That single title: "Daoist."
It represented Zheng Qingqingās formal entry into the circle of Foundation Establishment Powerhouses.
In the following days, the entire Yellow Crane Immortal City was enveloped in the afterglow of this Foundation Establishment. Countless people eagerly discussed it, and the buzz refused to die down.
All the major powers, including Yellow Crane Mountain, sent representatives to the residence Zheng Qingqing was renting in the Immortal City.
The visitors came in an endless stream, and among them were many Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Soon, news spread that Zheng Qingqing would be holding her Foundation Establishment Ceremony in one month.
"The Young Mistress is actually holding the ceremony in the Immortal City, not at the Zheng Family estate?"
Li Changāan was lost in thought, finding it a bit strange.
Logically speaking, for Noble Family Descendants like Zheng Qingqing, the Foundation Establishment Ceremony would be held on their familyās ancestral grounds.
But her choice truly took Li Changāan by surprise.
āCould it be that she wants to stay in the Immortal City for the long term?ā
Li Changāan couldnāt help but recall the three days they had traveled together to the Immortal City. He remembered her mentioning many things about the Zheng Family.
At the time, Zheng Qingqing had faintly shown a hint of weariness.
It seemed she no longer wanted to be distracted by the familyās complex and trivial affairs.
But from childhood, many of the resources she needed for her cultivation had been provided by her family.
Therefore, she couldnāt abandon her family.
āFor Noble Family Descendants like her, the stronger they become, the heavier the burdens they carry. Thankfully, Iām just a Loose Cultivator with nothing to bear.ā
Li Changāan mused to himself.
Shouldering the responsibility of such a large family... just thinking about it was a headache.
Just as he was thinking, someone suddenly came to visit.
Li Changāan opened the door and saw Zheng Qingqing standing outside, dressed in a cyan-green long dress!
"Young Mistress."
The Zheng Qingqing of today didnāt look much different from before.
But she now carried an indescribable air about her.
Li Changāan still addressed her as "Young Mistress" instead of "Senior," naturally intending to maintain their close relationship.
"Daoist Li."
Zheng Qingqing smiled faintly, also addressing him as she had before.
Still "Daoist," not "Little Friend." This alone spoke volumes.
She had come here suddenly to share her Foundation Establishment experience with Li Changāan.
This included the specific details of each of the Foundation Establishment Three Gates, the actual effects of the Foundation Establishment Pill and the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, and even the effects of the Bodhi Incense.
Her explanation was extremely detailed.
Li Changāan listened intently, committing every detail to memory.
This shared experience was simply too precious.
After all, it was personally recounted by someone who had just reached Foundation Establishment.
The vast majority of Qi Refining Cultivators didnāt have such good fortune; they could only read through the experiences left behind by Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators in various ancient texts.
About an hour later, Zheng Qingqing finished her explanation.
Li Changāan took a deep breath and thanked her very solemnly.
"Thank you, Young Mistress."
This knowledge was of immense help to him.
It was almost equivalent to the grace of being taught the Dao itself!
Zheng Qingqing smiled, her lips pursed. "There is no need for this, Daoist Li. The worldly tales you told me on the eve of my Foundation Establishment were a great help."
"How can that compare?"
Li Changāan shook his head. The two couldnāt be compared at all.
But Zheng Qingqing didnāt see it that way.
She said to Li Changāan, "Daoist Li, before your Foundation Establishment, if you are not confident about the physical body gate, you are welcome to find me. I can use my Foundation Establishment Magical Power to inspect your body and see if there are any hidden injuries."
This promise was something countless Qi Refining Cultivators could only dream of.
Li Changāan thanked her again, sighing to himself with emotion.
āHaving a Foundation Establishment friend really can help avoid a lot of trouble.ā
However, he probably wouldnāt need to take her up on that promise.
This was because his Qi and blood were currently abundant and his physique was powerful; passing the physical body gate wouldnāt be difficult for him.
"Oh, right, I havenāt congratulated you on your successful Foundation Establishment, Young Mistress."
"Thereās no need for congratulations. Iāve heard those words far too many times these past few days."
Zheng Qingqing waved her hand, her tone easygoing.
A moment later, she left an invitation to her Foundation Establishment Ceremony and then departed.
...
Time flew by, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, Li Changāan was sitting in his courtyard, talking with his two neighbors.
The three of them chatted, sometimes about recent events in the Immortal City, sometimes about the Foundation Establishment from a month ago.
"Sigh, I heard that Foundation Establishment Powerhouse is from a Foundation Establishment Family, not a Loose Cultivator."
Wang Dong sighed.
He had been excited for a long time, thinking a Loose Cultivator had succeeded in their Foundation Establishment.
After all, he was a Loose Cultivator himself, and such an inspirational story of a Loose Cultivator reaching Foundation Establishment was a great encouragement to him.
But the truth left him deeply disappointed.
"Thatās right. The one who reached Foundation Establishment was the Zheng Familyās Young Mistress, Zheng Qingqing!"
The other neighbor, Ye Luo, spoke up, recounting the details about the Zheng Family and Zheng Qingqing as if he knew them like the back of his hand.
"The reason she was able to reach Foundation Establishment was surely because she had the full support of the entire Zheng Family. How could an ordinary Loose Cultivator achieve Foundation Establishment so easily?"
Ye Luo shook his head slightly, a hint of arrogance in his words.
His background was rather special.
He was originally a Sect Disciple of the Cyan Cloud Sect, but he made a mistake and was expelled, ending up as a Loose Cultivator.
It was just that when facing other Loose Cultivators, he always maintained a certain arrogance befitting a former Sect Disciple.
"Daoist Ye is right. I was overthinking it."
"Daoist Wang, you havenāt seen much of the world. Itās normal for you to think that way."
As a former Sect Disciple, Ye Luoās knowledge was indeed broader.
After chatting for a while, Li Changāan changed the subject and proposed a trade.
He asked, "Daoist Ye, I heard you have a mature Fire Spirit Ginseng. I was wondering if you would be willing to trade it?"
The Fire Spirit Ginseng was one of the last few Treasures he needed for the Ninth Stage of Body Refinement.
It was a rare sight, even in Yellow Crane Immortal City.
Due to its special properties, every time one appeared, it would be claimed in advance by one of the major powers.
The Ten Thousand Treasures Tower had a few for sale, but their quality was extremely poor. They were likely the leftovers that others had picked over, and they didnāt satisfy Li Changāan.
"Daoist Li, my apologies, but I have no intention of trading away the Fire Spirit Ginseng at the moment."
Ye Luo shook his head, rejecting him outright.
This Fire Spirit Ginseng was extremely precious. He had brought it with him from the Sect, and many people had tried to buy it from him, but he had refused them all.
This was because he wanted to sell the Fire Spirit Ginseng to someone of sufficiently high status and use it as an opportunity to befriend them.
Li Changāan clearly did not meet his requirements.
He hadnāt heard about the incident at the Yuelai Restaurant.
In his eyes, Li Changāan was just an ordinary Qi Refining Sixth Layer Loose Cultivator, not someone worth befriending with a Fire Spirit Ginseng.
Li Changāan didnāt press the issue.
He simply traded for some common Spirit Medicines used for Alchemy instead.
...
The next day, Zheng Qingqingās Foundation Establishment Ceremony began.
Li Changāan took his invitation and soon arrived outside her residence.
Since he had arrived very early, not many people were there yet.
"Daoist Li, what are you doing here?"
From behind Li Changāan, a familiar voice suddenly spoke.
Li Changāan turned his head and saw Ye Luo, his face full of surprise.
"Daoist Ye, I just so happened to get an invitation."
He smiled and cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute.
Hearing this, Ye Luo was even more astonished.
He had worked hard, pulling all sorts of connections, just to get his hands on a single invitation.
Yet Li Changāanās tone was so casual, as if the invitation had simply been delivered right into his hands.