Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Li Ji’an stepped forward for a closer look. The small flame was only palm-sized, with just a single ember at its heart, and the fire element’s power was weak.

”Except for its lack of power and the color of its flames, it’s no different from a Tier One spirit flame...”

After scrutinizing for a while, Li Ji’an became even more puzzled.

”Could the ancient texts be wrong?”

”Huh? What’s this...”

However, just as he started doubting the ancient texts, an unexpected scene unfolded again.

The spirit flame seemed to try hard, and just when it seemed about to give up, it unexpectedly lowered its flame halfway towards Li Ji’an, fluttering up and down.

”This...could it be bowing? This thing has intelligence!” Li Ji’an was indeed a bit stunned.

He immediately released his divine sense and tried to sense it.

”Indeed!” As soon as his divine sense made contact, the spirit flame initially showed no reaction. But after several explorations, he finally sensed a faint power of the divine soul emanating from within the spirit flame.

This proved that this spirit flame was also an intelligent entity.

Although the power of the divine soul it released was weak, it contained intelligence comparable to Gugu.

Before long, after many attempts, Li Ji’an connected his divine sense with the spirit flame’s spiritual thought.

Compared to his initial communication and connection with Gugu, communicating with this spirit flame was more challenging.

The spirit flame’s communication method was very primitive and obscure; it took almost an hour to resonate some basics.

After a final round of communication, Li Ji’an’s doubts were explained:

”It’s not a lifeless, unintelligent spirit flame heterofire but a fire element holy spirit born nearly a hundred years ago in this place!”

This result shocked Li Ji’an even more.

Holy Spirit!

A fire element holy spirit that only existed in legends from ancient times!

One century forms a cycle, and only after a thousand years does it take shape.

A holy spirit born and nurtured by nature possesses power far beyond other races, invincible among the same tier across ten thousand races.

Their small numbers and long growth cycles prevent them from becoming the sovereign of this land.

Without hesitation, Li Ji’an began attempting to establish a divine soul contract with it using the divine soul secret technique.

Compared to the spirit flame, the fire spirit before him was naturally more precious, and its future was promising.

”Little Fire Spirit, follow me in the future. I will nurture you; you won’t have to worry, feeling anxious here anymore. I have fire element magical power and can find fire element celestial and earthly treasures for you...”

While attempting to overpower it using divine sense, he sincerely recruited it.

During this time, he stimulated the fire element magical power within his dantian to envelop the fire spirit, enticing it to absorb.

”Whew~ whew~” Although the Little Fire Spirit was nearly one hundred years old, in terms of a holy spirit, it was still less than a year old, feeling somewhat bewildered by Li Ji’an’s intents.

However, sensing Li Ji’an’s fire element magical power made it feel very comfortable. Though lacking spiritual mechanism, it had abundant fire energy, which it enjoyed absorbing.

While it was absorbing the fire element magical power, unexpectedly, Li Ji’an’s spiritual mark intruded unnoticed.

”Buzz~” The Little Fire Spirit’s figure immediately straightened, while an exceptionally clear and grand sound echoed in the depths of its soul, with an irresistible force nudging its subconscious to comply.

”From now on, I am your master. You must listen to me; I will treat you well.”

Upon imprinting, Li Ji’an felt joyous.

Unless someone clears the mark or it breaks the mark independently, it will obey him unconditionally.

Compared to the spirit pet contract with Gugu, the control exerted by this divine soul mark was somewhat weak.

Yet, for a Little Fire Spirit equivalent to a human race’s one-year-old child, it was sufficient for the moment.

”Retrieve!” With a thought, the Little Fire Spirit internalized its fire’s might. Li Ji’an cautiously touched it, only feeling a hint of warmth without any sensation of burning.

Then enveloped it again with fire element magical power, absorbing it into his dantian.

Looking into his dantian, the Little Fire Spirit felt satisfied upon entering and greedily absorbed the fire element magical power.

Fortunately, it was still small and required very little magical power, satisfying its needs after just a few gulps, enjoying the nourishment of being wrapped in fire element magical power.

”What a great surprise!” After cautious observation ensured no anomalies, Li Ji’an breathed a sigh of relief, smiling.

This fire spirit had been born for nearly a hundred years and theoretically was already a tier one holy spirit. Due to this place’s relative scarcity of spiritual mechanism and almost extinct fire spiritual Qi over the past century, its growth was somewhat delayed.

With sufficient fire spirit nourishment in the coming years, it should quickly regain genuine tier one might.

Once its tier one fire spirit might is restored, it will possess the pill fire equivalent to a second-tier pill master, assisting him in refining second-tier pill medicine.

”This journey was perfect!” Li Ji’an instructed Gugu to lead him out of the underground.

While seeking spirit flames, he unexpectedly discovered a fire element holy spirit.

Moreover, he linked a prospect for upgrading Gugu’s blood pill requirements in the future.

”Uncle Li, that rock is special.” Just as he was about to contact Xiao Changfeng to return home, Xiaoqiao suddenly tugged at Li Ji’an’s clothes and said.

”Rock?” Following Xiaoqiao’s direction, Li Ji’an remembered seeing it through Gugu’s vision earlier; it was the rock where the fire spirit resided.

”Could there be more surprises?” Elated, Li Ji’an communicated with the Little Fire Spirit.

”Whew~ whew~” The fire spirit quickly responded.

”You were born from that rock?” Li Ji’an’s breath caught.

A rock capable of birthing a fire element holy spirit, how could it be simple?

”Gugu, take me down.” With that, Li Ji’an descended underground.

The rock before him, seemingly no different from the others scorched by heat over the years, could indeed birth a fire element holy spirit.

Li Ji’an fully opened his divine sense, yet couldn’t discern any anomalies.

He released magical power to probe, but there was no reaction.

If not for Xiaoqiao and the fire spirit revealing its uniqueness, he would have surely thought it was a mere ordinary rock.

Basin-sized, black-red without any sheen, it had no divine soul feedback, no unusual aura.

Upon holding it, its weight was average too.

Unable to unlock its secrets for now, Li Ji’an didn’t dwell on it further, letting Gugu swallow it into its internal space, planning to study the mystery of fire element holy spirit’s birth thoroughly upon returning to the Immortal City.

”Now it’s truly perfect!” Returning to the surface, Li Ji’an smiled contentedly.

He patted Xiaoqiao’s head: ”Xiaoqiao, I must thank you well this time. What do you want?”

He had known Xiaoqiao for nearly eight years. Her attitude towards Li Ji’an had changed from initial timidity to acceptance, to a closeness after Granny You entrusted her to Li Ji’an, especially as she became playmates with Gugu, relaxing more. Now she had some reliance on Li Ji’an.

Whether it was due to her being abandoned from a young age, or sensing Li Ji’an’s sincerity and kindness, before this journey, she proactively disclosed her uniqueness to Li Ji’an. Using her own words: she could see special things underground since young.

On this trip to Flame Mountain, Li Ji’an was thoroughly convinced.

”Don’t leave me.” Xiaoqiao stared at Li Ji’an with big eyes, uttering her heartfelt plea.

Li Ji’an paused, then firmly replied, ”Alright! I promise you.”

With that, Li Ji’an first retrieved Gugu to the spirit pet bag, then picked up Xiaoqiao, subsequently contacting Xiao Changfeng.

Soon after, Li Ji’an and Xiao Changfeng met.

”Brother Li, perhaps what we saw earlier wasn’t a spirit flame but some kind of fire-type demon beast.” Xiao Changfeng also had the thought of leaving.

Aside from five months on the road, they had spent a month in this blistering location.

And he was still concerned about a tragic incident seen en route, wanting to accept the sect’s task.

”Brother Xiao is right, we should give up now and return immediately.” Li Ji’an nodded.

After a month and a half, they passed by Ma Clan Territory again, but Xiao Changfeng didn’t stop this time.

At this time, it had been five and a half months since the group of roving bandits left. He received a message from Yan Qingwan.

Firstly, she thanked him for the timely notice; a few days ago, that group of roving bandits truly arrived at the Desert and tried to attack a Foundation Establishment Clan.

Thanks to the early preparations, aside from the Zheng Family, the other five Foundation Establishment Clans were on high alert.

When the roving bandits were just about to take action, the five great clans unexpectedly launched an attack, catching them off guard.

However, the roving bandits were numerous, with at least three Foundation Establishment Taoists in charge; therefore, the opposition was not severely devastated, and now the Desert’s situation is increasingly chaotic.