Immortal Refiner

Above the very center of the Tempering Life Spirit Pool, a hazy green light emanated from a profound wood platform, casting the silhouette of a human figure.

This platform belonged to Li Qing. He, Fan Tong, and several other demon beasts had entered the spirit pool early on, avoiding the external conflicts and slaughter, thus securing their spots with ease.

Seated upright on the platform, Li Qing silently circulated the Brahma King True Body, a body refinement secret technique, absorbing the abundant life energy surrounding him.

The spirit pool below continuously channeled life energy upward through the platform, an inexhaustible supply that never diminished, no matter how voraciously Li Qing devoured it.

As the dense life energy refined within his body, Li Qing felt every cell in his being rejoicing.

It was an utterly blissful sensation, as if his entire being were undergoing a profound transformation, ascending from within.

His fleshly body was undergoing a thorough baptism, completely enveloped by life energy, undergoing a process of tempering.

Buzz!

Under the influence of the life energy, Li Qing could clearly sense his fleshly body’s potential being enhanced.

The wear and tear it had accumulated over time rapidly healed, restoring it to its original state.

”I never imagined my body was so severely damaged. I rarely even engage in combat,” Li Qing murmured, astonished by the extent of the repairs his body required. He hadn’t realized it would take such a massive influx of life energy to restore it to its prime.

Since embarking on his cultivation journey, Li Qing had always adhered to the principle of benevolence, avoiding conflict whenever possible. He only resorted to violence when absolutely necessary.

As a result, he had rarely suffered serious injuries and believed his body’s wear and tear to be minimal.

Yet the current situation left him utterly shocked. Just now, he had absorbed an immense amount of life energy, subjecting his fleshly body to a complete purification and metamorphosis, both internally and externally.

”Ah, that’s it. During my trip to the Nether Domain, I endured a thunder tribulation. If not for the Black Furnace, I would have been in grave danger.”

”Although I’ve survived the thunder tribulation, the damage to my body is severe. I hadn’t even noticed it.”

In truth, from the moment a person is born and lives between heaven and earth, enduring wind, frost, snow, and rain, and passing through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, wear and tear is inevitable, even without suffering any injuries.

These are the subtle marks left by the great Dao of heaven and earth upon living beings. It is precisely because of this that the mortal realm experiences birth, aging, illness, and death.

When the spirit platform is clouded and the fleshly body deteriorates, anyone who can ignore these effects is undoubtedly a peerless master who has transcended the Laws of Life and Death.

Such a being could truly be said to shine as brightly as the sun and moon, and to live as long as heaven and earth.

”Hah!”

”My current physical state is like that of a newborn infant, and my potential has been greatly enhanced.”

”As expected of a spirit pool established by a transformation god-level master! The benefits are immense. This will greatly aid my future breakthrough to the nascent soul realm!”

Li Qing murmured to himself, his heartbeat quickening with excitement.

This was truly a heaven-sent opportunity.

A single baptism in this place could even slightly increase the chances of successfully forming a nascent soul.

”The ancestral land, revered throughout the entire demon realm, truly lives up to its reputation!”

Li Qing chuckled softly, then closed his eyes again.

It wasn’t time to leave yet; there was still plenty of time. He had only just finished repairing the wear and tear on his body and replenishing some of his potential.

Now, he could consider using this abundant life energy to temper and refine his fleshly body!

The sheer concentration of life energy here far surpassed the effectiveness of consuming several millennia-old spirit herbs rich in life essence!

With this thought, Li Qing began cultivating the Brahma King True Body.

He aimed to break through to the late third-tier of physical strength, hoping to leverage the life energy here to elevate his body arts cultivation to a higher level in one fell swoop.

If successful, his fleshly body alone would rival the power of late third-tier great demons!

Boom!

Li Qing resumed devouring the surrounding life energy with the voracity of a whale.

Gradually, Li Qing’s entire body began to swell, a consequence of absorbing too much life energy.

That’s right, the third layer of the Brahma King True Body requires stimulating the fleshly body with Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire, a process that inevitably depletes its potential.

But I don’t need to worry about that now. Even if my fleshly body’s potential is severely depleted, I can quickly replenish it.

The real problem is, how do I summon Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire?

Li Qing, meditating with his eyes closed, furrowed his brow.

He was inside the Tempering Life Spirit Pool, shielded by the profound wood platform. Any external attack would be blocked.

Forget Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire—even a nascent soul realm cultivator or a Great Transformation Demon attempting a direct assault would fail.

Every attack would be intercepted, then refined by the Tempering Life Spirit Pool itself, ultimately becoming part of the pool’s life energy.

Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire... Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire...

Hiss... I wonder if my own heavenly spirit fires could do the trick?

Suddenly, Li Qing remembered the two heavenly spirit fires he had subdued!

The Brahma King True Body technique required stimulating the body with violent forces like Heavenly Thunder and Earthfire to unlock its potential and achieve rapid advancement of the fleshly body.

”Heavenly spirit fire is inherently the most domineering and intense force in the universe. Using this fire to temper my body will undoubtedly be as effective as so-called Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire!”

With that, Li Qing began his preparations.

He first extended his hand and activated the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame within his body.

A moment later, a ball of black demon flame erupted from his palm, radiating scorching heat.

However, since Li Qing had already subdued the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame’s source fire seed, no matter how searingly hot it became, it couldn’t harm him in the slightest.

”I just need to purge the flame of my spiritual imprint. That way, it will no longer be under my control!”

”My only concern is that the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame’s power might be too great, potentially incinerating the profound wood platform from within!”

Li Qing glanced at the profound wood platform beneath him with slight apprehension, fearing unforeseen complications when he unleashed the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame.

”I’ve got it!”

His eyes suddenly lit up as he retrieved a black forge from his storage pouch.

Carefully placing the Black Furnace at the center of the profound wood platform, Li Qing climbed inside without hesitation.

The next moment, a violent commotion erupted from within the Black Furnace.

Boom!

With a roar of rising flames, an intensely scorching aura surged from the furnace.

The Spirit Devouring Demon Flame instantly engulfed the entire interior, its black tendrils burning fiercely like living entities, relentlessly searing Li Qing, who sat cross-legged within.

”Who would have thought,” Li Qing muttered through gritted teeth, forcing a bitter laugh, ”after all these years of refining artifacts, I’d end up throwing myself into the forge to be tempered by fire!”

The Spirit Devouring Demon Flame’s heat was terrifying. Trapped within the furnace, completely enveloped by the inferno, Li Qing experienced firsthand the torment of being scorched by heavenly spirit fire.

But he had no time for lamentation. His immediate priority was to break through the final barrier of the third layer of the Brahma King True Body, pushing his body arts cultivation to a higher realm.

”Burn me!”

Li Qing roared, his eyes blazing crimson as he unleashed even more Spirit Devouring Demon Flame, completely erasing its aura and subjecting his fleshly body to the furnace’s full tempering process.

Throughout this ordeal, he never forgot to circulate the Brahma King True Body, his body refinement technique.

Enduring endless torment and pain, Li Qing’s body arts cultivation, which had stagnated for so long, finally began to slowly advance again.

At this very moment, he was steadily progressing toward the late third-tier, his fleshly body growing increasingly robust!

Time flowed leisurely in the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm, where there was no concept of day or night, the land perpetually bathed in daylight.

News of the Tempering Life Spirit Pool spread rapidly, and the vast majority of the demon race learned that the ancestral land and the Tempering Life Spirit Pool had been activated!

”To miss such a monumental opportunity!”

”Ah, who could have imagined? The Tempering Life Spirit Pool has opened twice in unprecedented succession.”

”No wonder so many demons have vanished from the outside world. They all rushed to compete for the Tempering Life Spirit Pool.”

”Though I missed the Tempering Life Spirit Pool, I did obtain a millennial spirit flower. Not a total loss, I suppose.”

”Heh heh, that three-headed profound crocodile from the Crocodile Clan got the news too late. By the time it reached the western rift valley, all the slots for the Tempering Life Spirit Pool had already been claimed.”

”We’d better steer clear of the three-headed profound crocodile these days. Don’t want to cross its path in its foul mood!”

”...”

In truth, the three-headed profound crocodile had indeed been acting like a mad beast lately.

Having missed out on the Tempering Life Spirit Pool, the three-headed profound crocodile frantically searched the surrounding area for ancient medicinal herbs to compensate. However, this method proved far less efficient than the pool.

In the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm, a single misstep could lead to a cascade of setbacks.

The three-headed profound crocodile would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage in the upcoming competition for the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit and the climb to Beast King Mountain.

As days passed, the long-silent Tempering Life Spirit Pool finally stirred.

A profound wood platform, imprinted with the mark of the Terrorclaw Lizard, began to tremble slightly.

The hazy green light surrounding the platform rapidly dissipated, severing the flow of life energy that had been nourishing it.

Splash!

The profound wood platform slowly descended, settling back onto the surface of the spirit pool.

The Terrorclaw Lizard rose to its feet, shedding layers of old skin that rustled to the ground, revealing its gleaming, newly formed scales.

”Hahaha! Just one step away from the late core formation stage!”

”Once I advance further and officially reach the late core formation stage, I’ll be among the most powerful demon races in this realm!”

The Terrorclaw Lizard leaped effortlessly from the platform to the edge of the spirit pool, its excitement palpable.

It quickly glanced up and froze. The remaining eleven profound wood platforms still floated in the air.

The Terrorclaw Lizard was utterly stunned.

It never imagined it would be the first to complete its metamorphosis.

This meant its potential and foundation were far inferior to the other beings still on the profound wood platforms!

”H-how could this be?! I’m the weakest one!”

The Terrorclaw Lizard was dumbfounded. Staring at the eleven remaining floating platforms, it couldn’t believe what it was seeing. It had even emerged before Fan Tong!

However, when it examined the luminous silhouettes imprinted on the other platforms, its anxiety immediately subsided.

The demon races previously highlighted were now almost all occupying a profound wood platform above the spirit pool:

The white lion, golden bear, Wind Ape, jade azure serpent, and Azure Wing Rat!

Essentially, all the renowned demon races were still undergoing the baptism of life energy and metamorphosis.

After another long interval, another profound wood platform began to tremble.

A shadow leopard had completed its purification. All its previous injuries had completely healed, and its aura was now significantly stronger than before it entered.

Before the platform even touched the pool’s surface, the shadow leopard leaped out with agile grace.

”Roar!”

The shadow leopard tilted its head back and let out a low growl, surprised to have emerged so quickly.

Hot on the shadow leopard’s heels came a blazing fiend.

Every strand of its fur had been renewed, glowing like a roaring flame, vivid and striking.

”Squeak! Squeak!”

The blazing demon weasel’s injuries had completely healed. The Tempering Life Spirit Pool’s restorative power was truly remarkable—regrowing severed tails and limbs was effortless here.

Trailing the blazing demon weasel were the bone demon giant wolf and a cyan ape!

Upon emerging from seclusion, the bone demon giant wolf threw back its head and howled to the heavens:

”Awoo~!”

The Wind Ape, riding a gust of Qingfeng, floated gracefully into the air, making little noise. Everything felt peaceful and natural.

But before long, two more profound wood platforms above the spirit pool shed their hazy green light, revealing the figures within.

Whoosh!

A slender, emerald green shadow darted out, streaking across the sky like a bolt of green lightning.

This restless green lightning immediately hurtled toward the Azure Wing Rat, who had emerged at the same moment!

Bang! Bang!

The two combatants, barely out of seclusion, clashed in a brief, explosive exchange.

The Azure Wing Rat waved its forelimbs, conjuring two crystalline blue light patterns that barely withstood the sudden assault of green lightning.

”Serpent Clan friend, ambushes are very poor etiquette!” the diminutive Azure Wing Rat scolded, floating in the air. Its voice, like its size, still carried a hint of childishness.

”Heh, I’ve long heard of the Azure Wing Rat Clan’s innate sensitivity to spiritual objects and treasures. I merely wished to invite you to join me in our future endeavors,” the jade azure serpent replied.

Having failed its initial strike, the serpent immediately retreated, flicking its tongue and revealing a subtle allure in its vertical pupils.

”I’ll pass on that. I prefer to act alone and dislike traveling in groups, especially with Serpent Clan demon cultivators!” The Azure Wing Rat crossed its arms with human-like disdain and turned its head away.

Before the jade azure serpent could retort, another commotion erupted in the sky.

Two more profound wood platforms deactivated their green light, revealing the figures within!

Before anyone could react, two earth-shattering roars—one a lion’s roar, the other a tiger’s bellow—resounded across the vast expanse, carrying for unimaginable distances.

”Roar!”

”Aow-roar!”

On the two profound wood platforms, a jade-white male lion and a ferocious black tiger radiated malevolent energy.

The lion’s roar and tiger’s howl didn’t drown each other out. Bai Xing narrowed his eyes, immediately glaring at the black tiger that had roared alongside him.

No!

It wasn’t just Bai Xing. The other demons who had already emerged from the Tempered Life Spirit Pool also stared at Fan Tong with disbelief.

”The Tiger Clan? How is this possible?”

”When did he sneak in? Wait, weren’t the Tiger Clan of the demon realm wiped out long ago?”

”Heh heh heh, this is getting interesting. I can’t wait to see Jin Lie’s reaction when he emerges and sees this!”

The demons who had been about to leave abruptly halted, turning back to gaze at the sky above the spirit pool.

Three profound wood platforms still floated high above the spirit pool!

This sight left them utterly stunned.

They understood Jin Lie’s situation—having awakened the bloodline of the Ancient Dragon Bear, it was natural for him to emerge later.

But what about the other two platforms?

Judging by the shadows imprinted in the hazy green light, these demons seemed unfamiliar to them.

”This is getting more interesting,” the jade azure serpent hissed, its snake eyes gleaming with a sinister light. ”When did so many astonishingly talented beings emerge in the demon realm? And we knew nothing about them!”

Bai Xing, who had emerged from seclusion alongside Fan Tong, paid little attention to these developments. His gaze remained fixed on the black tiger before him, his expression one of intense interest.

Without a word or exchange, the white lion and black tiger immediately clashed.

”Roar!”

”Aow-roar!”

The black and white figures intertwined in a fierce, primal struggle.

It’s worth noting that Fan Tong’s strength had advanced to the mid-third-tier realm after emerging from the profound wood platform, now only a minor realm behind Bai Xing.

The battle raged with savage intensity, a brutal clash of fleshly bodies in their most primal form.

This was the most common method of combat among the demon race.

”Roar!” Bai Xing’s shock grew with each strike. This mid-third-tier black tiger’s fleshly body was nearly as formidable as his own!

The crucial point was that Bai Xing was already at the late third-tier realm!

Fan Tong, meanwhile, was in a frenzy of excitement. He cared nothing for the difference in realms; as long as there was a fight, he’d charge in without hesitation, consequences be damned!

Gradually, the lion and tiger inflicted wounds on each other, crimson blood splattering across the ground.

Just as the battle was about to escalate, above the spirit pool, two more of the final three profound wood platforms dispersed their hazy green light.

One of them was the platform occupied by Jin Lie, the sixth son of the Golden Bear King!

The other belonged to the ninth insect, who wielded multiple tentacles across its body!

”Roar!” Jin Lie roared with the full force of his lungs, his furious bellow carrying a palpable pressure that reverberated for thousands of miles.

Immediately afterward, Jin Lie spotted the black tiger locked in mortal combat with Bai Xing outside the spirit pool!

”Hmm?”

A deep suspicion arose in Jin Lie’s eyes, accompanied by a chilling murderous intent.

”A Tiger Clan member? When did the Tiger Clan appear in the demon realm?!”

Meanwhile, the Terrorclaw Lizard and the bone demon giant wolf focused their attention on the final profound wood platform.

Both creatures wore expressions of utter shock!

The human race member had emerged last!

”This is truly defying the heavens,” the bone demon giant wolf muttered in disbelief. ”What is this person’s background? Why did they require such an extended period of purification?”

The Terrorclaw Lizard, its face etched with awe, dared not utter a single word.

(End of the Chapter)

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