Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 213 Living Alone on a Lonely Peak
The Zeshui River, flowing down from the Dazeshan Mountains, is blocked by strange rocks here, forming a huge bend.

On one side of the bay, there is a large expanse of exposed metal ore that gleams with a golden light. Whenever the sun shines on it, golden clouds appear to float in the air.

Opposite Jin Yun was an ancient forest with towering trees, where the trees were dense and strange.

Among the strange trees, there is a deep, giant crater that appears to be the crater of an extinct volcano.

Above this deep, massive pit lies the former core spiritual vein dojo of the Liu family, the place where the Liu family's demonic ancestor secluded himself for cultivation.

Standing on the three-story pavilion here, you can see a beautiful peach blossom grove by the river.

"Young friend, how does this place compare to your solitary peak?" Qin Henian waved his hand with a hearty air and introduced the scenery of the place to Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an nodded: "It has all five elements, the scenery is beautiful, and the spiritual energy is abundant and pure. It truly deserves to be one of the top spiritual veins and Taoist temples in the state!"

Previously, he had only heard rumors and observed from afar. Only after entering the place did Li Ji'an realize that the rumors outside were actually somewhat conservative.

With his experience studying formations with Xiao Qiao for some time, he was able to perceive the natural formations of this place when he was there.

No wonder it was able to withstand so many interconnected formations.

It is no exaggeration to say that this spiritual vein dojo is a natural array formed by the harmonious interaction of the five elements, and is filled with spiritual energy of all kinds. The entire dojo can be regarded as a natural array base.

Setting up your formation here will yield twice the results with half the effort.

Previously, it was fortunate that the Liu family patriarch was engrossed in the Immortal Golden Body Technique, and he devoted most of his time and resources to himself. Otherwise, if he had devoted himself to studying formations, he might have been able to take advantage of this opportunity to create a super formation that even the Biyun Sect would find difficult to break.

"If Xiao Qiao were here, she would definitely be able to unleash the power of an Earth Spirit Master!" Li Ji'an thought to himself as he turned around.

At this moment, Liu Jingchun's dantian was shattered, and he had lost all his cultivation. He relied on the pills he had refined to temporarily lock in the loss of his life force, but he looked much older and had a gloomy appearance.

Just sitting to the side watching Guo Zhilan holding Xiao Qiao's hand and chatting, his old face was exceptionally peaceful and warm.

Of the group, Ning Yutan was the only one who seemed restless, sitting upright and reserved, only occasionally glancing discreetly at the peach blossom grove in the distance.

"Young friend, you also know my character, Qin Henian. I have no great ambitions in my life. My Qin family is also aware of this and has never thought of overstepping our bounds."

However, the fact that the Holy Palace has given this spiritual vein training ground to my Qin family may not be a good thing in the long run.

Therefore, I intend to transform this place into a gathering place for wandering cultivators.

If this place were covered by a spirit-gathering array, supplying two or three pseudo-core cultivators would not be a problem.

"The recruitment hasn't officially started yet. If you compete for this most core training ground, your chances of winning are very high. I wonder if you're interested, young friend?" Qin Henian also turned around and glanced at Liu Jingchun, who had a serene expression, before transmitting his voice.

Li Ji'an gave Qin Henian a serious look, and held him in high regard.

It is uncertain whether he is a true ruler who maintains the status quo or a wise man who appears foolish.

However, his decisiveness is far beyond that of ordinary people.

The fact that Wanfa Palace bypassed Biyun Sect to give this dojo to Qin Henian may well have been motivated by a desire to have the Qin family restrain Biyun Sect.

If Qin Henian were to recklessly take over the Qin family and expand his influence, and cultivate a second Core Formation cultivator, the Biyun Sect would definitely feel the pressure.

Whether it will be a blessing or a curse at that time is hard to predict.

While this decision may seem wasteful on the surface, it is actually enough to ensure that the Qin family will be worry-free for at least three generations.

"I will remember your kindness, senior. However, the sect has made an exception to grant me the title of guest elder, which shows how well they have treated me. My fellow Daoists in the sect have also provided much assistance. It is truly..." Li Ji'an said tactfully.

Before Li Ji'an could finish speaking, Qin Henian smiled slightly and interrupted, "Young friend, the sect has treated you well, but you are only a guest elder and cannot be considered a member of the sect. Moreover, as far as I know, even some inner disciples may not be qualified to use the third-tier spiritual veins within the sect, let alone a guest elder like you."

Moreover, you are merely a guest retainer, and your relationship is ultimately one of value exchange. If you are no longer able to refine pills and provide value, then the contract will end. What will you do then?
People, in the end, have to think long-term.

Furthermore, what about your future offspring? Shouldn't you provide them with a place to nurture their health?

"What you say makes sense, senior. Please allow me to consider it some more." Li Ji'an looked conflicted and used delaying tactics.

What Qin Henian said was indeed the case for ordinary guest retainers, but it was not suitable for him.

Given his connections within the Biyun Sect over the years, it's not impossible.

Seeing Li Ji'an's reaction, Qin Henian knew that going too far would be counterproductive and might even make Li Ji'an suspicious of whether there was a trap. So he stopped talking and turned to Xiao Qiao, saying, "My silly brother doesn't have many years left to live. Today seems to be his happiest day. You are a good daughter."

“Xiao Qiao has a pitiful background, and Senior Guo is kind and gentle. Perhaps they just clicked,” Li Ji’an nodded.

"She is well-mannered, sincere, neither frivolous nor obsequious. I'm starting to like this young girl." Qin Henian went a step further.

"Young friend, why don't I take her in as my goddaughter?"

Li Ji'an cupped his hands and said, "On behalf of Xiao Qiao, I thank you for your kindness, senior."

In the cultivation world, it is truly an immense favor for a pseudo-Core Formation cultivator to take in a godchild or godgrandchild, especially in a resource-scarce region like Cangyun Prefecture, where it can basically guarantee the establishment of the Foundation Establishment stage.

That's not just a favor based on status and background, but a real favor that adds a hundred years or more to one's life, which can be considered as living an extra lifetime.

"No need for formalities! Haha, to be honest, young friend, as long as I can see my old brother smile a little more, I'll be content." Qin Henian gestured with his hand.

“However, this matter still needs to be decided by Xiao Qiao herself,” Li Ji’an added.

Qin Henian nodded in understanding: "That's how it should be, but there's no rush. Let the little girl spend a few more days with them first."

"Your Excellency is truly virtuous!" Li Ji'an sincerely praised.

Ever since he learned about the complicated relationship between Qin Henian and Liu Jingchun, he has watched Qin Henian get to where he is today for Liu Jingchun's sake.

They demonstrated this friendship through their actions.

The following month, Li Ji'an and the other two were arranged to stay at this Taoist temple.

Liu Jingchun and his wife still live in the bamboo forest they used to live in.

In the beginning, Guo Zhilan often came to take Xiao Qiao for a stroll around the dojo, telling her about the Liu family that once belonged to this place.

As they gradually became acquainted, he invited Xiao Qiao to the Bamboo Grove Cottage, where he cooked delicious food for her and shared his cultivation experience with her.

Later, Liu Jingchun also began to teach him the art of formations.

Li Ji'an watched silently and declined several invitations, not wanting to disturb their grandfather-granddaughter reunion.

To Li Ji'an's surprise, Ning Yutan, after arriving here, seemed to have cherished the place more because she had suffered enough from the lack of spiritual energy in the past two years. She devoted herself to cultivation, almost just like Li Ji'an.

On this day, Qin Henian returned again and invited Li Ji'an to a gathering.

"I'm afraid we've already convinced Xiao Qiao," Li Ji'an thought to himself.

He was also happy with it.

Xiao Qiao was, after all, a person with her own thoughts and feelings.

Moreover, Li Ji'an's initial idea was only to help take care of Granny You for a few days.

Moreover, now that Qin Henian is taking in his granddaughter, it is perfectly legitimate to have Xiao Qiao accompany Liu Jingchun and his wife, so Li Ji'an has nothing to do with it.

As expected, during the banquet, Qin Henian solemnly proposed to adopt Xiao Qiao as his granddaughter.

Xiao Qiao immediately looked at Li Ji'an. "Uncle Li..."

"This is a great fortune for you. Senior Qin is a generous and righteous person, and he also has a lot of valuable cultivation experience," Li Ji'an said frankly.

Xiao Qiao hesitated to speak, so Li Ji'an simply called her into a secret room.

The current situation is that Xiao Qiao knows that Liu Jingchun and his wife are her grandparents, and Liu Jingchun and his wife also know that Xiao Qiao is their granddaughter, but because of the Liu family's affairs, the relationship cannot be made public, and neither side has revealed it, both pretending to be ignorant.

"Xiao Qiao, people aren't plants or trees, how can they be without feelings? After all, they are the only two blood relatives you have in this world. Their time is running out, so spend some quality time with them." Li Ji'an stated his thoughts directly.

Xiao Qiao remained silent.

Although blood is thicker than water, Li Ji'an raised her, helped her cultivate, and even helped her become a spirit master. It can be said that Li Ji'an was present in almost all of her memories.

This affection transcends blood ties.

However, just as Li Ji'an said, during the past month of spending time with her grandparents, Xiao Qiao also felt a different kind of family affection than Li Ji'an's, pure and warm, even more selfless than Li Ji'an's.

"Uncle Li, can we stay here all the time? Like this for the past month?" Xiao Qiao looked up, her eyes pleading.

Li Ji'an smiled and shook his head: "Silly girl."

"Many things in life cannot be had at the same time, so don't be too greedy."

"However, it's very close by, I will come to see you."

"Thank you, Uncle Li!" Xiao Qiao immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times.

Li Ji'an didn't stop her, which made Xiao Qiao feel a little better.

"However, I need you to swear a solemn oath to your heart that you will not reveal anything about me to anyone."

"Yes!" Xiao Qiao immediately swore.

Xiao Qiao has lived with Li Ji'an since she was six years old. Although Li Ji'an has tried his best to cover it up, she still knows many details about him, such as Guagua and Huoling, the stone from which Huoling was born, and the withered branch.

Of course, the biggest hidden danger is still the series of actions taken against the Liu family.

This includes breaking through the formation and killing the Liu family patriarch.

However, now that Xiao Qiao is here as Qin Henian's granddaughter, she is unlikely to arouse suspicion from anyone with ulterior motives.

"Don't worry, I will keep your Earth Spirit Master secret." Li Ji'an also swore an oath to him face to face.

"In addition, Uncle Li has another request for you: please try your best to get Ning Yutan to stay with you." Li Ji'an regarded Ning Yutan as a special old friend.

What's special is his admiration for his older sister, Ning Sujin.

If he were to encounter Ning Sujin this time, he might take her back to Lonely Peak and accompany her for a while. As for her, providing appropriate assistance would already be the limit of their relationship.

“Yes!” Xiao Qiao agreed without hesitation.

Back at the table, Xiao Qiao performed the grandfather-granddaughter greeting, which delighted Qin Henian. He immediately ordered his men to prepare a banquet to celebrate the recognition of his grandson.

He also sent out wedding invitations to all fellow Daoists to offer their congratulations.

We are prepared to make this a major undertaking.

Then Xiao Qiao personally invited Ning Yutan to stay and keep her company, which surprised and delighted Ning Yutan.

She was initially flustered when Li Ji'an came to her rescue and she suddenly learned that he was actually a Foundation Establishment senior.

After all, he had a bad experience and was hiding something.

If he was truly lustful at first sight, then I probably wouldn't have the right to refuse.

Over time, their secrets will inevitably be discovered.

For the past month, she has been diligently cultivating her spiritual practice in order to avoid having too much contact with Li Ji'an.

This time, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Afterwards, Qin Henian thanked Li Ji'an with a third-tier spirit bamboo as a gift, showing great generosity.

That evening, Li Ji'an bid farewell to everyone. Xiao Qiao escorted him all the way to the edge of the Strange Stone Forest. Guagua and Huoling didn't understand the parting, since they had often not seen each other for a long time before, so they weren't particularly sad.

But Li Ji'an knew that after this parting, Xiao Qiao and their lives would diverge, and what was once a family would at most be relatives in the future.

Just like a daughter getting married.

Half a month later, Li Ji'an returned to Gufeng.

The huge summit was much quieter with one less person on it.

But Li Ji'an had long understood the impermanence of life. The coming together and parting of people, their coming and going, are all part of the way. Impermanence is the only constant, and it had no effect on his state of mind.

"My second-tier late-stage talisman skills are already superb. If my wood-type magic power can reach the level of the early Foundation Establishment stage, it's almost guaranteed!" Half a month later, after using the spirit bamboo given to him by Qin Henian to make talisman materials, Li Ji'an successfully made three talismans in one go, becoming even more confident in his talisman skills.

The only problem is that his main fire-based cultivation technique lacks depth and power.

He tried using his secondary wood-elemental magic to draw, and the success rate was significantly better. However, his secondary wood-elemental magic was only at the late stage of Qi Refining, so he could only barely draw mid-stage second-tier talismans.

"I wonder to what extent my spiritual root will grow in the next life?" In recent years, I have had relatively clear results from my experiments on repairing damaged spiritual roots.

The repair effect is very obvious. Compared with those who did not use the Nourishing Meridian Pill, the effect of the spiritual root truly taking shape is improved by about 30%.

Moreover, the longer the spiritual root is delayed, the more obvious the effect.

With this verification result, Li Ji'an was actually quite optimistic about his spiritual root situation in his next life.

However, having experienced two lifetimes of cultivation in the cultivation world, he no longer cares too much about the requirements for spiritual roots; he is satisfied as long as they reach the superior grade.

Because of his cultivation experience in this life, including witnessing the growth trajectory of some inner disciples of the Biyun Sect, he discovered that once spiritual roots reach a certain level, they are merely the foundation for cultivation.

Ultimately, luck is the most important factor in determining one's final success, followed by personality and character, and then resources and connections.

"It's a pity I won't have the chance to see that cultivation technique." The thing he cares about most in his next life is actually the cultivation technique.

The cultivation methods he practiced in this life made it difficult for him to progress after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. In addition to his insufficient and persistent magical power, his cultivation efficiency also became slower and slower as he progressed.

His original intention was to obtain the cultivation technique that Chishi Sanren had accidentally acquired years ago, which was called the Immortal Scripture by the ancient Nascent Soul True Monarch.

However, after several encounters with Chishi Sanren, he discovered that Chishi Sanren was not simple, at least not with his current understanding.

If his lifespan remains unchanged, then who knows how long he has actually lived, or what enormous secret he holds?

In addition, he comforted himself, saying that even the True Lord said that he obtained that so-called immortal scripture too late to cultivate it, which shows how difficult it is to cultivate. Even if he obtained it now, he might not be able to cultivate it successfully.

My understanding and perspective on the cultivation world are still limited. Perhaps I should proceed step by step rather than being overly ambitious and trying to reach the sky in one step!
"I would be content if I could cultivate the sect's most treasured technique in my next life!"

Three months passed in the blink of an eye, and the grand ceremony Qin Henian was holding for Xiao Qiao was about to begin, so Li Ji'an naturally needed to attend.

Just as he arrived at Dan Ding Peak to report, a message startled him slightly: the soul lamp of the true disciple Jiang Yunzhou had gone out, pointing towards the Demon Realm in the northeast!

(End of this chapter)