Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 287 Beginning Cultivation

Although Li Ping'an replied confidently, the label had already been applied, and the way people looked at him subconsciously showed suspicion and rejection.

Even those trial participants who were originally at the back of the line and were supposed to enter the outer gate now had the illusion that they were only able to enter the outer gate because Li Ping'an cheated.

It even made me think outside the box: if comprehension can cheat, then can spiritual roots and temperament also cheat?

Because it was the True Pill Elder of the Upper Sect who spoke out, everyone believed it even more.

"The true disciple, step forward!" Elder Tian said, squinting his eyes without even glancing at Li Ji'an.

Upon hearing this, the five true disciples immediately stepped forward and stood alongside Li Ji'an, the chief true disciple.

"You six are all exceptionally talented and of superior character, but your comprehension is somewhat controversial. I will give you a chance to prove yourselves. Are you willing?"

"We will obey the elder's order!" The other five were all delighted.

Yao Rui's eyes shone with even greater fighting spirit.

"Whoosh~" Elder Tian nodded, tapped his hand lightly, and a curtain of water appeared in the sky.

Then, the scriptures appeared on it.

"This is an excerpt from the superior method I have cultivated. You should calm your minds and comprehend it, and each of you write down the spiritual meridians that need to be connected in this section of the scripture, and the number of meridians. The limit is one incense stick's time."

Just then, another True Core descended with imposing power.

Xiao Changfeng's expression was indifferent as he looked at Elder Tian from afar.

However, Elder Tian had already taken the lead and even threw out new test questions, leaving him speechless.

He glanced at Li Ji'an calmly, then sat down cross-legged opposite Elder Tian.

Immediately afterwards, Master Yudan arrived with Xu Xiaochun.

After considering the first two aspects of talent and temperament, Li Ji'an had basically secured his place among the true disciples, and they were already satisfied, so they stopped paying attention.

I just heard that he was ranked first, but then he was questioned about whether he had cheated, so I came to see for myself.

Seeing that Li Ji'an and the other six had begun to comprehend the teachings, they could only suppress their indignation and wait quietly.

Li Ji calmed down and focused on comprehending the fragments of the high-altitude martial arts technique, but soon frowned slightly.

Such superior cultivation techniques involve a very complex spiritual meridian system.

For novice disciples who have never been exposed to spiritual practices, it is difficult to even understand the meaning of the scriptures, let alone grasp their essence.

As the scripture appeared high in the sky, all the trial participants present, including the inner disciples who came to observe the ceremony, were trying to comprehend it. However, apart from the inner disciples, most of them were completely confused. Some outer disciples even tried to comprehend it by force and suffered a backlash, with their sea of ​​consciousness trembling.

However, it was not difficult for him, after all, he had comprehended countless sect techniques and secret arts in his previous life.

"Huh~" Half an incense stick later, he had fully understood and was just about to write when his divine sense paused slightly. Yao Rui had also begun to write.

"Heh~" As his divine sense swept over, Li Ji'an smiled, clearly only grasping the surface meaning.

"That's quite rare!" After nodding to himself, Li Ji'an ignored everyone else and focused on writing.

"I've finished answering." Soon, Yao Rui held up the question paper, her head held high.

He glanced at Li Ping'an, who was still writing.

"Tsk tsk, as expected of a prodigy with an earth-spirited root, he figured it out so quickly?"

"So it seems that Li Ping'an really did cheat before."

"Only in this way is it fair!"

……

In an instant, the square was abuzz with discussion.

While praising Yao Rui, he didn't forget to criticize Li Ping'an.

Elder Tian suddenly opened his eyes and subconsciously glanced at Xiao Changfeng opposite him.

If this is confirmed, he will have even more reason to suppress the other party.

Then, he glanced at Yao Rui with considerable appreciation, and a kind smile appeared on his stern face.

However, after reading Yao Rui's answer, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

The general direction is correct, but only the surface meaning is understood.

"Very well, for a complete novice who has never been exposed to cultivation techniques to have such comprehension is already quite remarkable."

After a moment's thought, Elder Tian nodded in acknowledgment, then spoke in a low voice that instantly reached everyone's ears: "As expected of a prodigy with an earth-spiritual root, to be able to comprehend the first layer of the scripture's meaning without having practiced any techniques, his comprehension is extraordinary. Coupled with his spiritual root and temperament, he truly..."

"I've finished answering." Just then, Li Ji'an also picked up the question paper.

"Hmm?" Elder Tian frowned and looked at Li Ping'an, having been abruptly interrupted.

Xiao Changfeng and Yu Dan Zhenren remained silent, but both looked at Tian Zhenren at the same time.

Since it is holding high the banner of openness, fairness and justice, it is naturally impossible for it to give up halfway.

Elder Tian then suppressed his gloom and scanned the paper written by Li Ji'an with his divine sense.

“This…” However, just one glance sent a shock through him.

If Yao Rui's understanding of the surface meaning can be considered as one level, then Li Ji'an's complete understanding of the true meaning of the technique can be considered as the third level.

"Elder Tian, ​​how is it? How is Li Ping'an's comprehension of the scriptures?" Xiao Changfeng had naturally already seen the results of Li Ji'an's comprehension, and asked with a light smile.

"He..." Elder Tian looked surprised and embarrassed.

"Li Ping'an has thoroughly comprehended this technique!" In the end, he could only tell the truth.

"What? You've fully grasped it?"

"How could a mere youth who hasn't even begun cultivation have fully comprehended Elder Zhendan's cultivation technique?"

"What kind of monster is this? I don't even understand it."

……

The results shocked everyone when they were announced.

All the disciples stood on tiptoe to look out.

Yao Rui's smug expression froze on her face as she looked at Li Ji'an beside her in disbelief.

"This guy who got in through connections is such a prodigy!"

Xu Xiaochun and Guo Wanzhi stared at Li Ji'an, equally incredulous.

"Junior Brother's comprehension is so strong?" The two of them had just been studying Elder Tian's cultivation technique. With their experience in Foundation Establishment, it wasn't difficult for them to understand it. However, they also understood the difficulty of this level of cultivation technique.

Their understanding of Li Ji'an was even more advanced.

"Our junior brother is something else!"

"Haha, good! If another genius emerges in my sect, we will surely create new glories a hundred years from now!" Jade Pill Master laughed heartily.

Meanwhile, the other four disciples also finished their study, but their level of understanding was not as good as Yao Rui's; they were only able to barely grasp the basics.

Immediately, everyone's attention focused on Elder Tian.

Practice has proven that his previous statement was false and untrue.

Elder Tian felt the gazes of everyone, mainly Xiao Changfeng and True Person Yudan.

After a moment of silence, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Indeed, Li Ping'an has exceptional comprehension and should be the chief disciple of my sect."

Before Xiao Changfeng could question him, he looked at Li Ji'an again and said solemnly:

“All the true disciples of my sect will be trained as the sect’s guardian elders, and the chief disciple is even more expected to succeed in the future. If we do not win the hearts of the people, how can we shoulder such a great responsibility?”

"Li Ping'an, do you understand my good intentions?" "..." Li Ji'an's eyelids trembled slightly.

I should thank him even though he tricked me.

"Thank you Elder Tian for clearing my name and restoring my innocence."

Elder Tian nodded in satisfaction, and then his figure became illusory and disappeared.

"That old geezer!" Li Ji'an chuckled to himself.

After a minor incident, the trial disciples proceeded with their initiation procedures as usual.

Li Ji'an had no relatives or family outside the sect to explain things to, but he had no choice but to wait in the Hall of Transmission of Dharma with a group of inner disciples.

"Senior Brother Li!"

"Meet Senior Brother Li."

"Senior Brother Li, my name is Zhou Zheng. I'll be at your service from now on!"

……

Regardless of their true thoughts, since they were all in the same room and Li Ji'an had been confirmed as the sect's chief disciple, these inner disciples and even true disciples all treated him with utmost respect.

Only Yao Rui pouted, clearly unconvinced.

He was still thinking about his plan to seize the top spot.

After all, as the elder of the Transmission Hall just said, even if one's identity is confirmed now, it is not a guarantee of safety. If one becomes lax after entering the sect, changes one's temperament, or fails to make progress, one may be demoted or even expelled from the sect.

Moreover, even the chief disciple might be overtaken by other disciples in his cultivation in the future, and could potentially be removed from the position.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, Li Ji'an's position as chief was not particularly secure.

Li Ji'an didn't care about the attitude of the other five people. After responding with a smile, he scanned the parents and relatives of the trial disciples outside with his divine sense and couldn't help but recall the scene when Yan Qingwan brought him here in his previous life.

Two cycles of sixty years have passed in the blink of an eye, truly a lifetime apart.

Half a day later, all the disciples who passed the trials completed their entry into the sect.

Li Ji'an's five true disciples also entered the back mountain of the Transmission Hall, just like the inner disciples.

The back mountain of the Dharma Transmission Hall is dotted with cave dwellings, located on a branch of the sect. It possesses a second-grade high-quality spiritual vein, sufficient to satisfy the inner disciples' cultivation up to the late Foundation Establishment stage.

However, this place is only the residence of newly initiated disciples within the past five years.

Five years later, they will be assigned to various peaks within the sect to assume various responsibilities.

Of course, if one cannot meet the cultivation progress requirements of an inner disciple within five years, one will be kicked out of the inner sect, reduced to an outer disciple, or even expelled from the sect.

"Chief Disciple!" Having just settled into his private cave dwelling, Pang Lei came over in shock.

"How can you be the chief disciple?"

Li Ji'an glared at him irritably: "Why can't I?"

"How can I be your brother if you're like this?" Pang Lei said with a mournful face, even more heartbroken than when he learned of his father's death.

In his cohort, the highest level of spiritual root was twenty-four strands, which was considered mid-grade. Moreover, there were no particularly outstanding individuals in terms of temperament and comprehension. Therefore, there were only eight inner disciples, and no true disciples were taught. His becoming an inner disciple was considered the top achievement of his cohort.

Moreover, he didn't care whether others were the true inheritors of the teachings or not. The only thing that mattered was that his classmates, who had been with him since childhood for five or six years, suddenly became someone he had to look up to. This made him feel a great sense of loss and he found it hard to accept.

"Get lost, who wants to be your brother? Remember to call me senior brother next time we meet." Li Ji'an laughed and scolded.

"No, no, without even a prototype of a magical artifact, I cannot heal the wounds in my heart," Pang Lei said solemnly.

"Go ask your grandpa for it, get lost." Li Ji'an raised his leg and kicked him.

Pang Lei dodged with a swift movement: "Hey, I'm not kidding anymore. I'm here on orders to bring you special resources from the chief disciple."

After saying that, he shouted towards the outside of the courtyard: "Old Huang, you've seen the true nature of this kid, haven't you? You don't need to be too polite to him in the future."

"Old Huang greets young master. From now on, I will be your old servant." Immediately afterward, an old man with a hunched back, dressed like an old farmer, and with a rather obsequious expression on his face, bowed and scraped as he walked in.

"Yes, I'll need your help in the future." Li Ji'an nodded.

As a true disciple of the sect, he will be accompanied by a protector from the sect during his future training, most of whom are senior disciples who have stopped at the Foundation Establishment stage.

The chief disciple will be assigned an old servant as a personal bodyguard before attempting to break through to the Core Formation stage; this servant will also act as a subordinate.

This old servant was someone Li Ji'an had met once in his previous life; he was a martial arts fanatic in the Sutra Repository.

These were some of the older generation within the sect who were obsessed with magic and supernatural powers. In order to focus on studying magic and supernatural powers, they were unwilling to take on any responsibilities within the sect. So they signed a spiritual contract with the sect, willing to become servants in the last few decades of their lives, protecting the sect's true teachings and repaying their debts.

In his previous life, Old Huang had Li Ji'an refine a very unorthodox elixir.

Despite his peak Foundation Establishment cultivation, he was proficient in swordsmanship. Legend has it that a hundred years ago, he killed a fake Core Formation cultivator with a sword technique. In a sense, he can also be regarded as a sword cultivator.

"Hehe, you're too kind, young master. This old servant has no worries in the rest of my life, so I'll just use this old body of mine to help you out." Old Huang bowed and scraped.

"Alright! Old Huang, do as you please." Li Ji'an no longer declined. With such a pseudo-core cultivator as his personal bodyguard, his sense of security naturally increased greatly. Especially since he would be going out for trials starting from the second level of Qi Refining, with him by his side, he wouldn't have to reveal any of his trump cards and could truly hone his magical power.

Old Huang chuckled and immediately began tidying up the yard.

As the chief disciple, Li Ji'an's cave dwelling is a secluded courtyard, rich in spiritual energy, containing all five elements, and further enhanced by multiple magic arrays.

Not long after Pang Lei left with a sour look on his face, Xu Xiaochun and Guo Wanzhi arrived with the items that Li Ji'an had left at Danding Peak.

In theory, Dan Ding Peak is only the residence of the sect's alchemists. After Li Ji'an became the chief disciple, he was not allowed to be distracted by other skills before reaching the peak of his cultivation.

In a mainstream world that emphasizes cultivation level, all other cultivation skills are secondary pursuits, serving as a supplement to cultivators focused on their cultivation goals.

Therefore, Li Ji'an could no longer live on Danding Peak.

"Junior brother, you can keep this storage bag that Master gave you from now on. You can take it back yourself when you have magical power." Guo Wanzhi handed Li Ji'an the storage bag he brought back after returning to childhood.

Previously, Li Ji'an had Guo Wanzhi fetch the Buyuan Pills from his storage bag every day.

This storage bag contained only a small amount of spirit stones, and most importantly, it contained Replenishing Essence Pills.

Now that the spiritual root has fully matured, there is no longer a need to take the Replenishing Essence Pill.

"Junior brother, as the top-ranked disciple, you must have lofty ambitions. I'm waiting for the day you become the Supreme Elder of the Sect!" Xu Xiaochun patted Li Ji'an's shoulder solemnly.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Master once said, 'Do your best and leave the rest to fate.' Don't be like your senior brother, always trying to defy the heavens." Guo Wanzhi glared at Xu Xiaochun.

“Junior sister, fortunes change every thirty years, don’t look down on people,” Xu Xiaochun immediately retorted.

Guo Wanzhi wrinkled her delicate nose, but considering that Li Ji'an was beside her, she didn't refute him anymore: "Yes, yes, senior brother, you will definitely be able to defy the heavens."

……

On that day, all the inner disciples of this generation received the teachings, thus beginning their true path of cultivation.

However, the six true disciples were told to wait until the sect leader and the elders discussed their respective cultivation methods before passing on the teachings.

Three days later, based on the spiritual roots, talents, temperament, and comprehension of the six true disciples, the sect's two True Core Elders, Elder Tian and Elder Changfeng, personally came to impart the sect's Earth-level cultivation techniques.

"Yi Wood Evergreen Technique"

After Xiao Changfeng personally imprinted the cultivation technique into Li Ji'an's sea of ​​consciousness, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Uncle-Master, what level is this cultivation technique?"

"A top-grade Earth-level item!" Xiao Changfeng said calmly.

"Hmm?" Li Ji'an suddenly looked up.

It's actually at the same level as the sect's most powerful cultivation technique!
Xiao Changfeng nodded: "This technique is the sect's top-level technique, on par with the sect's most powerful technique. It is exceptionally efficient in cultivation and refining magical power. However, it has its drawbacks."

"What are the drawbacks?"

"Wood-based techniques are not good for combat, and this technique focuses more on health preservation. Since the technique is related to the physical body, if the physical body is weak, the power of the technique will be even weaker. Therefore, you need to train your body properly before practicing this technique."

(End of this chapter)