Ascending from the mortal realm to become an immortal begins with taking charge of a grotto-heaven.

After putting away the Heavenly Sun Sword, Zhang Li picked up the jade slip containing the spiritual fire technique and placed it between his eyebrows.

After a full cup of tea's time, he finally put down the jade slip in his hand, rubbed his slightly tense brows, and had completely imprinted the entire content of the spell in his mind.

This fire-based spell is called Azure Flame Technique.

Although the name doesn't seem particularly unusual, it is a spirit fire technique that can be advanced, meaning that this technique can be learned in stages.

This also means that this spirit fire technique has no requirements regarding the cultivator's cultivation level.

It should be known that most common techniques have set thresholds for cultivation. At least one must be at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining to be qualified to draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to form a shape. If a low-level cultivator forces himself to cultivate, he will only damage his meridians.

Theoretically, even a cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining could cultivate this spirit fire technique to the first stage of the Azure Flame Technique.

However, the Azure Flame Spirit Fire refined at this stage can only be considered a relatively powerful spirit fire.

However, once one's cultivation reaches the late stage of Qi Refining and one's magical power is sufficiently abundant, one can attempt to refine a second-stage spiritual fire. With the help of a spiritual object like the Azure Wood Core, the azure flame can undergo a transformation, changing from a light azure to a deep azure, greatly increasing its power.

As for the third stage of Azure Flame, it requires refining a wood-type spiritual treasure called Mysterious Flame Perching on the Wutong Tree after Foundation Establishment in order to complete the final transformation and achieve the true Azure Flame True Fire.

According to the jade slip, once one cultivates to the third stage and refines the Azure Flame True Fire, few cultivators of the same level can withstand it; it is the most powerful weapon among powerful weapons.

"Such exquisite spirit fire magic, Lu Ying just gave it to me like that?"

Zhang Li muttered to himself, he originally thought that Lu Ying would at most give him an ordinary spirit fire technique, but he never expected that it would be such a technique with such potential.

"Just how much did he benefit from this incident?"

"Well, it doesn't matter to me how much he benefits. I'm already content with what I've gained."

After a moment, Zhang Li shook his head, dispelling the distracting thoughts in his mind.

Zhang Li took the jade slip, got up and returned to the room. He sat cross-legged on the futon and began to study the contents of the jade slip eagerly.

It was, after all, a spirit fire technique that could be cultivated up to the Foundation Establishment stage. Although it could be cultivated in stages, the difficulty was greater than Zhang Li had imagined.

If he was of inferior talent in cultivation, then his comprehension of magic was at most mediocre. After several days of studying, he hadn't even grasped the basics.

Just as Zhang Li was engrossed in comprehending the spiritual fire technique, news that was enough to cause a sensation among all Qi Refining cultivators spread throughout the sect.

Lu Ying, an inner disciple, was rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill by the sect for his great contribution in helping the sect destroy a group of cultivators who were selling fake pills within the sect.

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Li, unusually, became somewhat unsettled.

Foundation Building Pill!

That's a Foundation Establishment Pill!

Not to mention all the inner and outer disciples of the Qingxuan Sect, even all the Qi Refining cultivators in the entire cultivation world, which one wouldn't want a Foundation Establishment Pill?

Countless cultivators, both within and outside the sect, have been stuck at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining for years or even decades without making any progress. What they lack is never the accumulation of cultivation, but a Foundation Establishment Pill that can break through the shackles of their realm and help their magical power transform into Foundation Establishment True Essence.

The sect distributes very few Foundation Establishment Pills each year, mostly rewarding the most talented and meritorious core disciples. The remainder are exchanged for by qualified inner and outer disciples using sect contribution points.

Even if it is exchanged, the required contribution points are an astronomical number. Ordinary disciples, even if they work hard to complete the tasks, may not be able to collect enough. They may be trapped in the Qi Refining Realm for their entire lives, unable to establish their foundation, and eventually their lifespan will be exhausted, turning into a handful of yellow earth.

This is why a Foundation Establishment Pill, which requires no contribution and is directly bestowed, carries an astonishing weight within a sect.

No wonder! No wonder Lu Ying was so generous, giving me this Azure Flame Technique with its boundless potential without hesitation!

No wonder he didn't feel the slightest bit heartache. A merit in exchange for a top-level spirit fire technique. It turns out that what he gave up was not just a merit, but a real opportunity to establish his foundation!

He had previously secretly speculated that Lu Ying must have received a large sum of money, which was why he was willing to use the Spirit Fire Technique to do a favor.

Only now did he realize how ridiculous his thoughts were. The great benefits he had imagined were nothing more than spirit stones, inheritance, and fame, but he never expected that the real benefit would be a Foundation Establishment Pill that could help a Qi Refining cultivator break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

His knowledge and vision are still too narrow.

Compared to a Foundation Establishment Pill, a mere Azure Flame Manual, spirit stones, and inheritance are utterly worthless!

No matter how heaven-defying the Azure Flame Technique is, or how powerful it is at its peak, it still needs time and spiritual objects to slowly refine it. Whether it can be mastered and when it will be mastered are all unknowns.

Unlike Foundation Building Pills, which are genuine and supreme treasures that can significantly raise the limits of cultivation.

Without Foundation Establishment Pills, no matter how profound one's Qi Refining cultivation is, one is still ultimately a mortal cultivator with a limited lifespan and cannot achieve immortality.

With the Foundation Establishment Pill, one has the opportunity to open the true door to the path of immortality, undergo a complete transformation, break through the lifespan limit, and join the ranks of true cultivators.

"I see... I see."

Zhang Li murmured softly, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Although he voluntarily gave up the opportunity to show his face and sought stability, Zhang Li still felt somewhat bitter and unwilling when he learned that the sect had rewarded him with a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Foundation Establishment Pill... If this pill were mine, with the help of the Cave Heaven Black Field, it would only be a matter of time before I reached the Qi Refining Perfection stage. At that time, after taking the Foundation Establishment Pill, I could cross the threshold that countless cultivators could not cross in their entire lives.

The room was silent, with only the sound of the wind gently passing by the window, constantly stirring up his distracting thoughts.

Once a distracting thought arises, it grows wildly in the heart like weeds. The magical power in the dantian begins to flow uncontrollably in reverse, and the chaotic magical power rampages through the limbs and bones, causing a sudden tearing and burning pain in the meridians.

"not good!"

Zhang Li's heart tightened suddenly. He immediately tried to concentrate and gather his energy, forcibly redirecting his magical power back to its proper place. However, the magical power within his body had completely spiraled out of control, and he could no longer suppress it.

At the critical moment, a white light flashed through his eyes, followed by a gentle coolness that appeared out of nowhere. The uncontrollable magic power quickly returned to stability upon contact with the coolness and returned to his dantian along its original meridian pathways.

After a while, Zhang Li was completely exhausted and slumped on the futon, panting heavily. His back was already soaked with cold sweat. He raised his hand to wipe away a trace of blood from the corner of his lips, looking like he was still shaken.

"Once greed took hold, obsession took hold, and I actually went into a state of demonic possession. If it weren't for the power of my personal space, I would already be dead."

Zhang Li silently reflected on himself, and his mind returned to clarity.

The initial act of relinquishing credit was a self-preservation measure after weighing the pros and cons. Now that things have come to this, it is truly inappropriate to still be preoccupied with the Foundation Establishment Pill that Lu Ying has obtained.

While others receive rewards from their sects, he also possesses a unique personal cave heaven, where he can endlessly cultivate spiritual herbs and accumulate spirit stones. In terms of opportunities, what cultivator in the world can compare to him?

This incident served as a wake-up call for him. Without a strong will and high cultivation level, one will only become prey for inner demons.

Zhang Li slowly closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing.

Although the signs of demonic possession have disappeared, the damage caused cannot be eliminated in a short time.

The dull pain lingered in his meridians from being torn apart by the violent magic power, and the pain intensified with each flow of magic power.

Zhang Li dared not continue to mobilize his magical power, and could only absorb the free spiritual energy from the outside world little by little to nourish his physical body and meridians and heal the damage.

Fortunately, he hadn't been in a state of demonic possession for long, and the damage to his meridians and body wasn't too great. He only needed to rest for a while to recover.

After an unknown amount of time, the wind outside the window gradually subsided, and night enveloped the entire courtyard.

Zhang Li's tense muscles and bones completely relaxed. He then channeled a wisp of magic power throughout his body, and the stinging pain in his meridians almost completely disappeared, leaving only a slight ache.

"Phew! Things have finally stabilized somewhat."

After the damage inside his body had initially stabilized, Zhang Li had a thought, a flash of white light appeared in his eyes, and a familiar feeling of dizziness came over him.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already in the cave.

He quickly walked to the edge of the black field and examined it carefully. Seeing that the dark spiritual soil was intact, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was greatly relieved.

Kuroda is the foundation of his training; he absolutely cannot afford to make the slightest mistake.

He turned and walked to the ancient well. The well was still the same as before, without any change. Then he pushed open the wooden door and went into the wooden house.

"It seems that the cool aura that calms the restless magic power comes from the vitality of these spiritual plants."

In the past, he used Kuroda to accelerate the growth of spiritual herbs, and he would store most of them in the wooden house. He would only take them out as needed when he went to the market to trade. Over the years, he has accumulated nearly a hundred Qi Condensation Grasses alone, and there are even more spiritual herbs used to refine the Bigu Pill.

But now, looking up, all the once lush and vibrant spiritual herbs have lost their color, turning into withered and lifeless branches, their life force completely exhausted.

However, Zhang Li felt no heartache whatsoever. Compared to a room full of spiritual herbs, his own path of cultivation and foundation were of paramount importance. If it weren't for these spiritual plants providing life support, he would have already suffered a qi deviation and died.

He gathered all the withered spirit branches, put them into a spare storage bag, and then, with a thought, left the cave and returned to the courtyard.