Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 329 Murder to Seize Favor

The process of demon beasts condensing demon cores is similar to that of humans condensing magic cores. When human cultivators condense golden cores, they are considered to be seeds of nascent souls. As long as resources are not lacking and the foundation of their cultivation is not damaged, there is at least a 50% chance of successfully transforming into a nascent soul.

Similarly, the golden core of a demon beast also paves the way for the fourth-order transformation.

Moreover, once the core is formed, it has nothing to do with the bloodline and talent one was born with, and all subsequent cultivation is based on this demon core.

The quality of the demon core determines the efficiency and quality of subsequent cultivation.

"A Golden Core Demon!" Li Ji'an exclaimed solemnly.

"Whoosh~" Feeling the Daoist energy flowing through the demon core of the frog, the little fire spirit was also overjoyed. However, having just forced out a drop of its original essence, it was somewhat listless at the moment.

"Quack~" The quack swallowed its own demon core first, then stuck out its tongue to catch the little fire spirit and touched it affectionately.

Then it jumped to Li Ji'an's side and rubbed its head against his shoulder.

"Good!" Li Ji'an smiled with satisfaction and patted the frog's head.

At the same time, I could feel the surging demonic energy emanating from Guagua.

Unsurprisingly, the demonic aura emanating from Guagua at this moment was the strongest Li Ji'an had ever seen in his life. Even though it had just condensed its demon core, it was still more intimidating than Wu Weixiong's Earth-Splitting Bear.

After a brief period of tenderness, Guagua entered meditation again, beginning to stabilize and adapt to its newly formed demon core.

Li Ji'an then affectionately took the little fire spirit into his dantian and nourished it with his profound azure magic power.

Two months later, Guagua's cultivation level stabilized temporarily, and Li Ji'an put it into his spirit pet bag and left the cave without hesitation.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Liu, on the successful formation of the Upper Demon Core by your spirit pet. It is only a matter of time before it transforms into a demon king, which is the envy of many."

As soon as they came out of the pass, they saw the former president of the Fierce Tiger Chamber of Commerce leading a group of high-ranking members to offer their congratulations.

When Guagua's demon core was reflected in the void before, it was only the upstream demon core. The purification by the Little Fire Spirit's fire marrow happened inside the cave, and outsiders did not see it.

"Thank you all, seniors." Li Ji'an returned the greeting calmly.

I'm not worried that it will be detrimental to me.

No matter how much the various chambers of commerce in the Wanshang Domain may target each other behind the scenes, they will never do anything outrageous in public. This is an ironclad rule of the business alliance.

If Li Ji'an, who is now affiliated with the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce, were to encounter any mishap within the Liehu Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Commerce Alliance would not let it go.

Not to mention the giant Jiuding Chamber of Commerce, which is at odds with Liehu Chamber of Commerce, the other major chambers of commerce in the business alliance have always coveted Liehu Chamber of Commerce's market share.

Furthermore, his ability to boldly condense a demon core here is also due to the spiritual bond he has with the other party.

It must be said that the cultivation environment in the Wanshang Domain is very different from that in the Tiancang Domain due to the Merchant Alliance, and in some aspects it is indeed much more reassuring.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, you are too kind. On behalf of the Fierce Tiger Chamber of Commerce, I sincerely invite you to join me for a drink. Would you do me the honor?" The old president spoke kindly, addressing him as a peer.

Li Ji'an smiled, as he had expected this. With Guagua's remarkable ability to condense a superior demon core, his value had naturally increased.

Previously, even trading with incomplete formulas for the Crystal Condensation Pill had failed to entice the guild leader to appear, but now he was exceptionally polite.

It is truly a case of the master relying on favor to attain high status.

"It would be impolite of me to refuse such hospitality, President," Li Ji'an nodded in agreement.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, please!"

Li Ji'an nodded and walked towards the interior of the Chamber of Commerce.

Just as he took a step, Tong Liang quickly walked over.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Liu, on the successful formation of the upper-level demon core by your spirit pet. Congratulations!"

Li Ji'an glanced at him, a look of doubt on his face, but nodded slightly and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Thank you."

“I am Tong Liang from the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce. It is truly fate that I have encountered your spirit pet forming its core. May I ask if you may leave a communication talisman so that we can exchange information in the future?” Tong Liang offered a communication talisman.

“Tong Liang of the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce?” Li Ji’an’s eyes narrowed slightly; the name was naturally familiar to him.

I had heard Wu Yishan say many times before when I was in the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce that he was not only a descendant of the current head of the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce, but also a prodigy with extraordinary talent who was firmly in the top five.

"Tong Yaoyao's grandchildren?"

"So it's Fellow Daoist Tong, my apologies for not recognizing you." Out of respect for Tong Yaoyao, Li Ji'an's smile became much more amiable.

"Of course, of course. Then I, Tong, will go outside and congratulate Fellow Daoist Liu." Tong Liang's face was beaming with joy.

Sure enough, even outsiders like Tong Liang, who had fled here during the war, had long heard of his name.

"Young friend Tong, don't forget the spiritual contract you signed!" Just then, the old steward of the Tiger Hunting Merchant Guild hurriedly reminded him.

However, this was not meant for Tong Liang to hear, but for the chairman to hear.

He allowed Tong Liang to come in today, which would not have been a problem under normal circumstances.

However, Li Ji'an's spirit pet successfully condensed a demon core, which was an upstream demon core that had not appeared for many years.

The value of a seed of a transformed demon king is extraordinary for any merchant guild.

Fortunately, its owner is not powerful enough, so it is entirely possible to find a way to recruit it.

Once its master is incorporated, it will be equivalent to gaining the foundation of a transformed demon king.

The fewer people who know about this kind of thing, the better.

Otherwise, if there is competition, the cost of acquisition will inevitably increase, leading to a significant increase in profits.

Now, Bai Cailing and Tong Liang have both seen the reflection of Li Ji'an's spirit beast's demon core. Although they have signed a spirit contract, they cannot tell outsiders about this.

However, Tong Liang is not like Bai Cailing; she is someone who may take the lead of the entire Jiuding Chamber of Commerce in the future.

Even though he was bound by the blood oath of the Spirit Contract and could not tell outsiders, he already knew that he could fully represent the will of the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce to win over and recruit Li Ji'an.

The moment the former president of the Fierce Tiger Chamber of Commerce saw Tong Liang, his expression turned sour.

At this moment, Tong Liang was poaching talent from the Liehu Chamber of Commerce in front of a group of high-ranking officials, which naturally made the old steward even more uncomfortable.

"Hehe~ I naturally know, no need for the uncles and elders of the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild to remind me." Tong Liang glanced at the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild members and naturally understood their purpose. At this moment, he couldn't help but smile provocatively.

He is quite confident about this.

It wasn't about recruiting Li Ji'an, but about killing him to seize his favor!
Li Ji'an was able to bring his spirit pet to the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild to form his core, so naturally he would have signed many spirit contracts to ensure his safety, including a clause that the merchant guild would not covet his spirit pet.

Therefore, the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild would not resort to force or robbery.

However, he only signed a spiritual contract that prohibited the disclosure of his information to the outside world, but there was no spiritual contract that prohibited the theft of his information.

Tong Liang smiled and took a step back, while Bai Cailing stood there, unsure of how to treat Li Ji'an.

Before long, Li Ji'an was invited to the inner hall by the president of the Liehu Chamber of Commerce.

A sumptuous feast of rare delicacies has already been prepared.

During the meal, the old chairman's intention to win him over was quite obvious.

They even promised that if Li Ji'an was willing, the Liehu Chamber of Commerce could intervene to peacefully terminate the spiritual contract he had signed with the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce.

Of course, the price offered to Li Ji'an was also very generous, comparable to the Jia Shang Investment Plan of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce, and equivalent to Wang Hu of the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce today.

However, the request was not for Li Ji'an, but for Guagua.

And it's not a service for a fixed number of years, but a lifetime of devotion.

They promised to do everything in their power to help Guagua break through to the fourth-tier Transformation Demon King level, but their support for Li Ji'an was minimal.

In fact, Li Ji'an was able to sense the Chamber of Commerce's intentions. They clearly did not want Li Ji'an to advance, so when he passed away peacefully, Guagua became the Chamber of Commerce's guardian spirit beast.

Li Ji'an ate and drank as usual, neither agreeing nor refusing, but simply needing to think it over carefully.

With the spiritual contract in place, the Fierce Tiger Merchant Guild didn't make things difficult for Li Ji'an. After treating him well, they saw him off the following day.

Walking through Tiger Roar Immortal City, Li Ji'an felt refreshed and relaxed.

This unexpected formation of the Golden Core by Guagua not only relieved him of a worry but also gave him more confidence for the future.

With a third-tier great demon by his side, he would be virtually worry-free throughout the entire Wanshang Domain.

This also ensures that he can rejuvenate in every future life.

If Guagua can advance to the fourth rank, then he won't have to worry too much about the entire Great Swamp cultivation world, and he won't have to hide like before when he rejuvenates in each life.

"Liu Qingyun!" A divine sense transmission came from not far away.

Li Ji'an paused, looking at the window frame on the third floor of the restaurant facing the street.

In her consciousness, Bai Cailing was sitting in a private room on the third floor, looking somewhat lost.

"What's the matter?"

"I...I would like to invite Fellow Daoist Liu in for a chat," Bai Cailing said, her voice lacking confidence.

Li Ji'an shook his head: "There's nothing to talk about between us."

“How could there not be? There are still many people all over the world who firmly believe in you and me…” Bai Cailing said in shame and indignation.

Li Ji'an chuckled: "Fellow Daoist Bai, don't think too highly of yourself. Not many people care about you that much."

"you!"

"Hmph, don't forget that I also contributed to your spirit pet's core formation this time. Without that core-forming method, your spirit pet might not have been able to form an upper-level demon core!" Bai Cailing said angrily.

"That's the bet you lost!" Li Ji'an said, then turned and left, not wanting to get entangled with him any further.

"Wait!" Bai Cailing could no longer hold back and leaped down to stop Li Ji'an in the street.

"Hmm?" Li Ji'an's eyes narrowed.

Bai Cailing immediately took a half step back.

In their previous sparring, she was no match for Li Ji'an in terms of magical power. Now, however, his spirit pet has formed a third-tier upper-level demon core, and its potential and strength as a newly formed demon core completely overwhelm her spirit crane.

She had subconsciously submitted completely.

"Don't misunderstand, I... I just want to resolve our conflict," Bai Cailing blurted out.

Seeing his heart flutter like a startled deer, Li Ji'an almost lost his composure.

Women's admiration for strength is innate, it's in their very blood.

"Hmph, don't think I'm afraid of you. I just... it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. Besides, it's fate that our spirit pets are both trying to reach the third rank on the same day. The main thing is that Little Seven has a good impression of your Vermilion Toad and wants to have another spirit beast friend." Realizing her awkward situation, Bai Cailing hurriedly explained.

"No need! Get out of the way." Li Ji'an suppressed his inner laughter and refused with a stern face.

A powerful aura emanated from her, causing Bai Cailing to once again obey her instincts.

Only after Li Ji'an's figure disappeared into the distance did Bai Cailing angrily blame herself for being so cowardly in front of Li Ji'an.

Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she hurriedly transmitted her voice again from afar: "Be careful of Tong Liang!"

During the process of Guagua condensing the core, Bai Cailing noticed several times that Tong Liang's attitude was not right, and at this moment she couldn't help but remind him.

However, after sending the message, she herself was a little surprised. Why did she remind him?
I have no evidence; it's just a feeling.

Moreover, the other party is a prodigy of the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce, while Li Ji'an is just a cultivator from another region.

Moreover, her relationship with Li Ji'an was so disharmonious.

"Hmm?" Li Ji'an, who had already gone far away, was slightly surprised to receive this message.

It wasn't that I was suspicious of Tong Liang's good or bad intentions, but rather that I was surprised that he actually reminded me.

Li Ji'an only regarded Tong Liang as Tong Yaoyao's junior.

In his previous life, Tong Yaoyao had helped him a great deal. First, she gave him the opportunity to become a guest alchemist in the Chamber of Commerce, which improved his alchemy skills. Later, because of Zhao Shuyao, she gave him the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill and personally protected him, allowing him to successfully establish his foundation.

Even a hundred years later, they went to the Biyun Sect to prepare a Core Formation Spiritual Treasure for him.

Although the Core Formation Treasure was just an ordinary one, it still showed the kindness shown to him.

Li Ji'an was a grateful person who remembered Tong Yaoyao's kindness.

Unfortunately, since arriving in Wanshang Domain a few years ago, there has been no news of Tong Yaoyao.

Their whereabouts appear to be highly secretive.

However, Li Ji'an also found from the history of Wan Shang Yu that he was the third place winner in a previous Fei Hong Lun Dao competition.

This also demonstrates its formidable strength.

Yesterday, he accepted Tong Liang's overtures, actually hoping to find out Tong Yaoyao's whereabouts through him.

"Alright, let's not complicate things further." After thinking for a moment, Li Ji'an temporarily abandoned the idea.

Immediately, Li Ji'an, who had originally planned to stay in Tiger Roar Immortal City, headed towards the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce.

The Guagua Demon Core has just been formed and is only temporarily stable. It will take at least one or two years to completely consolidate its early stage of the third tier.

During this period, I happened to be practicing in seclusion at the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce's Taoist temple.

Once his realm is completely stable, Fei Hong's discussion of the Dao should come to an end.

At that time, the spiritual pact with the Jinhua Chamber of Commerce will have come to an end.

Half a month later, Li Ji'an crossed the border between Bailuzhou and Baopingzhou.

"Brother Liu, why did you leave without saying goodbye?" Suddenly, a light voice rang out.

Immediately, Tong Liang's elegant figure came into view.

"Hmm?" Li Ji'an paused slightly.

Even with his peak mid-stage Core Formation divine sense, he couldn't detect where he was hiding.

"The strength of the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce is indeed not to be underestimated."

Treasures capable of shielding the divine sense of a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator can be given to a Foundation Establishment cultivator's offspring.

"What do you intend to do?" Li Ji'an asked without wasting words.

"Hehe, Brother Liu promised me that he would contact me afterward. This time, your departure without saying goodbye has truly saddened me," Tong Liang said with a smile.

"Enough with the nonsense, get to the point." The fact that they've already been lying in wait here is enough to show that they're up to no good.

Tong Liang shook his head slightly, and decided to stop with the formalities: "Brother Liu is quite straightforward. Alright, I'll get straight to the point. I would like to ask Brother Liu to give me the spirit essence of that upstream demon core."

"Heh~ You, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, dare to covet a third-tier great demon? You've got quite the nerve." Li Ji'an chuckled, but also perked up.

Knowing that he possessed a third-tier great demon core, and even a top-tier demon core at that, even if his cultivation level was not yet fully stable, he was absolutely comparable to a human cultivator in the early stage of the True Core realm.

They were incredibly audacious enough to ask for it in person.

"Then there's no need for Brother Liu to worry, I have my own clever plan," Tong Liang said confidently.

Before he could finish speaking, Li Ji'an had already disappeared.

At the same time, countless green leaves fell, enveloping the area.

Li Ji'an used methods he had never employed before, making his purpose clear: he would not hold back, nor would he show leniency simply because Tong Yaoyao was a junior.

(End of this chapter)