Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Top floor of the Immortal River Garden.

Qin Henian and Li Ji'an drank together while overlooking the entire Celestial River Immortal City.

"Mr. Li, your great kindness is engraved in the hearts of my Qin family. This is a small token of my Qin family's appreciation; I hope you will accept it with a smile."

After a few rounds of drinks, Qin Henian solemnly took out a small segment of bamboo root from his storage pouch.

At the moment the bamboo root was revealed, Li Ji'an's heart stirred.

The aura on it was very strong, undoubtedly third tier.

And it was clearly Purple Bamboo.

Li Ji'an was both delighted and puzzled; he hadn't expected the Qin family to possess third-tier Spiritual Bamboo.

However, outwardly, he maintained his calm: "Master Qin, is it possible to cultivate third-tier spiritual bamboo within your clan?"

"Haha, you're giving too much credit to our Qin family; third-tier spiritual bamboo is so rare. If we could cultivate it, how could we remain confined to Cangyun State?

It was a mutated purple bamboo we discovered by chance several years ago. Unfortunately, its body has long since withered, leaving only this small root." Seeing the elder's calm demeanor, Qin Henian became even more convinced of his judgment, lowering his posture further.

Third-tier talisman materials rarely circulate outside of the Holy Palace Sect in the entire Celestial Cyan Domain and are extremely rare on the market.

Additionally, they are very expensive.

But the elder was unfazed, suggesting he's encountered them regularly and even handled many.

These observations, combined with some rumors he'd heard in the Immortal City recently, led him to almost conclude that the third-tier Heavenly Thunder Talisman that shocked everyone a year ago likely came from this person.

He hypothesized that when Li Ji'an lured the corpse puppet away, it lost its intellect and encountered the passing elder, who defeated it with a third-tier talisman.

The elder was undoubtedly a third-tier talisman master!

"A mutated bamboo root?" Li Ji'an nodded slightly and examined it.

The Wood Spiritual Mechanism was extremely abundant, making it a superior material among early third-tier talisman components.

It's an excellent material for creating Cyan Sword Talismans.

Its Wood Spiritual Mechanism can also attract heavenly thunder, refining it into the Purple Sky Thunder Talisman, which is even more potent than the Heavenly Thunder Talisman.

The only downside is that the bamboo root is too small to be refined into a magical treasure, or its value would be greatly enhanced.

"This bamboo root is of great use to me. I'll remember this gesture, Fellow Daoist Qin, but I cannot take it for free. The bamboo root can make two pieces of talisman paper, and based on the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain's market price, here are ten thousand spirit stones. Please do not refuse." Li Ji'an did not wish to take advantage unfairly, not to mention he had a good impression of Qin Henian.

"Oh no, no, Mr. Li, you've already done a great favor for my Qin family. This is specifically to repay that kindness." Qin Henian hastily declined.

Li Ji'an smiled and shook his head, pushing the bamboo root forward: "If that's the case, then I'm obliged to accept."

"Please, Mr. Li, hold on. I have another request." Qin Henian hurriedly said.

"Oh? Please elaborate."

"I would like to purchase two late second-tier talismans." Qin Henian originally planned to buy after gifting the bamboo root but now had to propose an exchange.

"What kind of spirit talismans are you seeking, Fellow Daoist Qin?" Li Ji'an nodded with a smile.

"Flame talismans or other spirit talismans that counter the Yin Fiend attribute." Qin Henian decisively replied.

Li Ji'an's heart skipped: "Could it be to repay me for the Flame Talisman?"

He then nodded: "Consider it done."

Soon after, two late second-tier spirit talismans were laid out before Qin Henian, one Flame Talisman and one Thunder Shocking Talisman.

"Hiss~" Qin Henian gasped upon seeing the two spirit talismans.

"They're both exquisite!"

He became even more certain that a year ago, Li Ji'an had indeed purchased talismans from this person.

"Thank you, Mr. Li! However, these two spirit talismans are too valuable. I cannot let you take a loss; please accept them." Shocked, Qin Henian hurriedly placed the prepared spirit stones next to the spiritual bamboo root, his demeanor respectful.

Late second-tier spirit talismans of mid-to-high grade typically go for two to three thousand spirit stones, but top-quality ones are priceless, high-level strategic assets that pose a threat even to Fake Pill True Men, and are hard to find.

Li Ji'an laughed heartily and stopped refusing.

"Then I will accept them with a smile!"

After an enjoyable night, the next day, Li Ji'an bid farewell and left Celestial River Immortal City early.

Gugu waited outside the Immortal City for a day and night, with Li Ji'an constantly sensing its location through the Blood Spirit Mark he left on it. Without a spirit contract to control it, it didn't wander off.

A month after returning to Spirit Peak, Qin Henian arrived unexpectedly.

As anticipated, Qin Henian returned the Flame Talisman, honoring his earlier commitment.

He also gave Li Ji'an a second-tier Ancient Pill Formula and a gold token engraved with the character "Qin."

In the days that followed, Li Ji'an essentially sequestered himself at Spirit Peak, focusing on cultivation and talisman making. Apart from making an annual trip to Celestial River Immortal City to deliver spirit talismans, he rarely left the peak.

Five years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, as a mirage-like illusion appeared over Spirit Peak, Li Ji'an paused in concentration.

A spirit talisman on the desk, shining with a myriad of colors, took shape.

A quasi-third-tier Illusion Talisman!

Illusion, a major technique that conceals the five senses, mesmerizes the mind, and guides the spirit, is more challenging than ordinary techniques like killing, defense, or escape due to its involvement with the mind and divine soul.

In the same tier, both illusion techniques in magic and illusion arrays in formations are considered high difficulty.

Also in talismans, Illusion Talismans require not only linking the Five Elements Spiritual Mechanism but also drawing on Heaven and Earth Dual Souls, otherwise achieving an effect that can bewilder the mind and divine soul is difficult.

Even when Li Ji'an's success rate in crafting top-quality talismans reached fifty percent, he struggled with Illusion Talismans.

After five years of practicing with a vast amount of late second-tier talisman materials, Li Ji'an refined his talisman art further, reaching mastery over second-tier spirit talismans.

A quasi-third-tier Illusion Talisman—without a particularly exceptional divine soul, even Fake Pill True Men could fall into it.