Only Walking Uphill

After Houde Zhenren finished comforting the children, he brought Li Ji'an and Qingyun to the cemetery behind the mountain.

"This is your grand-master's tomb, and also your father's... your martial uncle's most beloved master's tomb. Pay your respects," Houde Zhenren said, his expression momentarily distant.

He clearly remembered that ten years ago, when his master was buried here, his Junior Brother had cried himself unconscious on the spot.

The heart-wrenching cries, the wails as if the sky had fallen, the eyes swollen from crying... only then did he realize how deep his Junior Brother's feelings for their master were!

"Thump, thump, thump!" Li Ji'an solemnly kowtowed three times.

This time, he did not cry.

His tender face held only remembrance and blessings.

Ten years ago, when his master died, he was thirty. His extinguished ambition to transmigrate reignited after his master's death, especially since this age coincided with his first Rejuvenation, reminding him that he too had a Golden Finger.

Shangshan Zhenren's kindness had taken root in Li Ji'an's heart, making him willing to help those suffering without karma, provided he had complete confidence.

The cruelty of Life Harvesting and Dismemberment also made Li Ji'an infer the worst in others.

That's why, after his master's death, he left the monastic life with the savings of over a decade. He bought a small courtyard near the Shangyi County yamen. Unsure of when the next Rejuvenation would occur, he actively prepared for it.

Besides his livelihood and safety after Rejuvenation, he, at the advanced age of thirty, with a broken body, endured scorn and mockery. With hundreds of taels of silver and sincere effort, he impressed the county's martial arts academy. He patiently accumulated experience for his next Rejuvenation.

In addition, he worked at the martial academy's exclusive pharmacy, studying pharmacology while gradually figuring out various medicinal baths and tonics.

He waited for ten years!

It wasn't until he turned forty, just five days ago, that he Rejuvenated again.

The last time he Rejuvenated, he had just turned thirty.

This time, however, he had to wait until he was forty.

Fortunately, this time he was mentally prepared, his life was stable, and he was filled with anticipation.

Finally, on the night five days ago, he captured the information he had overlooked during his first Rejuvenation.

It turned out that his Rejuvenation was not based on age, but on bodily functions and qi and blood levels. Whenever his bodily functions declined, his qi and blood began to wane, and his body started to deteriorate, he would Rejuvenate.

Simply put, his body only moved upwards.

The reason for his first Rejuvenation at thirty was that those thirty years had been too miserable. Especially the despair after shamefully returning home, which had continuously depleted his vitality. Normally, his lifespan would have been around forty at that point, and he had started to decline at thirty.

In the subsequent twenty-seven years, he had lived a relatively peaceful life. Especially in the last ten years, he had been filled with anticipation and hope. Even with the hellish experience of those five years, he should have lived to fifty normally, so his body only began to decline at forty.

However, his "Rejuvenation" was only effective against declining bodily functions. If he were killed midway, he would be completely dead. Illness and injuries would deplete his vitality, causing him to Rejuvenate prematurely.

After Rejuvenating five days ago, he followed his plan and returned to Purple Heaven Temple with his token and letter. Only here could he safely pass through the early childhood phase.

"This time my body has returned to the age of eight, all negative effects have been cleared, but my thoughts and memories remain. With the money prepared from the last time and the tonics and nourishing foods that have benefited my body since childhood, everything is full of hope..."

After paying respects to the patriarch, Li Ji'an returned to Pure Heart Hall with Houde Zhenren.

"Changan, I still haven't answered your question upon entering the temple. Ask again."

"Master, are there immortals in this world?"

"Naturally, there are!" Houde Zhenren stated with certainty.

"..." Li Ji'an paused slightly, looking at Houde Zhenren with a hint of suspicion.

He clearly remembered Liu Deshan's dismissive attitude towards the existence of immortals since childhood, saying, "If there were immortals, why were you, Junior Brother, tormented so terribly, and no immortal came to save you, but Master saved you?

If you ask me, if there really are immortals, then Master is an immortal."

"Has your perspective changed because you are in a certain position? Or has your increased status allowed you to access information that ordinary people cannot?" Li Ji'an respectfully thanked him.

Houde Zhenren then looked at Xiao Qingyun, "Qingyun, from now on, you and your brother will practice martial arts diligently. I will help you enter the county's martial arts academy. If you can excel in the Martial Arts Examination, you can directly enter the prefectural city and catch the eye of an immortal envoy. Once you become an Immortal Seed, you will have hope of meeting an Immortal Master and seeking the Dao."

Xiao Qingyun lowered his head and pouted, scoffing at his father's words, while secretly tickling Li Ji'an's sole.

"Of course, there are only ten Immortal Seeds chosen across the entire empire every ten years, so it's not something to be forced. As long as you learn a good set of martial arts, you can return to the temple in the future and protect a region." Liu Deshan changed the subject.

"Yes, Master." Li Ji'an took the opportunity to thank him again, suddenly lowering his body and exposing Xiao Qingyun's mischievous actions to Liu Deshan's eyes.

"You unfilial... disciple, causing trouble again." Liu Deshan's eyebrows shot up, and he walked over with a ruler.

Amidst Xiao Qingyun's cries for mercy, Li Ji'an felt a sense of relief.

The Immortal Bestowed Dynasty, legend had it, was bestowed divine power by immortals upon the current dynasty's founding emperor, unifying the entire continent.

Immortal Seeds, every ten years, are selected from martial arts academies nationwide through the Martial Arts Examination, from county to prefecture, and finally to the imperial city. Ten prodigies under the age of thirty are chosen to await the arrival of an Immortal Master to take them to the immortal realm.

As for why the selection of Immortal Seeds is based on martial prowess rather than spiritual roots, as seen in novels from his previous life, Li Ji'an did not know.

He was also not entirely sure if these so-called Immortal Seeds were real.

After all, in a feudal imperial society, the "mandate of heaven" was a common trick to deceive the populace and consolidate power.

But... at least it was a hope.

If he could truly become an immortal, he would have hope of eternal life and would no longer have to worry about the possibility of suffering that hellish torment every time he Rejuvenated.

In this society, an eight-year-old child with no relatives was too difficult to survive to adulthood safely.

This time, Rejuvenating, he returned here because his Senior Brother, whom he knew well, was present. Furthermore, in the previous life before Rejuvenating, he had undergone Life Harvesting and Dismemberment, which stunted his physical development. His state of mind affected his appearance, and his thirteen-year-old appearance differed significantly from his eight-year-old self.

But this could only happen once. Next time, his Senior Brother would likely no longer be around, and his current appearance had already been noted. If he Rejuvenated again, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be imprisoned, interrogated about the secret of Rejuvenation, or even have his blood drunk and flesh eaten, suffering for ten thousand years.

Even if he couldn't achieve immortality in the end, practicing martial arts was his hope of gaining enough strength to completely eradicate this kind of evil in the world.

Child traffickers and those who practiced Life Harvesting and Dismemberment deserve to die, to be cast into the eighteenth level of hell, to suffer eternal torment without pardon.

After Liu Deshan and his son finally quieted down, Li Ji'an took an envelope from his怀.

"Master, this is what Junior Brother asked me to give you."

Upon hearing that it was from his Junior Brother, Liu Deshan eagerly took it, full of anticipation.

Although his Junior Brother was physically disabled, his will was strong, and he was intelligent, quick-witted, and meticulous, always coming up with ingenious ideas.

As expected, he opened the envelope and looked inside.

Inside was a medicinal bath formula for Muscle Cleansing and Vein Nourishing, which had the effect of cleansing muscles and nourishing veins for children under thirteen, the optimal age for practicing martial arts, whose bones and muscles were not yet fully developed.

Such formulas were passed down from generation to generation within martial arts families, acting as a cash cow, and were never easily shared.

If the Purple Heaven Temple had this formula, its financial resources would be even broader.

In addition to the medicinal bath formula, there was also a formula for Bone Nourishing, which could help children's bones and roots develop better. Such formulas were also priceless.

These two formulas were painstakingly researched by Li Ji'an over the past ten years, expending great effort and using various means. They deviated slightly from the formulas of the Shangyi County Martial Arts Academy, but they also incorporated the strengths of formulas from several other martial arts academies.

"Good! Good! Good! My Junior Brother... Hahaha..." After reading the formulas, Liu Deshan laughed heartily and rushed towards the Jade Emperor Hall impatiently.

Xiao Qingyun watched his father lose his composure for what felt like the umpteenth time that day and sighed wistfully: My dad doesn't seem as amazing as Junior Brother's dad.

"Junior Brother, your dad is so amazing! I'll follow you from now on!"