Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

"Master, this is the Dragon Blood Cave mentioned in the remnants of the Nine Dragon Pendant and the ancestral notes obtained by our sect’s ancestors, containing the True Dragon Essence Blood suppressed by the Ancient Immortal Monarch," the Blood Spirit Saintess explained to Li Ji’an, learning from previous lessons.

Li Ji’an nodded slightly, seeing the Blood Spirit Saintess safe inside before stepping in.

As soon as he entered, surrounding blood energy instantly engulfed Li Ji’an.

His qi and blood within felt like tasting worldly delicacies, uncontrollably wanting to wildly devour these overflowing blood energies.

"Master, these are the origins of the True Dragon Essence Blood, greatly beneficial to Body Cultivators, Demon Beasts, and even cultivators like me practicing Blood Evil Technique," the Blood Spirit Saintess eagerly explained again.

Li Ji’an activated his qi and blood, simultaneously operating the Third-Layer Peak Thousand Mechanisms Blood Attraction Secret Technique, and carefully sensed these pervasive blood energies.

A moment later, he confirmed that although the blood energy was dense, its evil qi was not heavy and could be absorbed by his body.

Immediately, he sat cross-legged on the spot, beginning to frantically absorb the scattered blood energy.

As the blood energy entered his body, his physique instantly grew agitated, every inch of his meridians fiercely competing to absorb the True Dragon Blood energy origins.

Within ten breaths, Li Ji’an clearly felt changes in his physique.

Although these scattered blood energies in the air lacked the True Dragon Spirit and couldn’t cause a True Spirit Blood transformation, they were excellent nourishment for his qi and blood.

His qi and blood, after absorbing these blood energies, became more solid, tight, and overall thickness improved by at least half.

Unfortunately, less than an hour later, Li Ji’an’s Tier Three body had absorbed to its limit, unable to contain any more.

He sensed his condition again, not only replenishing the consumption from opening the Dragon Burial Cave’s Bronze Gate and infusing into the stone wall, but refining his qi and blood by another tenth.

With his current major base of qi and blood, this enhancement was exceptionally rare.

At this moment, he had absorbed less than a hundredth of the blood energies here.

He then took out jade bottles again, using the Thousand Mechanisms Blood Attraction Secret Technique to draw the surrounding blood energy into the jade bottles.

The Blood Spirit Saintess watched eagerly from the side but dared not have any improper thoughts.

Regrettably, most of Li Ji’an’s belongings were in Gugu’s pocket dimension, with only twenty bottles of everyday Nourishing Elixir in his Storage Pouch, which were emptied and completely filled, with nearly two tenths left in the Blood Cave.

Moreover, after the stone wall’s activation, the blood energies were slowly merging into the air, dissipating rapidly.

Even if Gugu rushed here now, by the time it arrived, the energies might completely vanish.

"Quickly absorb and replenish your qi and blood!" Li Ji’an immediately instructed the Blood Spirit Saintess.

Given the situation, although he easily subdued the Blood Spirit Saintess, threats from Lin Xiuzhu and the Yin Ghost Saint Child still existed. Anyway, he had complete control over the Blood Spirit Saintess with both the Blood Curse and Heart Demon, fearing no backlash.

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!" The Blood Spirit Saintess rejoiced, deeply grateful to Li Ji’an, and promptly began frantically absorbing the blood energy.

In less than a stick of incense’s time, she absorbed to her physical limit, unable to contain more.

The previous deficit from infusing the stone wall’s qi and blood was finally replenished, her aura restored.

At this moment, over a tenth of the blood energy still lingered in the Blood Cave.

It was during the Blood Spirit Saintess’s focused absorption, that Li Ji’an quietly used the Blood Attraction Secret Technique to absorb enough blood energy for the hidden Ning Sujin outside the Blood Cave’s gate.

The remainder could only be allowed to dissipate into the air.

After absorbing most of the blood energy, the Blood Cave was no longer crimson red, with the central stone platform now clearly visible.

"What other secrets do you know of here?" Li Ji’an asked the satisfied-looking Blood Spirit Saintess.

The Blood Spirit Saintess hurriedly shook her head, "Reporting to the Master, none. I only knew of my ancestor’s private records of this general location and the dragon blood secrets within."

Li Ji’an slightly furrowed his brow, his Divine Sense had already thoroughly inspected the Blood Cave.

This included the restriction array surrounding the stone platform and the dragon blood aura on the platform, which he understood well.

He then let the Blood Spirit Saintess lead, following her to the stone platform.

The surrounding restrictions were weakened by time, now very feeble, at most only Second Tier Advanced Level, easily penetrated by his Divine Sense.

"Break it!" Li Ji’an instructed.

The Blood Spirit Saintess didn’t hesitate, striking instantly.

Crack~

The stone platform’s restriction shattered on cue.

No danger appeared.

Thus, the True Spirit Essence Blood on the stone platform was directly exposed to the two.

Without the obstruction of the restriction array, the powerful aura it emitted made both Li Ji’an and the Blood Spirit Saintess feel a wave of unease.

Despite having passed millions of years, worn by the Immortal Lord Dragon Locking Formation and the Power of Time, it still had such terrifying aura.

Truly the peak True Spirit of this world from archaic times!

Fortunately, moments later, the intimidating aura from the central drop of True Dragon Essence Blood on the stone platform receded, with no more oppressive feeling.

On closer inspection, the blood-colored phantom had vanished, leaving a single crimson droplet-shaped blood drop, exuding extremely faint life aura.

"Congratulations, Master, on obtaining the True Dragon Essence Blood, which can not only transform your physique but also augment earthly luck, greatly assisting in the Nascent Soul stage by increasing success rate by at least twenty percent!" The Blood Spirit Saintess eagerly congratulated.

Having control over her life and even her thoughts, the Blood Spirit Saintess made the right choice, coupled with Li Ji’an’s earlier kindness in allowing her to absorb blood energy, she harbored further expectations.

This single drop of True Dragon Essence Blood would be difficult even for a Nascent Soul True Monarch to fully bear, and she hoped that after Li Ji’an refined it, he might spare a small portion for her.

"Increase Nascent Soul success rate by twenty percent!" Li Ji’an paused in thought, this was unexpected for him.

Initially meant for his and Gugu’s bloodline transformation, he now had another idea.

Thinking of this, he became intent on retrieving this precious drop of True Dragon Essence Blood.

Rumble~

However, as his Magical Power touched the stone platform, nine rusty chains began to vibrate violently.

As the chains shook, the entire Blood Cave, and even the entire Dragon Burial Cave shook violently.

Li Ji’an immediately summoned a shield, simultaneously retreating.

But the nine chains merely vibrated, with no aggressive actions, soon calming.

It seemed more like a brief resurgence.

Once the chains settled, Li Ji’an approached the stone platform again.

This time, he first used Magical Power to touch the chains.

The chains showed no reaction.

Li Ji’an sensed a slumbering aura within the chains.

The chains used in the Immortal Lord Dragon Locking Formation would never be ordinary; even if not a Spiritual Treasure, they must be of extremely precious material, yet had been dulled through conflict with True Dragon Essence Blood and the Power of Time.

With a brief infusion of Magical Power, the chains unexpectedly began to thirstily siphon.

Li Ji’an felt a surge of delight, as this not only proved the chains still held spirituality but also indicated that the former master’s mark had vanished, otherwise it wouldn’t react to another’s Magical Power like this.

This was now an unowned item.

With no hesitation, Li Ji’an began refining it with his Magical Power, placing a Divine Soul Seal.

During this process, he paused for a moment, unsure whether the Ancient Immortal Monarch never left a mark, or if the Immortal Monarch had already fallen?

If a mark had been left, unless the Immortal Monarch fell, neither he nor even a Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarch could erase it.

"Even Ascended Immortal Monarchs can’t live forever?"

But only for a moment, Li Ji’an quickly refocused his mind.

Because Gugu’s warning echoed in his Sea of Consciousness.

The recent earthquake here would surely attract the attention of Lin Xiuzhu and the Yin Ghost Saint Child, though it couldn’t be helped.

Nonetheless, those two were at least two days away from here, with the passage being intricate, they might not quickly find this place.

Calming his spirit to refine the chains.

A few hours later, a smile appeared on Li Ji’an’s face.

As the chains were successfully refined, and his Spiritual Mark placed on them, he fully understood their true nature.

Indeed, these chains were once a Spiritual Treasure.

Though the Artifact Spirit had long been worn away by time and the True Spirit Essence Blood, becoming nourishment for the chains.

Now these chains, purely in terms of power, almost equaling Middle Three Grades Magical Treasure, but if restored under Magical Power’s nurturing, they might regain their former glory, possibly even birth an Artifact Spirit.

"Nine Dragon Lock! What a treasure."