The three major hurdles of Foundation Establishment: spiritual energy, spiritual sense, and state of mind. For Ning Changge, the first two were never obstacles. Only his state of mind had a slight lack of clarity. However, his journey to the Quanzhen Sect and Peach Blossom Island, fulfilling the ten-year promises, had cleared away any lingering doubts.
By Ning Changge's own calculations, his ascension to the Foundation Establishment Stage was only a matter of days. Today, after creating the Lesser Divination Technique through his study of Qimen Dunjia, inspiration struck, and he took the final step.
His eyes were filled with joy.
His Spirit God turned inward, observing his dantian. The vortex of spiritual liquid was surging more violently than ever, spinning at an increasingly rapid pace.
Within the vortex, five spiritual swords floated up and down, their sword light shimmering. They were being nourished by the spiritual liquid, and with time, they would further evolve, eventually becoming Treasure Artifacts or even Dao Artifacts.
But the most extraordinary feature wasn't the five spiritual swords.
It was what they surrounded and protected.
A spiritual tree, glowing with the light of the Five Elements, swayed gently. Compared to the tiny sapling it had once been, the Five Elements Spiritual Tree was now nearly a proper tree. Its trunk was growing taller, its branches and leaves taking shape, and each leaf, shimmering in five colors, glowed brilliantly under the nourishment of the spiritual liquid.
A profound Daoist aura emanated from it.
Foundation Establishment—building the foundation of the Dao. For Ning Changge, the Five Elements Spiritual Tree was the foundation he had created for himself!
One day, when the tree fully matured, it would bear a Golden Core!
This was the path of the Spiritual Tree Nurturing the Golden Core.
He already had a clear vision of his future path to the Golden Core.
The Eternal Evergreen Technique was second nature to him by now. He circulated it repeatedly, using the spiritual liquid to nourish the tree, pushing it toward its final transformation. Insights flooded his mind, and the Daoist texts he had studied over the years became fuel, enriching his foundation and seemingly carving themselves into the Five Elements Spiritual Tree.
He recalled the dream he had of the Primordial Divine Tree.
Each leaf represented a law, and each fruit embodied a Dao.
His heart thundered as if struck by lightning.
"That's it. This is the path I should walk. The Five Elements Spiritual Tree is only the beginning. One day, I will comprehend all the great Daos and merge them into the tree, transforming it into the Divine Tree of the Great Dao!"
The thought filled him with excitement.
It was as if the Five Elements Spiritual Tree sensed his intentions. The final segment of its trunk grew, and the Five Elements light suddenly flared brilliantly!
A resonant hum emanated from Ning Changge's body.
Within him, a profound transformation was taking place!
As the trunk of the Five Elements Spiritual Tree completed itself, it immediately began to devour spiritual liquid at an astonishing rate. What had once been small sips turned into massive gulps. In just a dozen breaths, the entire vortex of spiritual liquid was consumed.
The tree's height surged.
From its original three feet, it tripled in size, reaching a full ten feet!
Ning Changge quietly observed the changes within him. These transformations were a natural result of his breakthrough, and he focused on comprehending their intricacies.
Once the tree stopped growing, the spiritual liquid it had absorbed was expelled once more, reforming into a vortex that enveloped the tree. However, the expelled liquid was now visibly darker, a deep blue with hints of gold.
This was the hallmark of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The so-called boundless power of mana—Foundation Establishment was the stage where one cultivated mana.
From this point onward, with the creation of mana, the Immortal Dao truly began.
As the tree and mana completed their transformations, the changes continued.
In his mind, his Spirit God emerged, bathed in mana. The Five Elements light enveloped it, and the once translucent Spirit God became more solid, its strength increasing severalfold. His spiritual sense, when released, now covered an astonishing range.
Even his physical body underwent a transformation.
Having practiced the Celestial Phenomena Body Refinement Technique, Ning Changge's physical body was already far superior to that of ordinary people. Now, it advanced even further, surpassing even the Golden Spirit.
It was worth noting that the Golden Spirit was a spiritual monkey renowned for its physical prowess.
The Foundation Establishment Stage brought a threefold transformation: mana, spiritual sense, and physical body.
As Ning Changge's body underwent its transformation, the outside world also reacted to his breakthrough.
At the moment of his breakthrough, a resonant hum echoed from his body. Huang Rong, who had been practicing her swordsmanship, froze. Her innate sensitivity to spiritual energy made her instinctively turn around, and what she saw left her stunned.
Beneath a peach tree, the young Daoist sat cross-legged, his features serene and otherworldly. Waves of profound energy radiated from him, creating a scene that looked like a painting.
Huang Rong stared in awe.
Her eyes widened as the phenomenon intensified. Waves of spiritual energy began to overflow from Ning Changge's body, shimmering with the light of the Five Elements.
The heavens seemed to respond. Clouds churned, and unseen spiritual energy poured into Ning Changge, transforming into fresh mana.
On Peach Blossom Island, strange phenomena began to manifest.
Huang Rong covered her mouth, afraid to make a sound and disturb Ning Changge.
"Brother Ning… is he comprehending the Dao?" she whispered, her eyes filled with awe and admiration.
The scene before her was magical, unlike anything she had ever seen.
Five-colored light continuously emanated from Ning Changge's body, merging with the peach tree beneath which he sat.
In an instant, the peach tree underwent a miraculous transformation.