I Tame Beasts by Feeding

The three items Shen Xingchen had given him were each astonishingly valuable.

The purpose of the Foundation Establishment Pill was self-explanatory, and the Realm-Breaking Pill, as its name suggested, was used for breaking through to a new realm.

Judging by its appearance, Shen Xingchen’s Realm-Breaking Pill was a Third-Grade Elixir meant for Foundation Establishment. Its value was comparable to that of a Life-Returning Pill.

One could say that with the Foundation Establishment Pill and the Realm-Breaking Pill, Yu Changsheng’s breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm was all but guaranteed, unless he was exceptionally dull-witted.

The combined value of the three items was by no means inferior to the Dragon’s Roar Sword—in fact, it might even have exceeded it.

Therefore, Yu Changsheng was moved. After weighing his options, he finally smiled and said, "Since Senior Brother Shen puts it that way, and with such sincerity... I have no use for this Dragon’s Roar Sword anyway. In that case, I agree to your terms. An exchange is fine."

Shen Xingchen was overjoyed. Beaming, he cupped his fist toward Yu Changsheng. "Then I must thank you, Junior Yu."

"From now on, if you run into any trouble in the Wanxiang Sect, just come find me, Shen Xingchen."

"Alright." Yu Changsheng nodded. Both parties were getting what they wanted, so it was a fair exchange.

Shen Xingchen gave a faint smile. As Yu Changsheng put away the Storage Pouch, he eagerly snatched up the Dragon’s Roar Sword and began to inspect it closely.

With a flicker of his Divine Thought, Yu Changsheng released the Seal on the Dragon’s Roar Sword. The previously dim blade instantly erupted with a crimson glow, and the spirit within it began to tremble.

Shen Xingchen chuckled. Sensing the fluctuation of Yu Changsheng’s Divine Thought, he exclaimed in amazement, "I have no idea how you’ve cultivated your Divine Soul, Junior Brother Changsheng. For it to be this profound is truly incredible."

"It actually reminds me of an old acquaintance."

Yu Changsheng’s heart tightened, but he relaxed on second thought. He gave a slight smile. "Just some blind luck in my cultivation, nothing special."

"Oh." Shen Xingchen nodded. He gave Yu Changsheng a meaningful look but said nothing more.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, and before long, Shen Xingchen took his leave. Just before departing, he seemed to recall something and suddenly turned back to Yu Changsheng.

"By the way, if you see Elder Wei, please pass on my regards. Tell him that Shen Xingchen misses him dearly and will certainly visit when I have the opportunity."

Yu Changsheng paused for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I’ll pass on the message. Take care."

"Then I’ll be troubling you, Junior Yu." Shen Xingchen smiled faintly, an enigmatic look in his eyes. He exchanged a few more pleasantries and then departed.

Yu Changsheng watched Shen Xingchen’s receding figure, looking pensive.

’He must have guessed that I’m the so-called Golden Core Ancestor of the Odd Demon Pavilion.’

Yu Changsheng contemplated this for a moment, then shook his head and put it out of his mind.

’Forget it. It doesn’t matter. So what if he’s guessed? I have my connection to Elder Wei as a cover right now. As long as he’s not a fool, he won’t act rashly.’

’No one has ever actually seen the so-called Golden Core Ancestor of the Odd Demon Pavilion. And then there’s Yu Dahai, another potential lead. And with the Golden Core Divine Sense I exposed that day, anyone paying close enough attention could piece together the truth. Shen Xingchen is no fool. He surely understands the key points. But even if I’m exposed now, it doesn’t matter.’

’At the end of the day, the only person I truly angered who still poses a threat is Chenyangzi. Since he isn’t a member of the Wanxiang Sect, he might still be harboring thoughts of revenge. At least on the surface, within the Wanxiang Sect, I should be quite safe for now.’

Almost immediately after seeing Shen Xingchen off, another unexpected visitor came to call on Yu Changsheng.

"Senior Sister Sun."

Yu Changsheng was slightly surprised. The visitor was none other than Sun Shihan, who had recently been promoted to the Inner Sect.

Sun Shihan smiled enchantingly. Today, she wore a pale pink, palace-style dress with a light blue butterfly, wings spread as if about to take flight, embroidered on the hem. A sheer white shawl was draped over her.

A gentle breeze fluttered her clothes, making her look as if she might float away with it. Her silky, ink-black hair cascaded loosely to her waist, and her slender figure made her seem all the more delicate and lovely.

She now gave Yu Changsheng a slightly mischievous wink and a smile.

Anyone else would have likely been flattered, but Yu Changsheng only found the situation troublesome. ’Don’t tell me she’s figured it out too?’ he thought to himself.

"What, now that you’re an Inner Sect Disciple, your Senior Sister isn’t welcome anymore?"

"Of course not! Please, come in, Senior Sister." Yu Changsheng forced a smile and quickly welcomed her into the house, personally brewing a pot of Spirit Tea for her.

"That’s more like it."

Sun Shihan smiled gently, her eyes sparkling with a peculiar light as she looked at Yu Changsheng.

"So, Senior Sister, is there something I can help you with?"

Yu Changsheng asked in a soft tone.

"What, can’t I visit just for the sake of it?"

Sun Shihan huffed and turned her head away.

"You’re welcome anytime, Senior Sister," Yu Changsheng said with a smile, scratching his head.

"You had it easy, getting promoted to Inner Sect Disciple just like that. We had to struggle and barely made it by a fluke. But it’s also thanks to you that our Beast Taming Peak’s Outer Sect actually managed to secure three spots among the new Inner Sect Disciples."

"With your strength, Sister Sun Shi, it’s not surprising that you were successfully promoted."

"Alright, you certainly know what to say." Sun Shihan gave Yu Changsheng a light glare, pursed her lips, and after a moment’s hesitation, set down her teacup.

"I did actually have a reason for coming," she said. "You’re at the Qi Refining Peak now and have entered the Inner Sect, just like me. The next step should be to consider Foundation Establishment, right?"

Sun Shihan let out a soft breath, a light blush rising on her fair cheeks as she spoke in a low voice.

"Yes, that’s right," Yu Changsheng nodded, slightly puzzled.

"Me too. And since we’re both planning for Foundation Establishment, with your talent, you surely won’t be satisfied with a normal Foundation Establishment, right?"

Sun Shihan’s eyes flickered, and upon hearing her words, Yu Changsheng grew even more confused.

"Did you know that Foundation Establishment is the true start of cultivation? The name ’Foundation Establishment’ literally means to build the foundation of the Great Dao. Its importance is self-evident."

"Once your cultivation reaches the Qi Refining Peak, the next step is to build your Spirit Platform. The Spirit Platform supports your very being and connects you with heaven and earth—that is Foundation Establishment. The Spirit Platform has nine layers, which correspond to the Nine Layers of Foundation Establishment. When you break through, a phantom image of a Spirit Platform will manifest, its number of layers, from one to nine, determined by your innate talent."

"The cultivation that follows is a process of continuously solidifying those phantom layers. Each time you solidify another layer of your Spirit Platform, your cultivation advances by one layer. Although the initial number of phantom layers isn’t an absolute sentence, it largely determines the ultimate limit you can reach in the Foundation Establishment realm."

"Unless you have another fortuitous encounter in the future, it is very difficult to increase the number of Spirit Platform layers. Furthermore, the number of layers determines your chances of success at the next stage, Core Formation, and even the quality of the Golden Core you form. How far you can go in your future cultivation is largely a reflection of the quality of your Foundation Establishment."

Seeing that Yu Changsheng still didn’t seem to fully understand, Sun Shihan continued to explain it to him in a slow, deliberate manner.

Foundation Establishment is the true start of cultivation; it is building the foundation of the Great Dao to walk the path of the Great Dao. This realm is rather unique. Although it is also divided into nine layers, one does not necessarily have to reach the Ninth Layer to break through to the next realm.