Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

On this day, with a metallic sound ringing above Li Ji’an’s alchemy room and accompanied by a golden spiritual mechanism descending, Li Ji’an put away his talisman brush and looked excitedly at the Golden Arrow Talisman in front of him!

”A Second Tier Middle Grade talisman brush is indeed much easier!”

During this year, because Li Ji’an had the Second Tier talisman brush delivered by the ”Blood-handed Butcher” and more than ten pieces of Second Tier talisman materials, his progress in the Talisman Dao reached another layer. Under the condition of compensating for the deficiency in magical power by consuming Law Storage Pills, the success rate for Second Tier Mid-term talismans was over fifty percent.

After a year of honing, today he finally successfully drew his first Second Tier superior talisman in his lifetime.

The most critical thing is that the Golden Arrow Talisman is a Second Tier Mid-term talisman, comparable to a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

It contains the power of Heaven and Earth Laws, equivalent to the magical power of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Moreover, this talisman is superior, and it contains the Five Elements Gold Spiritual Mechanism, making it extremely powerful, close to fifty percent of the power of a Foundation Establishment Late Stage. If an ordinary Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator does not have a superior Protective Spiritual Artifact or a Second Tier Mid-term Protective Talisman, there is a possibility of being instantly killed.

”It’s a pity there’s still not enough magical power; otherwise, with my talisman art and divine sense, and this talisman brush, even a Second Tier Late Period talisman could succeed!” Li Ji’an gently caressed the Golden Arrow Talisman, feeling both excited and a bit regretful.

If he had a set of Second Tier Late Period talismans now, in Cangyun State, except for a handful of top-notch experts, he would have no worries.

Undoubtedly, he summoned the Blazing Halberd Talisman that he had nurtured in his dantian for six years and kept the Golden Arrow Talisman in the dantian.

This Blazing Halberd Talisman had been nurtured for six years; it was originally a Second Tier Early Period superior talisman, threatening to ordinary Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivators and nearly equivalent to fifty percent power of a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Now, having passed six years, it should have seventy percent power of a full-force strike by a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator.

”I wonder if, aided by the magical power of one Blood Burning Pill, it would support crafting a Second Tier Late Period talisman?” These years, whenever painting talismans, he needed Law Storage Pills to make up for the lack of dantian magical power. The Blood Burning Pill, while consuming blood and vitality, could greatly increase magical power, doubling that of the Law Storage Pill. He’d entertained this idea many times.

A moment later, he laughed and shook his head.

Ordinary cultivators would only consider consuming a Blood Burning Pill, which burns one’s life essence blood and vitality, in life and death crises.

After all, they have only one life, and losing ten years of it each time they consume it.

Li Ji’an, however, relying on his ability to rejuvenate, only thought of using it to make up for insufficient power to craft talismans. If others knew this, they’d probably laugh their heads off.

He put away such thoughts once more.

After all, there’s no absolute need for Late Period talismans now, and every year he could gain in his lifetime could provide one more year of experience, beneficial for future generations.

Afterward, he sat down to cultivate, to recover the magical power consumed this time.

Half a day later, his dantian magical power was fully restored.

”It’s estimated that I could reach the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage in four years!” He carefully sensed his progress in cultivation and was satisfied.

Upon leaving the alchemy room, he raised his eyes and saw Gugu still lazily lounging in the pond, sunbathing contentedly.

Xiaoqiao squatted by the pond, chatting with Gugu while tinkering with the array base.

Half a year ago, at Li Ji’an’s suggestion, Xiaoqiao finally gave up the Music Path and redirected all her energy back to the path of the array, even trying to develop her ability to sense the Earth Spirit Mechanism.

Unfortunately, now her advancement in the path of the array remains stuck at the peak of Tier One, without any progress, as she can only channel the Earth Spirit Mechanism to the Tier One level.

And if she wants not to rely on her gift of sensing the Earth Spirit Mechanism, she needs her divine soul to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.

But since her advancement to the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage six years ago, her cultivation progress has been even slower, having reached the Qi Cultivation 5th Layer in six years, which suggests that it will take her thirty-five more years to cultivate to the Qi Cultivation Peak!

This doesn’t even take into account the bottleneck of the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage.

By then, she would be over sixty years old, and once her energy and blood decline, her hopes for Foundation Establishment would be very slim.

”Uncle Li!” Xiaoqiao looked at Li Ji’an, with a slightly guilty expression.

Li Ji’an nodded with a smile and walked closer.

”Uncle Li, I...”

”No need to blame yourself, see this courtyard full of spring colors, isn’t it all your credit?” Li Ji’an pointed to a medicinal field in the backyard, as well as the spirit grain, flowers, grasses, and trees throughout the yard.

These were all results of Xiaoqiao channeling Earth Element Spiritual Mechanism, something Li Ji’an previously hoped for, even fantasizing if it could have the accelerating capabilities like Celestial Venerable Han’s Little Green Bottle.

Unfortunately, the effect is present but not more significant, similar to a Tier One medicinal field.

”Gugu~” After comforting Xiaoqiao, Li Ji’an looked at the leisurely sunbathing Gugu.

Gugu instantly shivered.

”No problem, keep basking.” This time, Li Ji’an didn’t reprimand it, nor did he force it to improve.

By chance, encountering Gugu in a previous life, initially just experimenting, later realizing that it lacks much of the feral nature compared to ordinary demon beasts, which aligns with Li Ji’an’s inclinations.

It even once sheltered him, enabling his rejuvenation. Li Ji’an is already satisfied.

Now that it has advanced to Second Tier, theoretically its lifespan could shelter him once more; that’s enough.

After all, it possesses a lower grade bloodline, although having undergone some variation from long-term soul-devouring ant consumption, it still doesn’t have much potential. Advancing to Second Tier is its limit.

Unless a significant opportunity for bloodline transformation comes.

Moreover, Li Ji’an admits that the beast pills provided over the years are also limited, and he hasn’t had the energy to delve deeply into the Beast Taming path, having no reason for too much expectation.

At this moment, Doctor Bai transmitted a sound for a gathering.

Li Ji’an smiled at Gugu, who was still in a state of doubt, then turned and walked outside.

This year has been generally leisurely. He had accumulated a lot of medicinal materials in previous years, enough for his cultivation needs. Moreover, all the clans in the state were summoned to the Ruins Forbidden Area, and there were far fewer people coming for alchemy.

Apart from the alchemy task assigned by the Sect six months ago, there was hardly anything else happening.

Additionally, the alchemy task assigned by the Sect was calculated according to the productivity of an ordinary Pill Master, which was very easy for him. He only needed to open the furnace five times a month to keep up as usual.

However, a major conflict finally erupted in the Ruins Forbidden Area half a month ago.

On that day, to the north of the Ruins Forbidden Area, loose cultivators from Celestial Origin Province and Dao Source State gathered and launched the first collective attack on the forbidden area.

They claimed that the Great Marsh Mountain Range does not just belong to the Cangyun State border, and it was fine for Biyun Sect to excavate the southern ruins, but they could not prevent them from excavating the northern ruins.

On that day, the barrier and the temporarily set up array in the forbidden zone established by Biyun Sect were broken. Nearly a hundred Sect disciples were killed or injured, and two hall master-level disciples were killed as well. Biyun Sect was enraged, and several Fake Pill Elders took action, slaughtering loose cultivators from the two states until rivers of blood flowed.

However, as they were just a motley crew gathered by interest, most were able to sense the Core Formation level aura in advance and escaped early, with most of the dead being Qi Cultivation juniors.

Afterward, the loose cultivators from the two states started a tug-of-war. Whenever a Core Formation expert of Biyun Sect emerged, they would shift their attacks to other directions.

As Biyun Sect focused on excavating the ruins, most of their experts delved deep into the ruins to break restrictions. The wide range of the ruins made it hard to spare enough people to defend every point, resulting in many loose cultivators breaking into the ruins in recent days.

Due to the outbreak in the north, most of the Sect disciples went north for defense, leaving the southern defenses weak. Some Cangyun State cultivators, who had been waiting for an opportunity, also broke through the barrier of the forbidden area.

However, the local loose cultivators from Cangyun State were weak and long suppressed for resources, standing no chance against Sect cultivators.

In recent days, Li Ji’an knew of three early Foundation Establishment stage loose cultivators who died, and dozens at the late Qi Cultivation stage. Even those who escaped were issued wanted notices by the Sect.

They either risk passing through the mountain passage in the northeast to Celestial Origin Province, or wait until the Sect finishes dealing with the ruins, having no place to hide.

Before long, the seven of them met again in the gathering courtyard.

Doctor Bai, Hua Hongling, Duanmu Qin, and Tailor Zhou all wore grave expressions.

It turned out that today, the four of them received summons from the Sect, ordering them to enter the Ruins Forbidden Area the next day to guard on behalf of the Sect.

Among them, Doctor Bai was to serve as a military physician, promptly treating allied troops.

The other three were to serve as frontline combat forces.

Li Ji’an had already anticipated this. Among the eight of them, Gou Puppet Master was taken by the Sect two years ago. Of the remaining seven, he and Alchemist Zou both had sect alchemy tasks, Master Qian had a task to inscribe array bases for the Sect, and it was only a matter of time before the other four would be summoned.

However, being loose cultivators unlike the cultivation clans in the state, the Sect had no absolute means to control them. If unwilling, they could completely choose to head to Celestial Origin Province or Dao Source State through the passage on the eastern side of the mountain.

On the surface, the Sect did not force them, only issuing a call.

But all four had already decided to go.

Li Ji’an understood Duanmu Qin’s intentions; she was probably waiting for such an opportunity.

As for the other three, they likely had similar thoughts.

”Alchemist Li, having known each other for ten years, your character is well-known. I shall not say much; this is my lifelong medical dao heritage, and today I entrust it to you. If I do not return this time, I hope you can help settle my wife and children.” After the meeting, Doctor Bai specifically stayed behind to speak with Li Ji’an.

Li Ji’an gladly agreed.

Over the years, he had wanted to dabble in the medical dao but never obtained reliable medical dao heritage. He had subtly expressed to Doctor Bai his desire to trade for his medical dao heritage.

This act was naturally due to the reputation Li Ji’an earned by adopting and taking care of Xiaoqiao and his time-proven character in social interactions over the past decade.

That night, Duanmu Qin also came to bid him farewell, saying she would find another opportunity to explore that cave mansion and assured Li Ji’an she would never collaborate with others.

Li Ji’an remained noncommittal to her declaration.

If she encountered someone trustworthy and capable of helping her break the cave mansion’s restrictions, Li Ji’an did not expect her to remember him.

In the face of the great path, everything else is but a passing cloud.

However, on the day of the parting, Li Ji’an still gifted her a Blood Burning Pill and a Tier Two Escape Talisman.

The purpose was to make her understand he had the ability to acquire Tier Two Talismans.

This was the best effort he could make for that opportunity, leaving the rest to fate.

After seeing the four off, Li Ji’an also felt a sense of crisis.

Today, they might send artifact refiners and musicians to the battlefield, but once things completely fall into chaos, it’s hard to say he, as a Pill Master, won’t also be sent to the battlefield, especially since in the eyes of the Sect, those Pill Masters at the Sect’s Pill Peak are the absolute pinnacle and the main suppliers of Tier Two Pills.

”The cards I hold are still insufficient!” Facing potential conscription, he had no thoughts of fleeing, much less running away to the northern two states.

After all, with his current cards, traveling alone across the Great Marsh Mountain Range crowded with demon beasts, with the risk of encountering a Tier Three demon beast, involves greater risk than entering the ruins.

As a Pill Master, everyone knows his magical combat and fighting abilities are lacking. Even if conscripted into the ruins, he would at most be asked to assist slightly, dealing with some Qi Cultivation stage thief cultivators.

However, he was still eager to prepare some more powerful trump cards.