Six years later, Li Fan began his third attempt.
The white radiance symbolizing the principles of Return to Truth grew a little milder still. This time, he lasted longer than the previous two attempts. But it was still far from the point where the projection of Return to Truth could take shape.
Li Fan’s dantian exploded once more.
Return to Truth!
It was now his fourth attempt.
Why does my dantian keep exploding? Li Fan wondered, recalling the Foundation Establishment processes he had observed in his previous lives.
The cultivation path laid down by the Heavenly Venerable Dao Teacher emphasized stability above all.
No matter how poor one’s aptitude, given sufficient lifespan and necessary conditions, success in cultivation was guaranteed.
But Li Fan’s current process of establishing his foundation with Return to Truth ran counter to the Heavenly Venerable’s teachings.
I originally thought the main difficulty in my Foundation Establishment process would lie in sensing the formless, intangible Return to Truth.
Yet, perhaps because Return to Truth is already fused with my very being, sensing its presence isn’t as difficult as I imagined.
Instead, this apparent incompatibility with the Heavenly Venerable’s cultivation methodology has become the greatest obstacle to my Foundation Establishment’s success, leading to dantian explosions.
Perhaps, if I can resolve this issue, I won’t be far from establishing my foundation with Return to Truth.
With that thought, Li Fan’s spirits lifted slightly. He began his fourth attempt.
Boom!
Fifth attempt!
Boom!
Sixth attempt!
Each attempt represented six years of time.
Though each effort ended in failure at the final moment, with his dantian exploding and shattering, the radiance of Return to Truth was indeed growing increasingly warm and gentle. Things were progressing in a positive direction, which strengthened Li Fan's conviction.
Through countless cycles, Li Fan tirelessly repeated the Foundation Establishment process again and again.
His mind focused entirely on this one task, casting aside all other distractions.
Tenth attempt...
Twentieth attempt...
Thirtieth attempt...
Only after fifty-six attempts did Li Fan finally achieve significant progress.
Within his dantian, the warm white light seemed to condense into solid form. It was as smooth as polished jade and pleasing to the eye.
The light itself no longer changed; what he now saw changing was its shape.
Could it be that... I'm finally about to succeed?
Witnessing this, even Li Fan's normally placid heart couldn't help but ripple with emotion.
But clearly, success wouldn't come so easily.
This time, his dantian remained intact, without exploding. Yet Li Fan felt as if tiny insects were constantly wriggling deep within his bones and muscles throughout his body.
The sensation—simultaneously itchy, numb, and painful—drew a muffled groan from him.
And this was merely the beginning.
One circular lump of flesh after another suddenly bulged from Li Fan's body. Then, as if possessing their own consciousness, they began swimming across his skin.
The fleshy lumps grew larger and larger, becoming almost half the size of a human head in a few breaths.
Covered with these terrifying crimson tumors, Li Fan now appeared like some inhuman monster. And still, the bloody tumors continued to swell.
Finally, the tumors reached the limits of what his Qi Refinement body could endure, bursting open like balloons with a loud pop.
Chunks of flesh and blood sprayed in all directions, splattering across the entire grass hut.
Li Fan was drenched in his own flesh and blood, yet he remained unmoved.
Within his sea of consciousness, the Blue Flame phantom spirit emerged. Simultaneously, the Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Sutra operated. Li Fan entered a state free from worry, fear, or terror.
Maintaining complete composure despite his physical body's corruption, he focused on Return to Truth’s phantom condensed within his dantian.
But a Qi Refinement cultivator’s body was ultimately frail. Gradually, Li Fan's vital aura grew faint, then approached complete extinction.
At the final moment, Li Fan silently recited "Return to Truth" in his heart.
The fifty-seventh time!
Six years later, Li Fan attempted it again.
The white jade shifted shapes according to Li Fan's insights. Tumors swelled and receded across Li Fan's body.
After a long while, failure came once more.
The fifty-eighth time.
Failure!