Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Immediately, the old ghost followed closely behind.

Upon landing, the full view of the Soul Abyss was already in sight.

Similar to the Blood Cave was another enclosed rocky cave, the difference being that this place was shrouded in Yin Fiend.

At the center, a grand five-zhang tall Three-legged Bronze Tripod Cauldron exuded a desolate and ancient aura. Despite countless years of weathering, it still stood tall and unwavering.

Inside the bronze cauldron, a vicious aura emanated, powerful and frenzied.

"The Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron!" At this moment, Lin Xiuzhu had already walked up to the bronze cauldron, staring at it intently, his eyes filled with excitement.

The old ghost was the last to come down but had swiftly positioned himself beside the bronze cauldron.

However, he was always focused on that extremely powerful Yin Soul aura inside the bronze cauldron.

"As expected of a True Dragon Dragon Soul! Even just a residual soul carries such violent energy, and that’s after millions of years of erosion and suppression by this cauldron."

Li Ji’an slightly furrowed his brow. Previously, in the Blood Cave, although the True Dragon Essence Blood had a powerful aura, it didn’t emit such violent emotions.

But here, the True Dragon Residual Soul was clearly exceptionally fierce, carrying overwhelming rage.

He felt that the residual soul would not be as easy to subdue as the Dragon Blood.

"Sss~ Ah!" As expected, after the old ghost stared at the Dragon Soul for a moment, he suddenly couldn’t help but make a move.

However, his Soul Refining Secret Technique had barely touched the Bronze Cauldron before it instantly dissipated, causing backlash against him.

The bronze cauldron also erupted with a repulsive force, shaking off several layers of dust.

"Hmm? How does it still possess such might?" Lin Xiuzhu felt a pause in his heart upon witnessing this scene.

He previously thought that since the Blood Spirit Saintess had obtained True Dragon Essence Blood, the measures here, after the erosion of time, even if left by the Ancient Immortal Monarch, should have weakened considerably.

Regarding the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron and the Dragon Soul, he thought it would be easily within grasp.

However, at this moment, it seemed that it was far from easy.

"Brother Lin, Blood Woman, let’s join forces to break the suppression of this cauldron first." The old ghost was eager and anxious, his eyes longing for the dragon soul in the cauldron.

"Alright!" Lin Xiuzhu decisively nodded, as this was also his intention.

The Blood Spirit Saintess was somewhat reluctant, but she agreed with gritted teeth.

After confirming that the three would join forces, Lin Xiuzhu inadvertently glanced at Li Ji’an, initially intending to speak, but then reconsidered and refrained.

The cultivation at the Early Period of Core Formation was insignificant when the three of them joined forces.

Thereupon, the three of them began to break the restrictions of the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron.

Both Lin Xiuzhu and the old ghost were relieved that although the restrictions of the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron still held significant power, there was hope of dismantling them with their combined efforts.

If they’d tried a thousand years prior, it would have been difficult even for three Late-stage Core Formation Ascendants to break through.

This realization excited Lin Xiuzhu further.

The Profound Celestial Treasure, truly worthy of its name, remained formidable even across a million years.

In his assessment, even now, the Artifact Spirit within the cauldron hadn’t completely perished, but its grade had indeed dropped to a Spiritual Treasure, and based on its current power, it likely didn’t reach the level of an Upper Three Grades Magical Treasure.

Observing the three striving to attack the restrictions of the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron, Li Ji’an remained calm as his Divine Sense comforted Gugu.

As soon as Gugu entered the cave, it was trembling underground.

Gugu had not been present during the acquisition of True Dragon Essence Blood, so it hadn’t experienced it.

However, now standing before the True Dragon Residual Soul of the Ancient Desolate Demon Race’s first True Spirit Bloodline, Gugu—this little demon with a bloodline weakened countless times—trembled from the depths of its soul.

"It’s just a wisp of residual soul, it long since fell, there’s no need to fear!"

"You are destined to become the Frog Celestial Emperor in the future, there’s no need to fear even a True Dragon face-to-face."

No matter how Li Ji’an comforted, the fear rooted deep in Gugu’s bloodline was inescapable.

This left Li Ji’an with no choice but to relent.

Compared to the Human Race’s law of strength, the Demon Race’s reverence for bloodline was ruthlessly irrational and despair-inducing.

Subsequently, Li Ji’an sent a message to Ning Sujin.

He initially thought Ning Sujin’s cultivated Soul Power would have a special attraction for the Dragon Soul.

Unexpectedly, Ning Sujin had little interest in the Dragon Soul.

Instead, ever since entering the cave, she had been subtly absorbing the Yin Fiend that overflowed there.

"Husband, my cultivation method in Soul Cultivation leans towards the Demon Dao. Besides devouring fellow soul cultivators, this kind of Yin Fiend is even more nourishing."

"And that True Dragon Residual Soul, although potentially beneficial, carries Demon Race Divine Soul that rejects me, possibly even risking the collapse of my Sea of Consciousness."

After explaining, Ning Sujin continued to absorb the Yin Fiend.

Li Ji’an didn’t disturb her further.

Until three days later, under the exertion of Lin Xiuzhu and the others, the restrictions of the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron finally began to show signs of loosening.

"Clang~"

"This is it, don’t let it absorb spiritual power to repair!" At the moment the restrictions on the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron slackened, the old ghost was overjoyed, urgently shouting.

Lin Xiuzhu immediately intensified his attack.

Watching this scene, Li Ji’an chuckled inwardly. When he was collecting and refining the Nine Dragon Lock in the Blood Cave earlier, he had confirmed that the mark of the Ancient Immortal Monarch on it had long since disappeared.

An ownerless object can at most maintain its restrictions but will never actively repair them.

The old ghost and Lin Xiuzhu clearly thought that there was still an Immortal Monarch mark on the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron.

However, this was also good, as it meant that they could break the cauldron’s restrictions more quickly and thoroughly.

"Boom!" Finally, after another day, the Bronze Cauldron emitted a dull sound, the surrounding space showed a trace of tremor, and then the restriction shattered.

"Roar~" Before they could celebrate, a dragon’s roar echoed.

Immediately afterward, a shadow as dark as ink slowly rose from within the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron.

"Dragon Soul!" It looked exactly like a dragon.

Only much smaller, just the size of a palm.

However, it exuded an intense aura of demon souls.

"My Dragon Soul!" The old ghost was prepared and immediately used the Soul-Catching Finger.

"Roar~" The palm-sized black Dragon Soul, trapped in the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron for a million years, was finally free but was suddenly attacked and let out a thunderous roar.

Can the true spirits of heaven and earth be provoked by mere humans?

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

However, before its roar ceased, several black threads had already wrapped around it.

Visible to the naked eye, the entire body of the Dragon Soul froze.

Its face even showed a look of shock, seemingly unable to believe that the methods employed by humans could actually touch it.

"Roar~" It roared again, suddenly unleashing true dragon power, attempting to break free from the black threads.

Yet, the next moment, its face again displayed a human-like shock.

It couldn’t break free!

Such a weak human could actually restrain its true self?

It then tried to breathe out Dragon Breath.

Dragon Breath that annihilates everything; not only the weak humans before it but even the hardest divine materials in existence are no match for the corrosion of Dragon Breath.

However, upon opening its mouth, it suddenly discovered it could not release Dragon Breath no matter what.

Its expression froze again.

I... what am I exactly? No, I... I’m already dead, now I’m... merely a remnant soul? How did I die? Who could slay me? What was I like before? I... I can’t remember!

In an instant, the residual soul held its head as if in excruciating pain, human-like.

Nevertheless, the old ghost was overjoyed, once again surging with magical power, aiming to gather the previously restrained true dragon residual soul into his Soul Banner.

The Dragon Soul felt the pulling force and resisted with all its might.

But the pull was irresistible, dragging it bit by bit out of the range of the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron.

At a critical moment, it suddenly hooked a claw onto the edge of the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron, resisting the old ghost’s pull; the cauldron promptly moved in his direction.

Meanwhile, watching the old ghost try to capture the Dragon Soul, Lin Xiuzhu hesitated for a moment but then chose to remain silent.

He himself then moved in a flash to the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron, activated his magical power to envelop it, and sent his Divine Sense within, attempting to untangle the Divine Soul Mark.

The instant his Divine Sense entered, Lin Xiuzhu was suddenly elated to find no Divine Soul Mark within the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron.

This meant that the cauldron was already ownerless and could now be refined by him.

How could he wait any longer? He immediately used magical power to seize the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron.

However, at that moment, the Dragon Soul had one claw clasped onto the cauldron, resisting the old ghost’s pull.

With Lin Xiuzhu pulling on it as well, a contention immediately formed between him and the old ghost.

Their magical powers began to engage through the Bronze Cauldron and the Dragon Soul.

"How bold!" They shouted in unison as their powers touched.

In the next moment, once they understood the situation, they slightly let down their guard.

"Old ghost, I only want the cauldron; the Dragon Soul is yours," Lin Xiuzhu was the first to declare.

"Fine, take the cauldron, I covet it not; I seek only the Dragon Soul," the old ghost quickly added.

They then began to retract their magical powers, focusing the maximum pull on the Dragon Soul and the Dragon-Suppressing Cauldron.

Watching as the Dragon Soul’s claw was about to detach from the Bronze Cauldron.

"Swish, swish, swish!" Suddenly, the Blood Spirit Saintess made a move.

Several Blood Evil Condensed Swords aimed directly at Lin Xiuzhu.

At the same time, a sound akin to a slice through space arose behind the Yin Ghost Saint Child, an attack comparable to that of a Nascent Soul True Monarch left him no room to evade...