Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation

Spring passed and autumn came, the sun and moon revolved, and five years slipped away quietly.

Every day, with plenty of meat, eggs, and milk, and persistent medicinal baths, and taking Strong Bone Pills, thirteen-year-old Li Ji'an was now nearly 1.6 meters tall. Coupled with daily moderate exercise, and early mastery of the 'Golden Strength Skill' movements from the county's martial arts academy, his posture was upright, his bones were strong, and his tendons were long.

Inside the bath barrel, Li Ji'an carefully examined his body. Although he was already familiar with it, he was still filled with emotion every time.

In his previous life, at the age of thirteen, he was harmed by beasts who practiced 'harvesting and cutting,' his body was damaged, and his nutrition was poor. He wasn't even as tall as he was in his previous previous life, and after adulthood, he was barely under 1.5 meters tall. (Each reincarnation's world line hasn't changed, the person hasn't changed, the soul hasn't changed, and the body is still his body, and it starts from the age of eight. Strictly speaking, it can't be considered a lifetime, but for the sake of convenience and understanding, let's define each reincarnation as a lifetime.)

Looking at his reflection in the water, his appearance was several times more handsome and radiant than when he was the same age in his previous life, and his whole person exuded youthful vitality.

"The backup plans I prepared in my previous life were never used." Chuckling softly, Li Ji'an submerged himself in the water.

In the courtyard in the county town, he had hidden some medicinal herbs and some silver, specifically for his childhood in this life.

As a result, in these five years, whether it was medicinal baths, medicinal supplements, or the necessities of life, the temple covered it all for him, and even subsidized him to learn martial arts at the martial arts academy, all because of the two prescriptions he gave to Liu Deshan.

Of course, these two prescriptions did indeed cause the Purple Cloud Temple's income to skyrocket again in recent years.

In addition to the treatment of the disciples in the temple, the Charity Hall was also expanded, and it was named after Chang'an—Chang'an Charity Hall!

The total number of orphaned children taken in now is nearly a hundred.

Moreover, the senior brothers in the Charity Hall, knowing that Li Ji'an aspired to martial arts, often brought him some nourishing wild game from the mountains.

In these five years, he was the center of attention in the temple, receiving great care.

"I'm going to the martial arts academy tomorrow. I wonder if old Huang is still alive? How is Instructor Xiao Wu? Has he been fired? Did that little guy who laughed at me get into the martial arts examination...?"

Holding his breath for at least two minutes, he was very satisfied with his current physical condition.

Moreover, during these five years, he also felt more clearly that his mental strength had obviously improved after two reincarnations. His thinking was more敏锐, his energy was more abundant, and he only needed to sleep for six hours a day to basically recover to his peak state.

In these five years, recalling the 'Golden Strength Skill' he practiced in the martial arts academy in his previous life, he gained a deeper understanding. Many things that he couldn't understand in his previous life became clearer.

He didn't know if this was an extra benefit of "reincarnation," or a natural change of "old age brings wisdom." After all, his body "reincarnated" in each life, but his spirit has been accumulating.

"Junior brother, save me!" Just then, a cry for help came from the large bath pool next door.

That was where the other Taoist children under the age of fifteen in the temple took medicinal baths. Xiao Qingyun was currently playing and fighting with those kids.

Li Ji'an didn't want to be special, but the steward of the medicinal bath hall was a child he saved in his previous life, and he insisted on giving him a separate bath barrel.

In addition, although he looked only thirteen years old, his soul had experienced too many things. It was okay to tease the children occasionally, but it was really difficult for him to be childish and innocent.

And sometimes the maturity he unintentionally showed that didn't match his age also made some children fearful and uncomfortable, so he simply took a bath in a separate barrel.

Xiao Qingyun was the real childish innocence.

"Junior brother, they all listen to you. Can you help me beg Master to not let me go to the martial arts academy?" Coming out of the medicinal bath hall, Qingyun grabbed Li Ji'an's sleeve and pleaded.

Just like his father when he was a child, he would never sit if he could lie down, and he would never move if he could not move. He had no interest in martial arts or cultivating immortality.

Five years had passed. If Li Ji'an hadn't suggested that his master force him to exercise for the sake of his health, he would only be fatter now.

However, everyone has their own aspirations and their own opportunities. He had never persuaded him to practice martial arts or cultivate immortality.

Li Ji'an smiled and shook his head, ignoring him.

The next morning.

Outside the main gate of the Purple Cloud Temple, a group of Taoists stood quietly.

Li Ji'an and Qingyun stood by the carriage, saying goodbye to them.

"Master, I really don't want to practice martial arts. There are no immortals in this world. I just want to stay in the temple... serve you, be filial to you... don't send me away..." Qingyun even started to cry.

Liu Deshan glared at him fiercely: "Look at your junior brother, how did I give birth to... accept a disciple like you? Do you know how much money the martial arts academy charges? How many people want to practice martial arts but don't have the opportunity? Don't cry, hold it back immediately. How old are you?"

Shaking his head in disgust, Liu Deshan looked at Li Ji'an, his expression softening instantly.

However, the more he looked at Li Ji'an's face, the more his heart twitched.

How did junior brother give birth to such a beautiful son?

What kind of captivating beauty must his junior sister be!

Tall and long-bodied, with a dignified appearance, unlike that unlucky child.

At this time, Li Ji'an was completely different from when he was this old in his previous life, except that his eyebrows and eyes were somewhat similar.

"Chang'an, the martial arts academy has been taken care of. You don't have to worry about anything when you go there. Just focus on practicing martial arts. Well, don't be too stressed. There's no need to stubbornly pursue being an immortal seedling. No matter what, this will always be your home."

"Thank you, Master!" Li Ji'an bowed deeply to Liu Deshan, whose temples were already a little gray.

"Good, good, go ahead. Help me take care of that kid. If he doesn't listen, just beat him. I said so."

Qingyun really wanted to cry this time.

...

The carriage gradually moved away, and the people in front of the Taoist temple also became farther and farther away.

Qingyun fell asleep as soon as he got in the car. All sadness and troubles could not enter his heart.

Entering the county town, he didn't wait for others to call him, his nose had already awakened him.

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"Junior brother, look, candied hawthorns!"

"Wow, there are also fried sesame cakes."

"Hiss~ that's braised pig's trotters..."

Li Ji'an also looked outside through the window, also very familiar, after all, he had lived in this city for ten years.

Five years, the county town hasn't changed much.

Along the way, he saw a lot of acquaintances.

"Senior brother, please stop the car and let Qingyun buy me some food." Worried that Qingyun's saliva would drip on his clothes, Li Ji'an finally softened.

The middle-aged Taoist who was driving smiled and stopped the carriage aside.

"Chang'an, you just spoil Qingyun." Everyone in the temple knew what kind of temperament Li Ji'an had. He was not someone who coveted sensual pleasures.

Qingyun immediately showed ecstasy: "Thank you, junior brother, thank you, junior brother."

Li Ji'an lovingly patted Qingyun's head, took out about thirty copper coins from his money bag and handed them to him.

After instructing the middle-aged Taoist to keep an eye on Qingyun, Li Ji'an turned a corner and came to a small courtyard behind the bustling market.

This was the courtyard he bought fifteen years ago, connected to the downtown area in the front and not far from the county government in the back. Most of the people living here were merchants, which reduced a lot of unnecessary contact and trouble.

He hadn't been back for five years, and everything looked the same from the outside.

Li Ji'an walked around the outside of the courtyard a few steps, his eyes changed slightly, and then he moved away without showing any signs.

When he left five years ago, he filled the courtyard walls with embroidery needles, and just now he found that some of the embroidery needles had obvious damage, and even saw faint bloodstains in the cracks in the wall.

There was no need to verify what happened, and it didn't matter whether it was petty thieves or bandits, and there was no need to go in to see if the traps he had set up had worked.

This arrangement was just a backup plan for him to get through his childhood.

Now that the Purple Cloud Temple had helped him complete this step, the meaning of its existence was no longer worth him taking any unknown risks or getting involved in any unnecessary troubles.

It was just a little money anyway.

When Qingyun returned with a large bag of food, satisfied, the carriage headed towards Shangyi County Martial Arts Academy, where Li Ji'an had suffered a lot of cold looks and ridicule in his previous life.