Before attempting to breakthrough from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishmen, Li Xuan prepared meticulously. Using the formation scrolls left behind by the ancient master, he activated a multi-layered defensive array at the cave's entrance.
The arrays included:
Concealment Formation: To mask all spiritual fluctuations within.
Illusionary Veil: To project the image of a collapsed cave mouth.
Reactive Defense Array: To trigger spirit-needle traps if the illusion was breached.
> "Only a fool draws attention at the threshold of power," he murmured.
With the sanctuary sealed, he turned inward and began his final climb.
Having stabilized his 9th-layer foundation, Li Xuan did not stop. Guided by the Nine Heavens Moon Sect's forgotten techniques, he set his sights on a path walked only by monstrous talents of legend—the three hidden stages beyond Qi Refinement.
> "If the heavens forgot me once… I'll carve my name into the very sky this time."
10th Layer – Tempering of the Meridian Gates:
Li Xuan's meridians began to evolve, not just expanding, but transforming. Through intense cycles of spiritual compression and qi-forging, his inner channels were laced with silver spiritual threads, reinforcing them into conduits capable of bearing power far beyond ordinary Foundation Establishment.
The pain was immense—his body trembled, blood seeping from his pores—but it birthed clarity. His control over qi became absolute. Even the smallest fluctuation could now be shaped with precise intention.
As days turned to weeks, he reached the 11th Layer – Perfect Circuit of the Moonlight River:
At this level, his qi no longer flowed like a stream—it roared like a river. His energy circuits formed a closed cycle, where no spiritual essence was wasted. Each breath drew power, circulated it fully, then released nothing.
Li Xuan could now gather energy even while moving or fighting, allowing him to battle endlessly. His body glowed faintly with a silver-blue aura when circulating qi—a clear mark of the profound.
He continued with his seclusion for two more months and reached the final 12th Layer – Crystallization of the Radiant Core:
In the stillness of his sealed cave, under a shaft of moonlight, Li Xuan entered a deep meditative trance. His qi compressed, coiled, and condensed until his entire dantian pulsed like a radiant, moonlit star.
This wasn't just cultivation—it was transcendence.
Most built their Foundation on a hollow, fluid qi base. But Li Xuan now possessed a solid Radiant Core, brimming with refined power and unmatched stability.
> "This... is the true beginning," he whispered.
Ascending to Foundation Establishment:
With the Radiant Core complete, Li Xuan began circulating his breakthrough method. A vortex of energy formed, drawn in by his unmatched foundation. His spiritual sea surged. Qi stormed through his veins and into his core, stabilizing into a powerful foundation beyond comparison.
He had entered the Foundation Establishment Realm.
The Starling Phoenix let out a resonant cry, circling him in joy. Its tail feathers flickered with moonlight and faint starfire, marking its own advancement. Their soul bond deepened—the beast now followed not out of instinct, but reverence.
Knowing the danger of continuing cultivation after a major breakthrough, Li Xuan deactivated the inner formations but left the defensive ones in place. With calm steps, he left the cave—not to hide, but to walk among the world once more.
> "Even the moon must pass through clouds to shine clear again."
In a quiet glade deep in the forest, a cry for help echoed—young, desperate, and near. Li Xuan turned, his gaze sharp. There, cornered by a low-ranked beast, stood a dirt-smeared boy barely in his teens, eyes wide with fear, clutching a broken wooden sword.
Li Xuan narrowed his eyes.
> "Another cast-off by this world? Let's see what kind of flame your spirit carries."
The beast's corpse collapsed with a thud as Li Xuan retracted his hand, qi still shimmering faintly at his fingertips.
The boy stared, wide-eyed and trembling. Dirt streaked his face, his tunic torn. He clutched the broken wooden sword like a lifeline.
Li Xuan didn't speak at first. He studied the child—there was fear in his eyes, yes, but also a stubborn glint. A refusal to kneel even in terror.
> "What's your name?" Li Xuan finally asked.
The boy hesitated. "Fei... Fei Yu."
> "Why are you here?"
"I... ran away. From the Zhao Clan's servants. My father was a farmer. They said he stole spirit herbs and... and they killed him." His fists clenched, knuckles white. "They said I was next."
Li Xuan's gaze cooled. Injustice—rooted deep in this land, always devouring the weak.
> "And what will you do now? Keep running?"
Fei Yu bit his lip. Then, slowly, he raised the broken wooden sword with both hands and offered it to Li Xuan.
> "Please... teach me. I want to be strong. I don't want to be afraid anymore."
The air was silent for a long moment. Then, Li Xuan extended a hand—not for the sword, but to lift the boy to his feet.
> "Then stand. If you wish to learn from me, you must never forget this feeling—the helplessness, the rage, the fire inside your chest."
The boy nodded, tears shining but unshed.
> "From this day, you walk the path of cultivation. But know this—it is not strength alone that will save you. It is strength with purpose."
As moonlight filtered through the leaves, a faint breeze stirred the clearing. Somewhere above, the Starling Phoenix watched with narrowed eyes—recognizing the beginning of something rare.
> A Master. A Disciple. A bond forged not in blood, but in shared pain and the will to defy fate.
Back in the Village:
The Four-Clan Martial Gathering drew near, with tensions rising between the Zhao and Li Clans.
Li Xioran trained harder than ever, her eyes cold with purpose. We see these events through the eyes of Li Xioran, Li Xuan's younger sister, who is training hard to prove herself. She quietly places offerings at a small shrine where she prays for her brother's safety, unaware he is alive and growing stronger.
The elders of the Li Clan remained unaware that the greatest storm was not brewing beyond their gates—but rising quietly in the depths of the forest.