Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 211 An Old Friend's Life Ends
As Li Ji'an left the food shop, doubts arose in his mind.

Through close-up sensory observation, he confirmed that Ning Yutan was still the same Ning Yutan.

However, despite his spiritual sense being comparable to that of a pseudo-core cultivator, Ning Yutan is still only at the eighth level of Qi Refining, while her physical body and bone age are still around forty years old.

Compared to the more than one hundred years that have passed, it seems as if only more than twenty years have gone by.

What struck him as even more unusual was that his current words, actions, and thoughts were not at all like someone who had lived for over a hundred years, especially considering the many hardships he had endured during that time.

"Perhaps it's some kind of magical freezing technique," Li Ji'an speculated.

The Liu family patriarch hoped that Ning Sujin would possess supernatural abilities to ward off evil and attract good fortune, so he would naturally try his best to fulfill Ning Sujin's requests. Keeping Ning Yutan around was also a kind of constraint on Ning Sujin, which is understandable.

After a moment's thought, he shook his head and decided not to delve any further.

Ning Sujin is currently under house arrest by Wanfa Palace, but her life is not in immediate danger.

Ning Yutan also regained her freedom and began her cultivation career in the cultivation world.

This is considered lucky for the blood slaves who were tricked into coming here from the Immortal Dynasty.

However, given Ning Yutan's current situation, it's unlikely that her skill in making spirit cakes alone will be enough to accumulate enough spiritual resources for Foundation Establishment.

As for Ning Sujin, it is unknown whether she will be able to wait until the day when she has the strength to ask the Wanfa Palace for her.

Li Ji'an stayed in Biluo Market for over a month. Apart from taking Xiao Qiao to taste Ning Yutan's spirit cake every few days, he had Guagua observe him underground every day.

Besides making and selling spirit cakes, Ning Yutan spends most of her time diligently cultivating.

Unfortunately, the spiritual energy in the area where her shop was located was only equivalent to the mid-stage of the first level, which was very inefficient for her current cultivation level of the eighth level of Qi Refining.

In addition, he did not have enough spiritual resources to purchase nourishing pills, so his progress was slow.

After observing for more than a month, Li Ji'an calculated that the income from his spiritual food shop was only enough for him to maintain his foothold in the market, and there was little extra spiritual capital to be saved.

After all, spiritual cakes and spirit wines are not necessities in the cultivation world, and the market is limited.

"I knew the magpies had been chirping all morning, and sure enough, Brother Li and Sister Qiao arrived." After spending more than a month together, Ning Yutan and Li Ji'an had grown much closer.

After all, Li Ji'an is now considered the top figure in the Spirit Food Shop.

"Hehe." Li Ji'an smiled and looked at Xiao Qiao: "Who told this girl to crave the spirit cakes you make?"

Xiao Qiao paused for a moment, then nodded numbly, "Ah, right."

Li Ji'an never told her his plans in advance, and this time was no exception.

At first, she thought she had just stumbled upon the food shop by chance and just happened to come in to try it.

Now she understands that Uncle Li had planned this all along.

However, she didn't expose him; in fact, she cooperated quite well.

Moreover, she guessed that Uncle Li might have some thoughts about Ning Yutan.

After all, although Ning Yutan and Duanmu Qin have some differences in their charm, they both have the appearance of a delicate and refined young lady, and they are both eloquent and have excellent verbal skills.

"Sister Qiao, please sit down. I've recently developed a new type of pastry that I guarantee you'll love." Ning Yutan affectionately took Qiao's arm and led her into the shop.

Then, with a hint of envy, she said, "My sister is so lucky to have a godfather like Brother Li taking care of her. She is truly the envy of everyone."

Her words were seven parts sincerity and three parts flattery. The once proud princess of the Celestial Dynasty, full of longing to "ascend" to the Celestial Realm, turned out to be a blood slave trap.

He then lived in a daze for over a hundred years, his memories fragmented, everything seeming like a dream.

He finally escaped his predicament in the last two years, but almost fell into despair again, and had no choice but to make a living by relying on the skills he learned from his mother.

In these days, she sees no hope, let alone helping that guy regain his physical body and get him to leave her body as soon as possible.

But that guy doesn't care about anything, he just sleeps, so I have to do everything myself.

She was genuinely envious of Xiao Qiao.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiao's face lit up instantly; this was indeed her greatest pride.

"Brother Li, do you need a goddaughter?" Ning Yutan asked jokingly.

Xiao Qiao suppressed a laugh and muttered softly, "Uncle Li doesn't lack daughters, he lacks a Daoist partner."

"A Daoist partner?" Ning Yutan was slightly taken aback.

Recalling the time a few years ago when she had just regained some clarity and was on the verge of a breakdown, wanting to commit suicide, Ning Sujin deliberately provoked her, saying that she had already consummated her marriage with Li Ji'an before entering the cultivation world, declaring her a loser.

Looking at the person in front of her again, Ning Yutan found the resemblance to him more and more.

Even a somewhat absurd idea popped into my head.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Li Ji'an frowned at Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao quickly lowered her head.

"Brother Li, please have a seat. I'll go get you some spirit cakes right away." Ning Yutan was quite shameless, and even winked playfully at Li Ji'an.

Looking at his deliberately swaying back, Li Ji'an chuckled slightly, realizing that it was exactly the same as when they first met in the Immortal Dynasty.

……

A few days later, Li Ji'an had a clear understanding of Ning Yutan's situation and had a more reasonable plan in mind.

With his current status and wealth, sponsoring one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators would be a piece of cake.

Over the years, through helping my fellow sect members refine Foundation Establishment Pills, I have obtained two complete sets of Foundation Establishment Pill materials.

In order to refine a guaranteed high-quality Foundation Establishment Pill for his next life, and with the aim of creating a top-grade one, he plans to try again when he is at the peak of all aspects in this life.

In addition, when helping his colleagues refine pills, in order to avoid raising everyone's expectations too high, he kept two pills for himself on two occasions when the pills he produced exceeded expectations.

One is of superior quality, and one is of medium quality.

In the entire Tiancang Domain, such items would be highly sought-after treasures by all cultivators.

He planned to give Ning Yutan one when she reached a crucial moment, as a way of expressing his feelings from their third life.

However, just as he was about to say goodbye to Ning Yutan that day, he suddenly received a message from Dong Jiangling.

The messenger was not Dong Jiangling himself, but his Daoist partner.

"Dong Jiangling is about to die."

Dong Jiangling was of average age among the five who came to the cultivation world. He was five years older than Zhu Linxian and Zhang Tiezhu, and eight years younger than Li Ji'an and Zhao Shuyao.

If you calculate the time, he is now 116 years old.

Of the five who came to the cultivation world together, this was the first to die of a natural death.

"Having avenged his great grudge and with no regrets, he can be considered to have died a natural death, which is already fortunate in the cultivation world." With a sigh, Li Ji'an told Xiao Qiao to stay at an inn for the time being, and then headed towards Dong Jiangling's location.

It was originally located in the Liu family area, very close to the mortal district here.

Three hours later, he arrived at Dong Jiangling's house.

Inside the courtyard, a group of people were busy hanging mourning clothes, setting up a mourning hall, and slaughtering spirit beasts. The cooks preparing the funeral feast were chatting and laughing.

This clearly indicates that it was a joyous funeral.

Dong Jiangling was well-liked in this mortal city, and with his daughter Dong Ping's background of marrying into a Foundation Establishment family, he could be considered highly respected.

So many neighbors came to help.

"Excuse me." As we stopped, several villagers carried a large pot inside.

Li Ji'an stepped aside, clearing the way for the main gate.

After the others entered the courtyard, he stepped inside.

A quick scan with his divine sense revealed that there were quite a few people in the bedroom. "Zhang Tiezhu actually arrived early?" Li Ji'an realized that Dong Jiangling's Daoist partner had only just informed him, not expecting him to come.

After all, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a guest elder of a high sect, he theoretically could not possibly attend the funeral of a nobody in a mortal region.

People gathered around Dong Jiangling's bedside, saying goodbye one by one.

"Old Dong, we can finally rest in peace." Zhang Tiezhu was helped by Yan Qing to sit by Dong Jiangling's bedside. His old face showed little sadness, but rather a sense of relief.

Dong Jiangling was breathing weakly, his eyes were slightly open, a smile appeared on his face, and he kept nodding.

"Father-in-law, how could you leave like this? Your son-in-law wanted to take care of you for a few more years." When it was Liu Zhong's turn, he was a little moved and burst into tears.

On the contrary, her biological daughter, Dong Ping, was much calmer, simply hugging her mother and gently comforting her.

At the very back of the crowd, Li Ji'an saw Liu Qun, whom he had previously seen through Guagua's vision.

Although she was dressed in mourning, her makeup was exquisite, making her stand out from the crowd. Standing at the back of the group, she seemed uneasy and kept looking out.

Beside him, Liu Yu, the young master of a branch of the Liu family, quietly accompanied him.

After everyone inside had said their goodbyes, Li Ji'an stepped inside.

At this moment, Li Ji'an concealed his aura and dressed simply, thus attracting no attention along the way.

Until she arrived at Dong Jiangling's bedside, she cupped her hands to Dong Jiangling's Daoist partner and said, "Aunt Cui."

"Senior Li... you..." Dong Ping was the first to react, covering her mouth in surprise.

"Senior Li, what brings you here?" Aunt Cui was also very surprised.

Then Zhang Tiezhu, Yan Qing, and Liu Zhong all showed expressions of surprise.

Li Ji'an nodded slightly, then sat down beside Dong Jiangling's bed, looking at the barely breathing Dong Jiangling with a smile.

Dong Jiangling's eyesight was failing, but he forced them open as wide as possible and tried to get up.

Li Ji'an gently grasped his hand and channeled a wisp of wood-elemental magic into it: "Uncle Dong, I've come to see you off."

"Cough cough cough~" Dong Jiangling coughed as soon as he received the magical power.

"Xiao Fan, haha, good, good, this old man is satisfied." After calming down, Dong Jiangling laughed with a hint of pride.

For a nobody in the mortal realm to be seen off by a Foundation Establishment cultivator is already the highest honor.

Li Ji'an then transmitted his voice, "Uncle Dong, do you want to return to your roots?"

"No, no need. Let me be buried here." Dong Jiangling firmly refused.

Having lived in this world for nearly a century, he has come to accept this place.

Li Ji'an nodded, respecting his decision.

"Grandpa, why are you leaving so soon? I haven't even let you enjoy a day of happiness yet. I can't bear to part with you." Just then, Liu Qun suddenly rushed in, knelt down beside Dong Jiangling's bed, and cried out uncontrollably.

Li Ji'an frowned slightly, feeling quite disgusted by the woman, but he wasn't surprised by it.

"Qun'er, you mustn't act recklessly in front of Senior Li." No one knows a daughter better than her mother, and Dong Ping naturally knew her daughter's character, so she stepped forward and sternly reprimanded her.

“Senior Li, please calm down. This girl is just too close to her grandfather. She has been thinking about finding a longevity pill for him after she has completed her Foundation Establishment, but in the end…” Liu Zhong, however, was in cahoots with Liu Qun and stepped forward to help.

In front of Dong Jiangling, Li Ji'an did not reveal anything, but simply waved his hand slightly: "It's alright, it's only human nature."

"Hurry up and thank Senior Li." Liu Zhong hurriedly nudged Liu Qun again.

With tears in her eyes, Liu Qun looked at Li Ji'an and said, "So you are Senior Li. Please forgive me, Senior. When I was a child, you gave me a divine pill. I didn't recognize my benefactor just now. I deserve to die."

Li Ji'an remained calm, nodded slightly, then ignored her and spoke a few words to Dong Jiangling before walking over to Zhang Tiezhu.

……

Dong Jiangling passed away peacefully that night, with a smile on his face.

When everyone learned of Li Ji'an's arrival, the previously relaxed and casual atmosphere became much more tense.

Fortunately, Li Ji'an stayed in his bedroom and did not wander out unnecessarily.

After settling Dong Jiangling in the mourning hall, Li Ji'an lit incense and prepared to take his leave.

However, Liu Qun desperately seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, even asking Aunt Ping for help to persuade Li Ji'an to stay.

Out of respect for Dong Jiangling, Li Ji'an eventually went to the guest room with him.

"Junior Tang Qun pays respects to Senior Li!" Upon entering the guest room, Liu Qun respectfully knelt down.

"Tang?" Li Ji'an raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Reporting to Senior Li, my ancestor finally found his ancestral roots two years ago and confirmed that our ancestor's surname was Tang. We have already changed our family name to Tang," Liu Qun explained.

“Change it to the surname Tang.” Li Ji’an suddenly realized.

Two years after the Liu family was completely wiped out, before the Wanfa Palace could announce its verdict, some vassal families changed their surnames to avoid being implicated in the crime of extermination.

"Hmm, what do you intend to do?" Li Ji'an stopped beating around the bush with her.

Tang Qun hurriedly kowtowed: "Please take me in, Senior Li. I am willing to serve as your servant and follow you."

Li Ji'an chuckled and said, "I have no shortage of servants."

“Concubines and maids are also acceptable!” Tang Qun said firmly.

Li Ji'an's expression changed instantly. He had long sensed that the eldest young master of the Liu family had been waiting outside the door.

They already knew about the young master of the Liu family's infatuation with Liu Qun.

He felt a certain familiarity with this scene.

It's very similar to those revenge-themed novels where the male protagonist is reborn.

However, given Liu Qun's actions, he is likely to become a minor villain in the middle stages of the story.

"Nonsense!" he shouted immediately.

"Li is Uncle Dong's nephew, that is, your uncle. How can you talk such nonsense?" While rebuking him, he used his magic to open the guest room door, deliberately letting everyone outside hear clearly.

Liu Qun's face turned pale instantly. She was ruthless in achieving her goals, and today's opportunity was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so she staked almost everything on it.

Unexpectedly, this declaration of determination angered Senior Li.

"Senior, please calm down, senior, please calm down. I just... I just wanted to improve too much. Please have pity on me, senior." Liu Qun immediately kowtowed repeatedly.

He exerted almost all his strength with each bump, and after just a few, his forehead was already covered in bright red blood.

This stirred something in Li Ji'an's heart. He had only seen the woman's manipulative nature before, but he had not seen this resolute and ruthless side of her.

Based on his experience from several lifetimes, this kind of person is most despised by the world, but it is precisely this kind of person who is most likely to succeed.

On the contrary, those virtues that society praises and promotes are most likely to fade into obscurity or become commonplace.

A kind heart cannot command an army, righteousness cannot manage wealth, kindness rarely brings great riches, and deep affection is short-lived!
"Senior, please calm down. Qun'er must not have done it on purpose. Please don't hold it against her." Just then, the young master of the Liu family couldn't hold back any longer. He slid into the room, knelt down, and kowtowed to beg for mercy.

After calming down a bit, Li Ji'an adopted a peaceful attitude and decided that there was no need to make enemies with such a person for no reason: "It's alright, I was just being too harsh. Please get up."

This bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills is a small token of my appreciation as an elder; please accept it.

Without giving him a chance to speak again, he tossed him a bottle of pills, got up, and left.

In the end, I still lost some gold coins.

This experience also made Li Ji'an realize that even as a high-level cultivator, he should not get too close to low-level cultivators.

(End of this chapter)