Chapter 110: Foundation Establishment Complete

Silence descended upon Mount Lufu, as the onlookers were left bewildered by Shen Qingyun’s actions.

Though Shen Qingyun should have been nearing success, he gave everyone the impression of a bottomless abyss, an insatiable vessel hungering for the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. No matter how much energy was poured into him, he remained unsatisfied.

"What is he trying to do?" Qin Taiqing watched Shen Qingyun, his heart filled with doubt as he observed the subtle movements of the youth.

Shen Qingyun crouched down, spreading his hands and pressing his palms against the ground. A powerful will seemed to descend from the heavens, instantly enveloping the entire mountain.

In an instant, Mount Lufu began to tremble. The small cabin built atop the trees swayed violently, appearing as if it might fall apart at any moment.

"What is going on?" Hei Kui, struggling to keep his footing on the violently shaking ground, asked with profound confusion.

"The earth vein of Mount Lufu is trembling!" Qin Taiqing’s eyes flashed with intensity as he answered. He was well aware of the mountain's earth vein; after all, the great formation surrounding the mountain was designed specifically to isolate its vein from the mundane ones outside. Only in this way could Mount Lufu remain pristine for so many years, preventing its energy from dissipating into the common earth.

"It has to do with him!" An elder of the Sha Kui Sect pointed toward Shen Qingyun at the peak. Qin Taiqing looked up to see Shen Qingyun still in his half-crouched position, palms pressed to the earth. Despite the violent shaking of the mountain, he remained as immovable as a rock.

The tremors intensified, forcing everyone to channel spiritual energy into their feet just to stay upright. At that moment, dark clouds began to churn and gather in the sky—appearing without the slightest warning.

*Rumble.*

Purple lightning flickered ominously within the roiling clouds. Shen Qingyun looked up, a trace of joy flashing in his eyes. The power of this tribulation was far greater than what he had summoned before. The mere aura radiating from it was suffocating.

Provoking the wrath of heaven was not something that only happened when a cultivator broke through a realm. Every blade of grass and every tree in the world was a child of heaven; the more spiritual an object was, the closer its bond with the heavens. The earth vein of Mount Lufu was no ordinary vein; it was a treasure. By forcibly stripping it, Shen Qingyun had moved one of Heaven's own kin. Was it any wonder the heavens were angry?

"Get out of here!" Sensing the terrifying pressure gathering in the thunderclouds, Feng Chuxun felt his heart tremble and roared at the others to retreat.

Shen Qingyun looked down, seeing the flicker of worry in Feng Chuxun’s eyes, and offered a faint smile. He looked back up at the clouds, stood to his feet, raised his hands high, and then clenched them into fists. "Come on!"

As if provoked by his defiance, a purple bolt of lightning as thick as a barrel struck down from the clouds, slamming directly into Shen Qingyun.

*Bang!*

Dust billowed, obscuring the view of the summit. When the dust finally settled, a massive crater had appeared, with wisps of black smoke rising from its edges.

Everyone had the same thought: had Shen Qingyun been reduced to ashes? A lightning strike of such magnitude was something none of them would dare to face head-on. Even with his heaven-defying abilities, surely it was impossible to survive such a direct hit.

"Cough, cough!"

Just as everyone assumed he was dead, a dirt-streaked hand slowly reached out from the crater and gripped the edge. A weak voice followed: "It hurts... it really hurts!"

Shen Qingyun crawled out of the crater, looking rather comical. His hair, which once reached his waist, was now shorter and standing straight up in every direction, pointing toward the sky. In the midst of such a tense atmosphere, his appearance unintentionally lightened the mood.

Feeling the sharp pain radiating through his body, as if every bone were about to shatter, Shen Qingyun winced. The taste of a true tribulation... one only knows it once they have experienced it!

Qin Taiqing and the others stared in disbelief as Shen Qingyun stood up at the edge of the crater and roared at the sky: "Again!"

*Again?* Everyone’s hearts trembled. Was he tired of living?

Even as he shouted, Shen Qingyun’s hands moved rapidly, weaving seals. A giant hand manifested behind him. The thunderclouds did not strike immediately; instead, they roiled and rumbled incessantly. Finally, another bolt of lightning as thick as a barrel descended, illuminating the heavens.

"Go!" Shen Qingyun barked, and the giant hand behind him surged upward to meet the lightning.

They expected the lightning to shatter the hand instantly, but the ensuing scene made Qin Taiqing and the others widen their eyes in shock. The hand did not shatter immediately; it held its own against the lightning for a time before finally breaking, allowing the weakened bolt to strike Shen Qingyun. The remaining power was deflected by his robes, and the leftover energy was absorbed into his body.

The tribulation seemed further enraged. The next bolt descended, catching Shen Qingyun off guard and knocking him back into the crater. Yet, even so, he climbed back out and looked at the sky: "That’s cheating! I wasn't ready!"

Shen Qingyun felt helpless. If he didn't need the energy of the tribulation, he would have summoned his Heaven-Suppressing Halberd to shatter it long ago. But now, there was no choice—he had summoned this tribulation, so he had to endure it to the end, even if it brought him to tears.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Ten consecutive bolts of lightning crashed down. Qin Taiqing and the others were left dazed. To survive such strikes—Shen Qingyun was truly a freak of nature. On Mount Lufu, there was no sound left but the rolling thunder and the strikes of lightning. No one spoke, not because there was nothing to say, but because they didn't know what to say.

Hei Kui couldn't fathom it; even he, a villain who had committed countless atrocities, had never been struck by lightning, yet Shen Qingyun was being hammered like this. And instead of fleeing, he was actually engaging with the tribulation.

After twelve bolts, the lightning ceased. Shen Qingyun lay in the crater, watching the clouds, which had finally fallen silent. He let out a soft chuckle; it had been a grueling ordeal.

"Is he dead?" an elder of the Sha Kui Sect whispered.

"Probably," another replied, though he couldn't be certain. To be struck like that, if he wasn't dead, he was close to it.

"Then what about our mission..." the elder continued. Their goal was to capture Shen Qingyun and bring him back to the Northern Underworld Demon King. If he was dead, how would they report back?

The thunderclouds began to dissipate from the center, as if splitting open. A beam of auspicious light shone down, falling directly into the crater. Shen Qingyun bathed in the radiance, and all his wounds began to heal under its glow.

He turned his focus inward to his body, then suddenly snapped his eyes open, a brilliant light flashing within them. He felt the perfect moment had arrived! His dantian was filled to the brim with spiritual energy, now so viscous that it moved like a living, liquid entity.

"Foundation Condensation!"

Shen Qingyun whispered. A cataclysmic change occurred within his dantian. A foundation took shape, emitting a holy radiance. His inner consciousness looked closely at this foundation, though he dared not confirm if it was truly a "perfect foundation."

"It's soft?" He reached out to touch it, feeling that the foundation was pliable and cool to the touch. "Should be a perfect foundation, right?"

His understanding of the perfect foundation came only from books, which never described what it would look like. But since it was recorded, someone must have succeeded before!

"Forget it, no use thinking about it." He shook his head. Whether it was perfect or not didn't matter. He could clearly feel the vast power contained within it—it far surpassed any high-grade foundation. Most importantly, he didn't want to be struck by lightning ever again.

Shen Qingyun stood up, his white robes rippling and restoring themselves. He climbed out of the crater and leaped to Feng Chuxun’s side, only to see him staring as if he had seen a ghost. "What’s wrong?"

"You're not dead?" Feng Chuxun asked.

"You're the one who's dead. Why can't you think of something positive for once?" Shen Qingyun rolled his eyes.

"So, did you succeed in building your foundation?" Feng Chuxun ignored the glare and asked again.

"I suppose so," Shen Qingyun nodded. He wasn't entirely sure, but he possessed power far beyond that of a typical Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Oh, congratulations," Feng Chuxun said flatly, his tone unreadable.

Seeing his friend's expression, Shen Qingyun rolled his eyes again and looked at Qin Taiqing and the others behind him. "And them?"

"They arrived shortly after you began," Feng Chuxun replied.

"Defector of the Cangyun Sect, you murdered the heir of the Demon King. I spared you earlier, letting you finish your breakthrough, but now that you have succeeded, surrender at once!" Hei Kui stepped forward, his face expressionless, and bellowed at Shen Qingyun.

"Capture me?" Shen Qingyun curled his lips into a smirk, taunting them: "If you want to catch me, come and try!"

"Hmph, don't think that just because you've reached Foundation Establishment you can stand against the five elders of the Sha Kui Sect!" Hei Kui sneered. "Elders, move in and take him!"

"Yes!"

The five elders stepped forward in unison, their icy killing intent radiating outward—a terrifying aura born only from a life spent in a sea of blood.

Shen Qingyun stood fearless, even feeling a spark of anticipation. He couldn't wait to test this "perfect foundation" that transcended all others.