Chapter 278 - 273: A Lingering Sense of Wrongness, Foundation Establishment Pill

Song Ciwan stood on the shore, continuing to process the various Magic she had just come to understand, her gaze fixed on the fisherman in the middle of the water.

The fisherman draped his straw raincoat back over his shoulders. As the thunderclouds in the sky scattered and the rain of light faded, he took up his pole once more and suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

In Song Ciwan’s view, the Insight Technique’s panel unfurled, revealing a new, special Magic: Ancient Spirit Spell!

Ancient Spirit Spell: Spells formed from the Word Spirit of antiquity. A single character is a spell; every character is a spell.

As the name suggested, the meaning of the Ancient Spirit Spell was simple: in this world, Seal Script, as an ancient writing system, naturally possessed the special ability to channel the world’s Energy.

To master Seal Script was to master infinite Magic.

And the Ancient Spirit Spell was the method for putting that Magic to use.

It was no wonder, then, that the Seal Script characters Song Ciwan had seen before—from the words "Heaven and Earth Treasure" on the Ancestral Dragon Coins to the characters for "Human," "Demon," and "Fiend" on the Secret Realm Light Gate—all possessed such a profound and special significance.

This was because they were not merely words; they were equivalent to incantations. They were Word Spirit!

The same was true for the character "Forbidden," which had been formed by the threads of light shooting from the fisherman’s Golden Core during his Thunder Tribulation.

Someone who didn’t recognize this character would see it only as a mysterious, ancient talisman. They could only perform rote imitation, copying it mechanically. To learn the script in such a way would naturally be incredibly difficult.

But Song Ciwan, who recognized the character, could perceive its very essence.

She had comprehended the Dao within the character for "Forbidden." Not only had she managed to imprint it and learn the "Forbidden" spell, but she had even been able to deconstruct the character. From it, she learned three more Ancient Spirit Spells: "Wood," "Forest," and "Reveal"!

At this point, Song Ciwan still couldn’t figure out why Seal Script from Huaxia civilization appeared in this world and possessed such bizarre power. ’But... who cares how it got here?’

It wasn’t a question that needed an immediate answer. In short, her ability to recognize some Seal Script characters gave her a massive advantage, and that was a tangible benefit.

’So, could I write out every Seal Script character I know and turn them into Ancient Spirit Spells?’

Song Ciwan tried it out in secret. She tried to write the character for "Human" but found she couldn’t even form the first stroke.

She tried to write the character for "Demon" and failed again.

She tried again with "Fiend," "Heaven," and "Earth." In the end, after attempting every Seal Script character she had seen in this world, she found she could write nothing except for "Wood," "Forest," "Reveal," and "Forbidden."

Recognizing Seal Script merely gave her the advantage of directly grasping the principles behind the characters. To say it made her omnipotent... ’Clearly, I still have a long way to go.’

’No need to rush. I’ll take it slow. My gains this time were already immense.’

On Song Ciwan’s Insight Technique panel, her Thunder Fire Body Devouring Technique, Third-Layer Flesh and Blood Slaughter, was now at (Skilled 679/1,000). She was one step closer to breaking through the Skilled level and reaching the Mastery Realm.

Her Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting, Second Layer, was at (Peak of Perfection 1,263,519/10,000,000). Without her even noticing, it had entered the Peak of Perfection realm and was not far from the highest level of Mastery.

As for her own Cultivation, she had somehow reached Qi Cultivation Perfection.

A single moment of Enlightenment is worth more than countless years of painstaking Cultivation.

Studying ancient texts until your hair turns white is no match for a single spark of Spiritual Light.

There was no helping it. When it came to Cultivating Immortality, the most important thing was Enlightenment. It seemed so illogical, but in truth, that was its very logic.

In her previous life, a famous person had once said: "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."

This quote used to be posted on classroom walls, inspiring generation after generation of students to strive, work hard, and persevere.

But everyone overlooked the second half of that quote: "But that one percent inspiration is the most important thing, even more important than the ninety-nine percent perspiration."

In other words, without that one percent of inspiration, you’re nothing!

’Heh. Cruel, isn’t it?’

’Don’t worry, reality can be even crueler.’

However, Song Ciwan believed that if she were still in her previous life, she could have afforded to ignore the second half of that saying.

In a peaceful society, it didn’t really matter if you were a true genius. To be able to work hard and be diligent, to become a "Postnatal" genius—that, in its own way, was a kind of happiness.

But there was no helping it. The Great Zhou was not Huaxia. In this world where humans, gods, and Demon Fiends coexisted, all peace and quiet had to be earned.

So Song Ciwan couldn’t help but feel thankful that she had never lacked that one percent of inspiration.

’I have to admit,’ she thought, ’being someone who experiences frequent epiphanies is actually pretty great.’

The fisherman poled his boat toward the shore. Song Ciwan, waiting there, cupped her fists in salute. "Congratulations, Senior! With this breakthrough, you have advanced another step upon the great Dao!"

The fisherman laughed heartily. "Far from it, I’m still very far! Although this is called a Golden Core, it is not yet a true Golden Core. On the path of Cultivation, I cannot afford to slacken in the slightest!"

The boat reached the shore. The fisherman stepped onto the air as if it were solid ground, clouds blooming beneath his feet as he walked directly onto the bank.

The boat, in turn, transformed into a small, black wooden plaque that appeared in the fisherman’s hand. He then hung the plaque from his waist.

He was dressed in simple brown clothes and draped in a partial straw raincoat, his face still weathered and wrinkled. Judging by his appearance, who would have guessed he was a master of the Golden Core Stage?

But Song Ciwan could still keenly sense an indescribable rhythm about the fisherman. It made his every gesture seem connected to the very pulse of the world around him.

He didn’t need to consciously release anything, yet an invisible pressure emanated from him, instinctively making one feel cautious.

’This is the Golden Core Stage!’

Song Ciwan carefully observed the change in him. While she felt no fear, she was filled with admiration.

The fisherman spoke again. "Young friend, your words today broke through the confusion in my heart. You have done me a great service. Now that I have broken through to the Golden Core Stage, I have gained the right to make a recommendation."

"Why don’t you accompany me to Yanling Town? In a few days, the Red Eyebrow Great Immortal will be giving a sermon. If I can procure a Red Gold Level Foundation Establishment Pill for you before his sermon, your path to the Golden Core will be wide and open."

Song Ciwan quickly demurred, saying she was unworthy of such a great favor, and then asked the fisherman what a Red Gold Level Foundation Establishment Pill was.

The fisherman explained, "For us who walk the Golden Core Dao, the first priority is Foundation Establishment. And for Foundation Establishment, the first priority is the Foundation Establishment Pill. You must first have a Foundation Establishment Pill to build your Dao Foundation. Then, you absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to strengthen that Dao Foundation."

"Once it reaches a certain point, you must comprehend various Daoist Skills and gain Enlightenment on the essentials of forming the Core. Only then can you be considered to be on the great Dao. Otherwise, if the Golden Core is never formed, even Foundation Establishment will ultimately be for naught."

He continued, telling Song Ciwan, "There are six grades of Foundation Establishment Pills: Fire Tree Level, Silver Flower Level, Red Gold Level, White Jade Level, Purple Ribbon Level, and Immortal Spirit Level."

"When I established my foundation, I used only a Fire Tree Level Foundation Establishment Pill, which the Town gives out for free once you complete a few tasks. Even so, it took me thirty years to complete all the tasks and finally obtain the pill."

"And after my Foundation Establishment, I languished for another three hundred years. Only today have I finally formed my Golden Core!"

"You, young friend, are gifted and intelligent. I sincerely hope you do not end up like me. In seeking the Dao, if one can advance boldly and diligently, who would willingly waste away the years?"

He sighed as he spoke.

Song Ciwan listened intently, but by the end, she only felt more confused.

She asked, "Excuse me, Senior, but is a Foundation Establishment Pill absolutely necessary for Foundation Establishment?"

’Yes, that was the most suspicious part!’

’No wonder I’ve felt that something was off ever since I entered this Secret Realm.’

’The Golden Core Dao is so powerful, but it’s completely dependent on that initial Foundation Establishment Pill. In that case, where did the very first person to cultivate the Golden Core Dao get their Foundation Establishment Pill?’