"Are you okay?" Ling Xing Yue asked with concern. Lestes's face was pale white—clearly, the earlier battle had not gone as smoothly as it appeared. There was more happening beneath the surface.
"I'm fine," he assured, forcing a smile. "But now's not the time to talk. We need to leave this place—immediately."
His tone was calm, but to a seasoned cultivator like Ling Xing Yue, the hidden tension in his words was unmistakable.
She nodded silently.
Half a stick of incense later, several figures appeared in the distance.
It turned out that Lestes's breakthrough had created such a massive disturbance in the surrounding Qi that it had drawn the attention of a powerful cultivator nearby. Being a sword cultivator, Lestes's perception was incredibly sharp, and he had sensed their presence long before they arrived.
To end the battle quickly and avoid being caught, he had used a forbidden secret technique to drastically boost his power for a short time, for more strength. It worked, but at a cost.
Now, far from the battlefield, Lestes used his sword to carve out a hidden cave, giving them a temporary place to rest.
"Why is your breath so chaotic?" Ling Xing Yue couldn't hold back her worry anymore. She stared at him, frowning. After all, the three of them had signed slave contracts with him—if anything happened to Lestes, their lives would be in danger too.
"It's nothing serious," Lestes replied. "I used a secret method to end the fight quickly. It destabilised my foundation a little, but with some rest, I should recover."
"Secret method?" They all looked at him, shocked.
"Will it cause any... sequelae?" Ling Xing Yue asked anxiously.
The question hung in the air like a sharp blade.
"Maybe... I don't know," Lestes replied casually, brushing it off.
"What!?" All three of them cried out in unison.
Everyone knew that most secret techniques that enhanced strength temporarily for a short period often came with harsh consequences, hidden wounds, damaged meridians, or worse, a permanently crippled cultivation path. If not treated properly, these side effects could halt a cultivator's progress for the rest of their life. It was a dangerous gamble, a last resort.
Lestes had achieved a perfect foundation breakthrough, a rare and exceptional feat that promised a boundless future. If he had continued to cultivate steadily and without disruption, his accomplishments could have shaken the very foundation of the cultivation world.
He could have walked the path of a true genius, perhaps even reaching the legendary Nascent Soul or beyond. But now… that future was uncertain.
The forced use of a secret technique had disrupted his newly formed foundation. Though outwardly calm, Lestes knew the risk he had taken. A perfect foundation was like fertile soil, meant to be nurtured and strengthened. But now, cracks had formed, and if not carefully repaired, those cracks could become permanent.
"Was it necessary to go that far?" Ning Waner asked, visibly upset. She clenched her fists, angry at her helplessness.
All three of them looked at Lestes, waiting for an explanation.
Lestes finally sighed. "The cultivator I sensed... was at least at the late stage of the Core Formation Realm. And there was another aura, far more powerful."
"A nascent soul expert?" All three of them were shocked.
"Possible," Lestes replied, though uncertainty lingered in his voice. He had never encountered a Nascent Soul cultivator before, so just from the aura he couldn't say for sure just from the aura.
If what he said was true, then his decision to use a secret technique, despite the risk, was justified. After all, even at their peak, none of them would stand a chance against a Nascent Soul cultivator. That realm was like a chasm—unbridgeable for those beneath it.
And at that time, they had already withdrawn from battle, exhausted, injured, and drained. If Lestes hadn't acted decisively, they would've been wiped out before they even realised what hit them.
Understanding this made their hearts ache more, not less.
Secret method might have left a hidden wound, but such injuries weren't always permanent. With the right high-tier medicinal pill, recovery was possible.
However, those kinds of pills were rare and outrageously expensive.
For Ling Xing Yue, acquiring such medicine wouldn't normally be difficult, given her background. But right now, it was an entirely different matter. Most of her wealth had already been spent while desperately seeking a cure for Ning Waner. She was even burdened with debt.
A heavy silence settled among them.
Ling Xing Yue forced a gentle smile and said softly, "Don't worry. I'll find a way. I'll work hard, take some commissions… I'll earn enough in a year. I'll get you that medicine."
Lestes looked at their saddened faces, especially Ling Xing Yue's. Her voice trembled slightly, but her determination was clear.
His heart warmed, and he felt deeply moved. He shook his head, gently but firmly.
"You don't have to worry about me," he said. "What's done is done. I'll be fine. Besides…" he paused, glancing at the three women, "this breakthrough wasn't something I wanted. It came too early. If the situation hadn't forced me, I was preparing to break it down and regress to the peak of Qi Condensation again."
"What?" They were even more shocked when they heard Lestes.
"Don't do this, absolutely not!" the three girls said in unison, their voices filled with alarm.
"Why?" Lestes asked, stunned by their reaction.
Ling Xing Yue stepped forward, her eyes filled with worry. "Don't you know? Breaking your foundation and regressing might leave behind a hidden wound, a sequela. And right now, your situation is even more special! The wound from that secret method hasn't even healed yet, and you want to stack another injury on top of it? That could cripple your cultivation permanently!"
Xiao Linger looked anxious. "It might end your path before it truly begins…"
"Don't worry," Lestes said with a light chuckle, trying to ease their panic. "I'm not a fool. I won't attempt it now. I'll wait until I've fully recovered before doing anything."
"What? You still want to break your foundation?" Ling Xing Yue's tone rose in disbelief. "You just had a breakthrough into a Perfect Foundation Establishment! That kind of foundation is rare even in a millennium, and you're still not satisfied?"
Lestes blinked. "Perfect Foundation Establishment? What's that?"
The three girls stared at him in shock.
"You're… you're serious?" Ling Xing Yue asked carefully. "You don't know?"
Lestes scratched the back of his head. "You see, it was not long since I stepped above the fifth stage of the Qi condensation realm"
This cultivation system was new to Lestes. The books in the Fortune Cave had limited knowledge within. He still doesn't know many things. He lied to them.
It was just one month ago; he was still frozen in the cave, and now, he had already broken through the Foundation realm, and on top of that, with the highest grade, perfect foundation establishment. If people heard this, they would die with envy.
Ling Xing Yue took a deep breath and explained patiently, "After the Qi Condensation stage comes Foundation Establishment. Most know that this stage is about condensing gaseous Qi into liquid Qi. The higher the quality of the Qi, the stronger the foundation."
She paused, then continued, "Most cultivators only know about four grades of foundation, Black, Mystic, Earth, and Heaven, ranked lowest to highest, based on the purity and density of the liquid Qi."
"But," Ning Waner added quietly, "there's a secret beyond even that."
Ling Xing Yue nodded. "Above Heaven-grade… lies a mythical level: Perfect Foundation. It's so rare that many believe it's a legend. But it's real. And you… You achieved it. Perfect foundation means being in harmony with heaven and earth. Which is very hard to achieve. This shows your qi is too pure and is in line with heaven and earth"
Lestes stood there, stunned. "So… that's why the breakthrough felt so… overwhelming."
"It wasn't just overwhelming," Xiao Linger said softly. "It shook the heavens and earth."
"No wonder… even a Nascent Soul monster was attracted," Lestes muttered, realisation dawning on his face.
"Still, I won't change my mind," Lestes said with steely determination. "I will break this foundation and re-establish it… when the time is right."
"You…" Ling Xing Yue's voice trembled with anger and helplessness. Her fists clenched at her sides. "Do you even understand what you're throwing away?! Perfect Foundation is a miracle cultivator's dream, and you want to destroy it willingly?"
Lestes didn't flinch. "That's exactly why. It's too perfect. I wasn't ready. I didn't temper my body, my mind, or my spirit enough to carry it forward. If I force myself forward from this unstable point, I may regret it later."
There was silence. The tension between them was sharp enough to cut.
"Ok, it's stalled," he added softly. "You don't need to worry about me. I have my plan."
He added, "You should rest and recover from your wound. I also need."