Journey to the Immortal Realm

This day, the Immortal Palace was abuzz.

The moment Li Ji'an stepped into the Immortal Palace holding the token of the Grandmaster Ranking's top spot, the powerful figures guarding it were all alarmed.

They appeared one after another to see.

"What kind of prodigy could Old Li have taken a liking to?"

"A kid favored by Old Li is naturally extraordinary!"

"Could it be a natural dragon-tiger physique?"

Calmly observing the group of old acquaintances, Li Ji'an displayed a touch of innocence.

"Nothing special..."

Finally, the expected voice of defiance arrived, albeit late.

Everyone looked up and saw a familiar figure at the top of the tower.

Lei Jingchuan!

The fifth son of the Yan Province Lei Family, and also the current Empress's father.

He was originally ninth on the Grandmaster Ranking, but due to the deaths or severe injuries of many Imperial City experts during the Nine Dragons Seizing the Heir conflict, his strength declined, and he eventually ascended to the top spot.

However, just as he arrived at the Imperial City to rescue his daughter and son-in-law with his Grandmaster Ranking top spot status, Li Ji'an emerged out of nowhere and snatched the top spot he hadn't even warmed up yet.

He challenged Li Ji'an three times and lost each time, vowing to one day defeat him fairly and reclaim the top spot, so he remained in the Immortal Palace.

He had a rough personality, outwardly cold but inwardly warm, with only a stubborn mouth.

However, after a year of being tutored by Li Ji'an, he had improved slightly. At least he no longer dared to be stubborn in front of Li Ji'an, because Li Ji'an would fight him whenever he pleased, regardless of the occasion, without giving him any face.

"Old Lei, choose your words carefully. With Old Li's cautious nature, he might be secretly protecting this young fellow?" someone whispered a reminder.

Lei Jingchuan snorted, "Hmph, I'm merely stating the facts. Could he possibly attack me over this?"

"Swish~" Though he spoke casually, the next moment he leaped away without hesitation.

He continued speaking as he flew, "Not only will I defeat him fairly, but my disciple will also surely defeat his disciple. Just you wait and see."

Li Ji'an couldn't help but show a hint of a smile.

Among Zhao Yunsheng's children, the Ninth Princess Zhao Shuyao had the best talent, being naturally intelligent with excellent Bone Structure.

Last year, when she was seven, Zhao Yunsheng originally wanted Zhao Shuyao to become Li Ji'an's disciple. However, Lei Jingchuan, relying on his status as her maternal grandfather, forcibly took her as his disciple.

"This old fellow..."

Just as Lei Jingchuan left, Emperor Zhao Yunsheng also arrived at the Immortal Palace.

Everyone paid their respects: "Greetings to His Majesty!"

"I am well, you may rise!" Zhao Yunsheng immediately spotted Li Ji'an in the crowd.

The first glance made him pause slightly.

Most of the others here had never seen Li Ji'an in his youth and felt nothing.

But when he, Zhao Yunsheng, came to the Immortal Palace as a hostage at the age of seven, Li Ji'an was nineteen. They had spent nine years together, and he remembered that Li Ji'an vividly.

The child before him bore a clear resemblance to Li Ji'an from that time in his features.

"What is your name?" Zhao Yunsheng regained his senses, a little agitated.

Li Ji'an, at sixty, had not married or had children. He had even considered bestowing a marriage upon him. Now, he had a multitude of wives and concubines and children, and sometimes he worried about Li Ji'an.

What was the point of being so skilled in martial arts? What was the point of being the world's number one? If he didn't marry and have children, what would remain in the world after a hundred years?

"Reporting to Your Majesty, my name is Li Chang'an."

"Li Chang'an!" Hearing this, Zhao Yunsheng's breath hitched even more.

"Chang'an... Chang'an... It suits Brother Li's personality. Could this be Brother Li's child? He's already this old, and I didn't even know? He hid it even from me? He's already at the peak of the Martial Path, why would he hide it? Is it some kind of 'expert' complex..."

In an instant, Zhao Yunsheng was both angry and amused.

"Good, good, come walk with me." Since Brother Li wanted to keep it a secret, he would respect his wishes.

With his guess in mind, he asked no further questions and instead led Li Ji'an around the Immortal Palace.

"Where is your Master now?"

"My Master said he needed to eradicate some wicked diseases, and he'll be back after that," Li Ji'an replied.

Zhao Yunsheng understood immediately: "Then it shouldn't be too long. I have already issued an edict. In my empire, I will not tolerate child trafficking or those who practice Life Harvesting and Dismemberment."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Li Ji'an praised with a smile.

If the Emperor of this world had been like this earlier, when he experienced his first "Rejuvenation," why would he have suffered such hardship?

As Zhao Yunsheng departed, Li Ji'an's current life officially began to move forward.

The start of this life was exceptionally smooth, but it did not make Li Ji'an careless.

On the surface, it was created by Li Ji'an's peak Martial Path strength from his previous life. In reality, the root cause lay in the fact that the Martial Path in this world had a limit, and this limit seemed rather low given the accumulation of his comprehension over four lifetimes.

The key to this world also lies in his understanding of Zhao Yunsheng, with whom he spent nine years of his life, and the fact that Zhao Yunsheng never saw him at the age of eight. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to guarantee that this kind of start would be foolproof.

However... if we're talking about foolproof.

Perhaps only on the day he truly attains eternal life will it be possible. Otherwise, with every "Rejuvenation," his formidable strength instantly resets to zero. That kind of gap and sense of powerlessness is something no one can truly feel at ease with.

In the days that followed, Li Ji'an maintained the top-tier medicinal baths and supplements for strengthening his muscles and bones.

Until he was thirteen, the Immortal Palace specifically held a bone-feeling ceremony for him to determine his Dragon-Tiger Visage.

Lei Jingchuan also brought Zhao Shuyao that day. Although he had already felt her bones and confirmed her Phoenix Body, he pretended ignorance and insisted that Zhao Shuyao reveal her abilities in front of everyone.

Thus, the competition between the Dragon-Tiger and the Phoenix Body began.

Of course, this was all Lei Jingchuan's own whim, and Li Ji'an simply smiled it off.

However, what made Li Ji'an almost laugh and cry was that for the sake of so-called fairness and justice, Lei Jingchuan, seeing that Li Ji'an hadn't appeared for five years and the other instructors didn't dare to intervene for fear that Li Ji'an would slack off without supervision, would constantly go to supervise him.

He warned him not to be lazy or distracted by other things.

In the end, he even brought Li Ji'an to his courtyard to receive instruction alongside Zhao Shuyao.

This disrupted Li Ji'an's plan to immediately begin practicing his self-created external martial arts that could nourish Vital Energy and Blood. He was forced to personally write a letter warning Lei Jingchuan not to meddle.

This action enraged Lei Jingchuan, but he couldn't find Li Ji'an for a face-to-face debate, almost causing him to suffer a qi deviation from anger.

Zhao Shuyao also developed a prejudice against the famous Li Ji'an because of this, eventually directing her hostility towards Li Chang'an.

These events served as a seasoning to Li Ji'an's otherwise bland and repetitive cultivation life.

This was the third time he had started his journey into the Martial Path from Stance Training. There was no fun or challenge to it. With his Dragon-Tiger Visage, combined with the nourishment from his self-created martial arts in his previous life, and a further strengthening of his mental power in this life, he reached the initial stage of Blood Transformation in two years.

This result shocked everyone beyond measure, setting the record for the fastest entry into the Blood Transformation realm in the Immortal Bestowed Dynasty, and by a wide margin.

At the age of eight in this life, it had been exactly one year since the last Immortal Ceremony. There were nine years until the next Immortal Ceremony, and nineteen years until the one after that.

When he entered the Blood Transformation realm, he was fifteen years old, and the new Immortal Ceremony was two years away.

Normally, he would have no problem reaching Marrow Cleansing in two years.

However, he temporarily slowed his pace.

At the Immortal Ceremony two years later, he had achieved Minor Success in Blood Transformation but did not become an Immortal Seed.

Zhao Shuyao, after doubling her efforts, finally caught up to him, achieving Minor Success in Blood Transformation, and also missed out on becoming an Immortal Seed.

This gave Zhao Shuyao the illusion that she was on the same level as Li Ji'an.

It was only in the following ten years that she fell into complete despair.

After the Immortal Ceremony, Li Ji'an achieved Blood Transformation Perfection in half a year, Marrow Cleansing Perfection in two years, Organ Refining Perfection in three years, and spent four years refining his Vital Energy and Blood until it was like a dragon!

On this day, Li Ji'an finally entered the Immortal Hall, quietly awaiting the arrival of the Immortal Master...

It was time to head to the cultivation world!