Immortal Refiner

”The human race in the demon realm today?”

Li Qing froze in place at these words.

I thought the demon realm was entirely populated by demon races, he mused. Judging by the reactions of the Terrorclaw Lizard, bone demon giant wolf, and other demons I’ve encountered, there shouldn’t be any humans there!

If humans were present, why would they mistake me for a transformation-stage demon king?

Yet the elephant clan senior’s words gave him pause for thought.

So, back when the elephant clan thrived in the demon realm, humans coexisted there!

Li Qing’s eyes flickered with contemplation before he clasped his hands in a respectful bow and answered truthfully:

”Senior, I am not from the demon realm. I was accidentally swept into the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm by a demonic storm while sailing the seas!”

”Moreover, based on my observations, there likely aren’t any humans left in the demon realm today.”

Upon hearing this, the lingering will of the elephant clan senior in the tomb mansion seemed momentarily stunned.

”Is that so... A human from the outer domain? How rare indeed!”

The lingering will pondered for a moment before continuing:

”In that case, you might still need to visit Beast King Mountain!”

Upon hearing this, Li Qing’s curiosity surged.

Originally, he had collected these beast ancestor tokens with the intention of sending Ninth Insect and Fan Tong into the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm to receive the inheritance of a fifth-tier transformation god great demon.

But now, according to this elephant clan senior, Beast King Mountain might also contain human inheritance!

Indeed, if humans existed in the demon realm before the Ancient Era, then this Myriad Beasts Secret Realm, unique to the demon realm, could naturally contain human inheritance as well!

Rather than speculate, he decided to ask directly.

Slightly excited, Li Qing clasped his hands and asked, ”Senior, does this mean Beast King Mountain also holds inheritance left by great human cultivators of the past?”

However, the elephant clan senior didn’t answer directly, instead becoming cryptic.

”Heh, I cannot reveal more. You will understand everything when you ascend Beast King Mountain yourself!”

Li Qing’s lips twitched slightly before he clasped his hands again. ”Regardless, I am grateful for you telling me this!”

Just as Li Qing finished speaking, the entire sky above the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm suddenly rippled!

In the next instant, a crimson aura completely stained the heavens, as if blood had been splashed across the sky.

Boom!

As the sky was completely dyed crimson, a powerful aura emanated from the heart of the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm, spreading to every corner of the realm.

Sensing this immense surge of energy, Li Qing abruptly raised his head.

At the horizon, a colossal golden tree towered into the heavens!

This was no mere figure of speech; it was a truly colossal tree, its crown surpassing even the blood-red clouds that stained the sky.

There, the radiant golden light of the tree intertwined with the crimson mists, creating a dreamlike, surreal spectacle.

”Is that... the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree? It’s so enormous!” Li Qing stammered, overwhelmed by the sight. He had never imagined the legendary tree would appear like this.

The elephant clan senior chuckled warmly. ”Indeed, this is the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree. It sustains the entire secret realm and is the most sacred treasure of our ancestral land.”

”When I first saw this ancestral tree, I was just as awestruck as you are now.”

”The tree’s roots are fused with the boundary stone of this realm, becoming one with its very foundation.”

”Every drop of blood spilled upon this land is absorbed by the ancestral tree, nourishing the growth of the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit.”

”It is precisely for this reason that the ancestral tree is called the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree, and its Spirit Fruit is known as the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit.”

The Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree is also referred to as the ancestral tree by the demon race within the demon realm.

Whenever the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm opens, countless powerful demons engage in fierce battles, their blood spilling across the ground. None of this blood is wasted; instead, it is absorbed and devoured by the ancestral tree.

One can only imagine the astonishing potency of the fruit produced by such a spirit tree!

It is undoubtedly a heaven-defying sacred medicine, capable of inducing a miraculous metamorphosis in any human or demon who consumes it.

Li Qing exclaimed in awe, ”What astonishing power! How could the great being who created this secret realm possess such heaven-shattering, earth-shaking abilities?”

”Heh, that is the unique power wielded by those in the divine transformation stage,” the elephant clan senior’s lingering will echoed, as if reminiscing about past events. ”By harnessing the boundary stone, they can split the heavens and cleave the earth, creating entire new worlds.”

With no time to waste, now that the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree had revealed itself, Li Qing knew he had to rush there immediately to seize this good fortune.

The Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit was an opportunity he absolutely couldn’t afford to miss!

”Senior, now that the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree has appeared, I won’t linger any longer!”

”Farewell for now, junior. I bid you adieu!”

With these words, Li Qing prepared to depart.

The Mountain Ridge Giant Elephant beneath him stirred restlessly, sensing the commotion.

The Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit was one of the greatest opportunities within the ancestral land, rivaling the inheritance of a fifth-tier great demon from Beast King Mountain.

However, the elephant clan senior’s voice, echoing from within the tomb mansion, sternly restrained it: ”No! With your mere early third-tier cultivation, you stand no chance against the other demon races. Even if you went, it would only be a waste of time. Better to remain here and focus on inheriting our clan’s legacy. Only then will our people have hope for future revival!”

”Moo-mah!” The Mountain Ridge Giant Elephant reluctantly roared in response, abandoning its desire to compete for the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit.

Seeing his descendant heed his words, the elephant clan senior’s lingering will finally softened.

”Young human cultivator, if you ever achieve great cultivation in the future, I hope you will lend a hand to my elephant clan. We suffered grievous losses resisting the demon realm’s invasion. To think our people have fallen to such straits... If our ancestors knew of this, their hearts would surely ache.”

Li Qing’s expression turned solemn. A clan with such a glorious history truly deserved better than this decline.

”Senior, rest assured. If I ever achieve true cultivation, I will certainly do something about this!”

”Good. Your word is enough. The journey to the ancestral tree is not short. As a human from the outer domain, you likely don’t know how to use the ancestor roots to quickly reach its base. I will teach you this secret technique!”

As the elephant clan senior spoke, he transmitted a strand of divine sense into Li Qing’s Sea of Consciousness.

The Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree was rooted in the boundary stone at the foundation of the secret realm, its roots spreading throughout the entire realm.

With this secret technique, Li Qing could now easily teleport from any location within the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm to the base of the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree.

Li Qing’s comprehension was exceptional. He mastered the technique almost instantly.

”Incredible! Using tree roots as conduits for rapid teleportation! This must be connected to the boundary stone that created this secret realm.”

After marveling inwardly, Li Qing expressed his sincere gratitude again. ”Thank you, Senior, for this technique!”

”No need for such formalities. This secret technique is nothing special. Hurry and depart. Competing for the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit will be no easy task!”

Hearing this, Li Qing clasped his fist in a final salute toward the entrance of the tomb mansion before leaping down from the Mountain Ridge Giant Elephant.

Thud!

Upon landing, he immediately activated the newly acquired ancestral root teleportation technique.

In the next moment, a pure wood attribute aura faintly emanated from beneath the earth.

Suddenly, a gap appeared in the ground, and brilliant golden light burst forth from within.

Through the opening, a golden root, as if forged from pure gold, extended outward.

Without hesitation, Li Qing seized the radiant golden root and activated the secret technique within his body.

Boom!

The surrounding scenery instantly transformed. Li Qing’s vision was flooded with golden light, and he felt a powerful sensation of weightlessness.

While the root’s teleportation speed couldn’t match a true teleportation array, it was still remarkably swift.

After what felt like an eternity, the golden light in Li Qing’s vision finally began to fade.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself near the base of the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree.

Li Qing gazed upward, his heart once again overwhelmed by profound awe.

”Hiss! This is the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree? Truly magnificent!”

To Li Qing’s eyes, this wasn’t merely a tree trunk; it was a golden wall, boundless and endless, its summit beyond the reach of human vision.

Nearby, other members of the demon race had also arrived via the golden ancestral root.

The shock in the eyes of the demon race was no less profound than Li Qing’s own.

It was colossal—utterly colossal!

Even the golden leaves on the branches were nearly the size of Mountain Ridge Giant Elephants!

Any creature here could only feel their own insignificance.

”In ancient myths, there’s a celestial tree called Jianmu that connects directly to the immortal realm,” Li Qing murmured to himself at the base of the golden giant. ”Calling this golden behemoth Jianmu seems fitting enough, don’t you think?”

As time passed, more and more demons arrived at the site.

Li Qing shifted his attention from the golden giant to observe the newcomers.

He quickly noticed that the demons recoiled in fear at the sight of him, some even taking several steps back.

A man’s reputation casts a long shadow.

Ever since news of Li Qing’s solo victory over Jin Lie had spread, he had become the most feared entity in the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm.

Every demon who saw him trembled with dread.

A dangerous human!

That was the universal consensus among the demon race.

This reaction piqued Li Qing’s curiosity. He touched his cheek, wondering, Am I really that terrifying?

Li Qing then flashed what he thought was a friendly smile at the demon beasts, his gleaming white teeth reflecting golden light beneath the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree.

However, his self-proclaimed friendly smile had the opposite effect.

Upon seeing Li Qing’s radiant grin, all the demon beasts instinctively retreated several steps.

To them, this smile was anything but friendly—it was downright terrifying!

The thought of competing with this human for the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit sent a chill down their spines.

After all, this was the malevolent star who had slain Jin Lie—hardly a benevolent soul.

Witnessing this reaction, Li Qing’s smile gradually stiffened.

Finally, he reluctantly withdrew his grin and took the initiative to fly forward.

Whoosh!

Li Qing’s speed was astonishing. Even without using his Kunpeng Divine Power, he moved with a swiftness unimaginable to the demon race.

In a series of blurs, he seized a demon from the Heavenly Dog Clan.

”Woof! Woof!”

The Heavenly Dog was snow-white, about the size of a calf. After being captured by Li Qing, it immediately struggled to break free.

But it quickly realized it couldn’t escape Li Qing’s grip. A tremendous force pinned its neck to the ground, immobilizing its entire body.

”Great master of the human race, spare me! Don’t eat me! I don’t know what I’ve done wrong, please have mercy!” the Heavenly Dog immediately transmitted through divine sense.

”Heh, I don’t eat dog meat. I captured you because I have some questions.”

”Why are you so afraid of me?”

Li Qing sneered again.

The trembling Heavenly Dog Clan member immediately replied through divine sense, ”Master, everyone in the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm knows you killed the Golden Bear King’s offspring. Of course I’m afraid of you!”

So that’s why. I didn’t expect the news to spread so quickly!

Li Qing raised an eyebrow, a look of understanding crossing his face. He continued his questioning:

”Tell me more. How many Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruits does the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree typically bear? And how will we compete for them when the time comes?”

This was a question that currently concerned him most. The colossal golden tree loomed before them, its vastness stretching beyond the horizon, making the task of finding the Spirit Fruits seem dauntingly difficult.

The Heavenly Dog Clan member answered truthfully:

”Master, each time the ancestral land opens, the Myriad Beasts Spirit Tree bears between five and ten Spirit Fruits. Legend has it that the most it has ever produced in history was twelve!”

”Once the fruits appear, the tree will lower golden branches, forming several paths of golden leaves that lead to its crown.”

”At the end of each golden leaf path lies a single Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit!”

Li Qing frowned slightly. ”So, each path leads to only one Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit?” he asked. ”What if I want to claim more than one?”

The Heavenly Dog immediately shook his head. ”That’s impossible! To cross over to another golden leaf path, you would need to bear a burden of ten thousand jun in weight!”

”Carrying such a heavy burden would make it nearly impossible to move, let alone compete with the other demon races!”

(End of the Chapter)