Chapter 61: The Pinnacle of the Mid Foundation Establishment Stage, the System Reaches Its Limit!

Sensing that the commotion at Talisman Peak had already affected the entire Qingyun Sect, Master Yu Qingsong soared into the sky, a golden pill emerging from his mouth.

“Senior Brother!” several peak masters cried out in alarm.

Yu Qingsong smiled faintly. “It’s nothing to worry about! All these years, I’ve held back, not daring to let my golden pill leave my body. Now, I feel like being reckless for once!”

When a Golden Core cultivator summons their life-bound golden pill, it means they are about to unleash their greatest power. Usually, this happens at desperate moments—win or lose, the cultivator’s vitality will be greatly diminished.

But Yu Qingsong was not fighting for his life; he simply wanted to quell the disturbance. Infusing true essence into his golden pill, he called out, “All Qingyun Sect guardian elders, hear my command! The anomaly at Talisman Peak today is due to an elder breaking through. Guardians of each peak, law-enforcement elders, maintain order in the sect, and disciples, do not leave your posts or disrupt the sect’s operations!”

Indeed, the Sect Master merely wished to transmit his voice throughout the entire sect. If he only needed to send a message to an elder a thousand miles away, summoning the golden pill would be unnecessary. But to broadcast indiscriminately across the entire Qingyun Mountains, the golden pill had to leave his body.

“Haha, how exhilarating! A lifetime of caution, and finally I let loose!” Yu Qingsong laughed heartily. The peak masters watched him, their faces solemn.

They had known the Sect Master since childhood, when they first entered the sect. He was always a strict, stern old man; sometimes he would smile kindly, but most often he restrained himself. From Sect Master, to uncle, to senior brother, as their own strength grew, they understood just how careful this Golden Core cultivator—who held down an entire province—had lived his life.

Only a century ago, when Immortal Xiangqiu suddenly rose to prominence, did Yu Qingsong’s smiles become more frequent.

The weight of “Qingyun Sect of Yun Province”—those five words—had always pressed upon Yu Qingsong’s shoulders. Others believed Golden Core cultivators were mighty and carefree, but only the peak masters truly knew: their senior brother dared not expend his foundation, not even as a symbolic Golden Core cultivator, he had to firmly hold his position.

As long as he lived, Immortal Xiangqiu would defend against external threats, while Yu Qingsong guarded Yun Province from within. As long as he was alive, no power dared to challenge them.

But now, this symbol, this pillar supporting the sect, seemed to be nearing the end of its days, his lifespan almost exhausted.

A resonant hum echoed in the air.

“How wonderful—this is the feeling of the golden pill leaving the body! The soul departs and roams the void—this is what it means to be a Golden Core cultivator!”

“I tell you, you must break through to the Golden Core and see its wonders for yourselves!” Yu Qingsong’s smile was met only with forced amusement from the peak masters, who tugged at their lips. Their senior brother had lived a life of caution, and his only act of recklessness was to shout out loud—how dull!

Yu Wan clenched her fist. How many years did her senior brother have left—ten, or twenty? She had only thought of slowly reaching the Golden Core within ten years, or, if not, then twenty. Yet she never considered that as long as she failed to break through, Qingyun Sect would lack a Golden Core cultivator to oversee it. And so, her senior brother would not dare to relax, would not dare to die!

If she wanted Yu Qingsong to truly let loose, she had to break through herself. Not just her; Yuan Dan, Wang Tie, and Li Zhiyun all shared the same determination.

Li Zhiyun, the peak master of Demon Expulsion, had often ventured out to subdue monsters and demons. She mused inwardly, “Bone Demon Ridge, White Demon Forest, City of Evil Cultivators… There are still places in Yun Province where demons gather!”

Her senior brother had once laughed and said that someday he wished to go forth and slaughter recklessly, showing those demon spawn what true Golden Core power was.

To shut themselves away and await death at the end of their lifespan—that was not the style of Qingyun Sect. In their final moments, to drag enemies down with them—that was true satisfaction!

The disturbance soon subsided, thanks to the Sect Master’s “recklessness.” While everyone still glanced at the talismans in the sky, none left their posts; business continued as usual.

At this critical time, Cao Xuan reached a decisive moment. The “Cloud Talisman Formula” had lost its imprint upon him since he switched to cultivating the “Heavenly Talisman Codex.”

His hands formed seals, casting talismans into the void. Anyone in his cave would have exclaimed, “Drawing talismans in the void!”

Indeed, it was the legendary technique that had astonished Elder Tianfu in the simulation.

Each talisman he drew was infused into his “life-bound heavenly talisman” in the sky. The “Heavenly Talisman Codex” clearly stated that one’s life-bound talisman could be continuously upgraded, but through two simulated lifetimes, Cao Xuan understood a secret perhaps unknown even to the Talisman Sect itself: the more talismans crafted during the initial formation of the life-bound heavenly talisman, the stronger its foundational power.

That strength lay in the roots, in the primordial talismans. Later additions were like external magical tools, no matter how seamlessly they integrated—they were still “outside elements.”

Cao Xuan thought to himself, “I’ve ‘lived’ two lifetimes. If I can’t form the most perfect life-bound heavenly talisman, then all those years were wasted!”

Days passed, and soon half a month had flown by. Others gradually forgot the incident—even Li Yao had returned to her cultivation. Only the four peak masters and the Sect Master remained at their posts, watching the talismans in the sky with grave expressions.

During this half month, they came to understand the source of the phenomenon.

“To think it was Cao Xuan!”

Within that fortnight, Li Yao once sought out Cao Xuan, only to find his seclusion array active; she paid little mind at first. But a few days later, clues led the peak masters and Sect Master to Cao Xuan’s cave, guided by the talisman phenomenon. They arrived just as Li Yao was about to break in, stopping her in time to avert disaster.

Now, the other peak masters wore faintly regretful expressions.

“Three years to go from entry to foundation establishment—I should have realized his talent lies not only in his spiritual roots, but in his insight into cultivation itself!”

All the peak masters regretted it. The “Cloud Talisman Formula” was a top-tier foundation establishment technique, equal to their own peak inheritances. Yet, Cao Xuan merely glanced at it and had already mastered it—in fact, he surpassed the original, achieving perfection.

If he cultivated their peak’s technique, he would have been a true successor!

Even through the restriction, the Sect Master murmured, “I sense the aura of a mid-stage foundation establishment cultivator!”

Indeed, the system’s reward was not merely entry-level, but fully realized mid-stage foundation establishment! Because it was the peak of foundation establishment, it wasn’t as abrupt as some breakthroughs—others might take years, but Cao Xuan reached it in half a month!

This was while he perfected his life-bound heavenly talisman, aided by the system’s infusion of cultivation.

A thunderous boom resounded as the enormous heavenly talisman covering Talisman Peak suddenly descended!

At that moment, Cao Xuan opened his eyes.