Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

After reading the description of the spells and comparing it with Guo Qi’s execution, Li Ji’an felt even more certain.

It must be said that these two spells are the best he has seen in his two lifetimes in the Cultivation Realm.

The only pity is that in this life, his Wood Magic Power is merely auxiliary, so the power of these two spells is limited when he casts them.

”It’s not necessarily impossible to delve deeply into these spells and create something similar to Fire Magic,” Li Ji’an didn’t mind, as long as he had high-level techniques to comprehend and enrich his database.

After organizing all the items, Li Ji’an nodded with satisfaction. The gains from this outing were abundant, and he was content.

Moreover, theoretically, the Liu Family still owed him the payment for the Late Second Tier Beast Hide.

He then sent Gugu and the Little Fire Spirit away and reflected on the effects of taking the Blood Burning Pill during this journey.

A high-quality Blood Burning Pill made his Dantian Magical Power surge to the threshold of the Late Foundation Establishment, with the cost being blood and energy consumption.

After careful sensing and comparison, he estimated that Rejuvenation in this life might come about ten years earlier.

Theoretically, once reaching Foundation Establishment, the lifespan limit could reach three hundred years, but this is for those who take care of their health, avoid conflicts, and have never suffered injuries to body or Divine Soul. Generally, Foundation Establishment cultivators reach their limit around two hundred and fifty years old.

Li Ji’an, having checked relevant materials and consulted familiar elderly Foundation Establishment cultivators like Doctor Bai and Alchemist Zou, concluded that life energy tends to decline at about one hundred and eighty or ninety years old.

”At least two more cycles, it doesn’t affect much.”

Calculating based on past cultivation progress, he would probably reach Foundation Establishment Peak by around a hundred years old in this life, giving him about fifty more years.

Afterward, he would have fifty or sixty years to pursue Core Formation.

If he couldn’t achieve Core Formation in fifty or sixty years, living an extra ten years would be of little help.

After confirming matters of this journey, Li Ji’an reported the encountered situation to the Pill Cauldron Peak steward.

Now, as an Honored Guest Elder of Biyun Sect, he was technically part of the sect. When encountering issues outside, it was natural to report back, as it’s the benefit of having support.

As expected, Master Jade Pill soon visited with the Law Enforcement Hall.

”Alchemist Li, rest assured, the sect will surely seek justice for you,” Master Jade Pill reassured upon meeting.

Jiang Yunzhou looked at Li Ji’an with a sigh. He was in seclusion cultivating, having gained many resources, yet was called over by Master Jade Pill.

Initially thinking it was something significant, it turned out to be the matters that arose while Li Ji’an, the Honored Guest Elder, took on private work externally.

After patiently listening to Li Ji’an’s description, Jiang Yunzhou felt even more helpless. If it were an ordinary disciple, he might have scolded them first.

Although Spirit Beast Mountain in the Celestial Origin Province is not as prestigious as Biyun Sect, it’s a subsidiary force of Fiery Sun Sect. What’s more, they’ve crossed provinces already; should he really pursue the matter for Li Ji’an?

Luckily, the Sect Leader had already announced closing the Sect for deep cultivation.

”Alchemist Li, the Law Enforcement Hall has understood the issue and will negotiate with Spirit Beast Mountain. They will issue a warrant for the Thief Cultivator from Spirit Beast Mountain and require the Beast Taming Liu Family to clarify matters to the sect. Any updates will be communicated to you,” Jiang Yunzhou was resigned regarding the Thief Cultivator from the Outer States, but he could hold the Liu Family somewhat accountable.

”Additionally, Jiang would advise Alchemist Li, given the turbulent times, it’s best not to leave the sect,” Jiang Yunzhou advised slightly sternly in the end.

Master Jade Pill also nodded in agreement: ”Alchemist Li, though the Honored Guest contract does not restrict you, Hall Master Jiang’s words are reasonable. Nowadays, as the Three States are interconnected, the situation outside is indeed chaotic. In the future, it would be better to stay in the sect for alchemy. With the contributions from alchemy, you can still exchange for resources in the Sect Treasure Vault; there’s truly no need to venture out and risk it.”

Li Ji’an apologized in embarrassment and thanked them for the sect’s protection and their goodwill.

However, to be honest, if not for hoping for Gugu’s bloodline transformation, he wouldn’t have wanted to go out this time either.

After sending the two away, Li Ji’an returned to his leisurely cultivation life.

A month later, he began his alchemy tasks for the sect.

It was even easier than he had anticipated, perhaps due to taking care of him as a new Pill Master; opening the furnace four times a month was completely sufficient.

Three months later, the Patriarch of the Liu Family visited Biyun Sect.

To Li Ji’an’s surprise, Liu Jiuqian was among those accompanying him.

That day, he was summoned to the main hall, and after hearing the explanation from the Liu Family Patriarch, he learned that shortly after he had been chased away, Wu Weixiong’s Earth-Split Bear, gravely injured, had led its master away.

Liu Family’s four Elders were all rescued afterward.

The Liu Family Patriarch and Liu Jiuqian sincerely expressed gratitude to Li Ji’an for his heroic act of diverting Guo Qi during the crisis, willingly offering the promised reward.

His social skills were impressive, as when facing Jiang Yunzhou’s inquiries, he used the wording ”heroically lured away the Thief Cultivator” instead of saying Li Ji’an fled.

As for why the Thief Cultivator never returned in the end, no one suspected Li Ji’an, as theoretically, Guo Qi, a Great Cultivator at the Late Foundation Establishment, wouldn’t have been killed by an Early Foundation Establishment Pill Master like Li Ji’an.

Additionally, according to the Liu Family, they had already expressed their anger to Spirit Beast Mountain a month ago and reported the matter to Fiery Sun Sect. However, since they couldn’t provide evidence, there was no outcome.

Moreover, Spirit Beast Mountain insisted that Guo Qi and Wu Weixiong were definitely not within the mountain and claimed ignorance of their actions outside, having already issued a warrant throughout the Celestial Origin Province.

With this, the matter of the Sacred Beast Pill was temporarily concluded, and Li Ji’an estimated that the Liu Family would eventually have to swallow the bitter pill.

At most, they might take out their frustrations on Wu Weixiong.

Afterward, Li Ji’an’s cultivation life returned to peace, and eight months later, ahead of schedule by four months, he successfully cultivated to Perfection of the Early Foundation Establishment.

Besides the abundant Spiritual Qi here, the environment also contributed, as no interruptions led to a clear mind and twice the results with half the effort.

Then he faced the bottleneck of the Middle Stage.

Generally, when reaching this stage, cultivators consume Breaking Rank Pills to aid their understanding of the breakthrough, or they train through battle or isolation to achieve it.

Li Ji’an had long anticipated this bottleneck and often contemplated the changes of Dantian Dharma Liquid from the third layer of Foundation Establishment, achieving it in one go, with almost no stagnation, advancing to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Feeling the exponential growth of his Dantian Magical Power, Li Ji’an could finally start replenishing his talisman arsenal, enhancing his Guardian Path methods.

During the Sacred Beast Pill incident, he expended his nurtured Middle Grade Second Tier Golden Bell Talisman and Golden Arrow Talisman, which hadn’t been replenished yet, as he waited for advancement to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Currently, he wasn’t lacking in Second Tier Late Talismans materials; his need was for enduring magical power.

The magical power of the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment was barely enough to support his drawing of Second Tier Late Talismans.

If he could successfully draw a high-quality talisman of this tier, he’d have little fear facing cultivators of the same stage and barely have means to protect himself against a Fake Pill True Man.

A Fake Pill means achieving success in condensing the pill on the first attempt, solidifying the liquid magical power. However, it lacks follow-up strength to purge impurities, failing to draw Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism, unable to transform the pill, thus possessing only half the magical power of a True Core cultivator, eighty percent of the lifespan, and the stagnation marks the end of one’s path.

”Hu~” After stepping into the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, Li Ji’an exhaled a breath of turbid air toward the dawn, gazing at the glowing sun amidst colorful clouds, grinning with confidence and determination.

”Gugu!” Looking down, he saw Gugu also perched by the Celestial Pool on the first layer of the mountain peak, cultivating towards the rising sun.

”Swipe!” Before Gugu could respond, multiple vines shot towards it.

It was none other than the Vine Silk Hand spell Li Ji’an had practiced during his spare time over the past few months.

”Whiz!” In the next moment, the thumb-thick vines completely bound Gugu.

”Goo~” Gugu looked up at Li Ji’an and then rolled its eyes.

”Boing boing boing~” Just with a slight shake, Gugu broke free of all the vines entangling it.

Li Ji’an raised his eyebrows slightly, yet didn’t mind. Currently, he had only just begun, and his Wood Magic Power was equivalent to the Middle stage of Qi Cultivation, so naturally, he couldn’t truly restrain a Second Tier Demon Beast like Gugu.

As for Illusory Leaf Killers, he hadn’t mastered it yet, as this spell required at least Late stage Qi Cultivation Wood Magic Power to execute.

Shaking his head with a smile, Li Ji’an descended from the peak and entered the Alchemy Room to start drawing Second Tier Late Talismans.

After half a month and seven failed attempts, wasting seven precious Second Tier Late Beast Hide materials, he finally succeeded in drawing his first Late stage Attack Talisman.

Unfortunately, it was only Middle Grade.

Its power was equivalent to the regular sixty percent power of a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator and not much different from the Middle Grade Late Tier Golden Arrow Talisman he had previously nurtured for years.

”The magical power is still somewhat insufficient!” After summarizing his experience, Li Ji’an was reluctantly compelled to give up for the time being, deciding to stabilize his Middle Stage before attempting further.

Also, on that day, Gugu finally adjusted itself to peak condition.

It was time for it to undergo a bloodline transformation.