[Today was a day of cultivating but gaining nothing]

[Extraction obtained: Insight +1]

When this day ended and night fell, Fang Jinyu saw the day's reward as he had wished, though it nearly made him break down.

‘I thought that because I'm at the ninth layer of Qi Refining and about to reach Foundation Establishment, there was no sense of mana improvement during cultivation. Turns out I've hit a bottleneck, and my cultivation hasn't progressed one bit.’

Fang Jinyu now somewhat understood why ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivators all longed so desperately for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

The Foundation Establishment Pill, as long as one's spiritual roots weren't four-attribute, only required one pill for a high probability of establishing a foundation.

It could be called a life-changing sacred medicine.

However, because of this, the price of the Foundation Establishment Pill was extremely high, one pill costing thirty thousand spirit stones.

Such a sum of spirit stones was not a small number even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, let alone one at the Qi Refining stage? Saving for a hundred years might not be enough.

Although some Immortal Cities could provide loan services to ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivators, even if they successfully established a foundation, they would have to serve that Immortal City for at least twenty years! If they failed, then naturally even their life belonged to the Immortal City. Go be a slave, a servant, work like an ox or a horse...

This information wasn't something Fang Jinyu read from that book, but came from inheriting his predecessor's memories.

As for these Immortal Cities... they were actually a way of putting on airs, because those living inside them were merely cultivators.

Usually, such an Immortal City had at least one Golden Core great cultivator in residence.

And the reason the Lingdu Secret Realm could help Tianling Sect disciples establish their foundation was that any disciple who emerged from the Lingdu Secret Realm would have harvested enough to exchange for at least one Foundation Establishment Pill. If they were lucky, they could even exchange for three!

It was practically a shortcut to sudden wealth!

Even Foundation Establishment cultivators would be envious at the sight.

At that moment, Fang Jinyu suddenly had a wondrous sensation. As his mind became infinitely clearer, various essential details of the cultivation technique he practiced, Wind Thunder Attraction, presented themselves one by one in his mind.

After reviewing them, Fang Jinyu immediately understood the errors and omissions in his cultivation and the reason he had hit a bottleneck.

And this discovery delighted Fang Jinyu beyond measure.

Because he had a premonition that if he could correct these errors and omissions one by one, he might be able to naturally step into the Foundation Establishment stage without a Foundation Establishment Pill!

Immediately, unable to contain his inner excitement, Fang Jinyu was about to begin correcting the flaws in his cultivation.

But at that moment, Fang Jinyu suddenly noticed that the door restriction outside his cave dwelling had been triggered.

So he picked up a mirror beside him and infused mana into it.

As mana flowed in, the face of the person outside gradually appeared in the mirror. This was a low-grade spirit tool, the Probing Mirror, which had probing and farsight functions. It was awarded by the sect after his predecessor's parents died.

If activated by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it could see from this mountainside directly to the base of the mountain. For Fang Jinyu, however, it could only show the scene outside his cave dwelling.

It couldn't be called bad, as it was a low-grade spirit tool after all, worth a few hundred spirit stones at least.

But it couldn't be called good either, because this thing was too underwhelming.

What appeared in the mirror at that moment were two people: one slightly older, looking just over thirty, the other a youth with a somewhat arrogant expression.

Probing more carefully, Fang Jinyu discovered that both were late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

One at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, the other at the seventh layer.

‘These two don't look like Chen Baxing either…’

Fang Jinyu was puzzled, but still went over to disable the door restriction, because this restriction couldn't even block a casual strike from a third-layer Qi Refining cultivator; it only served as an alarm.

Besides, they were inside the Tianling Sect and on his peak; he didn't believe they would dare make a move.

As the door restriction opened, Fang Jinyu stepped out and clasped his fists: "Have you two come to find Fang with some important matter?"

"Hah, you're quite amusing when you talk. Who do you think you are? If there's nothing important, we can't come find you? And why do you stink so much? Did you eat shit?" As soon as Fang Jinyu finished speaking, the youth immediately started with a nasty attitude.

‘Eat your mother…’

The words reached his lips, but Fang Jinyu held them back, suppressing his anger as he turned to the thirty-something man, directly ignoring the youth.

He was only afraid of that love-crazed neurotic Golden Core cultivator, not just anyone.

The thirty-something man looked somewhat embarrassed at this moment, but due to the other party's status, he couldn't speak easily. Seeing Fang Jinyu now looking at him, he quickly clasped his fists: "Brother Fang, I am Lu Yifang, and this is Lu Shaojun. It was Senior Brother Chen who sent us to find you."

Hearing this "acquaintance referral" tone, Fang Jinyu's gaze immediately changed.

The Tianling Sect had such shady dealings too?

Truly, morals decline with each passing day, and people's hearts aren't what they used to be.

Seeing the change in Fang Jinyu's expression, Lu Shaojun couldn't help but laugh: "Ha! Scared now, are you? Look at your cowardly face. Since you know Senior Brother Chen Baxing sent us, hurry up and get out of the way, let us in."

Fang Jinyu: "..."

‘Chen Baxing?’

Fang Jinyu's expression eased at this. He really wasn't afraid of Chen Baxing; after all, the other party was also only at the ninth layer of Qi Refining. Although the book did mention this fellow would establish his foundation later, that was only with the help of the female lead Su Yier.

"Wherever you two came from, go back there!" Fang Jinyu snorted, turned around to return to his cave dwelling, and reactivated the door restriction.

However, just two steps later, the door restriction behind him shattered with a bang.

Fang Jinyu turned around and saw it was Lu Shaojun. The youth's face was now full of rage: "What do you think you are? How dare you speak to me like this?"

"Do you know what destroying someone's door restriction means?" Fang Jinyu asked coldly.

"So what? You were the one asking for trouble!" The youth was full of disdain, and then actually launched an attack. A wind blade shot from his hand, slashing straight toward Fang Jinyu.

‘Where did this idiot youth come from?’

Fang Jinyu was shocked. Someone actually dared to attack here?

Immediately, he grabbed with his backhand, and the wind blade dissipated midway. The dispersed wind force was then borrowed by him, reforming into another wind blade that slashed down like thunder.

It was also a wind blade, but the power of this one was ten times that of the youth's! And its striking speed was even faster!

Lu Shaojun was instantly stupefied.

He had sparred with others at home many times, but no one had ever retaliated against him like this!

"Not good!"

Seeing this, Lu Yifang quickly intervened. He didn't dare let Lu Shaojun get injured; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to answer to Lu Shaojun's father, who was a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

A talisman tool was summoned by him, transforming into a circular light shield that blocked the wind blade.

Bang!

The wind blade dissipated, but the talisman tool's luster dimmed as a result.

The ground was already a mess, with powerful gusts of wind bursting everywhere, leaving streaks and marks on the cave dwelling's rock walls.

However, Lu Yifang didn't continue the fight. He merely said, "Brother Fang, don't take offense! Junior Brother Lu is a newly admitted disciple and doesn't know the sect's rules. Don't blame the ignorant. I ask for your forgiveness, Brother Fang!"

As he said this, Lu Yifang was cursing inwardly. If this kid didn't have such a special background, he'd want to kill him too!

If he ever worked with this kid again, he, Lu Yifang, was a dog!

At this moment, Fang Jinyu raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise showing in his eyes. Being at the seventh layer of Qi Refining yet newly admitted meant the other party was very special. After all, the Tianling Sect recruited new disciples every year, and the requirement was the lower the cultivation the better—ideally a total mortal, entering only with talent.

Suppressing his anger, Fang Jinyu asked, "What did Chen Baxing send you here for?"

"Senior Brother Chen Baxing told you to hand over the slot to enter the Lingdu Secret Realm!" Lu Shaojun said provocatively. "If you know what's good for you, hand it over quickly! Don't make us come all this way for nothing!"

Although he had been defeated by Fang Jinyu in a single exchange, with Lu Yifang present, Lu Shaojun's temperament didn't restrain itself in the slightest.

"Brother Lu, is he crazy? Or are you all crazy? I only need to report this matter, and without doing anything else, the three of you would directly have your cultivations crippled and be expelled from the Tianling Sect." Fang Jinyu's gaze couldn't help but turn odd, as if looking at two fools. If he could sell this slot, he would have sold it long ago!

Why would he need to shovel poop for a month to avoid a certain love-crazed neurotic Golden Core cultivator?

"We know this, and Senior Brother Chen knows it too. However, the reason Senior Brother Chen sent us here is to tell Brother Fang that he is not the one asking for this slot. We are all only acting on orders."

Lu Yifang first said this.

Then he looked at the brainless youth beside him and, smiling, continued: "Brother Fang, the father of this Junior Brother Lu here is an alchemist senior. As long as you agree to give up the slot, you don't need to worry about other matters; Senior Brother Chen will handle them. Moreover, Junior Brother Lu's father can also promise that if you gather the materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill, he can refine one for you!"

The only ones a ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator would call Uncle-Master were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Among cultivators, seniority, unless the friendship was truly exceptional, was determined solely by cultivation level, regardless of age.

Hearing these words, Fang Jinyu only wanted to curse in his heart. What an excellent scheme this was! Let him gather the materials, and if the other party succeeded in refining the pill, they'd give him just one?

Did they take him for a sucker?

And they even treated it as a favor!

He must know that one furnace of pills, once successfully refined, would yield at least seven or eight!

At that moment, Fang Jinyu only wanted to unleash a torrent of profanity. So, with a cold face, he prepared to see them out.

But at that moment, Lu Yifang spoke again: "Brother Fang, I know this matter is very difficult for you, so Senior Brother Chen said we can give you five days to consider. Please forgive us for being so pressing, but that senior only gave us one month, and half a month has already passed. We truly have only a few days left."

Fang Jinyu, upon hearing this, was stunned for a moment. He looked at Lu Yifang and asked directly, "Is the one wanting this slot a great cultivator?"

The only ones who could be called great cultivators were Golden Core stage cultivators.

As soon as Fang Jinyu spoke these words, Lu Yifang's face instantly changed. He looked at Fang Jinyu with shock and some horror.