Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

”Gugu!” Li Ji’an, on a whim, called out.

Then, with a wave of his hand, countless leaves drifted down from the sky.

”Gu!” Instantly alert, Gugu immediately burrowed underground.

The next moment, Li Ji’an’s figure became illusory, and then a green leaf blossomed a green glow where Gugu vanished, revealing Li Ji’an’s figure.

”Snap!” As Li Ji’an’s figure appeared, a fleshy tongue shot up from the ground.

Li Ji’an smiled faintly, and his figure once again became illusory.

In an instant, he disappeared from the original spot, reappearing at another green leaf.

Two years ago, his supplementary training in Wood Element Technique finally advanced to the late stage of Qi Cultivation. Now, he’s cultivated the ”Illusory Leaf Killers” to the second level.

However, with the Wood Magic Power he employed in this magic technique, its destructive power was limited and couldn’t break through Gugu’s skin.

What he valued was this ability to shift his position.

Now, he has fully understood this Cultivation Technique. This magic is a type of Five Elements Escape Technique, using Wood Spiritual Mechanism as the lead, it bursts rapidly over short distances. Though it looks like he’s disappearing and reappearing out of thin air, there are still traces to follow, not a true Space Escape Technique.

Similarly, the Fire Dragon Escape Yan Qingwan passed to him in his past life was based on this principle, but it’s much cruder. The explosion from the Fire Spiritual Mechanism was insufficient, and the speed was relatively slow, failing to create the illusion of teleportation.

He attempted to comprehend the Spiritual Mechanism explosion of ”Illusory Leaf Killers” in hopes of applying it to Fire Element Magical Power, but so far he hadn’t grasped it.

”Clap clap clap!” Gugu attacked dozens of times in succession, all in vain.

However, Li Ji’an couldn’t even lock onto its position. Since its breakthrough to the middle stage of Second Tier, its concealment and breath control abilities have enhanced further.

”Little Fire!” Li Ji’an murmured.

The Little Fire Spirit immediately understood, shaking its small flame as it drilled swiftly into the ground.

Soon, strands of golden-orange Spirit Flame emerged from the ground, forming a circle that gradually shrank.

In the end, unable to withstand the power of the Spirit Flame, Gugu was forced to emerge from underground.

As it attempted to flee back to the Celestial Pool, Li Ji’an seized the opportunity, sending several vines from his hand to bind it.

”Boom!” In the next moment, Gugu shook its body, breaking all the vines.

However, by then, Li Ji’an’s figure had already manifested behind it, delivering a powerful punch.

”Gu~” Gugu let out a plaintive wail before falling into the Celestial Pool, disappearing again.

”Hahaha~” Li Ji’an gestured, scattering the leaves, then nodded in satisfaction at the Little Fire Spirit.

The Little Fire Spirit had been close to Tier One peak when Li Ji’an captured it twenty-seven years ago. In the early years, it was nurtured by the Fire Element Magical Power in Li Ji’an’s Dantian, later strengthened by the nourishment of dead tree branches, finally advancing to Second Tier three years ago.

Now, not only had its color turned golden-orange, but the Spirit Flame it emitted was several times stronger than the Pill Fire condensed by Li Ji’an’s current Fire Element Magical Power. Even Master Jade Pill’s Pill Fire was not as strong as the current Fire Spirit.

It could even restrain Gugu.

”Alright, get ready, after I return from the Immortal City, we’ll head to the Desert once more.” Li Ji’an instructed, then returned alone to the Alchemy Room on the peak.

He packed a batch of pills already prepared in advance, then set off with Escape Light towards the Immortal City.

Over the years, most of his harvested resources were materials for Tier Two early to mid-stage elixirs, which he periodically refined into pills for sale in the Immortal City.

Every time he came to the Immortal City, he would also visit some old friends at the Collection Courtyard.

However, now only Doctor Bai and Hua Hongling were left among the old acquaintances in the Collection Courtyard.

Others had gradually been replaced by other Tier Two masters.

”Alchemist Li, are you aware of the mountain spirit veins’ revival?” Doctor Bai immediately brought up the topic on his visit.

”Doctor Bai, are you thinking of competing for a place?” Li Ji’an smiled and nodded.

Doctor Bai shook his head helplessly, ”Alchemist Li, you know I’m old and not good at fighting. Now, almost all the strongest loose cultivators of Celestial Cyan Domain and some unsatisfied families with their Spirit Vein Ancestral Land have gathered there. It’s too far out of reach.”

”Individual power won’t suffice. Ultimately, only certain groups will achieve results.” Li Ji’an shared his perspective.

Doctor Bai nodded repeatedly, ”Yes, I heard a group of loose cultivators in Celestial Origin Province have already formed a Mountain and River Gang. A group of loose cultivators in Cangyun State even invited me to join.”

”Doctor Bai, with your medical skills, you can live comfortably anywhere without risking yourself,” Li Ji’an casually joked, noticing Doctor Bai’s apparent temptation.

It made sense; Doctor Bai had little life span left, and after his death, his descendants couldn’t enjoy the same comfortable life in the Immortal City as he did. If he wished for them to have a chance to rise again, he’d need to secure a Cultivation Dao Field for them.

The opportunities within these remains and ruins are very enticing for such elder loose cultivators.

Doctor Bai laughed in agreement.

Li Ji’an did not continue the topic, instead asking, ”Doctor Bai, any recent news of the Qin Family?”

Three years ago, Qin Henian suddenly reported to the Biyun Sect, suspecting the Liu Family Ancestor of cultivating a Demon Technique.

Unexpectedly, before Qin Henian left, the Liu Family Ancestor, frail as he was, came to the Biyun Sect, presenting an Ancient Longevity Technique, claiming he had been in seclusion studying it, and vehemently criticized Qin Henian for his harassment over the years and blamed him for the previous family infighting.

In the end, Qin Henian was reprimanded by the Sect and warned not to harass the Liu Family further or interfere with internal matters of other Human Race families.

In the following years, sporadic rumors spread within the Cultivation Realm.

Mostly unfavorable to the Liu Family Ancestor.

Even though the Liu Family Ancestor gained a notorious reputation for clinging to life no matter the cost, with the help of the entire family, he suffered no actual losses.

Besides selling pills, Li Ji’an was also concerned about this issue during his visits to the Immortal City.

Unfortunately, as time passed, the public opinion had no effect.

Returning home, Li Ji’an wondered if he had misjudged.

”Haha, early this year, a loose cultivator secretly spread a rumor, got caught by the Liu Family, and finally confessed that Qin Henian was behind it. Then, the Liu Family sued Qin Henian at the Upper Sect. This year, Qin Henian seemed to have restrained himself.”

”However, the Liu Family has had quite a troubled time these recent years. Even though Qin Henian is keeping a low profile, Liu Family is being targeted by Wu Weixiong, who reportedly even killed a Liu Family Elder.” Doctor Bai couldn’t help but laugh while talking about the Liu and Qin families.

The biggest jokes in Cangyun State these years were nothing but the two giants’ stories.

”Wu Weixiong? How did he clash with the Liu Family?” Li Ji’an was also surprised.

He lived quietly on the Solitary Peak of Biyun Sect; everything else was fine, except he was somewhat out of touch with the news.

Doctor Bai stroked his beard with a smile, ”It’s said that many have impersonated Wu Weixiong in recent years, leaving him wrongfully accused of many crimes. Out of patience, he decided to settle them one by one, and somehow tracked it to the Liu Family.”

”Liu family impersonating Wu Weixiong?” Suddenly, Li Ji’an’s heart paused.

Recalling the rumors he heard five years ago before leaving the Desert United Marketplace.

At the time, it was rumored that Wu Weixiong’s figure was spotted outside the Desert, so Li Ji’an took precautions to avoid unnecessary conflict.

”Could it be...” Linking the Liu Family impersonating Wu Weixiong, Li Ji’an remembered the interactions with Liu Changgeng back in the Immortal City Collection Courtyard.

”Just for a Tier One array inheritance?”

Back then, he didn’t pay much attention since the other’s request had little relevance to his current standing, seemingly pointless.

However, now he realized it was a pretense to approach him for the array inheritance.

”For Xiaoqiao? Probably not. Could it be the Earth Book?” Li Ji’an faintly suspected.

Upon returning to Spirit Peak that day, Li Ji’an canceled his plan to visit the Desert.

That night, he sent Gugu in the direction of the Liu Family.

He initially intended not to stir up trouble until he had sufficient strength. He hadn’t even investigated all these years, yet now, due to Granny You’s unexpected connection to the Liu Family, there was a causal link.

Given this, he had to understand his own circumstances better.

Meanwhile, he decided not to leave the confines of the Biyun Sect’s mountain range before resolving the matter with the Liu Family.

Indeed, with his current trump cards, unless faced with the Liu Family’s Fake Pill Ancestor, he wasn’t afraid of other Liu Family members.

He even possessed several high-grade Breaking Ban Talismans of Second Tier.

Even if five years ago he encountered Liu Changgeng’s ambush, he was confident of escaping unscathed, though the subsequent deviation from his planned cultivation might have led to unforeseen changes.