Chapter Eleven: Father and Mother in Seclusion

After the figure of the old lion disappeared at the mouth of the cave, Wang Luo, who had already entered a meditative state, opened his eyes, a look of puzzlement in them.

During his cultivation just now, he had clearly sensed a surge of energy from the old lion’s body. This was not the first time—occasionally, the old lioness would also emit similar energy fluctuations.

Not long after the old lion entered the cave, a strange noise drifted out from within. Unable to make sense of it, Wang Luo tucked the question away in his heart and hurriedly resumed his practice.

He could not help but complain inwardly: That old lion is just a lecherous beast. Every night it’s the same, always distracting me from my training…

Time slipped by like a breeze through one’s fingers, impossible to hold back. In the blink of an eye, four years had passed, and Wang Luo was now nine.

Sitting cross-legged on a boulder beneath a ten-meter-high waterfall, Wang Luo, who had grown much taller, let the relentless torrent beat down upon his bare body.

A little white lion, bored, lay nearby. It glanced up at Wang Luo, who was meditating beneath the waterfall, then continued to splash at the water with its tiny paws, as if the unyielding torrent had no effect on it at all.

No one knew how much time passed before Wang Luo, still cross-legged beneath the waterfall, suddenly leaped into the pool below. The little white lion was startled for a moment, then leapt toward Wang Luo with delighted cries.

Human and beast frolicked in the water, sending crystalline droplets flying. After a while, they stopped and lay together in the pool, gazing up at the sky as if waiting for something.

After a time, the little white lion happily reached out a paw to point at the heavens. Wang Luo gestured for silence and looked skyward.

There, above the pool, a beautiful rainbow arched quietly across the sky. The little white lion discreetly pointed at it with its paw. As Wang Luo watched the lovely rainbow, memories of the old lion and lioness came to him.

A year and a half ago, the energy surges from the old lion and lioness had become more and more frequent, increasingly uncontrollable.

Once, as the old lion was skewering meat, a stray thread of spiritual power escaped his control. Instantly, the beast he was preparing turned to powder, startling Wang Luo—especially since this was only a sliver of carelessly leaked power.

The morning after that incident, the lioness looked at Wang Luo and the little white lion with a gaze full of sorrow. Then the old lion simply tossed Wang Luo and the little white lion out of the cave.

Immediately, the lion’s den began to collapse. Two roars, as if bidding farewell, echoed from the crumbling cave.

With the den utterly destroyed, Wang Luo and the little white lion had no idea what had happened. They stared dumbly at the spot where the two lions had buried themselves, watching until the figures vanished.

Once things had quieted, Wang Luo felt the constant flow of energy surging toward the collapsed den and realized the old lion and lioness were probably fine. They must have gone into secluded cultivation, needing absolute silence—perhaps it was even dangerous, and they feared harming him and the little white lion.

Having figured this out, Wang Luo comforted the little white lion, and the two of them moved to live by the waterfall.

At first, Wang Luo wanted to stay near the old den, but the area was saturated with the energy absorbed by the old lion and lioness, making it impossible for him to train.

So he had no choice but to settle with the little white lion beside the waterfall. Not only were there plenty of edible fruits in the surrounding forest, but the waterfall itself proved useful for tempering his body and cultivating specialized techniques.

By now, Wang Luo had reached the peak of Qi Refining and could enter the Foundation Establishment stage at any time. Yet, half a year had passed at this bottleneck, with no sign of breakthrough.

With no one to consult, Wang Luo could only persist, preparing himself as best he could for the coming leap.

His training had been entirely self-taught; he had no idea how crucial Foundation Establishment truly was.

It was a major threshold—not only did one’s spiritual power have to meet the requirements, but one’s state of mind had to be ready as well. Clearly, Wang Luo’s mental state had not yet reached that point. The moment his mindset broke through, he would surely advance smoothly.

But the state of mind is something ethereal, grasped only through intuition, impossible to teach. When your mindset breaks through, you simply know—it is an indescribable sensation.

The gap between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining is not just in the quantity of spiritual power, but above all in its quality.

Wang Luo understood a little of its importance, but not the full gravity of it.

Only by crossing the threshold of Foundation Establishment does one become a true cultivator. That is when the spiritual energy within the body washes the marrow and refines the muscles, helping the practitioner shed their mortal shell and prepare for further cultivation.

If one fails at Foundation Establishment, a second chance is almost impossible. Every cultivator knows how vital this step is.

Thus, many are plagued with doubts as they approach this stage; some even fail from excessive anxiety. In this respect, Wang Luo was quite fortunate—his ignorance spared him such worries.

The human body is a vast treasure trove, and cultivation is the key to unlocking it. Foundation Establishment is the very first step in opening this treasure.

With success, one may even unlock their innate skills—though what these are, no one can predict. Most never awaken such gifts; only a lucky few do.

After watching the rainbow above the pool for a while, the little white lion grew restless. Wang Luo spent most of his time cultivating each day; now that he was finally taking a break, the little white lion wanted to play.

It began to whine at Wang Luo. After so much time together, Wang Luo knew exactly what it meant.

“Don’t worry. Today I’ll play with you for a while longer. How about we go prepare a feast of fruit?” Wang Luo patted the little white lion’s head, speaking gently. He knew he hadn’t been spending enough time with his companion lately.

Still, he had to train diligently. With the old lion and lioness absent, who knew when another monster might appear?

Besides, Wang Luo had sensed that the speed at which the old lions were absorbing energy had slowed—they were probably about to emerge from their retreat.

He remembered Li Lei mentioning that demons’ cultivation sometimes triggered tribulations. By training hard, perhaps he could help in some small way when the time came.

Upon hearing this, the little white lion let out a joyful roar, and together they leapt from the pool to prepare their fruit banquet.

Night once again drove away the day, claiming the whole sky. Twin moons hung quietly overhead, pouring silver light onto the land, while a scattering of little stars winked playfully above.

In a small stone cave beside the pool, Wang Luo glanced at the little white lion, now deep in dreamland, then stepped outside and sat cross-legged by the water’s edge.

Otherworldly Azure Dragon, Chapter 11: Father and Mother in Seclusion—updated!