Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation

Shangyi County has many martial arts schools, but only the Martial Academy affiliated with the county government truly qualifies students for the martial arts examination.

Due to his unsuccessful martial arts experience at the town's martial arts school in his previous life, Li Ji'an chose not to go to a martial arts school in this life. Instead, he spared no expense to enter the Martial Academy.

This Martial Academy was government-run, and even the instructors and gatekeepers were tenured.

In addition to apprentices sent by various martial arts schools after passing their assessments, the academy itself had high requirements for recruiting apprentices.

They comprehensively assessed aptitude, temperament, and age.

In his previous life, Li Ji'an put in a lot of effort and faced much criticism to get in here.

"Are you a Taoist priest from the Zixiao Temple?" The gatekeeper of the Martial Academy greeted him as soon as he got out of the carriage.

The middle-aged Taoist responded with a smile and watched Li Ji'an lead Qingyun into the Martial Academy.

"The two young Taoist priests will come with me to the academy management office to register, have your aptitude tested, and temperament assessed. Then, you can go to the training ground to choose a suitable instructor…" The gatekeeper's respectful attitude despite their young age showed that the temple's arrangements were well-placed and demonstrated Zixiao Temple's status in the county.

Walking the same path he had walked for ten years in his previous life, Li Ji'an's mind wasn't on the gatekeeper but on searching for a familiar figure.

He finally couldn't help but ask after leaving the front yard, "Was there an old gatekeeper here before?"

The gatekeeper paused slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Are you talking about… old Huang? If so, he passed away three years ago."

"Oh." Li Ji'an nodded, saying nothing more, without any emotional fluctuations.

If it was three years ago, old Huang should have been over sixty years old.

In this era, that was considered a long life, a joyous passing.

Moreover, since his master passed away in his previous life, he had become indifferent to matters of life and death.

He had to be indifferent.

With 'Rejuvenation,' as long as he was cautious enough, didn't get killed, and didn't die accidentally, he could theoretically live as long as the heavens and earth, living for ten thousand generations.

Time was like a knife that would kill everyone except him.

Fifteen years ago, to enter the Martial Academy, he often matched wits with old Huang, and even fantasized about whether the gatekeeper Huang was a hidden master.

Because of this, he sent old Huang a lot of wine and meat.

Until he finally confirmed that he was just an ordinary old man.

However, over time, they still built a considerable friendship.

Passing through the gate, they arrived at the familiar academy management office.

He also saw the familiar bone-reading master and temperament assessment master.

Bone-reading had some theoretical basis. It was based on the results of martial arts achievements over the years, looking back at the aptitude before learning martial arts, using the results to deduce, which was a kind of overall experience.

Which kind of aptitude allowed people to forge their bodies faster and had a higher upper limit, that kind of aptitude was good.

Conversely, it was useless.

Of course, this kind of experience based entirely on reverse deduction of results would inevitably have some special cases. There might be some genius aptitude that had never appeared before, but was treated as ordinary or even inferior aptitude.

As for the temperament assessment… in Master Zhao's words, it was: "Martial arts temperament depends on how determined he is to succeed in martial arts and how much he can pay for it?"

The more he was willing to pay, the stronger his determination, and the less likely he was to give up halfway.

In other words, how much money was given.

In his previous life, Li Ji'an relied on his extremely strong will to impress the Martial Academy.

"Aspiring immortal seedling or martial arts for strengthening the body?" The bone-reading master habitually asked when he saw people coming in.

The Martial Academy had two paths: one was for aspiring immortal seedlings, with high admission requirements and high costs, because the Martial Academy would provide a series of resources from instructors to medicinal food to assessments.

Only medium or higher aptitude and superior temperament were acceptable, and the age could not exceed fifteen!

The other was just for practicing martial arts to strengthen the body. Li Ji'an took this path in his previous life.

"Sir, these two are from Zixiao Temple…" The gatekeeper promptly reminded him.

"Oh? Then they are aspiring immortal seedlings. Come, let me read your bones." The bone-reading master understood and asked Li Ji'an and the other to step forward.

"Ouch~ Ouch, it hurts, be gentle, be gentle." Qingyun, with his fat all over his body, became the target of the bone-reading master first. As soon as he touched him, a pig-like scream rang out.

Li Ji'an had expected this and took a step to the side in advance, opening his mouth slightly to offset the sonic attack.

The bone-reading master was accustomed to this. Not only was he not displeased by his screaming, but he was also slightly happy.

"Not bad, fat but strong, not weak at all, thick bones and long tendons, a good seedling for martial arts." From the limbs to the spine, he touched them one by one, and the bone-reading master nodded frequently.

"It seems that your Zixiao Temple's muscle-strengthening formula is indeed extraordinary."

"Superior aptitude!"

"Superior aptitude?" Li Ji'an raised his eyebrows slightly. He didn't expect that this little guy Qingyun had such good aptitude.

In his previous life, during his ten years in the Martial Academy, he had seen only a handful of people who were rated as superior aptitude by this bone-reading master, and they all passed the county's martial arts examination and successfully entered the prefecture city's immortal-seeking academy.

And he himself, at the age of thirty, was assessed as having inferior aptitude when his bones were read.

"That's right, aptitude is affected by childhood nourishment and development, and the impact is not small.

However, the foundation lies in congenital heredity and fetal shaping.

Senior brother's family was good since he was a child, and it was even considered wealthy when he had Qingyun. During pregnancy, he should have had a lot of tonics, and his innate foundation was good.

Although he didn't strengthen his muscles and bones before the age of eight, he had enough oil and salt and developed well,

In addition, he started strengthening his muscles and bones with me at the age of eight, so it should be so!" After returning to his senses, Li Ji'an smiled knowingly and gave Qingyun an approving look.

"Oh, grandpa, please, tell my master that I have inferior aptitude and am not suitable for martial arts, okay? I beg you." Qingyun didn't care about this superior aptitude that everyone envied and yearned for, and even avoided it like the plague.

"…" The bone-reading master instantly glared, puffing out his beard. It was the first time he had seen this kind of situation.

"Qingyun! Don't be ridiculous." Li Ji'an appropriately reprimanded him in a deep voice.

"Junior brother, I…" Qingyun immediately lowered his head, his face full of regret.

It had to be said that this was his last hope, but it was ultimately shattered.

"Master, please read mine." Li Ji'an changed the subject and took the initiative to step forward.

The bone-reading master glanced at Qingyun sideways while reaching out.

He couldn't understand Qingyun's actions and felt disappointed in him.

"Hmm~" Suddenly, when he was lamenting that Qingyun had such good aptitude but no desire to practice martial arts, the sensation from his hand made him suddenly withdraw his gaze from Qingyun. The expression of regret hadn't even had time to retract when he looked straight at Li Ji'an.

Li Ji'an clenched his teeth, enduring the severe pain from his bone joints.

Seeing the bone-reading master's regretful expression, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

Could it be that his aptitude was still bad?

"If this body was truly congenitally deficient from the womb, and even postnatal muscle and bone strengthening couldn't make up for it, then it would increase the difficulty. I would have to find a way to plan for the legendary divine pills and immortal treasures that can change innate aptitude!"

After all, 'Rejuvenation' started at the age of eight. He had complete autonomy over matters after the age of eight, but he couldn't change anything before the age of eight.

He was somewhat frustrated with this result, but he wasn't completely discouraged. After all, with 'Rejuvenation,' and with divine pills and immortal treasures that could change aptitude, if one life didn't work, then two lives, or at worst, ten or a hundred lives should work.

It's just that every additional 'Rejuvenation' would add to the childhood shadows and risks, and he had to be more cautious and carefully prepare a comprehensive plan for the next 'Rejuvenation.'

However, at this moment,

"Could it be… the Dragon and Tiger signs?" The bone-reading master exclaimed in disbelief.