Chapter 22: Perfect Foundation Establishment

Seeing that Wan Yi still looked perplexed, Yan Wuji continued to explain, "The cultivation methods of ancient practitioners consisted of twelve levels in the Qi Refining stage. Upon reaching the twelfth level—the Great Perfection—one could undergo Foundation Establishment naturally without external aid. This is known as the 'Perfect Foundation Establishment.'

"Tens of thousands of years ago, practitioners discovered that one could meet the minimum requirements for Foundation Establishment upon reaching the tenth level of Qi Refining. By using medicinal substances to stimulate their potential, they could succeed. Thus, the Foundation Establishment Pill was created. Once these pills became available, practitioners abandoned the ancient methods, relying on medicinal power to force their way into the Foundation Establishment stage as soon as they reached the tenth level. Over time, they forgot the ancient ways, mistakenly believing that the Qi Refining stage only had ten levels and that the pill was mandatory."

Wan Yi had not expected such a deep secret to lie behind the Qi Refining stage. Recalling Yan Wuji’s previous remark, he couldn't help but ask, "Brother, you said that a practitioner with a Perfect Foundation Establishment can crush anyone at the same level who used modern methods. What do you mean by that?"

Yan Wuji smiled slightly. "Modern practitioners who force their way through with pills are taking shortcuts. According to the ancient methods, the amount of spiritual energy required to advance through the two levels beyond the tenth is gargantuan. You have just experienced those two levels yourself; you should know how terrifying the energy required to achieve them is. The spiritual energy needed for the eleventh and twelfth levels is enough for a modern practitioner to advance from the early Foundation Establishment stage all the way to its Great Perfection!

"Foundation Establishment is about laying the groundwork for one's future. The Qi Refining stage is the preparation for that groundwork. The more solid the Qi Refining stage, the firmer the foundation. I ask you, how can someone who relied on shortcuts ever compare their achievements to one who established a Perfect Foundation? A practitioner with a Perfect Foundation is already far superior to modern ones during the Qi Refining stage. Once they officially embark on the path of cultivation after establishing their foundation, the gap between them becomes even more insurmountable.

"Let’s put it this way: you have yet to face a practitioner of your own level. Once you do, you will find that with your current early Foundation Establishment cultivation, you can crush any practitioner who succeeded via modern methods. You could even put up a fight against a modern practitioner at the early Golden Core stage! As your cultivation continues to rise, this gap will only widen. I even believe that by the time you reach the Tribulation Transcendence stage, even without the technique your master passed down to you, you will be able to cross levels to slay practitioners at the Emperor realm!"

Hearing Yan Wuji’s explanation, Wan Yi understood. It seemed all the good fortune had fallen into his lap today. In high spirits, Yan Wuji finished their business and led Wan Yi out of the back courtyard.

As soon as they returned to the main hall, they saw Niu San and Ma Si waiting there, each holding a storage bag. Seeing Yan Wuji and Wan Yi, the two hurried over. After paying their respects, Niu San said to Wan Yi with a beaming face, "Little brother, this is a gift from us to..."

Before he could finish, a roar from Yan Wuji interrupted him: "Presumptuous! Is 'little brother' a title for you to use? I have just appointed Brother Wan Yi as a Captain of the Soul-Snatching Bureau, and he also serves as the Envoy to the Yang Realm, representing the Bureau in patrolling the world of the living!"

Niu San and Ma Si turned pale. They knelt before Wan Yi with a thud and cupped their hands, saying, "Subordinates pay respects to the Captain!"

Exchanging a glance, the two silently withdrew another storage bag from their robes. Each then held two bags out to Wan Yi. "My Lord, one is our previous apology, and the other is to congratulate you on your promotion. We hope you will accept them."

Wan Yi looked at the four bags, then at Yan Wuji. Yan Wuji laughed, "Since it is a token of their sincerity, brother, just accept it."

Wan Yi’s lips curled into a smile. He stepped forward and took the four bags without checking them immediately. His status had changed, after all; he had to maintain his dignity. After securing the bags, he nodded at them. "Rise. I accept your gestures."

The two were overjoyed. After standing up, they showered him with flattery. Yan Wuji, unable to stand it any longer, asked, "What about the wine and food I ordered?"

Ma Si hurriedly replied, "My Lord, I have already instructed the restaurant to prepare it. Since we didn't know when you would be finished, I didn't have them send it over. I will send word now to have the feast delivered."

Yan Wuji shook his head. "In that case, have them send it to the Wangchuan Pavilion."

After Ma Si and Niu San left to make arrangements, Yan Wuji smiled at Wan Yi. "Brother, come with me. I’ll take you to visit the Wangchuan Pavilion."

Wan Yi gave a suggestive, lecherous grin. "Brother, is the Wangchuan Pavilion a brothel?"

Seeing his expression, Yan Wuji burst into laughter. "Brother, you’ve overthought it. The Wangchuan Pavilion is no brothel. It is the Soul-Snatching Bureau's own property and the largest trading house in the entire Underworld. It has all sorts of heavenly treasures and secret manuals. I want to take you there to pick out some good things."

Realizing his mistake, Wan Yi felt awkward and quickly changed the subject. "Brother, what are Niu San and Ma Si’s positions? Will they be working under me?"

Yan Wuji nodded. "Indeed, they are under your command. Niu San is the Day-Wandering God, and Ma Si is the Night-Wandering God. They usually patrol the territory of your Haohan Sect. If you need them to do anything, you can command them directly using the token I gave you."

Wan Yi nodded in understanding, then asked, "Brother, you mentioned I could command one hundred underworld officers. When will they arrive?"

Yan Wuji’s expression turned solemn. "Brother, these subordinates are of great importance; I must screen them carefully for you. To ensure our plans proceed smoothly, I intend to select one hundred ghost cultivators at the Tribulation Transcendence stage. They must be absolutely loyal. To prevent the leaking of your secrets, I must place a restriction on them, forbidding them from revealing that you possess the 'Slaying Emperor Technique' or that you are capable of killing Emperor-realm masters. If they violate this, they will be instantly reduced to dust. This restriction will also prevent anyone from soul-searching them if they are ever captured. This is for your safety, so I cannot be careless. It will take some time. Do not be impatient; just wait."

One hundred ghost cultivators at the Tribulation Transcendence stage! Yan Wuji was truly generous. Wan Yi’s eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. "No rush, I am not in a hurry at all. Take your time, brother—we would rather have quality than quantity!"