Immortal Refiner

”I never imagined I’d be traveling with you, Junior Sister Shen,” Li Qing said, gazing at the slender, aloof figure beside him as they flew toward Lingyun Market. ”It’s been years since we last met, and your cultivation has already reached a level I can only dream of.”

From the aura emanating from Shen Ningbing, he could clearly sense that she had advanced to the mid-foundation establishment stage.

They had joined the sect together and achieved foundation establishment simultaneously. Yet, after just a few years apart, the gap between their cultivation levels had widened considerably.

Sometimes, the difference between people could be this vast!

With her ice spirit root and a core formation true lord as her master, Shen Ningbing’s cultivation progressed at an astonishing pace, far surpassing that of her peers who had joined the sect at the same time.

”Senior Brother Li, you flatter me,” Shen Ningbing replied. ”This modest achievement is merely due to my master’s guidance. It’s nothing to boast about.”

”Your cultivation progress is impressive as well, Senior Brother Li,” she added. ”Your aura is now more solid, and your mana seems to have deepened considerably.”

Shen Ningbing’s voice, like her person, was icy and clear, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

Hearing such words on a scorching summer day might have brought a refreshing chill to the heart, but here, near the snowfields where the temperature was already inexplicably frigid, they only added to the piercing cold.

”I exchanged all my Sect Contributions for medicinal pills,” Li Qing said with a wry smile. ”If I haven’t made even this much progress, I might as well end it all now.”

Shen Ningbing remained taciturn, a silence Li Qing welcomed. Thus, the two flew swiftly toward the sect’s market town in companionable silence.

The journey was uneventful, without any unexpected incidents.

This was hardly surprising. Two foundation establishment realm cultivators traveling together formed a formidable deterrent, enough to make most rogue cultivators steer clear.

Moreover, this territory belonged to the Lingyun Sect. Who would dare target a Lingyun Sect elder here, unless they truly had a death wish?

Lingyun Market was built on an island at the center of Ice Lake. Though called a lake, its vast expanse far exceeded any body of water Li Qing had ever seen.

The Ice Lake remained frozen year-round, making it easy to traverse. Only during specific periods of the year did the ice become dangerously thin.

Li Qing, piloting the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat high above, gazed intently at the scenery both inside and outside the Ice Lake.

Several mortal villages clustered along the lake’s shores, while the lake itself was shrouded in a persistent, dense mist of extreme cold.

This unnatural mist was undoubtedly a product of a powerful Grand Formation deployed by the Lingyun Sect in this area. Its purpose wasn’t to deter cultivators, but to prevent mortals from the nearby villages from accidentally wandering into the lake.

”Come to think of it, this is my first time visiting the sect’s market,” Li Qing remarked with a sigh. He then flew into the icy mist alongside Shen Ningbing.

The mist was bitterly cold, and even brief exposure could lead to frostbite. Of course, this posed no threat to cultivators. Those with mana-infused bodies or physically robust body cultivators like Li Qing could ignore it entirely.

As they approached the formation, the icy mist quickly dissipated, revealing Lingyun Market in all its glory.

The market town was practically a world of ice and snow, its white and ice-blue structures creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

As Li Qing and Shen Ningbing approached, disciples of the Lingyun Sect stationed there quickly emerged to greet them.

”Greetings, Elder Li! Elder Shen!”

Li Qing nodded with a smile. ”It must be hard guarding this frigid place. Thank you for your dedication.”

Shen Ningbing, clad in a pale blue robe, remained silent, her usual aloofness unchanged. This left Li Qing to handle the disciples’ inquiries.

”Has news of the Ascension Conference been widely circulated? How many cultivators have registered?” Li Qing asked.

”The registration lists are here, Elder Li. Please review them at your convenience.” The disciple’s eyes shone with reverence, clearly aware of Li Qing’s legendary success in achieving foundation establishment with a Four Spirit Root.

Most of the Lingyun Sect’s lower-level qi refining disciples now regarded Li Qing as their role model. This didn’t surprise him.

Flipping through the registration roster for the Ascension Conference, Li Qing noted the basic information recorded: name, age, cultivation level, and spiritual root. Nothing more was listed.

The number of registrants was already substantial, with nearly two hundred qi refining realm cultivators signed up. More were expected to join in the coming days.

”Hmm, if any registrants with Heavenly Spirit Roots or variant spirit roots appear, remember to notify me or Elder Shen immediately.”

Even for a sect as powerful and established as Lingyun Sect, such exceptionally talented immortal seeds couldn’t be overlooked. Cultivators with these rare spiritual roots were considered future core formation candidates.

Any such discovery would warrant immediate attention. Even if the individual didn’t participate in the Ascension Conference, Lingyun Sect would find a way to recruit them into the sect.

”Understood, Elder Li. The cave abodes for both elders are prepared. Please follow me!”

Lingyun Market naturally had cultivation cave abodes available, as it was situated on a Second-Tier Spiritual Vein, ensuring ample spiritual energy for daily cultivation.

Guided by the disciple, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing each found their respective cave abodes.

After the disciples left, Li Qing nodded in satisfaction. ”Not bad at all. I thought I’d have to handle most of the work for the Ascension Conference, but these disciples have managed everything so meticulously.”

This was indeed the case. The sect elders who came to oversee the Ascension Conference varied each time, and they were naturally less familiar with the procedures than the Lingyun Sect disciples stationed at the market.

As a result, the elders’ role at each Ascension Conference was largely ceremonial. Their main responsibilities were to maintain order during the event and ensure the safe return of the selected immortal seeds to the sect.

”The Ascension Conference doesn’t start for a while yet. Since I’m here at the market, I might as well take a look around.”

”To subdue the Netherworld Cold Fire, relying solely on the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art’s cultivation manual might not be enough. It would be best to find some extremely yang-aligned treasures to assist.”

Subduing a heavenly spirit fire was no easy task; it was fraught with danger. It was not uncommon for cultivators to be overwhelmed and even devoured by the spirit fire if they weren’t careful.

Preparing thoroughly to minimize the risks was a crucial part of Li Qing’s strategy.

To prepare for this, Li Qing had already scoured countless ancient texts within the sect, finally uncovering a few spiritual objects with the potential to restrain or neutralize the Netherworld Cold Fire.

”As a heavenly spirit fire derived from the Nine Netherworld Ghost Fire, the Netherworld Cold Fire also possesses a certain ability to suppress the divine soul.”

”Therefore, during the taming process, we’ll need spiritual objects to protect the divine soul.”

The first spiritual object that came to Li Qing’s mind was naturally high-grade Heavenly Star Grass.

Heavenly Star Grass nourishes the divine soul, and its medicinal potency becomes remarkably potent with age, allowing for rapid recovery from divine soul injuries.

Of course, to maximize the herb’s efficacy, it would ideally be refined into a medicinal pill.

However, Li Qing had no intention of doing so. Any millennium-old spirit herb was a priceless treasure for a Pill Refiner, and revealing its existence could invite unforeseen troubles.

”Besides Heavenly Star Grass, it’s best to gather other spiritual objects that protect the divine soul.”

”Moreover, since the Netherworld Cold Fire is supremely yin and malevolent, we’ll also need to find something supremely yang and righteous to counteract it.”

With these thoughts in mind, Li Qing stepped out of his cave abode.

He glanced toward Shen Ningbing’s cave abode, noting the layers of Restrictions guarding its entrance, before flying off alone.

Lingyun Market, while not as bustling as the Heavenly River Sect’s market, remained the largest in the southern Azure Ridge, with a considerable flow of people.

Li Qing instinctively suppressed his aura, but quickly reconsidered. Now that he had reached the foundation establishment realm and was visiting his own sect’s market, there was no need to hide his identity.

On the contrary, displaying his status as a foundation establishment elder of the Lingyun Sect would grant him numerous advantages here!

Thus, Li Qing ceased concealing his aura and hung his Identity Token, symbolizing his position as a Lingyun Sect elder, at his waist.

The effect was immediate. The aura emanating from a foundation establishment cultivator stood out among the crowd of qi refining rogue cultivators like the sun in the sky!

Sensing the oppressive aura emanating from Li Qing, the rogue cultivators loitering in the market regarded him with a newfound reverence.

When they noticed the Identity Token at his waist, the reverence in their eyes deepened even further.

Though Li Qing had experienced such gazes countless times at the Lingyun Sect, he still found it difficult to adjust.

To put it bluntly, he was simply too accustomed to scraping by at the bottom of the cultivation world. Even after all these years, he couldn’t quite shake off that mindset.

”Hmm, as expected, the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild has established a Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion in Lingyun Market as well. It seems the rumors are true—all three cultivation sects in the Azure Ridge Domain have ties to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.”

Li Qing gazed at the extravagantly grand building in the market, unable to suppress a sigh of admiration.

”It’s worth a look. I didn’t have spirit stones before, but things are different now.”

With a smile, Li Qing stepped forward.

Almost as soon as he entered the resplendent, golden-hued palace, a sweet, welcoming female voice greeted him:

”Senior of the Lingyun Sect, what assistance can I offer you today?”

A woman in a pink qipao approached, her figure graceful and refined, her hair styled in a neat bun, and her smile perfectly poised and warm.

Unlike his previous visit to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion at the Heavenly River Sect, Li Qing received the highest level of courtesy this time. He was immediately escorted to the second floor.

(End of the Chapter)

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