In the room, Ling Xiao sat cross-legged, his expression calm and composed. He took the grayish-green Foundation Establishment Pill from his ring. A faint, misty vapor seemed to swirl around it, and a refreshing fragrance instantly filled the entire room. Ling Xiao smiled faintly and placed the elixir, as smooth and glossy as jade, into his mouth.

The moment the Foundation Establishment Pill entered his mouth, it dissolved. A faint herbal taste invigorated Ling Xiao. Immediately after, a pure, gentle power began to flow slowly toward the meridians in his body. Ling Xiao’s body trembled slightly before returning to normal.

The so-called Celestial Vein Masters were individuals whose meridians were all narrow and thin, some parts even sticking together. The Inner Strength they cultivated had no way of circulating within them. For people with normal meridians, however, their meridians were completely unobstructed, save for the acupoints.

The difference in talent came down to the width of these meridians. With the same set of meridians, some people’s were like small streams, while others’ were like great rivers. The difference in ability was a natural consequence.

The purpose of the Foundation Establishment Pill, as its name implied, was to cleanse and clear a person’s meridians. It would then lay a solid foundation in the person’s body for future cultivation.

As for Ling Xiao’s current body, using the Foundation Establishment Pill to open his meridians wasn’t the problem. It was like giving the pill to ordinary people in the mortal world who lacked the aptitude for cultivation. If they took the Foundation Establishment Pill, it would only prolong their lives. Cultivating, however, was absolutely impossible for them.

Therefore, if Ling Xiao wanted to succeed in his Foundation Establishment in one go, he couldn’t let the Foundation Establishment Pill’s medicinal power work on its own. Instead, he had to coordinate it with the Shushan Inner Power Heart Method, guiding this immense power to open every single meridian one by one, break through every acupoint, and finally, gather all of this power into his Dantian... Only then would the Foundation Establishment be complete!

However, if Ling Xiao had normal meridians, the Foundation Establishment process would be painful, but not excessively so. But now, he had to both open *and* widen his meridians. He also couldn’t afford to let too much of the Foundation Establishment Pill’s medicinal power be wasted. When a person reaches the limit of their pain, they might even pass out as a self-preservation mechanism. Ling Xiao, however, had to do the opposite—he had to remain perfectly conscious at all times!

With every inch the Foundation Establishment Pill’s medicinal power advanced through his meridians, another layer of sweat would form on Ling Xiao’s forehead, trickling down his handsome face and dripping continuously to the floor.

A puddle had already formed on the floor! And because of the Foundation Establishment Pill’s potent medicinal power, wisps of white steam began to rise from Ling Xiao’s head.

Finally... the pure medicinal power encountered the first blockage. Ling Xiao meticulously controlled the gentle, heavy, yet incomparably immense power, carefully scouring open the blocked meridian bit by bit. Every fraction of an inch he forced open felt like thousands of sharp needles stabbing into his very heart. The pain twisted Ling Xiao’s handsome face into a grimace. If anyone had seen his expression at that moment, they would have likely cried out in terror!

Just like that, Ling Xiao’s expression would alternate between calm and contorted.

「Three days later.」

The medicinal effects of the Foundation Establishment Pill had finally been fully absorbed into every fiber of Ling Xiao’s being. Its powerful energy flowed through Ling Xiao’s meridians to every corner of his body!

At this moment, Ling Xiao’s face looked extremely weary. A layer of dark grime caked his body and face, making him look like a beggar. Yet, there was no foul odor. Instead, there was a refreshing, heart-soothing fragrance. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Ling Xiao was now guiding the power that had gathered from all his meridians, holding it at the location of his Dantian. With a low grunt, the immense pain that instantly flared up made his face become viciously contorted. He clenched his jaw tightly, refusing to let out a pained groan.

Outside the door, Chunlan, Qiuyue, and Ye Wen Ni, who had been standing guard for three days, were pacing anxiously. For these three days, Ling Xiao had been in seclusion inside, and they had been too restless to eat or sleep. Now, suddenly hearing Ling Xiao’s voice, Chunlan subconsciously moved to push the door open and go in.

Qiuyue, who was beside her, grabbed her arm. "Young Master said not to disturb him, no matter what!"

"But Young Master..." Chunlan’s face was filled with anxiety. ’The Young Master hasn’t eaten or drunk anything for three days. Isn’t he going to starve? Forget about the Master and Madam blaming me, I’ll be heartbroken myself!’

"It’s fine. Don’t worry, he should be coming out soon." Ye Wen Ni had witnessed some of the peculiar things about Ling Xiao and knew he was definitely not as simple as he appeared on the surface. She stopped Chunlan’s impulse to go inside and then said, "He’ll probably be out soon. How about this, go prepare some bathwater and food for him. I think he must be starving."

"Oh, oh, okay, I’ll go prepare it right away!" Chunlan hurriedly agreed. Having something to do was much better than just waiting with a heavy heart. In fact, many people had come to Ling Xiao’s dormitory looking for him over the past few days.

There was Shangguan Yutong, Yisha, and Luo Tian. Even the Dean had come by yesterday. This had greatly surprised the young women. The Dean was notoriously elusive; it was normally very difficult to even get a glimpse of him. Unexpectedly, after coming by yesterday and hearing that Ling Xiao was in seclusion, he had pleasantly stated that he would come back when Ling Xiao was out.

The young women almost thought they had misheard. As for the others, they all expressed their understanding after hearing that Ling Xiao was in seclusion for cultivation. In truth, the only ones still in the dark were probably Chunlan and Qiuyue. Ye Wen Ni had a vague idea of what Ling Xiao was doing. Amidst her nervousness, there was also a trace of anticipation. ’So many miracles have already happened with this guy,’ she thought. ’If he can successfully overcome being a Celestial Vein Master this time... then it will be an even greater miracle!’

BOOM! A violent, silent tremor shook Ling Xiao’s Dantian. The immense power that had gathered there from all his meridians instantly condensed into a misty, pale-white ball of vapor, about the size of a fist. The sweat on Ling Xiao’s face had long since dried. His eyes snapped open. They seemed to be covered by a layer of blood—a field of crimson!

Immediately after, the ball of energy exploded! It then surged back through all of Ling Xiao’s meridians! Ling Xiao suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. As he coughed up the blood, the crimson in his eyes gradually faded, returning to clarity. A sharp glint of light flashed within them and was gone in an instant!

The clothes on Ling Xiao’s body split apart inch by inch, shattered into pieces by the powerful force that was practically bursting out of his body.

Like a tide crashing against the shore, SWOOSH! The power receded back into Ling Xiao’s Dantian.

Looking at Ling Xiao’s meridians now, they were like wide, expansive riverbeds. His dense Inner Strength was like a surging river, flowing endlessly within them. It would gather at his Dantian and then travel and circulate along all the meridians of his body.

Ling Xiao let out a long breath. He slowly opened his eyes again. They were perfectly clear!

A happy smile appeared on Ling Xiao’s handsome face, gradually spreading from the corners of his mouth across his entire face. ’The Canglan Continent is truly worthy of its reputation as a place with abundant Spiritual Qi,’ he thought. ’The medicinal herbs that grow here are several times more potent than those in the Cultivation Realm! Otherwise, my Foundation Establishment would have definitely failed this time.’

As he considered this, a wave of lingering fear washed over him. If the Foundation Establishment Pill’s effects had run out at the most critical moment, it wouldn’t have been a simple matter of a failed Foundation Establishment. His very life would have been in danger!

Regardless, fortune favors the bold. And now, he had succeeded!