove his sword toward the ground to escape.

But more pursuers arrived from behind, joining those in front to chase after him. As soon as he landed, the group surrounded him.

Liu Junhuai drew his cleaver and shouted angrily, “It seems you’re determined to stop me. Then let’s fight! Even if I, Liu Xiaosan, die today, I’ll drag a few of you down with me!” He purposely gave a false name.

The group of pursuers was led by a scholarly middle-aged man at late Foundation Establishment stage. As he scrutinized Liu Junhuai’s appearance, the others unsheathed their weapons and charged.

Liu Junhuai hurriedly summoned the Primordial Shield Cauldron, and his cleaver slashed out, its fierce blade energy cleaving through the air, mingled with traces of golden protective light, slashing toward his attackers.

With a thunderous boom, his blade energy collided with several streams of true essence, sending ripples through the air and scattering bloodstained scraps of cloth. Among those encircling him, some were already wounded.

Startled, the group retreated ten yards, shocked that a mere ninth-level Qi Refiner could unleash such terrifying blade energy. Their murderous resolve grew. Exchanging glances, they spread out and renewed their assault.

Liu Junhuai desperately circulated the Ninefold Transformation Method, knowing that each of his attackers far outmatched him. With no hope of victory, he resolved to strike at one with all his might.

Locking eyes on the burly mid-Foundation cultivator, he swung his cleaver, sending a canopy of blade energy toward the man, ignoring the incoming attacks of the others.

Another eruption of dust and debris ensued. The burly man was cleaved in two by the blade energy, while Liu Junhuai himself was sent flying by attacks, the cauldron staff’s golden beam piercing the chest of another mid-Foundation cultivator.

Two of his assailants were dead, but Liu Junhuai’s true essence was nearly spent.

In an instant, the scholar’s broad silver sword thrust at Liu Junhuai’s back. Liu Junhuai unleashed “Flowing Light Afterimage” to its limit, drew his Shadow Blade, and, without looking, slashed backward from his ribs.

He ignored the sword aimed at his heart, betting everything that the cauldron staff could unleash one more strike.

The scholar, startled by Liu Junhuai’s desperate counterattack, hesitated for a split second but did not relent. With a squelch, his sword pierced Liu Junhuai’s shield and stabbed into his back. At that moment, a flash of golden light burst before the scholar’s eyes. In panic, he dodged, but the golden beam pierced his shoulder and struck another companion behind him through the chest.

Liu Junhuai collapsed to the ground, gravely wounded. The scholar’s sword, though slightly askew, had nearly run him through and remained lodged in his back.

As more pursuers closed in, Liu Junhuai had no time to pull the sword from his back. Forcing himself upright, he summoned A’Zi, who spat a breath of Heavenly Lotus Heartfire. He unleashed the Five Elements Chaos Blade, its energy entwined with the lotus fire, surging at his attackers. Without hesitation, Liu Junhuai turned and dashed toward a nearby ravine, vanishing into the Myriad Images Pavilion as soon as he landed.

Within the pavilion, he extracted the sword and began healing himself, all while monitoring his enemies with divine sense.

Six members of Golden Maple Temple remained. As soon as Liu Junhuai’s blade energy and heavenly fire swept out, they dodged. The lotus fire, carried by the blade’s energy, ignited an area dozens of yards across, burning fiercely and refusing to be extinguished. By the time the six skirted the fire, Liu Junhuai had vanished.

The scholar’s right arm was ruined, his abdomen gaping with a wound from the Shadow Blade. Leaning against a tree, he commanded the remaining five to search for Liu Junhuai, but to no avail. Incensed, he shouted, “Send a message—summon all disciples to seal off a ten-mile radius. We must capture this man!”

The red-faced, bearded man said, “Brother Lin, he gave his name as Liu Xiaosan. Shall we investigate his sect and, if we can’t find him, exterminate his entire clan?”

Brother Lin was the temple’s master, Lin Qianhe. He was here because his son, Lin Baicheng, was killed during his training, and he had rushed over after receiving his son’s dying message.

Lin Qianhe nodded at the bearded man’s suggestion. “Cheng’er’s killer isn’t him—the culprit has a mutilated left ear and early Foundation Establishment cultivation. I told you to intercept him because Brother Hu didn’t see his face clearly, but I didn’t expect this mishap. For a mere ninth-level Qi Refiner to slay three of our mid-Foundation cultivators… If nothing else, this youth’s skills defy the heavens.”

The bearded man, Shen Yi, nodded solemnly. “Even if he’s not Cheng’er’s killer, we can’t let him go. He wields a heaven-defying technique and commands heavenly fire. Such talent at such a young age—he’ll become a monstrous threat in the future.”

“Such monsters must be slain, and we’ll find Cheng’er’s killer as well. Lead the others and scour this entire area. When more disciples arrive, expand the search. I must return to the temple and report to the Grand Master.” With that, he left, supported by another disciple.

The Heavenly Lotus Heartfire was soon buried in earth, extinguished for now. Liu Junhuai, now aware of the general situation, ground his teeth with hatred.

He realized he could not linger here; once their reinforcements arrived and they searched every inch, he would be found. He must find a way to escape as soon as possible.

Entering the Scarlet Flame Valley, gold essence stone in hand, Liu Junhuai summoned A’Zi, set up a time formation, and sat cross-legged to meditate, entering cultivation.

His injuries were severe, and his true essence was nearly depleted. The gold essence stone, swollen with energy, was rapidly absorbed. The Ninefold Transformation Method spun wildly. A’Zi, watching curiously, imitated Liu Junhuai and sat down in a similar pose, though Liu Junhuai, deep in a state of no-self, didn’t notice—otherwise, he would have been even more astonished.

Sensing the metallic spiritual energy in the cave, the golden orb and Mixed Metal Goblet in his sea of consciousness grew excited, joining in the frenzied absorption. For a time, golden light filled the cave, streams of spiritual energy swirling around Liu Junhuai. Even from outside, one could see the cave drawing in spiritual energy as if it were a bottomless black hole, devouring everything it could.

Unknowingly, three hours passed within the formation. With a long exhale, Liu Junhuai awoke.

At once, he sensed his cultivation bottleneck loosening under the constant impact of abundant true essence.

Feeling the hunger of his dantian, Liu Junhuai took out an Extreme Frost Crystal and tried to absorb a wisp of its energy. Immediately, a piercingly cold current shot through his meridians and into his dantian, the pain as if his flesh were being sliced by blades—an excruciating blend of ice and fire.

Driven by the urge to break through, Liu Junhuai ignored the pain and kept absorbing the Extreme Frost Crystal. Bit by bit, the crystal shrank, the pain intensified, and his true essence grew ever more integrated.

His sea of consciousness seemed to sense the cold from his dantian approaching. His divine sense began to merge with the chill, devouring and fusing until all five elemental attributes were complete within his true essence. Swallowing the Foundation Establishment Pill, his mind roared and his true essence surged through his meridians toward his dantian. With a soft pop, the barrier shattered, his dantian expanded rapidly, his meridians widened, and a new round of frenzied absorption began.