Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Chapter 80: Chapter 46: Rejuvenation Preparations

Due to the relatively long lifespan in the Cultivation Realm, the generations tend to be quite mixed up.

For Qi Cultivation stage cultivators, some get married and have children at the age of twenty, such as families that invite sons-in-law, with the aim of replenishing the number of the new generation within the clan.

There are also those who wait until they’re seventy or eighty, when their body and qi and blood start to decline, and their cultivation no longer has the potential for advancement, before considering passing on their legacy. These are usually those with slightly better Spirit Root aptitude, who breakthrough to late Qi Cultivation before fifty and aspire to reach Foundation Establishment.

But most of them, like Zhang Tiezhu, marry and have children at around thirty or forty.

The Grand Elder is like most; his age is over a hundred, yet his granddaughter is just eighteen.

Seeing the Grand Elder’s sincere expression, Li Ji’an understood that without a strong excuse, he wouldn’t be able to decline.

”Grand Elder, you’re too kind; I’ve long forgotten about that matter. As for your granddaughter...to be honest, I already have someone in mind, so forgive me, I cannot comply.”

”Hmm? You... Xiaoli, as a man, you should be devoted to cultivation, and immerse yourself in skills, not be swayed by emotions. Marriage and childbirth are just for passing on the lineage; does it matter with whom you have children? As long as you find someone with slightly better Spirit Root, wouldn’t the talent of the next generation be better?” The Grand Elder was evidently stunned for a moment before reacting, quite surprised at Li Ji’an’s mention of someone in mind.

It’s not that there is no love in the Cultivation Realm; it’s just that people at the bottom of the Cultivation Realm aren’t entitled to have love, especially those from Desert clans.

Li Ji’an wasn’t surprised by what he said.

Not to mention the current Cultivation Realm,

Even in the Immortal Dynasty, amongst the prominent families, those in power didn’t care for romantic love between men and women.

The good thing is, in the Cultivation Realm, female cultivators have the same cultivation pathways as male cultivators, with almost no advantage or disadvantage based on gender, so it’s relatively equal. If they don’t want to engage in romantic relationships, they don’t; more often, they have partners on their cultivation journeys.

In the Immortal Dynasty, aside from benefit marriages, women were mostly regarded as playthings or tools, summoned and dismissed at will, life and death in the hands of the powerful. Anyone indulging in love was seen as weak-minded, aimless, and lacking ambition.

”It’s laughable to the Grand Elder, I... lack ambition and haven’t given up worldly love, honestly...”

”...” The Grand Elder looked at Li Ji’an with furrowed brows, somewhat disappointed.

Wondering what was troubling him? How could he indulge in love!

Isn’t alchemy enticing? Isn’t talisman painting enticing?

”Hmm, love isn’t all bad... Come, meet my granddaughter; isn’t love just about being attracted to beauty? My granddaughter is quite attractive.” Yan Kongyi only needed an exceptionally talented seedling in the clan to inherit his Talisman Dao, the rest was unimportant.

Li Ji’an shook his head firmly: ”Grand Elder, you don’t understand love!”

”...”

Eventually, the gaunt old man with a large beard left with a stiff expression and a vacant look in his eyes.

Seeing the Grand Elder personally come to invite him, Li Ji’an still didn’t go back for a matchmaking meeting, making Yan Qingwan realize the problem.

Perhaps it wasn’t as simple as she imagined.

Previously, Li Ji’an continually refused, and she initially thought he wanted to find someone with better Spirit Root aptitude.

Then she thought he wanted someone prettier.

Later, she thought he wanted someone with a higher status.

Now that these three qualities seemed almost gathered... she still didn’t understand what kind of person Li Ji’an was looking for.

Seeing that Yan Qingwan probably wasn’t in the mood for alchemy today, Li Ji’an, to avoid being pressured for marriage, simply took leave and returned to the small courtyard.

”Gugu~”

Ten years have passed, Gugu has grown quite a bit, squatting beside him almost reaching his shoulder.

”Come! Continue.” Feeding it a Green Condensation Pill, Li Ji’an was surging with qi and blood.

”Gugu~” Gugu instantly lay on the ground, showing a stance of submission.

Over these ten years, with the steady growth from refining with Thunder Flame Crystal, Li Ji’an’s qi and blood became increasingly robust, often feeling unbearable heat, accidentally discovering Gugu’s thick skin was a good sparring partner.

After multiple sparring sessions, he further discovered this method not only refined his qi and blood but also benefited Gugu’s bloodline evolution.

Currently, his Body Refining was almost at its peak, and Gugu showed signs of evolving towards the late stage.

Soon, the man and the frog fought fiercely in the small courtyard once again.

Sadly, Gugu was still just a Tier One mid-stage demon beast, and its main talent wasn’t in physical defense, Li Ji’an was now confident in his body refining strength, capable of shattering a Qi Cultivation Peak cultivator’s Body-Protecting Dharma Shield, but he only dared to exert five percent of his strength.

However, Gugu’s tongue made Li Ji’an wary; despite its soft, smooth texture, it could secrete a paralyzing toxin, even making his physique feel numb, restricting his qi and blood activation.

”Whoosh~” Gugu’s tongue shot out from the ground.

Leaving behind a shadow at the original spot, Li Ji’an quickly moved to where the tongue had emerged.

Before Li Ji’an’s figure even appeared, the ground wriggled, and Gugu once again escaped into the earth.

This creature was already afraid of Li Ji’an, employing such tactics these days.

And Li Ji’an couldn’t do anything about it.

Until later, Li Ji’an seized an opportunity, risking paralysis from the tongue, traced its tongue’s retracting path, released his qi and blood, and delved two yards underground finally pulling Gugu out, delivering a combo of punches rendering it powerless to escape again.

”Not bad, off you go!” After throwing two Beast Pills at it, Li Ji’an attempted the Thunder Flame Crystal Body Refining again.

Moments later, he slowly gathered his energy, noting there was hardly any consumption of Thunder Flame Crystal.

”Seems like it’s truly at the peak now! Need to break through to Second Tier.”

The breakthrough for the Hundred Forged Golden Body Technique’s Second Tier requires a Second Tier Golden Armored Beast’s Demon Core, which was nearly impossible for him now, and even for the Eight Great Clans of the Desert.

Thus he didn’t dwell on it.

After storing all the Thunder Flame Crystals deliberately accumulated over the years in Gugu’s mouth,

These were enough for Body Refining post-Rejuvenation.

Then, thinking again, he also tossed the Middle Grade Fire Element Technique purchased from the market recently, Molten Rock Scripture, along with the high-quality pills he’d refined over the years, all into Gugu’s mouth.

Before the significant changes in the Zheng Family, he actually favored Yan Family’s Flame Dragon Technique more, as it was the foundation for Yan Family’s establishment here, a true Upper Grade Cultivation Technique, with potential for Core Formation.

It was practically the best Fire Element Technique in the Desert, the magic power refined was solid and explosive, perfect for condensing Pill Fire.

While the techniques available on the market went as high as Middle Grade Molten Rock Scripture, some others had Divine Soul Restrictions. After his Rejuvenation, both physical and Divine Soul would reset, purifying all traces, rendering any restrictions bound by his current Divine Soul useless then.

This was merely a backup plan.

”In the previous life, my qi and blood began declining at sixty-one, Rejuvenation, but in this life, there hasn’t been any Sensing.” After sensing thoroughly again, there were still no signs of decline, the qi and blood was still robust, Li Ji’an wasn’t sure when this life’s Rejuvenation would occur.

That was naturally due to absorbing Spiritual Qi, which nourished the qi and blood.

Theoretically, at Qi Cultivation Peak, the lifespan could reach around one hundred and fifty years; however, this was an idealized state, cultivators inevitably face magical combat, backlash from attempting breakthroughs, or pill toxins from consumed pill medicines. Except for cultivators of Health Cultivation Technique using Wood Element Magical Power or Water Element Magical Power with healing effect, most don’t survive that lifespan.

Whereas for those at Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation, particularly at his mere Qi Cultivation Stage Level Four, had a theoretical lifespan of about one hundred and ten.

However, his Body Refining reached Tier One peak; this alone should give him a lifespan of about one hundred and twenty.

”Could it be that my qi and blood won’t decline until I’m seventy or eighty?” He wasn’t worried about this; the more time there was, the more preparation could be made, increasing safety.

At least currently, the issue of the Divine Soul being purified at the instant of Rejuvenation, causing Gugu’s Beast Soul Token to become ineffective, wasn’t resolved.

If this couldn’t be resolved, he naturally wouldn’t dare to carry Gugu along; otherwise, those over ten years of cultivation would be wasted.

For this reason, apart from Chen Zhaohu’s place, he also specially found several teams that often went deep into the mountains for hunting, issuing a bounty, and sought to purchase from several market vendors specializing in rare Spirit Insects.

Now, he could only wait quietly.

A month later, Zhang Tiezhu sent another letter.

It was to share joyous news.

His son Yan Jue, who just turned fifteen this year, had his Spirit Root fully formed, showing a middle-grade Earth Spirit Root with thirteen strands of sensing ability.

This news invigorated Li Ji’an somewhat; it also corroborated his previous predictions, raising expectations for his own Spirit Root talent in the next life.