Chapter 5: Is There a Tree by Your Stele?

"Mother, do you have a Foundation Establishment method here?"

'I might be able to get my hands on a good Foundation Establishment method without even needing to use the Skill Tree!' Su Han's heart pounded with excitement at the thought.

'In this day and age, why stand when you can lie down? Why struggle when you can just coast?'

He was confident he could piece together a method for Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment himself, but that would be time-consuming and laborious, wouldn't it?

It was far easier to have his own dear mother just toss one to him.

The Princess Consort thought for a moment, then nodded. "The royal family has an ancestral Foundation Establishment method. While it falls short of those that allow for a Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment, it's more than a level higher than the ones on the market, which can often take ten or even dozens of years to complete.

If you don't want the royal family's method, I also have the one I used for my own Foundation Establishment. You can take it for reference as well."

'So the royal family of Jing Country doesn't have a method for Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment either.'

Su Han felt a slight sense of disappointment hearing his mother's words.

Still, it was a family method far superior to those available on the market, so Su Han didn't refuse his mother's offer.

"Then... can I have both?"

The Princess Consort gave Su Han an exasperated glare. "You're quite greedy."

Despite her words, the Princess Consort turned and retrieved two rather old-looking booklets from a hidden compartment, placing them carefully into Su Han's hands.

"This purple-covered one is the Foundation Establishment method personally written by an ancestor of the Su Family. All direct descendants of the royal bloodline have used this Nameless Foundation Establishment Method for their Foundation Establishment.

However, I've studied it and found that this method seems to be fragmented. It feels like everything except the Blood Exchange Method was just crudely cobbled together.

Even so, by relying solely on the powerful bloodline energy generated by this Nameless Foundation Establishment Method's Blood Exchange Method to cleanse the body, and pairing it with other ordinary Refining Methods, a Cultivator can shorten their time in the Foundation Establishment Realm to just a few years.

In fact, your father, Prince Jing, only took one year and six months to complete his Foundation Establishment."

As she spoke of Prince Jing taking only one year and six months for his Foundation Establishment, a proud expression appeared on the Princess Consort's face, as if she were the one who had accomplished it.

Seeing the proud look on his mother's face, Su Han couldn't help but ask, "Then, Mother, how long did you take for your Foundation Establishment?"

Seemingly waiting for her son to ask this very question, the Princess Consort lifted her chin slightly, like a proud swan.

"The Foundation Establishment method I cultivated was not as good as the royal family's, but its strength was its comprehensiveness. Plus, I was quite diligent back then, so my Foundation Establishment took one year and four months in total."

Su Han heard this and thought, 'Just as I thought. My mother would never praise my old man for no reason.'

'Whenever she says he's good at something, it definitely means she's even better at it.'

But while he was grumbling inwardly, Su Han put on a cooperative, adoring expression. "Wow, Mother, you're amazing."

A satisfied smile appeared on the Princess Consort's face. She then pointed to the other Foundation Establishment method in Su Han's hands.

"This red-covered one is the Foundation Establishment method I used back then.

In terms of the Blood Exchange Method alone, this one is far inferior to the royal family's Nameless Skill, but its strength is its comprehensiveness. Overall, it's not much worse than the royal method.

Speaking of which, the royal family's Nameless Skill is very strange.

Even though the Blood Exchange Method is so powerful, the other parts seem crudely cobbled together, completely unworthy of the Blood Exchange Method's elegance.

They're even slightly inferior to the Foundation Establishment methods passed down in many of Jing Country's great families.

But the strangeness of this method lies in its ability to use the Blood Exchange Method to drive the other refining processes, drastically shortening the Foundation Establishment time.

Since the time of the ancestor, generations of royal descendants have tried to replace the other parts with better Body Tempering and Bone Forging methods to complement the Nameless Skill's Blood Exchange Method. However, they found that none of them were compatible. After making the switch, the Foundation Establishment speed was even slower than it was originally."

Having said her piece, the Princess Consort poured herself a cup of tea and took a gentle sip. "The speed of both methods is about the same. If you're preparing for Foundation Establishment, you can make up your own mind about which one to choose."

After listening to his mother, Su Han fell into deep thought.

'My mother made it very clear. The royal method's Blood Exchange Method is incredibly powerful. Even when paired with Body Tempering, Bone Forging, and Muscle Strengthening methods that hold it back, its Foundation Establishment efficiency far surpasses that of ordinary methods.'

'And the method my mother used is inferior to the royal heritage in terms of its Blood Exchange Method, but it's stronger in all other aspects.'

So, as for which to choose, Su Han had already made his decision.

Naturally, he would choose the royal method... or rather, its Blood Exchange Method.

As for what his mother said about generations of royal descendants failing to find a stronger, compatible Foundation Establishment method... was that even a problem for Su Han?

Others couldn't find one because they could only rely on trial and error. But Su Han was different.

Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace. It used the Three Thousand Great Dao as its furnace fire to create the Furnace-Nurtured Hundred Scriptures.

'As long as I get my hands on a thousand or so other Foundation Establishment methods and throw them into the great furnace to burn as fuel, surely I can forge a method better than the royal family's, right?'

Having made up his mind, Su Han didn't hide his intentions. He put away the red-covered Foundation Establishment method and, right in front of his mother, opened the purple-covered royal one to read.

And then...

BOOM!

The moment he opened the purple cover, Su Han felt a roar in his mind as his consciousness was instantly pulled away into a bizarre, psychedelic world.

In this bizarre world, a towering figure seemed to be sitting at a desk, writing something with a brush.

Su Han couldn't see his face, only his broad back.

Moving closer for a better look, Su Han discovered that although he could only see the man's back, he could clearly read the characters he was writing with his brush.

Su Han could even tell that the figure's handwriting was identical to the four words "Nameless Foundation Establishment Method" on the purple book in his hands.

"I was born in the fertile lands of the Central State and herded cattle for a living in my youth.

At thirteen, while herding cattle in the Gorge of Void Mountain, I suddenly saw a stone stele burst into brilliant light as characters spontaneously appeared upon it.

I dared not approach, yet I was unwilling to leave, so I hid and watched from a distance.

The stele's light grew brighter and more characters appeared, which I forced myself to memorize.

By the time the text was halfway complete, the sky suddenly darkened, obscuring the sun and moon. Above the Nine Heavens, great bolts of lightning flashed.

Thunder descended from the heavens, and the stele was engulfed in purple lightning. It was as if the apocalypse had arrived within Void Mountain. All the birds and beasts prostrated themselves, and I was no exception.

When the lightning dissipated and the heavens cleared, I looked up to see that the flowers and grass within the empty gorge were unharmed. Only the stele was shattered, with not a single character remaining.

Thus, I obtained a Fragmented Technique, named: Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace."

Su Han: "..."

'So, that's the origin of this skill I got, the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace?'

'So, that's why the one I have is a Fragmented Technique?'

'So... this technique was truly unacceptable to heaven and earth, which is why it was destroyed by Celestial Punishment before it could even fully form?'

'Does that mean there's no chance for me to ever complete this Fragmented Technique?'

Huh?

'No... that's not right.'

'According to the account written by the man who I suspect is my ancestor, for it to attract Celestial Punishment to destroy the stele, the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace technique that formed on it must have been complete. Otherwise, a Fragmented Technique shouldn't have been enough to trigger Celestial Punishment.'

'In that case, it's likely the stele just didn't have time to manifest all the text for my ancestor to see, but the technique on the stele itself was complete.'

'Or perhaps, the text that appeared on the stele was also complete, but it was engulfed by lightning just past the halfway point, and my ancestor was too scared to see the rest.'

'That's why the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace that my supposed ancestor obtained was a Fragmented Technique.'

'So...'

Su Han couldn't help but wonder:

'Ancestor, your memoir doesn't mention... was there a tree next to that stele?'