Wang Hao extended his finger, and as the True Essence within his body surged, a flickering flame ignited at the tip. Though small, the heat it radiated was terrifyingly intense, several times hotter than second-grade spirit charcoal.

He retrieved the Chaos Earth Seal from his storage bag and released the Red Lotus True Fire to envelop and refine it. He watched as the residual, shell-like encrustations on the seal gradually began to dissolve under the heat.

“Is it working?” Wang Hao’s face lit up with joy. He increased the intensity of the True Fire, and the majority of the attachments melted into a black liquid. However, some sections still clung stubbornly to the seal’s surface.

Wang Hao pushed the Red Lotus True Fire to its current maximum output, but it remained unable to strip away the remaining material. Reluctantly, he had to give up for now.

Despite this, the revealed portion of the Chaos Earth Seal was enough to delight him. It was covered in dense, intricate golden seal script—characters he could not comprehend at all.

Wang Hao knew that the more unusual an item was, the higher its potential value. If it were inscribed with ordinary text, it would suggest the seal was merely a common magic treasure.

However, since he could not understand a single character and even felt dizzy after prolonged observation, it indicated this was likely a treasure of the fourth rank or higher—perhaps even a fourth-rank ancient treasure. Either way, he had certainly gained a fortune.

Although the Red Lotus True Fire could not fully reveal the seal’s true form yet, Wang Hao believed that as his cultivation advanced and his flame grew stronger, he would one day see its complete appearance.

A month had passed since he entered the secret chamber. Remembering that Wang Yanzhao was still waiting outside, Wang Hao prepared to leave.

Seeing Wang Hao emerge, Wang Yanzhao hurried over to inquire about his progress. Wang Hao briefly explained his experience. It was largely similar to the accounts of the Wang Family ancestors, though he noted he had faced more illusions during the Divine Consciousness trial.

Seeing him unharmed, Wang Yanzhao didn’t dwell on the details. He assumed that Wang Hao’s years living in the market district had provided more life experiences, naturally resulting in more complex illusions.

Wang Yanzhao gave Wang Hao a meaningful glance, then turned to Wang Yanfeng. “Eighth Brother, do you see? Foundation Establishment isn’t such a daunting hurdle. You have a Foundation Establishment Pill and possess a triple Spiritual Root. Aren’t your prospects much better than Wang Hao’s? What do you think about going in? I’ll protect you!”

Wang Hao, catching the hint, immediately chimed in. “Eighth Uncle, Old Wang is right. As long as your Dao-heart is firm, success is certain. The beast tide is coming soon. Facing it at the Qi Refining stage would be far more dangerous.”

Wang Yanfeng nodded solemnly. “I understand. I will succeed!” Seeing his nephew surpass him had made an impact. According to the custom of respecting higher cultivation, he would technically have to address Wang Hao as Senior.

“Exactly! That’s the spirit,” Wang Yanzhao encouraged. They offered a few more words of support before seeing Wang Yanfeng into the cave abode.

Once he was gone, Wang Hao turned back. “Old Wang, were all four of the family’s Foundation Establishment Pills used this time?”

“No, the other two are stored in the clan treasury,” Wang Yanzhao said, shaking his head. “Without rules, there is no order. Even my pill was exchanged for contributions earned over a decade of alchemy. There are several in the family ready for the breakthrough, but their contributions are insufficient.”

In Wang Hao’s view, this practice worked for large sects, but for the struggling Wang Family, it was counterproductive. One more Foundation Establishment cultivator meant one more pillar of strength.

Currently, the family’s experts had to guard the spirit mountain and couldn’t hunt or explore. Without trials, they couldn’t gain benefits; without benefits, the family couldn’t grow. He voiced these thoughts to his elder.

“You’re not wrong,” Wang Yanzhao admitted. “But with only two pills and several candidates, who gets one? Favoritism could damage family unity. Furthermore, if too many Foundation Establishment cultivators appear at once, the Qingyuan Sect will get suspicious. The secret of the Essence Condensing Fruit tree would be at risk.”

Wang Hao thought for a moment. “Then use the upcoming beast tide as an assessment. Announce that the next batch of pills purchased from the Qingyuan Sect will go to those who perform best.

As for the sect… my suggestion is that after the tide, the family should secretly relocate some clansmen to develop elsewhere. Send the Foundation Establishment candidates out to make their breakthroughs in distant places. If done cleanly, the Qingyuan Sect won’t notice.”

Wang Yanzhao pondered this. “That is a viable method. Now that you have reached Foundation Establishment, you can participate in family decisions. We will discuss this with the Old Ancestor and Sixth Uncle later.”

He continued, “The disturbance you caused earlier alarmed many. I’ve already announced your success publicly. You should go meet them and settle their hearts.”

The commotion had been too big to hide. Since the Qingyuan Sect had tens of thousands of cultivators and many found ways to establish their foundations outside the sect, Wang Hao’s breakthrough wouldn’t attract immediate scrutiny.

The two arrived at Ruojun Mountain’s main hall. Many members of the Wang Family were waiting anxiously. When the news was confirmed, a great rejoicing ensued. Some of the older members even wept with joy.

Within a family, there is always some discord, yet every member thrives when the clan prospers. Familial cohesion often surpassed what any sect could offer because it was built on blood and the future of their descendants.

To keep the Essence Condensing Fruit and the hidden pills a secret, the official story was that Wang Hao had achieved a self-attained breakthrough without using a pill. The news sent shockwaves through the crowd.

A self-attained Foundation Establishment? Among hundreds who reached that stage, perhaps only one or two accomplished such a feat. Over the years, several in the clan had tried; all had failed.

Now, one had actually succeeded. The Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivators who had no hope of obtaining a pill surrounded Wang Hao, eyes gleaming with desperate hope, wishing to learn his secret.

The situation was awkward. Even a thick-skinned man like Wang Hao felt his face flush. “Ahem!”

A simple cough brought instant silence. Every ear was pinned back, awaiting his wisdom.

Wang Hao realized he had to fabricate a story—one that emphasized the extreme danger, lest he lead his relatives to their deaths. Combining his experience with texts he had read, he wove a tale of harrowing mental and physical trials.

He concluded with a warning: “Although I succeeded without a Foundation Establishment Pill, I still required a Vein Protection Pill. Without it, my meridians would have ruptured during the True Essence condensation phase. Even then, I sustained injuries. I urge everyone to exercise extreme caution.”

The crowd nodded, hanging on every word. One clansman asked, “Elder, are Vein Protection Pills available in the treasury? How many contributions do they cost?”

Wang Yanzhao stepped in. “The Vein Protection Pill is a second-rank elixir made from precious herbs. Each one requires a contribution equivalent to two hundred Spirit Stones.”