Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

While successfully absorbing the remnants of the Zhao family, sending disciples out for training, and making a fortune from the war through secret channels, the sect's pillar of strength—Sect Leader Shen Mo—chose to quietly go into seclusion at this seemingly troubled juncture.

The message was only circulated among a small circle of core high-ranking officials. The heavy stone door of the Enlightenment Cave slowly closed, isolating it from all outside noise.

Inside the cave, the luminous pearl emitted a soft and stable halo, illuminating Shen Mo's calm and composed face in every detail.

He sat cross-legged on the central spirit-gathering array eye, his aura restrained to the extreme, as if he had merged with the rocks beneath him and the entire mountain's spiritual veins.

With the external situation temporarily stable and internal affairs being handled by Su Xiao, Han Lin, and others, and the clandestine trading of war supplies on track, he had gained a rare and precious period of time without being disturbed.

At the late Foundation Establishment stage, a chasm that has blocked countless talented cultivators, he must attempt to cross. This is not only about personal strength, but also about whether the entire sect can have the most basic self-protection in the upcoming, potentially even greater storm that will sweep through Golden Core cultivators.

"System, retrieve my current physical condition data, spiritual energy reserves, spiritual consciousness strength, as well as my understanding of the Foundation Establishment chapter of 'Flowing Cloud Dao Body,' the core essence of 'Small Nine Palaces Flowing Cloud Array,' and the depth of my comprehension of Flowing Cloud True Man's miscellaneous array techniques. Conduct a comprehensive evaluation and deduce the success rate and optimal path to break through the bottleneck of the late Foundation Establishment stage." Shen Mo silently recited in his mind, his consciousness sinking into a state of emptiness.

[Command received. Full scan in progress... Data integration and analysis... Induction commencement...]

[Spiritual Energy Reserves: 1357 standard units (Critical threshold for mid-stage Foundation Establishment: 1200), Purity: 92.7%, Status: Full.]

[Divine Sense Strength: 148 Marks (Peak of Mid-Foundation Establishment: 130), Condensation: Excellent.]

[Comprehension of Daoist Techniques: Mastery of the Foundation Establishment Chapter of "Flowing Cloud Dao Body": 87%, Compatibility: 91%; Comprehension of Formations (Overall): 78%.]

[Bottleneck Intensity Assessment: Extremely High (Affected by the unique nature of the practice and potential karmic consequences).]

[Comprehensive Analysis: The current state has reached the threshold for breakthrough. Optimal Path: With a mindset of 'flowing clouds and myriad phenomena,' guide spiritual energy to form a sea, condensing the 'True Essence Core.' Some 'karmic obstacles' must be resolved first. Estimated Success Rate: 38.5%. Risks: Spiritual energy backlash (moderate), damage to divine consciousness (mild), bottleneck solidification (low probability).]

A success rate of 38.5%... not high, but within an acceptable range. Shen Mo remained calm. He knew all too well that the path of cultivation was inherently defying the heavens, and there was never any guarantee of success.

The fact that we have a nearly 40% chance of success is thanks to system support, a solid foundation, and a large amount of resources accumulated recently.

As for the so-called "karmic obstacles"... a faint smile appeared on his lips. Perhaps this was the key issue he needed to address during this seclusion.

The so-called cause and effect includes both the backlash brought about by "fabricating myths" in order to gain a foothold in the early years (such as the Xuan Yin Sect coming to the door), and the karma sown in recent times in order to protect oneself and shift the blame (intensifying the bloody war between the two factions).

These invisible ties may not be apparent in normal times, but at crucial moments when attempting to break through to higher realms, they can become nourishment for inner demons, hindering the purity and sublimation of spiritual power and divine consciousness.

"Misfortune and fortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself." Shen Mo silently recited the Taoist scriptures in his heart, and his consciousness began to sink infinitely, as if he were diving into a vast and boundless "inner world".

This is not the actual dantian or qi sea, but rather a reflection of his own path of cultivation, visualized by his divine consciousness.

In the past, this "world" was shrouded in clouds and mist, representing the foundation of the "Flowing Cloud Dao Body". However, some discordant "shadows" and "ripples" could be vaguely seen among the clouds and mist, which were the manifestation of "cause and effect karma".

Some shadows are faint, like the cause of the Xuan Yin Sect; others are deep and turbulent, like the karma formed from the flowing blood of the Black Wind Mountains.

"Resolving karma is not about erasing it, but about 'understanding' and 'bearing' it." Shen Mo's consciousness, like the lofty Heavenly Dao, calmly examined these "shadows."

He did not attempt to forcibly dispel them, as that would only provoke a more violent backlash. Instead, he gently touched them with his divine sense to sense the "information" contained within.

Touching the shadow of the Xuan Yin Sect, one senses greed and a predatory desire disguised as something else, but also a trace of obsession with the lost heritage.

Shen Mo "saw" that the root of this shadow lay in the "seeds" he had sown years ago in order to protect himself and establish his authority.

He understood that the cause had been sown and the effect had manifested. He could only accept this "fate" with equanimity and transform it into a "driving force" to make the sect stronger, rather than a "burden" on his heart.

With a thought, the shadow seemed to be sorted out by an invisible force. Although it did not disappear, it was no longer agitated and slowly settled down, transforming into part of a certain heavy foundation that supports "heaven and earth".

Upon touching that profound karma representing the bloody battle in the Black Wind Mountains, countless screams, roars, and thoughts of despair surged forth like a tide!

That was the resentment of the cultivators on both sides of the battle before their deaths, the fear of the innocent victims, and the mournful cry of the earth weeping blood! Even with Shen Mo's composure, his divine sense trembled slightly.

But he held fast to a clear mind, neither resisting nor judging, simply watching these scenes flow by like an observer.

He saw the horrific scene brought back by the Stone Iron Squad, he saw the mercy of Fairy Mingyue's sword, and he also saw his own cold-blooded plan and decisive action that stirred up the storm.

Karma arose because of him, but he was not a butcher; he was merely making a move to survive in this cruel world of cultivation.

This karma is both a price to pay and a warning. If one is soft-hearted and lenient, the Qingyun Sect might be the one suffering bloodshed today. If one becomes obsessed with power struggles, one will ultimately lose sight of one's true path.

"The player of the game is also part of the game. Only by understanding cause and effect can one attain true freedom." A sudden realization dawned on me.

With his powerful divine sense, Shen Mo forcibly restrained and compressed this profound karmic force, not eliminating it, but "sealing" it in a corner deep within his heart, like engraving a warning mark on his Dao heart. It still existed, but it could no longer easily disturb his state of mind.

With the main "karmic shadows" being initially sorted out and settled, the entire "inner world" seemed much clearer, the flowing clouds and mist became smoother and more natural, and the connection with external spiritual energy became more acute.

The time has come!

Shen Mo's consciousness returned to his physical body, and he formed hand seals, fully activating the Foundation Establishment chapter of the "Flowing Cloud Dao Body" cultivation technique! Inside the Enlightenment Cave, the dense spiritual energy that had accumulated for so long seemed to have found an outlet, surging wildly into his body!

Within the dantian, the originally calm liquid true essence began to boil and rotate violently. At the center, a tiny vortex radiating brilliant light began to form—the prototype of the true essence core!

Condensing the core is a key milestone in entering the late stage of Foundation Establishment. This means that the true essence will transform from a "gaseous" and "liquid" state to a more advanced "solid core," resulting in a qualitative leap in the total amount, purity, and recovery speed of spiritual power!

This process is extremely dangerous, requiring absolute control over spiritual energy. The slightest mistake will result in an unstable core, a runaway true essence, and a shattered dantian!