Immortal Refiner

After six years of seclusion, Li Qing felt a sense of unreality as he stepped out of the secret realm once more.

It was winter outside, and a cold wind swept through the deep forest, bringing with it the familiar sting of a cold blade against his face—a sensation Li Qing hadn’t felt in ages.

”Time flies in cultivation,” he mused, stretching languidly. ”Now that my cultivation has improved, it’s time to stretch my legs.”

He began walking in the direction he remembered.

Six years had brought significant changes to the dense forest surrounding the small hill. Many new trees had sprouted, towering over the landscape.

Yet it was clear this area remained largely untouched by humans, with hardly any signs of human activity.

After walking for about three miles, Li Qing reached the designated spot where he and Ye Feng had agreed to leave messages.

Over the past six years, seven or eight Spirit Bird Transmissions hung from the tree.

Seeing this, Li Qing leaped up and snatched all the letters down at once.

”That guy really went through a lot,” he murmured. ”Each letter is made of talisman paper; otherwise, six years of wind, sun, rain, and snow would have long since rotted ordinary paper.”

He casually unfolded one of the letters and began reading:

”Brother Ye, it’s been three years since we last met. I’ve joined the Heavenly River Sect and become an outer disciple...”

Li Qing’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he read the letter. He hadn’t expected Ye Feng to become a disciple of the Heavenly River Sect just three years after body seizing.

However, after finishing the letter, Li Qing felt relieved.

It turned out that Ye Feng had gained the attention of the Heavenly River Sect by informing an Elder of the sect about a matter in the past. Over the past three years, he had leveraged the resources Li Qing had once possessed to make rapid progress in his cultivation, reaching the Sixth Layer of the Qi Refining Realm.

He had managed to join the Heavenly River Sect just before his twentieth birthday.

”Damn, this is the advantage of body seizing and cultivation!” Li Qing sighed enviously.

He remembered that Ye Feng, like him, had been a Four Spirit Root cultivator—one of the most unremarkable types.

Yet after body seizing, his cultivation aptitude had somehow improved. By the time his physical age reached twenty, he had already attained the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.

Now, three years later, Ye Feng’s cultivation was likely catching up to his own.

With the Great War raging in the cultivation world, Ye Feng’s skill in talisman techniques would surely earn him a considerable amount of spirit stones.

After learning about Ye Feng’s recent progress through the letter, Li Qing felt a sudden urge to find an immortal seed with superior cultivation aptitude and seize their body.

Of course, he was just thinking about it.

”This physical body, no matter what, my own is still the best. Even if a body seized through body seizing has excellent cultivation aptitude, it just feels... off.”

To be honest, Li Qing couldn’t bear to abandon his current domineering physical form and the mana he had accumulated through years of arduous cultivation.

After finishing Ye Feng’s letter detailing his recent circumstances, Li Qing turned to the other letters.

These letters chronicled the changes in the cultivation world over the past six years. The conflict between two major Cultivation Sects had erupted, and every move they made was significant enough to shake the entire Azure Ridge Domain’s cultivation world.

In the first year of the war, after destroying the Heavenly River Market, the Shangqing Sect’s strategic intent became clear: they launched a direct assault on the Heavenly River Sect’s various resource points.

Their advance was unstoppable. They seized multiple spirit gold veins, including a spirit stone mine whose Grand Formation had yet to be fully repaired.

In the second year of the war, the Heavenly River Sect launched a counteroffensive, raising their banner and rallying nearby cultivation clans to strike back against the Shangqing Sect.

However, during this year, the Exquisite Treasure Physique displayed its terrifying power. In a frontal battle, it actually slew a Core Formation Realm Ancestor of the Heavenly River Sect, forcing the Ancestor to self-destruct.

Reading this, Li Qing was stunned. He couldn’t help but feel immense awe for Heavenly Prodigies with such extraordinary physiques.

Though this Core Formation Realm Ancestor was old and frail, with little lifespan remaining, their battle record was simply too dazzling.

To have crossed realms and slain a Core Formation opponent while still in the Pseudo-Core stage, forcing them to self-destruct their core—it was truly terrifying!

”This is a physique that’s invincible at the same cultivation level. I’ll have to steer clear of them in the future.”

Li Qing ducked his head, feeling that it was best to avoid anyone with such a protagonist’s fate. Whether as an enemy or an ally, it just didn’t feel right.

With that thought, Li Qing continued reading the remaining letters.

In the third year of the Great War in the cultivation world, the conflict reached its most intense phase.

The Exquisite Treasure Physique, after crossing realms to slay an enemy, immediately entered seclusion. Within half a year, she successfully achieved Core Formation, earning the title Exquisite True Lord and becoming the undisputed center of attention!

Possessing both a Heavenly Spirit Root and the Exquisite Treasure Physique, Core Formation was hardly a challenge for such a true child of heaven. Li Qing wasn’t particularly surprised by this.

In the third year of the Great War, Ye Feng joined the Heavenly River Sect and revealed a crucial piece of information: a cultivation clan was secretly working as an internal spy for the Shangqing Sect!

With this crucial information, the Heavenly River Sect spent half a year employing every means possible to uncover the traitorous cultivation clan. It turned out to be the Shi Clan!

In the fourth year, the Heavenly River Sect turned the tables. They successfully deceived the Shi Clan with a false secret operation plan. Two Core Formation Ancestors launched a surprise attack on Exquisite True Lord, severely injuring her and forcing her to flee.

By the fifth year of the Great War, the Heavenly River Sect had gradually begun to turn the tide, though at a considerable cost. However, the situation was undeniably improving.

In the sixth year of the war, which was last year, the Exquisite Treasure Physique recovered from her injuries and returned to the battlefield, once again bringing the conflict to a stalemate.

This time, however, Exquisite True Lord was no longer radiating murderous intent. She had become far more cautious and experienced, giving the Heavenly River Sect no openings to exploit.

At this point, the Shangqing Sect and the Heavenly River Sect had entered a contest of their respective foundations. If they were to truly determine a victor, both sides would have to unleash their full strength. Even if one side were to emerge victorious, it was unlikely they would escape unscathed.

After reading through the six years’ worth of intelligence recorded in the letters, Li Qing exhaled deeply and rubbed his temples, forcing himself to thoroughly digest the information.

Boom!

Li Qing ignited a blazing flame in his hand, reducing the several letters written on Talisman Paper to ashes.

”Looks like that Ye Feng is doing quite well in the Heavenly River Sect. He managed to gather so much information. With his contribution to uncovering the traitor, he’ll likely receive a Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward after the war.”

As the flames died down, Li Qing couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking that chaos truly breeds heroes, and opportunity always accompanies risk.

However, Li Qing felt no envy. He knew that to achieve his current status, Ye Feng must have endured countless hardships, though he hadn’t mentioned them in his letters.

”Ultimately, war is rooted in self-interest. If the outcome is mutually destructive, I doubt the high-ranking officials on both sides will fight to the death.”

”The stalemate will likely continue for another year or two. A full-scale Great War is unlikely, but small-scale battles will be inevitable. Once those are over, I suspect they’ll hastily wrap up the conflict.”

With this thought, Li Qing nodded inwardly and decided to send Ye Feng a Spirit Bird Transmission.

Brother Ye:

As if seeing you in person, it’s been six years since we last contacted. I never imagined you’d transform into a disciple of the Heavenly River Sect. Truly, I envy you greatly.

I’ve carefully read every letter you sent over the past six years. The changes in the world have left me sighing in disbelief. How unpredictable life truly is.

”All under heaven rush to profit, all under heaven rush to profit.” Based on my assessment, this war sweeping across the entire cultivation world should conclude within the next two years.

This is fortunate for all cultivators in the Azure Ridge Cultivation World. I doubt anyone would want to see such widespread devastation.

However, the war hasn’t truly ended yet. Until it does, the most fundamental thing is to enhance one’s own strength!

Recently, I stumbled upon several auxiliary ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill. Coincidentally, I also advanced to the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, which sparked the idea of attempting Foundation Establishment.

Though my Spirit Root aptitude is ordinary, I possess a heart devoted to the Dao. I hope you won’t laugh at me.

I’m writing this letter not for any other reason than to ask for your help in keeping an eye out for any reputable Pill Refiners in the surrounding areas. If someone possesses the main ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill, I’d like to collaborate with them to refine a batch.

”If you succeed in Foundation Establishment, the Restrictions on the peaks within the secret realm will naturally dissolve. Then we can harvest the Heavenly Star Grass and share its Good Fortune.”

”With this, I wish Brother Ye eternal prosperity on the Immortal Path.”

”Li Qing”

After finishing the letter, Li Qing carefully folded it and prepared to find a place with Spirit Birds to send it.

He had spent a long time carefully crafting the wording, believing it to be flawless.

”Now that I’m aiming for Foundation Establishment, I’ll need the help of a Pill Refiner. Ye Feng’s connections might be useful.”

”As for the thousand-year-old Heavenly Star Grass on those Medicinal Field Peaks in the secret realm, I should probably share a portion with him. After all, he’s now a disciple of the Heavenly River Sect, and things can’t be the same as before.”

With the Soul Nurturing Bell and his own long Lifespan, Li Qing could now rely solely on this secret treasure to nourish his divine soul.

Therefore, the Heavenly Star Grass in the secret realm held less significance for him.

Still, it was a spiritual herb of several thousand years’ age, undoubtedly of immense value. Moreover, after so many years of the Great War in the cultivation world, countless cultivators’ divine souls had been wounded.

Moreover, the divine ability of the Exquisite Treasure Physique specifically targets cultivators’ divine souls. When the Exquisite Immortal Sound is unleashed, damage to the divine soul is an inevitable consequence.

”Although Ye Feng made a solemn promise back then, people change. Sharing some of these spiritual herbs to cultivate connections now is a worthwhile investment.”

After all, the most crucial treasure in the secret realm, the Soul Nurturing Bell, was already in his possession. He had no intention of hoarding all the Good Fortune for himself.

”In life, one must learn to make sacrifices and compromises. Only then can relationships endure.”

”Those who push their luck too far rarely meet a good end.”

With that, Li Qing gazed into the distance, toward the horizon where the crimson sun was gradually rising.

He had never been short-sighted, always considering the long-term implications of his actions.

It was clear that Ye Feng, who had helped the Heavenly River Sect expose an internal traitor during the war, would undoubtedly rise in status within the sect. With his Three Spirit Roots aptitude, Foundation Establishment was practically guaranteed.

Furthermore, as a Talisman Master, cultivating a good relationship with him was a win-win situation.

(End of the Chapter)

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