Immortal Refiner

Boom! Rumble!

Within the Soul Nurturing Temple Secret Realm, thunderous explosions echoed one after another, punctuated by the ferocious roars of strange beasts.

”Roar!”

The entire main peak of the secret realm trembled under the relentless assault. Terrifying aura spilled out, and streaks of spiritual light from the mountain’s Restrictions retaliated.

Buzz!

This was a White Serpent without scales, but with two water buffalo horns sprouting from its head, imbued with immense power.

Its crimson eyes were fixed on a massive boulder atop the main peak. Upon the boulder rested a bowl of blood, still dripping fresh, and several Crimson Crystals extracted from the bodies of strange beasts.

These items held an irresistible allure for the Bull-Horned White Serpent. Despite the deadly dangers of the mountain’s Restrictions, it fearlessly pressed its assault, undeterred by the risks.

By now, the Bull-Horned White Serpent’s body was covered in gruesome wounds. Just moments ago, a spiritual energy blade had nearly sliced it in two.

Hiss!

Mortally wounded, the White Serpent became consumed by a frenzy of rage. With its last ounce of strength, it slammed its head against the boulder.

Bang!

The massive boulder, once sealed by a Restriction, shattered instantly. A torrent of spiritual light erupted, resembling a rain of light.

At the foot of the mountain, Li Qing, who had been hiding in the shadows, emerged with a look of excitement.

”It took the lives of five strange beasts, but I’ve finally blasted a fatal breach in this Restriction.”

As his words faded, Li Qing began his methodical ascent up the mountain, first collecting the White Serpent’s corpse.

These strange beasts had undergone a metamorphosis after absorbing spiritual energy. Some of their materials had even become spiritual materials suitable for artifact refinement, imbued with abundant spirituality.

However, they were also heavily tainted with malevolent energy, far more potent than that found in ordinary Demon beast materials. This malevolent energy would need to be thoroughly purged with the most yang and righteous energy.

After collecting the White Serpent, the massive boulder that had previously blocked the mountainside had vanished, leaving only scattered fragments behind.

The bowl of fresh blood had spilled out, splashing onto several Crimson Crystals.

Just as Li Qing was about to collect the crystals, he suddenly stopped.

”Huh?”

The Crimson Crystals stained with blood seemed to have lost some of their malevolent energy, and their influence on Li Qing’s consciousness had diminished.

”Could it be that blood suppresses the Red Moon Secret Power contained within these Crimson Crystals? Is this why those strange beasts crave blood so desperately?”

Li Qing’s mind raced with connections. He thought of those in the World of Eternal Night who cultivated Red Moon Secret Power and required mortals to donate blood to maintain their state and prevent themselves from losing control.

”Vital Energy is known as the essence of life, containing a person’s life essence—the most fundamental aspect of existence.”

”It’s not surprising that blood could dispel the malevolent energy within the Red Moon Secret Power.”

Li Qing quickly recalled Fan Tong’s intense desire to devour these Crimson Crystals earlier.

However, due to various concerns about Fan Tong’s sanity being affected, Li Qing had refrained from letting him eat them.

The Flying Eagle Bandits had also obtained these Crimson Crystals before, and the Sky-Rending Eagle raised by the Demon Eagle Wanderer had displayed an equally strong craving for them.

”It seems these crystals hold considerable allure for demon beasts. Perhaps I could try washing the Crimson Crystals with fresh blood to remove the malevolent energy that affects consciousness, and then let the demon beasts consume them.”

Li Qing’s eyes flickered, and a desire to study the Crimson Crystals more closely arose within him.

He still had quite a few Crimson Crystals on hand, and with the White Serpent he had just killed, he now possessed six.

”Let’s ascend the mountain and break the Restriction first. I can study the Crimson Crystals’ effects later.”

With that, Li Qing continued his ascent, stopping at the giant boulder that had previously blocked the mid-slope path.

This spot had been heavily fortified with numerous Restrictions and served as a crucial node.

By dismantling the defenses here, Li Qing could use his knowledge to gradually unravel the mountain’s Restrictions, forging a safe path to the Daoist Temple on the main peak!

”Indeed, a large area of Restrictions around here has dimmed, their power diminished. It’s safe to attempt the climb now.”

Even as he spoke, Li Qing took out a defensive magical artifact as a precaution, just in case something unexpected happened.

With the artifact’s protection, Li Qing immediately began dismantling the mountain’s Restrictions. His years of seclusion in the Soul Nurturing Temple Secret Realm, spent deciphering the True Explanation of Restrictions, had equipped him perfectly for this task.

With the successful dismantling of the first Restriction, the subsequent steps became much smoother. Li Qing patiently passed the time here.

After all, this was a mountain-guarding Restriction laid down by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Li Qing wouldn’t dare take it lightly. Every step he took was steady and deliberate, without the slightest hint of impatience.

As time passed, the Restrictions on the main peak were gradually dismantled and neutralized through various methods. Li Qing’s figure drew closer to the Daoist Temple atop the peak.

However, the closer he got, the slower Li Qing’s movements became. Only after ensuring absolute safety would he take another step forward.

And so, two months passed.

With the elimination of the final Restriction, a completely safe path from the foot of the mountain to its summit was finally established!

Having completed this, Li Qing was nearly exhausted. He gasped for breath, his tightly wound nerves finally able to relax for a moment.

”I did it. It seems my initial guess was correct. That massive boulder halfway up the mountain was indeed a crucial node for breaking the Restriction.”

”The sacrifice of those five powerful strange beasts wasn’t in vain. They finally helped me achieve my goal.”

As Li Qing’s words faded, he took a step forward, officially entering the Daoist Temple that had remained silent and deserted for tens of thousands of years.

The temple’s layout was surprisingly simple, almost crude. Before the main hall stood an incense burner, and two pillars supported a wooden plaque.

Soul Nurturing Temple!

Three ancient, deeply resonant characters were etched onto the plaque. Upon seeing them, Li Qing’s mind seemed to calm considerably.

Truly worthy of being an ancient Daoist Temple dedicated to cultivating spiritual consciousness, he thought. Even the calligraphy has a calming effect.

”Though there are no other Restrictions inside, I must still be cautious. Why would such an Immortal Cultivation Daoist Temple suddenly be abandoned?”

Entering the main hall, Li Qing found it vast and empty. Aside from a few meditation cushions, the only furnishings were small incense burners.

Of course, after so many years, the incense had long since burned out, leaving only ashes in the burners.

What truly astonished Li Qing was that the main hall held no memorial tablets or statues. Instead, a massive stone bell stood upright in the center.

Several incense burners faced this giant bell, suggesting it was the Soul Nurturing Temple’s primary object of veneration.

Li Qing dared not move recklessly. He first knelt down and touched one of the meditation cushions.

Swish!

At the edge of the cushion, it was as fragile as powder, completely weathered after tens of thousands of years.

”It’s clear this cushion was woven from the branches of some spirit wood,” Li Qing observed, ”but its spirituality has completely dissipated, leaving only ashes.”

Rising to his feet, Li Qing walked toward the back of the main hall.

He wasn’t particularly interested in exploring the Soul Nurturing Temple or delving into the mystery of its sudden demise, even though the Heavenly Star Grass on Medicinal Field Peak had been left behind.

Li Qing’s goal was simple and pure: he had come solely for the legendary secret treasure said to nourish the divine soul—the Soul Nurturing Bell!

Of course, if he could also find some inheritance within the Daoist Temple, that would be ideal.

Passing through the main hall, the Soul Nurturing Temple’s backyard was filled with ancient pines that had long since withered, their needles turned a dull, lifeless gray.

To the left of the backyard stood rows of wooden houses, presumably the living quarters of the temple’s cultivators. To the right were a dried-up well and a dilapidated pavilion, both clearly abandoned long ago.

At the far end of the backyard stood a towering octagonal stone pagoda, its imposing presence striking.

The pagoda was divided into six stories, each corner wrapped with chains of unknown spirit gold. But after tens of thousands of years, through countless transformations of the world, even these spirit gold chains had lost their spirituality.

”Where could the Soul Nurturing Bell, this inheritance secret treasure, possibly be?”

Filled with doubt, Li Qing first searched through the rows of wooden houses.

The long-decayed structures were too fragile to withstand any touch; the slightest disturbance caused them to collapse in a thunderous crash. Dust filled the air as Li Qing sifted through the ruins, hoping to find something useful.

Alas, everything within the houses had long since turned to dust, and the Soul Nurturing Bell was nowhere to be found.

Li Qing even began to wonder if, after so much time, the bell itself had decayed beyond repair. If that were true, then the entire Daoist Temple would be devoid of any valuable treasures.

Finally, Li Qing abandoned his search of the wooden houses and turned toward the right side of the back courtyard. There, a dry well lay horizontally, and behind it stood a long-abandoned two-story pavilion.

Fortunately, the pavilion remained relatively sturdy, still standing firm even after tens of thousands of years.

On the first floor, books, scriptures, and other texts had long since crumbled to dust, their contents lost to time.

But on the second floor, Li Qing discovered something astonishing: rows of jade slips hanging from iron racks!

What could endure for tens of thousands of years without decaying? Naturally, it would have to be jade, formed naturally by the earth and sky!

Li Qing’s heart pounded as he saw the jade slips. He quickly stepped forward and picked one up, infusing it with mana to extract its contents.

But his initial excitement soon faded.

The jade slip contained a secret technique for using one’s divine soul to attack enemies.

It wasn’t that Li Qing found the technique lacking; the information recorded on the jade slip was severely incomplete, with only a few cryptic phrases that made it impossible to cultivate or comprehend.

”Too bad. Gu Ming once used a divine soul secret technique, but I never found the corresponding Cultivation Method in his storage pouch. Otherwise, I could have made divine soul attacks a trump card in the future.”

Li Qing regretfully set down the jade slip. While the jade itself hadn’t decayed over time, the inheritance etched within it had failed to withstand the test of time.

But Li Qing refused to give up so easily. He picked up another jade slip and began examining them one by one, hoping to find an exception.

”Star Soul Pill Formula. Main ingredients: Heavenly Star Grass, Blood Azure...”

Clearly, this pill formula was related to the divine soul and would undoubtedly enhance its strength. Unfortunately, it was also incomplete.

At that moment, Li Qing felt his heart bleed.

”So many precious inheritances... destined to be buried forever in the dust of history?”

(End of the Chapter)

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