Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation

Li Ji'an wasn't surprised to hear that Yan Kongyi, whom he had known for sixty years, was about to pass away.

They had met in Immortal City two years prior, and he was already 130 years old. Even with his expertise in the art of health preservation, he was nearing his limit. Li Ji'an had estimated he had about ten years left at the time.

Unexpectedly, he didn't wait for his natural lifespan to end, but instead used his aging body to make one last contribution to his family.

Three days ago, during the joint defense of the Market, Yan Kongyi faced an attack from bandits and chose to trade his life for theirs. He used the self-detonation talisman on his person to kill a Qi Refinement peak leader of the bandits, and then used his Natal Escape Talisman to hold onto a breath of life.

This was a tradition among the wasteland families. When the situation became unstable, every elderly cultivator nearing the end of their lifespan was a terrifying force.

After all, a cultivator who had resolved to die could potentially double their combat power.

Yan Qingwan's message wasn't to ask Li Ji'an to return, but to inform him of this matter and convey Yan Kongyi's feelings towards him.

Without much hesitation, Li Ji'an decided to return.

Before establishing his foundation, he definitely wouldn't have ventured into the muddy waters of the wasteland, but now that his foundation was complete and he had Guagua as a trump card, he wouldn't fear even facing two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Moreover, with the several late-stage Teleportation Talismans he had accumulated over the years, he could retreat without any difficulty even if surrounded by several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

After deciding on the trip to the wasteland, Li Ji'an immediately started refining pills.

He had already decided on what to do with the crimson spiritual ginseng that Manager Qi had sent him a month ago: refine a batch of Youth Preservation Pills.

The Youth Preservation Pill was a first-tier pill, but because it contained the power of time, it was difficult to refine even for a second-tier alchemist.

He had previously planned to earn spirit stones from high-level female cultivators, and this was also a practice run.

The next morning, his first batch of cosmetic medicine pills was successfully produced.

As the grade of pills increased, the maximum number of pills produced per batch of ingredients would decrease. The maximum number of Youth Preservation Pills produced per batch of ingredients was five, and Li Ji'an's batch yielded three.

However, one of them was a masterpiece, and two were high-grade.

This was the result of squeezing the number of pills to ensure the quality of the pills.

A high-grade Youth Preservation Pill could preserve youth for thirty years, and the masterpiece, in addition to five more years, also had an extra effect of reversing aging, with a market price exceeding 1,200 spirit stones.

And the total cost of its ingredients was less than 600 spirit stones.

Among all unrestricted second-tier pills, it was definitely one of the most profitable.

Of course, this was also related to the alchemist's skill. Not every second-tier alchemist could guarantee such a profit.

Also, the main ingredient was scarce.

After the pills were produced, Li Ji'an put away Guagua and the Fire Spirit, instructed Xiao Qiao to take good care of the house, concentrate on her cultivation, gave her a message jade talisman so she could contact him at any time, and also gave her Grandma You's array inheritance so she could study it in her spare time.

Then, he sent a message to Manager Qi, informing him that he was going out for a trip and would invite fellow cultivators to celebrate after he returned.

After leaving the inner city core area, Li Ji'an first went to the Nine Cauldrons Chamber of Commerce to visit Zhao Shuyao.

When he took out that masterpiece Youth Preservation Pill, a hint of surprise flashed in Zhao Shuyao's eyes.

But she still refused.

After all, she was already aging, and the Youth Preservation Pill was meaningless to her. Even if it barely had a few years of rejuvenation effect, it would only be returning from the appearance of a ninety-six-year-old to the appearance of around ninety years old, which wasn't much of a difference.

As for Tong Yaoyao, she was even more dismissive of the Youth Preservation Pill.

Li Ji'an then learned that her ancestral cultivation method had a youth-preserving effect that was much better than the Youth Preservation Pill.

He had thought that bringing the Youth Preservation Pill that would drive outside female cultivators crazy would bring Zhao Shuyao and Tong Yaoyao unexpected joy, but the result was slightly embarrassing, and he couldn't even give it away for free.

After bidding farewell to the two, Li Ji'an went to the artifact shop where he had previously bought a masterpiece artifact for Xiao Changfeng and spent 1,800 spirit stones to purchase a high-grade flying boat.

The same one that Xiao Changfeng had borrowed back then.

The trip to the Yan family in the wasteland was a long one. If he traveled with his current Foundation Establishment early-stage escape light, it would take three months at full speed, not counting the consumption of spirit replenishment pills and spirit stones. If he conserved his magic power and reduced consumption, it would take five months.

Controlling a flying boat would be much faster and consume less energy.

Before long, Li Ji'an left the Immortal City and steered the flying boat south.

With the Foundation Establishment stage pressure released, there was almost no need to worry about ambushes by rogue cultivators with no sense of self-preservation, so after getting on the flying boat, Li Ji'an calmed his mind and continued to deduce in his mind.

The extraordinary comprehension brought about by his rejuvenation was a very powerful advantage, and it wasn't just in the research and refinement of the hundred arts of cultivation.

He also hoped to use this endowment to achieve something in the most core path of cultivation realms.

After all, the most crucial thing in the cultivation world was the realm. All methods should serve the cultivation realm.

In his previous life, he had also tried to deduce this kind of cultivation method in the cultivation world, but due to the lack of a cultivation method database, there was almost no progress.

In this life, he first had the personal experience of cultivating the commonly available low-level cultivation methods from his previous life, and then the cultivation experience of cultivating the Yan family's 'Flame Dragon Art' in this life. In his previous life, he had also purchased a cultivation method in the joint market. In recent years, he had also spent spirit stones to purchase some low-level cultivation methods in the Immortal City. As the cultivation method database gradually increased, he also made some small progress in his research on cultivation methods.

At least, the basic principles of these cultivation methods known so far were the same. Taking the Dantian spiritual root as the foundation, by mobilizing the meridians and acupoints throughout the body, and then using the divine soul to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the corresponding spiritual energy of the Dantian spiritual root could be absorbed into the body, and then through different operating forms of the Dantian, the spiritual energy was refined into magic power and stored in the Dantian.

The difference between these cultivation methods was not in the principle, but in the method of mobilization, the method of operation, and the method of refinement.

There were countless meridians and acupoints in a cultivator's body. Under different permutations and combinations, the effect of absorbing spiritual energy varied greatly.

Moreover, the way the Dantian operated differed greatly due to the subtle differences in the Zhou Tian transformation.

"If there is enough time and enough reference cultivation methods, I might be able to create a cultivation method!"

Nearly three months later, as he was about to enter the wasteland, Li Ji'an restrained his divine soul and withdrew from the cultivation method comprehension that day.

During these three months, his understanding of the cultivation methods here deepened, and he even had a vague hypothesis in his mind.

"Hmm?" A few days later, just as he approached the wasteland area, several cultivator auras appeared in front of him, and it seemed that they were standing guard.

The entire wasteland was located in the southeast direction of the Heavenly Azure Region, and the Zheng family was located in the northwest of the wasteland, closest to other cultivation forces.

Traveling from the Immortal City to the wasteland would first reach the Zheng family's territory.

However, this place was located on the border of the wasteland and was still quite far from the Zheng family.

Li Ji'an steered the flying boat straight into the wasteland, ignoring some Qi Refinement trash fish below.

A day later, a flying boat came to meet him from afar.

"Fellow cultivator, please stop." One person on it released a Foundation Establishment aura and cupped his hands from afar.

"Fellow cultivator, please forgive us. We are cultivators from the Zheng family in the wasteland. There are rebels here who are causing unrest, and our Zheng family has had to deploy some secret methods ahead in order to quell the turmoil. We are afraid that we may accidentally injure fellow cultivator, so we have come to inform you."

Watching the flying boat approaching, one of the people on it was an acquaintance. Li Ji'an got up and went to the bow of the boat, standing with his hands behind his back.

"If fellow cultivator doesn't have anything special... Hmm? You..." Zheng Tianxiang was about to persuade him again when he suddenly froze.

The current thirty-eight-year-old Li Ji'an was similar to when Zheng Tianxiang first met him in his previous life. Compared to the appearance when Yan Qingwan sent Li Ji'an to the Azure Cloud Sect for training twenty-three years ago, he had a bit more precipitation of time.

Zheng Tianxiang first regarded him as Li Ji'an from his previous life, whom he had failed to win over in the joint market fifty-five years ago.

"You are Li Fan... Fellow cultivator?" But after a slight daze, Zheng Tianxiang came back to his senses.

But the shock in his eyes was even greater!

He frowned and stared at Li Ji'an, recalling information about Li Ji'an in his mind.

Twenty-three years ago, when Yan Qingwan sent Li Ji'an to the Azure Cloud Sect for training, he had specially sent a congratulatory gift of two hundred spirit stones in order to form an alliance with the Yan family.

However, he eventually learned that this kid didn't enter the Azure Cloud Sect.

In the following ten years, in order to stimulate Yan Qingwan and also to frame the Wei family, he sent Wei Huairen to ambush this kid, but Wei Huairen disappeared from then on.

And this kid also disappeared silently not long after, causing his plan to stimulate Yan Qingwan to be in vain.

He never thought that when they met again this time, he would have already established his foundation!

"Could this kid have had some fortuitous encounter?"

Ignoring the surprise in his eyes, Li Ji'an said with a smile: "Fellow cultivator Zheng, have you been well?"

"Hahaha, congratulations to fellow cultivator Li on establishing your foundation, but... fellow cultivator Li left the wasteland for more than twenty years. This time you come back... don't misunderstand yourself."

After regaining his senses, Zheng Tianxiang's face was no longer as amiable as before, and his words were quite threatening, even with a hint of resentment.

The reason why their Zheng family was so heavily fortified on the border of the wasteland now was because the wasteland alliance, led by the Yan family, suddenly had an additional second-tier puppet and many strategic talisman resources two years ago.

Without a doubt, the only place where those resources could be bought was in the Golden Glory Immortal City.

Therefore, from that time on, they cut off this road.

Moreover, at that time, they couldn't figure out how those wasteland families could buy such restricted strategic resources, but now they suddenly understood.

It must be related to the kid in front of him.

"Is fellow cultivator Zheng threatening Li?" Li Ji'an's expression was natural and his tone was calm.

When he saw that the person who came was Zheng Tianxiang, he was still a little tempted.

In his previous life in the joint market, he failed to win him over and repeatedly designed to trick him out of the market. The bad cause had already been planted, and the bad result had been brewing.

This was a desolate wilderness, and it was still some distance from the Zheng family's territory, so it was a good opportunity.

However, sensing the other party's aura, which was slightly stronger than his, he wasn't confident that he could keep him even with Guagua, and moreover, as the former pride of the Zheng family and the youngest Foundation Establishment ancestor, he must have some trump cards up his sleeve.

He could think of leaving himself a trump card, and these cultivators in the war zone must be even more so.

The most important thing was that he still didn't like this kind of evenly matched fight to the death, and he preferred a steady crush, so he didn't choose to strike first.

After all, he still didn't have enough trump cards.

After establishing his foundation, those first-tier late-stage talismans, except for the Teleportation Talisman, were almost useless.

Including the first-tier peak body refinement, it was not very useful against Foundation Establishment stage spells.

The main purpose of this trip back to the wasteland, besides seeing Yan Kongyi, was still for the second-tier talisman inheritance he mentioned.

Once he had a second-tier talisman as a trump card, at least in terms of trump cards, he was confident that he could crush Zheng Tianxiang in front of him.

Sensing that Li Ji'an didn't have the slightest fear, Zheng Tianxiang paused for a moment, and then suddenly realized that he could be so confident, I'm afraid it's not simple.

He instantly thought of the strategic resources that the few alliances had suddenly gained earlier, and he almost certainly believed that the kid in front of him probably had an extraordinary backer.

"Hahaha, fellow cultivator Li is serious. To be honest, Zheng and your father had a relationship back then. Zheng admires your father very much, but it's a pity that in the end, your father was misled by that Yan family eldest lady."

After testing Li Ji'an's confidence, Zheng Tianxiang instantly changed his approach.

"Oh? Is there such a thing?" Li Ji'an smiled.

"Fellow cultivator Li doesn't know? This matter is well known in the wasteland," Zheng Tianxiang asked back with surprise.

"Back then, your father was originally talented, especially in the path of alchemy, which far surpassed ordinary people. Even your father's master, Alchemist Mo, praised him greatly. As a result, that Yan family eldest lady relied on her good looks and used a beauty trap on your father. Your father still didn't know people well and was deeply trapped in it.

As a result, after your father dedicated his life to the Yan family eldest lady, the Yan family killed the donkey after it had done its work and drove your father, who was already nearly seventy years old, out of the family.

In the end..." Zheng Tianxiang was emotional and vivid, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.

This kind of statement had actually been secretly spreading in the wasteland for a long time before Li Ji'an went to the Immortal City.

However, the purpose of the other party spreading these remarks at that time was just to ruin Yan Qingwan's reputation.

This time it was brought out to sow discord.

Don't underestimate rumors, and don't expect the chicken soup that rumors stop at the wise. Even in wars between countries, public opinion may lead to changes in the outcome of the war.

If Li Ji'an had not been rejuvenated and was not a real descendant, it would be difficult to guarantee that he would not be affected, at least it would plant a seed of suspicion.

"Hmph! Nonsense, Li will go ask my aunt now." Li Ji'an showed the emotions that Zheng Tianxiang was looking forward to and snorted coldly.

Zheng Tianxiang was instantly overjoyed, and then solemnly said: "Fellow cultivator Li, this is not what I, Zheng, said, this is known to everyone in the entire wasteland, you can just ask anyone."

Li Ji'an stopped talking and controlled the flying boat to leave.

"Fellow cultivator Li, please wait." Zheng Tianxiang called out again.

"Hmm? Do you really want to fight Li?" Li Ji'an glanced coldly at Zheng Tianxiang.

"Haha, misunderstanding, misunderstanding, Zheng said that I have a close relationship with your father, how could I attack you? This is a little intention of Zheng, and it can be considered not in vain for the many years of friendship with your father, please accept it with a smile.

If there is anything that Zheng needs help with in the future, please feel free to ask, goodbye."

Watching Zheng Tianxiang go away, Li Ji'an shook his head with a smile while looking at the jade bottle in his hand.

He understood Zheng Tianxiang's thoughts, worried that he would join the Yan family and participate in the wasteland struggle.

In fact, he was completely overthinking it.

Li Ji'an asked himself, if he had the strength to make a decision with a word, he would naturally help the Yan family casually.

But now, he only had the ability to take care of himself, and he couldn't change the chaotic situation in the wasteland with multiple forces by himself. He was even less likely to take risks.

What's more, the current Yan family didn't represent the Yan family, but the alliance of five Foundation Establishment families in the southeast direction of the wasteland.

After that, everything went smoothly, and he arrived at the Yan family three days later.

After thirteen years of separation, returning to the Yan family again, seeing the Spiritual Pearl Mountain that looked like a jade pearl, Li Ji'an still felt kind.

After all, he had lived and cultivated in this world from the age of eight until he left at fifteen.

"Which fellow Daoist has come to my Yan family, and what is your purpose?"

Just as Li Ji'an entered the range of Spirit Pearl Mountain, his undisguised Foundation Establishment aura alarmed the two old ancestors of the Yan family.

In the next moment, two figures soared into the sky, forming an offensive and defensive posture, as if facing a great enemy.

"Aunt, I'm back!"