Chapter 31: Once Again a Child

"Greetings, Elder Li. Junior has come to the Pavilion to study martial arts. Here is my identity token."

At the entrance of the Scripture Repository, Li Ji'an sat in the grand master's chair where Old Shi had once rested, eyes closed in meditation. A young man, lacking any hope of becoming an immortal candidate, approached with respectful decorum.

Without opening his eyes, Li Ji'an waved his hand dismissively. "The evening drum marks the hour. Do not let the time slip away."

"Junior understands. Thank you, Elder Li."

Once the young man disappeared inside, Li Ji'an slowly opened his eyes and shook his head with a smile.

"Unconsciously, I have earned the title 'Elder'..." Unlike Old Li Guai from his previous life, whose 'elder' was a mere nickname, the honorific now carried the weight of utmost respect.

When King Yun ascended the throne, Li Ji'an was thirty, neatly avoiding the possibility of being selected as an immortal candidate. Thanks to his connection with the imperial grandson, he remained in the Immortal Palace's Scripture Repository.

Seven years later, the old King Yun succumbed to lingering wounds from the tumult of 'defending the throne,' passing away on the Dragon Chair before the Immortal Master could deliver the promised elixir.

Zhao Yunsheng's birth father succeeded the throne, and Zhao Yunsheng naturally became the Crown Prince.

At that time, Li Ji'an devoted himself to cultivating internal strength. He had already achieved minor success in marrow cleansing; three more years brought it to completion. He then focused on refining his organs, achieving mastery after eight years, stepping into the ranks of blood and qi Grandmasters at forty-one.

It was then that Old Shi passed away, and Li Ji'an took over, becoming the Elder Guardian of the Scripture Repository.

For the next twenty years, he presided over the Repository, gathering all the martial arts under heaven, steadily tempering his blood and qi to reach the pinnacle of martial cultivation—the realm of the Great Grandmaster. He also delved deeply into the top-tier martial arts, venturing out only twice.

The first was ten years ago, when his privileged position gave him access to the most elite martial arts in the land. After ten years of study, he unexpectedly realized that all top-tier arts capable of unleashing more than seventy percent of one's blood and qi shared a common trait—they would, at that instant, feed back into one's own vitality.

The greater the power unleashed, the more profound the replenishment. Though fleeting and subtle, this discovery thrilled Li Ji'an, sparking wild, imaginative ideas.

He secluded himself for three months, forsaking sleep and food, and finally, at the brink of mental collapse, he seized a fleeting spark of inspiration.

If one could merge the methods of blood and qi activation from the top-tier arts corresponding to the eight extraordinary vessels and twelve primary meridians, theoretically, it would yield a peerless martial art capable of nearly full activation of blood and qi, greatly enhancing internal cultivation.

Unfortunately, though the Repository's upper floor held seventy-nine volumes of top-tier martial arts, many overlapped in their activation methods, leaving him lacking two unique techniques for different meridian routes.

Taking advantage of attending Prince Qing Ning Haichan's funeral, he visited the Prince's residence, paid his respects, and obtained Chen Xiaosheng's inherited boxing technique and the Su family's "Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle."

These corresponded perfectly to the two missing methods.

Three years later, he succeeded in creating a supreme martial art, capable of unleashing ninety-nine percent of one's blood and qi, with substantial feedback to accelerate internal cultivation.

With this divine art, just six years later, his vitality surged like a dragon, stepping into the realm of the Great Grandmaster.

Coupled with his own creation, which could trigger nearly all his blood and qi, and being at his prime, well-versed in the quintessential arts of other Grandmasters, he was all but assured the title of the greatest under heaven.

It was only a year ago that he ventured out for the second time.

A year ago, the new emperor had reigned for twenty-three years, hosting the third Immortal Ceremony. After the Immortal Master departed, the emperor was found gravely wounded in the Immortal Hall, and died before he could return to the palace.

No one knew what transpired, though that generation of immortal candidates was exceptional. The only explanation was that the emperor had uttered taboo words that angered the Immortal Master.

This sparked a bloody struggle for succession among the nine royal sons.

Pitifully, Zhao Yunsheng, the rightful Crown Prince, had the least martial talent; the others didn't even consider him a rival.

After all, when his father named him Crown Prince, he never intended to pass on the throne. Martial artists, with their extended lifespans—especially with the decadal promise of the Immortal Master's longevity elixir—followed tradition, passing the throne to the imperial grandson rather than the Crown Prince.

Li Ji'an had no opinion on the succession battle, as Zhao Yunsheng had no interest in the throne.

But the ruthless Eighth Prince, upon seizing power, sought to eliminate all rivals.

Thus, Li Ji'an left the Repository for the second time.

Zhao Yunsheng was forced onto the throne.

Li Ji'an was passively crowned the top Grandmaster.

"Is my decline starting at sixty-one?" After repeated confirmations, Li Ji'an frowned slightly, then smiled.

"Enough. This life has reached its limit."

Since half a year ago, he'd vaguely sensed that the 'rejuvenation' he'd overlooked in his previous lives had early signs.

A Grandmaster whose vitality surged like a dragon could theoretically live close to a hundred years. But one's peak was in the fifties or sixties; thereafter, vitality gradually waned. By seventy, the decline was slow; at eighty, it accelerated; and by ninety, one was but a flickering candle.

Li Ji'an was satisfied.

This life had far exceeded expectations—not only had he advanced as far as possible in martial arts, he had invented a technique to accelerate internal cultivation, filling him with confidence for the next life.

More importantly, during his time with Zhao Yunsheng in the palace last year, he accidentally discovered hidden records from the emperor during the martial calamity and studied the talisman used to receive messages from the Immortal Master.

Martial Grandmasters could truly harm cultivators!

This strengthened his resolve to enter the cultivation realm in his next life.

Five days later, Li Ji'an bade farewell to Zhao Yunsheng, claiming he would travel the world seeking worthy successors, to aid Zhao Yunsheng's troubled Immortal Ceremony.

He first returned to Qingzhou, visited Xiao Wu's grave, then to the Purple Cloud Temple to see Qingyun, whose hair and beard had already turned white.

After paying respects to his master and senior brother, he departed gracefully.

Though he had long seen the maps explored by elder masters and the royal family, he still traveled the perimeter of the Immortal-granted Dynasty once more, as a final confirmation.

Half a year later, feeling ever stronger signs, he quietly returned to the capital, settling into the residence closest to the Immortal Palace, which he had prepared long ago.

A month later, upon waking, he returned to the age of eight.

In a heartbeat, his once powerful body, flush with vitality, became fragile and weak, leaving Li Ji'an momentarily unaccustomed.

But after closing his eyes and focusing, his spirit—more vigorous and agile than at the peak of his previous lives—brought a smile to his face.

No longer hesitating, he retrieved the marrow-cleansing pill he had prepared and swallowed it in one gulp. He then poured the water he had boiled last night, now at the perfect temperature, into a wooden tub filled with precious spirit herbs, each as valuable as the pill itself, and stepped in.

The pill cleansed his bones and organs from within; the medicinal bath purified his skin and flesh from without.

Li Ji'an felt himself reborn in an instant.

"This life, I shall enter the realm of cultivation!"