Chapter 104: Seventh Level of Qi Refinement

Page (1/3)
Breaking through Foundation Establishment was best achieved before the age of sixty. After sixty, the probability of success decreased with each passing year. This was because the peak period for cultivators in the late Qi Refining stage was from the moment they reached that stage until around sixty years old; beyond that, they gradually declined from their peak. Naturally, the chance of successfully breaking through to Foundation Establishment also diminished annually.
Meng Guan was just about to turn sixty and had elevated his cultivation to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. Thus, even without Foundation Establishment pills, he could forcibly attempt the breakthrough. Although without the aid of pills, failure could result in severe injury or even death and loss of cultivation. But having even a slight chance was far better than none at all.
It was likely that Meng Guan invited He Song and Wei Fan out of concern. If he failed and perished, having no friends nearby might mean even his body would go unburied. The Foundation Establishment breakthrough carried a high mortality rate. Without protective pills or Foundation Establishment pills, forcing the breakthrough risked grave injury or immediate death. Generally, cultivators at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining would purchase pills to aid their breakthrough.
The lucky ones obtained Foundation Establishment pills, which both increased the chance of success and protected the cultivator if they failed. Even if they failed, the cultivator would only need two years to recover before trying again.
Those less fortunate could only buy protective pills, which did not increase success but prevented injury upon failure. Recovery from failure with protective pills required five years before another attempt.
Of course, there were cultivators like Meng Guan who prepared nothing. Success would grant them the status of Foundation Establishment masters with greatly extended lifespans, but failure often meant death or severe injury and the end of their hopes.
Foundation Establishment pills were expensive and rare. Protective pills were cheaper but still valuable. Given Meng Guan’s financial situation, He Song doubted he could afford them.
Meng Guan’s invitation was thus threefold: to have friends accompany him, to have He Song and Wei Fan as his protectors, and perhaps to see his friends one last time.

Page (2/3)
“Old Meng has reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, while I’ve only been at Qi Refining Level Nine for three years. Sigh.”
As He Song silently gazed at the paper in his hand, his mind wandering, Wei Fan’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
Looking up, He Song saw that the paper in Wei Fan’s hand was gone, replaced by a faint worry on his face. Seeing He Song put away his own paper, Wei Fan shook his head with a bitter smile.
“This Old Meng, I never thought he’d actually pull this off. If he really breaks through to Foundation Establishment, should we start calling him Master Old Meng?”
“Master Old Meng.”
A flicker of strangeness crossed He Song’s eyes. If they truly called him that, Old Meng might just show Wei Fan what the wrath of a true master looks like.
However, observing Wei Fan’s expression, He Song kept quiet, instead shaking his head and sighing.
“Sigh, these fourteen years, Old Meng has surely suffered a lot. I wonder how he managed to endure.”
A cultivator with five spiritual roots, who originally needed breakthrough pills even for late Qi Refining, had now advanced from Qi Refining Level Seven to the Great Perfection in fourteen years. Such terrifying speed of cultivation made He Song feel ashamed.
One could only imagine what Meng Guan had endured in Qingyuan Immortal City in those years. Perhaps fortune, perhaps surprises, or perhaps secrets He Song did not know.
In any case, Meng Guan’s life-risking path to Foundation Establishment was now nearly complete.
And for this final stretch, he wanted He Song and Wei Fan to witness it together!
Life or death hinged on this moment!
“Who knows? He’s been gone for fourteen years, likely fighting tooth and nail in Qingyuan Immortal City—just as he said, using his life to carve a path to Foundation Establishment.”
Responding to He Song’s sigh, Wei Fan agreed, but a spark of hope quickly flashed in his eyes.
Meng Guan’s invitation, though shocking, also stirred a longing in Wei Fan for the Foundation Establishment stage.
His friend was about to break through and invited him to witness it; naturally, he was eager.
If he could learn anything from Meng Guan, it would greatly aid his own path to Foundation Establishment.
Yet when his gaze shifted to He Song, a sudden flash of surprise crossed his face.
He even forgot what he intended to say.

Page (3/3)
At that moment, Wei Fan looked at He Song, his mouth gradually opening.
“You—you—you’re at Qi Refining Level Seven?”
After a moment, Wei Fan finally snapped out of his shock and stared at He Song in astonishment.
Though he had already used spiritual sight to discern He Song’s cultivation, he still sought verbal confirmation.
According to his memory, He Song had only advanced from Qi Refining Level Five to Level Six five years ago.
Now, in the blink of an eye, He Song had progressed from Level Six to Level Seven in five years.
What kind of speed was this?
For Wei Fan, breaking through from Level Six to Level Seven had taken several years, just to overcome the bottleneck!
Several years!
Not to mention the time spent cultivating to the peak of Level Six, which also took years.
Altogether, it had taken Wei Fan about ten years to move from breaking Level Six to successfully reaching Level Seven.
And He Song?
Only five years! He had only taken five years to break through from Level Six to Level Seven.
This was Qi Refining Level Seven!
Late Qi Refining!
Among the cultivators in Xianfang, this was considered an advanced stage.
“Yes, I just consolidated my cultivation today and came to find Brother Wei.”
Faced with Wei Fan’s incredulous gaze, He Song spoke calmly, unaware of any oddity.
To He Song, spending four and a half years perfecting the spiritual energy needed for Level Six and another half-year breaking through the bottleneck was perfectly normal.
Being stuck for half a year was already quite long for someone who had never experienced a bottleneck before.
But he could never have imagined that other cultivators might take several or even ten times longer to break through.
(End of chapter)