Immortal Refiner

Above the deep, azure sea, two figures descended like celestial immortals, gliding through the air.

”It’s down there,” Su Xin said softly under the faint moonlight. ”The underwater cave abode is concealed by a restriction, making it extremely well-hidden. If I hadn’t inadvertently leaked the Water Spirit Pearl’s aura when I entered the cave, the sea beasts below wouldn’t have been drawn here.”

Li Qing observed the area for a while but couldn’t sense anything unusual. Separated by the vast ocean, even his keen senses couldn’t penetrate the depths to discern the exact situation within.

”We shouldn’t delay,” Li Qing said. ”If there are only a few third-tier sea beasts, they pose no real threat. We can descend now.”

Su Xin nodded and waved her hand. A dreamlike blue light surged from her palm.

It was pure water attribute spiritual power, refined to its utmost purity. With the Water Spirit Pearl within her, Su Xin could effortlessly manipulate the seawater around her.

This was one of the benefits of possessing a spirit pearl: it allowed cultivators to directly influence the primordial energy of heaven and earth, granting them a rudimentary form of the divine abilities typically reserved for cultivators in the divine transformation stage.

Boom!

The sea surface below suddenly split apart, forming a waterless chasm.

Watching this, Li Qing inwardly marveled at the Water Spirit Pearl’s power, realizing it could even replicate the effects of a Water-Repelling Pearl.

Once the chasm stabilized, Li Qing and Su Xin flew down together.

Deep walls of water rose on either side. With keen eyesight, one could even see fish swimming within the translucent barriers.

The pair descended rapidly between these watery walls, quickly approaching the seabed.

Soon, Li Qing’s spiritual perception stirred. He sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching from the side.

Before he could warn Su Xin, she spoke first: ”A sea beast is coming—a late third-tier demon beast!”

Late third-tier, huh?

Li Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained calm.

With his current strength, he could easily handle not just one late third-tier demon beast, but two or three at once.

Even in the sea beast’s domain, he felt no fear.

Boom!

In the next instant, a violent current surged through the water walls, shaking the entire seabed.

Li Qing took a deep breath and spat out a hazy gray hammer.

”Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer!”

As Li Qing channeled his true essence into the hammer, it suddenly expanded, then swung toward the approaching sea beast.

Bang!

The massive hammer swept through the water, instantly clearing a vast area hundreds of miles wide, as if struck by an immense force.

Now that Li Qing was wielding the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer at full power, he could easily suppress most third-tier demonic beasts.

Bang!

A large vacuum suddenly appeared on the seabed, followed by a muffled thud.

Li Qing’s natal magic treasure seemed to have struck something incredibly hard, its initial strike proving ineffective.

Li Qing’s eyebrows twitched in surprise. Curious, he extended his divine sense to investigate the sea beast’s extraordinary toughness.

What he saw made him chuckle.

The creature approaching was none other than a colossal turtle!

Its shell was enormous, easily capable of carrying an entire mountain peak.

Yes, this was the Mountain-Bearing Turtle that had escaped from the Shangqing Sect long ago!

”So it’s him. What a coincidence!”

Confirming the turtle’s identity, Li Qing said, ”Head straight for the cave abode on the seabed. I’ll go greet this old turtle.”

Below, they were already nearing the seabed.

This area was densely covered in seaweed, concealing a highly secretive restriction beneath its tangled fronds.

The restriction was airtight and nearly undetectable; its presence could only be sensed at close range.

Upon hearing Li Qing’s words, Su Xin frowned slightly, her expression tinged with worry. ”Are you sure you’ll be alright alone? There’s more than just one third-tier sea beast in these waters!”

”If I assist you with the Water Spirit Pearl, I can trap one or two third-tier sea beasts for you!”

Li Qing shook his head in refusal. ”No need. You should enter the cave abode as quickly as possible and retrieve enough Heaven Origin Flowers. I’ll hold off any other sea beasts that try to interfere.”

”After all, we’re not here to hunt sea beasts. Our priority is obtaining the spiritual flowers, so the less time we waste, the better. We need to avoid attracting any transformation-stage great demons!”

If a transformation-stage great demon were to appear, Li Qing wouldn’t be too concerned. With his Wind-Thunder Silver Wings, he could easily escape. However, Su Xin’s situation was more precarious.

She carried the Water Spirit Pearl within her—even a fragmented one—which would be a fatal attraction for all sea beasts.

Even fifth-tier transformation god great demons would stop at nothing to seize it!

Therefore, the operation needed to be swift, minimizing any delays.

Su Xin nodded gently in response, then plunged headfirst into the dense, weed-choked waters below without looking back.

Li Qing turned his gaze back to the sea, where the Mountain-Bearing Turtle was surging toward him with overwhelming force.

”You escaped me before, but let’s see where you can run this time!”

”The sect’s coastal waters aren’t peaceful enough. We need a sect-protecting sacred beast to guard this area!”

With that, Li Qing dove into the sea.

As he plunged into the water, the Kunpeng Divine Power within him surged, instantly coursing through his entire body.

Kunpeng Treasure Technique!

Demonic Kun Spirit Devouring Art!

In that moment, Li Qing transformed into a colossal Kun, his passage through the sea devouring all spiritual energy in his wake.

The Mountain-Bearing Turtle abruptly halted its rapid underwater advance.

It sensed the approaching figure—a humanoid form that radiated an oppressive aura.

”Could this be a transformation stage demon king?” the turtle initially panicked, but quickly determined the energy signature belonged to a human core formation realm cultivator.

Having confirmed this, its mind settled slightly.

If it were merely a human cultivator in the core formation realm, it was confident it could swallow them whole in this underwater environment.

Just as human cultivators could refine demon beast inner cores into pills to enhance their cultivation, a human cultivator’s Golden Core, nascent soul, and even flesh and blood held immense benefits for demon beasts.

Of course, what truly captivated the Mountain-Bearing Turtle was the underwater cave abode itself.

Since the fall of the Shangqing Sect, it had fled to the deepest reaches of the ocean, wandering aimlessly.

Recently, while passing through this area, it quickly sensed an anomaly. Despite the absence of a spiritual vein rich in spiritual energy, several formidable third-tier sea beasts had gathered here.

After some investigation, the Mountain-Bearing Turtle learned about the Water Spirit Pearl.

The Water Spirit Pearl!

Even as a demon, it understood the pearl’s immense value. This was undoubtedly a sacred artifact, a supreme treasure for all water attribute demon beasts in the world!

Obtaining it could even allow one to transcend the limitations imposed by bloodline and break through to higher realms!

Though its lifespan was long, the Mountain-Bearing Turtle was now ancient, having guarded generations of disciples at the Shangqing Sect.

Now a late third-tier demon beast, it still hesitated to attempt transformation.

It lacked the confidence to survive the transformation tribulation.

”I sensed pure water attribute spiritual energy just now. It must be the Water Spirit Pearl. If I can obtain it, not only will I achieve transformation, but I might even ascend to become a demon ancestor in the divine transformation stage!”

Alas, its grand ambitions clashed brutally with reality.

Ahead, Li Qing, who had been absorbing the spiritual energy from the seawater, had already approached.

A black phantom of the Demonic Kun now circled Li Qing’s body.

The Demonic Kun’s massive jaws slowly closed, brewing a terrifying attack.

Yet Li Qing wore a gentle smile, his eyes narrowed as he chuckled, ”Heh, the old turtle of Shangqing Sect! I never expected to encounter you here!”

The Mountain-Bearing Turtle’s heart jolted with alarm as it instantly recognized Li Qing—the very culprit who had annihilated Shangqing Sect!

”It’s you!”

Li Qing’s smile widened into a mocking grin. ”Indeed, it is I!”

Before his words could fully fade, the colossal Kun phantom behind him reopened its jaws.

Boom!

In an instant, a spiraling water column hundreds of meters in diameter erupted from the seabed.

The colossal water column shattered every obstacle in its path, crashing directly into the Mountain-Bearing Turtle’s shell.

Crack! Crack!

The turtle’s shell, strong enough to support entire mountains, shattered under the force of the blow.

Crimson blood instantly stained the surrounding seawater. The massive Mountain-Bearing Turtle, caught completely off guard, was critically wounded in a single strike.

Watching this, Li Qing exhaled softly.

”This Demonic Kun Spirit Devouring Art is no simple technique. The heaven and earth spiritual energy I forcibly absorbed just now was far too dense and impure, causing a faint throbbing pain in my meridians.”

As he spoke, Li Qing approached the Mountain-Bearing Turtle.

The critically wounded turtle, seeing this, tried to flee, filled with regret for ever encountering such a malevolent star in this place.

But Li Qing’s speed in the water was undiminished. After all, the Demonic Kun form of the Kunpeng moved through the sea as effortlessly as a fish.

Even in its prime, the Mountain-Bearing Turtle likely couldn’t match Li Qing’s speed, let alone in its current weakened state.

Li Qing easily overtook the turtle and landed on its head.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three Po Jun Blades materialized simultaneously in Li Qing’s hand. He pressed the icy, razor-sharp blades against the Mountain-Bearing Turtle’s head and transmitted a message through divine sense:

”I can see you value your life.”

Sensing the chilling killing intent above its head, the Mountain-Bearing Turtle immediately ceased its movements. It spoke with utmost respect: ”I am willing to submit!”

The turtle’s honesty and cooperation saved Li Qing a great deal of trouble.

Li Qing raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised but ultimately finding it logical.

Having resided in the Shangqing Sect for many years and lived for countless ages, the Mountain-Bearing Turtle naturally understood how to interact with humans.

It clearly recognized its current predicament: Li Qing could end its life at any moment, yet he hadn’t done so, indicating his intention to subdue it.

The turtle had no hesitation.

Survival trumped all else.

As for any lingering grudges against the Shangqing Sect, those had long been discarded.

With the Shangqing Sect utterly destroyed, dwelling on such matters was pointless. The turtle had personally witnessed the core formation true lords of the sect fall one by one at the mountain gate.

”Heh, not bad. You’re quite perceptive!” Li Qing nodded in satisfaction. ”However, to earn my trust, you’ll need to sign a Master-Servant Spirit Contract.”

Upon hearing this, the Mountain-Bearing Turtle instinctively retorted, ”The Shangqing Sect never forced me to acknowledge a master.”

But before it could finish, it obediently clamped its mouth shut.

Li Qing, perched on its head, gradually adopted an icy expression. The three Po Jun Blades hovering nearby seemed poised to claim its life at any moment.

”Alright... I’m willing to sign a Master-Servant Spirit Contract with you.”

A turtle under the eaves has no choice but to lower its head.

Compared to its life, signing a contract was a small price to pay.

After all, its lifespan was immeasurably long. It could simply outlive Li Qing!

The lifespan of the human race paled in comparison to that of demons, especially the Mountain-Bearing Turtle, renowned for its longevity among demonkind.

Sensing its thoughts, Li Qing chuckled and shook his head. ”Not with me. You’ll be signing the contract with someone else.”

The Mountain-Bearing Turtle blinked in surprise, then hesitantly asked, ”What’s their cultivation level?”

As a demon, it naturally possessed its own dignity. Signing a Master-Servant Spirit Contract with a human whose cultivation level was inferior to its own would only deepen its resentment.

Before Li Qing could answer, a graceful figure finally emerged from the underwater cave abode, which had been concealed by seaweed and restrictions.

”She’s the one,” Li Qing said calmly, pointing to Su Xin as she flew over. ”If you want to live, sign a spiritual contract with her. Afterward, you won’t need to do anything except guard the Lingyun Sect’s sea territory.”

As Su Xin flew, she activated the Water Spirit Pearl’s power. The surrounding seawater automatically parted, unable to touch her body.

Sensing the pure water attribute spiritual power, the Mountain-Bearing Turtle immediately realized this was the true Water Spirit Pearl! The reluctance it had felt just moments ago vanished instantly. ”Alright! No problem! I’m willing to acknowledge her as my master!” it roared.

”Li Qing, are you alright?” Su Xin asked, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly with concern.

Li Qing replied with a relaxed smile, ”Heh, nothing serious. This old turtle probably drove away the other third-tier sea beasts in the area. I’ve already subdued it. Now, you just need to sign a Master-Servant Spirit Contract with it.”

Su Xin’s beautiful eyes narrowed as she focused on the Mountain-Bearing Turtle. The more she looked, the more familiar it seemed. Finally, she recognized the turtle’s origins.

”It’s you...!”

Indeed, during the Heavenly River Sect’s destruction, this very Mountain-Bearing Turtle had slaughtered many of the sect’s elders!

(End of the Chapter)

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