"Thanks, Old Nine!" Xu Kunlun put away the High Grade Medicinal Pill and patted He Pingsheng's shoulder, "Although great kindness needs no thanks, I still want to say thank you!"
"Old Nine, wait until I reach Foundation Establishment!" Zhao Ling'er patted her chest, "Once I reach Foundation Establishment, I'll give you whatever you want!"
"That's enough talk, I'm going into seclusion to adjust my state first!"
"I'll attempt Foundation Establishment in half a year!"
"I'm off!"
After chatting for a while, the three of them left one by one.
He Pingsheng put away the two Foundation Establishment Pills, then continued to sit cross-legged, refining the Treasure Artifact.
Previously, the Treasure Artifacts he refined only had four Restrictions.
These were easily refined; usually, he could refine one in a month.
Now that He Pingsheng's Divine Thought and Cultivation had improved, his refining speed was certainly faster, but this top-grade spirit tool had four more Restrictions.
With twice as many Restrictions, the difficulty was not just double.
This was because the further along the Restrictions were, the harder they were to refine.
For example, the first Restriction could usually be refined in a day.
But the eighth layer might not be refined even in a month.
It was that absurd.
However, he still didn't know how long it would specifically take.
He Pingsheng picked up the soul extinguishing bell and continued to refine it.
Time flowed by unknowingly.
In a flash, half a year passed.
He Pingsheng had refined two of the three top-grade spirit tools.
One was the soul extinguishing bell, and the other was the Nine Luminaries Dragon Slaying Banner; as for the Holy Wood Shield, he hadn't had time to refine it yet.
Now, with He Pingsheng's ability, refining any one of them would take three months.
He didn't continue to refine the Holy Wood Shield because He Pingsheng already had many defensive skills.
Moreover, he had been refining treasures for the past six months, and it was starting to feel a bit nauseating.
He decided to take a break first.
His offensive skills, however, were still somewhat lacking.
Because currently, apart from Talismans, He Pingsheng's offensive skills only included a Fire Crow Technique, a Yellow Turban Warrior, and a Sacred Wood Poison Dragon Technique.
Although the Nine Luminaries Dragon Slaying Banner was refined, there wasn't a suitable Spell to go with it.
If only he had a spear technique.
He Pingsheng reached into his Storage Pouch and pulled out a green Jade Slip.
This Jade Slip was obtained when he killed the male Disciple of the Zhuang Family in the Cuiping Mountain Secret Realm; it recorded a secret technique of the Cultivation Family Zhuang: Zhuang Family Thirteen Spears.
Since acquiring it, He Pingsheng had never Cultivated it, merely tossing it aside casually.
Now, he would try to see if he could strengthen it into a powerful Spell.
He burrowed into his covers, appearing to be sleeping and resting, but in reality, he secretly took out the gathering treasure basin from under his covers and then threw the green Jade Slip into it.
After one night, the strengthening was complete.
Two Jade Slips were strengthened from the gathering treasure basin.
One red, one black.
He Pingsheng first took out the red Jade Slip and placed it on his forehead to examine it.
Name: Fire Cloud Sacred Spear Technique
Grade: Heaven Rank
Function: Spear technique, when used with spear-type Treasure Artifacts, its power is doubled!
This is good!
Once he learned this, he should be able to use it with the Nine Luminaries Dragon Slaying Banner as well.
However, he still needed to see what the other one was!
He reached out again and took the other green Jade Slip, placing it on his forehead.
The information within instantly appeared.
Name: Great Banner Rolling Thunder Technique
Grade: Heaven Rank
Function: A branch of spear techniques, when used with spear and banner-type Treasure Artifacts, its power is doubled.
He Pingsheng smiled.
This was too much of a coincidence.
He Pingsheng picked up the gathering treasure basin and looked at it, thinking, "No way, does this gathering treasure basin have a memory function?"
It strengthened a banner for me before, and now it's strengthening a Spell related to a banner weapon?
"This is it!" He Pingsheng immediately made his decision, "Great Banner Rolling Thunder Technique, I want to see how it rolls thunder!"
He Pingsheng put away the gathering treasure basin, took out the green Jade Slip, and began to study it.
It wasn't much.
A general outline, and a Spell.
He finished reading it in about half an incense stick's time and memorized it in half an hour.
Next was Cultivation.
Normally, an ordinary Spell would take a month to learn, but this Great Banner Rolling Thunder Technique didn't seem ordinary, so he didn't know how long it would take to learn.
He Pingsheng hadn't even started learning yet when Zhao Ling'er's call sounded from outside again.
After half a year of preparation and seclusion, she and Xu Kunlun had reached a perfect state, and they were ready to Breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
This call was to invite He Pingsheng to witness the ceremony.
"Will there be Tribulation Lightning?" He Pingsheng asked.
"No!" Master Yu Ning shook her head and said, "Where would Tribulation Lightning come from?"
"Tribulation Lightning only appears when breaking through from the Foundation Establishment Stage to the Golden Core Stage; there won't be any for Foundation Establishment, so don't worry!"
"Oh!" He Pingsheng nodded.
"Begin!" Yu Ning waved her hand.
Then, Zhao Ling'er and Xu Kunlun each took out a High Grade Foundation Establishment Pill and swallowed it at once.
"Boom..."
Innumerable Qi collided within their bodies.
Streaks of white mist rose from above their heads.
Yu Ning was slightly startled and looked at He Pingsheng, "Old Nine... did you give them those High Grade Foundation Establishment Pills?"
Yu Ning's voice was very low.
"Yes, Master!" He Pingsheng said, "This Disciple has encountered a Bottleneck and doesn't know when I'll be able to Breakthrough to the twelfth layer, so I gave the Medicinal Pills to Senior Brother and Senior Sister first!"
"Whoosh..."
Yu Ning let out a deep breath and said, "Foolish child... I'm very happy about your camaraderie, but when you venture into the Jianghu in the future, you must be careful; you can't be so... so..."
She almost said the words "lacking common sense."
He Pingsheng said with a serious expression, "This Disciple understands, Master, don't worry. If it weren't for Senior Brother and Senior Sister, this Disciple wouldn't be so foolish!"
"As long as you know!" Yu Ning retorted exasperatedly.
On the other side, the two Disciples almost simultaneously broke through their physical barriers with a bang.
Foundation Establishment, achieved!
Both succeeded.
"Succeeded?" Xu Kunlun jumped up excitedly, "Master, I'm at the Foundation Establishment Stage..."
"Hahaha..."
Zhao Ling'er also seemed unable to believe her eyes, "I've also reached Foundation Establishment?"
"Yes!" Yu Ning said, "You've both reached Foundation Establishment... However, you still have to thank your Junior Brother. If it weren't for Old Nine's two Foundation Establishment Pills, how would you two have such an Opportunity?"
The two respectfully bowed to He Pingsheng, "Thank you, Junior Brother!"
Master was right.
If He Pingsheng hadn't brought the Water Essence Spirit Apricot, they wouldn't have known when they would Breakthrough their Bottleneck.
Or perhaps, they might never have been able to Breakthrough.
And for this final Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, if it weren't for the High Grade Foundation Establishment Pill, they might not have been so smooth either.
"It's nothing!" He Pingsheng said with a chuckle.
Yu Ning asked, "You two, try it and see what your Divine Thought strength is like?"
Xu Kunlun closed his eyes, and his Divine Thought burst forth in his mind.
The next moment, he opened his eyes and said, "Master, my Divine Thought can now extend a hundred zhang!"
Zhao Ling'er beside him said, "Mine too!"
"Good, good, good!" Yu Ning said, "A hundred zhang is just right; you two can now fly with swords!"