Immortal Refiner

Azure Ridge Domain, Lingyun Sect.

In the Sect Leader’s Hall, Sect Leader Xu Xia sat alone on his throne, his face etched with sorrow, the gloom hanging heavy in the air.

”Senior brother sect leader,” a foundation establishment elder reported gravely from below, his expression equally grim, ”Dong’a Market and the Qin Family have been completely annihilated by the demonic humans. By the time we received their distress signals, everyone was already...”

A flicker of grief crossed Xu Xia’s eyes as he slowly replied, ”This is truly troublesome. I never imagined these ancient demons from the lower realm would understand how to use demonic qi to transform human cultivators’ bodies. Nearly half the domain has already fallen, and there’s still no word from Ancestor Limitless.”

Li Qing had previously purged the ancient demons that descended upon Azure Ridge Domain, even obliterating their demonic nests.

But no one could have foreseen that human cultivators in the Great Wilderness Domain would accept demonic qi infusion, transforming into Acquired Demonic Races. Their lifespans and strength surged dramatically, and seduced by these newfound benefits, they completely defected to the demonic side.

These Acquired Demonic Races from the Great Wilderness Domain have now swept their invasion into Azure Ridge Domain, causing nearly half the domain to fall.

Numerous markets teeming with rogue cultivators and cultivation clans affiliated with the Lingyun Sect have already been annihilated by these Acquired Demonic Races.

”Senior Brother Sect Leader, should we organize the sect’s disciples to launch a counterattack?” a foundation establishment elder asked, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light.

Xu Xia immediately rejected the proposal. ”Absolutely not! We must not act rashly. The supreme elder sensed an unusual aura outside the sect some time ago, suggesting that demonic forces are spying on us.”

”The strength of this ancient demon remains unknown. Launching a counterattack could lead to catastrophic losses.”

”Until Ancestor Limitless returns to the sect, we must not make any hasty moves!”

In this critical situation, Xu Xia had to prioritize the sect’s interests above all else, refusing to take any unnecessary risks.

He felt deep sorrow for the destruction of rogue cultivators and cultivation clans outside the sect, but he insisted that the sect’s disciples remain fortified within the mountain gate. Protected by the Fourth-Tier Grand Formation, they could withstand an assault from even a powerful ancient demon for some time.

His only hope now was for Ancestor Limitless to return safely as soon as possible.

Just then, a figure rushed into the Sect Leader’s Hall.

”Senior Brother Sect Leader! A tremendous explosion just shook Azure Cloud Peak, where Ancestor Limitless resides! Could this mean he has returned to the sect?”

Upon hearing the report, Xu Xia initially rose with a look of joy. However, his meticulous mind quickly sensed something was amiss.

Nascent soul realm cultivators were known for their effortless flight, moving through the air with perfect ease. Why would Ancestor Limitless cause such a tremendous commotion upon returning to his cave abode?

Could it be that Ancestor Limitless had suffered grievous injuries, his condition so dire that even maintaining flight had become a struggle?

Xu Xia immediately surmised that Ancestor Limitless’s condition might be critical. He issued a series of urgent commands:

”This matter must remain strictly confidential. Under no circumstances should it be spread throughout the sect. Act as if nothing has happened. Do you understand?”

The foundation establishment elder who had delivered the report was momentarily stunned. Shouldn’t Ancestor Limitless’s return be cause for celebration? he wondered. Why does Senior Brother Sect Leader look like he’s facing an imminent crisis?

However, Xu Xia had cultivated considerable authority within the sect over the years. The young foundation establishment elder dared not question his orders and could only obey.

”Besides myself, two disciples are aware of this matter. I will immediately silence them.”

Seeing this, Xu Xia left the Sect Leader’s Hall without hesitation and flew toward the spirit peaks deep within the sect, intending to inform the supreme elders of the situation.

As Xu Xia had suspected, Li Qing’s condition was indeed dire.

By the time he returned to his spirit peak, even maintaining flight had become an arduous task. His true essence had dwindled to a mere thread, barely enough to activate the cave abode’s restriction.

His fleshly body was even more alarming. His skin was dull and lifeless, devoid of any vitality—he looked more like a thousand-year-old corpse than a living being.

Demonic qi raged within him, and the deadly poison was attacking his heart. It was a miracle Li Qing had endured this far under such relentless dual assault.

With great effort, Li Qing opened the secret chamber within his cave abode and crawled to the edge of the blood pool.

Finally...

But before he could savor his relief, the calm, detached voice of the Profound Yellow True Flame echoed again: ”The poison is attacking your heart now. I’ve done all I can. Boy, you’re on your own.”

Almost immediately after those words faded, Li Qing’s face twisted in agony. A searing pain gripped his heart, nearly causing him to lose consciousness.

The poison from the Heavenly Poison Heart had accumulated in his body for too long, becoming almost fused with his flesh.

Coincidentally, upon returning to his cave abode, the power of the Three Spirit Flames within him had completely exhausted. Without spiritual energy to sustain them, they slowly flickered and died out.

At that moment, the lethal poison erupted, completely breaching his heart meridian and beginning to devour his last vestiges of life force.

Li Qing’s consciousness gradually faded. Having endured grievous wounds on his desperate journey back to the sect from the sea territory, even his indomitable will had reached its limit.

Clearly, Li Qing had reached his breaking point. The combined assault of the poison and demonic qi was extinguishing his consciousness.

Is this... the end...?

Images flickered through Li Qing’s mind, flashing rapidly: countless scenes of the breathtaking landscapes he had witnessed since embarking on his cultivation path, the trials he had endured, the people he had met, and the places he had visited.

Master, Jing’er wants to travel the world with you.

Brother Li, I know you have a foundation establishment pill. I need it. I must succeed in foundation establishment!

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

Senior Brother Li, I don’t want to lose you.

Finally, the images settled on an elegant, serene, and breathtakingly beautiful face—Shen Ningbing, her eyes brimming with tears as she gazed at Li Qing, their shared promise to meet again in the spirit realm echoing between them.

At that very moment, a melody as exquisite as celestial music once again filled the air.

Exquisite Immortal Sound!

Once again, this passive, protective immortal melody, this melodious and enchanting sound, pulled Li Qing’s consciousness back from the brink.

It was as if he were experiencing a final burst of vitality, his body suddenly regaining a sliver of strength.

Without hesitation, Li Qing retrieved several demonic corpses. This time, he didn’t even bother refining them, simply tossing the bodies directly into the blood pool.

Thump! Thump!

Having done this, Li Qing gritted his teeth and struggled to his feet, inching his way toward the swaying Blood Lotus Pedestal.

As before, the blood lotus petals enveloped him, simultaneously extracting life essence from the demonic corpses and nourishing Li Qing.

His body, once like a dried-up stream, now felt the trickle of fresh spring water flowing through it once more.

Vitality surged back into his veins, gradually replenishing his depleted vital essence.

Yet the virulent poison corroding his life force intensified, relentlessly devouring his remaining vitality with terrifying tenacity.

Regaining his mobility, Li Qing let out a low growl. Despite his dire condition, he once again activated the Blood-Burning Secret Art to forcibly extract true essence.

However, repeated use of this secret technique had taken a severe toll. The true essence he managed to extract this time was less than ten percent of what he had obtained during his initial activation—a pitifully meager amount compared to his first attempt.

This was enough. Li Qing channeled his true essence to awaken the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame within him, using it to resist the poison’s encroachment on his life force. Though he couldn’t eradicate the poison entirely, he managed to slow its progress significantly.

With the remaining true essence, he retrieved more ancient demon corpses, performed a simple refining process, and tossed them into the blood pool.

Through this repeated cycle, Li Qing’s rapidly dwindling life force finally stabilized.

”Phew... I’ve managed to pull back from the brink of death, but only temporarily. My current situation is truly dire,” Li Qing gritted his teeth, sensing the appalling state of his body.

He had reached the most perilous juncture of his life, never before having been in such a wretched condition.

Yet, against all odds, he had managed to cling to life.

This time, he had brought back a massive number of ancient demon corpses: those harvested from the Azure Ridge Domain’s demonic nest, those slain during the battle on Heaven’s End Island, and those he had risked his life to retrieve from the Sea Rift Valley.

The total exceeded a hundred, with most being nascent soul realm ancient demon corpses—more than enough to extract vital essence.

”First, I’ll restore my mana. Then, I’ll gradually begin healing.”

(End of the Chapter)

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