Immortal Refiner

”Entrance to the ancient battlefield: fifty spirit stones. Fixed price!”

In Great Yan Immortal City, a qi refining realm cultivator draped in blood-red robes sat lazily in a humble shop, his attitude utterly casual.

This was the Blood Spirit Sect’s designated outlet for selling entry tokens to the ancient battlefield. Fifty spirit stones per person—a steep price indeed!

Yet cultivators flocked here in droves, eager to test their luck and hoping to stumble upon a heaven-defying fortune or a destined opportunity.

After all, over the years, the ancient battlefield had yielded countless astonishing encounters.

This drew countless cultivators from across the land, all hoping that fate might favor them, allowing them to inherit the legacy of an ancient great power and strike it rich!

”Fifty spirit stones is far too expensive,” a low-level rogue cultivator with meager resources couldn’t help but lament.

The Blood Spirit Sect cultivator selling the tokens frowned and retorted, ”Expensive? This has been the price for years! If you can’t afford it, don’t spout nonsense!”

”Sometimes you need to reflect on your own shortcomings. Have you truly cultivated diligently all these years?”

With these few reprimanding words, the rogue cultivator who had complained about the price immediately retreated, his face flushed crimson under the gazes of onlookers.

The sale of entry tokens continued smoothly. Soon, Zhao Tianxiong led Li Qing forward.

”Heh, two tokens to enter the ancient battlefield,” Zhao Tianxiong said casually to the Blood Spirit Sect disciple. ”Even if we don’t stumble upon any great opportunities, exploring the ancient ruins will be quite worthwhile.”

The disciple immediately retrieved two blood-colored jade tokens from his storage pouch.

”Let’s go, Fellow Daoist Li. With these tokens, we can enter the ancient battlefield.”

Li Qing accepted the blood-colored jade tokens. Though crudely refined, each token contained a unique qi mechanism that made them impossible to counterfeit.

Over the years, both the Yin Puppet Sect and the Blood Spirit Sect, the two major demonic path sects, had amassed considerable spiritual stones through the sale of these tokens.

Li Qing even suspected that the widely circulated tales of great opportunities within the ancient battlefield were deliberately amplified by the Blood Spirit Sect and Yin Puppet Sect to drive sales.

All this was done to attract more rogue cultivators to purchase entry tokens!

Clang!

Just as the two were preparing to leave Great Yan Immortal City, a resounding bell suddenly echoed through the city from an unknown location.

”Hmm? That’s the bell from the ascension platform. Could it be time for the triennial competition for immortal destiny again?” Zhao Tianxiong glanced toward the direction of the bell’s reverberations, his expression curious.

Competition for immortal destiny?

Li Qing raised an eyebrow and casually asked, ”Fellow Daoist Zhao, what exactly is this ascension platform? And what is this so-called immortal destiny?”

Zhao Tianxiong patiently explained, ”Heh, it’s nothing much, really. Just Great Yan Immortal City’s imitation of a martial arts tournament from the ancient era.”

”The ascension platform opens every three years, and each time, they offer some so-called immortal destiny to attract rogue cultivators to participate.”

”But this immortal destiny isn’t anything truly valuable—just some pills or spirit herbs, nothing more.”

”However, rogue cultivators who distinguish themselves on the ascension platform have the opportunity to become disciples of the city lord of Great Yan Immortal City. That’s the platform’s real draw.”

Hearing this, Li Qing quickly nodded in understanding.

It seemed this so-called ascension platform was merely a gimmick to maintain the Great Yan Immortal City’s popularity.

”What do you say, Fellow Daoist Li? Interested in watching the spectacle?” Zhao Tianxiong asked with a smile.

It was nothing more than a battle between low-level cultivators, which held no interest for him.

”Forget it, Fellow Daoist Zhao. Don’t forget our mission. If you really think we have time to spare, I wouldn’t mind staying to watch,” Li Qing said, rolling his eyes.

Zhao Tianxiong finally realized his mistake. After arriving in the city, he had subconsciously acted like a local lord, nearly forgetting their true purpose.

”You’re right. Let’s leave immediately.”

With that, the two departed from the bustling Great Yan Immortal City, showing no intention of lingering. They headed straight for the southernmost reaches of the Great Wilderness Domain.

At the domain’s extreme southern edge, the spiritual energy grew even thinner, bordering on complete depletion. This was a true wasteland, barren and desolate.

Continuing south would bring them to the domain’s border, where paths led to other great domains.

The journey between great domains was notoriously desolate and perilous. Few would choose to cross these vast, barren stretches unless absolutely necessary.

Li Qing and Zhao Tianxiong’s destination was also this place!

”To prevent the Great War with the extraterrestrial demons from affecting the spiritual energy environment of the Great Wilderness Domain, ancient great power cultivators joined forces to create an Independent Minor Realm and transfer the battlefield there.”

”Therefore, our destination is that Independent Minor Realm, which has been sealed off by the Blood Spirit Sect and Yin Puppet Sect.”

Hearing Zhao Tianxiong’s words, Li Qing fell silent.

It was clear why the Great Wilderness Domain’s cultivation civilization was so prosperous—it was simply incomparable to the Azure Ridge Domain.

Facing the demonic race’s invasion in ancient times, the Great Wilderness Domain’s sage ancestors had even managed to relocate the battlefield to preserve the heaven and earth spiritual energy environment.

In contrast, the Azure Ridge Domain had fallen far short, unable to completely eradicate the demonic race despite their best efforts, and had only managed to suppress them within a demon’s den.

These differences explained why the Great Wilderness Domain’s spiritual energy remained abundant, with numerous spiritual veins still present throughout the land.

Meanwhile, the Azure Ridge Domain’s spiritual energy had dwindled to the point where even producing a nascent soul realm cultivator had become exceedingly difficult.

Thus, the two arrived at the heavily guarded entrance to the secret realm, sealed off by the Blood Spirit Sect and Yin Puppet Sect.

”Halt! To enter the ancient battlefield, present your credentials!”

Upon hearing the challenge, Li Qing and Zhao Tianxiong immediately produced the blood-colored jade tokens they had purchased earlier.

A Blood Spirit Sect disciple stepped forward, carefully examined the tokens, and extracted the unique, unforgeable aura within each.

”Hmm, credentials verified.”

With this confirmation, the pair was granted passage and ventured deeper into the sealed zone.

Soon, a void rift materialized before them.

Unlike any void rift Li Qing had ever seen, this one was remarkably stable, standing firmly between heaven and earth without even requiring a core formation realm cultivator to maintain it.

Incredible technique!

Li Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly. Now a core formation realm cultivator himself, he understood the immense difficulty of achieving such stability.

The great power cultivator who had created this ancient battlefield must have possessed truly heaven-defying abilities!

”Let’s go!”

With that, the two charged toward the void rift—a gaping tear in the fabric of reality.

Boom!

A dizzying sensation washed over them as the surrounding space rapidly transformed.

After what felt like an eternity, the scenery gradually came into focus.

Having traversed between realms countless times, Li Qing quickly regained his composure. He surveyed the desolate landscape, his brow furrowing deeply.

The sky was choked with lingering black demonic qi, and the earth lay scorched and barren.

Amidst this desolation, remnants of a past Great War were starkly visible. In the distance, a decaying war halberd, its spirituality long dissipated, stood impaled on a low hill.

As the wind howled, swirling dust carried tattered fragments of cloth.

This land had once been drenched in blood, the site of a fierce battle between human great powers and extraterrestrial demons.

Though the demonic race had been utterly annihilated, the lingering demonic qi still permeated the air, casting a suffocating dread upon any cultivator who dared set foot here.

Fortunately, Li Qing had endured long years in the End of Dao Era and swiftly adjusted.

Zhao Tianxiong, however, gasped for breath, struggling to recover from his first interdimensional journey. It took him a considerable time to regain his composure.

(End of the Chapter)

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