Chapter 235 - 183: Invitations from All Sides, Foundation Establishment Ceremony

He said respectfully, "Elder Pei, thank you for taking care of me. Without your help, I’m afraid I never would have made it to Foundation Establishment."

Pei Yingyao gave a slight nod and drank the tea.

"Li Chang’an, I only helped a few times. You made it this far on your own. Remember, heaven helps those who help themselves."

She, too, was somewhat surprised that Li Chang’an had reached Foundation Establishment.

She knew Li Chang’an had his share of fortuitous encounters, but his innate talent was poor, so his chances of a successful Foundation Establishment should have been very low.

However, just as she’d said, heaven helps those who help themselves.

Li Chang’an’s path had been arduous, but he had never given up.

"Li Chang’an, what about the Cultivation Technique you’re practicing now?"

Unsurprisingly, Pei Yingyao also asked about his Cultivation Technique.

For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, one’s Cultivation Technique was critically important.

Li Chang’an answered truthfully.

After he finished, Pei Yingyao’s brows knitted slightly. "Just a Top Grade Technique," she said lightly. "That’s a bit lacking."

Li Chang’an forced a wry smile.

"Elder Pei, for a Loose Cultivator like me, having a Top Grade Technique is already a great fortune!"

"That’s true."

Pei Yingyao didn’t ask any more questions, nor did she inquire if Li Chang’an had any intention of joining Yellow Crane Immortal City.

This was because she knew of the conflict between Li Chang’an and certain individuals.

It would be a pointless question, so she didn’t waste her breath.

After some conversation, Li Chang’an began to share his insights on Foundation Establishment with Ji Mengyun.

The insights of any cultivator who had just reached Foundation Establishment were incredibly precious.

This was the very reason Pei Yingyao had brought Ji Mengyun along.

Ji Mengyun would also be attempting to reach Foundation Establishment soon.

She listened intently, then thanked him sincerely. "Thank you very much, Elder Li."

"There’s no need to call me Elder. Before long, we’ll be addressing each other as fellow Daoists."

Li Chang’an said with a smile.

His meaning was clear: he was certain Ji Mengyun would achieve Foundation Establishment Success.

Ji Mengyun was inwardly delighted, the corners of her lips turning up unconsciously.

Not long after, the master and disciple departed.

...

「The next day.」

Li Chang’an’s Foundation Establishment Ceremony officially began.

The ceremony was a simple affair. He hadn’t chosen a special venue, simply holding it in his own residence.

The attendees were either his friends from this life or Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining disciples from the various major Sects and Noble Families.

Xu Fugui was in charge of all the Spiritual Cuisine for the ceremony.

Today, a very portly old man stood by his side.

At a glance, the old man even bore a slight resemblance to him.

"Big Brother, this is my master."

"Elder Wang!"

A smile broke out on Li Chang’an’s face, and he immediately welcomed him.

Wang Fu’an laughed heartily. "Why call me Elder? We’re both at Foundation Establishment. Addressing each other as fellow Daoists is perfectly fine."

Li Chang’an smiled. "Very well, Daoist Wang. Please, have a seat over here."

Wang Fu’an was exceptionally amiable, just as the rumors claimed.

He had made almost no enemies in his entire life, greeting everyone with a smile and looking for all the world like a Maitreya Buddha.

Most of the guests at the ceremony knew him and greeted him with smiles.

With him present, the entire atmosphere of the ceremony became much more harmonious.

A short while later, Su Yuyan arrived.

Beside her were Yuan Ying and Jiang Yuerong, both familiar faces to Li Chang’an.

There was also a gaunt old woman with them.

Li Chang’an hurried forward to greet them.

"Greetings, Elder Chen!"

This old woman was none other than Su Yuyan’s master.

Chen Huilan!

Though she looked ordinary, she was a fearsomely powerful expert at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

It was rumored that she had once attempted to break through to the Core Formation realm. Although she had failed, her power was far greater than that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Back then, Cao Shaolong had tried to come down from the mountain to kill Li Chang’an on multiple occasions, but he was thwarted by Chen Huilan every time.

"Li the Kid, it’s been so many years, yet you haven’t aged a day. You still look like a teenager. It’s enough to make an old woman like me quite envious."

A faint smile touched Chen Huilan’s lips.

Back when Li Chang’an took part in the Cyan Cloud Sect’s entrance assessment, she had been one of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators administering it!

At the time, she had felt Li Chang’an had an excellent disposition and had wanted to accept him into the Cyan Cloud Sect, but the others had disagreed.

"Those old geezers have terrible judgment. Of all the candidates they favored, hardly any have reached Foundation Establishment!"

As she spoke of the past, the smile on Chen Huilan’s face widened.

As she spoke, her somewhat cloudy eyes shifted, and she sized Li Chang’an up.

"Not bad. Your Cultivation foundation is very solid. If you had joined the Cyan Cloud Sect back then, you might not have achieved what you have today."

Li Chang’an remained noncommittal in response to her words.

Time could not be turned back.

He couldn’t be sure what his life would be like now if he had joined the Cyan Cloud Sect all those years ago.

"Elder Chen, please, have a seat."

"Alright."

Accompanied by her disciples, Chen Huilan casually found a spot to sit down.

During this, Yuan Ying gave Li Chang’an a complicated look.

When she had accompanied Su Yuyan to gain experience at the Qinghe Marketplace, she had already been at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

Meanwhile, Li Chang’an had only been at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

Now, she was still at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, while Li Chang’an had already reached Foundation Establishment!

Her progress on the path of cultivation had been swift, but not as steady as Li Chang’an’s.

In comparison, Jiang Yuerong’s state of mind was much better, simply because she had once witnessed Li Chang’an instantly kill more than a dozen Tribulation Cultivators.

Keep in mind, there were masters of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer among those Tribulation Cultivators!

She knew in her heart that even back then, Li Chang’an must have been on the verge of reaching Foundation Establishment.

Before long, the other guests arrived one after another.

People like Jin Yue, Mo Xi, Zhou Xuan, and others...

It was a joyous gathering. Most of the guests knew one another, and they talked and laughed throughout the banquet, their cups clinking in lively toasts.

For a time, the residence was filled with distinguished guests, the air rich with the aroma of fine spirits, creating a scene of extraordinary liveliness.

About an hour later,

Jin Ming of the Jin Family suddenly stood up, raising his cup to Li Chang’an with a smile.

"Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment, Daoist Li!"

The others also rose one by one, raising their cups to Li Chang’an.

"Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment, Daoist Li!"

"Congratulations, Elder Li..."

Their faces were wreathed in smiles as they called him Daoist Li or Elder Li. The voices echoed, ringing through the hall for a long time!

Li Chang’an sat in the seat of honor.

The scene before him left him in a bit of a daze.

Back then, on his Immortal Path, he had met with disaster, suffering grievous injuries that nearly claimed his life.

On the brink of death, delirious and half-conscious, he had dreamed of this very scene.

Now, that dream had become reality!

The banquet continued for a long time.

For seven whole days!

During that time, the guests either sat and discussed the Dao or chatted about the various rumors of the Cultivation Immortality Realm.

Some Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators, feeling inspired, gave a discourse on the spot, sharing their experiences and insights on Cultivation, which greatly benefited many of the younger generation present.

Others drank until they were completely intoxicated, and, with no regard for their image, collapsed in a corner of the courtyard to sleep it off, drawing roars of laughter from the crowd.

All in all, both the host and guests had a wonderful time in a joyous and harmonious atmosphere.

It wasn’t until dusk on the seventh day, beneath a crimson sunset, that the boisterous celebration finally began to wind down.

The guests began to say their farewells, preparing to depart.

But...

Just at that moment, a loud laugh suddenly rang out from nearby.

"Haha, what a magnificent feast indeed!"

Immediately after, several figures descended from the sky, landing in Li Chang’an’s courtyard.

The arrivals were none other than several disciples from Yellow Crane Mountain.

The man in the lead was middle-aged and dressed in white robes.

The Fake Pill Great Power, Xiahou Hong!

Upon seeing him, the expressions of everyone present changed slightly, and they all bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Elder Xiahou!"

"There’s no need for such ceremony!"

Xiahou Hong’s expression was mild, and he carried the air of a senior.

Behind him stood Murong Kang, Chu Xiong, and Sima Rui.

Li Chang’an immediately stepped forward, his face a mask of respect.

"Elder Xiahou, please, have a seat."

"That won’t be necessary!"

Xiahou Hong smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

He looked at Li Chang’an and said with a smile, "Li, I know you’ve had some conflicts with these three junior brothers of mine, but that’s all in the past. How about you let me mediate today and resolve this tension between you?"

The moment his voice fell, a terrifying pressure, one befitting a Core Formation expert, descended like a towering mountain, instantly bearing down on Li Chang’an.

His face went pale. He let out a muffled grunt and nearly buckled to his knees on the spot.

But he strained to remain standing, and his voice was surprisingly steady.

"I will leave everything to your judgment, Elder!"

Seeing this, Su Yuyan’s expression changed drastically. She was about to rush forward, but her master, Chen Huilan, held her firmly in place.

"Yuyan, don’t be reckless!"

In a corner of the courtyard, Pei Yingyao, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open. Her gaze was so sharp it seemed as if Sword Qi might fly from it.

She moved to help Li Chang’an, but her sword had barely left its scabbard by two inches when it was forcefully suppressed by a wave of Core Formation Magical Power!

Immediately after, Xiahou Hong’s voice sounded by her ear.

"Ninth Junior Sister, don’t make a scene. Today, you will listen to me!"