Immortal Refiner

A year ago, Zhao Tianxiong’s sudden decision to attempt core formation had baffled the entire Zhao Family.

While it was true that cultivators spent their entire lives striving for advancement on the dao, Zhao Tianxiong was already nearing the end of his lifespan. His abrupt decision seemed utterly perplexing.

After all, he had long since reached the pseudo core formation stage and had ample opportunities to attempt core formation in the past.

Now, with his lifespan dwindling and vital energy depleted, his chances of success were vanishingly slim.

The Zhao Family assumed Zhao Tianxiong was unwilling to accept death and had decided to take a desperate gamble. Success would grant him a significant lifespan extension, allowing him to roam the mortal realm for another two or three centuries. Failure, however, would leave him a cold, lifeless corpse.

Such thoughts weren’t uncommon in one’s twilight years.

However, the true catalyst behind Zhao Tianxiong’s decision lay elsewhere.

It turned out that a year prior, Zhao Tianxiong had used the Spirit-Calling Bone Flute—an inheritance of the Zhao Family—to accidentally discover a sealed cave abode.

The bone flute had inadvertently broken the cave abode’s seal, granting Zhao Tianxiong access to its treasures.

But on his return journey, he unexpectedly encountered the young sect master of the Blood Spirit Sect, who was on a Sect Mission. His secret was thus exposed.

Left with no other choice, Zhao Tianxiong surrendered all the opportunities he had obtained and led the young sect master to the cave abode.

However, Zhao Tianxiong’s strength was ultimately limited. He failed to discover that the cave abode concealed another secret—a secret chamber sealed by an extremely hidden restriction.

When the Blood Spirit Sect’s young sect master triggered the restriction, he became trapped within the secret chamber, allowing Zhao Tianxiong to escape.

Afterward, Zhao Tianxiong’s attempt to achieve core formation failed, resulting in his death and the dissipation of his cultivation.

Once the immortal dao war ended, the Blood Spirit Sect finally turned its attention to annihilating the Zhao Family, seeking to eliminate anyone who knew about the incident.

”A secret chamber within the hidden cave abode...” Li Qing mused thoughtfully. ”It seems the Blood Spirit Sect’s young master obtained something truly extraordinary, something worth exterminating your entire Zhao Family to keep secret.”

Zhao Nan knelt on the ground, his voice filled with grief. ”My father knew nothing about what was in that secret chamber! For the Blood Spirit Sect’s young master to annihilate our entire family over this is utterly unreasonable!”

”Since then, the Blood Spirit Sect’s young master has never emerged from seclusion. He remains in closed-door cultivation within the sect, unable to personally handle this matter.”

Hearing this, Li Qing shook his head. ”The Blood Spirit Sect is a demonic path sect, ruthless and decisive in their actions. That’s always been their style.”

”Senior Li, please save my Zhao Family!” Zhao Nan pleaded, tears welling in his eyes.

Li Qing sighed softly and helped him up. ”Rest assured, since I’ve come, I’ll resolve this matter.”

”Besides, I’m also curious about what’s in that cave abode. What exactly did the Blood Spirit Sect’s young master find there that would drive him to such extremes?”

With these words, Zhao Nan finally felt a glimmer of hope.

After all, the man standing before him was a great cultivator in the Nascent Soul realm. Even against the Blood Spirit Sect, he had the authority to demand a direct confrontation.

His Zhao Family might yet be saved!

”Thank you, Senior Li! The Zhao Family will never forget your immense kindness and virtue,” Zhao Nan said, tears of gratitude streaming down his face.

”Enough. I won’t interfere further in your family affairs. Handle them yourself.”

”I will personally visit the Blood Spirit Sect to resolve this matter for you,” Li Qing declared.

With a flick of his sleeve, Li Qing vanished from his spot, transforming into a bolt of lightning that shot skyward, leaving a violent gust of wind in his wake.

Watching Li Qing’s departure, Zhao Nan abruptly turned, conjuring a pitch-black ghost sword in his hand. His eyes burned with murderous resolve as he strode toward his Clan Uncle.

”Nephew, what are you doing? Hear my explanation first!” the Clan Uncle pleaded.

But at this point, any explanation sounded hollow and futile. Zhao Nan swung his sword, the ghost blade slicing through the air in a black arc.

In the next instant, a severed head, trailing a spray of blood, flew through the air.

The Blood Spirit Sect occupied a territory in the Great Wilderness Southern Region, sharing dominion over the region with the Yin Puppet Sect.

Though Li Qing didn’t know the sect’s exact location, he had previously planted a divine sense mark on True Lord Xue Ming, who remained completely unaware of its presence.

Following the divine sense mark, Li Qing pursued the fleeing True Lord Xue Ming. He soon caught up with her, who was escaping at full speed.

Instead of revealing himself immediately, Li Qing silently trailed behind her, concealing his aura.

Thus, he followed the Blood Spirit Sect’s ugly woman southward until the imposing mountain gate of the Blood Spirit Sect finally came into view.

The area was extremely eerie. A crimson hall stood at the center of the spiritual vein, sealing all the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy within the mountain gate.

Dark red mountain ridges stretched down from all directions, forming a rare terrain highly valued in feng shui.

The formation art deployed within this exceptional terrain was equally extraordinary. The Blood Spirit Sect’s Sect-Protecting Grand Formation was undoubtedly of high grade!

Its faintly radiating aura made Li Qing secretly click his tongue in awe.

True Lord Xue Ming swiftly arrived at the Sect Protection Formation, presented her Identity Token, and smoothly returned to the sect.

Through the formation’s opening and closing, Li Qing sensed its remarkable nature.

”At least a third-rank high-grade spirit formation, possibly even a fourth-tier Grand Formation. However, its age and lack of maintenance have diminished its power,” Li Qing murmured, discerning some of the formation’s true nature.

After returning to the sect, True Lord Xue Ming immediately headed deep into the mountain gate, toward the spirit peak where the Rakshasa Demon Lord resided.

”Rakshasa Ancestor, disaster strikes! A Nascent Soul cultivator seeks trouble with our Blood Spirit Sect and claims you are beneath his notice!”

Since she was delivering a message, True Lord Xue Ming naturally embellished the truth.

Even before meeting the Rakshasa Ancestor, she twisted the facts, portraying Li Qing as arrogant and utterly depraved.

Boom!

A vast aura gradually rose from the cave abode within the crimson spirit peak, and a man draped in blood-red Daoist robes emerged.

The Rakshasa Demon Lord’s robes were as scarlet as the dawn, resembling a thousand streams of blood splashed across the fabric, their crimson hue almost blinding.

A striking blood-colored tattoo covered half of his face.

”Hmm?”

The moment he emerged from seclusion, the Rakshasa Demon Lord sensed the hidden divine sense imprint on True Lord Xue Ming.

”Hmph, you fool. You’ve been marked with a divine sense imprint. That person has likely already reached the mountain gate,” the Rakshasa Demon Lord sneered, his expression darkening.

True Lord Xue Ming’s face paled as if she had heard a ghost story.

”What?! Impossible!”

”I clearly escaped at full speed and detected nothing!”

Her words trailed off as her expression turned ashen. She realized that with her mere core formation realm cultivation, how could she possibly detect the methods of a great cultivator in the nascent soul realm?

The Rakshasa Demon Lord paid no heed to his sect’s supreme elder. His expression turned slightly cold as he took a step forward.

A crimson flash streaked across the sky, and in an instant, he stood outside the mountain gate, beyond the protection of the formation art.

With casual ease, the Rakshasa Demon Lord called out in a clear voice, ”Since you’ve come, fellow daoist, why not reveal yourself? What need have we cultivators for such skulking?”

A hearty laugh echoed in response. ”As expected of the renowned demonic path patriarch! So confident as to step outside the formation art—aren’t you afraid I’ll strike you down right here?”

Accompanying the laughter, a tall figure in azure robes materialized between heaven and earth.

The moment the Rakshasa Demon Lord saw Li Qing, his eyes narrowed. His senses, always keen, detected a faint but unmistakable aura of danger emanating from the newcomer.

”You speak so readily of striking me down,” the Rakshasa Demon Lord remarked. ”Fellow daoist, you seem even more arrogant than I am. When did the Great Wilderness Domain produce such an audacious Nascent Soul cultivator? May I inquire as to your name?”

Li Qing threw back his head and laughed heartily. ”Hahaha! My daoist name is Limitless. Come to think of it, I believe I recently received a formal invitation from your sect.”

The Rakshasa Demon Lord’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, his gaze sharpening. ”You’re the Limitless True Monarch who killed Old Ghost Xiaoyao?” he asked.

”Heh, my apologies for the oversight,” he replied, his tone insincere, lacking genuine respect. Li Qing merely smiled, offering no further response.

An eerie silence descended between them.

In the tense stillness, both men erupted into action simultaneously, launching attacks at lightning speed.

Boom!

A blade of blood flame slashed across the sky, nearly cleaving heaven and earth in two.

Li Qing reacted swiftly, gathering spiritual flame in his palm and unleashing a barrage of shattered origin great fire seals like a torrential rain.

Spiritual energy surged as the two instantly clashed in a battle of techniques, each strike a lethal move, leaving no room for restraint.

Amidst the swirling flames, blood crows materialized, swarming toward Li Qing.

Li Qing countered with equal ferocity, his hands moving in unison as Spirit Devouring Demon Flame erupted from his palms, coalescing into black Mystic Cranes that intercepted the crimson swarm.

The temperature in the area soared, becoming unbearably scorching.

”Fellow Daoist Limitless is truly blessed to wield heavenly spirit fire,” the Rakshasa Demon Lord remarked. ”No wonder you dared to seek me out.”

”Relying solely on a heavenly spirit fire is hardly enough to underestimate the Blood Spirit Sect,” the Rakshasa Demon Lord said, ascending into the sky, each step leaving behind a trail of crimson blossoms.

With a flick of his wrist, a blood-red kasaya unfurled, engulfing the entire heaven and earth.

”Blood Refinement Technique!”

The kasaya radiated a terrifying aura, beginning to corrode Li Qing’s fleshly body, as if attempting to refine him into a pool of festering blood.

But Li Qing’s fleshly body was far from easily corroded.

Having endured a heavenly tribulation and undergone two transformative metamorphoses through cultivating the Dao Tribulation Limitless Sutra, such tempering had little effect on him.

He calmly formed hand seals, tri-colored spirit flames surging forth from his body, instantly enveloping him.

In an instant, a colossal flame giant materialized, towering between heaven and earth.

Activating the Fire Extreme Dharma Body, Li Qing channeled the flame giant’s power into a devastating punch aimed at the sky.

The punch carried immense force, the fiery rain of meteors it unleashed igniting the entire great earth.

Whoosh!

With a single strike, the magic treasure of a Nascent Soul cultivator was blasted open, leaving a massive gash with edges still burning with inextinguishable tri-colored spirit flames.

”Impressive!”

”No wonder you were able to slay Old Ghost Xiaoyao!”

”But what intrigues me even more is how you managed to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage in such a short time. I recall you had only just succeeded in nascent soul formation when I sent my invitation.”

The Rakshasa Demon Lord retracted the blood-red kasaya that had enveloped heaven and earth. He quickly realized the spiritual flames clinging to it were terrifyingly persistent, proving difficult to extinguish.

Acting decisively, he pressed both palms down, conjuring a mass of essence blood interwoven with strands of spiritual energy.

The burning spiritual flames were finally extinguished as the essence blood soaked into them.

Li Qing remained silent, refusing to answer the Rakshasa Demon Lord’s questions. As the battle raged on, he sensed the demon lord was subtly shifting the battlefield, as if deliberately avoiding collateral damage to his sect.

Protecting one’s sect from the ravages of battle was understandable. Yet the Rakshasa Demon Lord’s sect was shielded by a formidable formation art; even stray aftershocks would pose no real threat.

Why, then, was he so meticulously avoiding any impact on his sect?

As his thoughts surged, Li Qing’s flame giant materialized a colossal war hammer in its hand.

Boom!

The Profound Yellow True Flame erupted, engulfing the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer. Li Qing’s natal magic treasure surged with power.

Without hesitation, he commanded the flame giant to swing the hammer directly at the Rakshasa Demon Lord.

The terrifying hammer fell, shattering the air and unleashing a cataclysmic wave of spiritual energy that nearly overturned the surrounding landscape.

If the Rakshasa Demon Lord dodged, the hammer would smash into the Blood Spirit Sect’s mountain gate, severely damaging even its high-grade formation art.

After all, the hammer’s power was utterly monstrous, combining the might of Li Qing’s natal magic treasure with the Profound Yellow True Flame.

The combined force was beyond the capabilities of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators to withstand. Even a Transformed Demon King would suffer grievous injuries, if not death, from a direct hit.

”Such audacity!” The Rakshasa Demon Lord’s expression darkened slightly, but he showed no real panic.

He instantly retreated, his hands still forming a magical seal.

A blood-red magical seal materialized, spinning into existence. In the next moment, the crimson great hall within the Blood Spirit Sect Mountain Gate rose directly from the ground.

The Blood Spirit Sect’s supreme treasure, the Blood Cloud Hall!

This ancient treasure had played a crucial role in the Taiyi Sect’s fall. Legend held that it had been passed down from the Blood Spirit Sect’s founding patriarch to the present day.

The hall had been nourished day and night with various essence blood, its power slowly but steadily increasing. It now rivaled even the ancestral imperial sword of the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty!

The Blood Cloud Hall soared into the sky, instantly positioning itself before the Rakshasa Demon Lord, seemingly prepared to take Li Qing’s hammer blow head-on.

Li Qing showed no mercy.

He channeled his spiritual energy into the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer with reckless abandon.

The Profound Yellow True Flame engulfing the massive hammer blazed with scorching intensity.

Finally, the hammer fell, striking the colossal Blood Cloud Hall without resistance.

Boom! Boom!

Spirit fire erupted violently, unleashing a shockwave that instantly collapsed the earth for hundreds of zhang, crushing the entire terrain.

The Rakshasa Demon Lord’s expression twisted in shock, his eyes betraying his astonishment.

The flame giant wielding the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer dissipated under the overwhelming force, gradually revealing Li Qing’s true form hidden within the Fire Extreme Dharma Body.

In the next instant, the Blood Cloud Hall hurtled through the air, trailing a crimson glow as it crashed to the ground.

At that very moment, a new calamity struck the Blood Spirit Sect’s mountain gate!

Rumble!

A massive void rift tore open, spewing forth torrents of demonic qi that swiftly tainted the surrounding heaven and earth.

A demon realm rift?!

Li Qing gasped, never expecting a rift to the demon realm to open here. Could the demon realm’s invasion begin at the Blood Spirit Sect’s mountain gate?

But soon, the surging demonic qi seemed drawn by some unseen force, plunging deep into the heart of the Blood Spirit Sect’s mountain gate.

”Hmm? Someone is guiding this demonic qi?” Li Qing exclaimed in astonishment.

(End of the Chapter)

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