For any cultivator, regardless of their Spirit Root affinity, the path after reaching Foundation Establishment simplifies into one singular obsession: accumulation.

Jiang Chen’s internal state had undergone a drastic transformation. The nine drops of liquid Wood Spirit Power in his Dantian had merged into a cohesive pool. This wasn’t just a change in quantity; the quality, density, and sheer potency of his spiritual power had at least doubled.

He was now firmly in the Mid-Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Yet, he didn’t stop. He continued to ravenously devour the ambient, attribute-less Spirit Qi.

While his Wood affinity had crossed the threshold, his Fire affinity was lagging woefully behind. Before today, he lacked a source of Fire Qi, leaving him with only a single drop of liquid fire in his Dantian.

This eruption was a godsend. The geyser of neutral Spirit Qi could be converted into any element. It was a buffet he couldn’t afford to walk away from.

Sizzle.

Inside his Dantian, the Fire Spirit Power occupying the other half of his energy sea began to rise.

One drop. Two drops. Five. Seven…

He was closing in on the critical ninth drop.

Suddenly, a thunderous shout rolled over the cavern from the entrance.

“Anyone without an Earth Spirit Root, get out! I don’t care who you are—leave immediately!”

Jiang Chen cracked one eye open, glancing over his shoulder.

A massive figure strode onto the platform. The man was encased in gleaming yellow armor, his stature towering and broad. He had eyes like bronze bells and an aura as heavy as a collapsing cliff. He didn’t look like a man; he looked like a walking mountain.

“That’s Yang Zhenyue,” Tie Xin whispered, her voice tight. “He’s the Manager of the Earth Vein. If he’s clearing the area, you have to go.”

Jiang Chen frowned. If this were a regular disciple or even a Formation Master, Tie Xin might have been able to negotiate. But a Manager held status and power superior even to some Core Disciples. And looking at Yang Zhenyue’s aggressive posture, his background was likely far from simple.

Jiang Chen calculated rapidly. I can’t leave yet.

“But I’m about to break through to Foundation Establishment!” Jiang Chen lied through his teeth—or rather, twisted the truth.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He needed to push his Fire affinity to the Mid-Stage right now. With both affinities balanced, his combat power would skyrocket, potentially allowing him to contend with Late-Stage cultivators. Even aside from combat, a stronger Fire affinity was invaluable for “slash-and-burn” farming techniques and pill concocting.

Yang Zhenyue was already shoving people toward the exit. Tie Xin sighed, resigning herself to the difficult task of mediation, and walked over to the towering manager.

Yang Zhenyue arched a thick eyebrow. “Tie Xin? Why aren’t you out there devouring the Yellow Earth Essence? What do you want?”

Tie Xin pointed back at Jiang Chen, who was sitting cross-legged in the corner. “That man is a friend of mine. Wood Spirit Root.”

Yang Zhenyue didn’t even look. “Tell him to scram.”

“I can’t,” Tie Xin said hurriedly. “He’s right on the edge of breaking through to Foundation Establishment!”

Yang Zhenyue paused.

In the cultivation world, interrupting a breakthrough was a massive taboo. The slightest disturbance could cause a backlash, leading to cultivation deviation or even death. Even if the guy was just a lowly Spirit Farmer in the Qi Condensation stage, causing a disciple’s death during a breakthrough was a headache Yang Zhenyue didn’t want.

Yang Zhenyue frowned and marched toward Jiang Chen. Tie Xin followed nervously.

Jiang Chen felt the heavy footsteps approaching but didn’t flinch. He kept his [Green Lotus Art] running at maximum output, sucking in the neutral Qi like a dying man gasping for air.

Since the Qi was attribute-less until refined inside the body, outsiders couldn’t tell he was converting it into Fire energy. To them, it just looked like a massive intake of power.

Yang Zhenyue stopped beside him, his eyes narrowing. He scanned Jiang Chen up and down. The kid was indeed overflowing with erratic Wood Spirit Qi.

Just to be safe, Yang Zhenyue expanded his consciousness.

Whoosh.

A heavy, suffocating pressure descended—the divine sense of a Golden Core cultivator.

It swept through Jiang Chen, checking his meridians and aura. Jiang Chen’s absorption speed was frantic, his aura unstable—all classic signs of a breakthrough.

“Manager?” Tie Xin asked tentatively.

Yang Zhenyue withdrew his senses, though he still looked suspicious. There was something odd about this kid, but he couldn’t pin it down. “Fine. Let him finish. Once he breaks through, he leaves.”

Tie Xin exhaled, her shoulders slumping. “Thank you.”

If Yang Zhenyue had insisted, her only remaining card would have been to name-drop Chen Tian, hoping the Manager would give face to a Core Disciple. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that.

Jiang Chen heard the reprieve and mentally grinned. He focused inward.

Drop nine.

The final drop of Fire Spirit Power condensed. Just like the Wood energy before it, the nine drops trembled, gravitated toward each other, and collided.

Roar.

They merged, fusing into a bubbling, volatile pool of liquid fire.

[Fire Affinity: Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage]

However, the equilibrium in his Dantian was immediately threatened. The new pool of Fire seemed hungry, aggressively trying to encroach upon and devour the Wood energy. Jiang Chen mentally slapped it down, stabilizing the two forces. I’ll have to keep an eye on that.

Now came the performance.

He had achieved his goal, but he needed to sell the lie to justify his stay.

Jiang Chen ceased the suppression he usually placed on his aura. He let the raw power of his Wood affinity flood his meridians and erupt outward.

BOOM!

A shockwave of green, vibrant energy blasted from his body, announcing his “ascension” to the world.

“Foundation Establishment!”

“Wait, is that a Wood Spirit Root?”

The sudden eruption of pressure drew the eyes of every disciple remaining on the platform. Their expressions shifted from annoyance to naked envy.

The gap between Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment was a chasm. It wasn’t just about power; it was about status.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator received a monthly stipend of one Mid-grade Spirit Stone and a bottle of Foundation Spirit Pills. For a Spirit Farmer, the benefits were even crazier: automatic allocation of a mu of Second-Grade Spirit Farmland, with more land granted for every subsequent minor breakthrough.

In the eyes of the crowd, this lucky kid had just struck gold.

Jiang Chen stood up, dusted off his robes, and bowed with a bright, grateful smile. “Thank you, Manager Yang! Thank you, Senior Sister Han!”

Tie Xin rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful.

Yang Zhenyue’s expression remained stony. “Congratulations. Now get out. The Earth Vein is unstable.”

“Leaving immediately,” Jiang Chen promised.

He turned to Tie Xin and discretely pressed the items into her hands—the half-drunk gourd of Golden Wine and the full twenty-five catties of high-grade Spirit Wine. Then, without looking back, he strode toward the exit.

Tie Xin weighed the containers in her hand. Thirty catties total? She smirked. At least the brat has a conscience.

“What are you standing there for?” Yang Zhenyue barked at her. “He’s gone. Go absorb the essence!”

Tie Xin flinched, stowed the wine, and grabbed her compass. She leaped off the platform, joining the fray.

Watching her go, Yang Zhenyue turned his attention to the chaotic cloud of yellow mist. He opened his right hand.

A rough, blue-black stone materialized in his palm. It looked heavy, ancient, and indestructible. Six glowing characters were etched into its surface.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the stone into the void.

It shot toward the yellow mist like a meteor. Upon reaching the center of the cloud, it halted and pulsed.

Hum.

An invisible force field expanded outward.

Instantly, the erratic, deadly Yellow Earth Essence slowed down, its movement speed reduced by fifty percent. Simultaneously, every Earth Spirit Root disciple within the field felt a shimmering barrier wrap around them, boosting their pressure resistance by fifty percent.

The hunt was on.