The weight of the situation pressed down on Riu Xian, heavy and suffocating, as he stood amidst the opulent, jade-inlaid chamber of the ancient cave abode. His gaze was fixed on the Foundation Establishment technique clutched in Lu Hao's lifeless hand, the faint, ethereal energy radiating from the scroll seeming to pulse in time with his own rapidly beating heart. A strange sense of familiarity washed over him whenever he looked at it, as though the technique was meant for him, and him alone. It called to him, promising power and a path forward.
"This technique..." he murmured, his voice barely a whisper in the sudden silence of the cave. His thoughts were a whirlwind, a chaotic mix of shock, regret, and a burgeoning sense of opportunity. He replayed the events of the past few hours in his mind, the ultimatum, the looming war, his decision to flee, and now, this. The information he had gleaned from Xiao Ming's jade slip flooded back to him. Foundation Establishment techniques were rare, highly coveted treasures, usually reserved for the elite, the chosen few within the most powerful sects. They were categorized into five distinct grades: low, high, advanced, supreme, and the almost mythical, rare grade.
Most cultivators, lacking access to such techniques, resorted to using Foundation Establishment Pills to solidify their foundations. Pills were more readily available, though still difficult to acquire, especially for those in a minor sect like Cloudspring. While a pill-formed foundation was stable enough, it paled in comparison to the strength and potential offered by a foundation built through a proper technique. Riu Xian had no intention of relying on pills, especially not now. The idea of a weaker foundation, a compromised start, was anathema to him.
In the Cloudspring Sect, only sixteen peak Qi Gathering cultivators were selected each year to receive the precious Foundation Establishment Pills. These selections were made after a brutal, no-holds-barred competition, a desperate scramble for a chance at advancement. Even then, the sect's limited number of alchemists meant that the supply of pills was always scarce, making them incredibly difficult to obtain. This year, however, the looming war with the Bright Snow Sect had thrown everything into disarray. The competition had been indefinitely postponed, the sect's resources diverted to the impending conflict. For Riu Xian, the already slim chance of acquiring a pill had evaporated entirely.
His Murim training, while powerful in its own right, and remarkably effective in gathering and circulating Qi, offered no solution for this crucial step in cultivation. It had strengthened his body and enhanced his senses, but it did not provide a method for establishing a true cultivation foundation. Without a proper Foundation Establishment technique, he would be forced to rely on a pill, a path he desperately wanted to avoid. He refused to settle for a substandard foundation.
This was why the scroll in Lu Hao's hand was so vitally important to him. It represented a chance, perhaps his only chance, to build a foundation that was not just stable, but truly strong, a foundation that would allow him to reach his full potential in this new world. He knew that such techniques were usually the closely guarded secrets of powerful sects like the Azure Cloud Sect, Xiao Ming's sect. All of this vital information was contained within the jade slip she had given him, fueling his determination. He needed this technique. It was the key to a future he could barely dare to dream of.
He clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. "I can't rely on luck or the sect to provide me with a pill," he muttered to himself. "And even if I could, I refuse to settle for a weak foundation. This technique... it's my chance. My only chance to secure my future in this world."
With a newfound determination, Riu Xian stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the prize. "Lu Hao," he said, his voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of tension, "I want that technique. You can have everything else in this cave, the weapons, the pills, all the other treasures. Just give me the technique."
Lu Hao, clutching the scroll tightly to his chest as if it were his lifeline, turned and sneered at Riu Xian. "You?" he scoffed, a mocking laugh escaping his lips. "A piece of trash from the outer sect thinks he can order me around? This technique is mine, and so is everything else in here! You don't even know your place!"
Riu Xian's jaw tightened, his patience wearing thin. He took a slow, deliberate breath, trying to rein in his rising anger. "I'm not asking for much," he said, his voice taking on a sharper edge. "Take everything else. This cave is full of treasures. But that technique... I need it. It's the only thing I want."
Lu Hao's arrogance seemed to swell with every passing second. He waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a bothersome fly. "Do you honestly think you have any right to bargain with me?" he sneered. "You're just a lowly outer sect disciple, a worm beneath my feet. I don't care what you want. This technique is mine, and I'll use it to become the greatest cultivator this sect has ever seen. And as for you..." His eyes turned cold, his gaze sweeping over Riu Xian with disdain. "You're nothing. An insect, to be crushed whenever I see fit."
Riu Xian's eyes narrowed, his patience finally snapping. He had tried to be reasonable, to avoid unnecessary conflict. But Lu Hao's arrogance, his utter disregard for him, was a spark to dry tinder. "Lu Hao," he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl, "don't test me. Give me the technique, or you'll regret it."
The room fell silent, the only sound the faint hum of residual spiritual energy that permeated the air. The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Lu Hao let out a derisive laugh, the sound echoing through the chamber. "Regret it? You threaten me?" he spat, his lackeys, Wei and Chen, chuckling nervously behind him. "You're delusional, trash. Do whatever you want. You won't even be able to lay a finger on me."
Riu Xian took a deep, steadying breath, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He had hoped to avoid a confrontation, to simply take what he needed and leave. But Lu Hao's arrogance, his blatant disrespect, had left him no choice. "If words won't work," he thought, a steely glint in his eyes, "then I'll have to use a different approach."
Without warning, Riu Xian moved. He blurred forward, his movements so swift and precise that they seemed to defy the very limits of human capability. It was a speed that shocked even him, a combination of his Murim training and his newly unlocked meridians. Before Lu Hao could even react, before he could even blink, Riu Xian's hand shot out, his palm striking Lu Hao's face with a resounding crack.
The force of the blow was catastrophic. One moment, Lu Hao stood there, arrogant and defiant, the next, his head violently exploded in a shower of blood and gore, his lifeless body collapsing to the polished jade floor like a puppet with its strings cut. The pristine chamber, once a testament to ancient power, was now stained with the gruesome evidence of sudden, brutal violence. A deathly silence descended upon the cave, the echoes of the blow still ringing in the air.
Riu Xian stared at his hand, his own hand, a mixture of disbelief and unease washing over him. He hadn't intended this. He hadn't wanted to kill him. "I didn't mean for this to happen," he muttered, his voice low and filled with a strange mix of shock and regret. "I didn't know... I didn't realize my own strength had grown so much." He flexed his hand, examining it as if it belonged to someone else. "Was it the Murim techniques, blending with this world's cultivation methods? Or the unblocked meridians? Or perhaps a combination of both?" He had reached the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm, but this level of power was unheard of.
Wei and Chen stood frozen, their faces ashen, their eyes wide with terror as they stared at the gruesome remains of their Young Master. The man they had served, the man they had feared, was gone, reduced to nothing more than a bloody stain on the floor, in an instant. Killed with a single, devastating slap.
One of them, Chen, finally found his voice, stammering, "S-Senior..." He took a hesitant step forward, bowing his head so low his forehead almost touched the ground. "We... we didn't know you were this strong. Please, Senior, take everything in this cave. We won't say a word. Just... just forgive us and spare our lives!"
The other, Wei, quickly followed suit, dropping to his knees, his body trembling uncontrollably. "Yes, Senior! We beg you! We were blind, foolish! We'll do anything, just please, let us live!"
Riu Xian looked at them, his expression unreadable, his mind still grappling with the sudden turn of events. He let out a heavy sigh. "I truly do want these treasures," he admitted, his voice regaining its steadiness, "but there's no point in taking what I cannot carry." He gestured around the chamber, his gaze sweeping over the shelves laden with weapons and vials. "I don't have a spatial treasure, no space ring or spatial bag to store these items. And besides," his gaze drifted towards Lu Hao's lifeless body, a flicker of regret crossing his face, "I didn't intend to kill him. It was an accident, a miscalculation."
He turned back to the two terrified lackeys, his voice hardening. "I don't want to take any more lives unnecessarily. You two," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument, "take those treasures and get out of here. I'm not interested in you, or your past allegiance to that fool."
Wei and Chen exchanged bewildered glances, relief slowly dawning on their faces. They couldn't believe their luck.
"Yes, Senior!" they chorused in unison, scrambling to their feet. They hurriedly began gathering the treasures, stuffing pills and weapons into their clothes, their movements frantic as they tried to grab as much as they could carry while avoiding looking directly at Riu Xian or the gruesome remains of their former master.
Within minutes, they were gone, disappearing back through the shimmering gate, leaving Riu Xian alone in the silent chamber. The silence that followed was almost oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of residual spiritual energy that seemed to emanate from the very walls of the cave and the dripping sound of blood.
Riu Xian walked slowly towards the center of the room, his gaze fixed on the ancient scroll that had once been clutched in Lu Hao's hand. He picked it up, his fingers tracing the faded script on its cover. The strange, familiar feeling surged through him again, stronger now, as if the technique within the scroll was resonating with his very soul, calling out to him.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let the silence settle around him. "This technique," he whispered to himself, "it's more than just a stroke of luck. It's my chance to build a proper foundation, a foundation strong enough to support whatever path I choose in this world." The Foundation Establishment Technique was his. And his alone.