Immortal Refiner

Taking advantage of the quiet night, Li Qing once again entered the World of Eternal Night.

The Blood Moon hung high in the sky, seemingly eternal and unchanging. The temperature remained bitterly cold, and one had to bundle up in cotton clothing to venture outside.

In Blackrock City, Li Qing placed the more than twenty forged sickles he had made in the courtyard and then continued to practice his stance training nearby.

This time, his stance training lasted longer than ever before. With the breathing techniques taught by Master Gu, he managed to hold it for nearly two hours.

In the past, standing for too long would make his legs feel numb, but this time, his qi and blood flowed smoothly, and his entire body felt incredibly comfortable.

”Phew!”

After resting briefly, Li Qing began to practice his stance training repeatedly in the courtyard. Even in the World of Eternal Night, where time flowed three times faster, he couldn’t bear to waste a single moment.

Li Qing felt that time in the World of Eternal Night passed incredibly quickly this time. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, nearly half a day had slipped by.

Yet, he didn’t feel the slightest bit tired. His spirit remained full of vigor, and his waist and legs were brimming with strength.

However, even though he wanted to continue practicing, his stomach had other plans.

The progress in his stance training had been quite effective, but it also came with a significant increase in appetite.

After eating nearly two portions of dinner in the military camp, he quickly felt hungry again. He needed to replenish his energy, as every cell in his body seemed to crave nourishment.

”Sigh, I’ll just have to eat some Dark Wheat Mushrooms to fill my stomach,” Li Qing sighed, not wanting to relive the peculiar taste.

He had stored some Dark Wheat Mushrooms at home, leftovers from his previous trades with the Yan Family. He had forged farming tools for them more than once, and they had always paid him with Dark Wheat Mushrooms.

The Dark Wheat Mushrooms had many advantages: they were easy to preserve, filling, and quick to cook. The only downside was their taste. When Li Qing first obtained them, he cooked a large pot out of curiosity. However, after tasting them, he almost couldn’t hold back from vomiting.

They tasted like moldy wheat flour—sour and astringent, making them hard to swallow.

In the storeroom, Li Qing, with a slightly grim expression, grabbed a handful of the stored Dark Wheat Mushrooms and tossed them into the pot.

These mushrooms had been stored for nearly a year, but they looked no different from when they were freshly harvested. This was one of their key advantages—they were easy to preserve.

”Maybe I should bring some grain here to trade for powerful martial arts techniques?” Li Qing suddenly had a bold idea.

But he quickly dismissed it.

”No, the source of the food would be hard to explain, and it would attract unwanted attention. At the very least, I need to have some ability to protect myself before I can start trading on a small scale.”

”At the very least, I need to develop Outer Strength. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to handle even three or five strong men. And such trades would have to be done secretly, with my identity hidden.”

”Before that, I can try to find out if there’s anything unique in this world.”

As the iron pot heated up, Li Qing let his thoughts wander freely.

Soon, he set three goals for himself.

First, Li Qing needed to become an Outer Strength expert as soon as possible. Whether it was finding a way to escape the military camp or making plans in this world, everything depended on his own strength.

No one would discuss fairness with the weak. This was a lawless world, and the only way to avoid being devoured was to become stronger.

Second, he could start gathering some preliminary information about this world. For example, were there any unique items that were of low value here but highly valuable in the other world?

Having been in this world for quite some time, Li Qing had barely ventured beyond the street he lived on.

The only information he had so far was that this was a cold, dark world of eternal night. Perhaps there had once been a sun, but it hadn’t appeared for a long time.

The small city he was in was called Blackrock City. Outside the city, there were fields of Dark Wheat Mushrooms, but the land all belonged to the Yan Family, the most powerful force in Blackrock City. Beyond that, he knew nothing. Reflecting on this, he realized how irresponsible his behavior had been. If he didn’t understand the environment he was living in, he could easily be caught up in unexpected disasters and perish.

Third, he needed to escape the borderlands where war was imminent as soon as possible. Being in the military camp, he felt constantly constrained. Even entering the World of Eternal Night had to be done cautiously, preventing him from fully utilizing the advantages of both worlds.

Thinking this way, Li Qing unexpectedly felt that his thoughts had become much clearer and sharper.

”Phew, this is one of the benefits of martial arts training. When the body becomes stronger, the blood supply to the brain also becomes more abundant, making the mind sharper and more agile. Of course, it could also be that I’m just too hungry.”

Li Qing muttered to himself, then took out the cooked Dark Wheat Mushrooms.

Cooking Dark Wheat Mushrooms was actually quite simple. Just add some water and heat them up, and they would be ready in no time.

The steaming hot food emitted warmth in the cold air. As it gradually cooled, Li Qing frowned and forced himself to start eating.

Extremely sour and bitter! It was hard to swallow! Even though he was starving, the food in his mouth felt like waste, not becoming any more palatable.

He didn’t savor the taste of the Dark Wheat Mushrooms. After stuffing them into his mouth and chewing briefly, he swallowed them down.

After eating an entire pot, his hunger was finally completely alleviated.

But the lingering sour and bitter taste in his mouth kept making him feel nauseous, as if he had just swallowed a pile of cotton. ”Gurgle, gurgle~”

After gulping down a few mouthfuls of water, Li Qing stood up, determined to start his martial arts training and stance practice.

Just as he was about to begin his stance, there was a slow knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock! ”Master Li, are you home?”

The voice sounded old, and Li Qing immediately recognized who it was—probably the elderly man from the An family living across the street.

Originally, it should have been a family of four, but due to an accident, the husband and wife had died outside Blackrock City, leaving only an old man and a child.

Li Qing stopped his training stance and slowly walked to the gate to open it.

Standing outside the door was a silver-haired, emaciated old man, hunched over and skin-and-bones.

This was the first time Li Qing had seen someone so emaciated, with deep hollows under their eyes, looking almost like a skeleton.

Even Master Gu, who was nearing the end of his life, appeared much healthier than the old man before him. Li Qing couldn’t help but wonder if the old man might fall apart at any moment.

Old An held a badly dented iron pot, looking at Li Qing with a pleading expression, and said, ”Master Li, could you help repair this iron pot?”

Li Qing glanced down at the pot, which seemed to have been deliberately smashed, likely the handiwork of Yan San.

He looked up and replied, ”Sure.”

Old An then brought out a small bag of Dark Wheat Mushrooms, his face showing a troubled expression. ”We don’t have much food left at home. I’m not sure if this is enough...”

Li Qing, who had just eaten some Dark Wheat Mushrooms and was feeling a bit nauseous, couldn’t help but twitch his eyebrows. He said, ”Take these Dark Wheat Mushrooms back. I have some questions for you, and if you answer them, that will be enough.”

Old An, who looked quite elderly, must have lived a long time and surely knew more about this world than Li Qing did. This could be a good opportunity to learn more about the current situation in Blackrock City and the World of Eternal Night.

”This won’t do...” Old An felt a bit embarrassed, thinking that Li Qing was taking pity on him.

Li Qing calmly and steadily said, ”Come in, and we’ll talk.”

(End of the Chapter)

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