Mortal Cultivator: Lin Tianzun

Chapter 48 Foundation Building
Lin Fan, filled with a burning desire for a breakthrough, hurried back to the tranquil herb garden. The garden was thick with the aroma of medicinal herbs, and the spiritual plants swayed gently in the breeze, as if slowly recounting the mysteries of time and the true meaning of cultivation.

He sat cross-legged in the wooden house, and with a thought, he took out the Qiankun Creation Cauldron. The cauldron was engraved with ancient and mysterious runes, which shone with strange light and exuded a heavy and ancient aura, as if carrying the vicissitudes and wisdom of countless years.

Lin Fan was full of expectations and his movements became more cautious, as if he was protecting a rare treasure. He gently took out the four foundation-building pills from the storage bag again.

The pills were a brilliant blue, as if enveloped in a faint blue flame, their color so rich it seemed to be flowing. However, in contrast to their alluring hue, the pills emitted an extremely pungent odor that stung the nose.

Lin Fan frowned slightly, but the determination in his eyes remained undimmed. He knew full well that this seemingly strange foundation-building pill actually held immense potential and promise.

He placed the four pills into the Qiankun Creation Cauldron one by one. The cauldron seemed to sense the unique aura of the pills. The originally dim runes instantly lit up, and the light became brighter, as if warmly welcoming the new "guests". A wonderful transformation was about to begin.

As soon as the thought came to Lin Fan's mind, the Qiankun Creation Cauldron, which was originally floating in front of him and emitting an ancient and dim light, seemed to sense the call of its master. The runes around it flickered and jumped, turning into a stream of light and flying towards Lin Fan's dantian with incredible precision.

In the blink of an eye, he was immersed in it and fell silent, as if the magical scene just now had never happened, but in fact it was quietly operating deep in his dantian.

Ten days passed in a flash. The rune glow on the Qiankun Creation Cauldron gradually faded, and the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the cauldron also stabilized, indicating that the elixir had been cultivated. Lin Fan couldn't suppress his excitement, and with slightly trembling hands, he opened the Qiankun Creation Cauldron.

He gently took out the cultivated foundation-building pill, and saw that the original pill was not only smaller, but also more round and delicate in shape, like a carefully crafted work of art; the color also became more transparent, just like a warm sapphire, emitting a charming luster.

Moreover, the pungent smell was gone, replaced by a refreshing fragrance. The aroma was elegant yet rich, as if it contained the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It penetrated Lin Fan's nostrils, making him feel refreshed and invigorated instantly, as if he had been injected with a new vitality.

Lin Fan took a deep breath, suppressing his inner nervousness and anticipation. He slowly opened his mouth and swallowed a Foundation Establishment Pill. As soon as the pill entered his mouth, it was like ice meeting heat, instantly transforming into a scalding stream of heat, flowing straight down his throat. At first, this heat didn't bring an overpowering sensation, merely making Lin Fan's abdomen feel slightly warm, like the gentle caress of the warm winter sun.

However, just moments later, something strange happened. Lin Fan first felt an intense itch all over his body, as if thousands of ants were crawling and biting at will on his skin. The itch penetrated deep into his bones, seeping through every pore and reaching his internal organs. He wanted to scratch his entire body, but he resisted the urge to maintain concentration during his training.

Lin Fan's face flushed crimson, veins bulging across his forehead. He clenched his teeth tightly, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, soaking his clothes. Despite this unbearable torture, he relied on his unwavering willpower to practice the Qingmu Jue technique. As the technique progressed, the spiritual energy within him surged towards the medicinal power like activated soldiers, attempting to guide and absorb it, taming it for his own use.

This unbearable feeling seemed endless, and time seemed to stretch infinitely longer. Lin Fan felt as if he were trapped in purgatory, enduring immense torment every second. Just as he was about to reach the limit of his endurance, a new wave of excruciating pain struck again.

This time, it felt like countless blades were piercing back and forth in his meridians. Wherever they passed, the meridians seemed to be torn apart. The piercing pain almost made Lin Fan faint.

But he was always supported by a firm belief in his heart: this was the only way to break through the foundation, and he must not give up! He tried his best to continue to activate the Qingmu Jue, making the operation more and more fierce, forcibly taming the violent medicinal power, integrating it into his spiritual power bit by bit, and bravely moving towards the goal of building the foundation.

Amidst the seemingly endless excruciating pain and torment, Lin Fan concentrated intently on guiding the fusion of the medicinal power and his spiritual energy. An unknown amount of time passed before, beneath his sweat-drenched body, a miraculous transformation quietly took place in his dantian.

"Ding!" A faint but clear sound came from a distant depth, but it was real in Lin Fan's perception.

A drop of crystal-clear liquid appeared in his dantian, like a brilliant dewdrop, emitting a soft and pure light. This drop of liquid was the mana of the Foundation Establishment period. Its creation marked Lin Fan's difficult yet crucial first step towards the Foundation Establishment realm, the crystallization of his countless sweat and perseverance.

However, Lin Fan's joy didn't last long. He keenly noticed that the conversion of gaseous spiritual energy into liquid mana was extremely slow. Based on the current progress, relying solely on the available medicinal power and spiritual energy, it would take at least six months to complete the mana condensation required for foundation building.

Time seemed too long for Lin Fan, who was eager to break through. He knew that the path of cultivation was a race against time; any delay could mean missing the best opportunity. So, without a moment's hesitation, Lin Fan quickly produced another Foundation Establishment Pill. He gripped the pill tightly, his eyes gleaming with determination as he slowly opened his mouth again and swallowed it.

The familiar scalding heat flowed down his throat as the pill entered his mouth. But this time, Lin Fan had gained experience. He activated the Qingmu Jue more quickly, directing the medicinal power with greater skill, attempting to accelerate the transformation of gaseous spiritual energy into liquid mana, striving for his full potential towards the Foundation Establishment stage.

As the second Foundation Establishment Pill entered his stomach, the medicinal power surged through Lin Fan's body like a surging tide. This power was even more violent than before, instantly engulfing Lin Fan in a sea of ​​scorching flames.

Lin Fan's meridians crackled as if burned by a raging fire, every inch of his body pounding with excruciating pain. But he clenched his teeth, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, yet he uttered no painful groan. His eyes fixed on his dantian, a resolute glint in them. He concentrated on the Qingmu Jue, attempting to tame the violent medicinal power and transform it into a powerful force to aid his breakthrough.

As the Qingmu Jue circulated frantically, the spiritual energy and medicinal power within Lin Fan's body intertwined and collided. Under the pressure of the medicinal power, the gaseous spiritual energy began to transform into liquid at an even faster rate.

In the Dantian, that drop of foundation-building mana acted like a powerful magnet, constantly attracting the surrounding spiritual energy. More and more spiritual energy condensed and compressed under its influence, gradually forming tiny droplets of spiritual energy.

At first, these droplets were as tiny as dust, floating around in the Dantian. But as Lin Fan continued to guide them, they moved closer to each other, merged, and gradually grew larger.

However, this process wasn't entirely smooth. Every time the spiritual energy droplets merged, a powerful repulsive force would arise, attempting to separate them. Lin Fan had no choice but to expend even more energy, using his spiritual energy to forcibly bring the droplets together, as if he were wrestling with an invisible force.

During this process, Lin Fan's body endured immense pressure. His skin turned red, as if burned by fire, and his blood vessels bulged beneath his skin, clearly visible. But he didn't flinch. He held a single conviction: to break through his foundation and reach a higher realm! With unwavering perseverance, he repeatedly overcame the dual torment of physical and mental exertion, continuously pushing forward the transformation and integration of his spiritual energy.

Time slowly slipped by in agony and torment. One day, two days, three days... Lin Fan was immersed in this battle with the power of the medicine and his spiritual energy, oblivious to the world outside. His consciousness was completely focused on his Dantian, sensing every shift in spiritual energy, every fusion of droplets. It seemed as if his world consisted only of this tiny Dantian and the ever-changing spiritual and medicinal power.

Finally, after a long month, the number of spiritual energy droplets in his dantian had reached a sufficient level. They merged, converging into a small stream of spiritual energy. This stream flowed slowly through his dantian, making a gentle gurgling sound, as if it spoke of Lin Fan's hard work and perseverance, a testimony to his hardships along the way.

Lin Fan sensed this change, and an indescribable joy welled up in his heart. But he knew it wasn't enough. He took a deep breath, readjusted himself, and prepared for a more difficult challenge. Like a determined warrior, he rested briefly on the battlefield before resolutely throwing himself into a new battle.

As time passed, the spiritual energy stream grew thicker and thicker, its flow increasing in speed. Under Lin Fan's constant guidance, it gradually began to form a small spiritual energy vortex. This vortex spun at high speed, generating a powerful attraction that continuously drew in the surrounding spiritual energy. At the center of the vortex, the spiritual energy was compressed to the extreme, and every trace of spiritual energy continuously condensed and merged under the intense pressure.

Finally, after another two months of arduous effort, a lake of spiritual energy appeared in Lin Fan's Dantian. This lake was crystal clear, emitting a dazzling light, and every drop of spiritual energy contained powerful strength.

Lin Fan successfully transformed a large amount of gaseous spiritual energy into liquid mana, completing the most crucial step in the foundation-building process. This was the brilliant result of his unremitting efforts and marked a significant step forward in his cultivation.

After completing the transformation of his spiritual energy into liquid, Lin Fan didn't rush to rest. He knew that striking while the iron was hot would yield the best results. So, he turned his attention to the transformation of his spiritual consciousness. He closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and slowly immersed his consciousness into the sea of ​​consciousness. Deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, a mysterious and vast realm awaited his exploration and development.

Lin Fan carefully guided his spiritual energy, like a nimble snake, causing it to flow slowly toward the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness. Wherever the spiritual energy passed, his meridians trembled slightly, emitting a faint halo, as if illuminating a faint beacon along his path of exploration. As the spiritual energy gradually approached his sea of ​​consciousness, Lin Fan became increasingly cautious, channeling every bit of spiritual energy with meticulous precision, fearing that even the slightest mistake would disrupt this crucial transformation.

When spiritual energy finally reached the edge of his sea of ​​consciousness, ripples began to form within that mysterious and vast realm. Lin Fan concentrated his attention, gently pouring spiritual energy into his sea of ​​consciousness, nourishing the consciousness within. Enveloped by this spiritual energy, his consciousness, like parched earth receiving a gentle rain, gradually blossomed with new life.

At first, the divine consciousness trembled only slightly, but as spiritual energy continued to flow in, it began to undergo a miraculous transformation. The originally slightly illusory outline of the divine consciousness gradually solidified, and the light became brighter and brighter, like a dusty pearl that gradually bloomed with dazzling brilliance under the polishing of spiritual energy.

After countless moments of trance, the divine consciousness within the sea of ​​consciousness, carefully nurtured by spiritual energy, finally underwent a profound transformation. The consciousness, once illusory and hazy, now shone like a well-polished gem, radiating a shimmering brilliance. Not only was its outline clear and solid, but it also contained a powerful yet restrained strength.

This force flowed through Lin Fan's sea of ​​consciousness, spreading throughout his body. Simultaneously, his body also produced a miraculous reaction. The spiritual energy flowing through his meridians suddenly accelerated, seemingly drawn and stimulated by some powerful force, surging with a more majestic and orderly momentum.

Lin Fan's aura also experienced a qualitative leap at this moment. Originally stuck at the peak of Qi Refining, it seemed to have broken free from invisible constraints and began to ascend towards the powerful realm of Foundation Establishment. A faint spiritual light flickered on his body, as if his body was adapting to this new state, undergoing a complete transformation.

Finally, propelled by this powerful force, Lin Fan successfully crossed the chasm between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment, officially entering the Foundation Establishment stage. He slowly opened his eyes, a bright light flashing in them, the joy and confidence of breaking through the realm. He gazed towards the medicine garden, and the world before him seemed completely new. Every spiritual plant, every breeze, held a unique vitality and energy.

When he tried to release his spiritual sense, that invisible force, like a wielding gossamer thread, spread from his sea of ​​consciousness, instantly breaking through the constraints of his body and spreading out in all directions. He could clearly sense the subtle veins of flowers, plants, and trees, the slightest movements of insects and ants crawling, wherever his spiritual sense reached.

Confirming his spiritual awareness could reliably reach two miles, Lin Fan felt a surge of surprise. He recalled hearing that the average cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment could only project their spiritual awareness outwards a maximum of one mile. His own reach was double that, and this was likely the unique advantage afforded by his status as a time traveler. This advantage would undoubtedly aid him in his future cultivation, giving him enhanced perception and the confidence to face challenges in this mysterious world of immortal cultivation.

(End of this chapter)