Eternal Life by Daily Divination

To ensure the mission garnered enough attention, he listed a variety of priceless treasures as the reward—including the Foundation Establishment Pill, an item that would drive any Qi Refining Cultivator into a frenzy.

Sure enough.

The moment the mission was posted, it caused an uproar in the Black Market.

“A Foundation Establishment Pill! Someone’s actually willing to offer a Foundation Establishment Pill as a mission reward!”

“What is this Cyan Profound Spirit Liquid? Why haven’t I ever heard of it?”

“How ignorant!”

“The Cyan Profound Spirit Liquid is a treasure of the Mu Family of Red Leaf Valley. It’s impossible for outsiders to get their hands on it.”

“Hasn’t a single disciple ever betrayed the Mu Family?”

“…”

For a moment, the entire Black Market was abuzz with discussion about the mission.

Li Chang’an sat quietly in a corner, his senses spread out, listening in on the surrounding conversations.

With his current power, it was easy to intercept the Sound Transmissions between Qi Refining Cultivators.

What he most wanted to find was information about any rogue disciples from the Mu Family.

However…

The information he gathered was somewhat disappointing.

The Mu Family’s control over the Cyan Profound Spirit Liquid was incredibly strict. Qi Refining Disciples had virtually no access to it; only Foundation Establishment Race Members were permitted to trade for it.

But once a cultivator reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, it was almost unheard of for them to betray their family.

Li Chang’an listened for a long while but failed to gather any useful intel, so he had no choice but to leave.

…

「Four hours later.」

He returned to Changqing Mountain and took out the corpses of the two Tier Two Demon Beasts he had killed previously.

The moment they caught the scent of blood, Dahuang and Xiaohai came running over. Even the Evergreen Vine’s tendrils reached out.

They all looked like they were waiting to be fed.

“Not so fast,” Li Chang’an said with a smile.

He flicked out a strand of Sword Qi, slicing open one of the Demon Beast carcasses to search it carefully.

He found nothing.

Then, he sliced open the other one.

Before long, he discovered a blood-stained Jade Scroll in the beast’s abdomen.

The Jade Scroll contained an Escape Technique.

The Five Elements Spiritual Light Escape!

“There really is an Escape Technique! And it’s Earth Grade!”

A smile spread across Li Chang’an’s face. He could finally replace his Escape Technique.

He removed the Demon Cores from both beasts and tossed the two Demon Corpses aside.

“Go on, eat!”

With his permission, the two beasts and the vine immediately dug in, feasting with gusto.

Meanwhile, Li Chang’an sat to the side and submerged his Divine Sense into the Jade Scroll, carefully perusing its contents.

Much like the Little Five Elements Escape Technique, once mastered, the Five Elements Spiritual Light Escape allowed one to harness the principle of Five Elements Mutual Generation to switch freely between the elements.

According to the description, it was considered an exceptionally outstanding technique, even among other Earth Grade Escape Techniques.

Over the next few days, Li Chang’an immersed himself in his training, focusing solely on the Escape Technique. Before he knew it, he had achieved Entry-Level mastery.

’As expected of an Earth Grade Escape Technique. The speed at just the Entry-Level is already close to my Little Five Elements Escape Technique at the Great Success realm!’

He was visibly pleased and continued his practice.

…

「One month later.」

Li Chang’an had cultivated the Escape Technique to the Minor Success Realm.

He paused his training, practicing neither the Escape Technique nor any other Magic or Skills.

He had a faint feeling that the time for his breakthrough had come.

Over the next few days, Li Chang’an sat cross-legged deep within his cave-dwelling, circulating Spiritual Power and adjusting his condition.

’The transition from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment is a small threshold. Many people can never cross it, remaining stuck at the Early Stage for their entire lives—just like Zheng Feihong.’

When Li Chang’an first arrived in Qinghe Marketplace all those years ago, Zheng Feihong was already at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.

All these years later, Zheng Feihong was still at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.

This situation was not uncommon in the Cultivation Immortality Realm.

Even many Foundation Establishment Powerhouses from the Three Great Sects and the Seven Great Noble Families were the same, unable to cross this threshold their entire lives.

Talent was certainly a factor, but there were other reasons as well.

For most Cultivators, reaching Foundation Establishment was the greatest goal of their lives.

Because of this, after their Foundation Establishment Success, that drive within them would vanish. They lost the will to strive for higher realms and began shifting their focus to the affairs of their family or Sect.

But Li Chang’an was different.

’This Realm Breakthrough should go smoothly.’

He had always focused on his own development, never letting his energy be diverted, and his cultivation had never once slacked.

His accumulation of Magical Power was profound.

His Spiritual Root had also been upgraded from a Low Grade to a Top Grade Spirit Root.

With his current cultivation talent, he would be considered a Celestial Pride even among the Three Great Sects and the Seven Great Noble Families!

「Seven days later.」

Li Chang’an set up a Tier Two Top Grade Spirit Gathering Array around his person.

He called Dahuang over, handing him a large quantity of Spirit Stones and giving him careful instructions.

“Dahuang, while I’m breaking through, you must operate the Spirit Gathering Array at full power!”

“WOOF!”

Dahuang looked solemn, conveying a sense of reassurance.

Li Chang’an then summoned the Profound Water Turtle, instructing it to guard the cave-dwelling and ensure no one disturbed him.

In addition, the Evergreen Vine also had a part to play.

Its powerful Cyan Rattans waved through the air, sealing the entrance to the cave-dwelling and prohibiting anyone from entering.

As for Jiang Muyu, she wasn’t on the mountain; she had left to gain experience.

A short while later, Li Chang’an sat cross-legged deep within the cave-dwelling, his eyes lightly closed. He began to operate his Cultivation Technique, initiating his push toward the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.

For the next few hours, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power on Changqing Mountain began to fluctuate.

However, concealed by the two Grand Arrays, the phenomenon went unnoticed by the outside world.

By that evening, a profound aura, signaling a Realm Breakthrough, slowly emanated from Li Chang’an.

He opened his eyes, a flash of joy within them.

’Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment… I’ve done it!’

As an Ancient Technique, the Ancient Wood Evergreen Technique only had three minor realms within the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Each breakthrough brought a leap in power far greater than the last.

Li Chang’an rose slowly to his feet. Magical Power surged within him, and the formidable aura of the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment radiated outward.

’It’s only been twenty-three years since I reached Foundation Establishment.’

He mentally calculated the time.

To have broken through to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment in just over twenty years…