Chapter 212: Foundation Establishment Battle

Chapter 212 -157: Foundation Establishment Battle

In a cave near Red Rock City, Shen Yunjiao sat in meditation. She was not absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power, but rather the Flesh and Blood Spiritual Power from the bodies of Demon Cultivators. Cultivators of the Blood Demon Dao, whose Spiritual Power was mostly contained within their blood, were a particularly fine supplement for her.

A powerful aura filled the entire cave, like that of a terrifying Evil Beast.

Half an hour later, Shen Yunjiao buried the shriveled corpse. She opened her eyes and gazed at Zhao Zuo, who was in the middle of his Cultivation. An unreadable expression flickered in her eyes.

The Blood River Sect was offering a bounty of two Foundation Establishment Pills for Chen Xiaorong’s life. She was curious… ‘Has Zhao Zuo never felt any greed for those two Foundation Establishment Pills?’

After a while, Zhao Zuo also emerged from his state of Cultivation. A Golden Light flashed in his eyes and vanished. Ever since he began cultivating the Fifth Layer of the Golden Body Technique, he had discovered that his Qi Blood also contained a faint Golden Light. It was no longer limited to his flesh and blood but had begun to spread to his bones, starting the Quenching process.

“Whew, I’m still a long way from the Fifth Layer Perfection,” Zhao Zuo murmured with a sigh.

The Fifth Layer of the Golden Body Technique had already consumed over eight thousand Spirit Stones, but his progress was only about a third complete. In other words, to cultivate it to the level of Perfection… he would need at least sixteen thousand more Spirit Stones.

“Congratulations on your progress in Cultivation,” Shen Yunjiao said.

“This little progress is nothing compared to yours.” Zhao Zuo shook his head, showing no pride. He stood up and stretched, getting used to the power his body now contained.

“The Blood River Sect has publicly offered a bounty of two Foundation Establishment Pills. Aren’t you tempted?” Shen Yunjiao asked curiously.

“Now that I know the path to Perfect Foundation Establishment exists, I certainly won’t settle for second best.”

Qi Cultivation, Nourishing Body, and Foundation Establishment—this was the strongest foundation, formed over tens of thousands of years of evolution. The Foundation Establishment Pill was merely a path for those Cultivators unable to walk the road to Perfect Foundation Establishment.

“I used to think you were just overly ambitious, but now it seems you really might have a chance to walk the path of Perfect Foundation Establishment,” Shen Yunjiao remarked with a sigh. Zhao Zuo was currently twenty-five, and it would be another thirty-five years before he reached the age of sixty, when his Qi Blood would begin to decline. That was enough time for him to raise his Cultivation to Qi Cultivation Perfection and complete the training of the Nourishing Body technique.

“Besides… my goal is to save Chen Xiaorong, so naturally I have no ill intentions.”

Zhao Zuo decided to go to the cave entrance for some fresh air. The cave was situated on a peak in the Yunlan Mountain Range outside Red Rock City, about three kilometers away. From the mouth of the cave, he had a perfect view overlooking the entire city.

This was an excellent spot for watching the battle, and also for putting his own plan into action whenever the time was right.

As Zhao Zuo reached the mouth of the cave, he suddenly froze. Standing on a tree branch not far away was a figure in a blue tunic. He had a square, honest-looking face and a muscular build—it was Li Ge.

The young man who had sold him the Hidden Blade Giant Sword back in Moyun Workshop—he never thought he’d appear here. Li Ge turned, smiled at Zhao Zuo, then willed an earthy-yellow Giant Sword to appear out of thin air and rise into the sky.

‘A Foundation Establishment Powerhouse…’ Zhao Zuo thought. He hadn’t expected that this man, who looked to be in his twenties, had actually reached the Foundation Establishment stage. ‘His reaction tells me he recognized me, but I guess he saw no need to acknowledge it or start a conversation.’

Zhao Zuo’s mood suddenly grew heavy. ‘He’s here near Red Rock City… which must mean he’s here for the duel tomorrow. So, is he friend or foe?’

At that moment, Zhao Zuo suddenly understood the biggest flaw in his plan. If the Demon Path had more than one Foundation Establishment expert, then no matter how well he designed his plan, it would be doomed to fail, and he would lose his life.

Meanwhile, on the plains outside Red Rock City, Chen Xiaorong sat cross-legged on a green stone, regulating her condition. Her aura flickered, now visible, now hidden, as she occasionally released sharp streams of Sword Qi. She was preparing for the next day’s duel.

Chen Xiaorong could feel a surging aura within Red Rock City, like a pillar of blood connecting heaven and earth.

WHOOSH.

Li Ge used Sword to fly to a point one kilometer away from Chen Xiaorong. He gazed at her distant figure with a hint of pity. He was the Moyun Sect’s most talented disciple of the last decade, the legend who had changed the very rules of the sect’s disciple assessment.

He would not interfere in the duel; everyone had to be responsible for their own choices. But he would stop any other Foundation Establishment Powerhouses who might try to move against Chen Xiaorong, because she was his junior sister.

The night passed in the blink of an eye. Zhao Zuo and Shen Yunjiao left the cave and moved closer to Red Rock City, positioning themselves about two kilometers from the battlefield to observe.

The morning sun rose in the east, dispelling the ground’s chill.

From within Red Rock City, a figure in blood-red robes soared into the sky. At the same time, hordes of Demon Path Cultivators swarmed out from the city. Most were at the Late Period of Qi Cultivation or higher. Hidden in the shadows were also Loose Cultivators, drawn by the bounty. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

That figure in blood-red was the current Sect Leader of the Blood Stream Sect, a Cultivator at the Middle Period of Foundation Establishment. His given name was long forgotten; most now knew him by his Daoist title, Wuhan.

He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with a long face, clear eyes, and smooth, supple skin. He didn’t look old, but he had, in fact, lived for a century. He wore a Magic Robe that flowed with a sanguine light, and the aura he exuded with every movement seemed poised to stain the entire sky red.

SWOOSH!

Chen Xiaorong stood up, shooting into the air like a beam of sword light and hovering about forty meters high. She faced her opponent, her right hand gripping the Suwen longsword. Her aura became as sharp as a peerless blade drawn from its scabbard, and incisive Sword Qi swept through the area.