"No wonder Chu Zixue was so generous—giving me a Foundation Establishment Pill, something priceless and impossible to find on the market. If I swallowed this, wouldn't I be crippled on the spot?"
Ye Bufan's face turned ashen.
But then...
"Luckily, my system is overpowered. The greater the side effects, the stronger I become."
"With my mediocre talent, the best I could achieve was a low-grade Foundation Establishment. But now, with the side effects amplifying my potential, I can condense a supreme-grade Dao Platform!"
Ye Bufan trembled with excitement.
Foundation Establishment Dao Platforms were divided into four grades: low, medium, high, and supreme. The higher the grade, the greater the potential and power.
A supreme-grade Dao Platform contained several times more spiritual energy—both in quality and quantity—than a low-grade one.
In the entire Demonic Sect, no one had ever condensed a supreme-grade Dao Platform.
Chu Zixue had only achieved a high-grade one.
Lü Luo? Hers was merely low-grade.
Not daring to delay, Ye Bufan immediately swallowed the Foundation Establishment Pill.
A surge of immense power flooded his body. His skin burned like red-hot iron, steam rising from his pores as his flesh swelled painfully.
Gritting his teeth, he channeled all his strength into circulating the Blood Spirit Art.
The swirling mist of spiritual energy in his dantian rapidly expanded before compressing into solid form.
This cycle repeated endlessly.
After an unknown amount of time, the energy in his dantian fully solidified into a crystalline platform—spanning one zhang in radius.
Low-grade Dao Platform.
But it didn't stop there.
The platform expanded violently.
Medium-grade!
High-grade!
Then, at last—
Ye Bufan's Dao Platform gleamed like flawless white jade, reaching a staggering nine zhang and nine chi.
Supreme-grade Dao Platform!
"The commotion really is a bit too much!"
Ye Bufan's eyes snapped open as he stared at the massive vortex of spiritual energy swirling above his head. He immediately activated the Divine Concealment Technique, desperately suppressing his cultivation aura to minimize the disturbance.
Just as the vortex faded—
A sudden mutation occurred.
A golden radiance erupted, enveloping Ye Bufan's entire body.
The hymns of the Great Dao resonated in the air, accompanied by the illusory forms of dragons and tigers, making him appear transcendent—like an immortal or a Buddha.
Within his dantian, his Dao Platform shattered its previous limits, expanding to ten zhang and transforming into a dazzling gold.
Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment!
"What the hell?!"
Ye Bufan was dumbfounded.
Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment wasn't just unheard of in the Zhao Kingdom—even in the more prosperous immortal cultivation nations, it was nothing more than a myth.
Throughout history, countless prodigies had pursued this legendary state, sacrificing everything, yet all had failed.
It existed only in legends!
Beyond any known grading system!
"Just how toxic must this Foundation Establishment Pill be for its side effects to push someone with trash-tier talent like me into achieving Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment?"
Ye Bufan didn't know whether to be grateful or to curse.
The benefits of Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment were beyond exaggerated. His spiritual energy reserves were now ten times greater than a low-grade foundation, and its stability was unparalleled.
He couldn't gauge his exact strength, but he was certain he could now obliterate his former self with a single breath.
Even Lü Luo, a third-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, would be no match for him.
His senses had sharpened dozens of times over. He could now hear every sound within a ten-mile radius—including the moans of certain Demonic Sect disciples.
Looking further, he could even see flies mating eight miles away with perfect clarity.
At the same time, a new power stirred in his mind.
Closing his eyes, he could now perceive everything within a twenty-mile radius.
Divine Sense!
A supreme-grade Dao Platform's divine sense typically extended only ten miles—his had doubled!
Suddenly, a foul stench assaulted his nose.
His entire body was now covered in a thick layer of expelled impurities.
Chuckling, he shook his head—until he glanced upward and nearly fainted in terror.
The celestial phenomena around him were still expanding!
The courtyard where he resided had been protected by Chu Zixue's formations, yet even those could no longer conceal the anomalies!
"Damn it! I underestimated the scale of this Foundation Establishment. If anyone discovers this, I'm dead for sure!"
Ye Bufan immediately reactivated the Divine Concealment Technique, frantically suppressing his cultivation. Only then did the phenomena gradually fade.
Still uneasy, he slapped a dozen more concealment talismans onto himself and set up additional barriers.
Having survived this long, he had no shortage of hiding techniques.
Meanwhile, three miles outside the courtyard—
"A Yang Spirit Root, huh? No wonder that bitch Chu Zixue was gone for so long—she was hunting for a cultivation furnace."
A woman in a blue dress, exuding an icy aura, sneered.
Lü Luo stood with her head lowered, not daring to meet the woman's gaze.
This was Shangguan Qingyao—daughter of the Demonic Sect's Grand Elder, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, and ranked third among the younger generation of demonic cultivators in the Zhao Kingdom.
Her hands were stained with the blood of at least a thousand righteous cultivators.
"This is a Tiger Demon Pill. It burns potential but can extend one's lifespan by half a month. Make that old man Ye Bufan swallow it—we can't have him dying before he's useful."
"Once he completes the Blood Spirit Art and achieves Foundation Establishment, I'll seize him as my personal furnace! No—I'll take him to my chambers tonight! Let's see that bitch Chu Zixue's plans crumble!"
Shangguan Qingyao tossed a black pill to Lü Luo, her lips curling in a cold smile.
To avoid complications, it was best to claim the furnace immediately.
"Understood. But… what about the cultivation resources you promised me?"
"Relax, you'll get your—"
Shangguan Qingyao suddenly froze, her head snapping toward the distance.
A golden radiance flickered in the far-off sky, so divine it sent a primal fear coursing through her—as if she had encountered a natural predator.
The light vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"Foundation Establishment phenomena? Did someone just achieve a supreme-grade Foundation Establishment?!"
Shangguan Qingyao was stunned. As a high-grade Foundation Establishment cultivator, only a supreme-grade foundation could exert such pressure on her.
But the anomaly had been too brief—and unlike anything she'd seen before.
Of course, she briefly considered the possibility of Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, but that was impossible.
"That direction… leads to your residence, doesn't it? That old man?"
"Impossible. He's only at the twelfth level of Qi Refinement, and he's cultivating the life-draining Blood Spirit Art. Not to mention his talent is abysmal."
Lü Luo's eyes gleamed with envy. "It must be another young cultivator nearby."
The Demonic Sect's Six Great Peaks housed thousands of disciples. Pinpointing the exact source of the anomaly was nearly impossible.
"Whoever it is, find them. A prodigy like this must be befriended—or better yet…"
A faint blush colored Shangguan Qingyao's cheeks.
A supreme-grade Foundation Establishment cultivator—she would stop at nothing to make such a person her Dao partner.
And she wasn't the only one.
Many of the Demonic Sect's elders and higher-ups had also sensed the anomaly.
"That phenomenon… could it be the legendary Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment? It appeared and vanished too quickly for my divine sense to lock onto."
"That's just a myth. But one thing's certain—that person's foundation is peerless! We must locate them!"
"It seemed to originate from the Demon Sword Peak. One of Demon Sword Sovereign's disciples? I'll take them as my personal disciple!"
Elders from all six peaks emerged from seclusion, their faces alight with excitement.
Even the Grand Elder and the Sect Master—figures who rarely stirred—were roused from their meditation.
No one dared to believe it was truly Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment—that was a fairy tale.
But a supreme-grade Foundation Establishment was enough to drive them mad with desire.
Such a foundation indicated an unparalleled spirit root and limitless potential.
Given time, this individual could very well break through to the Nascent Soul stage!
The Demonic Sect had only one Nascent Soul Patriarch—a being who had dominated the Zhao Kingdom for eight centuries!
"Seal the sect! The elders of Demon Sword Peak will investigate immediately—find out who achieved that supreme-grade Foundation Establishment!"
"And suppress all news of this! I won't allow such a prodigy to be assassinated!"
The Sect Master's orders were absolute.
While the higher-ups scrambled, most low-ranking disciples remained oblivious—the anomaly had been too fleeting for them to notice.
But one exception existed.
Zhou Wangchen.
From behind a boulder outside Ye Bufan's courtyard, a gray-robed youth stared at the golden light, his scalp tingling with shock.
He hastily pulled out an ancient journal, flipping through its pages before his entire body began to tremble.
This journal was a relic from an ancient ruin, containing many long-forgotten secrets.
Had Ye Bufan seen him, he might have recognized him—this was Lü Luo's most persistent admirer, the one who refined copper-armored corpses.
"Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment… It's not a myth? It's real?!"
Zhou Wangchen's hands shook uncontrollably.
He had spent years fawning over Lü Luo. Recently, he noticed her frequent trips to the Alchemy Pavilion—always collecting Qi Refinement pills.
At first, he suspected she was keeping a young lover.
Never did he imagine that, right under his nose, someone had achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment!