Volume One: First Steps on the Path Chapter Twenty-Eight: The False Foundation

"Present," came Meng Yuan's voice from the air, followed by a question, "What are your orders?"

"I want to test the strength of my fingers now that I’ve finished cultivating the Xuantian Finger," Ye Junze replied.

"Very well, one moment please." With those words, Meng Yuan’s voice faded, evidently going to make the necessary preparations for Ye Junze’s request.

The space, which had just been filled with the faint sound of voices, slipped once more into silence. Seeing that Meng Yuan had nothing more to say, Ye Junze settled his mind and began to contemplate the Xuantian Finger.

As the moments slipped by, Meng Yuan, who had been quiet for some time, finally completed the preparations. In the stillness, his voice sounded again: "The items you requested are ready. Please take a look."

Ye Junze, brought back from his thoughts by Meng Yuan’s voice, replied, "Thank you."

"You’re welcome—it’s no trouble at all," Meng Yuan responded.

Hearing this, Ye Junze said no more, but turned to inspect the object Meng Yuan had just produced. It turned out to be a black stele, and aside from its polished, almost shining blackness, it had no other distinguishing features. Somewhat puzzled, Ye Junze asked, "Meng Yuan, how do I use this?"

"You simply need to attack the stele with your full strength," Meng Yuan answered coolly.

Ye Junze hesitated. "I know my own strength—won't I shatter this stele?"

Meng Yuan’s reply was certain: "You will not. Please rest assured."

With Meng Yuan so confident, Ye Junze dispelled his doubts, calmed his mind, and prepared to test the results of his cultivation.

After a while, once he had adjusted his state to its peak, Ye Junze channeled the Xuantian Finger through both hands. A faint purple light began to shimmer around his fingers, as though imbuing them with tremendous power. Thus prepared, Ye Junze struck the stele with all his might. Only a few faint marks were left on the surface, and as a sudden ripple of light swept over the stone, even those vanished as if they had never been. Ye Junze, who had hoped at the very least to leave a dent if not shatter the stele outright, was taken aback and questioned anxiously, "Meng Yuan, this can’t be real, right? I shouldn’t be this weak. What is this stele made of?"

He knew well enough his current strength. It might not be enough to shake the heavens and earth, but he believed he could at least leave a mark on a stone stele. The evidence before his eyes, however, contradicted this belief. If there was no fault in his performance, the problem must lie with the stele itself.

Seeing Ye Junze’s conflicted and crestfallen expression, Meng Yuan, as if unwilling to dishearten him further, replied in his measured tone, "This testing stele is made from memory-retentive, restorative materials. Theoretically, it can withstand any attack below the Nascent Soul stage, so there’s no need for undue discouragement."

Ye Junze felt a bit better after hearing this. After all, if only a Nascent Soul cultivator could damage it, then for someone at the Qi Refining stage like himself, even leaving a fingerprint was no small feat. He consoled himself with this thought. The effect of this self-encouragement was immediate: his previous despondency faded. He asked, "So how strong was the finger force I just demonstrated?"

"Your attack just now had the strength of a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator. Among the new students at this school, that’s already quite impressive," Meng Yuan answered.

Ye Junze, however, seemed dissatisfied. Quietly, he muttered, "Mid-stage Qi Refining? I’ve been cultivating for two years now, and this is all I have to show for it? It’s far from enough."

He seemed to have forgotten something important: today was, in fact, his very first day practicing the Xuantian Finger. To unleash an attack comparable to mid-stage Qi Refining on the first day was already an extraordinary achievement in Anze.

Meng Yuan, observing Ye Junze’s reaction, said nothing. After all, recognizing one’s shortcomings is a good thing, and Ye Junze had always been someone who strove to improve and pressed forward with courage.

Nor did Ye Junze let Meng Yuan down. After only a brief moment of discouragement, he rallied, encouraging himself aloud, "It’s only the beginning. Given time, there’s no telling how much stronger I’ll become."

With his mindset restored, Ye Junze suddenly recalled something and asked, "Meng Yuan, you mentioned 'Nascent Soul' and 'Qi Refining' just now. In the past two years, you’ve never talked to me about the cultivation system at all. Why bring it up now?"

"Previously, the cultivation system I had mastered was quite ancient. After awakening, I was unsure whether it matched the present system. In order not to disturb your cultivation, I refrained from telling you. Fortunately, it made little difference." Meng Yuan paused, as though giving Ye Junze time to digest the news.

"Understood," Ye Junze said.

Hearing this, Meng Yuan continued: "I listened in on your class today. The system described there is quite different from the one I know. It took me some time to adapt. From now on, I’ll provide guidance based on the current system." With that, Meng Yuan fell silent, as if waiting for Ye Junze to process this information.

Ye Junze was always a quick study. After a little thought, comprehension dawned on him. "So that’s how it is," he murmured.

Not long after, another question came to mind. "Meng Yuan, you've never told me what my realm was according to the old system. Based on the current one, what’s my cultivation level? I’ve been training for two years; it can’t be too low, can it?"

The ever-helpful Meng Yuan answered once more: "By the current cultivation system, your realm is 'False Foundation.'"