Not for Immortality

When Ning Sujin saw that, after hearing her out, Li Ji'an not only did not doubt her but even asked this question with a trace of excitement, she felt a sense of recognition she had never experienced before rise within her.

"I'm not sure whether I can truly avoid auspiciousness and inauspiciousness. It's just that when I encounter certain events or people, different sensations inexplicably arise in my heart."

Li Ji'an had no way to verify Ning Sujin's words, nor did he need to.

With the experience of four lifetimes and the understanding he had gained from five years with Ning Sujin, this was most likely true.

Whether it was some kind of "Auspiciousness and Inauspiciousness Avoidance" cheat or something even more mysterious, he now knew that Ning Sujin was no ordinary person.

He also understood how Ning Sujin's personality had come to be.

"Then... that cousin of yours..." Li Ji'an picked out the key information related to immortal seedlings.

Ning Sujin shook her head. "He was taken away by an immortal master, and there has been no news since."

"Perhaps the immortal master resolved his calamity for him."

Ning Sujin shook her head again. "I don't know. I can only hope so."

Li Ji'an pressed further. "Immortal masters have been selecting immortal seedlings for over a hundred years. Have any of those taken away ever sent news back?"

"The immortal masters said that immortals and mortals are different. To prove the Great Dao, one must sever the seven emotions, cut off the six desires, and sever all karmic ties to the mortal world."

"Immortals and mortals are different!" Li Ji'an sank into thought...

A moment later, Li Ji'an came back to himself. The way he looked at Ning Sujin had unconsciously grown more intimate.

With her ability to "avoid auspiciousness and inauspiciousness" assisting him, his safety would increase greatly!

During their subsequent conversation, Li Ji'an unconsciously offered a little emotional support, making a point of "understanding her" and "keeping her company."

He also came to understand Ning Sujin's aspiration: not to become an immortal, but merely to confirm whether her cousin was safe and sound!

Three Days Later, on the official road from Chong'an Prefecture to the Imperial City.

In addition to the twenty unfathomable experts led by the welcoming envoy from the Imperial City's Immortal Seeking Palace, who had come to deliver the imperial edict, there were also five hundred armored soldiers from the Marquis Manor guarding them at close range. The Immortal Seeking Academy had likewise dispatched ten experts above the Blood Exchange Realm, all trained in superior external martial arts, to blend into the party.

The Immortal Bestowed Dynasty was vast, yet only the emperor could directly contact immortals, and only he could receive gifts bestowed by immortals. Naturally, more people wanted to take his place.

The best method was to disrupt the agreement between the emperor and the immortals, drawing the immortals' displeasure upon the emperor.

At every ten-year immortal seedling ceremony, the immortal seedlings heading to the Imperial City from all corners of the realm were targets for those lurking in the shadows.

Although no immortal seedlings had been killed in recent ceremonies, they still had to be on guard.

That was also why, once an immortal seedling was confirmed, they had to depart within three days—to prevent complications from arising the longer things dragged on.

When Li Ji'an learned of this, his first thought was whether Ning Yutan's omen of great misfortune would come to pass during this very ordeal.

He became even more cautious about the journey.

However, Ning Sujin was certain that this trip would be free of danger, which put him somewhat at ease. Along the Way, he silently circulated his blood-exchange method.

Compared with bone tempering, blood exchange imposed greater demands on the circulation of inner breath and vital blood. It required slightly less vital blood in quantity, but more time had to be spent shedding Mortal Blood.

"What a pity time is so tight. I didn't get the chance to see Senior Brother." Once all the vital blood in his body had been exhausted, Li Ji'an slowly ended his cultivation and could not help thinking of the person closest to him in this life.

Last night, he had already sent Senior Brother a letter explaining his circumstances.

Once news that he had gone to the Imperial City Immortal Palace to become a provisional immortal seedling reached home, not only Senior Brother but likely the entire Purple Cloud Temple would burst into cheers. From then on, the name Li Ji'an alone would be their strongest pillar of support in Shangyi County.

"That kid Xiao Wu really put some thought into it... Heh, a leopard can't change its spots, but at least he hasn't forgotten his original intentions." Seeing again the money pouch Xiao Wu had forcibly stuffed into his hands, Li Ji'an smiled faintly. Yesterday, he had finally made good on his promise to visit Xiao Wu's home and met the sister-in-law Xiao Wu had praised to the heavens. Mm, she really was something.

"Brother Li, I'm coming in."

Suddenly, Ning Yutan's voice rang out without warning.

Li Ji'an had not noticed the slightest movement before Ning Yutan had already slipped into the carriage.

"Yutan, before we departed, Duke Dingguo repeatedly warned that this journey may not be peaceful. As the most crucial immortal seedling in the entire party, how can you run around? Hurry back, or you may easily cause a disturbance." Li Ji'an frowned and immediately tried to dissuade her.

Ning Sujin had sensed an omen of great misfortune for this trip. Others might not believe it, but Li Ji'an did.

And that omen of great misfortune would most likely come to pass somewhere along this road.

He had yet to cultivate external martial arts and was weak in actual combat. She would be safest staying beside Duke Dingguo.

"Oh, Brother Li, it's fine! There are so many people outside protecting me—who would dare come here to die? Besides, Father and Mother agreed before I came over to play with you." Ning Yutan was not worried in the slightest.

Don't raise a death flag!

Li Ji'an's heart tightened several degrees further.

"Brother Li, my father passed down the Falling Flower Sword Technique to me. I'm going to learn it before the immortal master descends, and before I go to the Immortal Realm, I'll definitely give that old woman a good beating! Hmph!"

Li Ji'an humored her while thinking of how to persuade her back to Duke Dingguo's side. "Duke Dingguo is allowing you to cultivate external martial arts now?"

"Yes, yes! My father said that now that ascending to the Immortal Realm is certain, I can temporarily stop cultivating internal arts and tempering my body. Once I reach the Immortal Realm, I'll be cultivating Immortal Methods anyway, so it would be better to quickly learn an external martial art and grasp how to stimulate vital blood. It may perhaps benefit my future Immortal Methods."

"Is the Falling Flower Sword Technique very powerful? The Eldest Young Lady's inherited Floating Duckweed Steps is a first-rate lightness skill and movement technique, and the Su Family's famed ultimate art, the Stormy Pear Blossom Needles, is one of the world's top martial arts. Perhaps she has learned it too..." An idea flashed through Li Ji'an's mind, and a plan formed.

Sure enough, Ning Yutan became agitated. "Hmph! All these years, she's relied on that sneaky movement technique to bully me, only because I never cultivated external martial arts. Once I cultivate my family's inherited external art and stimulate my vital blood, my five senses will increase severalfold. I'll be able to sense her tracks even with my eyes closed. By then, her movement technique will be completely useless."

"And let me tell you, our family's Falling Flower Sword Technique is also listed on the Martial Arts Ranking. I'll definitely beat her until she flees in utter disarray!"

As she spoke, Ning Yutan's voice unconsciously rose, directed toward Ning Sujin's carriage ahead.

"Are you sure?" A cold voice, just as expected, rang out abruptly.

Next Moment, Ning Sujin's ghostlike figure had already entered the carriage.

"Ah! You... can't you stop appearing like a ghost all the time?" Ning Yutan's expression changed sharply, and she instinctively hid closer to Li Ji'an.

Ning Sujin rolled her eyes and sat down on Li Ji'an's other side. "The Immortal master will descend upon the mortal world within three months. Do you think you can master the Falling Flower Sword Technique and defeat me in three months?"

"I... Hmph, even if I can't reach mastery, I can still attain minor mastery. My realm is higher than yours, and my vitality is stronger. Minor mastery will be enough to beat you. If you've got the guts, don't use your movement technique when you fight me." Ning Yutan stubbornly refused to yield.

"Idiot!" Ning Sujin sneered.

"Listen carefully. I'll teach you the Floating Duckweed Steps right now. Back then, I mastered it in only one month. Don't say I'm bullying you."

"..." Ning Yutan's eyes widened abruptly. She had never expected that this old woman, her fated enemy, would teach her the Su Family's inherited movement technique.

Ning Sujin gave her no chance to speak. "No need for nonsense. This movement technique was passed down to me by my mother, not by the Su Family. And it was refined by my mother—it isn't the Su Family's inherited art. No one will trouble you over it."

"Qi rises from the Dantian, turns through Shanzhong; blood kindles the fire organ, converges at Yongquan..."

Before Ning Yutan could react, she had already laid out the movement technique's mnemonic in full.

Li Ji'an's gaze sharpened, and he committed it to memory before anyone else.

The cultivation techniques of this world had all been deduced and explored by countless martial arts masters at the risk of their own blood and qi reversing, their meridians snapping inch by inch, or even their bodies exploding to death. They were exceedingly precious.

Ordinary people could not buy them even with gold and silver.

Especially a supreme movement technique like the Floating Duckweed Steps, ranked near the top of the Martial Arts Ranking.

Though he was in no hurry to train external arts now, he would certainly need them in the future.