A Mortal's Supporting Character's Different Kind of Cultivation

Lu Yunfeng smiled calmly upon hearing this, and with a composed gesture, a mid-grade spirit stone appeared in his palm. He handed it to the ugly man before him, his tone even: "I will pay the spirit stones due according to the rules. This alchemy process has taken quite a while, so this mid-grade spirit stone will serve as a deposit. Any subsequent expenses will be refunded or supplemented as needed. Besides, I will be requisitioning the weapon-refining room later, so we can settle the accounts then."

"Hehe, all right! All right!" The ugly man touched the mid-grade spirit stone with his fingertips, his eyes lit up with joy, and he couldn't stop smiling. He quickly agreed and flattered him, and immediately began to make proper arrangements for Lu Yunfeng.

Following closely in the footsteps of the ugly man, Lu Yunfeng passed through the giant, multicolored stone gate and the stone passageway, and then through two more restricted side gates before finally stepping into an extremely spacious circular main hall.

The entire main hall was constructed of thick, heavy stone, with a grand and imposing structure. It was forty or fifty zhang in diameter, and its dome soared over ten zhang high, exuding a sense of awe and power. Around the main hall were more than thirty uniform, enclosed stone-door cultivation rooms arranged in neat rows. At this moment, only Lu Yunfeng and the ugly man were in the hall.

Lu Yunfeng's gaze swept across his surroundings, silently assessing the layout. Seeing this, the ugly man beside him immediately plastered a smile on his face and volunteered to explain, "Senior Brother, you may not know this, but beneath this main hall lies the core of the entire area, where the earth fire spiritual energy is the most abundant and purest. Taking advantage of this location, the sect has excavated and set up thirty-six independent earth fire chambers here, specifically for disciples to refine pills and weapons, and to cultivate diligently. Among these, chambers number eighteen and nineteen possess the highest quality earth fire, with a long-lasting and mellow flame—the finest of all."

After a pause, the ugly man added, "Unfortunately, the number eighteen secret chamber has been occupied by a senior master from a sect for a long time, so it's not convenient to disturb him. Junior brother, you can use the number nineteen secret chamber for now. Although it is slightly inferior to the number eighteen, the earth fire is balanced and stable, and the spiritual energy is abundant and not turbulent. It is an excellent choice for alchemy and cultivation, and it is more than enough."

Lu Yunfeng nodded slightly, remaining silent and calmly following along.

They followed the ugly man straight to the stone gate with the gilded characters "Nineteen" engraved on it and stopped.

After the ugly man pushed open the door and entered, he meticulously explained all the equipment in the secret room, including the earth fire control array, the alchemy furnace, and the stabilizing jade talisman. Knowing that Lu Yunfeng wanted to cultivate alone, he was very sensible, bowed, and left.

Lu Yunfeng surveyed the secluded, isolated chamber, a flicker of joy crossing his eyes. This secluded place, completely cut off from the world and exposing not a trace of his presence, was perfectly suited to his current needs for secluded cultivation and breakthrough, and for practicing his secret techniques. His heart stirred slightly, and a hint of satisfaction appeared on his face.

He raised his hand and took out the access token. As the jade light shimmered, the heavy stone door slammed shut, isolating all external noise and divine sense probing. Confirming that the secret chamber was foolproof, Lu Yunfeng scanned the layout of the room once more, feeling increasingly at ease, and nodded slightly.

At this moment, he had only one important matter on his mind: to go into seclusion and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Only by reaching the Foundation Establishment stage could he overcome too many limitations that would prevent him from implementing many of his subsequent plans.

Lu Yunfeng did not rush to consume the Foundation Establishment Pill and rashly break through. Instead, he calmly took out the Mind-Cleansing Futon, sat cross-legged on it, concentrated his mind and breath, and meditated. Time passed, and a day went by. After a day of resting his mind with his eyes closed, his divine sense was refined and abundant, and his magical power was perfected. He had adjusted his state to its peak, and everything was ready for him to break through.

The timing was perfect. With a flick of his finger, Lu Yunfeng retrieved the sealed jade box. Upon opening it, a rich, mellow fragrance of medicinal pills wafted out, lingering long after. He picked up a Foundation Establishment Pill, its surface a brilliant blue, and swallowed it in one gulp.

The pill entered the throat and instantly transformed into pure medicinal power, rapidly sinking into the dantian along the meridians in the throat. In just a few hours, the immense medicinal power exploded deep within the dantian, like a ball of scorching spiritual fire rising up, fiercely burning the dantian and engulfing the internal organs; but the limbs and the entire body felt the complete opposite, with a bone-chilling cold penetrating the body. The two extremes of heat and cold clashed, tearing at the meridians throughout the body, creating a vivid and unbearable sensation.

This strange phenomenon of alternating hot and cold didn't last long. The raging true fire in his dantian suddenly vanished into thin air, and the biting cold all over his body also disappeared, restoring his physical body to its normal temperature. Lu Yunfeng was slightly puzzled, and a hint of surprise flashed across his brows.

His initial shock was fleeting; his expression changed drastically, the color draining from his face instantly. He pressed his hands tightly against his dantian, daring not to loosen them even slightly. A piercing, bone-scraping pain suddenly surged through his dantian, as if seven or eight sharp knives were simultaneously churning and tearing at his internal organs. The pain was swift, fierce, and caught him completely off guard.

A sharp pain instantly swept through his entire body. Lu Yunfeng's face turned deathly pale, devoid of any color, and beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead. His body involuntarily curled up violently, his entire body rigidly arched into a ball.

He curled up and trembled on the ground in pain, cursing inwardly that he had to endure such excruciating pain when he took the Foundation Establishment Pill to break through to the next realm and cleanse his meridians!

Before the resentment in his heart had subsided, the lingering pain deep within his dantian erupted once more, several times stronger than before. The violent medicinal power transformed into streams of scalding heat, rapidly surging and coursing through the meridians throughout his body. In an instant, the heat transformed into a dense, unbearable itching sensation, spreading throughout his body like thousands of ants gnawing at his flesh, both painful and itchy, making him feel utterly uncomfortable.

This torment lasted for a full meal before slowly subsiding. Lu Yunfeng, forcing himself to stay upright against the wall, managed to slowly get up. At this moment, a layer of gray impurities rose to the surface of his body, and a foul odor permeated his surroundings; these were the impurities expelled from his body by the meridian cleansing and marrow purification process.

Lu Yunfeng paid no attention to this. He clearly sensed that the gaseous true essence in his body, aided by the Foundation Establishment Pill, was now condensing and thickening, steadily transforming into liquid true essence. His meridians were clear and smooth, a warm feeling flowed through his limbs and bones, and he felt completely comfortable, without any sense of stagnation.

Not daring to slack off, Lu Yunfeng continued to sit cross-legged, focusing his mind on meditation, consolidating his hard-won initial stage of Foundation Establishment, strengthening his foundation, and solidifying his hard-won realm.

The two weeks of seclusion passed by quietly.

When Lu Yunfeng emerged from his meditative state and opened his eyes, his early Foundation Establishment realm was already stable, his foundation was solid, and there were no more hidden dangers.

The sharpness and vigor he once possessed during his Qi cultivation period have completely subsided. His eyes are deep, calm, and reserved, exuding a composed and extraordinary aura.

A foul stench wafted into his nose. Lu Yunfeng looked down and saw that his body was covered in a layer of black grime, all of which were impurities expelled from his physical body after he was detached from the mortal realm.

He frowned slightly, his expression calm. He casually made a simple cleansing hand gesture, and a wisp of spiritual light swept over him, sweeping away all the filth on his body and leaving him instantly refreshed and clean.

Afterwards, Lu Yunfeng took out a bronze mirror and looked up. His appearance in the mirror had been completely transformed. Gone was the rough look left by his past training and battles. His once rough skin was now radiant, fair, smooth as jade, and glowing with a healthy rosy luster.

The wounds and scars left by years of travel and fighting have all been smoothed over, leaving no trace.

Combined with his calm and reserved demeanor at this moment, an indescribable scholarly air naturally arose, exuding an extraordinary air of refinement.

Looking at him now, he doesn't seem like a cultivator who has gone through life-and-death trials and defied the heavens to seek the Dao, but rather like a well-read, gentle and refined young gentleman.

This is the wonder of Foundation Building and Rebirth: shedding the mortal body, undergoing a dual transformation from the inside out, resulting in a completely new and extraordinary appearance.

Lu Yunfeng calmly comprehended the liquid true essence within his body, which far exceeded the peak of Qi Refining, and sensed that his lifespan had surged to over two hundred years, completing a leap in his life level. His emotions surged, and countless feelings arose in his heart.

After years of dedicated practice and tireless effort, I have finally been rewarded and embarked on a brand new path of spiritual cultivation.