Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Hua Hongling possessed extraordinary talent since childhood and was later taught the Thousand-Hammered and Hundred-Forged Body Refining Technique, suitable for artifact refining. She diligently refined Fire Element Pill Fire and had commendable artifact refining skills, with a high success rate in creating premium magical artifacts.

If she were willing to expend effort and ignore costs, it would even be possible for her to create upper-grade magical artifacts.

Upper-grade magical artifacts are something that many mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators find hard to acquire, with most having premium magical artifacts.

The highest grade of magical artifacts in Golden Splendor Immortal City is premium.

Li Ji’an indeed has a need for this.

However, in terms of the pill medicine needed to restore someone’s body to the normal shape of a female cultivator, he truly has no means.

Previously, a female cultivator requested a Bone Changing Pill, which only slightly altered the facial bone structure. The effect was minimal and nearly severed her path.

”Brother Li, with your outstanding alchemy skill, able to refine such niche pills like the Bone Changing Pill, you must be able to refine the pill medicine I need. You must help me.” Hua Hongling was still dissatisfied, clasping her hands and half-kneeling in front of Li Ji’an, with her tall figure putting on a pitiful appearance.

Li Ji’an felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.

”Fellow Daoist Hua, please forgive my frankness. Fellow Daoist, you are as beautiful as a flower, with an outstanding appearance, except for the slightly robust physique, which can be completely overlooked. Especially since you have successfully reached Foundation Establishment, becoming the envy and admiration of many loose cultivators, you really shouldn’t be fixated on this minor flaw. Haven’t you heard, flaw in perfection?”

Hua Hongling pouted, not buying Li Ji’an’s words: ”Since Alchemist Li speaks so well, shall we become Dao companions?”

”Li is solely focused on the great Dao, temporarily not wanting to...”

”Bah! You’re all so hypocritical! A thousand paths to enlightenment, who says there’s only the path of ruthlessness? Have you never heard, the extremity of emotion is the extremity of the Dao?

Moreover, both you and I are loose cultivators. Do you truly wish to pursue Core Formation?” Realizing that Li Ji’an probably doesn’t have the capability, Hua Hongling dropped the pretense.

”...” Li Ji’an was rendered speechless.

Not easy to fool.

To most cultivators.

In Cangyun State, even in the entire Celestial Cyan Domain, a loose cultivator reaching Foundation Establishment is one in a million, while Core Formation is extraordinarily rare over six thousand years of history, all requiring great celestial opportunities.

After all, Core Formation is a critical juncture in the path to the great Dao, and it’s exceedingly difficult.

If the Foundation Establishment barrier is to lay the Dao foundation and sow the Dao seed,

then Core Formation is to condense the true embryonic form of the great Dao.

During the Foundation Establishment stage, one can at least use Foundation Establishment Pills to directly increase success rates. But at the Core Formation stage, there is no pill medicine that can clearly enhance success rates, only relying on Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects and some auxiliary pills to aid the process and enhance pill quality.

The core remains in the cultivator’s Spirit Root talent, comprehension, and alignment with the great Dao.

Upper-grade Spirit Roots are considered Core Formation seeds.

Ordinary people who become loose cultivators don’t usually have very good Spirit Roots.

Li Ji’an’s audacity to dream of reaching Core Formation after Foundation Establishment lies in the confidence brought by the premium Foundation Establishment Pill, where his initial Foundation Magical Aura is not inferior to Xiao Changfeng, a Core Formation seed with upper-grade Spirit Roots.

Of course, it also stems from his alchemy skill, which offers the chance to exchange for Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects.

For ordinary Foundation Establishment loose cultivators like Hua Hongling or Alchemist Zou, their individual skills allow them to train to the late Foundation Establishment stage, almost reaching the limit.

Hoping for Core Formation requires praying for heavenly opportunities.

”Fellow Daoist Hua, try to be optimistic. Once you achieve Core Formation, you could regenerate limbs; perhaps you could also reshape your physique.” Li Ji’an encouraged after a moment’s silence.

”Reshape my physique?” Hua Hongling suddenly stood up.

In Cangyun State, the true Core Formation True Men are only the three supreme ones of the Biyun Sect, whom ordinary people have no chance to meet.

There’s virtually no information on Core Formation experiences and insights in the world, so Li Ji’an is guessing as well.

”Yes, being able to regenerate limbs must mean reshaping the physique!” Hua Hongling immediately blushed with excitement.

However, only moments later, she returned to her senses, showing a look of despair.

Compared to seeking a specific shape-altering pill medicine, Core Formation is even further from reality.

”Oh well, oh well, Alchemist Li, there is always tomorrow. Perhaps you’ll acquire some ancient pill formula or Lingxi descending from Heaven someday, and I’ll become your ally. In the future, if you want any magical artifact, just say the word; I’ll give you a discount!” Hua Hongling finally said with a wry smile.

After all, only Li Ji’an in the entire Immortal City could give her some hope by refining upper-grade pills.

After seeing Hua Hongling off, Li Ji’an shook his head with a smile. Half a year ago, he began taking on pill refining commissions. Thanks to the reputation he built from refining upper-grade pills before reaching Foundation Establishment, he had no shortage of business.

He even attracted many female cultivators with a single furnace of Youthful Appearance Pills.

Following that came the Bone Changing Pill, the Beauty Enhancement Pill, scarce pills... Many female cultivators even brought their own pill formulas.

Refining these pills brought higher profits since he didn’t need to purchase the herbs himself. Due to the high yield rate, he could also privately keep some of the herbs.

Profits doubled.

After a little rest, Li Ji’an glanced at the night scene and made his way to the Bai Mansion across the street.

Doctor Bai was a Second Tier Physician.

Besides spiritual qi nourishing their bodies for more robustness, cultivators are at heart still mortal bodies. While not prone to illness, they can get hurt, experience reversed essence qi, dantian shocks, and suffer from foundational injuries...

Ordinary cultivators can only protect their hearts and organs with magical power, but cannot heal and recover.

Physicians use their medical skills, employing Wood Element Magical Power to heal and Water Element Magical Power to nurture. Even for some who failed Foundation Establishment and damaged their dantians, skilled physicians could potentially treat them.

Li Ji’an wasn’t seeking Doctor Bai for healing.

”Senior Bai, last time you mentioned delays in childhood, lacking spiritual qi nourishment for Spirit Roots; can they be nourished and restored later?”

Doctor Bai, in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, over two hundred years old, is kind-hearted.

After the first small celebration, Li Ji’an often interacted with him, aiming for this purpose.

His situation before the age of eight, due to ”Rejuvenation”, cannot be changed, and his original Spirit Root talent cannot be fully awakened.

In this life, he consumed Nourishing Source Pill and, from the age of eight to fifteen, cultivated at the Yan Family’s Second Tier Spirit Vein Land, nourishing his veins while practicing the Qi Sensing Technique, resulting in a maximum of nineteen strands of Spirit Root, just one step short of Upper Grade Spirit Root.

However, after spending more than ten years in the Immortal City, researching numerous materials, besides the Nourishing Source Pill, there was no other more effective method.

Even the direct grandson of an Elder from Biyun Sect, in childhood, was only treated with the Nourishing Source Pill plus Third Tier Spirit Vein environment and Qi Sensing Technique, which basically could awaken the innate Spirit Root source.

So, Li Ji’an, in his next life, is still likely unable to break through to Upper Grade Spirit Root.

Yet Doctor Bai gave him a glimmer of hope.

Doctor Bai stroked his beard and nodded: ”Indeed, the Five Elements are bestowed by heaven and form the foundation. As long as the foundation is intact, it can be nurtured and restored. But once formed, it’s almost hopeless. Alchemist Li, perhaps you were delayed in your youth?”

Li Ji’an sighed, expressing slight melancholy.

Doctor Bai lamented: ”Yes, Spirit Veins are scarce here. Many prodigies have been delayed due to poverty, which is why we strive so hard to create a better background for the next generation.”

”Senior Bai speaks wisely, but how much can be restored through postnatal nurturing?” Li Ji’an asked again.

”It’s hard to say. It depends on how much was delayed, the duration of the delay, and it is also related to the nurturing medical techniques. However, theoretically, if time is ample and the medical skills are superb, complete restoration isn’t impossible.” Doctor Bai replied truthfully.

”Complete restoration!” Li Ji’an felt exhilarated.

In this way, the biggest problem of ”Rejuvenation” could be solved for him.

”Does Alchemist Li perhaps have any delayed juniors? Bring them to let this old man take a look.” Seeing Li Ji’an persist in this topic, Doctor Bai perceptively offered goodwill.

”Thank you, Senior Bai, but I am merely expressing regret.” Li Ji’an waved his hand.

Doctor Bai laughed and shook his head, comforting: ”Alchemist Li, what’s done is done, and the die is cast. Life cannot be relived. Besides, you have already succeeded in Foundation Establishment. You don’t need to dwell on such matters anymore. With your alchemy skill, your descendants at least won’t be delayed again. Overthinking is meaningless; look forward!”

”Thank you, Senior Bai.”

After leaving Bai Mansion, Li Ji’an felt refreshed, although he hadn’t yet secured the possibility of inheriting medical skills, at least a direction was pointed out to him.

Besides steadily aiming for Core Formation and refining talismans for his Guardian Path, he now had an additional goal to delve into medical skills.

Medical skills, besides nurturing Dantian Spirit Root, are also a Guardian Path technique.

Medicine and poison are always inseparable; poison methods are more hidden and safe, aligning with Li Ji’an’s philosophy.

For this reason, he began to pay attention to Wood Element Techniques in the market, hoping to find a relatively advanced and more medically oriented Wood Element Technique to cultivate as supplementary, laying the ground for nurturing Dantian Spirit Root in his next life.

As for the puppet inheritance of Gou Puppet Master across the door, after several interactions, Li Ji’an temporarily abandoned it.

Gou Puppet Master was too cautious, meticulous in his actions, giving almost no chance for associations; even many times, communication was done through puppets.

However, from Hua Hongling’s mouth, it was known that Gou Puppet Master seemed to have obtained some Soul Cultivation opportunity.

Precisely because of this, his Divine Soul was much stronger than those of the same tier, enabling him to craft Second Tier Puppets with Qi Cultivation Late Stage Cultivation.

Nowadays, Li Ji’an suspected he might even craft Second Tier Middle Stage Puppets comparable to Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

”Never underestimate heroes of the world!” Li Ji’an increasingly felt his own ace cards were too few.

In the next three years, his cultivation life remained stable.

His cultivation gradually improved, while his talisman art became more refined.

He primarily cultivated Fire Element Magical Power, explosive but insufficiently enduring, compensated by skills and pills.

Fortunately, his Divine Soul was strong, now comparable to Foundation Establishment Late Stage Divine Sense, theoretically capable of crafting Second Tier Late Stage talismans, yet held back by his magical power.

”Whew~”

”Finally succeeded!” On this day, extending his magical power with a premium Law Storage Pill, he finally successfully crafted his first premium Second Tier Early Stage Talisman.

Early stage upper-grade talismans were already comparable to a full-force strike of a Foundation Establishment Early Stage, and this premium talisman nearly touched the power of Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

”Let’s first try the Lifebound Talisman with this!”

The so-called Lifebound Talisman is nurtured by one’s own Dantian, infused with one’s Essence Qi, activated without Divine Sense and magical power as long as it’s beyond a certain time.

Moreover, its power also increases with nurturing time, capable of enhancing depending on time and Dantian Magical Power.

However, enhancing quality requires a long time, at minimum ten years for slight enhancement, with an upper limit of one grade improvement.

The Dantian Magical Power during Qi Cultivation Stage can nurture just one as an extreme, while during Foundation Establishment Stage, three can be nurtured simultaneously.

Li Ji’an planned for one attack, one defense, and one escape.

However, a premium Second Tier Talisman at minimum was necessary to have nurturing value.

Having stored the talisman, Li Ji’an headed for Nine Tripods Commerce Association, invited by Zhao Shuyao for her centennial birthday celebration.

And just when passing the Immortal City administration area, a piece of news caused him to pause.

Biyun Sect had finally publicly announced that twelve years ago, they discovered an Ancient Ruins in the northern Great Marsh Mountains, and now the restrictions around the ruins have finally been opened.

At present, the sect was almost fully mobilized to excavate that site, apparently a very unusual ruin.

This news left Li Ji’an with mixed feelings.

The joy was that a ruin valued by Biyun Sect must be full of opportunities, and while sect cultivators feast, other cultivators of this realm would get some soup.

The concern was that big opportunities imply big risks, and risk could lead to turmoil.