Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

After leaving the Sect, Li Ji’an made a trip to the Great Marsh Mountain Range to the north, casually slaying two Tier One late-stage Demon Beasts and retrieving their Demon Blood to report back to the Sect.

He then had Lao Huang go find Zou Qi, sending him off while he himself headed towards the Odd Stone Forest.

”Are you really planning to return to the Immortal Dynasty?” Ning Sujin asked with a worried look upon learning of Li Ji’an’s purpose for this trip.

”Don’t worry, Sister Jin. With Xiaoqiao’s Tier Three Earth Spirit Master’s mystical abilities and the route left by Old Thief Liu, everything should go smoothly,” Li Ji’an replied confidently.

”Are you sure the secrets about the Desolate Land are true?” Ning Sujin asked again.

Li Ji’an nodded. The reason he was determined to return to the Immortal Dynasty was not only to fulfill the original intentions of the five companions who came to the Cultivation Realm over 180 years ago but mainly to explore the secrets of the Desolate Land.

Especially the peculiar situation of the Spirit Root’s growth in this world, where the Earth Spirit Root showed no signs of recovery before the age of eight, indicating that it was not neglected in the Immortal Dynasty before that age.

However, in the first life in the Cultivation Realm, his Earth Spirit Root was similarly reduced to a single thread.

This indicates that from age eight until twenty-eight, the Earth Spirit Root continued to be worn down.

This situation was unexpected for Li Ji’an.

Additionally, there was a widely spread belief in the Cultivation Realm, whether it was Old Huang’s firm assertion about the current True Monarch of Ten Thousand Laws seeking opportunities for Divinity Transformation in the Desolate Land, or the Great Marsh Cultivation Realm’s former pinnacle sect, Taiyi Immortal Sect, which once mobilized its entire sect to attack another Desolate Land to break through the shackles of Divinity Transformation.

Li Ji’an’s start in this world was almost perfect, whether in terms of Spirit Root restoration, initial Vein Nourishing Dao Field, or identity and Cultivation Technique, it was all the limit of his knowledge.

Therefore, he had high hopes for this life.

There might be a possibility of planning for Divinity Transformation.

Thus, he decided to return to the Immortal Dynasty during the Qi Cultivation Stage, even if there were no gains, it would still be a necessary accumulation.

”I cannot accompany you back,” Ning Sujin said, looking towards the direction of the Storm Mountain Range’s Desolate Land, with memories surfacing on her face.

”I will check for you how the Immortal Dynasty has changed today.”

A few days later, Li Ji’an sought out Xiaoqiao.

He stated that he was fulfilling his master’s last wish.

Upon hearing this, Xiaoqiao agreed without any hesitation.

Furthermore, she felt closer to this junior brother in front of her.

Because only Xiaoqiao knew of Li Ji’an’s past expectations regarding the Desolate Land in the Storm Desert.

For Li Ping’an to know this and willingly risk the danger that all cultivators in the Cultivation Realm avoided like the plague to fulfill his master’s last wish, it showed that this disciple was not wrongly chosen.

Three months later.

”Gugu, Little Fire, are you well?” Xiaoqiao brought Li Ji’an to the edge of the Sandstorm Forbidden Land, where Gugu and Little Fire had received Li Ji’an’s Spirit Contract instructions and were waiting there.

Xiaoqiao was very excited for not having seen the two companions for over twenty years.

There was no awkwardness or estrangement between them after years of absence, just as if they had parted only yesterday.

Li Ji’an stood quietly aside, giving them time to reunite.

After half a month, Li Ji’an took out the route map left by the Liu Family Ancestor and handed it to Xiaoqiao.

Xiaoqiao utilized the Power of Earth Spirit to carefully sense and assess.

Finally, she confirmed that this route was indeed a lifeline left by the Desolate Land for the world, safe and sound.

However, regardless of whether it was Xiaoqiao, Gugu, or Little Fire, as soon as they approached the edges of the Desolate Land, they were intimidated by an overwhelmingly powerful pressure, capable of advancing no further than several miles.

As for the terrifying Tornado, even from several thousands of miles away, a whiff of its air caused their souls to tremble.

After ensuring the safety of the trip, Li Ji’an bid farewell to Xiaoqiao.

However, he ultimately refused Xiaoqiao’s request to take Gugu and Little Fire back to the Odd Stone Forest temporarily.

”Senior Sister, before passing, Master instructed that unless I have the power to protect Little Fire Child, they should not have too much contact with you or other close people,” Li Ji’an said candidly.

Xiaoqiao hesitated but ultimately accepted.

She understood Li Ji’an’s concern, aware of the once dangerous conflict between Pill King True Man Chunyuan and Li Ji’an.

If Little Fire Spirit were exposed, those close to it might suffer disastrous consequences from the True Man Chunyuan of the Ten Thousand Laws Palace.

Finally, under the watchful eyes of Xiaoqiao and the two little ones, Li Ji’an boarded the Flying Boat and flew into the Sandstorm Forbidden Land along the designated route...

...

Northern Desert Border of the Immortal Dynasty.

When Li Ji’an ascended 180 years ago, this place was a no man’s land, with only Martial Dao experts of the time venturing there to seek the path ahead, almost no one else set foot here.

However, at this moment,

Li Ji’an looked coldly over the corpses scattered across the ground and spoke to the grandfather and grandson crouching on the ground, trembling with their heads in their hands, ”Get up, it’s all settled.”

At the sound, the grandfather and grandson fearfully raised their heads.

Buzz~

The scene before him made the old man’s eyes widen as he sat heavily on the ground.

”Young master... how dare you slaughter the Great Martial Guard?”

”It’s over, it’s over, our Desert Village is doomed!”

”Alas, the heavens are against me!”

The old man was desolate, his face full of sorrow.

”Grandpa, big brother killed those bad people. Big brother is a great hero; we’re okay now,” the young grandson, recovering from the initial shock of the scene full of corpses, said with gritted teeth, despite his still trembling small body.

”Oh my grandson, you don’t understand, this isn’t rescuing us, this has doomed our entire Desert Village!” The old man was already in despair, looking like a walking corpse.

Li Ji’an watched them calmly, having anticipated their reaction.

”Don’t worry, this time, it will change the state of the world!”

After speaking, ignoring the bewildered grandfather and grandson, Li Ji’an’s figure transformed and soon disappeared into the vast yellow sands.