Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation-Chapter 86 - 52: Rejuvenation Once Again

With a loud rumble, the ground ahead suddenly collapsed. Amidst the lingering dust, Red Stone Wanderer and Chen Qingling rushed in.

Li Ji’an immediately stopped supplying his qi and blood, ready to activate the Small Shifting Talisman in his hand at any moment.

At the same time, he transmitted a message to Gugu, directing it to stealthily approach in that direction.

"Boom~" Soon, the sound of magical power resonated, causing the area where Gugu was burrowing to tremble.

The might of the Foundation Establishment stage is truly extraordinary!

Li Ji’an realized that the full-fledged strike of his magical power wasn’t enough to match even a fraction of Red Stone Wanderer’s blow.

"Boom~" However, shortly after, an even more powerful rumble came forth.

Before Li Ji’an could react, three figures shrouded in magical power flew backward.

"The tomb of a True Monarch..." As the figures slammed to the ground, Red Stone Wanderer flipped back up, looking at the now tranquil ground while murmuring to himself.

Then he glanced coldly at Chen Qingling and the Brocade Rat beside him.

The Brocade Rat’s skull was sunken, its limbs limp, beyond saving.

Chen Qingling’s breathing was weak, with a slight trickle of blood from her mouth and nose. She was knocked unconscious but not in serious danger.

He then unfolded his palm, revealing a seemingly ordinary Cultivation Technique Jade Talisman in his hand.

As his Divine Sense made slight contact, the dim runes on the jade talisman suddenly emitted a five-colored radiant light. Then a green light slowly emerged, revealing an illusory figure: "I am Qianyuan True Monarch. Having once obtained the Supreme Immortal Scripture, I found it too late, and with no descendants, I buried it here. Those who find it may pass it on to future generations."

It seemed to be just a lingering will, and as soon as the words were spoken, it dispersed with the wind.

Only Red Stone Wanderer was left staring blankly at the jade talisman.

"The Profound Yuan Chaos Scripture!" A moment later, Red Stone Wanderer, withdrawing his Divine Sense from the jade talisman, murmured to himself, "You’re too late, how am I not also? You have no progeny or disciples, and I..."

At this point, he glanced at Chen Qingling, then shook his head again: "Isn’t it the same?"

"What good does this do for me?"

Though feeling somewhat dejected, Li Ji’an fixated all his attention on the Cultivation Technique Jade Talisman in Red Stone Wanderer’s hand.

This realm’s cultivation techniques not only determine the efficiency and quality of magical power but also how far one can progress.

The Yan Family’s "Flame Dragon Technique," capable of being cultivated to the Core Formation stage, is considered Upper Grade, and even Biyun Sect’s Sect’s Holy Skill reaches only the Nascent Soul stage. This technique, deemed a Supreme Immortal Scripture by a Nascent Soul True Monarch... its value is evident.

Ultimately, Li Ji’an felt a bit disappointed; despite Red Stone Wanderer claiming it was useless and burdensome, he didn’t discard it but instead complained about the hot potato while keeping it.

He understood the complaint; such a cultivation technique is indeed tricky to handle. It could hardly be sold without great risk; potential buyers would not allow it to leak.

If it somehow got out and he lacked the intimidating strength, he might very well face calamity.

No one would dare throw it away.

The final outcome might resemble that of Qianyuan True Monarch, buried alongside it.

"Sigh~ No hurry. If I must, I’ll wait until you pass away and then retrieve it." Comforting himself, Li Ji’an calmed down.

The opportunity this time indeed tempted him.

However, compared to his Rejuvenation, it was tolerable.

Moreover, once Red Stone Wanderer passed away, there would still be opportunities.

He just needed to remain vigilant regarding Red Stone Wanderer’s whereabouts.

Soon enough, Red Stone Wanderer buried the Brocade Rat on the spot, picked up the unconscious Chen Qingling, and rode a Divine Rainbow away.

"To die like this, so pitiful. Remember, what’s apparently good may not actually be, potentially costing one’s life." Seeing Gugu’s gaze fixed on the Brocade Rat’s grave mound, Li Ji’an lamented.

Gugu nodded furiously, and had it not needed to stay put, it would have nuzzled against Li Ji’an.

"Remember the scent of that old wanderer." Li Ji’an instructed once again.

"Gua~" Gugu responded more enthusiastically.

After three days, with no further changes, Li Ji’an resumed nurturing and taming it with his qi and blood.

As for the nearby tomb, Li Ji’an didn’t even bother to explore it.

The tomb of a True Monarch wouldn’t have opened without the intent to release that Cultivation Technique Jade Talisman; Red Stone Wanderer couldn’t have breached it, let alone left alive.

Now, whether it has sunk into the earth vein or completely sealed, it held no relevance to him at present.

--------

Thus, another two years passed.

"Done!" On this day, as the Ant Queen, comparable in size to a small piglet, took a deep draught of Li Ji’an’s qi and blood, he felt a sense of affinity and submission resonate with his Divine Soul.

Several confirmations assured him of correctness, filling Li Ji’an with joy, though somewhat wistful.

If more time had dragged on, he really couldn’t afford it.

Since the third year of feeding it his qi and blood, he had felt a subtle awareness that the decline of his qi and blood, akin to aging, was slightly accelerating.

Now, he clearly sensed it too; within a year, he would begin to experience the depletion of qi and blood, living vitality fading, leading to Rejuvenation.

This wasn’t solely due to feeding the Ant Queen his qi and blood; it was also because over these eight years, the mixed Spiritual Qi couldn’t be absorbed, and his lack of Qi Replenishing Pills meant that his Qi Cultivation mid-stage power had not only stagnated but regressed.

Under dual influence, he estimated that the decline of his life’s vitality had accelerated by nearly a decade.

"Gugu, come." With just a year left until Rejuvenation, he couldn’t delay further, and he summoned Gugu immediately.

"Gua~" Gugu appeared silently, almost untraceable by him now.

Over these eight years, perhaps due to consuming nearly a hundred thousand Soul-Holding Ants, it seemed to have gained the ability to shield its Divine Soul from being probed since it reached the Tier One Late Stage Demon Beast level three years ago.

Even when it was right behind him, Li Ji’an’s Spiritual Sense couldn’t detect it.

Li Ji’an, one hand holding the Beast Taming Token and the other on the Ant Queen’s Celestial Spirit, focused his Divine Sense, letting his Divine Soul enter the Ant Queen’s Sea of Consciousness.

Unlike eight years ago, at this moment, his Divine Soul entered the Ant Queen’s Sea of Consciousness without hindrance and was not devoured by it.

Eight years ago, his Divine Soul would be completely consumed the moment it ventured outside him.

After half a year’s repetitive trials following a pre-determined plan, he successfully imprinted a wisp of Divine Soul into the Ant Queen’s Sea of Consciousness through the Beast Taming Token.

This wisp of Divine Soul was severed from his Main Soul, out of his control, merely bearing the mark of the Beast Taming Token, solely ensuring the Beast Taming Contract remained post-Rejuvenation.

Otherwise, once Rejuvenated and Gugu lost the Beast Taming Token’s Divine Soul Contract, it would simply flee, rendering the prepared Guardian Spirit Beast meaningless.

After observing it for an additional three months, confirming the wisp of Divine Soul showed no signs of dissipating, Li Ji’an finally smiled with satisfaction and left with the Ant Queen and Gugu.

Now, merely three months remained until Rejuvenation, compelling him to make further preparations.

By that time, nine years would have passed since leaving the Yan Family, and after Rejuvenation, his bone age would be eight, perfectly timed.

On the way out of the Fallen Dragon Ridge mountains, Li Ji’an marveled once again at Gugu’s transformation. Previously in the Ant’s Nest, due to prolonged soulless screening, the change wasn’t felt strongly.

At present, outside, even with his Spiritual Sense maximized, he still couldn’t detect Gugu; had it not been for the Beast Taming Token’s Divine Soul Contract, he’d have no recourse should Gugu escape right under his nose.

Days later, Li Ji’an arrived at the initial gathering area.

This time, however, he employed a Disguise Technique.

This realm’s Disguise Technique alters the skin and flesh using magical power, emitting a magical aura discernible by equivalent Spiritual Sense cultivators. While unable to discern true form, they could detect the disguise.

When the opponent’s Spiritual Sense exceeds one’s by a Small Realm, they can uncover the true form, leaving no place to hide.

Besides, most of this realm’s Immortal City Marketplaces, even clan protection arrays, possess means to break the Disguise Technique, preventing misdeeds by unauthorized personnel.

He first wandered around Chen Zhaohu’s residence, finding he was still often absent, then gathered information at the Central Plaza about the Desert’s Eight Great Families’ developments over the past nine years. Subsequently, he rented a courtyard in the gathering area center, stationed Gugu underground awaiting orders, and prepared the wooden tub, medicinal herbs for baths, and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills from his Storage Pouch, waiting at ease.

The landlord, an over-sixty-year-old man who had neither entered Qi Cultivation nor Body Refining, with gray-white hair and beard, tottering as he walked, frequently lamented time’s relentless passage, regretting not pursuing the path of cultivation when young. Alas, regretting now was too late.

Three months flew by swiftly.

That day, Li Ji’an, now sixty-six, sensed something.

"It’s coming!"