My Portable Spirit Farm: Rise of the Humble Servant

Chapter 244: Successful Foundation Establishment

A violent storm of Qi erupted within the cave dwelling.

The Top-Grade third-tier Spirit Gathering Array was fully activated. The dense ambient Qi liquefied into a thick spiritual mist, completely engulfing Bai Zhi’s silhouette.

Chen Ping stood guard nearby, his expression grim. His Divine Sense was coiled and ready to strike, prepared to intervene at the first sign of disaster.

Time bled away, day by day. The Foundation Establishment process was a grueling, protracted war of attrition.

Through the thick mist, Chen Ping watched Bai Zhi’s brows knit together in agony. Her frail body trembled, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she waged a desperate, silent battle against the horrors of the Inner Demon tribulation.

Several times, her aura flickered, growing dangerously weak and chaotic. Chen Ping’s muscles tensed, fighting the overwhelming urge to step in.

But she held on. Whether it was the sheer, overpowering medicinal efficacy of the Top-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill, the invisible anchor of Chen Ping’s presence, or the mental resilience she had regained during her three-day slumber—she dragged herself back from the edge of the abyss time and time again.

Half a month later, the Qi fluctuations hit their absolute zenith.

The spiritual mist formed a frantic vortex, funneling directly into Bai Zhi’s Dantian. A blinding cyan radiance exploded from her flesh, pulsing in rhythmic, crushing waves like a roaring tide. The light blazed relentlessly from sunrise until dusk.

When she finally drew the last shred of light back into her body, the heavy, suffocating spiritual pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator washed over the room.

Bai Zhi slowly opened her eyes.

A profound, translucent light swam in her pupils. Her entire presence had been reforged. The naive, fragile girl was gone, replaced by a cultivator of ethereal, tranquil grace. Though her face remained thin, it radiated a breathtaking vitality.

She immediately locked eyes with Chen Ping, her expression lighting up with irrepressible joy.

“Chen Ping! I did it!”

Chen Ping exhaled a quiet breath, a faint, genuine smile touching his lips. “How do you feel? How many drops of True Essence did you condense?”

Bai Zhi cast her Inner Sight inward. A distinctly proud, eager grin spread across her face, like a student presenting a perfect exam score. “Quite a few. Eighteen drops of True Essence!”

To her, this was a staggering achievement, far exceeding the average newly advanced cultivator.

Eighteen drops?! Chen Ping’s smile froze. A heavy silence descended upon him.

Even with a mind tempered like cold iron, he couldn’t stop a sharp pang of absolute, sour envy from twisting his gut.

Comparing yourself to others is just asking for a heart demon. He remembered his own breakthrough. He had scraped by, bleeding and exhausted, pushing past his absolute limits just to squeeze out a measly six drops.

And this girl had casually formed eighteen?

Judging by her bright, energetic face, she hadn’t even hit her limit yet. Her innate talent was monstrous.

He forcefully swallowed his bitterness, wiping the smile off his face to adopt a strict, authoritative tone. “Eighteen drops is respectable, but do not grow complacent! The amount of True Essence you condense now dictates the absolute ceiling of your future path. Your foundation is deep, and your Potential is not yet exhausted. Push through. Condense every single drop you can. Do not waste the ambient Qi and the Pill’s residual power.”

Bai Zhi blinked. She had been thrilled with eighteen and wanted nothing more than to end her cultivation so she could properly celebrate with him. Instead, she got a scolding.

But she knew Chen Ping was looking out for her. Without a hint of annoyance, she nodded obediently. “Yes, Senior Brother. I understand!”

She closed her eyes, recentered her focus, and viciously drove her cultivation technique, devouring the remaining ambient Qi.

Hours passed. Finally, when her Dantian felt bloated to the point of bursting and her Meridians throbbed with a dull ache, she stopped. She had squeezed every last drop of Potential from her body.

She opened her eyes, exhausted but ecstatic. “Senior Brother Chen, I’ve truly hit my limit! Twenty drops!”

Twenty drops. This was the foundation of an absolute genius. An ordinary cultivator peaked at six. Nine was outstanding. Eighteen was a prodigy. Twenty meant her talent eclipsed even the elite.

“I wonder,” Chen Ping asked softly, a rare hint of teasing bleeding into his voice, “what exactly is Elder Bai’s Spirit Root?”

Bai Zhi raised her pale hand, balling it into a fist and waving it in the air. “Hmph! This Elder is a genius with a dual Spirit Root! You commoners should be kneeling in worship!”

Seeing her smug, radiant expression, Chen Ping actually laughed. She was naturally vibrant, a stark contrast to the grim, tight-lipped cultivators he usually dealt with.

“Congratulations, Genius Bai,” Chen Ping said, nodding respectfully. “With such a profound foundation, the Violet Palace is within your grasp, and the Golden Core is only a matter of time.”

“Hmph. Keep the flattery coming, Chen Ping. When this Immortal ascends to the heavens, I’ll be sure to toss you some scraps!” Bai Zhi flashed a brilliant, toothy grin.

They bantered playfully for a few moments, the heavy atmosphere of the past month finally breaking.

Then, Bai Yuan’s voice transmission pierced the cave’s barrier. He already knew she had succeeded, had notified the family, and was demanding she come out immediately to return home with him.

The playful atmosphere vanished.

Chen Ping’s expression hardened, returning to his usual, paranoid severity. He looked at her dead in the eye.

“The Top-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill I gave you… I expect you, Elder Bai, to keep it an absolute secret. Do not breathe a word of it to anyone. It will only invite unnecessary trouble.”

Bai Zhi nodded fiercely, her expression dead serious. “You don’t have to worry, Chen Ping. I won’t tell a soul. Not even my father or eldest brother.”

She wasn’t stupid. That Pill hadn’t just saved her life; it represented an enormous, terrifying risk Chen Ping had taken for her sake. During her breakthrough, when the Inner Demon had nearly dragged her into the abyss, it was the vast, gentle power of that Pill that had pulled her back every single time. Her gratitude was immeasurable.

As she looked at him, her eyes softened, brimming with an affection so deep it practically spilled over.

But then, she gingerly reined it in.

Her brother’s transmission was a harsh reminder of reality. The family politics, the factions, the peering eyes—she couldn’t drag him into that mess.

Taking a deep breath, she forced her face into a carefree, naive smile, deliberately injecting a breezy, casual tone into her voice.

“I really owe you for this one, Chen Ping! But great kindness doesn’t need to be spoken. If you ever need a favor in the future, just say the word!”

She was forcibly resetting their dynamic, pushing them back into the safe, defined boundaries of ‘friends and business partners’, deliberately putting distance between them.

Chen Ping’s sharp eyes immediately caught the subtle shift.

At first, he was slightly taken aback, but a second later, he understood. This girl is much smarter than I gave her credit for. By establishing this boundary, she was shielding him from the inevitable scrutiny of her family. It saved him a mountain of trouble.

Playing along, he offered a faint, polite smile. “Elder Bai is too polite. It was merely a small effort.”

A sharp pang of bitterness twisted in Bai Zhi’s chest, but her smile remained perfectly intact.