Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

In the critical moment, deep within Shen Mo's consciousness, the long-dormant system interface suddenly emitted a faint light.

[A sharp decline in the host's vital signs has been detected, severely hindering the Foundation Building process. This meets the requirements of Article 3 of the Emergency Assistance Protocol… Initiating the 'Daoist Harmony' auxiliary procedure.]

[Consumes 15% of Karma Points, channeling excess spiritual energy to temporarily strengthen meridian resilience, simulating the Daoist rhythm of 'Flowing Clouds Return to One', assisting in breaking through bottlenecks...]

A cool, balanced, and peaceful strange energy silently flowed into Shen Mo's body. This energy did not directly increase his spiritual power, but rather, like the most skilled guide, precisely regulated the out-of-control and rampant spiritual power, bringing it back on track and subtly strengthening his damaged meridians.

At the same time, an indescribable Daoist charm of "Flowing Clouds," which originated from the same source as the "Flowing Clouds Dao Body" but was even more profound and vast, enveloped his mind, instantly giving him much greater insight into the operation of the technique.

As if struck by a sudden inspiration, Shen Mo subconsciously adjusted the way his spiritual energy impacted. Instead of simply charging and attacking, it became like a surging sea of ​​clouds, sometimes gathering like a dragon, sometimes dispersing like mist, combining strength and gentleness, continuously washing over and penetrating that barrier.

"Click..."

A barely perceptible sound came from deep within. The solid barrier had finally developed a crack!

Shen Mo's spirits lifted, and he immediately seized this fleeting opportunity, gathering all his spiritual power, blood energy, and divine will, transforming them into a final torrent, and launching a final assault on the crack!

"Boom—!"

A deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were being created, exploded in his sea of ​​consciousness! The barrier shattered in response!

Within the dantian, the massive vortex of spiritual energy collapsed and compressed wildly inward, eventually transforming into a drop of crystal-clear liquid true essence, radiating boundless vitality and Daoist charm!

Success! Foundation building successful!

In an instant, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged into his body at an even more frantic speed, not to destroy, but to nourish! Under the cleansing of the spiritual energy, his broken meridians were rapidly repaired, widened, and made more resilient!

The depleted blood and qi were replenished by the newly generated true essence, becoming even more refined and powerful! The sea of ​​consciousness expanded, the power of divine sense surged, and the range and clarity of perception increased several times over!

An ultimate feeling of comfort, like being reborn and leaping to a higher level of life, spread throughout the whole body!

Shen Mo slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable, like a starry sea. He gently clenched his fist, feeling the surging, yet effortless, liquid true essence within his body, and an unprecedented sense of power welled up within him.

His lifespan increased dramatically, his consciousness transformed, and his spiritual power liquefied... From then on, he truly stepped into the threshold of cultivation and gained a foundation to stand in this world!

With a slight thought, he completely concealed his aura, returning to his ordinary appearance. However, his overall demeanor had undergone a fundamental change, gaining a more profound and dignified air of a master.

"System... thank you this time," Shen Mo murmured to himself. Although the system's origins were mysterious and its purpose unclear, without its crucial assistance during this Foundation Establishment stage, the consequences would have been unimaginable. The 15% cost of Causal Points was worth it.

[Duty dictated. Host has successfully established foundation; some system functions have been unlocked, and related databases have been updated. Please check them out yourself.]

Shen Mo temporarily suppressed his desire to explore the system's new functions. His immediate priority was to stabilize his cultivation level and reassure the sect. Although he had tried his best to suppress the commotion of his foundation building, the sudden surge of spiritual energy and the faint fluctuations of Daoist principles just now must have attracted attention.

Sure enough, as soon as he stood up, the restrictions outside the Enlightenment Cave rippled. It was Han Lin and Su Xiao, both breathing heavily, clearly having been waiting anxiously outside.

Shen Mo waved his sleeve and opened the cave entrance.

"Sect Leader!"

"Senior brother!"

Han Lin and Su Xiao rushed in and were stunned to see Shen Mo, who was unharmed and whose aura was unfathomable. Then, a look of ecstasy appeared on their faces!

"Sect Leader! You...you succeeded?!" Han Lin's voice trembled, tears streaming down his face. He knelt down with a thud. "Heaven bless Qingyun! Heaven bless Qingyun!"

Su Xiao's eyes also reddened. She bowed gracefully, her voice choked with emotion, "Congratulations, Senior Brother Sect Leader, on successfully establishing your Foundation! The path to the Great Dao is now within your grasp!"

Shen Mo reached out to help them up, and a gentle force lifted them both up. He smiled and said, "We succeeded by sheer luck, and I'm sorry to have worried Elder Han and Junior Sister Xiao. Thank you all for your hard work during these days of seclusion."

"It's no trouble at all! It's no trouble at all!" Han Lin was so excited he was almost incoherent. "With the sect leader successfully establishing his foundation, our Qingyun Sect now has a true pillar of stability! This is an incredibly joyous occasion!"

The news of Shen Mo's successful Foundation Establishment spread like wildfire throughout the entire Qingyun Mountain!

"The sect leader has successfully completed the Foundation Establishment stage!"

"Really? That's great!"

"A Foundation Establishment Ancestor! Our Qingyun Sect has a Foundation Establishment Ancestor now!"

In an instant, the entire mountain gate erupted in cheers! All the disciples, regardless of their age or location, stopped what they were doing and burst into thunderous applause!

Shi Tie burst out of the secret realm, roared to the sky, and his voice shook the surrounding area; Zhao Qingyan, Li Xiaocao, A Yuan and others also ran out of the alchemy room and the array pavilion, embracing each other and weeping.

Wang Hu, Zhang Daniu, and other disciples were even more excited, waving their arms and legs.

Although the newly initiated disciples did not have as clear a concept of Foundation Establishment as the older disciples, seeing their masters so excited, they knew it was a great thing and cheered along with them.

An unprecedented sense of unity and pride surged within every member of the Qingyun Sect! The sect leader's successful Foundation Establishment meant that the sect truly possessed the confidence to stand firm in the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness! It was no longer the small sect that could be manipulated by others!

Shen Mo strolled out of the Enlightenment Cave and arrived at the mountain peak. Below the mountain, all the disciples had spontaneously gathered in front of the lecture platform, their faces filled with excitement and reverence, their eyes burning as they gazed at the figure in green robes on the mountain peak.

"Greetings, Sect Leader! Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment!" Over a hundred people shouted in unison, their voices booming and soaring into the sky.

Shen Mo's gaze swept over the young and energetic faces below, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He had witnessed the sect's growth during his three years of seclusion. Now, he had successfully established his foundation, and he had finally lived up to those expectations.

"Rise, all of you." Shen Mo's voice was calm, yet clearly reached everyone's ears. "Foundation Establishment is merely a step on the path of cultivation. My successful Foundation Establishment today is a blessing for the sect, and also the result of your diligence. However, the path is long and arduous; only through perseverance can one truly achieve mastery. I hope you will all strive together and ascend to the Great Dao as soon as possible!"

"We will follow the sect leader's teachings!" The disciples responded in unison, their morale soaring.

The news of Shen Mo's successful Foundation Establishment could not be hidden any longer, nor was there any need to. Soon, it spread like wildfire throughout Blackwater Marsh and the surrounding area through various channels.

After receiving the message, Chen Hao, the manager of the Qingtai Market branch of Baibaoge, was stunned for a long time before being overjoyed. He immediately prepared generous gifts and personally went to Qingyun Mountain to offer his congratulations. His attitude was more respectful than ever before, even showing a hint of awe.

The Foundation Establishment Ancestor is already a prominent figure in the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness! The status of the Azure Cloud Sect will be completely different!

Upon receiving the news, Zhao Kuo, the patriarch of the Zhao family in Black Mountain City, dropped his teacup, shattering it on the ground. He remained silent for a long while, then sighed deeply, "Indeed... a hidden dragon has emerged! Issue the order to prepare generous gifts! No, I will go myself! From now on, my Zhao family will follow the lead of the Qingyun Sect!"

Those forces that had grudges against the Qingyun Sect or secretly coveted it, such as the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Profound Yin Sect, and the Black Wind Stronghold, fell into complete silence upon learning the news.

Those who had clashed with Shi Tie and others, including the chief disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the young master of the Profound Yin Sect, and the Black Wind Chieftain Black Wind Sha, looked extremely grim.

With a Foundation Establishment Ancestor in charge, anyone who wants to make a move against the Qingyun Sect will have to think twice about whether it's worth fighting to the death with a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Black Wind Demon secretly rejoiced, realizing how wise it had been to proactively waive the debt of 800 spirit stones—no, 500 spirit stones—back then. He knew that several years had passed; he was already at the sixth level of Qi Refining back then, but now he was still hovering around the seventh level, probably with no hope of ever reaching Foundation Establishment.

The spiritual phenomena and Daoist fluctuations that Shen Mo triggered during his Foundation Establishment were far beyond those of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. His strength was probably not weak even among Foundation Establishment cultivators!

"Qingyun Sect... Shen Mo..." At the Heavenly Sword Sect's headquarters, the Foundation Establishment elder's face was gloomy as he tapped his fingers on the table. "It seems we'll have another formidable opponent at the Heavenly Origin Tournament. Issue the order to suspend all actions against the Qingyun Sect and reassess their threat level."

In an instant, the reputation of Qingyun Sect soared once again following Shen Mo's successful Foundation Establishment, truly establishing it as an undeniable force in the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness. No one dared to look down on it anymore because of its relatively small number of disciples.

A Foundation Establishment Ancestor is the strongest deterrent in himself!

Inside the Enlightenment Cave on Qingyun Mountain.

Shen Mo dismissed everyone and sat alone, feeling the surging power within his body and the newly unlocked information from the system in his mind. Successfully establishing his foundation was merely a new beginning. The expansion of the sect, the training of disciples, the challenges of the Heavenly Origin Tournament, and even the more distant future—all were only just beginning.

"The foundation has been established. The next step is to stabilize the realm, comprehend the foundation-building techniques, and improve the strength of Shi Tie and Su Xiao as soon as possible." Shen Mo's gaze was profound.