Chương 100: The Elusive Path to Foundation Establishment

Several days later, Reyn emerged from the depths of the cavern, his expression clouded with a grimace. He turned back toward the stone wall, his fingers dancing as he unleashed over a dozen specialized mudras in rapid succession. The seals slammed into the rock with muffled thuds, locking the roiling, viscous toxins deep within the mountain-belly herb garden. Looking at the shimmering barrier, a bitter, self-deprecating smile touched his lips.

"This is a disaster," he muttered to himself.

"I didn't expect a single lapse in concentration to utterly desolate this entire sanctuary." Reyn had spent the last few days consumed by the refinement of the Myriad Beast Venom Core. His first attempt, though grueling, had been a stroke of luck; after a full day of tempering, the pill had successfully coalesced. Despite the massive drain on his spiritual energy and Divine Sense, Reyn was elated.

He had spent a day in meditative recovery, restoring his True Essence to its peak before immediately diving into the second refinement. However, during the critical phase of poison-beast manifestation, a momentary instability had triggered a catastrophic failure. The toxins had surged outward like a tidal wave. Reyn had barely managed to harvest the remaining mature spirit herbs before fleeing the cavernous garden in a state of disarray.

"With the restrictive seals in place, the toxic miasma shouldn't leak out," Reyn noted, his tension finally easing as the last mudra settled into the stone.

"At the very least, my efforts weren't entirely in vain. I have one Myriad Beast Venom Core to show for it." He reached into his storage bag and produced a jade bottle. It was nearly obscured by seventeen or eighteen sealing talismans, wrapped so tightly it looked like a paper-mâché artifact. Inside, a thumb-sized, pitch-black sphere lay perfectly still, radiating an aura of silent lethality. After a moment of satisfied observation, he tucked it away.

After a brief hesitation, Reyn turned and headed toward the valley's exit. With a wave of his hand, he parted the outer restrictions and transformed into a streak of azure light, bolting toward the rear mountains of the Xuanxiao Sect's main peak.

"Junior Brother, your future is truly limitless! To reach the 7th level of Qi Condensation in a mere three years... you are a genius among geniuses," a voice echoed near the mountain path. Two disciples stood at the trailhead; one, a man in his late twenties, was speaking in hushed, admiring tones to a youth clad in yellow robes.

"Now that you've been taken in by Elder Wang as a True Inheritance Disciple, your rise to the top is inevitable. When you reach the heights of power, don't forget your old Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother, you flatter me too much," the yellow-robed youth replied, though he couldn't hide his pride.

"If we are talking about geniuses, Elder Reyn is the true peerless figure of our sect, a man who appears once in a millennium. I have nothing but the deepest reverence for him." The youth then sighed, a look of regret crossing his face.

"It's a shame I only entered the Inner Sect yesterday. I missed the chance to witness Elder Reyn's legendary grace during Dan Chenzi's Ascension Ceremony. It is the greatest regret of my life." The older cultivator's expression immediately turned solemn and respectful.

"Indeed. If Elder Reyn hadn't turned the tide that day, our Xuanxiao Sect would have lost the Grand Tournament, and Senior Sister Ji would have been claimed by that Ming Diao Zhanchen from the Qingyan Sect! But that fool should have looked in a mirror first. Senior Sister Ji is Elder Reyn's woman; how dare a worm like him covet her? He had his dantian shattered and was crippled for his insolence. He got exactly what he deserved!" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"I heard that Ming Diao Zhanchen was the direct great-grandson of Ancestor Ming Diao, one of the two Golden Core masters of the Qingyan Sect," the younger disciple whispered, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"When Elder Reyn made his move, did the Ancestor not try to stop him? Please, Senior Brother, tell me everything. I am dying to hear the details." The older man puffed out his chest, clearly relishing the prestige of having been a witness. He cleared his throat.

"Well, since you admire Elder Reyn so much, I'll tell you. I don't share this with just anyone."

"That day, Ancestor Ming Diao certainly tried to intervene. But our Elder Reyn possesses a divine ability so profound that his strike was like a bolt of lightning from the heavens. Before the old monster could even react, Ming Diao Zhanchen was already a broken man. My heart nearly stopped—I thought we were headed for an all-out war. But then, Elder Reyn stood his ground. Even facing a Golden Core expert, he was completely unfazed.

With a few sharp words and a calm smile, he dismantled the enemy's logic, proving that Ming Diao Zhanchen was nothing but a piece of trash who deserved death. He berated a Golden Core Ancestor so thoroughly that the old man was shaking with rage but didn't dare to strike! To curse a Golden Core master into silence... in the entire North Yue State cultivation world, only our Elder Reyn has the spine for it!" The young disciple listened with rapt attention, his eyes burning with fanatical worship.

It was clear that Reyn had become a god-like figure in his heart. At that moment, a figure in green robes rounded the corner. The two disciples immediately cut their conversation short. The older disciple, not recognizing the newcomer at first, frowned and barked, "Halt! This is the restricted meditation area of the Sect Ancestors. Which branch are you from? To trespass here without manners—do you not fear the sect's punishment?" The youth in green raised his head.

Before he could even speak, the older disciple's voice caught in his throat. His face turned a violent shade of crimson, and he pointed a trembling finger at Reyn, making a series of strangled "ho-ho" noises but unable to find his words.

"What is it? Am I forbidden from entering?" Reyn asked, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes as he glanced at the pair.

"No! Not at all!" the older cultivator finally gasped, frantically grabbing his junior and bowing so low his forehead nearly touched his knees.

"Please, Elder Reyn, do not take offense! This disciple was blind and failed to recognize your Excellency. I would never dare to block your path. The Sect Master has already issued orders—you have unrestricted access to this mountain." Reyn chuckled softly, not bothered by the misunderstanding. He gave them a polite nod and walked past. Within a few steps, his silhouette blurred against the mountain air and vanished into the hidden path.

"I... I actually saw Elder Reyn..." the younger disciple murmured, his gaze fixed on the empty space where Reyn had been. Inside the cavern, the atmosphere was far more frantic.

"How can there be nothing? I've searched through the journals of every generation of Ancestors, and there isn't a single mention of a Hidden Spirit Root being unable to reach Foundation Establishment!"

"I'm coming up empty here as well. The 'Taiwan Mountain Miscellany' is supposed to be the most comprehensive record of the cultivation world's oddities, covering every strange phenomenon under the sun, yet it says nothing!"

"Check the cultivation insights of the Second Generation Ancestor! He was known for wandering the four seas; surely he must have recorded a solution to this problem somewhere in his notes!" Reyn held his jade pass as he stepped through the final restriction into the cave dwelling. Before he could even see them, the agitated voices of the two old men reached his ears. A warmth spread through his chest at their obvious concern, and he quickened his pace.

"Disciple Reyn pays his respects to the Sect Master and my Master," Reyn said, bowing deeply. The vast cave was illuminated by dozens of night pearls the size of bowls, making every detail as clear as day. Two figures were buried under a mountain of jade slips, pacing back and forth like trapped tigers.

"Mm, just wait off to the side for a bit," Qingxiaozi said without even looking up, his hands busy sorting through a fresh pile of scrolls.

"We'll be through these slips shortly."

"Yes," Reyn replied, standing obediently to the side. Half an hour passed before the two old men finally looked up simultaneously. They shared a look of profound disappointment, their eyes weary from the search.