Immortal Refiner

Li Qing’s scalp was prickling. As he poured all his energy into piloting the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat, he could clearly sense the Foundation Establishment cultivator behind him suddenly accelerating.

The distance between them was closing rapidly. At this rate, he wouldn’t even make it to Liang Country before being caught!

What should he do?!

”This is already the maximum speed I can push the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat,” Li Qing muttered, his expression grim. This was likely the greatest crisis he had ever faced.

Being hunted by a Foundation Establishment Elder from a Cultivation Sect was something he had never even dared to imagine before.

Suppressing his inner panic, Li Qing focused on controlling his heartbeat, forcing himself to remain calm.

”Calm down... calm down. Is there any way to escape this pursuit?”

Should he try to escape to the World of Eternal Night?

Theoretically, it was possible. By entering the World of Eternal Night, he could vanish from this place after just a minute of preparation.

But there were two problems he couldn’t ignore.

First, he didn’t want to reveal his greatest secret. If it were discovered, the entire immortal cultivation world would likely come hunting him.

Performing an instant teleportation to the World of Eternal Night in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was simply too risky.

Second, even if he did teleport, there was no guarantee the cultivator wouldn’t stay put, guarding his corpse.

Unlike the mindless strange beasts of the World of Eternal Night, the people here were capable of thought. If the cultivator were to stubbornly wait for years, considering the difference in time flow between the two worlds, Li Qing might have to remain in the World of Eternal Night for a decade or even longer!

Spending such an extended period in a world devoid of spiritual energy could lead to more than just a decline in cultivation. He might even become infected by the Red Moon, undergoing a terrifying mutation.

”No! This plan has to be put on hold. I can only use it as a last resort,” Li Qing muttered to himself. His mind raced, desperately searching for alternative methods to escape his pursuers.

He quickly reviewed everything of value he possessed.

Finally, Li Qing turned his gaze to the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat beneath him.

”This is the only way!”

As the words left his lips, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

Without hesitation, he stuffed two mid-grade spirit stones into his mouth to replenish his spiritual energy, rather than holding them in his hand. This freed up one of his hands.

Li Qing raised his hand, gathering spiritual energy in his palm. He then pressed his palm against the inner wall of the spirit boat, covering the spirit patterns etched there.

Next, he slowly moved his hand, the spiritual energy in his palm surging rapidly. He erased the spirit patterns carved into the boat.

Yes, you read that right—he was erasing the spirit patterns on the spirit boat!

If anyone had witnessed this scene, they would have cried out that Li Qing had gone mad. Trapped in such a desperate situation, he was actually erasing the offensive spirit patterns on the boat!

But had he truly lost his mind?

The answer was no. He was perfectly calm, his mind crystal clear, more composed than ever before.

The Serpent-Head Spirit Boat was designed for combat, with most of its spirit patterns dedicated to offensive capabilities.

Li Qing now needed to temporarily modify the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat. He would erase all the offensive spirit patterns and replace them with speed and agility-enhancing ones.

He was sacrificing attack power for speed, not to escape his pursuers entirely, but to reach Shangqing Sect territory before they caught up, forcing them to hesitate.

Li Qing’s gaze was resolute, his movements unwavering. As his hand moved, the spirit patterns on the boat’s inner wall melted away like spring snow, transforming into shimmering motes of light that drifted outward.

With his final push, the last offensive spirit pattern vanished completely, leaving only a single high-speed spirit pattern to power the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat and maintain its operation.

It’s time!

He had drawn this type of spirit pattern before with a decent success rate—usually one in three attempts.

But the situation was different now. He was in a desperate, life-threatening predicament, and his spiritual energy was rapidly depleting. If not for the two mid-grade spirit stones he held in his mouth, brimming with spiritual energy, his mana would have already been exhausted.

As Li Qing focused his spiritual energy into his fingertips, he finally began the inscription process.

He had only one chance. Failure meant he would have to retreat to the World of Eternal Night and endure over a decade in the Spiritless Land.

Soon, a delicate spirit pattern materialized on the inner wall of the spirit boat, replacing the previous offensive spirit pattern.

What is the most crucial quality in artifact refinement?

Patience? Exceptional insight? Unconventional ideas?

No!

If Li Qing were to answer now, there would be only one answer:

Composure and calmness!

From forging the shape to tempering the spirit and finally inscribing the spirit patterns, all three steps required a steady and calm heart.

In other words, his hand had to be steady!

Now, at this critical juncture, the slightest tremor could lead to failure.

Despite the reckless nature of his actions, Li Qing was meticulous. While maintaining the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat at full speed, he continued to inscribe spirit patterns on the inner wall.

This level of difficulty was no less than refining a high-grade magical artifact.

Drip!

Inside the spirit boat, a bead of sweat trickled down Li Qing’s forehead, but his eyes didn’t even blink. He couldn’t afford to lose focus.

Throughout the process, he extended his divine sense power to its fullest extent, using it to assist in engraving the spirit patterns while keeping his mind calm and focused.

It was undeniable that a powerful divine sense greatly aided artifact refinement.

As he drew the spirit patterns, Li Qing seemed to be divinely inspired, his concentration absolute. He almost forgot he was being pursued.

With such single-minded focus, the spirit patterns engraved on the inner wall of the spirit boat gradually formed a cohesive whole.

Finally, after half a quarter of an hour, Elder Su Xin, who had been relentlessly pursuing him, closed to within less than two thousand meters.

”What is this person doing?”

Elder Su Xin murmured, then narrowed her eyes, focusing her divine sense power into her eyes to enhance her vision.

While she hadn’t yet achieved the Heavenly Eye Technique, at this distance, she could barely make out Li Qing’s movements.

Inside the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat, Li Qing’s mouth bulged, containing something that radiated spiritual light.

What truly captivated Elder Su Xin’s attention were Li Qing’s hands. One hand maintained the spirit boat’s operation, while the other was actually engraving spirit patterns!

Upon witnessing this, Su Xin couldn’t help but freeze in astonishment, her beautiful eyes widening with disbelief.

”Impossible!”

She wasn’t an ignorant cultivator; she possessed a thorough understanding of artifact refinement.

Yet what Li Qing was doing defied her entire understanding of the craft!

”What a madman! He’s actually modifying the spirit patterns of the spirit boat on the fly, converting all the offensive patterns into speed-enhancing ones! And he’s also a refiner!”

Such reckless behavior left Su Xin utterly speechless.

She knew that if Li Qing failed, he would lose the protection of this high-grade spirit boat, leaving him with nothing but an empty shell.

Facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator in such a state would be tantamount to surrendering.

”No, is this really going to succeed?” Su Xin’s red lips parted slightly in disbelief.

Quickly, she retrieved a jet-black arrow. Forged entirely from spirit gold, it lacked the usual fletching at the tail, its entire surface gleaming with a metallic sheen.

”Go!”

She couldn’t simply watch Li Qing complete the spirit patterns and casually float away. She had to intervene, to disrupt his concentration and make him fail at the last moment.

Whoosh!

The black iron arrow shot forward instantly, moving at incredible speed, directly toward Li Qing.

No bow was needed; it was a Magic Artifact in itself, requiring only spiritual energy to propel it toward its target.

In the dense clouds, the arrow left a black trail as it streaked straight toward Li Qing.

But in the next moment, the calm and composed Li Qing completed the final stroke, connecting all the spirit patterns he had just inscribed to the existing spirit pattern within the spirit boat.

Finally, all the patterns merged into a single whole, erupting in a brilliant, soft spiritual light that shimmered magnificently in the sky.

Boom!

Suddenly, the spirit boat’s speed surged dramatically, rapidly widening the distance between itself and the Foundation Establishment cultivator pursuing from behind.

The black arrow that had been fired just moments ago naturally missed its mark, failing to hit Li Qing, who had suddenly accelerated.

”Finally done!”

Li Qing’s face was pale as he spat out the two mid-grade spirit stones he had swallowed whole.

The spiritual energy within the stones had been completely depleted, absorbed entirely by Li Qing.

But no matter—he had accumulated a vast hoard of spirit stones over the years. Though mostly low-grade, their sheer number made up for it!

As the spirit boat’s speed continued to climb, the distance between them widened further. Li Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He glanced back and saw the graceful figure riding the divine rainbow in relentless pursuit. The woman’s face seemed strangely familiar.

”Is that her? The female Elder who came to the Liu Clan for the lie detector test that day?”

Li Qing recognized the female cultivator, whose gentle, water-like aura had left a deep impression on him.

Li Qing chuckled and called out, ”Senior of the Heavenly River Sect, all goodbyes must come to an end. We’re about to enter Liang Country. Let’s part ways here.”

Su Xin’s expression betrayed a hint of reluctance. Watching Li Qing’s spirit boat rapidly recede into the distance, she silently retrieved the arrow she had just fired.

They were indeed nearing the Shangqing Sect’s territory. After pursuing him this far, her mana was significantly depleted. Entering the sect’s domain recklessly could lead to disaster.

”To remain calm and adapt the spirit patterns of his spirit boat in such a desperate situation, turning death into life... his artifact refinement skills are truly astonishing. And his mental fortitude is simply terrifying.”

”If I were in his shoes, I would never have thought of such a solution.”

”If he fails to reach Foundation Establishment, it might be manageable. But once he achieves it, he’ll become a genuine threat.”

Su Xin murmured to herself, a resolute glint flashing in her soft eyes. Instead of turning back, she continued her pursuit.

From the look of it, she wouldn’t give up until she captured Li Qing!

Just like that, Su Xin locked her gaze on Li Qing, whose spirit boat was accelerating at full speed. The two light streaks, one in pursuit of the other, plunged into the territory of Liang Country!

(End of the Chapter)

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