C10 Foundation Level Three

Chen Bai had always thought he was well-acquainted with introspection, but when he attempted to look inward, he was taken aback.

His dantian was nowhere to be found!

Amidst his growing panic, a warm current suddenly began to flow downward from his chest, eventually vanishing where his dantian should have been.

As if by divine inspiration, the details of a cultivation technique emerged in Chen Bai's mind, followed by a voice, ancient and devoid of emotion.

"Heaven Soaring Spell, an Immortal Grade cultivation technique. It bridges heaven and earth, harmonizes Yin and Yang. It draws upon the spiritual essence of the Heaven Soaring Root, reserved for unparalleled prodigies. Practitioners may enter the Heaven Soaring Secret Realm and attain astonishing fortunes."

While Chen Bai was still trying to make sense of it all, a pulling force emerged from where his dantian once was. His Spirit Sense was powerless to resist and got drawn in.

After navigating through a series of surreal scenes, Chen Bai's Spirit Sense finally settled, and he found himself in an alien environment.

The first thing to catch his eye was an immense stone monolith, towering into the sky, etched with indecipherable runes.

Beyond that, there was nothing but an expanse of white jade bricks stretching into the horizon.

Chen Bai examined the stone tablet with curiosity for a considerable time but discovered nothing of value. He then attempted to leave, but no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to escape this place.

"Hello! Is anybody there?"

Chen Bai's calls echoed unanswered.

Eventually, out of impatience, he gave the stone tablet a forceful kick.

The instant his foot made contact, a tremendous force repelled him, flinging him thousands of feet away.

"Young man, how can you be so disrespectful? What kind of guidance has your spirit provided?" came a voice, authoritative and stern.

Before Chen Bai could utter a word, a golden light descended from above, materializing into a middle-aged man clad in a golden robe. His face was obscured as if veiled by a luminous orb, making it impossible to discern. With the arrival of the man in the golden robe, the entire realm seemed to be bathed in a golden glow.

Relieved to finally see someone, Chen Bai quickly bowed and said, "I called out earlier but received no response, leading me to believe this place was unclaimed. I meant no disrespect. Please forgive my intrusion, sir."

The man in the golden robe paused, clearly taken aback by the comment, before a burst of hearty laughter emanated from the glowing orb.

"Hahaha, I'm hardly worthy of being called 'sir.' My name is Zhang, and I suppose you could consider me your senior brother! From now on, just call me Senior Brother Zhang. As for this place, it truly is unclaimed territory, but we've all come to know it as the Heaven Soaring Secret Realm."

He then seemed to remember something and asked with a hint of confusion, "Didn't your spirit come with you? It's common for spirits to act as guides on one's first visit to the Heaven Soaring Secret Realm."

Upon hearing the term 'spirit' for the second time, Chen Bai's expression dimmed, and he became visibly downcast.

"Meier had to go into system dormancy because she helped me defeat a Nascent Infant Stage adversary. I need to reach the Void Discerning Stage before she can be revived."

Suddenly, Chen Bai had an urgent question, "Senior Brother Zhang, since you're aware of spirits, do you know if Meier will recover along with the system?"

Senior Brother Zhang pondered for a moment before responding, "System? That must be the name of the legacy you've received. I'm not sure about the recovery; each person's Heaven Soaring Lineage is unique. But you needn't worry too much. A spirit doesn't truly perish. Once you reach the Deification Stage Peak, the spirit will merge with the Heaven Soaring Origin and infuse your meridians. You'll still be able to leverage this to ascend to the Earth Immortal Stage."

Chen Bai, reminded of Meier's words, felt a surge of emotion, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Senior Brother, has your spirit ever shared anything with you?"

Detecting the underlying meaning in Chen Bai's question, Senior Brother Zhang simply chuckled and advised, "It's just a spirit. Junior brother, remember that you are what's most important. Keep this in mind, or you'll pay dearly."

Chen Bai's eyes blazed with the urge to argue, but before he could speak, the heavens seemed to split open. A colossal hand, large enough to obscure the sky, descended. Simultaneously, that ancient and impassive voice echoed once more.

"Zhang Daokong, you dared to secretly leave a strand of Immortal Sense in the mortal realm?"

Zhang Daokong merely smiled and said, "Junior Brother, pay no mind to it. This is the will of the Heavenly Dao in the Heaven Soaring Realm. You must commit to memory every word I am about to say."

His demeanor turned exceedingly grave as he spoke.

"Upon my ascension, I used a secret method to foresee a great calamity befalling this world. The only one who can avert this disaster is the bearer of the Heaven Soaring Lineage, and that is you. Thus, I've left behind this strand of Immortal Sense as a warning. You must prepare early. Also, bear in mind that the Heavenly Dao is unkind, regarding all beings as mere straws. Strengthening yourself is of utmost importance. These are some insights from your Senior Brother; take them to heart. I eagerly await the day we reunite with our fellow disciples in the Immortal Realm."

Following this, a beam of golden light emerged from Zhang Daokong's forehead and entered Chen Bai's. Simultaneously, a colossal hand reached down, obliterating the Immortal Sense Zhang Daokong had left. Yet, when it came to Chen Bai, the hand passed right through him, leaving the world around him unscathed. After destroying Zhang Daokong's Immortal Sense, it vanished as if it had never been there at all.

Chen Bai sat cross-legged, quietly assimilating the cultivation insights bestowed upon him by Zhang Daokong. After a considerable time, he slowly opened his eyes and, with a mere thought, departed the Heaven Soaring Secret Realm.

With a deep exhale, Chen Bai's Spirit Sense returned to his body. He then extended his Spirit Sense inward once more, this time bypassing the theoretical location of the Dantian and heading straight for his chest cavity.

Navigating with ease, Chen Bai soon beheld a radiant, three-tiered Dao Base materialize before him. Gazing at his luminous, three-layered Dao Base, he was overcome with a surge of excitement. This signified his leap from the Qi Refining Stage Level Eight to the Foundation Stage Level Three. Achieving such a level of cultivation at his age was nothing short of prodigious.

After a few rotations of the Spiritual Force following the Heaven Soaring Spell's pathway, Chen Bai rose to his feet, feeling invigorated and clear-headed.

"Phew! Now that I've reached Foundation Stage Level Three, I should be able to make my old man proud by winning the Great Competition. But reaching the Void Discerning Stage still seems like a distant dream!"

After talking to himself for a bit, Chen Bai stepped out of the cave, eager to test his newfound strength. The Spirit Beast Mountain Range was teeming with all kinds of spirit beasts, and it wasn't long before Chen Bai encountered a pig with a spiky tail. The pig's tail, a fiery red spike, was roughly three feet long, and its body was lean and muscular. Upon spotting Chen Bai, the pig slightly bent its front legs and snorted aggressively.

Chen Bai quickly realized a significant issue as he eyed the poised pig. He didn't know the pig's name, nor was he aware of its abilities or level of cultivation.

With this in mind, Chen Bai prepared to unleash the Crane Wing Palm on the nameless pig. But as he assumed the stance, he found his Spiritual Force flowing awkwardly, and he failed to execute the technique.

The pig, seeing Chen Bai spread his arms and leap into the air like a large bird, lashed out with its tail spike.

As the sharp spike neared, Chen Bai instinctively raised his hands to defend himself.

"Crack!"

"Roar!"

With a crisp snap and a roar, the pig's tail shattered under Chen Bai's astonished gaze as he struck it with his palm. Realizing his own strength, Chen Bai let out a roar and charged at the pig.

......

Moments later, in the center of a spacious clearing, Chen Bai hummed to himself as he tossed chunks of pork into a bubbling cauldron.

"Be careful ~ One palm can shatter a pig ~ One palm can shatter a tree ~"

He then sighed and mused, "The physique of the Celestial Charm Fox is formidable, but it seems I'm back to square one with this Spirit Skill. I need to retrain it from scratch. And when is the Family Great Competition? I hope I'm not too late!"

As he pondered aloud, a burst of hearty laughter echoed in the distance.