Immortal Refiner

Propelled by Wu Chong, the giant spirit boat soared westward across the Nether Domain, its destination the Great Wilderness Domain.

The journey was not without its challenges, but the giant spirit boat was no longer as vulnerable as it once had been.

When the remnants of the Lingyun Sect had fled aboard this vessel, their highest cultivation level had been late foundation establishment realm. They had been forced to evade even minor threats, fleeing in disarray.

Now, however, the spirit boat carried two core formation realm cultivators!

Both Li Qing and Wu Chong possessed the strength to stand alone, capable of easily resolving most troubles.

After all, core formation realm cultivators were considered formidable figures in any domain.

Under their protection, the journey across the Nether Domain proceeded relatively smoothly.

Finally, the group approached the border of the Great Wilderness Domain!

”These sheer cliffs surround us,” Li Qing observed. ”The border between the two domains is surprisingly treacherous. Even foundation establishment realm cultivators would struggle to cross this terrain.”

”Indeed,” someone said, ”this cliff ahead is at least several thousand zhang high. Even for foundation establishment realm cultivators, flying over it to reach the Great Wilderness Domain would be quite a challenge.”

Many Lingyun Sect cultivators had gathered on the deck of the spirit boat, gazing at the towering cliff stretching before them and murmuring in awe.

Even approaching the cliff, the surrounding spiritual energy seemed to grow noticeably denser.

To reach the Great Wilderness Domain, they would have to cross this sheer cliff, which rose at least several thousand zhang into the sky.

However, they needn’t worry for long. Wu Chong had recovered most of his spiritual energy and resumed piloting the giant spirit boat. With a surge of power, the vessel lifted off the ground and soared into the sky.

With the assistance of a core formation realm cultivator, the spirit boat eventually ascended beyond the cliff’s summit and entered the Great Wilderness Domain.

Before them lay a vast, primeval wilderness. As far as the eye could see, ancient trees stretched in every direction, their verdant canopies forming an unbroken sea of green.

The spiritual energy here was remarkably abundant. Simply being in this place felt like standing within a low-grade spiritual vein, far surpassing anything the Nether Domain could offer.

”So this is the Great Wilderness Domain!”

”Back at Lingyun Sect, I often heard tales of this domain’s thriving immortal dao. Even in mortal cities, cultivators are a common sight.”

”It seems the rumors were true. The heaven and earth spiritual energy in this wilderness is astonishingly dense. Not even the Nether Domain can compare, let alone our Azure Ridge Domain.”

”I heard that the Azure Ridge Domain was similar to this place in ancient times, but the great war against the demonic race was so devastating that many spiritual veins were shattered.”

”Ah, no wonder this domain can produce nascent soul realm cultivators, while...”

The Lingyun Sect cultivators sighed in genuine awe, deeply envying the Great Wilderness Domain’s cultivation environment.

Li Qing, who had been meditating in the spirit boat, naturally sensed the change in the surrounding spiritual energy.

He slowly opened his eyes and stepped outside.

”Greetings, Martial Uncle Li!”

”Martial Uncle Li, you’ve finally emerged from seclusion! We’ve arrived at the Great Wilderness Domain!”

”Where should we proceed from here?”

Hearing the respectful voices, Li Qing didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he surveyed the surrounding landscape, his expression turning grave.

”We must not let our guard down. This is the eastern part of the Great Wilderness Domain, the territory of the demon race!”

”This region is home to many Great Demons. A moment’s carelessness could lead to a life-or-death crisis!”

His words caused many cultivators’ faces to pale. No one dared to speak loudly anymore, their voices dropping to hushed whispers.

As if to confirm Li Qing’s warning, a majestic eagle suddenly soared from the ancient, tree-covered mountains in the distance, its golden talons firmly gripping a struggling, massive python.

It was a battle between two late second-tier Demon beasts! The powerful eagle seemed to have the upper hand.

”Scree!”

The eagle’s piercing cry echoed across the land as scales from the Demon python rained down, glittering brilliantly in the sunlight.

The hunting of a second-tier Demon python was truly astonishing.

Witnessing this scene, many cultivators’ faces turned deathly pale.

Second-Tier Demonic Beasts were already rare in the Azure Ridge Domain. Who could have imagined encountering two such formidable creatures so soon after entering the Great Wilderness Domain?

Had they been trapped here alone, their chances of survival would have been slim, likely ending up as demon beast fodder.

”Which way should we go next?” Wu Chong asked, his expression grave.

Clearly, even he felt a sense of danger in this demon cultivator-infested region.

Undoubtedly, he sensed the gravity of the situation from Li Qing’s solemn expression. A mere third-tier demonic beast wouldn’t warrant such seriousness.

This place likely harbored demon cultivators who had undergone Transformation—the so-called Fourth-Tier Demonic Cultivators, capable of battling great cultivators in the nascent soul realm!

Wu Chong dared not act rashly, deferring entirely to Li Qing’s command.

However, Li Qing was also new to this demon race-dominated territory and lacked detailed knowledge of the area.

He could only rely on fragmented memories, instinctively saying:

”We must continue west, but slightly veer north!”

”I don’t know this place well either. We’ll have to proceed cautiously, one step at a time.”

As Li Qing spoke, he recalled the Wanted Bounty Notice jointly issued by the righteous and demonic paths of the Great Wilderness Domain.

Not long after the fall of the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty, its last emperor, Wang Chengdao, had sent his beloved consort to this region.

The exorbitant bounty had attracted countless rogue cultivators, all converging on this area in pursuit of the reward.

The matter ultimately concluded with the intervention of a Great Demon in its Transformation form. Since then, few cultivators dared venture near the eastern reaches of the Great Wilderness, fearing to provoke further trouble.

Buzz!

The giant spirit boat continued its aerial passage, Wu Chong carefully piloting it, wary of attracting the Great Demon’s attention.

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding demon aura grew increasingly dense.

From above, one could glimpse a rare sight: a horned, azure fish leaping from a bubbling Nether Pool.

”That’s... a Dragon Fish?! A delicacy renowned throughout the world!”

Before anyone else could react, a massive black ape, long lying in wait, suddenly lunged forward, seizing the Dragon Fish in its massive hand and devouring it with relish.

Even as it feasted, the ape remained vigilant, glancing warily at the sky. Its exceptionally keen spiritual perception had detected someone observing it from above!

The ape didn’t attack the giant spirit boat in the sky, clearly more interested in the delicacies in its grasp as it continued to devour them.

The Lingyun Sect elder who had been glared at by the giant ape earlier now sat paralyzed with fear, his back drenched in cold sweat.

”This is a third-tier Mountain-Shaking Demonic Ape,” someone familiar with demon beasts declared. ”Legend has it that these apes possess a faint trace of true spirit bloodline, making them descendants of the legendary Sun-Moon Giant Apes!”

True spirit bloodline!

These four words alone were enough to prove the immense power of the giant ape.

No one in their right mind would dare provoke it. Even Li Qing breathed a sigh of relief, thinking how fortunate he was not to have caught the attention of this formidable demon ape.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a faint whooshing sound suddenly cut through the air.

Whoosh!

The sound vanished in an instant, barely registering with most people. Some dismissed it as a hallucination.

But Li Qing narrowed his eyes. His five senses were far sharper than ordinary people’s, and he knew he couldn’t have imagined it.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound returned quickly, this time more distinct.

Without hesitation, Li Qing released his divine sense, attempting to discern the source of the sound.

Yet even with his divine sense fully extended, he detected nothing unusual. He couldn’t pinpoint what had produced the piercing sound.

In the next instant, a sudden inspiration struck him—a premonition, as if his blood were stirring with warning.

Li Qing whirled around, looking behind him. A black shadow, moving with incredible speed, streaked overhead.

The object was too fast for the naked eye to discern, and even his divine sense had failed to register its presence!

”Such incredible speed!”

Li Qing’s expression grew incomparably grave. This thing moved with extreme velocity, yet its sound was remarkably faint—clearly no ordinary creature.

”Quick, Fatty Wu! Activate the spirit boat’s protective spirit shield!” Li Qing roared.

Wu Chong, focused on piloting the spirit boat, finally sensed something amiss. Belatedly, he activated the vessel’s protective spirit shield.

But just as the spiritual energy shield was about to materialize, a crimson line suddenly appeared on the spirit boat’s deck!

Thud!

An elder of the Lingyun Sect’s head fell to the ground.

The incident happened so suddenly that no one could react in time. Even the severed head still wore a bewildered expression.

”J-Junior Brother Zhang!”

”Junior Brother Zhang! What on earth happened?”

”What’s going on? How did Elder Zhang’s head...”

The stench of blood filled the air, sending a chill down everyone’s spines.

They weren’t afraid of death, but dying so inexplicably filled them with genuine dread.

Finally, the spiritual energy shield completely enveloped the spirit boat.

Li Qing stepped forward and said in a deep voice, ”Everyone inside the spirit boat! No one is to come out without my permission!”

Hearing this, everyone scrambled into the spirit boat’s cabins.

”Li Qing, do you know what that thing was?” Wu Chong asked, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. This is like a daytime haunting, he thought. A foundation establishment cultivator’s head just fell off like that!

Li Qing’s face darkened as he slowly replied, ”A Wandering Sky Falcon!”

Wu Chong gasped. He had heard of this legendary demon bird, the Wandering Sky Falcon.

This falcon was incredibly fast, so much so that even divine sense struggled to detect its presence. It was undoubtedly one of the swiftest demon birds in the world.

They never imagined they would encounter such a rare creature in this place.

”A demon bird like this? What rotten luck!” Wu Chong frowned.

Li Qing said nothing more, expanding his divine sense domain to maintain constant vigilance over their surroundings.

The Wandering Sky Falcon’s greatest threat lay in its speed, while its physical strength and destructive power were comparatively weaker, falling short of other demon beasts of the same tier.

This demon bird possessed a particularly savage temperament, delighting in using its speed to torment and slaughter lower-tier demon beasts.

Just then, ripples suddenly spread across the protective spirit shield that had just risen around the spirit boat.

In that fleeting moment, the spirit boat’s shield had already been attacked!

Li Qing’s expression darkened further. It seemed they had been targeted by this demon bird.

Yet inwardly, Li Qing also felt a slight relief. The Wandering Sky Falcon’s attack power was relatively weak; its strike hadn’t even breached the spirit boat’s shield.

”Don’t be too alarmed,” Li Qing said. ”This Wandering Sky Falcon has likely just reached the early third-tier. It can’t break through the spirit boat’s defenses immediately.”

”We’ll continue flying east. Once we leave this region, we should be safe.”

Wu Chong’s expression softened slightly upon hearing Li Qing’s words. He continued, ”A Wandering Sky Falcon that has reached the third-tier... truly, the Great Wilderness Domain lives up to its name, harboring even such exotic birds.”

”If we could tame it, it would become a formidable ally.”

”Legend has it that even a second-tier Wandering Sky Falcon can fetch a sky-high price!”

This was indeed true. If tamed, its unparalleled speed would prove invaluable in countless situations.

For instance, it could help navigate treacherous secret realms or compete for rare treasures.

With such a falcon at one’s side, victory would be assured in every endeavor!

Even Li Qing found himself harboring ulterior motives.

His eyes narrowed in contemplation as he began to analyze the situation.

The Wandering Sky Falcon had targeted them because it believed human cultivators’ fleshly bodies were weak and easily killed.

But Li Qing was different. As a body cultivator whose fleshly body had endured a heavenly tribulation, his physical constitution was absurdly robust!

In truth, this third-tier Wandering Sky Falcon might not even be able to breach his defenses!

Moreover, he possessed the Golden Jade Garment, a magical artifact that could serve as bait.

With these thoughts in mind, Li Qing’s eyes flickered. After confirming that all the spirit boat’s compartments were sealed tight, he spoke:

”Fatty Wu, deactivate the spirit boat’s spiritual energy shield!”

Wu Chong froze, then protested, ”But what if the Wandering Sky Falcon attacks again?”

Li Qing chuckled. ”That’s exactly what I want. I’ll see if I can capture and tame it.”

Wu Chong’s lips twitched, and he quickly warned, ”This falcon is fiercely proud. Since ancient times, few cultivators have ever managed to tame a Wandering Sky Falcon as a Demon Pet. Once captured, they immediately take their own lives!”

”Besides, if we drop the shield, what if it attacks me? I’m not as thick-skinned as you!”

Li Qing had already anticipated this. He retrieved the Black Furnace from his storage pouch and promptly inverted it over Wu Chong, who was piloting the spirit boat.

”Just stay inside and focus on piloting the boat. Don’t worry about anything else. With this furnace, the Wandering Sky Falcon can’t touch you!”

Bang!

The Black Furnace was capable of withstanding void turbulence. Even a fourth-tier Transformation-stage Great Demon wouldn’t stand a chance against it, let alone a third-tier Wandering Sky Falcon!

Realizing Li Qing’s determination, Wu Chong hesitated for a moment before deactivating the spirit boat’s shield.

(End of the Chapter)

Translator’s Corner:

You are currently reading at Chapter 578. I would really appreciate it if you took a few minutes to review this book. It only takes 2-3 minutes and I would really appreciate it.