Immortal Refiner

”A thousand miles frozen, ten thousand miles snow-swept.”

This phrase best describes the environment surrounding the Lingyun Sect. At the edge of a frigid plateau, an unbroken chain of snow-capped mountains stretches across the sky, effectively blocking all passage.

The extreme climate has made this place virtually uninhabited, completely inaccessible to mortals.

Yet the Lingyun Sect stands proudly atop this plateau, its high elevation bringing it closer to the heavens. Gazing upward, the clouds seem within reach, truly deserving of the name ”Lingyun” (Soaring Cloud).

Unlike the biting cold outside, the Lingyun Sect, protected by its array, enjoys a surprisingly warm and spring-like climate, remarkably pleasant.

As a newly inducted disciple, Li Qing hadn’t yet been assigned a cave abode, but he had been granted his own courtyard. Though small, the courtyard’s spiritual energy concentration was nearly equivalent to a Second-Tier Spiritual Vein, a luxury beyond the wildest dreams of a rogue cultivator.

”So that’s it. The Heavenly Desire Flower is such a precious bloom. When combined with dual cultivation techniques, it can even break through cultivation barriers.”

In his courtyard, Li Qing was engrossed in a sect-borrowed tome.

This ancient text records rare and extraordinary medicinal herbs found throughout the world. Among them, Li Qing found the Heavenly Desire Flower he was searching for.

This bizarre flower, once in full bloom, releases a massive cloud of pollen. This pollen can ignite the desires of both humans and demon beasts. Even cultivators in the Core Formation Realm find it difficult to resist its allure.

Those who come into contact with the Heavenly Desire Flower’s pollen immediately become consumed by lust. If they fail to find release, they risk losing their minds or even burning themselves to death.

However, if they engage in intercourse during this period, they will reap immense benefits. Li Qing’s cultivation rising from the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm to the Perfected Qi Refining Stage was one such manifestation.

”Cultivation gained through this method has no drawbacks. It builds a solid foundation and requires no further consolidation.”

”The Heavenly Desire Flower truly is a remarkable flower. What a pity...”

The pity was that if he could collect the pollen from a blooming Heavenly Desire Flower, it would be worth a fortune in spirit stones—more than enough to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Once cultivators reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, advancing their cultivation becomes incredibly difficult. They can barely find a handful of pills that can even slightly improve their mana.

However, this regretful sentiment didn’t last long. In just a few days, he would receive his second Foundation Establishment Pill—a pivotal moment in his life.

The source of the Foundation Establishment Pill was, naturally, the Ascension Token!

Before Li Qing could even savor the anticipation, footsteps suddenly approached his courtyard gate, followed by a knock on his door.

Li Qing instinctively scanned with his spiritual sense. A tall, slender disciple in the same uniform as him stood at the gate, a friendly smile on his face.

Seeing this, Li Qing frowned and sighed inwardly.

Sigh!

This was the sixth visitor in two months. It wasn’t that he was a recluse who disliked company, but these people’s motives were far from pure.

”Senior Brother Zheng, please come in quickly. What brings you here today?” Li Qing forced a smile and ushered the tall, slender man into his courtyard.

The man was Zheng Donghe, who had joined the Lingyun Sect five years before Li Qing. His cultivation had reached the Perfected Qi Refining Stage, so calling him Senior Brother was only proper.

”Junior Brother Li, the Forbidden Speech Snowfield is bitterly cold. I brought you a few Blood Jade Ginsengs, each with a fifty-year lifespan, to replenish your Vital Energy.”

Zheng Donghe spoke as he presented two sandalwood boxes, each about the length of a forearm, and prepared to hand them to Li Qing.

Li Qing’s response was firm: he refused the gift.

”Senior Brother Zheng, I can’t accept this Blood Jade Ginseng without earning it!”

”Although the environment of the Snow Mountain Plateau is harsh and cold, it’s also a good place to temper my resolve.”

”You should take this Blood Jade Ginseng back.”

Offering gifts without reason is either flattery or deceit!

Besides, the sect is never cold, always warm like spring. With my robust physique and abundant Vital Energy, even a journey deep into the Snow Mountain Plateau wouldn’t pose much of a challenge.

And so, the two continued to decline each other’s offers, with Li Qing steadfastly refusing the gift.

In the end, Zheng Donghe had no choice but to give up and put the Blood Jade Ginseng back.

”Junior Brother Li’s character is truly a model for all disciples in the sect!” Zheng Donghe praised.

Li Qing chuckled dryly and asked directly, ”Senior Brother Zheng, why don’t you just tell me what you’re really here for?”

At these words, Zheng Donghe’s expression turned serious. He said, ”Junior Brother Li, you’ve been a disciple for nearly three months now. It’s almost time for you to take on sect affairs. Do you have anything you’d like to do? I’m quite familiar with several Elders in the General Affairs Hall, and I might be able to help you arrange something.”

That’s right, becoming a sect disciple doesn’t mean you can simply rest on your laurels and spend all day cultivating in the Spirit Vein Land.

Disciples in the Qi Refining Realm are required to take on sect affairs to contribute to the sect and earn sect contribution points.

For the first three months after joining, this period serves as an adaptation phase, during which disciples are exempt from taking on sect affairs.

During this time, those who distinguished themselves in the Ascension Conference will be granted Foundation Establishment Pills. Some will succeed in Foundation Establishment, while others will meet with disappointment.

Once the three months pass, disciples who successfully establish their Foundation will automatically advance to the Elder generation. Those who fail will remain ordinary disciples, taking on sect affairs and accumulating contribution points in hopes of achieving Foundation Establishment in the future.

Not all sect affairs are equal; they vary in difficulty and reward.

Some tasks are incredibly easy, offering substantial contribution points and ample time for cultivation.

Others are more arduous, such as guarding the Ice Prison, which requires long periods in the spirit-energy-scarce environment and yields meager contribution points.

Li Qing hadn’t yet decided which task to choose, as his entire focus was on achieving Foundation Establishment.

”Senior Brother Zheng, sect affairs are assigned by the Elders. I’m not picky. I’ll do whatever the sect asks of me, and I’m willing to give everything for the sect!”

Li Qing’s words were airtight, and he even adopted an attitude of complete devotion to the sect, leaving Zheng Donghe speechless.

You think you can play this game with me? You’re still too green!

Li Qing thought to himself. Having lived so long and clawed his way up from the secular world, he wouldn’t be swayed by such a paltry offer.

”That’s true,” Zheng Donghe persisted, ”but wouldn’t it be better to take on a sect affair you actually like? Junior Brother Li, won’t you reconsider?” He was clearly determined to offer Li Qing a deal.

Li Qing merely chuckled softly. ”Senior Brother Zheng, why don’t you tell me your terms? I’ve only just joined the sect, and I’m truly flattered by your attention.”

After a moment of silence, Zheng Donghe spoke in the most amicable tone he could muster. ”Junior Brother Li, I’ve heard you entered the sect through the Ascension Token. I also understand your Spirit Root aptitude isn’t ideal—you’re a Four Spirit Root.”

”Let me be frank: I want to buy your Foundation Establishment Pill. We can negotiate the price in spirit stones or contribution points. I can also arrange a light sect affair for you. What do you say?”

Li Qing forced a bitter smile and said, ”Senior Brother Zheng, I’ve reached the Perfected Qi Refining Stage. My cultivation has hit a wall. Since I’ve embarked on the Immortal Path, I naturally have an ambitious heart.”

”To be honest, I plan to consume this Foundation Establishment Pill myself. Even if the odds are slim, I’m willing to take the risk and see where my Dao’s limits lie.”

His tone was resolute, making it clear that this was his own path, a burden of immense weight.

In the cultivation world, obstructing another’s Dao was akin to taking their life.

”Junior Brother, your Spirit Root aptitude isn’t ideal. Why not exchange this Foundation Establishment Pill for a more comfortable life within the sect?”

The meaning was clear: even if given the pill, your chances of Foundation Establishment with a Four Spirit Root are too slim. It would be better to trade it for tangible benefits, making your future days easier.

Though the words were true, they sounded incredibly unpleasant.

”Senior Brother Zheng, may I ask what your chances of successfully achieving Foundation Establishment after consuming the pill are?” Li Qing asked earnestly.

”I’m no longer young. If I can take the pill within three years, I have a four-in-ten chance of succeeding. If I wait any longer, it’ll likely drop below three in ten.”

Zheng Donghe replied honestly, ”Actually, that’s already a pretty high chance. One Foundation Establishment Pill can increase your chances of success by twenty percent.”

He continued, ”And how many Qi Refining Realm cultivators in the world actually manage to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm?”

”So, Junior Brother Li, why not help your Senior Brother out? Once I achieve Foundation Establishment, I’ll never forget your kindness!”

Li Qing simply smiled. He’d grown accustomed to such empty promises in his past life and had no desire to swallow them again.

”Senior Brother Zheng,” Li Qing asked, ”How long will it take you to accumulate enough sect contribution points to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill?”

”At least five years, perhaps even longer,” Zheng Donghe replied.

”Senior Brother Zheng, you know my Spirit Root aptitude is terrible. How old do you think I should be, given my current cultivation level?”

This question caught Zheng Donghe off guard. His ingrained assumptions led him to believe Li Qing was younger than him, especially since Li Qing had joined the sect later and always addressed him as ”Junior Brother.”

He hadn’t considered that someone with a Four Spirit Root aptitude would have to be quite old to reach this stage.

Li Qing continued, ”Senior Brother, given my current foundation, how many more years do you think it would take me to accumulate enough sect contribution points for a second Foundation Establishment Pill?”

”This might be my only chance in this lifetime, Senior Brother Zheng. Please, go back!”

In just a few words, Li Qing left Zheng Donghe speechless.

Having said this much, Li Qing wouldn’t hesitate to bring up Fatty Wu, his backer, if Zheng Donghe persisted.

Did Zheng Donghe really think he was just some new disciple with no connections or background?

”Farewell!” After being rebuffed, Zheng Donghe didn’t linger. He turned and left immediately, his departure swift and decisive.

Watching Zheng Donghe’s retreating figure, Li Qing sighed. ”All for the Immortal Path... A single Foundation Establishment Pill has caused such a commotion.”

Li Qing shook his head, realizing that without Fatty Wu as his protector, his future days would indeed be difficult.

The Ascension Token had made him a focal point among many Qi Refining Realm disciples. Countless fellow disciples who hadn’t yet reached Foundation Establishment were eager to trade for the Foundation Establishment Pill in his possession.

Unlike the favored disciples who had excelled in the Ascension Conference—either backed by cultivation clans or favored by Elders due to their aptitude—Li Qing had no such advantages. No one would dare covet the Foundation Establishment Pills of those privileged disciples, but Li Qing’s pill had inevitably caught the attention of many.

If it weren’t for Wu Chong’s connections, some Elders might have personally come to inquire about him.

After all, he was only a Four Spirit Root cultivator. Even with a Foundation Establishment Pill, his chances of successfully reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm were slim!

Speaking of Wu Chong, a plump, round figure soon came waddling towards Li Qing’s courtyard gate, his flabby flesh jiggling with each step.

Sensing the commotion, Li Qing stepped outside, his eyes filled with anticipation.

”Brother Wu, how did it go? Did you manage to secure the favor I asked of you?!”

Wu Chong wiped the sweat from his brow, took a few deep breaths, and nodded. ”Rest assured, I’ve taken care of it. Senior Brother Chen is willing to refine a batch of pills for you!”

With that, Fatty Wu pulled out some food from his storage pouch and began munching on it noisily.

Hearing this, Li Qing let out a long sigh of relief. ”Excellent! I hope you didn’t reveal my involvement in this matter?”

”No, no. I simply said that my Master’s cave abode happened to have some surplus Spirit Herbs for Foundation Establishment Pills, so we might as well refine a batch!”

”And since the old man is currently in seclusion, he entrusted Elder Chen to handle the refining.” Fatty Wu mumbled through a mouthful of food.

Li Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief. After joining the Lingyun Sect, he had asked Wu Chong to pull strings and request an Elder to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill for him, providing all the Spirit Herbs himself.

”I owe you one for this!” Li Qing said solemnly.

Fatty Wu waved his hand dismissively. ”What are you talking about? We’re practically brothers. If you hadn’t told me to hide in the graveyard behind the Yellow Earth Mound back then, I’d probably have been killed by the Marauders.”

Hearing this, Li Qing couldn’t help but force a bitter smile, filled with envy.

Back then, after Li Qing had given Fatty Wu some advice, he had hidden in the Yellow Earth Mound outside the border army camp and truly escaped disaster!

Not only that, but he had been so dizzy from hunger that he hadn’t dared to venture out, fearing he would starve to death in the wilderness. But instead, he had turned misfortune into fortune and met his current Master, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven!

Thinking about this, Li Qing clenched his teeth so hard he nearly shattered them with envy. If he had known things would turn out this way, he should have gone with Fatty Wu to hide in the graveyard!

(End of the Chapter)

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