As the sun dipped below the western horizon, the sect's peaks glowed softly under the evening light. Li Yao walked steadily through the winding stone paths of the Outer Sect, the scent of spiritual herbs wafting gently through the air from nearby gardens. His robe, though plain, fluttered with quiet dignity. Today marked a turning point- he was returning to his residence to enter closed-door cultivation, intent on stepping into the Foundation Establishment Realm.
As he passed through a narrow corridor between the herbal fields and the outer residential quarters, he nearly bumped into someone.
"Senior Brother Wei?" Li Yao blinked in surprise.
The man before him turned with a smile. Dressed in a refined blue robe trimmed with silver, Wei exuded the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator- calm and deep. A gentle breeze seemed to follow him naturally, ruffling the sleeves of his robe. His features were sharp, but his expression was kind.
"Junior Brother Li," Wei said warmly. "Good to see you. I heard you've been working hard these past few months."
Li Yao bowed with respect. "I didn't expect to see you here, Senior Brother. Are you visiting the Herbal Division?"
Wei nodded. "Indeed. I came to offer a gift to Old Deacon Bai. He took care of me for eight years. It felt wrong to leave without showing my gratitude."
Li Yao smiled faintly. The memory of Wei's recent success surfaced in his mind. Nine months ago, Wei had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, successfully refining Wind True Qi. At just twenty-five years of age, his achievement had caused a stir. He was one of the brightest prospects of the Outer Sect. Upon advancing, he applied for promotion and was accepted into the Formless Array Peak- one of the nine central peaks of the sect, known for its mastery of illusions, arrays, and defensive arts.
Afterward, Li Yao had overheard a piece of gossip. It was said that the peak elders of both the Formless Array Peak and the Swordwind Peak were siblings- direct descendants of the Zhao Clan, a prominent family from the Eastern Region. Though the sect promoted merit, connections from the outside world were never irrelevant.
After a few more words of casual conversation, Li Yao offered his farewell. "I won't keep you, Senior Brother. I'm returning to my residence. It's time for me to begin my breakthrough."
Wei gave him an encouraging nod. "May your path be smooth, Junior Brother. Cultivation is a lonely journey, but remember- those who endure the longest often shine the brightest."
Li Yao clasped his fists in salute and departed.
Returning to his modest stone courtyard, Li Yao closed the doors and shut out the world. He sat cross-legged on a bamboo mat in the center of his cultivation chamber. The room was quiet, warded by a simple array to block disturbances. Incense burned slowly in the corner to enhance focus.
His thoughts turned inward.
His master's guidance echoed in his mind: "To establish your foundation, you must first refine your base. Merge your Qi threads into one. Compress them until they resonate in unison. Only then may you ignite the Dao Flame and forge your True Qi."
Li Yao took a slow breath and opened his palm, revealing the qi spring water. Over the last two years, he had refined his Qi threads- each one forged through diligent meditation and precise breathing techniques. Now came the true challenge: compression and transformation. After consuming the qi spring water.
He closed his eyes and began.
The sea of Qi in his dantian churned like a storm-tossed lake. One by one, he began pulling the strands together. It was not simply a matter of force- it was a test of finesse. Each thread had its own rhythm, its own resonance. Compressing them was like forcing different strings to play a single harmonious note.
Hours passed. Sweat gathered on his brow.
He drew upon his Fire Spirit Root. The high-grade affinity allowed him to sense the natural alignment between his essence and the Dao of Fire. He wove that affinity into the compression process, slowly coaxing the threads into alignment.
When the last thread had been merged, he compressed them further- forming a dense core of Qi that pulsed like a miniature sun within his dantian.
Now came the second step: ignition.
Summoning the ember of his Dao comprehension, Li Yao guided a sliver of Flame element into the core. A tremor ran through him. Heat surged through his meridians. His bones groaned under the pressure. Yet he endured.
This is the fire of my path, he thought. Let it burn away my weakness and temper my will.
The core blazed to life- crimson light filled his body as the dense Qi transformed into Fire True Qi. A vortex formed above his head, drawing in spiritual energy from the surroundings. A pillar of heat rose around him as his cultivation surged.
His Foundation was being established.
Meanwhile, atop a higher ridge on the same mountain, Wei had made his way to the Herbal Garden Hall. He bowed respectfully to the old man tending to some spirit herbs.
"Elder Bai, I've come to offer thanks."
The white-bearded deacon looked up from his tray of blooming Mistveil Petals. His expression was calm, but his eyes betrayed a touch of wistfulness.
"Eight years passed like smoke in the wind," Wei said. "Your guidance and care helped me walk the path. Without you, I would not be where I am."
"There is no need for thanks," Elder Bai replied, placing the tray aside. "You were always diligent. You earned your cultivation."
Still, Wei presented a jade box filled with rare Azurewind Leaves and a Wind-Engraved Token- items valued by those cultivating Wind-based techniques. Elder Bai accepted it with a nod.
But as Wei turned to leave, Bai Renshu's gaze lingered.
He looked up at the mountain sky. The clouds shifted, the wind stirred. A heaviness settled in his chest.
If that child Li Yao had not appeared, he thought silently, Wei would have been my first choice for successor.
Despite his talent and successful Foundation Establishment at twenty-five, a feat many Outer Disciples dreamed of, no peak had taken Wei as a registered disciple. Among the nine peaks, becoming a registered disciple meant receiving personal tutelage from an elder, including access to inner resources, guidance, and protection. For someone with Wei's talent, it should have been guaranteed.
"You have the talent to reach Core Formation," the elder said aloud. He opened a nearby chest and retrieved a thin scroll wrapped in gold thread. "Take this. The Wind Pulse Gathering Scripture. It will greatly benefit your Wind Spirit Root."
Wei accepted it, eyes shining. He bowed low.
"I will not disappoint you, Elder."
That night, Elder Bai departed the Herbal Division and flew across the sect using a wind talisman. His robes fluttered as he soared toward Ancestor Peak- a forbidden place at the heart of Embercloud Sect where only elders of Core Formation and above could tread.
Upon arrival, he passed through stone gates guarded by cultivators in silver robes. Inside, within a grand hall surrounded by towering jade statues of past ancestors, sat five figures. Each radiated a profound pressure. Their cultivation surpassed even the Nascent Soul Realm—they were Soul Ascension cultivators, true powerhouses who held the fate of the sect in their hands.
One of them, a middle-aged man with hair like frost and eyes that pierced like swords, raised a brow as Bai entered.
"Bai Renshu," the ancestor intoned, "you made a rare request—to open the secret realm forty years ahead of schedule. Tell us, what makes your disciple so special?"
Bai cupped his hands and bowed deeply.
"My disciple is currently in the late Qi Refining stage. But within a few years, I believe he will reach late Foundation Establishment or even Core Formation. If we wait forty more years, the secret realm will no longer be of use to him."
"I've observed his growth. His comprehension of the Dao is… astonishing. I dare not say he is unparalleled, but his path may shake the sect's future."
The hall grew quiet.
Such confidence was not lightly spoken.
But the ancestors did not dismiss him. Bai Renshu was once the prodigy of the Embercloud Sect himself, a genius of his era. If even he said a disciple was extraordinary, then the claim held weight.
One of the elders leaned forward. "This disciple of yours… is the boy called Li Yao?"
Bai nodded.
Silence followed, then slow nods.
"So be it," the lead ancestor said. "We will begin preparations. Let the secret realm open in seven months. When he emerges from the secret realm, we shall know his worth."
Bai Renshu bowed again.
Back in his secluded chamber, Li Yao sat still. His dantian burned like a furnace, but he showed no sign of pain. Rather, he was calm. His breathing was steady, his thoughts clear.
The first step had been taken. He had crossed the threshold and set foot onto a path few could follow. Now, all he has to do is slowly refine the surrounding qi and change it into fire true qi to fill his dantian.
Outside, a cold wind swept through the Embercloud Sect. Yet within Li Yao's chamber, the fire of cultivation burned ever brighter.