Immortal Refiner

Under the crimson glow of the Red Moon, the Blood Martial Dynasty was embroiled in the Four Dragons’ Succession Struggle, a conflict that raged for months.

Ultimately, the fourth prince, having seemingly gained the favor of a powerful figure, successfully ascended the imperial throne.

The first prince, third prince, and even the deceased Second Prince lost all their political support, their fates sealed by the martial alliance’s declaration of allegiance.

Within a forbidden land deep within the Imperial Palace resided a being of unimaginable power.

This entity had existed for eons, far longer than the Blood Martial Dynasty itself. His lifespan seemed limitless, and time left no mark upon his ageless countenance.

He was the original dao guardian of the vital energy martial dao, the figure recorded in the foundational text, Chronicles of the Blood Martial Dynasty.

Those who learned of this revelation felt a dizzying sense of disbelief. A figure from the annals of history had miraculously reappeared in the flesh.

Meanwhile, within the Imperial Palace:

”Lord Chen, His Majesty truly emerged alive from that being’s presence.”

”Moreover, the Second Prince is indeed dead. Isn’t this the ultimate proof?”

”At the very least, that person doesn’t oppose Your Majesty’s ascension to the throne.”

A woman of regal bearing sat upright in her palace robes. Her face radiated noble elegance, her features exquisitely beautiful. With a gentle hand, she held the hand of a child clad in dragon robes.

Chen Chaosheng’s brow furrowed deeply, still unsatisfied with this explanation.

”Regardless, you overstepped your bounds by falsely claiming the martial alliance’s approval. The martial alliance has always maintained strict neutrality regarding succession to the imperial throne—an ironclad rule established since the dynasty’s founding.”

Noble consort Shu sighed mournfully. ”Then I shall atone with my life. Lord Chen, do your duty.”

”Mother, no!” The child, now the reigning emperor, clutched his mother’s hand, tears welling in his eyes.

Yet how could Chen Chaosheng truly take the life of the empress dowager? He ultimately shook his head, offering no further words.

Seeing this, noble consort Shu knew the situation was settled. A faint smile curved her crimson lips.

”I understand the martial alliance is currently conducting a large-scale search for the ruins of the former immortal sects. Once Your Majesty ascends to the throne, he will undoubtedly lend his full support to this endeavor.”

”The entire dynasty will mobilize for this endeavor, making it a cornerstone of our future national policy.”

”Lord Chen, does this satisfy you?”

Chen Chaosheng’s face remained impassive, but he clasped his hands in a respectful bow. ”Then I shall take my leave. May Your Majesty and the empress dowager enjoy peace and prosperity.”

In a few brief exchanges, the succession struggle that had threatened to engulf the entire dynasty in turmoil was brought to an end.

The world remained the same, and the martial alliance retained its original form. Only the ruler of the palace had changed.

Thus, in the years that followed, the entire Blood Martial Dynasty mobilized, preparing for external exploration and expansion with feverish intensity.

As the nation’s territory expanded, the probability of discovering buried immortal dao ruins naturally increased.

The cultivation sects, cultivation clans, and minor sects that had once flourished in the various domains of the World of Eternal Night gradually resurfaced from the river of time, reappearing in the mortal realm in new forms.

And matters related to the immortal dao became increasingly familiar to the common people.

”Only those with spiritual roots can cultivate. It’s simply no match for our dynasty’s vital energy martial dao!”

”The legendary immortal dao may grant longevity, but it’s inherently selfish. Compared to the vital energy martial dao’s vision of ’every man a dragon’ and ’martial propagation across the land,’ its scope is far too narrow!”

”Well said!”

”...”

Regardless of these opinions, over the following years, batch after batch of ancient artifacts related to the immortal dao were sent to Li Qing. In exchange, he provided numerous spirit pills and elixirs that enhanced qi and blood, strengthened foundations, and nurtured vitality.

Time continued its relentless march, and another century passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Chaosheng’s qi and blood had begun to decline. Even with the lifespan-extending spirit herbs Li Qing had gifted him, his lifespan was inevitably nearing its end.

Throughout these years, he had failed to find a path forward.

The vital energy martial dao remained stagnant at the sage realm. To this day, no one had managed to reconnect the severed path.

”Has the road truly been severed? Has it truly reached its end?”

”So this is what Senior Yan Xishan must have felt—growing old with despair and regret. No!”

Chen Chaosheng, no longer in his prime, once again entered the forbidden land of the Imperial Palace. This time, he carried nothing related to the immortal dao.

Thump!

Chen Chaosheng knelt deeply, his forehead slamming heavily against the ground.

”Senior, I still want to live. I want to continue living. I don’t want to die.”

Li Qing, who had been cultivating the Soul Refinement Scripture, slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the kneeling figure outside the forbidden land.

His expression remained calm and detached, unmoved by the scene.

”I believe I’ve already told you that longevity spirit herbs can only be consumed once. Any further use will be ineffective. I imagine you were aware of this.”

Hearing the cold, emotionless voice, Chen Chaosheng’s heart turned to ice. He spoke, ”Senior, I wish to cultivate the immortal dao with you.”

Having spent years excavating classic texts on immortal cultivation, Chen Chaosheng possessed a far deeper understanding of the immortal dao than ordinary people. He knew all the realms of immortal cultivation and understood that for powerful immortal cultivators, achieving longevity was a simple matter.

”For now, this path remains a dead end, and you lack a spiritual root.”

Upon hearing these words, Chen Chaosheng’s heart turned to ashes, extinguishing all hope.

The following year, sensing his impending death, Chen Chaosheng resigned from all his duties and journeyed to the Blood Martial Dynasty, never to return.

Li Qing, deep in meditation, sighed softly. ”Time is a blade that cuts down even the greatest prodigies.”

No matter how brilliant or extraordinary one might be, they must ultimately bow before the relentless march of time.

He continued his cultivation, using the Soul Refinement Scripture to hone his divine soul. Years flew by in a blur, and he was even nearing completion of the second layer of the scripture.

His divine soul had grown several times stronger, now approaching the late divine transformation realm—far surpassing his mana cultivation.

Chen Chaosheng’s departure inevitably affected the excavation of the ancient immortal sect ruins, perhaps because the surrounding areas had already been thoroughly explored.

At least, in the time that followed, no one disturbed Li Qing’s secluded cultivation.

Li Qing was already more than satisfied with his current gains, all achieved by trading a few insignificant spirit pills and elixirs.

Another two hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

In that year, Li Qing finally mastered the second layer of the Soul Refinement Scripture. Despite being at the early divine transformation realm, his divine sense power now rivaled that of a late divine transformation realm cultivator!

Boom!

A torrent of divine sense power surged forth. With a mere expansion, he encompassed the entire royal city within his sea of consciousness. No subtle movement escaped his perception, not even the rustling of leaves in the wind.

His formidable divine soul effortlessly processed this dense stream of information without strain.

”My cultivation hasn’t advanced much, but the gains in divine sense are astonishing.”

In the blink of an eye, he had spent centuries in this realm.

Though he frequently returned to the human realm to replenish spiritual power and prevent his cultivation from regressing, the prolonged suppression by the heaven and earth of the end of dao era had taken its toll.

”It’s time to leave.”

Li Qing slowly rose, clasping his hands behind his back.

With a slight shift in his thoughts, the surrounding scenery dissolved like ink wash paintings, transforming into ephemeral bubbles that burst into nothingness.

Returning to the human realm!

(End of the Chapter)

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