Immortal Refiner

Meanwhile, the remaining Night Owl Clan members in the late divine transformation realm were in dire straits. Despite their combined efforts, they couldn’t subdue the enigmatic human, who had instead turned the tables and gained the upper hand.

With dawn breaking, their night-granted power would soon wane significantly.

”What kind of sorcery is this? When did the human race produce such a fiend?” one Night Owl Clan member whispered in terror.

Old Lord Hei You remained impassive, a staff materializing in his hand. He channeled several yin souls and malevolent spirits to relentlessly harass the Night Owl Clan members, giving them no respite.

One of the Night Owls seemed to recall something, muttering to himself, ”I remember now! During the great war between the Giant Spirit Race and the Tree Demon Clan, a human achieved remarkable battle merits, apparently using similar methods to command yin spirits.”

”He even managed to kill a powerful tree demon in the void refinement realm.”

Hearing this, the Night Owls began to consider retreating.

”Heh, if you had turned and fled at the start of the battle, you might have had a slim chance. But now, it’s too late to escape.”

With these words, Old Lord Hei You raised his staff high, thick nether qi radiating from it.

”Great Yin Nether Burial!”

Instantly, a piercing wail of ghosts echoed through the air. The yin spirits, driven by Old Lord Hei You, emitted eerie shrieks before disintegrating.

At the same moment, a sliver of dawn broke through the horizon in the distant east.

The night’s power bolstering the Night Owls vanished instantly, reducing them to ordinary late divine transformation realm cultivators with their strength plummeting.

In the next instant, Old Lord Hei You activated his staff, chanting incantations.

The nether qi released from the disintegrating yin spirits immediately coiled around the Night Owls.

As the yin qi seeped into their bodies, the Night Owl Clan members stiffened within moments, their eyes losing all vitality.

Soon, their yin souls were extracted, manipulated like marionettes by Old Lord Hei You, and finally absorbed into the staff in his hand.

”No! You damned humans! How dare you kill my clansmen? I’ll flay you alive!” Chi Xiao roared, his eyes burning with hatred as he watched his kin being transformed into yin spirits by Old Lord Hei You.

Old Black Bull seized this moment of distraction, grinning savagely as he swung his Heaven-Cleaving Giant Axe horizontally.

The axe nearly cleaved heaven and earth in two. Without the night’s enhancement, Chi Xiao had no chance to evade.

Bang!

The axe struck, tearing a massive gash through Chi Xiao’s avian-transformed body, sending torrents of blood cascading down.

”Feathered fool, worry about yourself first! Wild Bull Ridge fears no Flying Spirit Clan!” Old Black Bull bellowed with maniacal laughter.

Old Lord Hei You remained unfazed by Chi Xiao’s threats, responding with chilling indifference:

”For years, your Flying Spirit Clan has slaughtered countless humans, some of your vile birds even treating us as mere blood food.”

”When your Flying Spirit Clan committed such atrocities, did you ever imagine you would face such retribution today?”

”I’m merely returning a fraction of the evil your clan has inflicted.”

Severely wounded, Chi Xiao slowly raised his head, glaring at Old Lord Hei You with venomous hatred.

”You... vile human! Using demonic spells to slaughter my people! You will surely meet a catastrophic end!”

He hated Old Lord Hei You even more than the Old Black Bull, his contempt for humans burning deep within him. He believed humans were meant to be submissive, never daring to overstep their place.

A fierce glint flashed in the Old Black Bull’s eyes. With a single axe strike, he severed Chi Xiao’s bird head.

But in the next instant, a tiny avian shadow erupted from the severed head—Chi Xiao’s primordial spirit escaping its physical form.

”Damn it!” The Old Black Bull’s heart jolted with alarm, too late to intercept the fleeing spirit.

While the Old Black Bull had been caught off guard, Old Lord Hei You had anticipated this move. He chuckled coldly. ”I foresaw this tactic. The principle of ’cutting the grass at its roots’ has been clear to me since I was three years old.”

With that, Old Lord Hei You tapped his staff.

Buzz!

A wave of yin qi surged forth, instantly restraining Chi Xiao’s primordial spirit and dragging it back into captivity.

”Heh heh, a Void Refinement Realm demon spirit. I’ll need to spend some time properly refining it later,” Old Lord Hei You said, a ghastly smile stretching across his aged face.

The Old Black Bull couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine at the sight.

”Hahahaha! Many thanks to this human brother! What’s your name, brother?”

Old Lord Hei You replied indifferently, ”I am Hei You. Fellow daoist of the Barbarian Bull Clan, there’s no need for such formalities. It was merely a collaboration.”

The Old Black Bull shrunk back to his normal size and thumped his chest. ”The Barbarian Bull Clan always keeps its word! We’ll definitely honor our promise of the Millennial Ox Bezoar!”

”Why don’t you come back to Wild Bull Ridge with me to retrieve the ox gallstone?”

Old Lord Hei You immediately shook his head. Though his strength was formidable, capable of contending even with Void Refinement Realm cultivators, Wild Bull Ridge was home to Body Integration Realm old monsters. He dared not risk such a venture.

”That won’t be necessary. You can have your clansmen deliver it to Profound Ancient City, or entrust it to the Golden Abundance Trading Company at Wild Bull Ridge. Their caravan returning to Profound Ancient City can bring it to me.”

The Old Black Bull nodded his bovine head, making no further demands.

”Alright, I’ll arrange this matter upon my return to the clan.”

”Oh, before you arrived, a human was being pursued by a Night Owl Clan member. Do you want to go lend a hand?”

Old Lord Hei You shook his head. ”That human’s strength isn’t weak. If he can’t even overcome this obstacle, he deserves to die.”

”Well, I must be going now. Farewell!”

With that, Old Lord Hei You departed swiftly, his figure transforming into a gust of yin wind that vanished into thin air.

”Just as the clan elders said, nine-tenths of the human race are useless trash. But every now and then, a freak of nature emerges—someone absurdly powerful,” Old Black Bull muttered to himself, watching Hei You’s retreating figure. He was certain that if he had attacked this human named Hei You just now, he couldn’t even guarantee a certain victory.

This human was simply too strange. His methods and style of operation were utterly unfathomable.

A gust of yin wind swept across the land, causing Old Lord Hei You, who was passing through, to sense something and halt his journey.

”Hmm, such sharp residual sword qi... and a remarkable aura of fire.”

Old Lord Hei You descended, picking up a few charred feathers that remained unburned on the ground.

”As expected of an ascended being. They possess some skill.”

”Perhaps I should consider cooperating with them in the Heavenlight Secret Realm later.”

From these subtle clues on the ground, Old Lord Hei You roughly deduced the course of Li Qing’s battle.

The Night Owl Clan member in the late divine transformation realm had likely fallen at Li Qing’s hands.

He had originally thought Li Qing would be fortunate to escape with his life, yet he had actually managed to kill the Night Owl Clan member, who had been empowered by the darkness.

”This is quite troublesome. I wonder if Wild Bull Ridge can withstand the assault? I should return to Profound Ancient City first.”