Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 250 Blessings Come True
Standing beside the Biyue Pavilion in the Qishilin Daoist Temple, Li Ji'an paused to look at the group of law enforcement cultivators led by Zhao Qi, his expression slightly changing.

I still remember the first time I met Zhao Qi when I was fifteen years old. He was not only the chief disciple of the Transmission Hall, but also a Foundation Establishment expert. In particular, the talent of the Earth Spirit Root he showed when he demonstrated the spirit stone testing to everyone made Li Ji'an yearn for him.

However, Li Ji'an is now 109 years old and has reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, becoming a high-ranking elder of the Biyun Sect. He has also reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, and his status in the sect is even slightly inferior to that of Li Ji'an.

Before entering the Boundless Domain, he was preparing to break through to the True Core stage and resigned from his position as acting hall master of the Transmission Hall. Now, due to a shortage of manpower in the Enforcement Hall, he has been assigned to the Enforcement Hall as a hall master, which is only considered a middle-level position.

"Greetings, Elder Li." Upon seeing Li Ji'an, the enforcement team immediately bowed in greeting.

Zhao Qi's eyes narrowed the moment he saw Li Ji'an.

He now knows all about what happened back then.

He realized that the person in front of him was the culprit who had blocked his path to immortality.

Even his hatred for Xiao Changfeng dissipated the moment he learned that Xiao Changfeng had formed his true core.

However, the hatred for Li Ji'an was the hatred for obstructing his path; even tearing him to pieces would not quell the hatred.

Because of Li Ji'an's intervention, he lost all hope of condensing his true core in this lifetime.

After returning to the sect from the front lines, Master Yunqing spoke with him, explaining that due to the losses from the war over the years, the sect could no longer gather enough spiritual treasures to help him break through to the True Core stage, and could only guarantee a False Core stage most likely.

Besides offering words of comfort about the ethereal nature of immortality, his words also contained warnings.

At that moment, he knew that it would be impossible for him to form a True Core through the sect in this lifetime, and that his relationship with True Person Yunqing was over.

"Greetings, Elder Li." However, after a moment of indignation, he still bowed to Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an narrowed his eyes slightly, somewhat surprised by Zhao Qi's attitude.

When he decided to help Xiao Changfeng, he had already weighed the pros and cons and knew that he would be hated. However, when Xiao Changfeng formed his true core, all risks were eliminated.

Given his current status and resources, Zhao Qi cannot pose a threat to him, either openly or covertly.

As for the next life, not to mention having Xiao Changfeng to protect him, he never even thought that Zhao Qi could live until his next rejuvenation.

After all, in his imagination, Zhao Qi's mental state must have been shattered after experiencing such a huge drop in status. It would be a miracle if he could come back alive from the battlefield, let alone endure humiliation at this moment.

This is not the demeanor of someone in despair.

Li Ji'an nodded slightly: "You've all worked hard."

After watching the enforcement team leave, Li Ji'an asked the manager accompanying him at Qishilin, "Was there any difficulty?"

"In response to your question, senior, your sect's law enforcement cultivators acted impartially and did not cause any difficulties."

Li Ji'an nodded and went inside.

Not long after, in Xiao Qiao's garden dojo, Li Ji'an met Xiao Qiao, Yan Qingwan, and Ning Yutan.

It's clear that the three of them are very close.

As Li Ji'an entered, the three of them surrounded him.

"Congratulations to Xiao Fan (Uncle Li) (Brother Li) on your promotion to Elder of the Upper Sect!"

The fact that Li Ji'an went from being a guest elder to a sect elder a month ago truly shocked all the cultivators in Cangyun Prefecture. Besides envying Li Ji'an, they also gained a glimmer of hope to join the sect.

Li Ji'an's actions have set a precedent for independent cultivators to truly become members of sects through their cultivation skills, pointing out a path for countless aspiring independent cultivators.

This is naturally one of the reasons why the Biyun Sect agreed to Xiao Changfeng's proposal. The sect urgently needs to replenish the strength lost in the war, and it can be considered as taking Li Ji'an as an example.

"We're all on the same side, no need for that." Li Ji'an waved his hand with a smile.

Without wasting any time, he immediately inquired about Yan Qingwan's injuries.

After being treated by the physicians at Qishilin, Yan Qingwan's injuries have stabilized. To be on the safe side, Li Ji'an still personally examined her.

While there is no immediate danger to his life, this injury has damaged his very essence and significantly diminished his potential.

Already lacking in natural talent, with subpar cultivation techniques and insufficient resources, this time his hopes of forming the Core Formation stage have been completely dashed, and it's even hard to say whether he can advance to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

However, Yan Qingwan took it all in stride, considering it a stroke of luck that she was able to come back alive.

Xiao Qiao then recounted her perilous experiences on the battlefield.

She was still shaken as she recalled the experience, her face pale.

Having gone through this life-or-death experience, Xiao Qiao's personality has become much calmer.

A month later, Li Ji'an stayed in Qishilin to ensure that Yan Qingwan had no other major problems.

During this period, Ning Yutan continued to come to pay her respects every day.

Since helping him improve his physique and blood to the Foundation Establishment stage, he has not been allowed to engage in any further cultivation practices.

Moreover, after he achieved foundational success, Li Ji'an stopped him from addressing the master as such and instead made him call him Brother Li.

But after 22 years, when he returned to the Strange Stone Forest this time, his expression and demeanor as he came to pay his respects every day clearly showed some nostalgia.

However, with Ning Sujin coming to care for him every night, he ignored Ning Yutan's hints during the day.

A month later, Li Ji'an confirmed that Yan Qingwan had no other major problems and prepared to return to the sect.

the night before,

"My dear Li, who knows when we'll meet again after this parting?" Ning Sujin whispered softly, her fingers tracing circles as she lay on Li Ji'an's chest.

Li Ji'an pinched his chin and met his gaze: "The cultivation world is not like the mortal world. It is unpredictable and ever-changing. We are still too weak now. We do not yet have the conditions to live a carefree life. Even if we want to live freely in the state, we must at least reach the Core Formation stage."

Ning Sujin flipped over and kissed him forcefully.

"I understand..."

That night, Ning Sujin seemed to want to pour out all her future love.

Li Ji'an could sense his deep affection and cooperated wholeheartedly in return.

The perfect fusion of soul and body left even this late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator feeling somewhat exhausted.

The two embraced and rested after the battle.

When Li Ji'an opened his eyes again, the sky was beginning to lighten with the first light of dawn. He looked at Ning Sujin in his arms, intending to remind her that it was time to go back.

"Brother Li." However, when she turned her head to look at the person in her arms, she met his wide-eyed stare.

Ding~
Judging from her address and tone, it was clear that Ning Yutan was in a dominant position at this moment.

"Yu Tan, you're awake." Li Ji'an's expression was as usual, with a smile on his face.

"Brother Li..."

Seeing Ning Yutan's eyes begin to well up with tears, Li Ji'an held his breath slightly and reached out to grasp her restless little hand: "Yutan, cultivate diligently in the future. I hope that when I see you again, you will have already broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment." In the past twenty-two years, Ning Yutan had already advanced to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment five years ago, thanks to the abundant spiritual energy here and the Foundation Establishment pills left by Li Ji'an, surpassing Xiao Qiao.

He discussed this matter with Ning Sujin, and they both agreed that in addition to the fact that the core cultivation technique of the Liu family was not bad, it also had some beneficial effects on their spiritual roots during the years of freezing. After all, the spiritual energy of the ice that froze Ning Yutan's body back then was a high concentration of spiritual energy, which would definitely benefit the body over time.

Of course, Ning Sujin's powerful primordial spirit also had a significant positive effect on nourishing her physical body.

Soul cultivation involves entering the Dao with one's divine soul, comprehending the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and ultimately nourishing the physical body.

"..." Ning Yutan's big, watery eyes showed her grievance after being rejected by Li Ji'an.

But he nodded emphatically in the end: "Don't worry, Brother Li, I will definitely work even harder!"

"Hmm." Li Ji'an touched her cheek to comfort her, then, ignoring her expectant gaze, resolutely waved and dressed himself.

"I'm leaving!" With that, he transformed into a long rainbow and soared into the sky.
-
"What exactly did you do behind my back?" Ning Yutan immediately questioned Ning Sujin in her mind as she watched Li Ji'an leave.

"I..." Ning Sujin knew she was in the wrong, but she couldn't let him know the secret of Li Ji'an's favored one, so she was speechless for a moment.

"What? Have you been exposed? Did you seduce Brother Li?" Ning Yutan asked even more urgently.

"No...it's...he insisted!" Ning Sujin had no choice but to lie.

"He insisted? He was the one who contacted you first, oh no, he contacted me first last night?" Ning Yutan's tone instantly brightened with joy.

"Mmm," Ning Sujin replied in a barely audible voice.

"It seems Brother Li is planning to stay here for one last night. He still misses me. It's a pity... Um, how many times did Brother Li come last night? How did it feel? You should have woken me up." Ning Yutan was no longer annoyed upon hearing this, but rather somewhat delighted. Her only regret was that she hadn't experienced it.

"……Feel sorry."

"Oh, sister, I don't blame you. I really didn't expect Brother Li to specifically ask me for help the night before he left. Oh well." Ning Yutan shrugged.

Then, with a hint of ambiguity, she said, "Sister, how was your experience last night? Did you find it addictive? Before meeting Brother Li, I had no idea it was so interesting... Next time Brother Li comes, we can exchange experiences."

Ning Sujin: "..."
-
With the sect leader's command, the cultivation atmosphere within the Biyun Sect grew stronger day by day.

Dan Ding Peak also became busy, as it needed to provide a large number of pills for its disciples to exchange for completing tasks.

However, as the deputy peak master of Dan Ding Peak and a senior second-tier alchemist, Li Ji'an naturally did not need to refine first-tier pills.

However, due to the deaths of a large number of Foundation Establishment disciples and even four Pseudo-Core Formation elders, the demand for pills of the second rank and above has decreased significantly.

Li Ji'an's task was actually much lighter.

A year later, the sect selected two outer disciples with talent in alchemy and had them become disciples of Li Ji'an.

At this moment, Li Ji'an's dantian magic power is approaching perfection, and he has long mastered the swallowing technique. What he needs is to cultivate his mind and temperament, make his mind clear, and have the courage to move forward. In addition, he just needs to wait for an auspicious day to break through to the core formation stage.

During this period, he stopped all his skills and training.

"Disciple Xu Xiaochun greets Master."

"Disciple Guo Wanzhi greets Master."

The man and woman had just passed the sect's trial assessment this year and joined the sect. Xu Xiaochun had fourteen strands of mid-grade fire attribute spiritual root. If it weren't for the sect's expansion of recruitment this year, he wouldn't have been qualified to participate in the trial assessment. However, he had excellent comprehension in alchemy and was accepted as an outer disciple.

Guo Wanzhi possessed twenty-two strands of superior-grade fire-attribute spiritual roots, but she was gentle and unrefined in her pursuit of immortality, only showing some interest in alchemy, which gave her an opportunity.

"Now that you have entered my sect and are determined to pursue the Dao of Alchemy, you should think carefully and practice diligently, immerse yourself in the art of alchemy, and not be ambitious or cause trouble. Can you uphold this?" Li Ji'an sat high in the main hall, looking down at the young men and women kneeling on the ground below, without a smile.

If he were just a rogue cultivator, Li Ji'an would not have considered taking him as a disciple.

In the cultivation world, the master-disciple relationship is no less profound than that between father and son, with deep karmic entanglements.

Within a sect, the bond between master and disciple is usually less pronounced.

The core values ​​of a sect are loyalty to the sect and the master within the sect are more like a guide and a support.

However, as long as it does not conflict with the sect's values, the relationship is much deeper than that between other people in the sect. The lineage of kinship still has an absolute advantage among the factions within the sect.

"Disciples will obey Master's orders!" The two bowed again to offer tea.

"Ah."

In the days that followed, Li Ji'an completely emptied his mind and purified his heart while carefully teaching his two disciples the Dao of Alchemy.

As for their cultivation, it was still taught by the Dharma Transmission Hall.

Considering their status as alchemy apprentices, they will need to refine alchemical fire in the future, and the fire-attribute techniques they are taught will be comparable to those of inner disciples.

This starting point is much higher than Li Ji'an's in this life.

If the two truly achieve success in alchemy, the sect has the hope of cultivating them into pseudo-alchemy masters.

Two years later, on this day, Li Ji'an, who was teaching the two how to control the Dan Fire, suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment.

He was instantly filled with a surge of ambition to immediately break through to the Core Formation stage.

"Xiaochun, your control of the alchemical fire is too rough. You need to calm down and refine a hundred batches of Qi-gathering pills in succession. Only those of medium grade or above are acceptable."

"Wanzhi, your control over the Dan fire is quite good, but your pharmacology is slightly lacking. Copy the pharmacology a thousand times."

Both disciples have now entered the mid-stage of Qi Refining, condensed their own alchemical fire, and truly entered the path of alchemy, and are now able to refine basic pills.

Compared to Li Ji'an's first life in the Daoist alchemy world, the resources his two disciples had made him sigh.

Needless to say, the environment of the third-tier spiritual veins on Dan Ding Peak is excellent. Secondly, the cultivation techniques are superior to those of almost 99% of the families in the state. In addition, being on Dan Ding Peak means there is an abundance of nourishing pills in the early stages.

Most importantly, even though you've only just started learning, you have an endless supply of medicinal herbs to practice with.

It's clear that the sects seem to be changing their previous views on cultivation and arts, and are allocating more resources to them.

"Ah! Master, please spare your disciple! A hundred-furnace Qi-gathering pill, and it has to be of medium grade or higher..." As soon as Li Ji'an finished speaking, Xu Xiaochun immediately let out a mischievous cry.

After two years of getting to know each other, he had figured out Li Ji'an's personality. Moreover, he was naturally outgoing and somewhat mischievous, so he had long since dared to joke around with Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an was not a harsh or cold-hearted person, and he was in a stage of self-cultivation. In addition, although Xu Xiaochun was mischievous, he was actually very hardworking and could always exceed Li Ji'an's expectations. Therefore, Li Ji'an did not dislike him.

He is indeed very talented in the art of alchemy.

However, because he is too lively and has not yet experienced the hardships of cultivation, his expectations for the cultivation world are too high. It is hard to say whether he will be able to truly achieve something in alchemy.

"Yes, Master." As for Guo Wanzhi, she was originally a young lady from a wealthy merchant family in the mortal realm. She was delicate, chaste, and highly talented. She had little interest in fighting and killing, and her progress in alchemy was rapid.

Li Ji'an thought highly of Guo Wanzhi.

In the end, Li Ji'an smiled and glared at Xu Xiaochun, told him that he needed to go into seclusion for a while, and then returned to the outer peak alone.

With the day of his breakthrough to Core Formation drawing ever closer, he is now preparing to go all out to refine the Crystallization Pill!
(End of this chapter)