Chapter 29: My Next Step? Foundation!

The group assisted in cleaning the Flooded Dragon. We agreed that they would take all the scales, tendons, and meat, while I would claim the most valuable asset—the demonic core.

Despite being on a quest for the sect, Ye Hu assured me that the Elder would understand and be pleased with the ingredients they had obtained, even without the demonic core.

"You deserve this," Ye Hu said, tapping my shoulder. "We will return to our sect now. Our Elder will use this Flooded Dragon to produce some pills, and we will enter secluded meditation. Tian Li, it was nice to know you... Be careful out there."

He was visibly concerned about my well-being, knowing that my destroyed arm could pose a threat within the Dark Wood Forest. However, I was confident that I would fully recover in due time.

"May our paths cross again in the future," I replied.

After parting ways, my first priority was to find a safe location. The battle had surely attracted attention, and soon others would arrive to investigate. I had no desire to be present when they did.

Fortunately, the Dark Wood Forest offered numerous hiding spots. Instead of venturing deeper into the woods, I retraced my steps. The further one ventured, the stronger the beasts became, and at some point, Foundation-level beasts would appear. Given the state of my arm, I wouldn't stand a chance against such creatures.

After an entire day of walking, I finally discovered a suitable cave to settle in. It was a common practice for cultivators to claim such caves as their cultivation sites. However, to make it truly effective, one needed knowledge of formations to mask the Qi and safeguard the cave.

Unfortunately, I lacked that knowledge. As I sat in the deepest part of the cave, contemplating a solution, a familiar face caught my attention. It was the monkey I had fought barehanded.

"You?" I exclaimed.

To my surprise, the monkey did not attack. Its intelligent eyes locked onto my wounded arm, and I had a strange sense that it understood the severity of my injury. It thumped its chest a few times before taking a seat near the entrance of my cave, acting as my sole protector. The monkey was guarding me while I entered secluded meditation, hoping to advance my cultivation. What an extraordinary creature.

A profound feeling of companionship washed over me, and in the end, a Spiritual Beast was offering its assistance. It had proven to be more helpful than the trio who had fought alongside me against the Flooded Dragon.

The demonic core, a dark round crystal emanating an immense amount of Qi, remained securely stored within my Spatial Pouch. As a Foundation Establishment beast, the Flooded Dragon possessed a higher-grade core, which I intended to use as a Foundation Pill to advance to the next stage of cultivation. While there was no theoretical reason for it not to work, I knew I couldn't use the demonic core right away.

At the moment, my cultivation had reached the peak of the tenth layer, and it had stagnated before I arrived in the Dark Wood Forest due to the lack of real fights to consolidate my progress. However, that had changed with all the battles I had faced within the forest. Now, all I needed to do was focus on meditation and push myself towards the final layer of the Qi Condensation stage—the twelfth layer.

Before leaving, I had packed my Spatial Pouch with a plentiful supply of Spiritual Foods from my farm. Opening the pouch, I took out a potato and began chewing on it. I then tossed another potato to the monkey, who accepted it eagerly but eyed it with a curious gaze. It seemed that potatoes were a novelty for the creature.

After I had started eating, the monkey patiently waited for a few moments to ensure it was safe before joining in and consuming the potato as well. Given that the potato contained Qi, both the monkey and I began meditating after our meal. The monkey remained in a state of heightened awareness, ready to protect me, while I fully immersed myself in my meditation.

In a peculiar state of mind, my consciousness flickered in and out, providing me with brief moments of awareness to open my Spatial Pouch, retrieve a potato, and toss it to the monkey. This simple action was the only interruption from my deep cultivation focus. The dense Qi of the Dark Wood Forest, combined with the nourishment of the Spiritual Food, propelled my cultivation to new heights.

It felt as though my body already held stored Qi within both Dantians, but it had been blocked from proper utilization. Through the arduous battles I had faced, the blockages were cleared, allowing the Qi to flow freely throughout my entire being.

The passage of time became indiscernible as my mind became consumed by the practice of the Spiritual Soul Fusion art. The cultivation of this technique was astounding, enabling me to absorb substantial amounts of Qi from the atmosphere, condense it, and channel it into both of my Dantians.

After an unknown duration, I finally opened my eyes, sensing a surge of power coursing through me. My cultivation had soared to the peak of the twelfth layer, a mere step away from entering the Foundation realm. The monkey remained faithfully by my side, its own cultivation visibly improved, likely due to the nourishment it received from the potatoes I had shared with it.

Yet, there remained one final task before me. With the depletion of the Spiritual Foods, the time had come to utilize the demonic core from the Flooded Dragon and strive to reach the next realm. While the safety of performing this within the cave was uncertain, I had no other viable options, and the presence of the monkey as my protector reassured me.

With unwavering focus, I retrieved the demonic core from my Spatial Pouch, fixing my gaze upon the tiny crystal emanating immense Qi. Without hesitation, I swallowed it whole. An immediate warmth spread throughout my body, soon followed by a sharp pain in my Dantian region. Would I be able to successfully absorb its power and transcend into the Foundation realm? Only time would reveal the outcome.