Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Chapter 369: Chapter 12: Searching for Snakes in the Swamp

Holding the Black Water Magic Sword, Li Ji’an felt a sense of familiarity.

Although it had a different attribute and appearance from the Cyan Wood Magic Sword Xiao Changfeng threw into the Fire Domain years ago, the superior magical treasure aura was nearly identical.

Similarly, with his current cultivation, he was not yet able to wield it.

”Cyan Wood, Black Water... could it be a set of Five Elements Magic Swords?” Li Ji’an had reason to suspect it was a set of Five Elements Sword Array.

Especially when he held the Cyan Wood Magic Sword at the same time, Li Ji’an clearly felt an increase in its aura.

”Water nourishes wood... the Five Elements generate and overcome each other. If all Five Elements truly gather... tsk.” Li Ji’an’s heart shuddered, subconsciously feeling a little agitated.

However, he quickly suppressed this ambition. In this life, he was merely a Fake Pill, even if he had it, he couldn’t use it, so he won’t aspire to it as of now.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he solemnly placed the two Magic Swords in the innermost layer of Gugu’s mouth.

Then he came to the source of Innate Mother Qi.

Weighing it again with his hand, it felt very solid.

Moreover, it was continuously emitting Innate Mother Qi, although in small amounts, with most dissipating, only about one-tenth managed to condense into strands, and it might take hundreds of years to condense a single strand, assuming no other Spirit Treasures absorbed it.

And within Gugu’s mouth, most of the Mother Qi emitted from the source was absorbed by the items inside.

The most absorption came from the Invisibility Puppet crafted with Innate Mother Qi at its core.

At this moment, the puppet’s energy source had been extracted by Li Ji’an; it was a fist-sized Spirit Marrow, but now its outer layer of gray material shrunk to a grain-sized center, emitting a jade green light. This Spirit Marrow was extremely precious, rich and pure in spiritual Qi, an excellent aid for Nascent Soul True Monarchs’ cultivation, reportedly priced around ten thousand Spirit Stones in the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain.

”At least ten strands of Innate Mother Qi and Celestial and Earthly Treasures would be needed to craft such a puppet.” After thorough research, Li Ji’an was amazed by this Ancient Puppet.

Not only were the crafting techniques and skills unfathomable to him, but he could also only recognize a few of the divine materials used.

Unfortunately, he failed to contract the puppet with his divine sense; not only did this tier of puppet demand high divine sense, but the mark of the previous owner also remained within.

That ancient mark couldn’t be erased even with the power of Little Fire Spirit.

”I wonder if Sister Jin’s Primordial Spirit, comparable to a True Monarch’s, could work?” On pondering this, he shook his head; even if Ning Sujin could erase the mark inside, and even successfully contract it, they couldn’t control the puppet with their current ability.

The Spirit Marrow, such a rare treasure, couldn’t be obtained within the Celestial Cyan Domain.

Subsequently, Li Ji’an carefully investigated the clump of yellow-white soil, aside from its rich Earth Spirit Mechanism, no other functions were discovered temporarily.

However, as he left the tomb chamber, Xiaoqiao transmitted to him that this item greatly benefited her cultivation with the Earth Spirit Scripture.

After organizing all external items, Li Ji’an then turned his attention to Fu Xiaochen’s storage pouch.

Truly befitting a True Pill Elder of the Fiery Sun Sect; his wealth was considerable.

A half bottle of Tier Three cultivation-type pills, a half bottle of healing and magical power replenishing pills.

Over thirty thousand lower grade Spirit Stones, over a hundred middle grade Spirit Stones.

A basin-sized piece of Red Blood Essence Gold, invaluable for both artifact refining and puppet crafting, could enhance the power of the Fire Element.

What pleased Li Ji’an the most was finding five Tier Three Spirit Medicines, among which two were ingredients for the Crystal Condensing Pill.

”The risk matches the reward... but still somewhat unsuitable for me.” Li Ji’an completely severed the seed of delight that came from the murder-for-treasure act.

After organizing the gains of this trip, Li Ji’an calmed his mind and circulated Wood Magic Power to heal himself.

Though his Second Tier Middle Stage physique withstood the deadly blow from Fu Xiaochen’s slash, the magical treasure’s power had still caused significant damage to his abdomen.

Time swiftly passed, half a month later.

The abdomen, nurtured repeatedly by the Wood Magic Power, had mostly recovered by now.

On this day, several cultivators’ auras approached from afar, and Li Ji’an instantly concentrated intently.

Moments later, several individuals landed on this Land of Holy Light.

”Hmph! The Fiery Sun Sect is truly overbearing; when did this Black Water Swamp become their territory?”

”Even Qingmen Sect should have more say than them, no?”

”Pah! Why haven’t these sect bandits been wiped out by the demon cultivators of the Boundless Domain? Although the Boundless Domain is dominated by demon cultivators, they’re not as greedy and shameless as these people!”

”The Fiery Sun Sect hasn’t entered the swamp for years; this time... claiming a True Pill Elder perished here, could it be true?”

”What these sects say is no different from farting; believing them is worse than believing a magical treasure could fall from the sky!”

”Just an excuse to seize land and search for treasures; surely they’ve found some Ancient Ruins or a tomb in that area.”

”Wu Weixiong collaborated with others to kill the True Pill Elder? Ha~ they may say it, but we can’t believe it.”

”Wu Weixiong is a notable figure among us loose cultivators, but how could he kill a True Pill Master? Besides, isn’t it said that True Man Fu has been a Core Formation for nearly a century, almost reaching Core Formation Middle Stage? What’s Wu Weixiong gonna use to kill him?”

...

The group meditated and rested for half a day, then continued exploring northward.

The following month, five or six batches of such cultivators arrived.

Most complaints were about the Fiery Sun Sect expelling other cultivators from its territory.

Summing up the dialogues from several groups, Li Ji’an had a general understanding.

The Fiery Sun Sect took nearly a month to find this place after they left the tomb.

And initially, the circumscribed range was vast, only narrowing half a month ago.

This aligns with sect positioning based on the Soul Lamp’s range.