Immortal Refiner

The Azure Ridge Domain had been plagued by frequent thunder tribulations in recent years.

If the cultivation world had historians among its cultivators, they would undoubtedly record this observation to describe the domain’s overall state.

In the south-central region of the Azure Ridge Domain, another massive thunder tribulation was brewing.

This time, however, the tribulation wasn’t a cultivator’s heavenly tribulation, but a spirit treasure tribulation!

Beneath the thick thunderclouds, a hexagonal shield refined from Innate Gang Iron Essence slowly radiated a dazzling spiritual light.

Yes, Li Qing had completed the spirit treasure he was refining for True Monarch Chen Yuan. This Innate Gang Iron Shield was a yellow-grade spirit treasure with exceptional defensive capabilities!

Now, all that remained was to endure the spirit treasure tribulation, and the refining process would be truly complete.

Li Qing felt no apprehension whatsoever. The Innate Gang Iron Shield was so sturdy that it could withstand the full-force attacks of even a Divine Transformation stage cultivator.

”As a defensive spirit treasure, if it can’t even withstand this thunder tribulation, it would be a complete joke,” Li Qing declared confidently.

Hearing this, True Monarch Chen Yuan emerged from his grotto-heaven without hesitation. He mobilized the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth to suppress the tribulation’s surging power.

A cultivator at the divine transformation stage intervened, ensuring that while this spirit treasure tribulation was still immense, its effects remained contained within the domain, preventing it from attracting the attention of other divine transformation stage beings in the outer domain.

Boom!

After a prolonged period of thunder and lightning, the thick thundercloud, imbued with overwhelming Heavenly Might, gradually dissipated.

The Innate Gang Iron Shield weathered the heavenly tribulation without a doubt, exactly as Li Qing had anticipated.

[Successfully refined yellow-grade spirit treasure: Innate Gang Iron Shield. Reward: 1,600 years of lifespan!]

The lifespan reward from this artifact refinement was slightly less than what he had received when refining the Azure Dragon Mace. This might be due to the simpler spirit material used and the shield’s purely defensive nature.

Li Qing felt no dissatisfaction. Gazing at his rapidly increasing lifespan, his heart overflowed with joy.

His remaining lifespan had surged to over 5,000 years—a new personal record since he began cultivating!

Five thousand years of lifespan—more than double the lifespan of a typical divine transformation stage cultivator, rivaling the entire recorded history of some ancient civilizations.

What a terrifying number!

”These past years, various cultivation-related setbacks have cost me a considerable amount of lifespan. Now that I’ve finally secured a firm foundation, I can focus on accumulating lifespan without worry.”

Li Qing murmured to himself, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

Beside him, True Monarch Chen Yuan, equally pleased, boomed, ”Hahahaha! Young friend, your artifact refinement skills are truly divine craftsmanship, seizing the very good fortune of heaven and earth!”

”This Innate Gang Iron Shield is an unparalleled spirit treasure!”

As he spoke, True Monarch Chen Yuan toyed with the jet-black shield in his hand.

The shield could freely expand and contract at his will, its sturdiness so astonishing that even a Divine Transformation stage cultivator like himself was awestruck.

With this spirit treasure complementing his Divine Transformation cultivation, few beings in this realm could ever hope to harm him.

”Senior Chen Yuan’s satisfaction is all that matters,” Li Qing said humbly, clasping his hands in a respectful bow. ”I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”

True Monarch Chen Yuan refined the spirit treasure further before carefully storing it away. He laughed heartily, ”Counting the Azure Dragon Mace for Old Azure Flood Dragon, you’ve now successfully refined three spirit treasures! And with Wan Shengtian’s yet-to-be-born spirit treasure, that makes four!”

”Throughout the entire history of the Human Realm, no one has ever surpassed you in the art of artifact refinement!”

Li Qing waved his hand dismissively. ”I’ve heard that Profound-Grade Spirit Treasures appeared in ancient times. How could my meager achievements compare?”

To this day, he had no clear understanding of what level a Profound-Grade Spirit Treasure truly represented.

Only his Black Furnace, which had accompanied him for years, hinted at such a level of existence. Li Qing vaguely suspected it might have once been a Profound-Grade Spirit Treasure in its previous form.

Unfortunately, he still hadn’t gathered all the Flame Gold Marks. He remembered hearing that the Western Heaven Pavilion in the Cloud Marsh Domain had collected similar Flame Gold Mark artifacts.

Perhaps he should find an opportunity to visit the Cloud Marsh Domain and pay his respects to the pavilion master of the Western Heaven Pavilion.

The thought flashed through Li Qing’s mind, but his expression remained impassive.

True Monarch Chen Yuan curled his lip. ”You’re a good kid, but you’re too modest!”

”Remember, you only recently entered the late-stage Nascent Soul realm. You have a long lifespan ahead of you. Who knows? You might even reach the Divine Transformation stage someday, extending your lifespan even further!”

”With such a long lifespan, shouldn’t you have the confidence to become the greatest artifact refiner in the history of the Human Realm?”

Li Qing merely smiled without answering, saying nothing.

”How boring,” True Monarch Chen Yuan remarked, raising his eyes. ”Are you planning to head straight to the Wind Origin Domain, or will you stay here for a while?”

Hearing this, Li Qing clasped his hands in a respectful bow. ”Now that matters here are settled, I should hasten to the Wind Origin Domain to fulfill my promise to Senior Wan. I won’t linger any longer!”

”Alright then. I don’t have any spirit wine or fine wine to entertain you anyway. May the journey be smooth,” True Monarch Chen Yuan replied, waving his hand dismissively as he retreated into his grotto-heaven. Clearly, having reached the divine transformation stage, he preferred the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth within his secluded abode to the outside world.

After watching True Monarch Chen Yuan depart, Li Qing immediately soared into the sky, heading overseas.

The thought of the two top-grade fire attribute spirit stones Wan Shengtian had promised him set his heart ablaze.

Top-grade spirit stones! Even with the Lingyun Sect’s dominance over the entire Azure Ridge Domain and his own years of wandering the land, he had never obtained a single one.

Now, at last, he had the chance to hold such treasures in his own hands!

”As expected of the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild, which spans the Human Realm. Their resources are terrifyingly vast—they even hoard multiple top-grade spirit stones. It’s truly enviable.”

These two top-grade fire attribute spirit stones were crucial, perhaps even the key to his future breakthrough to the divine transformation stage.

He would never give them up, no matter what!

Thus, Li Qing journeyed across the vast sea, soaring freely across the boundless waters, making little effort to conceal his presence.

In an era when divine transformation stage cultivators had retreated into seclusion, late-stage nascent soul cultivators possessed both the strength and confidence to act so boldly.

Of course, this confidence hinged on avoiding the misfortune of encountering the dao body of the Demon Realm Saint Ancestor.

Yet Li Qing’s brazen flight was not without its reasons.

His confidence stemmed not only from the Thunderfire Core and the greatly enhanced Wind-Thunder Silver Wings, but also from his belief that since the Formless Saint Ancestor’s primary target was cultivators at or above the nascent soul realm, the focus of his search would now shift to divine transformation stage cultivators.

(End of the Chapter)

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