Immortal Refiner

Li Qing was a pure-blooded human, his veins coursing with mortal blood, unlike Wu Chong, who carried a faint trace of the Gluttonous Bloodline within him.

In his human form, he had no chance of obtaining the inheritance of the True Spirit Immortal Bird within the stone chamber.

His repeated attempts to touch the Kunpeng Stone Tablet had already confirmed this fact.

”If I transform into a bird, could I then acquire the True Spirit Immortal Bird’s inheritance?” Li Qing murmured to himself, a spark of inspiration igniting in his mind. He suddenly recalled a long-forgotten incident.

Back when he was still at Lingyun Sect, he had purchased talismans from Chu Lingyi. As a bonus, she had given him a unique talisman of her own creation: the Beast Transformation Talisman!

This talisman had remained untouched at the bottom of Li Qing’s storage box, never finding an opportunity for use.

Later, when he represented the sect at the ascension conference in the market town, he had encountered Ling Ying of Shangqing Sect—the very leader of the Flying Eagle Bandits.

Shen Ningbing had engaged Ling Ying in a fierce battle. After the clash, Li Qing collected a few drops of essence blood from the Sky-Rending Eagle and imprinted them onto the Beast Transformation Talisman.

At this thought, Li Qing’s breathing quickened involuntarily.

He began frantically rummaging through his storage pouch, finally unearthing a beast hide talisman from a pouch he hadn’t opened in ages.

Imprinted on the talisman was an azure eagle, its form identical to the Sky-Rending Eagle Ling Ying had once raised!

”I thought this Beast Transformation Talisman would never see use again, but now I’ll have to give it a try!”

Beast Transformation Talisman!

By imprinting a drop of a demon beast’s essence blood onto this talisman, one could completely transform into that creature’s form. Not only would their aura become identical, but even their physical structure would change!

At least, that’s what Chu Lingyi had claimed when she gifted the talisman to Li Qing.

Regardless of its truth, Li Qing had no choice but to trust this once-in-a-generation talismanship prodigy now!

”This Beast Transformation Talisman wasn’t particularly useful anyway. Trying it out won’t hurt, even if it’s wasted.”

With these words, Li Qing channeled his spiritual energy to activate the Beast Transformation Talisman, a creation of Chu Lingyi herself!

Unlike ordinary talismans, this one didn’t vanish into smoke upon activation. Instead, it instantly expanded, enveloping Li Qing’s entire body in a single sheet of animal hide.

The hide meticulously spread across every inch of Li Qing’s skin, clinging tightly as if fusing into a single entity.

In the next moment, a fiery sensation surged from within his body as the few drops of Sky-Rending Eagle essence blood within the Beast Transformation Talisman were forced into Li Qing’s flesh.

”Scree!”

A piercing eagle’s cry echoed through the cave abode. Simultaneously, the intricate patterns etched on the talisman’s surface spiraled into Li Qing’s body, initiating a radical transformation of his physical structure.

After a violent metamorphosis, feathers began sprouting continuously from Li Qing’s body.

Before long, an azure eagle with plumage covering its entire body materialized within the stone chamber—a Sky-Rending Eagle, identical to the demon bird Ling Ying had once raised.

Sensing the changes in his body, Li Qing felt a surge of elation. He had truly succeeded!

”Scree! Scree!”

Li Qing was so overjoyed he wanted to shout, but he discovered his vocal cords had also transformed, rendering him unable to speak normally.

The transformation was thorough—a perfect sign that his chances of obtaining the inheritance were high.

Outside, the Wandering Sky Falcon watched Li Qing’s transformation with stunned disbelief. Its once-sharp eyes now looked utterly bewildered, as if asking, ”So the human I’ve been fighting all this time... is actually a demon bird?”

Li Qing, however, paid no attention to the falcon’s shock. His entire focus was fixed on the stone tablets covering the chamber walls.

Each tablet represented the inheritance of a powerful True Spirit Immortal Bird, each one immensely precious.

Which inheritance should he choose?

”The Sky-Rending Eagle itself lacks a True Spirit bloodline inheritance. However, its ancestors were a branch of the Azure Sky Peng, which legend claims is a descendant of the Kunpeng, carrying a trace of Kunpeng’s true blood within its veins!”

Not to mention the Kunpeng, even the Azure Sky Peng had long since vanished from the lower realm. This demon race could only exist in the upper realm.

With this in mind, Li Qing thought that if he wanted to obtain an inheritance, attempting to acquire the Kunpeng Inheritance might be a more suitable approach.

At this thought, Li Qing flapped his wings and immediately touched the Kunpeng Stone Tablet, which still radiated spiritual light.

Boom!

In an instant, Li Qing, transformed into a Sky-Rending Eagle, froze in place, as if struck by a powerful electric current, his body instantly stiffening.

A torrent of violent information surged from his wings into his body, then into his divine soul.

Vast amounts of demon script began to appear in his mind. Li Qing, who had previously known nothing of demon script, was astonished to find that he could somehow decipher its meaning.

Kunpeng Inheritance!

There were two conditions for obtaining it:

1. Possess Kunpeng true blood flowing within one’s veins.

2. Pass the Kunpeng Trial.

After deciphering the meaning of the demon script, Li Qing’s heart sank slightly.

The Beast Transformation Talisman had briefly transformed him into a Sky-Rending Eagle, granting him the qualification to attempt the inheritance, unlike before when he hadn’t even been eligible to try.

However, the Sky-Rending Eagle’s bloodline contained no true blood of a True Spirit Immortal Bird, rendering the simplest method of obtaining the inheritance impossible.

Suddenly, two portals materialized in Li Qing’s Sea of Consciousness, one on the left and one on the right.

The left portal represented obtaining the Kunpeng Inheritance through his bloodline, while the right portal led to the Kunpeng Trial.

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Li Qing attempted to push open the left portal.

Immediately, he sensed a hidden power sweeping through his body, as if assessing his qualifications.

Soon, the left portal not only remained immovable but also vanished completely.

Now, only one portal remained before him!

To obtain the Kunpeng Inheritance, he had to push open the remaining portal and conquer the Kunpeng Trial!

”Having only the Azure Sky Peng bloodline isn’t enough,” Li Qing realized. ”It seems true Kunpeng blood is required for direct inheritance.”

It seems the inheritance of other True Spirit Immortal Birds follows the same pattern: either through bloodline or through sheer strength.

With this realization, Li Qing’s eyes hardened with determination.

If that’s the case, there’s no more room for hesitation.

Among all the inheritances, the Kunpeng Inheritance held the greatest allure for him.

While the Phoenix Inheritance and those of other immortal birds were tempting, Li Qing’s heart yearned most for the Kunpeng.

What was the Kunpeng?

A creature that soared through the nine heavens, unbound by any earthly constraints!

Such a being could even traverse space freely, possessing a unique understanding of the Spatial Laws.

To rise ninety thousand miles on the wind... If I could obtain this inheritance, I could truly go anywhere in the world!

Thus, Li Qing suppressed his interest in the Phoenix Inheritance and those of other True Spirit Immortal Birds.

Without another word, he charged straight toward the portal representing the Kunpeng Trial.

Boom!

A swirling mist engulfed him, completely enveloping Li Qing’s consciousness.

In a daze, the mist dissipated, and Li Qing gradually emerged from his stupor.

Darkness pressed in from all sides, obscuring everything.

”Where am I? Has the Kunpeng Trial already begun?”

The profound darkness swallowed everything, leaving nothing visible.

Li Qing felt a surge of confusion. He reached out, his hand meeting a solid, thick wall that felt damp and slick to the touch.

”What is this place?”

Panic began to rise within him. He felt an overwhelming urge to break free, the surrounding darkness a suffocating prison.

Moreover, he sensed his own life force weakening, his vitality gradually fading.

In that moment, he finally understood his predicament.

He was trapped inside an eggshell!

”So the Kunpeng Trial actually begins with hatching from an egg?”

Without hesitation, Li Qing knew what he had to do. Breaking free from the shell was now his top priority.

He threw all his strength into breaching the shell’s barrier. But his current strength was too weak, his life force too diminished. Cracking open this eggshell, as thick and solid as a wall, proved to be an excruciatingly difficult task.

He had a sinking feeling that if he couldn’t break free, he might truly die.

Realizing this, Li Qing panicked. He threw all his strength into shattering the eggshell, but it was futile.

His current strength was insufficient to force it open!

”Dying in the womb right from the start? This trial is way too difficult!”

Forcing himself to suppress his chaotic emotions, Li Qing regained his composure.

”Wait, if this were a guaranteed death trap, what’s the point of calling it a trial?”

”Let me think... what else can I use?”

In this trial, he had nothing. His body was completely empty—no magic artifacts, not even his cultivation base.

All he could rely on was this frail, dying body.

”Right now, I’m an unhatched Kunpeng chick. If I can’t break through the eggshell, I’ll perish here, becoming nothing more than a dead egg.”

”My strength is limited. I need to use it cleverly.”

In that moment, Li Qing suddenly remembered his old profession!

This was Martial Dao!

As a Martial Dao Grandmaster, he possessed unparalleled mastery over the application of force. Channeling one unit of strength to unleash ten units of power was far from impossible for him.

”Limitless.”

Instinctively, Li Qing began to execute his self-created martial arts masterpiece—the Limitless Art!

This was an exceptionally profound martial technique, a secret manual he had developed only after reaching the Grandmaster Realm. It had driven countless Martial Artists across the world into a frenzy.

As the creator of this martial arts masterpiece, even in a new body, he could execute it flawlessly within moments.

It was practically second nature to him!

In the next instant, Li Qing channeled the Limitless Art, concentrating all his strength into a single point before unleashing it with explosive force.

Piercing the surface with a single point!

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound echoed as a blinding ray of light pierced through the shell.

Not only light, but also an astonishingly dense surge of heaven and earth spiritual energy flooded into the egg.

From the moment the shell cracked, Li Qing’s body began absorbing the spiritual energy, rapidly growing stronger and more powerful.

Soon, the shell could no longer contain him. He effortlessly burst free!

”Freedom... fresh air... hmm? Where am I?”

After hatching, the surrounding environment differed greatly from what Li Qing had anticipated.

He found himself on the summit of a towering mountain, so high that even the clouds lay at his feet, buffeted by fierce gales.

The spot where he stood was a stone hollow, within which lay two other completely still eggs.

If his guess was correct, these were likely unhatched Kunpeng.

”Have I become a Kunpeng?”

Li Qing immediately lowered his head to examine himself. He discovered his body covered in a thin layer of dark, downy feathers, making it impossible to discern his exact species.

Before he could ponder further, the wind and clouds suddenly shifted dramatically!

The already raging gales intensified further.

The sky darkened abruptly, followed by terrifying thunder and lightning that erupted across the heavens.

Each thunderbolt far surpassed the power of the thunder tribulation he had previously endured!

And that wasn’t all. From the dome of the sky, a chaotic sea of thunder descended like a world-destroying cataclysm, its sheer terror sending shivers down his spine.

”Are they expecting me to face this thunder tribulation?” Li Qing stared in disbelief, thinking, This is a death sentence!

Fortunately, things weren’t as dire as he feared. Amidst the deafening roars, he noticed a colossal, majestic figure emerging from the heart of the terrifying thunder sea.

Immediately, the chaotic sea of thunder around them seemed to be drawn in by some force, vanishing in an instant.

With the thunder sea gone, the figure finally became clear.

Its wings stretched across the sky like vast clouds, soaring upward for ninety thousand miles!

It was a Kunpeng, and just now, it had devoured the entire sea of thunder into its belly!

Yet this immensely powerful Kunpeng appeared to be severely wounded. With a gentle flap of its wings, it instantly traversed tens of thousands of miles.

In the next moment, it noticed Li Qing, who had already hatched atop the mountain peak!

Boom!

The Kunpeng flapped its wings again, hurtling toward Li Qing’s location.

But behind it, terrifying and ferocious figures were reflected across the heavens, their mere presence threatening to annihilate all creation.

Before Li Qing could even get a good look at the wounded True Spirit, he was swept up, and his consciousness plunged into darkness once more.

In this hazy state, strings of demon script began to appear in his mind like dancing musical notes.

When his consciousness finally cleared, he found himself in a completely different place.

Moreover, a demon race scripture had been added to his memories:

Kunpeng Art!

(End of the Chapter)

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