"What?!" Lin Zhentian's expression changed drastically. His Golden Core aura erupted, causing the tables and chairs in the room to tremble slightly, and ripples to spread across the medicinal soup on the low table.
Lin Hao was his carefully groomed successor, possessing exceptional talent.
They had already been preparing for his Foundation Establishment, but now, his dantian was damaged, his cultivation had regressed, and he wouldn't recover for at least three years!
This undoubtedly delayed Lin Hao's Foundation Establishment by several years.
"Is there any way to recover?" Lin Zhentian asked.
"To recover quickly, you must find a Five Elements cultivation technique of at least the highest grade of the Profound level to nourish your dantian!" Doctor Li handed Lin Zhentian a prescription, gave him a few more instructions, and then hurriedly left.
"A Profound level Five Elements cultivation technique?" Lin Zhentian frowned slightly.
Five Elements cultivation techniques were already rare in the cultivation world, and a Profound level Five Elements cultivation technique was even rarer.
However, in order for his son Lin Hao to recover quickly, Lin Zhentian still decided to spend a large sum of money to find a high-grade Xuan-level Five Elements cultivation technique.
Half an hour later, Lin Hao slowly opened his heavy eyes. His gaze was initially blank, then a piercing pain surged through him, causing him to groan involuntarily, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
"Awake?" Lin Zhentian coldly sneered.
"Father, you must avenge your son…" Lin Hao cried.
"Revenge?" Lin Zhentian sneered before continuing, "What did I tell you? I told you not to easily provoke people of unknown identity, to act with restraint, but you wouldn't listen!"
Lin Zhentian was filled with exasperation: "You relied on being my son, with your Qi Refining level ten cultivation, to be arrogant and disrespectful, recklessly provoking others. Now you've suffered damaged meridians and are severely injured and unconscious—it's all your own fault!"
"If I hadn't found you in time, you would already be a cold corpse."
Lin Hao stiffened at the scolding, his eyes filled with grievance and resentment: "Father, I didn't mean to… I thought that person was only at the Qi Refining level six, and I could easily kill him!"
"I just didn't expect him to hide his cultivation level and attack so ruthlessly…"
As he spoke, his chest heaved violently, and the sharp pain in his meridians returned.
After a while, he continued, "Father, that man injured me so badly! You must avenge me! You must cripple him, make him taste the agony of broken meridians and a fate worse than death!"
Seeing the resentment and pleading in Lin Hao's eyes, Lin Zhentian's anger gradually subsided, and his tone softened slightly, though a cold glint remained in his eyes.
He raised his hand and gently pressed it against Lin Hao's forehead, a gentle stream of spiritual energy flowing in to ease the excruciating pain in his meridians. He said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, when have I ever let you suffer such injustice? I've avenged you."
"What?" Lin Hao shuddered, a flash of joy appearing in his eyes. He struggled to look up, asking urgently, "Father, did you kill him?"
Lin Zhentian slowly withdrew his hand, a cold smile curving his lips. His tone was arrogant and ruthless: "Kill him? That's too easy on him!"
"I placed a demonic curse on him."
"The Heart Demon Curse?" Lin Hao's eyes were full of doubt; he had never heard of such a secret technique.
Lin Zhentian explained, "This curse is formless and intangible. Once planted, it will lurk in his sea of consciousness, leaving no trace under normal circumstances. However, once he attempts to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, the Heart Demon will erupt instantly, tearing apart his sea of consciousness, causing him to suffer a qi deviation and sever all his meridians."
He paused, then continued, "This inner demon curse is unbreakable. From this day forward, that person will never be able to establish a foundation; he will forever remain at the Qi Refining stage. No matter how high his talent or how many resources he has, he will be trapped in the same place, watching those around him surpass him step by step, ultimately exhausting his lifespan in endless resentment and despair, living a mediocre life."
Upon hearing this, Lin Hao's face lit up with immense joy, the hatred in his eyes vanishing completely, replaced by a deep sense of satisfaction. He couldn't help but chuckle, even though it aggravated his injuries, causing him to grimace in pain, he still couldn't suppress his joy: "Good! Excellent, Father! This inner demon curse is excellent! Preventing him from ever establishing a foundation is more satisfying than killing him!"
Seeing Lin Hao's ecstatic appearance, Lin Zhentian's face darkened again, and he sternly warned, "Remember this lesson! Never again be arrogant and cause trouble. On the path of cultivation, one must guard against pride and impatience, and be down-to-earth to go far."
"If I find you ignoring my advice again, next time, even if you get beaten to death, I won't care!"
"Your son remembers! Your son will definitely remember Father's teachings!" Lin Hao quickly suppressed his smile, nodding repeatedly, his tone respectful and sincere.
Lin Zhentian nodded slightly, saying nothing more. He turned and walked to the side, picked up a pill from the table, and held it to Lin Hao's lips: "Take this healing pill, take good care of your injuries, and repair your damaged meridians as soon as possible. During this time, focus on recuperating in the secret room, and don't let your mind wander. After you're healed, I'll restore your arm."
Lin Hao opened his mouth and swallowed it without hesitation. A gentle spiritual energy instantly spread throughout his body, enveloping his damaged meridians, and the intense pain gradually subsided.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhentian stood to the side, his gaze fixed on the window, a cold glint in his eyes.
Lin Zhentian knew that although his son was arrogant and conceited, he also had a solid cultivation level of the tenth level of Qi Refining. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators might not be able to seriously injure him in one move, let alone damage his meridians and make him unconscious for many days.
After a moment's thought, Lin Zhentian's gaze suddenly sharpened. Three figures clearly appeared in his mind: only Hu Nan, Jiang Lijuan, and Li Hu could have so easily and severely injured Lin Hao.
Jiang Lijuan was a woman, but the man's back didn't resemble a woman's at all.
Only Hu Nan and Li Hu could have ambushed Lin Hao.
However, Lin Zhentian wasn't overly worried at the moment.
After all, there was no way to break the Heart Demon Curse.
Whether the attacker was Li Hu or Hu Nan, neither of them could reach the Foundation Establishment stage.
He just needed to wait a few years and see which of them hadn't reached the Foundation Establishment stage; that would undoubtedly be the one who severely injured Lin Hao.
Then he would capture him and bring him before Lin Hao for Lin Hao to deal with.
...
Heavenly Sword Sect, Back Mountain.
Qin Changsheng had already had Hu Nan rent a cave dwelling in the back mountain.
Although the cave dwelling wasn't very large, its defense and soundproofing were excellent.
The cave dwelling was spacious and bright, with a smooth bluestone floor and several luminous pearls embedded in the walls, emitting a soft white light that illuminated the entire cave as if it were daytime.
On the left side of the cave dwelling, there was a small stone table and two stone stools, providing a place for cultivators to rest and store treasures.
In a corner of the cave dwelling, there was also a simple storage recess, convenient for storing miscellaneous items and cultivation resources.
Qin Changsheng inspected the cave dwelling and was very satisfied with it.
The cave dwelling's defenses, soundproofing, and spiritual energy concentration all far exceeded his expectations, enough for him to safely cultivate in seclusion for several months, attempting to break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck.
With such a cave dwelling as a base, coupled with the Foundation Condensation Grass, high-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, Xuan Yangzi's Foundation Establishment insights, and ample spirit stones, his success rate in establishing his foundation had increased even further.
Qin Changsheng slowly raised his hand, his divine sense flicking, and a booklet appeared not far away.
This was the Foundation Establishment insights given to him by the sect leader, Xuan Yangzi.
Qin Changsheng gently unfurled the booklet. Lines of ancient, vigorous handwriting came into view. The characters were neat and the ink warm and lustrous; one could almost feel the meticulous care and dedication Xuan Yangzi had put into writing it.
His eyes narrowed slightly, his mind completely absorbed in the insights. He carefully studied each word and sentence, his expression focused and solemn. The spiritual energy around him seemed to become increasingly stable along with his concentration.
This booklet on Foundation Establishment was far more complete and detailed than he had imagined, without the slightest omission. From the preparations before Foundation Establishment, to the control during Foundation Establishment, and then to the consolidation afterward, every step and every detail was written clearly and explicitly.
The notes detailed the preparations required before Foundation Establishment: First, one must solidify their foundation at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, circulating spiritual energy daily to cleanse the meridians and remove residual impurities and turbidity, preventing the flow of spiritual energy during Foundation Establishment;
One must familiarize themselves with the operation of the Spirit Gathering Array beforehand to ensure abundant and stable spiritual energy within the cave. Placing spirit stones around the meditation cushion beforehand can help gather spiritual energy;
Foundation Establishment Pills, Foundation Condensation Grass, and other treasures should be placed within easy reach to avoid distractions during Foundation Establishment;
Furthermore, one must eliminate all distractions, calm the mind, and achieve complete focus. Only in this way can one accurately control spiritual energy and break through bottlenecks during Foundation Establishment.
Qin Changsheng slowly nodded, silently noting these preparations. They coincided with his previous plans, yet were even more comprehensive, especially the points about clearing impurities and calming the mind, which he had previously overlooked.
Following the instructions in the manual, he subconsciously circulated his spiritual energy, slowly cleansing his meridians according to the methods recorded. Sure enough, he sensed several wisps of turbid energy being gently expelled from his body by his spiritual energy, and his entire being immediately felt increasingly refreshed.
The key aspects of Foundation Establishment were described in meticulous detail.