The breakthrough happened at dawn.
At first, no one realized what they were witnessing.
Li Chen had chosen an open cliff platform near the sect's central mountain—not because it was optimal, but because it was unavoidable. After two months of teaching, concealment was no longer useful. His cultivation had reached a point where suppression carried more danger than exposure.
When the first ripple spread, it was subtle.
The surrounding spiritual qi paused.
Not surged—paused, as if the world itself had drawn a breath.
Outer disciples felt it first. Their circulation stuttered, instincts screaming that something vast was forming nearby. Inner disciples followed, expressions tightening as the qi in their meridians was pulled, not violently, but irresistibly.
Then the elders stood up.
"Foundation Establishment…" someone whispered.
Above the cliff, Li Chen sat cross-legged, eyes closed, posture relaxed. His breathing was slow, almost lazy—yet every breath pulled in spiritual qi with terrifying efficiency.
This was not a breakthrough fueled by pills or desperation.
This was preparation reaching completion.
The Path of Foundation Establishment
Qi Condensation was accumulation.
Foundation Establishment was definition.
At this realm, cultivators no longer merely gathered qi—they reshaped their bodies and meridians to become a stable vessel for higher realms. A flawed foundation meant limited future potential. A perfect one meant… legends.
Foundation Establishment was divided into three stages:
Early Foundation – Refining the Base
Meridians were widened, impurities expelled, and qi circulation stabilized. Most cultivators relied on Foundation Pills to survive this step.
Mid Foundation – Anchoring the Dao
Qi condensed into structured flows, binding the dantian, meridians, flesh, and soul into a unified system. Dao intent began to leave a permanent imprint.
Late Foundation – Harmonizing Heaven and Body
The body resonated naturally with heaven and earth. From this point onward, every realm would build upon this resonance.
Li Chen had already surpassed Early Foundation weeks ago.
He had simply not announced it.
The Breakthrough
The spiritual qi suddenly surged.
Not chaotically—but in layered streams, forming concentric rings around Li Chen's body. Observers gasped as the qi didn't disperse into the dantian immediately. Instead, it flowed through every meridian, every acupoint, every strand of flesh.
This was Foundation Anchoring.
Cracks echoed like thunder—not from the sky, but from within Li Chen's body.
Impurities were expelled in a fine gray mist, evaporating before touching the ground. His meridians glowed faintly, lines of sword-shaped intent flashing and fading beneath his skin.
Then came the pressure.
A wave of sword intent burst outward—not sharp, not aggressive—but absolute. It did not cut. It did not threaten.
It simply existed.
The elders staggered back.
"This isn't mid-stage…" one elder said hoarsely. "This is a perfected anchoring!"
High above, clouds twisted.
The phenomenon did not summon lightning or dragons. Instead, the sky cleared unnaturally, revealing a vast, empty blue—as if heaven itself was observing silently.
Li Chen's breathing changed.
Each inhale pulled in qi.
Each exhale refined it.
Within his dantian, the previously formless qi condensed into a structured core—not solid like a Golden Core, but layered like interlocking foundations, each aligned with a principle of the Sword Dao.
Stability achieved.
The Dao Seal embedded itself.
Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.
Disciples dropped to their knees unconsciously.
Some felt their cultivation stabilize simply from witnessing the breakthrough. Others felt suppressed, unable to circulate qi at all.
Xu Ming stood at the edge of the crowd, eyes wide, fists clenched.
He could feel it.
Li Chen's foundation was not only deep—it was wide. As if his future path had already been paved far beyond Nascent Soul.
"This… this is what a true foundation looks like," Xu Ming murmured.
The elders exchanged glances filled with awe—and fear.
"No pills," one elder said slowly. "No formation assistance. No protection arrays."
Another elder swallowed. "If he continues like this… Golden Core will be a mere formality."
Above them all, Li Chen opened his eyes.
The pressure vanished instantly.
The sky returned to normal. The qi dispersed gently. It was as if nothing extraordinary had happened—except for the trembling cultivators and the shattered common sense left behind.
Li Chen stood.
He bowed slightly toward the sect—just enough to be polite.
Then he left.
No declaration. No arrogance.
Yet everyone understood.
From this day forward, Li Chen was no longer merely a core disciple of the lower realm.
He was a pillar in the making.
And his foundation—
Would support storms yet to come.