"…Are you ready to attempt Foundation Establishment?"
Hearing these words, Luo Feibai was momentarily stunned, but his expression quickly turned to one of intense excitement and resolve.
"I am fully prepared. Even if I fail, I will not back down!"
He was a man who valued his life and naturally had concerns about the potential consequences of failing to establish his Foundation consequences that could be serious or even crippling.
But compared to that, the power and extended lifespan that came with reaching Foundation Establishment were far more tempting.
Over the years, Li Ye had occasionally gifted pills to him and other subordinates, allowing their cultivation to advance rapidly.
Yet after Luo Feibai reached the peak of Qi Refining, Li Ye stopped mentioning anything about Foundation Establishment. Whether it was to avoid sharing his authority and influence, or due to lingering doubts about Luo Feibai's loyalty, he couldn't be sure.
As for the idea that Li Ye might not have any Foundation Establishment pills, Luo Feibai never even considered it.
After all, at the auctions Li Ye hosted, pills like the Gathering Spirit Pill an essential item for Foundation Establishment had been sold many times, each time sparking fierce bidding wars.
While the number of cultivators who succeeded with it was limited, it was enough to show that if Li Ye wanted to bestow one, it would be a mere matter of will.
In fact, with Luo Feibai's accumulated wealth over the years, it wasn't out of reach for him to acquire one himself.
But he had never dared to act on his own. Day after day, year after year, he had continued to serve Li Ye diligently, never showing even a hint of impatience or ambition.
And now, finally, Li Ye had spoken!
"In that case, since you've served faithfully over the years… I'll grant you this Foundation Establishment Pill."
Li Ye smiled lightly as he placed a small jade bottle on the table.
Luo Feibai's assumptions weren't wrong Li Ye had been evaluating his loyalty.
But the real reason was that now, having advanced to mid-stage Foundation Establishment himself and armed with numerous techniques, spiritual tools, and with the grand formation soon to be upgraded to the third tier, he no longer felt threatened by anyone beneath him.
Even if someone under his command broke through to Foundation Establishment, it wouldn't pose the slightest threat.
And should anyone dare defy him, he could snuff them out with a flick of his hand.
With that confidence, he no longer minded giving out something as valuable as a Foundation Establishment Pill it wouldn't attract unwanted attention anymore.
Besides, with fire beasts appearing all over the region and even rumors of Foundation Establishment-level fire beasts surfacing from the underground fire veins, someone had to take over the heavy lifting.
He couldn't be expected to run around putting out fires himself, after all.
Even though Li Ye didn't say all this aloud, Luo Feibai could guess most of it aside from the fact that Li Ye had broken through to the mid-stage.
But at that moment, when the pill appeared on the table, all other thoughts vanished from Luo Feibai's mind.
A Foundation Establishment Pill!
The Alliance Leader truly has deep reserves…
This time, what Li Ye took out wasn't the Gathering Spirit Pill or some other common Foundation Establishment item Luo Feibai had expected
but an authentic, genuine Foundation Establishment Pill!
Luo Feibai immediately dropped to his knees with a deep bow.
"I am unworthy of the Alliance Leader's generous gift. If I succeed in breaking through, I will gladly face fire and death for you without hesitation!"
Li Ye casually lifted a hand, and a wisp of spiritual force helped him up. At the same time, a jade slipped and the pill flew over to Luo Feibai.
"This contains some of my insights into the breakthrough process. Study it well before attempting Foundation Establishment… now go prepare."
"I will not disappoint the Alliance Leader!"
Luo Feibai carefully accepted both items and gave another deep bow before taking his leave.
Once he was gone, the four servant girls arrived with the meal prepared.
Under their gentle and attentive service, Li Ye finished eating and then enjoyed a pleasant time of relaxation. The tension built up over his days of seclusion melted away completely.
Feeling refreshed, he stood up and walked over to the spiritual fields.
Lush green and vivid crimson instantly filled his vision.
In two plots, the Jade Cluster Fruit vines were supported on trellises. Their dark-purple leaves bore plump, lustrous fruits, glowing faintly with spiritual energy visibly tempting.
On the other side, a full acre of Blood Amber Flowers bloomed brilliantly, their petals forming dazzling shapes. Hints of beasts and humanoid figures flickered within, as though the flowers themselves were resonating with the energy of hosts yet to be born.
"With my Tier 3 planting technique, plus trait bonuses, these fields are saturated with spiritual energy and vitality…"
"These spirit herbs grow far more efficiently than ordinary ones already suitable for alchemy."
Walking through the fields, Li Ye carefully examined the plants, a satisfied glint in his eyes.
"The Wood Vitality Pill recipe just needs a little adjustment either extend the age of the main herb or increase the spiritual essence content… it can still support cultivation into the later stages of Foundation Establishment."
"Though these Jade Cluster Fruits are still young, with further cultivation, perhaps in ten years their spiritual feedback will shift… enough to meet my alchemical needs!"
This was the same logic as the changes brought about by the Voidrealm Tree.
Though he hadn't harvested any of the herbs yet, the long-term nurturing of the plants still generated fixed spiritual feedback boosting Li Ye's cultivation traits over time.
The only unexpected thing was the [Wood Spirit] trait. Even after reaching Tier 2, while its effect on nurturing wood-type spirit herbs had improved, it still hadn't triggered the summoning of a Wood Spirit.
Li Ye was starting to wonder what exactly this "Wood Spirit" referred to. Despite planting all kinds of spirit grasses and spirit rice, not once had it been activated!
Compared to his newly acquired [Toxicity] trait, its practical value was starting to feel a bit disappointing.
[Toxicity]: You possess keen observation and control over plant-based toxins. Poisonous spirit herbs you cultivate and care for will accumulate more potent toxins and may have a chance to upgrade their toxic properties.
Thanks to this trait, Li Ye gained a much deeper understanding of poisons like Peachblossom Miasma, Blood-Melting Pill, and Bone-Withering Powder. When refining these poisons with spiritual essence, the patterns on the resulting pills showed excellent quality.
Leveraging this understanding, he developed a brand-new poisonous miasma formation and embedded it into his larger array system!
Even without elevating the entire formation to Tier 3, this toxic formation was already capable of killing multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators in one blow!
And those who died from this mixed miasma would have their bodies completely dissolved, leaving no trace behind. It made for perfect nourishment for the Voidrealm Tree, with no risk of discovery.
"Hm… with the current state of the Chidi Mountain Range, this setup might come in handy."
Drawing his mind back from idle thoughts, Li Ye focused on the information he'd reviewed earlier.
The cultivation world across the Four Nations hadn't changed much.
Yue and Huan continued their ongoing tug-of-war against the demonic tribes of the secret realm. More and more cultivators were turning to demonic cultivation and forging ties with those tribes. As long as the two sects' Core Formation elders remained alive, this precarious balance seemed likely to become the new norm.
The Jiuding Valley in Jing Country remained firmly in control, with no significant disturbances.
Only in the Thousand Isles Water City, rumors about the aging Core Formation Lord nearing the end of his lifespan were becoming increasingly widespread.
However, considering the city still had a Tier 3 Black Flood Dragon as its backing, Li Ye suspected that the old lord might be fishing, lying in wait for someone to make a move so he could take them down with him.
While the Four Nations remained relatively stable, the lava palace's sealing arrays were reaching their limits.
Spiritual energy from underground flame passages and molten caverns had begun leaking to the surface. Fire beasts were showing signs of emerging.
Li Ye figured it wouldn't be long before other factions noticed the unusual activity in the region…
Whether the lava palace was discovered or even broke through the earth under the influence of those weakening arrays was probably only a matter of time.
"…But I still haven't gotten my Profound Fire Essence yet!"
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