Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

The other party arrived as promised, but with three people.

The elder still had a disguised appearance, but the other two resumed their original appearances after entering the Li Mansion.

”Alchemist Li, this pill formula is a core secret of my family. I am really a little uneasy, so I had them guard the outer courtyard. They won’t disturb your alchemy.” The elder explained as soon as he entered.

In the current chaotic situation, their approach was quite reasonable; many alchemy seekers had done so before.

Li Ji’an did not refuse, as it suited his purpose; otherwise, he would have to deal with a time-consuming and energy-draining chase.

Immediately, Li Ji’an led them straight to the alchemy room in the backyard.

Upon entering the backyard, Li Ji’an activated the shielding array in front of them.

”This array of Alchemist Li can actually block Divine Sense detection at the Foundation Establishment Stage? Good, good, this makes me even more at ease.” The elder looked up, sensing the array’s effect with a smile, having originally planned to use a shielding talisman when making a move, which now could be saved.

Li Ji’an found their demeanor somewhat uninteresting.

He was right beside him and even set up a Divine Sense perception array.

”Boom!” He struck without hesitation.

A Second Tier Body Cultivator, attacking at close range.

And the other party was completely defenseless.

There was no better opportunity than this.

”You...” It was only when the fist came close that the elder suddenly reacted.

If not for the inherent body-protecting instinct of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he wouldn’t have even activated a Dharma Shield.

”Crack!” However, the autonomous body-protecting Dharma Shield was ultimately too weak. At such a close range, even with his peak Dharma Shield, Li Ji’an could break it with three punches; now it almost shattered on contact.

”Puff~” The elder took a punch to the dantian, flew backward three meters, and spat out blood foam.

Fortunately, the Dharma Shield offset most of the punch’s force; otherwise, this punch would have pierced his dantian.

”You actually schemed for wealth and harm...” The elder’s dantian was shattered, and his magical power dissipated rapidly.

He never imagined that this apparent soft target, whom they selected over a month, was actually a Second Tier Body Cultivator. Even more unexpectedly, this reputable and noble character of an alchemist would, like them, plot for wealth and murder for his pill formula.

”Whoosh~” Another Wind Blade sliced through, and his head rolled to the ground, eyes wide open in death.

Only then did Li Ji’an relax, and the Lifebound Fierce Halberd Talisman and Golden Bell Talisman nurtured in his dantian began to float again.

”Not even a Lifebound Magical Artifact?” He had prepared several strategies, but resolved it with the least anticipated means.

This was a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Although his magical power could never compare to the true inheritor Jiang Yunzhou from the sect, it was still more than twice as strong as an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The gap in each small realm at the Foundation Establishment Stage is significant. Normally, without external assistance, there is no possibility of surpassing a realm purely through magical power combat.

This time, what Li Ji’an did not anticipate was that the other party was too careless and came so close.

Who could resist acting when given such a chance?

Years ago, when he received martial experience education in the Yan Clan Hall, the clan elders explicitly warned everyone to maintain a safe distance from unknown cultivators and never let their guard down; spiritual sense must always be vigilant.

”Turns out he also nurtured a Lifebound Talisman.” By now, the elder was completely dead, and a talisman floated down from his dantian.

With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Li Ji’an shook his head. It was a beginner-level Second Tier attack talisman, but of poor quality, just a middle grade, with signs of years of nurturing.

A Lifebound Talisman can’t protect its owner automatically; it can only be activated without needing magical power or a divine soul. If this person had nurtured a protective artifact instead of a Lifebound Talisman, he could have survived a few more seconds.

Without further thought, Li Ji’an directed his Divine Sense toward the front courtyard.

A man and a woman were still discreetly observing the layout of the front courtyard.

He sensed Gugu through the Spirit Pet Contract.

Gugu was silently releasing Spirit-Sealing Powder from the soil beneath the man and woman.

Spirit-Sealing Powder was something Li Ji’an concocted over the years with guidance from Doctor Bai, combining the occasional principles of the Poison Scripture, to serve as a poison capable of restraining magical power in early Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Thanks to his deep understanding of medicinal properties in Alchemy Dao, he had shown considerable talent in poison studies over these years.

Had it not been for the lack of samples and test subjects, he had confidence in concocting a poison effective on late Foundation Establishment cultivators as well.

And this time, it served as his first trial on someone to test the poison’s efficacy.

However, in the cultivation realm, the hardest part about poison is how to release it silently and ensure the target is unaware of it until it’s too late.

After all, cultivators can hold their breath and isolate external substances.

Aside from poison-coated artifacts, poisoning is exceptionally difficult.

One advantage Li Ji’an had was Gugu, an exceptionally skilled assistant in concealment.

”Sister-in-law, do you have... oh no, my magical power...” Soon after, as the man stood up, his expression changed, realizing something was wrong.

”Poisoned?” The woman quickly reacted.

Immediately, a flash of blue light emerged from her dantian.

The blue light burst forth, transforming into a green halo that enveloped the two.

”Another Lifebound Talisman?” Li Ji’an was slightly surprised.

Furthermore, she actually nurtured an antitoxin talisman.

”Swoosh~” Upon command, Gugu’s tongue shot out from the ground.

Piercing the two just after they were detoxified but hadn’t fully restored their magical power.

Without magical power, a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s body is equivalent to an early-stage Tier One Body Cultivator; how could they withstand an attack from Gugu, a Second Tier demon beast?

Quickly, Gugu brought the corpses of the two into the backyard.

Li Ji’an looked at the three lifeless bodies, shaking his head slightly: ”My magical power isn’t weak; it’s because I’ve nurtured three Lifebound Talismans.”

He emptied the storage pouches of the three, allowing Gugu to swallow them whole.

After devouring the three, Gugu headed straight for the small courtyard where the group rented, as there was an inexperienced junior Qi Cultivator there.

While waiting, Li Ji’an checked the storage pouches of the three.

This investigation made him take a deep breath.

The leader’s storage pouch contained nearly twenty thousand spirit stones.

Dozens of mid-to-high grade magical artifacts, with various types, including a Grand Grade artifact, the Mountain-Opening Axe.

There were also many pills of varying quality.

”Hmm? What’s this...” Suddenly, a piece of beast hide caught Li Ji’an’s attention.

The beast hide was ancient and tattered, severely marked by the ravages of time, obviously only a small remnant.

But on this piece of tattered beast hide, three characters were extraordinarily clear—Six Gods Condensation...

Below these three characters were three herbal ingredients.

The very ingredients the elder reported to Li Ji’an.

”This person actually wasn’t completely deceptive!” Li Ji’an carefully stored the tattered beast hide.

This gave him hope for the ”Six Gods Condensing Essence Pill.”

Suppressing his excitement, Li Ji’an continued searching the storage pouches of the other two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

There was not much in these two’s storage pouches.

However, in the female’s storage pouch, Li Ji’an found something unusual.

It contained numerous talismans.

As well as a lot of talisman materials.

”She’s actually a Second Tier Talisman Master!”

Li Ji’an could not comprehend why a Second Tier Talisman Master would be a Tribulation Cultivator.

At least in the Cangyun State, there were no Second Tier Loose Cultivator Talisman Masters.

A Second Tier Talisman Master could produce strategic resources threatening to Foundation Establishment cultivators, and most Second Tier Talisman Masters were generally recruited into sects.

Additionally, in the Cangyun State, Second Tier talisman materials were heavily controlled, rarely available, and ordinary Talisman Masters had few opportunities for practice.

In the nine years since Li Ji’an acquired the Second Tier talismanography inheritance, he had acquired fewer than thirty talisman materials, many through alchemy services or private transactions.

”Perhaps it was through plundering that they nurtured a Second Tier Talisman Master.”

”Talisman Brush!”

Finally, Li Ji’an was delighted to find the female Talisman Master’s Talisman Brush in a jade box.

It was actually a mid-grade Second Tier Talisman Brush.

This was a full grade higher than the Talisman Brush Li Ji’an had been using for years.

There’s no denying the consistent surprises this windfall brought him.

”Being an apparent weak target isn’t so bad, after all.”

Soon, Gugu returned.

The storage pouch of the late-stage Qi Cultivator contained only daily cultivation pills, nothing else.

After dealing with this family, Li Ji’an sent a message to Xiaoqiao, informing her she could return.

Before the other party’s arrival, Li Ji’an had Xiaoqiao go to Duanmu Qin’s residence.

Yet, before Xiaoqiao returned, news spread that was considered a stroke of fortune for the entire Immortal City’s loose cultivators.

”To demonstrate its righteousness, the Biyun Sect has decided to release a portion of the rare resources excavated from the ruins for auction, giving every cultivator in the state a fair chance to compete.”