Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 417 Sophisticated
Before Li Ji'an could finish speaking, the mid-stage Core Formation cultivator from the Gu family immediately snorted coldly, "You're asking for it."

Boom~
A Vajra bracelet slowly rose into the air above its head, spinning with a buzzing sound, radiating the offensive power of a mid-grade magic weapon.

"A mere early-stage Core Formation cultivator thinks he's someone special?" The Gu family cultivator activated the Vajra Bracelet and hurled it at Li Ji'an.

He is an elder of the Gu family, and he is determined to achieve great things by leading his team here.

This fifth-grade magic weapon is his biggest trump card.

This attack was not simply meant to kill Li Ji'an, but rather to destroy the outer layer of the Core Formation Daoist Temple after killing Li Ji'an.

"To die by such a treasure, you can say you died a worthy death."

Fifth-grade magic treasures are extremely rare in the three regions. They are only considered standard equipment for the holy sons and elders of major forces such as the Joyful Union Sect and the Corpse Puppet Sect. For second-tier forces like them, they are almost all clan-protecting magic treasures.

Li Ji'an smiled faintly, gently resting his dragon-shaped staff on the ground.

Boom~
A ring of emerald green ripples began to spread from beneath Li Ji'an's feet, instantly colliding with the flying Vajra Bracelet and unleashing a tremendous roar.

The diamond bracelet not only flew backwards, but its luster also visibly dimmed.

"How is this possible?" The Gu family cultivator was shocked and stared at Li Ji'an in disbelief.

Master Fengyin, on the other hand, was beaming with pride and looked on with reverence.

Li Ji'an remained silent, and once again slightly raised his dragon-shaped staff and pressed it to the ground.

hum~
The same pale green ripples quickly swept over the ancient cultivators.

"Pfft~" With almost no power to resist, the Gu family cultivator spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward.

Li Ji'an is now in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, and his magical power is much stronger than that of an ordinary mid-stage True Core cultivator.

Furthermore, the Dragon Staff is a fourth-grade magic weapon, and it is compatible with his magic power. He could unleash 10% of its power when he was in the early stage of the Golden Core realm, and now he can unleash 30% of its power.

Even when the opponent wielded a fifth-grade magic weapon, they only had 10% of its power.

"You...your magic weapon...Senior, spare my life, senior..." The Gu family cultivator fell to the ground far away, his face full of terror.

"Clang~" However, before he could finish speaking, the sword light of the pursuing Master Jiuyou arrived and beheaded the heavily injured man.

"Changqing Talisman Master?" Jiuyou arrived shortly after, looking at Li Ji'an with a puzzled expression.

"Fourth brother, don't be rude. Senior Changqing is here to protect Xiao Jiu," Master Fengyin hurriedly reminded him.

"Senior?" Master Jiuyou's pupils contracted slightly as he carefully considered his senior brother's words.

He was suddenly startled.

Changqing Talisman Master was actually a superior being!
"This junior greets the senior." Jiu You hurriedly bowed respectfully.

"No need for such formalities," Li Ji'an nodded slightly.

With a venerable master guarding the alchemy center, everyone from Funiu Mountain breathed a sigh of relief.

Several clan elders and the other disciples of Master Funiu were all deeply shocked when they looked at Li Ji'an.

It turns out that the Evergreen Talisman Master wasn't heartless and ungrateful.

It turns out he didn't need Xiao Jiu to help him obtain the blood of the demon beasts at all.

Xiao Jiu's behavior seems like a deliberate show.

……

Now that Master Li Ji'an's identity has been revealed, people have a new interpretation of Xiao Jiu's behavior.

You can't blame Li Ji'an for being heartless. After all, as a superior, there are naturally too many people who want to get close to him and curry favor with him.

As the most favored disciple of Master Funiu, Xiao Jiu is very likely to know the background of Master Changqing, so it is not surprising that he deliberately approaches and curries favor with him.

If that's the case, Xiao Jiu wouldn't be able to withstand the Master's wrath.

Moreover, the fact that Master Changqing was able to come here to protect Xiao Jiu as she forms her core at this moment is enough to show the depth of Master Changqing's affection and loyalty.

As time went on, more and more external forces infiltrated the vicinity of the Core Formation training ground.

However, the highest cultivation level among them was only at the mid-stage of Core Formation. Faced with Li Ji'an, who wielded a fourth-grade magic weapon, no one dared to cross the line.

The situation here was naturally understood by the four masters and a green ox who were restraining each other in the great formation.

Master Funiu was not surprised by Li Ji'an's strength, but he was surprised that Li Ji'an was able to step forward to protect Xiao Jiu.

He had been planning Xiao Jiu's Core Formation for many years, taking into account many special circumstances, but he never expected Li Ji'an to make a move.

If he had known this earlier, he might have been able to relax a bit more.

The three masters outside the formation turned ashen-faced upon witnessing this scene.

Having received word from an inside source, they had already contacted Master Shanyuan in advance, offering him sufficient benefits to ensure his neutrality.

Therefore, with the three venerable masters personally present, the mission can be guaranteed to be completed smoothly.

And that's exactly how it turned out.

I never expected that the Evergreen Talisman Master had been hiding his true cultivation level.

In this way, all the planning and schemes were in vain.

“Continuing like this is futile!” The venerable one, hidden in the mist, spoke bluntly.

The Cold Jade Master and the Mountain-Moving Master remained silent.

Even if the three of them could hold back Fu Niu Shangren and Qing Niu.

The backbone of their team was also able to charge into the great formation and break through the defenses of Funiu Mountain.

But in the end, they could not withstand the power of the superior.

"Fellow Daoist Moving Mountain, when is the time to use that chess piece?" After a moment of silence, Venerable Cold Jade gritted his teeth and said to Venerable Moving Mountain.

Upon hearing this, the mountain-moving monk frowned slightly.

"In that case, that chess piece is completely useless!"

“A chess piece should have the awareness of a chess piece.” Master Hanyu’s face was as cold as frost, and his tone was extremely icy.

The Mountain-Moving Master looked again at the many allied warriors who had fought bravely but ultimately fallen outside the Core Formation Dojo, and finally nodded.

Immediately, he took out a Soul Contract Jade Talisman and gave the order.

The core of Funiu Mountain almost formed a circle around Xiao Jiu's Core Formation Dojo, with Li Ji'an standing at the very front, directly facing the allied forces that broke through the formation. It was as if not even a fly could get in.

Seeing that the allied forces were running out of steam and were intimidated by Master Changqing, the core group of Funiu Mountain became even more relaxed.

These forces have suffered heavy losses and will be unable to launch another attack for at least a century.

This century-long gap was the perfect time for Xiao Jiu to develop.

"Whoosh~" However, just as everyone was confident, a sound suddenly rang in their ears.

When everyone looked over, they saw that Master Funiu's third disciple had already activated a spirit talisman, which directly attacked the formation of the Core Formation Daoist site.

Boom~
Li Ji'an's divine sense enveloped the area, but his attention was mostly focused on the allied forces rushing in from the outside, and he did not pay enough attention to the group of core high-ranking officials from Funiu Mountain behind him.

He never expected that even now, a spy would still make a move.

Even if they destroy Xiao Jiu's Golden Core formation, he will still die without a doubt.

"Third brother, what are you doing?" Feng Yin Zhenren and the second brother asked in unison, and immediately took action to intercept the spirit talisman.

But it was still a step too slow.

The talisman struck the protective array of the Core Formation Daoist site squarely.

A loud bang was immediately heard.

At the same time, Xiao Jiu's Core Formation Daoist Temple began to shake violently.

The surrounding spiritual energy surged and churned in chaos.

If he were to ingest spiritual energy at this moment, it would surely cause a violent surge of spiritual energy, shattering his dantian and leading to his death. "Why? Why is this happening?" The next moment, the third brother was restrained by the person beside him.

At the early stage of True Core cultivation, he had no power to resist.

The third brother looked dejected, as if all his strength had been drained away. However, looking at the increasingly turbulent spiritual energy in the Core Formation Dojo, he laughed bitterly: "Hahaha, it's over, it's all over. If I can't have it, no one else can either."

"Are you insane! Why is this happening?" Master Fengyin glared angrily, wishing he could immediately search the soul.

"Xiaojiu!"

……

In an instant, the people of Funiu Mountain were filled with grief and anger.

"Hahaha, you old dog of Funiu, you've lost! We're waiting for you to die of old age, and we'll turn your Funiu Mountain back into our pasture!" Master Hanyu laughed heartily.

"The victor is king, the loser is a bandit. Fellow Daoist Funiu, greetings." The Mountain-Moving Master, too, bowed smugly, displaying the air of a victor.

"Triumphant!" As the three masters stopped fighting, the allied forces of the various powers also retreated rapidly.

Before long, the inner city of Funiu Mountain, which had been filled with the sounds of battle just moments before, fell silent.

Almost everyone silently looked in the direction of Xiao Jiu's Core Formation training ground, mourning in their hearts.

We mourn not only for Xiao Jiu, but also for the Funiu Mountains.

"Alas!" Master Fu Niu sighed inwardly as he walked side by side with the Green Ox to the outside of the Core Formation Dojo.

"I am deeply grateful for Fellow Daoist Changqing's great kindness."

"Fellow Daoist Funiu, you flatter me." Li Ji'an nodded in return, his expression unchanged.

"Master..." Master Fengyin led his fellow disciples in bowing respectfully to Master Funiu.

Master Funiu scanned the seven disciples before him one by one.

Aside from the third brother who was restrained, he was very satisfied with all the other disciples.

“Third brother, I have treated you well, why is this happening?” Master Funiu finally looked at the third brother, his words filled with helplessness.

The third brother raised his head slightly: "Master has treated me well, but I am not willing to stop at the early stage of True Core in this life."

"So you were bewitched by them? Promising to provide you with the spiritual resources to advance to the mid or even late stage of Core Formation?"

"Yes, they also promised that I would be in charge of the Funiu Mountains in the future." Knowing that he was doomed, the third brother did not hide anything.

"So, the matter of the fifth brother was also your doing?"

The third brother looked up at Master Funiu and nodded.

"Forcing the Fifth Prince away and eliminating the Ninth Prince—was this their plan?" Master Funiu shook his head slightly.

The third brother pounded his head on the ground.

Master Funiu said no more, but simply waved his hand and said, "You may all leave."

"Master, is there any hope for Xiao Jiu... Xiao Jiu?" The fourth brother, Jiu You Zhenren, asked, his voice trembling.

Master Fengyin and his group also stared eagerly at Master Funiu.

Master Funiu glanced around, shook his head slightly, and said again, "You may all leave."

"Little Nine!" The crowd gritted their teeth, bowed to the Core Formation training ground, then, unable to bear watching any longer, turned and left.

Soon, only the Venerable Funiu and his green ox, along with Li Ji'an who looked as usual, remained in the area.

The moment the outer protective shield of the Core Formation training ground shattered, Ning Sujin sensed the abnormality and sent a telepathic message to him.

There was no trace of Xiao Jiu's presence inside, nor any indication of her recent attempt to break through to the Core Formation stage.

"On behalf of Xiao Jiu, I would like to express my gratitude to you, fellow Daoist." Master Fu Niu bowed to Li Ji'an once again.

Li Ji'an smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Fu Niu, there's no need to be so polite. As I have already said, this is just to establish a good relationship with Xiao Jiu. As long as the good relationship is confirmed, I can rest assured."

“Haha, that is certainly a good outcome. However, just in case, I would like to ask you to provide some further support, fellow Daoist,” Master Fu Niu said frankly.

"Appreciate further details."

"This is not the place to talk. Follow me." Venerable Funiu stepped into the Core Formation arena, which was still filled with chaotic spiritual energy.

Li Ji'an received Ning Sujin's telepathic message and had a clear understanding of the situation inside. Without any hesitation, he followed her in.

A moment later, Master Funiu led Li Ji'an to a secret room within the Core Formation Dojo.

There is a teleportation array in the secret chamber, and judging from the materials used, it took nearly ten years to complete.

"Fellow Daoist Changqing, I'm sure I don't need to elaborate on the situation at Mount Funiu. Now, I'll just briefly outline the whole picture," Master Funiu said, getting straight to the point.

Li Ji'an nodded in response.

"Since I took charge of Funiu Mountain, I have been searching everywhere for immortal seedlings to carry on my will. Therefore, spiritual veins and innate talent are the most important factors."

However, the situation at Funiu Mountain is not comparable to that of other forces, and I, being an old man, do not have much ability. I have been unable to find a successor to take over Funiu Mountain.

"Until seventy years ago, I accidentally discovered that this little girl, Xiao Jiu, not only possessed a Heavenly Grade Spiritual Vein, but also had a telepathic connection with me. So I began to groom her as my successor," Master Fu Niu said succinctly.

"Oh? Aren't your fifth disciple also of superior talent?" Li Ji'an asked in confusion.

Master Funiu chuckled and shook his head: "I apologize for the misunderstanding, fellow Daoist."

"The fifth brother is nothing more than a petty trick of mine that can't be brought to the table."

"His talent is barely acceptable, but his temperament is too poor. He is limited to the mid-stage of Core Formation, and the Core he forms is only a mid-level True Core. I once obtained a secret technique that not only altered his memories in his sea of ​​consciousness, but also confused his aura with the secret technique."

"There is such a secret technique." Li Ji'an was secretly amazed.

Even Ning Sujin's spiritual perception could be fooled.

"Nonsense, trivial. The reason I did this is to pave the way for Xiao Jiu to form his core in advance."

"Before the Fifth Prince formed his core, almost no one thought he would achieve a top-tier True Core, so he didn't encounter much of an obstacle. Later, I modified his True Core aura, making him the designated successor. This can also be seen as a shield for the Ninth Prince's growth."

"According to my plan, with a shield outside and the arrangements here, we can basically guarantee that Xiao Jiu will form the upper-level True Core."

"Unfortunately, those forces were too cautious, wanting to eliminate any possibility of repercussions and leaving no hope at all."

"Therefore, while I was busy helping Xiao Jiu to form his core, I unexpectedly forced away Lao Wu, who was my shield, which almost caused an unexpected incident."

Li Ji'an raised an eyebrow slightly, finally understanding what the Venerable Funiu was thinking.

They had been planning this for so many years and had fooled so many people.

"What about Xiao Jiu?" Li Ji'an asked tentatively.

"Fellow Daoist will see you shortly," Master Funiu said directly.

“This place must be a place that other forces are eyeing closely. Therefore, I never intended for Xiao Jiu to form his core here from the very beginning.”

"To be honest, the reason I've been able to get to where I am today is thanks to Brother Niu's help. And in the cave where I met Brother Niu, there was a small Taoist temple."

Although its spiritual veins are not as strong as those of Funiu Mountain, they are superior in their seclusion and purity.

That's where Xiao Jiu formed his core.

"Fellow Daoist's wisdom and foresight are truly admirable!" Li Ji'an cupped his hands in respect.

"It's an inevitable trend, and we have no choice but to accept it." Master Funiu smiled helplessly.

"I have already told you everything. I wonder if you, my friend, can help me?"

Although the underground training ground is hidden, once someone attempts to form their core there, the extraordinary phenomena of heaven and earth will inevitably be revealed.

Master Funiu's original plan was to resolve the situation at Funiu Mountain and then immediately go to protect the Dharma.

At this moment, however, they wished for an extra helper.

After all, Qingniu had already confirmed that Li Ji'an's actions before the Core Formation Dojo were sincere acts of kindness that would benefit Xiao Jiu!

(End of this chapter)