Immortal Refiner

As days turned into months, half a year slipped by in the blink of an eye.

In what felt like a mere moment, Li Qing had been working as a spirit stone miner for the Liu Clan for six months.

Thanks to the mining pick he had crafted himself and his relentless, almost reckless digging in the mine tunnels, he had accumulated a surprisingly large number of spirit stones.

Heavenly River Sect, Spirit Stone Mine.

In the secret passage leading back to the Liu Clan, Li Qing, covered in dust and looking utterly exhausted, mounted his horse.

”Brother Li, that’s impressive! In just half a year, you’ve already managed to hand over seventy spirit stones?”

A cultivator on a nearby horse spoke to Li Qing with genuine admiration.

Li Qing, riding his horse, flashed a humble, bashful smile. ”Not at all, Senior Zhou’s meticulous guidance has been invaluable. Without his help, I wouldn’t have improved so quickly!”

Indeed, just moments ago, Li Qing had handed over seventy spirit stones, all mined from a barren mining area.

For a newcomer who had only been a spirit stone miner for six months, this was an exceptional achievement.

”Hahaha, you’re being too modest. I bet next month you won’t be assigned to the poor mining area anymore,” said another miner with a friendly smile.

After six months of working together, Li Qing had gradually come to understand his fellow miners’ personalities. Most of them were actually quite decent people, though they tended to be a bit thick-skinned.

But then again, it was understandable. To endure such long hours of backbreaking labor in the dark depths of the earth, one needed a certain degree of mental toughness to cope.

Li Qing didn’t argue with the miner’s comment, simply offering a humble smile.

Though all the miners worked within the same Spirit Stone Mine, the mining areas they were assigned to varied greatly in richness.

They could be roughly divided into three tiers: poor mining areas, normal-yield mine pits, and rich mining areas.

Every miner entering the Spirit Stone Mine received a unique waist token that recorded their monthly Spirit Stone output.

The disciples of the Heavenly River Sect assigned miners to different areas based on their experience and skill.

As a newcomer, Li Qing had been assigned to the poorest mining areas for the past few months.

Most miners worked in medium-yield mining areas, while seasoned veterans like Zhou Tong were consistently assigned to rich veins, reaping substantial rewards.

Li Qing reluctantly submitted seventy Spirit Stones this time. Though he felt a pang of regret, the prospect of entering a more bountiful mine tunnel compelled him to make the painful decision.

His progress was rapid, yet remained within reasonable bounds. After all, he could attribute his advancement to Senior Zhou’s excellent guidance, a claim everyone would readily accept.

Sitting astride his horse, feeling the swift breeze against his face, Li Qing’s spirits lifted.

The surrounding miners began chatting among themselves:

”Hey, isn’t the trade fair coming up in a few days? What are you planning to buy?”

”What else? I’ve been saving Spirit Stones for two years, just hoping I can afford a Clear Qi Pill.”

”Old Fang, you’ve saved up so many Spirit Stones. Aren’t you tempted to spend some at the Heavenly River Sect’s market? The fairies at the Spirit Phoenix Pavilion are said to be more alluring than the last!”

”Hahaha!”

At the mention of the Spirit Phoenix Pavilion, many miners exchanged knowing glances, their faces flushed with suggestive grins.

Li Qing naturally knew what the Spirit Phoenix Pavilion was—the red-light district of the cultivation world, staffed by exceptionally beautiful female cultivators.

However, the Spirit Phoenix Pavilion was notoriously expensive, especially for the laborers present.

After ten grueling days of mining, each miner wore a satisfied smile as they rode back, their saddlebags brimming with Spirit Stones.

But suddenly, a sharp shout rang out from the front:

”Halt!”

Liu Haitian, at the head of the group, had unleashed his spiritual energy to halt all the cultivators on horseback. He stared warily at a dense forest lining the mountain path.

The shout sent a wave of confusion through the group. No one knew what was happening.

Li Qing’s expression turned grim. He wondered what had gone wrong, why they had suddenly stopped on this stretch of road.

As he pondered, Li Qing instinctively reined his horse back a few steps, edging toward the rear of the crowd.

If anything went awry, he was ready to turn his horse around and charge back toward the Spirit Stone Mine.

He had already thought it through. Heavenly River Sect disciples were stationed there, and the other cultivation clans’ spirit stone miners would be arriving soon. If any bandits dared to strike, that location would be absolutely safe.

Of course, that was assuming they could make it back.

Fortunately, a moment later, a spirited voice cut through the tension, dispelling everyone’s unease.

”Hahahaha, Uncle Haitian, it’s been too long!”

With the sound of the voice, a young figure, standing on a Magic Artifact spear, floated out. He wore the same Heavenly River Sect disciple uniform, and the aura he exuded was only slightly weaker than that of Liu Haitian, the team leader.

Seeing the newcomer, Liu Haitian’s face immediately relaxed, and he exclaimed joyfully, ”Liu Baishu? What are you doing here? Good heavens, you’ve already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining! Excellent, excellent!”

The newcomer was indeed a direct descendant of the Liu Clan, and one of their most highly valued members, as indicated by his attire. Even with the Liu Clan’s deep ties to the Heavenly River Sect, they couldn’t send all their clan members there without restraint.

This young disciple named Liu Baishu was handsome, possessed an extraordinary aura, and had already reached the Late Qi Refining Realm at his age. His talent was truly remarkable.

”Hahaha, Uncle Haitian, isn’t the clan’s ancestral rite coming up soon? I just happened to take on a sect mission to gather herbs, so I decided to drop by and see how things are,” Liu Baishu said cheerfully.

Liu Haitian feigned sternness and scolded, ”The ancestral rite is a minor matter. You absolutely must not delay your sect’s mission. The clan sent you to the sect precisely so you could excel in your studies and cultivation, and one day reach the Foundation Establishment Realm!”

Liu Baishu clearly didn’t take these words to heart, still grinning as he replied, ”Got it, got it!”

”By the way, how is Hanyue doing in the sect?” Liu Haitian asked with concern.

”Sister Hanyue is much more impressive than me. She’s already at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and she’s been diligently accumulating sect contributions to prepare for Foundation Establishment!”

”She’s also planning to return for the ancestral rite soon. What do you think, Uncle Haitian?”

Hearing this news, Liu Haitian’s expression shifted. He seemed genuinely shocked by Liu Hanyue’s advancement to the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm.

”That’s as it should be, as it should be! With Hanyue on the verge of Foundation Establishment, it’s only natural for her to return to the clan for some assistance.”

Liu Baishu rolled his eyes at the words and said, ”Alright, Uncle Haitian, I won’t waste any more of your time. I’ll head back now.”

”Alright, be careful on your way,” Liu Haitian nodded. Then, leading the spirit mine workers behind him, he quickly hurried back toward the clan, picking up his pace considerably.

After what had just happened, the spirit mine workers’ morale had noticeably plummeted.

They had clearly overheard the conversation between Liu Haitian and Liu Baishu.

The mention of the Late Qi Refining Realm and plans for Foundation Establishment had dealt a heavy blow to their spirits.

As spirit mine workers, most of them knew their Immortal Path was essentially a dead end.

Forget about the Foundation Establishment Realm; many might never even reach the Late Qi Refining Realm.

Compared to the young prodigies who had joined the Heavenly River Sect, they were worlds apart in talent, age, and cultivation.

Yet amidst the crowd, only Li Qing’s eyes flashed with a fleeting spark of unwavering determination.

What did it matter if he came from humble origins? He believed his Dao was destined for more than this.

At that moment, instead of being discouraged like his fellow workers, Li Qing’s resolve to pursue the Great Dao burned even brighter within him.

(End of the Chapter)

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