Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 256 Lingzhai Market
Just as the leader, a man in black with a red flag, fled into the dense forest, a flash of cold light appeared on the ground.

"Zheng~"

Almost instantly, his protective magic shield was shattered, and he stared unblinkingly at the black feather that had pierced his dantian.

Behind the black feathers was an almost transparent fleshy tongue.

When Guagua sparred with Xiaohuoling back then, a hole was burned in the tip of his tongue.

Li Ji'an then embedded the spoils he had obtained from the Black Feather True Man when he rescued Xiao Changfeng in the Fire Domain into the tip of his tongue.

The black feather robe of True Man Black Feather was not only able to withstand the power of the second layer of the fire domain, but it was also incomparably tough. When Li Ji'an left the fire domain to count the spoils of war, a lot of the feather robe had fallen off, but he discovered the key to that feather robe.

The core of that feathered robe was a sharp feather a foot long, not an ordinary magical artifact but the feather of some kind of spirit bird.

The reason why the feather robe made with this black feather as its core can withstand the extreme heat of the second layer of fire domain is because of the icy and sharp aura emitted by this feather.

This black feather is not only made of materials comparable to top-grade offensive magical artifacts, but it also carries a wisp of life force, showing signs of taking root after being embedded in the quack's tongue.

Now it's all one.

Black Feather's sharpness perfectly compensated for Frog's lack of offensive capabilities.

The leader, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, was instantly killed. The other three early-Foundation Establishment cultivators were even more terrified and accelerated their run, but they all collapsed to the ground three breaths later.

The colorless and odorless Soul-Devouring Powder had already silently invaded their bodies when they arrived at the front of the formation with their array flags in hand.

How could they, mere early Foundation Establishment cultivators, possibly withstand the near-third-tier poison concocted by a fake Core Formation cultivator?

After Guagua gathered the four corpses together, Li Ji'an activated the Formless Mask on his face with his divine sense, and then absorbed the essence, blood and soul of each of them in turn.

However, after taking the two people, the Mask of No Form stopped reacting.

Upon closer inspection, the three blood tanks inside were already full, with the first tank containing the essence blood of Chishi Sanren.

When his divine sense touched the essence blood of the leader he had just absorbed, a new memory appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Li Ji'an did not immediately read their memories. Instead, he cleaned up the scene first, had Guagua pack up the four people's storage bags and the array flags on the ground, and then headed towards the depths of the Spirit Village.

"The Four Ominous Celestial Phenomena? Hmm?"

After traveling for another half day, they entered Guagua's mouth and quickly browsed through its memory fragments. Li Ji'an then raised his eyebrows slightly.

The four were not wandering cultivators with no one to rely on, but proper disciples of a sect.

They were outer disciples of the Blazing Sun Sect, once ambitious and having made great sacrifices for the sect, even risking their lives several times. They were about to accumulate enough contribution points to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills.

As a result, the Lieyang Sect was tricked by the Biyun Sect. They had just invested a large amount of spiritual resources in the excavation of the Daze Mountain Range when the earth dragon turned upside down, causing the ruins to sink into the earth veins. This resulted in a shortage of spiritual resources within the Lieyang Sect, making it a luxury for outer disciples like them to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills.

Subsequently, a spiritual vein appeared in this area, and the four of them simply left the Lieyang Sect, changed their names, and also wanted to come here to occupy a place of cultivation.

He then joined a faction, failed to seize a Daoist temple, and directly became a Tribulation Cultivator.

Unexpectedly, the Foundation Establishment Pill that they had failed to obtain after years of hard work and dedication in the sect was collected by them in just three years through robbery and plunder.

Subsequently, with a Foundation Establishment leader guiding them, and with more and more cultivators traveling between Tianyuan Prefecture and Cangyun Prefecture, they all quickly succeeded in establishing their Foundation.

Of course, in addition to the superior cultivation techniques and spells of the orthodox sects, they also possessed the Four Symbols Formation Flags that they had obtained by chance.

When four people are in charge during the Qi Refining stage, the formation can unleash power comparable to the early Foundation Establishment stage. When they are in charge after Foundation Establishment, the formation approaches the power of the late Foundation Establishment stage and is also a killing formation.

However, after the four of them reached the Foundation Establishment stage, they actually wanted to clear their names.

However, they couldn't escape the previous war between good and evil, and were conscripted into the army.

In order to save his life on the front lines, he reconnected with his ancestors and returned to the Lieyang Sect, thus avoiding becoming cannon fodder on the front lines.

Then, thanks to their years of experience in traversing the land and their caution, they survived the great war.

They thought they could finally return to their sect and retire in peace, but they never expected to be targeted by the sect elders and have their secrets exposed.

Fortunately, to their surprise, the other party did not punish them but allowed them to continue acting as robbers.

With the covert support of the Lieyang Sect, the four brothers thrived even more.

And they also had a mission.

The purpose of this ambush was not to plunder spiritual resources, but specifically to ambush this group.

A few days ago, a steward from the Qin family in Zizhulin led a group of people to Lingzhai Market. They had received orders not to let any member of the Qin family leave the mountains alive.

As for Li Ji'an, it was just a coincidence.

However, their mission included not only the Qin family members, but also the disciples and followers of the Biyun Sect.

The person who issued the orders to them was none other than Master Fu, who had attended his Core Formation Ceremony.

It is clear that he and the Biyun Sect did not reach an agreement a year ago.

After shaking his head slightly, Li Ji'an activated his divine sense, stirring up that trace of essence blood.

In an instant, he transformed into that person's appearance, including his aura, cultivation level, and even his memories.

"Huang Jie...I wonder if his Daoist partner can detect anything amiss?"

A moment later, Li Ji'an removed the faceless mask and reverted to his disguised appearance.

An hour later, they arrived at the bustling Lingzhai market.

"Fifty taels of spirit sand to enter the market!" The guard at the gate remained expressionless, his face unchanged despite Li Ji'an's disguise as an early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Although the market town lacks tall buildings and city walls, it is protected by a late-stage second-tier array.

It is said that this great formation was built with funds raised by eighteen spirit villages, and the late stage of the second tier was the limit of what they could build.

Nowadays, the elders' council of Lingzhai manages Lingzhai and the market in a rather lax manner.

Their methods of making money were rather simple: besides the entrance fee, they charged rent for shops, stalls, and temples within the market area.

However, after handing over the spirit stones and entering the market, Li Ji'an kept clicking his tongue in amazement.

Although the market itself is not of a high level, the resources sold within it are quite sophisticated.

First-tier resources were actually only a minority; second-tier and even third-tier resources were far more common.

Located in a no-man's-land between two states, there are no restrictions on transactions here. Strategic resources and stolen goods from murders are all openly displayed and sold.

Moreover, Li Ji'an had only walked two streets when he encountered three disguised fake Dan Masters and one real Dan Master.

“As long as the profit is big enough, these people are willing to take any risk.” Half a day later, Li Ji’an walked through several streets and shook his head as he looked at some of the vendors.

He had already seen several early Foundation Establishment cultivators setting up stalls to sell third-tier talisman materials.

There were even cultivators in the Qi Refining stage who had obtained top-quality magical artifacts from who-knows-where and were selling them at their stalls.

Clearly, this market town could not guarantee their safety at all. The victors of the Eighteen Spirit Villages back then were mostly Foundation Establishment stage rogue cultivators and some early Foundation Establishment stage families. In addition, the spiritual veins here were only second-grade high-quality, making it impossible for pseudo-core cultivators to emerge.

Moreover, although the eighteen spirit villages seem to be united and have formed the Spirit Village Elders Council, it is no surprise that they will fall apart and have to fend for themselves once they encounter a powerful enemy like a fake Core Formation cultivator.

Moreover, even if the market is safe, it would be extremely difficult for those minor cultivators to leave the Daze Mountains alive.

However, Li Ji'an also understood the fundamental reason why these people were willing to come here to sell despite knowing such risks.

Besides this place, if they go to other places to sell, resources that are too conspicuous are likely to be confiscated by people under the Holy Palace Sect as strategic materials or snatched away at very low prices. Only here can they trade freely.

"Fellow Daoist, three thousand spirit stones is the starting price. This is a third-tier Golden Paulownia Leaf, a genuine third-tier talisman material, and the best material for offensive talismans!" The stall owner, who was in the early Foundation Establishment stage, vigorously promoted the product.

At the same time, he continuously used his divine sense to sense Li Ji'an.

It's no secret that real people disguised themselves often come to the market to buy goods. After all, apart from those fake core families, even some fake core elders from sects lack third-level spiritual resources.

"Unfortunately, this leaf has been buried underground for a long time, and its spiritual essence has been greatly lost. To successfully draw it, the skill required for talisman drawing is quite high, and only the center palm-sized leaf can be used." Li Ji'an shook his head with slight disappointment.

"Senior is an expert!" Upon hearing this, the stall owner no longer had any doubts. The person in front of him must be the real person, and a master of talismanic arts at that.

Li Ji'an simply smiled faintly.

“Senior, I am willing to trade this leaf for two thousand spirit stones, but... I would be grateful if you could give me a ride home.” The stall owner hurriedly offered the golden paulownia leaf with both hands.

By sheer chance, he found an ancient tomb and obtained many treasures. He has now sold most of them, and this last talisman material brought him nearly seven thousand spirit stones, enough for him to go into seclusion and break through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

His original plan was to hire bodyguards from the market after selling his goods; if he did it alone, one hundred spirit stones would be enough.

However, upon realizing Li Ji'an's true identity, he did not hesitate to spend more spirit stones to ensure his safety.

Li Ji'an took the golden tung leaf and casually flipped through it. The metal element spiritual energy within was exceptionally strong, even better than what he had sensed earlier.

"Where does my young friend wish to go?"

"Reporting to senior, I wish to go to Nine Suns Immortal City. Senior only needs to lead me out of this mountain range!" the stall owner replied respectfully.

Once inside Tianyuan Prefecture, law enforcement cultivators will patrol, and there will be far fewer treacherous cultivators. In addition, the Lieyang Sect is located in the southern part of Tianyuan Prefecture, and its Nine Yang Immortal City is not far from the border.

“Okay!” Li Ji’an nodded in agreement.

Besides trying his luck here, his main purpose was to go to the auction in Jiuyang Immortal City. It is said that the Lieyang Sect plans to sell some of the sect's unused spiritual resources in order to raise funds for the newly promoted disciples to form their core.

"Thank you, senior. Thank you, senior. My name is Zhu Qi, and I am just a rogue cultivator." The stall owner was overjoyed.

"Okay, keep an eye on the communication talisman. I'll let you know when I leave." Li Ji'an handed him a communication talisman.

"No need for trouble, no need for trouble. I have nothing else to sell. Since you seem to be unfamiliar with the market, how about I show you the way?" Zhu Qi hurriedly offered.

“Alright!” Li Ji’an agreed. He did need a guide, otherwise wandering around like a headless fly would be too inefficient.

Soon, Zhu Qi packed up his stall and respectfully followed behind Li Ji'an.

"Senior, what kind of spiritual resources do you need to purchase?"

"Tier 3 or higher talisman materials, Tier 2 or higher puppet materials, and Tier 3 spiritual herbs are all acceptable."

Zhu Qi paused noticeably, and his gaze toward Li Ji'an became even more respectful.

It's not hard to guess that this senior must be an elder of some sect.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to have such a diverse range of requirements.

After all, in the eyes of the world, even a master at the True Person level is extremely rare to be proficient in a third-tier skill; it is impossible for someone to be proficient in so many.

The other party was probably just helping a friend from their sect with the purchases.

"Senior, please move to the back street. That area mainly has stalls run by fellow tomb raiders, and there are many resources that are prohibited from being sold outside," Zhu Qi immediately pointed out.

Li Ji'an glanced at Zhu Qi in surprise; he clearly smelled faintly of earth.

At first, Li Ji'an thought he was a tomb raider.

"Senior, you misunderstand. I have always relied on gathering herbs. This time, I discovered that cave by accident. I can't be considered a real tomb raider."

"Those tomb raiders are truly ruthless people who risk their lives; they can't be compared to them, they can't be compared to them," Zhu Qi explained with a smile.

"Where do you usually gather herbs, young friend? Do you have any third-tier spiritual herbs?" Li Ji'an asked casually.

"I have been collecting herbs near the Blackwater Swamp," Zhu Qi replied.

"So you know a lot about the Blackwater Swamp?" Li Ji'an asked, intrigued.

"I know a little bit, I know a little bit. Senior, do you want to know about the Blackwater Swamp?" Zhu Qi also noticed Li Ji'an's interest and was overjoyed.

"Tell me about it." Li Ji'an nodded.

"Reporting to Senior, the Blackwater Swamp borders Qingjiang Gate to the east and the Phantom Forest to the west. I have been residing in a celestial city under the jurisdiction of Qingjiang Gate. The Blackwater Swamp stretches for tens of thousands of miles, its black waters exposed to the elements, eroding the land into silt."

Not only was there nowhere to settle inside, but a pervasive poisonous fog also hung in the air, growing thicker the closer one got to the perilous western Lost Forest.

However, amidst the pervasive black water and poisonous fog, there are occasional places illuminated by holy light, where many spiritual plants exist.

"My cultivation is shallow, so I can only explore the outer edge of the swamp..." Zhu Qi told him what he had seen and heard over the years.

Li Ji'an compared what he said with some information he had actively researched over the years, and after verifying both, he had a clear understanding of the situation.

Before long, the two arrived at the back street of the market.

As soon as he stepped inside, Li Ji'an immediately sensed a strong earthy smell.

Looking at the stall again, sure enough, there were all kinds of things, and most of them were ancient items.

"Hmph! Wu Weixiong, others may fear you, but I, Jiao, am not. If you have the guts, let's go out and have a go at it!" Li Ji'an had just found a piece of Li Huo Jing, the main material for crafting a second-tier puppet, at a stall when he was instantly attracted by a loud shout from the end of the street.

Looking up, I saw the familiar Wu Weixiong.

Opposite him was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator arguing with the stall owner.

"Senior, that's Protector Wu, a specially appointed protector of Lingzhai, responsible for maintaining order in the market," Zhu Qi promptly transmitted to Li Ji'an.

"Guardian." Li Ji'an smiled slightly. Wu Weixiong had previously invited Li Ji'an to Lingzhai as a guest and mentioned that he had already settled in Lingzhai.

Li Ji'an's eyes shifted as he looked at Wu Weixiong.

He could forcibly demand the Liu family's Sacred Beast Pill by virtue of his status as a fake pill elder of the Biyun Sect, but he could not force Wu Weixiong's body-refining technique.

Unlike the Liu family, who are a large extended family, the other party doesn't have any attachments.

Moreover, Wu Weixiong's combat strength is no less than that of an ordinary pseudo-Dan Zhenren.

(End of this chapter)