Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Seeing Duanmu Qin still dare to approach him closely, Li Ji’an felt a sense of admiration for her.

He also understood that she was expressing goodwill and trust.

”Fairy, you speak too highly. Li, a mere loose cultivator, is all alone and just seeks self-protection,” Li Ji’an said with a calm smile.

”Li Lang doesn’t need to explain; I understand. Today, without your means of self-protection, the five of us lost loose cultivators would’ve perished here,” Duanmu Qin responded with a gentle smile, deliberately including the old Array Master and his three disciples.

Her words indeed invigorated the three, amplifying their hope for survival and making them more dedicated to breaking the restriction.

However, inwardly, the three couldn’t help but mock, thinking these two are a perfect match, each more secretive than the other.

Before long, the Array Master’s disciples located and marked the weak points in the restriction arrays of the six designated stone rooms by Duanmu Qin.

The restriction arrays here had significantly weakened due to the erosion of time; with a Second Tier Breaking Ban Talisman, they could be broken, though it comes at a cost. Earlier, Duanmu Qin and Li Ji’an had discussed needing twenty Second Tier Breaking Ban Talismans.

Yet now, with the weak points in the restriction arrays marked, only at most two Second Tier Breaking Ban Talismans would be required to break them open.

As for the remaining two stone rooms, they were left for the opportunity to be explored by the master and his three disciples.

Once Li Ji’an and Duanmu Qin secured their opportunity and left, the disciples would break them open, which offered them some reassurance.

”Thank you, fellow Daoists, there’s no need to trouble the three of you any further; you may now go research your two stone rooms,” Li Ji’an expressed his gratitude.

The three disciples immediately understood: ”Understood, understood. We won’t pry into the fortune of those six stone rooms. We will step aside and rest. You two, please go ahead.”

The three quickly walked to the corner, deliberately taking a detour around a stone room, glancing at Fu Hanxing cowering in the farthest corner.

The once paramount first True Inheritor of the Fiery Sun Sect, reputedly unbeatable by same-tier cultivators except those from the Ten Thousand Laws Palace.

Yet now, he was pathetically huddled in a corner, trying to force out poison while simultaneously defending against the occasional demon beast tongues shooting from underground.

Moreover, his face was already completely blackened, black blood oozing from his seven orifices, his aura disordered, and his magical power weakened.

”Boom!” Li Ji’an cast a Breaking Ban Talisman onto a weak point of the restriction array of the first stone room.

”Crack!” Instantly, cracks appeared on the array.

”Boom!” With another talisman, the restriction array shattered.

This stone room was discovered by the disciple of the aforementioned Array Master and turned out to be an alchemy room.

Hearing the sound of the array breaking, the old Array Master’s eyebrow twitched, confirming the use of a Second Tier Breaking Ban Talisman by the two.

The Breaking Ban Talisman, specialized for arrays, is more difficult to conceive than ordinary Heaven and Earth Five Elements Talismans; it requires not only a Talisman Master but also an in-depth study of the array, comprehending its principles thoroughly.

And for a common cultivator, whose lifespan is limited, only high-tier cultivators unable to further their cultivation might dedicate their remaining years to studying a few cultivation arts, while low-tier cultivators find it challenging to exhaust energy on researching a second skill.

Thus, Breaking Ban Talismans are relatively scarce to this day.

In regions rich with relics and ancient tombs, high-tier Breaking Ban Talismans are even rarer.

”These two must have been preparing for this opportunity for many years.”

Once the alchemy room’s restriction was broken, Li Ji’an didn’t rashly move in.

Duanmu Qin didn’t immediately enter either.

Though their thoughts differed.

Duanmu Qin didn’t want Li Ji’an to mistake her for snatching the opportunity.

Li Ji’an was worried about potential dangers inside.

”May I go in first to explore?” Duanmu Qin understood Li Ji’an’s usual safety-first principle and asked probingly.

Li Ji’an nodded in agreement.

Duanmu Qin activated her magical shield and cautiously entered, only scanning the stone room without any actions that might cause misunderstanding for Li Ji’an.

After confirming there was no danger, Li Ji’an entered.

Entering the stone room, its layout was not much different from a usual alchemy room, with a Fire-Gathering Array base for placing a Pill Furnace in the center, a row of medicine shelves on the left, and a wooden table at the back.

The medicine shelves were almost empty, save for three Jade Plates containing herbs that have long wilted and decayed, unrecognizable.

”Li Lang,” Duanmu Qin said, discovering a Jade Bottle and a Jade Scroll on the back table.

Li Ji’an nodded, signaling her to open them.

”This is... a Crystal Condensing Pill?” Opening the Jade Bottle, a faint fragrance drifted out, and a hint of delight flashed across Duanmu Qin’s beautiful eyes.

Li Ji’an took the Jade Bottle and poured out the Pill Medicine within. Regrettably, the pill had been ruined by time, leaving only a faint trace of efficacy.

However, from its properties, Li Ji’an couldn’t identify the pill or its effects.

His understanding of Alchemy Dao was based on Alchemist Mo’s teachings and Yan Qingwan’s Second Tier Alchemy Dao inheritance. His years of study and insight merely expanded on available alchemical literature.

”Could Fairy tell what secrets lie within?” Since he couldn’t identify it, how could Duanmu Qin, an outsider?

Duanmu Qin realized her slip and immediately smiled brightly, glancing outside the room. She conveyed, ”If Li Lang wishes to listen, I will tell everything I know.”

Li Ji’an shook his head, smiling: ”That’s unnecessary; just tell me what’s related to this place.”

Duanmu Qin gave Li Ji’an a more appreciative look, then conveyed: ”My ancestors obtained a Communication Jade Scroll and this Jade Pendant from a skeleton in a neighboring relic. The Jade Scroll instructs future generations that this place holds a Core Formation opportunity and provides posthumous advice, mentioning the development of a Crystal Condensing Pill, modeled after Core Formation Spiritual Objects, which aids in forming a Magic Pill.”

Li Ji’an felt a wave of joy in his heart.

The ability to create a pill modeled after Core Formation Spiritual Objects implies that this person was at least a Tier Three Pill Master.

In the environment of ancient times, reaching Tier Three in Alchemy Dao indicates extraordinary knowledge and perception in Alchemy Dao.

He immediately looked toward that Jade Scroll with anticipation.

”Truly an Alchemy Inheritance!”

Upon delving his Divine Sense into the Jade Scroll and viewing the records within, Li Ji’an was overjoyed.

It contained not only Tier Three Alchemy Dao inheritance but also insights and understandings from initial Alchemy Dao research through to Tier One, Tier Two, and ultimately Tier Three.

”These two items belong to Li Lang,” Duanmu Qin proactively stated, observing his reaction.

”Thank you, Fairy.” Li Ji’an showed no hesitation in storing away the expired pill and inheritance Jade Scroll.

Aside from these, the alchemy room held nothing else of value, ultimately succumbing to the drift of time.

Subsequently following the same method, they broke open the other five stone rooms.

One room contained a demon beast hide that was once at least Tier Three, but now with much spirituality lost, it had degraded to Mid-Tier Second, yet still useful for crafting specific talisman materials.

Beside a bed in the main room, a Music Path inheritance Jade Scroll was found, exactly what Duanmu Qin desired, saying that her cultivation in the Music Path aligned with this inheritance.

Additionally, beside the bed, there was a wooden bracelet that Li Ji’an couldn’t determine the grade of, but it clearly had functions of gathering Divine Sense and preventing Divine Sense probing, more effective than the super-premium Magical Artifact Protective Headband he acquired from an auction.

That super-premium Magical Artifact Protective Headband was supposed to be a supreme artifact capable of preventing Mid Period Foundation Establishment probing, but due to erosion by time, had degraded, only currently providing tenable defense against Early Period Foundation Establishment probing with partial efficacy against Mid Period Foundation Establishment.

This wooden bracelet, however, even inhibited his Late Period Foundation Establishment Divine Sense.

”The Core Formation Spiritual Object and Heaven and Earth Spirit Treasures you mentioned earlier didn’t deceive me, did you, Fairy?” Apart from these valuable things in the six stone rooms, nothing more was discovered, and Li Ji’an’s greatest hope was indeed what she claimed to be the Core Formation Spiritual Object.

”How could I deceive Li Lang? My ancestor’s Communication Jade Scroll indeed mentioned for the descendants to retrieve the Crystal Condensing Pill, the Seven-Colored Jade Tree, and Qiuli Water here, then seek him out after forming the Golden Core,” Duanmu Qin quickly explained.