Immortal Refiner

After a long separation, Li Qing and Ye Feng finally reunited. They spent three days in the camp drinking Spirit Wine, completely emptying Ye Feng’s storage pouch of its contents.

Even Li Qing, slightly tipsy, raised his cup and laughed heartily. ”Come, let’s drink to our hearts’ content tonight! After this cup, I’ll set out to find Senior Qingyang.”

”Hahaha! We don’t know when we’ll meet again after tonight. It’s only right that we drink our fill!”

Bang!

After finishing the last cup of Spirit Wine, Li Qing stood up, circulating his Vital Energy to dispel the alcohol’s effects. His mind cleared considerably.

”Brother Ye, farewell!”

With that, Li Qing walked out of the camp.

It was deep into the night, with a clear sky and scattered stars—perfect for travel.

Just as Li Qing was about to leave the Heavenly River Sect’s stronghold, a thunderous explosion erupted from the Black Sand River Basin.

Boom!

A towering column of water shot into the sky, shaking the entire region.

Still slightly tipsy, Li Qing felt the ground tremble faintly beneath his feet, instantly sobering him up.

”What’s going on?”

Before his words could fully register, a rain of water droplets began to fall from the night sky—the remnants of the spray that had erupted from the Black Sand River.

Filled with doubt, Li Qing stepped onto his Peerless Hammer and soared into the sky.

With his exceptional eyesight, he immediately saw what was happening. A vortex had formed in a section of the Black Sand River under the cover of night.

Buzz!

In an instant, the water-attribute heaven and earth spiritual energy in the area became noticeably denser, emanating from the mouth of the vortex.

Around the vortex stood several disciples of the Heavenly River Sect, all cultivators skilled in the Dao of Formations.

Clearly, this astonishing phenomenon was their doing.

As expected, Li Qing’s keen hearing caught snippets of their conversation carried on the night wind.

”Is this an underwater cave abode? It’s hidden so deeply!”

”I recall reading fragments about this in some of the sect’s ancient texts. The Black Sand River used to be a habitat for the Underwater Demon Clan. But after the method of refining Foundation Establishment Pills from Demon beast Crystal Cores was revealed, the Demon beasts in this basin were hunted to near extinction.”

”What an unexpected stroke of luck! We didn’t find the supreme elder’s hidden treasures, but we stumbled upon an underwater cave abode that has been concealed beneath the river for who knows how many years.”

”We must report this to the sect’s Elders immediately!”

Underwater cave abode?

Li Qing’s eyebrows twitched at these words, a sense of unease rising within him.

Opportunities often came with danger. Unlike the ecstatic Heavenly River Sect disciples, he just wanted to get as far away as possible to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Retreat, retreat, retreat!

Just as Li Qing was about to turn and leave, a beam of spiritual light shot up from the Heavenly River Sect’s camp, directly blocking his path.

”As expected, the aftershock of the pill explosion has finally breached the Restriction on this cave abode hidden beneath the Black Sand River.”

As the spiritual light dissipated, a middle-aged Daoist Nun stood gazing at the Black Sand River in the night, muttering to herself.

After finishing her soliloquy, the Daoist Nun turned her stern gaze toward Li Qing and said calmly, ”Young friend, I believe you are Junior Nephew Ye’s close friend. Perhaps you would consider staying a few more days?”

Foundation Establishment Realm!

Faced with this invitation from a Heavenly River Sect Elder, Li Qing naturally didn’t mistake it for genuine hospitality.

With the underwater cave abode revealed, the sect wanted to keep him around for a few days to prevent the news from spreading too quickly.

How could Li Qing possibly refuse? He forced a bitter smile and replied respectfully, ”Senior’s gracious invitation is an honor I cannot decline.”

Seeing Li Qing’s cooperation, the Daoist Nun nodded in satisfaction. With a flick of her fingertip, a crystalline spiritual light landed on Li Qing’s shoulder.

”This spiritual seal will dissipate in three days. At that time, you may leave on your own.”

With that, the Daoist Nun, standing on her whisk, transformed once more into a spiritual light and swiftly flew towards the vortex of water swirling in the Black Sand River.

Shortly after, several figures emerged from the camp, including Ye Feng, who had just been sharing a hearty drink with Li Qing.

”Brother Li... what’s going on?”

Ye Feng, surprised to see Li Qing, hurried over to ask what had happened.

Li Qing could only force a wry smile and recounted the events to Ye Feng.

”I can only say I’ve been rather unlucky, running into this just before leaving.”

After hearing Li Qing’s story, Ye Feng opened his mouth, a mixture of amusement and helplessness in his voice. ”What a coincidence, Brother Li. If you’re in a hurry to leave, why don’t I ask Elder Jingguan to make an exception for you?”

But Li Qing shook his head, declining the offer. Three days wasn’t long, and there was no need to trouble Ye Feng further. Doing so might even leave a negative impression on the middle-aged Daoist Nun.

If word got out that Ye Feng was disregarding the greater good and not prioritizing the sect, his future in the Heavenly River Sect would likely become very difficult.

”No need. I’ll just meditate and cultivate here for three days. I’m also curious about what’s actually inside that underwater cave abode, so I’ll stay and watch the excitement. Consider it a chance to broaden my horizons.”

Hearing Li Qing’s words, Ye Feng relaxed slightly. He immediately arranged for Li Qing to return to his tent.

With that done, Ye Feng stepped onto his Flying Sword and soared into the sky, heading straight for the whirlpool he had seen earlier.

”Brother Ye, remember to be careful! Your safety comes first in all things!” Li Qing called out, watching Ye Feng’s departing figure.

”Understood!”

As the words faded, Ye Feng’s figure vanished from the camp.

Left alone to guard the Heavenly River Sect’s camp, Li Qing couldn’t help but yawn. ”An underwater cave abode left by ancient Demon beasts... I wonder what treasures it might hold.”

As he spoke, a dark glint flashed deep within Li Qing’s eyes.

Being forcibly detained by the Heavenly River Sect Elder, even Li Qing, who was usually quite open-minded, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort.

Ah, such is the status of a rogue cultivator. Even at the Late Qi Refining Realm, we’re still just ants in their eyes.

Thinking of this, Li Qing glanced at the faint spiritual energy mark on his shoulder and sighed again.

Truth be told, the Elder had already been remarkably considerate, considering it was all for Ye Feng’s sake. Neither his tone nor his actions had been overly harsh.

Li Qing’s discomfort stemmed mostly from his own inadequacy.

Every disadvantage in this world is ultimately caused by the individual’s own lack of ability.

Ah, I must cultivate harder.

In the night, the whirlpool on the surface of the Black Sand River persisted for a long time, as if the cave abode beneath would never be filled.

After observing for a while, the middle-aged Daoist Nun, standing on her whisk, frowned slightly and said, ”Su Wei, take someone back to the sect and report this matter immediately.”

”The rest of you set up a simple formation to guard the riverbank. I’ll go down and investigate.”

With that, the Daoist Nun Jingguan, a middle-aged woman, plunged directly into the vortex on the water’s surface.

”Elder, please be careful!”

”...”

Submerged within the vortex, the Daoist Nun Jingguan didn’t hear her disciples’ warnings. Instead, she focused intently on her surroundings underwater.

Below, a collapsed pit emerged, relentlessly swallowing river water and forming a water tornado.

If her calculations were correct, this should be the cave abode of the Underwater Demon Clan that once resided here.

Jingguan’s eyes narrowed. Then, transforming into a streak of light, she swiftly approached the pit, her speed barely diminished even underwater.

As she neared the pit, the Daoist Nun swung her whisk.

Boom!

An unusual sound echoed from beneath the water, followed by a surge of bubbles.

That single strike had widened the pit, accelerating the flow of water into it.

The Daoist Nun slowly approached the pit, using her spiritual energy to resist its suction. Her gaze remained fixed on the inky blackness within.

The interior was pitch black, revealing no abnormalities whatsoever.

Without hesitation, she cast a light-based spell with her left hand, sending a beam of illumination into the depths.

After all, the unknown depths below held untold dangers. She dared not recklessly extend her spiritual sense into the pit, fearing some hidden peril.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she understood that caution was paramount when exploring such uncharted secret realms. A moment of carelessness could easily lead to her demise.

The light flared, illuminating the darkness within the pit and revealing its hidden depths.

The pit opened into a vast underground cavern.

At the far end lay the massive skeleton of a Demon python, its colossal size truly astonishing. Even a single bone fragment was larger than a normal adult human!

The Daoist Nun’s heart pounded in her chest at the sight.

This was undoubtedly a Third-Tier Demon beast, and its sheer size spoke volumes about its power.

Generally speaking, the larger the size, the greater the strength—this is the most intuitive concept.

Of course, one must never underestimate smaller Demon beasts. Some, with unique bloodlines, are naturally small but possess astonishing power.

”A Third-Tier Demon python, on the verge of transforming into a Flood Dragon. Every part of its body is an incredibly valuable material.”

With this thought in mind, the Daoist Nun decisively plunged into the pit, determined to thoroughly explore it. As the first to enter, she aimed to seize the greatest benefits from this hidden cave abode.

The Daoist Nun moved swiftly, no longer resisting the water’s current. She allowed herself to drift toward the massive Demon python’s white skeleton.

Just as she reached to collect the skeleton, she was disappointed to discover that the Demon beast materials had lost their spirituality, resembling ordinary animal bones. Over the years, their spiritual energy had likely dissipated almost entirely.

With a tinge of regret, the Daoist Nun extended her divine sense beyond her body.

Very quickly, she sensed an unusual surge of water-attribute spiritual energy within the water flow. The pure water-attribute spiritual energy that had just escaped from the pit had originated from that direction.

Following the fluctuations in spiritual energy, she rushed forward and suddenly found herself staring into the mouth of a cave that had appeared before her in the darkness.

!!!

”I’ve truly stumbled upon incredible fortune! Yin-Yang Condensed Liquid, a substance virtually impossible to find in the outside world, exists here in a small pool. This is a heaven-defying spiritual object that can aid in Core Formation!”

The Daoist Nun’s heart began to race, her chest heaving rapidly.

A Core Formation spiritual object!

This was something that could assist Foundation Establishment cultivators in forming their cores, instantly increasing their chances of success by ten percent!

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator like her, this was the most precious treasure imaginable.

If such a heaven-defying spiritual object were to appear at an auction, countless Foundation Establishment cultivators would willingly spend their life savings to snatch it up!

I’ll risk it all!

With such an opportunity before her, how could she not fight for it?

However, as the Daoist Nun’s attention remained fixed on the small pool of Yin-Yang Condensed Liquid, she failed to notice a petrified Demon beast egg lying silently on a platform deep within the cave.

(End of the Chapter)

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