Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 395 The Junior Arrives
The stone fortress in the center of the desert city.

Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin were treated as honored guests and taken to their seats.

The seventy-two chieftains and eighteen commanders of the barbarian tribe, led by the old clan leader, all held up stone urns the size of human heads and raised them high towards Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin.

The old patriarch kept giving him meaningful glances, but the group of leaders remained completely oblivious.

Left with no other choice, he took the lead in offering a toast: "On behalf of the entire barbarian tribe, I offer my respects to the Immortal Changqing."

"Badra!"

"drink!"

"Dry!"

Then a group of barbarian leaders started shouting their own things in a chaotic manner.

Before Li Ji'an could even pick up the stone urn, they had already started drinking it down in large gulps.

The old clan chief looked helpless and slightly embarrassed as he raised his jar towards Li Ji'an. He simply stopped talking and just wanted to get drunk so he wouldn't have to see or hear anything.

However, he still needed Li Ji'an's help, so he couldn't get drunk yet.

When Li Ji'an was in a local area, he followed the local customs and picked up the stone urn as well.

The aroma of the wine from the jar reached his nose, and he couldn't help but frown.

With his Golden Core stage cultivation and being a mid-stage third-order body cultivator, even the near-fourth-order spirit wine that Blood Spirit Saint Mother had previously offered could not have made him drunk.

However, the barbarian's Hundred Beasts Wine made him feel the immense malevolent energy contained within it, several times stronger than the Spirit Wine.

As soon as the Hundred Beasts Wine entered his mouth, a surge of bloodthirsty energy rushed into Li Ji'an's body, powerful and fierce, instantly stirring up his internal energy and blood.

It acted as a catalyst, causing his blood and energy to surge.

Li Ji'an could clearly feel its effect of promoting physical strength.

However, such an impact would be like a potent poison to anyone with a weak physique, potentially rupturing their meridians and causing them to explode and die.

Even Li Ji'an, who is now at the mid-stage of the third rank, was agitated by the blood evil in the Hundred Beasts Wine, and his consciousness was also affected.

When qi and blood rush to the head, the mind reacts.

Most importantly, this strong liquor brewed from pure blood and evil spirits cannot be refined with magic power like spirit liquor.

Li Ji'an wanted to refuse after taking a small sip.

When navigating the world, the worst thing is to be unclear-headed, let alone in the cultivation world.

"Grandpa Changqing, cheers!"

"We barbarians have no cowards."

"Drink this jar of wine, and you will be the chieftain of our barbarian tribe!"

Meanwhile, a group of barbarian leaders had finished drinking the wine in the jars. Their faces were red and their necks were thick. They all turned the stone jars upside down and looked at Li Ji'an, appearing very excited.

Faced with a group of straightforward barbarians, Li Ji'an pondered how to decline their offer.

"Get out of the way, all of you! Master Changqing isn't like you. You're not used to our coarse wine yet. Don't make things difficult for him. Besides, Master Changqing has already demonstrated the strength of a high-level physique. Whether he drinks it or not, he's still a distinguished guest of our barbarian tribe." As the wisest elder of the barbarian tribe, the elder had been paying attention to Li Ji'an's attitude. Now that he noticed Li Ji'an's discomfort with the Hundred Beasts Wine, he hurriedly spoke up to reprimand him, not wanting to embarrass Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an gave the old clan chief a satisfied look.

"Huh~" But at this moment, his mind suddenly cleared, and the strong liquor and blood essence in his body frantically converged towards that drop of true dragon essence blood.

In a short while, the Hundred Beasts Wine that had entered his mouth was completely devoured by the True Dragon's essence blood.

It showed signs of pleasure and wanted more.

Seeing this, Li Ji'an no longer hesitated.

"Hahaha, I appreciate the old clan chief's kindness, but I just enjoy drinking with young people like this, cheers!"

The old patriarch was slightly moved. Other human cultivators had also tasted the Barbarian Beast Wine. The more confident he was at the beginning, the more embarrassed he became later.

He wanted to advise Li Ji'an not to be too careless, but considering the mid-stage third-order physique that Li Ji'an had just displayed, he decided not to say anything more.

Even if someone with a mid-stage third-tier physique doesn't have barbarian blood, the Hundred Beasts Wine wouldn't be harmful to them; it would definitely be beneficial. However, it might cause a rush of blood and energy, leading to heightened consciousness.

"It's good that he's drunk. It'll be easier to succeed if we ask him to help us teach us the body cultivation method while he's drunk!" With that thought, the old patriarch once again raised the stone urn in a distant salute.

Li Ji'an immediately picked up the stone urn and began to drink deeply.

At this moment, the true dragon's essence blood had awakened. As soon as the Hundred Beasts Wine entered its throat, it was instantly drawn away, leaving not a single drop for Li Ji'an's essence blood.

"Good wine!"

Soon, the entire stone jar of strong liquor was finished.

"Grandpa Changqing is amazing!"

"Come again, come again."

A group of barbarian leaders were overjoyed and became even more convinced of Li Ji'an's abilities.

At the same time, they all stepped forward again to pour wine for Li Ji'an.

"Come, come, come." Li Ji'an accepted all comers, one jar after another.

High-grade Beast Wine is a tradition of the barbarian tribes, and also a daily tonic for the barbarian elites who have reverted to their ancestral ways to revitalize their bloodline.

However, even for a barbarian leader who has reverted to his ancestral ways twice, three jars is the maximum; otherwise, he will definitely get completely drunk and black out.

Normally, they only need one or two jars of water.

However, they were all excited to witness Li Ji'an's incredible power today.

In addition, Li Ji'an's hearty drinking style impressed and impressed them, so everyone was ready to risk their lives to accompany him.

Before three rounds of drinks had even finished, the atmosphere in the stone fortress had already reached its peak.

A group of barbarian leaders almost all gathered around Li Ji'an's table. Some were shouting at the top of their lungs, some were hugging Li Ji'an's legs and crying their eyes out, and some even wanted to become sworn brothers with Li Ji'an...

After drinking three jars of liquor, the old clan chief's mind was overwhelmed, and he felt dizzy and lightheaded.

However, as the only barbarian among them to have reverted to his ancestral bloodline four times, he remained lucid.

It was this clarity of mind that made him feel incredibly embarrassed by the scene before him, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

As for Li Ji'an's drinking prowess, it shocked him and made him even more eager to try it out.

Moreover, Li Ji'an's current demeanor stirred up the heroic spirit in his blood, making him want to have a drinking contest with Li Ji'an.

"Cheers!" Soon, he abandoned his rationality and toasted Li Ji'an back and forth.

A moment later, a gust of cold wind blew in from the top of the stone fortress, slightly clearing the old patriarch's drowsy mind.

hum~
Upon closer inspection of the scene before him, he felt his blood rush to the top of his head.

I should have been more aware of it than to be sober.

At this moment, the stone fortress was filled with people lying haphazardly on the ground.

None of the elites among these barbarian tribes throughout history stood up.

Moreover, their postures were all bizarre and they displayed a variety of ugly behaviors.

Then look at the old human who had always been looked down upon by the barbarians; he remained calm and composed, his demeanor still elegant and unperturbed.

"What freak? This is the fifth jar already, isn't it?"

"Hiccup~ Impossible, how can anyone beat a barbarian after drinking the Hundred Beasts Wine?" In an instant, his mind became chaotic again, and at the same time, a spirit of defiance took over his body.

"Come on, drink!"

...After another half incense stick.

Li Ji'an frowned slightly as he looked at the empty Hundred Beasts Wine Jar, then at the barbarian chieftains lying haphazardly on the ground, and the old chieftain snoring loudly at the top.

He drank eight jars in one go.

Seeing that the True Spirit Blood Essence was almost satisfied, he wanted to see what kind of benefits the True Dragon Blood Essence would gain after consuming so much of the strong liquor brewed from the blood essence of the hundred beasts, but there was no more Hundred Beasts Wine.

He scanned the area with his divine sense and confirmed that everyone in the stone fortress, except for him and Ning Sujin who had not drunk any alcohol, was fast asleep and would need at least one night to wake up.

"Never mind, let's talk about it another time." He could only give up helplessly.

"Old man, are they alright?" Ning Sujin smiled wryly and looked around at everyone.

"It's alright. As the old clan chief just said, their barbarian bloodline is extraordinary. This Hundred Beasts Wine helps to stimulate their bloodline. They'll be fine after a good night's sleep," Li Ji'an said with a smile, waving his hand.

"Let's go, let's explore the inner city again." Li Ji'an then led Ning Sujin out of the stone fortress.

Although there was a hierarchy within the barbarian tribes, it was not strict and there were few rules.

Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin walked out of the stone fortress without any obstacles.

"Old man, do you really think the barbarians are a hybrid of humans and demons?" As she walked into the inner city again, taking in the customs, culture, and architecture that were so different from ordinary human cities, Ning Sujin couldn't help but ask.

Based on his understanding, Li Ji'an was initially reluctant to believe this.

After all, the concept of racial segregation still guided his perception.

However, in this cultivation world, flying through the sky and escaping into the earth, burning mountains and boiling seas are common occurrences, so perhaps the barriers between races are not so deadly.

Moreover, the prevailing view in the Yellow Heaven Domain is that the barbarians are a hybrid of humans and some kind of demonic beast.

Even the Hehuan sect has provided evidence for this.

For female cultivators of the Hehuan Sect to replenish their male essence, the best candidates are naturally those with abundant qi and blood.

Furthermore, in order to simultaneously obtain a certain satisfaction, the barbarians perfectly satisfied their needs.

However, to this day, there has never been any news of female cultivators of the Hehuan Sect abducting or sexually exploiting barbarian men.

A female cultivator from the Hehuan Sect seems to have let slip that the sect's ancestors had long ago decreed that barbarians could not be sexually exploited, because barbarians are not considered true humans.

"If it's a demon beast in its transformation stage, or a naturally born demon, it should be possible. If it's a fully-formed demon beast..." Li Ji'an thought for a moment and replied.

Upon hearing this, Ning Sujin's eyes lit up with curiosity: "Old man, do you think that if humans and different kinds of demons have offspring, will they create different races?"

"This……"

"Your idea is very bold!" Li Ji'an chuckled.

"Huh?" Ning Sujin was about to speak again when her primordial spirit suddenly stirred. She then turned around and looked behind her, letting out a soft exclamation.

"That little girl actually came after us."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji'an couldn't help but sigh. Ning Sujin had already tried to persuade him with kind words, yet he was still so audacious as to come to the barbarian city.

"That's not right." But the next moment, he suddenly realized.

“We have a general understanding of the barbarian tribes, especially since that old chieftain seems to have some sense. He shouldn't have made enemies with the cultivators in the Heavenly Sound Pavilion. What exactly happened to this girl?”

"Why don't we see what she has to say?" Ning Sujin suggested.

Li Ji'an smiled slightly and shook his head: "Don't easily interfere with other people's karma. Let's leave everything to fate."

After saying that, he composed himself and began strolling through the inner city with Ning Sujin again.

However, his divine sense had already locked onto Consort Duanmu.

Seeing Duanmu Fei wearing a bamboo hat and a black veil, looking furtive, Li Ji'an sighed inwardly.

If the barbarians truly have a grudge against her, wouldn't this be like walking into a trap?
Moreover, its seemingly aimless wandering doesn't really look like it's trying to rescue its people.

After a while, Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin noticed something was wrong.

This girl doesn't seem to be here to rescue people; she seems more like she's here to find them.

"Could it be?" The two exchanged a glance, both showing a hint of surprise.

The two then slowed their pace.

Sure enough, before long, the furtive Duanmu Fei spotted them in the distance and quickened her pace to run over.

"Mother-in-law!" Duanmu Fei hurriedly transmitted her voice as soon as she got close.

"Oh, little girl, what brings you here?" Ning Sujin replied with a smile.

"Mother-in-law, this is not the place to talk. Come with me quickly," Consort Duanmu said urgently.

Ning Sujin glanced at Li Ji'an, and after receiving his consent, she helped him up and followed.

Before long, Consort Duanmu led the two to a latrine behind a mountain, a place sparsely populated.

"Grandma, Grandpa, do you know where this is? Have you come to the wrong place?"

Ning Sujin didn't answer her question, but instead asked, "Little girl, you came here just to find us?"

Not getting the answer she wanted, Duanmu Fei was taken aback, then said urgently, "This is the barbarian stronghold, and you've already entered the inner city. The barbarians eat people!"

Ning Sujin's eyes showed surprise. If she hadn't already learned about the barbarians, the little girl's expression would have looked quite realistic.

“Grandma, Grandpa, you said before that you wanted to find a place with auspicious feng shui to live out your old age. I guess you wanted to go to Funiu Immortal City, a holy land for rogue cultivators, right?”

Upon hearing this, Li Ji'an's eyes lit up. He was still somewhat puzzled as to why he had gone in the wrong direction.

"Indeed, does this little girl know something?"

“Grandpa, this must be your first time visiting the western part of the Yellow Heaven Domain. The location here is indeed strange; any cultivator who enters here for the first time will get lost,” Duanmu Fei affirmed.

"Oh? What's the reason for this?" Li Ji'an asked, quite curious.

Let alone a Golden Core cultivator like him, with Ning Sujin, a Nascent Soul cultivator, by his side, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator who already has the ability to project their divine sense should not lose their way under normal circumstances.

"I don't know the specific reason, but I do know that the location here is eight centimeters east of the normal direction. Some people say that this place was hit by a powerful force that destroyed the world in ancient times, which is why this situation has occurred."

There are also legends that this place is a node connecting another world, and there are many different opinions. "Duanmu Fei explained.

"I see!" Li Ji'an nodded slightly.

Upon hearing this, Ning Sujin couldn't help but give Li Ji'an a strange look. Previously, she had thought that Li Ji'an had deliberately brought her here to see the peculiar race of the barbarians.

She then asked Li Ji'an, but he gave a vague answer and did not give a direct response.

"Grandpa, Grandma, come with me, I'll take you to Funiu Immortal City," Duanmu Fei urged again.

"You risked your life to enter this place just for us?" Ning Sujin asked with a smile.

Duanmu Fei paused slightly, then casually said, "Grandpa and Grandma saved my life. I can't just stand by and watch you stray into this dangerous place and end up in trouble. I hope you can live out your days in peace and spend the rest of your lives together."

"Hehe, good, good, little girl, tell us about the grudges between your Tianyin Pavilion and the barbarians." Li Ji'an spoke up cheerfully, making his stance clear.

"Huh?" Duanmu Fei was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously felt a surge of joy.

However, after calming down, she shook her head and bowed solemnly to Li Ji'an: "Thank you for your kindness, Grandpa and Grandma. I have kept Grandma's previous teachings in mind. I do not have the strength to do so now."

Grandpa and Grandma are such a divine couple, already a rare treasure in this cultivation world. I, the younger generation, do not wish for you to be drawn into this vortex.”

Most importantly, she had completely figured things out during her pursuit of Li Ji'an.

Judging from Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin's strength, they don't have much chance of winning even if they intercept the barbarian team outside, let alone in the barbarian's lair.

“Little girl, it’s alright. Tell me what you have to say. If your clan is innocent, I may give it a try.” Seeing Duanmu Fei’s worry, Li Ji’an said confidently.

(End of this chapter)