"Someone else has broken through in the Wanling Blessed Land. Who could it be?"
"To break through directly in the Wanling Blessed Land, this person's talent must be extraordinary! They must be someone ranked high on the Potential Dragon List!"
"That might not be the case. I remember that before the Wanling Blessed Land opened, the Wanbao Pavilion auctioned off ten Foundation Establishment Pills! Perhaps this person bought one of those pills and used it to break through while in the Blessed Land!"
"Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage in the Wanling Blessed Land is truly enviable!"
...
In front of the cave where Qin Wang had been in seclusion, more than thirty powerful Qi Refining Stage cultivators stood, looking at the remnants of Qin Wang's seclusion cave. They discussed among themselves, full of shock.
"Senior Brother Zhao, who do you think broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage?"
Among the crowd, a slender cultivator at the twelfth level of the Qi Refining Stage looked at a scholarly, medium-built youth in front of him and asked.
"Brother Gu, I think it might be Sima Rui!"
The scholarly Zhao Kuangzong pondered briefly and then spoke in a deep voice.
According to rumors, Sima Rui subdued a third-tier Earth Dragon Beast King in the belly of a mountain within the Wanling Blessed Land and seized more than ten Heavenly Blue Fruits. It is known that the Heavenly Blue Fruit is a primary ingredient for refining Foundation Establishment Pills. Given Sima Rui's talent, he might have broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage by directly consuming the fruit, even without refining it into a pill!
Moreover, after checking the mountain belly himself, Zhao Kuangzong found it to be rich in spiritual energy, with traces of an ancient spirit-gathering formation. Sima Rui might have also received an ancient inheritance there!
"I think it might be him too!"
Gu Tianhao nodded, his eyes showing a trace of envy.
As one of the top ten on the Potential Dragon List, he had planned to return to his sect after training in the Wanling Blessed Land and use his gains to exchange for contribution points to get a Foundation Establishment Pill and break through smoothly.
But to his surprise, Sima Rui had directly broken through in the Blessed Land, showing why he ranked higher on the Potential Dragon List. Just by breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage first, Sima Rui was already way ahead!
"Sima Rui has already entered the Genius List, while I am still on the Potential Dragon List. Brother Gu, after leaving the Wanling Blessed Land, I need to return and go into seclusion."
Determination flashed in Zhao Kuangzong's eyes. He had also gained significantly in the Wanling Blessed Land, and breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage should be no problem once he returned.
"I need to go into seclusion too!"
Gu Tianhao nodded in agreement.
Within the Wanling Blessed Land, at the base of a thousand-foot-high cliff lay a lake spanning hundreds of miles. Ten feet above the lake, under a large pine tree, was a concealed cave entrance.
Inside the cave, Qin Wang, dressed in gray, sat cross-legged, silently cultivating. A yard away from him sat Zhang Fujiang.
"After advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage, the speed at which the thousand-year spiritual essence increases proficiency is slower compared to the Qi Refining Stage."
Qin Wang held an empty porcelain bottle, deep in thought.
At the twelfth level of the Qi Refining Stage, using the thousand-year spiritual essence took just thirty breaths to increase proficiency by one point. But after advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage, it took sixty breaths to increase proficiency by one point, even with the essence purified by the precious bowl.
"Let's first cultivate the Foundation Establishment Volume of the Concealment Technique!!"
Qin Wang pondered briefly and then decided.
He knew that although he had advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he couldn't be ostentatious and needed to conceal his cultivation level.
He understood the principle of "the tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be blown down by the wind." In the path of cultivation, one must be cautious to go far.
Qin Wang reached into his storage pouch and took out a copper piece the size of a large bowl. His spiritual sense immediately penetrated it.
In the next moment, a mantra appeared in Qin Wang's mind.
"This mantra perfectly connects with the Qi Refining Volume of the Concealment Technique."
Qin Wang's spiritual sense 'read' the mantra from the copper piece and memorized it. He then began to cultivate silently. As time passed and the sky darkened, the powerful aura of the Foundation Establishment Stage on Qin Wang's body suddenly faded, lowering to the tenth level of the Qi Refining Stage!
"Not bad!"
Qin Wang felt the reduction in his aura to the tenth level of the Qi Refining Stage and was very satisfied.
This Concealment Technique was truly marvelous.
With his Foundation Establishment cultivation hidden, Qin Wang didn't waste any time and continued to operate the Five Elements Essence Cultivation Technique, absorbing the thousand-year spiritual essence to increase his proficiency.
In the early hours of the morning.
[Daily Intelligence Refresh!]
[Today's Intelligence!]
[1: You advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage yesterday and experienced the grandeur of flying with a sword. Intelligence obtained: In the Dragon Abyss of the Great Yan Immortal Dynasty, there is a broken flying ship spirit treasure. Refining it again can restore its former power.]
[2: You advanced to the Foundation Establishment Stage yesterday. Intelligence obtained: As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you should start considering opportunities for forming a Golden Core. In the Luoxia Mountains of the Tianchu Immortal Dynasty, there is a Golden Core cultivator's cave.]
[3: You encountered the 'Misfortune Star' Wanyan Meng yesterday. Intelligence obtained: Wanyan Meng is cursed with the most vicious curse in the world. Anyone related to her will suffer her misfortune and have terrible luck. She is a pitiable yet persistent woman.]
[4: You touched a mysterious fragment yesterday. Intelligence obtained: The grandson of the Tianyao Merchant Association's president, Yu Liangcai, carried a mysterious fragment and was killed by the seventh prince of the Great Yan Immortal Dynasty. The fragment is now in the possession of Ji Yan'er, who currently holds three mysterious fragments.]
[5: You cultivated the Concealment Technique yesterday. Intelligence obtained: The Concealment Technique was created by Murong Jiuhua. Murong Jiuhua was originally a rogue cultivator, and the Sima family of the Southern Region might have information about the Golden Core volume of the Concealment Technique.]
[6: You touched the knife-shaped magic treasure obtained from Situ Yunfei yesterday. Intelligence obtained: The original owner of this knife-shaped magic treasure was Jin Xing, a Golden Core cultivator of the Overlord Blade Immortal Sect. Jin Xing's soul is currently being nourished in your thousand-year soul-nurturing wood.]
[7: You touched the Five Elements Divine Light Jar yesterday. Intelligence obtained: The previous owner of the Five Elements Divine Light Jar, Gu Zunzhe, has fused with the Scent Spirit Gu and the Demon Hand, possessing half of the consciousness's control.]
[8: Your breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage yesterday caused a spiritual energy vortex. Intelligence obtained: Many cultivators who saw the vortex are speculating about who possesses such monstrous talent. Many suspect it was Sima Rui who consumed the Heavenly Blue Fruits to break through.]
[9: You touched a mysterious fragment yesterday. Intelligence obtained: The strongest rogue cultivator, Xian Jiu, who possessed nine mysterious fragments, has long left the Nine Regions and ventured into the outer world.]
[10: You received guidance from Wu Su and successfully reached the Foundation Establishment Stage yesterday. Intelligence obtained: The current Dao Child of the Wu Family Sword Domain, Wu Yong, is currently visiting the Great Yan Immortal Dynasty in the Southern Region.]
"Yu Liangcai was killed by the seventh prince of the Great Yan Immortal Dynasty?"
"The mysterious fragment fell into Ji Yan'er's hands?"
Qin Wang's eyes flickered as he read the fourth piece of intelligence.
Initially, he planned to find Yu Liangcai, but it turned out that Yu Liangcai had been killed by the seventh prince, and the item was taken by Ji Yan'er. It seemed he needed to find Ji Yan'er now.
"The Sima family of the Southern Region has information about the Golden Core volume of the Concealment Technique?"
Qin Wang's eyes gleamed thoughtfully as he read the fifth piece of intelligence.