Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Unlike Ning Sujin, Ning Yutan’s body is slightly more plump, but not as slender as Ning Sujin.

This body has been treated with Youthful Appearance Pills or similar spirit medicines, so it bears no traces of age.

With the nourishment of spiritual energy, the skin and flesh are even more lustrous.

After merely a glance, Li Ji’an operates the Wood Element Technique, harnessing Second Tier medical skills to transfer Wood Spiritual Mechanism, guiding the energy and blood transformed by the Essence Blood Pill, and soothing the meridians, warming the flesh body.

The Cold Jade Bed can stabilize and nurture the Divine Soul; combined with specialized Soul Nourishing Medical Skills, it can also repair the Sea of Consciousness.

Once the Wood Spiritual Mechanism is steadily transferred, Li Ji’an again looks towards the direction of her brow.

After articulating clearly with his lips, Ning Yutan’s body trembled slightly, but afterward, there was no obvious reaction, leaving him uncertain of Ning Sujin’s condition.

At this moment, he again mouthed: "Sister Jin, can you control this body?"

The next moment, Ning Yutan slowly nodded.

But at the same time, her previously tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, showing some confusion.

Li Ji’an stared into her eyes.

Ning Yutan seemed evasive: "Senior... senior, my... my neck just felt a bit itchy."

Then she closed her eyes again.

Meanwhile, in the Sea of Consciousness, she began questioning Ning Sujin: "What were you doing?"

"Nothing, just a mistake."

"Stop messing around; before confirming he’s Brother Li, don’t let him know you’re in my Sea of Consciousness."

"Hmm."

"..." Ning Yutan was somewhat surprised by Ning Sujin’s calm response this time, but soon she didn’t think further.

After she tightly closed her eyes again, Li Ji’an blinked, roughly understanding Ning Sujin’s condition.

She was conscious and could control this body, but seemed unable to block Ning Yutan, or the two were temporarily inseparable.

"Sister Jin, rest assured, I will do everything I can to assist you both in cultivation." Li Ji’an once again mouthed.

This time, there was no response.

A quarter of an hour later, the first treatment ended.

Li Ji’an said no more, and after her gratitude, he let her leave, setting a daily treatment time.

Fortunately, this method only takes a quarter of an hour every day, which doesn’t consume much time.

In the following days, Li Ji’an spent three hours each day cultivating, honing his magical cultivation with ink techniques.

Since breaking through to the Late Period of Foundation Establishment, the cultivation efficiency of the Flame Dragon Technique has slowed considerably; if not for Li Ji’an’s ample supply of superior pill medicines, relying solely on the Spiritual Qi of Spirit Veins would make achieving Perfection in thirty years challenging, and even fifty years might be insufficient.

This Clan’s Secret Technique of the Yan Family, the Flame Dragon Technique, is reputed to potentially reach Core Formation, but according to Yan Qingwan, it’s only potential because no practitioner has yet achieved Core Formation True Man.

Li Ji’an, through these years, concluded that this technique can indeed reach Core Formation, but compared to genuinely superior cultivation techniques, its efficiency is lower, requiring more resources.

Li Ji’an is satisfied nonetheless.

At least it’s not like the Body Cultivation Method taught to Chen Zhaohu, the Hundred Forged Golden Body Technique.

This Body Cultivation Method was once said by Chen Zhaohu to have the potential to reach Second Tier.

Thirty-five years ago, Li Ji’an spent nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones, gathered various Molten Rock Sand, and finally broke through Body Refining to the Middle Stage of the Second Tier.

Yet over the following years, even after acquiring more supplies through trade, further advancement proved impossible.

The ancient original version of the Hundred Forged Golden Body Technique may not have such limits, but the evolutionary version taught by Chen Zhaohu, using Spiritual Sand to replace Spiritual Objects, reached its limit here.

To advance further in Body Refining, he must switch to a superior Body Cultivation Method.

Besides the three hours of cultivation, he spends another two hours drawing Spirit Talismans.

The remaining time is almost entirely devoted to researching the path of puppetry.

Three months passed in a flash.

That day, in the courtyard, Li Ji’an summoned a Little Fire Spirit to refine a piece of primary Wutong Wood Core into an artifact, subsequently imprinting the simple parts in front of him with runes.

Finally, he condensed his magical power, assembling them into a matchstick-like simple wooden puppet.

Watching the runes on the parts perfectly merge without the slightest repulsion, Li Ji’an let out a long breath.

This marks the completion of the most technical step.

However, the final step of Divine Soul association remains the most crucial.

Even the simplest non-tier foundational puppet requires at least mid-stage Qi Cultivation’s Spiritual Sense for success.

Not only is soul power demanded, but precise control and guidance are also essential.

"Buzz~" Nonetheless, this was a breeze for Li Ji’an, whose Divine Sense rivals True Pill Divine Sense; moments later, the matchstick puppet jolted, then staggered to stand upright.

"It’s done!" His first-ever puppet succeeded, and Li Ji’an was quite excited.

After thoroughly checking all details, Li Ji’an embedded a lower-grade Spirit Stone into its groove.

The next moment, he sensed a weak perception from the puppet within his sea of consciousness.

"Go!" He issued a command using the Heart Method of puppet inheritance.

The matchstick puppet immediately turned and walked towards the other side of the courtyard.

Because the joints hadn’t been finely crafted, its movements were somewhat cumbersome.

However, being made of Spirit Wood, despite being a foundational puppet, it’s considered a primary magical artifact; it appears unstable, but the energy it possesses far exceeds that of mortals.

Moments later, it reached the stone grinder at the other side of the courtyard, effortlessly lifted it, and walked towards Li Ji’an.

"Finally, an introduction to puppetry!" At last, Li Ji’an smiled.

After assigning it a cleaning task, he focused his mind, casting his gaze towards the Puppet Inheritance Jade Talisman.

Over these three months of research, he gained more insight into puppetry.

Skill and materials are equally important; to have highly dynamic and powerful puppets, besides precise crafting of all joints, materials capable of withstanding immense power are essential.

Especially desiring puppets with special attack modes, like thunder or frost, requires that core materials possess exclusive properties.

As for Li Ji’an’s most anticipated Spirit-Attached Puppets, possessing autonomous consciousness without needing the owner’s direct soul control, these require at least Tier Four puppets to be feasible.

"The road ahead is long!"

After pondering, Li Ji’an carefully put away the Jade Talisman, and then immersed his Divine Sense into the Sea of Consciousness, looking at the part of the memory belonging to the Red Stone Wanderer.

During these three months, every few days, once his soul calmed, Li Ji’an would organize the memories of the Red Stone Wanderer, attempting to find where he had forgotten that fabled cultivation technique, reputed as the Immortal Scripture, left behind.

But so far, he hadn’t found it.

Until Ning Yutan arrived timely, Li Ji’an withdrew from it and, after a brief recovery, began her daily treatment.

"Senior Li, are you alright?" Ning Yutan noticed Li Ji’an seemed somewhat fatigued and inquired with concern.

After three months of continuous treatment, Ning Yutan’s probing of Li Ji’an had ceased, as Ning Sujin told her he’s likely not Brother Li.

And after months of treatment, the results were significant, not only feeling an enhancement in her physical body but also her Sea of Consciousness, damaged by Old Thief Liu’s Soul Search, was gradually recovering.

She didn’t wish for further complications and began to view him as a benevolent senior.

"Just exhausted some Divine Sense, nothing to worry about." Li Ji’an rubbed his brow.

He had just been a bit impatient, and the amount of memory he browsed was excessive, leading to significant Divine Sense depletion.

"Divine Sense consumption..." Ning Yutan’s eyes flickered, wanting to speak but holding back.

Ultimately, she restrained herself, but once she lay back on the Cold Jade Bed and closed her eyes, she hesitantly began discussing with Ning Sujin: "Could you... offer your Soul Cultivation Method to Senior Li?"

The reason Ning Yutan survived was not only because Old Thief Liu wished to use her as leverage against Ning Sujin but also due to Ning Sujin’s Spiritual Soul Cultivation.

Her spiritual soul cultivation was bolstered by the blessing of the Divine Favored but was further enhanced by her diligent practice of the Soul Cultivation Method.

However, after over a century here, they have long acknowledged that in the Celestial Cyan Domain, soul cultivation isn’t recognized by the righteous path and tends to be branded as demon or evil cultivation.

Thus, soul cultivation methods couldn’t be casually divulged.

Ning Sujin paused upon hearing this.

Since three months ago when Li Ji’an revealed his cards, she had the notion, considering they were both from the Immortal Dynasty, and she knew Li Ji’an’s character, unlikely to bear orthodox versus demon prejudices.

A blade is neither righteous nor evil; its morality lies with the wielder.

Yet, Ning Yutan’s Sea of Consciousness was incomplete; she couldn’t easily suppress its spiritual soul, or risk causing soul dispersal, hence hadn’t had the opportunity.

Through three months of treatment, she first noticed Ning Yutan’s Sea of Consciousness recovering.

From this perspective, it’s estimated in another half year, Ning Yutan’s Sea of Consciousness will stabilize, at which point she may let its spiritual soul briefly sleep and substitute herself.

Then she could utilize Ning Yutan’s body to meet Li Ji’an truly...