Immortal Refiner

”And now, the seal on the ancient demon within the Forbidden Speech Snow Mountains has been broken!”

Sect Leader Xu Yun’s words silenced the once-noisy Cloudsoaring Hall, leaving it so still you could hear a pin drop.

Gulp!

Someone swallowed hard, the sound echoing clearly in the deathly quiet hall.

”This...”

Someone started to speak, then trailed off, their mind blank, unsure of what to say.

The Sealing Formation suppressing the ancient demon had been breached. How could this be happening?!

”Senior Brother Sect Leader, the Sealing Formation was intact. Why would it suddenly break?”

”Yes, could it be due to the passage of time and shifts in the terrain?”

”Does this mean the ancient demons sealed within will escape? Those are beings that even the most powerful cultivators of the ancient era could barely contain! Are we all doomed to face imminent disaster?!”

”What should we do now? Relocate the sect’s headquarters?”

”...”

As the elders began to debate, their voices rising and overlapping, the Cloudsoaring Hall once again erupted into a chaotic clamor.

Amidst the crowd, Li Qing’s expression was grave, his brow furrowed as he pondered the cause of this calamity.

How could it be such a coincidence? The Shangqing Sect formally declares war on the Heavenly River Sect, and then our Lingyun Sect immediately faces this disaster.

Li Qing immediately connected these events to the Shangqing Sect, arriving at a firm conclusion.

No wonder they dared declare war on the Heavenly River Sect. The Shangqing Sect must have been behind the breach in the Sealing Formation.

Li Qing thought to himself, his conviction growing that this was the Shangqing Sect’s doing—perhaps even Ling Ying’s handiwork.

Once the elders had digested the news, Sect Leader Xu Yun spoke slowly, ”Fellow disciples, there’s no need for such pessimism.”

”The Sealing Formation has indeed been breached, but it was established by ancient powerhouses. It hasn’t completely failed as you might imagine.”

”Currently, the Extreme Ice Demon-Sealing Formation only has an irreversible breach, and that breach is steadily expanding over time.”

”At the very least, within three to five years, and at most within ten, this formation will be completely destroyed, and the remaining ancient demons it suppresses will truly break free.”

Upon hearing these words, many felt a chill run down their spines.

In just ten years at most, the suppressed ancient demons would threaten their very survival.

”Senior Brother Sect Leader,” an elder spoke up, ”let’s cut to the chase. How are we to conduct ourselves in the coming years?”

Sect Leader Xu Yun had previously stated that guarding the Forbidden Speech Snow Mountains was the Lingyun Sect’s duty, meaning they could hardly avoid this crisis. Passive resignation wasn’t the sect’s way of doing things.

Sensing the collective fear and unease, Sect Leader Xu Yun forced a reassuring smile.

”There’s no need for such panic. Though the ancient demons are formidable, they are not immortal or indestructible beings.”

”Millennia have passed. Even if remnants of these demons have survived until now, they likely won’t be at their full strength.”

”The ancient cultivators wielded unfathomable techniques. Even a mere Sealing Formation can continuously erode the life force of these demons.”

These words seemed to reassure many, as relieved expressions spread across their faces.

Li Qing, however, remained unconvinced.

If ancient demons truly still lurked within the formation, even if they were weakened to their limits, they would be far from easy to handle.

What did it even mean to have lived for thousands of years?!

The mere thought made Li Qing dizzy. Despite his relentless cultivation and continuous artifact refinement, his accumulated lifespan hadn’t even reached a millennium.

”Since the formation cannot be repaired, are we just going to stand by and watch the ancient demons escape?” someone asked, frowning.

Sect Leader Xu Yun shook his head and sighed. ”The Ancestors have assessed the situation. In approximately a year, the gap in the formation will widen enough for foundation establishment cultivators to pass through.”

”At that time, I will lead by example, personally leading a group of elders into the Sealing Formation to investigate the situation.”

”Afterward, we will dispatch batches of elders into the formation at regular intervals to gather detailed intelligence.”

”Once we have ascertained the true strength of the remaining ancient demons, the sect will formulate a comprehensive strategy.”

The moment these words were spoken, many elders frowned deeply.

To venture deep into the Sealing Formation and confront the ancient demon directly sounded like a death sentence!

Yet Sect Leader Xu Yun immediately led by example, taking the first group of elders into the formation. Even those who had objections found themselves at a loss for words.

Some considered suggesting that qi refining realm disciples be sent on this mission, but upon reflection, they realized how utterly feeble such cultivators were. Not only would they be unable to discern the ancient demon’s true nature, but even transmitting information back would likely prove impossible.

Most crucially, no elder could avoid this reconnaissance mission.

All the elders present would be divided into ten groups, each taking turns to delve into the formation and investigate the situation.

Hearing this, Li Qing felt a suffocating sense of dread wash over him.

This is the downside of joining a sect, he thought.

Everything has its two sides. As foundation establishment realm elders, they had enjoyed numerous privileges and benefits within the sect. Now, faced with this sudden crisis, they were obligated to lead by example and put themselves on the front lines.

A sense of helplessness washed over Li Qing.

He wasn’t alone; most of the elders were reluctant to enter the formation to investigate the situation.

The unknown often meant danger!

After relaying the sect’s decisions, Sect Leader Xu Yun declared in a solemn voice:

”I hereby announce that the Lingyun Sect is officially entering a state of war readiness!”

”This is the sect’s mission, passed down since ancient times—a sacred ancestral decree that cannot be violated!”

”Anyone who deserts their post will be treated as a traitor to the sect!”

Returning to his cave abode, Li Qing’s spirits plummeted. Even the joy of successfully refining the Heavenly Net Banner vanished completely.

”A year... it’s not short, but it’s hardly long either. Just a brief period of secluded cultivation.”

”I need to prepare immediately. I must use this year to enhance my self-preservation capabilities by any means necessary.”

Li Qing sighed deeply and began planning how to make the most of the coming year.

”With only a year, cultivation progress will be limited without a constant supply of elixirs. I’ll have to focus on secret techniques and divine abilities.”

First on his list was the Blood-Burning Secret Art, which he had obtained from the Tianliang Mountain inheritance. This technique allowed one to burn their vital essence and life force to gain mana in desperate situations—a last-resort, all-or-nothing gamble.

”I should prioritize mastering this secret technique. I’ve been neglecting it for too long.”

With the sect entering a state of war readiness, all its halls sprang into action.

The talisman hall and pill hall were particularly busy, with all elders refining essential resources for the coming conflict.

The refining hall was no exception, though their focus shifted almost entirely to top-grade magical artifacts.

Since Li Qing had yet to reveal his ability to refine such artifacts, he found himself with ample free time this year. Only the few refining hall elders capable of crafting top-grade artifacts were swamped with work.

”The only silver lining of this war readiness is the sudden influx of contribution points,” Li Qing mused. ”We used to struggle to earn even a few, but now they’re being distributed generously.”

Indeed, to send cultivators into life-or-death situations, generous compensation was essential.

All foundation establishment realm elders, including Li Qing, received a substantial allocation of sect contribution points.

Yet to Li Qing, these points felt like the lavish final meal offered to a condemned prisoner before execution.

”Even with this abundance of contribution points, exchanging them all for Purple Yang Pills wouldn’t be enough to reach the mid-foundation establishment stage. At best, it would only get me to the threshold.”

”Perhaps I should focus on other avenues, like that body refinement technique, the Brahma King True Body. That might be my key to survival.”

(End of the Chapter)

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