Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation

Compared to the Foundation Establishment Pill's main ingredient, the allure of the Tier 2 Longevity Pill's main ingredient was significantly less.

One represented new life, while the other was merely a desperate attempt to cling to it.

Rogue cultivators were fine, as they only needed to be responsible for themselves, which was understandable.

However, for elderly cultivators in families, if they focused more on Longevity Pills than Foundation Establishment Pills, they would easily be criticized by their clansmen and be branded as selfish and clinging to life.

Moreover, although Tier 2 Longevity Pills were rare in Cangyun Prefecture, they weren't too difficult to obtain with sufficient status and influence. After all, this item only extended lifespan and didn't increase combat power, so it wouldn't cause too much trouble for the peace and stability under the rule of the Azure Cloud Sect.

It wasn't a prohibited item.

Experts among rogue cultivators like Alchemist Zou and Physician Bai had already taken Tier 2 Longevity Pills.

Firstly, they were worried about offending this famous alchemist.

Secondly, many Foundation Establishment cultivators needed his pills, so it was important to maintain a good relationship.

Thirdly, they knew Alchemist Li's financial strength and couldn't compete.

"Two thousand eight hundred spirit stones," Li Ji'an bid again.

This price was actually a bit of a premium.

Moreover, Li Ji'an was a Foundation Establishment cultivator with plenty of lifespan left, so he wasn't at the point where he desperately needed a Longevity Pill.

Physician Bai and the others looked at Li Ji'an with some confusion.

Alchemist Zou even directly advised him that it wasn't worth it.

Although the auxiliary ingredients for a Tier 2 Longevity Pill weren't rare, they weren't cheap either, since lifespan was involved. At least five hundred spirit stones were needed. Adding that to the main ingredient, a material cost of under three thousand spirit stones would be reasonable; any higher wouldn't be very cost-effective.

Alchemist Zou had previously produced two pills from one set of Longevity Pill materials, one of which was middle-grade, extending lifespan by seven years, and the other was low-grade, extending lifespan by five years, with a total value of just over three thousand spirit stones.

Li Ji'an thanked them for their kindness, waved his hand, and said that it was to support the Upper Sect's grand plan and contribute to the stability of the prefecture.

This made the others suddenly understand, especially Alchemist Zou, whose eyes flashed with inspiration.

His lifelong dream was to join the Azure Cloud Sect, but unfortunately, his talent was insufficient when he was young, and he didn't pass the trial.

Fortunately, he had some talent in alchemy and received guidance from his mentor, giving him hope of entering the Azure Cloud Sect as an alchemist.

However, compared to the alchemists within the sect, he was still lacking, and in the end, he wasn't favored by the Azure Cloud Sect.

Now, it was the Azure Cloud Sect's period of decline, and this auction was like a charity auction. If he showed strong support, perhaps...

Thinking of this, Alchemist Zou's heart surged.

"Two thousand nine hundred spirit stones," someone else bid at this moment.

"Hmm?" Everyone looked at that person in surprise.

Li Ji'an frowned slightly. It was an old man who appeared to have white hair and a wrinkled face, and whose displayed cultivation was only in the late stage of Qi Refining.

However, with his divine sense comparable to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, he couldn't see through his disguise and could only sense that he had used a disguise technique.

Physician Bai and the others couldn't even tell that he was using a disguise technique.

"A late-stage Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator!"

With his current divine sense, he wouldn't be able to sense a Core Formation realm cultivator's disguise.

And being able to sense his disguise but not see through the disguise technique meant he could only be a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He was slightly surprised, since in Cangyun Prefecture, apart from the Azure Cloud Sect, a late-stage Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator could almost be considered one of the top experts in the prefecture, and normally shouldn't lack Tier 2 Longevity Pills.

"Could it be a plant sent by the sect?" Li Ji'an thought to himself.

This possibility was high, since one of the main purposes of the sect's auction was to liquidate assets.

He had seen several very unfamiliar faces during the previous auction of the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill, who would add a bid whenever the atmosphere was about to turn cold, and then disappear without a trace.

"Three thousand spirit stones," Li Ji'an didn't mind someone acting as a plant. He had planned to spend some spirit stones in public today, and since he had already determined the use of this Longevity Pill, he could accept it as long as the price wasn't too outrageous, and it could be considered exchanging spirit stones for time.

However, after seeing Li Ji'an bid again, the old man frowned and looked at Li Ji'an from afar.

"Alchemist Li, this old man..." Immediately, Li Ji'an received his voice transmission.

However, the transmission was suddenly interrupted by a powerful divine sense before he could even finish.

"Hahaha, Old Dog Liu, hiding your head and showing your tail, bullying the small with the large, you're really bringing honor to your Liu family."

Immediately after, a figure stepped out from the VIP room on the third floor of the auction venue and floated into the sky.

Only the top echelon of Cangyun Prefecture were qualified to sit in the VIP rooms in that location.

Either sect elders or ancestors of the five great families.

"Hiss~ That's Ancestor Qin of the Purple Bamboo Mountain Qin family, a Pseudo-Core cultivator!"

"Greetings, Real Person Qin!"

"Real Person Qin has actually come to support us in person."

...

The Qin family of Purple Bamboo Mountain occupied half of the southwestern part of Cangyun Prefecture, with a third-tier low-grade main vein. Whether in terms of spirit vein grade or coverage area, it was considered the leader of the five great families.

Moreover, because their clan land was covered with spiritual bamboo and medicine fields, their industry was prosperous, making them the most likely force among the five great families to give birth to a True Core cultivator.

Furthermore, their founding ancestor was once a meritorious minister of the Azure Cloud Sect, and his disciples and former officials had been holding important positions in the sect, giving them a deep bond with the sect and making them the sect's direct lineage.

The Qin Henian in front of him had almost formed a True Core back then.

"Little friend, don't be afraid. This old man will stand up for you. Feel free to bid boldly!" Qin Henian glanced at the Liu family cultivator hidden in the crowd, then encouraged Li Ji'an.

"Thank you, Real Person Qin!" Li Ji'an hurriedly bowed in fear.

This wasn't the first time he had seen a Pseudo-Core cultivator, but it was the first time he had interacted with one face-to-face.

Especially when he was swept over by Qin Henian's Pseudo-Core level divine sense, Li Ji'an felt a great sense of crisis.

The further one progressed in the cultivation world, the greater the difference between each realm. As the saying goes, one level of cultivation, one layer of heaven. With his current numerous trump cards and thorough preparation, he wasn't afraid of a Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator who was one small realm higher, but against a Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator, even if he used all his trump cards, he had no chance of winning and could only use a teleportation talisman to escape at most.

And if he faced a Pseudo-Core cultivator, he couldn't even escape.

"Old Dog Liu, why are you living more and more backwards? You don't even dare to answer? Where's your ambition from back then?" Qin Henian looked at the ordinary old man below, pressing him hard.

"Sigh." The old man sighed heavily, looking somewhat dejectedly at Real Person Qin in the sky.

At the same time as he spoke, a wave of mana fluctuations appeared on his body, revealing his true appearance.

Apart from his appearance, he was still old and senile, seemingly without much lifespan left.

"Liu Jingchun, the former genius of the Liu family!" Physician Bai recognized the person at a glance.

"Is this Liu Jingchun, who dominated eight-tenths of Cangyun Prefecture's elegance two hundred years ago?" A trace of reminiscence appeared on Old Woman Zhou's face.

"Back then, he was a stunningly talented individual with an Earth Spirit Root and extraordinary array talent, suppressing an entire era. Even sect disciples of the same generation had to avoid his edge. How did he become like this?"

"Hiss~ In this old man's memory, Liu Jingchun and Real Person Qin were known as the peerless geniuses of Cangyun Prefecture back then. How could this be..."

...

In an instant, the auction house was filled with discussion.

In particular, many people who had lived for over two hundred years and had experienced that era were looking at Liu Jingchun, sighing with emotion.

"Why must you be like this? You seized my Core Formation spiritual treasure back then, causing me to only be able to form a Pseudo-Core in the end. Why do you ask me why I must be like this? I treated you like a brother, always being humble and doing my best for you, yet you stabbed me in the back at a critical moment? I've been waiting for you to explain, but you've been hiding in the clan for over a hundred years. If it weren't for the sect's conscription this time, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to rest in peace even in death. Today, you must give this Real Person an explanation!" Qin Henian seemed to finally release the emotions he had suppressed for a hundred years, completely disregarding his identity as a Pseudo-Core cultivator and questioning him in public.

His Pseudo-Core aura erupted, causing the ground to buzz.

The Qi Refining stage cultivators were all frightened, many of them already prostrating on the ground, trembling.

Liu Jingchun stood there calmly, a trace of nostalgia showing on his old face, but in the end, he still didn't open his mouth.

Li Ji'an listened to all sides, and after summarizing all the information, his heart skipped a beat.

Over the years, he understood that his strength was not enough to confront the five great families with Pseudo-Core cultivators, so he had always buried the matter of that year in his heart.

Especially after truly understanding the situation here and the intricate relationship between the five great families and the Azure Cloud Sect, he completely gave up the idea of investigating the blood slave breeding before his strength reached a certain level.

When he had just established his Foundation Establishment, he had the idea of secretly fueling the flames.

However, after secretly understanding the relationship between the five great families and the Azure Cloud Sect, he could only give up.

The current five great families are all continuations of the clans of former Azure Cloud Sect high-level members, two of which are even descendants of the Azure Cloud Sect's founding elders.

He was worried that even if he really investigated it clearly and even handed the evidence to the Azure Cloud Sect, they might just punish him with a symbolic slap on the wrist.

Therefore, he had actually made plans to return to the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty with the ashes of Zhao Shuyun and the other two in the future.

At this moment, after hearing Liu Jingchun's past, coupled with the many clues he had gathered over the years.

Including what Granny You said back then.

All the information corresponded to the blood slave incident in the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty, and a vague clue was about to take shape.

"More than two hundred years ago... the time also completely corresponds."

A genius with an Earth Spirit Root more than two hundred years ago, and also a descendant of the five great families, is actually still in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Moreover, with his status, he would actually secretly transmit his voice to Li Ji'an for a Tier 2 Longevity Pill.

And according to what Qin Henian said, he hadn't left the family for more than a hundred years, and this time he was representing the Liu family in response to the Azure Cloud Sect's conscription.

Especially combined with the conversation between the guiding Immortal Master and the assassin on the way from the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty to this world in that storm desert.

And what Granny You said about the Liu family's internal strife back then...

Li Ji'an was almost certain that the family that bred blood slaves back then was the Liu family!

However, this was only a reverse confirmation through some scattered information, without any evidence, and he didn't even understand the purpose of breeding blood slaves.

"Real Person Qin, please calm your anger!"

Just then, an ethereal voice came.

"Your matter can be discussed another day. Please don't affect today's auction." Immediately afterwards, a figure silently landed beside Qin Henian.

Qin Henian glanced at him, frowned slightly, but ultimately calmed down.

"Liu Jingchun, I'll spare you for now for the sake of Elder Jia, but you must give Qin a proper explanation this time."