Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 392 Growing Old Together
Li Ji'an had already learned about Huangtian Domain in detail back when the two domains invaded Tiancang Domain.

Back then, his first choice was not Wanshangyu, but Huangtianyu.

Although Huangtian Domain is called the Demon Realm like Wuya Domain, it is quite different from Wuya Domain.

One of the main reasons is the difference in regions.

The Huangtian Domain is several times larger than the Tiancang Domain and the Wuya Domain, and its territory is home to grasslands, deserts, glaciers, and snow-capped mountains.

However, the spiritual veins within it are extremely scattered, with a single spiritual vein area perhaps only occurring tens of thousands of miles apart.

The domain has never been truly unified, not even by a loosely governed system like the Boundless Domain.

Besides the fact that the Hehuan Sect's cultivation path mainly focuses on dual cultivation and does not rely heavily on spiritual resources, thus the Hehuan Sect does not have a strong desire for the laborious task of ruling the entire Huangtian Domain, the fact that the spiritual vein areas are too far apart is also one of the main reasons.

Furthermore, since their dual cultivation method requires cultivators the most, the Hehuan Sect desires a continuous stream of cultivators within its domain to provide for its income, making the cultivation environment within the Huangtian Domain the most relaxed.

Aside from the risk of being pulled into dual cultivation and having your essence drained by disciples of the Hehuan Sect, it's even more free than the Wanshang Domain.

Inside, there are many independent cultivators who band together for mutual support.

Of course, with various independent cultivators gathered there, safety was not guaranteed, unlike the Tiancang Domain under the rule of the Wanfa Palace.

This time, Li Ji'an chose a region that avoided the Yin-Yang Spring of the Hehuan Sect, the overlord of the Huangtian Domain, and instead chose the Funiu Mountains in the western part of the Huangtian Domain.

The Funiu Mountains are bordered by the Jueying Grassland to the west, the Jueying Land of endless yellow sand to the south, the Yin-Yang Spring where the Hehuan Sect is located to the east, and the boundless glacier land to the north.

It is also the largest spiritual vein area closest to the Tiancang Domain, and the highest-ranking spiritual vein dojo is a third-grade superior spiritual vein.

Most importantly, it is a city of rogue cultivators, and its ruler, Venerable Funiu, is known as the number one rogue cultivator in the Yellow Heaven Domain for thousands of years.

The fact that a rogue cultivator could advance to the Core Formation stage is not only due to his own talent, temperament, and opportunities, but also demonstrates the cultivation environment of Huangtianyu.

This would have been absolutely impossible in the Tiancang Domain, which was once ruled by the Wanfa Palace.

This even includes the Boundless Domain ruled by the Corpse Puppet Sect and the Myriad Merchant Domain, where spiritual resources are monopolized by the Merchant Alliance.

A year and a half later, Li Ji'an successfully crossed the barren yellow sand and descended from the Ninth Heaven.

The place has finally regained its spiritual energy.

"Why did you disguise yourself like this, my husband?" As soon as he landed, Li Ji'an immediately used his magic to transform his appearance. Ning Sujin frowned and asked as she looked at his new appearance.

Li Ji'an opened his arms and looked at himself.

The old man was dressed in plain clothes, short and stocky, with wrinkles all over his face.

"There are many enchanting women in the Hehuan Sect of Huangtian Domain. With this appearance, I can at least avoid some unnecessary trouble." Li Ji'an was very satisfied with his current appearance.

With such a beautiful appearance, surely the female cultivators of the Joyful Union Sect wouldn't be able to attract her.

"Pfft~" Ning Sujin chuckled.

"Shouldn't I, as a concubine, also follow my husband's lead?"

Li Ji'an nodded naturally: "Besides the demoness, the Hehuan Sect also has demons. With your appearance, you are bound to become their target."

Before Li Ji'an could finish speaking, Ning Sujin transformed into a weathered old woman.

Li Ji'an laughed heartily, summoned the dragon staff, and with one hand on the staff and the other supporting Ning Sujin, it was a beautiful picture of a couple growing old together.

To avoid the consequences of playing the role of the Maskless One, he simply changed his appearance directly using the art of disguise.

With his current divine sense comparable to that of a Core Formation Master, only a Core Formation Master could sense that he was in disguise. To see through his disguise, one would need the primordial spirit of a True Monarch.

With the previous Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Hehuan Sect gone, and now there is no Nascent Soul True Monarch in the Yellow Heaven Domain, so no one can see through his disguise.

As for Ning Sujin, there's even less to worry about regarding her primordial spirit and soul.

"Old woman, let this old man show you around this world." Li Ji'an laughed heartily, helping Ning Sujin stride forward.

As you leave the barren, yellow sands, the grasslands gradually increase, and the spiritual energy becomes richer with each step you take deeper into the land.

There were also more living creatures.

Along the way, Guagua, who had been holding back for a long time, was released by Li Ji'an and showed great excitement in front of the boundless grassland.

"Eh~" After traveling slowly for several months, Mount Funiu was already in sight. On this day, Ning Sujin suddenly looked ahead and let out a soft "Eh".

Its primordial spirit has a farther and more refined range than Li Ji'an's divine sense, and can detect anomalies that Li Ji'an has not noticed in advance.

"Old man, there's going to be trouble ahead again." Ning Sujin then informed him of the situation ahead.

They had encountered no fewer than ten battles between cultivators along the way.

There are vendettas, robberies, murder-for-hire, and even trivial matters like taking a second look.

To Li Ji'an, these battles between cultivators in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages were no different from children playing.

Whenever they encounter such a situation, Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin will follow their hearts, without much concern about whether to take action or not, relying entirely on their instincts.

Their current true strength is no longer afraid of Core Formation cultivators.

Normally speaking, there isn't anyone in the entire Huangtian Domain that they particularly need to worry about.

Of course, not being afraid doesn't mean being willing to provoke someone easily.

After all, Li Ji'an's chances of winning a direct confrontation with a Core Formation cultivator are slim; only by using sneak attacks and ambushes can he hope to succeed.

Moreover, if the two masters on the other side join forces, he will have no choice but to run away.

I can't go back to the Heavenly Azure Domain now, and I don't dare to go to the Myriad Merchants Domain. I just arrived in the Yellow Heaven Domain and only want to settle down and steadily improve my Golden Core cultivation. I don't want to run away again in the short term.

The situation ahead is somewhat different from what we've encountered before.

It was a young female cultivator who ambushed a group of tall, rugged, and savage men.

Moreover, according to Ning Sujin's description, the female cultivator was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, while the opposing team had two pseudo-Core Formation cultivators, clearly making it a futile attempt to defeat them.

"Let's wait and see," Li Ji'an said, showing a slight interest.

The two then increased their speed, and a moment later the other party was already within Li Ji'an's spiritual sense range.

At this moment, the female cultivator had already clashed with the opposing team, and the fierce battle was in full swing.

However, the other side clearly did not take the female cultivator seriously. They simply surrounded her and left one of the burly men in the group to fight her alone.

The burly man was also at the late Foundation Establishment stage, wielding an axe in both hands, and was exceptionally powerful.

The female cultivator was at a disadvantage after less than a hundred rounds.

Left with no other choice, he produced a jade flute.

In an instant, a soothing flute melody drifted out.

At first, the flute music was melodious and captivating.

The next moment, the audible flute music suddenly transformed into a deadly blade.

Although the rugged man was on guard, he was still injured by the sound waves generated by the flute.

For a time, the female cultivator gained the upper hand...

Upon seeing this, Li Ji'an's gray eyebrows twitched slightly.

He was familiar with the first part of the flute music.

In his previous life in the Golden Immortal City, Duanmu Qin often used this to cleanse his mind, a soothing and relaxing musical piece.

However, the latter half of this flute music has never been played by Duanmu Qin.

After observing the female cultivator's attire more closely.

Li Ji'an recognized him from a musical note mark on his clothing. "A cultivator from the Heavenly Sound Pavilion?"

When the two demonic sects invaded the Tiancang Domain, the Tianyin Pavilion was the first to be attacked by the Huangtian Domain.

It was almost the same as the Dongli Sect, being one of the first sects to have its dojo breached.

Subsequently, his disciples scattered and fled.

However, Li Ji'an had heard a rumor that Tianyin Pavilion was not actually breached by the demonic cultivators of Huangtian Domain, but rather that the Pavilion Master of Tianyin Pavilion reached an agreement with the Hehuan Sect at a critical moment.

Ultimately, the entire Tianyin Pavilion relocated to the Huangtian Domain, making it the only sect among the major sects of the Tiancang Domain that completely preserved its strength.

"Husband, why are those people so tall and savage?" Ning Sujin asked curiously, staring at a group of barbarians.

"These are the natives of this place. According to records, the Yellow Heaven Domain was sparsely populated thousands of years ago, especially the northern ice plains, where only this kind of race existed."

"After the Hehuan Sect retreated from the Central Ten Domains, they came here and discovered the fourth-order spiritual vein dojo..." Li Ji'an explained patiently.

Ning Sujin nodded slightly. This was quite different from her experience growing up in the Immortal Dynasty.

"Husband, should we help or not?" Not long after, the situation on the front lines took another turn.

Although the female cultivator's sonic cultivation technique was so advanced that the barbarians could not find her, her attack power was ultimately lacking, and she could never truly pose a fatal threat to the barbarians.

The barbarian then ceased to fear her sonic attacks, using his physical strength to overpower her, even at the cost of inflicting more wounds, leaving the female cultivator with no advantage and forcing her to dodge in a sorry state.

Soon, the female cultivator was struck down by an axe blow that carried a fierce wind, leaving her shoulder blade a bloody mess.

“If you wish to save them, then do so. These local barbarians rely primarily on their physical strength. Their highest level of cultivation is only at the False Core stage, and their physical strength is at most comparable to the early stage of the third rank. My husband can handle it,” Li Ji’an replied with a slight smile.

"Hmm!" Ning Sujin nodded and immediately launched an attack with her Yuan Shen Slash.

Of course, her method at this moment was only to scare the other party away, not to kill him, and she only used a small amount of her spiritual power.

After all, the cause and effect of the entanglement between the two parties is still unknown, saving the female cultivator's life is enough.

"Ah!" The next moment, the barbarian who was walking towards the female cultivator with an axe suddenly clutched his head and screamed.

Subsequently, the other members of the group also suffered damage to their consciousness.

"Something's dirty, run!" The fake Dan among the barbarians suddenly shouted something like that in a strange tone, and then fled.

The female cultivator on the ground, who had been filled with despair, now looked on with surprise and doubt.

Three breaths later, she suddenly realized.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior! I, Duanmu Fei, kowtow in gratitude!" She suddenly knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to everyone around her in thanks.

"Consort Duanmu?" Li Ji'an, who had been leading Ning Sujin to avoid that place, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Duanmu Qin and he had gone through thick and thin together, sharing many fond memories.

He also greatly admired Duanmu Qin's character and conduct.

Duanmu Qin also left behind many secrets.

It has been more than 180 years since it left that underground teleportation array under the Daze Mountains.

It is unknown whether he actually went to the so-called other realm of cultivation.

With this in mind, Li Ji'an brought Ning Sujin to Consort Duanmu's place.

Upon seeing the two old men approach, Consort Duanmu immediately kowtowed and thanked them profusely.

"I kowtow to express my gratitude to my senior for saving my life."

Seeing that his forehead was already covered in scarlet blood and that he had not used his magic to protect himself while kowtowing, Li Ji'an nodded secretly.

"Stand up and answer." He then used his magic to help Consort Duanmu up.

"Yes, senior." Duanmu Fei then raised her head and looked at the elderly couple in front of her.

"Are you a disciple of Tianyin Pavilion?" Li Ji'an asked directly.

"Reporting to Senior, I am Duanmu Fei, a true disciple of Tianyin Pavilion," Duanmu Fei replied truthfully.

"What is the meaning of the surname Duanmu in Tianyin Pavilion?" Li Ji'an asked again.

Upon hearing this, Consort Duanmu showed a slight disappointment on her face.

When she saw the old man ask about Tianyin Pavilion, she thought he was an old friend of Tianyin Pavilion and that she might be able to ask him for help in this time of trouble.

However, the old man turned his attention to the matter of surnames and showed no interest in Tianyin Pavilion.

However, she quickly concealed her disappointment and hurriedly replied, "Reporting to senior, the Duanmu surname is one of the oldest lineages in Tianyin Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji'an seemed to be deep in thought.

When he was an elder of the Biyun Sect in his previous life, he heard about the old story of a True Core Elder named Duanmu from the Biyun Sect.

It is said that it has intricate connections with Tianyin Pavilion.

Ultimately, due to a conflict with another True Core Elder, he returned to Tianyin Pavilion.

Do you know Duanmu Qin?

"Duanmu...qin?" Upon hearing this, Consort Duanmu raised her head slightly, a strange look flashing across her face.

"I do have an ancestor who was famous for playing the zither. Is she the one you are referring to, senior?"

Li Ji'an stroked his goatee and said, "If he were still alive, he would be over two hundred years old. He is also skilled in the flute music you just played."

“That is my great-aunt.” Duanmu Fei answered without hesitation.

"Oh? Could you elaborate?" Li Ji'an nodded slightly.

"Yes, I often heard the elders in the clan admonish me when I was young, that I must never be as willful as Grandma Taigu..." Duanmu Fei then told her everything she knew about Duanmu Qin.

After listening to what Consort Duanmu said, Li Ji'an suddenly understood.

It turns out that the Supreme Elder Duanmu of the Biyun Sect was a restless person back then. After being born in the Tianyin Pavilion, he left the Tianyin Pavilion to wander the world because he lacked talent in the art of sound.

Eventually, by chance, he entered the Biyun Sect.

He eventually achieved the Core Formation stage and became a True Core Elder of the Biyun Sect.

However, during a hunt for a late-stage second-tier demonic beast with another True Core Elder from the Biyun Sect, they unexpectedly discovered a jade talisman and a jade pendant.

A conflict of interest subsequently arose.

Ultimately, Elder Duanmu's privately kept jade talisman containing the message left by the ancient great being to his descendants returned to Tianyin Pavilion.

Meanwhile, they searched the area several times but failed to find the underground ruins.

When it was passed down to Duanmu Qin's generation, she took a special liking to that jade pendant.

In the end, he even left Tianyin Pavilion in a willful manner, focusing on finding that opportunity here.

During his time in seclusion in the Golden Glory Immortal City, he developed a karmic connection with Li Ji'an.

And finally, he successfully entered the underground ruins, obtained the long-desired Core Formation Spirit Treasure Qiu Li Shui, and even stepped onto the teleportation array to go to another cultivation world.

"Does Senior know my great-aunt?" Duanmu Fei asked tentatively.

Li Ji'an nodded: "Indeed, Fellow Daoist Duanmu and I have a very close relationship."

"Please, senior, save my Duanmu clan!" Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Duanmu Fei immediately knelt down again and touched the ground with her head.

(End of this chapter)