Immortal Refiner

The Soul Refinement Scripture was incredibly vast, and simply imprinting it into his mind left Li Qing feeling somewhat dizzy.

Fortunately, his powerful divine soul allowed him to recover quickly.

Once the final passage of scripture was deeply etched into his Sea of Consciousness, Li Qing slowly opened his eyes.

”What a profound scripture! It actually allows one to strengthen their divine soul through cultivation!”

After a cursory review of the scripture’s contents, Li Qing was deeply shaken.

He was no longer a novice cultivator. He knew that strengthening an immortal’s divine soul was exceedingly difficult.

Apart from the slight increase gained during breakthroughs, further enhancement required rare natural treasures or uniquely potent magic artifacts.

Li Qing’s previous effortless strengthening of his divine soul had been due to discovering a dense patch of Heavenly Star Grass and a mysterious Soul Nurturing Bell.

Now, at his current level, even the highest-grade Heavenly Star Grass with a medicinal age of five thousand years would yield only negligible effects.

Without any extraordinary opportunities in the future, the only way for Li Qing to further strengthen his divine soul would be through breakthroughs in his cultivation realm.

Yet now, he had obtained a miraculous scripture that could enhance his spiritual awareness through cultivation. It was clear just how invaluable the Soul Refinement Scripture truly was.

”Mastering this scripture will greatly benefit your future dao,” Dao Lord Bai Ling murmured. ”It might even allow you to reach a state where your fleshly body perishes, yet your divine soul remains indestructible!”

Having personally cultivated this scripture, Dao Lord Bai Ling understood its extraordinary nature better than anyone.

”Thank you, Senior Bai Ling, for bestowing this sacred art!” Li Qing rose and bowed deeply, clasping his hands in utmost reverence.

”You came bearing the Moonfall Star Chart and the beast ancestor token. The Soul Refinement Scripture is your rightful reward. But remember this: this scripture is of paramount importance. Under no circumstances must you reveal it to anyone. Doing so could invite fatal consequences.”

Dao Lord Bai Ling’s tone was grave. He even expended some of his divine sense to seal the surrounding space, ensuring not a single sound could escape.

”This junior understands!” Li Qing nodded solemnly.

After receiving the inheritance of the Soul Refinement Scripture, Li Qing retrieved the remaining five beast ancestor tokens and finally released Ninth Insect.

”Senior, does Beast King Mountain have any inheritances suitable for my spirit insect?”

Dao Lord Bai Ling paid no heed to Li Qing’s audacity. Instead, he gazed with keen interest at Ninth Insect’s peculiar form.

”A spirit insect? How utterly bizarre and unique!”

Dao Lord Bai Ling was also highly accomplished in beast taming. Born in the demon realm, he had seen far more demon beasts and spirit insects in his lifetime than Li Qing ever could.

Yet he couldn’t identify Ninth Insect’s species. Its appearance was simply too strange, defying all his preconceived notions.

Ninth Insect remained dormant, but its severed tentacles had already regenerated. Thanks to the Myriad Beasts Spirit Fruit it had consumed, they had grown back perfectly intact, as good as new.

Li Qing didn’t know what to say.

Ninth Insect had mutated in the World of Eternal Night, so it was only natural that others couldn’t recognize it.

But the world was vast, and anything could happen. Even Dao Lord Bai Ling wouldn’t claim to be omniscient or omnipotent in the immortal realm.

He murmured to himself before speaking:

”Spirit insects undergo metamorphosis either by forming a cocoon or shedding their old skin.”

”Beast King Mountain once housed a powerful Profound Jade Spider that left behind an inheritance. However, since few spirit insects from the demon realm can enter Beast King Mountain, this inheritance has never been claimed.”

”If you don’t mind wasting your beast ancestor token, you could let Ninth Insect try.”

The Profound Jade Spider was also listed in the Records of the World’s Extraordinary Insects, and ranked quite high.

However, the usefulness of an inheritance varied greatly depending on the spirit insect.

For example, even if Ninth Insect obtained the Profound Jade Spider’s inheritance, it might not be of much value.

Li Qing pondered for a moment before deciding to let Ninth Insect try.

They were about to leave Beast King Mountain anyway, and the beast ancestor token would be useless afterward.

Whether human or demon, only one inheritance could be obtained upon entering this place.

This was an ironclad rule, rendering any additional beast ancestor tokens useless.

Li Qing’s reasoning was simple: since it was a fifth-tier spirit insect’s inheritance, why not take it?

Even if it proved useless in his hands, it would still be an invaluable treasure to possess upon leaving.

With that, Li Qing awakened the slumbering ninth insect and placed the five beast ancestor tokens into its grasp.

As soon as the ninth insect crawled out with the tokens, a blue spiritual light materialized on the side of Beast King Mountain.

The light projected a phantom image of a blue spider, each of its eight legs resembling exquisitely crafted jade, radiating unparalleled beauty.

Yet this phantom of the Profound Jade Spider remained strangely inert, lacking the expected vitality.

”With the beast ancestor tokens triggering a reaction, it seems your spirit insect should have no trouble obtaining the Profound Jade Spider’s inheritance,” Dao Lord Bai Ling remarked casually.

Soon after, the ninth insect belatedly scurried toward the Profound Jade Spider’s location, fearing it might miss its chance.

”Senior Bai Ling, why hasn’t the lingering will of the Profound Jade Spider appeared?” Li Qing asked, his curiosity piqued.

Dao Lord Bai Ling chuckled and shook his head. ”While Beast King Mountain possesses spirit-nourishing properties, not every being can leave behind a lingering will that persists indefinitely.”

”I have resided in this mountain for the longest span of time, having been buried here almost since the creation of this realm.”

”If not for my cultivation of the Soul Refinement Scripture, even my residual will would have long since dissipated with the passage of time.”

Dao Lord Bai Ling was revealed to be the most ancient residual spirit within Beast King Mountain!

Li Qing was mildly surprised, but upon reflection, it seemed perfectly logical.

The human race in the demon realm had been wiped out countless years ago, to the point where many demons today lack even the concept of humans.

For Dao Lord Bai Ling to have left behind his inheritance within Beast King Mountain, he must have originated from an incredibly distant era!

As Li Qing pondered this, Dao Lord Bai Ling smiled and asked, ”Tell me, what is the current state of the human race in the demon realm?”

”No human has set foot on Beast King Mountain in centuries. If not for your appearance, I would have believed the human race in the demon realm had long been extinct.”

Upon hearing these words, Li Qing’s expression froze.

He had almost forgotten this crucial detail: he wasn’t a human from the demon realm, but from the outer domain!

He hadn’t yet had the chance to explain this to Senior Bai Ling.

After a long internal struggle, Li Qing finally decided to reveal the truth.

”I dare not conceal anything from Senior Bai Ling. I am actually from the outer domain. I was swept into the demon realm by the Heavenly Wind during a sea voyage. It was by chance that I entered the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm.”

Li Qing paused to take a breath before continuing, ”Moreover, according to what I’ve learned, the human race in the demon realm has likely been extinct for a very long time.”

Hearing this, Dao Lord Bai Ling’s illusory eyes dimmed slightly.

After a long silence, he finally sighed softly, ”So they’ve been completely wiped out... No wonder no humans have appeared here for so many years.”

His tone carried a weight of sorrow, as if he were reminiscing about bygone days.

But soon, Dao Lord Bai Ling snapped out of his reverie and asked curiously,

”Then how did you manage to enter the ancestral land so smoothly? As far as I know, the demon races of the demon realm aren’t exactly known for their generosity!”

Li Qing chuckled bitterly. ”Actually, I was hiding inside a peculiar forge when the Heavenly Wind accidentally blew me into the secret realm.”

Dao Lord Bai Ling’s expression turned grave. ”Have you considered how to escape? Every time the ancestral land opens or closes, at least four demon kings must be present!”

”There’s no Heavenly Wind to help you leave this place!”

”If you try to escape on your own, you’ll inevitably fall into the hands of the other great demon clans!”

”And then the Soul Refinement Scripture might be exposed!”

Li Qing had no solution to this problem. He had pondered many strategies, but ultimately arrived at only one conclusion: when the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm closed, he would try to sneak into the World of Eternal Night to seek refuge.

But attempting such a feat under the watchful eyes of several Transformed Demon Kings—beings equivalent to human cultivators in the nascent soul realm—offered only the slimmest chance of success. These were beings who could not be underestimated!

Seeing Li Qing’s silence, Dao Lord Bai Ling knew he had no plan.

”Show me the forge you’ve been hiding in. I know several extremely fast dao patterns related to spatial manipulation. I can try inscribing them to help you escape.”

Dao Lord Bai Ling planned to use dao patterns to simulate the extreme speed of the Heavenly Wind propelling the Black Furnace, allowing them to escape the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm and evade the pursuing demon kings.

However, Li Qing offered a bitter smile. ”Senior, this forge is rather peculiar. It lacks any spirituality and cannot be inscribed with spirit patterns or dao patterns. Its only notable feature is its defensive capabilities.”

With that, Li Qing produced the Black Furnace.

Buzz!

The pitch-black forge clattered before True Monarch Bai Ling, who immediately frowned upon seeing it.

”Hmm? This furnace looks strangely familiar... I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

As he spoke, Dao Lord Bai Ling circled the Black Furnace, examining it from all angles.

After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with suspicion:

”This... could this be the Annihilation Furnace?”

”That can’t be right. This was Old Man Meisheng’s natal magic treasure, and it long ago reached the level of a heaven-piercing spirit treasure. How could it have ended up like this?”

Annihilation Furnace?

Old Man Meisheng?

Li Qing’s heart pounded as he keenly picked up on those words in Dao Lord Bai Ling’s speech.

Could the Black Furnace really have such a grand origin?

He had once speculated that the Black Furnace’s defensive capabilities were extraordinary, surpassing even some defensive magic treasures. Now, thinking back, it seemed his hunch might be correct.

Such formidable defense could only belong to a heaven-piercing spirit treasure.

However, the Black Furnace lacked any trace of spirituality, making this theory seem somewhat incongruous.

Soon, Dao Lord Bai Ling noticed the several golden flame emblems embedded in the Black Furnace’s inner wall.

Li Qing had collected these emblems only after traversing two great domains. Now, even at the late-stage core formation realm, he still saw no glimmer of hope.

”Hmm... these golden flame patterns...”

Dao Lord Bai Ling pondered for a moment before slowly speaking:

”Indeed, this must be the Annihilation Furnace that once shook the four seas and eight domains.”

”Its spirituality has been completely lost, likely due to severe damage sustained during the battle against the demonic race invasion.”

As Dao Lord Bai Ling spoke, a hint of regret tinged his voice.

His mastery of artifact refinement was considerable, and his keen insight allowed him to quickly discern the Black Furnace’s secrets.

”So that’s it. The Annihilation Furnace was damaged beyond repair, its spirituality rapidly draining away with time.”

”As Old Man Meisheng’s natal magic treasure, the furnace’s destruction would have sealed his fate as well.”

”Thus, he used these thirty-six golden flame emblems to completely sever and seal the connection between himself and his natal magic treasure.”

As he spoke, Dao Lord Bai Ling’s face revealed a trace of admiration, clearly impressed by Old Man Meisheng’s actions.

”Would you like to reforge the Annihilation Furnace?” Dao Lord Bai Ling asked, his gaze turning to Li Qing, a confident smile playing on his lips.

Li Qing blinked in surprise, then chuckled wryly. ”This junior’s abilities are limited. I’m merely at the core formation realm, not even at nascent soul formation yet. I lack the skill for such a task.”

But Dao Lord Bai Ling only smiled mysteriously.

”If you can gather all thirty-six golden flame emblems and refine the Annihilation Furnace anew, it’s not impossible!”

Li Qing’s heart pounded wildly at these words.

The Black Furnace—no, the Annihilation Furnace—was a heaven-piercing spirit treasure!

Possessing such an artifact would allow him to dominate this realm without restraint!

If the Black Furnace could truly be restored to its former glory as a heaven-piercing spirit treasure under his control, his current crisis would be resolved instantly.

With a heaven-piercing spirit treasure, he would undoubtedly possess the strength to battle a Transformed Demon King!

Alas, he had only managed to collect eleven of the thirty-six golden emblems—a stroke of extraordinary luck in itself.

”Senior Bai Ling, escaping the Myriad Beasts Secret Realm remains our paramount concern. I have little time to dwell on repairing the Annihilation Furnace.”

Dao Lord Bai Ling dismissed this with a smile. ”What’s so difficult about that? Gather all the spiritual materials you carry, and I’ll teach you how to escape this place!”

TL/N: Meisheng = Annihilation.

(End of the Chapter)

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