Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

Li Xiuyuan had just returned to his cave dwelling when he looked at the mountain of visiting cards and chuckled to himself.

"When you're poor, no one cares even in the bustling city; when you're rich, even distant relatives won't visit you in the deep mountains."

Li Xiuyuan scanned the visiting cards with his divine sense and quickly learned the origins of these people.

Most of them were created by Foundation Establishment cultivators, representing the cultivation forces behind them.

"A Foundation Establishment inner disciple of the Blazing Fire Sect in his forties, who is also a high-grade alchemist, would seem ordinary to others, but having a Golden Core disciple of the sect as a backer is something they should try to win over."

Li Xiuyuan didn't care about this. He casually put away the snowflake-like visiting cards and strode into the cave.

Having just completed his posting, he returned to his cave dwelling to pack up and prepare to return to the sect.

Li Xiuyuan, who had just completed the Foundation Establishment stage, was extremely excited and only wanted to do good deeds. He also planned to open up an independent cave in the sect and quietly refine pills and earn spirit stones.

Li Xiuyuan became more and more excited as he thought about it, and as soon as he left the market, he rode away on his crimson flame escape light.

……

Blazing Fire Sect, General Affairs Hall.

Li Xiuyuan descended in a beam of light and arrived at the entrance of the main hall.

"This Foundation Establishment cultivator's speed is truly formidable. What used to be a journey of several days was covered in just half an hour."

Li Xiuyuan was overjoyed.

The disciples guarding the gate clearly did not recognize Li Xiuyuan, but they all knew that Li Xiuyuan was displaying Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure.

The two men stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Senior Uncle, is there anything we can help you with?"

"Uncle-Master?"

Li Xiuyuan was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this.

If he had met these two a year ago, he might have taken the initiative to call them "senior brother"!

Now that the foundation has been laid, his status and position have risen accordingly.

He suddenly became an elder!

This really made Li Xiuyuan feel uneasy.

However, seeing a cultivator of similar age bowing and greeting him, Li Xiuyuan was secretly delighted.

"Is Sect Leader Xue here? I have something to discuss with him."

Li Xiuyuan said in a solemn tone.

Upon hearing this, the two Qi Refining disciples exchanged a glance, and the disciple on the left spoke first: "The sect leader is inside the main hall. Martial Uncle, you can go in from this side."

After saying this, the disciple stepped aside to make way for Li Xiuyuan and respectfully pointed out his location.

"Um!"

Li Xiuyuan nodded and followed him toward the General Affairs Hall.

The other person sighed inwardly, lamenting how slow he had been; he wasn't as quick-witted as the other person, who had seized a golden opportunity to make a quick buck.

When these Foundation Establishment masters are in a good mood, they might casually show off something that would be enough for them to accumulate for years.

Li Xiuyuan followed the man through the hall, then turned into the corridor, and arrived at a spacious lobby.

The main room is clean and spacious, decorated in an antique style, with several landscape paintings on the walls, creating a refined and scholarly atmosphere.

"Please wait a moment, Uncle-Master, I will immediately go and report to the Sect Leader!"

The young man skillfully handed over a steaming cup of spiritual tea and then withdrew.

Li Xiuyuan nodded; he couldn't find a single fault with the young man's demeanor and behavior.

His performance was clearly professionally trained; truly, everyone has their own area of ​​expertise.

Just as Li Xiuyuan was savoring the fragrant spiritual tea and criticizing the spiritual tea and fruits, Sect Leader Xue returned.

When he heard from the gatekeeper that a young Foundation Establishment cultivator was looking for him, he was slightly surprised.

According to the gatekeeper's description, he had no deep impression of this person and found him to be a complete stranger.

"A man of twenty-three or twenty-four, handsome and extraordinary, possessing the demeanor of an ancient gentleman—who could this be?"

Filled with doubt and a little curiosity, Xue Zhongren hurried to the reception room where Li Xiuyuan was.

Upon entering, one sees a handsome young man, dressed in the red robes of an inner disciple of the Blazing Fire Sect, with a restrained and refined demeanor, gazing intently at a painting of withered lotus leaves.

However, his actions upon entering the room were clearly noticed by the other party.

The man immediately turned around and bowed to him, saying, "Li Xiuyuan of Douzhan Peak greets Senior Brother Sect Leader!"

"Li Xiuyuan?"

Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Xue was taken aback. The name sounded familiar, as if he had heard it before.

I took a closer look and noticed that the other person had a refined and noble air about them, and a sense of otherworldly elegance suddenly came to mind.

"So it's Junior Brother Li who escaped from Zhong Shenxiu's clutches a few years ago. I said back then that Junior Brother Li was no ordinary person and would surely succeed in Foundation Establishment."

Li Xiuyuan smiled, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Sect Leader Xue knew Li Xiuyuan's background; he was a direct descendant of Du Zhenchuan. He made a list and completed the formalities for Li Xiuyuan as he entered and exited the hall.

Half an incense stick later.

Xue Zhongren took out ten mid-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them to Li Xiuyuan.

"Junior brother, as a newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator in our sect, you will receive ten mid-grade spirit stones, a second-tier cave dwelling, and you will not be required to do any miscellaneous tasks within the sect... In addition, you can choose any Foundation Establishment cultivation technique."

"Junior brother, do you have any requirements for a second-tier cave dwelling?"

"I don't value abundant spiritual energy, but it would be best if there were a second-tier fire vein, which would facilitate the construction of an alchemy workshop..."

Li Xiuyuan made his request without any hesitation, "If this were before, it would indeed be difficult to fulfill your request, Junior Brother... But now the war between the righteous and demonic factions of the two countries is fierce, and many Foundation Establishment cultivators have perished. A 'Heavenly Fire Cave' has become empty. Its owner was also an alchemist who built an alchemy workshop... None of his later disciples have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, so this cave is being taken over by the sect, which is perfect for you, Junior Brother."

"This... I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother."

Li Xiuyuan hadn't expected to obtain a second-tier earth fire spiritual vein so easily; he had thought he would have to use a lot of persuasion.

He had already prepared to "spend money to avoid disaster".

"Haha, we're all fellow disciples, why talk about trouble or not?"

Xue Zhongren was very friendly, showing none of the arrogance typical of scions of prominent families.

"It's just that the spiritual energy in the Fire Cave is only at the second-grade low level one day, which is a bit unfair to you, Junior Brother. Otherwise, I can issue an order for you to go directly to the Scripture Pavilion to select a Foundation Establishment cultivation method."

He was very enthusiastic, as if he truly treated Li Xiuyuan as one of his own.

"Thank you, senior brother."

Li Xiuyuan was naturally extremely grateful.

"However... after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, Junior Brother will no longer be as carefree as before... Now that the battle on the front lines is fierce, our sect's newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivators will, as usual, only have one year to familiarize themselves with magical artifacts and switch cultivation techniques... After that, they will have to obey orders, and it will be difficult for them to stay and guard the sect."

Foundation Establishment cultivators are not Qi Refining disciples; they are already considered the backbone and mainstay of the sect.

Obtaining a safe mission is much more difficult.

After all, the sect's spirit stones and protection don't come for free.

"It is my duty as a disciple to serve the sect!"

When Li Xiuyuan received Du Wuxin's message, he had already made this plan. His resolute expression naturally made Xue Zhongren nod in agreement.

Then he handed over a jade slip and said softly, "This jade slip contains some precautions for those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Junior Brother, you can take a closer look when you get back."

"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

Li Xiuyuan accepted it with both hands, praising it repeatedly.

These are all things that Li Xiuyuan currently needs, so he was naturally very tempted.

After finishing his business, Li Xiuyuan chatted with the acting sect leader for half an incense stick's time before taking his leave from the General Affairs Hall.

……