Chapter 103: Cultivating the Foundation in Accordance with the Way of Nature

What can one say? Even inheriting part of the divine tree’s consciousness, a sapling remains just a sapling; many things are shaped by experience.

Therefore, when facing someone like Situ Jing—a venerable figure who has clearly lived for millennia—there is only the inevitability of being outmatched.

Ji Yao also understood that Qian Xun, harboring the idea of leaving at any moment, insisted on an equal contract. She never intended to rely on the other party, so she did not dwell on it too deeply.

As for the spatial talent that Situ Jing mentioned, that was purely a matter of experience. Such obscure knowledge of the cultivation world was likely unknown to most novices.

After more than a decade of growing familiarity, Ji Yao preferred to cooperate with Situ Jing. In the end, the one who truly benefited from this arrangement was herself.

Qian Xun ultimately agreed to Situ Jing’s terms: during the time spent within the Sumeru space, it would help the Emperor Rest tree there to bloom and bear fruit, as well as assist in tending the spiritual plants and managing the medicinal fields.

This was indeed an unexpected boon. Ji Yao had never imagined that a wood spirit with only two or three leaves could possess such capabilities.

Watching Qian Xun manipulate the vegetation with such skill, Ji Yao realized what she had missed before—no one knew the characteristics of flora and spiritual plants better than it did.

Seeing Ji Yao dumbfounded, Situ Jing’s beautiful eyes glanced around before teasing, “Still such a silly girl, why don’t you come with me to the study?”

Once Situ Jing’s protective barrier was lowered, not even Qian Xun, bound by contract to Ji Yao, could peek inside.

Only then did Ji Yao understand the so-called Emperor Rest tree, the “Worryless Wood,” said to have poplar-like leaves, five-branched limbs, yellow blossoms, and black fruits. Those who consumed it were said to be free from anger.

Legend held that the fruit of the Worryless Wood could relieve all sorrow, pacify the mind, and prevent anger—remarkably miraculous indeed.

Though these tales were unverified, the only documented record was of the “Carefree Fruit.” Ancient pharmacopeias noted that the Carefree Fruit grew atop the Worryless Wood.

Whenever the Worryless Wood bloomed yellow flowers, black Carefree Fruits would follow. These fruits granted cultivators clarity of soul, calmness, and resistance to mental demons. They were valuable for increasing the success rate of advancing to higher realms, regardless of cultivation level.

However, these fruits were only recorded in texts and had never been seen by anyone, so over time, they faded from public attention and few knew of them.

“Moreover, as a strange tree, the Worryless Wood and the Divine Tree Xunmu belong to the same ancient era of primordial anomalies. Among them, the path they follow is most closely aligned.”

Qian Xun, that little creature, attached itself to the Worryless Wood’s main body to cultivate, which allowed its soul to draw nearer to the essence of the Xunmu tree. For it, this was much easier than solitary practice and comprehension.”

After explaining the unique significance of the Worryless Wood, Situ Jing pointed to the spiritual fields outside and lightly tapped Ji Yao’s forehead.

“Do you think Qian Xun tending your spiritual plants doesn’t benefit it? It gains a great deal from it.”

“Never think the legends of the divine tree are mere stories. As a descendant of the divine tree, its abilities far exceed your imagination!”

Ji Yao bowed respectfully and acknowledged her lesson, prompting Situ Jing to bring up the matter of the Five-Colored Stone Formation Array treasure.

A luminous, translucent glass-like array disk, circular with nested three layers, was released by Situ Jing. In an instant, it captured Ji Yao’s full attention.

Each layer of the array slowly rotated, mirroring the movements of the sun, moon, and stars, as if enacting the flow of time itself.

Ji Yao murmured unconsciously: “Heaven and earth hold yin and yang, evolving myriad meanings. The universe flows naturally; the Way unfolds spontaneously.”

Seeing the starlight twinkling in Ji Yao’s eyes and her dazed expression as if she had reached some insight, Situ Jing fell silent, retracting the Five-Colored Stone array disk and waiting for Ji Yao to regain full awareness.

She waited an entire day and night.

When Ji Yao finally revived, spiritual energy surged through her veins, her meridians pulsing, evidently unable to suppress the advancing spiritual energy.

Situ Jing sighed, finding Ji Yao still half out of sorts, and spoke to assist her.

“Wake up!” Her voice carried a hint of soul power, piercing directly into Ji Yao’s mind palace, rousing her entire consciousness just before the spiritual energy could erupt uncontrollably. Ji Yao shuddered, suddenly aware of the turmoil within her.

“What are you standing there for? You can’t advance greatly inside the space. Hurry out, set up the formation, and break through foundation establishment!”

Situ Jing felt utterly exasperated. At such a critical moment, Ji Yao was spacing out—like she didn’t know the meaning of danger! She never thought this girl could be so carefree.

Ji Yao was finally kicked out of the space. In her bamboo cottage, she quickly arranged a spirit-converging formation, then took out a row of medicine bottles, placing the most crucial Foundation Establishment Pill within easy reach.

Although Situ Jing said Ji Yao didn’t need the pill at this moment, Ji Yao set it in front as a symbolic encouragement.

At last, Ji Yao was about to step through the threshold of the cultivation world.

With her heart devoted to the heavens, Ji Yao slowly sorted through every detail of her cultivation journey, calming her excited spirit until it was as still as an ancient well. Only then did she begin circulating her cultivation method, firmly compressing the surging spiritual energy into her dantian.

Within the Law Enforcement Hall of Tianlu Peak, Master Mo Daoyan and his two disciples were in discussion when they suddenly sensed a sword aura rising from the bamboo garden at the back of the mountain. They all vanished from sight.

In the blink of an eye, Mo Daoyan appeared calmly outside Ji Yao’s bamboo house. Shortly after, Lu Ming arrived, dust swirling visibly from his robe’s hem.

Gu Qiu, slightly out of breath, was the last to arrive.

Ji Yao’s foundation establishment progressed faster than expected. As she compressed the last traces of spiritual energy into her dantian, transforming it into spiritual liquid, the phenomena of foundation establishment began.

First appeared numerous sword auras crisscrossing outside the house, balanced in offense and defense, forming a unique style. Behind the sword auras, a faintly rotating Yin-Yang fish emerged. The fish gradually expanded, enveloping all the sword auras.

The sword auras gently smoothed out, merging into the spiritual energy of the Yin-Yang fish until they vanished. Finally, the Yin-Yang fish shrank and concealed itself inside Ji Yao’s room.

At this moment, the aura of foundation establishment radiated out—steady and resolute—while Ji Yao continuously circulated her microcosmic orbit.

She found her body was autonomously absorbing external spiritual energy, gathering it in the dantian without her deliberate guidance.

Drops of spiritual liquid fell into the dantian, pooling into a small lake. The dantian contracted and expanded like breathing. When the liquid filled it, a sudden tremor struck.

Ji Yao felt a pain like her heart was being gouged, but it was brief. Then, the dantian suddenly expanded, leaving only half the liquid it had before.

The dantian had grown by one-third!

At last, Ji Yao was truly stepping into the cultivation world.