54: Chapter 54 Shi Jian emerges from seclusion, late stage of Foundation Establishment!

"It's fine, really fine."

"Clan Chief, I know you're anxious right now, but please don't be."

"Old Ancestor hasn't had any accidents. Come and take a look first."

Sun Mao wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. Seeing the Clan Chief's anxious state made him feel a bit flustered as well...

The Immortal Cave on the back mountain.

The light screen of the Formation had been maintained for nearly seven years without a single interruption. The consumption of Spirit Stones alone was an astronomical figure, but Sun Boan hadn't been willing to cut it off for even a single day...

At this moment, the light screen shattered.

It didn't dissipate slowly; instead, it burst open from the center like a sheet of ice struck by a heavy hammer. Cracks spread in all directions before it collapsed into a sky full of light specks!

Immediately after, a surge of majestic Demonic Qi gushed out from within the Immortal Cave.

This Demonic Qi was completely different from seven years ago.

Seven years ago, it was thick and like a furnace. Now, it was like an abyss, like a mountain!

The vegetation on the back mountain was pressed down flat. The clansmen irrigating the spiritual fields fell to the ground, and several playing bear cubs crouched down, letting out instinctive whimpers of submission.

The stone door was pushed open from the inside.

A Black Bear walked out.

Its size was a circle larger than seven years ago, the muscle lines of its limbs were tighter, and its fur was as black as ink, shimmering with a faint luster under the sunlight.

Its eyes, like copper bells, were half-open and half-closed, with a glimmer of spiritual light flowing deep within the pupils.

Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

Shi Jian cracked his neck, his joints popping. He let out a long breath of turbid air. When that turbid breath hit the ground, the vegetation instantly withered, and the soil was scorched into a shallow pit.

"Seven years..."

He shook his head; this was the first time he had been in seclusion for so long.

blood bodhi is indeed a good thing. He had refined that violent medicinal power bit by bit, forcibly pushing his Bloodline to an unprecedented height!

Finally, taking advantage of the momentum, he broke through the Bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

A Late Foundation Establishment Stage Yao Beast, which is a Level 4 Yao Beast, would be among the strongest below the Golden Core in Baiyun Prefecture!

Aside from a Golden Core Master, who could do anything to me?

"Beautiful, simply beautiful."

In his heart, Shi Jian gave himself a thumbs up. His decision back then was indeed correct. Things like blood bodhi, blood-condensing lotus, and numerous resources, Spiritual Veins, and Spirit Stones...

These were not things a wild Yao Beast could obtain.

Counting it up, he had entered the Human Race territory for about thirty years and had broken through from the Early Foundation Establishment Stage to the Late Stage.

In the same amount of time, he would have at most broken through to the Middle Stage in the Dafeng Mountains. This showed the difference between the two and the abundance of opportunities.

As expected, when it comes to resources, the Human Race world is indeed rich!

But on the surface, Shi Jian still didn't even lift an eyelid.

An expert must remain composed.

He slowly walked out of the Immortal Cave and stood at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the entire Hongtian City.

The scene before him made him freeze for a moment.

Seven years ago, Hongtian City, though equally vast and prosperous, had already changed its atmosphere. It used to be just an ordinary county town, but now it truly had the air of an immortal paradise!

The inner and outer cities, the moat, the South City market, the dense clusters of houses, the flow of people, and many cultivators...

"Not bad. It seems these past few years haven't been in vain."

Shi Jian nodded with satisfaction, then spread out his Divine Sense, covering the entire city and taking everything in!

His Divine Sense was already powerful, and he could continuously use the Enlightenment System to strengthen his Divine Soul every year. Therefore, the strength of his Divine Sense far exceeded the scope of Foundation Establishment.

The Aura fluctuations of every cultivator in the city and the operational status of every Spiritual Vein were as clear as the lines on his palm.

As his Divine Sense swept over the back mountain, he captured several familiar Auras.

It was the bear cubs.

And one Aura that surprised him...

Shi Mo, the most taciturn of the three bear cubs he had enlightened. His Aura was more than twice as strong as it was seven years ago.

And in that Aura, there was actually a hint of dark golden sharpness!

"Interesting."

Shi Jian withdrew his Divine Sense, not in a hurry to go see.

He lay down on a rock at the entrance of the cave, assuming an unfathomable posture, and waited.

He didn't have to wait long.

Footsteps came from the mountain path, hurried and orderly.

Sun Boan was the first to arrive.

This Sun Clan Chief didn't dare to fly on a sword; instead, he trotted over respectfully, sweat beading on his forehead...

But the joy on his face couldn't be hidden.

He came to a halt three zhang before the Immortal Cave, bowed deeply, and said loudly:

"Congratulations to the Old Ancestor for breaking through!"

Behind him, Sun Mao, Sun Kezheng, Sun Changping, and other clan mainstays arrived one after another, bowing in unison to welcome him:

"Congratulations to the Old Ancestor for emerging from seclusion!"

The voices echoed on the back mountain.

Shi Jian lay by the cliff, his eyelids lifting slightly, his tone indifferent:

"You're all here?"

"Mm, rise."

Just these few words, spoken nonchalantly.

But everyone felt that the Old Ancestor's voice was even more steady and thick than seven years ago. That Aura of dignity without anger was suffocating!

Savage, ancient, and carrying a mountain-like weight, an impeccable strength. This pressure didn't make them afraid; instead, it gave the Sun Clan members an unprecedented sense of peace.

Sun Boan took a deep breath, his pupils shrinking as he felt that Aura.

It was definitely the Late Foundation Establishment Stage!

He suppressed the wild joy in his heart, his voice trembling:

"Old Ancestor, you..."

"I've broken through. It's nothing significant."

Shi Jian's tone was flat, as if he were saying the weather was nice today.

Hearing this, amidst his excitement, Sun Boan turned to look at the clansmen behind him.

The faces of the younger generation were filled with awe and excitement. A Late Foundation Establishment Stage guardian Yao Beast meant that the Sun Clan's Foundation had stabilized significantly!

"Alright, don't just stand there."

Shi Jian yawned. "Boan stay, the rest of you disperse. Go do what you need to do."

Everyone received their orders and withdrew.

Once everyone was gone, Shi Jian finally rolled over and lay in a comfortable position.

"Tell me, what has happened these past few years? Pick the important things to say."

Sun Boan responded and reported the major events of the past seven years concisely, not daring to hide anything.

The Mingqiu Merchant Alliance was operating smoothly, the situation in the Nine Counties was stable, Sun Mao could hold his own, thirteen immortal sprouts of the third generation had been found, and the generational names had been established...

Shi Jian listened, nodding from time to time, occasionally offering a word or two of praise.

"There is one more thing."

Sun Boan spoke with a more serious tone at the end. "While Sun Mao was on tour for the Commerce Alliance, he received two items: a dark gold ape bone fragment and a lei yuan fruit tree."

"The bone fragment has already been given to Shi Mo. His Bloodline has undergone a mutation, and his strength is growing extremely fast. It shouldn't be difficult for him to break through to Foundation Establishment."

"The lei yuan fruit tree has also been successfully planted. It produced its second round of fruit this year, yielding seven fruits."

Shi Jian's ears twitched.

dark gold ape bone fragment? thunder element fruit?

He didn't show any emotional fluctuations, simply asking, "Where is Shi Mo now?"

"In the Beast Valley on the back mountain."

"Have it come see me."

Sun Boan received the order and left.

A moment later, he returned, followed by Sun Mao.

Sun Mao held a chain in his hand—not a real chain, but a guiding thread condensed from spiritual power. The other end was connected to a Yao Beast nearly the size of an adult Black Bear.

Shi Mo.

Shi Jian's gaze fell upon Shi Mo, his pupils shrinking slightly.

On Shi Mo's back was a palm-sized patch of dark golden fur that emitted a metallic cold light under the sun.

Its four paws were thick, the edges of its claws gleaming with a blade-like light. As it walked on the stone path, every step left shallow claw marks.

But what caught Shi Jian's attention most was Shi Mo's gaze.

In those vertical pupils, there was an intelligence and steadiness far exceeding that of ordinary Yao Beasts.

This was the effect of Enlightenment.

One of the three bear cubs he had personally enlightened back then had now grown into this appearance. He felt quite gratified.

Shi Mo walked up to Shi Jian and stopped.

Then it did something: it slowly lowered its head, its forelimbs bending in a posture almost like kneeling, resting its head before Shi Jian.

A low whimper came from its throat—not of fear, but of submission and closeness to a superior from deep within its Bloodline.

Shi Jian extended a bear paw and pressed it onto the top of Shi Mo's head.

The fur under his paw was coarse and stiff, the skull solid.

"Not bad. You've gained a trace of metal spirit energy, and your Bloodline has undergone some mutation. Unfortunately, the mutation is not thorough..."

"There will be no problem reaching Foundation Establishment in the future. But if you want to go further, I'm afraid it will be as difficult as it is for me."