Immortal Refiner

As the last pieces of confidential information surfaced, the trade fair finally drew to a close.

The flickering light of an Eternal Flame Lamp illuminated an elderly Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator as he organized the attendees’ departure.

After a long wait, Li Qing emerged from the secret chamber and found the cultivator who had subleased the cave abode to him.

”Follow me!”

The journey wasn’t far, as the clandestine trading area was located beneath a spiritual mountain cave abode. In less than half an hour, Li Qing followed the cultivator as they flew to a hill on a floating island.

The small mountain housed three cave abodes, with Li Qing’s rented one situated on the far left.

A cave carved into the mountainside with sharp tools came into view. Ordinary greenery adorned the entrance, creating a seemingly idyllic setting. However, numerous Restrictions lay hidden around the perimeter.

”Fellow Daoist Er Niu,” the cultivator explained, ”I’ll leave you these Restrictions that block divine sense detection and conceal your aura. You won’t have to worry about being disturbed during your cultivation.

”But remember, the owners of the other two cave abodes rarely emerge, and you must never provoke them. One of them is a Foundation Establishment Realm Senior!”

Hearing this, Li Qing felt a slight chill and followed the man’s gaze.

Perched atop the mountain, the cave abode exuded an imposing aura, its entrance bristling with layers of complex Restrictions that seemed to repel all visitors.

It was clear at a glance that its owner was an inherently solitary individual, unlikely to welcome company. Li Qing, naturally, relished the prospect of tranquility.

”The other cave abode belongs to a rogue cultivator with a mysterious background. He’s often locked inside, tinkering with strange contraptions, and sometimes doesn’t leave his abode for months on end.”

”In short, I’ve lived here for nearly three years and can count the number of times I’ve seen either of them on one hand.”

After hearing this explanation, Li Qing closed his eyes briefly, savoring the overwhelmingly abundant heaven and earth spiritual energy that permeated the air. He couldn’t have been more satisfied with his new surroundings.

”Excellent! I’m completely satisfied!”

With that, they quickly summoned a disciple from the Heavenly River Sect responsible for leasing out cave abodes. Under his supervision, they signed the spiritual contract for the sublease.

Li Qing carefully reviewed the document, ensuring there were no issues, before imprinting his spiritual signature upon it.

After finalizing the transaction, Li Qing maintained a polite smile, though his heart bled inwardly.

Nine hundred spirit stones and a mid-grade magic tool had just slipped through his fingers. In return, he received the restriction token for the cave abode.

With this acquisition, Li Qing had finally secured a foothold in the Heavenly River Market.

”Heh heh, I’ll take my leave now, Fellow Daoist Er Niu. May our paths cross again someday!”

Clutching the token, Li Qing watched Er Niu’s departing figure before entering the cave abode with satisfaction.

’These restrictions are sufficient,” he murmured. ”They can block divine sense probes. Even if I were to slip into the World of Eternal Night, no one would be able to detect me!’

Venturing deeper, he found the cave abode utterly bare save for a few stone tables and stools.

”Not bad at all,” Li Qing mused, ”it’s like moving into a new home!” He began exploring the space.

The layout was simple: a main hall connected to three secluded chambers. Should the need arise, Li Qing could easily excavate additional rooms himself.

The chamber was dimly lit, so Li Qing retrieved several Brilliant Night Pearls from his storage pouch, relics from the mundane world, and embedded them in the walls.

As their soft light spread, the surroundings brightened considerably.

”Well, there’s already a decent medicinal garden here—not bad at all. Saves me a lot of trouble. I can plant the Jade Locust Tree’s Spirit Seed right away.”

Another dark chamber was enclosed by a wooden fence, with a deep pit of soil at its center. The earth looked as if it had been excavated to a considerable depth.

Li Qing casually cast a Purifying Water Technique to saturate the soil, then retrieved the Jade Locust Spirit Seed he had acquired at the trade fair.

The dark brown seed was about the size of a walnut, its surface smooth and plump, brimming with vibrant vitality—a truly active Spirit Seed.

”Hurry up and grow! The completion of my divine technique depends on you!” Li Qing muttered, digging a deep hole in the soil before carefully burying the Jade Locust Spirit Seed.

After meticulously filling the hole, he cast another Purifying Water Technique to thoroughly saturate both the seed and the surrounding soil.

Though not well-versed in the Spirit Planting Technique, Li Qing understood the basic principles.

Having finished his tasks, Li Qing clapped his hands and moved to another dark chamber.

”ROAR!”

A thunderous tiger’s roar reverberated through the air. Fan Tong, who had been confined to the spirit beast pouch for far too long, was finally released into the open.

Although spirit beast pouches were specifically designed for demon beasts, the limited space could still be uncomfortable after prolonged confinement.

Li Qing patted Fan Tong’s head apologetically. ”Alright, alright,” he said. ”You’ve been cooped up for too long. This entire chamber is yours now.”

”AWOO-ROAR!”

Sensing the abundant spiritual energy in the surrounding environment, Fan Tong immediately howled with delight.

Back at the Liu Clan’s courtyard, the rogue cultivators had only been able to access the fringes of a Second-Tier Spiritual Vein, where the spiritual energy was barely equivalent to that of a regular First-Tier vein.

But now, in the Cave Abode District of Heavenly River Market, the Spirit Gathering Formation drew vast quantities of heaven and earth spiritual energy from the underlying Earth Vein.

This concentrated spiritual energy far surpassed even the central regions of a Second-Tier Spiritual Vein.

Not only Fan Tong, but Li Qing himself was thoroughly satisfied.

In this environment, every cell in his body seemed to luxuriate in an ocean of spiritual energy, basking in comfort and tranquility.

”Cultivating here is far more than twice as effective!” Li Qing exclaimed, finally understanding why the Heavenly River Sect charged such exorbitant prices for these cave abodes.

It was truly extraordinary!

The high cost was justified, not only for cultivation but also for his artifact refinement studies.

Whether imbuing magic artifacts with spiritual energy or inscribing spirit patterns, both required drawing upon his own spiritual power. In this place overflowing with spiritual energy, his reserves would replenish far more rapidly, allowing him to refine more artifacts in the same amount of time.

”I can’t afford to waste a single moment in this treasure trove!”

He resolved to meticulously manage his time over the next year and a half, maximizing the benefits of the cave abode’s abundant spiritual energy.

”I spent 1,200 spirit stones at the trade fair, leaving me with just over 1,600. That should be sufficient for now.”

”Next, I need to repair Fellow Daoist Nine Heavens’ spirit boat. Whether I succeed or not, I’ll aim to finish within half a month.”

Li Qing muttered to himself as he paced the cave abode, mentally outlining his upcoming plans.

”Having rented such a magnificent cave abode, I’ll have to put my street stall business on hold for now. I’ll retreat here for a year and a half of arduous cultivation, striving to further improve both my cultivation and Artifact Refinement Technique.”

Li Qing quickly formulated a rough plan for the coming months.

First, he needed to break through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining. Upon reaching this level, his mana would become significantly more potent, allowing him to focus on artifact refinement with greater efficiency.

His primary goal was to progress to refining Mid-Grade Magic Tools. Even if he couldn’t refine any others, he was determined to forge the Water Entangling Net, for which he possessed the Artifact Refinement Diagram.

After gaining experience from refining the Water Entangling Net, he would then fully refine the Wandering Dragon Dagger by tempering it with spirit energy and inscribing it with magical patterns, transforming it into a true Mid-Grade Magic Tool.

”Once the Wandering Dragon Dagger and Water Entangling Net are successfully refined, I’ll practically be qualified as an artifact refiner capable of crafting Mid-Grade Magic Tools!”

Reaching this level would greatly enhance his ability to earn spirit stones. Moreover, he planned to venture into the World of Eternal Night to capture strange beasts for the Beast Fighting Arena, further increasing his income.

It was clear that his earning potential would surge once more!

With his plans meticulously outlined, Li Qing left his cave abode, leaving Fan Tong behind to guard the place.

”Fellow Daoist Er Niu, this is my spirit boat. It was damaged during a chase after the discovery of Daoist Ling Miao’s cave abode, and many of the spirit patterns are now broken.”

As Nine Heavens spoke, he retrieved his spirit boat.

The ice-blue vessel was about the size of a fishing boat, easily accommodating three or four people. It was evident that numerous rare spiritual materials had been used in its construction, and the intricate spirit patterns etched across its surface hinted at the nascent power of a high-grade magical artifact.

Li Qing’s eyes lit up as he ran his hands over the boat, examining the remnants of the spirit patterns.

Remarkable craftsmanship, he thought. This was definitely the work of a renowned master.

The fact that Nine Heavens had commissioned such a skilled artifact refiner to craft his spirit boat suggested an extraordinary background.

Yet Li Qing hesitated, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

”Fellow Daoist Nine Heavens, this spirit boat is truly remarkable. To be honest, I’m not entirely confident in my ability to fully restore it, and it would take a considerable amount of time.”

”If you’re concerned about wasting time, it would be best to seek out the original artifact refiner who crafted this boat for repairs.”

Li Qing sincerely shared his thoughts with Nine Heavens. He felt that attempting to repair the spirit boat himself would likely be a waste of time. It would be far more beneficial to simply return the remaining two hundred spirit stones and focus on his own secluded cultivation.

However, Nine Heavens shook his head. ”Fellow Daoist, how long do you estimate the repairs will take?”

Li Qing raised an eyebrow. He had initially planned to say half a month, but sensing Nine Heavens’ apparent lack of concern for time, he quickly retracted his original estimate. ”At least six months, perhaps even longer,” he replied. ”If you’re unwilling to wait, I can return the remaining two hundred spirit stones to you now.”

Nine Heavens chuckled heartily. ”One year! I’ll give you a full year. I was planning to enter secluded cultivation myself anyway. I’ll return for the spirit boat in a year. If you fail to repair it by then, you can simply return the two hundred spirit stones to me. Agreed?”

This fellow must have reaped substantial rewards from the Lingmiao Cave Abode, Li Qing mused. He clearly plans to spend the next year assimilating his gains and won’t be going anywhere.

Since Nine Heavens had proposed this arrangement, Li Qing saw no reason to refuse.

”Agreed! It’s a deal!”

”A year from now, come find me at the leftmost cave abode in the Cave Abode District on Little West Mountain!”

With that, the two signed a spiritual contract. Li Qing then returned to his cave abode with the other party’s spirit boat.

”If I have a year, I’m quite confident I can successfully repair this spirit boat,” Li Qing murmured, then stowed it away and sat down cross-legged.

He retrieved a spirit wood branch as thick as his arm—the very Jade Locust Tree branch he had purchased from Nine Heavens.

”This Jade Locust Tree is at least eighty years old,” he lamented. ”It’s a pity it’s not the main trunk. If it were, I might have been able to cultivate the Precious Wood Body Refinement Manual to great perfection directly.”

As the words faded, Li Qing shook his head with a wry smile, realizing his greed. Severing the main trunk of a spirit wood tree was akin to killing the goose that laid the golden eggs—something no rational person would ever do.

The fact that he had managed to acquire an arm-thick branch was already quite remarkable. If it had truly been the main trunk, the spirit stones required would likely have been astronomical.

Quickly banishing these thoughts from his mind, Li Qing narrowed his eyes and adjusted his mental state. In the next instant, he activated the Precious Wood Body Refinement Manual, a secret technique.

Through this secret technique, Li Qing could sense the dense vitality within the Jade Locust Tree branch. The Spirit Wood Essence it contained far surpassed that of the Spirit Willow Branch he had previously used in the Liu Clan.

”Not bad at all,” he muttered. ”Spending several hundred spirit stones on this was definitely worth it!”

With those words, Li Qing began to draw upon the spirit wood qi within the Jade Locust Tree branch to strengthen his physical body.

Invisible strands of vitality continuously surged from the branch before him, flowing into his nostrils and mouth and permeating his being.

As the Spirit Wood Essence merged into Li Qing’s body, he clearly felt his physical frame and robust blood qi, long stagnant, finally experiencing a surge in growth!

Having reached the Grandmaster realm of the Martial Dao, his physique had already reached the peak achievable through mortal methods.

Now, his body was finally beginning to grow stronger once more!

(End of the Chapter)

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