Immortal Refiner

”Brother Li, are you in there?”

That gentle voice could only belong to An Xuan.

Li Qing didn’t turn around, still holding the manual for Shadow-Seeking Footwork. He replied calmly, ”Yes, I am.”

Creak...

A slender figure entered the Martial Repository. An Xuan brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and said, ”I heard from my Adoptive Father that you’re leaving soon.”

”That’s right. The world is so vast; I want to see it,” Li Qing chuckled, slowly closing the manual.

He turned to face An Xuan, his eyes filled with memories of her childhood.

Time truly was a remarkable thing. The skinny, malnourished, and timid girl of the past had transformed into such a graceful and beautiful young woman.

”Can’t you stay? The world is in chaos and darkness now. At least in Blackrock City, you wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothing,” An Xuan said, staring intently at Li Qing.

Li Qing sighed softly.

He had to admit that An Xuan was now exceptionally beautiful. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have caught the eye of the Yan Family’s spoiled second Young Master back then.

”Staying here is good, but my heart is set on the Martial Path. I want to travel to more places and spar with more martial arts masters.”

”Life in Blackrock City isn’t quite right for me.”

This wasn’t a lie. After all, he couldn’t stay in the World of Eternal Night forever. He needed to return to his own world from time to time, disappearing for long stretches. Staying here too long would inevitably arouse suspicion from those with ulterior motives.

While he didn’t fear the Righteous Gang now, it was always better to avoid exposing his secrets.

At this point, An Xuan understood Li Qing’s meaning: he had to leave.

”If it weren’t for you, Grandpa and I might have starved to death on the streets without anyone knowing.”

”I can never repay such a great debt, Xuan’er has nothing to offer in return.”

As she spoke, a faint mist gathered in An Xuan’s clear, bright eyes, as if she were on the verge of saying, ”I’ll give you my body.”

She bit her lower lip, lowered her head slightly, and asked, ”Brother Li, will you ever come back?”

The most difficult thing to bear is a beautiful woman’s favor.

Li Qing sighed inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged. ”Of course. I’m traveling the world, but who knows? One day, I might just pass through Blackrock City again, like this time, to visit old friends.”

”You’ve been gone for six years already. When will you return next time?” An Xuan sniffed, then continued, ”But I understand Brother Li’s intentions. Since that’s the case, Xuan’er wishes you smooth sailing on your Martial Path!”

With that, she turned and left.

Whether in the past or now, she had always been this sensible, never wanting to trouble others.

Li Qing watched her retreating figure, a slight pang of emotion stirring within him. But ultimately, he resolutely kept his mouth shut, silently watching her back disappear into the faint glow of the night mushrooms.

After another day or so, Li Qing had gathered almost all the gold, silver, and jewels he needed. He packed all the loot onto Fan Tong’s back.

On the day of his departure, the Righteous Gang and everyone Li Qing knew came to see him off.

Gang Leader Tian Long, tall and imposing, looked at Li Qing with a premonition that this might be the last time he would ever see him.

”Brother Li, no matter when or where, the Righteous Gang’s doors will always be open to you!”

Tian Long stepped forward and patted Li Qing on the shoulder.

Facing this man who felt like an older brother, Li Qing couldn’t help but feel a pang of reluctance.

”Big Brother Tian Long, take care!”

”Master Li, take care!” Wei Tian stepped forward.

Li Qing nodded at Wei Tian, then his gaze swept past him, taking in the crowd gathered to see him off.

Everyone was present, except for An Xuan.

At that moment, Zhao Kou walked forward with a calm expression. His posture was perfectly straight, his eyes fixed intently on Li Qing.

”Brother Li, before you leave, could you grant me one last wish?”

Li Qing was slightly surprised by Zhao Kou’s request. He had a strong impression of the young man.

When Zhao Kou first joined the Righteous Gang, he had been slashed by Tian Long, who said he had to be tough enough to survive to be accepted.

Zhao Kou had certainly proven his toughness!

Later, during the operation against the Yan Family, Zhao Kou’s ruthless decisiveness and willingness to use any means necessary had earned Li Qing’s respect.

”Tell me,” Li Qing said with a slight smile.

”Before you go, I want to witness Brother Li’s strength. Over the years, I’ve also reached the level of an External Strength Martial Artist!”

As Zhao Kou spoke, his eyes burned with fervent passion.

That gaze reminded Li Qing of the term ”Martial Path fanatic.”

”Hahaha, no problem at all. Go ahead and attack!” Li Qing laughed heartily, not minding a brief display of his current Martial Path prowess.

Hearing this, Zhao Kou licked his lips and immediately assumed a fighting stance, his Vital Energy coursing rapidly through his body.

The Righteous Gang currently had only two External Strength Martial Artists: himself and Gang Leader Tian Long.

However, Tian Long practiced External Martial Arts and, being older, his Vital Energy had weakened. Moreover, as the Gang Leader, he naturally had no intention of challenging Tian Long.

Now that Li Qing had finally returned, Zhao Kou had seized this opportunity tightly, eager to spar with him.

The crowd gathered around, eager to witness the spectacle. After all, they were all Jianghu wanderers and gang members, well-versed in martial arts sparring.

Tian Long frowned slightly but made no move to stop the two from fighting. In fact, many within the gang who knew Li Qing were equally curious about his current martial arts prowess. Six years ago, he had already defeated an External Strength Expert. Now, what level had his Martial Path cultivation reached?

”Brother Li, aren’t you going to use a weapon?” Zhao Kou asked, noticing that Li Qing had only the heavy hammer strapped to his back, with no intention of drawing it.

Li Qing shook his head. ”No need,” he replied. ”Draw your blade. Don’t worry about me.”

’Are you kidding me? With my current Inner Strength expert level, using a weapon against an External Strength Martial Artist would be a bit too much, wouldn’t it?’

Zhao Kou fell silent for a moment before unceremoniously drawing the long saber from his waist.

”Brother Li, I apologize for this!”

”If you get injured, you might as well stay in Blackrock City for a few extra days to recover. Don’t blame me!”

With that, Zhao Kou held his saber at an angle and unleashed astonishing speed, charging straight at Li Qing.

In moments, Zhao Kou closed the distance, his blade technique fierce and his angles incredibly tricky.

Yet Li Qing remained rooted to the spot, showing no intention of dodging.

As the saber slashed toward him, his expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn’t even seen it.

The moment the blade drew near, everyone present held their breath.

This was a strike from an External Strength Martial Artist! Was Li Qing really not going to dodge?

The next instant, a crisp metallic clang echoed through the air.

Buzz!

A flash of blinding white light streaked across the sky, and the long saber in Zhao Kou’s hand vanished into thin air!

(End of the Chapter)

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