When it comes to cultivating immortality, it naturally starts with upgrading the herb garden.

Lower Sword Sect, Lower Sword Island, Lecture Hall.

An elder at the Foundation Establishment stage sat on the ground, making Song Chen appear slightly awkward.

This is the situation.

Since arriving at the Lower Sword Sect, Song Chen has devoted himself to the medicinal fields and the refining of pills, attempting to exchange them for a huge amount of contribution points.

He was very successful.

After the medicinal field was expanded, with the help of various buildings, almost all the seeds sown transformed into spiritual herbs before they matured.

Various kinds of elixirs also emerged one after another.

That same month, Song Chen became a highly respected superior cultivator, and was given the resounding nickname "Dan Chen," which indirectly proved the correctness of his decision.

But an extraordinary adventure followed.

Superior cultivators can participate in a lottery once, with a certain probability of winning a lecture by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Yes.

Song Chen never expected that he would be so lucky to win the lottery. It is said that the last person to win this lottery was during the founding of the sect and has already passed away.

But all of this did not diminish Song Chen's unparalleled nervousness as he faced Foundation Establishment for the first time.

Whether a Foundation Establishment cultivator's divine sense can see through Song Chen's disguise remains to be seen.

Just as Song Chen was about to decline, Master Meng Xuan sent an invitation, which he could no longer refuse.

Foundation Establishment Elder, Daoist name Meng Xuan, is known as Elder Meng Xuan in the Sword Sect, or simply Elder Meng.

The Foundation Establishment Elder who was supposed to give the lecture was not this person, but another Foundation Establishment cultivator who specialized in the Path of Wisdom—a True Person with the Daoist name Hongdao—who was in charge of this matter.

The Path of Wisdom is clearly more suitable for preaching than other paths, and it also helps with the cultivation of the Path of Wisdom itself.

Unfortunately, Hongdao was away on a trip, and the other True Persons who should have followed to preach the Dao were either in seclusion or had passed away peacefully. After passing the buck all the way, only the Foundation Establishment True Person Mengxuan was left.

If Master Meng Xuan also finds an excuse to decline, then Song Chen will have to wait for another opportunity.

There's nothing that can be done about it; it's not their job, so the Foundation Establishment elders of the Lower Sword Sect generally won't overstep their bounds.

Fortunately, Meng Xuan agreed.

For some unknown reason, when Master Meng Xuan learned that he was to give a sermon, he neither declined nor complained, nor did he go into seclusion. Instead, he cheerfully chose a room in the sermon hall that very day as the location for a one-on-one sermon and immediately invited Song Chen to come.

Unexpectedly, after Meng Xuangang did this, a group of Foundation Establishment elders collectively changed their minds and rushed to give Song Chen a sermon.

But Song Chen had already arrived, and there was no way to change that.

This has led to the current situation where they are staring at each other blankly.

Song Chen actually had many questions to ask: why his cultivation hadn't progressed, why he hadn't entered the Dao, the methods for Foundation Establishment, the best method for soul repair, the origin and special characteristics of the Blood Spirit Root...

But many problems have a fatal flaw.

Once Song Chen speaks out, he will be exposing a part of himself, and it is uncertain whether this is within the reasonable range among cultivators, or whether it will affect his righteous and demonic attributes.

Ultimately, it's because Song Chen's distinction between the righteous and the demonic paths was too blurred.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

It's really hard to distinguish between the righteous path and the demonic path in the cultivation world.

The righteous path also kills and robs, and so does the demonic path. Both will choose suitable reasons to act, and the difference between the two is extremely subtle. However, this subtle distinction is of great importance in the eyes of these righteous sects.

If Song Chen is judged to be a demon, he will be directly eliminated by the real person in front of him.

Good and evil cannot coexist!

Therefore, Song Chen dared not speak, and waited for the other party to define the questions before raising his own questions based on the content proposed by the other party.

But Master Meng Xuan was not in a hurry at all. He poured himself a cup of immortal tea and drank it. He even poured a cup for Song Chen as well, looking extremely relaxed!

No! As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, isn't your time precious? Is it appropriate to waste it on a Qi Refining Level 10 cultivator like this?

A thousand curses ran through Song Chen's mind, but he was helpless and picked up the tea to test the waters.

The tea is fragrant and mellow, with an aroma that fills the air. The tea leaves have an unusual origin, likely coming from the lineage of Wanyelin – the Tea Sect.

A sweet taste flowed into his throat, spiritual energy was sent into his dantian, and then it all dissipated without leaving a trace, just like the bottleneck he faced when breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining with a pseudo-spiritual root.

This was originally just an ordinary bottleneck, but it left Song Chen completely baffled.

Because Blood Spirit has no bottleneck at all!

Meng Xuan's teacup was empty. Song Chen, with his sharp eyes, half-sat up, intending to pour more tea.

"No need!" Meng Xuan laughed.

"Today, I can answer all your questions during my lecture. You're lucky; if you had encountered other Foundation Establishment elders, you would likely have perished. You are a Blood Spirit Root cultivator, aren't you?"

Song Chen looked troubled, his body drenched in sweat: "This Blood Spirit Root was not something I intended to obtain; it was truly an accidental acquisition..."

Meng Xuan took a sip of tea and said calmly:

"I know that you don't have the feeling of your soul being shattered after consuming the Blood Soul Pill; it's just a tearing sensation. There's still a difference between the two."

"Are you wondering why the Blood Spirit Root's rate of absorbing spiritual energy is similar to that of a Residual Spirit Root, and it can almost only rely on pills and essence blood for cultivation, yet it is so rejected by the righteous path?"

Song Chen relaxed and nodded.

"Actually, it's related to a sect from the Western Regions in the past. That sect was full of people with blood spirit roots. They would capture other cultivators who didn't have blood spirit roots and bring them back to the sect. They would bleed them out every day, extract their souls and refine their spirits, making their lives worse than death."

"Therefore, it was suppressed by the righteous path, and now its sect has declined and is no longer what it used to be. The Blood Spirit Root has also been completely sealed in history, and only a very few demonic cultivators can still refine this kind of spiritual root."

Song Chen suddenly realized and clicked his tongue inwardly.

Why should he be subjected to the same rigid application of blood spiritual roots as others, causing him to be implicated? Besides, he himself doesn't want this spiritual root; if he could, he would rather maintain the appearance of a pseudo-spiritual root.

"There's nothing we can do about it. Even if you buy blood to cultivate, you still won't be recognized by others until you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, when your spiritual root transforms into a foundation and stops manifesting. Only then can you be no different from ordinary people."

Meng Xuan seemed to see through Song Chen's thoughts and gently raised his teacup.

"But my soul is damaged, and I can't even cultivate Foundation Establishment auxiliary techniques, let alone make any progress in the Qi Refining Peak stage. What should I do? Please, Elder, save me!"

Song Chen looked bitter and quickly took out a handful of spirit stones in an attempt to curry favor with Meng Xuan.

Meng Xuan waved his hand: "No need! A Foundation Establishment cultivator won't need your little bit. This is just a lecture, and I can certainly help you forge a good connection."

"Do you know why I am so eager to preach, yet the sect forbids me from doing so?"

Song Chen pondered for a moment: "Isn't it cultivating the Path of Wisdom?"

Different paths lead to vastly different outcomes.

The Wisdom Path is naturally the best choice for preaching to different cultivators, as it can not only deduce the cultivators' true problems, but also predict the future and prescribe the right remedy.

"That's only one of the reasons. The main reason is that they are wary of me, afraid that I will accumulate too much merit and break through to the Golden Core stage to completely control the sect."

Meng Xuan exuded an air of domineering composure: "Once you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, you will know that even among those who cultivate the same path, the methods of cultivation are completely different between those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage."

Meng Xuan paused, took a sip of tea, and said, "Good tea! Only tea from the Tea Sect tastes good! That newly established Tea Sect is so careless!"

Song Chen remained silent, his eyes fixed on Meng Xuan.

This sermon is a great opportunity, a direct path to foundation building!

Seeing that Song Chen realized this, Meng Xuan's lips curled up almost imperceptibly:

"Getting back to the point, the problem with your cultivation not progressing is also due to your soul. Blood spirit roots have no bottleneck in the Qi Refining Realm, so you can't be stuck at a bottleneck."

"Breaking through to the peak of Qi Refining is the process of building a foundation, and it is also the process of condensing divine sense. The foundation can only be built with divine sense first, so you are stuck at the step of divine sense, which causes the construction of the foundation to be blocked as well."

"Can soul injuries be healed by absorbing the essence of a soul?" Song Chen asked.

Meng Xuan hurriedly said, "Absolutely not! Absorbing the essence of a soul is essentially cultivation, but you have a soul injury, just like a cultivator with a damaged dantian. Cultivating at this time will only worsen your injuries!"

Song Chen gasped, composed himself, and asked, "Then how should I solve this?"

"Kid, listen up, there are only three ways."

Meng Xuan said solemnly, "Firstly, by cultivating a specialized soul-repairing technique, it is estimated that the damage can be repaired in about ten years."

Song Chen's lips twitched.

The best age for foundation building is before the age of thirty.

If the number exceeds thirty, the probability of successfully establishing a foundation will decrease by 30%.

If the number exceeds fifty, the success rate decreases by 50%.

If it exceeds 80, it will decrease by 70%.

Even if someone is over 100 years old, no matter how well they prepare for a breakthrough, they only have a 20% chance of successfully establishing their foundation.

Using the Soul Repair Technique will undoubtedly cause you to miss the optimal age for Foundation Establishment.

Song Chen listened intently as Meng Xuan explained the next plan.

"Secondly, one will travel to a secret realm of heaven and earth—not one artificially constructed by cultivators, but a soul-refining realm that naturally exists in the world. By releasing one's soul for a month and enduring the excruciating pain of being slowly sliced ​​to death, not only will the soul's injuries be healed, but the strength of the soul will also increase to a higher level!"

"What are these hidden realms of heaven and earth, and where are they located?"

Song Chen asked.

"Within the Eastern Region, only the Western Continent has such a secret realm of heaven and earth—the Cold Soul Mountain. The Western Region also has one, but I don't know exactly where it is. I do know the name, it's called the Fallen Soul Valley."

Song Chen remained silent.

The Western Regions are too far away; who knows how long it will be before they arrive. If there is no other choice, they can only try their luck in the Western Regions.

But isn't there a third option?

Song Chen was full of expectations.

Meng Xuan held up three fingers and said:

"Thirdly, the best option! And the only feasible one you can currently obtain! The Soul-Replenishing Grade 4 Pill can restore all soul injuries and greatly increase soul strength. It also has certain benefits for Foundation Establishment, increasing the probability by 10%! Fortunately, there is one in the Lower Sword Sect's pill room, but it cannot be exchanged with contribution points."

"How do I obtain this item?"

Song Chen said excitedly.

Hope lies in the Lower Sword Sect!

"There are two options. One is to become a disciple of the alchemy master in the alchemy room, but this is no different from a moth flying into a flame."

"Secondly, there's the sect competition six months later. The winner will receive a Soul-Replenishing Pill, and only cultivators at the tenth level of Qi Refining and the peak of Qi Refining can participate, which you qualify for! However, this competition is fraught with hidden secrets..."

Song Chen replied without hesitation, "I'll participate! I'll fight for this chance, no matter what!"

Meng Xuan nodded slightly.

Next, Song Chen asked about the path of cultivation.

"Why am I making no progress in either alchemy or swordsmanship?"

Meng Xuan raised an eyebrow: "You've reached the third rank in alchemy?"

Song Chen was slightly taken aback, then nodded.

"Impressive! Fourth rank in alchemy, first rank in swordsmanship. Unlike all the previous realms, this is the Dao Entry Realm, which requires divine sense to break through. It's normal that you can't break through since you're only at the tenth level of Qi Refining."

"To break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, besides building a foundation, one must also have entered the Dao. You already have a natural advantage, not bad at all!"

Meng Xuan smiled.

Song Chen then realized that he was stuck at the stage of spiritual consciousness again!

Afterwards, Song Chen asked questions about the path of cultivation and practice, all of which were answered one by one.

Meng Xuan was truly open and honest, which moved Song Chen.

It wasn't until it got dark that Song Chen stood up, cupped his hands in thanks, and expressed his gratitude.

"Today's harvest was plentiful. I'll go back and digest it, then eagerly await the grand competition!"

Song Chen's thoughts were churning.

Meng Xuan, still inside the room, took a sip of tea and murmured:

"This is another medium-grade auspicious karmic connection. If I'm mistaken, it might only be of low grade. But it's still only two steps away from becoming a first-grade Golden Core. To be on the safe side, I'll look for three more."

Meng Xuanxiu's Dao is the Dao of Fate.

Good karma is divided into three levels: superior, middle, and inferior.

As the ancients said, "Good and evil will be rewarded accordingly."

As long as Meng Xuan continues to cultivate good relationships, he will reap rewards. The rewards are influenced by the efforts he makes; the more he gives, the more he receives.

Of course, this is all predicated on the premise that these positive karmic connections bear fruit.

For example, even with Meng Xuan's help, Song Chen still wouldn't be able to break through to the peak of Qi Refining.

Then Meng Xuan would not be able to obtain any substantial reward.

Conversely, if Song Chen were to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and even embark on a higher path, Meng Xuan would reap an equal or even greater reward, and it wouldn't be impossible for him to break through to the Golden Core stage in one fell swoop.

Therefore, for him to follow this path, he must cast a wide net and make many connections.

......

I'm back at my doorstep.

Song Chen then saw Shi Jian standing at the door knocking.

During this period of time, Shi Jian has not come to see Song Chen.

I met him when I was registering, and we even exchanged places. But in the subsequent meetings, we just chatted and exchanged cultivation experiences without mentioning the opportunity to establish a foundation.

If a conclusion isn't reached today, Song Chen might forget about the Foundation Establishment opportunity.

"Fellow Daoist Shi! You've arrived!"

Song Chen greeted him with a smile.

The two are in close contact and are now considered acquaintances and friends.

Shi Jian also smiled:

"Fellow Daoist Song, it's been a long time! You've really made a name for yourself lately, and you've become a superior cultivator whom we can only look up to!"

"Not at all! Fellow Daoist Shi has also broken through to the tenth level of Qi Refining, and his path to immortality is bright!"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two finally got down to business.

Shi Jian said solemnly:

"The number of people is about right. Counting you, me, and the few people we agreed on during the selection process, there are exactly ten people. All of them are experts at the eighth level of Qi Refining or above. There is one more person at the tenth level of Qi Refining, including you, me, and me."

Song Chen nodded slightly: "When do we depart?"

"Three days later, the team was supposed to set off immediately after it was assembled, but the cultivator at the tenth level of Qi Refining happened to be out on a mission and would not be back for three days."

Shi Jian explained.

"That's wonderful! See you in three days!"

Song Chen cupped his hands in greeting and entered the house.

After watching Song Chen leave, Shi Jian's expression was complicated, his eyes filled with worry:

"Hopefully, nothing unexpected happens this time!"