C4 Supreme Weapon

Cultivators progress from the Qi Refinement Realm to the Foundation Establishment Realm, marking a crucial milestone in their journey. In the Qi Refinement Realm, the Spiritual Energy within a person's body serves solely to fortify their physical health, offering no additional supernatural abilities. However, upon entering the Foundation Establishment Realm, Cultivators unlock a myriad of unique powers. They gain the ability to harness Spiritual Energy to master various secret techniques and arcane skills. They can even learn the art of light-footedness, enabling them to traverse walls with ease.

Cultivators dedicated to the Wood Attribute experience enhanced vitality and healing capabilities. Those who focus on the Fire Attribute become impervious to the scorching heat of flames. Thunder Attribute practitioners can withstand ordinary lightning without a scratch, and Earth Attribute adepts can effortlessly erect structures or tunnel through the ground.

These newfound abilities arise from the Cultivator's transformation of the ethereal into the tangible, refining Spiritual Energy into a solid "foundation" within their bodies. As Cultivators transition from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, they create a diverse array of "foundations." Some manifest a peach, others a wine gourd, a cat, or even a piece of calligraphy. Those with lower-grade Foundation Establishment Stones might end up with nothing more than a simple rock.

While these foundations vary widely, typically, inanimate objects like stones are considered the least beneficial. Objects with practical uses, such as liquor gourds or calligraphy, are slightly more advantageous, and living spiritual entities even more so. Yet, there are exceptions. A foundation taking the form of a weapon that enhances offensive capabilities can rival the value of ordinary spiritual entities.

Huah Yunfei's internal transformation yielded such a weapon. It was a peculiar silver-gray blade, neither fully knife nor sword, that revolved silently within his dantian. A chillingly sharp aura emanated from it, filling the space around him. When Huah Yunfei channeled his Spiritual Energy into the weapon, two golden seals emerged on its blade, seemingly alive with energy. One seal bore the image of a lifelike lightning snake, whose tail quivered, causing the entire blade to become etched with intricate lightning patterns.

As the lightning runes materialized, Huah Yunfei immediately sensed an overwhelming killing intent flooding his body. With his hand as a blade, he struck the sturdy metal wall of the workshop. A piercing screech echoed!

Huah Yunfei's palm left a deep, long scratch on the metal wall. Witnessing this, Tiancheng was inwardly astonished. Even though he was at the peak of the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, performing such a feat was far from effortless for him.

Clearly, the Thundersnake Branding was a talent that enhanced sharpness. The other branding was linked to the golden lightning dragon within the premium Thunder Spirit Stone. When Huah Yunfei channeled the lightning Spiritual Energy into the Lightning Dragon Branding, the golden dragon exhaled skyward, and a net of golden lightning instantly enveloped the entire weapon.

Huah Yunfei sensed that the Lightning Dragon Branding might harbor an immense destructive force, a power several times greater than that of the Thundersnake Branding. Yet, he refrained from testing it, as it was a challenge to fully control at his current level.

After examining his newfound talents, Huah Yunfei smiled contentedly and rose to his feet. He had finally achieved Foundation Establishment. Now, he was astounded by his newfound control over his body. He could effortlessly bend a single hair or twitch his ears with just a thought. If he wished, with the aid of lightning Spiritual Energy, he could instantly grow scales as impenetrable as armor or extend his nails to the size of a wild beast's claws.

Was this the advantage his foundational core bestowed upon him?

"Not bad at all," Tiancheng said, eyeing Huah Yunfei with approval. "Your aura is so potent that even I feel a sense of threat."

Considering Tiancheng had spent two decades at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment and still sensed danger, Huah Yunfei's success was undeniable. Standing silently, Huah Yunfei regulated his body, taming the formidable aura within until it became serene and tranquil.

"Already controlling the leakage of Spiritual Energy from your body so swiftly!?" Hua Tiancheng nodded in approval, "Truly, the saying 'like father, like son' holds. You are indeed worthy of being my son, Hua Tiancheng!"

"Today, as you've ascended to the Foundation Establishment realm, it's the perfect occasion for a gift. However, whether you can claim it will be up to you."

With that, he led the way out, with Huah Yunfei closely following.

They traversed a meandering stone path beside their family pond, boarded a small boat, and glided through a dense lotus grove that obscured the sky, eventually reaching a small island at the heart of the pond.

The island was adorned with weeping willows, and an ancient, small building stood at its center, encircled by the trees like stars around the moon.

The building had three stories, its weathered and cracked railings no longer betraying their original hue. Hua Tiancheng's robust frame ascended the wooden staircase, each step echoing with a creak.

Reaching the third floor, Hua Tiancheng pushed the aged, ornate door, which unexpectedly collapsed to the floor with a crash.

"It's been twenty years since I last set foot here," Hua Tiancheng murmured as he surveyed the room.

The room was in disarray: toppled bookshelves, strewn books, a shattered vase, desiccated orchids, and the unmistakable marks of Spirit Weapon battles suggested a past filled with fierce and brutal conflict.

Amidst the chaos, at the center of the room, lay a dark, unyielding stone with a slender Spirit Weapon embedded in it.

The silver-gray blade, devoid of any embellishment, exuded a terrifyingly simple yet potent presence.

"Now that you've become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, that inferior folding fan no longer suits you. Here lies a mid-grade Spirit Weapon, which I will bestow upon you as a birthday gift."

Hua Tiancheng said with a beaming smile, "Don't underestimate it. It was personally crafted by our ancestor, who was a disciple of a nameless master. This Spirit Weapon is said to be on the cusp of becoming a Supreme Weapon."

A Spirit Weapon is created through the melding of its material with the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth.

The performance of a Spirit Weapon is determined by the degree of fusion between the Spiritual Energy and the weapon's material. A Supreme Weapon is the epitome of this fusion—a Spirit Weapon without a single flaw.

"Thanks, Dad."

Huah Yunfei approached the stone, grasped the handle with his right hand, and gave a gentle tug. With a crisp snap, he successfully extracted the Spirit Weapon. To his surprise, it was identical to the foundational weapon within his own body.

Turning around, Huah Yunfei caught Tiancheng staring at him in disbelief. "You pulled it out?" Tiancheng's eyes were wide with amazement as he gazed at the Spirit Weapon in Yunfei's hand.

"Yes, it's out."

"Finally, after all these years, someone from our Hua family has done it!" Tiancheng slapped Yunfei's shoulder with his hefty right hand, muttering to himself, "Dad, I've finally outdone you in something. Your son was a fool, unable to pull it out; but my son did it. My son is far stronger than yours, isn't he? But don't lose heart. This just proves that your grandson is stronger than your father's grandson."

...

"Son, let's go."

Hua Tiancheng took one last proud look at the third floor before striding down the stairs, chest puffed out. As they left the small building, it vanished into a wisp of smoke in a gentle breeze, leaving no trace behind. The building had stood the test of time, protected by the peculiar Spirit Weapon.

With the Spirit Weapon now in Huah Yunfei's possession, the building crumbled to dust. Yunfei followed silently behind Tiancheng, his mind racing: "It truly is nearly a Supreme Weapon. The Thunder and Wind attributes enhance each other, making the Spirit Weapon nearly flawless. It embodies the explosive force of thunder and the swiftness of wind. This gift is truly remarkable. Paired with my newfound strength from reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, my combat power has more than tripled compared to the Qi Refinement stage. But how will it measure up against other Foundation Establishment Cultivators?"

As they reached the pond, they saw the young servant, Hua An, waiting for them.

"Young Master, this is an invitation from the Great Boss Wu of the Endless Depository."

Huah Yunfei unfolded the invitation and paused, taken aback. He had assumed that Great Boss Wu had uncovered some last-minute issue with the upcoming exhibition and urgently needed to discuss it with him, but that didn't appear to be the case.

The invitation stated that it was to introduce him to a distinguished guest.

The Endless Depository was the largest exotic treasures trading firm in all of God Burial City, with branches in nearly every major city within the Galaxy Realm.

Rumor had it that the Endless Depository was backed by the Galaxy Realm's premier Sword Sect, and Great Boss Wu was one of its disciples.

In terms of status, Great Boss Wu was on par with the Liu Li County Magistrate, who had the support of the Great Cloud Dynasty behind him.

Huah Yunfei was indeed curious to meet someone whom Great Boss Wu would refer to as a distinguished guest.

The Gale Restaurant was the finest in God Burial City.

The restaurant's name, "Da Feng," was inspired by the founding Great Monarch of the Great Cloud Dynasty's famous saying, "When the great winds blow, Yunfei soars."

With such a prestigious name, the restaurant's cuisine and spirits were exceptional, boasting a unique flavor profile. It was a popular destination for those seeking to indulge in fine dining or to emulate the "brave warriors" of lore.

Huah Yunfei used to frequent the place with a group of flamboyant young nobles.

But they would only ever mingle on the third floor.

Today marked Huah Yunfei's first ascent to the top floor.

Upon reaching the top floor, he found Great Boss Wu had been waiting for him at the entrance for quite some time, but the esteemed guests were nowhere to be seen.

The guests were the two "young men" who had previously shown interest in Huah Yunfei at the Endless Depository.

Now, they were seated at the building's sole round table, their eyes fixed on Huah Yunfei.

The "youth" with the dimpled smile surveyed Huah Yunfei with a discerning eye.

His companion, still with his bamboo hat tipped low, revealed only his chin.

Observing the two, dressed as young men but without the slightest bulge in their throats, Huah Yunfei's expression turned quizzical. He wondered what sort of game these two girls, disguised in men's attire, were playing at with Manager Wu's involvement.

"Mr. Huah, you've finally arrived. Brother Wu, would you do the honors of introducing these two distinguished guests to Mr. Huah?" Great Boss Wu enthusiastically grabbed Huah Yunfei's sleeve and led him toward the pair seated at the round table.

Yet, Huah Yunfei stood his ground.

"Great Boss Wu, you must have had a pressing reason to summon me so urgently. Surely it's not because you've been struck by a sudden burst of inspiration, longing to share drinks and compose poetry with me?" Huah Yunfei said with a smile, eyeing Great Boss Wu.

"Of course not," Great Boss Wu replied with a wry smile. "Old Wu is a simple man, not one for such refined pursuits."

"So, there's a matter you need my assistance with?" Huah Yunfei cast a sidelong glance at the two individuals at the round table and remarked, "To request a favor in such a manner hardly seems like proper etiquette, does it?"

Great Boss Wu could only offer a rueful smile, finding himself at a loss for words. He was well aware that their approach had been impolite, but what could he do? If he had the power to command those two, he wouldn't be running a small shop in this out-of-the-way town.

"Who said we have something to ask of you?" interjected the girl with dimples at the round table before Great Boss Wu could respond. "We have no requests to make. It's you who has a situation to address. You've managed to offend the family of City Lord Liu Li of God Burial City, and we're here today to help you resolve this trouble."