Immortal Refiner

Small Jade Ridge, the most vast mountain range in Maple Country, was a natural fortress, its terrain so treacherous it was like a chasm carved by the heavens.

”Roar!”

A ferocious tiger’s roar echoed through the forest, scattering birds into flight.

From the dense undergrowth emerged a massive tiger, its every step radiating an innate kingly aura that was utterly intimidating.

But in the next moment, this fearsome beast approached a figure seated cross-legged on a giant boulder and began to fawn over him, repeatedly licking the young man’s cheek with its rough tongue.

TL/N: On a serious note, don’t let a tiger lick you, it will peel your skin right off.

It was nothing like the untamed wild tiger one would expect. Its docility was astonishing.

”Ugh, you blockhead! I told you I’m cultivating Qi Refining. Stop bothering me!”

The figure on the boulder was none other than Li Qing.

”Arooo!” Fan Tong lay on the ground, exposing its snow-white belly in a submissive pose.

Seeing this, Li Qing could only shake his head helplessly and rub the tiger’s soft underbelly.

”It’s only been a short time since we last met, and you’ve already gained another layer of fat, you glutton.”

Though he said this, Li Qing’s expression showed little disapproval. In fact, he seemed quite pleased.

Li Qing was certain now: Fan Tong wasn’t just an ordinary beast. It was a fierce tiger with Demon beast bloodline, otherwise it wouldn’t have grown so robust.

Unfortunately, in the years since he’d taken Fan Tong in, the gluttonous brute had never displayed any extraordinary abilities in front of him.

”Alright, go play by yourself,” Li Qing said, shooing Fan Tong away. He sat cross-legged again and began circulating the Earth Origin Manual.

It had been over a month since he’d returned to Small Jade Ridge, and as Li Qing had anticipated, the spiritual energy here was indeed significantly denser than in Shengtian.

Compared to Shengtian, a day of Qi Refining here allowed him to accumulate three times as much mana.

”In another year or so, I might even break through to the First Layer of Qi Refining,” Li Qing murmured contentedly to himself.

Once he reached the First Layer of Qi Refining, he could begin experimenting with the specialized minor spells recorded in the Earth Origin Manual.

He was particularly excited about two of these spells: Earth Wall Technique and Earth Spike Technique. These spells allowed him to directly manipulate the terrain with his own mana—true magic, not mere sleight of hand achieved through clever craftsmanship.

Though its power might not be overwhelming, it was enough to excite Li Qing.

As winter gave way to spring, the snow in the mountains melted, soaking the ground and making the mountain paths treacherous.

Of course, for Li Qing, such terrain changes were nothing.

But the muddy mountain roads did affect his mood slightly.

During this time, he hadn’t just been cultivating diligently; he’d also been searching for traces of the Immortal Cultivation World within the mountains. Ideally, he hoped to find a low-level Immortal Cultivator with a decent heart to ask for information.

Unfortunately, this mountain range was vast, its pristine wilderness stretching endlessly.

Even Holy Monarch Tuwa Ha’er had sent over ten thousand soldiers into the mountains without making much of an impact. As a Grandmaster of the Martial Dao, Li Qing could only sigh in frustration.

”Forget it,” he said, dejected. ”It’s time to return to the World of Eternal Night and see what I can find there. Perhaps Giant Rock City will yield more results than this place.”

He patted Fan Tong, who had been following him, and brought it along.

The world spun, and the scenery around Li Qing shifted like flowing water.

Before long, a cold, pitch-black world reappeared before his eyes.

”Awoo~” Fan Tong let out a dissatisfied howl, looking as though it was about to become listless again.

Li Qing frowned slightly at this. Even as an Immortal Cultivator, he found this world strangely unsettling.

He instinctively closed his eyes and sensed the heaven and earth spiritual energy around him.

The feedback he received made Li Qing snap his eyes open, his expression one of utter shock.

”There’s... no spiritual energy here?!”

How could this be? There wasn’t a single trace of spiritual energy in this place, making it almost impossible to believe.

In Shengtian, although spiritual energy was scarce, it wasn’t completely extinct. At least he could still sense its presence.

Yet in this World of Eternal Night, there was absolutely none. Cultivating Qi Refining here would be like trying to refine the northwest wind.

”Damn it, I was hoping to use the three-times faster time flow here to cultivate. I never expected there to be no spiritual energy at all.”

Li Qing pressed his lips together, his emotions stirring slightly. The feeling of having his plans disrupted wasn’t pleasant.

”Wait, if there’s no spiritual energy here, then wouldn’t that mean there are no Immortal Cultivators either?”

”Then who is the person behind the Red Fish Merchant Guild?!”

Suddenly, a flood of questions surged from Li Qing’s mind, leaving him utterly baffled.

”No wonder Fan Tong has been so listless since we arrived. It makes sense that he would be like this in an environment devoid of spiritual energy.”

Li Qing glanced at Fan Tong, who was sprawled on the ground, and shook his head with a wry smile.

He soon discovered that the mana he had cultivated within his dantian qi sea was still present. Though it remained a mere trickle, it was undeniably there.

This eased Li Qing’s mind somewhat. He thought that even if he couldn’t use the accelerated time flow here to speed up his cultivation, he could still practice his spells later.

”Ah, I should probably go out and scout around first. It’s been nearly fifteen years since we last met, hasn’t it?”

At this point, Li Qing suddenly felt embarrassed. Back then, to avoid the two Inner Strength Martial Artists in the city, he had fled straight back to Shengtian.

At that time, both City Lord Qin and the Guild Master of the Red Fish Merchant Guild were already frail with age. To secure a stable foundation in Giant Rock City for their descendants, they would never allow any Martial Artist of their level to threaten their positions.

The former Gang Leader of the Great River Gang, Jia Dachun, was a prime example.

Before leaving, Li Qing had specifically instructed Miao Qi and Ke Luoda, the Gang Leader of the Sand Crocodile Gang, to secretly monitor the Red Fish Merchant Guild’s activities, hoping to uncover the identity of the mysterious figure behind them.

”After all these years, I wonder if they still remember me.”

He didn’t hold much hope. After more than a decade, it was perfectly normal for them to have forgotten him.

So, Li Qing left the listless, unmotivated Fan Tong at the blacksmith shop in Giant Rock City and went out alone.

Now a Grandmaster in the Martial Dao, with four talismans to protect his life, he no longer needed to be as cautious as before.

Over a decade had passed, and a thick layer of dust had accumulated on the door of the Blacksmith Shop. When Li Qing opened it, the door shook, sending dust motes swirling into the air, causing him to cough a few times.

Li Qing vaguely remembered that this street was called Falling Stone Street.

He stepped out of the shop and noticed that the buildings surrounding his Blacksmith Shop were all closed. A stone marker bearing a prohibition symbol stood nearby.

Before Li Qing could speak, a stern voice suddenly rang out from the street:

”Hey, where did this blind fool come from? This is the Green Gang’s forbidden territory. Outsiders aren’t allowed here!”

A street thug who had been lurking nearby approached with a hostile glare.

Green Gang? Li Qing raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was a new gang that had emerged in recent years. He had never heard of them before.

”I remember that the Righteous Gang bought up several houses around here, didn’t they?”

”Heh, you actually know the Green Gang’s old name. Not bad, kid,” the thug sneered.

(End of the Chapter)

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