Before long, Third Uncle Liu returned to the Xia residence's main hall with the ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

  "Senior Xia, there's something I'm curious about. May I ask why you're giving such precious inheritance to the Liu family?"

  Third Uncle Liu had thought of many possibilities. Had Xia Li taken a liking to Liu Xiaoxiao? Or did Xia Li intend to cultivate the Liu family?

  "Is it that precious?"

  However, Xia Li's casual counter-question left Third Uncle Liu speechless.

  What could cause countless powers to fight over it was apparently just something ordinary in Xia Li's eyes.

  "Alright, I was presumptuous. In any case, our Liu family will remember your kindness, Senior."

  "Mm. If there's nothing else, you may leave. Come back in seven days for the pills."

  "Yes!"

  Third Uncle Liu left behind over a dozen jade boxes and departed. Xia Li probed with divine thought—the materials in those boxes were enough to refine several Foundation Establishment Pills, but the Liu family only wanted one.

  In other words, the extras were payment.

  And Xia Li did desperately need spirit stones right now.

  Because using the Heavenly Dao Computer once on Earth cost ten thousand low-grade spirit stones.

  Converting between rough spirit stones and standard spirit stone units, that meant over twelve thousand stones.

  "With my current talent, I should be able to attempt Heaven-path Foundation Establishment in this world. But should I do that..."

  Xia Li fell into thought. Heaven-path Foundation Establishment on Earth would attract unnecessary attention, and no amount of identity concealment would help—it all depended on whether Linguang City's officials wanted to make it public.

  Before, he'd had no choice. Now, having refined two top-ten Qi Refining spirit treasures, he could absolutely attempt Heaven-path Foundation Establishment on his own.

  〖Note: Heaven-path Foundation Establishment through the Heavenly Dao Computer allows inscribing a divine ability slot in the dantian〗

  The AI in the Heaven Chip could sense Xia Li's thoughts and immediately reminded him of Earth's unique advantage for Heaven-path Foundation Establishment.

  Divine abilities.

  Those were techniques only usable at Nascent Soul stage—far more powerful than ordinary techniques. Golden Core cultivators with seventh-grade or higher cores could use divine abilities early, and so could those who achieved Heaven-path Foundation Establishment on Earth.

  "What about the divine ability's power?"

  〖There will be some reduction, but it still far exceeds conventional techniques〗

  "Mm..."

  Xia Li hesitated briefly, then decided to return to Earth for Foundation Establishment. He also wanted to see this so-called Heavenly Dao.

  The path to power was always filled with countless watching eyes, many harboring malice.

  Unless Xia Li didn't want to grow stronger, he'd attract attention no matter what. This annoyed the pacifist in him.

  Afterward, Xia Li began refining Foundation Establishment Pills. Using an ordinary pill furnace, he just needed to expend more spiritual energy and ingredients, increasing spiritual and medicinal properties to achieve supreme-grade quality.

  Earth's alchemy truly wasn't picky about furnaces.

  As long as you were willing to waste spiritual energy, you could refine pills even with an iron pot over a wood fire.

  After converting all materials into supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, Xia Li didn't immediately notify the Liu family. Refining this fast while achieving supreme-grade was too shocking.

  Better to wait a bit.

  For the following days, Xia Li devoted himself entirely to cultivation, pushing his cultivation to the point where he couldn't advance further and could only break through.

  Several days later...

  The appointed time to collect the pills arrived. After Third Uncle Liu sent a message, Xia Li waited in the main hall.

  This time, two people came for the pills.

  A young man with an extraordinary aura and an elderly man.

  "Greetings, Senior Xia. I'm Liu Jingfeng. Though we haven't met in person, you should know me, right?"

  Liu Jingfeng strode into the hall and immediately knelt on one knee in a formal salute. The elderly man also bowed deeply to Xia Li.

  "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Xia. I'm Liu Hong, the Liu family's Grand Elder. Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. I didn't expect your aura to be no weaker than mine."

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  Liu Hong shook his head helplessly as he said this. He was already much stronger than ordinary rogue cultivators, but the foundation he'd established was still an insubstantial qi foundation.

  Before true prodigies, what did his Foundation Establishment count for?

  "Mm. Hello."

  Xia Li nodded lightly. He could sense Liu Hong's aura was as insubstantial as clouds. This level of Foundation Establishment he could defeat with a casual slap.

  This world's Foundation Establishment was divided into three types: insubstantial qi foundation, profound spirit foundation, and heaven-reaching dao foundation.

  Human-path Foundation Establishment created a spirit foundation. Earth-path and Heaven-path Foundation Establishment created heaven-reaching dao foundations.

  A qi foundation was like clouds—naturally unable to bear much power. Being weak was understandable.

  But Xia Li didn't look down on him. Being able to establish foundation at all already surpassed countless others. In mortals' eyes, Qi Refining cultivators were immortals, and Foundation Establishment cultivators could be ancestors.

  "Now then, here is the supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill."

  Xia Li took out a pill from his storage ring—a pale purple pill with faint purple qi swirling around it.

  The moment Liu Jingfeng saw the pill, just smelling its fragrance made him feel his realm loosening slightly.

  He was just an unremarkable outer sect disciple of the Cloud Mountain Sect. Even low-grade Foundation Establishment Pills required a long wait before his turn came.

  His talent was the highest in the Liu family in nearly a century, but in the Cloud Mountain Sect, he could barely rank in the lower-middle tier. Even at ninth-level Qi Refining, he could only wait, or waste tremendous time and effort establishing foundation on his own.

  But now...

  A supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill was right before his eyes. Taking this pill, he would become an inner sect disciple of the Cloud Mountain Sect. With a spirit foundation, he would go much further.

  "Is this... something I can have?"

  Liu Jingfeng now felt a sense of unreality. The Cloud Mountain Sect also lacked ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills, and improving pill quality was even harder—nearly counterproductive.

  So high-grade Foundation Establishment Pills were hard to find. High-grade pills were already priceless, and supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pills were practically acquired spirit treasures.

  "Of course this isn't something you deserve!"

  Before Xia Li could speak, a voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard. Several uninvited guests barged into Xia Li's residence.

  Xia Li had actually noticed people outside earlier, but he'd assumed they were Liu family escorts and hadn't bothered to investigate.

  "Wang... Senior Brother Wang, why are you here?!"

  Liu Jingfeng immediately turned around in shock to look at the group. Xia Li also noticed they were mostly wearing Cloud Mountain Sect uniforms.

  It seemed they were Cloud Mountain Sect people. Liu Jingfeng had apparently been followed.

  "Wait... Junior Sister He, why are you here? Could it be that you..."

  Liu Jingfeng instantly understood the cause and effect. He'd admired Junior Sister He, but unfortunately she'd caught the eye of an inner sect senior brother.

  Upon receiving his family's message about the Foundation Establishment Pill, he'd naturally shared the good news with Junior Sister He first, telling her not to worry—when he returned, he'd be Foundation Establishment.

  He hadn't expected this Junior Sister He to betray him.

  "You think you can compete with Senior Brother? If you really got this supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, you might actually become a threat. Too bad!"

  Junior Sister He sneered coldly. If this supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill was brought back and offered to the sect, they would all receive considerable rewards.

  "Everyone, this pill is mine. I give it to whoever I want. Do you need to interfere?"

  Xia Li frowned at the Cloud Mountain Sect disciples, his expression displeased.

  Though he already knew the cultivation world's ways, seeing this behavior still annoyed him. He wanted nothing more than to send these Cloud Mountain Sect disciples to heaven on the spot.