Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Chapter 152: Chapter 40: Ancient Talisman Master

As Li Ji’an’s silhouette vanished from view, four Foundation Establishment figures appeared outside the Yan Clan Territory.

”Fellow Daoist Yan, is Fellow Daoist Li unwilling to lend a hand?” The Wei Family ancestor transmitted his question through Divine Sense.

The Yan Family ancestor shook his head gloomily, ”Fellow Daoist Li has always been prudent, avoiding conflict and disputes. He won’t intervene unless it’s a catastrophe threatening the Yan Family’s existence!”

The four, upon hearing this, pondered for a moment before leaving awkwardly.

The once-mighty Eight Great Families of the Desert have now dwindled to just the Zheng Family and their alliance of five families.

But this alliance was merely a temporary shelter; if any family had a chance to dominate the Desert, none would hesitate to seize it.

This time, Yan Qingwan refrained from persuading Li Ji’an to get involved because she knew Brother Li’s teachings and had no reason to do so.

The ancestors’ empty words were just to intimidate the other four families with a big banner.

The Desert’s grand scheme is that prolonged division must lead to union, and prolonged union to division; unless annihilated in one fell swoop, the ultimate outcome is uncertain.

Moreover, the two families wiped out by the Zheng Family were closest to the Zheng Clan Territory, but that doesn’t mean the other five didn’t use this as an opportunity to eliminate opponents.

Had the roving bandits not intervened unexpectedly, the six families of the Desert might have already divided the territories and prospered.

Earlier, when Yan Kongyi shopped in Immortal City, he took the shared funds of the five families. Although he didn’t explicitly state what methods he used to achieve surplus transactions in the end, the other four families speculated that the Yan Family might have formidable connections in Immortal City.

The visit of Li Ji’an awakened them to the truth.

While marveling at the life fortune of this outsider who left the Yan Family, they were also shocked at his current accomplishments and were convinced his background in Immortal City was not simple.

Not only were the other four families slightly disappointed at Li Ji’an’s departure, but even most Yan family members harbored some resentment, initially believing he had come back to repay the kindness, only to leave just like that.

Meanwhile, the Zheng Clan Territory received the news nearly immediately.

”Ha~ Just like his father, timid as a mouse. A bit of warning, and he leaves obediently,” Zheng Tianxiang said slightly smugly.

”Tianxiang, do not be arrogant. Before we understand this individual’s background in Immortal City, do not provoke him again.”

”Although this person was lonely and dependent on no one in his youth, he managed to accomplish the Foundation Establishment in Immortal City. His encounters are extraordinary, and he surely has exceptional traits. He must not be underestimated, nor should we make enmity with him since he has stayed out of this matter,” warned several other senior Foundation Establishment ancestors of the Zheng Family.

Each had different thoughts, except Yan Qingwan, who, after watching Li Ji’an’s silhouette disappear into the horizon, turned and returned to the Alchemy Room.

She unfolded a piece of paper, closed her eyes, reminiscing Brother Li’s face, and began to paint with her brush.

Moments later, looking at the vivid half-length portrait of Brother Li on the paper, she took a deep breath.

”Brother Li, Fan’Er is doing great, you can be at ease... I wonder if I will meet you again in this life?”

Based on the estimation of Li Ji’an’s past life bone age, he should be ninety-five years old by now. According to Yan Qingwan’s understanding, at Qi Cultivation Level Four and Tier One junior Body Cultivation, barring accidents, he should have only about ten years of lifespan left.

And if she encounters no accident, she’d still have at least one hundred eighty years of lifespan.

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A streak of Escape Light sped across the sky, landing instantly on a piece of wasteland almost entirely leveled by pioneers.

Here, rubble covered the ground, and the dry grass turned to mud.

The only difference from the surroundings was the absence of life here.

Although he had already delved into Fallen Dragon Ridge, he was still far from the dangerous area where Second Tier Demon Beasts might appear.

Li Ji’an fully utilized his Divine Sense, just as Yan Kongyi said, underground, the boulders were jagged, making it hard to identify the target boulder.

He released Gugu to scan for surrounding dangers, while he searched for the underground boulder described in Yan Kongyi’s ancestral records.

Soon, ten feet underground, amid a pile of nearly indistinguishable boulders, Li Ji’an found the boulder described by Yan Kongyi’s ancestors.

Li Ji’an protected himself with Magical Power, then activated a late Tier One Turtle Shell Talisman to shield Gugu and instructed it to follow the direction of the boulder and escape downwards.

Meanwhile, he connected to Gugu’s vision.

After descending a dozen feet, a seemingly natural crack appeared in the side of the boulder.

Gugu entered along the crack.

Inside the boulder was a small hollowed-out space, about a square yard. In the center, there was a pile of decayed remains, and in front of the remains were three burned-out incense ashes.

It matched Yan Kongyi’s description; his ancestor had taken the Magic Robe and Storage Pouch from the decayed remains and paid respects with incense.

According to Yan Kongyi, when his ancestor accidentally discovered this place, he examined it several times and found nothing else before leaving with the Storage Pouch and Magic Robe.

After returning to the clan and studying the inheritance from the Storage Pouch, he learned that although this place appeared to have only that bit of space, there was actually a hidden arrangement set by the Talisman Master. To activate the hidden space, one must use a type of Talisman called a Spirit Awakening Talisman from the inheritance.

For this reason, the ancestral Foundation Establishment Ancestor returned here several times, using all means without any result, ultimately speculating that the Talisman Master likely had profound skills in Talisman Dao.

Unfortunately, for generations, the Yan Family did not produce anyone with a talent for Talismans, and they were never able to open the hidden space here.

”Is it truly an Ancient Talisman Master?” A glimmer of anticipation arose in Li Ji’an’s eyes.

He then had Gugu spit out the Spirit Awakening Talisman.

He placed a Peeping Talisman at the entrance, then quickly retreated from the boulder’s interior.

Just as Gugu exited, Li Ji’an activated the Peeping Talisman using Divine Sense from above and, after Gugu left, flew into the air, activating the Spirit Awakening Talisman.

”Buzz~” In the vision transmitted by the Peeping Talisman, as the Spirit Awakening Talisman was activated, a flash of bright light occurred, causing a slight tremor inside the boulder.

Then, a small section of the stone wall in the back began to flow like water, and in the blink of an eye, a stone door rose, revealing a one-meter-high, half-meter-deep hidden compartment.

Inside the compartment lay a single Jade Talisman, quietly resting.

Nothing else appeared within.

After waiting for nearly half an hour with no unexpected events, and the decayed remains remaining motionless.

”Truly an inheritance!” Li Ji’an exclaimed with joy, instructing Gugu to retrieve the Jade Talisman.

Throughout the entire process, he watched intently, and nothing untoward happened.

Once the Jade Talisman was brought up by Gugu, he probed it with Divine Sense, and after easily deciphering the Talisman’s information, he finally set his mind at ease.

However, the first sentence within the Jade Talisman made him furrow his brow sharply.

”Since there are no immortals in the world, consign the Talismans to heaven!”

This opening line made Li Ji’an slightly suspicious. According to Yan Kongyi, when his ancestor obtained the Tier One Inheritance Jade Talisman from this person, it said although one cannot know who he was without thoroughly mastering the Tier One Inheritance, it roughly expressed that he was a cultivator of the Ancient Times, dating back at least seven to eight thousand years.

Yet, the information from some Ancient Ruins Li Ji’an encountered throughout the years clearly stated that during Ancient Times, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was abundant, the Immortal Path flourished, the Celestial Dao was prosperous, Ten Thousand Laws struggled for supremacy—truly the Golden Era of Cultivation.

”How could there be no immortals in such an era?”

”If even that era had no immortals, wouldn’t the current cultivation realm be devoid of any hope?”

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