Immortal Refiner

Deep within the yin meridian, the once-surging ocean gradually receded, revealing its profound, bottomless depths.

This was a sign that the yin energy, which had converged from all the yin meridians, was dissipating, signaling the imminent end of the Yin Sacrifice.

Behind the lotus dao platforms, the golden stream connecting to the yang world had also grown remarkably faint.

The Polar Day was nearing its end, and the connection between the yang world and the netherworld was about to sever.

Behind the descending celestial curtain, seated figures slowly rose, preparing to depart.

Li Qing, immersed in refining the nether marrow, quickly noticed this development.

He glanced back and saw that the golden stream behind him had dwindled to a thread-thin strand, on the verge of snapping.

”Fatty Wu, wake up! It’s time to go!” Li Qing called out urgently.

But Wu Chong remained motionless, seated cross-legged on the stone lotus dao platform like a bronze bell. His eyes were tightly shut, showing no reaction to the commotion around him.

Li Qing paused, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.

”Fatty Wu, wake up! If we don’t leave now, we’ll be trapped here forever!”

Before entering, Wu Chong had warned them that the yang energy stream behind them was their only escape route. If they didn’t leave in time, they would be trapped in this place for eternity.

Throughout the Nether Domain’s history, such tragedies had occurred countless times.

Without exception, every cultivator who failed to escape in time either perished here or vanished completely, never to be seen again. None had ever met a good end, not even those in the nascent soul realm.

Li Qing called out repeatedly, but Wu Chong remained unresponsive. Something was clearly wrong.

As he approached for a closer look, Li Qing’s expression darkened:

”Damn it! Why did he have to enter a state of enlightenment now?!”

Indeed, Wu Chong had fallen into a state of sudden enlightenment—a rare and precious state that countless cultivators might never experience in their entire lives.

For high-level cultivators, this state was particularly invaluable, potentially leading to rapid advancement in their cultivation or daoist arts. Missing such an opportunity would be a lifelong regret.

”Sigh... Compared to life itself, even enlightenment is meaningless.”

”We’ll have to forcibly drag him out!”

Li Qing couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer. He reached out and grabbed Wu Chong, exerting all his strength to pull him off the lotus dao platform.

Yet Wu Chong remained motionless, as if welded to the spot!

”What—?!”

Li Qing was incredulous. His physique now rivaled that of a quasi-third tier demon beast, and he had specialized in cultivating the vital energy martial dao. In terms of raw strength alone, he could carry mountains with ease, yet he couldn’t budge Wu Chong even an inch.

Sensing something was amiss, Li Qing immediately took a step forward.

Hiss!

He quickly drew in a sharp breath.

The lotus dao platform beneath Wu Chong was connected to vast quantities of nether marrow. Strand after strand tightly bound Wu Chong’s body, fusing him to the peculiar platform.

In an instant, Li Qing understood why Wu Chong had become like this.

During the process of refining the nether marrow, Wu Chong had suddenly entered a state of enlightenment. The massive influx of nether marrow he had drawn in hadn’t been fully refined, and more continued to be drawn up from beneath the platform.

Before he knew it, a massive pile had accumulated.

”Fortunately, it’s just nether marrow. This should be easy to deal with,” Li Qing murmured, letting out a slight sigh of relief.

This substance was peculiar. Though easily refined, its essence was remarkably stubborn, impervious to brute force. Once contaminated, it could only be purged through true essence or other specialized methods.

In an instant, a black demon flame ignited in Li Qing’s palm, completely refining the nether marrow piled beneath Wu Chong.

As a surge of energy rushed toward Li Qing, he didn’t hesitate. With a sudden, forceful tug, he yanked Wu Chong upright.

The external disturbance immediately snapped Wu Chong out of his meditative trance. A tear had inexplicably traced a path down the corner of his eye.

”Master... I saw you down there!”

Li Qing ignored him. Even if the Ancestor Devourer of Heaven were to resurrect from the depths of the Yin Sea, he couldn’t afford to care.

The golden thread connecting them to the yang world had faded to near invisibility.

”Move!” Li Qing roared, dragging Wu Chong with one hand as he charged forward.

Just as the golden thread was about to vanish, they caught the last ride back to the yang world, rapidly ascending along its path.

Feeling his body being pulled upward, Li Qing exhaled deeply, finally relaxing.

Wu Chong, still dazed, hung limply by the scruff of his neck, his mind replaying the recent events.

Li Qing shook his head and let the golden thread carry them away.

As they ascended, a question began to form in Li Qing’s mind:

What is the true purpose of the lotus dao platforms on the other shore?

Why was I able to refine the nether marrow binding Wu Chong even without being on one of those platforms?

Are they merely conduits for drawing nether marrow from the depths of the Yin Sea?

Li Qing stroked his chin and glanced down.

He noticed that the refined nether marrow essence hadn’t fully integrated into his body. Instead, a portion lingered around him, stubbornly clinging to his aura.

For a moment, Li Qing couldn’t tell if this was good or bad. He speculated that it might be connected to the lotus dao platforms.

Amidst this churning of thoughts, Li Qing and Wu Chong finally emerged from the yin meridian just as the Polar Day was drawing to a close.

Thud!

The moment they landed, the last sliver of twilight on the horizon was swallowed by the boundless darkness.

”Finally out!” Li Qing exclaimed, clapping Wu Chong on the shoulder. ”Fatty Wu, snap out of it! What was with that sudden shout of ’Master’ in the yin meridian just now?”

”And do you know what happens if you don’t refine the nether marrow on the lotus dao platform?”

No sooner had they emerged than Li Qing was eager to clear up the myriad questions swirling in his mind.

But before Wu Chong could answer, the deathly silent night was suddenly illuminated by a blinding flash.

Boom!

A thunderbolt struck Li Qing directly!

Fortunately, he was wearing the Golden Jade Garment, and his physique was exceptionally robust. The lightning only caused him a sharp pain, inflicting no real damage.

”What rotten luck! Why did I get struck by lightning?”

Yet this was far from over. A thick layer of thunderclouds had gathered overhead, crackling with dense, crisscrossing bolts of electricity.

”Did I break some heavenly law?” Li Qing muttered to himself.

(End of the Chapter)

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