Middle Foundation Establishment Stage

Next day ,Midnight

The night was dark, the silver glow of the moon casting elongated shadows across the grand Azure Sky Sect. A chilling wind howled through the vast courtyards.

Wang Suyin stood before her grandfather's residence, her heart heavy with emotions. Her sky-blue robes fluttered in the wind, and the sword on her back felt unusually weighty tonight. She had spent the entire day in quiet preparation, yet now, standing before the inevitable farewell, an indescribable reluctance filled her.

Pushing open the wooden doors, she stepped inside. Wang Jie was waiting for her, seated in his usual chair. Despite his composed expression, the dim candlelight revealed the exhaustion in his eyes.

"You're ready?" he asked, his voice calm, yet carrying an undeniable sense of sorrow.

Wang Suyin took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, Grandfather."

Wang Jie stood up, walking towards her. He held out a small interspatial ring. "This contains everything you might need—cultivation resources, gold, artifacts, even a few weapons for emergencies. Keep a low profile in the mundane world, and never trust anyone easily."

Suyin accepted the ring, gripping it tightly. "I understand."

A long silence stretched between them.

Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer. "Grandfather… must I truly go? I can stay and fight. If the storm is inevitable, then let me stand beside you."

Wang Jie sighed, his gaze gentle yet firm. "Suyin, my decision has not changed. You must survive, no matter what. If our sect falls, our bloodline must not be extinguished. That is my only command to you."

She bit her lip, struggling to hold back her emotions. "Will I… ever see you again?"

He chuckled, a rare warmth in his voice. "If fate allows." He reached out, gently patting her head like he used to when she was a child. "But no matter what happens, always remember—you are my granddaughter, and you carry the pride of the Azure Sky Sect."

Tears welled in her silver-hued eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Instead, she took a deep breath, stepped back, and bowed deeply. "I will not disappoint you, Grandfather."

Wang Jie watched her for a moment before nodding. "Go. Before I change my mind."

Suyin turned and walked away, each step feeling heavier than the last.

She travelled through the courtyard, reminiscing her past memories. She then incresed her speed which was almost seemed like flying , with every step she covered a distance of 20 meters ,just like that she vanished in the darkness .

After 1hour she was standing before a space gate ,2 guards at Peak Core formation Stage were standing before it. She was now covering her face with a veil, she walked towards the gate with slow steps , the guards looked towards her for a moment but they did not say anything.

 The space gate shimmered ominously in the darkness, its swirling energy a portal to an unknown future. Taking one final look at the home she was leaving behind, she stepped forward—vanishing into the unknown.

And just like that, Wang Jie was alone. He stood in silence for a long time before whispering to himself, "Stay safe, child."

The night wind carried his words away, lost in the vast, uncaring sky.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Previous day,

Ye Feng came back to his house, he took a bath then went inside his room. Just like everyday he took out the Qi Stones from his ring placed them inside the arrays he setup as usual. He sat cross legged and started cultivating his Eternal Chao And Birth technique.

Ye Feng sat cross-legged at the center, exhaling slowly as he entered a meditative state. Activating the Eternal Chaos and Birth Technique, he began drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy.

Immediately, the Qi within the stones surged toward him, like streams of mist being pulled into a vortex. His body absorbed it greedily, refining and compressing the energy within his meridians. With each passing moment, the concentration of Qi inside him grew thicker, circulating through his pathways with increasing intensity.

An hour passed, and the Qi within Ye Feng's body had become noticeably denser, swirling like a raging tide. His cultivation base inched forward, steadily strengthening under the relentless refinement of his technique. Then, with a soft click, a subtle transformation occurred—the total amount of Qi in his body slightly decreased, but its density had significantly increased.

Ye Feng slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing across them. He had successfully advanced to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. His gaze shifted to the Qi Stones arranged within the formation. Though they still emitted a faint glow, their once vibrant blue light had dimmed considerably.

"Let's continue," he muttered, exhaling deeply as he relaxed his body for a brief moment. Then, without hesitation, he shut his eyes once more and resumed his cultivation.

The Foundation Establishment Stage was a crucial phase in the path of cultivation. It revolved around continuously refining and compressing Qi, making it denser with each minor breakthrough. The goal was to condense the Qi in liquid state, and eventually, to the point where it could solidify into a Core—the defining mark of the Core Formation Stage. Just as Qi in the Qi Gathering Realm remained in a gaseous state, Foundation Establishment focused on this meticulous process of condensation.

However, the transition to Core Formation was more than just a step forward—it was a fundamental shift in the cultivation journey. Unlike the previous stages, where a cultivator actively absorbed Qi, a formed Core would act as a natural magnet, constantly drawing in energy from the surroundings. At this point, cultivation became increasingly dependent on the environment, as the body would passively refine the spiritual energy at all times.

Ye Feng continued cultivating for another three hours. The energy from the Qi Stones surged into his meridians, but eventually, their essence was exhausted. The once radiant stones crumbled into fine dust, marking the end of their usefulness.

Opening his eyes once more, Ye Feng looked at the pile of dust scattered around him. He slowly stood up, stretching his limbs as a surge of refined power coursed through his meridians. Circulating the dense Qi through his body, he could feel the newfound strength settling within him.

A small smile formed on his lips.