Chapter 109 Everything Becomes Strange

Li Fan and Yin Shangren returned to the depths of the building. After sitting down in a resting place, Li Fan explained his purpose.

"Oh? You want to know how to Breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage?" Yin Shangren immediately became excited, spitting everywhere. "Fellow Daoist, you've come to the right person! I dare say, no one understands Foundation Establishment better than I do!"

"I'd like to hear the details!" Li Fan didn't argue, asking with a smile.

The Human-Handed Dog, like a person, walked over upright at this moment.

Its two front paws held two cups, which it placed on the table.

The cups were filled with a dark, swirling substance; it was unclear what was inside.

The Human-Handed Dog then lay down again, circling Yin Shangren, continuously seeking praise.

"Fellow Daoist, please drink the tea! This is a good thing, it's a Spiritual Qi bacterial colony that I cultivated. If it reproduces and coexists within the body, it can accelerate Spiritual Qi circulation and enhance the power of Spiritual Qi bursts, offering many benefits." Yin Shangren took a sip as if it were a delicacy and said to Li Fan.

Li Fan swept with his Divine Sense and discovered that what was swirling in the cup were countless tiny microorganisms, baring their fangs and claws, with unique appearances.

So Li Fan remained still.

Seeing that Li Fan didn't drink, Yin Shangren felt a bit regretful.

He didn't force it and began the main topic, asking: "The so-called Foundation Establishment is the establishment of the Foundation of Cultivation. So, Fellow Daoist, do you know what this Foundation truly is?"

Li Fan pondered for a moment and replied: "The Foundation is the Foundation of a Cultivator's Cultivation. After a Cultivator Cultivates to Qi Refining Perfection, they need to build their own Foundation before they can continue Cultivating. Otherwise, even if their Cultivation can continue to increase, it would be like a hundred-zhang tall building built on sand. With a slight shake, it would collapse with a roar."

When discussing academics, Yin Shangren was quite serious. He nodded: "That's right. Before the great calamity, there were Qi Refining Cultivators who found another path, not building a Foundation, but only specializing in Qi Refining."

"They were known as 'Qi Refining without limits,' claiming that three thousand layers of Qi Refining could slay a Dao Integration expert. Unfortunately, this person only Cultivated to the ninety-ninth layer of Qi Refining before a Golden Core cultivator found him an eyesore and casually killed him."

"Perhaps his Dao was truly feasible, but firstly, Qi Refining Cultivators have weak bodies and cannot withstand such immense power. Secondly, no matter how many layers of Qi Refining there are, it's just brute force. When truly fighting against Foundation Establishment and above Cultivators, they suffer too many disadvantages, abandoning the root for the branch."

Yin Shangren took a sip of tea and continued: "Ancient Cultivators all emulated nature. They observed the Laws of heaven and earth and comprehended the Laws of the Great Dao's circulation."

"Then, they synthesized their own insights to make clumsy imitations."

"The insights and thoughts on the Great Dao that Cultivators formed over many years became the Foundation for their future Cultivation."

"And because Aptitudes varied, and Comprehension Abilities were high or low; the speed and compatibility with which Cultivators comprehended the Great Dao and built their Foundation also varied greatly."

"Some people could instantly have an epiphany and establish their Foundation on the spot. But the vast majority spent decades studying assiduously, unable to make an inch of progress."

"The difficulty of Cultivating the Dao is evident."

Yin Shangren suddenly sighed: "But that was in the past."

"If the Laws of Heaven and Earth are likened to a towering giant tree, then in the past, we Cultivators were tiny spirits among the trees. Flying among the branches and leaves, observing and comprehending."

"It was too slow, and too difficult."

"So, after the Immortal Venerable transmitted the Dao, we Cultivators all transformed into greedy ants, no longer engaging in observation, comprehension, or imitation and reproduction, but directly gnawing on the branches and leaves of the giant tree, transforming them into resources for our own growth."

"In this way, Cultivation is naturally countless times faster. And rare items are just like the branches and leaves of this giant tree."

"It is an aggregation of the Laws of Heaven and Earth in a certain aspect. Cultivators, by relying on a rare item, can omit the process of self-comprehension and directly transform it into their own Foundation."

Li Fan nodded: "I remember the Treatise on Rare Items also mentioned this."

"The Treatise on Rare Items…" Yin Shangren sneered, seemingly disdainful.

He continued: "If we say that, in the past, borrowing from the wonders of heaven and earth was to omit the process of comprehending heaven and earth…"

"Then, I ask you. Nowadays, if a Cultivator is a Heaven-Defying genius, who doesn't need rare items of heaven and earth to comprehend these Laws. His comprehension of heaven and earth is extremely deep, and in ancient times, he could directly establish his Foundation. Is that still possible now?" Yin Shangren looked at Li Fan with burning eyes.

"Naturally not, Foundation Establishment requires borrowing from the wonders of heaven and earth…" Li Fan said, then suddenly thought of something and fell silent.

"That's right, the method of Cultivation has already been completely changed," Yin Shangren said coldly.

"In the past, Cultivators comprehended the Laws of Heaven and Earth, Cultivating in accordance with nature, which was the natural principle."

"But after the Immortal Venerable transmitted the Dharma, this natural principle was reversed. Cultivators must go against heaven, plundering heaven and earth…"

Li Fan whispered: "Going against the principles of heaven and earth…"

"To attain longevity!" Yin Shangren continued.

"I don't know how Cultivators needed to attain longevity before the great calamity."

"But ever since the method of Cultivation was changed, now, to attain longevity, there is only one path: going against the principles of heaven and earth."

"The Immortal Venerable of Dharma Transmission of that time was the proposer of the theory and the first practitioner."

He reversed all the Cultivation principles of Cultivators under heaven and attained the longevity fruit. From then on, he was immortal as heaven and earth, free and unfettered.

"And from then on, all Cultivators under heaven, if they wanted to Cultivate, could only Cultivate according to His 'Dharma.' How overbearing!"

Yin Shangren's tone was fervent, clearly quite dissatisfied with this Celestial Venerable of Dharma Transmission.

"Walk your own path, and then let all Zhong Sheng from then on only walk this path. What a Celestial Venerable of Dharma Transmission…" Li Fan's heart was greatly shaken.

This was the second Celestial Venerable of Longevity he had glimpsed.

Then, he suddenly thought of the giant statue of the high-crowned old man on Wanxian Island.

Standing majestically, overlooking the passing Zhong Sheng.

"Could it be that this Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was created by the Celestial Venerable of Dharma Transmission? But since this Celestial Venerable of Dharma Transmission is still alive, why would he sit by and watch Wanxian Island be destroyed by Chiyan a few years later…?" A wave of doubt surged in Li Fan's heart.

Yin Shangren didn't pay attention to Li Fan and continued: "The crucial question comes: since Foundation Establishment now must borrow from the wonders of heaven and earth."

"Then what exactly are rare items of heaven and earth?"

"You've also read the Treatise on Rare Items; you know that after a Cultivator falls, they will be transformed by heaven and earth into rare items of heaven and earth."

"Does that not mean that a Cultivator, while alive, can also be regarded as a rare item of heaven and earth that has not yet been fully transformed?"

Yin Shangren spoke faster and faster, as if wanting to blurt out all the research that had been ignored for years.

"Heaven and earth are like a melting pot, and the finished products that have been melted are the formed rare items of heaven and earth. And everything in heaven and earth can be seen as unformed rare items!"

"Rare items are aggregations of rules, and aren't humans? The human body is so exquisite, containing infinite mysteries. Why can't it be regarded as a rare item?"

"Fellow Daoist, do you also know that some Cultivators will refine those Mortals with special abilities into rare items of heaven and earth, using them as their own Foundation. Thereby taking those Mortals' special abilities for themselves."

"I am also a human, so, am I a rare item?"

Seeing Yin Shangren becoming more and more outrageous, Li Fan couldn't help but ask: "Is this Fellow Daoist's conjecture, or…"

Yin Shangren grinned: "It used to be a conjecture, but now…"

"It has been proven by me."

As he spoke, his entire body split open along the midline, left and right.

Within his internal organs and flesh, another face of Yin Shangren emerged.

"Ten years ago, I used myself as a rare item to establish my Foundation!"

The two faces, inside and out, spoke in unison.