Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Seeing Xiao Changfeng’s tall figure, whose appearance was even more robust and resolute than eighteen years ago, Li Ji’an felt a bit unfamiliar.

The murderous aura on him made Xiaoqiao hide tightly behind Li Ji’an.

Xiao Changfeng stood at the courtyard gate, looking at Li Ji’an, slightly formal.

After all, they hadn’t seen each other for eighteen years, and it was only their interaction during the five-day trial back then.

The power of time silently erodes everything.

Although messages were exchanged frequently over the years, and sometimes they confided, ultimately there was no offline communication, more like virtual online friends.

Li Ji’an never took seriously the words from the immature, mentally undeveloped Xiao Changfeng back then.

Apart from someone like him with the mystical ability of Rejuvenation, one’s mindset and thoughts are different in youth compared to middle age, as maturity lacks back then.

Li Ji’an understood and merely regarded him as an acquaintance, possibly someone in the future who could aid his goal of becoming an Immortal of Ten Thousand Worlds as an Inner Sect disciple, but true offline interaction was necessary to determine specifics later.

This was also based on a certain recognition of his true nature during their initial meeting eighteen years ago.

However, human nature is both good and evil; during those short days, only the good side was visible, and human nature changes with environment and experience, so it can only be a reference.

Anyway, he didn’t have high expectations.

Normal social interaction would suffice.

”Fellow Daoist Li.” Xiao Changfeng had a slightly stiff smile on his face, clasping his fists, uttering just this one phrase without further pleasantries.

Obviously, compared to eighteen years ago, his temperament was steadier, and his speech wasn’t recklessly verbose.

”Taoist Friend Xiao, please.” Li Ji’an was relatively more composed, with a sincere smile, inviting him into the courtyard.

Having received his prior message, Li Ji’an had Xiaoqiao prepare a table of fine dishes in advance.

Despite barely counting as their first meeting in person, without drinks and food, the atmosphere could easily become awkward, so Li Ji’an specially prepared some late Tier One Spirit Wine.

Being temporarily unfamiliar was fine, just drink!

Tier One Spirit Wine infused with high concentrations of Spiritual Qi, also containing Spirit Medicine with stimulating effects for late Qi Cultivation cultivators, relaxed Xiao Changfeng a bit after a few glasses.

When each had finished a pot of Spirit Wine, their conversation became more intimate.

”Fellow Daoist Li’s impulsive action back then, people in the sect said you’d definitely regret it in the future, but now it seems, perhaps not,” Xiao Changfeng remarked, feeling that Li Ji’an had also advanced to Qi Cultivation 9th Layer.

Actually, over these years, he occasionally sent messages expressing his dissatisfaction with the sect, mostly to soothe Li Ji’an after he gave up entering the Inner Sect back then.

Li Ji’an smiled and raised his cup: ”Having luckily inherited some Alchemy Dao talent from my father, I barely manage to cope with cultivation, it’s not worth mentioning.”

Xiao Changfeng downed his drink in one gulp, smiling but not continuing the topic.

Li Ji’an’s decision to abandon entering the sect had been a common conversation topic among Inner Sect seniors for a time.

And as the substitute who entered the Inner Sect due to Li Ji’an’s relinquishment, he naturally remained associated with Li Ji’an in conversations.

So, he often got asked about Li Ji’an’s situation.

Until it was known that Li Ji’an moved to Immortal City, when some Inner Sect disciples came to the city on duty, they paid a little attention.

When he was rated a Tier One Pill Master among the city’s loose cultivators, the sect had a small discussion about it.

Some thought his decision to bypass the Inner Sect back then was probably based on his Alchemy Dao talent.

However, most opinions were relatively unified.

Just a Tier One Pill Master among the Immortal City’s loose cultivators, far from comparable to the sect’s seasoned Pill Masters.

Moreover, as the prodigies of Cangyun State, they more trusted the maxims of the elders at the Dharma Transmission Hall: in the Cultivation Realm, strength is respected, with the realm as the foremost, and during the best years, advancing cultivation and raising one’s realm is the primary task.

Unless one reaches an insurmountable bottleneck or exhausts potential, they don’t approve of studying the Hundred Skills of Cultivation.

In their view, the Hundred Skills of Cultivation are just trivial.

Xiao Changfeng agreed with this.

Even Li Ji’an himself agreed.

If he had sufficient resources, superior talent, and potential to reach the peak, he’d focus daily only on cultivation and honing magic, as a high realm and strong combat power truly negate the need for distractions, given that personal energy is finite.

Although surprised today by Li Ji’an’s Qi Cultivation 9th Layer realm, Xiao Changfeng understood the difficulties of loose cultivators since both his parents were such.

Over the years, he occasionally voiced frustrations through messages about the high contribution needed for the sect’s Foundation Establishment Pill, albeit true, at least it’s a hope, and he’s almost accumulated enough now.

Regarding Li Ji’an, a Tier One Pill Master reaching Qi Cultivation 9th Layer quickly didn’t surprise him. Pill Masters, after all, often consume their concoctions, and it’s normal for pills to aid realm improvement. But such a realm mostly built on pills offers little combat prowess and exhausts potential, given the significant pill toxicity and tolerance. He doubted a Tier One Pill Master loose cultivator would afford Upper Grade or higher pills.

Furthermore, living and cultivating as a Tier One Pill Master loose cultivator in Immortal City likely wasn’t easy, and despite some reputation, quickly amassing the resources for a Foundation Establishment Pill seemed improbable, whether in ten or twenty years.

Even more so, even if frugality allowed him to gather those Foundation Establishment resources, due to weak magical power, successfully establishing a foundation then seemed unlikely.

”Fellow Daoist Li, I, Xiao, again toast to you.” Xiao Changfeng raised his cup.