Immortal Refiner

The Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild’s prediction of an impending demonic cataclysm cast a shadow over everyone’s hearts.

During the free trade fair that followed the auction, many attendees focused intently on treasures that could enhance their cultivation strength.

Spiritual objects that could extend lifespan or replenish life essence, however, received comparatively less attention.

Of course, for cultivators like Old Lord Tu Yuan, whose lifespan was nearing its end, spirit herbs and objects that could prolong life remained their primary targets.

He immediately approached the cultivator who had offered a Spirit Longevity Peach with a thousand-year lifespan, presenting his longevity lock. After lengthy negotiations, they finally reached a mutually agreeable trade.

Li Qing observed the various spiritual objects being displayed. His interests leaned toward items that could boost his combat prowess or replenish his life essence.

”This is North Sea Essence,” one cultivator announced. ”An invaluable spiritual object for artifact refiners. When added during refinement, it enhances a magic treasure’s spirituality, significantly increasing its power upon completion!”

”Fellow Daoist, what are you seeking in exchange?”

”Then let’s see what you all have to offer. I don’t have any particular desires.”

Surrounded by several Nascent Soul cultivators, a middle-aged man with a thick black beard held a crystalline essence that radiated a brilliant light.

Seeing this, Li Qing immediately pushed his way through the crowd and called out, ”I have a fragment of True Bone from a fifth-tier demonic bird, though its spirituality has been slightly diminished. Fellow daoist, are you interested?”

Fifth-tier demonic bird True Bone!

The assembled cultivators were all powerful experts with keen ears. Li Qing’s words instantly drew their attention, and countless gazes converged on him.

As they recognized Li Qing’s appearance, many revealed expressions of surprise, thinking, Fellow Daoist Limitless truly possesses extraordinary wealth.

”Fellow Daoist Limitless is truly unfathomable. He even possesses True Bone from a fifth-tier demonic bird?”

”Incredible! There have been so few Divine Transformation great demons in recorded history. Could this be from some reclusive demon cultivator powerhouse?”

The middle-aged man holding the North Sea Essence also showed a flicker of emotion. He quickly replied, ”If it’s truly True Bone from a fifth-tier demonic bird, then the North Sea Essence is yours. But I’ll need to see the actual item first—don’t tell me I have to go searching for it.”

He was cautious and resolute, insisting on completing the transaction right there.

Clearly, Li Qing’s reputation preceded him. His combat prowess had made many nascent soul realm cultivators wary, fearing he might lure them away to kill and plunder.

Facing such a ruthless figure who could fight the mid-transformation stage Black Flood Dragon King to a standstill, it was impossible not to feel apprehension.

Li Qing smiled calmly and patted his storage bag.

He produced a bone roughly the thickness of an adult’s leg. Its surface was as smooth as jade, yet it radiated a faint, dark yellow glow—a telltale sign of prolonged submersion in the Yellow Springs River.

The moment the True Bone appeared, gasps rippled through the crowd.

The faint oppressive aura emanating from it was undeniable. No appraisal was needed to confirm it: this was indeed the True Bone of a fifth-tier demonic bird.

To ensure the transaction’s integrity, the cultivator holding the North Sea Essence still requested verification from the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild.

”Confirmed. This is indeed the True Bone of a fifth-tier great demon. Its spirituality is slightly diminished, but it still carries traces of netherworld energy.”

True Monarch Tianbao, an old acquaintance of Li Qing, conducted the appraisal.

After confirming the authenticity of the traded items, True Monarch Tianbao witnessed the transaction, ensuring its completion.

”Fellow Daoist Limitless, it seems your travels these past few years have been quite fruitful,” True Monarch Tianbao remarked with a polite smile. ”Not only did you obtain Yellow Springs Water, but you even acquired the True Bone of a fifth-tier demonic bird!”

True Monarch Tianbao knew exactly which spirit materials Li Qing had previously commissioned him to collect, and he had even guessed Li Qing’s purpose. Seeing Li Qing produce a segment of the fifth-tier bird’s True Bone, he surmised that Li Qing had likely gathered all the necessary materials.

This was astonishing. Even the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild would struggle to collect such a rare and precious assortment of spirit materials.

Li Qing waved his hand dismissively. ”Not at all! Compared to your esteemed merchant guild, my humble efforts are hardly worth mentioning!”

Having secured the North Sea Essence, Li Qing’s heart was filled with joy, and his words carried a hint of elation.

He quickly changed the subject. ”By the way, Fellow Daoist Tianbao, about what Fellow Daoist Wan He said earlier...”

True Monarch Tianbao’s expression turned solemn. He nodded. ”It’s almost certain to come true. I advise you, fellow daoist, not to slack off in the coming years. Focus on improving your cultivation and strength as much as possible.”

”Ancestor Wan’s intuition has never been wrong.”

Seeing True Monarch Tianbao’s grave demeanor, Li Qing’s heart tightened slightly. He nodded solemnly. ”Understood!”

”Also, where is the fellow daoist who possesses the Mustard Seed Contains Mount Sumeru Treasure? I’m quite interested in that artifact. Could you introduce me?” Li Qing pressed.

He was very intrigued by an artifact similar to a Cave Heaven Treasure.

The fact that storage bags couldn’t hold living beings was quite inconvenient, so Li Qing desperately wanted such a spatial treasure.

After all, Li Qing’s wealth had grown considerably, and he couldn’t carry his spirit insects and plants with him when traveling. He had to leave them in his cave abode within the sect.

It wasn’t that the cave abodes within the sect lacked security, but for rare treasures like Fire Jade Bees and blood lotuses, it was best to keep them close at hand.

However, achieving this required the legendary Cave Heaven Treasures.

Li Qing never imagined someone would actually bring such a thing to this auction.

”Hahahaha, fellow daoist, there’s no need for such elaborate measures! Over the years, our Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild has made significant breakthroughs in the study of spatial Dao patterns. We’ve even refined several similar treasures ourselves. I suspect that fellow daoist’s Mustard Seed Contains Mount Sumeru Treasure is something similar!”

As the times advanced, the cultivation world naturally evolved as well.

Peak immortal dao factions like the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild, with their vast wealth and abundant human resources, naturally supported talented individuals within their ranks to conduct research.

Some were dedicated to developing new pill formulas, others to innovating formation arts, while still others specialized in refining artifacts, crafting talismans, and other cultivation arts.

Generation after generation, with the accumulation of knowledge deepening over time, they had inevitably achieved some breakthroughs.

One such breakthrough was this weakened version of a Cave Heaven Treasure.

Li Qing’s eyes lit up at the mention. ”Is that so? May I have a look?”

”Certainly, fellow daoist. Please follow me. The Wind Origin Domain branch of the merchant guild possesses one of these treasures. We had originally planned to auction one or two at the grand auction, but considering the already substantial number of items, we decided against it.”

Fellow Daoist Tianbao chuckled softly and led the way, guiding Li Qing to a hidden floor within the main hall.

”Fetch a Void Shell!”

Upon recognizing True Monarch Tianbao’s face, members of the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild quickly sprang into action.

Moments later, a palm-sized white scallop shell was brought forth and presented to True Monarch Tianbao.

”Fellow daoist, behold this Mustard Seed Contains Mount Sumeru Treasure. Within this shell lies a space large enough to contain an entire vast lake!”

”While it doesn’t match the true power of a Cave Heaven Treasure, it remains an exceedingly rare and invaluable artifact!”

Li Qing observed the white scallop shell intently. At its core, he noticed a smooth, silver pearl that faintly pulsed with spatial power.

”Simply probe this silver pearl with your divine sense, and you can survey the entire space within,” True Monarch Tianbao explained.

”Not only can it accommodate living beings, but even your true form can enter and rest inside.”

”With this Void Shell, you’ll essentially carry an enormous cave abode with you at all times!”

True Monarch Tianbao handed the Void Shell to Li Qing for closer inspection.

Li Qing accepted the snow-white scallop shell and slowly opened it. He probed it with his divine sense and indeed found a vast, empty space within.

His expression shifted with awe. ”Why didn’t you expand the space further?” he asked.

True Monarch Tianbao shook his head. ”Everything has its limits. To expand the space further would require inscribing extremely complex spatial Dao patterns, which ordinary materials couldn’t withstand. The effort would far outweigh the benefits.”

”The current size represents the optimal balance. Even a slight increase would necessitate inscribing a massive number of additional Dao patterns.”

I see, Li Qing thought. As an artifact refiner himself, he immediately understood the underlying challenge.

He then asked, ”There’s not a trace of spiritual energy inside—it’s just an empty void. Will I have to fill it myself later?”

Li Qing was actually trying to lower the price, sensing this item wouldn’t come cheap.

True Monarch Tianbao smiled slyly. ”After all, it’s not a true Cave Heaven Treasure. Fellow Daoist can add spirit stones or plant Spirit Spring Eyes inside. Over time, spiritual energy will naturally accumulate.”

With that, it was time to discuss the price. Li Qing closed the Void Shell and asked, ”What is the value of this Void Shell? What form of exchange do you require?”

Hearing this, True Monarch Tianbao’s smile widened, like an old fox. He raised three fingers and slowly said, ”Three hundred thousand spirit stones, Fellow Daoist, and the Void Shell is yours.”

Li Qing’s expression froze. He felt an urge to call the man a profiteer.

He strongly suspected True Monarch Tianbao had learned how many spirit stones Li Qing possessed and set the price accordingly.

This was his entire fortune!

”Heh, Fellow Daoist, don’t think it’s too expensive,” True Monarch Tianbao chuckled. ”The Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild currently has a limited supply of these Void Shells. As production increases and costs decrease, the price will naturally fall.”

”Three hundred thousand spirit stones is absolutely not too high!”

Li Qing’s expression stiffened slightly. If he spent all his spirit stones now, how would he replenish the Void Shell with spiritual energy later?

True Monarch Tianbao quickly added, ”Fellow Daoist, if you can provide another True Bone from a fifth-tier demonic bird like the one you offered earlier, our Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild will include a Spirit Spring Eye as a bonus!”

This offer piqued Li Qing’s interest.

After all, he only needed a pair of wing bones for refining the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings. The other True Bones from the demon bird were useless to him.

The True Bone he had offered earlier had actually been pre-dismantled specifically for trading at the auction to acquire items he needed.

Hearing this, Li Qing finally agreed to the deal.

The Spirit Spring Eye was an extremely rare spiritual object. Once planted, it would continuously gush forth spirit-infused spring water, essentially providing a portable first-tier spiritual vein.

Exchanging it for a single True Bone from a fifth-tier demonic bird was quite a bargain.

”Very well, it’s a deal!” Li Qing said, producing another True Bone of the same size as the previous one.

True Monarch Tianbao’s face lit up with a wide smile. ”Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Limitless, please wait a moment. The Spirit Spring Eye will be delivered shortly!”

After completing his transaction with True Monarch Tianbao, Li Qing returned to the free trade fair.

Obtaining the Void Shell and Spirit Spring Eye was a significant gain, leaving him quite satisfied.

”The Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild is truly extraordinary,” he mused. ”No wonder they’ve remained a peak immortal dao faction in this realm for so long. Even their casual displays of resources are astonishing.”

”I wonder how many extraordinary talents they employ. Perhaps they’ve even developed new pill formulas to advance cultivation in the nascent soul realm?!”

After securing the Void Shell, Li Qing couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

As the trade fair drew to a close, Li Qing wandered about, continuously acquiring spiritual objects brimming with life essence. He planned to replenish his life essence thoroughly afterward.

To this end, he spent a staggering 130,000 spirit stones, nearly halving his wealth in a single, extravagant expenditure.

With the trade fair finally concluding, everyone dispersed, departing from the floating treasure palace.

Some cultivators who had acquired valuable treasures, fearing ambushes, immediately spent considerable spirit stones to teleport away using the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild’s teleportation array.

In the days that followed, the Heavenly Treasure Capital, an immortal city, pulsed with the intermittent glow and fluctuations of teleportation arrays as cultivators used them to travel.

Some Nascent Soul cultivators, confident in their strength, lingered in the city for several days, unconcerned about being targeted for their treasures.

The Black Flood Dragon King was among them.

Li Qing had initially planned to use the teleportation array to return to the Azure Ridge Domain as quickly as possible.

However, just as he was about to depart, a fellow Nascent Soul cultivator invited him to a dao discussion, forcing him to remain in the immortal city for a few more days.

To his surprise, the Black Flood Dragon King was also present at the dao discussion.

The conversation revolved around the demonic cataclysm mentioned by the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild. Clearly, Li Qing wasn’t the only cultivator deeply concerned about this potential calamity that threatened heaven and earth.

”Fellow Daoist Black Flood Dragon King,” Immortal Maiden Yun Rou began, ”I’ve heard that the ancestral land of the Flood Dragon Clan also suppresses a spatial node connected to the demon realm. Has there been any unusual activity at that location?”

Immortal Maiden Yun Rou, who hailed from the Flame Domain, surprised everyone with her knowledge of the Flood Dragon Clan’s affairs.

The Black Flood Dragon King was visibly taken aback. He studied the graceful, alluring woman in her palace robes for a moment before frowning and replying:

”That spatial node is guarded by my big brother. I know little about its current status.”

”Fellow Daoist, how do you know so much about the Flood Dragon Clan’s affairs? Where did you learn this?”

Immortal Maiden Yun Rou chuckled. ”This humble one attained enlightenment in Bright King Valley and has heard some of these secret tales.”

Upon hearing the name ”Bright King Valley,” a flicker of shock crossed the Black Flood Dragon King’s pitch-black pupils, though he quickly concealed it. He gave Immortal Maiden Yun Rou a deep, appraising look but said nothing more.

Li Qing’s heart stirred slightly at this revelation.

Flame Domain, Bright King Valley!

He vividly recalled Senior Bai Ling’s request: if Li Qing ever reached the divine transformation stage, he should look after the Hua Clan within Bright King Valley. At the time, Li Qing had been astonished, wondering what kind of place Bright King Valley must be, requiring such advanced cultivation to even be qualified to assist one of its clans.

Now, witnessing the Black Flood Dragon King’s reaction to the name, Li Qing’s apprehension deepened. This lord, who feared neither heaven nor earth and possessed an utterly arrogant nature, clearly held Bright King Valley in profound dread.

If I’m going to help the Hua Clan, Li Qing mused inwardly, should I first invoke Senior Bai Ling’s name and ask them to help me?

With a demonic cataclysm looming over heaven and earth, Li Qing wasn’t even confident he could survive the impending calamity.

Of course, this was just a thought. Li Qing concealed his true feelings well, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts to anyone.

The cultivators then spent a long time discussing the demonic cataclysm, sharing their intelligence on the demonic race.

During the discussion, Li Qing learned many secret details about the demonic race, greatly expanding his knowledge.

Finally, they engaged in a dao discussion, exchanging insights on cultivation and addressing their doubts.

Li Qing, who rarely participated in such discussions, gained significant insights. Some aspects even felt like a sudden enlightenment.

However, as someone beginning to create his own daoist arts, Li Qing only shared non-critical aspects of his cultivation manual, leaving many impressed by his profound understanding of the Great Dao and his unique insights.

This person not only possesses exceptional combat prowess but also a remarkably deep understanding of the Great Dao, with his own unique insights.

”Hahahaha, today’s dao discussion with you all has been truly rewarding! However, I have urgent matters to attend to and must take my leave.”

”Mm, I too must depart soon, considering the time.”

”Farewell! I hope we meet again someday!”

Li Qing rose, clasped his hands in a respectful farewell, and departed with a graceful flourish.

(End of the Chapter)

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