Chapter 287: Unexpected Discovery of the Foundation Building Method

Angry Squid

What horrified Su Changyu even more was that the faces of all the corpses scattered on the ground were identical to that of the white-haired cultivator he had just met! It was as if they were all his own dead bodies!

Even though he prided himself on his unwavering resolve and being different from ordinary people, Su Changyu couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat at this bizarre sight.

"Heh, heh, don't be so nervous," the white-haired cultivator said with a sinister chuckle. "They're just dead people. What's there to be afraid of? You should know, living people are far more terrifying than the dead."

With a gentle flick of his finger, a table and chairs rose from the ground. "Sit down and enjoy the view. It's been many years since anyone has come here."

After the initial shock subsided, Su Changyu gradually grew accustomed to the strange dual voice and the terrifying scene around him. He composed himself and sat down steadily.

"May I ask your name, Senior?" Su Changyu couldn't help but ask, seeing the white-haired cultivator simply staring blankly around them after he had sat down.

"My name is Reverend Yin." Reverend Yin said with a hint of self-deprecation. "Heh, heh, everyone calls me Reverend Yin Yin."

"It's an honor to meet you, Senior Yin. I am Su Changyu," he introduced himself, neither humble nor arrogant.

At that moment, Reverend Yin suddenly turned his head and scrutinized Su Changyu. Only after a long pause did he finally look away.

"Tsk, so it truly is fate..." Reverend Yin muttered under his breath. Su Changyu heard him, but couldn't make sense of it.

After a long while, Reverend Yin spoke again, "You, too, must have encountered a bottleneck in your Foundation Establishment and were guided by a spiritual opportunity in your heart to come here, correct?"

"Foundation Establishment?" Su Changyu was taken aback. He was only in the late stage of Qi Cultivation. He was about to deny it when Reverend Yin continued, talking to himself, "Heh, heh, I'm used to it. Every few years, a cultivator is guided here. Each time, I have to repeat myself. I'm utterly tired of saying these words. When immortals fight, mortals suffer. Goddammit, it's so annoying..."

Su Changyu frowned slightly. This Reverend Yin seemed deranged, speaking in incomprehensible riddles whose deeper meaning he couldn't grasp.

"Alright, I'll say it one more time then." Reverend Yin also sat down and said, "So-called Foundation Establishment means establishing the foundation of cultivation. Do you know what this foundation truly is? I used myself as the unique artifact to build the Dao foundation!"

His body split in half down the middle, revealing another face within his internal organs and flesh. Both faces, inside and out, spoke in unison. He concluded this explanation with two unsettling, smiling faces.

Su Changyu was initially startled by the horrifying sight and rose to his feet, but then, seeing Reverend Yin return to normal, he slowly sat back down.

"Using myself to build the Dao foundation..." A strange look appeared in Su Changyu's eyes.

"What? Tempted, aren't you?" Reverend Yin asked with a chuckle. "The Dao foundation perfectly aligns with oneself, and all divine abilities and spells become your own. From then on, no matter what cultivation technique or secret art, you'll learn it instantly and master it proficiently. You'll be able to punch peerless prodigies and stomp on reclusive mighty figures... What are you waiting for? Act now!" Reverend Yin looked at Su Changyu with a somewhat deranged gaze, speaking in a seductive tone.

Su Changyu, however, maintained a rare sense of rationality and calm. "Then, if I may ask, Senior, what is the price? If everyone could easily build their Dao foundation using 'me,' wouldn't geniuses be commonplace? If everyone were a genius, then there would be no distinction between mediocrity and genius."

Reverend Yin chuckled foolishly, then pointed at the hundreds of corpses strewn across the ground. "These are the price!"

Su Changyu didn't understand what he meant and remained silent.

"It was only after dissecting hundreds of 'me' and gaining a complete understanding that I began anew to build the Dao foundation using myself. Even then, I still fell short of perfect success by a hair's breadth. Ordinary cultivators who try to establish their foundation with 'me' are simply courting death," Reverend Yin explained with a cold laugh. "The human body is incredibly subtle and complex. How can an ordinary person fully understand their own body to establish their foundation through themselves? To achieve this entirely on one's own, without external aid, would truly make one a rare genius in this era."

Su Changyu immediately understood upon hearing this. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. As the saying goes, 'He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.' Su Changyu was very clear about his own cultivation talent. He certainly couldn't be called a genius. He wasn't even ordinary. In fact, calling him "mediocre" wouldn't be an exaggeration. To attempt to establish his foundation using "me" was even more impossible for him.

Reverend Yin observed the change in Su Changyu's expression and chuckled. "Don't be disheartened, young Su. At this moment, you've come before me, which means everything is destined." As he spoke, he extended his index finger and lightly touched the center of Su Changyu's forehead.

In an instant, countless images and vast knowledge surged wildly into Su Changyu's mind. These were all the scenes and insights from Reverend Yin's dissection of hundreds of Foundation Establishment corpses. There were also more precious details: the process of establishing the foundation using "me" and the experience of a partially successful attempt.

Suddenly absorbing such an enormous amount of information, Su Changyu felt overwhelmed for a moment. His temples throbbed incessantly, and his head felt as though it might split open. However, he knew in his heart that this fortuitous encounter was likely his only chance to change his destiny in this lifetime. So, he gritted his teeth and endured.

A moment later, he collapsed, utterly exhausted and drenched in sweat, onto the chair. Reverend Yin watched and shook his head repeatedly.

After some time, Su Changyu regained his composure and bowed deeply to Reverend Yin. "Thank you, Senior!"

"Heh, heh, no need to thank me." Reverend Yin flashed a mischievous smile. "Originally, you had already given up on the idea of establishing your foundation using 'me'. Now that I've transferred my experiences to your mind, you're planning to give it a try. You must understand that everyone is unique, and my situation may not be entirely applicable to you. You might even fail because of this, leading to your death and the destruction of your Dao. In that sense, I'm the one who harmed you!"

Su Changyu replied with a solemn expression, "Life and death are destined, and wealth and honor are determined by heaven."

The smile vanished from Reverend Yin's face. "That's a good spirit to have." He then said unceremoniously, "Now that this business is concluded, get out!"

Su Changyu was slightly startled, not expecting the sudden order to leave. However, since Reverend Yin had already spoken, he couldn't insist on staying. He bowed once more, preparing to depart.

Before leaving, Su Changyu looked at the corpses of Reverend Yin scattered across the ground and couldn't help but ask, "Senior Yin, where exactly did these corpses come from?"

Reverend Yin scanned his surroundings, his eyes growing somewhat unfocused. "Yes, where did these corpses come from? Ah! I remember now! It was a massive rain! Countless corpses rained down from the sky, and I took the opportunity to collect some..." Reverend Yin muttered, seemingly lost in a daze.

A chill again ran through Su Changyu as he received the answer. Daring not to linger on this strange island, he hurriedly departed.

Watching Su Changyu's retreating figure, Reverend Yin slowly returned to normal. He touched his chest, where something seemingly impossible to relinquish was hidden. After a long time, the extinguished flames reignited, completely engulfing Yin Yin Island.