Immortal Refiner

Inside the warehouse, Li Qing and Zhao Kou exchanged a few brief blows before tacitly ceasing their sparring, sharing a knowing smile.

”Hahahaha!”

A hearty, unrestrained laugh echoed through the warehouse, the culmination of years of pent-up emotion.

”Brother Li,” Zhao Kou said, his eyes burning with fervor, ”I’ve been striving to grasp the Grandmaster Realm for years, yet I still can’t seem to grasp its essence. Could you offer me some guidance?”

Li Qing smiled faintly. He wasn’t surprised that Zhao Kou, a martial arts fanatic, would ask such a question.

After all, in the World of Eternal Night, it was nearly impossible to truly comprehend the mysteries of the Grandmaster Realm through solitary exploration.

If Li Qing hadn’t obtained the insights of a Grandmaster from the Wei Family, he likely would have wasted many more years in fruitless pursuit.

”Becoming a Grandmaster requires more than just physical prowess,” Li Qing explained. ”There are two crucial elements beyond the body’s capabilities.”

”First is Transformed Strength. Evolving from Inner Strength to Transformed Strength demands the complete harmonization of essence, qi, and spirit, unifying all internal forces into a cohesive whole.”

As he spoke, Li Qing demonstrated the principles with fluid movements.

With every raised hand and planted foot, Li Qing exuded the aura of a Grandmaster.

Zhao Kou was instantly captivated. Through these simple movements, he clearly sensed Li Qing’s profound mastery of the Martial Dao.

Even these brief demonstrations were enough to completely immerse him.

”Beyond Transformed Strength lies the true essence of the Martial Dao,” Zhao Kou murmured.

”Grandmasters of the Martial Dao are also known as those who have attained the Divine Intent Realm. This requires constant refinement through combat, repeatedly defeating opponents, and forging one’s Martial Dao Will to its peak through relentless battles.”

As his words faded, Li Qing closed his eyes briefly before snapping them open.

Boom!

A powerful, invisible aura of Martial Dao True Intent erupted from his body. In that instant, his Martial Dao Will manifested fully, its sheer force overwhelming.

Zhao Kou, standing before Li Qing, was utterly stunned. Faced with such intense Martial Dao True Intent, his mind reeled, and he felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Even after Li Qing withdrew his Martial Dao Will, Zhao Kou remained dazed for a long moment, unable to fully recover.

”Transformed Strength... Martial Dao Will...” Zhao Kou murmured repeatedly, his weathered face suddenly softening, as if he had reverted to his youthful days of obsessive martial arts training.

After a long silence, Zhao Kou finally snapped out of his reverie. He clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, ”Thank you for your guidance, Brother Li!”

This insight was invaluable to him. Without Li Qing’s guidance, he might never have grasped the path to becoming a Grandmaster of the Martial Dao.

Zhao Kou’s comprehension was remarkably sharp. After Li Qing’s clear and profound explanation, he immediately understood why he had been unable to break through to the Grandmaster Realm.

Eager to begin his secluded training, Zhao Kou quickly bid farewell to Li Qing, itching to retreat into seclusion and launch his assault on the Grandmaster Realm.

”This old man... even at his age, he’s still so impulsive,” Li Qing chuckled, but his mood was buoyant.

Not only had he reunited with an old friend, but he was also about to acquire some Artifact Refining Spirit Materials.

Soon, Li Qing turned his gaze toward the warehouse, its shelves piled high with various stockpiled goods.

The first thing Li Qing noticed was a pile of mortal iron, used to forge various Inferior-Grade Magic Tools. His own supply of mortal iron was nearly exhausted.

With a wave of his hand, he swept a large number of iron ingots into his storage pouch, preparing for future needs.

Of course, what truly excited him were the clearly extraordinary Artifact Refining Spirit Materials.

On a shelf in the warehouse, a gray-blue mineral the size of two adult fists sat prominently in the center.

”Could this be Sea Heart Iron? A spirit material used to refine Mid-Grade Magic Tools?”

Originally, Sea Heart Iron should have been a brilliant ice-blue, dreamlike and magnificent. However, after years in a world depleted of spiritual energy, much of its spirituality had been lost, leaving it looking somewhat dull.

Yet Li Qing could clearly sense that a significant amount of spirituality still remained within the ice-blue Sea Heart Iron—more than enough for artifact refinement.

Excellent!

Li Qing stored the Sea Heart Iron, his heart filled with satisfaction.

Soon, several basic spirit materials for refining Inferior-Grade Magic Tools came into view.

”These are Fire Cloud Stones?! Excellent!”

”Purple Veined Copper, Jade Marrow...”

Li Qing’s eyes lit up with satisfaction as he gathered the materials, which still retained considerable spirituality.

Judging by the quantity and variety, these materials must have been obtained by the Green Gang through trades with other cultivators.

Having abandoned the Immortal Path to cultivate the Red Moon Secret Power, these spiritual materials had become useless to them.

Even so, acquiring them from former cultivators would have been a challenge.

With the Red Moon Dao still in its infancy and developing rapidly, many cultivators remained reluctant to part with these materials.

What if a method for refining artifacts using the Red Moon Secret Power were discovered someday? These materials would regain their value!

Thus, despite the Green Gang’s immense power, their progress in collecting spiritual materials remained slow.

”Not bad. If these materials are properly combined, they can be used to refine three Inferior-Grade Magic Tools and one Mid-Grade Magic Tool.”

Li Qing felt no dissatisfaction whatsoever. To him, these resources had been acquired almost effortlessly.

It hadn’t even taken him much time.

After storing all the Artifact Refining Spirit Materials in his storage pouch, Li Qing left the warehouse.

Over the remaining days, Li Qing wandered through the city.

”I should investigate Tianliang Temple,” he mused. ”What exactly is this so-called Red Moon Secret Power?”

Though he had no intention of cultivating such an eerie power, Li Qing felt it necessary to understand it.

He had no plans to venture directly to Tianliang Mountain, but exploring the temple within Giant Rock City posed little risk.

Before arriving, Li Qing had thoroughly researched and gathered information.

Tianliang Mountain had once been an immortal cultivation sect boasting several Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, considered one of the most prosperous in the entire Black Wind Domain.

Tragically, when the sun extinguished and spiritual energy withered, the sect entered the End of Dao Era, a period that lasted roughly a century.

After the Dao was severed, the sect’s disciples scattered. Over the long years that followed, even the Foundation Establishment Realm daoists on Tianliang Mountain had exhausted their lifespans, their lamps burning dry.

Only one had persisted until now, successfully converting to the Red Moon Secret Power, thereby extending his lifespan once more.

Regardless, the current Ancestor of Tianliang Mountain had once been a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. Recklessly probing him could reveal Li Qing’s abundant mana reserves, and who knew what might happen then?

Therefore, Li Qing planned to first investigate the Tianliang Temple in Giant Rock City. Anyone dispatched here would likely pose little threat to him.

With his peak Martial Dao prowess and Immortal Path cultivation, Li Qing was confident he could easily handle a few disciples.

Soon, he arrived at the Tianliang Temple’s grounds.

The area wasn’t desolate. Gaunt commoners frequently ascended and descended the temple steps. Occasionally, pregnant women in their sixth month of pregnancy climbed the steps, their faces etched with worry, likely seeking blessings for their unborn children and asking the Immortal Masters within to safeguard their pregnancies, ensuring the infants would be born without deformities.

Standing at the foot of the mountain steps, Li Qing observed the scene for a moment before avoiding the glow emitted by the luminous mushrooms lining the path and entering the temple.

The temple wasn’t crude; it even boasted a main hall housing several cauldrons and ancestral tablets.

As Li Qing approached the temple, he instinctively slapped an Aura Concealment Talisman onto himself, completely suppressing his presence to avoid detection.

His footsteps were light and silent, and with his aura completely concealed, he could pass unnoticed even among ordinary mortals.

Weaving through the crowds, Li Qing ventured deeper into Tianliang Temple.

He spotted a pregnant woman, accompanied by her husband, nervously entering one of the side halls.

The man produced tokens obtained from bloodletting at the Blood Hall and led his wife to sit before a rolled-up curtain.

Hidden in the shadows, Li Qing narrowed his eyes, observing the scene intently.

”Immortal Master, please grant your blessing!” the man pleaded, kowtowing in supplication.

Moments later, a limp, boneless-looking hand emerged from behind the curtain, resembling that of a soft-bodied creature.

The hand could extend and retract freely, reaching out from behind the curtain to continuously creep toward the six-months-pregnant woman.

This was no Immortal Master; it was no different from a demon.

Seeing this scene, Li Qing couldn’t help but recall the infants infected by the Red Moon, who would undergo grotesque mutations after birth.

How could those who cultivated the Red Moon Secret Power possibly avoid similar transformations?!

However, Li Qing had no intention of slaying demons or exorcising evil. His purpose was clear: he had come merely to observe.

He had no interest in such sinister paths of cultivation. He wanted only to focus on cultivating his own Immortal Path, while also acquiring the Immortal Path Secret Manuals of this world and the cultivation manuals and secret techniques discarded in the piles of old papers.

Though these items had lost much of their value in the eyes of others, Li Qing considered them the most precious treasures.

Soon, the limp hand withdrew from the pregnant woman, seemingly leaving behind traces of crimson moonlight.

”All done,” a gentle voice called from behind the curtain.

The man’s face lit up with joy as he bowed deeply in gratitude once more, then helped his pregnant wife leave.

Hidden from view, Li Qing observed everything, his expression thoughtful.

After the couple departed, the light and shadows cast by the glowing mushrooms behind the curtain suddenly twisted into grotesque, chaotic patterns, as if they had lost control.

Li Qing startled, fearing he had been discovered.

But soon, another person entered.

”Quick, get the blood! The Red Moon Secret Power is leaking again!”

Before long, the Side Hall filled with a thick, coppery stench of blood, which Li Qing’s keen senses immediately detected.

His brow furrowed slightly as he began to understand why those who cultivated the Red Moon Secret Power needed to bleed the city’s people.

Excessive absorption of the Red Moon Secret Power accelerated physical mutations, and bloodletting seemed to suppress these distortions.

After observing for a while, Li Qing suddenly felt compelled to see firsthand what those who cultivated the Red Moon Secret Power actually looked like.

With this thought, he crept silently toward the curtain.

The phosphorescent mushrooms growing on the walls cast faint shadows of his figure.

In the next moment, Li Qing turned and darted forward, leaping toward the ceiling beam. Without making a sound or causing the slightest disturbance, he soared onto the main beam of the Side Hall.

His eyes widened, speechless at the sight behind the curtain.

They’re truly no different from monsters.

The two so-called Immortal Masters behind the curtain barely resembled humans. One was a grotesque mountain of flesh, resembling a meat-sludge slime.

The other was entirely covered in bone, his body riddled with holes that seemed to contain blinking eyes.

(End of the Chapter)

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