It began quietly—just a ripple in the air.
At first, no one paid it any mind. The Ye Clan compound was always humming with cultivation, formations, and the distant echo of spells. But then the pressure changed. Spiritual energy twisted in the sky above the central mountain.
Then came the wind.
Yun Fei was the first to feel it. She had just finished her morning lesson at the Talisman Hall when the paper talismans in her hand fluttered—not from her own qi, but something else. She stepped outside, narrowed her eyes, and saw the cloud spiral forming above the secluded stone hall.
Her breath caught.
"He's starting," she whispered.
Within an hour, the entire main estate had noticed. Elders emerged from meditation. Disciples paused mid-training. Spiritual energy whipped through the mountain air, forming a faint, visible vortex over the secluded cliffside chamber.
The moment Ye Changsheng began his breakthrough, a spiral of spiritual energy twisted into the sky from the secluded valley he'd chosen. Like a vortex of mist and fire, the energy spun with a force that cracked stone and bent trees. From miles away, cultivators in the clan felt it.
The heavens above the Ye Clan estate rippled.
A tornado of elemental qi—half flame, half mist—hovered like a divine spear waiting to descend.
Matriarch Tianying stood at the eastern peak, robes rustling. Her hands were clasped behind her back as she observed the sky, calm-eyed.
"He's doing it the hard way," she said softly.
Ye Tianbao, his father, stood on a terrace with hands folded behind his back. The wind tousled his robes, but his expression was serene, proud.
"Three," he said aloud. "Three of my sons will stand as Foundation Establishment cultivators."
Changming, who stood beside him, chuckled softly. "He might end up surpassing us both one day."
Tianbao's eyes never left the storm. "He already has in heart."
And atop the clan's tallest pavilion, Ye Xuefeng, the patriarch, drank a cup of plum wine in silence. His expression was the calm of a man who had seen hundreds of breakthroughs—but none more important than this one.
He looked toward the spiritual vortex now fully formed.
"Steady, boy," he said. "Show them who you are."
—
In a quieter courtyard under a blooming purple lantern tree, Yun Fei was seated with two Rui-gen girls—Ruiyin and Ruiling—both nieces of Ye Changsheng. They'd grown close over the past few months. Ruiyin was quick-witted and soft-spoken; Ruiling was playful, fond of teasing Yun Fei about married life.
The three sat with cups of chilled tea between them, heads turned toward the east, where the spiritual storm raged.
"I've never seen a dual-element vortex before," Ruiling said, her voice hushed with awe.
"It's beautiful," Ruiyin murmured. "So pure. He's really doing it."
Yun Fei smiled faintly. Her heart was a mess—swollen with pride, tangled with memories. "He told me once he'd walk forward no matter what. Even if the heavens trembled."
"Well," Ruiling grinned, nudging her, "they're definitely trembling."
Just then, Changrui approached from the path, a scroll still tucked under one arm. His expression was calm, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed the storm in his chest.
"I helped him stabilize his water qi years ago," he said quietly, sitting beside them. "He never quite mastered fire until later. It's not rare, but combining both into a single Tao Foundation—he makes it look effortless."
Yun Fei looked at him. "You're not surprised."
He shook his head. "Not even a little."
They all turned back to the east.
In the distance, the storm crackled louder, brighter, folding in upon itself as something magnificent prepared to be born.
His Qi had reached its limit.
For hours, Ye Changsheng sat motionless in the center of the formation chamber, every breath slow and deliberate. The spiritual energy around him was dense—almost oppressive—but he'd trained for this moment. There was no turning back.
The breakthrough had to begin.
He gathered his Qi inward, into his dantian. It churned—thick, heavy, volatile. Months of compression, circulation, and refinement had brought it here. Now, he had to shape it into a core. Into a foundation.
He closed his eyes and brought to mind two forces: fire and water. Not as opposites, but as balance.
Heat surged through him first—sharp, fast, unpredictable. It raced through his meridians like a blaze, burning away distraction. His breath hitched. His heart pounded.
Then came the cold—slow, steady, anchoring. A chill pooled in his gut, spreading calmly through limbs scorched by the fire. It didn't fight the flame. It tempered it.
He was weaving them together.
The burn met the chill, and instead of clashing, they swirled—circling each other, bending like steam curling off hot stone. His Qi followed their motion, coiling tighter and tighter in his core, forming a spiral. Not fire. Not water. But something born of both.
It hurt.
His body shook from the strain. Heat and cold pushed at his limits. Blood trickled from his nose, but he didn't flinch. His will held fast.
And then—
His dantian pulsed.
The coiled Qi compressed, condensed—and locked into place.
Like molten metal cooling into crystal, a glowing foundation formed at his core. It shimmered gold-red at the center, with rings of pale blue circling outward, like ripples on still water after a drop of flame.
It was his. Unified. Stable. foundation.
His meridians expanded. His senses sharpened. Every part of him felt heavier, more grounded—but also more alive.
Foundation Establishment.
The pressure eased.
He opened his eyes.
The air tasted cleaner. The world looked clearer. And somewhere deep within, he knew: his path wasn't just forming—it had begun.
He stood.
Stronger. Sharper.
His Fire-Water Dao Foundation was complete.
Outside, the spiritual tornado faded entirely. The clouds cleared. The wind slowed. And for a breathless moment, all was still.
Then the Ye Clan erupted in cheers.
Tianbao's chest swelled with pride as he looked around at his family. "Three sons all at Foundation in a single generation. Let the other clans try to match that."
Yun Fei stayed silent, one hand over her heart.
He was back.