Chapter 49: Peak of Foundation Establishment

"I'll take the Great Unity Soul Nourishing Pill and the Great Insight Elixir right now."

"Although my physique is top-level Heaven, one Great Unity Soul Nourishing Pill may not be enough to enhance it to peak Heaven grade. But something is better than nothing."

"And since this place is rich in spiritual energy, I'll go ahead and push myself to the peak of Foundation Establishment here; it should be sufficient!"

Shen Mo immediately took out the Pure Essence Stabilizing Pills from the top-grade storage ring.

Normally, a Foundation Establishment cultivator could rise from entry-level to completion with these Pure Essence Stabilizing Pills!

However, with the Red Lotus Flame consuming much of the spiritual power, only about half of the pill's power would actually reach his Dao foundation.

"Even half is enough. I must reach the peak of Foundation Establishment before the Hundred Sects Ceremony!"

Shen Mo swallowed a Pure Essence Stabilizing Pill and began his cultivation.

...

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. At Qingxuan Sect's martial arts field.

Liu Yunxuan, Zhao Ting, and the other nine were already prepared to set off.

But one person was still missing. Murong Yue, dressed in an ink-green palace robe, was pacing back and forth.

Liu Yuanfeng frowned, "Where is Shen Mo? Is he coming or not? We're all waiting for him."

Murong Yue responded calmly, "He mentioned to me that he would be cultivating in the Qingcang Mountains for a while. He should be on his way back now."

In the crowd, Xiao Fan snorted, "Cultivating outside? What can he possibly achieve out there?"

Although Zhao Ting and Luo Shengnan didn't say anything, their expressions betrayed their thoughts.

Cultivation is not about isolating oneself.

Interacting with fellow cultivators of the same stage, exchanging techniques and martial skills, is often more beneficial.

Sometimes, a conversation with a friend could lead to an epiphany.

It's difficult to rely solely on one's own comprehension.

Not everyone has the innate talent of a prodigy.

"Let's wait for some time," Murong Yue ordered.

However, before she completed her sentence, Shen Mo had already returned.

Seeing her disciple return safely, Murong Yue sighed in relief. She knew perfectly well that Shen Mo was alive.

But she was still concerned about his safety.

Liu Yuanfeng frowned and scolded, "Where have you been? Do you know we've been waiting for you for almost two hours?"

Shen Mo cupped his hands apologetically, "I apologize. I was in the midst of a breakthrough last night, which lasted until this morning, so I was delayed."

"Breakthrough... breakthrough?" Liu Yuanfeng's eyes widened.

If he remembered correctly, Shen Mo was at the perfection of the Foundation Establishment Realm during the selection battle.

Breaking through... would mean stepping into the peak of Foundation Establishment?

After Shen Mo's words, everyone looked at him.

Murong Yue excitedly came to his side and asked seriously, "Did you succeed?"

"I did. I am now at the peak of Foundation Establishment," Shen Mo replied with a smile.

He maintained his belief that there was no need to hide his strength.

Even if he hid it now, during the competition, under everyone's watchful eyes, it would be obvious.

"Great! I knew your external cultivation would pay off! You never disappoint me!" Murong Yue's face was full of satisfaction.

Zhao Ting, Luo Shengnan, and the others were also shocked and quickly stepped forward to congratulate him.

Zhao Ting was especially amazed. Shen Mo had resumed his cultivation not long ago.

He had risen from the Body Tempering stage to the Qi Condensation stage, then reached Foundation Establishment.

Now he had surpassed them all, reaching a level they could only aspire to. His cultivation speed was incredibly fast!

Compared to him, they felt like they were moving at a snail's pace.

Liu Yuanfeng and Liu Yunxuan, on the other hand, looked as if they had bitten into a wormy apple.

"Sect Master, now that everyone is here, let's get going to avoid wasting time," Liu Yuanfeng said darkly, interrupting the congratulations.

Murong Yue restrained her smile and nodded. She took out a bamboo whistle and infused it with spiritual power.

The whistle produced a melodious and long-lasting sound. The sound carried far, even reaching deep into the Qingcang Mountains.

Not long after, a loud cry echoed from the sky.

A giant bird with a wingspan of over ten feet soared out of the mountains and appeared above Qingxuan Sect.

It then landed steadily in the martial arts field. Its entire body was a deep green, with feathers as sharp as steel.

Its piercing eyes seemed to see through people's hearts. Its sharp beak looked capable of piercing the hardest rocks.

Shen Mo and the other nine were visibly astonished. Shen Mo was also very surprised, having never seen such a large demonic beast before.

Murong Yue smiled, "This is the Azure Feather Eagle, raised by my master. It usually resides in the Qingcang Mountains. It will take us to Divine Sword City."

She gently patted the beak of the Azure Feather Eagle.

The Azure Feather Eagle, understanding her intent, lowered its wings to form a ladder.

Shen Mo and the others climbed onto the back of the Azure Feather Eagle one by one.

"During the flight, hold onto the feathers of the Azure Feather Eagle."

"As for the strong winds during flight, Vice Sect Master Liu and I will take care of them."

Murong Yue looked around seriously.

"Yes!" everyone responded.

"Elders, Vice Sect Master Liu and I will be going to Divine Sword City to attend the Hundred Sects Ceremony. The affairs of the sect will be in your hands," Murong Yue said to the gathered elders.

"We accept the responsibility!" the elders responded.

"Go!" Murong Yue patted the head of the Azure Feather Eagle.

With a sudden spread of its wings, the Azure Feather Eagle took off. The sect's mountain gate quickly became a small dot.

In an instant, Shen Mo and the others were floating among the clouds.

The clouds drifted past them.

Such a sight would amaze anyone, making them widen their eyes in astonishment.

Murong Yue and Liu Yuanfeng, one at the front and one at the back, used their spiritual power to dispel the strong winds.

Otherwise, the winds generated during the flight of the Azure Feather Eagle would be enough to cut the faces of the ten Foundation Establishment disciples.

"Master, isn't it true that Core Formation cultivators can carry people while flying? Why use a demonic beast to transport us?" Shen Mo asked curiously.

Zhao Ting, Luo Shengnan, and Zhao Rou also looked on with curiosity.

They too wanted to know why a demonic beast was used for transport.

Murong Yue chuckled, "Divine Sword City is in the northernmost part of Xuanjiang Prefecture, while our Qingxuan Sect is in the southernmost part, a distance of over eight hundred miles."

"A Core Formation cultivator can fly this distance in a day, but it would consume a lot of spiritual power, requiring them to stop and rest along the way."

"So, to be safe, we use large demonic beasts for transport."

"Although it is a bit slower, it is much safer. We only need to dispel the strong winds, which doesn't consume much spiritual power, and we can deal with any dangers along the way more easily."

Shen Mo nodded in understanding.

There could be fourth-tier demonic beasts along the way, comparable to Core Formation cultivators.

Murong Yue and Liu Yuanfeng indeed needed to conserve their spiritual power to deal with any potential dangers.

Four days later. A large city appeared ahead.

In the center of the city stood a giant stone sword, reaching a height of a hundred feet.

It soared into the clouds, piercing the sky. Outside Divine Sword City, many open spaces had been designated.

These were for the landing of large demonic beasts. Everyone's spirits lifted.

"That must be Divine Sword City!" Zhao Rou said excitedly.

"Yes, we are almost there," Murong Yue nodded.

Soon, the Azure Feather Eagle landed on one of the open spaces outside Divine Sword City.

Shen Mo jumped off the Azure Feather Eagle and felt the solid ground beneath his feet, feeling quite emotional.

The past four days had not been smooth; they had been attacked twice.

Both times by fourth-tier demonic beasts, but Murong Yue and Liu Yuanfeng, being vigilant and full of spiritual power, quickly repelled the attacks without any unforeseen incidents.

Now that they had finally arrived at Divine Sword City, Shen Mo felt much more at ease.

After all, during the past four days, they had been in the air. If anything had happened, he couldn't fly.