Immortal Refiner

The True Bone of a fifth-tier demonic bird, having soaked in the Yellow Springs River for years, had retained a remarkable amount of its spirituality!

Especially the pair of wing bones, which possessed the texture of top-grade jade—smooth and flawless.

With this bone, Li Qing’s chances of truly refining the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings into a heaven-piercing spirit treasure had increased significantly.

Suppressing his inner joy, Li Qing carefully stored the demonic bird’s True Bone.

Indeed, this trip into the Yellow Springs Holy Sect’s mountain gate had been incredibly fruitful. Aside from the fifth-tier demonic bird’s True Bone, he had also perused numerous immortal dao scriptures, deepening his accumulated knowledge.

This would undoubtedly make Law Creation much easier in the future.

Furthermore, he had obtained a miraculous water formed by combining Great Yin True Water and Yellow Springs River Water. Their fusion would be the perfect medium for refining his body and cultivating the Dao Tribulation Limitless Sutra in his next stage of cultivation!

Thus, laden with treasures, Li Qing led Lin Jing out of the ruins of the cultivation sect and charged beyond the Boundary River.

”Master, where have you been all these years? I searched the entire world and couldn’t find a trace of you!”

”Oh, right, Master. I found many ancient texts in those ruins. Could it be that you’re the legendary immortal?”

”Master, Master, do you know? The vital energy martial dao we practice has reached a new realm called the Unity Realm!”

”Where are Fan Tong and Xiao Jiu? Why aren’t they here this time?”

As Lin Jing gradually regained her strength after leaving the Boundary River, her words flowed freely.

Even though she now held an unparalleled position in the martial alliance, before Li Qing, she seemed forever the same inquisitive girl she had always been.

Li Qing didn’t hide anything, answering her questions with a gentle smile.

Their figures streaked across the horizon, hurtling toward the Royal City of the Blood Martial Dynasty at top speed.

Eighteen years had passed in the outside world. Li Qing hadn’t anticipated this journey would take so long.

As for Fan Tong and Miao Tuo, who had been waiting outside the Boundary River, they certainly wouldn’t have waited for eighteen years. They were nowhere to be seen now.

Through the divine soul imprint’s connection, Li Qing confirmed that Fan Tong was currently in the Royal City, and things seemed to be going well.

Eighteen years had passed in the outside world!

In the Royal City of the Blood Martial Dynasty, the scenery and architecture remained largely unchanged from when Li Qing had left. However, the power center within the city had undergone a complete transformation!

Nine years ago, the late Emperor Miao Jing passed away, and Crown Prince Miao Tuo ascended the throne.

The succession caused some ripples throughout the Royal City, but Miao Tuo’s formidable martial prowess quickly quelled the unrest.

Thus, Miao Tuo became the third ruler of the Blood Martial Dynasty, and the most accomplished martial artist in its history.

The Unity Realm—such a level of martial cultivation was rare even within the martial alliance.

Under Miao Tuo’s rule, the Blood Martial Dynasty’s expansionist ambitions were rekindled. Information and intelligence from more great domains poured into the Royal City.

Clearly, he was preparing for a new campaign, aspiring to be an emperor like the dynasty’s founder, Miao Xi, and complete the grand task of territorial expansion—just as his name suggested.

Despite his diligence in governing, Miao Tuo never neglected his own Martial Dao cultivation.

At forty-six, his vital energy not only hadn’t waned but had grown increasingly vigorous. Having reached the Martial Dao Unity Realm and completed Qi-Blood Embracing the Core, his constitution had undergone a profound transformation, granting him a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary mortals. He was destined to be a long-reigning monarch, and barring unforeseen circumstances, his reign might even surpass two centuries!

Today, after concluding court affairs, Miao Tuo continued his relentless martial training within the Imperial Palace.

Throughout his practice, his gaze occasionally drifted towards the Boundary River Domain, a hint of melancholy flickering across his brow.

”If Black Shark Tiger Venerable hadn’t personally confirmed Senior Li’s safety, I would have drained that Boundary River dry myself!”

”Eighteen years... so many years without a word from Senior Li.”

With those words, Miao Tuo resumed his practice, immersing himself entirely in his Martial Dao cultivation.

Having reigned for nine years, the once sharp-edged young man had finally learned to temper his ambition, becoming more reserved and introspective.

Now, he understood Li Qing’s words from back then with ever-deeper clarity.

”A heavy sword has no edge, great skill appears effortless!”

Just then, a thunderous tiger roar suddenly erupted from the forbidden land within the Imperial Palace!

”Arooo!”

Hearing the roar, Miao Tuo’s expression shifted slightly. He immediately stopped what he was doing and rushed toward the forbidden land.

For years, Fan Tong had remained dormant within the Royal City’s Imperial Palace, only stirring today.

This was a third-tier exotic beast that could speak—Senior Li’s mount. Miao Tuo feared something might have gone wrong.

As he neared the forbidden land, Miao Tuo could soon hear the commotion inside.

”Hahaha, Fan Tong, can you really speak now?”

”This is incredible! Master, how did Fan Tong learn to talk?”

Within the forbidden land, a fierce tiger covered in dark purple stripes sat with a lithe, slender woman perched upon its back.

At first glance, Miao Tuo recognized her immediately!

”Paternal Great-Aunt? You’ve returned?!”

Hearing the astonished shout, Lin Jing, still seated on Fan Tong, turned her curious gaze toward Miao Tuo outside the forbidden land.

After a long moment, she dredged up fragmented memories, faintly recognizing Miao Tuo through his significantly altered features.

”So it’s Miao Tuo, my nephew’s grandson. Who would have thought that the mischievous child of yesteryear would become the Emperor? How much you’ve changed!”

Lin Jing naturally assumed an air of seniority, adopting the tone of a seasoned advisor as she looked at Miao Tuo.

This left Miao Tuo somewhat amused and exasperated. As the reigning monarch of the Blood Martial Dynasty, who dared to treat him with such casual disrespect?

However, this was not the time to dwell on such matters. Miao Tuo’s gaze swept across the forbidden land, searching for Li Qing’s trace.

If Lin Jing had returned, then Senior Li must have returned as well!

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Miao Tuo clasped his hands in a respectful bow toward Lin Jing before hurrying deeper into the forbidden land.

There stood a Thorn Iron Tree, its entire trunk covered in thorns. The tree was not large, only about two people tall.

Standing before the Thorn Iron Tree was a tall, upright figure.

Li Qing stood with his hands clasped behind his back, carefully examining the Iron Tree Sacrificial Spirit revered by the Blood Martial Dynasty.

”It’s truly in such a deep slumber, even sealing off its spiritual sense so completely that it’s cut off all communication with the outside world.”

No one would have guessed that the mysterious Iron Tree Sacrificial Spirit, the Blood Martial Dynasty’s most trusted source of power, would appear so ordinary within the Imperial Palace’s forbidden land.

However, Li Qing knew this Ji Ling was far from as simple as it seemed!

His divine soul sensed that only a small portion of the Iron Tree was visible above ground—not even the tip of an iceberg. Beneath the surface lay an enormous network of roots and a massive trunk, enough to overturn the entire Royal City!

”Senior Li? You’ve returned?” Miao Tuo asked, barely containing his excitement.

Hearing this, Li Qing turned with a gentle smile to face the figure in the golden robe, whose demeanor now carried a regal air.

”Indeed. Your sharpness is now concealed, and your progress is considerable.”

This casual remark sent Miao Tuo, now the emperor, trembling with excitement.

”Senior Li, you’ve finally returned!”

”I’ll send someone to inform Uncle Yan right away!”

Though he longed to know what Li Qing had experienced in the intervening years, the most pressing matter was to notify Yan Xishan.

In the Imperial Palace, Yan Xishan’s aged appearance was more pronounced than ever, clearly a sign that his great limit was approaching.

Seeing Yan Xishan’s condition, Li Qing knew he had little time left, perhaps only a few years at most.

But this was already remarkable. After all, Yan Xishan was only a generation younger than Miao Xi. For a vital energy martial artist to live so long was an extraordinary feat.

He had never embarked on the immortal dao, nor had he undergone the mutation induced by the Red Moon Secret Power. Yet he had lived for over three hundred years, a testament to his resilience.

”Cough, cough, cough... Master,” Yan Xishan coughed as he bowed to Li Qing.

Li Qing looked at Yan Xishan’s current state and sighed softly.

Even without a thorough examination, he could tell how dire his disciple’s condition was.

In his youth, Yan Xishan had overworked himself, participating in countless campaigns and great wars, leaving him with numerous hidden injuries and chronic ailments.

These problems hadn’t surfaced when he was young and strong, but as he aged and his body weakened, the accumulated wear and tear from his early years had become a serious issue, shortening his lifespan by at least several decades.

”Senior Brother Yan,” Lin Jing said, her voice filled with emotion as she gazed at her senior brother, now showing his age. Her eyes betrayed a hint of sorrow and reluctance.

She and Yan Xishan were peers, both disciples of Li Qing.

However, because she had rarely engaged in direct combat in her early years, and because Li Qing had used his own essence blood to cleanse her body after she was severely wounded while with the Blood Lotus Sect, her foundation remained robust.

This was one reason why Lin Jing’s appearance had remained youthful over the years.

Of course, the most important reason was that she had been trapped within the Netherworld Stone Tablet for many years, during which time the passage of time had not truly affected her.

So, Lin Jing could live for at least another century.

”Junior Sister Lin, it’s wonderful to see you alive,” Yan Xishan said with a smile, his demeanor as calm and composed as ever.

Tears welled up in Lin Jing’s eyes as memories of the past years flooded her mind, stirring a wave of reluctance.

”Sigh...”

”Xi Shan, come here.”

Li Qing sighed and beckoned his disciple closer.

”Master, I’ve come to bid you farewell. I know you’ve always been elusive, often disappearing for years at a time. This time, I fear I may never...”

Before Yan Xishan could finish, Li Qing raised his hand to interrupt. He placed a hand on his disciple’s shoulder, channeling a stream of pure true essence into him.

In truth, after reaching the Martial Dao Unity Realm, vital energy and blood were locked within the dantian, allowing one to slow the aging process if they chose. However, Yan Xishan had never considered such a notion, allowing the years to etch their marks on his face.

Gazing at his master up close, Yan Xishan’s emotions grew even more complex.

His master’s face never changed, always appearing eternally youthful and ageless, as if the sculptor of time’s blade had never touched him.

After a long while, Yan Xishan felt a warm glow spread through his body. The hidden ailments and internal injuries that had plagued him seemed to be slowly mending.

”This is...”

He felt his body grow lighter, his condition improving noticeably.

”This can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. I’ve healed your internal injuries and hidden ailments, which should extend your life by five or six years.”

”But I can also use my essence blood to cleanse your fleshly body. If I do that, you should live another thirty to fifty years.”

With that, Li Qing gestured for Yan Xishan to remove his clothes and prepare for the essence blood cleansing.

Li Qing was now a Nascent Soul cultivator, his flesh and blood constantly nourished by spiritual energy. His body arts cultivation was comparable to a Fourth-tier Transformation Great Demon!

His essence blood now held considerable value, an extraordinary elixir for mortal Martial Artists.

Yan Xishan understood his master’s meaning and shook his head vehemently, rejecting Li Qing’s proposal.

”Disciple would never dare commit such a heinous act. Master has given me a second life. Using your essence blood to cleanse my fleshly body is absolutely out of the question!”

”In truth, to be able to die of natural causes and see Master one last time before my death is already more than I could have hoped for.”

His tone and demeanor were utterly resolute, leaving Li Qing no room to press the matter further.

With that, Yan Xishan bowed deeply to Li Qing one last time before leaving the Imperial Palace.

Watching his disciple’s slightly forlorn figure recede, Li Qing felt a moment of confusion.

”Immortality...”

In the days that followed, Li Qing remained in the Royal City, entering seclusion within the forbidden land of the Imperial Palace to cultivate.

He continued to refine his daoist arts, gaining even deeper insights since his return from the Yellow Springs Holy Sect.

Finally, the qi refining realm chapter of his self-created Dao Tribulation Limitless Sutra reached complete perfection.

This was undoubtedly an extraordinary cultivation manual, its practice also allowing one to nourish their internal organs with their own mana.

The moment Li Qing’s qi refining realm cultivation manual reached perfection, he felt his long-stable cultivation base loosen slightly.

This enlightenment and cultivation manual refinement process had consumed him for eight years. It had taken him eight years to perfect the qi refining realm section.

”The pressure from this heaven and earth has intensified. I can’t even unleash the full power of a Nascent Soul cultivator.”

Li Qing spread his hands with a wry smile. This was the suppression of the entire heaven and earth, as this world had entered the End of Dao Era, with spiritual energy completely depleted. Li Qing was gradually assimilating with this world.

If he weren’t a cultivator from another world, he would have to find a way to escape this cruel era, exhausting every means to achieve immortality.

Before Li Qing could officially emerge from seclusion, Lin Jing’s tearful voice reached him from outside the forbidden land:

”Master, Senior Brother Yan is dying!”

Though he had anticipated this, hearing it directly still stunned Li Qing.

Without a word, he immediately flew out of the Imperial Palace with Lin Jing and arrived at the martial alliance’s territory.

At this moment, Yan Xishan lay on his bed, his vital energy as thin as a strand of silk. His blood and qi had dried up like a parched stream, completely cut off. His pulse was faint, as if he had just survived a grave illness.

”Master... Junior Sister...”

Yan Xishan was truly at the end of his rope. Even Li Qing’s essence blood could no longer prolong his life. Unless he could find a Nine Revolutions Immortal Pill, Yan Xishan was beyond even an immortal’s help.

Li Qing walked solemnly to Yan Xishan’s bedside and asked in a low voice, ”Xi Shan, do you have anything else you wish to say?”

”Master... who exactly are you?” Yan Xishan, his hair now completely white, still looked at Li Qing with the same deep respect.

After a moment’s thought, Li Qing replied, ”I am merely one of the countless beings struggling to cross this sea of mortals.”

Hearing this, Yan Xishan smiled. The master before him was both familiar and utterly foreign.

”Master, am I your pride?” On the brink of death, he still sought his master’s approval.

Li Qing smiled gently. ”Yes, you’ve always been my pride. Your Martial Dao Unity Realm and Qi-Blood Embracing the Core have been a great help to me as well.”

These words brought a brighter smile to Yan Xishan’s face.

But soon, his tone shifted. ”Master, over these years, I’ve often dreamed of our two senior brothers and junior brothers who died at the demonic willow in the Black Wind Domain. One day, you must avenge them.”

Li Qing nodded solemnly, accepting this final request.

”I promise you, one day I will personally destroy that demonic willow.”

Hearing this, Yan Xishan’s face lit up with another smile.

At this moment, his long-pale complexion finally regained its rosy hue, and his speech became smoother.

In this final burst of vitality, his eyes shone with intense light, as if he had made a firm decision.

”I want to see... I want to see where the future of vital energy martial dao lies!”

”Is this road truly at its end? So many predecessors and sages have followed this path, generation after generation. Could it be nothing more than a dead end?”

”I want to contribute my final meager effort to this Martial Dao.”

As he spoke, the dying Yan Xishan’s body, which should have long been drained of vital energy and true qi, surged with renewed vigor like a raging river.

Vital energy coursed through his entire body, yet it couldn’t halt the approach of death.

”Master... I see chains. They are both shackles and restraints.”

In his final moments, Yan Xishan’s eyes blazed with a fierce light as he uttered these words, then released his grip on Li Qing’s hand.

Thus, the second alliance leader of the martial alliance, Yan Xishan, passed away.

In his dying breath, he left a final, cryptic message for all Martial Artists practicing the vital energy martial dao throughout the world:

”Senior Brother... Senior Brother Yan!” Lin Jing’s tears flowed like rain. The senior brother who had been like a true elder brother to her had now departed this world forever.

Li Qing finally straightened his disciple’s clothes, murmuring, ”Xi Shan, farewell.”

(End of the Chapter)

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