Gu Wanchang and Gu Wanhao gave Gu Xuanzhan questioning looks. He looked a little embarrassed.

He gave a light cough.

"I was worried something had happened to him! And you, Changhuan—why did you attempt Foundation Establishment so suddenly? Thank goodness you succeeded. What if something had gone wrong?"

As Gu Xuanzhan spoke, he swiftly shifted the topic.

Gu Wanhao and Gu Wanchang graciously played along and began to "reprimand" Gu Changhuan.

"Changhuan, you really were a bit reckless this time!"

"How could you not notify us beforehand about something as major as foundation establishment?"

The two of them spoke one after another.

Gu Changhuan offered a guilty smile. "It was just an accident. I didn't plan on establishing my foundation quite so early either."

Who could have guessed that, after repeated purification, his spiritual power would condense into True Essence with the slightest pressure? Once it started, he could not stop. If he had not quickly taken out Supreme Grade Spirit Stones and absorbed their Spiritual Qi, who knew what might have happened?

After reaching Purple Mansion, Gu Xuanzhan had told him the truth about the Supreme Grade Spirit Stone. Gu Changhuan had not been surprised. It was a Great Ascension cultivator's storage ring, after all; even a few Immortal Stones would not have been astonishing.

Even so, encountering Zhenlingzi's remnant soul after his breakthrough and everything that followed were developments Gu Changhuan had never anticipated.

As Gu Changhuan thought about Zhenlingzi and the Xuantian Tower he had given him, a plan began to form.

Gu Wanhao remarked, "Still, being able to reach Foundation Establishment before the beast tide arrives is a blessing. At the very least, you now possess the power to protect yourself. With the Gu Clan adding another Foundation Establishment cultivator in quick succession, we should be able to protect more clansmen and secure greater benefits during the upcoming beast tide!"

A Beast Tide could wipe out a clan, but those who survived could gain a wealth of valuable demon beast materials.

In the cultivation world, crisis and opportunity had always walked hand in hand.

Hearing Gu Wanhao's words, Gu Changhuan looked slightly puzzled. Adding Foundation Establishment cultivators in succession? He thought for a moment before asking,

"Has Aunt Shixin broken through to Foundation Establishment?"

Gu Wanchang nodded.

"She bought a bottle of Immortal-Fate Water and used it to establish her foundation. She is in seclusion now, but should be out soon."

Gu Changhuan understood. With Immortal-Fate Water's vicious poison, she had probably suffered lingering harm during the breakthrough and needed time in seclusion to recover.

A thought struck Gu Changhuan. "Clan rules allow us three years to travel after reaching Foundation Establishment. Since I've just broken through and am about to set out—Great-grandfather, Grandfather, Patriarch—perhaps you could..."

As he spoke, he rubbed his hands together, his smile growing increasingly bright, practically begging for treasures and spirit stones.

Seeing Gu Changhuan behave like this, the three elders could not help laughing, each reaching toward their own Storage Bag.

After a moment, Gu Changhuan received three distinct treasures.

Gu Wanhao gave him a shuttle-shaped flying artifact of the second tier, middle grade. Gu Wanchang gave him a spiritual sword of the same tier and grade, while Gu Xuanzhan produced a third-tier low-grade talisman.

Looking over the three gifts, Gu Changhuan expressed his thanks and accepted them with a beaming smile.

Now he was fully prepared: if he could fight, he would fight; if he couldn't, he would run; and if he truly couldn't outrun the opponent, he would blast them with a spiritual talisman.

"Where are you planning to travel to?" Gu Wanhao asked.

Gu Changhuan considered this for a moment. "I plan to head to the Hidden Dragon Mountains first, then to Heng Prefecture, and if time permits, I'll take a look at Lanzhou as well."

Strictly speaking, the Hidden Dragon Mountains were demon beast territory, but right at their edge lay Linbao Market, situated inside a giant cavern. Many Rogue Cultivators lived there, making a living by venturing into the Hidden Dragon Mountains to hunt demon beasts and forage for spiritual herbs, frequently unearthing valuable goods to sell to the shops within the market.

The Gu Clan maintained a shop within Linbao Market as well.

Even the Haoran Sect, the premier major sect in Qingzhou, had established a large store there.

Upon hearing that Gu Changhuan intended to visit Linbao Market, Gu Wanhao frowned slightly, though he did not voice any opposition.

Instead, he simply produced a map.

"This shows the location of Linbao Market. Once you arrive, should you encounter any trouble, you can seek assistance at the Gu Clan's storefront."

Gu Changhuan eagerly put away the map. Seeing his enthusiasm, Gu Xuanzhan and the other two smiled simultaneously.

They had felt just the same when they first set out. After decades cooped up in the clan, reaching Foundation Establishment had finally given them the freedom to travel. How excited they had been!

That night, Gu Changhuan examined the Xuantian Tower closely in his chamber. He had a lingering feeling that the mysterious runes covering its surface looked familiar, yet he could not quite place where he had seen them.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.

He looked into his Sea of Consciousness. The runes on the back of the Tongxian Map floating there were about seventy percent similar to those on the Xuantian Tower!

Could the Tongxian Map also be a Xuantian treasure?

Yet the functions of the Tongxian Map seemed far less practical and useful than those of the Xuantian Tower.

He summoned the Tongxian Map, only to realize something was amiss.

Why had the map grown so much larger?

Originally only the size of a handkerchief, the Tongxian Map was now as large as a square silk scarf.

Since the map had expanded, shouldn't the range it could reveal also...

With this thought, Gu Changhuan carefully inspected the artifact.

Sure enough, the detection range of the Tongxian Map had expanded by a full tenfold!

Gu Changhuan could now perceive every single spiritual object within a radius of two hundred meters centered on himself, whether in the air or underground, all completely clear at a glance!

Gu Changhuan felt that this Foundation Establishment breakthrough had been well worth it.

Achieving Foundation Establishment had even upgraded the Tongxian Map.

He carefully scanned every spiritual object on Emerald Maple Mountain.

Naturally, he did not discover any hidden mineral veins right beneath his own home.

He did not mind. Finding a gold mine in his own backyard had never been likely. Besides, Emerald Maple Mountain was far from the Gu Clan's only holding in the Nine Perches Mountains.

It was simply the mountain with the richest Spiritual Qi within the clan's lands.

He was already picturing himself strolling through the clan's lands, map in hand, and discovering a mineral vein.

A moment later, Gu Changhuan put the map away.

He picked up the Xuantian Tower, wondering how to enter, when the scenery before his eyes shifted abruptly and he found himself standing inside an overgrown spiritual herb garden.

This must be the interior world of the Xuantian Tower's first floor.

Gu Changhuan looked up to see a white sphere hovering overhead, emitting a gentle radiance that lacked the harsh glare of the sun.

He looked down at the weeds carpeting the ground and felt a twinge of despair.

How was he supposed to find the spiritual herbs in all these weeds?!