Great Surprise

Five people stood around the stone table, their ten eyes fixed on the emerald green Medicine Pill bottle placed in the center. 

Everyone leaned forward, resting their hands on the table, straining to get a closer look at the bottle. 

"This Medicine Pill bottle looks like the kind used for Foundation Establishment Pills,"

"Yes, now that you mention it, it does seem very similar," 

"Could it be that this bottle really contains a Foundation Establishment Pill?" 

The group stared at the small bottle with a mixture of hope and apprehension. But none of them dared to touch it. Instead, their eyes turned toward Xiao Zhongzheng, waiting for his lead. 

Seeing their gazes, Xiao Zhongzheng frowned and waved his hands.

"Why are you all looking at me? To be honest, I don't even have the courage to open it." 

He paused, then added frankly, "If I open it and there's nothing inside, it'll be even harder for me to bear!" 

Hearing this, the others exchanged glances but didn't say a word. 

Xiao Liangting, however, couldn't help glancing at his father in disbelief. He thought to himself, Father always acts so bold and confident—why is he suddenly so timid?

"Fine, let me open it!" Xiao Liangting said, stepping forward as though ready to take charge of the situation. 

"Slap!"

Before he could touch the bottle, Xiao Zhongzheng smacked his hand away. 

"Stay out of this!" he snapped, his voice stern. 

Then, turning to Xiao Xuan, he waved him over. "Grandson, come here!" 

Xiao Xuan hesitated, looking at the five most authoritative members of the Xiao family. Their gazes, filled with nervous anticipation, were locked on him. For a moment, they seemed like children waiting for someone to open a long-anticipated gift. 

He slowly shook his head, understanding exactly how they felt—especially his grandfather. 

The Xiao family had spent decades trying every method to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, but they had always failed. Now, with such a bottle in front of them, the anxiety and tension were overwhelming. 

After all, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment if the bottle turned out to be empty.

Xiao Xuan didn't hesitate. He unscrewed the bottle cap directly and placed the Foundation Establishment Pill in his palm, letting everyone see it clearly. 

The entire secret room fell silent. Not a single sound could be heard. 

After what felt like an eternity, someone finally spoke. 

"This... this... is it real? Is it really the Foundation Establishment Pill?" 

"It looks like it! It's exactly the same as the one I saw at the auction!" 

"It's real! This is definitely the Foundation Establishment Pill!" 

Everyone voiced their guesses, but no one dared to touch it. Instead, they all turned their eyes to Xiao Zhongzheng, waiting for his confirmation. 

Xiao Zhongzheng let out a long breath, carefully picked up the pill with his right hand, and examined it closely. He muttered under his breath: 

"Foundation Establishment alchemist, dressed in purple robes, with a gold belt around the waist, a fragrance surrounding them... This is the treasure of Foundation Establishment." 

He nodded firmly. "It's real. This is the Foundation Establishment Pill!" 

Hearing his words, joy spread across the room. 

"Great! With this Foundation Establishment Pill, once the patriarch breaks through, our Xiao family will officially become a Foundation Establishment family!" 

"Yes! As a Foundation Establishment family, we'll have stronger fists and gain more resources!" 

"That's right! With more resources, our Cultivation Base will grow faster, and we'll even have the Spirit Stones to buy more Foundation Establishment Pills in the future!" 

The room buzzed with excitement. Everyone began imagining a brighter future, filled with opportunities that would come once the Xiao family achieved Foundation Establishment status. 

However, amid the joyous atmosphere, Elder Xiao Zhongzhi spoke slowly, his voice calm yet thoughtful. 

"Hmm... if we also had a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique, then it would be truly perfect." 

The others froze for a moment before breaking into surprised laughter. Even amid their excitement, they couldn't deny the truth in his words. 

Xiao Zhongzheng had regained his composure after the initial surprise. His expression softened, and a look of generosity filled his eyes. 

"Having the Foundation Establishment Pill is already a tremendous fortune for our Xiao family," he said calmly. 

"As humans, we must learn to be content. After all, our words and deeds affect the lives of half a million people." 

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Elder Xiao Zhongzhi, realizing he had been overly ambitious, sighed and admitted, "I was thinking too far ahead!" 

At that moment, Xiao Xuan smiled faintly. Without saying a word, he retrieved a fiery red Jade Slip from his storage bag and casually tossed it onto the stone table. 

"Snap!"

The crisp sound echoed throughout the secret room, immediately catching everyone's attention. 

The fiery glow from the Jade Slip lit up the entire room, casting a reddish hue on everyone's faces. 

"What's this? Is it a Cultivation Technique?" someone asked, their voice filled with curiosity. 

"It looks completely different from the techniques we usually practice!" 

"Could it be... a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique?" 

Xiao Zhongzheng, unusually calm, picked up the Jade Slip with trembling hands. Slowly and carefully, he read through its contents, his expression growing more serious with each word. 

Once he finished, he placed the Jade Slip back on the stone table with great care, as though handling a priceless treasure. 

He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then opened them suddenly. His voice trembled as he announced, 

"'Flame Judgment'—a fire-attribute Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique, mid-grade second level. It can be cultivated to the late stage of Foundation Establishment!" 

The room erupted with excitement. 

"I never thought I'd see both a Foundation Establishment Pill and a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique in my lifetime!" 

"Exactly! To witness this in one day... even if I were to die now, I'd have no regrets!" 

"Don't talk nonsense! This isn't a time to think about death. It's the beginning of the Xiao family's prosperity!" 

After some time, the room finally settled down. All eyes turned to Xiao Xuan, curiosity brimming on their faces. 

"How did you acquire all these incredible items?" 

Xiao Xuan didn't hold back. He recounted every detail of his adventure, explaining everything he had encountered. As he spoke, he also placed three thousand low-grade Spirit Stones on the table.

The room fell silent once again as everyone stared at the Spirit Stones in astonishment. 

Their excitement over the Jade Slip was momentarily forgotten as they rushed over to Xiao Xuan. 

"Xuan'er, are you hurt?" 

"Tell us—were you in danger?" 

Their concern was evident as they crowded around him, eager to ensure his safety.