Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 401 Settling in Funiu Mountain

Qingzhuxuan is located in the western part of the inner city of Funiu Immortal City, which is also the best area of ​​the entire inner city's spiritual veins.

Further along from here lies the core spiritual vein area of ​​Tianchi.

Historically, only guest elders from the Funiu Mountains were qualified to reside in this area.

At this moment, Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin were sitting in the front courtyard of Qingzhuxuan, admiring its exquisite decorations while investigating possible hidden methods.

Master Fengyin eventually arranged for Li Ji'an and his wife to stay here, and even presented them with a gift.

"Old man, how will Master Funiu investigate you?" After confirming that everything in the temple was normal, Ning Sujin nestled in Li Ji'an's arms and asked softly.

Li Ji'an didn't take it seriously. He plucked a bamboo leaf, twirled it gently, and the bamboo leaf flew towards the sky.

"The cultivation world is as vast as smoke. A Core Formation cultivator can fly freely to the heavens. How could he investigate? He couldn't."

"Then what is he?"

"It's just a delaying tactic. Judging from our stance, if we're being pursued by our enemies, we probably won't be able to stay here peacefully. At the same time, we're making it clear in advance that we shouldn't try to drag them into this, giving us time to make a decision," Li Ji'an said confidently.

"So he'll definitely ask us to stay?"

“No power would refuse a mid-stage third-tier rune master, especially in a chaotic place like Huangtian Domain where no dominant power has established laws and regulations.” Li Ji’an smiled confidently.

As they were talking, a person approached from outside the dojo.

"I, He, a guest alchemist from Funiu Mountain, greet Fellow Daoist Changqing. Congratulations on your arrival here. Would it be convenient for us to have a chat?"

Li Ji'an perceived it with his divine sense: a True Core early stage alchemist whose alchemical fire level barely supported the early stage of the third rank alchemy.

"Master He Dan's presence is an honor to our humble abode. Please come in!"

Master He had a pointed face and a cunning glint in his eyes, making him appear very cautious.

"Fellow Daoist Changqing flatters me."

"I apologize for disturbing you, Master Changqing." Master He bowed respectfully, while also revealing that Li Ji'an possessed skills.

"Oh? Master He knows me?" Li Ji'an feigned surprise.

Master He smiled and nodded: "Fellow Daoist Changqing, please forgive me. I happened to be looking for Lord Fengyin City on business, and I was surprised to learn that a guest talisman master had come to my Funiu Mountain, so I hurriedly came to find you."

"It's alright, please, Master He." Li Ji'an nodded with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Changqing, then I, He, will get straight to the point," said Alchemist He after taking his seat.

"Please speak freely, Master He."

"May I ask, fellow Daoist, what rank of talisman master are you? Please forgive me, fellow Daoist, but I, He, am in dire need of talismans as a safety net and am truly impatient. I am willing to trade with a third-rank pill." Alchemist He said with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

Li Ji'an waved his hand: "I understand. If Master He needs a third-tier spirit talisman, I am confident that I can help him."

"A third-tier talisman master!" Alchemist He's small eyes widened in excitement.

"I wonder if you are capable of drawing a third-tier Divine Escape Talisman?"

Li Ji'an glanced at him with considerable appreciation and approved of his choice of the escape talisman.

When you're out and about, the risks of fighting are too great. The safest thing to do is to run away as soon as things go wrong.

However, he has long since moved beyond the stage of relying on the Divine Escape Talisman to escape; now he uses the Great Teleportation Talisman.

The Great Teleportation Talisman requires mid-stage third-tier talisman skills, and spatial talisman materials are scarce; he has only found one piece over the years.

"Coincidentally, I have drawn quite a few Divine Escape Talismans, and the success rate is not bad."

"Really? Oh no, fellow Daoist is truly talented." Master He was even more delighted upon hearing this.

"I wonder if you have any needs for medicinal pills?"

"Does Master He have any third-grade longevity pills?" Li Ji'an asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Master He frowned and shook his head sheepishly: "Third-order longevity fruits are hard to find, and besides, I don't have much confidence in the third-order longevity pill."

The value of a third-tier longevity pill far exceeds that of a third-tier divine escape talisman.

It is a longevity elixir that almost every Core Formation cultivator craves.

"Then this old man has no other special needs," Li Ji'an said with a smile and a shake of his head.

"I, He, am fifty percent confident in refining a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. I wonder if you..." As He Danshi spoke, he looked at Ning Sujin, who was standing next to Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an shook his head again: "My wife has already prepared the Foundation Establishment Pill."

"Then what do you need to exchange for it, my friend?" Master He asked anxiously.

"Yes, I once owed a pill master a Xuanbing Blue Lotus. If Pill Master He can find it, I can draw a Divine Escape Talisman for him." The Xuanbing Blue Lotus is a unique third-tier spiritual herb from the northern part of the Yellow Heaven Domain. He bought the first one through the Sishui Merchant Guild, and then purchased it in the Wanshang Domain.

Previously, when Xiao Qiao reached the Core Formation stage, he used a set of Crystal Condensation Pill materials to refine one for her, and now he is preparing another set as well.

"Alright! Please rest assured, Fellow Daoist Changqing, I, He, will bring you the Xuanbing Blue Lotus within a month. Also, I wonder which material you are most comfortable with when drawing the Divine Escape Talisman?" Alchemist He was delighted to hear this. Although the Xuanbing Blue Lotus is a third-grade spiritual herb, it is not widely used, and it is produced in the northern ice plains of the Yellow Heaven Domain. As a third-grade alchemist, it is not difficult for him.

“Any third-tier talisman material with wood attributes, such as Crimson Peak Wood or Frostwood, will do,” Li Ji’an said confidently.

"Good, good, good, I thank you in advance, fellow Daoist." Master He was overjoyed, as these two third-tier talisman materials were relatively easy to obtain.

"Fellow Daoist Changqing, to express my gratitude, this bottle of Shangqi Pills is a congratulatory gift from me to you on becoming a guest elder of Funiu Mountain. Please accept it with a smile." Before leaving, Master He solemnly handed a porcelain bottle to Li Ji'an.

In his eyes, the Xuanbing Blue Lotus was not very valuable; compared to the rarity of high-level spirit talismans in Funiu Immortal City, its value was somewhat disproportionate.

Furthermore, the talisman materials required by Li Ji'an also significantly reduced his expected costs.

This bottle of Qi-Boosting Pills is a daily necessity for a Core Formation cultivator; it serves as a form of compensation and also as a gesture of friendship.

Li Ji'an had a good impression of Master He, but after seeing him off, he threw the bottle of Qi-Boosting Pills into Guagua's mouth without even looking at it.

After all, he really looked down on Qi Danyi.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and during this time, almost all the retainers in the surrounding area had already paid a visit.

Most of them admired his skill in talisman making and were eager to befriend him.

During this time, they also encountered an old acquaintance, Hua Hongling, a peak second-tier weapon refiner.

He was over two hundred years old, and his physical functions had begun to decline, so he had no hope of advancing to the level of a True Person in this lifetime.

However, thanks to his weapon-forging skills, he lives a peaceful life here and has the hope of spending his old age in comfort.

On that day, Master He returned on time, bringing with him a Mystic Ice Blue Lotus and a piece of Frostwood.

"Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Changqing."

Li Ji'an took the materials and confirmed that they were correct: "Master He, you flatter me."

He then examined the Frostwood again and said, "This piece of Frostwood should be enough to make four talismans..."

"But it's not enough?" Before Li Ji'an could finish speaking, Master He asked with some concern.

The third-tier Divine Escape Talisman requires a high level of talisman skill, and the success rate for third-tier talisman masters who are not good at talisman escape is very low. Li Ji'an had previously said that there was a certain success rate, so he thought it might be more than 20%.

"Master He, you misunderstand. I only wanted to ask what your plans are for the remaining talisman materials?" Li Ji'an said with a smile.

"Oh? This... May I ask what your success rate is, fellow Daoist?" Master He asked in surprise.

Li Ji'an conservatively replied, "Fifty percent."

"Fifty percent!" Master He's eyes widened, followed by a burst of joy.

"Does that mean we can guarantee two Divine Escape Talismans this time? Oh, no, fellow Daoist, please don't be offended. What I mean is, fellow Daoist, please feel free to use them. It was originally agreed that one Divine Escape Talisman would be enough. If you can get two, I am willing to give you more rewards. I will remember this favor." Master He then explained.

“Good.” Li Ji’an smiled and nodded.

This time, the talisman was made for Master He Dan, and it was also intended to be shown to Master Fu Niu.

With a success rate of 50% for the Divine Escape Talisman Technique, there is basically no need to question his claim of being a mid-stage third-tier talisman master.

He began making talismans that very day.

Three days later, the talisman materials were completed.

Half a month later, the first Divine Escape Talisman was successfully completed at the intermediate level.

A month later, the second Divine Escape Talisman was successfully completed to a superior grade.

There are still two talisman materials left.

When Master He Dan received the message to collect the talismans, he was incredulous, especially when he saw the two Divine Escape Talismans, which were of a higher grade than expected. He was even more shocked.

It was at this moment that he became almost certain that the talisman master in front of him was not just a simple early-stage third-tier talisman master.

Such efficiency and quality are only possible for a mid-stage Tier 3 rune master.

Just after Master He Dan took away the two Divine Escape Talismans, an old man with a full head of silver hair and an unkempt appearance arrived outside the Green Bamboo Pavilion.

He walked lightly, his expression calm, and gently knocked on the door knocker.

"This old man, Fu Niu, has come to pay my respects to Master Chang Qing." His voice was not loud, but it instantly caused the spiritual energy in the area to stagnate.

Almost instantly, all the guest elders residing here scanned the area with their divine senses.

This is the first time that Master Funiu has personally paid a visit to us.

"Greetings, Venerable Master." Immediately, all the guest elders around bowed to Venerable Master Funiu.

Master Funiu smiled and nodded.

At the same time, the doors of Qingzhuxuan opened, and Master Funiu stepped inside.

"Fellow Daoist Changqing, it's a pleasure to meet you." He showed no airs of superiority towards Li Ji'an, bowing respectfully as a peer.

However, when he was outside the door, he addressed him as "Talisman Master," thus avoiding the issue of address. After all, Li Ji'an was showing his early Core Formation cultivation, and he couldn't openly reveal it.

"Fellow Daoist Funiu, I've long admired you." Li Ji'an replied calmly.

Afterwards, Master Funiu gave a symbolic explanation, saying that he had just emerged from a period of seclusion, and then formally invited Li Ji'an to become a worshipper of Funiu Mountain.

However, he made his point very clearly.

“Fellow Daoist Changqing, the foundation of my Funiu Mountain is shallow, and it is difficult to support the spiritual resources for the two venerable ones to cultivate. The only thing Funiu Mountain can provide for you is a quasi-fourth-order spiritual vein dojo.”

Rights and responsibilities should be equal. Therefore, apart from refining three mid-stage third-tier talismans every year, my Funiu Mountain will not provide any other assistance to you, fellow Daoists.

Furthermore, since you are currently residing in my Funiu Mountain, I will do my utmost to protect you. I wonder if you would accept this offer?

Li Ji'an nodded and smiled: "My wife and I came here to enjoy our retirement years, which is very good."

Even if Master Funiu doesn't mention it, he will.

This time, the main purpose was to obtain the near-fourth-tier spiritual vein. I didn't want to have too many entanglements, and I didn't want to get involved in any power struggles.

Both sides reached a friendly consensus, and on the same day, Li Ji'an and Ning Sujin moved into the core Tianchi Taoist temple in Funiu Mountain.

Compared to other temples within Tianchi, his temple was more peripheral, located far from both the Funiu Mountain lineage and the other three enshrined masters.

Fortunately, the concentration of spiritual energy was similar, which suited his taste even better.

In the time that followed, he stopped thinking about anything else and devoted himself entirely to the cultivation of the Golden Elixir.

Three years passed by in a flash.

On this day, Ning Sujin, who had fully perfected the Chaos Technique during the Qi Refining stage and was completely adapted to the spiritual energy of this place, prepared to formally establish her foundation.

It was on this very day that the news of a peak third-tier alchemist becoming a respected elder of Funiu Mountain stirred something within Li Ji'an...

(End of this chapter)