Immortal Refiner

Hearing the familiar voice from the Imperial Palace’s grand hall, Qi Kang, severely wounded, struggled to his feet.

”Cough cough! Master Li is here?”

Qi Kang knew his teacher, who had taught him blacksmithing, intimately.

Given his cautious nature, Li Qing rarely put himself in dangerous situations. He had mastered the art of self-preservation.

Yet seeing his teacher appear in this dire moment brought an unexpected sense of calm. It felt as if he could entrust everything to this person.

This must be what people call trust.

Not only Qi Kang, but Qian Hong, who had been desperately holding on just moments ago, felt the same way.

Beside them, Holy Monarch Tuwa Ha’er’s expression turned grim. He sneered, ”You rebel Jianghu scum! No matter how many of you come, it’s all just a suicide mission. This banquet was set up specifically for you!”

”Nuchik, keep them all here!”

With that, Tuwa Ha’er pulled out another talisman from his robes and slapped it onto his chest. The golden light surrounding him intensified further.

At the same time, he clutched a Windwalk Talisman tightly, ready to activate it on himself at any moment.

”Roar!” Nuchik roared at Li Qing, who stood atop the Imperial Palace hall. This was a declaration of war, a challenge to avenge the sneak attack he had suffered just moments ago.

Li Qing chuckled, finished the Bitter Ginseng Wine in his jar, and then smashed the empty jar against the ground.

Soon, the medicinal effects of the Bitter Ginseng Wine began to take effect, rapidly replenishing Li Qing’s essence, qi, and spirit.

”Innate divine strength, is it? I’d like to see just how strong you really are!”

As his words fell, Li Qing retrieved the Peerless Hammer from behind him, lifting it with one hand.

The heavy giant hammer felt as light as a feather in his grasp. He looked down at the giant-like Grasslands warrior below, then leaped from the Imperial Palace hall roof.

Boom!

The Ancient Mystic Hammer Art, now imbued with the hammer’s essence, unleashed a strike from the heavens, carrying Li Qing’s essence, qi, and spirit!

The armored giant let out a savage grin and, instead of dodging, raised his fists as if intending to meet the blow head-on.

”I love pounding punching bags like you!”

Bang!

In an instant, a deafening explosion erupted, causing the massive surrounding structures to tremble violently, as if a minor earthquake had struck.

The massive Grasslands warrior’s armor shattered like paper, and his shoulder collapsed like a pile of mud, drooping limply.

The next moment, another dull thud echoed through the air.

The renowned Grasslands hero, the giant warrior, fell stiffly to the ground.

Bang!

The impact sent a cloud of dust billowing into the air, leaving his fate uncertain.

The entire arena fell silent, everyone staring at the fallen giant with stunned, incredulous expressions.

Especially those from the various Grasslands tribes, who knew Nuchik’s unparalleled might and unstoppable force.

But what had just happened? He couldn’t even withstand a single blow from this young Jianghu practitioner?!

”Impossible!”

Li Qing, his expression unchanged, hoisted the Peerless Hammer onto his shoulder with one hand, turning his gaze away from the giant’s lifeless form.

You dared to take a full-power strike from a Transformed Strength Grandmaster? I hope you become the Grasslands’ iron-headed kid!

He silently cursed inwardly before turning his attention to Tuwa Ha’er, who was enveloped in a dense golden glow.

Meanwhile, Qian Hong, who had witnessed the entire spectacle, finally revealed the truth.

”Transformed Strength... This is the Grandmaster Realm! Have you entered the Divine Intent Realm?!”

Transformed Strength, Grandmaster, Divine Intent Realm—though these terms differ, they all describe the same astonishing feat.

Li Qing had now ascended to the level of a Transformed Strength Grandmaster!

The crushing blow that had felled the giant Nuchik just moments ago was the perfect demonstration.

The might of a Grandmaster was truly terrifying!

At this, the other Martial Artists in the hall gasped in unison.

They understood better than anyone the significance of this realm. Grandmasters had become nearly extinct in the Jianghu.

Yet here, before their very eyes, a Peerless Grandmaster of such youth had emerged, his Martial Dao talent utterly unbelievable.

Everyone knew the immense value of a Grandmaster. In the mortal world, they would be treated as honored guests wherever they went.

With enough ambition, establishing a thriving sect would be a simple matter.

Li Qing ignored the others’ shock. A smile played on his lips as he approached Tuwa Ha’er, who was enveloped in a dense golden light.

Back at the border, it was this Marauder chieftain who had led his forces in a furious assault on the Wu Li Army, creating the opportunity for Li Qing to escape the military camp.

In these uncertain times, it was truly unexpected that they would meet in such a setting.

”Holy Monarch Tuwa Ha’er? I’ve long admired your name,” Li Qing said, strolling leisurely as if he were in his own blacksmith shop’s backyard, completely unconcerned by the Imperial Palace’s solemnity.

The marauder leader, however, could not remain so calm. His eyes widened in shock, and he was reminded of the Grandmaster-level Martial Dao expert he had once witnessed.

”Men, kill him! Whoever brings me his head, I’ll make him a non-royal prince!”

At his command, the marauders surged forward once more.

But this was no longer the battlefield of old!

This was not an open field where they could charge on horseback, using their momentum to wear down a Grandmaster.

Nor did they have the tens of thousands of cavalry they had once commanded at Wangyuan City. They didn’t even have several thousand men this time, only a little over two thousand.

And now they faced a Peerless Grandmaster in his prime, his Vital Energy as boundless as a vast ocean, flowing endlessly, utterly unfazed by any war of attrition.

”So even you can be afraid!” Li Qing chuckled, then stomped his feet against the ground, unleashing astonishing speed. Only his afterimages remained visible.

Li Qing, employing the Shadow-Seeking Footwork, was incredibly agile. The Grasslands soldiers who had surrounded him didn’t even manage to touch his clothes before he had already slipped past them.

”Kill!”

Li Qing drew his Peerless Hammer and, using his momentum, swung it horizontally!

Bang!

The dense golden light that had gathered around Tuwa Ha’er rippled violently, as if it were about to shatter at any moment.

But in the end, it held firm, remaining intact.

”Hahahaha! You’re just a mortal! You can’t break the talismans on my body!”

Seeing this, Tuwa Ha’er’s tense heart suddenly relaxed. He burst into laughter, mocking Li Qing.

The two were separated by a layer of golden light, a barrier as thick as a wall, symbolizing the difference between the Immortal Path and the Mortal Path.

”So what if you’re a Grandmaster? What can you do to me?”

”Quick! Someone! Hack him to death! No matter how skilled he is, he’s still just one man!”

Li Qing hesitated slightly, glancing at his Peerless Hammer. He could guess why it hadn’t worked.

The Peerless Hammer had only a small amount of Ink Gold fused into its surface. While Ink Gold was an extraordinary metal, the quantity was simply too small.

Just as Li Qing was about to reach for the snow-silver Wandering Dragon Dagger at his waist, two voices suddenly called out from both sides simultaneously.

”Catch the blade!”

”Catch the sword!”

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A crimson, demonic long blade and a jet-black, slender straight sword shot through the air.

Li Qing didn’t hesitate. He immediately slung the Peerless Hammer back over his shoulder and caught the Demon Blade Red Lotus and the Qing Hong Sword in his left and right hands.

”What fine weapons!”

This was his first time touching the Demon Blade Red Lotus, a weapon renowned throughout the Jianghu. Now that he held it, he could truly appreciate its extraordinary quality. The scattered specks of blood on its surface only added to its eerie aura.

As for the Qing Hong Sword, there was no need to say more. It was a Peerless Divine Weapon forged by Li Qing’s own hands, and it felt intimately familiar in his grasp.

”Two pseudo-magical artifacts?!” Holy Monarch Tuwa Ha’er glanced warily at the two magical weapons in Li Qing’s hands. Without hesitation, he slapped a Windwalk Talisman onto his chest.

Instantly, a stream of clear light flowed over him, and the marauder leader shot forward with incredible speed, as if he had wings on his feet.

However, Li Qing had already reached the Grandmaster Realm. There was no way he would let Tuwa Ha’er escape so easily.

Activating the Light Silk Leg Technique and Shadow-Seeking Footwork, Li Qing pursued him with equal speed.

”Let’s see how many talismans you have left.”

Li Qing raced after Tuwa Ha’er, who was fleeing like a madman.

The two of them kicked up twin plumes of dust across the Imperial Palace square, one chasing the other at speeds far exceeding the limits of human imagination.

Finally, as they neared a lakeside garden, Li Qing channeled his Transformed Strength, drawing both his blade and sword simultaneously to slash at the Sage Ruler’s Golden Light Shield.

Shatter!

The dense Golden Light Shield, struck by the blade and sword, exploded like snowflakes, scattering into a golden rain of light across the sky.

The dust settled.

”No!” Tuwa Ha’er roared in terror, desperately trying to conjure another Golden Shield Talisman.

But Li Qing’s blade and sword wouldn’t allow it. With swift precision, they severed his hands.

Thud!

The marauder leader lost his balance and crashed heavily to the ground.

Li Qing released the Red Lotus Blade and Qing Hong Sword, drawing the Wandering Dragon Dagger from his waist and pressing its blade against Tuwa Ha’er’s throat.

And so, the marauder leader, a man who had lived a life of ruthless ambition, finally fell at Li Qing’s hands, his life now entirely at Li Qing’s mercy.

Li Qing didn’t intend to kill Tuwa Ha’er immediately. He had accumulated many questions he wanted to ask the man.

”I ask, you answer.”

Li Qing had no patience for persuasion. He simply stated the four words.

If Tuwa Ha’er refused to cooperate, he’d just kill him.

The Marauder leader lay on the ground, a man who had lived half a lifetime as a ruthless warlord, building an empire that would be remembered for centuries. Now, he had fallen to this.

After a long silence, he finally accepted his fate.

”In victory or defeat, there’s nothing left to say. Ask your questions. Just make it quick.”

(End of the Chapter)

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