Chapter 108: Foundation Establishment in a Single Thought

Veins bulged on Wu Shi’s forehead, and violent spiritual energy surged between his hands, causing his black robes to whip around him. So close! He had been agonizingly close! He had watched helplessly as Shen Qingyun and another individual escaped into Mount Lufu.

"Shen Qingyun, get out here!"

Wu Shi roared, his explosive spiritual power erupting from his body and forming a pillar of light that shot straight into the sky. His bloodshot eyes seemed to see the North Underworld Demon King, who had gripped his throat before his departure and delivered a chilling ultimatum: "If you cannot bring him back, I will toss you into the White Crucible and let you taste the agony of a heart pierced through!"

The Demon King's icy voice still seemed to echo in Wu Shi's ears, a constant reminder of his fate. To save his own life, he no longer cared if his target was affiliated with the Imperial Dynasty!

Wu Shi raised his hand, and a massive black palm manifested behind him. It emanated a frigid, unsettling aura of spiritual energy, yet it possessed a destructive power so potent that the very void trembled in its wake.

"Go, drag Shen Qingyun out!" Wu Shi’s gaze was glacial, completely disregarding the guards before the Mount Lufu formation and Qin Taiqing. This black palm was clearly his Spirit Manifestation.

The black palm acted upon the command as if it possessed a life of its own, lunging toward the luminous barrier of the Mount Lufu formation. Like its master, it ignored Qin Taiqing and his entourage entirely.

"No!"

The five presiding elders of the Soul-Puppet Sect turned pale with shock as they watched Wu Shi summon his Spirit Manifestation, committing the grave offense of attacking someone linked to the royal family. They cried out in unison, but they were too late; the Spirit Manifestation had already moved.

Qin Taiqing frowned as the black palm surged toward him. With a flick of his sleeve, a torrential flood of spiritual energy poured forth—a raw, unadorned display of power that collided head-on with the black palm.

Upon impact, the two forces neutralized each other, but the outcome was clear: Qin Taiqing’s torrent was vastly superior. Because the black palm was Wu Shi’s Spirit Manifestation, its destruction dealt a catastrophic backlash to its master.

"Pfft!"

Wu Shi’s bloodshot eyes bulged, his face drained of all color, and he collapsed backward, losing consciousness. The violent pillar of spiritual energy that had been piercing the sky vanished instantly, like a platform losing its foundation.

"Wu Shi!"

The five elders of the Soul-Puppet Sect gasped, rushing forward to check his injuries with a level of anxiety that suggested he might be more important to them than their own sect master.

The accompanying Grand Elder of the Soul-Puppet Sect, however, remained calm. He walked to the front and bowed to Qin Taiqing. "Our disciple acted in haste because he is hunting the murderer of the Demon King’s heir. Seeing the fugitive enter Mount Lufu, he lost his composure. I beg your forgiveness!"

Qin Taiqing’s expression remained blank. "If I were truly offended, you wouldn't be seeing him standing before you now."

"I am Hei Kui," the Grand Elder replied immediately. "Thank you for showing mercy, my lord."

Qin Taiqing had clearly heard of Hei Kui. Upon hearing his name, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "Hei Kui, why are you out of the Soul-Puppet Sect? And what is this about the Demon King’s heir?"

Hei Kui looked up, a flash of surprise in his eyes. "You recognize me?"

Qin Taiqing sneered. "Of course. I personally handled the fallout of your 'masterpieces' before you went into seclusion! The former Qin King said that since you had pledged yourself to the Soul-Puppet Sect, we should let the past be bygones. I assumed you had passed away after all these years of silence. To think you are still alive!"

Hei Kui chuckled. "They say the wicked live for a thousand years, right? For a scoundrel like me, I should at least last ten thousand."

Qin Taiqing scoffed inwardly. *The wicked live long? Only if you can survive that long!* Unwilling to reminisce, he asked directly, "What is the truth behind the murder of the Demon King’s heir?"

"As a member of the royal family, you don't know?" Hei Kui’s tone was laced with astonishment.

"Is it strange that I don't?"

"Not necessarily," Hei Kui shook his head. "But as far as I know, the current Second Prince died at his hands as well."

"What?" Qin Taiqing’s expression shifted. "Wasn't the Second Prince killed by the Nine..." He stopped abruptly, the words having nearly slipped out.

Hei Kui blinked, waiting for the rest of the sentence. Qin Taiqing shook his head. "Never mind. Continue."

Hei Kui felt something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "At the time, the Second Prince was with Beiming Han, the son of the North Underworld Demon King. They seemed to covet a treasure the Cloud Sect defector possessed. The defector refused, and the Prince and Beiming Han underestimated his strength, leading to their deaths. It was our disciple who informed the Demon King where the murderer had fled."

He gestured to Wu Shi, who was being supported by the elders. "You know the Demon King’s temper. If he doesn't capture the killer, the Demon King will vent his rage on him."

Qin Taiqing nodded slightly, remaining silent.

"May we enter to apprehend the defector?" Hei Kui asked. "Once captured, we will leave immediately. We shall not linger in Mount Lufu."

"Absolutely not," Qin Taiqing refused. The laws of Mount Lufu were absolute. Besides, why should he care if the Demon King killed a Soul-Puppet Sect disciple?

"You!" Hei Kui was on the verge of rage, but remembering his status, he forced himself to calm down. Qin Taiqing watched him with a calm gaze, secretly mocking him. If Hei Kui dared to attack, he would kill him on the spot. The former King might have spared him, but the current King had made no such promise.

"What will it take for us to enter?" Hei Kui demanded.

"Follow the rules," Qin Taiqing said languidly.

Hei Kui gritted his teeth. He could afford the entry fee for one person, but who would go? Wu Shi was incapacitated. The five elders? The defector supposedly possessed a weapon capable of challenging the Spirit Manifestation realm. Sending one elder would be a suicide mission. As for himself—going personally would be beneath his dignity as the Grand Elder of the Soul-Puppet Sect.

"How did that defector get in with another person?" Hei Kui stared at him. He didn't believe a defector could afford the exorbitant entry fee for two.

"He came to cultivate his foundation. He holds the Ninth Princess's token. I had no reason to deny him. As for the other, he is already in the Spirit Manifestation realm; Mount Lufu offers him no benefit, so there was no need to stop him," Qin Taiqing replied flawlessly.

"The Ninth Princess's token?" Hei Kui narrowed his eyes. "A defector? How could he possess such a thing? What if he’s a fraud? You will be held responsible!"

"The token carries the Ninth Princess's aura. That cannot be faked," Qin Taiqing said, determined to keep him out. "Where he obtained it is none of my concern."

Shen Qingyun’s token had come from the storage ring of Qin Ning. It was filled not only with spirit stones and clothing but also with several of her tokens, likely for emergencies. Of course, Shen Qingyun had already exhausted the spirit stones.

"Fine!" Hei Kui was furious. After a moment of thought, he produced a flying spiritual artifact, leaped onto it, and waved his sleeve. "I won't go in then! I will wait right here! If a disciple dies, so be it, but I’ll be here to watch how you explain yourself to the Demon King!"

Qin Taiqing felt a headache coming on. Foundation establishment took three to five days. If the Demon King arrived, he wouldn't be able to stop him.

*I might as well let them in. There is the iron rule of the cultivation world...*

He turned to Hei Kui. "I will allow you to enter, but you must abide by the iron rules of the cultivation world. If you interfere with his foundation establishment, even if you cite the Demon King, I will kill you myself!"

Hei Kui felt a surge of secret joy. The Demon King was currently a "guest" at the Cloud Sect and had no time for them. "Naturally!" he replied solemnly. The iron rule—never disturb someone during foundation establishment—was the sacred law of the cultivation world.

They could just wait inside until Shen Qingyun finished. Once they were inside, he couldn't escape.

"You may enter." Qin Taiqing stepped aside, tearing a rift in the Mount Lufu formation.

"Let's go," Hei Kui commanded. The elders carried Wu Shi inside. Qin Taiqing followed closely, intending to shadow them until they left.

Upon entering, they were startled by the phenomena within. Spiritual mist was converging, pouring into a single point to solidify the foundation.

*This is too fast!* Qin Taiqing was stunned. In all his years guarding the mountain, he had never seen someone trigger such a phenomenon so soon after arrival!

Even more shocked was Feng Chuxun, who had been watching Shen Qingyun the entire time. Shen Qingyun had gone straight to the summit to establish his foundation. He had expected Shen Qingyun to meditate first, but the moment he reached the top, Shen Qingyun had triggered the world's phenomena without hesitation. All the spiritual mist on the mountain swirled toward him, heavy and oppressive.

Then, Shen Qingyun’s body erupted with a dazzling yellow light, his aura climbing rapidly. Even Feng Chuxun lost his composure, muttering, "One thought... a mid-grade foundation."

Indeed, a yellow light—a mid-grade foundation. Achieved in a single thought!