"I'll go first. If there's any danger, I can inform you in advance."

"Moo!"

"This time, listen to me. We don't have a master, so we'll have to navigate blindly."

"Moo~"

The big black ox raised its head, licked Chen Xun, and quickly moved away, observing his serious expression and unquestioning words.

Chen Xun remained calm, raised his hand slightly, and swallowed a Foundation Establishment Pill. The potent medicinal power suddenly spread throughout his body, causing Chen Xun to widen his eyes and produce a muffled groan.

The big black ox, full of tension, was about to take a step, but it stayed in place, making no sound. It was crucial not to disturb Chen Xun during his breakthrough.

At this moment, Chen Xun's pores opened wide, and his body emitted a faint glow. Countless impurities were expelled from his body, and his facial expression alternated between pain and relief. Gradually, he closed his eyes.

Inside his body, the formidable barrier in his dantian/pubic region (an acupuncture pressure point located three inches below the navel) was continuously melting, and a significant transformation was taking place. Waves of medicinal power surged through his body.

After a day and a night, Chen Xun was drenched in sweat, and his chest heaved. He stared at the big black ox in astonishment.

"Moo! Moo!" The big black ox continued to bellow, bewildered by the unusual state of Chen Xun's breakthrough.

"Old Ox, I'm fine. You know that the Foundation Establishment process involves liquefying the dantian, and the Mind Palace is formed afterward as the sign of a successful Foundation Establishment." Chen Xun explained in amazement, seeming to be shocked by something. "I didn't fail in my Foundation Establishment, but it didn't go completely as expected."

"Moo, moo?" The big black ox was still nervous, not caring about that. It was only concerned about Chen Xun's current condition.

"This Foundation Establishment Pill unexpectedly widened my dantian..." Chen Xun took a deep breath and continued, "In simpler terms, while others have a storage capacity of 1 for their spiritual power in their dantian, mine is 2..."

"Moo!"

The big black ox was full of astonishment. However, the common knowledge in the cultivation world was that the dantian could not be expanded, and the effectiveness of one's cultivation method was merely based on how well it suited their constitution. For instance, if someone had a water affinity spiritual root and practiced a water-based cultivation method, it would be highly effective for them. If they practiced a fire-based method, it would be less effective.

They all cultivated widely recognized techniques, and with their mixed elemental spiritual roots, they could practice any of them. The difference in their abilities came with the advancement of their cultivation realms.

However, their mixed elemental spiritual roots absorbed impure natural energy, which needed to be purified over time. The pure elemental spiritual roots had an advantage in that they directly absorbed compatible spiritual energy, saving time on purifying impurities.

Of course, these were just their current understandings, mostly based on hearsay.

"Old Ox, prepare the medicinal herbs." Chen Xun's gaze became focused. These five Foundation Establishment Pills were far from enough; after all, the big black ox also needed to undergo Foundation Establishment.

"Moo~" The big black ox hurriedly went to the back, not daring to waste any time.

In the first month, Chen Xun refined spiritual herbs while building the foundation. His body emitted an increasing number of impurities.

...

In the second month, another Foundation Establishment Pill was produced, which was equally peculiar and vastly different from a typical Foundation Establishment Pill.

...

One year passed as they spent their time building their foundation and cultivating spiritual herbs. The entire Medicine Valley was extraordinarily quiet, with only the sounds of chickens crowing and the flowing water from the waterfall.

On this day, the weather was pleasant, the sky was clear, and the Medicine Valley was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere.

The spiritual herbs in several spiritual fields began moving on their own without wind, and the waterfall outside the secret base ceased to flow. It appeared as if it had been cut off at its source, leaving only a hole. Chen Xun and the big black ox walked out slowly.

The imposing aura of the Foundation Establishment stage exuded from them, and their divine senses spread everywhere, giving them god-like insight and allowing them to oversee the entire Medicine Valley. Every movement and change were visible to them.

"Hehe, is this the scenery through the eyes of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?" Chen Xun stood with his hands behind his back, saying it lightly.

"Moo!" The big black ox stood beside Chen Xun, and its muscles throughout its body bulged, radiating a terrifying power. The shackles of 20 immortal points were finally broken, and they could continue to allocate their points.

They gradually raised their heads, both standing proudly with hands behind their backs. Their expressions began to distort.

"Your uncle, Old Ox, we finally broke through!!"

"Moo, moo!!"

Two roars erupted like the accumulation of countless years, causing ripples in the entire water pool, shaking it continuously.

The Foundation Establishment stage is divided into early, middle, and late stages, with the final step being the Core Formation stage. A successful breakthrough at this stage would allow one to open their spiritual sea, soar through the skies, greatly increase their spiritual energy, and even attain a lifespan of over a thousand years.

However, the Core Formation stage was still a distant goal, and for now, they were content with their Foundation Establishment stage.

"Old Ox, the Foundation Establishment stage grants a lifespan of four hundred years. We can continue to stay in the sect and won't have to roam around aimlessly, living with uncertainty."

Chen Xun excitedly expressed himself, one hand embracing the big black ox's head. "We can finally have a stable home..."

"Moo, moo~~"

The big black ox continuously nuzzled Chen Xun, displaying a sense of gratitude. They both yearned for stabilityat least having a place to take refuge when they were physically and mentally exhausted.

"Old Ox, let's have some grilled skewers to celebrate our success!"

"Moo, moo!"

They leaped into the water, not using a flying sword. A loud, rumbling sound echoed as two huge splashes emerged. Chen Xun's lips trembled as he repeatedly plunged into the water. Both he and the big black ox understood that what excited them the most was not the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage.

At night, the starry sky was filled with countless twinkling stars, creating a brilliant spectacle. Under the night sky, Chen Xun sang a song while grilling meat on a rack. A campfire rose, and the big black ox ran around, producing the sound of jingling bells as they harmonized.

"Wandering on the road...

Chen Xun nodded along as he sang, the skewer sizzling in his hand and a smile in his eyes as he watched the big black ox.

His voice grew louder and almost turned into a shout: "We've crossed mountains and seas, as well as crowds of people!"

"Moo~~!!"

...

"Crying and laughing, leading an ordinary life..."

"Moo!!"

...

"Hahaha."

"Moo, moo~~"

Chen Xun and the big black ox burst into laughter, and the campfire continuously flickered with a warm glow, casting light on their happy faces.

Late at night, everything was silent. Chen Xun and the big black ox sat side by side, gazing at the starry sky.

After careful consideration, they decided to allocate their longevity points to their spiritual energy. As of now, it was the area where they could gain the most strength. It also gave them the opportunity to observe the threshold of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Their current longevity points: Strength 21, Speed 21, Essence of All Things 20, Spiritual Energy 21, Defense 11.

...

The next day, as the sun rose, a few rays of sunlight shone down with a sense of coolness and gentleness.

Chen Xun repeatedly used the Dust-Removal Technique on himself and the big black ox. With a smile, he stood outside the Medicine Valley and began to walk down the path.

According to the rules of the Five Elements Sect, when a cultivator broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, they were required to register with the hall they belonged to. As they belonged to the Pill Refining Hall, they naturally needed to register there.

However, the big black ox had hidden its Foundation Establishment cultivation, and on the surface, it appeared to be at the seventh level of Qi Refinement. Nevertheless, spiritual beasts generally had longer lifespans than cultivators of the same realm, and no one knew the big black ox's true age.

The Pill Refining Hall was located on a cloud-veiled main peak. The lush mountains here were adorned with elegant ancient-style buildings, and the air was filled with the fragrance of elixirs, cleansing the exhausted hearts of countless disciples.

Chen Xun and the big black ox strolled at a leisurely pace, enjoying the picturesque scenery along the way. They hadn't explored the many main peaks of the Five Elements Sect much.