Suppressing the joy in his heart, Li Jizhou once again operated the Evergreen Skill, attempting to uncover the mystery of the mystical rings.
As he channeled his magical power to touch the first mystical ring,
"Whoosh~"
Suddenly, the first layer of the mystical ring shone brilliantly, and a torrent of overwhelming magical power burst forth from it.
In an instant, the magical power in his dantian more than doubled.
A year of cultivation, with an unchanging realm, rapidly advanced in that instant!
In a daze,
"Qi Cultivation Second Level Perfection!"
It turned out that this year's cultivation had all been absorbed by the mystical rings!
Only when a new ring formed in the second year would it feed back the power!
Achieving Qi Cultivation Second Level Perfection within two years, this speed was indeed not slow.
In normal cultivation, the time required to advance to each level increases, and the bottlenecks between realms make it increasingly difficult.
Yet Li Jizhou's Qi Cultivation Second Level took the same amount of time as the Qi Cultivation First Level, surpassing ninety percent of cultivators at the same level.
Moreover, sensing the Evergreen Magical Power fed back by the mystical rings, he could clearly feel it was incomparably more powerful than before.
Thick and enduring as always,
yet now it felt even more vigorous and strong!
Who says Evergreen Magical Power isn't good for offense?
Amidst his joy, a thought crossed Li Jizhou's mind.
Since the mystical rings could absorb Evergreen Magical Power, could they absorb it back after being released?
He immediately channeled the Evergreen Magical Power to touch the first mystical ring.
"Hiss~" To his surprise, the mystical rings could absorb once more.
In a moment, Li Jizhou's Qi Cultivation Second Level realm rapidly fell as the first mystical ring absorbed the power again.
Finally, after the first mystical ring was filled with magical power, his realm stabilized back to Qi Cultivation First Level.
"Such a miracle exists!"
This method of fundamentally altering the magical power of the dantian was far superior to practicing some secret techniques that conceal the realm.
The cultivation world is deceitful and unpredictable; many cultivators practice concealment secret techniques to hide their true realm, to present weakness as strength, using it as a trump card.
However, the most advanced concealment techniques would be laid bare before someone with a Divine Soul two minor realms higher.
This mystical rings secret technique alters the dantian's magical power from the source, making it difficult for even someone one major realm higher to discern.
After repeated experiments to confirm the mysteries of the mystical rings at the base of his dantian, Li Jizhou felt at ease and finally stabilized his realm at the Early Stage of Qi Cultivation Second Level, aligning with the cultivation speed of the Evergreen Skill.
Having confirmed the mystery of the mystical rings, he silently recited,
"Reincarnation Treasure Mirror!"
With a thought in mind, Li Jizhou's consciousness sank into his sea of awareness.
In his sea of awareness, the Reincarnation Treasure Mirror floated,
the first life's golden body still dazzling,
while the second life was beginning to take shape.
His consciousness clicked on the silhouette of the second life, and a line of words appeared.
Ignoring the rest, Li Jizhou looked directly at his lifespan.
[Lifespan: 18/102.]
Upon seeing the result, Li Jizhou instantly exited his sea of awareness.
"Another twelve years of lifespan gained! How wonderful!"
In this world, the average lifespan of ordinary people is sixty; upon embarking on cultivation and drawing energy into the body, it increases by over ten years.
When stepping into Qi Cultivation, it increases by another ten years, with each subsequent level adding less, until reaching Qi Cultivation Ninth Level's maximum of around 120.
This is the normal lifespan for common cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage.
Before entering Qi Cultivation, Li Jizhou's lifespan was seventy-five; afterward, when at Qi Cultivation First Level, it increased by fifty percent more than ordinary cultivators to ninety.
Now, at Qi Cultivation Second Level Perfection, his lifespan increased by twelve years, breaking through the hundred-year mark.
"Just Qi Cultivation Second Level, and I've already reached a hundred years old, hehe." Li Jizhou was in a great mood.
He sensed his spiritual sense, almost comparable to that of a Qi Cultivation Seventh Level cultivator.
Thanks to his powerful spiritual sense and the thick and enduring Evergreen Magical Power, his talisman crafting skills had progressed significantly in half a year; Tier One Junior-Level talismans were basically guaranteed to be of top-grade quality, occasionally producing masterpieces by chance.
Tier One Junior-Level talismans are usually mediocre in power, particularly those of average quality, which barely affect Early Stage Qi Cultivation cultivators. However, those of exceptional quality, such as a Tier One Junior-Level top-grade Blood Dart Talisman, can break a Qi Cultivation Fourth Level protective barrier in one strike!
Moreover, a masterpiece Blood Dart Talisman can potentially shatter a Qi Cultivation Fifth Level protective barrier in one hit.
However, top-grade and masterpiece talismans in Tier One Junior-Level are very rare.
Because a Talisman Master capable of crafting a Tier One Junior-Level top-grade talisman is generally promoted to a Tier One Middle-Level Talisman Master.
Li Jizhou was not rushing to advance to a Tier One Middle-Level Talisman Master; he wanted to solidify his foundation thoroughly, aiming to surpass his past life's Tier Three Pill Master in talisman crafting skills.
"I can advance to a Tier One Middle-Level Talisman Master now!" Looking at the thick stack of Tier One Junior-Level top-grade talismans in his storage bag, Li Jizhou made a decision.
After summarizing his half-year's cultivation, Li Jizhou slowly ceased his practice, picking up the Celestial Secret Pavilion's Jade Talisman.
Three months ago, the quarterly report had already been sent to him, with nothing particularly noteworthy catching his attention.
The matter of the Wang family in Maple Forest wasn't mentioned again,
nor were any traces of the Demon Dao found within a ten-thousand-mile radius.
It seemed to have returned to peace and calm.
Within the Inverted Mountain, the same things were happening repeatedly, with nothing significant occurring to affect the larger situation currently.
The only thing leaving Li Jizhou speechless was an incident from four months ago.
A group appeared in the inner city of the Inverted Mountain,
promoting the freedom within the Inverted Mountain throughout various bazaars and Immortal Cities, claiming everything was free, housing required no fees, and that the Tier Three Spirit Vein cultivation was gratis. They also feigned accidental mention of the Thunder Flame Sect's treasury's weakened defenses from 800 years ago, suggesting a great opportunity might exist.
Ultimately, they tricked many clueless loose cultivators into flocking to the Inverted Mountain.
Unfortunately, upon entering the Inverted Mountain, they arrived as corpses.
In just one month, the number of their bodies reached over three hundred.
It wasn't until a Foundation Establishment senior's descendant was tricked into coming and whose natal soul token shattered, that the senior brought several helpers to investigate.
They discovered that an evil cultivator in the inner city was using such tactics to cultivate a certain wicked skill.
A great battle ensued, and the evil cultivator was left in tatters by the furious senior, with their Divine Soul imprisoned by a magical artifact. It was said that they would be tormented until their soul dispersed to quell their rage!
The new quarterly report wasn't due yet, so Li Jizhou put away the Jade Talisman.
After organizing the talismans he intended to sell, he pushed the door open and stepped out.
This time, he planned to purchase a year's worth of living supplies in one go, along with everything needed for advancing to a Tier One Middle-Level Talisman Master.
In his storage bag, he had six Spirit Stones and forty-eight taels of Spiritual Sand.
However, he had many talismans to sell this time, and their quality was not ordinary, so the profits should be substantial.
"Xiaoli, heading out?" Just as he walked out of the room, Chen Yuankang, basking in the sun in the courtyard, asked.
"Senior Chen, I need to go to the market to sell some talismans and exchange them for Spirit Rice and Spiritual Flesh," Li Jizhou replied.
Chen Yuankang nodded at his words and then lazily stood up: "Let's go then, got nothing to do anyway, I'll accompany you for a stroll. The Inverted Mountain has been getting more unstable lately."
"Oh?" Li Jizhou looked at Senior Chen inquisitively.
"You didn't know? All sorts of monsters and freaks have been coming to the Inverted Mountain recently. At this rate, it will soon become a true demon lair."
"Just a few days ago, an evil cultivator in the inner city tricked many outside cultivators into coming, killing them halfway and using their organs to cultivate sinister skills!"
"Be extra cautious when you go out!" Chen Yuankang said with some anger.
"Such a thing happened!!!" Li Jizhou shivered immediately, acting surprised.
"Indeed! No worries, let's go, I'll accompany you this time. With me around, at least the outer city will be safe."
"Thank you, Senior Chen!" Li Jizhou bowed deeply and hurriedly took out a Tier One Junior-Level Middle Grade Spiritual Talisman from his storage bag and handed it to Chen Yuankang.
"No need to give me anything, I've watched you grow up, it's not easy alone now. I've almost healed; I'll soon take on tasks to earn money." Chen Yuankang waved his hand.
"Senior Chen, I'm getting more skilled in talisman crafting; this is my token of appreciation, please accept it," insisted Li Jizhou.
Chen Yuankang gave Li Jizhou a smile, accepting the talisman.
"Oh, the quality is decent, this should be of middle-grade quality?" Chen Yuankang smacked his lips in appreciation.
"Just a fluke, just a fluke!"
"Haha, alright, I'll accept it then. If you face any issues in the future, feel free to come to me, no need for formalities," Chen Yuankang said with a laugh as he put the talisman away.
During this period, Li Jizhou had been closely observing Chen Yuankang's expression.
Fortunately, there was no hint of greed.