Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

"Thank you for your guidance, teacher." Li Ji’an understood the purpose was not to discourage, but out of concern that he might become despondent after failure, serving as a precautionary warning.

"Hmm, we have known each other for fifty-four years. Your talent in Alchemy Dao, intelligence, and perseverance in cultivation, I have all witnessed. With your talent, had you entered the Inner Sect to focus on cultivation back then, if you were alive today, you might have hope of a Fake Pill.

However... there’s a saying that a setback may turn out to be a blessing. Perhaps it was precisely because of your choice back then, you were able to avoid multiple sect massacres and survive until now.

Therefore, there is no need to regret things past that cannot be changed. Perhaps everything is destined." Master Jade Pill offered another word of comfort.

The reason for his lengthy and meticulous words of comfort was because he once had a direct disciple with ordinary talent in cultivation, but extraordinary talent in the Alchemy Dao.

However, after failing to break through to a Fake Pill, he was overwhelmed with despair and even resented Master Jade Pill. Had he not learned Alchemy from him and had focused entirely on cultivation, he might have hoped to form a Core.

Eventually, he turned against Master Jade Pill, who, to prevent him from descending further into darkness, eliminated him on the spot.

This became a deep-seated pain in Master Jade Pill’s heart.

"Rest assured, teacher, I have carefully considered all the paths I have walked, with no regrets about the past." Li Ji’an smiled knowingly.

He might make the wrong choice, but regret? Not quite. At worst, he can rejuvenate and start anew.

"Hmm, knowing that, I am reassured."

Then, after a pause, he continued, "Go back and refine your magical power thoroughly. You don’t need to worry about the Core Formation Dao Field affair. I still have a bit of influence, and more importantly, with your level of magical power, the sect won’t give you a hard time."

"Oh?" Li Ji’an was delighted, yet a bit perplexed.

Master Jade Pill gave him a knowing look and explained, "The sect has a rule: non-sect disciples with the potential to condense a True Core are absolutely not allowed."

Li Ji’an nodded, understanding the sect’s intent.

And finally comprehending the message Qin Henian sent him years ago.

Since Qin Chuan’s Foundation Establishment Middle Stage stabilized, Qin Henian began to plan for his Core Formation Dao Field. He was determined to help Qin Chuan form a True Core.

Then, the Qin family could truly establish itself as a True Core family in the Celestial Cyan Domain.

And also genuinely break free from Biyun Sect’s control.

But after more than a decade of effort, they finally saw some progress.

What they could hope for was not in Biyun Sect; moreover, they had to prevent Biyun Sect from meddling.

The prestigious Fake Pill Clan in the state struggled so much for a Tier Three Middle Grade Core Formation Dao Field, let alone a Loose Cultivator with no support.

In comparison, Li Ji’an fared much better.

Of course, this was because of his lack of talent.

If he had exceptional talent and superior cultivation techniques, then only sect disciples could enjoy the Core Formation treatment in the Tier Three Upper Grade Spirit Vein Dao Field.

"Teacher, how is the situation on the front lines?" Li Ji’an then inquired about the frontline status.

Many disciples within the sect had perished or been injured, with many in intelligence roles stepping up to take positions, leading to outdated intelligence within the sect. To learn of the frontline situation, Li Ji’an could only rely on several of the Fake Pill Elders guarding the sect.

"Ah, what else could it be? Casualties on both sides are innumerable; why such bitterness?" Master Jade Pill spoke of the warfare in the cultivation realm, shaking his head in dismay.

"All covet the unending Immortal Path, yet they still slay each other. Humph, isn’t it better to study Pill Medicine properly? Otherwise, when Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects vanish from the world, even Core Formation will become a luxury, let alone Ascending to Immortality?"

Master Jade Pill’s words were not baseless. In this realm, cultivation largely relies on Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects, and not all of them are renewable. Nowadays, most are relics from the Ancient Times.

With the continuous extraction by cultivators in this realm, the current Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects have become increasingly scarce.

This isn’t the first time such a situation has occurred; the reason the art of Body Cultivation from Ancient Times declined lies largely in the fact that most Human Race Body Cultivators at that time also relied on Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects.

Until the resources grew ever more depleted, making body cultivation increasingly difficult, leading it ultimately to a dead end.

Judging by the current cultivation situation of this realm’s Dharma Cultivators, Foundation Establishment is fine. Those like Xiao Changfeng can succeed without consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill, but as for Core Formation, unless one has a Celestial Spirit Root, one cannot dare attempt it without relying on Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects to condense a True Core.

Indeed, the best solution, as Master Jade Pill said, is Pill Medicine.

After all, Spirit Plants and Spirit Grass can be cultivated artificially and sustainably developed.

Of course, if a new cultivation technique emerging doesn’t rely on Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects, it would significantly revolutionize the entire cultivation realm.

After agreeing with Master Jade Pill, he began to talk about the specific situation on the front lines.

Upon taking leave from Master Jade Pill, Li Ji’an returned to the Outer Peak with a slight smile on his lips.

Just as Li Ji’an had previously speculated, since half a year ago when the Two Domains’ magical combat had intensified from its former lull, the final battle seemed imminent.

However, according to Master Jade Pill’s analysis of both forces, Li Ji’an had a premonition that the ultimate result of the war between the Two Domains would likely have no winner, a dual defeat!

For Li Ji’an, the upside was that due to the tremendous losses on both sides, it would likely be many years before any warfare could restart, necessitating a period of recuperation in the Celestial Cyan Domain. Moreover, due to the countless cultivator casualties from this war, the resource pressure within the domain would somewhat ease.

Especially since many sects were severely injured, to avoid a generational gap, they would certainly intensify the training of their sect disciples.

The only concern for Li Ji’an was that Yan Qingwan and Xiaoqiao had been conscripted to the front lines.

A decade had passed since they went, and there was no news.

When they left, he gifted each of them three Life-saving Talismans. Now, he can only hope they can avoid confronting any True Man-level or above experts during the final battle.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Gua~"

Returning to Solitary Peak, he immediately heard familiar sounds of battle.

Gugu was locked in fierce combat with three Tier One late-stage puppets.

These three puppets were combat puppets that Li Ji’an had meticulously crafted over four years.

One was crafted primarily from Celestial Heart Rock, about a zhang high, its entire body veiled in Celestial Heart Rock, able to withstand the slaughter of a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator. It looked like a Stone Man, and though its movements were slightly sluggish, its defense could rival an average Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator.

The second one was crafted primarily from Flying Monkey Flesh. Though it was small, it was agile, and Li Ji’an equipped it with a fine Bone-Cutting Saber Magical Artifact, granting it considerable attack power.

The third one was made from Wild Tibetan Bull bones. Its arms were immensely powerful, paired with a Bone Bow Artifact, capable of shooting off a Bone Arrow without warning, leaving one defenseless.

These were requested by Gugu.

Since Little Fire Spirit advanced to Second Tier Middle Stage, dramatically increasing its strength, Gugu felt an urgency, especially because of its previous terrifying experience being dominated by a Two-headed Viper at the Fallen Dragon Ridge Desert, fueling its desire to become stronger.

Currently, with its Middle Grade bloodline, lacking extraordinary opportunities, it was difficult to advance.

And combat training, life-and-death battles were its only possibility.

Thus, two years ago, it frequently requested Li Ji’an to spar with it.

Eventually, Li Ji’an crafted these three puppets to satisfy it.

From initially being a head-hugging frog scrambling around to now standing on equal footing, its growth rate was astonishing.

These three puppets were now simply following the simple instruction given by Li Ji’an through the Puppet Control Technique to attack Gugu. They nearly consumed one Spirit Stone every three days and lacked coordination, without any strategy, their actions quite mechanical.

If Li Ji’an personally controlled all three puppets, the Stone Man holding the front, the Iron Monkey hiding behind for counterattacks, and the Skeleton Archer launching sneak attacks from a distance, Gugu wouldn’t last long.

However, unfortunately, although Li Ji’an’s Soul Forging Technique had reached the second level, and his Divine Sense had truly reached the early-stage True Core level—even stronger than Xiao Changfeng’s Divine Sense when he just stabilized his realm—still, purely controlling three puppets in refined combat was strenuous.

This isn’t an issue of how strong Divine Sense is, since all three puppets are only Tier One late-stage. With his Divine Sense, he could handle even thirty puppets. Mainly, it’s about dividing his mind three ways.

Li Ji’an had read in ancient texts about the Ancient Times, where there was a similar Soul Cultivation Secret Skill. A certain ancient Puppet Master even practiced a Secret Technique that could split the mind a hundredfold, simultaneously wielding a hundred puppets in an organized military formation to face enemies.

This deeply intrigued Li Ji’an.

But he wasn’t in a rush; as long as there was such hope, living life after life, he believed, one day he would possess it.

In the subsequent three years, Li Ji’an refined his magical power and practiced the Whale Swallowing Technique.

Until one day, the sect sounded the lament, prompting Li Ji’an to leave Solitary Peak again and enter the sect to investigate.