Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 271 A Generation of Pill Kings

As time passed silently, the number of cultivators Li Ji'an could mingle with dwindled, and many eventually had no choice but to accept being queuing up for investigation.

The situation became increasingly critical, but Li Ji'an remained increasingly calm.

He carefully took stock of all the cards he could currently use.

Six third-tier natal spirit talismans had little effect against a mid-to-late stage True Core cultivator from the Myriad Laws Palace, especially since it was on the other side's territory.

Two prototypes of magical treasures and one ninth-grade magical treasure are probably not enough to demonstrate the strength of the Myriad Laws Palace.

A third-tier poison... might be a surprise attack, but the title of Pure Yuan True Person Pill King is not undeserved. Since pills and poisons share the same origin, there will definitely be plenty of antidotes.

The Mask of No Form... Only this ancient artifact can work.

"But... it can conceal one's appearance and figure, and it can confuse one's magical aura, but it cannot conceal one's mind... Huh!"

After carefully considering the situation for a moment, Li Ji'an's eyes suddenly lit up.

Without further hesitation, he flew towards Xuan Guang Immortal City.
-
The shantytown west of Xuanguang Immortal City.

Inside a gambling den.

"big big big!"

"Little little!"

"I'm betting big, ten taels of spirit sand!"

"I'll bet five taels."

……

A group of Qi Refining cultivators with bloodshot eyes were facing a dice cup shrouded in a transparent light shield in the center of the gambling table, howling at the top of their lungs.

This is a gambling table for low-level cultivators. There is a spirit-severing array that isolates the spiritual energy within and prevents magical interference. The dice cup is a fine magical artifact that can block the detection of divine sense below the Core Formation stage.

As the dice cup fell into the spirit-suppressing magic circle, everyone at the table placed their bets.

"open!"

"It's big again!"

"This kid is so lucky, he hit the jackpot eighteen times in a row."

"I've won nearly a hundred spirit stones in these three days."

……

As the dice were rolled, there were winners and losers, but everyone's eyes were drawn to a young man at the third level of Qi Refining sitting at the table.

The young man had been at the gambling den for three days, and his initial investment of three taels of spirit sand had increased nearly three thousand times.

It should be noted that in such a small gambling den, a single bet might only yield a dozen or so spirit sands. The young man mostly bet on big and small, not on high-odds bets like leopards. The fact that he was able to win nearly a hundred spirit stones was entirely due to his betting accuracy rate being as high as 80%.

The owner behind the gambling den even secretly had a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator observe it, but found nothing unusual.

As for the possibility that it could see through the sieve cup, it's almost zero.

After all, what Core Formation cultivator would be so bored as to come to such a small gambling den and try to win a few spirit stones in three days? It would be a complete waste of time.

However, for the gamblers in the gambling den, the spirit stones the boy won were already enough to make them envious.

Sensing the gazes of the crowd, the young man hurriedly and carefully put away all the spirit stones: "That's enough, that's enough. I can buy Flying Cloud Pills to break through my bottleneck."

Then, with his head down, he cautiously looked around before quickly walking out of the gambling den.

However, not far from the gambling den, another figure quietly followed them.

When they reached a corner, the boy was finally cornered in a dead end.

"Boy, if you know what's good for you, hand over all the spirit stones... Ah, you..." But before he could finish a complete sentence, he suddenly felt a chill run through his body, his consciousness grew heavier and heavier, and finally he returned to nothingness.

A cold smile crept across the boy's lips, and he subconsciously licked his mouth.

"This..." The boy's expression froze slightly the moment after he finished licking his lips.

"Is this the side effect of the Mask of No Form? Playing the role of Huang Jie for too long has caused one's mind to be assimilated by him?"

The young man was none other than Li Ji'an. After returning to Xuan Guang Immortal City, he began looking for a suitable candidate until he accidentally discovered this gambling addict.

As it happened, he was just a menial disciple of the outer sect of Wanfa Palace and had no background or connections, which is why he ended up in the most barren and unprofitable shantytown in the west of the city.

The Mask of No Form extracted his essence and soul, replacing it with the essence of Chishi Sanren.

He activated his essence and blood, instantly transforming into a gambling addict.

"Zhao Ming, a menial disciple of the Wanfa Palace and a patrolman in the west of the city, was once a Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator. He was once an ambitious man who spared no effort to join the Wanfa Palace and cultivate diligently, hoping to one day make a comeback... However, his status as a menial disciple meant he would not be valued. Ten years ago, in order to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, he did not contribute enough and did not have enough spirit stones. He took a gamble with a lucky break and has been sinking deeper and deeper ever since. Now he is in debt for hundreds of spirit stones and his monthly income is insufficient to cover his expenses..."

After carefully examining Zhao Ming's memories, Li Ji'an nodded secretly. He was alone and had little human connection with anyone. Apart from a few mistresses in the shantytown, he had no close friends or acquaintances from his sect.

Even if I really die someday, no one will care.

After dismantling the restrictive formation and erasing all traces, Li Ji'an returned to the West City Patrol Team under the identity of Zhao Ming.

For the next two weeks, Li Ji'an temporarily lived in Xiancheng, adopting Zhao Ming's lifestyle.

On this day, just as he was preparing to patrol the streets as usual and then report to the gambling den, the captain walked in with a serious expression: "The Supreme Elder has ordered that all cultivators in the area be summoned to the square for questioning immediately. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy!"

After speaking, he swept his sharp gaze around the room: "I don't care how they behave normally, but anyone who ruins the Supreme Elder's important plans this time deserves to die!"

"Three people per group. If any member is missed in their assigned area, the entire team will be in trouble."

Li Ji'an was startled. Although he had expected this day, he still couldn't help but feel a little scared.

Without the Mask of No Form, he couldn't think of any other way to escape.

On that day, all cultivators in the entire Immortal City, whether permanent residents or temporary residents, were taken to a designated area for investigation.

The area under Li Ji'an's jurisdiction was a shantytown, the lowest level of the cultivation world, and a charitable area specially set up by Wanfa Palace to demonstrate the benevolence of the Holy Palace.

After this period of fermentation, Chun Yuan Zhenren's purpose has long been announced. Although he only said it was a spirit flame, not a fire-type holy spirit, it reassured everyone.

After all, everyone knows that spirit flames have nothing to do with them.

Therefore, Li Ji'an's three-person team's mission went very smoothly.

After leading the cultivators in his assigned area to the location, Li Ji'an followed the team leader and stood on one side of the verification area to maintain order.

Several people dressed as inner disciples of the Wanfa Palace began to ask questions one by one.

"Does the Spirit Flame have anything to do with you?" This simple question was clearly part of a mind-reading technique.

This scene is exactly the same as when the Wanfa Palace screened the remnants of the Liu family after the destruction of the Liu family in Qishilin.

He asked this question a few years ago when he was with Ning Sujin in the Qishilin.

Ning Sujin used her primordial spirit, which was comparable to that of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, to deceive this kind of divine soul secret technique.

According to him, this secret technique directly targets one's true nature, and even the divine sense of a Core Formation cultivator cannot resist it.

Three days later, the citywide screening was completed, and unsurprisingly, there were no results.

"You heartless bastard, which vixen have you hooked up with this time? You haven't even come here for half a month." Just as a manager of the Wanfa Palace announced its disbandment, a seductive female cultivator with a strong air of worldliness came to Li Ji'an's side, full of resentment.

"Slap!" Li Ji'an slapped him on the buttocks with his backhand.

He lowered his voice and said, "Have you lost your mind? The higher-ups are still here."

"Hiss~ You devil, I'll be waiting for you tonight." The female cultivator was not angry at being slapped, but instead her attitude instantly became obedient. She gave him a flirtatious wink and swayed away.

"..." Li Ji'an gently bit the tip of his tongue.

That reaction just now was almost an instinctive one.

Compared to the previous times when it took several months to activate Huang Jie's essence blood, this time it only took half a month to activate Zhao Ming's essence blood, but the assimilation effect of the Formless Mask was more obvious.

Besides the fact that he was only using Huang Jie's appearance and didn't need to pay too much attention to his original memories, it was also because Huang Jie's personality was normal except for his ruthlessness.

Now that Zhao Ming's essence blood has been activated, Li Ji'an has strictly simulated his memories and behavior to avoid being exposed. In addition, Zhao Ming's personality traits are very distinct, making the assimilation even more obvious.

Besides being a compulsive gambler, this man is also adept at seducing female cultivators.

His mistresses were not bad even at the bottom of the cultivation world; in fact, some of them could be considered fairy-like in the eyes of ordinary male cultivators.

Moreover, he was very good at understanding the female cultivators' mentality. Even though his mistresses knew he had no ability, no spirit stone resources, and bad character, they could still be easily manipulated by him.

She even frequently funded his gambling.

His methods towards female cultivators were simple and brutal: he didn't treat them as human beings, nor did he use any sentimental tricks; he always treated them with the mindset of an aggressor.

After watching everyone leave, including the sect members, Li Ji'an slowly exhaled.

His crisis was temporarily averted. He only needed to wait for an opportunity to leave the Wanfa Palace area and return to the Biyun Sect.

However, it remains to be seen when Guagua will be able to escape its predicament.
-
Above a dense forest a thousand miles southeast of Xuanguang Immortal City.

This is the place where Li Ji'an previously let the little fire spirit enter the universe within the mouth of the frog.

It was also the place where the Holy Spirit of Fire ultimately disappeared, according to the perception of the Pure Yuan True Person.

At this moment, a handsome young man with rosy lips and white teeth, exuding youthful energy, was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"How could it suddenly disappear when it was getting closer and closer?" he muttered to himself.

"Master, will the Holy Spirit of Fire... perish?" A white-haired old man behind the young master asked tremblingly.

"Hmm?" The young master's narrow eyes narrowed into slits.

He then said in an unfriendly tone, "You also think I'm getting senile? Is this all a sign of my madness?"

"Disciple wouldn't dare, disciple just..." the old man behind him hurriedly explained.

Before the old man could finish explaining, the young master waved his hand: "Issue my order: all those in the sect skilled in earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic or magic) must be searched underground. The seal will not be lifted until the Holy Spirit is found!"

"I will obey my master's orders!" The old man hurriedly bowed his head to accept the command, and then fled as if escaping.

"Holy Spirit..." The old man left, leaving only the young master in the surroundings.

He is none other than the renowned Pill King, Pure Yuan True Man, a relative of the current Myriad Laws True Man, and holds a position within the Myriad Laws Palace second only to the Myriad Laws True Man.

A moment later, a wisp of golden flame slowly floated out from his dantian and finally settled on his palm.

"Bao'er, Bao'er, where do you think that Holy Spirit went?" Pure Yuan Zhenren looked at the spiritual flame in his palm with a gentle expression.

However, after a long while, the spirit flame did not react at all.

"Smack!" Master Chun Yuan's face instantly turned violent and ruthless. He suddenly unleashed his magic power and slammed him hard to the ground.

"In the end, it's just an unconscious, lifeless thing, not a holy spirit!" His eyes showed deep disdain.

However, the spirit flame had no consciousness to begin with, and after being contracted by it, it would not run away, would not be unhappy, and would be immortal and indestructible, and would not be injured.

Naturally, it cannot grow!

"A second-tier Holy Spirit, if I nurture it carefully, might be able to advance to the fourth tier within two hundred years... At that time, my Immortal Elixir might be successfully refined..."

Where did you go?

"Could it be that the Holy Spirit possesses some kind of hidden supernatural power?"

……

After muttering to himself for a while, Pure Yuan Zhenren suddenly stood up, his late-stage Core Formation power surging.

"Boom!" The entire dense forest below shook violently as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had split open.

"I must have you!"

The violent noise stretched for thousands of miles, and even the entire Xuan Guang Immortal City could feel it.

Li Ji'an, who was patrolling the street, felt a jolt in his heart. Guagua was closer to the attack and felt it more clearly. If the attack had been launched above Guagua, it might have forced Guagua to come out.

This is the power of the late stage of Core Formation!

"Old Zhao, this Supreme Elder..." Another servant who was patrolling the streets with Zhao Ming tugged at Zhao Ming's sleeve, his expression somewhat puzzled.

"Slap!" Li Ji'an slapped him on the back of the head: "Shut it up!"

"You little brat, you dare to say anything! How dare you discuss the Supreme Elder? If you want to die, don't drag me down with you."

"Yes, yes, it was a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue." The young disciple realized his mistake instantly, glanced around furtively, and pretended to slap himself.

Although Zhao Ming was notorious for his gambling addiction, he could still act arrogantly and domineeringly in the patrol team because of his seniority.

Of course, besides borrowing spirit stones.

He borrowed spirit stones from everyone in the team, and none of them ever returned them.

Three days later, more disciples from the sect arrived at Zhao Ming's patrol team.

Immediately afterwards, the captain, who practiced earth-based techniques and was skilled in earth-escape techniques, was taken away by an inner disciple.

Before leaving, he appointed Zhao Ming as acting captain.

Upon learning of this, Li Ji'an felt a slight sense of relief.

This patrol captain was merely an outer disciple in the early stages of Foundation Establishment. Although he was skilled in earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a technique for escaping into the ground), his limit was only ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) underground.

If even a cultivator of this caliber were to conduct a thorough search, the depth to which Guagua had disappeared would be of little consequence. Moreover, even if Guagua were to squat at his feet, he would not be able to detect it.

Otherwise, if it were truly a powerful expert at the late Core Formation stage, Guagua might actually be forced to reveal himself.

As expected, over the next three months, countless sect disciples within the Xuan Guang Immortal City area began searching underground.

Those who resort to violent attacks like Chun Yuan Zhenren are few and far between.

Most of them are only within a range of ten zhang underground, and at most no more than twenty zhang deep.

So far, no one has appeared at the location where Guagua is located.

"They should be giving up soon, right?" Li Ji'an pondered as he lay back in the patrol team's armchair.

During the three months he served as acting captain, he announced that he would quit gambling, citing the reason that he could not let down the Holy Palace's cultivation and that he should make good contributions to the Holy Palace. So he no longer needed to go to the gambling den every day to deliberately win or lose a few taels of spirit sand.

"Captain Zhao." That night, Li Ji'an was preparing to practice the "Ancient Demon Suppression Technique" when no one was around when someone quietly came to visit.

When Li Ji'an sensed this person's aura three breaths ago, he was quite surprised. The other party was the city lord of Xuan Guang Immortal City and also the elder of the External Affairs Hall of Wanfa Palace, with the cultivation level of the early True Core stage.

"Zhao Ming greets the City Lord!"

"It's alright. I'm here today to give you some important instructions. If you handle it well, you'll reap the rewards in the future."

"Lord of the city, please give your orders, and I will certainly handle them properly," Zhao Ming immediately assured him, patting his chest.

"This matter has always been handled by Xiao Chen. Now that Xiao Chen has been sent on a mission, it's a boon for you," the city lord casually explained.

Li Ji'an then revealed a look of surprise.

"You should know the situation in Ci'en District very well, right?" the city lord asked again.

"Reporting to the city lord, I have been stationed here for twenty years. I know exactly how many people are in each household, when they had a son or a daughter, and what their spiritual roots are!" Li Ji'an said confidently.

This isn't just him bragging; Zhao Ming really does have a thorough understanding of this area.

Of course, it's definitely not to benefit the lower-level cultivators; they've just been picking on the weak.

"Oh? Then this task is truly yours. You must seize the opportunity. If you can win over Master Chun Yuan, your future will be limitless." The city lord nodded in satisfaction.

"Pure Yuan Zhenren?" Li Ji'an's heart tightened instantly.

"Indeed, it is the Pure Yuan True Man of my Holy Palace. He devoted his life to alchemy and cultivated many alchemy geniuses for my Holy Palace. Unfortunately, he has not yet encountered anyone with superior alchemy talent to inherit his outstanding alchemy skills."

Therefore, since he could not win by quality, he thought he should try another way and spread the Dao of alchemy, especially to the poor and destitute people in this city.

However, these lonely and unfortunate individuals lack the spiritual talent to enter my Holy Palace normally, so I can only secretly teach them alchemy.

You select two children, a boy and a girl, both under the age of fifteen, and personally deliver them to Flying Immortal Peak. This is the token.

Remember, this matter must never be known to a third party, as it violates the rules of the Holy Palace.

"..." After hearing what the city lord said, Li Ji'an was stunned.

Sneaking around, returning boys and girls to their former glory?

Secretly imparting alchemical techniques?

Just kidding the ghost!
In an instant, some of Zhao Ming's memories also flooded into Li Ji'an's mind.

No wonder so many poor orphans have gone missing these years; it turns out the former captain just grabbed them and handed them over to King Dan!
"Has he returned to the Holy Palace?"

“Indeed, Elder has been working tirelessly lately in search of the Spirit Flame to benefit the Holy Palace, exerting himself to the utmost every day, which has taken a heavy toll on him. He needs to return to the palace to recuperate for a few days,” the city lord replied.

"Alright!" Li Ji'an's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately stopped wasting words.

Many orphans live in shantytowns.

Previously, most of them lived in nearby mortal settlements, but these settlements were then ravaged by monsters.

Hearing that Wanfa Palace had specially designated a charity area for orphans like them, they migrated thousands of miles to this place.

Li Ji'an could not refuse the City Lord's request, and he was even more unsure what the renowned Pill King would do with these orphans.

But now he has no choice!
(End of this chapter)