This tribulation took Xu Ning a full ten years.
The lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is five hundred years, and his master, Qi Ruifeng, had told him that he had already lived for over two hundred years.
Calculating the time, it was about time.
"Master, wait for me!" Xu Ning whispered, taking out a Yuan-grade spiritual herb to feed the Heavenly Origin Peach Tree.
Instantly, it upgraded to the Yuan-grade, and flower buds appeared.
Xu Ning didn't stop, continuing to feed it along the way, ripening the fruit.
He had the Yingying Monster fly at low altitude, and four or five days later, Xu Ning returned to the Red Sea Mountains and flew to the gates of the Tiancheng Sect.
At this time, it seemed that because Qi Ruifeng's lifespan was nearing its end, the Tiancheng Sect's formation was constantly activated, forcing Xu Ning to temporarily stop.
"Who goes there?"
Before Xu Ning could communicate with the formation, a voice suddenly came from within the Tiancheng Sect.
Immediately, Qian Yang flew out from the sect.
"It's me! Get out of the way!"
Xu Ning said softly, his Foundation Establishment cultivation instantly radiating outwards. An orange canopy covered in white patterns appeared above his head, casting orange light.
At this moment, other figures flew in from within the Tiancheng Sect. Seeing this scene, their eyes all revealed amazement.
After their initial amazement, Qian Yang and Peng Yang also recognized Xu Ning and finally reacted. They immediately bowed in surprise, "Greetings, Holy Son!"
Xu Ning nodded and looked at the Tiancheng Sect's formation. "What are you standing there for? Open it!"
The formation opened instantly, and Xu Ning flew directly inside. These formations were all repaired by Xu Ning using his carpentry knowledge, giving him absolute control.
"I'm going to visit my master. We'll talk about the rest later!" After leaving these words, Xu Ning flew past everyone and quickly left.
A terrifying aura swept over everyone, directly causing everyone present to feel a tightness in their chests and their spiritual energy to tremble.
This was the oppressive aura from a Supreme Being. Xu Ning didn't know it, so he unconsciously pressed down on them.
"Who is he? Why does he possess such a terrifying aura?" someone couldn't help but ask.
Qian Yang and Peng Yang's gazes were complex, and then Peng Yang spoke, "He is the Holy Son of our Tiancheng Sect from a hundred years ago!"
"Holy Son!" Everyone was shocked.
Qian Yang nodded. "That's right, he is also the only Holy Son since the founding of our Tiancheng Sect!"
At this moment, the others also realized. "No wonder our Tiancheng Sect has never had a Holy Son. It turns out the Holy Son is still alive!"
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"Just what kind of heaven-defying talent does the Holy Son possess, that he can have such an aura at the Foundation Establishment stage?"
"And what is that umbrella on his head? Why does just one glance make me breathless and unable to look directly at it?"
Peng Yang said, "I heard the Sect Master say that the Holy Son is following the ancient path of Qi Refining Master. If he succeeds, he can achieve a Supreme Foundation Establishment that surpasses even the highest quality!"
Qian Yang nodded. "The Sect Master also said that if he fails, the Holy Son will not return!"
Peng Yang said, "Judging from this, the Holy Son should have succeeded, achieving a legendary quality Foundation Establishment!"
"Legendary quality!" Everyone was shocked.
Qian Yang nodded. "That's right, that's a quality that only appeared in ancient times. Even in ancient times, only a very few chosen ones, those with great fortune, could achieve it."
"The legendary Holy Son has returned after reaching Foundation Establishment! How can our Tiancheng Sect not prosper?"
Someone shouted, and the others immediately followed suit. The entire sect erupted in jubilation.
---
At the entrance of the Tiancheng Sect's main hall, Qi Ruifeng lay on a recliner. Although he looked like he was nearing the end of his life, he ate spiritual fruits, his gaze easily sweeping over the entire sect. There was no despair on his face, only satisfaction, contentment, and pride.
He didn't choose to retreat into seclusion and die, because that would be meaningless. He'd rather watch his proud sect slowly fade away.
He had succeeded, surpassing his master, surpassing generations of grandmasters, rebuilding the Tiancheng Sect, and making it flourish.
Although it couldn't compare to those great sects, Qi Ruifeng was already very satisfied.
You must know, when his master passed on the legacy to him, the Tiancheng Sect didn't even have a single gate.
"Sigh! Let's leave the inheritance to that brat Xiao Ze! What a pity for Yun Hao!"
The only thing Qi Ruifeng couldn't let go of now was the inheritance.
Originally, if his eldest disciple, Ye Yunhao, had reached Foundation Establishment, passing the inheritance to him would have been most suitable.
Unfortunately, that brat had disappeared for over a hundred years. His bones were probably almost completely weathered by now.
His second disciple, Xiao Ze, had already reached Foundation Establishment, so passing it to him was also a good choice.
The Tiancheng Sect was quite unique compared to other sects. It didn't have any Golden Core cultivators, yet it managed to stand firm in the Hongming Mountains, entirely supported by its array formations.
Therefore, a Foundation Establishment cultivator was sufficient to assume the position of sect leader.
Having thought all this through, Qi Ruifeng closed his eyes, recalling the events of his cultivation journey, preparing to face death.
Just then, a terrifying aura suddenly descended.
Qi Ruifeng abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief.
Orange light shone down, and his beloved eldest disciple slowly walked through the air, landing directly beside Qi Ruifeng.
The orange light bathed Qi Ruifeng, giving him a comfortable, spring-like feeling.
Seeing that Qi Ruifeng was still alive, Xu Ning breathed a sigh of relief. Forgetting all about formalities, he quickly took out a peach covered in orange patterns and stuffed it into Qi Ruifeng's mouth.
"Mmm!" Qi Ruifeng, who had wanted to speak, had his mouth completely blocked by the peach, making muffled noises.
He had so much to say to Xu Ning, and with his mouth sealed, his eyes involuntarily welled up with tears as he looked at Xu Ning with complicated emotions.
Xu Ning smiled. "Don't look at me, eat it quickly!"
Qi Ruifeng obediently chewed.
The moment he ate the Heavenly Origin Peach, it immediately transformed into a cool aura that flowed throughout Qi Ruifeng's body, nourishing every cell.
Qi Ruifeng's eyes widened. "This, this is a treasure that increases lifespan! And an extremely powerful one at that! I feel like my lifespan has increased by a hundred years."
Xu Ning nodded gently. "Yes, Master!"
The Heavenly Origin Peach, upgraded to the Yuan level, had an even greater effect on increasing lifespan. One peach could add a hundred years to one's life.
However, the limitation still applied. One person could only consume one peach.
Qi Ruifeng, his bodily functions restored, sat up abruptly, asking expectantly, "Disciple, you succeeded?"
Xu Ning nodded gently. "That's right, Master, I succeeded! I successfully established my foundation in the final moments before my lifespan was about to end. However, I was trapped in the secret realm for over a hundred years after establishing my foundation, only emerging a few days ago! Luckily, I arrived in time!"
Qi Ruifeng said, "Don't worry too much. A hundred years from now, I will still pass away."
Xu Ning said, "Then at least you can accompany your disciple for a hundred years, right?"
Qi Ruifeng asked, "Disciple, what quality of foundation establishment did you achieve?"
Xu Ning said, "I told you, Master, but you can't tell anyone else!"
Qi Ruifeng said, "Don't you believe your master?"
Xu Ning said, "Legendary or higher!"