### Chapter 118: Guardianship

Since He Song and Wei Fan had no roots in Green Wall Immortal City, they naturally followed local customs and dressed similarly to Meng Guan.

Thus, without anyone knowing their identities, the three of them participated in the small auction together.

However, since they only needed to secure one Meridian Protection Pill and had enough spirit stones, the process was relatively uneventful.

He Song barely had time to observe the auction venue and listen to Meng Guan bid a few times before the auction ended.

Fast!

Too fast!

When He Song accompanied Meng Guan to retrieve the Meridian Protection Pill, he felt a bit dazed.

Why was this auction so different from what he had imagined?

Weren't auctions supposed to involve threats, provocations, and stories about how this person was the son of a Foundation Building family or that person was a disciple of a Golden Core sect, ending with one side backing down?

Why hadn't any of that happened during this small auction?

Everyone had simply bid politely, giving up if the price exceeded their expectations.

So calm.

So peaceful.

It didn't feel like the ruthless world of cultivation at all.

A thought flashed through He Song's mind, and he couldn't help but glance at Meng Guan.

Meng Guan's earlier prediction hadn't been wrong. There were seven Meridian Protection Pills available at the auction.

He had simply bid two thousand spirit stones, and no one contested it, allowing him to secure the pill.

Perhaps this was why the small auction had ended so quickly.

With this in mind, He Song suddenly understood.

Maybe it was because there were too many Meridian Protection Pills at this auction that there had been no fierce competition.

If there had been fewer pills, the scene might have been very different.

After paying the spirit stones and retrieving the Meridian Protection Pill, the three of them quickly left the auction venue.

Three late-stage Qi Refining cultivators traveling together to protect a single Meridian Protection Pill naturally wouldn't attract much attention.

Even a single late-stage Qi Refining cultivator would be enough to protect a Meridian Protection Pill.

Two thousand spirit stones?

A late-stage Qi Refining cultivator could save that amount in a few years.

It would be unwise to ambush a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator for such a small sum.

Especially when there were three of them.

Thus, the three of them soon returned to Meng Guan's home.

Meng Guan bowed to He Song and Wei Fan once more.

"Thank you, my friends, for your help. I will now enter seclusion. Please guard me during this time."

After seeing He Song and Wei Fan nod, Meng Guan felt reassured and stepped into his meditation chamber.

As the door to the chamber closed, He Song and Wei Fan exchanged glances and moved to a spot not far from the chamber.

They sat down at a table.

As the faint aroma of tea began to fill the air, Wei Fan spoke up.

"Fellow Daoist, Meng Guan's attempt to break through to Foundation Building is an opportunity for both of us. If he succeeds, the benefits are obvious. If he fails, he will still provide us with invaluable experience."

"In the coming days, we must stay vigilant and guard him."

Meng Guan's attempt to break through to Foundation Building wasn't widely known.

According to Meng Guan's earlier explanation, he had only informed He Song and Wei Fan.

Over the past decade, he hadn't made any close friends in the vast Green Wall Immortal City.

Although his title, "Soul-Severing Daoist," carried some weight here, he had also made many enemies.

To prevent others from getting close to him with ulterior motives, Meng Guan had few acquaintances, let alone friends.

Most of the people he knew were either fellow rogue cultivators who lived dangerously or members of the city's enforcement team.

These people naturally couldn't compare to He Song and Wei Fan, whom he trusted.

"Don't worry. We're inside the immortal city, and this is the western district. Remember, there are two Foundation Building True Persons stationed here. We just need to be cautious."

"If anyone dares to cause trouble, we just need to make some noise, and help will arrive."

With a casual wave, a crimson-glowing sword appeared beside He Song.

A mid-grade artifact.

The Crimson Gold Sword!

At the same time, an earthen-yellow shield began to orbit around him.

A mid-grade artifact.

The Earth Shield!

Beside him, Wei Fan was momentarily speechless as he watched He Song casually talk about being cautious while already summoning his artifacts, ready for battle.

He had forgotten how deeply ingrained caution was in his friend's nature.

He Song would do this without being told.

After a moment of silence, Wei Fan also summoned two mid-grade artifacts.

Thus, four mid-grade artifacts, controlled by He Song and Wei Fan, stood guard around them.

Time passed slowly.

In the blink of an eye, several days went by.

He Song and Wei Fan remained vigilant, continuously monitoring their surroundings with their artifacts.

Inside the meditation chamber, Meng Guan opened his eyes.

After several days of preparation, he had adjusted his condition to its peak.

His vitality was abundant, his spiritual energy was full, his spirit was sharp, and his gaze was piercing.

Except for his white hair and eyebrows, Meng Guan was in the best condition of his life.

Now was the time to take the Meridian Protection Pill and attempt to break through to Foundation Building.

With a light wave of his hand, a small jade bottle appeared in Meng Guan's grasp.

He poured out a single pill.

Instantly, a rich fragrance filled the chamber, invigorating Meng Guan's spirit.

This pill was the Meridian Protection Pill he had secured at the auction a few days ago.

Now, it was time to take it and begin his breakthrough.

A look of determination flashed in Meng Guan's eyes.

He swallowed the pill in one gulp.

Then, he channeled all his spiritual energy and began his assault on the Foundation Building realm.

The key to breaking through to Foundation Building lay in compressing spiritual energy.

Compress, compress, and compress again, until the energy reached its limit and formed the first wisp of true spiritual power within the body.

Once that happened, Foundation Building would be achieved!

The spiritual power of the Foundation Building realm was fundamentally different from the spiritual energy of the Qi Refining realm.

Possessing spiritual power marked the true beginning of being a cultivator.

Even at the ninth layer or the peak of Qi Refining, one still occupied a transitional space between mortal and cultivator.

Only by cultivating spiritual power could one truly be called a cultivator.

This was why only those who reached Foundation Building were called "True Persons."

Even the most powerful Qi Refining cultivators could only be called "Daoists."

"True Person" was a title reserved exclusively for Foundation Building cultivators.

Without reaching Foundation Building, no one dared to claim that title.

(End of Chapter)

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