The Immortal Cultivation World of Male Inferiority and Female Supremacy-Chapter 154. Terrible but Effective Way

Foundation Establishment is a complex project involving many rigorous theories, enough to write a thousand papers and open a separate course.

Fang Zhou is still a novice among novices on the cultivation path, relying on some tricks to get where he is today, unlike other cultivators who progressed step by step with solid practical and theoretical foundations.

Fang Zhou is fairly adept at practical operations, but he’s clueless when it comes to theory, so he doesn’t fully understand the various forces involved in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

However, based on his own understanding, the Qi Refining Realm is about using spiritual energy to nourish and strengthen the body, while the Foundation Establishment Realm is about transforming the body with spiritual energy. In short, it’s like a complete transformation, transcending the ordinary.

If that’s still unclear, we can put it more plainly—cultivation is a process of getting handsome. Qi Refinement is like using skincare products to maintain your face, while Foundation Establishment is like cosmetic surgery, directly altering your face with a knife.

And both processes complement each other. When the Qi Refining Realm uses spiritual energy to nourish the body, it also preconditions the body to adapt to spiritual energy, thereby increasing the success rate during Foundation Establishment.

Fang Zhou started Foundation Establishment following the method taught by Yu Qing, which described the process in detail, with two key points to pay attention to. One is to endure the pain; if you can’t, you’ll fail if you abandon the process. The second is the need for a massive amount of spiritual energy, and if it runs out midway, you’ll also fail.

Fang Zhou only understood what these two points truly meant after he began Foundation Establishment and grasped the reality of the process.

The entire Foundation Establishment process, in simple terms, is using spiritual energy to wash over the body, shattering every part of the body and then repairing it with spiritual energy, repeatedly shattering and repairing it. During this process, spiritual energy penetrates cells previously unreachable to complete the transformation.

So the whole process generates unimaginable pain. If you can’t bear the pain and interrupt the process, Foundation Establishment will fail, and the process consumes a massive amount of spiritual energy, especially during the repair phase. If the spiritual energy reserves run out, you’re done for.

As soon as the Foundation Establishment started, Fang Zhou immediately sweated coldly from the pain, his whole body shaking.

The pain he felt when he first touched the sword box at Lanruo Temple was nothing compared to this.

No wonder so many people fail at Foundation Establishment; this kind of pain alone is unbearable for most people.

Fang Zhou felt he was reaching his limit after just a short while. His body instinctively wanted to stop this terrifying self-mutilating act. While self-mutilating, Fang Zhou had to use New Moon Qi and Heaven and Earth Qiankun Technique to absorb spiritual energy and replenish the consumed energy.

Who’s the madman that came up with this method?

Fang Zhou couldn’t help but curse inwardly to shift his focus from the pain, but it barely worked; he hurt so much that even his toes were cramping.

The only good news was that Fang Zhou had an abundance of spiritual energy within him, far more than the average Foundation Establishment, so he wasn’t afraid of depleting it midway.

Cheng Xing, watching Fang Zhou writhing in pain and trembling, became anxious but didn’t know what to do.

Fang Zhou realized he couldn’t go on like this, or he’d be tortured to death; he had to think of something.

The first idea that came to his mind was to let his consciousness retreat to the gourd space and let his body complete the Foundation Establishment, so he wouldn’t feel the pain.

However, the Foundation Establishment process given by Yu Qing advised against cutting off consciousness during Foundation Establishment because it involves three layers: blood and flesh, muscles and bones, and internal organs.

The first layer is blood and flesh. If left unchecked, it easily affects muscles, bones, and internal organs, so it requires the cultivator’s constant attention to correct any mistakes immediately.

Moreover, cutting off consciousness causes the process to stop uncontrollably, leading to failure.

Damn, not only do I have to self-mutilate, but I also have to watch the whole self-mutilation process. The first person who thought of this method must have been a masochist, making all future cultivators suffer self-abuse.

Fang Zhou was already in a daze from the pain, and the Foundation Establishment was less than one-twentieth complete, with failure looming.

Countless faces flashed through his mind: Han Li, Yu Qing, the gourd children, and finally settling on Ling Xiaoyue’s annoying face.

If that guy didn’t disappear at critical moments, how would I suffer such pain?

Anger surged in Fang Zhou’s heart, and he suddenly grew bold. He had always been careful in conserving his Yang energy for himself, but now, on the brink of death, he regretted not using it earlier...

Wait a minute!!

There seems to be a way!

A light bulb lit up in Fang Zhou’s mind!

If I can’t cut off consciousness entirely during Foundation Establishment, why not retreat temporarily and then return, repeating the process of entering the gourd space? In this way, I can avoid the continuous pain yet still control the process.

Cutting off consciousness entirely is risky because of undetected errors and lack of control, but if I check and maintain the process at intervals, it should be fine, right?

Fang Zhou, like a drowning man grasping a lifeline, ensured the spiritual energy continued washing over his body and immediately let his consciousness dive into the gourd space.

As soon as he entered the gourd space, Fang Zhou couldn’t help but gasp for breath, feeling as though he had narrowly escaped death.

If it was this tough for him, how did other Foundation Establishment cultivators manage to endure it?

Could there be techniques he wasn’t aware of?

I must ask Yu Qing for clarity when I have the chance.

Upon seeing Fang Zhou inside, the gourd children ran to him instantly.

Hong Tang frowned and asked, "Why did you send Second Sister out?"

The other gourd children had noticed Cheng Xing being sent out by Fang Zhou, but they couldn’t leave or contact her, so they could only worry.

Despite their improved opinion of Fang Zhou over time, they remained vigilant, fearing he might harm Cheng Xing.

Of course, their concern was about her safety, not her chastity. They weren’t worried Fang Zhou would assault Cheng Xing; instead, they wondered if Cheng Xing might overpower Fang Zhou.

"I asked Cheng Xing to use her thousand-mile eyes and Sharp-Hearing Ear to help me with something. She’ll be back soon."

Fang Zhou explained to the gourd children.

In the past, the gourd children wouldn’t have believed him, but Fang Zhou’s credibility had improved significantly lately, and his explanation was mostly accepted.

Relieved but still worried, Hong Tang asked, "Will she be in danger?"

"What danger? If anyone’s in danger, it’s me."

Fang Zhou grumbled, "Didn’t you notice what a mess I’m in?"

The gourd children took a closer look and saw that Fang Zhou indeed looked like he had been tortured.

"Quick, quick, bring the recliner over."

Fang Zhou didn’t want to stand anymore, so he hurriedly asked the gourd children to bring the recliner he had made for himself earlier.

Hong Tang had to send the third child to get the recliner.

Once Fang Zhou lay down comfortably, he started groaning again, "My head hurts; can someone help massage it?"

The gourd children exchanged glances, and finally, Hong Tang hesitantly stepped forward with her delicate fingers, massaging Fang Zhou’s temples and forehead.

Fang Zhou groaned in comfort, "Ah, my hands and feet hurt too."

Hong Tang gritted her teeth, "Don’t push your luck."