Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Before Li Ji’an’s words had even fallen, the body-protecting Dharma Shield around the middle-aged tributor was already pierced through by the first Blood Fiend Talisman.

”Spare—” In the next instant, the second Spirit Talisman had already shattered his Dantian; he didn’t even have the chance to self-detonate his Dantian.

Stowing the man’s Storage Pouch into the Qiankun Ring, then using the Faceless Mask to absorb his Essence Blood and Divine Soul, Li Ji’an’s expression didn’t change and his heartbeat stayed steady as he calmly arrived at the second checkpoint.

”That guy was actually such trash?” The brocade-robed young master at the second checkpoint carefully sized Li Ji’an up, then finally cursed.

He truly hadn’t expected that the tributor of the first checkpoint would be taken care of so quickly, without even consuming much of Li Ji’an’s Magical Power.

”Cut the crap. To insult my Jinhua Commerce Association is to insult me. Die!” The brocade-robed young master clearly had somewhat thicker Magical Power than the first tributor; he immediately erupted with Magical Power and launched his assault.

However, compared to Li Ji’an’s Golden Core Magical Power, it was naturally far inferior.

Before a hundred exchanges had passed, the brocade-robed young master’s expression had turned solemn.

By now he already had a clear sense of Li Ji’an’s strength.

Just in terms of Magical Combat, he was absolutely not a match.

”To die under a Fourth Grade Magical Treasure is no loss to you.” As he spoke, the brocade-robed young master slapped his Storage Pouch, and a long spear wreathed in rolling black flames appeared in his grip.

Seeing the Flame Demon Spear, Li Ji’an raised his brows ever so slightly.

He had once served as a Honored Guest Elder in the Jinhua Commerce Association, so he naturally knew of the famed Fourth Grade Magical Treasure, the Flame Demon Spear, in the Jinhua Commerce Association’s treasure vault.

Although it could be considered one of the association’s town-securing treasures, it was at best ranked somewhere in the top ten of their vault.

However, although the opponent’s Upper True Pill cultivation at mid-stage Core Formation gave him more than enough Magical Power, he still found it somewhat strenuous to fully drive a Fourth Grade Magical Treasure.

Under normal circumstances, he’d probably be able to bring out ten to twenty percent of its might, which was enough to pose a lethal threat to an ordinary mid-stage Core Formation True Man.

Yet first, this Magical Treasure was only in his temporary possession, not a Lifebound Magical Treasure long nurtured in his Dantian, so at most he could unleash ten percent of its power.

Second, Li Ji’an was no ordinary mid-stage Core Formation True Man; even if the young master managed to draw out twenty percent of its might, it still wouldn’t pose much threat to Li Ji’an.

Much less when, aside from the Fourth Grade Coiled Dragon Staff he had been warming in his Dantian for years, Li Ji’an also had an Upper Three Grades Magical Treasure, the Cyan Wood Magic Sword.

Because the Fourth Grade Coiled Dragon Staff had been nurtured for many years, his current mid-stage Golden Core Magical Power could bring out thirty percent of its might.

As for that Upper Three Grades Cyan Wood Magic Sword, it was compatible with his Wood Magic Power, so he could barely drive it; even a mere sliver of its might was probably enough to cancel out the killing intent of the opponent’s Flame Demon Spear.

”Die!” In the next moment, black flames on the Flame Demon Spear in the brocade-robed young master’s hand surged into the sky, carrying a towering momentum as it stabbed toward him.

”Sit down for me!” Coiled Dragon Staff in hand, Li Ji’an slammed it heavily into the ground.

Rumble—

The earth quaked and mountains shook as vine-dragon-like tendrils soared through the air, and in an instant tightly bound the Flame Demon Spear that was only unleashing ten percent of its power.

Crack! The Flame Demon Spear was dragged down into the earth.

Immediately after, the brocade-robed young master lost his Sensing connection to the Flame Demon Spear.

”Your Lifebound Magical Treasure is also Fourth Grade...”

But before he could finish speaking, countless vines had already pierced through his entire body; body and soul perished.

With a casual wave of his hand, Li Ji’an stored the Flame Demon Spear into the Qiankun Ring and moved on again.

The tributor at the third checkpoint was likewise astonished that Li Ji’an had arrived at the third checkpoint so quickly.

This made him even more wary of Li Ji’an’s strength and methods.

Almost the moment they met, he cast several Defense Techniques, firmly shielding himself.

Only then did he sneer and slap his Spirit Pet Bag, sending two Striped Tiger Demons flying out.

These were two Tier Three Spirit Beasts bestowed by the Fierce Tiger Commerce Association. Although they were not true mid-stage Tier Three Demon Beasts, but forcibly elevated by Secret Medicine at the cost of greatly reduced lifespan, they were still trump cards that the Jinhua Commerce Association currently regarded as precious treasures.

”Roar~”

Seeing the Striped Tiger Demons baring their bloody maws and swaggering about, Li Ji’an gave a faint smile and snapped his fingers.

Whoosh~

Beneath one tiger demon, a cold gleam flashed.

Wooo~ That tiger demon was cleaved cleanly in two on the spot, leaving only a whimpering sound.

”How is that possible?” The old man was horrified.

Setting aside what could possibly one-shot a tiger demon that had been forcibly raised to mid-stage Tier Three...

The fact that, at such close range, he hadn’t Sensed a thing—that was what made his heart and gall tremble.

”Goo~”

Only when Gugu retracted the Crescent Saber—Fifth Grade Magical Treasure—from his long tongue and then drilled out from underground...

Did the old man finally realize what was happening, immediately retreating frantically.

But it was already too late!

Gugu merely gave him a faint glance, and its tongue shot out in an instant.

”Block it!” Sensing the intense killing intent of the Crescent Saber driven by Gugu, the old man hurriedly urged the Striped Tiger Demon forward.

Yet by now, the other Tier Three Striped Tiger Demon was already lying prone on the ground, submitting to a true Golden Core Great Demon.

”Boom~” With one strike from Gugu, the old man’s Shield shuddered violently.

But it did not shatter in a single blow; after all, Gugu had yet to break through to mid-stage Tier Three, and the reason it could kill a tiger demon was purely the might of that Fifth Grade Magical Treasure.

Li Ji’an immediately followed up with a Tier Three Blood Fiend Talisman, easily breaking the Shield.

After that, Gugu finished him off.

Stowing away the old man’s Storage Pouch, Li Ji’an Sensed the abnormality in that Striped Tiger Demon and casually put it into the Spirit Pet Bag.

Then, in one breath, he arrived at the fourth checkpoint.

”How could you possibly be this fast?” The tributor at the fourth checkpoint simply couldn’t believe it.

If he hadn’t heard the sounds of Magical Combat from afar, he would have thought the first three had gone easy on Li Ji’an.

”Hmph, then let me see just what rare Exotic Treasures you possess, fellow daoist!” The old man’s vigilance was cranked to the maximum, and the first thing he did was unleash the methods gifted by Wu Yishan.

Six early-stage Tier Three Puppets lined up in a straight row.

In the eastern region of the Great Marsh Cultivation Realm, Tier Three Puppets had basically gone extinct.

It wasn’t until that auction before Li Ji’an’s Core Formation back then, when the Business Alliance connected with the Thousand Mechanism Sect of the western region, that a large influx of Puppets appeared over the years.

Even so, true Tier Three Puppets were already at the pinnacle, and only the internal ranks of the Business Alliance could possess them.

This time, for the Jinhua Commerce Association to hand over six true Tier Three Puppets to this tributor all at once, they could be said to have bled heavily.

Li Ji’an swept his gaze over the Puppets before him. Compared to the Tier Three Puppets he himself had refined over the years, these clearly had more exquisite craftsmanship.

However, in terms of might, because of the materials used, he felt they were somewhat lacking.

”Swish swish swish~” He didn’t hesitate further; with a thought, the Qiankun Ring flashed, and one Puppet after another flew out.

Practice is the only standard for testing truth; whether his Puppets were weaker or stronger than those of the Thousand Mechanism Sect, he would know once they clashed.