Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

And he considers his greatest advantage to be his considerable wealth.

Therefore, he can only expand on this advantage.

Previously on the spirit boat, he had his steward investigate the identity and origins of everyone to prevent thief cultivators from lurking.

With these people protecting him, he doesn’t expect them to kill enemies but hopes their presence will deter ordinary troublemakers.

However, having just experienced a fierce battle, most of the people were worried, primarily due to Wu Yehua’s status, which they couldn’t afford to offend. Furthermore, they feared he might hold them accountable for hesitating in battle once they reached their destination.

For a time, several cultivators quickly distanced themselves from Wu Yehua.

But a few individuals were somewhat moved.

”Ladies and gentlemen, if you can lend me a hand, I promise to allow you to join our Jinhua Commerce Association in the future,” Wu Yehua, seeing their hesitation, decisively increased his offer.

”Hiss~” Upon hearing this promise, more people slowed their escape speed.

However, just as a few were about to agree.

”Zheng~” A sword sound suddenly rang out.

Before the sword sound echoed, a sword light shot up into the sky and instantly pierced through Wu Yehua.

Wu Yehua’s body-protecting Dharma shield was unable to activate passively in time.

Within his dantian, a lifebound spirit talisman activated a soil-colored shield just as the sword light dissipated.

The sword light flickered and disappeared, quickly returned to silence.

Wu Yehua’s expression froze, his aura quickly plummeting.

”...”

The sudden scene left everyone dumbfounded.

”Dead!” The few cultivators who were about to agree to protect halted their steps, quickly activated their protective shields, and fled in terror.

Li Ji’an’s body also froze momentarily, looking incredulously at Wu Yehua’s rapidly fading vitality, then his focus shifted back to the attacking Fake Pill Cultivator.

”Sword Cultivator!”

Within his divine sense, that Fake Pill Cultivator, clad in a black robe and wearing a half-face mask, had already escaped several miles from a deep pool and hidden again within a dense forest.

Throughout, Li Ji’an’s divine sense had not seen the sword artifact used.

”Bang!” Wu Yehua’s body fell from mid-air, crashing heavily to the ground.

Li Ji’an secretly let out a breath of suffocation, shook his head, and quickly left the place.

”Rustle-rustle...” However, just as he passed over Wu Yehua’s corpse, a sound of wood twisting reached his ears.

”Ugh~ cough~” A weak breathing sound followed.

Li Ji’an was immediately drawn to the scene below.

He saw Wu Yehua’s corpse on the ground begin to twist irregularly, and then a humanoid puppet separated from his body.

Afterward, Wu Yehua’s physical vitality began to rise.

But it appeared extremely painful and very weak.

”Help... help!” Wu Yehua happened to see Li Ji’an above and, with a strong desire to survive, tried hard to raise his hand.

”Substitute Death Puppet!” Li Ji’an’s pupils instantly dilated, staring fiercely at the humanoid puppet, which had been split in half by the sword light beside Wu Yehua.

Substitute Death Puppets belong to the domain of puppetry skills, an extremely high-end and mysterious technique which he had read about in the puppet heritage he obtained years ago in Fallen Dragon Ridge.

Unlike ordinary attacking puppets, the Substitute Death Puppet not only requires exceptional puppetry skills but also requires practicing a special divine soul secret technique. It’s extremely difficult to craft and requires special unique materials; its making method was almost lost in ancient times.

Nowadays, those existing are all from ancient ruins, and they’re extremely rare.

However, even though it’s called the Substitute Death Puppet, it doesn’t guarantee death substitution once every time, but depends on the puppet’s rank and the attacker’s power.

If the attacker’s power exceeds the puppet’s limit, it won’t be effective.

Wu Yehua’s Substitute Puppet was clearly not very high-grade; facing a Fake Pill Sword Cultivator’s strike, it barely preserved his life but with severe injuries.

At this moment, the sword cultivator in his divine sense lock moved again.

He too was shocked by Wu Yehua’s revival, yet seemed somewhat prepared.

After a rapid earth escape, he resumed his sword attack.

”Zheng~”

At the instant of the sword sound, the injured Wu Yehua’s surroundings burst into brilliance.

This time, seeming to have anticipated it, the sword cultivator’s desperate strike was blocked by Wu Yehua’s trump card.

Immediately, the soul jade on his body shattered.

An old man’s spectral image appeared in mid-air: ”Why does Your Excellency harm the direct heir of our commerce association? If you’re under someone’s orders, our association is willing to pay double to save him; my word is my bond, fair to all.”

”Zheng~” His only answer was another sword light.

”Crack~” The old man’s spectral image was instantly shattered.

”Boom~” However, as the spectral image shattered, a palm imprint suddenly exploded from the apparition’s remains and struck along the path of the sword light’s approach.

The earth roared, dust flying.

The Fake Pill Sword Cultivator’s hiding place turned to dust, forcing his figure out.

”You... You... You’re an Earth-level Assassin from Yellow Springs Prison!” Wu Yehua exclaimed in horror at the sight of the Fake Pill Sword Cultivator’s attire, his voice full of despair.

He never expected his second brother to employ such a generous means, hiring an Earth-level assassin from Yellow Springs Prison to kill him!

”Yellow Springs Prison!” Li Ji’an also changed color instantly.

Assassin organizations cannot survive in a cultivation domain like the Celestial Cyan Domain, yet in cultivation domains ruled by multiple sects like the Ten Thousand Merchants Domain, they exist unchecked, causing dread wherever they go.

Especially this renowned organization — Yellow Springs Prison!

It is said that their network spans the entire Great Marsh Cultivation Realm, with contact points everywhere except those rigorously controlled cultivation domains like the Celestial Cyan Domain.

Their services range from mundane tasks to those involving Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Their assassins across all levels possess top skills, with a success rate in assassinations reaching 90%.

Unless the client cancels the assassination order, the organization will persist with increasing the assassin’s level to ensure completion, even if the price exceeds the initial quote, never charging extra.

They excel in both strength and reputation!

Thus the prices for assassins from Yellow Springs are high.

They cost twice as much compared to ordinary assassin services.

And to prevent assassination targets from exceeding estimated strength, before accepting a mission, their organization’s intelligence staff conducts thorough investigations into the target’s details, then quote based on the target’s actual strength and the difficulty of the assassination.

Wu Yehua was stunned by his brother’s lavish expenditure because he once entertained the same idea.

And sought out the Yellow Springs assassin organization.

But regrettably, Yellow Springs, after evaluating his brother’s strength, background, and the difficulty of assassination, quoted a price of 150,000 Spirit Stones.

This gave him pause, leading him to ultimately abandon the idea.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford the 150,000 Spirit Stones; it’s just that the price was exorbitant for assassinating a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Of course, he understood the reasons, being the commerce association’s second young master, with no shortage of life-saving trump cards, and with the Guardian True Man as a close bodyguard. Assassination was indeed difficult.

Likewise, the cost his brother paid this time must correspond to the quote Yellow Springs gave him back then.

The Earth-level assassin before him, typically tasked with assassinating True Man-level targets.

”Fellow Daoist... save me!” In desperation, Wu Yehua placed his last hope on Li Ji’an.

Indeed, desperation has led him to clutch at straws.

Given Li Ji’an’s currently displayed power, which reflects a Foundation Establishment Late Period, and his magical power at merely 50% of normal, he definitely couldn’t be a match for an Earth-level assassin from Yellow Springs Prison, capable of assassinating a Core Formation True Man.

”Swish!” Li Ji’an turned and left without any hesitation.

”Zheng~” However, a sword light mercilessly slashed towards him.

”Clang!” In an instant, Li Ji’an’s Cyan Wood Shield spun brilliantly around him, enduring the sword light’s onslaught.

The powerful sword qi nearly pierced through the magical shield, threatening Li Ji’an’s flesh.

Fortunately, Li Ji’an’s magical power was currently extremely abundant, able to consume the sword qi outside his body.

The sword cultivator’s sword qi was sharp but lacked sustained power, and once failing to break through, it quickly vanished.

However, even this single strike left Li Ji’an greatly shaken.

Compared to his sparring with the Sect’s Fake Pill Elder during the Foundation Establishment Late Period back in Biyun Sect, the attacking power of this sword cultivator assassin was at least double that of the Sect’s Fake Pill Elder.

Had it not been for his magical power being continuously refined by the Little Fire Spirit these past years, this strike would certainly not have been blocked purely by his magical power.

Yet, the most shocked was not him, but the sword cultivator opposite, and the nearly despairing Wu Yehua on the ground.