Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 367: Dragon Burial Cave

The three cultivators, who are at the mid-stage of Core Formation and are also the holy sons of the three highest sects in the Three Realms, exerted an immense sense of pressure.

The disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect were all trembling with fear, thinking that the Demonic Sect was going to come and settle scores with them again.

The sect leader was filled with fear and hesitated for a long time. In the end, he didn't even dare to activate the sect's great formation. He stepped forward with a stiff upper lip and said, "The presence of the three seniors is an honor to our Biyun Sect. May I ask if there is anything our sect can do for you?"

Lin Xiuzhu and the other two had originally planned to make a slight move to intimidate him, but seeing how sensible the sect leader was, they gave up the idea of ​​making a move. They simply looked down at the Biyun Sect from their high positions and asked, "Where is Xiao Changfeng?"

"Reporting to the senior, our sect's elder, Changfeng, went far away ten years ago to search for an old friend, and has not returned since," the sect leader replied nervously.

"Huh? How dare this junior deceive me?" Lin Xiuzhu's expression suddenly changed, and an invisible aura erupted, instantly sending the sect leader flying several feet away.

Without waiting for the sect leader to land, he turned his head to look in the direction of the sect's main branch.

At that moment, a figure flew out from there and quickly approached.

"Senior, please calm down. Uncle Changfeng has indeed been away from the sect for ten years, and now I am the one guarding the sect." Li Ji'an cupped his hands in greeting from afar.

Lin Xiuzhu and the other two looked at Li Ji'an and frowned slightly.

Previously, I had sensed the aura of a True Core cultivator within the sect, and I thought it was Xiao Changfeng, but it turned out to be another True Core cultivator.

After the Corpse Puppet Sect occupied the Tiancang Domain, it did not act as a ruler as the Myriad Laws Palace had done before. It had almost no control over the domain and did not care about any changes in the sects within the domain.

"Very well, then this is fate. You'll have this opportunity." Lin Xiuzhu carefully examined Li Ji'an for a moment, sensing his early True Core stage magic power and the soul power that Li Ji'an had deliberately suppressed to match.

Most importantly, the moment Li Ji'an appeared, the Blood Spirit Saintess had already quietly injected a trace of her essence blood into Li Ji'an's body using the "Thousand Machine Blood Guide," sensing his first-level body refinement physique.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji'an was instantly filled with trepidation: "May I ask, senior, what is the reason for this?"

"Hmph, the opportunities that come from our mouths are naturally beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators. Just come with us." The Holy Son of the Yin Ghost Sect snorted impatiently.

"I wonder... are there any risks?" Li Ji'an pressed on again, forcing himself to be cautious.

"Hmm? What nonsense are you spouting? Could it be..." The Holy Son of the Yin Ghost Sect immediately frowned and rebuked him.

However, the Blood Spirit Saintess, dressed in a blood-red gauze dress, interrupted at the right moment: "Hey, since we've invited this fellow Daoist to join us, we should unite as one and not hurt our harmony."

"I haven't yet asked your Daoist name, fellow Daoist." Then, the Blood Spirit Saintess smiled slightly at Li Ji'an.

After she entered Li Ji'an's body with the "Thousand Machines Blood Guide," she unexpectedly discovered that he had excellent physical attributes, and his temperament and appearance were also outstanding. In particular, his bone age was less than a hundred years old, making him a prodigy in the Tiancang Domain. Most importantly, the essence blood in his body gave her a strong attraction, which she absolutely did not want to let go of.

Li Ji'an glanced gratefully at the Blood Spirit Saintess and said gently, "Thank you, fairy. My name is Li Ping'an, and my Daoist name is Chang'an."

"So it's Fellow Daoist Chang'an. I am Xue Yuan. Greetings." The Blood Spirit Saintess smiled slightly.

At the same time, Lin Xiuzhu and the Holy Son of the Yin Ghost Sect subconsciously chuckled.

In the cultivation world, many people choose Daoist names to express their aspirations. Common Daoist names include Changqing (Eternal Green), Yongsheng (Eternal Life), Zhetian (Covering the Sky), and Xiaoyao (Free and Unfettered), which represent the corresponding cultivator's ambition.

Li Ji'an's Daoist name is also so simple and direct, which, combined with his earlier question about whether there was any risk, confirms the point.

"I have met the Blood Kite Fairy." Li Ji'an nodded slightly.

"This is True Man Jinzhu, also the current Holy Son of the Corpse Puppet Sect, and this is True Man Heisha, the Holy Son of the Yin Ghost Sect," Xue Yuan introduced them one by one.

"Fellow Daoist Chang'an, this is not the place to talk. Please, let's speak in private." Upon receiving Xue Yuan's telepathic message, Lin Xiuzhu also abandoned his superior demeanor. After all, the other party's blood and qi were compatible, and this was the key to whether or not the Fallen Dragon Forbidden Ruins could be opened.

Li Ji'an nodded and invited the three of them to the core training ground.

Upon entering Li Ji'an's dojo, the Blood Spirit Saintess's Blood Guiding Technique had already traversed every corner of the place. Lin Xiuzhu and the Holy Son of the Yin Ghost Sect also used their divine senses to thoroughly investigate, confirming that Li Ji'an had no special secrets.

"Fellow Daoist Chang'an, this is an ancient opportunity within the Fallen Dragon Ridge, which requires the essence blood of four True Immortals to open..." Lin Xiuzhu then gave a general account of the Fallen Dragon Forbidden Ruins, concealing its origins, downplaying the risks, and promising a 10% return.

Moreover, there was an undeniable deterrent force in their words.

Li Ji'an made a few token refusals, but each time he was turned away by the Blood Spirit Saintess and the Yin Ghost Saint, one with a red face and the other with a black face. In the end, he could only agree seemingly against his will.

On that day, the four left the Biyun Sect and headed deep into the Fallen Dragon Ridge.

“Fellow Daoist Chang’an, we cultivators fight against fate. Although you and I have the blessing of our sects to help us condense our true cores, after that, let alone you and me, even Brother Lin’s Corpse Puppet Sect can hardly provide much assistance in our cultivation.”

Brother Lin, if you want to advance further, you must personally seek opportunities. Therefore, you should still strive for them, unless you are content with what you have and willingly grow old without any further pursuit of your goals.

Along the way, the Blood Spirit Saintess, who had already confirmed Li Ji'an's background through the Biyun Sect, was still looking for opportunities to talk to him. Her aim was to lower his guard and hope that he would cooperate obediently when the time came.

However, what he said is not untrue.

Not only in the Tiancang Domain, but also in the entire eastern region of the Great Swamp cultivation world, the spiritual resources for cultivation after reaching the Core Formation stage are extremely scarce.

Third-tier cultivation pills are in high demand and short supply. However, the shortage is not of third-tier alchemists, but of the main ingredients for third-tier cultivation pills.

Even in the Wanfa Palace back then, the cultivation of True Core cultivators required scavenging the spiritual treasures of an entire region to support no more than two True Core cultivators who had reached the mid-stage of Core Formation. As for the late-stage Supreme cultivators, they were even fewer.

In the ten years since Li Ji'an returned to the Biyun Sect, even with the help of the sect's spiritual veins, he has only managed to completely stabilize his early Golden Core cultivation, and has not advanced any further.

If things continue like this, it will take him at least another hundred years to advance to the mid-stage of Core Formation.

As for cultivation after advancing to the mid-stage of Core Formation, relying solely on the spiritual energy supply from the spiritual veins is even more difficult. Not counting the bottlenecks, it would probably take two hundred years.

The bottleneck at the mid-stage of Core Formation is likely to be encountered by those below the Golden Core stage.

“Fellow Daoist Chang’an, if we were unaware that there were ancient Nascent Soul Heavenly Lords, or even Immortal Lords who ascended to the Great Dao, lived as long as heaven and earth, and achieved the True Core, we would already be able to look down upon this world. But since our ancestors have already performed such miracles, how can we be complacent and fail to break through the shackles?”

……

Faced with the Blood Spirit Saintess's patient guidance, Li Ji'an deeply agreed, as if he had been enlightened and benefited greatly.

"You cultivators of the Heavenly Azure Domain are truly being tamed by the Myriad Laws Palace, sitting on a mountain of treasures without knowing how to dig them out," the Yin Ghost Saint Son said, his face grim as he continued to provoke him.

In the end, Li Ji'an gritted his teeth and made up his mind to embark on this journey to seek opportunities.

Two months later, the four crossed the wasteland and entered the Fallen Dragon Ridge. They continued southward, traversing a distance of 100,000 miles, and entered the deepest part of the Fallen Dragon Ridge.

Previously, Li Ji'an had entered the deepest part of Fallen Dragon Ridge, which was the lair of the two-headed snake, and that place was still 80,000 miles away from here.

Compared to this location, the third-order two-headed snake is also situated on the edge of the area.

Along the way, Li Ji'an had already discovered no fewer than five third-tier great demons in the heavens, including one third-tier mid-stage great demon.

Such a place, teeming with demonic beasts, with its chaotic spiritual energy and pervasive poisonous atmosphere, would deter even a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator from venturing in alone.

They were fortunate to have escaped from the Ninth Heaven; otherwise, they would have faced many more difficulties.

However, the good thing is that when the four of them arrived near their destination, not only were there no traces of monsters within a radius of a thousand miles, but even the vegetation had completely disappeared, leaving only barren mountains and wastelands.

There wasn't a single insect chirping, not even a whisper of wind.

The entire world here was silent, as if it had been abandoned by this realm.

Upon seeing this scene, Li Ji'an felt a sudden chill in his heart. If it weren't for Ning Sujin's guidance on avoiding misfortune and seeking good fortune, he wouldn't have given this place a second glance.

This also proves that the story of the ancient Fallen Dragon Forbidden Ruins, which was overheard by Lin Xiuzhu and the other two, is indeed true.

Li Ji'an would believe that such a place could bury not only an ancient dragon, but also a true immortal.

Lin Xiuzhu and his two companions had clearly been here before and were familiar with the surroundings.

"Fellow Daoist Chang'an, remember what we said on the way. Once you arrive here, do your best to conceal your aura and only activate your physical essence and blood."

"When the Holy Monarch arrived before, his dragon soul sensed it from a hundred miles away and fell into a deep sleep, missing an opportunity. This time, we must not miss it again." As soon as she landed, the Blood Spirit Saintess gave another instruction.

Lin Xiuzhu and the Yin Ghost Saint Prince kept a close eye on Li Ji'an's actions, wary of him deliberately disturbing the beings within the forbidden ruins. Li Ji'an nodded solemnly, unleashing his blood and qi power equivalent to the late stage of the first tier.

The four then walked there.

Half a day later, the three of them finally arrived at a towering mountain.

This hill is the highest point here, and from a distance it looks just like the mound of an earthen grave.

After the three of them stood there, they all had solemn expressions on their faces.

The Yin Ghost Saint and the Blood Spirit Saintess held Li Ji'an hostage from the left and right, respectively, with the former making no attempt to conceal his murderous intent.

Lin Xiuzhu glanced back at the three of them and finally took out five fragments from his storage bag.

The fragments, as if crafted from gold and stone, were ancient and weathered, bearing the marks of time, and the aura emanating from them was something Li Ji'an had never seen before.

After removing the fragments, Lin Xiuzhu carefully pieced them together.

A disc-shaped jade pendant is beginning to take shape, but it is only a little over 50% complete.

Afterwards, Lin Xiuzhu slowly lifted the broken Dragon Locking Pendant with his blood and qi, respectfully kowtowed to the mountain in front of him, and uttered obscure and difficult-to-understand incantations.

hum~
As soon as the incantation was finished, a faint, almost imperceptible sound suddenly appeared between heaven and earth.

Lin Xiuzhu and the other two immediately focused their attention on the center of the hilltop.

Sure enough, the spot that was covered by soil and rocks revealed a groove for a round jade pendant after that sound.

Immediately, the broken pendant, supported by Lin Xiuzhu's qi and blood, floated towards the groove.

Dang~
Soon the broken pendant was firmly embedded in the groove, and a dazzling red light suddenly burst forth.

The mountaintop immediately began to shake violently.

Unfortunately, the red light gradually dissipated when it reached the broken and incomplete part of the pendant, eventually leaving only a wisp of mist that could be extinguished at any moment.

"Now!" Lin Xiuzhu's expression turned solemn. He immediately bit his tongue, forcing out a drop of his life essence blood, and shot it toward the ruins.

The moment its essence and blood were absorbed by the broken body, the red light on it burst forth again by 30%, flourishing like oil being poured over a raging fire.

Upon seeing this, the Blood Spirit Saintess and the Yin Ghost Saint Son were overjoyed.

According to ancient records, it requires four individuals below the late stage of Core Formation, but with strong Qi and blood. Each of the four individuals has strong essence and blood, which will make the Dragon Locking Pendant have 25% of its effect, thus completing the perfect combination.

Even with Huang Yun included, the four of them were still somewhat apprehensive, since there was no detailed standard regarding how strong a blood essence should be.

Moreover, although Huang Yun and Yin Gui Shengzi refined their bodies for this purpose, they were ultimately still somewhat lacking.

Lin Xiuzhu's example greatly boosted their confidence.

After all, Lin Xiuzhu alone activated three effects, so even if one person had less than 25%, it would still be enough.

"Brother Lin's qi and blood are so strong, we will definitely be able to enter this place this time!" Blood Spirit Saintess said excitedly.

But the next moment, they all looked at Li Ji'an.

The Yin Ghost Saint's expression grew increasingly threatening: "This time, you must do your utmost to force out your essence blood. If this attempt fails because of insufficient essence blood, hmph..."

A hint of worry appeared in the eyes of Lin Xiuzhu and the Blood Spirit Saintess.

The next moment, the Yin Ghost Saint Son followed the same method, forcing out a drop of his life essence to activate the broken pendant.

hum~
The red light of the broken jade pendant shone brightly once more.

However, what made the three of them frown was that the essence blood of the Yin Ghost Saint was only activated by 15%.

"This..." His face darkened instantly, looking quite incredulous.

Lin Xiuzhu and the Blood Spirit Saintess also frowned as they looked at him.

"Why is that? Old Ghost has already reached the first level of Body Refinement. Although his Qi and Blood are not as good as Brother Lin's, they are not far apart. According to your standards, Brother Lin, Old Ghost should be able to activate 25% this time..." Blood Spirit Saintess looked suspicious.

Lin Xiuzhu remained silent with a sullen face, unsure of what the problem was.

"Damn it!" Not getting a response from Lin Xiuzhu, the Blood Spirit Saintess immediately used the Blood Guiding Secret Technique to probe into the Yin Ghost Saint Son and quickly discovered the problem.

"The Yin Sha that the old ghost cultivates greatly erodes his essence and blood. Although he seems to have strong Qi and blood, he is actually already internally empty and his life essence and blood are insufficient."

The three of them suddenly realized what was going on.

"Blood Granny, it's up to you!" The Yin Ghost Saint Child shook his head helplessly and looked at the Blood Spirit Saintess.

"Blood Kite, as long as you can reach 30%, there is still hope." Lin Xiuzhu also placed his hopes on the Blood Spirit Saintess.

She should have had the most concentrated blood and qi among the four, but unfortunately, as a woman, her cultivation method was also to refine essence and blood. Although she had many secret techniques for cultivating blood and qi, her actual concentration of essence and blood was not as high as that of Lin Xiuzhu, a quasi-second-level body cultivator.

However, it should be about the same.

The Blood Spirit Saintess nodded, her expression solemn as she activated her essence blood.

hum~
As its essence and blood were stimulated onto the broken pendant, it once again shone with a strong crimson light.

In an instant, the blood-red light on the Dragon Lock Pendant increased by another 25%.

This is in line with the initial expectations. If all four people are at this level, the Dragon Burial Cave can be opened.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of Yin Ghost Saint Sons, things are somewhat difficult at this moment.

The three of them have now activated seven effects of the Dragon Locking Pendant. To fully activate them, a fourth person must possess the blood and qi power to activate three effects.

Even if Huang Yun, who was previously at the mid-stage of Core Formation, were still alive, it would be impossible.

Moreover, they had temporarily brought in Li Ji'an, who was in the early stage of Core Formation.

Based on the amount of energy and blood that Li Ji'an had displayed, they were grateful if he could achieve 20% of it before they came. If he could reach 25%, all three of them decided to give him a quick death.

But they didn't dare to hope for even 30%.

The three of them were momentarily disappointed, but they still looked at Li Ji'an.

However, the expressions of the three men at this moment were less expectant and more murderous.

Just as they had planned at the place where Huang Yun died, if the person they found at the last minute still couldn't open the Burial Dragon Cave, they would kill him to vent their anger and then eat him.

Li Ji'an frowned slightly at the gazes of the three men.

A dignified cultivator in the mid-stage of Core Formation is truly a bit too useless.

If he cannot open the Dragon Burial Cave at this moment, he will have to face the premeditated attack of three mid-stage Core Formation cultivators.

This is still somewhat risky for him.

Instead of doing that, we should open the dragon burial site for them and go in first.

However, it will take a little thought to figure out how to avoid making them suspect that he is pretending to be weak while actually being strong.

In a flash of thought, Li Ji'an had an idea and immediately took out a pill from his storage bag: "This is a Blood Explosion Pill, which may be able to forcibly increase one's blood and qi, but... I'm afraid I will be very weak after the explosion. At that time, I will have to trouble the three of you to help me."

(End of this chapter)