Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

"Hmm." Ning Sujin’s eyes revealed a trace of uncontrollable excitement.

This was her first adventure upon entering the Cultivation Realm, and her heart was restless.

"Go." With Li Ji’an’s command, Gugu once again dove underground, pursuing after Lin Xiuzhu and his companions.

Immediately, Ning Sujin opened her Primordial Spirit, standing aside to protect Li Ji’an.

Li Ji’an, on the other hand, became one with Gugu through his Divine Thought, utilizing Gugu’s sensing to perceive ahead.

"Wait!" However, just as Gugu had run a hundred feet, Li Ji’an hurriedly called it to a halt.

Following Li Ji’an’s orders, Gugu quietly emerged from the ground, facing a pile of skeletal remains at the edge of the passage.

"No, based on this bone quality, it’s definitely no more than three thousand years old!" After carefully sensing the skeletal remains, Li Ji’an raised an eyebrow.

The bones in front of Gugu were brittle and showed marks of age erosion. Additionally, from the traces of magical power nourishing inside the bone, it was a Core Formation Middle Stage cultivator, and the time of death did not exceed three thousand years.

"Could it be that there is a special law here resisting the erosion of time?" Li Ji’an pondered momentarily, unable to make an accurate judgment.

"Continue!" He then instructed Gugu to proceed.

Before long, Lin Xiuzhu and the Blood Spirit Saintess appeared ahead, cautiously observing something.

"Brother Lin, could it be that during the post-ancient era, someone has already been here? This Iron Armor Beetle is merely Second Tier. Its wing casing would rot within a thousand years at most, yet now it remains so solid, indicating its time of death is under a thousand years."

Lin Xiuzhu pondered for a long time before slowly raising his head: "Using the Corpse Puppet refining method on that skeleton earlier, I can confirm its Spirit Charm faded around three thousand years ago. Coupled with this insect, it almost certainly indicates that someone has entered here."

"Weren’t those notes saying... Ah yes, they were records from the Ancient Times. Yet during the Post-Ancient Era, someone already beat us to it." The Blood Spirit Saintess suddenly realized.

Their expressions simultaneously turned grave.

Since someone has already been here, the opportunities here likely have already been thoroughly scavenged.

"Three thousand years ago... It was exactly when the Ten Thousand Laws Palace led its Seven Sects to drive us out of the Celestial Cyan Domain. Could it be, it was the Ten Thousand Laws Palace from back then?"

"No wonder the records of my sect state that the previously evenly matched situation was suddenly broken. It seems someone gained the opportunities from here."

Li Ji’an felt slightly disappointed after hearing their exchange.

However, upon glancing at Ning Sujin beside him, he was filled with anticipation again.

Though someone had already been here, Ning Sujin’s divination indicated great fortune awaited them this time, suggesting there must be something left behind by those who came three thousand years ago.

At the same time, the Blood Spirit Saintess’ heart stirred, recalling a matter from the notes secretly retained by her Blood Spirit Sect ancestor. It mentioned that an Immortal Monarch sealed a True Dragon Residual Soul here, which was the real treasure. After so many years, the once supreme True Dragon Soul, though immortal, must be extremely weakened now.

Furthermore, there is a drop of True Dragon Blood alongside the Dragon Soul.

If she could obtain that drop of True Dragon Blood, her Blood Evil Technique would reach Great Success, increasing her success rate for the Nascent Soul Realm by at least twenty percent.

The most crucial point is, the notes stated if the True Dragon Essence Blood is gone and the Dragon Soul dissipates, the Immortal Monarch’s seal would vanish too.

Now the Immortal Monarch’s seal still exists, meaning the Dragon Blood and Dragon Soul haven’t been taken.

She suppressed her excitement skillfully, preventing Lin Xiuzhu from discerning her thoughts.

"Since someone has already ventured here, it all depends on luck now." Lin Xiuzhu pondered for a while, then sighed lightly.

The Blood Spirit Saintess nodded in agreement, appearing somewhat dispirited.

"Let’s split up, each relying on our own luck." Lin Xiuzhu proposed again.

"Alright, then I wish Brother Lin abundant fortune in finding the supreme treasure." The Blood Spirit Saintess was more than willing to concur.

Lin Xiuzhu nodded calmly, then, faced with three paths, he chose the left one and proceeded.

Only after the Blood Spirit Saintess’s aura faded from his perception did Lin Xiuzhu reveal a slight smile. The Corpse Puppet Sect had acquired the most notes back then, among which was a path mapping.

This map directly points to the supreme treasure where the Ancient Immortal Monarch sealed the Dragon Soul, the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron.

According to a record by an ancient cultivator, the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron was a Spiritual Treasure personally crafted by an Immortal Monarch, having survived seven tribulations.

A Seven Tribulation Spiritual Treasure was considered a supreme artifact even back then, second only to the Innate Spiritual Treasures, and was known as a Profound Celestial Treasure.

Unfortunately, to slay the True Dragon, the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron was shattered.

Eventually, the Immortal Monarch reforged it with Dragon Blood and drew upon the True Dragon Soul’s spirituality to nourish its Artifact Spirit, preventing the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron from destruction, though it couldn’t preserve its survived tribulations, reducing it to a common Spiritual Treasure.

Because it was reborn through Dragon Blood, the Immortal Monarch left it there to continue suppressing the Dragon Soul.

Moreover, as long as the Dragon Soul remained undestroyed, its spirituality wouldn’t fade. Even if millions of years passed, it would still be a Spiritual Treasure.

Might even give birth to a new Artifact Spirit someday.

Post-Ancient Era saw Spiritual Treasures rarely revealed. Upper Three Grades of Magical Treasures were already extreme, and even late Nascent Soul Realm Great Cultivators would fight to the death for a First Grade Magical Treasure. Therefore, if he could procure this Spiritual Treasure, his future ascension to the Nascent Soul Realm would grant him the confidence not to fear the heroes of the Central Region.

At least, he wouldn’t need to be as the present Golden Puppet Saint Monarch, at the beck and call of the Nine Demonic Sects of the Central Region.

Apart from the Spirit Treasure’s own might, it’s said the cauldron also contains an Immortal Pill left by the Immortal Monarch back then.

After all, for the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron’s Artifact Spirit, which had accompanied it for millennia, he left one Immortal Pill that could greatly enhance its growth, as he was on the verge of ascension and couldn’t stay long. Therefore, he specifically left a pill to aid its potential growth.

This type of Immortal Pill would provide immense benefits if consumed by a cultivator, being notably effective during Nascent Soul condensation.

Thinking of this, Lin Xiuzhu quickened his pace.

Li Ji’an instructed Gugu to follow Lin Xiuzhu’s path, considering his superior position among the three, naturally knowing more secrets.

Over the following days, Lin Xiuzhu’s objectives were clear. At every fork encountered, he chose his path with no hesitation as if he had been there before.

This aroused Li Ji’an’s suspicions.

Along the way, multiple corpses reappeared, each with different marks of time. The oldest one had nearly weathered away, at least from ancient times.

The latest one was like the initial skeleton, approximately three thousand years old.

This ruled out Li Ji’an’s prior guess that some law here resisted time’s erosion.

It also confirmed more than just one visit by others: not just ten thousand or three thousand years ago, but at least three groups had entered.

Underground, Gugu discovered many Iron Armor Beetle corpses and traces.

However, the environment here was indeed unsuitable for life, with survival traces showing a lifespan of no more than a century.

Moreover, the corpses underground held a dense Blood Evil Qi.

This greatly attracted Gugu.

After all, these Blood Evils were True Dragon Blood Fiends, the supreme demonic bloodline evil.

Gugu almost devoured every Iron Armor Beetle corpse encountered.

Li Ji’an did not stop this, speculating that this behavior could benefit Gugu’s bloodline greatly.

Evidently, this was an enormous fortune for Gugu, perhaps even more effective than the Sacred Beast Pill.

"Phew~" At another three-way split, Lin Xiuzhu once again decisively chose the middle path, continuing swiftly.

Suddenly, a black mist appeared, enveloping him completely.

"Courting death!" Lin Xiuzhu, wrapped in the black mist, shouted lowly, his surroundings igniting brightly.

"Ssssss~" As soon as the flames appeared, low hisses sounded from the black mist, indicating the flames’ restraint against it.

However, after a twist, the black mist did not disperse; instead, it split into several clumps.

The clumps of black mist immediately transformed into Yin Soul Fierce Ghosts, lunging at Lin Xiuzhu.

"Clang~" The dark golden Corpse Puppet, which always shadowed Lin Xiuzhu, immediately protected its master, clashing with the Yin Souls with a muffled sound.

"Yin Souls forming substance? Tier Three Ghost King!" Lin Xiuzhu’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, a trace of solemnity on his face.

Having thought that the millions of years old Dragon Burial Cave should’ve erased countless cultivators’ Yin Souls here.

Yet unexpectedly, post-ancient cultivators have entered and perished here, naturally turning into Yin Souls trapped within.

Additionally, nourished by the Bloodthirsty Dragon Soul, it’s truly a paradise for Ghost Path Cultivators.