Immortal Refiner

In the dense forest, the fierce battle had felled swathes of towering trees, creating a wide clearing at its center.

A Flying Eagle Bandit, currently dismembering the Headless Black Ape, suddenly unearthed a crimson Crystal Core from the ape’s heart. Roughly the size of a walnut, the core possessed a remarkably pure luster, far surpassing the purity of the crimson crystal fragments Li Qing had acquired.

”Hmm? A Demon Beast Crystal Core? Can First-Tier Demonic Beasts even produce Crystal Cores?!” he exclaimed, clutching the core in his hand.

His words immediately drew the attention of the surrounding Flying Eagle Bandits, who swarmed around him.

”A real Crystal Core? How could a First-Tier Demonic Beast condense such a large core?!”

”I’ve heard that some Demonic Beasts with exceptional bloodlines can form Crystal Cores in the late First-Tier, but they shouldn’t be this big!”

”This strange ape doesn’t seem to have any ancient variant bloodline. Why is its Crystal Core nearly the size of a Second-Tier Demonic Beast’s?”

”Hiss... this is bizarre.”

Ultimately, the crimson Crystal Core was handed over to their leader.

The Demon Eagle Wanderer held the walnut-sized crimson crystal in his palm, carefully sensing its properties.

”This doesn’t seem like a typical Demon Beast Crystal Core,” he murmured. ”Though it contains spiritual energy, the fluctuations are chaotic and permeated by a violent aura that could affect one’s mind.”

As he spoke, the Demon Eagle Wanderer toyed with the crystal, unable to discern its purpose.

Before he could put it away, his tamed Sky-Rending Eagle swooped down from the sky and landed on his shoulder.

The eagle’s sharp eyes fixed intently on the crimson crystal.

”You want to eat this?” The Demon Eagle Wanderer raised an eyebrow and offered the crystal to the eagle.

Through their mental connection, he clearly sensed the Sky-Rending Eagle’s intense desire for the crystal.

After a moment’s hesitation, he ultimately decided against feeding the crimson crystal to his tamed beast, fearing potential complications.

After all, the Sky-Rending Eagle possessed an extraordinary lineage, tracing back to the Windwing Roc, a descendant of the legendary True Spirit Kunpeng.

He couldn’t bear to risk his demon bird by letting it recklessly devour these unknown Crystal Cores. If it affected the creature’s mind, it would be a disaster.

After storing the crimson Crystal Core, the Demon Eagle Wanderer waved his hand and soared into the sky.

”Let’s go! A few more days of rest, then we head to Heavenly River Market!”

At his command, the fierce Flying Eagle Bandits followed him into the air.

Soon, the area fell silent, completely deserted.

Li Qing, who had been hiding in the dense undergrowth, was about to emerge when his spiritual sense suddenly flared. He froze, remaining motionless in his hiding place.

Nearly an hour passed before the Sky-Rending Eagle, which had been circling overhead, confirmed the area was clear. With a burst of speed, it shot toward the Flying Eagle Bandits.

”Whew! That was close! I almost got spotted by that mangy bird!”

Li Qing exhaled deeply, still concealed in the bushes. He hadn’t anticipated the Demon Eagle Wanderer’s meticulousness—leaving the Sky-Rending Eagle behind to scout the area after their departure.

If his spiritual sense hadn’t recently grown stronger, sharpening his intuition, he might never have detected the Sky-Rending Eagle circling high above.

”Thank heavens I have this Jade Ruyi, or I might have truly fallen into the hands of the Flying Eagle Bandits today,” Li Qing thought, his heart gradually calming as he quietly emerged from the bushes.

The battlefield was now a scene of utter devastation. The Flying Eagle Bandits had no custom of burying their fallen comrades, leaving seven or eight corpses scattered haphazardly across the area.

Naturally, any valuables on the bodies had already been looted—that much was certain.

”These men were killed by the Crimson Thunderclap. Perhaps their bodies could serve as vessels for body seizing,” Li Qing murmured to himself, flipping over several recently deceased corpses that were still faintly warm.

Soon, he retrieved a small, jade-green bottle and awakened Ye Feng.

The half-year deadline was fast approaching. If Ye Feng didn’t seize a body soon, his remaining wisp of divine soul would likely dissipate entirely.

”Brother Ye, wake up. There are several bodies here, less than two hours dead. Do you want to attempt body seizing?” Li Qing transmitted a thread of divine thought.

After a long moment, Ye Feng stirred from his deep slumber and replied:

”If I don’t seize a body soon, I won’t last much longer.”

The faint ripple of divine consciousness was so weak that Li Qing doubted whether Ye Feng could even succeed in body seizing.

Li Qing cautioned, ”These men are likely new recruits of the Flying Eagle Bandits. Their identities might cause some trouble.”

But Ye Feng had no time for such concerns. If he didn’t find a body to nourish his divine soul soon, he would perish completely.

”There’s no time. Brother Li, please find a suitable body and act as my Guardian once more. Use your mana to guide me through this.”

Hearing this, Li Qing immediately began examining the intact bodies.

To his surprise, he found one with excellent Spirit Root aptitude—a Three Spirit Roots cultivation talent. The body appeared to be around seventeen years old.

It seemed the person had entered the Immortal Path relatively late, likely an immortal seed discovered by the Flying Eagle Bandits by chance.

”This body will do! Its Spirit Root aptitude is even better than mine!”

With that, Li Qing pressed the small green bottle against the body’s forehead and channeled a surge of pure mana to guide Ye Feng’s remnant soul out of the bottle and into the body’s third eye point.

The wisp of soul vanished into the forehead, leaving no trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

Li Qing’s heart sank slightly. ”Could it have failed?” he murmured to himself.

As the words faded, the fingers of the corpse twitched with a barely perceptible movement.

Seeing this, Li Qing immediately placed his hand on the corpse’s back and fed it a Vital Energy-enhancing pill.

As the pill dissolved, Li Qing channeled his immense Martial Dao Inner Strength into the corpse’s heart meridians, helping to break down the medicinal power while simultaneously stimulating the meridians.

After a long while, when Li Qing had exhausted more than half of his Inner Strength, the once-lifeless body finally began to show signs of life again.

A faint flush returned to Ye Feng’s face as he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze remained dull and unfocused, occasionally drifting into blank stares.

”Brother Ye? Are you alright?!” Li Qing waved his hand in front of Ye Feng’s eyes, trying to rouse him.

Another long moment passed before Ye Feng, having successfully seized the body, finally regained his senses and fully awakened.

”I’m fine,” Ye Feng said weakly. ”I just merged with some fragmented memories from the original host... Something terrible is about to happen!”

Though his voice was still faint, his shock was evident. Clearly, he had glimpsed something extraordinary within those memories.

Upon hearing this, Li Qing’s expression shifted, and he asked in a deep voice, ”Is the force behind the Flying Eagle Bandits planning to attack the Heavenly River Sect? Which sect is backing them?”

Ye Feng gasped for several breaths before replying, ”That’s right. The Shangqing Sect. Their backing is actually the Shangqing Sect! Unbelievable!”

The mention of the Shangqing Sect immediately brought to Li Qing’s mind the great war that had once engulfed the cultivation world.

The Shangqing Sect had accepted an immortal seed with both a Heavenly Spirit Root and an Exquisite Treasure Physique, which drew the jealousy of the Grassland Holy Temple Tribes and the Heavenly River Sect. The two factions joined forces to attack the Shangqing Sect.

This war, which had nearly swept across the entire Azure Ridge Domain’s cultivation world, abruptly halted over a decade ago. As rogue cultivators, they naturally had no way of knowing the full details of the conflict.

Rumors abounded: some claimed the Exquisite Treasure Physique had been crippled, others said the Shangqing Sect had formed an alliance with the Lingyun Sect, while still others insisted the Exquisite Treasure Physique remained unharmed.

The truth remained a mystery to Li Qing.

”Brother Ye, do you know anything else? Tell me quickly,” Li Qing pressed, his curiosity piqued.

”Brother Li, you overestimate the status of this body. The original owner knew little, and I’ve only absorbed fragmented memories, so my knowledge is even more limited!” Ye Feng replied with a wry smile.

Li Qing sighed softly, feeling a pang of regret.

If he could have gleaned more information from these fragmented memories, he would have been better prepared for the impending chaos in the cultivation world.

”The Flying Eagle Bandits’ Foundation Establishment Pills were likely refined by a cultivation clan in this region,” Ye Feng said, his brow furrowed in thought. ”Unfortunately, the memories are too fragmented to identify the specific clan.”

A cultivation clan in this region?!

Li Qing’s pupils constricted sharply as he heard this, struggling to believe the revelation.

Nearly all the cultivation clans in this area were loyal to the Heavenly River Sect. How could there be a traitor among them?

It seemed the Shangqing Sect had been plotting this war for an extended period, infiltrating the region to this extent.

The Heavenly River Sect was in grave danger!

Taking a deep breath, Li Qing retrieved Ye Feng’s storage pouch and returned it untouched.

”Brother Ye, here’s your storage pouch. I haven’t opened it at all. It’s all yours!”

”Also, since you’ve just successfully seized a body, your divine soul is likely unstable. Take these Heavenly Star Grass as well. Remember to rest and recuperate properly.”

”Finally, congratulations on your successful rebirth! To live a second life—that’s something many people only dream of!”

Ye Feng stood frozen, clutching his familiar storage pouch in one hand and several stalks of Heavenly Star Grass in the other.

Tears welled in his eyes as he gazed at Li Qing’s radiant, gentle smile.

”Brother Li, thank you. This debt of rebirth... I swear to repay it, even if it means braving fire and water!”

”Hahaha, we’re brothers, what’s with all the formalities? Just focus on recovering. What are your plans now? Why not come with me to that secret realm and lie low for a while?” Li Qing suggested with a smile.

Ye Feng hesitated, tempted by the offer, but ultimately shook his head. ”Brother Li, I won’t be going to the secret realm. The Restriction will be difficult to breach in the short term anyway. I plan to seize my own destiny amidst this chaos!”

”As for the treasures within the realm, I won’t covet them. If you ever break through the Restriction, just share a few millennia-old Heavenly Star Grass with me.”

At that moment, Ye Feng’s gaze hardened with unwavering resolve.

Seeing Ye Feng’s resolute determination, Li Qing opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.

In the end, he simply clapped Ye Feng on the shoulder and said solemnly, ”Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t try to dissuade you. With chaos brewing, prioritize your own survival above all else.”

”Mm! I’m off!” Ye Feng clasped his hands in a fist salute, then strode heavily toward Heavenly River Market.

Li Qing cast one last glance at Ye Feng’s retreating figure, silently offering a prayer for his well-being.

After this ordeal, their bond had deepened considerably, to the point where they could entrust their lives to each other.

As Ye Feng walked, he wiped away the tears that continued to stream from his eyes. Just recently, he had suffered a betrayal, only to be rescued by Li Qing.

Not only had Li Qing refrained from touching his storage pouch, but he had even given him several stalks of Heavenly Star Grass to nourish his divine soul, demonstrating such unwavering trust.

Though the cultivation world was often cold and treacherous, it also held pockets of warmth and kindness.

Ye Feng secretly vowed to make a name for himself and repay this life-saving debt.

”Rest assured, Brother Li,” he murmured to himself. ”Since you trust me so deeply, I will never betray that trust.”

He would bury the secrets of the Hidden Realm deep within his heart, never revealing them to anyone.

Only after experiencing betrayal firsthand could one truly understand the value of a reliable Dao companion in the cultivation world.

Among the four essentials of cultivation—Wealth, Companion, Method, and Land—the word ”Companion” ranked second for a reason. It referred not only to romantic partners but also to the companions who walked alongside one on the Dao.

(End of the Chapter)

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