Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 324 The Battle of Spirit Beasts
As the creature walked in this direction, Li Ji'an sensed its magical aura and put the frog back into its spirit pet pouch before the sound could reach it.

The person who arrived was Bai Cailing from the Yaochi Chamber of Commerce.

The next moment, Bai Cailing's exaggerated and revealing outfit appeared in front of Li Ji'an.

The seven-colored feather crown paired with the seven-colored robe, with the slits opened very high, completely exposing her straight, snow-white jade legs.

"What bad luck!" Li Ji'an snorted coldly, threw the spirit stones to the shopkeeper, and was about to leave.

"Hmm?" Bai Cailing stretched out her jade-like leg and blocked Li Ji'an's way.

"What? Are you afraid this fairy will eat you?"

Li Ji'an was slightly taken aback, his demeanor completely different from when the conflict occurred last time.

"I heard from Cheng Zhi that you possess considerable magical power?" Bai Cailing still looked down at him, but unlike last time, she didn't treat him like Wu Yehua's servant.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji'an suddenly realized what was going on.

What's it to you?

"Hmph, you were disrespectful to me before. For Cheng Zhi's sake, I can let it go. However, you need to fight me first," Bai Cailing said arrogantly.

"I'll have to decline!" Li Ji'an flashed past Bai Cailing and headed out of the neighborhood.

“You…” Bai Cailing looked at Li Ji’an’s departing figure, her face filled with shame and indignation.

She even subconsciously glanced at her prized legs.

Can't he even glance at this?
"Which blood pool does the man surnamed Liu come to borrow from you for?" Bai Cailing asked angrily, looking at the shopkeeper of the Blood Pool Workshop.

The shopkeeper smiled apologetically: "Please forgive us, Fairy Bai, we have all signed a spiritual contract, and we really cannot disclose the privacy of our esteemed guest."

Bai Cailing frowned even more, but then she thought of the owner of Xuechifang, sighed inwardly, and did not continue to make things difficult for him.

Then, changing the subject, he said, "Alright, how many more people are needed for the advanced blood pool refinement? Can it be opened within a month?"

"Reporting to Fairy Bai, if your spirit pet is confirmed, the event can begin tomorrow," the shopkeeper said respectfully.

"Huh? So fast this time?" Bai Cailing asked, both surprised and delighted.

"Huh, that guy surnamed Liu just now..." Suddenly, she came to her senses and realized what he meant.

The shopkeeper remained bowed and did not respond.

"Alright, my spirit crane will take a spot!" After saying that, Bai Cailing handed the spirit stone to the shopkeeper.

"Alright, but this is the fourth time Fairy White Crane has been used for purification, so the effect probably won't be much better. Besides, after this, there's probably no need to use this blood pool for purification anymore." The shopkeeper took the spirit stone, thought for a moment, and then gave a reminder.

Bai Cailing waved her hand domineeringly: "It's alright. This time, my spirit crane will definitely be able to form a demon core, and I won't need to be refined in the blood pool in the future."

"Congratulations, fairy! Congratulations, fairy! I wish you great success in your attempt to condense a superior demon core!" the shopkeeper hurriedly congratulated.

"Reward!" Bai Cailing was very satisfied and immediately threw out a hundred spirit stones.

"Thank you, fairy! Thank you, fairy!" The shopkeeper happily put away the spirit stones and thanked her repeatedly.
-
After leaving the Blood Pool Workshop, Li Ji'an went to the Spirit Pet Cave in the Immortal City.

While spirit beasts rely primarily on their own demonic power and bloodline to form their demon core, the environment is also crucial to the success or failure of this process.

However, the spirit beast caves that are used to break through to the demon core are different from those of human cultivators. They are not entirely dependent on spiritual energy, but also on the bloodthirsty energy that can stimulate the demonic nature of spirit beasts and the chance to awaken the ancestral source of the five elements of turbid energy.

The most prestigious training ground for humans aiming to reach the Core Formation stage in the entire Wanshang Domain is located in Feihong Immortal City, the headquarters of the Merchant Alliance.

The top-tier training ground for demonic beasts to break through to their demon cores is located at the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild.

Previously, when bidding for the Jade Blood Pill, the additional condition was that the user should take the Jade Blood Pill on the spot to attempt to condense a demon core, so the demon beast core-forming cave in the merchant guild was essentially given away for free.

One month later, Guagua will attempt to condense its demon core in the top-tier spirit pet cave within the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild.

However, in the month leading up to this, in addition to the blood pool cleansing, Li Ji'an also planned to let Guagua get used to a cave-like dwelling.

Therefore, he came to the Spirit Pet Cave Trading Company in the Immortal City and rented a near-third-tier demon beast cave for a month.

Its price is even higher than that of the third-tier human Daoist temple in the Tiancang Domain's Wanfa Palace, which governs the immortal city.

Its interior is filled with malevolent energy and its spiritual energy is chaotic and violent, making it impossible for human cultivators to cultivate within it.

Spirit pets should not stay inside for long during their daily cultivation, as this can easily cause them to become unrestrained and lose control.

Just as I released Guagua, news from Blood Pool Workshop arrived.

"So fast? Could it be that woman's spirit crane?" Li Ji'an was slightly surprised, but not too concerned.

Within the Wanshang Domain, the spirit of contracts is very strong. It's not that everyone is honest and keeps their promises, but rather that there are spiritual contracts everywhere. Even if they are refining their spirit pets in the Blood Pool with the other nine people tomorrow, they will sign a spiritual contract and will not spread what they see and hear.

A second-tier spirit contract, comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, is not cheap. In the Tiancang Domain, spirit contracts are almost only signed for major events, while in the Wanshang Domain, it seems as if spirit stones are free.

Li Ji'an suspected that this was all a tactic employed by the Merchant Alliance to sell Spirit Contracts.

The cost is ultimately borne by the customer. Although it may seem that each shop offers spiritual contracts, in reality, it is the customers who are footing the bill.

"Croak~" At this moment, after getting used to the cave, Guagua hopped over to Li Ji'an and rubbed its frog head against Li Ji'an's leg. Its big, bulb-like eyes showed a complex mix of emotions, mostly gratitude.

"Heh~ Don't overthink it. You've been with me for three lifetimes, and I'll do my best for you. Just adapt well." Li Ji'an gently stroked his head and said calmly.

"Quack~" Quack simply put its whole head on Li Ji'an's lap, its big eyes staring straight at Li Ji'an.

At this moment, the little fire spirit also ran out of Li Ji'an's dantian and jumped up and down on Guagua's head.

"If we have the chance, I hope the three of us can continue on this path, at least to see the highest spiritual peak and the farthest sea in this world together."

"Quack quack~" Upon hearing this, the quack immediately perked up, sensing Li Ji'an's sincerity.

……

At dawn the next day, Li Ji'an once again led Guagua out of the cave.

Before long, they arrived at the innermost high-level blood pool of yesterday's Blood Pool Workshop.

The Blood Pool is built in a bamboo forest, covering an area of ​​about one acre. In addition to the shops and quiet rooms, there are several pavilions around it.

At this moment, five people had already arrived. Three of them chatted and exchanged tips on beast taming, while the other two sat quietly in a corner, waiting patiently.

Li Ji'an's appearance drew the attention of the five people.

However, seeing his aloof expression, they all turned away and didn't disturb him.

Li Ji'an also found an empty pavilion to sit cross-legged and wait.

In the following half hour, three more people arrived ahead of schedule.

Bai Cailing arrived just in time.

However, the other eight people clearly recognized Bai Cailing. Instead of objecting to her late arrival, they all took the initiative to greet her and chat with her.

After all, as an upper-middle-ranking merchant guild among the eighteen merchant guilds of the merchant alliance, Yaochi Merchant Guild focuses on the business of female cultivators and has considerable financial resources. It also controls almost 70% of the dual cultivation, music and leisure industries in the region.

"Heh~ It really is you!" Bai Cailing ignored the people who were trying to curry favor with her, and instead spotted Li Ji'an sitting quietly in the pavilion and walked straight over to him.

This surprised everyone present, who secretly speculated about Li Ji'an's identity.

Li Ji'an did not open his eyes or say a word from beginning to end.

"You actually have a peak second-tier spirit pet? Could it be that that good-for-nothing won that Azure Blood Pill for you?" Bai Cailing transmitted her voice again.

Li Ji'an was slightly surprised, as he still thought that Wu Yehua had won the Jade Blood Pill.
Did Wu Chengzhi tell her but she didn't believe him, or was it because it involved the secrets of the two chambers of commerce and they didn't communicate with each other?

"What do you mean?" Li Ji'an confirmed her guess.

"Hmph, don't worry, this fairy has already obtained spiritual resources no less than those of the Azure Blood Pill, so there's no need for me to covet that trash's Azure Blood Pill," Bai Cailing said disdainfully. "However, you must pay an explanation for your previous disrespect towards this fairy!"

"What kind of explanation do you want?" Li Ji'an's heart stirred. After all, he wasn't very confident that Guagua could condense a demon core. It would be better if he could have more options.

"After the spirit pet has undergone blood refinement, it will fight me!" Bai Cailing said without hesitation.

She had fought with Wu Chengzhi and knew his strength, while Wu Chengzhi told her that Liu Qingyun's strength was no less than his own.

As a fellow contestant in this year's Flying Goose Forum, Bai Cailing was eager to learn about Liu Qingyun's true skill level in advance.

He also wanted to teach him a lesson with his own strength and vent his anger at being scolded back then.

"Hmph, what benefit would Liu gain?"

"You still want more benefits? I only spared you the apology because of Cheng Zhi's sake," Bai Cailing said, frowning.

"No way!" Seeing that he hadn't fallen for the trick, Li Ji'an refused outright.

Before Bai Cailing could speak further, the shopkeeper had already summoned a formation master.

"Distinguished guests, the Blood Pool Formation is about to be activated. Please prepare your spirit pets to enter the pool!"

"I hereby declare that all distinguished guests should take good care of their spirit pets to avoid any conflict. If any of your spirit pets goes out of control and damages the blood pool, you will be solely responsible for any losses suffered by the other distinguished guests."

As soon as he finished speaking, all ten people came to the blood pool as required.

"Splash~" As the shopkeeper's array master activated the array, the blood pool instantly surged like a raging torrent.

The bloodthirsty aura of the third-tier demonic beast surged forth even more fiercely.

"Now!" the shopkeeper said again.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~" One after another, the spirit pets jumped out of their respective spirit pet pouches.

"Hiss~ Fellow Daoist Xu's spirit pet is actually a rare Thunderwing Lion!"

The first to leap into the blood pool was a white male lion with wings growing from its ribs and accompanied by the power of lightning. It unceremoniously occupied the core position in the very center of the blood pool.

This amazed the others.

Next came three Flaming Tigers, which were the core spirit pets sold by the Flaming Tiger Merchant Guild. They were all of superior bloodline, with a hefty price tag, and were the most reliable option.

However, the three Flame Tigers were still somewhat wary of facing the Thunderwing Lion, and ultimately could only choose to take a spot on the side.

The next few spirit pets were mostly top-tier spirit pets from Tiger Roar Immortal City, including a giant ancient elephant with a Heavenly-grade bloodline that had been auctioned by the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild.

These spirit beasts were all brimming with demonic energy and awe-inspiring, their oppressive aura even stronger than that of a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator.

Even the frogs in the spirit pet bag were intimidated by its power. This was a suppression from their bloodline. Unless the frogs were a level higher than them, they would find it difficult to restrain themselves.

Seeing that Li Ji'an had not yet released his spirit pet, Bai Cailing could not wait any longer. She patted the spirit pet pouch, and a seven-colored spirit crane cried out and soared into the sky.

With a cry from the seven-colored crane, the momentum of the previous eight spirit beasts slowed down.

Although the Seven-Colored Spirit Crane only has a superior bloodline, it has lived for nearly three hundred years and has already condensed a demon core once. It has also been offered high-quality spiritual resources by Bai Cailing for many years. In particular, it is a descendant of the True Spirit Crane bloodline from the Primordial Era, and has a bloodline suppression effect on ordinary demon beasts.

When the crane stepped into the blood pool, the thunderwing lion let out a low growl, but ultimately reluctantly stepped aside.

Seeing this, Bai Cailing nodded in satisfaction; Linghe had not embarrassed her.

Then, she turned to look at Li Ji'an with a rather provocative expression.

Li Ji'an remained expressionless, patted his spirit pet pouch, and a giant frog, the size of a millstone, jumped out.

"Croak~" As soon as the croaking croak came out, it felt the bloodline suppression of the nine high-grade spirit beasts in the blood pool and couldn't help but tremble.

"Heh~ You actually raised a toad!" This scene made Bai Cailing burst out laughing.

This left the other eight people speechless.

No one expected that among those undergoing the blood pool's cleansing would be a low-grade spirit beast from this realm.

However, the next moment, the group was secretly surprised, unable to believe that someone could cultivate the Vermilion Toad to the peak of the second tier.

"It's alright, just focus on your training!" Li Ji'an didn't care about the others' attitudes, nor was he annoyed by Guagua's subconscious reaction.

Bloodline suppression is not courage; it is true that Guagua's bloodline is inferior, but that is not its fault.

Just like even the most powerful monsters would be suppressed by the aura of a true dragon.

"Quack~" Quack finally came to its senses, a hint of annoyance flashing in its eyes, realizing that it had embarrassed its master.

“Go!” Li Ji’an nodded.

Guagua took a deep breath and leaped into the blood pool.

Having just embarrassed its owner, it gritted its teeth and vowed never to embarrass its owner again.

As Guagua jumped into the blood pool, the spirit beasts within began to let out low growls.

They were all threatening him not to come near.

Although the blood pool is large, these spirit beasts are all quite large, and each spirit beast has a very large safe zone, almost filling the blood pool completely.

Only the very edge of the blood pool remains as a safe haven for the frog.

However, although all the blood pools contain potions, the central area is where the potency is strongest, and the purification effect is relatively better.

"Cry~" Suddenly, the cry of the seven-colored crane rang out.

Despite being intimidated by the beasts, Guagua actually walked straight to the central area, where Bai Cailing's Seven-Colored Spirit Crane was located!
This cry of the crane contained a slight sonic power, and coupled with its original crane bloodline, it caused all the spirit beasts to subconsciously bow their heads.

Guagua instinctively shrank into the blood pool as well.

However, after the crane's cry, Guagua actually got up from the blood pool again and walked step by step toward the central area.

"Hmm?" Bai Cailing's phoenix eyebrows furrowed.

"A toad trying to eat swan meat? He's asking for death!"

"Screech~" Sensing its master's emotions, the seven-colored crane cried out sharply once more.

This time the pressure was even greater.

"Croak croak croak croak~" However, to everyone's astonishment, after struggling to bow its head, the frog actually raised its head and croaked loudly at the crane in resentment.

Their steps did not stop.

But it is clear that its progress has been faltering. The suppression of its bloodline has long made it difficult for it to move forward, and it is only relying on its passion!

Li Ji'an raised an eyebrow slightly, wanting to laugh. Compared to other spirit beasts, he always felt that Guagua seemed to have more feelings and be more emotional.

"Not bad!"

"Distinguished guests, please control your spirit pets. The blood pool cleansing is about to begin." Seeing that the demonic beasts in the pool had not yet fully settled, the shopkeeper reminded them again.

He had one last ingredient to add, which he would add after all the monsters were ready.

"Hmph!" Seeing that the frog was still persisting, Bai Cailing snorted and had no choice but to give the order to Linghe.

Linghe moved aside rather displeasedly, making room for Guagua.

"Croak~" The croaking croaked with difficulty to the center of the blood pool, then suddenly raised its head and looked proudly at Li Ji'an.

(End of this chapter)