Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Five years ago, when Jiang Yunzhou visited the Immortal City Master Collection Courtyard, his mid Foundation Establishment aura had already impressed Li Ji’an. Now, his magical power is even stronger.

Clearly, he has become the leader among the young generation of Biyun Sect!

He wielded his Escape Light and headed to the desolate mountain forest with Fu Hanxing of the Fiery Sun Sect, marking the beginning of a battle between sect prodigies.

Outside the barrier, hundreds of loose cultivators from the two states followed behind the six sects’ flying boats, all waiting for the battle between the six sects and Biyun Sect, hoping to benefit from the chaos.

”Heh~ Magical combat limited to those under fifty? Biyun Sect hasn’t had any new Core Formation sect inheritors, so they only dare to limit magical combat to the Foundation Establishment Stage?” A Foundation Establishment wanderer sneered.

”Biyun Sect, isolated in Cangyun State, is already resource-poor. Over the years, they’ve been developing relics here, so they definitely haven’t had any new Core Formation inheritors.”

”What they can show is probably just Foundation Establishment inheritors.”

”It’s a pity, they are so closed off, they don’t know the wonders of Celestial Origin Province. Fu Hanxing’s talent is close to Celestial Spirit Root, and he practices the Sect’s Holy Skill of Fiery Sun Sect. Before fifty, he approached the late Foundation Establishment Stage threshold, deliberately honing his magical power and accumulating combat experience.”

...

”Boom~” Amidst the crowd’s discussion, a magical power explosion resounded through the sky.

The two sect prodigies were in action.

Jiang Yunzhou struck first, his magical power surging around him. A violent sandstorm rose and instantly formed a storm sand pillar ten zhang in diameter.

The storm sand pillar quaked the mountain top, stirring countless stones.

The air-tearing detonations echoed like a death scythe, swiftly closing in on Fu Hanxing.

Through Gugu’s sensing, Li Ji’an felt a sudden shock.

Such an attacking magic power, with his current Magical Shield, there’s no possibility of defense, almost instantaneously broken.

Even a Body Cultivator with early Second Tier strength, while keeping his life, cannot escape being battered by the sandstorm, ending up with flesh torn and bloodied.

”Sigh~” Li Ji’an lightly sighed, having underestimated the actual combat power of sect cultivators.

Previously, his estimation of Jiang Yunzhou’s magical power aura fell far short compared to witnessing his practical attacking magic technique.

The cultivator’s Dantian Magical Power is foundational; without secret techniques, their power amounts to the innate magical power of the Dantian.

However, secret techniques can increase the power of magical execution.

The magic techniques Li Ji’an practiced from the Yan Family in his previous life, such as Blast Flame Slash, Burning Flame Technique, and Red Dragon Escape, are ordinary magic techniques, fully utilizing self-magical power.

By contrast, a superior cultivation technique can amplify innate magical power; Jiang Yunzhou’s current technique, as judged by Li Ji’an, boosts by around thirty percent.

Even this thirty percent amplification broke Li Ji’an’s prior judgments.

”If unable to catch them by surprise, once the opponent actively releases their Magical Shield, the winning chance is less than fifty percent!” Li Ji’an revised his estimation, recognizing his own inadequacies facing sect true inheritors.

Meanwhile, Fu Hanxing showed no change in expression in the face of the sandstorm; a little flame floated from his Dantian, unfolding into a blaze-red lotus.

The red lotus grew in the wind, instantly becoming millstone-sized and shielded in front of him.

The sandstorm and the fire lotus clashed, the sky full of yellow sand transforming into embers, nearly instantaneously turning the sandstorm into a flame storm.

The fiery red lotus in front of Fu Hanxing displayed even hotter sparks.

”The Fiery Sun Sect’s sect secret technique lives up to its reputation!”

”Dantian planting lotus, integrating offense and defense, undefeated among peers!”

Seeing Biyun Sect’s true inheritor caught in his own web, witnessing the Fiery Sun Sect’s secret technique in action, the loose cultivators behind the six sect flying boats expressed constant amazement.

However, in the next moment, the ground shook beneath everyone’s feet, revealing countless earth spikes emerging beneath the blossoming lotus.

”Boom boom boom~” They relentlessly thrust towards the fire lotus Shield enveloping Fu Hanxing.

In no time, the fire lotus Shield’s glow dimmed; Fu Hanxing snorted coldly, leaping straight up into the sky while also hurling the fire lotus at the flame storm.

”Bang~” The storm exploded, flames spreading all around.

Jiang Yunzhou’s figure appeared atop an earthen column at the storm’s center, standing poised, his momentum unabated.

With a glimpse at Fu Hanxing high above, a hint of satisfaction flickered at his lips.

Forcing him into the sky undeniably signaled his earth element technique’s threat.

”What a pity that Fu Hanxing’s fire lotus wasn’t planted for long. Were it another ten years, Biyun Sect’s true inheritor couldn’t break through, despite exhausting all efforts.”

”Hmph, Biyun Sect’s inheritor has already shown all his techniques, and Fu Hanxing hasn’t yet unveiled his.”

”These years, he’s challenged countless state prodigies, his greatest strength lying in accumulated combat experience.”

Seemingly confirming the crowd’s words, a blaze cloud suddenly descended from above, with Fu Hanxing’s figure vanishing within it.

In an instant, the two were engulfed in a mountain-top sea of fire.

Subsequently followed a fierce magical combat hardly perceptible to ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The fire sea churned, the ground trembled.

Occasionally, giant hands of earth soared to the sky; occasionally, flames flourished, spreading radiant brilliance.

...

Persisting through day and night, the earth-yellow magical aura finally faltered.

Yet, the flames fought ever fiercer.

Cheer rose among loose cultivators behind the six sects.

Even Li Ji’an felt a deep breath from hundreds of miles away.

This magnificent magical combat opened his eyes.

It’s the most formidable magical combat he’d witnessed across two lifetimes in the cultivation realm.

Compared to it, previous experiences seemed mere child’s play.

Whether cooperating with Gugu to slay the early Foundation Establishment cultivator Zheng Tianxiang with talismans or stealthily falconing the Blood-handed Butcher in close quarters at the Immortal City Collection Courtyard with his early Second Tier Body cultivating, both were metaphorically powerless in front of these two sect inheritors.

Jiang Yunzhou’s initial sandstorm impressed with a thirty percent power boost; his subsequent day’s display astonished Li Ji’an, with the strongest pillar seeming over fifty percent amplified.

It seemed to reach regular late Foundation Establishment magical power levels.

Even rivaling his strongest attack trump card—the premium Second Tier Golden Arrow Talisman.

Nevertheless, Jiang Yunzhou clearly focused more on attack than defense; though his attacking power suffices, defensive strength relies solely on natural earth element magical potency without specialized Defense Techniques.

Thus, if facing him openly, Li Ji’an could only use the strongest premium Golden Arrow Talisman to break through defenses, avoiding giving him a chance to retaliate. Otherwise, his current early Second Tier Golden Bell Talisman couldn’t endure his attack’s might.

Of course, that’s solely his innate attacking power, excluding magical artifacts or auxiliary aids.

Li Ji’an knows he possesses a Black Gold Blood Saber, a pre-law artifact, using mid Foundation Establishment realm, rivaling a Core Formation True Man by ten to twenty percent, requiring Fake Pill True Men to handle seriously.

Nonetheless, magical artifacts and talismans are external forces, not reflective of innate strength, generally excluded in such sparring.

Moreover, among major sects, true strength lies in personal cultivation and secret techniques, while external items, though beneficial, may also pose risks, excessively relying on them forsakes fundamentals; what one possesses, others might too, unless...one ensures their externals always surpass others!

The first magical combat concluded, six sects triumphed.

Subsequently, there were two more, one win and one loss.

Unexpectedly, the Biyun Sect’s victory came from Xiao Changfeng.

That decisive strike faintly reflected rumored secret techniques Li Ji’an glimpsed.

In another bout, the Dao Source State Sword Sect inheritor’s Heaven-Overturning Sword Intent equally broadened Li Ji’an’s horizons, fulfilling his Sword Cultivator fantasies.

Sword cultivation similarly hails from ancient times, a comparatively niche cultivation method, diverging from Dharma cultivation, distinct as Dharma cultivation absorbs Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, refining magical power, transforming the Dantian.

While Sword cultivation nurtures swords through the Dantian, cultivating sword bodies, cultivating Sword Intent, transforming Sword Hearts, ultimately achieving Unity of Human and Sword.

Although Sword cultivators profess their own path, fundamentally, it’s a Dharma cultivation progression; to highlight differences, Sword Cultivators created Fourteen Realms of Sword Cultivation.

Developments proceeded as Li Ji’an predicted, sect high-ranking meetings followed.

Half a month later, originally shadowing six sects to bolster presence, awaiting their Biyun Sect attack for opportunistic chaos, loose cultivators were abruptly expelled by various pretexts, scattering in retreat.

At this point, Li Ji’an finally noticed Duanmu Qin’s presence.