The backyard herb garden was filled with a solemn and tense atmosphere.
Nearly a hundred Ye family descendants stood with bated breath, their gazes fixed on the young man in the azure robe—Shan Hu. The faint medicinal fragrance emanating from the twelve Foundation Establishment Pills in the jade bottle accelerated their heartbeats; it was the key to another world.
Shan Hu calmly glanced over the crowd. His eyes were profoundly deep, seemingly capable of seeing through people, causing everyone who harbored doubts about his origin to lower their heads instantly.
"Cultivation is about seizing the fortune of heaven and earth and defying the natural order," Shan Hu's voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached every person's ear, carrying the solemnity of a great bell. "Today, I use this pill to help you draw spiritual energy into your bodies and construct your foundation. During the process, remember to guard your Spiritual Platform, discard all distracting thoughts, or the pill's power will backlash, and you will bear the consequences."
Ye Chengye stood beside him, his palms sweating from nervousness. Though he had absolute faith in Shan Hu's power, this was, after all, a mass Foundation Establishment, the first in the Ye family's history over centuries, and he was filled with anxiety.
"Ye Chengye, in order, twelve people per group, step forward." Shan Hu instructed.
The first group of twelve Ye family descendants, including some of the most gifted of the current generation, trembled as they stepped forward and lined up before Shan Hu.
Shan Hu opened the jade bottle and took out twelve Foundation Establishment Pills, which, enveloped in True Essence, hovered in the air like twelve shining azure stars.
"Consume them."
The twelve individuals, filled with awe and excitement, received the pills and swallowed them without hesitation.
The pill melted instantly upon entering their mouths, transforming into a warm medicinal liquid that surged into their abdomens.
However, the warmth lasted only a brief moment, followed immediately by an agonizing, burning pain that erupted from their abdomen and rapidly spread through all their limbs and bones!
"Ah—"
Some couldn't help but cry out in pain, their faces instantly turning pale, their veins bulging, and cold sweat pouring down. The immense power of the Foundation Establishment Pill was akin to a cruel ordeal of cleansing the meridians for mortal bodies that had never encountered spiritual energy.
Ye Chengye was alarmed by the suffering of his clansmen and was about to speak but was stopped by a single look from Shan Hu.
Shan Hu's expression remained unchanged, and he softly commanded: "Guard your hearts!"
Then, he formed a hand seal, and the Azure Emperor True Essence surged out of his body, not directly entering them, but transforming into twelve pale-azure threads of fire that precisely wrapped around each struggling clan member.
The Azure Nether Fire threads were exquisitely subtle. They formed a gentle force field around the bodies, suppressing the pill's violent medicinal power while simultaneously helping them draw and regulate the nascent, faint spiritual energy within them, forcefully guiding it into their Dantian.
What a profound technique! With the Immortal Emperor's control over fire and medicinal properties, the side effects of the Foundation Establishment Pill were minimized, and its efficacy for complete transformation was maximized.
With the aid of the Azure Nether Fire threads, the pain experienced by the twelve individuals began to subside, replaced by a feeling of numbness and lightness. The impurities within their bodies were forced out by the medicinal power, turning into streaks of dark, black sweat that soaked their clothes. Simultaneously, a faint, nascent spiritual energy began to condense in their Dantian, forming a foundational spiritual energy vortex.
The entire process lasted the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
When Shan Hu withdrew his True Fire, the twelve clansmen simultaneously opened their eyes.
Their eyes were brighter and sharper than before, their skin clean like jade, and they subtly emitted a faint fragrance. They stood up, feeling so light that they seemed to float, their senses sharp, and filled with power.
"Foundation Establishment... successful!"
Ye Chengye stared blankly at the scene. The huge stone in his heart finally dropped, followed by an endless surge of ecstasy.
He could tell at a glance that these twelve people were now true cultivators! The spiritual energy circulating in their bodies was a hundred times purer than that of any previously self-cultivated member of the Ye family!
"We bow in gratitude for the Immortal Master's great benevolence!"
The twelve immediately knelt, performing the highest form of reverence to Shan Hu, their voices trembling with emotion. They knew they had completely broken free from the mortal realm and attained the chance for longevity.
"Rise." Shan Hu said calmly, a hint of fatigue in his voice. Assisting twelve people simultaneously had consumed a significant amount of his True Essence.
"Next group, step forward."