Lu Li in the room was beaming with joy.
He had just swallowed his fourth Foundation Building Pill, channeling all of its pure medicinal power into one of his acupoints.
As True Qi condensed, a single, exquisitely pure, cyan-blue droplet suspended itself within his Dantian.
The energy contained within that drop was a full three times greater than what he had possessed at the Qi Refining 13th Layer.
“No wonder Foundation Establishment is such an insurmountable hurdle for them… normally just absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is enough to consume all one’s time.” Amidst his reflection, the moment Lu Li opened his eyes again, he was drawn by the sound of thunder overhead.
By some mysterious force, a strange pull lifted Lu Li, carrying him out of the courtyard to gaze at the ten-zhang-wide Spirit Qi Millstone spinning in the sky.
“What is this?!” Lu Li squinted. As he slowly drifted through the air, the millstone crackling with arcs of electricity aligned itself with his position.
“A Lightning Tribulation I’ve never seen before… Lu Li, be careful.” Lin Yin’s grave voice came from outside the courtyard. “According to normal rules, the first Lightning Tribulation should only come at the Golden Core Stage. I suspect it has something to do with your Divine-grade Spiritual Root.”
“Understood…” Lu Li comprehended, raised his head, and stared at the churning dark clouds in the sky. He took a deep breath. “Let’s begin.”
The moment he spoke, a finger-thick bolt of cyan lightning crashed down from the sky.
“Bewitch Heart.” Lu Li raised both hands high, and the tail at his waist instantly appeared, coalescing into a clump that blocked the lightning strike.
“Hah… That lightning’s power is about equal to a Qi Refining 13th Layer Great Perfection, and a shallow one at that…” Lin Yin sensed it briefly and breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. “It should be fine… Wait, why isn’t it over yet?!”
Lu Li wasn’t having an easy time either. Although the Bewitch Heart technique and his afterimage provided some cover, the erratic electric currents and the searing heat that shot through his meridians in an instant made him grit his teeth and continue looking up at the sky.
The sky turned darker and grayer. The Spirit Qi Millstone kept spinning, and then another cyan thunderbolt crashed down toward Lu Li’s head.
“Enchanting Sound, Blood Weeping!” This time, Lu Li held nothing back, fully unleashing the power of his Charm Spiritual Root.
A sharp pain shot through his tongue. Lu Li opened his mouth, and his blood turned into a pink mist that surged upward, accompanied by his tail’s afterimage, once again blocking the sky.
Boom!
Under the roar of thunder, Lu Li’s entire body was once again filled with powerful electric arcs. The True Yuan he had just barely condensed in his Dantian was being consumed at an alarming rate.
“…Though it’s painful, the Spirit Qi Millstone and this lightning are indeed bringing a very generous amount of True Qi.” Lu Li took a deep breath and fully activated the Bewitch Heart technique. “Spiritual Qi, gather!”
As soon as he spoke, the Spirit Qi Millstone in the sky began to pour down a torrential rain.
The moment these pale cyan raindrops touched Lu Li’s skin, they were completely absorbed, replenishing the Spiritual Qi he had just expended.
“As expected of the Heavenly Law Love Entanglement, a Divine-grade Spiritual Root. To be able to do this at Qi Refining… no, does this count as Foundation Establishment? It’s incredible.” Lin Yin watched, her beautiful eyes filled with shock. “But the Lightning Tribulation’s power is growing stronger and stronger.”
Cyan thunder gathered like clouds, but grew more violent.
The arcs in the sky gradually coalesced and slammed down in an instant!
This time, it was three consecutive heavenly thunders stacked on top of one another, forming a unique thunder-array.
Like a net, like a cage, it directly enveloped Lu Li’s position.
“Bewitch Heart!” Lu Li looked up, his pink pupils glowing with an otherworldly luster under the stimulation of True Yuan.
Under the gaze of his pink pupils, the thunder-array let out a harsh scraping sound, then, amidst a series of crackling noises, it gradually disintegrated and turned into a cyan electrical garment that covered Lu Li’s body.
Even so, the interwoven arcs caused Lu Li’s skin to split and bleed, charring black in places.
“No good… The Yin and Yang Qi inside Lu Li is in chaos. The Yin Qi is insufficient now.” Lin Yin paced anxiously outside. Su Wanqiu was even more helpless, trembling as she took pills from her Storage Ring, ready to give them to Lu Li as soon as the heavenly thunder stopped.
“Don’t worry, Grand Master…” Lu Li’s voice, amidst the roar of thunder, gradually returned to its usual low timbre. “I’ve used up the Yin Qi, but I still have Yang Qi to draw from.”
The heavenly thunder in the sky continued to swirl. The remaining four cyan thunderbolts gradually converged, taking the form of a square array like a cage. With a violent roar, it came crashing down directly.
Clang!
Like a giant bell being struck, the cyan thunder array was held fast by a small sword, then stopped mid-air.
“It’s a good thing I practiced a sword technique earlier.” Lu Li dragged a small cyan sword with his left hand. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was being shattered by the heavenly thunder, then reorganized. “It should be almost over now.”
“Sword, come!” Lu Li beckoned with his right hand. The Yin Yang Sword from the room broke through the window and flew into his palm.
The familiar weight settled into his palm, and at that moment, Lu Li felt time itself slow down around him.
He released the small sword that had been wrestling with the heavenly thunder, and gripped the hilt with both hands.
The Wind-Breaking Sword Technique could be performed with one hand.
But if performed with both hands, he could pour all the True Yuan in his body into it.
“One sword…”
He tightened his grip on the long sword, leveraging the strength of his waist. The long blade dragged across the ground, sending up a shower of sparks.
“Breaks the Wind!”
The vast True Yuan within his body poured into the long sword. Then, with a single upward slash, it slammed fiercely into the square heavenly thunder array.
Amidst a buzzing roar, the thunder array was cleaved in two and dispersed in the air.
And the Sword Qi flew on, slashing directly toward the Spirit Qi Millstone.
Whoosh!
Sword Qi swept outward, and the Spirit Qi Millstone exploded.
The dark clouds dispersed, and the spirit rain, now infused with abundant True Qi, fell once more, sprinkling over Lu Li’s wounded body.
“Nine lightning tribulations.” Lu Li looked up at the clearing sky. “I’ve finally reached Foundation Establishment.”
Without hesitation, he sat down cross-legged. Though his male form absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi more slowly, the spirit rain striking his body was pure, tangible energy. Lu Li did not hold back; he immediately began circulating his cultivation technique, transforming the spirit rain seeping into his skin into energy.
After the time it takes to brew a few cups of tea, Lu Li looked inward at his Dantian and couldn’t help but grin.
If before, just after breaking through to Foundation Establishment, there was only a single drop of True Yuan in his Dantian.
Then this contest with the heavenly thunder had allowed him to accumulate a full nine drops of True Yuan, each even bearing traces of lightning’s power.
“This deal was definitely a win.” While Lu Li was rejoicing, Su Wanqiu and Lin Yin, their expressions complex, came into the courtyard from afar.
“Congratulations. You’re now considered to have entered Foundation Establishment.” Lin Yin swept him with Divine Sense and breathed a sigh of relief. “From today onward, you are a Foundation Establishment Steward of our Yin Yang Sect. Once you’ve rested a bit, you can register your Token and go down the mountain for training.”
“Yes, Grand Master.” As Lu Li bowed, Su Wanqiu let out a soft sigh and gave him a simple bow in return.
But it was no longer a master-disciple salute; it was a wanfu bow between peers.
“Congratulations, Junior Disciple Lu, on reaching Foundation Establishment.” Su Wanqiu looked at Lu Li. “I can understand Jiang Yuebai’s feelings now.”
“But one day as teacher, lifelong as father.” Lu Li, however, performed a grand bow. “At least in these few days while I’m adjusting, Master Wanqiu, please let me still address you as Teacher.”
“No, you really shouldn’t.” Su Wanqiu waved her hands repeatedly.
“Lu Li, I know your situation is special, but the rules cannot be broken.” Lin Yin joined the conversation. “However, before that matter, you have a very important thing to do.”
“What is it, Grand Master?”
“Put on some clothes. You’ve been naked for quite a while.” Lin Yin’s gaze drifted downward, paused for a moment, then lifted to look at the sky. “And just so you know, the Foundation Establishment Stewards aren’t nearly as gentle and refined about dual cultivation as the Qi Refining disciples are.”