Don't try to cultivate immortality; mortals live longer than immortals.

The thought crossed her mind, and Jiang Yaoguang asked, "Did you take them a little too quickly? Given your condition, five or six Foundation Establishment Pills shouldn't cause you this much discomfort."

Ah, this...

Duan Xuan was speechless, wondering if he had overacted and made a fool of himself.

Just then, Lingyun's voice reached their ears. At that moment, the girl with twin ponytails was holding her forehead with her hand: "Host, how could you forget what I told you? This Fairy Yaoguang's background is extraordinary. When facing her, you must not be careless or negligent in any way. Don't act too weak."

"Oh, I forgot."

Duan Xuan was also filled with regret, but on the surface, he quickly sighed, "It's also my fault. After taking five or six Foundation Establishment Pills, I didn't feel any pressure. I felt that the descriptions in the campus forum and short videos were a bit exaggerated, so..."

"So what did you do?"

Fairy Yaoguang frowned.

"So last night, I ate all three remaining Foundation Establishment Pills in one go."

Duan Xuan scratched his head, looking like a child who had done something wrong and was very annoyed.

"..."

Even Fairy Yaoguang was speechless.

Three Foundation Establishment Pills, swallowed all at once?

This brat really doesn't know how to write the word "death".

Fortunately, he was the owner of a true Heavenly Spiritual Root; anyone else would probably have exploded and died by now, Fairy Yaoguang thought to herself.

Little did she know that Duan Xuan was making it all up on the spot. Eating three Foundation Establishment Pills in one go was nothing; the most outrageous thing this kid had ever done was eat fifteen in one go.

They've essentially turned a miracle drug for breaking through bottlenecks into a sugar pill.

"You, you! How can you eat so much?"

Jiang Yaoguang frowned, looking at her clueless little brother with a disapproving expression: "Didn't I tell you that although the more Foundation Establishment Pills you take, the better, you have to proceed step by step? Your foundation is certainly good, but you can't be so eager for quick success."

"You got lucky this time, but if you act recklessly again, you'll destroy your own foundation."

"Senior, I understand. I acted impulsively yesterday. I won't do it again."

Duan Xuan readily agreed, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief; this explanation had finally managed to fool Jiang Yaoguang.

He then changed the subject: "By the way, senior, how many of the nine Foundation Establishment Pills have you taken? And how are you feeling?"

"Of course I ate it all, but I'm not as reckless as you. I took it step by step and kept a good pace throughout."

Jiang Yaoguang raised her head, deliberately showing a proud expression on her face.

Of course, this statement was completely fabricated. As a Golden Core cultivator, she would have no effect whatsoever on Foundation Establishment Pills, which were such low-level items.

"oh."

Duan Xuan, unsuspecting, was just about to find an excuse to leave when Jiang Yaoguang smiled and suggested, "Since we've run out of pills, why don't we apply for another bottle?"

"Ah, this..."

Duan Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively wanted to refuse.

As the saying goes, a guilty conscience needs no accuser. Although he and Gao Huijuan had reached a tacit understanding, they dared not let a third person be present. This Fairy Yaoguang was an extremely intelligent person. If she saw through their deception, wouldn't everything be over?

He quickly waved his hand, feigning lingering fear: "Senior, let's forget about it. I ate too fast a few days ago, and my meridians are still aching. I can't sleep at night. I plan to take it easy and rest for a few days."

"Yes, your plan is correct."

Jiang Yaoguang nodded in agreement: "But what's wrong with getting the Foundation Establishment Pill first? It's not like you have to eat it right away. You can get it and store it away first."

"That's true." Duan Xuan scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "To be honest, I don't have much self-control. Otherwise, I wouldn't have done something as stupid as eating three Foundation Establishment Pills in one day. I was afraid that once I got them, I wouldn't be able to resist eating them. Sigh, this thing called obsessive-compulsive disorder."

"Obsessive-compulsive disorder?"

Jiang Yaoguang was speechless for a moment, but after thinking about it, she realized it made sense, so she didn't insist: "Then you should rest for a few days first. It's not too late to collect the Foundation Establishment Pills later."

"Okay, I understand."

Duan Xuan felt as if he had been granted a pardon, but on the surface, he still maintained a calm demeanor: "Don't worry, senior, it's not like I can't find where the logistics department is. Once I've rested up, I'll naturally know where to pick it up."

Jiang Yaoguang didn't say anything more, but casually reminded him a few more times not to be so hasty in the future, and then turned and left.

Watching the other person's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Duan Xuan breathed a long sigh of relief: "That was close. Fortunately, Fairy Yaoguang didn't notice anything wrong with me from beginning to end."

……

Time flies like an arrow. Duan Xuan still goes back and forth between his dormitory, classroom, and logistics department every day. Occasionally he goes out for hot pot with his friends, and sometimes he exchanges tips with Fairy Yaoguang on how to consume more Foundation Establishment Pills.

Of course, the two of them were completely acting in this regard. After all, one of them was already a Golden Core Fairy, and the other had a true Heavenly Spiritual Root, maxed-out aptitude, and had even taken a fake Foundation Establishment Pill, thus being the first to experience the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Life went on as usual, and in the blink of an eye, twenty days had passed since Duan Xuan took his first Foundation Establishment Pill.

As time went on, Duan Xuan gradually felt the pressure.

However, the point at which he felt the pressure was truly outrageous, a full one hundred and eighty.

Yes, you heard right!

Before taking the 180th Foundation Establishment Pill, Duan Xuan felt completely at ease, as if he were just eating a sugar pill, without any difficulty.

It wasn't until he swallowed the 180th one that he finally felt a little uncomfortable, which was more than ten times the school's record.

It's outrageous!

Even after taking so much, he only felt a little sad and slightly uncomfortable, which was still within his tolerance range.

Both Lingyun and Fairy Yaoguang have said that the more Foundation Establishment Pills one takes, the better.

According to short videos and information collected from campus forums, the conclusions are exactly the same... There is no upper limit to the Foundation Establishment Pill; every additional pill consumed will unleash an additional portion of one's potential for immortality.

and so……

Duan Xuan made his decision, even though he had already consumed 180 pills, breaking the record set by Shuiyun Daoyun Academy.

But this doesn't mean the end. Since it's not too bad, I'll have to keep eating more.

Having made his decision, Duan Xuan strived toward his established goal, and he was also curious to see where his limits lay.

Playing with the Foundation Establishment Pill he had just received, Duan Xuan silently calculated in his mind. Then, he tilted his head back and swallowed the pill. The familiar warm current flowed into his dantian, but soon, the medicinal power became violent, exploding uncontrollably in his dantian and rushing into the eight extraordinary meridians.

But that's all!

Duan Xuan felt sore and weak all over, just like the discomfort he felt after playing basketball intensely in his previous life.

That's it?

Duan Xuan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of disdain on his face.

Although pressure has emerged, it seems completely negligible and poses no threat to me whatsoever.

Duan Xuan smiled slightly, made hand seals, and circulated his magic power to steadily suppress the restless spiritual energy back into his dantian.

"You're not qualified to cause me trouble. I need more."

Without hesitation, Duan Xuan swallowed another pill.

……

And so time went on, and life remained ordinary yet interesting.

As time went on, he gradually realized the difficulty.

When I took the 180th pill, I felt something was wrong for the first time, but the discomfort was very mild, like soreness after exercise.

He didn't even need to consciously endure it; he could completely ignore it. But when he took 210 pills, the soreness turned into a dull ache, as if countless tiny needles were pricking his meridians.

The pain had finally become tangible, no longer something insignificant, but Duan Xuan still hadn't considered giving up; he could endure this level of discomfort.

A few more days passed. During this time, he took Foundation Building Pills at a slower and slower pace. At the beginning, he even dared to swallow more than a dozen pills a day.

Now, I only need to eat four or five a day, and often even less.

"The 232nd one!"

Duan Xuan silently counted in his mind, tilted his head back and swallowed the pill. Then he felt a bloating pain mixed with a tearing pain. The spiritual energy was surging wildly in his meridians. Every time he circulated his cultivation technique, it felt like cutting flesh with a dull knife. It was becoming increasingly difficult to control the spiritual energy.

All signs indicate that even with his extraordinary talent, he is nearing his limit, yet he remains unsatisfied and stubbornly perseveres.

"The 233rd one!"

"The 234th one!"

……

Each time he took the medicine, he felt more uncomfortable. Duan Xuan repeatedly pulled the spiritual energy that was on the verge of getting out of control back into his dantian. Cultivation became more and more difficult, and each time his forehead was covered with cold sweat.

But the light in his eyes never changed.

"Host, that's enough!"

Lingyun saw all of this clearly, from the initial teasing to the later encouragement, and now even the AI ​​was starting to find it unacceptable.

"Host, stop eating. The best result in the history of Shuiyun Daoyun Academy was only 18. You have already far exceeded the record. Why do you have to challenge your limits? Enough. Stop now. The immortal potential you have gained in your breakthrough is unprecedented and will never be surpassed."

"Yun'er, are you worried about me?"

"Who's worried about you?"

The girl blushed, but stubbornly argued back. However, a hint of panic crept into her voice, and she started calculating a little faster.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Duan Xuan smiled slightly, finished his meditation, took a towel, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "I'm not stupid. If I really couldn't hold on, I wouldn't force myself to. But as it is now, although it's uncomfortable, it's still far from what I've gathered from the videos."

Duan Xuan's meaning was clear: because of his aptitude, although he had already taken 235 Foundation Establishment Pills, the discomfort he experienced was only equivalent to that of an ordinary student taking a few pills. Others could withstand it, so why should he give up?

It wasn't an impulsive act or a momentary lapse of judgment, but rather that the current state was far from his limit.

Therefore, Duan Xuan decided to continue taking the medication.

"Alright, whatever you say." Lingyun felt relieved after hearing Duan Xuan's explanation, but she still reminded him, "But you must promise me that you won't push yourself. If you really can't hold on, prepare to break through immediately."

"Once you enter the Foundation Establishment stage, these discomforts will be nothing but fleeting clouds. But if you disregard your limits and insist on pushing yourself, you may run into trouble."

"Don't worry, I'm not stupid."

Duan Xuan gave the girl a reassuring smile, and continued to do as he pleased.

Another half month passed in this way.

Duan Xuan sat cross-legged in his dormitory, holding a Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand, and silently chanting in his mind.

"The 270th!"

When he swallowed the pill, he suddenly broke through an unseen critical point, and the pain that had been forcibly suppressed could no longer be contained.

"Ouch!"

Duan Xuan couldn't help but let out a cry of pain. His body, which was sitting cross-legged, began to tremble uncontrollably. Instead of beads of sweat, large drops of cold sweat fell from his forehead, soaking the futon in front of him.

Duan Xuan felt as if a mountain had been stuffed into his dantian, causing it to ache and feel like it was about to explode. Every inch of his meridians was screaming wildly, and spiritual energy was surging through his body like an out-of-control flood. At this moment, the pain Duan Xuan was enduring was no longer something that could be "just endured." Every second felt like torture.

The urge to break through also reached its peak, almost instinctively. Duan Xuan wanted to follow this force and break through the bottleneck in front of him in one fell swoop, because he knew that as long as he entered the Foundation Establishment stage, he could immediately get rid of this deadly pain.

Anyone else would have done the same.

For him, breaking through was not difficult at all; with just a thought, he could easily achieve the Foundation Establishment stage.

However, Duan Xuan did not do that; he gritted his teeth and endured it desperately.

"Enough, host! What are you doing? Why haven't you broken through yet?"

Lingyun's voice reached his ears from the side, and for the first time, it carried an anxious expression: "You promised me you wouldn't force yourself. A full two hundred and seventy Foundation Establishment Pills have far exceeded the record, more than eighteen times the original record. Aren't you satisfied yet?"

"It's not that I'm dissatisfied, it's just..."

Duan Xuan gritted his teeth and barely managed to use his divine sense to communicate with Ling Yun in his sea of ​​consciousness.

"Just what?"

Lingyun's voice revealed a hint of doubt. Even after searching through the entire database, he couldn't understand why Duan Xuan would be unwilling to break through in the face of such a brilliant achievement.

"Thirty more are needed."

Duan Xuan's voice trembled uncontrollably, yet it was unusually firm.

"I want to round it up."

Lingyun: "..."

She felt like her CPU was about to be overheated by this guy.

What does "rounding up" mean?

Is there really such a thing as rounding up in this matter?

She had seen people suppress their cultivation level to achieve Foundation Establishment, but she had never seen anyone risk their dantian to explode just to reach the required number of pills!

"Host, you're suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder!" The girl was both angry and anxious, no longer caring about her composure, and this time she shouted, "Three hundred pills won't give you a buff! Your breakthrough is already unprecedentedly strong!"

"I know."

Duan Xuan gritted his teeth and gasped for breath, enduring the pain immensely, but still showed no intention of compromising: "I know my obsessive-compulsive disorder is absurd, but I won't feel comfortable until I've collected three hundred pills."

"you……"

Lingyun was so angry she almost laughed.

As an AI, although she has gained intelligence and become a silicon-based life form, she remains extremely rational, and Duan Xuan has also performed very well since they started dating.

Both in terms of aptitude and temperament, they are the best choice.

I never dreamed that this kid's obsessive-compulsive disorder would be this severe.

"Do you really want to gamble with your life?" Lingyun's voice was very serious.

"Don't worry, I won't die. I know what I'm doing," Duan Xuan replied without hesitation.

"What exactly are you trying to achieve by insisting on this?"

Lingyun was furious. Taking such a risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder was completely pointless. However, her attempts to persuade him were utterly useless. Duan Xuan's determination was absurd.

More importantly, Lingyun didn't dare to forcefully persuade him, since Duan Xuan's current condition was already very dangerous, and if he was distracted by talking to her, he might not be able to hold on.

In the end, Lingyun had no choice but to obediently shut her mouth.

"Time travelers are all a bunch of lunatics!"

The AI ​​was so angry that it felt dizzy, and it remembered the stories about the Gangjing Emperor and the Guangwu Fairy in the database.

"Damn it, could it be that the genius Shen Ji will really die because of this?"

For the next month, Lingyun's heart was in her throat every single day.

Because Duan Xuan had reached his limit in taking the pills, even though his obsessive-compulsive disorder was acting up, he really didn't dare to be reckless anymore, and the Foundation Building Pills he took each day were reduced to just one.

Even so, Lingyun still looked at him with trepidation.

Each time the other person took one pill, it was like dancing on a knife's edge, as if their dantian would burst at any moment, and the pain they experienced was very real.

Lingyun really couldn't figure out what this mentally ill host was thinking. Was the power of obsessive-compulsive disorder really that great?

There's clearly no benefit to be gained, yet it's worth risking your life for.

One wrong step and you're doomed!

She tried to persuade him, but to no avail. Duan Xuan was so determined, it was as if he had swallowed a weight and was made up his mind.

And just like that, another month passed.

That noon, with no classes in the afternoon, Duan Xuan held a snow-white Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand, his face full of emotion: "Finally, I'm almost done eating it. The last one. Once this one is gone, I'll have a complete set."

Lingyun: "..."

She couldn't even find words to complain anymore.

This guy gritted his teeth and endured countless hardships throughout the month, all to reach a round number.

It wasn't good to disturb his peace of mind at this moment, so Lingyun could only complain in her heart while remaining silent.

Then he watched as Duan Xuan swallowed the last Foundation Establishment Pill.

The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, followed by a violent burst of medicinal power like a storm. The intense pain within his dantian swept over him like a tidal wave, making Duan Xuan's entire body feel as if it were submerged in scalding lava, with cracks appearing on the surface of his meridians.

Duan Xuan was originally sitting cross-legged, but the extreme pain he was in almost made him fall off the bed.

"Host, what are you waiting for? Break through now!"

Lingyun had long since abandoned any semblance of ladylike image; she practically shouted those words.

Duan Xuan did not answer; he was speechless at that moment.

This time, he finally didn't hesitate. With just a thought, the violent spiritual power in his body seemed to find an outlet and roared towards the bottleneck.

Thus, the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment stage was as easy as clay or paper; without any suspense, it was submerged by the torrent of spiritual energy in an instant, and the breakthrough was a natural outcome.

The process was so easy that even the phrase "as natural as water" doesn't quite capture it.

It's like a paper window, easily broken at the slightest touch.

The originally violent and rampant spiritual energy was instantly tamed by a gentle yet powerful force, flowing smoothly along the eight extraordinary meridians, gently washing over Duan Xuan's limbs and bones, expelling all the excess impurities from his body.

The excruciating pain I had just felt vanished the moment I broke through, as if it were all just an unreal illusion.

"Comfortable."

Duan Xuan, who had been sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes. His eyes seemed to shimmer with light, and his entire demeanor underwent a dramatic change.

The tense aura that had been forcibly suppressed earlier completely dissipated, replaced by the calm aura unique to Foundation Establishment cultivators. The person gave people a pleasant and relaxed feeling, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted off their shoulders.

This is a change in temperament!

But that's not the most eye-catching thing.

What truly makes one's appearance stand out and attract attention is the change in physical appearance.

Get handsome!

How so?

Although her facial features haven't changed, they give off a more harmonious and balanced feeling, as if they've been subtly refined by spiritual energy. The lines of her face are cleaner and sharper, making her much more pleasing to the eye than before.

In short...he's incredibly handsome!

Duan Xuan looked down at his right hand, and then felt the abundant and gentle spiritual energy in his dantian. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, and a smile couldn't help but flash across his eyes.

It took two whole months and I suffered countless hardships, especially the last 30 pills. Taking each one was like dancing on the edge of a knife. Fortunately, in the end, my wish came true, and all the suffering was worthwhile.

I always manage to perfectly enter the Foundation Establishment stage.

(End of the book)

I'm sorry everyone, this book can only go up to Duan Xuan's Foundation Establishment stage, and then it will come to an end. It's not that I didn't want to write, the results were just too bad.

I've been writing for over two months, and the number of favorites hasn't even reached a thousand, with only about 20 people following the story. It's truly a dismal situation. To be honest, I'm quite lost. I really put my heart into this book, Huan Yu, but it seems that the humor and settings I came up with didn't resonate with everyone. So, this book has flopped terribly, and I really can't continue. I'm so sorry.

Well, I'll take a short break and recharge. My next book will be available in two or three months. In the next book, I will return to the traditional Xianxia genre, like "Hundred Refinements to Immortality," and I won't do so many fancy innovations.

This is the best I can do for this book. I'm really sorry everyone. Although there aren't many friends who support me, there are still a few. Thank you all so much.

I apologize again. I'm really sad to see this book go. I actually really liked it, but my grades were just too bad.

Sorry, but if possible, please continue to support me. If you're ever looking for something to read, just click on Huan Yu's profile picture occasionally, and maybe my new book will appear.

Okay, that's settled then. See you in two or three months, or I'll try to do it as soon as possible if I can!