Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 267 Unexpected Disaster
Faced with Li Ji'an's casual question, the old man, still immersed in the afterglow of excitement, hurriedly answered in detail.

"Reporting to the True Immortal, my lifespan is nearing its end, and my clan is facing a shortage of capable successors. I have come here hoping to join in the fun and perhaps secure a Foundation Establishment Pill for my clan..."

After listening to what the old man said, Li Ji'an raised his eyes slightly.

In the past two years, while searching for the Illusionary Moon Glazed Serpent, I haven't paid any more attention to the tomb.

Only now did I realize that the burial site's opportunities had intensified, no less than those of the Dazeshan ruins a century ago.

Six months ago, after several friendly exchanges were politely declined, Qingjiang Sect severed ties with Lieyang Sect. Although it had not yet reached the point of a full-blown fight, it had begun to constantly hinder them and even deliberately provoke trouble and exert pressure.

As for the opportunities within the area sealed off by the Lieyang Sect, rumors are flying everywhere and have already spread throughout the Tiancang Domain.

Several of these claims are consistent with the actual situation, stating that there is an ancient holy ruler or royal tomb inside, and that there is a high chance of achieving divine transformation within the six-layered tomb chamber.

Li Ji'an was unsure whether it was Wu Weixiong or Qin He'nian who distributed it.

In addition, there are rumors that there are countless opportunities for Foundation Establishment and Core Formation within, which were prepared by ancient divination masters specifically for cultivators of this world, and will surely bring about a golden age of cultivation.

Unsurprisingly, rogue cultivators from all over the region flocked to the area, and sects from various states were also eager to seize the opportunity.

Only the Wanfa Palace, the ruler of a region, seemed completely unconcerned and remained silent for the time being.

Li Ji'an understood this. After all, if the opportunity was too great, and it was indeed a Nascent Soul stage opportunity, even if the major sects joined forces, they would not be able to seize it. In the end, they would still have to ask the Myriad Laws Palace to take action. It would be better to let them explore the path first.

As for opportunities below the Nascent Soul stage, if the Myriad Laws Palace truly desires one, they can easily find a reason afterward, and the major sects will not dare to refuse it.

Of course, there are also rumors that the True Lord of Ten Thousand Laws is currently in seclusion recuperating from his injuries, which is why he has not yet made a move.

Over the next two weeks, after trading several second-tier puppet materials, Li Ji'an prepared to head towards the Wanfa Palace in the center of Tianyuan Prefecture without looking back. All he wanted now were three Crystal Condensation Pill herbs and second-tier puppet materials that he would accept from anyone.

Once the matter is over, he can return to the outer peak of the sect, devote himself to studying the art of puppetry, refine the "Ancient Demon-Suppressing Fist," and look forward to the results of Guagua's bloodline transformation. He doesn't care about anything else.

However, on the very day they were about to leave Hanshui Xiancheng.

An aura carrying overwhelming pressure descended upon Hanshui Immortal City and headed straight for Li Ji'an.

"Is this Master Li of the Azure Cloud Sect?" The newcomer was dressed in a light blue ink-wash robe, with a thin veil covering his face.

Sensing the other party's true core aura, Li Ji'an cupped his hands and said, "It is indeed I, Li. What brings you here, fairy?"

"I'm asking you about someone." The other person's words were unfriendly, and their attitude was not good either.

"Please speak, fairy." Ignoring her posture, Li Ji'an asked.

"Xiao~ Chang~ Feng!" The woman said each word slowly and deliberately, even sounding like she was gritting her teeth.

Li Ji'an raised an eyebrow instantly, looked him over carefully, and distant memories gradually surfaced.

A hundred years ago, when the ruins of Dazeshan were discovered, six major sects, including Qingjiangmen, gathered at Dazeshan, each wanting a share of the spoils. After a stalemate, they resorted to a contest of their respective sects' true teachings.

The woman before me is the one who fought Xiao Changfeng back then.

She was once known as the number one person in Tianyuan Prefecture besides Fu Hanxing, and was also known as the most talented female cultivator in Tianyuan Prefecture. She was the granddaughter of the Supreme Elder of Qingjiang Sect, and was exceptional in both talent and background.

However, in the three matches, she was the only one who lost to Xiao Changfeng, who was not favored, which was a major upset.

Regarding her grudges and entanglements with Xiao Changfeng over the years, Li Ji'an had only overheard a fake Core Elder in the sect joking about it. Apparently, when the war between the righteous and demonic factions broke out, this woman had privately challenged Xiao Changfeng to a duel, the result of which was unknown to others. However, he later learned that she was very bothered by her loss in the duel and went into seclusion for many years after returning home, finally becoming a True Core cultivator after a full sixty years.

However, Xiao Changfeng had already entered the Boundless Domain by then, so she was shooting aimlessly.

They finally found Xiao Changfeng during the great battle between good and evil.

Li Ji'an had no idea about the grudges and affections between them in the years that followed, and was not very clear about them.

However, Xiao Changfeng devoted himself to studying supernatural powers and secret techniques in previous years, but could not get into them. Later, he decided to try his luck in the Black Pool Cave, and then there was no news of him.

“Elder Xiao is free-spirited and unrestrained; I, Li, do not know where he is,” Li Ji’an replied.

"You don't know? Didn't that bastard call you his elder brother?" Fairy Yun Yao frowned.

"Damn it..." Li Ji'an's heart stirred, and he suddenly became curious about what had happened between Xiao Changfeng and this woman recently.

Curiosity killed the cat, especially when the other party is a true cultivator. In the eyes of these people, a fake cultivator is not worthy of the title of a true cultivator.

Li Ji'an decisively suppressed his curiosity and frankly said, "Changfeng is unrestrained and carefree, and I don't know where he is. I guess no one in the sect knows either."

"Unrestrained and carefree? Humph! It's just a shameless excuse to avoid responsibility!" Fairy Yunyao was even more annoyed.

Li Ji'an stared wide-eyed in disbelief, instantly conjuring up some inappropriate images for children.

Did Xiao Changfeng win over this woman?
It should be understood that there is no concept of male superiority or female inferiority in the cultivation world. On the contrary, due to the scarcity of Core Formation cultivators, female Core Formation cultivators are even rarer, which leads to female Core Formation cultivators having very high standards. It is generally difficult for male cultivators of the same level to catch their eye.

In addition, with the increasing difficulty of cultivation after the Core Formation stage, dual cultivation techniques, which were looked down upon before Core Formation, have become an important means for many Core Formation cultivators to enhance their cultivation.

In dual cultivation techniques, the higher the other person's cultivation level, the greater the benefit to oneself.

Therefore, female cultivators in the Core Formation stage all wish to find a True Lord as their Daoist partner, or at the very least, a male cultivator who is one minor realm higher than them.

Xiao Changfeng formed his core later than Fairy Yun Yao, and Fairy Yun Yao was said to be a mid-level True Core cultivator.

Most importantly, the major sects are not allowed to communicate with each other for their own interests.

"Hmph, since he's hiding and won't come out, then you'll have to suffer a bit. Blame that bastard!" After calming down, Fairy Yunyao suddenly looked at Li Ji'an.

"..." Seeing that Fairy Yun Yao's aura locked onto him, Li Ji'an was stunned on the spot.

This unexpected disaster is truly unbearable!

"Immediately send a message to that bastard and tell him that Fairy Yun Yao of Qingjiang Sect wants to kill you! Let's see if he cares about your life or death!" Yun Yao's eyes were sharp, and she had already summoned a nine-story exquisite pagoda in front of her that looked like it was made of tourmaline.

She had been searching for Xiao Changfeng for two years since they separated in the Black Pool Cave, and had even spent more than half a year staking out the Biyun Sect. In the end, she learned that Li Ji'an was the one who was closest to him.

Then, a few days ago, I learned by chance that Li Ji'an had actually appeared in Hanshui Xian City, which is under the jurisdiction of my sect, so I hurriedly came to find him.

"Isn't this a bit too much to ask of you, Fairy?" Li Ji'an slowly exhaled a sigh of frustration and immediately summoned the Binding God Rope.

This is also the only prototype of the magic weapon that he can openly use now.

"You still want to fight me?" Yun Yao's eyes turned cold, quite surprised.

"I, Li Ji'an, am merely a pill refiner and have never intended to fight anyone. However, I am not someone to be trifled with." Knowing that the other party was only trying to force Xiao Changfeng to show himself and did not truly intend to harm him, and that this was a public place where the other party would not dare to do anything to him, otherwise it would be a conflict between the two sects, Li Ji'an did not show weakness. "Hmph! It seems you have been protected too well in the sect. Did you really think that a mere fake pill could be compared to a real pill? Today, I will show you how different a real pill is from a fake pill!" After speaking, Yun Yao's magical power surged, and a water curtain instantly expanded.

Li Ji'an secretly groaned; this magical power was no less than that of a seasoned True Core cultivator like Fu Xiaochen.

Like most True Core cultivators in the region, Fu Xiaochen had only formed a lower-level True Core, while this woman's middle-level True Core was of much higher quality than Fu Xiaochen's.

With a "boom," the water curtain poured down, leaving Li Ji'an with no way to dodge. He could only concentrate all his magical power in front of him and do his best to defend himself, while simultaneously protecting himself with three top-grade shields.

"Bang!" The water curtain was extremely yin and soft, yet the bronze shield at the front shattered instantly upon contact.

In an instant, more than a thousand spirit stones went down the drain. Li Ji'an stopped focusing solely on defense and decided to treat this woman as a test of his magical power.

He condensed his magic into a sharp cone and launched an attack...
-
At the same time, more and more cultivators were attracted by the commotion and rushed over to watch the excitement from afar. Some of those with exceptional comprehension even began to observe and comprehend the battle between the immortals.

"Fairy Yun Yao!" The resident cultivators of Hanshui Immortal City were no strangers to Yun Yao of Qingjiang Sect, and many even admired her, after all, she was the number one prodigy of Qingjiang Sect.

"That's Master Li? How could Master Li of the Biyun Sect have a conflict with Fairy Yunyao?" Some cultivators from Cangyun Prefecture also recognized Li Ji'an.

"This fake Core Formation cultivator from the Biyun Sect is truly extraordinary. He actually dared to challenge the prestige of a True Core Formation cultivator, and on Qingjiang Sect's territory no less. He is a role model for us all." Among them were spies from the Lieyang Sect, who watched with considerable surprise.

……

"Wait, fairy! I concede!" In less than ten breaths, just as the water curtain dissipated, thousands upon thousands of water swords suddenly condensed in front of Yun Yao. Feeling the overwhelming threat, Li Ji'an decisively conceded defeat.

This technique was clearly different from ordinary spells, and its power surpassed that of Fu Xiaochen.

Li Ji'an judged that this was probably his innate divine power that he had cultivated!
Even if he were to fight with only his current cultivation level of a pseudo-core cultivator, he still wouldn't be a match for him, even with his other trump cards.

"Hmph! Send a message to that bastard immediately!" Yun Yao snorted coldly and scolded.

Better to die for a fellow Daoist than for myself. Besides, this might just lead to a wonderful marriage.

Of course, the most crucial point is that he was truly powerless to do anything about it.

“Okay!” Li Ji’an immediately took out a communication talisman.

Boom~
However, just as he sent a message to Xiao Changfeng, a sudden earthquake shook the ground.

At the same time, a sandstorm swept in, instantly engulfing the gate of Hanshui Immortal City in yellow sand.

"Whoosh~" Li Ji'an's mind trembled violently, feeling an unprecedented life-or-death crisis.

"How dare you!" Yun Yao snorted coldly.

"Boom!" Li Ji'an felt countless water swords brush past him and collide with the intimidating force behind him.

Before Li Ji'an could even take out a third-tier spirit talisman, the surrounding storm instantly dissipated, and the threat of death vanished in an instant.

Fairy Yun Yao had already appeared behind Li Ji'an, looking around with a surprised and suspicious expression.

"A cowardly coward..."

When the yellow sand finally cleared, everyone was shrouded in confusion, and no one had seen who had just made the move.

Li Ji'an's heart pounded like a drum, his expression extremely solemn, and the natal talisman nurtured in his dantian was ready to be unleashed.

"Someone wants to kill you? And such a powerful enemy at that!" After searching with her divine sense to no avail, Fairy Yun Yao turned to look at Li Ji'an, her face showing some surprise.

The attack that person just now was clearly no weaker than hers, and perhaps because he was concealing himself, his true strength was even greater than hers. She never expected that Li Ji'an, a mere fake alchemist, would provoke such a being.

"Hmph, birds of a feather flock together, aren't you just like that bastard?"

Having confirmed that the crisis was temporarily averted, Li Ji'an composed himself, ignoring Yun Yao's teasing, and quickly analyzed the crisis that had just occurred.

"It's obvious they want to kill me!"

"wrong!"

"Given her power and influence, there's absolutely no need for her to hide like this!"

Li Ji'an asked himself, among all the people he had enemies in this world, the one with the greatest strength was none other than Zhao Qi, whose chance to form a core was snatched away by Xiao Changfeng.

However, Zhao Qi's strength was not enough to pose a death threat to him.

Furthermore, if they really wanted to kill me, there was absolutely no need for them to do so here.

"It wasn't to kill me... but rather... to incite conflict between the Qingjiang Sect and the Biyun Sect... the purpose being to restrain both sects... the Lieyang Sect!"

In a short while, Li Ji'an had completed his deduction.

With everyone watching, and Yun Yao having made the first move, if she were to kill Li Ji'an with a single blow, Yun Yao would have no way to explain herself.

Even if the Biyun Sect doesn't want revenge, it will definitely demand an explanation from the Qingjiang Sect, at least requiring compensation equivalent to that of a third-tier alchemist like itself before it will be satisfied.

In this way, the chances of the Lieyang Sect having exclusive access to the tomb are greatly increased.

"Hoo~" Li Ji'an glanced around warily, increasingly eager to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

“Your Highness is mistaken. I am devoted to alchemy and have never made enemies. This is clearly just a ploy to frame you…” Li Ji’an no longer hesitated and told him his firm deductions one by one.

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Fairy Yun Yao immediately frowned and became cold.

However, having been accustomed to being admired and high above others for so long, they are not easily swayed by what others say.

"Whether you believe it or not, I, Li, will now send a message to Changfeng: your affairs are none of my business!" Li Ji'an didn't delay any longer and sent the message to Xiao Changfeng in front of her.

Besides telling Yun Yao what she asked, he also told her about the life-or-death crisis they had just faced and the deductions he had made. Otherwise, if he hadn't told her about the Lieyang Sect's conspiracy, he was afraid that something might have happened, leading to a melodramatic love-hate drama between Xiao Changfeng and Yun Yao. If that had happened, he would have been just another nameless cannon fodder supporting character.

"Farewell!" After delivering the message, Li Ji'an flew away.

If the other party is able to make a move in broad daylight, then they must have some confidence. The longer I stay here, the more dangerous it becomes.

Only by separating himself from Fairy Yun Yao and preventing himself from becoming a pawn in her game can he truly escape danger.

Yun Yao watched Li Ji'an's figure disappear into the distance, her eyes shifting. Finally, as if remembering something, her expression changed, and she quietly followed him.

She wasn't afraid of being misunderstood, but she was afraid that if something really happened to Li Ji'an, that bastard would misunderstand!

(End of this chapter)