Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

The four left, leaving only the three of them in the courtyard, but it didn’t affect much.

Since last year’s auction, the popularity of Immortal City has been declining, not to mention the Master Collection Courtyard in the Inner City; even the streets of the Outer City have very few visitors.

More than half of the rental area in the Outer City is empty.

Almost all the loose cultivators who reached the middle stage of the Qi Cultivation have already ventured into the Great Marsh Mountain Range to seek opportunities.

The Qi Family’s guards remaining in the Immortal City found it easier to manage, focusing on protecting the Inner City area.

”Alchemist Li, going out?” Three months later, on this day, Li Ji’an walked out of the courtyard, and Steward Qi greeted him from afar.

”Running low on herbs, need to purchase some,” Li Ji’an replied with a smile.

Steward Qi glanced around and secretly transmitted a message: ”Alchemist Li, it’s best not to contact the Nine Tripods Commerce Association these days.”

”Hmm?” Li Ji’an looked at Steward Qi in surprise.

”A few days ago, a sect disciple died in the restricted area south of the mountains, involving a Second Tier Blood Blade Talisman...” Steward Qi hinted and stopped there.

”Thank you, Steward Qi.” Li Ji’an did not pursue further, clasping his hands in gratitude.

The Nine Tripods Commerce Association has a significant influence in the Ten Thousand Merchants Cultivation Domain, but its development in the Celestial Cyan Domain hasn’t been great. Especially the branch in Cangyun State, more like a cage to expatriate Tong Xiangyu from the Tong Clan.

After all, in the Celestial Cyan Domain, Ten Thousand Laws Palace acts as a stabilizing force, with zero tolerance for demon cultivation.

According to Zhao Shuyao, Tong Xiangyu had wanted to develop here years ago, it seems there was some agreement with the clan that if development reached a certain level, she could leave the Celestial Cyan Domain.

However, the headquarters provided little support, and twenty-odd years ago, when applying for the auction rights in the Immortal City, Tong Xiangyu reported to the headquarters, but they did not approve.

And Tong Xiangyu wasn’t particularly adept in this area, so things worsened.

In recent years, everything has gone downhill.

Hearing what Steward Qi said, Li Ji’an had no doubt about its authenticity.

It probably was intentional on Tong Xiangyu’s part.

Without further thought, Li Ji’an headed towards the auction house.

Along the way, there were few people, so there was no need for particular concealment. Li Ji’an smoothly changed his attire, used disguise techniques, and transformed his bones through the alteration of qi and blood, turning into a sturdy and rugged man, releasing his Second Tier Body Refining blood energy without reservation.

”Elder Zhang, you’ve finally come. I was starting to think you didn’t want it.” The auction house was part of another commerce association, one of which was a shareholder behind the Qi Family. The shopkeeper led Li Ji’an to a private room and handed him three storage pouches.

Li Ji’an’s eyes widened: ”What nonsense! Am I someone who goes back on their word?”

The shopkeeper shivered for a moment and instinctively released his Body-Protecting Dharma Shield at the late stage of Qi Cultivation.

”Calm down, Elder. I misspoke, I deserve to be punished.” The shopkeeper pretended to slap himself.

”Hmph, let it go.” Li Ji’an took the storage pouches and sensed that they were filled with Molten Rock Sand, feeling joy in his heart.

This was a bounty he had issued under a false identity at this auction house since advancing to Second Tier Body Refining six years ago, and a message about it had been sent to him over two months ago, which he deliberately postponed until today to collect it.

It is said that in this world, body cultivation originated from the ancient times when the human race struggled to survive.

At that time, the demon race’s bloodlines were overwhelmingly dominant, ruling over the Three Thousand Realms, only being rivaled by innate Holy Spirits.

The human race had ordinary bloodlines and weak physiques, and there were no saints who had created soul cultivation holy techniques through the union of the divine and none had invented the dharma cultivation method of absorbing spiritual qi and refining magical power.

The early sages of the human race aimed to emulate the demon race’s robust physiques, first creating the path of body cultivation.

However, the demon race’s robust physiques originated from bloodlines inherited from the Heaven-Opening True Spirit Divine Beasts and the Wilderness Magical Beasts, primarily focusing on the transformation and evolution of bloodlines, awakening ancestral bloodlines, and thus gaining extraordinary powers.

The human race had no divine beast bloodlines, but after countless generations of relentless predecessors, eventually found that they could use Heaven and Earth Spirit Treasures to mimic the bloodline enhancement path of the demon race in body cultivation.

This period was the pinnacle of human body cultivation.

However, body cultivation also required good physique and bones; the better they were, the faster one could temper their physique, and the higher their limit.

Fortunately, during that time, the land abounded with spirit treasures and strange objects, allowing body cultivation to develop rapidly.

From some records excavated from relics over the past six thousand post-ancient years, it is said that the first to elevate body cultivation to a point where one could battle a Demon Emperor transformed his ordinary blood into something akin to that of a pseudo-True Spirit Divine Beast.

With just his physique, he could shatter the void with a punch and trample a Demon Emperor underfoot.

The bloodline that the body cultivator transformed into was recognized as the pseudo-Kirin bloodline, earning the title of Qilin Saint Venerable. In later generations, his name came to represent the body cultivation system.

However, that was not the peak of body cultivation; later generations of body cultivators created several glorious eras.

They even developed new bloodline evolution paths that no longer imitated the True Spirit Divine Beasts.

Among them, the most renowned are the Azure Heaven Dominating Body, the Ancient Desolate Holy Body, the Glazed Golden Body... and so on.

Unfortunately, body cultivation was never able to break through the barrier to Immortal Ascension.

As the Heaven and Earth Spirit Treasures and Heaven-Opening Strange Objects became ever more scarce, body cultivation has since declined.

Especially with the advent of soul cultivation and dharma cultivation, body cultivation gradually became despised, as it was initially seen as merely mimicking the demon race.

And now, in the Post-Ancient Era, with the Celestial Dao shattered, soul cultivation has fallen, body cultivation barely persists, leaving only dharma cultivation as the legitimate path.

The transformation bloodline item needed for the Second Tier period of the Hundred-Forged Golden Body Technique, which Li Ji’an cultivates, requires the use of Molten Rock Sand.

This object is contaminated with the earth’s Flame Mechanism. Although it’s not a Spirit Treasure, it barely has a transformative effect. Of course, its effectiveness is far from the true Spirit Treasures of the Ancient Times.

The ”Hundred Forged Golden Body Technique” is also a Body Cultivation Technique developed in later generations, based on the Ancient Body Cultivation Holy Techniques, using current resources for transforming bloodlines.

Otherwise, with today’s resources, no matter how extraordinary the Body Cultivation Technique, it would be ineffective.

After putting away the Molten Rock Sand, Li Ji’an left with large strides. He had previously paid the full amount. After all, very few need this item now, and it is in short supply and difficult to gather. If someone were to back out of a deal, it would easily be stuck in their hands.

”I wonder how far these can advance my Body Cultivation?” After flying a thousand miles away from the Immortal City, Li Ji’an returned to the Immortal City in disguise as a regular Junior Cultivator. As he arrived back at Li Mansion, he couldn’t wait to pour all the Molten Rock Sand into a specially designated underground chamber for refining the body.

As a Second Tier Body Cultivator, Li Ji’an now has a deeper understanding of Body Cultivation, having carefully studied and analyzed its principles.

In the Early Period of Tier One, one does not need to rely on external objects, relying entirely on one’s own Essence Blood to refine and forge Qi and Blood.

At that point, it reaches the limits of the Human Race’s physical body.

To progress further, it is necessary to transform the bloodline.

The Thunder Spirit Crystal is the most common Spiritual Object for Tier One Body Cultivation refining, relatively easy to obtain.

Molten Rock Sand takes it further.

Overall, Body Cultivation requires more resources than Dharma Cultivation and Soul Cultivation.

The advantage is that, if Spirit Treasures are abundant and one’s endurance is sufficient, the efficiency is higher and more self-controlled.

Although Li Ji’an is currently a Second Tier Body Cultivator and also a Foundation Establishment Stage Mage, as he endures the Molten Rock Sand’s transformation of bloodlines, he can also absorb Spiritual Qi to nourish the flesh and heal injuries. With a strong Divine Soul to withstand the pain, as long as there is enough Molten Rock Sand, the advancement speed of Body Cultivation will surely outpace that of Dharma Cultivation.

Body Cultivation is his deepest card, and it is also the most powerful one. He will go all out to pursue it.

In the following two years, he paused his practice of Talisman Art. After all, his Talisman Art has already reached a proficient Second Tier level, but he lacks Magical Power and is restricted by Talisman Materials, temporarily seeing no hope of further advancement.

Apart from his never-ending Qi Cultivation, he consistently refines his physique and spends his rest time comprehending the Medical Dao inheritance from Doctor Bai.

”Boom!” On this day, as the last grain of Molten Rock Sand was refined, Li Ji’an almost became a man of blood, his entire Qi and Blood nearly solidified, bursting from his body.

”A full eight thousand Spirit Stones worth of Molten Rock Sand, and only now crossing into the Middle Stage threshold!” Slowly retracting his Qi and Blood, Li Ji’an felt both happy and worried.

He was happy that this efficiency was much faster than Qi Cultivation.

He was worried about the huge consumption, unsure when he would be able to gather more next time.

The shopkeeper had taken six years to gather that amount, even posting bounties everywhere, including in Celestial Origin Province and Dao Source State, and admitted it’s rare to find that much again.

”With today’s strength, even if that Blood-handed Butcher activated his Body-Protecting Dharma Shield, I should be able to break it with one punch!” After a brief feeling, Li Ji’an felt a great increase in his sense of security.

Without further hesitation, he secretly practiced Medical Arts, guiding the Magical Power from a Middle Grade Wood Element Technique he had studied years ago to heal his physique.

The Main Cultivation Technique can nourish the Dantian, causing a qualitative change, eventually nurturing a Tao Infant in union with the Tao.

The auxiliary Cultivation Technique, however, allows the refined Magical Power to only attach to the Dantian wall, unable to nourish the Dantian for qualitative change, only supporting Magic Technique release.

This Wood Element Technique is quite ordinary; Li Ji’an valued it for its treatment effects, which lean towards healthy life support.

However, when he first cultivated the first strand of Wood Magic Power, he was pleasantly surprised.

The Five Elements counteract and support each other. Wood generates Fire, and although the Wood Magic Power attaches to the Dantian Wall, it cannot cause Dantian transformation, but it does nourish Fire Element Magical Power.

Of course, the effect of Middle Stage Qi Cultivation’s Wood Magic Power on Foundation Establishment 3rd Layer’s Fire Element Magical Power is very weak; without Li Ji’an’s strong Divine Sense, he might not even notice it.

Later, he consulted Alchemist Zou, who confirmed this notion.

The nurturing effect of the Five Elements Magical Power is familiar to Cultivators of this world. Records unearthed in certain relics even mention attempts by ancient great practitioners to create Techniques with multiple types of Magical Power.

However, they all failed.

Many even died with shattered Dantians due to magical power conflict, their paths ending in death.

Moreover, in today’s Post-Ancient Era, thoroughly refining a single type of Magical Power is already extremely difficult, and those who can cultivate auxiliary Techniques often possess unique skills, like Doctor Bai.

Additionally, Li Ji’an discovered that the Little Fire Spirit’s craving for Wood Magic Power is even greater than for Fire Element Magical Power.

Also, regarding the Wood Magic Power’s well-known rich and enduring nature, he developed a more personal understanding.

He finally understood why most Talisman Masters are Wood Element Cultivators.

After all his bodily injuries were healed, Li Ji’an left the underground chamber.

While getting dressed, he received a message from Zhao Shuyao, informing him that she had successfully passed the Great Marsh Mountain Range and had reached Dao Source State, waiting for a large Spiritual Ship to cross the Cultivation Domain.

Two years ago, the Biyun Sect thoroughly investigated the death of an Inner Sect Disciple due to a Second Tier Talisman, eventually uncovering connections to the Nine Tripods Commerce Association, as expected.

After over a year of back and forth, half a year ago, the Nine Tripods Commerce Association, as desired by Tong Xiangyu, was expelled from Cangyun State and set off through the Great Marsh Mountain Range, returning to the Northwest Ten Thousand Merchants Cultivation Domain.

Zhao Shuyao, as Tong Xiangyu’s personal maid, ultimately left together.

Li Ji’an was unsure if they would meet again, so he privately requested Tong Yaoyao to preserve Zhao Shuyao’s body if she passed away.

He had promised to bring them back, a vow he wouldn’t break.

After responding to Zhao Shuyao’s message, Li Ji’an went to the yard, looking towards the north, in the direction of the Great Marsh Mountain Range.

It’s been two years without any word from Duanmu Qin and the others. That area’s Spiritual Qi is mixed, with both a Sect Barrier and Restriction Array, preventing communication.