Immortal Refiner

As the Ascension Conference drew near, Li Qing felt a growing sense of unease.

Based on his experience from two lifetimes, he suspected this conference might not proceed peacefully.

Closing his eyes, Li Qing mentally reviewed recent major events in the cultivation world, attempting to connect the dots:

The Demon Eagle Wanderer’s breakthrough to Foundation EstablishmentThe emergence of the Lingmiao Cave AbodeThe Heavenly River Sect’s mining operation being raidedThe Ascension Conference’s postponementThe public revelation of a Heavenly Spirit Root

These events seemed disparate and chaotic, lacking any obvious connections. While each had caused a significant stir, they appeared perfectly normal in isolation.

Li Qing’s thoughts raced, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

After prolonged deliberation yielded few clues, he finally rose to his feet and made a decision:

Time to bail!

”Well, this Ascension Conference may be grand and prestigious, but it has nothing to do with me.”

”Watching rogue cultivators fight for entry into the Heavenly River Sect would cost spirit stones anyway. I’d rather find a secluded place to cultivate in peace.”

”Although the spiritual energy within the secret realm isn’t particularly dense, its seclusion makes it an ideal place for secluded cultivation,” Li Qing murmured to himself, resolving to follow his instincts.

Despite the rising prices, he stubbornly purchased a substantial quantity of Foundation Nurturing Pills and Guangling Pills, spending a staggering eight hundred spirit stones. Combined with the pills he already possessed, this would sustain his cultivation for an extended period.

In addition, after scouring the market for days, he finally acquired another fragment of an artifact refinement inheritance, further expanding his reserve of spirit patterns.

With these preparations complete, Li Qing wasted no time in leaving Heavenly River Market, not even bothering to retrieve the remaining spirit stones from his inn stay.

As he approached the floating island serving as the market’s entrance, a familiar figure caught his eye.

It was a slender young man with strikingly handsome features. A finely crafted Flying sword hung at his waist, its exquisite design betraying its extraordinary quality.

Shi Nantian!

Why is this kid arriving so late? The Ascension Conference is tomorrow. Shouldn’t he have come earlier to scout out his competition?

Muttering to himself, Li Qing prepared to step forward and greet Shi Nantian. After all, they were acquaintances, and it would be awkward to pretend not to recognize him.

”Heh, Shi—”

Before he could finish his greeting, Li Qing froze in place.

Shi Nantian completely ignored him, as if he didn’t know Li Qing at all, and coldly brushed past him.

Li Qing, who had just raised his hand to wave, awkwardly lowered it and touched his chin in surprise.

”What’s gotten into this kid? He’s acting like a completely different person—cold to an unreasonable degree.”

Li Qing couldn’t help but recall their previous interactions. Despite being from a renowned great cultivation clan, Shi Nantian had never displayed any arrogance. On the contrary, he had always been approachable and sincere, a true-hearted youth.

”Could he have been influenced by his Clan Uncle?!” Suspicious, Li Qing decided to stop speculating and leave the area quickly.

By now, several onlookers had noticed the earlier exchange and couldn’t help but snicker.

”Haha, look at that kid trying to cozy up to the Shi Clan’s young master! And he’s completely ignored!”

”That’s to be expected. Shi Nantian is a strong contender for the Ascension Conference. With his strength, he’s destined to secure a top-ten spot and achieve Foundation Establishment. He’d never bother with some random passerby.”

Some more blunt cultivators, adopting a tone of earnest advice, cautioned Li Qing:

”Fellow Daoist, you must uphold your principles on the cultivation path. Blindly seeking favor with the powerful will get you nowhere.”

”Exactly! Relying on great clans is a dead-end. In the cultivation world, everything must be earned through your own efforts.”

”...”

Hearing the surrounding cultivators’ mocking remarks, Li Qing had no intention of engaging. He simply feigned a humble, receptive demeanor, clasping his hands in a respectful bow to the crowd.

”Your guidance is appreciated!”

Just as he finished speaking, Li Qing unexpectedly encountered a familiar face in the crowd:

Liu Hanyue!

It was clear that she had witnessed his attempt to greet Shi Nantian earlier.

Liu Hanyue, dressed in simple, pale-colored robes, cast an odd glance at Li Qing, clearly recognizing him as the rogue cultivator who had once worked as a laborer for the Liu Clan. They had met briefly before.

However, she quickly withdrew her gaze and glided gracefully into Heavenly River Market, showing no interest in acknowledging him.

Her slender, elegant figure drew the attention of many onlookers.

Seeing this, Li Qing couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Without a word, he slunk away from Heavenly River Market.

On the first day after leaving Heavenly River Market, the Ascension Conference commenced as scheduled.

As expected, Shi Nantian swept through his opponents with lightning-fast, decisive victories.

The phrase ”lives up to the hype” couldn’t have been more fitting to describe him.

It was likely that in the coming days, most cultivators facing Shi Nantian would immediately choose to surrender rather than fight.

In addition to Shi Nantian, several other renowned rogue cultivators showcased their talents, catching the attention of the Heavenly River Sect.

For example, Xiao Wuyah, a rogue cultivator, faced a Late Qi Refining Realm opponent on the first day. He ruthlessly and bloodily killed his opponent on the platform.

Huo Lingyu, skilled in illusion techniques, left her opponent unaware of when they had fallen under her spell. After the match, the humiliated cultivator’s Dao Heart nearly shattered.

Naturally, there were also dark horses. Nine Heavens, previously unknown, finally revealed his dazzling brilliance at the Ascension Conference, causing a great sensation.

However, none of this mattered much to Li Qing.

After leaving Heavenly River Market, Li Qing didn’t linger, continuing his journey through the mountains and forests.

Now might be a good time to release the strange beasts from the World of Eternal Night. With the Ascension Conference drawing crowds, this area will be bustling with activity!

This thought sparked in Li Qing’s mind. First, he checked Ye Feng’s condition, confirming that the remnant soul remained dormant. Then, Li Qing began to act.

He had stored two strange beasts captured from the World of Eternal Night in his spirit beast pouch.

After all this time, Li Qing finally released the beasts, allowing them to see the light of day once more.

Li Qing patted his spirit beast pouch, and a flash of light vanished as two bizarre, chillingly grotesque strange beasts materialized amidst the dense forest foliage.

”Roar!”

The two-horned Giant Lizard, its body covered in crimson fur, roared furiously upon seeing daylight again.

The Headless Black Ape, meanwhile, pounded its chest repeatedly, its centipede-like tendrils twitching menacingly, creating a truly terrifying sight.

Both creatures radiated primal savagery, as if born solely for madness and slaughter.

After releasing them, Li Qing didn’t linger, preparing to quickly leave the area.

But in the next instant, a sudden mutation occurred!

Boom!

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged violently, converging toward the two strange beasts with unimaginable intensity.

”Are they evolving?!”

Sensing the abnormal spiritual energy, Li Qing’s face paled with shock. He froze in his tracks, wanting to observe what would happen next.

No, if these beasts absorb more spiritual energy, they’ll become even more formidable. Rushing in now could be extremely dangerous.

”Moreover, the sheer scale of spiritual energy these two strange beasts are absorbing is far too extravagant. It’s bound to attract other cultivators.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Qing’s eyes lit up. He retrieved a Jade Ruyi from his storage pouch.

Hum!

Using the Jade Ruyi, he immediately concealed his aura and hid within the dense forest, preparing to observe closely what mutations these two strange beasts would undergo.

The spiritual energy continued to converge. Having absorbed the heaven and earth spiritual energy, the two beasts’ bodies swelled to several times their original size, their aura growing increasingly ferocious.

However, the malevolent energy surrounding them remained thick, and their physical deformities hadn’t diminished. On the contrary, with their increased size, these distortions appeared even more grotesque and terrifying.

Especially the crimson-horned beast. The horn Li Qing had broken earlier had regrown, now even more menacing than before. Its red fur had become so dense it resembled a crimson carpet covering its body.

After a long while, several piercing sounds suddenly tore through the sky.

Sensing the commotion, Li Qing’s heart leaped. For safety’s sake, he immediately pulled out an Aura Concealment Talisman and slapped it onto himself.

(End of the Chapter)

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