"Feng Zikang and Luo Zixin of the Longhu Mountain School of Military Arts both succeeded in their Divine Grade Advancement Merit Mission, achieving Foundation Establishment!"

This news spread quickly throughout all sects and factions. Those with discerning minds paused slightly upon hearing it, their own thoughts churning in various directions.

A storm was brewing in the current cultivation world, a feeling that the high-ranking cultivators subtly sensed.

And yet, Feng Zikang was inextricably entangled with these unfolding events; the death of Wuduyai, the retribution of the southwestern fiends—these were the very roots that had set the cultivation world in motion. Now, his high-profile Foundation Establishment only drew more attention.

The eyes of the world focused once again on this young strategist.

Feng Zikang himself was utterly oblivious to the attention these old masters were paying him. What truly delighted him was discovering the benefit of completing the Divine Grade Advancement Mission after successfully establishing his foundation.

The Dao foundation within!

After Foundation Establishment, one should achieve the Five Qi Returning to the Origin with the Spirit Flower Crowned, a natural aura of immortal grace surrounding the head. However, this vital Qi inevitably dissipates, hindering further cultivation. But through the Divine Grade Advancement Mission, the Great Reincarnation Disk actually helped him condense this vital Qi within his Five Stories and Twelve Cities, locking it down so it only circulated internally—a mechanism almost equivalent to the Golden Core locking the gate!

As a result, his external appearance showed no change; to others, Feng Zikang remained merely a disciple in the Qi Gathering stage. But because the Golden Gate of his Five Stories and Twelve Cities was firmly secured, he had achieved a near-flawless body, making his actual strength slightly superior to that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Excellent!"

Feng Zikang favored discretion and valued tangible benefits. The fact that his power was hidden while his actual gains were immense naturally filled him with overwhelming joy.

"Congratulations, Young Master!"

Ghost King Tu watched with envy. She could clearly sense that the young man's aura was completely different from before. While in terms of sheer quantity, he might not yet surpass her own Foundation Establishment cultivation, the quality far exceeded hers.

The Great Reincarnation Disk—what an incredible artifact! Ghost King Tu sighed inwardly. Without such an item, rogue cultivators and unorthodox practitioners could never contend with the established three teachings and nine schools. Even the so-called Seventy-Two Great Sects were far behind the deep reserves of the major factions. Moreover, the longer time passed, the wider this gap would become.

How could those unorthodox sects and solitary cultivators, who relied only on their own arduous grinding to break through bottlenecks, ever hope to catch up to the lineage of power forged by the Great Reincarnation Disk generation after generation?

Feng Zikang paid no mind to her complex emotions. He merely nodded slightly, seizing the moment to adapt to his newfound strength.

"Again!"

Within the Mystic Realm, he unleashed himself completely. Sword Qi from the Starfall Great Annihilation danced across the void. His internal true essence seemed inexhaustible, as if there were no end to its supply. Even with the combined efforts of Longque, Ghost King Tu, and Zhu Li’er, he managed to force them back step by agonizing step, leaving them entirely without the power to counterattack.

"The Master's strength has advanced by leaps and bounds; Longque is clearly no longer an equal opponent!"

The old mechanical beast was the most honest. It realized that the power it once prided itself on was utterly insignificant before its master, whose rank had now escalated so dramatically, Ranzhong remarked with lament.

"Hahahaha!"

Feng Zikang laughed heartily, his spirits soaring with delight.

※

When Feng Zikang emerged from his seclusion following Foundation Establishment, he received a military token from the Sect Master, Yuan Buhuan, upon leaving the Mystic Realm.

He dared not delay. After a brief tidy-up, he set off immediately for Sunset Peak.

Yuan Buhuan’s gaze was filled with approval and admiration as he looked at Feng Zikang.

"Nephew, I called you here because there is a matter that requires your assistance."

Feng Zikang was momentarily stunned. For the Sect Master to personally summon him meant this was no small affair. "I await my Martial Uncle’s instruction; your disciple will certainly exert every effort."

Yuan Buhuan nodded, smiling faintly. "It is nothing much, really. It is just that the warfare in the southwest is escalating relentlessly. Among our three teachings and nine schools, besides sending disciples to fight, we are also planning to bring this conflict to an early close and restore peace to the people of the southwest."

Yuan Buhuan naturally did not need to explain the cause and effect of this situation to Feng Zikang—this was entirely the mess he had stirred up. It was only because Feng Zikang had slain the demons of Mangcang Mountain that the southwestern conflict had ignited.

"The Imperial Court has dispatched Grand Tutor Pang to set up camp near Ganzhou, resisting those fiends. With the aid of our fellow cultivators, we have managed to maintain a stalemate. However, the fiends’ methods of troop deployment and battle formation differ greatly from the mortal realm. Even though Grand Tutor Pang is a direct successor of the Confucian school, he has been unable to secure a victory. Therefore, we have decided that the Military School of Longhu Mountain must dispatch a master strategist to take command of the army and resist the fiends."

Hearing this, Feng Zikang understood Yuan Buhuan's meaning immediately.

"This person? It isn't me, is it?" Feng Zikang pointed to his own nose, feigning surprise.

Yuan Buhuan roared with laughter. "It is precisely you, nephew! If not for you, which other young hero in the Military School of Longhu Mountain would be worthy of such a heavy responsibility?"

Most of the second-generation disciples in the Longhu Mountain Military School were focused solely on cultivation and unwilling to wade into this murky water easily. The third-generation disciples generally had not yet reached Foundation Establishment and lacked the necessary strength. Even if they possessed talent in military strategy, they could only serve as auxiliary strategists; to command an army as the supreme commander would hardly command respect.

"Disciple has never led a large army in battle. Although I have read a few military texts, it is merely theoretical knowledge. I fear..."

"Haha! Nephew, you need not be so modest. When you humbled Meng Qinglu during the Sunset Peak Grand Competition, I remember it clearly. You have grasped the essence of military strategy. Dealing with mortal armies is trivial in comparison!"

With the matter laid out so plainly, Feng Zikang had little room to refuse, especially since he harbored an eager desire to test his mettle. Seeing his agreement, Yuan Buhuan was greatly pleased. He immediately handed over the military token and instructed Feng Zikang to proceed directly to Shuzhou to find Grand Tutor Pang; everything would become clear there.

Feng Zikang pondered for a moment and decided he should refine his Natal Artifact before leaving. When he mentioned this to Yuan Buhuan, the Sect Master readily agreed, reasoning that strengthening himself with the artifact would lend more weight and presence when he arrived at the army headquarters.

"However, forging the artifact might take considerable time..." Yuan Buhuan paused, recalling something and knitting his brow slightly. "Furthermore, nephew, have you already obtained the Soul Fire Origin Core?"

Feng Zikang shook his head. "Martial Uncle need not worry. My Natal Artifact does not require complete re-forging. I shall simply use this iron sword I am accustomed to."

He drew forth the Heaven-Swallowing Ancient Sword and placed it flat before Yuan Buhuan.

"Yellow Grade, Second Rank..." Yuan Buhuan let out a sigh that sounded like a moan. He stared at Feng Zikang in bewilderment. "Nephew, if this isn't reforged with the Soul Fire Origin Core, it is inevitable that the Natal Artifact will lack..." He stopped, unable to continue. "But this Yellow Grade Second Rank item..."

Feng Zikang smiled faintly. "This sword was gifted by my Master. I am used to wielding it, so I am content not to change it."

Yuan Buhuan was left dumbfounded but realized he had no grounds to object, so he let the matter rest.

Feng Zikang took his leave and headed directly for the Hundred Arms Workshop. Qin Da Niu was overjoyed to see him arrive. Upon hearing that Feng Zikang was there to refine his Natal Artifact, he whistled in amazement and gave him a thumbs-up, proud of the young man's sudden leap in cultivation.

Since he was not using the Soul Fire Origin Core and did not need to re-forge the artifact, the process was simplified to merely bringing the Heaven-Swallowing Ancient Sword to the level of spiritual connection, which depended entirely on the refiner's own skill.

Although Feng Zikang had not dedicated much effort to artifact refining lately, he had practiced daily. Now, guided by Qin Da Niu, he slowly refined the sword using his intent, drawing the Heaven-Swallowing Ancient Sword into his body. Step by measured step, the process looked competent and flawless.

After half a day of tempering, the Heaven-Swallowing Ancient Sword became docile, and its spirit offered no resistance as it was gradually absorbed into his core.

"It is done!"

Qin Da Niu wiped sweat from his brow. He had stood guard beside him, but still expended considerable effort to ensure not a single detail was missed. Feng Zikang offered sincere thanks. Wielding the iron sword now, he felt it fit his hand even better than before.

With all preparations complete, he wasted no further time. He took the military token, mounted his cloud chariot, and headed straight for Ganzhou in the southwest.

The current unrest in the southwest was spearheaded by several Demon Kings from the Sea of No Return, who had long coveted the Central Plains. After the destruction of Mangcang Mountain and the death of the Little Disciple of the Netherworld Master, the White Bone Divine Lord, these Demon Kings, hearing that the Lord of the Underworld Island was furious, led their own armies to attack the Central Plains to show loyalty, curry favor, and plunder as they went.

The border garrisons were overwhelmed and fell back repeatedly, causing widespread panic at first. The Emperor, enraged, dispatched the pillar of his court, Grand Tutor Pang Yuanhua, leading thirty thousand elite troops to crush the evil monsters.

This Pang Yuanhua was a direct inheritor of the Confucian School, a Grand Scholar from the Ziyang Palace Orthodox Academy. Only because fate dictated he could not achieve immortality did he choose to remain in the mortal realm to assist the monarch and accumulate merit.

His cultivation was profound, and he was well-versed in military strategy. His open and upright campaigns had earned him respect and fear throughout the Four Frontiers.

Now, although Grand Tutor Pang was advanced in years, his prestige remained. When he led his troops to Ganzhou, the first few battles were glorious, driving back the fiends harassing the Central Plains borders.

However, once these fiends suffered losses, they began employing unorthodox tactics. Possessing various unique arts, they caught Grand Tutor Pang unprepared, leading to casualties. The two sides thus reached a deadlock in Ganzhou.

Later, Grand Tutor Pang requested aid from cultivators. They managed to barely re-establish equilibrium, but the fiends' deployment methods were unconventional and highly creative. Grand Tutor Pang, acutely aware of his age, appealed to the Military School for assistance, asking them to send a strategist adept at change to help.

Yuan Buhuan gladly agreed and found Feng Zikang.

Feng Zikang arrived in Shuzhou City a few days later but did not rush to see Grand Tutor Pang. Instead, he spent a long time circling the city outskirts, trying to decipher the fiends' array formations.

He observed that the fiends’ camps and formations seemed entirely haphazard, lacking any discernible structure. Feng Zikang couldn't help but frown, pondering to himself.

If the fiends had a methodical arrangement, he could discern the reality beneath the surface with a single glance. But their camp setting defied all military principles and was utterly unlike human organization. For a moment, he found himself at a loss for how to proceed.

After all, the forms and abilities of demons and humans were vastly different, as were their supernatural powers. It was possible that their unorthodox camping methods held some deeper significance.

He retracted his sword light, descended to the ground, released Zhu Li’er and the fox, and spent half a day walking around the city with the small fox cub, observing the situation both inside and outside the city from a distance. Suddenly, enlightenment dawned, and a faint smile touched his lips before he slowly approached the city gate.

"Halt!"

Before he could even reach the gate, a flash of green light sliced past him. Feng Zikang stepped back, evading the sneak attack. Looking up, he saw an arrogant youth descend from mid-air, clutching a Ghost-Head Saber, blocking their path.

"What spy dares to trespass into Shuzhou City so boldly!"