Chapter Thirty-Seven: The First Battle of Foundation Establishment - Essence of Earth Fire
After devouring several more strange fish, Gu Xiaopang could no longer suppress the surging cultivation power within him. With a sharp crack, he formally stepped into the Foundation Establishment realm. He didn't even have time to take the top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill that Fifth Elder Gu had prepared for him in advance.
"So this is Foundation Establishment?!"
Gu Xiaopang examined his body, now several times lighter and filled with explosive new strength.
...
From merely sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth during the Qi Refining stage, to being able to truly communicate with it only after entering Foundation Establishment—only then could one be considered a genuine cultivator. The process of Foundation Establishment was akin to shedding the mundane and breaking the shackles of the body, leaping from the acquired to the innate, expelling countless dark impurities from within...
At this moment, Gu Xiaopang was experiencing precisely that.
His strength soaring, Gu Xiaopang paid no attention to the foul, black stench covering him and eagerly dove deeper. Where before he could only remain submerged for ten breaths, now he could last at least thirty, making his journey through the magma far more effortless and allowing him to sink ever deeper.
...
"My goodness!"
"I just wiped out a bunch of small ones... and now this massive creature pops up!"
"What's that on the big monster fish's head? It's bright red and sparkling, looks like a spirit stone, but it's clearly not on the same level! Beast core? Doesn't seem quite like it..."
"Damn! You big one! You dare glare at me!"
...
Without hesitation, Gu Xiaopang drew his treasured rhinoceros horn and charged, engaging the giant monster fish in battle.
"Hey! Big one! Take another blow from me!"
Despite having a large chunk of flesh ripped from his thigh by the monster fish, Gu Xiaopang, as if he were the victor, cried out with excitement.
...
"Crack!"
"Crack, crack!"
Since the start of the fight, Gu Xiaopang had been relentlessly smashing the monster fish's head with his rhinoceros horn, and finally he glimpsed hope of success. The red, sparkling stone atop the monster fish's head began to tremble, but that only drove the monster fish completely mad.
...
Driven insane, the monster fish bit fiercely into Gu Xiaopang's other thigh with its rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Gu Xiaopang, his own bloodlust ignited, endured the pain, ignoring everything else. He channeled all his Foundation Establishment power into both rhinoceros horns and stabbed them deeply into either side of the monster fish's skull. In that moment, with his hands and legs restrained, Gu Xiaopang decisively opened his mouth wide and bit down hard on the red, shining stone atop the monster fish's head!
...
The magma world abruptly fell quiet!
The instant the red, sparkling stone detached, the monster fish's vitality vanished, transforming into a vast, pure liquid energy that poured entirely into Gu Xiaopang's body.
...
"Ah!..."
A few breaths later, with a scream of intense agony from Gu Xiaopang, the brief peace was shattered.
Fully aware of what was happening, Gu Xiaopang could only bitterly smile, realizing he'd overdone it this time—he was about to burst from the overload...
His body swelled to twice its size, most of his meridians and blood vessels ruptured, and his consciousness quickly faded. All that remained was the ordinary stone pendant on his chest, flickering faintly in the magma.
...
Night fell, then dawn came again.
Who knew how much time had passed before Gu Xiaopang’s consciousness slowly returned, his eyes opening once more to flames blazing within his pupils.
"I'm actually still alive?"
"My body is completely healed too?"
"Ah! My meridians have expanded to twice their width... and my true energy is so much denser!"
...
"Of course, kid! Do you even know who saved you?"
"Good thing your throat is small and you didn't swallow the essence of earth fire as well, or even if an immortal descended from the heavens, you'd be finished!"
"Not even a speck of ash would remain!"
...
"Essence of earth fire?"
"Saved me?"
"Who's speaking?"
"Damn, a ghost!"
...