"Congratulations, Host! You've obtained: a fire-element lower-grade mortal weapon, the Fire Dragon Sword; a Foundation Establishment cultivation method, Nine-Nine Madman's Foundation; and a Level 15 Growth Pack."

Chu Tian looked at the sword in his hand, but its presence didn’t comfort him—he still faced imminent death. Disheartened, he shifted his gaze to the Foundation Establishment method, Nine-Nine Madman's Foundation. Upon reading it, his eyes lit up with hope. "There's a way out—I'm saved!"

In the past, Foundation Establishment for Chu Tian involved forcefully consuming a Foundation Pill at the tenth level of Qi Refinement. This method came with an alarmingly high failure rate, and on this continent, fewer than one in ten thousand succeeded.

But Nine-Nine Madman's Foundation was different. It relied on self-cultivation, requiring the practitioner to complete 81 cycles of Foundation Establishment to achieve true success. However, the process demanded an enormous amount of energy.

Right now, Chu Tian's body was brimming with the medicinal power of various pills. If he could convert this energy into what the cultivation method required, he could save himself.

Elated, Chu Tian began cultivating according to the method. The spiritual energy exploding within his body was redirected into his dantian, calming the sense of swelling and imminent collapse.

After an hour, Chu Tian let out a burp, exhaled deeply, and smiled in relief. "Ah, that feels amazing!"

Unfortunately, he had only completed 36 cycles, far from the required 81. After a quick glance at the loot he had packed, Chu Tian decided to return home and continue his attempts. For now, leaving this place was the priority.

Just as he approached the door, a warehouse manager disciple entered and froze upon seeing Chu Tian amidst the chaos. Panicking, the disciple shouted, "Thief! You're dead meat!"

The disciple charged at Chu Tian, who sneered. "With your strength? You think you can take me down? Go train for a few more years!"

"I'm in the early Foundation Establishment stage!" the disciple retorted indignantly.

"Ding~ Anger value +1."

Chu Tian found this amusing. Seeing that he couldn't overpower Chu Tian, the disciple bolted, yelling, "You just wait! I'm getting reinforcements!"

Chu Tian smirked and followed him leisurely. Before long, the hallway was swarming with ordinary disciples stationed at the Hundred Herbs Hall. Most were only in the early or mid Foundation Establishment stage.

None of them could even scratch Chu Tian's magical armor barrier. In fact, they were easily defeated, allowing Chu Tian to leave the Hundred Herbs Hall unscathed.

By the time the experts of the Heavenly Star Sect heard of the incident, Chu Tian had long vanished. Enraged, the sect's leadership convened an emergency meeting to discuss how to handle Chu Tian's alarming resurgence in power.

Back at the sect, Chu Tian consumed the stolen pills with abandon and continued cultivating Nine-Nine Madman's Foundation. However, days later, he had only progressed from 36 to 60 cycles. The process grew increasingly difficult.

Sighing, Chu Tian muttered, "To complete this Foundation Establishment, I might have to consume the resources of an entire small sect."

The thought left him incredulous but undeterred. He believed that once completed, this cultivation method would result in an unparalleled dantian. Determined, he stepped outside, only to see his father, Sect Master Chu, pacing anxiously nearby.

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"Father, waiting for me?"

Sect Master Chu hesitated, his expression troubled. Chu Tian smiled. "Father, whatever it is, just say it."

After a pause, the sect master sighed. "The sect is losing members daily. In a few more days, it'll just be us."

Chu Tian's face darkened. "What do you mean?"

"The Heavenly Star Sect issued a decree a few days ago: any member of the Heavenly Cloud Sect will be accepted unconditionally."

Chu Tian laughed bitterly. "The Heavenly Star Sect? A mere third-rate sect? Poaching members from our nameless sect? Isn’t that ridiculous?"

Sect Master Chu sighed again. "Tian’er, though this sect was founded by your maternal grandfather, we can't go on like this."

Chu Tian shook his head resolutely. "Father, didn’t you say that Mother would return once the sect becomes first-rate?"

The mention of this caused the sect master's face to fall.

A buried memory surfaced in Chu Tian's mind—three years ago, his mother left a letter, stating that she would return once the Heavenly Cloud Sect achieved first-rate status. Though the circumstances were unclear, this was undoubtedly the deepest regret of his predecessor's soul.

The sect master sighed in defeat. "Forget it. The sect is on the verge of collapse."

"No," Chu Tian said firmly. "I’ve worked so hard all these years to lead the Heavenly Cloud Sect to become first-rate."

Sect Master Chu looked at his son's determined gaze and shook his head helplessly. "Tian’er, why this stubbornness?"

"Father, this isn't stubbornness. If I run away now, won't it show that I fear the Heavenly Star Sect? And if we leave, how will we ever see Mother again? Can you accept that?"

These words struck a chord with the sect master, who nodded heavily. "You're right. We must see her again!"

Chu Tian smiled. "That’s the spirit. Leave the sect’s affairs to me."

"What’s your plan?" the sect master asked.

"The Heavenly Star Sect has a spirit mine nearby, right? I’ll go stir up some trouble!"

Alarmed, the sect master warned, "Be careful. They say even Golden Core experts guard that place—"

"Relax! It’s a minor matter."

Chu Tian slipped away. Standing at the edge of a dense forest, he smirked coldly. "Heavenly Star Sect, and you, you vile woman—think you can dismantle my Heavenly Cloud Sect? Just wait. One day, I’ll have you all kneeling before me!"

Through the forest, Chu Tian spotted a canyon dotted with numerous caves. Foundation Establishment disciples guarded the entrances, while Qi Refinement disciples, the lowest-ranking members of the Heavenly Star Sect, worked tirelessly, mining spirit stones.

Spirit stones, the currency of cultivators, were extracted from such mines, much like gold from Earth’s mines. Chu Tian’s goal was simple: to acquire enough spirit stones to cultivate Nine-Nine Madman's Foundation.

The canyon, however, was heavily guarded by hidden Golden Core experts. While Chu Tian’s Earth Immortal Possession Talisman could overpower them, he hesitated to waste such a precious resource. If the Heavenly Star Sect launched a full-scale attack later, he would need it as a trump card.

As night fell, the canyon was lit by scattered torches, and Chu Tian saw his chance.

Knocking out a Foundation Establishment disciple on the outskirts, he donned the man’s uniform, smeared his face with dirt, and strolled confidently into the mine.

The sheer number of disciples, most of whom were strangers to one another, allowed Chu Tian to blend in effortlessly.

Inside a cave filled with Qi Refinement disciples, Chu Tian roamed freely. No one dared question him. Just as he prepared to act, a shout echoed ahead.

"You scoundrel! How dare you steal spirit stones?"

Startled, Chu Tian thought he’d been discovered. However, a trembling voice pleaded, "Steward Li, I was wrong! Please forgive me!"

Curious, Chu Tian approached. A chubby boy in tattered clothes, likely at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, was pinned to the ground.

Before him stood a middle-aged man in the mid Foundation Establishment stage, flanked by several early Foundation Establishment disciples who mocked and humiliated the boy.

"Speak! Why did you steal?" roared the steward.

The boy, trembling, suddenly pulled out a pill and shouted, "I’ll take you all down with me!"

The pill released a surge of powerful energy, knocking everyone aside. However, the boy himself was injured, slumping against a wall.

The steward’s eyes gleamed with recognition. "Ah, so you’re a survivor of the Tu family!"

The boy spat angrily, "Heavenly Star Sect, remember this—one day, the heavens will bring you to justice!"

Chu Tian's memories stirred. The Tu family, an alchemy clan, had been annihilated half a year ago after offending powerful cultivators. Their precious pill recipes had been stolen—no doubt by the Heavenly Star Sect.

Unable to stomach the injustice, Chu Tian stepped forward. "So many of you bullying a mere Qi Refinement disciple? Have you no shame?"