Immortal Refiner

The colossal Dark Willow Spirit Puppet blotted out the sun and sky, its dark branches flailing wildly like a swarm of demonic snakes.

Within the demonic nest, the remaining three ancient demons were instantly suppressed.

Having been severely weakened by Li Qing’s Myriad Flames Heaven-Burning Formation, their diminished strength left them utterly defenseless against the demonic willow’s corrosive assault.

This dark willow was truly formidable, especially after having absorbed an ancient demon’s demonic infant, which had further enhanced its power.

Under Li Qing’s control, the massive Wooden Spirit Puppet extended its roots and branches, actually piercing into the demonic seeds within the nest.

Furthermore, countless willow branches coiled around the three powerful ancient demons, intent on refining them all!

”What is this thing? Does the Human Realm truly possess such a formidable plant?”

”It can devour our primordial demonic qi? How is this possible?!”

The three ancient demons felt their hearts pound with terror, utterly shocked by the bizarre, colossal willow tree.

They naturally wouldn’t surrender meekly. Facing the wildly flailing willow branches, they immediately retaliated.

A torrent of demonic qi surged forth, its terrifying aura rapidly spreading.

The Wooden Spirit Puppet unleashed a massive barrage of willow branches, which snapped and shattered instantly, failing to even approach the three late-stage nascent soul ancient demons.

But this was merely a drop in the bucket. The dark willow’s sheer scale was unimaginable, its growing branches seemingly endless. To annihilate it by force would be an impossible task.

Every time a large batch of branches was severed, an inexhaustible supply would sweep forward, coiling around their bodies.

Worse still, the demonic seeds that had been supplying the ancient demons with primordial demonic qi were now being devoured and refined by the dark willow.

The pure primordial demonic qi seemed to become its nourishment, a complete inversion of the natural order!

As the dark willow grew stronger and the ancient demons weakened, their doom seemed inevitable.

More and more demonic willow branches surged forward like a tidal wave, ultimately engulfing all three ancient demons!

The willow branches, pervasive and relentless, coiled around the ancient demons, then unleashed a ferocious suction force.

The rolling primordial demonic qi within their bodies was drawn out, transforming into nourishment for the Wooden Spirit Puppet.

The demonic infants within the demons’ bodies attempted to flee, but Li Qing had anticipated this, sealing every escape route. Even burrowing underground was rendered impossible.

The three demonic infants that broke free from their demonic bodies were immediately absorbed by the Wooden Spirit Puppet, which proceeded to refine them completely.

Only the empty shells of the ancient demons remained in the entire demonic nest!

One battle settled the fate of all!

Li Qing took a deep breath, his brow gradually relaxing.

”It’s finally done. This demonic nest in the Azure Ridge Domain has been completely pacified.”

Not rushing to recall the Wooden Spirit Puppet, Li Qing continued to let the dark willow absorb the surrounding primordial demonic qi.

This qi, a deadly poison to cultivators, was harmless to the dark willow, which absorbed and refined it with ease.

In an instant, the demonic qi within the entire nest dissipated at an astonishing rate, as if being completely purified.

Li Qing immediately collected the remains of the remaining ancient demons, planning to take them back to his cave abode to refine into essence blood. This would nourish his body, enhance his cultivation, and refine his mana.

Thanks to the Wooden Spirit Puppet’s consumption, the ancient demon corpses had become unexpectedly pure. They barely required refinement with the heavenly spirit fire, as the demonic qi within had largely dissipated.

”This is an unexpected boon! It’s saved me so much effort!”

”After refining the demonic qi from these corpses, it’s become so pure that I can directly refine it into bone blood to feed the blood lotus.”

With these words, Li Qing contentedly gathered the demon corpses. To him, they were the finest spirit pills and elixirs.

After ensuring the entire area of the demonic nest was clear of any residual demonic qi, Li Qing promptly stored the Wooden Spirit Puppet away.

With everything done, he looked up at the void rift still hanging in the sky.

That rift connected to the demon realm, the source of all disaster.

If he could seal it, the Human Realm would finally find peace.

”Although the Formless Saint Ancestor could continue to open void rifts with his methods, it would come at a considerable cost.”

From the memories he had extracted from the Sea of Consciousness of the ancient demons, Li Qing already knew that while the saint ancestors of the demon realm possessed boundless power, they could not easily descend to the lower realm.

It required a heavy price!

Not only would countless members of the ancient demonic race die during the descent, but opening the void rifts and preparing the numerous demon subduing platforms would also consume vast resources.

Even the Formless Saint Ancestor would likely be unwilling to issue such Saint Decrees repeatedly.

After all, the demon realm was no place for peace and harmony. Constantly at war with the spirit realm, engaging in such costly ventures would be counterproductive.

After observing for a while longer, Li Qing prepared to leave.

But at that very moment, his spiritual perception suddenly went into a frenzy of warning, and his eyelids began to twitch rapidly.

He clearly sensed that a powerful qi mechanism had locked onto him!

Li Qing’s divine soul was exceptionally strong, even surpassing the strength of a late-stage nascent soul cultivator. Consequently, his spiritual perception was extraordinarily sharp, far exceeding that of cultivators at the same stage!

Who is it?

The mere qi mechanism of the attacker sent such a strong sense of crisis through Li Qing that he knew the power must be far beyond the nascent soul realm.

Soon, Li Qing realized he had been locked onto by an ancient demon of the divine transformation stage.

At least the divine transformation stage, because with his current strength, a mere nascent soul cultivator could never have threatened him to such an extreme degree, triggering such an exaggerated sense of danger.

However, Li Qing remained calm, showing no sign of panic or interest.

The divine transformation stage ancient demon was unaware that Li Qing had detected his presence. The demon was extremely cautious, seemingly aiming for a single, fatal strike, ensuring everything was as secure as possible.

Yet in the next moment, a pair of silver-purple bone wings materialized behind Li Qing!

The wings fluttered lightly, stirring a fierce gust of Wind Thunder Primordial Energy. In an instant, Li Qing vanished from his original position.

”Good brat! Your spiritual perception is surprisingly sharp. You must have a strong divine soul!”

Boom!

With that gruff voice, the surrounding earth crumbled like paper, torn apart by the invisible force.

If Li Qing hadn’t moved so quickly, he would have been struck by a fatal blow!

”Let’s see how far this yellow-grade spirit treasure will let you escape!”

Having missed his strike, the ancient demon of the Divine Transformation stage abandoned all pretense of concealment and surged forward.

He maintained his lock on Li Qing, even as the latter fled into the distance using his Wind-Thunder Silver Wings. The ancient demon’s perception remained unwavering.

In the next instant, the ancient demon’s figure blurred, transforming into a streak of black light that shot skyward, relentlessly pursuing Li Qing.

”How fast!” Li Qing gasped, his heart pounding as he sensed the qi mechanism closing in behind him.

A Divine Transformation stage existence was far more formidable than he had imagined.

Even his Wind-Thunder Silver Wings struggled to match the demon’s escape speed. Without them, he would have stood no chance of escaping the demon’s grasp.

Seizing a fleeting opportunity, Li Qing glanced back, finally confirming the demon’s identity.

”The leader of the Doma Clan? Didn’t he go to the Great Wilderness Domain? Why has he suddenly returned?”

With renewed urgency, Li Qing accelerated his flight, daring not to pause for even a moment.

”This Doma Clan leader from the lower realm was originally at the late-stage of Divine Transformation. Now, suppressed by the laws of heaven and earth, he must still possess at least mid-stage Divine Transformation strength!”

A chill ran down Li Qing’s spine.

This was too terrifying! A mid-stage Divine Transformation existence... who in the entire Human Realm could possibly rival him?

I absolutely cannot let him catch up! Otherwise, I’ll die without a proper burial!

The Wind-Thunder Silver Wings vibrated rapidly as Li Qing pushed them to their absolute limit, his remaining true essence and mana draining like a flowing river.

The Wind-Thunder Power of heaven and earth resonated, propelling Li Qing to blinding speed. He vanished in a flash of lightning, covering a thousand li in an instant.

Yet the Doma Clan’s leader, an ancient demon, was not much slower. Though he couldn’t catch up to Li Qing, he maintained a relentless pursuit, his qi mechanism locked onto the fleeing cultivator.

And there was a crucial difference: Divine Transformation stage cultivators could draw upon the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth, requiring no personal mana.

But Li Qing’s Wind-Thunder Silver Wings still relied on his own true essence.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

In a short time, Li Qing had fled a vast distance. Ahead lay the Boundless Sea—an endless expanse of churning waves.

Fearing he would bring a catastrophic calamity upon the Lingyun Sect, Li Qing didn’t dare return. Instead, he plunged into the vast, boundless ocean.

The Doma Clan leader relentlessly pursued, his qi mechanism still firmly locked onto Li Qing.

”You won’t escape me! You slaughtered my people and razed our stronghold. Only your death can quell the hatred in my heart!”

”Even injured, you won’t escape today!”

Only then did Li Qing notice that the opponent’s body was covered in thick frost, seemingly unmeltable, and riddled with gruesome wounds.

Did he suffer this in the Great Wilderness Domain?!

The Ice Extremity Palace’s palace master is actually this powerful? Even this ancient demon is no match for her?

For a moment, Li Qing even considered fleeing the Great Wilderness Domain and seeking refuge with the Ice Extremity Palace’s palace master.

But his retreat had been cut off. Turning back now would be like walking straight into a trap.

After fleeing so far, Li Qing’s already depleted true essence was nearly exhausted.

Activating the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings consumed an outrageous amount of true essence. Each flap was almost equivalent to casting a divine ability of the nascent soul realm.

Even with Li Qing’s vast mana reserves, he couldn’t sustain prolonged use of this spirit treasure.

As his mana approached depletion, Li Qing gritted his teeth and activated a secret technique:

The Blood-Burning Secret Art!

This was a secret technique he had obtained in his early years, and he had never used it since mastering it.

This secret technique allowed him to burn his own essence blood to extract true essence.

Similar to the forbidden Chapters in some cultivation manuals, using this technique once or twice was manageable, but repeated use would come at a significant cost.

Yet Li Qing had no choice. Without hesitation, he activated the Blood-Burning Secret Art!

Boom!

With a surge of boiling blood, Li Qing clearly felt a substantial portion of his essence blood drain away.

However, the mana within his body gradually replenished, recovering roughly half of what he had lost.

”Enough. My vital essence is abundant; I can afford to use this secret technique multiple times.”

”Besides, even at the Divine Transformation stage, manipulating the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth in the Human Realm drains vital essence.”

”Though the demonic race lives long, I refuse to believe your lifespan is endless. And you’re injured!”

With a surge of ruthlessness, Li Qing fully activated the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings. Wind-Thunder lightning flashed as his speed abruptly surged to its absolute limit.

The Doma Clan leader’s expression darkened slightly, recognizing that Li Qing had employed some unknown secret technique.

Without a word, he continued the pursuit.

Thus, two escape lights—one human, one demon—streaked across the sky above the Boundless Sea, like two meteors in rapid flight.

Just as Li Qing was struggling to figure out how to shake off his pursuer, a dense patch of dark clouds appeared ahead, from which heavy black raindrops began to fall relentlessly.

Li Qing’s eyes lit up slightly at the sight, the scene feeling strangely familiar.

Without a word, he plunged into the storm-laden waters.

Activating his Kunpeng Divine Power, Li Qing transformed into a water-dwelling Swimming Kun, darting through the ocean depths with incredible speed.

Soon, he spotted a pitch-black flood dragon in the sea, summoning winds and rain as it battled an ancient demon!

Even the sea has been invaded by ancient demons?!

But Li Qing had no time to dwell on this. The black flood dragon was a familiar face—none other than the Black Flood Dragon King!

The Black Flood Dragon King lived up to his powerful bloodline, holding a clear advantage in the fight.

Just as he delivered the final blow that slew his opponent, he sensed Li Qing’s rapid approach.

”Fellow Daoist Li Qing?! What is this—”

Li Qing’s expression turned warm with enthusiasm as he called back from a distance, ”Black Flood Dragon King! It truly feels like ages since we last met—three autumns in a single day!”

”I’ve long admired your big brother, the renowned East Sea Azure Flood Dragon King. I’d love to visit him. Would you be so kind as to introduce me?”

The Black Flood Dragon King was utterly bewildered. ”What nonsense are you spouting? Why would you suddenly want to...”

Before he could finish, a look of terror flashed in the Black Flood Dragon King’s eyes. He swiftly turned and fled without looking back.

As a member of the Flood Dragon Clan, he was naturally an excellent swimmer. In the sea, his speed was nearly as fast as Li Qing’s.

”Li Qing! We have no quarrel! Why are you dragging disaster my way?!” the Black Flood Dragon King roared.

He cursed Li Qing inwardly for his treachery, bringing a late-stage divine transformation ancient demon into the sea. Wasn’t this clearly a trap?!

No wonder he’d asked about his Azure Flood Dragon King brother’s well-being right away—the trap had been hidden there all along!

Li Qing chuckled dryly. Empowered by the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings and the Kunpeng Divine Power, his underwater escape speed actually surpassed the Black Flood Dragon King’s.

As he gradually closed the distance, Li Qing called out with forced cheerfulness, ”What are you talking about? We’re all fellow cultivators of the Human Realm. How can this be considered dragging disaster my way?”

”Given our friendship, we should naturally share both blessings and hardships. Remember when we first crossed paths overseas in the Wind Origin Domain? It was quite the encounter.”

Li Qing desperately tried to change the subject, striving to appear close to the Black Flood Dragon King in hopes of shifting some of the pressure onto him.

But the Black Flood Dragon King wouldn’t fall for such foolish talk. He was genuinely stunned, as Li Qing’s speed was far superior to his own.

If they were caught, he would be the one forced to face the powerful ancient demon of the Divine Transformation stage.

He was also somewhat alarmed.

This Li Qing is truly a disaster magnet, he thought. To dare provoke a Divine Transformation stage ancient demon... what reckless audacity!

Of course, he also felt a grudging admiration. Escaping from the ancient demon’s pursuit for so long wasn’t something an ordinary person could achieve.

Most importantly, he discovered that Li Qing’s cultivation had already reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage. This rate of progress was utterly unreasonable!

”Fellow Daoist Black Flood Dragon King,” Li Qing said, forcing a strained smile, ”if you don’t call out your big brother soon, we’ll likely both end up buried at the bottom of the sea today!”

(End of the Chapter)

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