Immortal Refiner

Hearing Li Qing’s questions about spiritual roots, Dao Lord Bai Ling chuckled softly and shook his head.

”Your understanding is both right and wrong. If we only consider the cultivation world of the Human Realm, it’s true that fewer spiritual roots are better.”

”Fewer roots mean easier cultivation and purer refined heaven and earth spiritual energy.”

”But the Great Dao is fair. By the divine transformation stage, cultivators can begin to manipulate and control the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth. At this point, the number of spiritual roots becomes crucial.”

”The more complete the five elements spirit root, the smoother one’s control over heaven and earth spiritual energy becomes.”

”Moreover, I’ve heard that powerful cultivators in the upper realm often seek to complete their five elements spirit root, whether consciously or unconsciously. There seems to be a profound mystery behind this, though I cannot fathom it.”

Li Qing listened intently to Dao Lord Bai Ling’s explanation, his eyes gradually brightening.

If Dao Lord Bai Ling’s words were true, his anticipation for future cultivation on his dao path only grew stronger.

The Great Dao is fair. It seems the notion that fewer spirit roots are always better isn’t necessarily true.

With Li Qing’s quick mind, he easily grasped the implications.

However, he didn’t let his excitement get the better of him. A serious problem loomed before him: how to break through to the nascent soul realm!

At this thought, Li Qing couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. ”That’s not entirely accurate. From what I know, cultivators with four or five spirit roots rarely reach the transformation god stage. In fact, the foundation establishment barrier alone blocks 99.9% of cultivators in the world.”

”If you can’t even achieve foundation establishment, how can you dream of divine transformation?”

Dao Lord Bai Ling dismissed his concerns with a wave of his hand. ”As I said, this assessment is based on the cultivation environment of the Human Realm.”

”In the upper realm, everything is different. Spiritual energy is abundant, and the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth is incomparably rich. It’s truly a land of exceptional people and spiritual abundance. Cultivating in such an environment would naturally be far smoother.”

Li Qing’s gaze flickered slightly as he asked, ”Senior Bai Ling seems to know a great deal about the upper realm. What kind of place is it really? Is it truly as the ancient manuals describe—a place where everyone can attain immortality?”

Dao Lord Bai Ling paused briefly, then replied evasively, ”In my era, many legends of ascended beings were clearly recorded. Everything I know comes from those ancient texts.”

It was clear he didn’t want to delve deeper into the topic, so Li Qing didn’t press further.

After all, the man had been a towering figure in the divine transformation stage during his lifetime. It was only natural for him to harbor some secrets.

A long silence settled between them.

Finally, Cao Xiu, who had been in a deep coma, showed signs of awakening.

His fingertips twitched, his eyelids fluttered, and he seemed to be regaining consciousness.

”Ugh... what—hiss!”

The moment Cao Xiu regained consciousness, he was jolted fully awake by waves of excruciating pain surging through his body.

He opened his eyes to find himself in complete darkness.

Two figures stood before him in his line of sight.

When Cao Xiu saw Dao Lord Bai Ling’s faint, ethereal Dao Body, a strange expression flickered across his eyes. He murmured, ”Didn’t I fall into the forest? Could this be the legendary netherworld underworld?”

”So I’m dead after all... But why can I still feel such excruciating pain?”

Cao Xiu tried to circulate his mana, but after the great war, his dantian was completely empty.

Only waves of agony surged through his body, his meridians burning with searing pain.

At that moment, Li Qing finally spoke, ”It’s been many years since we last met. I never imagined that little boy from Azure Radiance Pool would reach the foundation establishment realm so quickly.”

”If Hu Sanniang could see you now, I wonder if she’d be pleased or regretful.”

These words struck Cao Xiu’s ears like thunder, exploding in his mind.

His childhood training at Azure Radiance Pool was a secret known to almost no one in the immortal realm!

After his mother’s death, the name Hu Sanniang was rarely mentioned.

Cao Xiu lifted his head, his face etched with shock, and finally noticed the tall, imposing figure standing in the dim surroundings.

In that moment, he recalled the vision that had flashed through his mind as he faced death:

Cultivation is like rowing against the current—advance or be swept back!

The words surged through his consciousness like a lightning strike.

”Cultivation is like rowing against the current—advance or be swept back... Senior Li Qing?!”

Boom!

Cao Xiu felt goosebumps erupt across his skin. The figure etched deep in his memory gradually overlapped with the imposing figure before him.

It was indeed Senior Li Qing, the elder who had shown him such kindness at the Azure Radiance Pool all those years ago.

Unchanged. After all this time, Li Qing’s appearance remained exactly as it had been—virtually unchanged!

His demeanor was still leisurely and serene, radiating an ageless, verdant aura, as if the passage of time had left no mark on his face.

”Heh, I didn’t expect you to remember those casual words I left behind. Well done. It’s clear you’ve been cultivating diligently these past years,” Li Qing said with a gentle smile and a nod.

Under Li Qing’s scrutinizing gaze, Cao Xiu’s nose twitched slightly. ”So... I’m not dead?” he confirmed. ”That’s wonderful! Senior Li, did you save me? The fire poison...”

”I’ve purged the fire poison from your body,” Li Qing replied. ”But how did you provoke this Bandit Cultivator? Someone who commands so many Fire Jade Bees is no easy opponent.”

Cao Xiu’s expression twisted with hesitation for a moment before he finally resolved himself. He retrieved a dark crimson scroll from his storage pouch.

The scroll appeared to be made of stitched beast hide, covered with crooked, haphazard lines that resembled a map but lacked any clear landmarks.

”It was about seven years ago, before I reached foundation establishment,” Cao Xiu began. ”Just as I was planning my breakthrough, I suddenly received a spirit letter from Senior Qingyang.”

”He told me about a highly secretive place called Fire Cliff Cave, where geothermal energy was exceptionally concentrated and the passages were labyrinthine and complex.”

”Within Fire Cliff Cave lies a Fire Jade Bee hive. Senior Qingyang promised that if I could infiltrate the hive and pinpoint its exact location for him, he would grant me an opportunity to obtain a foundation establishment pill.”

It was during that very operation that the inexperienced Cao Xiu inadvertently revealed his presence, alerting the Bandit Cultivator to the matter.

Perhaps coveting the opportunities within Fire Cliff Cave, the Bandit Cultivator didn’t publicize the discovery. Instead, he captured weak rogue cultivators and forced them to explore the cave as scouts.

Cao Xiu’s luck truly defied belief. In that perilous situation, he somehow stumbled upon the Fire Jade Bee hive in a daze, managed to escape alive with the information, and even reaped some rewards.

He later obtained a precious foundation establishment pill, which he didn’t waste. Using it, he successfully advanced to the foundation establishment realm.

Afterward, exploration of Fire Cliff Cave stalled. The Bandit Cultivator, however, used a secret technique to capture a significant number of Fire Jade Bees.

This caused the Fire Jade Bees within the cave to become even more ferocious and violent, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to explore.

”I had almost forgotten about Fire Cliff Cave entirely. But just recently, at a clandestine auction in Heavenly River Market, this very map appeared among the auction items!”

”I recognized it immediately—the strange routes depicted on this scroll were the paths leading to Fire Cliff Cave!”

”Naturally, I snatched up the scroll at the first opportunity. But I never expected that Bandit Cultivator to be at the secret auction too. He’s been tracking me ever since, and even attacked me.”

As Cao Xiu spoke, Li Qing narrowed his eyes.

Daoist Qingyang!

The name was familiar. The first foundation establishment pill Li Qing had ever obtained had been refined by Daoist Qingyang himself.

”Daoist Qingyang, a secret auction... This Fire Cliff Cave seems more complicated than I thought,” Li Qing murmured to himself, unconsciously stroking his chin.

At first, he’d assumed the greatest opportunity within the cave was the Fire Jade Bee hive. But Cao Xiu’s words suggested there might be more to it than that.

”Now that we have what appears to be a map of safe routes within Fire Cliff Cave, Cao Xiu, I’m interested in exploring that place. Would you allow me to join you on your expedition?”

Cao Xiu didn’t hesitate for a moment.

”Senior Li Qing saved my life. Even without that debt, I would never refuse you, given our past kindnesses!”

”Since Senior Li is interested in the Fire Cliff Cave, I’ll naturally offer this map with both hands!” Cao Xiu said, extending the scroll toward Li Qing.

But Li Qing waved his hand. ”I won’t hoard this opportunity for myself. I promised to explore it with you, and I intend to keep my word.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Cao Xiu retracted the scroll, his curiosity piqued. ”The Fire Cliff Cave is fraught with peril. Even with this map, absolute safety can’t be guaranteed. May I ask about Senior Li’s current cultivation level?”

Li Qing simply smiled, offering no direct answer. Yet this very silence spoke volumes to Cao Xiu.

Cao Xiu’s eyes flickered with realization as he murmured to himself, ”Senior Li, could you have already reached the core formation realm?” He attempted to sense Li Qing’s cultivation level, but the smiling figure before him felt like an unfathomable abyss, radiating no discernible aura whatsoever.

It was clear: Li Qing, standing before him, was indeed a genuine core formation realm cultivator!

”Heh, I’ve had some fortunate encounters during my cultivation these past years,” Li Qing replied casually. ”I managed to achieve core formation by sheer luck.”

Hearing Li Qing’s confirmation, Cao Xiu gasped sharply.

”Hiss!”

This was the first core formation realm cultivator he had ever met in his life—and someone he actually knew!

He had previously taken pride in his early success in achieving foundation establishment, but now it seemed his progress was far behind.

”Alright, take these next few days to recover properly. After that, we’ll set out for Fire Cliff Cave together.”

With a generous gesture, Li Qing produced several mid-grade spirit stones, rich in pure spiritual energy, and handed them to Cao Xiu, allowing him to quickly replenish his mana.

Cao Xiu initially declined the gift once or twice out of politeness, but ultimately accepted. He understood that the sooner his mana recovered, the sooner they could reach Fire Cliff Cave.

Several days passed.

After completely absorbing the pure spiritual energy from the mid-grade spirit stones, Cao Xiu’s mana had recovered to about eighty percent.

”Let’s go. We’ll take my Serpent-Head Spirit Boat. You just need to guide the way.”

With those words, a Serpent-Head Spirit Boat materialized from a hidden mountain forest, transforming into a crystalline streak of light that shot into the sky at incredible speed.

According to Cao Xiu, Fire Cliff Cave was located in the northwest region of the Azure Ridge Domain, very close to the Black Abyss of Despair.

With Li Qing pushing the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat to its maximum speed, they soon spotted a pitch-black chasm stretching across the horizon at the edge of the great earth.

This was the Black Abyss, one of the three great forbidden lands of the Azure Ridge Domain!

Li Qing had long known of these dangers: the bitterly cold Forbidden Speech Snow Mountains to the south, the treacherous Boundless Sea to the east, and this Black Abyss to the far west, which nearly spanned the entire border of the Azure Ridge Domain.

As they approached, Li Qing felt his mana subtly leaking from his body.

But as a core formation realm cultivator, his mana had long been solidified into an incomparably dense Golden Core. With a mere thought, he stabilized his true essence.

Cao Xiu, however, was not so fortunate. As a foundation establishment realm cultivator, his mana began to uncontrollably dissipate as they neared the Black Abyss.

”The Black Abyss truly lives up to its reputation,” Li Qing mused inwardly. ”I heard it was formed during the great war between human cultivators and the ancestor of the demonic realm during the demon realm’s invasion.”

The Black Abyss before them was not only vast beyond measure, stretching to the horizon in both directions, but its length also spanned the entire Azure Ridge Domain, effectively sealing off the region’s western border.

For an ordinary foundation establishment realm cultivator to cross this abyss was virtually impossible.

Only those who had reached the core formation realm, solidifying their mana, could even attempt to traverse this forbidden land.

”The surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy has been almost entirely devoured by this black abyss,” Li Qing murmured, gazing at the desolate, lifeless landscape. ”Truly astonishing.”

The Fire Cliff Cave was located within a volcanic region near the black abyss.

Here, towering volcanoes stood in rows, their blackened earth a stark contrast to the fiery eruptions of several active peaks—a landscape that seemed eerily fitting for the black abyss.

Even before approaching, Li Qing could feel the air growing intensely hot.

”Senior Li, the Fire Cliff Cave is right here,” Cao Xiu called out from the Serpent-Head Spirit Boat, pointing toward a massive subterranean cavern at the foot of several volcanoes. ”It connects beneath these peaks!”

Li Qing nodded and prepared to move closer.

Just then, a deafening roar erupted from one of the volcanoes, shaking the entire mountain.

A split second later, an earth-shattering explosion reverberated through the air!

Accompanied by a massive plume of pitch-black smoke, molten lava erupted from the volcano’s depths in a violent geyser!

Boom!

The volcano had erupted!

(End of the Chapter)

--------------------------------

Translator’s Corner

📔 Read 44FREE Chapters of [IR]. Upto Chapter 696. Visit the site now!