Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 393 Barbarian City
Li Ji'an smiled and shook his head at Duanmu Fei's request.

"My wife and I are getting old and are looking for a place with good feng shui to live out our remaining years. The little girl has no grudge against us, so why did she drag us, complete strangers, into this mess?"

shuh~
Upon hearing this, Consort Duanmu's cheeks immediately turned bright red.

His eyes were filled with shame.

As the old man said, these two elderly cultivators have basically severed their path to enlightenment. If they have no offspring to worry about, they are probably also without desires. The greatest blessing would be for them to spend the last years of their lives together, growing old and living out their remaining years in harmony.

She realized that her plea for help had been rather presumptuous and selfish.

Of course, this was also her desperate statement, made in a moment of panic when she had no other choice.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked her life to ambush a group of barbarians all by herself.

Moreover, after calming down and sensing the auras of the two elders at close range, she no longer hoped that the two elders could save her people. After all, Li Ji'an's aura of early True Core stage magic power was not much different from that of her clan elders. He was no match for the barbarian's fake Core stage, because the barbarians were born with divine strength and powerful physiques. Unless a magic cultivator was a level higher than them, it would be difficult for them to win.

As for Ning Sujin, her magical power had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Senior, please forgive me. I am ashamed. I was too anxious to save my people." Duanmu Fei immediately pounded her head on the ground, feeling utterly ashamed.

"Hehe, little girl, get up. We're not blaming you." Ning Sujin sneered and glared at Li Ji'an.

She never expected that Li Ji'an would actually take advantage of his age and even resort to moral blackmail.

However, Li Ji'an's words about an old married couple enjoying their retirement years still pleased her greatly.

For Ning Sujin, there was no particular pursuit in this life. As long as she could accompany Li Ji'an to find a quiet place to live out her old age, that would be quite nice.

"Thank you, senior..." Duanmu Fei looked at Ning Sujin gratefully.

"Oh, don't call me senior, just call me grandma." Ning Sujin interrupted her with a kind smile.

Consort Duanmu looked at her, and a sense of familiarity gradually appeared in her eyes.

Ning Sujin, disguised as an old woman, had long silver hair, kind eyes, and an exceptionally amiable smile.

"Thank you, Mother-in-law," Consort Duanmu immediately greeted her warmly.

Then, she looked at Li Ji'an and called out with some shame, "Grandpa."

Li Ji'an smiled faintly: "Fine, considering your concern for your clan, I won't hold it against you."

"Thank you, Grandpa." Duanmu Fei felt a little better.

Li Ji'an said no more, took Ning Sujin's hand, and walked slowly forward.

“Little girl, human strength has its limits, and you can’t force things. If your people knew what you did today, it would only add to their grief. It’s important to know your place.” After taking two steps, Ning Sujin spoke up again to advise her.

Duanmu Fei stood there stunned, and finally had to admit that she was now powerless to save her people.

Rather than die like this today, it's better to stay alive, at least there's hope for revenge in the future.

"Thank you for your teachings, Mother!" Only when the two elderly people were about to leave sight did Consort Duanmu solemnly bow to their backs.

"Huh~" However, the next moment, looking in the direction the two old people went, Duanmu Fei frowned slightly.

"Grandma... where are you going? That way..." However, the two elderly people were too fast, and they disappeared in the blink of an eye.

After hesitating for a moment, Duanmu Fei gritted her teeth and chased after the two old people.

A few days later,
Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin stood before an ancient city in the yellow sands, which looked somewhat desolate, with slightly furrowed brows.

"Old man, is this the famous Funiu Immortal City?" Ning Sujin looked at the few incomplete and unfamiliar symbols at the entrance of the desolate ancient city and could not connect them with Funiu Immortal City.

Li Ji'an couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Given their current spiritual strength, they shouldn't be wrong about the directions of heaven and earth.

He followed the detailed map of Huangtianyu that he had purchased years ago, and his directions were always correct.

But it was clear that this desolate city was not the same place as the Funiu Immortal City he knew.

What surprised Li Ji'an even more was that, looking north, there was a vast expanse of ice.

This desolate city is actually adjacent to the northern ice plains.

"Heh, am I really getting old?" Li Ji'an chuckled self-deprecatingly, then strode into the desolate city.

The divine sense covered it, and the highest level within was a pseudo-core cultivator.

However, he now knew exactly where he was.

More than 80% of the inhabitants were burly barbarians.

Less than 20% are like him and Ning Sujin.

"Desert City!"

"Is it the oldest city of the natives here that you mentioned?" Ning Sujin asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

She was curious about these barbarians.

Her greatest pleasure in traveling with Li Ji'an this time was seeing all sorts of new and interesting people and things.

“That’s right, it is Desert City, the first communal city of the native inhabitants of the Yellow Heaven Domain. It is said that this city was built in the early post-ancient period after the destruction of the world,” Li Ji’an confirmed.

"Hmm? According to you, isn't Desert City located in the north-central part of the Yellow Heaven Domain? And Funiu Immortal City should be 100,000 miles to the west. Are you deliberately bringing me here to see the barbaric tribes of this place?" Ning Sujin's eyes widened.

Li Ji'an smiled mysteriously, neither confirming nor denying.

"Old man, tell me, what exactly happened more than six thousand years ago? What was the so-called world-ending event?" Ning Sujin asked again.

Li Ji'an shook his head: "Looking at all kinds of ancient books, I am not sure now. The only thing I am sure of is that the cultivation world six thousand years ago was quite prosperous and its territory was vast, spanning tens of millions of miles."

At that time, there seemed to be no concept of the Great Swamp Cultivation Realm. Most ancient books refer to our current cultivation realm as Yuanzhou.

Furthermore, some ancient texts describe ancient events and lands that do not correspond to our current cultivation world in Daze. It is uncertain whether these descriptions are fabrications or if this world also underwent changes due to the cataclysmic disaster six thousand years ago.

As for the destruction of the world, the most widely circulated story today is that a great demon appeared in the cultivation world in ancient times. That great demon was formed from the desires of the human race and was a divine punishment sent down by the Heavenly Dao to punish the human race for their insatiable greed.

Ultimately, whether it was humans, demons, or even spirits, all living beings in this world were wiped out. Only a very small number of mortals who had not cultivated and whose bodies contained no spiritual energy escaped the calamity.

Because those who survived the cataclysmic disaster were all ordinary people without cultivation, they knew very little about what was happening in the cultivation world, and most of them died before reaching the age of one hundred.

It wasn't until several generations later that cultivators gradually began to practice.

The truth behind the catastrophe has become increasingly distant and obscure.

At the same time, after the cataclysmic destruction, the environment of heaven and earth also changed drastically and was not as good as before.

It took cultivators from later times nearly a thousand years to figure out some cultivation methods before they gained the ability to excavate ancient ruins..."

Li Ji'an recounted all the information he had gathered over his three lifetimes in the cultivation world regarding the cataclysmic disaster that occurred more than six thousand years ago.

"Demons? If that's the case, aren't demons created by the Heavenly Dao? Then isn't this Heavenly Dao the source of demons?" Ning Sujin looked up at the sky, somewhat disgusted by the so-called Heavenly Dao's act of punishing the world by demons.

Li Ji'an was speechless for a moment. Based on his understanding before he transmigrated, Heaven was ruthless and treated all things as straw dogs. It would only operate according to the established rules and would not do something that reversed the rules.

However, he could not be certain about the cultivation world here.

"Did the immortal lords who ascended to immortality really go to the immortal realm? Is immortality attainable in the immortal realm? Then why didn't they descend to the mortal world again?" Ning Sujin didn't particularly yearn for the golden age of cultivation in ancient times, nor did she have much respect for those immortal lords who ascended to immortality. In fact, she had many doubts because of her own experience from the Immortal Dynasty to the cultivation world.

Li Ji'an could understand this.

"Based on my extensive reading of ancient texts, it is true that cultivators in ancient times could ascend to the Immortal Realm, and the Immortal Realm most likely did exist. As for why there are no records of them descending to the lower realms after ascension, I suspect it is related to the barrier between the two realms," Li Ji'an told him his conjecture.

Ning Sujin frowned, unable to comprehend the so-called barrier between the two worlds. "Forget it, forget it, these things are too far removed from us. Let us old folks go and see these barbarians for ourselves."

"it is good!"

A moment later, the two arrived at the city gate.

It was said to be the city gate, but in reality, all that remained was a ruin of yellow earthen walls and remnants.

There was no one guarding the entrance.

The two stepped in casually.

After entering the desert city, the number of buildings gradually increased, and their integrity improved considerably.

Almost every household was occupied.

The houses here are like those of the barbarians, taller and more solid than those of ordinary humans.

Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin stood outside the room, looking exceptionally petite.

The city was sparsely populated, making the two stand out.

"Wu Sang, help me~ Si Mi Nu Hu~" Just as they arrived at the door of a yellow sand house, a tall, barbarian with a stall at the door was shouting to them, shirtless.

Although I don't understand the language, I roughly understand its meaning.

On his stall, a huge demon beast had been cleaned up and carried the unique earth spirit energy of this place.

The two glanced at the monster meat on the stall and then ignored it.

"No way!" the barbarian stall owner immediately shouted at their retreating figures.

It's obviously profanity.

Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin acted as if they hadn't heard a word. At their age and with their experience, they had long since passed the point where they would be emotionally affected by the other person's words.

Fortunately, the other party only hurled a curse and then said nothing more.

In this way, the two spent three days exploring the desert city, covering the entire outer city.

Compared to ordinary human cultivators, the barbarians in the outer city of the desert city are not much different, except that they are taller and speak more rudely.

It also houses ordinary human cultivators, and its main business targets barbarians.

Afterwards, Li Ji'an led Ning Sujin into the inner city.

There is a city gate in the inner city, which is more intact than the ruins of the outer city.

There was no one on duty in the inner city either, but there was a message left at the gate.

In addition to the barbarian language, there are also common human languages.

"Cowards are not allowed in!"

Over the past three days, Li Ji'an has gained a better understanding of the barbarian's temperament, so he was not surprised by this.

Barbarians revere strength and bravery, and act rudely. They have the utmost dislike for effeminate and whiny humans. When conflicts arise, they would rather fight than waste words on debate.

This stems from the living environment of their ancestors when they were born more than 6,000 years ago.

Back then, their ancestors lived on the northern ice plains, surrounded by wild beasts. There was no way to survive except through force, and the beasts would not reason with them.

Later, human cultivators gradually opened up this place and drove away the demonic beasts. They then slowly migrated here from the icy plains.

"Hey! Little bean, do you dare to compete with me in strength? If you can beat me, this lion camel is yours."

Not far into the inner city, a barbarian shouted at Li Ji'an from in front of a stall.

He spoke a human language with an accent, which, though broken, was still understandable.

As soon as he shouted, many people around looked over.

"Haha, Banu, you're bullying these little kids again, even though you're an old bean."

"Old man, go! Let's teach this guy a lesson."

"That lion-camel is a second-tier demonic beast, very expensive, enough for you to buy pills."

……

Amidst the commotion, Li Ji'an also looked at Banu.

His body was smaller than that of the surrounding barbarians, but Li Ji'an could clearly sense the vigorous blood and energy within him.

Li Ji'an was very curious about the innate physique of the barbarians. They were clearly not trained by body cultivators, yet they were in no way inferior to them, and even seemed to be stronger than body cultivators of the same level.

"How do we compete?" Li Ji'an stroked his beard and asked with a smile.

He wanted to take this opportunity to thoroughly study the other party's innate physique.

"Wow~"

Upon hearing this, the barbarians near the inner city were all astonished and gathered around.

They never expected that this little old human would actually dare to compete in strength with Banu, an elite among the barbarians.

"Old man, if you can beat that guy Banu, I'll give you ten catties of meat every month from now on!"

"...I'll send you a wife!"

"...I'll fix your house."

Banu's house quickly became the center of attention, attracting a constant stream of people, mostly barbarians, but also a small number of ordinary humans.

"Senior, don't compare yourself to him. Don't underestimate him just because he's only a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. They are naturally strong, especially this Banu, who is almost a third-tier body cultivator," a human pseudo-Core Formation cultivator transmitted to Li Ji'an to remind him.

Li Ji'an glanced at the man and returned his smile.

However, most human cultivators were just there to watch the spectacle.

Thinking that Li Ji'an, with his True Person cultivation, could easily suppress Banu, who was in the late Foundation Establishment stage, was destined to suffer a setback.

"You really dare to compare yourself to me?" Banu stared wide-eyed at the old man in front of him in disbelief.

As an elite young man among the barbarians, he had no intention of bullying a weak old human. He had only been joking when he sensed the other man's true core aura.

I didn't expect them to actually dare to do it.

"You've never been to Desert City before, have you?" Banu asked again before Li Ji'an could answer.

Li Ji'an shook his head.

"Hahaha." Banu laughed loudly and waved his hand, "Go, go, I was just joking with you. You don't understand our divine race. We are born with divine strength. Don't even mention your True Core cultivation, even the mid-stage Core Formation stage can't compare to my divine strength."

"Banu, you idiot! You can gamble with him and win his spirit stones!"

"As expected of an elite member of my divine race, Banu, well done."

……

People had differing opinions.

“I love to compete with others in strength!” However, Li Ji’an stepped forward again, his voice firm.

(End of this chapter)