Immortal Refiner

Within the medicinal garden, beyond the nearly millennium-old Dragon Blood Vine, grew numerous other rare and precious spirit herbs.

”Look, that small tree is bearing fruit! Could it be a Profound Origin Tree?”

”Its trunk is as white and smooth as jade, and the fruits resemble jade pearls. It must be Profound Origin Fruit.”

Wu Chong and True Lord Fu Xuan stood before several peculiar spirit trees, scrutinizing them intently. Unlike the towering spirit trees that often reached hundreds or even thousands of meters in height, the Profound Origin Tree was remarkably short, barely reaching knee-high.

Yet each tree was laden with translucent white Spirit Fruits, each one crystalline and lustrous, resembling perfect jade pearls.

Li Qing nodded in agreement. ”These Profound Origin Fruits can refine the fleshly body. Regular consumption will maintain a state of vigorous vitality.”

”With prolonged use, they can even dramatically enhance one’s physical constitution.”

In the wild, spirit trees like these would invariably be guarded by accompanying demon beasts.

”There are four Profound Origin Trees in total,” True Lord Fu Xuan said with a satisfied nod. ”That’s enough for each of us to transplant one to our cave abodes.”

Li Qing and Wu Chong had no objections. They each used secret techniques to transplant the spirit plants without harming their vitality, successfully claiming a Profound Origin Tree.

In addition to these, the medicinal garden contained other spirit herbs that strengthened the foundation and nourished the origin, but compared to the value of the Dragon Blood Vine and Profound Origin Trees, they were insignificant.

Having no immediate need for other spirit herbs, Li Qing bowed to True Lord Fu Xuan and left the spirit peak without lingering.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the ruins, Shen Ningbing wielded an ice crystal sword, hacking away at the rubble as if excavating something.

Seeing this, Li Qing flew over without hesitation.

”Junior Sister, have you discovered something?” Li Qing asked, his gaze fixed on the area Shen Ningbing was excavating.

Shen Ningbing nodded. ”Just now, I sensed an unusual fluctuation here, almost like a restriction fading away.”

Upon hearing this, Li Qing immediately joined Shen Ningbing in excavating the area buried beneath the ruins.

As they pried open the heavy stone walls and rubble, a rich, refreshing fragrance wafted out.

”Hiss—that’s the scent of medicinal pills!” Li Qing’s eyes lit up, and he and Shen Ningbing redoubled their efforts to clear the debris, revealing a corner of what lay beneath.

It became clear that this area had once been the Shangqing Sect’s Pill Cauldron Hall!

Beneath the ruins, countless jars and bottles lay shattered, with only a few remaining intact.

Even Shen Ningbing, usually as cold as frost, couldn’t maintain her composure. Her brow furrowed slightly as she remarked, ”What a pity! So many pills have been destroyed.”

This was indeed a significant loss. As the Pill Cauldron Hall of a cultivation sect, it would have contained a wealth of valuable spirit herbs.

Especially now, with the newly established Lingyun Sect in dire need of cultivation resources!

”There’s nothing we can do about it,” Li Qing said. ”Let’s focus on salvaging the undamaged pills.”

As they spoke, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing began collecting the unbroken bottles and jars from the ruins.

The majority of the pills were for cultivators in the qi refining realm, of little use to the two core formation realm cultivators.

A smaller quantity of Purple Yang Pills was also found, typically awarded to foundation establishment realm cultivators. These were considered strategic reserves for any cultivation sect, absolutely essential.

Unfortunately, not a single bottle of pills capable of enhancing core formation realm cultivation was discovered, leaving the pair slightly disappointed.

”Heh, generally speaking, pills useful to core formation realm true lords wouldn’t be stored in the sect’s Pill Cauldron Pavilion anyway,” Li Qing chuckled.

”What we really need is to find the Shangqing Sect’s pill formula for enhancing core formation realm mana. If we could obtain that, it would be the most invaluable treasure of all!”

”But even if we don’t find it, it’s no great loss!” Li Qing added with a confident smile.

Shen Ningbing, however, missed the deeper meaning in Li Qing’s words. She nodded in agreement before turning to look behind them.

At that very moment, the ruins of the mountain gate suddenly erupted with noise.

”Shangqing Sect scum, your grandpa’s here!”

Led by Lu Fan, the elders and disciples of the Lingyun Sect charged forward.

But their battle cries quickly died in their throats.

Lu Fan froze in place, staring at the utterly devastated mountain gate.

”What... what is this?”

”The Shangqing Sect has been destroyed? How did everything turn to ruins?!”

”Look! It’s Ancestor Ziqing!”

The elders gasped in unison as they spotted Ancestor Ziqing, slumped silently on the ground.

Within moments, hundreds of people rushed toward him, some with tears in their eyes, others with overwhelming joy.

”Ancestor, you’re alive! Thank heavens!”

”Martial Uncle Ziqing...”

”Ancestor, are you alright? Where are the Shangqing Sect members?”

The once deathly pale Ancestor Ziqing finally cracked a smile as he recognized the familiar faces.

”Hahahaha, you little brats! Did you really think this old man would die so easily? A mere Shangqing Sect can’t claim my life!”

In the distance, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing watched the scene unfold, both chuckling.

”He arrived at just the right time,” Li Qing said with a grin. ”Now we have plenty of manpower to rebuild the mountain gate!”

And so, the reconstruction of Lingyun Sect’s mountain gate officially began!

With the combined efforts of the elders, the clearing of the Shangqing Sect ruins proceeded at an accelerated pace.

By the second day, the Shangqing Sect’s scripture repository had been fully unearthed!

Upon hearing the news, Li Qing rushed to the site first. He immediately began sifting through the massive collection of ancient manuals and jade slips buried beneath the rubble.

The sheer volume of the collection was staggering, with multiple cultivation manuals reaching the nascent soul realm!

”As expected of a cultivation sect that once dominated the entire Azure Ridge Domain,” Li Qing murmured, examining the jade slips in his hand and the ancient tomes at his feet. ”They even incorporated the cultivation manuals and secret manuals from the Heavenly River Sect and our own Lingyun Sect.”

His breath quickened slightly as he gazed at the wealth of immortal dao heritage before him.

These were all precious immortal dao inheritances—the legacies of the three cultivation sects that once dominated the Azure Ridge Domain. Nearly eighty to ninety percent of their scriptures had been collected here.

With these scripture inheritances, rebuilding the foundation of the Lingyun Sect had become remarkably solid.

After all, a cultivation sect fundamentally required Immortal Dao cultivation techniques and inheritances.

Currently, there were multiple cultivation manuals capable of reaching the nascent soul realm, ensuring that the sect would never lack disciples in the future.

Some days later, an extremely well-hidden vault was discovered!

Its restrictions were so formidable that it took the combined efforts of four core formation true lords, including Li Qing, to barely break through.

The moment the restrictions shattered, a torrent of spiritual energy and radiant treasures erupted, causing the entire sky to shimmer with otherworldly light.

Staring at the vault’s treasures, Li Qing swallowed hard several times, his heart pounding wildly.

Mountains of spirit stones glowed brilliantly, radiating an overwhelmingly dense spiritual energy that made his heart race.

The sheer quantity of spirit stones alone was staggering—a rough estimate put the number at around two hundred thousand.

But that was nothing compared to the spiritual materials inside. Every imaginable type was meticulously organized, filling row after row of towering shelves.

”Heavens... Am I dreaming?”

An elder watching from afar couldn’t resist pinching his arm, fearing he might awaken from this dream at any moment.

”Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!” Li Qing shouted repeatedly, his voice trembling with excitement as he struggled to contain his emotions. ”Whoever discovered this hidden treasury will be richly rewarded!”

”Reporting to Ancestor Limitless, Fellow Daoist Lu was the first to find this place!”

Daoist Jin Bao stepped forward with a forced smile, scratching the back of his head. ”Senior Limitless,” he said, slightly embarrassed, ”it was indeed I who discovered this treasury!”

Li Qing’s laughter boomed, growing even louder as he looked at Daoist Jin Bao. ”Hahahaha! Well done!”

”Junior Nephew Jinbao, name your reward! Anything you desire is yours!”

Daoist Jin Bao clasped his hands solemnly. ”Ancestor Limitless,” he said, ”I wish for a top-grade core formation spiritual material!”

A superior core formation spiritual material naturally referred to yin-yang spirit liquid or Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid. Unfortunately, neither was stored in this treasury. However, several portions of Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar and Azure Jade Spirit Water were available.

Li Qing slowly withdrew his divine sense. After a moment’s contemplation, he nodded.

”Very well. You have rendered great service this time. In the future, I will personally procure a superior core formation spiritual material to aid you in your core formation.”

With these treasures from the treasury, the reconstruction of the mountain gate would proceed much more efficiently.

”Many thanks, Ancestor Limitless!” Daoist Jin Bao clasped his hands in gratitude and bowed deeply.

By this point, hundreds of Lingyun Sect cultivators had scoured the entire Shangqing Sect ruins, digging three feet deep into the earth.

Once they confirmed nothing remained hidden, the reconstruction of the mountain gate finally began.

As cultivators, their efficiency far surpassed that of mortals.

In just over ten days, the vast expanse of ruins had been completely cleared and organized.

Working together, they began constructing the necessary buildings in an orderly manner:

The Sect Leader’s Hall, Pill Cauldron Hall, Sect Affairs Hall, Refining Hall, and other essential structures rose steadily.

During this period, cultivation clans from the outside world began to visit, offering their assistance in rebuilding the mountain gate.

Li Qing accepted all these gestures of goodwill without exception.

However, he personally met with a few Clan Heads of particularly high status.

”Heh heh, Fellow Daoist Zhong, Fellow Daoist Lu, long time no see. How have you been?”

”Your valiant pursuit of me across ten thousand miles back then remains unforgettable to this day.”

In the newly rebuilt Sect Leader’s Hall, Li Qing sat regally on a majestic chair, a mocking smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the two foundation establishment cultivators kneeling before him, trembling uncontrollably.

Indeed, these were the very two Clan Heads who had chased him all the way from Liang Country to the gates of Lingyun Sect.

Hearing Li Qing’s derisive question, Zhong Ya and Lu Feiyu began to shake even more violently.

They never could have imagined that the rogue cultivator who had once been merely at the qi refining realm would now become a figure they could only look up to in awe.

Not only that, this man had led his followers to completely annihilate the once-invincible Shangqing Sect and now sought to establish himself as a supreme patriarch!

”Back then, this lowly one’s eyes failed to recognize a true lord. Please forgive my offense, Senior!”

”I deserve to die! I deserve to die! My heart was blinded by greed when I dared to pursue you, Senior!”

Zhong Ya and Lu Feiyu kowtowed vigorously, their foreheads slamming heavily against the floor, their humility reaching its utmost.

Seeing their abject posture, Li Qing felt no urge to abuse his newfound power. He smiled indulgently and waved his hand.

”Enough, enough. As long as you two remain loyal to the Lingyun Sect from now on, I won’t dwell on these old grudges.”

”Withdraw now. With the mountain gate being rebuilt, we need all hands on deck. Both of you, put your backs into it.”

After all, he was now the patriarch of a sect. Dwelling on such trivial past grievances would only tarnish his reputation. The Lingyun Sect was destined to become the supreme power in the Azure Ridge Domain’s immortal dao world, and he couldn’t afford to let petty matters damage his standing.

”Thank you for your magnanimity, Senior!”

”From this day forward, the Zhong Clan will follow the Lingyun Sect’s lead without question, ready to face fire and water, even death itself!”

As Li Qing spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something. ”Ah, I heard your Zhong Clan has several Golden War Boats,” he said, ”like the one you used to hunt me down back then. I understand they combine array formations with the art of artifact refinement. I’m rather curious about them.”

Hearing this, Zhong Ya dared not hesitate. He immediately presented Li Qing with a storage pouch containing the Golden War Boat.

”The Golden War Boat is inside, Senior. If you find it to your liking, it would truly be an honor for the Zhong Clan!”

Li Qing accepted the pouch with a smile. ”Heh, don’t worry. I’ll just borrow it to study its intricacies. Once I’ve grasped its secrets, I’ll return it to you.”

”Alright, you two may leave now.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Clan Heads Lu Feiyu and Zhong Ya immediately withdrew from the Sect Leader’s Hall. Once outside, both men found their backs drenched in cold sweat.

They exchanged a glance, each recognizing the other’s relief at having narrowly escaped disaster.

This encounter had nearly scared the courage out of them!

After the two men departed, other clan patriarchs soon arrived to pay their respects.

This time, it was the Tang Clan Patriarch, whose clan had once been affiliated with the Lingyun Sect.

The man’s name was Tang Lushan, another acquaintance of Li Qing.

”Heh, Tang Clan Patriarch, it’s been quite some time since we last met, hasn’t it?”

”Has your son fully recovered from the injuries he sustained at our Lingyun Sect’s ascension conference?” Li Qing asked casually, idly playing with a shrunken Golden War Boat in his hand.

Though he wasn’t deliberately exerting his aura, his mere presence sent shivers through Tang Lushan’s entire body.

”Criminal Tang Lushan greets Ancestor!” Tang Lushan declared, slamming his forehead heavily against the ground.

Only then did Li Qing shift his gaze from the miniature war boat to Tang Lushan.

The piercing, almost tangible stare made Tang Lushan’s blood run cold. He didn’t dare lift his head.

”Speak,” Li Qing said calmly. ”What crimes have you committed?”

”After the upper sect was destroyed, I led the Tang Clan to surrender to the Shangqing Sect without resistance. I beg Ancestor to punish me!”

Li Qing flicked his finger against the Golden War Boat and said languidly, ”Enough. The Shangqing Sect held overwhelming power then. Even if your Tang Clan had fought to the bitter end, it would have been a futile death. Why would I blame you for that?”

”You may leave now. Behave yourselves in the future, and no one will trouble your Tang Clan.”

Tang Lushan finally exhaled in relief. ”Thank you, Ancestor, for your mercy!” he exclaimed. ”The Tang Clan will henceforth follow the Lingyun Sect with unwavering loyalty!”

With those words, Tang Lushan retreated, tears welling in his aged eyes, his expression profoundly moving.

As Tang Lushan departed, Li Qing finally let out a long sigh of relief.

”At last, some peace and quiet. Let’s examine this spirit boat that combines array formations and see what makes it so special.”

But before Li Qing could begin his investigation, a disciple’s voice rang out from outside:

”Reporting to the ancestor, the Lin Family Patriarch has arrived at the mountain gate requesting an audience!”

Hearing this, Li Qing’s face darkened.

”Wait a minute... the sect hasn’t even been fully rebuilt yet, and all these miscellaneous affairs are already falling on my shoulders?”

Li Qing immediately sensed something was amiss. If this continued, how would he ever find the time for focused cultivation?

”This won’t do! We need to choose a sect leader as soon as possible!” Li Qing’s expression grew grim.

The other core formation ancestors within the sect seemed rather unreliable.

Ancestor Ziqing was notoriously eccentric, Wu Chong had only a superficial understanding of sect affairs, and Shen Ningbing was too aloof and unapproachable. As for True Lord Fu Xuan, he had already made it clear that he wouldn’t be bothered with such matters.

Thus, all the various tasks, big and small, involved in establishing the newly rebuilt sect naturally fell onto Li Qing’s shoulders.

”Let him in!”

Li Qing sighed softly. Despite everything, Lin Xiaonan had offered him some assistance, so he felt obligated to meet with him.

Before long, the Lin Family Patriarch entered with his eldest son and daughter.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Before they could even get a clear look at Li Qing, all three knelt in unison.

”Our son and daughter deeply offended Senior in the past. We beg Senior to punish them!”

To Lin Xiaonan’s left and right, Lin Ya and Lin Xiuzhu knelt obediently on the ground, not daring to move an inch.

Gazing at the trio, Li Qing sighed again and said, ”Speaking of which, aren’t you two still disciples of the Shangqing Sect?”

”Lin Family Patriarch, you’ve been curious about my identity all this time. Surely you know now?”

Lin Xiaonan still didn’t dare to raise his head. ”We know everything now,” he replied. ”Please spare my daughter and son’s lives, Senior. I’m willing to die in their place!”

”Ah, how could I possibly hold such words against you?”

”However, I intend to completely eradicate the remnants of the Shangqing Sect, lest such calamities befall my Lingyun Sect again.”

At these words, the three trembled violently.

”Yet your Lin Clan has indeed rendered meritorious service to my Lingyun Sect. This puts me in a rather difficult position.”

If he hadn’t disguised himself as a Lin Clan disciple to infiltrate the Shangqing Sect, he would never have been able to rescue Ancestor Ziqing so easily.

This was a monumental achievement, one that Li Qing would never forget.

”Very well,” Li Qing said, observing the two siblings. ”Your aptitudes are passable. Would you be willing to join my Lingyun Sect?”

Lin Xiaonan’s face lit up with overwhelming joy as he raised his head. He immediately pulled his eldest son and daughter forward, bowing repeatedly to Li Qing.

”Thank you for your magnanimity, Senior! My unworthy son and daughter pledge absolute loyalty to the Lingyun Sect and will never betray its trust!”

”Quickly, thank Senior!” Lin Ya and Lin Xiuzhu both exclaimed simultaneously.

”Thank you for your magnanimity, Senior!”

Li Qing waved his hand dismissively. ”You are new to the Lingyun Sect, but you are also burdened by past transgressions. I require you to atone for your sins through meritorious service. Assist the other Lingyun sect disciples and elders in hunting down the remaining Shangqing Sect remnants. Do you accept this task?”

Faced with this demand, the Lin siblings dared not refuse and immediately agreed.

”Excellent. The sect is newly established and requires many hands. You should contribute your efforts as well!”

”We shall obey Ancestor’s decree!”

(End of the Chapter)

Translator’s Corner

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