Six full months had passed since Ouyang Xian woke up in the damp subterranean cavern of the Blood Demon Sect. Half a year of unbroken seclusion, daily system sign-ins, and endless, painstaking array-refining practice had completely transformed his outlook.
During this same period, hundreds of miles away to the south, the wheels of the sect continued to turn.
In the bustling, crowded avenues of Qing Yu City—a major regional trading hub situated far to the south of the Blood Demon Sect's territory—a tall, heavily built middle-aged man stepped out from a high-tier merchant guild.
He was dressed in a long, flowing black robe framed by a heavy leather collar, his wide chest and thick arms giving him the formidable presence of a martial titan. This was Gu Luocha, the Fifth Elder of the Blood Demon Sect, a cultivator at the Second Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Elder Gu adjusted a heavy leather spatial pouch bound securely to his leather belt. Inside were hundreds of precious, raw Array-refining ores and talisman inks purchased on behalf of the Old Ancestor.
Because the Blood Demon Sect was merely an impoverished, minor power in the Wasteland Domain, the treasury lacked the exorbitant capital required to purchase a Feinan—a high-speed, Cultivation Carriage used by major sects for rapid travel.
Elder Gu had no choice but to travel everywhere on foot. The journey back north to the sect's mountain gates would take him roughly a full week of continuous walking across rugged wilderness.
Exiting the towering stone gates of Qing Yu City, Elder Gu set out along the dusty dirt road.
What the Fifth Elder did not notice, however, were three shadowy figures lingering near the city gatehouse. Their narrow eyes locked onto the thick spatial pouch dangling from his belt—a pouch they had watched him fill with mountains of high-value materials over the past several months.
Three days later.
The summer sun beat down mercilessly upon a desolate stretch of rocky wasteland. Elder Gu decided to halt his trek for a brief rest. Stepping off the main road, he walked toward a sprawling, broad-leafed ancient tree, settling down cross-legged beneath its cool, fragrant shade.
Closing his eyes, he began to slowly circulate his blood qi to flush out the fatigue from his legs.
Rustle... rustle...
The faint sound of footsteps crushing dry twigs echoed through the quiet clearing.
Elder Gu's eyes snapped open. Standing less than twenty paces away were three young men, appearing to be in their late twenties. They wore ordinary, unadorned traveling outfits, but their faces were twisted into sneers of poorly suppressed greed and malice.
Elder Gu swept his spiritual sense over them.
Ninth Stage Qi Refinement Realm.
He frowned, his brows knitting together in genuine annoyance. Three minor ants hovering at the absolute bottom tier of the cultivation world.
"Hey, old man," the lead youth called out, stepping forward with his hands resting casually on the hilt of a cheap iron saber. His eyes flashed with a malice he mistakenly believed was cleverly hidden. "Where are you heading off to in such a hurry?"
Elder Gu's eyes narrowed into cold, razor-sharp slits. "It is none of your business."
The lead youth's smile instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of deep displeasure. He spat onto the dirt.
"Listen here, old coot," the youth sneered, stepping closer as his two companions fanned out to block Elder Gu's sides. "If you want to leave this forest with your life intact, hand over that spatial pouch on your belt along with everything else you're carrying. Otherwise... hehehe."
The youth laughed sinisterly, glaring at Elder Gu as though he were looking at a helpless, defenseless corpse.
"..."
Elder Gu sat beneath the tree in absolute, stunned silence.
For a long moment, his mind struggled to process the sheer absurdity of the situation. Why on earth was a Ninth Stage Qi Refinement ant—a weakling who hadn't even constructed a single foundational pillar—threatening him, a true Second Stage Foundation Establishment Realm Elder?
Where in the heavens did a creature so pathetic find the suicidal courage to speak to him like this?
Across from him, the three young bandits held smug, triumphant smiles. They had tracked this well-dressed middle-aged man for months across Qing Yu City, watching him spend absurd sums of money at material guilds. In their eyes, this lonely traveler was nothing more than an immensely wealthy, elderly fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered!
If they successfully robbed him, they stood to gain thousands of Low-Grade Spirit Stones! They would be set for life!
Tremble...
Elder Gu's entire frame began to shake violently—not out of fear, but out of absolute, suffocating rage.
A bunch of Qi Refinement ants... dare to threaten ME?!
Suppressing the urge to roar, Elder Gu slowly, calmly stood up from beneath the tree shade, his tall frame towering over the three youths.
Seeing him stand without immediately surrendering his pouch, the second bandit stepped forward with a cruel, mocking smirk. "That's it, old man. Hand over everything obediently, and maybe we'll let you crawl away unharmed—"
"Good... good! Excellent!"
Elder Gu nodded his head repeatedly, his teeth grinding together so hard they nearly cracked.
"In all my years as an elder of the Blood Demon Sect, this old man has never suffered such unadulterated humiliation! A handful of Qi Refinement bugs... actually think they can demand my life?!"
BOOM!
Elder Gu violently activated his internal Blood Qi.
Because he cultivated the core Blood Demon Scripture, his internal spiritual energy had been refined into a dense, volatile crimson blood qi. The moment it erupted, a suffocating, chilling crimson aura burst from his body, turning the surrounding grass instantly black and withered.
The lead bandit froze, the color draining from his face as a terrifying weight pressed down on his shoulders. But his arrogance quickly overruled his instincts.
"Old man! You actually dare to try and make a move against us?!" the youth roared, attempting to bolster his courage. "You're courting death!"
"Courting death? Me?!"
Elder Gu nearly burst out laughing from sheer, boiling rage. These blind, brainless brats had eyes, yet they completely failed to see Mount Tai standing right in front of them!
"Die for me, you filthy ants!"
Elder Gu channeled a massive surge of True Qi into his right palm.
While Qi Refinement cultivators could only manipulate raw, unrefined ambient Spiritual Qi, a Foundation Establishment master compressed their energy into dense, lethal True Qi! The crimson blood qi around his right hand swirled into a howling, dense vortex of compressed pressure.
"Blood Demon Exploding Palm!"
Elder Gu blurred, his body moving so fast he vanished from their sight entirely. In the fraction of a second, he materialized directly in front of the lead youth, slamming his crimson palm straight into the center of the bandit's chest.
BAAAAAM!
The impact sounded like a siege cannon firing at point-blank range.
The lead youth didn't even have time to scream. The violent True Qi blasted straight through his chest, detonating his internal organs, flesh, and bones in midair. His entire upper body violently exploded into a crimson shower of blood, bone fragments, and shattered tissue, raining down across the dirt.
The remaining two bandits stood completely paralyzed, their faces ghostly white and their knees shaking so violently they could barely keep their balance. Their minds shattered under the horror of the scene.
Only now did the horrifying reality crash down upon them: the man they had spent months trailing wasn't a defenseless merchant—he was a terrifying, bloodthirsty high-tier cultivator!
"P-Please! Spare us—!"
Before the desperate words could even leave their throats, Elder Gu swung his palm twice in rapid succession. Two dense arcs of crimson blood qi shot out like explosive artillery shells.
BA-BAM!
Both remaining bandits were lifted off their feet, their bodies detonating in midair into two glorious clouds of red mist.
Silence returned to the forest clearing.
Elder Gu lowered his hand, letting out a heavy, hot exhale as he snorted in absolute disdain. "A bunch of worthless ants... actually dared to try and rob me."
Shaking his head, he walked over to the blood-stained grass, flicking his sleeve to retrieve the three intact spatial pouches lying among the debris. Sweeping his spiritual sense inside, he raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
Inside the pouches were several hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, alongside various stolen trinkets and weapons.
"Hmph. It seems these three had indeed robbed and murdered many innocent travelers in the past," Elder Gu muttered, casually tossing the pouches into his own storage bag.
Cleaning the blood off his black robes with a quick burst of qi, he turned back toward the northern path, continuing his walk toward the Blood Demon Sect.
******
Meanwhile, far to the north, deep within the Blood Demon Sect's Ancestral Seclusion Ground.
Inside his quiet, array-sealed Immortal Cave, Ouyang Xian sat cross-legged atop his meditation cushion, staring at his glowing system interface in deep contemplation.
It had been exactly six months since his transmigration. Over the past half-year, through his disciplined streak retention, daily sign-ins, and recycling of ruined array materials, his accumulated Experience Points had hit a staggering milestone:
[ System Balance ]: • Total Accumulated Experience Points: 400,000 XP
Looking at the four hundred thousand XP sitting in his balance, Ouyang Xian found himself facing a major strategic junction.
"I need to fix my foundational pillars once and for all," he calculated silently, running his fingers through his long grey hair. "I currently have a weak Three-Pillar Foundation. To upgrade all the way to a mythical Nine-Pillar Foundation—an Immortal Foundation—I need to construct six additional Spiritual Pillars. At ten thousand XP per pillar, that will cost me exactly sixty thousand XP."
He nodded to himself, thoroughly agreeing with that investment.
"After that, I should spend a portion of the remaining XP to purchase several Tier 3 Array Blueprints, since I've already completely mastered every Tier 2 Array in the sect's treasury."
He brought up the system store to double-check the pricing structures for higher-tier blueprints:
[ System Store: Tier 3 Array Blueprints ]: • Tier 3 Low-Rank Array Blueprints: 10,000 – 30,000 XP • Tier 3 Mid-Rank Array Blueprints: 40,000 – 60,000 XP • Tier 3 High-Rank Array Blueprints: 70,000 – 90,000 XP ]
[ Note: Direct purchase of completed, pre-packaged operational Arrays costs double the Blueprint price. ] • Low-Rank Completed Array: 40,000 – 60,000 XP • Mid-Rank Completed Array: 70,000 – 90,000 XP • High-Rank Completed Array: 100,000 – 120,000 XP ]
Ouyang Xian tapped his chin. "Purchasing completed arrays directly is far too expensive and wasteful. Purchasing the blueprints and using spirit stones to buy raw materials through Elder Gu and Sect Leader Xue is infinitely more cost-effective. It saves my XP while allowing me to practice my Array Refining."
Decision made, he focused his consciousness on the core feature.
"System! I want to purchase six additional Spiritual Pillars for my Spiritual Altar immediately!"
[ Ding! ]
[ Purchase Confirmed: 6x Custom Spiritual Pillars added to Spiritual Altar. ]
[ Total Cost: 60,000 XP. Remaining Balance: 340,000 XP. ]
BOOM!
The instant the transaction completed, a profound, world-shaking vibration erupted deep within Ouyang Xian's soul.
He gasped, closing his eyes as his consciousness was violently pulled down into his inner spiritual sea—the core of his cultivation world.
In the center of his inner domain stood a vast, colossal stone platform suspended over a boundless ocean of spiritual energy: his Spiritual Altar.
Originally, three weathered, stone pillars carved with simple blood-red runes stood upon the platform, stretching upward into the cloudy sky. But now, the entire platform shuddered violently as six massive, towering pillars of blinding golden light erupted directly out of the stone foundation!
Rumble... Rumble...!
The six golden Spiritual Pillars rose at an insane velocity, covered in intricate, ancient cosmic runes that pulsed with supreme authority. They climbed higher and higher, piercing through the thick clouds, breaking through the atmosphere of his inner world, and thrusting into the endless void above!
When the blinding light finally settled, nine magnificent, immortal pillars stood in a perfect, harmonious circle around his Spiritual Altar, pulsing in unison with the heartbeat of the universe itself.
The Nine-Pillar Foundation—The Immortal Foundation!
In the laws of the cultivation world, the numerical gap between foundational pillars was a terrifying exponential curve:
A cultivator with 1 Pillar possessed a weak, unstable foundation.
A cultivator with 3 Pillars (Average) possessed roughly three times the qi capacity and physical strength of a 1-Pillar cultivator.
A cultivator with 5 Pillars (Genius) possessed 10 times the reserves and strength of a 3-Pillar cultivator!
A cultivator with 7 Pillars (Heavenly Genius) possessed 10 times the reserves and strength of a 5-Pillar cultivator!
A cultivator with 8 Pillars (Saint-Level) possessed 10 times the reserves and strength of a 7-Pillar cultivator!
A cultivator with 9 Pillars (Immortal Foundation) possessed 10 times the reserves and strength of an 8-Pillar cultivator!
To put this into perspective: An ordinary First Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with 3 Pillars possessed roughly 2,560 tons of physical strike force and 10 Units of raw True Qi.
By the time they reached the peak Ninth Stage, their physical force grew to roughly 256,000,000,000 tons, with 1,000,000,000 Units of True Qi.
However, now that Ouyang Xian had established a 9-Pillar Immortal Foundation, his total base capacity, physical strength, and energy density had skyrocketed by a staggering 10,000 times compared to his former 3-Pillar self!
Even without using a single complex martial technique, his physical body now possessed enough raw, crushing physical weight to go toe-to-toe with an ordinary First Stage Golden Core Realm Daoist in a pure contest of physical strength!
Of course, raw physical stats did not guarantee an easy victory over a true Golden Core master. Golden Core Daoist fought by channeling the profound Power of the Dao, whereas Foundation Establishment cultivators relied purely on standard Cultivation Techniques.
Unless Ouyang Xian used high-tier techniques created directly from deep Dao insights, the conceptual power of a Golden Core's Dao would still give them the upper hand in a long fight.
Haaaaah...!
Ouyang Xian opened his double-pupiled eyes, exhaling a long plume of golden, mist-like spiritual breath that shattered the stone floor beneath his feet into fine powder.
"Hahahaha! Ten thousand times more powerful than my previous self!" he laughed ecstatically, feeling the terrifying, ocean-like sea of True Qi swirling effortlessly within his body.
Suddenly, he blinked, noticing a subtle shift in his physical biology. His grey hair had gained a healthy, metallic luster, and the deep wrinkles around his face and hands had smoothed out significantly.
"My lifespan..." he gasped, sucking in a cold breath of surprise. "My maximum lifespan has expanded from two hundred years to a full one thousand years?!"
The sheer absurdity of an Immortal Foundation left him completely speechless. An ordinary Half-Step Golden Core cultivator lived for two centuries at most, yet his foundation alone had granted him the longevity of a true long-lived ancient monster!
"I can feel it..." Ouyang Xian murmured, looking down at his trembling, power-filled hands. "The barrier to the true Golden Core Realm is practically paper-thin now. If I relax my control for even a second, my spiritual energy will automatically condense into a core."
He forcefully clamped down on his circulating energy, his eyes flashing with firm determination.
"No. I, Ouyang Xian, will absolutely not break through to the Golden Core Realm until I fully comprehend the Dao of the Word!"
If he broke through recklessly right now, his body's long-standing connection to his old scripture would force him to condense a standard Blood Dao Golden Core.
He had zero interest in being trapped in the Blood Dao. He wanted to condense a supreme Dao of the Word Golden Core! As for the initial grade of the core he condensed, he wasn't worried in the slightest; his system store already listed items that could upgrade a Golden Core's tier after condensation. The type of Dao he bound himself to was what truly mattered.
Shifting his thoughts, Ouyang Xian brought up the system interface once more.
"System, I need a supreme talent or trait that can drastically boost my ability to comprehend, create, and modify high-tier Cultivation Techniques and Arts. Filter the shop for options I can afford with my remaining 340,000 XP."
[ System Store Search Completed. ]
[ Showing top 3 items matching Host's parameters ]:
1. Eye of Wisdom (Upgradable) • Description: True wisdom allows one to pierce through all worldly obscurity. Unlocks a third spiritual eye upon the glabella. Grants the user the ability to analyze, deconstruct, learn, and directly synthesize any tier of Cultivation Technique, Martial Art, Scripture, or Energy Concept.
• Current Rank: Foundation Establishment Realm (Can be continuously upgraded using XP in higher realms).
• Price: 100,000 XP ]
[2. Creation Talisman (Rank 2) • Description: Consumable item. Triggers a profound state of epiphany for two hours, boosting Insight, Comprehension, and Creation abilities by 10x for the duration.
• Price: 10,000 XP ]
[ 3. Heart of Enlightenment Pill (Rank 2) • Description: High-tier consumable pill. Induces an intense state of Enlightenment for one hour.
• Price: 50,000 XP ]
Ouyang Xian stared at the consumable options, his lips twitching slightly. "Ten thousand and fifty thousand XP for just a temporary one-to-two-hour boost? What a rip-off..."
He immediately locked his gaze onto the first option.
"System! Purchase the Eye of Wisdom!"
[ Ding! ]
[ Purchase Confirmed: Eye of Wisdom (Upgradable) acquired for 100,000 XP. ]
[ Remaining XP Balance: 40,000 XP. ]
Bzzt!
A strange, soothing warmth centered directly on the middle of Ouyang Xian's forehead—at his glabella, right between his eyebrows.
A tiny, faint vertical seam split open in the center of his skin. Without a single drop of blood or pain, the split widened, revealing a magnificent, vertical third eye!
Unlike his dark, double-pupiled eyes, this new vertical eye possessed an iris and pupil of absolute, blinding, pure white. It looked like a pristine sheet of unblemished snow—the ultimate physical manifestation of untainted, supreme Wisdom Qi!
An ocean of divine, pure comprehension surged into his mind, fusing seamlessly with his existing Double Pupils.
"Incredible..." Ouyang Xian whispered, his voice trembling slightly with awe.
With the Eye of Wisdom active alongside his Double Pupils, his already terrifying comprehension speed had been multiplied by another tenfold! The intricate, baffling array diagrams and technique concepts that previously required days of intense study now appeared as simple, crystal-clear equations in his mind.
A slow, confident smile spread across Ouyang Xian's face as his third eye closed, vanishing smoothly beneath his skin without leaving a single scar.
"With this... I have nothing to fear."
Closing his eyes, Ouyang Xian settled back into his meditation posture, sinking deep into his path toward true immortality.