Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage is best achieved before the age of sixty. After sixty, the probability of success decreases with each passing year.
This is because the peak period for a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator is from the moment they break through to the late stage until around the age of sixty.
Beyond that, they begin to decline from their peak.
Naturally, the chances of successfully breaking through to Foundation Establishment also start to diminish year by year.
Meng Guan, however, has managed to push his cultivation to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining just as he approaches the age of sixty.
This means that even without a Foundation Essence Pill, he can still attempt to forcefully break through to Foundation Establishment.
Of course, doing so without the aid of pills carries significant risks. If he fails, he could suffer severe injuries or even die, his cultivation path coming to an abrupt end.
But even so, it's still better than having no chance at all.
It's likely that Meng Guan's invitation to He Song and Wei Fan is due to his concerns.
If he fails in his breakthrough and perishes, he would at least have friends nearby to take care of his remains.
Foundation Establishment carries a relatively high mortality rate.
Without protective pills like the Meridian Protection Pill or the Foundation Essence Pill, attempting to break through is extremely dangerous.
Failure could result in severe injuries or instant death.
Generally, cultivators at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining who wish to attempt Foundation Establishment will purchase pills.
Those with good luck might obtain a Foundation Essence Pill, which not only increases the chances of success but also protects the cultivator in case of failure.
Even if the breakthrough fails, the cultivator won't suffer severe injuries and can try again after two years of recovery.
Those with less luck might only be able to afford a Meridian Protection Pill.
While this pill doesn't increase the chances of success, it does protect the cultivator in case of failure.
After taking it, even if the breakthrough fails, the cultivator won't be harmed and can try again after five years of recovery.
Of course, there are also cultivators like Meng Guan, who attempt the breakthrough without any preparation.
For such cultivators, success means becoming a Foundation Establishing True Person, with a greatly extended lifespan.
But failure often results in death, and even those who survive are usually severely injured, losing all hope of ever achieving Foundation Establishment.
Foundation Essence Pills are extremely expensive and rare.
Meridian Protection Pills, while cheaper, are still quite valuable due to their effects.
Given Meng Guan's financial situation, He Song doubts he could afford either.
Meng Guan's invitation serves multiple purposes.
First, he wants his friends by his side.
Second, he hopes He Song and Wei Fan can protect him during the process.
Third, it's likely he wants to see his friends one last time.
"Old Meng has reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, while I've only been at the ninth layer for three years. Sigh…"
As He Song silently stared at the paper in his hand, lost in thought, Wei Fan's voice suddenly reached his ears.
Looking up, He Song saw that the paper in Wei Fan's hand had disappeared, replaced by a look of concern on his face.
Seeing that He Song had also put away his paper, Wei Fan shook his head and let out a bitter laugh.
"This Old Meng… I never thought he'd actually pull it off. If he really breaks through to Foundation Establishment, will we have to start calling him 'Meng the True Person'?"
A strange glint flashed in He Song's eyes.
"If they really called him that, the newly ascended Foundation Establishing Meng would probably make Wei Fan experience the true wrath of a True Person."
But seeing the expression on Wei Fan's face, He Song decided not to voice this thought. Instead, he shook his head and sighed.
"Sigh, over these past fourteen years, Old Meng has clearly endured a lot. I wonder how he managed to persevere."
A five-element spiritual root cultivator.
From needing a Breakthrough Pill just to reach the late stage of Qi Refining…
To advancing from the seventh layer to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining in just fourteen years.
Such a terrifying cultivation speed even made He Song feel a bit ashamed.
It's easy to imagine what Meng Guan must have gone through in Greenwall Immortal City over these fourteen years.
Perhaps he encountered great opportunities.
Perhaps he had some pleasant surprises.
Or perhaps, there were some secrets that He Song wasn't aware of.
In any case, Meng Guan's life-risking journey to Foundation Establishment is now down to its final stretch.
And for this last stretch…
He wants He Song and Wei Fan to witness it with him!
Whether he lives or dies will all depend on this one attempt!
"Who knows? He's been gone for fourteen years without returning. He must have been pushing himself to the limit in Greenwall Immortal City. Just as he said before, he's using his life to carve out a path to Foundation Establishment."
In response to He Song's emotions, Wei Fan also chimed in, but a glimmer of anticipation soon flashed in his eyes.
Upon receiving Meng Guan's invitation, Wei Fan was not only shocked but also began to feel a sense of longing for the Foundation Establishment stage.
His close friend was about to attempt a breakthrough and had invited him to witness it. Naturally, he felt excited.
If he could learn something from Meng Guan's experience…
It would be a great help for his own future journey to Foundation Establishment.
However, when his gaze fell on He Song, a spark of realization flashed in his eyes, and his expression turned to one of astonishment.
Even the words he had been about to say were forgotten.
At this moment…
Wei Fan stared at He Song, his mouth gradually falling open.
"You… you… you've reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining?"
It took a moment for Wei Fan to recover from his shock, and he finally exclaimed in disbelief.
Even though he had already used his Spirit Eye Technique to confirm He Song's current cultivation level, he still wanted to hear it directly from He Song.
As far as he remembered…
He Song had only broken through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining five years ago.
And now…
In just five years, He Song had advanced from the sixth layer to the seventh layer.
What kind of speed was this?
Wei Fan himself had spent several years just trying to break through the bottleneck from the sixth to the seventh layer!
Several years!
Not to mention the time it took to go from the sixth layer to the peak of the sixth layer—that had also taken him several years.
All in all, it had taken Wei Fan around ten years to go from breaking through to the sixth layer to successfully reaching the seventh layer.
And He Song?
Five years! He Song had only needed five years to advance from the sixth layer to the seventh layer.
This was the seventh layer of Qi Refining!
The late stage of Qi Refining!
In the immortal city, this was considered a high-level cultivation.
"Yes, I just finished consolidating my cultivation today and came to find you, Brother Wei."
Facing Wei Fan's incredulous gaze, He Song didn't notice anything unusual and replied calmly.
In He Song's view, spending four and a half years to reach the peak of the sixth layer and then another half a year to break through the bottleneck to the late stage was completely normal.
Being stuck at a bottleneck for half a year felt like an eternity to He Song, who had never experienced such a thing before.
But…
He had no idea that for other cultivators, breaking through a bottleneck could take several times, or even more than ten times, as long as it had taken him!
(End of Chapter)