Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Chapter 317: Chapter 144: As If an Age Has Passed

The evening breeze was slightly cool, dispersing the dark clouds, with a bright full moon hanging high.

Li Ji’an raised his eyelids and looked towards the direction of the courtyard gate, feeling a hint of unease that shouldn’t be there.

”Come in!” He took a slight breath before he spoke.

Ning Yutan, as usual, pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in.

The only difference was that her expression became warm, affectionate, and slightly troubled, seeking comfort as she got closer to Li Ji’an.

Her eyes were already blurred with tears, and her full lips were trembling.

”Li Lang...” Only when she came close did she finally utter the words she had often called out in dreams for over a hundred years.

”Sister Jin!” Li Ji’an’s smile was no longer concealed, and he lightly uttered the two words.

In the light of the bright full moon, the two figures clung tightly to each other.

After a separation of one hundred and sixty years, the two souls finally reunited.

At this moment, they looked at each other without words.

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After a long time, Ning Sujin’s emotions gradually calmed.

She looked at Li Ji’an with a dazed look.

”A hundred years felt like a dream, as if a lifetime has passed. Li Lang, I thought I would never see you again in this life.”

Li Ji’an lowered his gaze to meet her eyes, gently brushed away the hair from her forehead, and although he opened and closed his lips, he didn’t utter any sentimental words.

In such a setting, the mood was at its peak, but having experienced multiple lives and the modern world’s baptism, he didn’t feel much deep emotion, nor was he a love-fool driven by passion and desire; the admiration and affection he felt for Ning Sujin were already the most he could muster.

However, in Ning Sujin’s eyes, his hesitation appeared as the image of a man who bore everything alone, unwilling to let her know the hardships he had endured.

In her mind, she even imagined a tragic tale where he would not ascend to immortality but sought her instead.

”What exactly happened back then?” Li Ji’an changed the topic.

Upon hearing this, Ning Sujin squeezed out a hint of sorrow and said wistfully, ”Li Lang, do you remember the seeking fortune and avoiding evil I mentioned when I was taken back then? Actually, the sensing at that time was a minor misfortune, without life-threatening danger, but I lost my freedom.

So when I was brought to this Cultivation Realm, I was mentally prepared.

What I didn’t expect was that everything originated from Yutan.

In the fifth year she was here, she was about to be devoured for her essence blood by that old villain. In her desperate moment, she cried out with regret for not listening to me; the pursuit of immortality indeed foretold great misfortune.

It was precisely this hopelessly spoken word that alerted the old villain, who then performed a soul search on her and learned of my extraordinary prophetic abilities from childhood.

Then he sent people to find me.

When I arrived at the Liu Family, Yutan had already become a living dead due to her Sea of Consciousness being damaged. The old villain claimed she had gone mad, sealing her Divine Soul, saying it would need a great price to recover, temporarily sealing her body with Cold Marrow, but in fact, it was to restrain me with Yutan.

Thereafter, the old villain showed me all kinds of favor, not only teaching me Cultivation Techniques but also taking me as a direct disciple, even allowing me to meditate in Peach Blossom Forest with ample spiritual medicine and immortal pills, just to use my fortune-seeking and avoid-evil abilities to guide his actions.

For Yutan and a sliver of hope to escape, I pretended to be grateful.

But at that time, I didn’t know what happened to the other Immortal Seedlings from the Immortal Dynasty.

Until forty-five years later, while I was in the Peach Blossom Illusion Forest, I unexpectedly learned about an internal conflict within the Liu Clan, with a younger clan member inadvertently entering the Illusion Forest to tell me about the Liu Clan keeping blood slaves.

Not long after, the old villain asked me about the fortune of introducing Immortal Seedlings, and I deceived him by saying it was great misfortune.

Soon, he gravely informed me that the prediction had come true; the group of Immortal Seedlings had been attacked by traitors from within the clan, with most likely all perished.

Since then, he trusted me even more, always consulting about fortune and misfortune for major decisions.

However, I harbored deep suspicion and enmity against him, unable to truly predict his fortunes, merely bluffing based on what he said about the Immortal Dynasty’s stakes.

Yet, my cultivation of the techniques he gave me progressed slowly, still unable to break through the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation at seventy, seeing my lifespan nearing its end. He repeatedly gifted me Lifespan Extension Pills and once suddenly gave me a Jade Scroll with a Soul Cultivation Method, encouraging me to cultivate the Divine Soul.

My talent in Dharma Cultivation was poor, but unexpectedly, I excelled in Soul Cultivation, progressing remarkably.

Utilizing the unique Spirit Vein here, it took me less than a hundred years to cultivate from Spiritual Sense to Primordial Spirit, but at that time, the old villain concealed many cultivation secrets from me, leaving me unaware of my true strength, and he never taught me any Divine Soul Secret Techniques. I had a formidable Primordial Spirit but lacked any Attack Techniques...

...

Ning Sujin recounted being brought to the Cultivation Realm back then, up until the Liu Family was breached by the Falu Alliance, and how she sacrificed her body to safeguard Ning Yutan’s life.

Li Ji’an listened quietly, aligning with most of his suppositions; the only surprise was that she had become a Soul Cultivator and indeed cultivated a Primordial Spirit.

”You’ve suffered.”

”Seeing you again makes it all worthwhile!” Ning Sujin buried her head deeper into Li Ji’an’s embrace.

”What is Yutan’s current situation?”

”Yutan’s Sea of Consciousness was nearly shattered back then, with many of her memories from the Cultivation Realm fragmented. Over the years, I’ve repaired it with my Primordial Spirit, but due to my weak repairing techniques, the effect was limited. Fortunately, thanks to your miraculous techniques, Yutan’s Sea of Consciousness is nearly stabilized now; she will recover in at most half a year.” Ning Sujin’s expression showed even more gratitude.

Li Ji’an smiled, caressing her cheek, ”That’s good.”

Then he asked with concern, ”How is your current state? Without a body, how long can you maintain yourself? Can you cultivate?”