Two more years pass, and this marks the eighth year since Chu Xuan has ascended the mountain.
This year, he is twenty-two years old, and his master bestowed upon him a courtesy name: Qingci.
Originally, he should have received this name at twenty, but since there was no coming-of-age ceremony, everyone forgot about it.
Today, as Chu Xuan grinds ink and Ji Mingyu is writing, she suddenly remembers and eagerly writes down the name Qingci for him.
"Chu Qingci, not bad." Ming Yu smiles slightly, "Perfect timing, you should establish your foundation today."
Chu Xuan had been admiring his master's handwriting, but upon hearing the latter half of the sentence, he couldn't help but utter an "Ah".
"Today?"
Ji Mingyu turns to him and looks seriously, "Today."
"I've watched you grow up, and in fact, you could have established your foundation any day within the past year, far better than when you initially started cultivating."
"Since so, there's no need to delay."
"Once you succeed in foundation establishment, I will gift you a life-bound magical treasure, which you must cherish."
Although Chu Xuan feels joyous, he is not as eager and respectfully replies, "Yes, master."
...
Before establishing the foundation, there's no need for any preparation; Chu Xuan doesn't even bother with superficial acts like bathing or burning incense.
He sits in the meditation chamber, on a cushion, and meditates with closed eyes.
Ji Mingyu sits opposite him, as due to a unique cultivation technique, the step of foundation establishment requires guidance.
Despite usually taking a hundred days, for perfect results, Ming Yu had Chu Xuan hone for seven and a half years.
The results are noticeable; Chu Xuan's aura is calm and peaceful. As the cultivation technique runs its course, pure spiritual qi in the grotto heaven gathers like rivers merging into the sea, pouring into the three hundred sixty-five acupoints of his body.
He silently recites the daoist incantations:
"Thus, it's said that Kunlun Mountain has three peaks. One peak lies directly north, where the Dry Star shines, named Lange Wind Peak;"
"One peak directly west, named Xuanpu Terrace;"
"One peak directly east, named Kunlun Palace."
"There lie five cities, twelve jade towers."
"Abyssal Essence Gate, Radiant Emerald Hall, Jade Flower Chamber, Violet Jade Elixir Hall, Candlelight Dayshine, Scarlet Cloud Nine Light, where Queen Mother of the West governs, the True Immortal Spirit's sanctuary..."
Cultivators of the Jade Capital Purple Star Daoist Core Secrets must visualize twelve-story towers and five cities within their bodies.
With each level ascended, the once-visualized illusion transforms into solid reality.
The cultivation consists of nine realms, with the first six realms advancing with each tower level ascended;
The last three realms require ascending two tower levels to progress a realm.
Upon ascending all twelve-story towers, cultivators naturally advance from the first realm to the ninth realm, from Qi Cultivation Stage to Mahayana Stage.
In the process of ascending the towers, one must simultaneously illuminate the five cities.
These five cities correspond to the five vital organs: the heart stores the spirit, liver stores the soul, spleen stores intention, lungs store the poise, and kidneys store essence.
Once treaded upon all twelve towers, attaining Mahayana cultivation, the lower three towers transform into human flowers; the middle three into earth flowers; the upper six into heavenly flowers; corresponding respectively to essence, qi, and spirit as the three flowers gathering at the top.
The five cities transform into the primordial five qi, corresponding to Southern Red Emperor's Fire, Wood of the Eastern Cyan Emperor, Central Yellow Emperor's Soil, Western White Emperor's Metal, and Northern Black Emperor's Water.
Truly: Three flowers gather at the top and return to the root, five qi head towards the source transparently.
Upon reaching this stage, essence, qi, and spirit merge and gather at the mysterious passage, enabling the cultivator to proclaim "invulnerable to myriad tribulations", securing the confidence to face the ascension calamity.
At this moment, Chu Xuan inwardly observes his body, due to diligent cultivation, despite his realm still trapped in the first realm, at Qi Cultivation Stage's fulfillment, the illusions of the twelve towers and five cities are clearly visible.
Among them, the first tower in the dantian qi sea has already solidified and appears white jade.
However, for some unknown reason, it gives an unstable impression, making the entire jade tower seem precarious.
This is because just one solid tower cannot support the height of twelve; only with at least two towers solidified can the daoist foundation be established, promising a future path.
Moreover, the first black city located at the kidney will illuminate after foundation establishment, solidifying as the base for refining the essence into qi.
Chu Xuan uses divine sense to guide the heaven and earth spiritual qi through his body, purifying and refining them into magical power, then injecting it into the already overflowing dantian qi sea.
This step is the most dangerous time; any mistake risks bursting the dantian, leading to foundation establishment failure, resulting in injury at best, lifelong inability to cultivate, or even sudden death.
Chu Xuan remains calm and collected, his divine sense within the first tower transforms into a glowing little figure, identical to his own countenance.
Externally, as Chu Xuan begins foundation establishment, astonishing phenomena appear around him:
Behind him emerges a mystical lofty tower filled with celestial vapor, reaching twelve tall stories, pure white jade overall, growing from small to grand, finally breaking free from the constraints of the grotto heaven's array, standing tall atop the Nameless Snow Mountain.
If any cultivator from the outside world passed by, they might mistake this for the appearance of some ancient secret realm.
Moreover, Chu Xuan's seated figure appears ethereal like an immortal, imbuing a discernible yet indescribable daoist charm.
Ji Mingyu's eyes are full of brilliance; she knows her disciple has reached the most critical juncture of foundation establishment. Just as the little figure in the dantian forms, she extends her right hand, gently touching Chu Xuan's head.
A wisp of ethereal immortal qi, extracted from her twelve-story tower, supreme, pure, spiritual, unlike any worldly postnatal qi, enters from the crown palace atop his head, cascading through Chu Xuan's twelve-story tower illusion, level by level falling, landing on the luminous little figure, tempering its glow, adding innate spirituality, even its visage becomes clearer.
The little figure smiles slightly, ascending the jade tower steps step by step, effortlessly leading and restraining the surging magical power, guiding it upward behind.
Upon reaching the second tower level, the little figure forms a sword finger and taps, injecting the magical power that followed him into this tower illusion, causing it to begin transitioning into solidity.
Soon thereafter, the second tower is complete.
This is not the end; the little figure gazes into the distance at the kidney's location; his sword finger taps again, causing both the first and second tower levels to simultaneously shine brilliantly!
They emit a white luminous glow, shining onto the black city.
The city is provoked, instantly bursting with black radiance, swiftly transforming from illusion to solidity, inscribed with the characters "Essence Storage".
Thus, the daoist foundation is established!
Corresponding in the external world, the twelve-story tower phenomenon, the first and second towers similarly blaze with light, illuminating the icy landscape in brilliant splendor.
All living creatures around the snow mountain, whether ordinary animals or ones belonging to spirits, are filled with fear and reverence, sensing an Upper Realm True Immortal hidden deep within the jade tower, collectively kneeling and bowing, not daring to gaze directly.
Subsequently, the phenomenon gradually fades and disappears.