Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Chapter 71: Chapter 37: Five Great Clans

The gaze of several people was attracted by the little girl who had just walked in.

With just one glance, the three were secretly amazed.

Compared to the Magic Robe on Dong Jiangling, which exuded thin spiritual power, the robe on the little girl radiated immense magical power.

At least an Upper Grade robe, possibly even a Second Tier robe.

Clearly beyond their understanding.

And the moment the little girl walked up to him, Li Ji’an sensed an invisible force enveloping him.

”No wonder Aunt Yao misses you day and night, you look pretty good, even better than my dad,” Yao Yao pretended to be an adult, pacing back and forth in front of Li Ji’an with her hands behind her back.

”Hey, are you called Li Chang’an? Tell me, why did you reject my Aunt Yao?” She was smiling in the last sentence, but the next moment her face changed, and she asked angrily.

”Tong Yaoyao!” Zhao Shuyao couldn’t hold it in anymore, her eyes almost spitting fire!

”Aunt Yao, don’t be mad, Yao Yao is helping you.” Seeing Zhao Shuyao really mad, Tong Yaoyao immediately changed to a playful expression, hugging Zhao Shuyao’s arm coquettishly.

”Elder Shi, take her away.” Zhao Shuyao was genuinely angry this time, and even in the face of Tong Yaoyao’s charm, she showed no mercy.

Before she even finished speaking, a thin old man appeared silently behind them.

”Little master, let’s go. Your mother trusts your Aunt Yao the most, be careful that in the future your Aunt Yao won’t speak for you.” The old man’s voice was kind.

Tong Yaoyao pulled a face at him, ”Hmph, my Aunt Yao loves me the most, she’ll still help me, won’t you, Aunt Yao?”

”Go immediately!”

”Aunt Yao, I promise I won’t talk anymore, I’ll just watch you with your...”

”If you don’t go, I’ll leave!” Zhao Shuyao really couldn’t face staying there any longer.

”Alright, alright, I’m going, I’m going, Aunt Yao don’t be mad!” Tong Yaoyao finally relented, letting go of Zhao Shuyao’s arm, turning to follow the old man out.

But she took three steps and turned back to glare at Li Ji’an, not forgetting to threaten before leaving through the door: ”Li, if you make my Aunt Yao sad, I’ll never forgive you when I grow up! Hmph!”

This little episode made the atmosphere, which had just started to ease a bit, tense and awkward again.

Dong Jiangling was better off, having been through much, he had long seen through everything.

Zhang Tiezhu was rather emotionally sluggish, having not experienced much over the years, and was somewhat bewildered at the moment.

Especially the scene from earlier today when the eldest miss spoke to Li Ji’an, still vivid in his mind.

But he was quickly enlightened, no wonder Zhao Shuyao frequently wrote to him out of the blue in the past few years, telling him about her situation... he was being used as a messenger.

”Phew~” After a long awkward silence, Zhao Shuyao couldn’t sit still any longer.

She took a deep breath, understanding that some things cannot be left ambiguous.

”Brother Li, I’m sorry.”

Li Ji’an waved his hand: ”No harm done, childish words carry no malice.”

”No, I mean... those years I was being willful again, I... I was wrong!”

Li Ji’an laughed heartily, understanding that she was referring to when she stopped writing to him after he replied, exclusively writing to Zhang Tiezhu instead, though he was long indifferent towards it.

”Don’t think too much about it, the five of us came to this foreign land and became the closest people here, nothing can affect that, so forget it.”

”Thank you, Brother Li.”

After saying ”I was wrong,” Zhao Shuyao bowed deeply, seeming relieved, as if letting go of many things in her heart.

That year, the reason she wanted to return and lead a mundane life with Li Ji’an, besides her clear understanding of the hardships of cultivation, was also due to her despair over her Spirit Root, and at that time she was facing a choice.

To become a self-arranged maid for the master, who could support her Body Cultivation path.

But from then on, she would belong to the master, with no chance of marriage for life unless unforeseeable circumstances arose.

As a former Proud Princess, she naturally felt unwilling, choosing to be a mortal seemed better than being a maid if the cultivation path was hopeless.

At the same time, she felt that Li Ji’an was destined to be the same as her, perhaps even with a worse Spirit Root than hers.

At that time, she thought Li Ji’an also despaired in cultivation, so she imagined marrying and having children with him, living a normal life.

But Li Ji’an’s reply struck her pride once more, even causing misunderstandings.

Now, ten years have passed, and many things have become clear.

Sure enough, time can resolve many problems.

In an instant, Zhao Shuyao felt much lighter.

Even her previous concerns about aging appearance didn’t trouble her anymore, and she could accept it calmly.

The four of them could finally converse like long-time friends, sharing their insights and discussing the path of cultivation.

In the following three days, the four stayed at a nearby inn, catching up while waiting for Zhu Linxian.

Until three days later, Dong Jiangling, missing his wife and daughter at home, could wait no longer.

”Linxian might not be coming.” Dong Jiangling expressed his intention to leave.

”If she joined Biyun Sect, she might really not come...” Zhao Shuyao had detailed knowledge of Biyun Sect and understood its standing in Cangyun State.

”Could it be that she looks down on us and is unwilling to associate with us?” Zhang Tiezhu sounded most disappointed.

Not wanting to spread discord, Li Ji’an patted Zhang Tiezhu: ”Once you enter a sect, you may not have control over your life, but destiny will allow us to meet again one day.”

With that, he also prepared to leave, having just learned that Chen Zhaohu had returned from hunting, as he still had matters to discuss with him.

”Brother Li, Jiangling, wait a moment.” Zhao Shuyao called out to the two one last time.

She had planned to speak once all five gathered, as it concerned everyone, and she actually held expectations for Zhu Linxian too. If she did join Biyun Sect, things would be easier.

”From the Immortal Dynasty, I have new clues about the family cultivating Blood Slaves, most likely one of the Five Great Clans of Cangyun State.” This time, she used the Secret Transmission of Martial Dao.

”The Five Great Clans!” Li Ji’an and Dong Jiangling exchanged glances, both showing some solemnity.

Previously, based on the information Zhao Shuyao transmitted and the Guiding Immortal Master’s Magical Combat in the Storm Desert, Li Ji’an judged that the family might be similar to the Yan Family, not overly powerful.

But Zhao Shuyao’s latest revelation was somewhat unexpected.

The structure of one sect and five clans in Cangyun State has persisted for nearly a thousand years, although the five clans have no Core Formation True Man, they possess Fake Pill True Men second only to Core Formation True Men, being paragons among all cultivation clans in Cangyun State.

The so-called Fake Pill refers to the final stage during Core Formation when Dantian condenses into a solid-state pill but due to insufficient magical power and spiritual pressure, results in an inferior refined pill, barely passing Core Formation, yet the pill quality is too low, with only five or six-tenths of the magical power of a True Pill, and life expectancy also reduced by two-tenths.

Critically, there’s no further hope on the Immortal Path.

However, in today’s Cangyun State, a Fake Pill True Man is already an unreachable existence for the common masses.

”The Five Great Families... so why didn’t they send a Foundation Establishment Taoist for that task? Instead, they sent a late-stage Qi Cultivation young cultivator? Moreover, the clan member intent on disrupting the Blood Slave matter was also late-stage Qi Cultivation, not Foundation Establishment Stage...”

”Is it because of complex internal clan branches and differing factions that the Fake Pill True Men aren’t involved?”

Zhao Shuyao didn’t have more details, it was merely a speculation her master overheard while acquiring secret information about the affiliated power of the hidden buyer.

Fortunately, according to her knowledge, the other side seems to have given up covert investigation several years ago.

At least, Zhao Shuyao’s master’s information agency no longer received commissions from them.