The Foundation Establishment Pill was used to break through spiritual power barriers, the Lesser Spirit Pill aided in the breakthrough of one’s divine sense, and the Heavenly Heart Pill served to suppress inner demons. With these three medicinal pills, breaking through to the next realm was no longer an issue. After five months of secluded cultivation, Li Xue finally broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage. From this moment on, she was considered to have truly stepped into the ranks of cultivation, and her lifespan increased to a thousand years.
A cultivator in the Qi Condensation stage has a maximum lifespan of only two hundred years. Upon reaching Foundation Establishment, it extends to a thousand years; the Core Formation stage grants three thousand years; the Nascent Soul stage five thousand years; the Soul Transformation stage can reach over ten thousand years; the Tribulation Transcendence stage over fifty thousand years; and a Loose Immortal can live for over a hundred thousand years, though they must face a Loose Immortal Tribulation every ten thousand years.
After establishing her foundation, Li Xue found her understanding and use of magical treasures to be far more proficient. She summoned the Five Elements Shuttle, and its five-colored radiance instantly filled the Dream Manor with shimmering light. Beyond its basic functions of attack, defense, and flight, the shuttle now possessed a trapping ability. It contained a miniature Five Elements Illusion-Slaying Array, which could trap and eliminate enemies with great ease.
Yu Ming finally made progress as well. He calculated the spatial node for his birthplace, which was located in a small province in the southern part of the Mangyun Mountains. Both were incredibly excited. It had been over a year since they left the Cloud Firmament Sect, and they had no idea what had happened to the Tianyuan Secret Realm. Once the news reached the sect, her master and Li Lin would surely be worried sick.
The southern Mangyun Mountains fell under the sphere of influence of the Hundred Flowers Valley. Li Xue and Yu Ming appeared in a tranquil little mountain village. This was Chen Family Village, Yu Ming’s birthplace, where his secular ancestors had lived for generations.
Yu Ming did not disturb the villagers. He simply went silently to the ancestral graves, kowtowed before the cenotaph of his father and ancestors, and then led Li Xue as they flew toward the north.
As soon as they emerged, they had sent out transmission talismans to the sect to report their safety. They had already agreed upon a story while in the "Realm": they would claim that an inexplicable suction from the Tianyuan Secret Realm had pulled them into an ancient cultivator’s cave dwelling, and it had taken them over a year to break through the restrictions to escape.
"Mother!"
The moment Li Xue entered the East Sun Palace, Li Lin pulled her into a tight embrace. His heart was filled with both joy and a sense of grievance. He secretly resolved never to let his mother go out alone again; wherever she went, he would accompany her. Being apart for over a year like this had truly caused him too much worry.
"Xiao Lin!" Li Xue hugged her son back, her heart full of happiness. Although her son’s cultivation was now higher than her own, he would always be the softest spot in her heart, the one she constantly fretted over.
"Sister Li, congratulations on your Foundation Establishment! You’ve finally returned!" Ji Rufeng also felt the heavy stone finally lift from his heart.
"Xiao Feng, you’re here too!" Li Xue was truly delighted. Aside from Li Lin, Ji Rufeng was like family to her. Now that Yu Ming was added to the circle, it was wonderful—everyone had reached Foundation Establishment.
The group first went to the Jade Radiance Hall to pay their respects and report their safety to Daoist Yuhong. Now that Li Xue had established her foundation, she needed to register her status, and she officially became a formal disciple of Daoist Yuhong. Afterward, Li Xue, Li Lin, and Ji Rufeng returned to the Resplendent Hall, while Yu Ming returned to the Abyssal Radiance Hall.
Under the catalysis of Ji Rufeng’s secret techniques, the Purple Warbler eggs were also nearing their hatching time. The three of them exchanged cultivation experiences regarding the Foundation Establishment stage. Naturally, Li Lin and Ji Rufeng provided detailed explanations for Li Xue, from which she benefited immensely.
Inside the Resplendent Hall, Li Xue’s Purple Warbler egg hatched first. A small bird poked its head out of the shell, its eyes rolling around as it took in its surroundings. It sniffed about before finally fixing its gaze on Li Xue. After watching her for a long time, it stood up and wobbled toward her.
Li Xue happily caught the little bird in her palm, and the creature affectionately rubbed against her hand. Then, the little bird began to slowly eat its eggshell, its tiny appearance looking incredibly adorable.
Two days later, Li Lin’s Purple Warbler egg hatched. Under Ji Rufeng’s guidance, Li Xue and Li Lin signed spirit beast contracts with their respective warblers.
"Xiao Lin, our Purple Warblers happen to be a male and a female. Mine is male and yours is female, just like 'The Phoenix Seeks His Mate.' Let’s call mine Zi Feng and yours Zi Huang!" Li Xue gave the two spirit beasts their names.
As long as his mother was happy, Li Lin didn't mind. Upon hearing their names, the two little Purple Warblers chirped excitedly, clearly very pleased. After all, the Purple Warbler was a branch of the Phoenix clan, and their ultimate goal in cultivation was to evolve into true Phoenixes. Giving them such names made the two little fellows exceptionally happy.
Ji Rufeng left behind some beast-taming techniques before returning to the Bai family. Having established his foundation not long ago, he was eager to return and consolidate his realm.
After their return, Li Xue and Yu Ming sent transmission talismans to Yun Mingxuan and Yi Yi to let them know they were safe. To their delight, Yun Mingxuan had also used this past year to establish his foundation. Yi Yi, however, surprised everyone even more; she had not only established her foundation but had already reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. It turned out that the Pure Yin Constitution allowed for such rapid advancement, and dual cultivation provided her with even greater assistance. No wonder dual cultivation was so prevalent in the cultivation world; seeing Yi Yi’s situation, everyone couldn't help but marvel at how extraordinary it was.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 小神丹 | Lesser Spirit Pill | A pill used to aid in breaking through divine sense boundaries. |
| 天心丹 | Heavenly Heart Pill | A pill used to suppress inner demons during breakthroughs. |
| 五行幻杀阵 | Five Elements Illusion-Slaying Array | A formation within the Five Elements Shuttle used to trap and kill enemies. |
| 陈家村 | Chen Family Village | Yu Ming's birthplace in the secular world. |
| 衣冠冢 | Cenotaph | A tomb containing only the clothes or personal effects of the deceased, used when the body is missing. |
| 东阳宫 | East Sun Palace | The residence/location where Li Lin stays. |
| 玉华殿 | Jade Radiance Hall | The hall where Daoist Yuhong resides. |
| 玉泓道人 | Daoist Yuhong | Li Xue's master. |
| 重华殿 | Resplendent Hall | Li Xue and Li Lin's residence. |
| 渊华殿 | Abyssal Radiance Hall | Yu Ming's residence. |
| 紫凤 | Zi Feng | Name of Li Xue's male Purple Warbler (Purple Phoenix). |
| 紫凰 | Zi Huang | Name of Li Lin's female Purple Warbler (Purple Phoenix). |
| 凤求凰 | The Phoenix Seeks His Mate | A classic Chinese reference to a pair of phoenixes (male 'Feng' and female 'Huang'). |
| 纯阴体质 | Pure Yin Constitution | A special physical constitution that allows for rapid cultivation, especially through dual cultivation. |
