Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Feeling the surging magical power and imposing pressure of Xiao Changfeng, Li Ji’an truly understood the vast difference between a True Pill and a Fake Pill.

This was also his first time in several lifetimes experiencing the presence of a Core Formation True Man so closely.

Xiao Changfeng, who had just stabilized his realm, had an aura almost twice that of the seasoned Fake Pill cultivator Qin Henian.

"Thank you, Changfeng True Man, for your guidance." After listening to the detailed explanation of the core formation steps, Li Ji’an gave a solemn bow.

Such experience and insights into core formation are priceless.

Xiao Changfeng chuckled and shook his head, "Brother, if it weren’t for you, this foolish brother might have already suffered damage to his Dao Foundation, ending my Immortal Path, or even be dead. What Changfeng True Man would there be?"

Changfeng was the Dao name he set for himself after coming out of seclusion.

Li Ji’an didn’t deny it, smiling as he said, "I knew you would definitely succeed!"

"Haha, back then, you were the only one in the world who had such faith in me. To brother!" Xiao Changfeng laughed freely, raising his cup.

"To Changfeng!" Li Ji’an drank it all.

After a heartfelt three-day talk with Xiao Changfeng, Li Ji’an asked in detail about all his doubts regarding core formation.

Xiao Changfeng was unreserved, patiently answering, and even activated his Magic Pill up close, allowing Li Ji’an to feel it more clearly.

This made Li Ji’an further understand why a Core Formation True Man holds such a high status and deepened his expectation for his own core formation.

After bidding farewell to Xiao Changfeng, Li Ji’an returned to the Outer Peak.

After that, he devoted himself to cultivation, only going to Celestial River Immortal City once a decade to deliver spirit talismans, never going out again.

Time flies in cultivation, and thirteen years passed in the blink of an eye.

That day marked Li Ji’an’s hundredth birthday, and again it was time to deliver spirit talismans.

"Well, the progress of my cultivation is almost as planned." Li Ji’an let out a long breath after finishing his daily cultivation.

It’s been twenty-five years since he broke through to the late Foundation Establishment.

He felt that the Foundation Establishment Perfection was only five or six years away.

As for attempting core formation, another ten years of consolidation would be sufficient.

Upon finishing up, a puppet resembling a maid had already organized and collated the required spirit talismans.

Over the thirteen years, the progress of his puppetry skills was remarkable, and this late Tier One puppet was his latest masterpiece.

Crafted using Golden Nan Wood for the main structure, using Demon Beast Hide for the lifelike skin, apart from its stiff expressions without vitality, it was quite similar to humans in other aspects.

Most importantly, its joint flexibility exceeded that of human cultivators, and due to good materials, its strength surpassed ordinary late Qi Cultivation cultivators.

Using the Puppet Control Technique to guide it, it could be manipulated almost like an extension of one’s limb.

However, controlling this puppet requires the consumption of the controller’s Divine Sense.

To smoothly operate this puppet, at least early Foundation Establishment Divine Sense is needed.

But if only general instructions are implanted, such as organizing spirit talismans, cleaning the cave mansion, or attacking anyone who approaches within five yards, the requirement is much lower, needing only equivalent Spiritual Sense.

The consumption is mainly in Spirit Stones, varying with the executed commands.

"Gugu, Little Fire, prepare to go out for a trip." Stowing away the spirit talismans handed over by the puppet, Li Ji’an sends a sound transmission to Gugu, at the cave mansion’s seal.

Back when Li Ji’an returned to the sect, Gugu eliminated two remaining suspicious points, nearly pinpointing that the Profound Yuan Chaos Scripture was within the cave mansion occupied by the Two-headed Viper, with insufficient strength to acquire it yet.

When Gugu returned, Little Fire Spirit completed its transformation again, advancing to the middle Second Tier Holy Spirit, its flame power exceeding Li Ji’an’s expectations, especially with the Fire Spiritual Mechanism it now carried, rare in Li Ji’an’s lifetime.

Gugu tried to test Little Fire Spirit’s power upon its advancement to middle Second Tier Holy Spirit, resulting in his tongue getting accidentally burned at the tip, leaving a hole that still hasn’t healed.

Before leaving the Outer Peak, Li Ji’an reported to Master Jade Pill and inquired about the front-line sect situation.

Thirteen years ago, shortly after Xiao Changfeng formed his core, friction between Boundless Domain and Celestial Cyan Domain finally escalated.

Both sides arrayed along the border and officially went to war.

According to Biyun Sect intelligence, early battle status was intensely fierce, with two Nascent Soul True Monarchs surprisingly engaging in combat.

Typically, Nascent Soul True Monarchs act as deterrents, generally only restraining each other without fighting, but this time, the Golden Puppet Holy Monarch furiously accused True Monarch of Ten Thousand Laws of being a despicable thief, stealing the Boundless Domain Holy Sect’s Secret Treasure, and attacked Celestial Cyan Domain’s cultivators mercilessly.

In that battle, countless Celestial Cyan Domain cultivators perished or were injured, with even three Core Formation True Men being obliterated by the Golden Puppet Holy Monarch.

Only after True Monarch of Ten Thousand Laws forcibly pushed him to the Third Heaven did the situation slightly ease, shifting to using Foundation Establishment cultivators as the main forces and Core Formation cultivators as commanders.

Thereafter, Ten Thousand Laws Palace initiated forced conscription within the domain, targeting all forces within.

Anyone in Celestial Cyan Domain is considered a pawn of Ten Thousand Laws Palace, whether sect or family, required to participate in the cultivator army as per the quotas distributed by Ten Thousand Laws Palace.

Yellow Heaven Domain’s Yan Family, Odd Stone Forest, and even the Eighteen Spirit Strongholds were not spared, with Yan Qingwan and the old ancestors representing the Yan Family, while Xiaoqiao led several Hall Masters in advance.

Loose Cultivators suffer even more, as whenever met by conscription teams, no words are exchanged; they’re instantly marked with Divine Soul Seals and forced to the frontlines.

Within the Biyun Sect, only five Fake Pill True Men are currently stationed, while sixty percent of the Foundation Establishment cultivators have departed.

As an Honored Guest Elder Pill Master, Li Ji’an naturally enjoys the protection of the Biyun Sect and doesn’t need to go to the front lines, though he has been assigned alchemy tasks.

Given his consistently demonstrated alchemical production capacity, the assigned tasks are quite manageable, hardly affecting his daily cultivation.

In recent years, the war has stabilized somewhat with the increase in casualties on both sides.

However, Li Ji’an senses that the hostilities may not cease easily this time; perhaps the current calm is merely brewing for a storm-like decisive battle later on.

Master Jade Pill’s replies are as usual, so Li Ji’an decides not to express further gratitude and sets his flying boat towards Celestial River Immortal City.

Along the way, he encounters several recruitments of cultivators, one of which is led by a Fake Pill True Man.

Fortunately, the identity token of the Biyun Sect proves useful; after verifying Li Ji’an’s identity token, they do not cause any trouble.

Three months later, Li Ji’an smoothly arrives at the Si Shui Commerce Association.

After delivering the spirit talismans, Yuan Shunyi does not advance any talisman materials but cautiously invites him into a secret chamber.

"Apologies, sir, the current situation within the domain has become unpredictable, greatly affecting our commerce association. This time, as you have arrived, there is an important matter to discuss."

"Feel free to speak, President Yuan." Li Ji’an nods slightly, his demeanor calm like the breeze and clouds.

"Good, good, I shall be concise. Due to the war between this domain and the Boundless Domain, our spirit talismans cannot be transported out in large quantities. Moreover, thanks to the efforts of Yu Xiao, the headquarters in the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain has been rebuilt, so we’ve decided to completely relocate from here." Yuan Shunyi does not hold back.

Li Ji’an nods, having anticipated this.

"May I invite sir to join us? We can assure you that there will be an independent spirit vein dao field of Tier Three Lower Grade; within a century, a Tier Three Middle Grade spirit vein dao field is guaranteed." Yuan Shunyi says sincerely.

Previously, Master Yuxiao and he speculated that the Tier Three Talisman Master before them might be True Man Lingjiu of the Dongli Sect, considering that they could only think of True Man Lingjiu among Tier Three Talisman Masters at the time.

However, a few years ago, when the Celestial Cyan Domain went to war with the Boundless Domain, Yuan Shunyi personally delivered resources and unexpectedly met True Man Lingjiu; moreover, True Man Lingjiu was the liaison for receiving resources, allowing Yuan Shunyi considerable interaction with him.

And before he returned to Celestial River Immortal City, Li Ji’an delivered spirit talismans to the commerce association.

This led them to reassess Li Ji’an.

But his identity became even more enigmatic.

During the domain conflict, his ability to freely come and go from the Immortal City to deliver spirit talismans indicated that he was not a core figure of the Holy Palace Sect, prompting them to contemplate recruiting him.

"I apologize for disappointing you, President Yuan, but my longing for my homeland is too strong to easily sever." Li Ji’an refuses without hesitation.

Currently, he is under the protection of the Biyun Sect and does not need to go to the frontline battlefield.

The situation hasn’t yet reached a point where fleeing is necessary.

Moreover, given his current strength, venturing to the Land of Freedom in the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain would not be safe.

"Would you really not consider it? Or if there are any conditions, feel free to mention them, and we will strive to satisfy." Yuan Shunyi offers even more humbly.

Li Ji’an resolutely shakes his head: "I appreciate President Yuan’s kindness; I understand, and will collaborate when the opportunity arises."

"Ah...well, just as sir wishes, but please remember, whenever the day comes you wish to depart, no matter the time or place, simply send a message to either me or Yu Xiao, and we will arrange a cross-domain spiritual ship to support you, even eliminating the need for worry over Ten Thousand Laws Palace’s border defense." Yuan Shunyi sighs, offering a promise.

"Thank you."

"Oh, and regarding the Profound Ice Blue Lotus you require, it has now been targeted. Half a year ago, we dispatched someone to the Yellow Heaven Domain to offer a bounty, and within a year it should be brought back, at which time I shall contact you again." Yuan Shunyi concludes with a pleasant surprise for Li Ji’an.

Over the past decade, the Profound Ice Blue Lotus has shown no signs of being found; even with Master Yuxiao’s connections and insight across the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain, it was never located, leaving Li Ji’an worried about its possible extinction and attempting several times to substitute this herb with other alternatives.

Unfortunately, he was never able to succeed.

He had even been pondering whether, during this life when forming his core without a Crystal Condensing Pill, he should consume the Earth Source Essence gifted by Xiao Changfeng.

"Great, I truly appreciate the Commerce Association. I will owe this favor and repay it in the future when possible." Feeling assured upon receiving a definite response, Li Ji’an is in high spirits and publicly makes a promise.

Thus, the materials for the Crystal Condensing Pill are now complete.

And the might of Little Fire Spirit’s spirit flame is more than sufficient to refine the Crystal Condensing Pill.

After leaving the Si Shui Commerce Association, Li Ji’an feels much relieved.

He doesn’t harbor any gloomy sentiment despite the cutoff of a major revenue source.

Having collaborated with Si Shui Commerce Association for thirty years in spirit talisman business, earning tens of thousands of spirit stones annually, although his expenses on puppetry skill recently increased, he has amassed considerable spiritual resources enough for opulent cultivation before his next life core formation.

Even if the Si Shui Commerce today didn’t terminate the transaction, he was already prepared to conclude it.

Thirty years of talisman making, and his talisman art at Tier Two has reached perfection, without further progress possible, even Tier Three talismans can be somewhat assured.

Of course, now the main limitation remains insufficient magical power; otherwise, he would have confidence in guaranteeing high-quality Tier Three spirit talismans.

Upon returning to Outer Peak in August, Li Ji’an indeed receives a message from Master Yuxiao.

Informing that the Profound Ice Blue Lotus has been delivered, and inviting Li Ji’an to retrieve it.

Moreover, this time, Master Yuxiao personally returns to Celestial River Immortal City to deliver the spirit medicine to Li Ji’an.