Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 75 The middle stage of foundation building

Zhou Ning took a deep breath and turned the firepower up to the maximum.

The temperature inside the alchemy furnace rose rapidly, and the golden liquid began to boil, bubbling up.

Zhou Ning probed the alchemy furnace with his divine sense, sensing the changes in the liquid.

As the water in the liquid evaporates at high temperatures, the medicine becomes increasingly thick.

"Now."

Zhou Ning abruptly turned the firepower down to the minimum, while simultaneously injecting his true essence into the alchemy furnace to help the medicinal liquid condense.

The golden liquid slowly contracted within the alchemy furnace, gradually forming a sphere.

The sphere grew larger and rounder, and its surface began to show a sheen.

Finally, the sphere stopped shrinking and turned into three round pills, lying quietly at the bottom of the alchemy furnace.

The pill was pale gold in color, with a faint halo on its surface, and emitted a rich medicinal fragrance.

Zhou Ning opened the furnace lid, took out three pills, and held them in his palm.

"It's a success!" He was overjoyed.

Yan Chixia walked over, picked up a pill, and examined it carefully.

"Good quality, potent medicine."

He nodded.

"Take this pill, and you will be able to break through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage."

Zhou Ning carefully put away the three pills and bowed deeply to Yan Chixia.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Yan Chixia waved his hand:

"No need to thank me. You refined the pills yourself; I merely gave you instructions."

He paused, then continued, "After taking the Foundation Establishment Pill, you will experience a period of weakness. During this time, do not go out and rest well in the temple."

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple understands."

He returned to his residence, sat cross-legged on the bed, took out a Foundation Establishment Pill, and put it in his mouth.

The pill melted upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm medicinal power that surged into the dantian.

The medicinal properties spread throughout the body, nourishing the meridians and internal organs.

Zhou Ning felt warm all over, as if he were soaking in a hot spring.

He closed his eyes and guided the medicine to circulate within his body.

Once the Foundation Building Pill entered the stomach, its medicinal power surged forth like a tidal wave.

Zhou Ning sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes and concentrated, guiding the warm medicinal power to slowly circulate in his meridians.

Wherever the medicine went, the meridians were like a dried-up riverbed receiving sweet rain, greedily absorbing every bit of nourishment.

He could clearly feel his meridians gradually widening, strengthening, and becoming more resilient.

The medicinal power of the Foundation Building Pill is more than ten times stronger than that of the Vitality Cultivation Pill.

It is not only replenishing spiritual power, but also fundamentally transforming Zhou Ning's body.

The medicine penetrates into bones, muscles, blood, and even deep into cells, gradually expelling impurities from the body.

Black mucus began to seep from Zhou Ning's skin.

Those were impurities and toxins that had accumulated in the body for many years, which were expelled under the influence of the medicine.

The mucus emitted a faint fishy odor and, when it stuck to the skin, quickly congealed into a thin shell.

"It stinks." Zhou Ning frowned, but didn't stop.

The effects of the medicine are still ongoing.

The liquid true essence in the dantian began to expand under the nourishment of the medicine.

The true essence became increasingly concentrated, its color gradually changing from pale gold to golden yellow, like molten gold, slowly rotating in the dantian.

Zhou Ning probed his dantian with his divine sense, sensing the changes in his true essence.

He could clearly feel that every particle in the true essence was expanding, splitting, and recombining, becoming purer and more powerful.

It's a feeling of being reborn, as if your whole being is being reshaped.

Time passed little by little.

One hour, two hours, three hours...

Zhou Ning was completely immersed in cultivation and forgot about the passage of time.

His breathing became long and even, and his heartbeat slow and strong.

The true essence within his body was like a golden dragon, surging endlessly through his meridians, emitting a deep roar.

"boom!"

Zhou Ning felt a boom in his mind, as if something had been shattered.

The liquid true essence in his dantian suddenly contracted and condensed into a golden sphere the size of a fist.

The sphere emitted a dazzling golden light, illuminating the entire dantian.

The prototype of the Golden Elixir.

Mid-stage of foundation building, completed.

Zhou Ning opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with a sharp light.

He felt his whole body brimming with power, as if he could shatter a mountain with a single punch.

"Is this what it feels like to be in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"

He stood up and stretched his limbs.

The bones crackled and popped, the muscles were full of elasticity, the skin was as smooth as a baby's, and the black mucus no longer seeped from the pores.

Looking down, I saw that the black shell on its body had dried and cracked, peeling off in pieces to reveal the fair and smooth skin underneath.

"So dirty."

Zhou Ning smiled wryly and quickly went to take a bath in the stream behind the mountain.

The clear stream water washed over my body, cleansing away all the remaining dirt.

Zhou Ning stood in the stream, feeling the water flowing over his skin, and a feeling of indescribable comfort welled up in his heart.

"Mid-Foundation Establishment stage is more than one level stronger than Qi Refining stage."

He raised his hand and concentrated his true energy in his palm.

A golden light danced in his palm, radiating a pure and vast aura.

Although this ball of light was only the size of a fist, the power it contained was enough to blast a boulder into pieces.

"The power of the Demon-Slaying Slash should have increased as well."

Zhou Ning walked to the sword training ground on the back mountain, drew his Qingfeng sword, and poured his true essence into it.

The sword shone with a dazzling golden light, several times stronger than before. He took a deep breath and unleashed a slash.

"Demon-Slaying Slash!"

A golden sword aura shot out from the tip of the sword, like a dragon emerging from the sea, heading straight for a huge rock in the distance!

"boom!"

The sword energy struck the boulder, causing it to explode instantly, sending fragments flying and dust billowing everywhere.

Zhou Ning gasped.

"The power... has at least tripled."

He sheathed his sword, overjoyed.

With his mid-Foundation Establishment strength and the increased power of "Demon-Slaying Slash," he is now confident that he can fight against the Black Mountain Guardians if he encounters them again, instead of having to rely on the Buddha Relic to save his life.

"However, we must not be arrogant yet."

Zhou Ning reminded himself.

"The Black Mountain Demon's strength is far more than this. To deal with him, you would need at least the Golden Core stage or higher."

He returned to his residence, changed into clean clothes, and then went to the main hall to report to Yan Chixia.

Yan Chixia was meditating when he heard footsteps and opened his eyes.

"A breakthrough?"

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple has broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage."

Yan Chixia stood up, walked to him, reached out and placed her hand on his wrist, closing her eyes to sense it for a moment.

"A solid foundation and pure essence."

He released his grip and nodded slightly.

"Not bad. A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level is already quite good among the younger generation."

Zhou Ning said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Yan Chixia waved his hand:

"It's all thanks to your own efforts. I just showed you the way."

He paused, then continued:

"You've refined three Foundation Establishment Pills, taken one, and have two left. Keep them; they might come in handy later."

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple understands."

"besides."

Yan Chixia took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning.

"This is the cultivation method of the 'Golden Core Chapter'. Take a look. Although you won't need it now, it can't hurt to learn about it in advance."

Zhou Ning accepted the jade slip and solemnly said, "Thank you, Master."

He left the main hall and returned to his residence.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he probed the jade slip with his divine sense and studied it carefully.

The content of the Golden Core chapter is more profound than that of the Foundation Establishment chapter.

It tells how to condense liquid true essence into solid golden elixir, how to open the dantian and purple palace, and how to nurture the golden elixir into a nascent soul.

Each step requires extremely deep accumulation and opportunity.

Ordinary cultivators may not be able to form a golden core even if they spend their entire lives.

"Don't rush."

Zhou Ning closed the jade slip.

"First, stabilize your mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation before considering the Golden Core stage."