Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 291 The Thief Cultivator Appears
"Please wait, esteemed masters. This sect training cannot be entrusted to others. I am already extremely grateful that you were able to discover their whereabouts. Thank you!" Outside the Qin family gate, Li Ji'an declined Qin He'nian and Qin Chuan's offer to accompany him to capture the thief.

"Haha, Ping An, you're too kind. I have a deep friendship with your master. By seniority, you should call me Uncle. This is nothing. Besides, it can be considered revenge for those minor cultivator families." Qin Henian's lifespan is less than a hundred years. He has been injured several times before and is already showing signs of aging, but his personality is still bold and unrestrained.

"The doors of my Qin family will always be open to you." Qin Chuan, however, was much more subdued.

Li Ji'an thanked them one by one, and then subconsciously glanced at Qin Chuan one last time. With his profound medical knowledge, he could see that Qin Chuan's heart energy was stagnant, and if he could not get out of his mental prison as soon as possible, his lifespan would be greatly depleted.

He had made ample preparations twenty years ago, and Qin Henian had also prepared for him a five-hundred-year-old Heavenly Heart Grass, a wisp of innate mother energy, a Soul-Gathering Jade, and a Body-Protecting Pill and Spirit-Nourishing Pill from Li Ji'an.

The innate maternal energy is the true treasure for forming the elixir, and the Heavenly Heart Grass is also of great benefit to the formation of the elixir.

Such a complete set of resources for Core Formation is considered a standard configuration for a true disciple within the sect, and it carries a chance of successfully forming a True Core.

In addition, Qin Henian's upbringing and training of Qin Chuan since childhood have given him a solid foundation in all aspects.

In the end, it only turned out to be a fake pill.

A few days ago, Li Ji'an inquired about Qin Chuan's Core Formation progress under the guise of his master, and learned that Qin Chuan had rented a mid-grade third-tier cave dwelling in the Xuan Guang Immortal City of the Wanfa Palace.

In order to rent this cave dwelling, a lot of spirit stones were given to a steward of the Wanfa Palace.

According to Qin Chuan, everything was normal at first, but at the crucial moment of condensing the core, he seemed to sense a change in the spiritual energy within the cave, and ultimately failed.

However, Qin Henian sternly rebuked him for talking nonsense, saying that it must be the disturbance of his inner demons, and that he had failed simply because his mind was not strong enough before.

He also instructed Li Ji'an to absolutely not spread this nonsense.

As they parted, Li Ji'an sighed inwardly and advised, "Master Qin, I have studied medicine within the sect and have gained some insights. You should still pay attention to your emotions in the future. If you remain depressed for a long time, it may affect your lifespan."

In the end, he still spoke up.

After all, medical skills are not something that cannot be shown to others.

Qin Chuan was slightly taken aback.

Given his current status as a pseudo-Core Formation True Person, it was somewhat presumptuous of Li Ping'an, a junior in the Qi Refining stage, to say such a thing.

However, he could tell that the younger man cared about him.

"Yes, thank you very much, young friend Ping An. I will remember this." Qin Chuan thanked him kindly.

Watching Li Ping'an and the other disciples of the upper sect depart into the distance, Qin Chuan sighed softly in his heart.

If I were a disciple of a sect and had access to a third-tier spiritual vein dojo within the sect, I might have already formed my true core.
"This kid... is just as friendly as Master Li!" Qin Henian patted Qin Chuan on the shoulder, stroked his beard, and smiled.

However, the look in his eyes as he watched Li Ji'an's departing figure was slightly bewildered.

"If it really isn't Master Li Dan, then who could it be?" Ever since Qin Chuan achieved Core Formation, Qin He Nian has been reflecting on the benefactors he has encountered over the past few decades.

The first one was the mysterious talisman master he encountered by chance in Tianhe Immortal City.

The second one is that Master Huang from the Blackwater Swamp.

One brought prosperity to the Qin family's business, while the other was a life-saving grace, and even bestowed upon him innate maternal energy.

But these two people seemed to appear out of thin air and then disappear without a trace.

However, in the Blackwater Swamp, the Master Huang used three third-tier spirit talismans, which led him to connect the two.

The reason he connected this mysterious talisman master with Li Ji'an was that he had accidentally sensed the essence of the earth in the Strange Stone Forest a few years ago.

Then, recalling the encounter between Master Huang and Xiao Qiao in the Blackwater Swamp, he later questioned Xiao Qiao and discovered that she was deliberately concealing something.

However, when he learned ten years ago that Master Li Dan's sect's soul lamp had been extinguished and he had perished, his conjecture was shattered.

"So be it, so be it. Since my benefactor doesn't want me to know, then so be it." Shaking his head, Qin Henian's obsession over the years gradually faded away.
-
Located ten thousand miles southwest of the Qin family in Zizhu Mountain, lies a barren land bordering the desolate Storm Desert.

However, there is a first-order branch of the third-order spiritual vein of the Qin family in this place.

This first-order branch nurtured dozens of Qi-cultivating families.

"Senior Brother Li, it was entirely thanks to your connections that we were able to find the thief cultivator's trail so easily. If they had gotten there first..." Hu Zaiyi was quite uneasy along the way.

Previously, when the Qin family first discovered the thief's whereabouts, Yao Rui and the other two had been following Li Ji'an, so they naturally knew about the clues.

Afterwards, Yao Rui and the other two took their leave, saying that they would not deny Li Shixiong's contributions, but since it was a training exercise, they would have to rely on their own abilities when making arrests.

Li Ji'an agreed with this.

Hu Zaiyi originally thought that Yao Rui and the other two would not be able to ride the Earth Rock Ox, and would be easily caught up with as before.

As a result, they are almost at their destination, but have not yet seen the three people.

Clearly, the three of them had made some preparations this time, as they actually arrived at the destination ahead of schedule.

Li Ji'an, who was resting with his eyes closed, shook his head slightly.

"It's alright. Even if they know it's in the Zhao family, they might not be able to find it."

Whether it's the information from the Enforcement Hall or the traces of the Xue family, it all points to one thing: these six thief cultivators are very cautious and have some means to infiltrate the family undetected.

If Qin Henian hadn't given a strict order, the Qin family's Foundation Establishment stewards might have been able to slip through the cracks during their investigation in this area.

The Zhao family had 84 Qi Refining cultivators, including 6 in the late Qi Refining stage, but suddenly 8 more appeared in half a year.

Apart from the two who were newly promoted Qi Refining cultivators within the clan, the other six Qi Refining combatants were nowhere to be found.

The Zhu family, who had a long-standing feud with the Zhao family, informed the Qin family steward of this information during the Qin family's investigation, which allowed them to focus their attention on the Zhao family.

However, when the steward went to the Zhao family to investigate, he found that all ninety-two cultivators in the clan had names and surnames, and no one in the clan had been found to be missing. They all knew each other very well.

Fortunately, the Zhu family provided the confidential intelligence they had been monitoring the Zhao family with almost daily updates, which allowed the Qin family steward to confirm that the Zhao family had indeed gained six more Qi Refining cultivators, but they could not determine exactly which six they were.

In order to complete the sect's training, Li Ji'an did not allow them to advance any further, so now the six thief cultivators have been reduced to the ninety-two Qi Refining cultivators of the Zhao family.

However, finding it accurately is not easy.

Moreover, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Zhu family used someone else to do their dirty work, deliberately trying to smear the Zhao family.

Even during their rigorous training, they must not commit acts of murder.

Hu Zaiyi was taken aback upon hearing this. Those who could become true disciples of a sect had fought their way out of countless battles, and apart from those with spiritual roots, none of them were stupid.

If Yao Rui and the other two cannot find those six people, then I and Senior Brother Li can.

Three days later, Li Ji'an and Hu Zaiyi arrived at the Zhao family's residence.

The entire Zhao family was filled with trepidation as they welcomed the true teachings of their ancestral lineage.

Especially Li Ping'an, the chief disciple!

As expected, Yao Rui and the other two were also present.

The three continued to scrutinize the ninety-two Qi Refining cultivators of the Zhao family, but clearly failed to find anything amiss.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Li." Zhou Zheng was the first to step forward and greet him.

Having established his authority by intimidating others, Li Ji'an was no longer as outspoken as before.

After everyone exchanged greetings, Li Ji'an was ushered into the ancestral hall. "Senior Brother Li, we've probably been used," Zhou Zheng said somewhat dejectedly after dismissing the Zhao family members.

"Oh?" Li Ji'an looked up at him.

“We have been here for five days and have questioned almost every cultivator from the Zhao family. None of them appeared out of thin air, and they all seem to know each other well,” Zhou Zheng explained.

Before Li Ji'an could speak, Yao Rui's face showed a mocking smile: "I don't know if the Qin family is being two-faced towards Senior Brother Li, or if the Qin family is eager to get rid of Senior Brother Li. The Zhao family has ninety-two cultivators who have known each other for many years. How can they let a thief cultivator infiltrate?"

"Have you considered having six thieves kill people and impersonate them?" Hu Zaiyi asked, frowning.

“That’s natural. If it were murder and impersonation, even the aura could be faked. But there are always clues in everyday life. However, we interrogated the ninety-two cultivators separately, and Senior Sister Yao even used the Mind-Testing Technique, and there was nothing unusual,” Zhou Zheng replied.

Li Ji'an nodded slightly upon hearing this, as he had the same initial suspicion.

He murdered someone to take their place, then concealed himself with a special method similar to his own faceless mask. He then lay in wait, secretly poisoned them, and waited for the poison to take effect before finally wiping out his entire clan and fleeing far away.

"Not a replacement?" Li Ji'an narrowed his eyes slightly.

"That is the divine soul!"

To fully integrate into a family like the Zhao family and gain the acceptance of everyone in the family, one must either replace a family member who is already accepted.

That is to simulate the victim's scent, memories, and even details of their life after committing murder.

His faceless mask can easily achieve the first two points, but in terms of the details of daily life, due to the incomplete fragments of his memory and the frequent close interaction, there will inevitably be oversights.

Even if one completely inherits the other's memories, due to the confusion between the two personalities, they cannot be completely identical.

Therefore, the direction of the investigation by Yao Rui and the other two is correct.

That has now been rejected.

The second way to gain the acceptance of his identity from the entire clan is to alter their memories.

This refers to methods related to the spirit and soul.

Considering the backgrounds of these six thieves, this possibility is even greater.

"Senior Brother Li..." Hu Zaiyi was about to speak.

Li Ji'an suddenly stood up: "Order the Zhao family cultivators to assemble!"

"How does Senior Brother Li plan to conduct the investigation?" Zhou Zheng asked, puzzled.

"You can tell at a glance!" Li Ji'an didn't answer, and started walking towards Zhao Family Square.

Before long, the ninety-two cultivators from the Zhao family were gathered together again.

It was clear that many of the clansmen were already somewhat tired and resentful.

They were thoroughly exhausted during that month.

Yao Rui followed Li Ji'an to the square. She had made similar attempts to gather people several times in the past few days, but each time she had failed.

Even now, some felt a pang of sympathy for the cultivators from the Zhao family.

"Reporting to Young Master Li, all ninety-two cultivators of our clan have assembled." Zhao Zhiming spoke respectfully, but inwardly he sighed.

This turmoil brought all of Zhao's family's businesses to a standstill, and the spiritual resources of the clan's cultivators were almost exhausted.

Forget about the thief cultivators; if things continue like this, the Zhao family will be crushed by the Zhu family before the thief cultivators even arrive.

"Patriarch Zhao, did you really not notice anything unusual about this group of inner cultivators?" Li Ji'an asked casually.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhiming immediately knelt down and said, "Young master, I, Zhao Zhiming, am willing to guarantee with my own head that all the cultivators here are native members of my Zhao family, and there are absolutely no thieves among them!"

He's really going crazy over this problem.

In order to resolve this matter as soon as possible, he has conducted countless self-examinations, questioned each person individually, and even adopted one-on-one covert surveillance.

But there was really nothing unusual.

"Oh? Patriarch Zhao, why don't you take a closer look?" Li Ji'an smiled faintly.

Zhao Zhiming sighed inwardly and turned away with a numb expression.

"Whoosh~"

Suddenly, a flash of light flashed.

Immediately, a bright blue talisman appeared in the sky above the square.

Before anyone could react, the azure talisman exploded.

Strands of azure energy descended.

After the Azure Profound Qi came into contact with the Zhao family cultivator, the Zhao family cultivator immediately felt a clarity in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Not only did my fatigue from the past few days disappear, but my mind also became much clearer instantly.

"This is... a purification talisman?" Yao Rui's four true disciples had been taught common techniques in the cultivation world and had some knowledge of common spiritual talismans, poisons, formations, magic tools, and even Dao artifacts. They recognized the talisman at a glance.

"Could it be? Yes, the illusion technique!" The four of them immediately understood the mystery the moment they recognized the Cleansing Talisman.

"How could I not have thought of that!" Yao Rui gritted her teeth secretly, feeling somewhat resentful.

Although the sect had taught her some experience in the cultivation world, it was not something she had personally learned, so she couldn't put her knowledge into practice. She had never imagined that a Qi Refining rogue cultivator would have such methods.

"Huh, who are you?" Just then, a member of the Zhao family stared at the cultivator next to him who was also wearing Zhao family attire, looking puzzled.

Immediately, more attention was drawn to the six people standing in the crowd.

"This is..." Zhao Zhiming's expression changed instantly. At this moment, he finally understood that six people had indeed infiltrated his family, and the entire family had been deceived.

"Boom!" Before anyone could react, six people in the crowd realized they had been exposed and suddenly attacked.

"Where do you think you're going?" Yao Rui was filled with anger and resentment. She unleashed her magical power, and several fire snakes rushed forward.

Hu Zaiyi and the other two also went all out.

The six thieves glanced at them coldly, casually tossed the nearby Zhao family members over, and then flew away.

In the blink of an eye, the four disciples of the upper sect had chased the six thieves out of the Zhao family compound.

Zhao Zhiming snapped out of his daze and immediately rallied his clansmen to hunt him down.

“Patriarch Zhao, there’s no need to interfere. Just leave it to us,” Li Ji’an, who had been refraining from taking any further action after activating the Purification Talisman, suddenly spoke up.

"Ah? Yes! I will obey your command, young master." Zhao Zhiming paused for a moment, then immediately agreed.

The next moment, he hurriedly kowtowed to the ground: "Young master, spare my life! I am shallow in cultivation and blind to the truth. I actually allowed a thief to infiltrate the family. I beg your forgiveness."

"It's alright. The thief's methods are extraordinary, so I don't blame you. However, if I'm not mistaken, you have all been poisoned. Patriarch Zhao, you should find a physician to detoxify as soon as possible." Li Ji'an raised his hand slightly and used his magic to help Zhao Zhimo up.

He then activated the "Thousand Machine Blood Guide," sensing the location of the six thieves, and methodically gave chase.

(End of this chapter)