Immortal Refiner

Wave after wave of Heavenly Thunder surged from the sea of lightning, each strike carrying a domineering and violent force that nearly shattered Li Qing’s body into a horrifying state.

Throughout this ordeal, the Yellow Springs Water enveloping Li Qing’s body relentlessly assaulted his fleshly body. The soft, yin-infused energy of the Yellow Springs Water stood in stark contrast to the extreme yang energy of the Heavenly Thunder, representing two diametrically opposed forces.

Any ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator would have crumbled almost immediately under such an assault.

However, Li Qing’s advantage lay in his status as a body cultivator. His fleshly body rivaled that of a fourth-tier Great Transformation Demon, possessing an astonishingly robust vitality.

Moreover, he had recently replenished his body with a vast amount of life essence!

Nourished by the blood lotus, his fleshly body now possessed even greater vitality than that of a demon beast.

Whenever Li Qing’s body sustained damage, a surge of potent vitality would erupt, rapidly repairing the wounds.

Of course, this regenerative process consumed Li Qing’s life essence. Each renewal cost him a portion of his primordial origin.

When his life essence was exhausted, Li Qing’s lifespan would begin to drain. At that point, even two thousand years might prove insufficient.

This heavenly tribulation was terrifyingly powerful. Had it not been for the spirit treasure Wind-Thunder Silver Wings directly blocking the brunt of Heavenly Might, Li Qing would likely have been annihilated, body and soul.

”Dao Tribulation Limitless. True Intent of Withered Wood Meets Spring. Rebirth from annihilation, rising from ruin.”

Under this terrifying onslaught, Li Qing steadfastly guarded his mind, continuously circulating the Dao Tribulation Limitless Sutra.

He treated this destructive force—which ordinary cultivators would flee from—as the perfect forge for his own refinement, using it to metamorphose into the ultimate physique.

Finally, after an immeasurable span of time, the power of the sea of lightning began to dissipate, and Li Qing’s body gradually adapted to the bombardment of ordinary Heavenly Thunder.

Each time his fleshly body was ravaged and reborn, it emerged stronger than before.

Li Qing’s physical form was rapidly advancing, surging toward higher realms. His body arts cultivation, currently at the mid-fourth-tier, was already within reach.

Yet he remained unsatisfied. As his life essence neared depletion, his divine sense stirred, and the Carefree Cosmos Pouch at his waist opened autonomously.

One after another, spirit herbs brimming with life essence flew out. These were spiritual objects Li Qing had acquired from others at the free trade fair following the auction, each capable of replenishing his life essence.

Now that he had reached this critical juncture, Li Qing naturally wouldn’t be stingy. He immediately activated these spirit herbs, beginning to replenish his depleted life essence.

For an even greater trial awaited him! Having already adapted to the power of ordinary Heavenly Thunder, Li Qing now planned to withstand a portion of the Golden Firmament True Lightning’s bombardment!

Blood Origin Ginseng, Purple Essence Grass, and Thousand-Year Spirit Polygonum Multiflorum—all were potent tonics for strengthening one’s primordial origin and nourishing vital qi. Their extreme age made them exceptionally rare, virtually impossible to find under normal circumstances.

It was only the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild’s auction that could attract cultivators possessing such spirit herbs. Without this event, Li Qing would have spent considerable time just collecting a single one of these treasures!

Li Qing opened his mouth and swallowed these potent spirit herbs whole, immediately beginning to refine them.

Instantly, a surge of life essence erupted within his body, rapidly replenishing his life essence!

This method was crude, of course. A more refined approach would involve refining these spirit herbs into spirit pills to maximize their efficacy.

Li Qing had no time for such niceties. He resorted to a crude and direct method, consuming the spirit herbs whole.

Though simple and brutal, the results were equally straightforward.

Feeling his vital qi surge back to fullness, Li Qing subtly shifted his focus, finally drawing in a wisp of Golden Firmament True Lightning.

Yes, just a wisp.

Even this tiny fraction of the thunder’s power was almost unbearable.

Despite the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings having withstood numerous strikes from the Golden Firmament True Lightning, they were a spirit treasure refined from the True Bone of a fifth-tier demonic bird. Their resilience far surpassed anything Li Qing could hope to match.

A single golden strand of true lightning streaked down, striking Li Qing’s body squarely.

Pfft!

Li Qing, seated cross-legged in the void, shuddered violently. His internal organs nearly tore apart. Had it not been for the protective blood pill, his newly formed fleshly body would have suffered another catastrophic blow.

Still holding on...

With this thought, Li Qing resumed circulating the Dao Tribulation Limitless Sutra, his most reliable method.

Drawing upon the destructive power of the Golden Firmament True Lightning that had surged into his body, Li Qing once again tempered his physique.

As this destructive force transformed into nourishment, Li Qing drew in another wisp of lightning. Through repeated cycles, his body gradually developed resistance to the Golden Firmament True Lightning.

The Dao Tribulation Limitless Sutra was inherently designed to withstand countless tribulations without being destroyed, allowing for a metamorphosis into a body impervious to all laws and indestructible by any calamity. Nothing could obliterate his invincible form.

Gradually, Li Qing began drawing in larger amounts of Golden Firmament True Lightning, increasing from a wisp to a strand.

During this process, he undoubtedly absorbed a significant portion of the heavenly tribulation’s power that would have otherwise struck the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings.

But the price he paid was devastating.

The life essence he had replenished with spirit herbs just moments ago was now completely depleted.

The regeneration of Li Qing’s body slowed drastically. Every inch of his flesh and every cell began to crave replenishment of life essence.

Yet where could he obtain life essence from thin air to replenish his reserves?

At this critical moment, he had no choice but to draw upon his own lifespan.

The Dao Tribulation Limitless Sutra drew upon the True Intent of the Withered Wood Meets Spring Technique, allowing him to revive his vitality even when reduced to a state of withered decay.

This extraordinary technique resembled the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana, but Li Qing had only obtained a fragmented version. He adapted it into his own daoist arts, transforming it into a method of sacrificing lifespan to gain vitality.

At that moment, the numbers representing Li Qing’s remaining lifespan began to flicker rapidly:

2,127 years... 2,126 years...

With each flicker, his lifespan diminished by a year. This rate of lifespan depletion far exceeded the imagination of any cultivator in this realm!

However, the benefits of this extreme sacrifice were equally remarkable.

Strand after strand of Golden Firmament True Lightning finally ceased to harm Li Qing’s body. He began to increase the intensity of his lightning absorption.

Eventually, he even started drawing down entire bolts of Golden Firmament True Lightning—thunder that would make the scalp of any cultivator attempting to break through to the Divine Transformation stage tingle with fear. Yet Li Qing was now attracting entire bolts of it!

Boom!

Golden lightning flashed incessantly across the darkened sky.

The thick, oppressive clouds completely obscured the sunlight, blurring the distinction between day and night. Time itself seemed to lose all meaning.

Only Li Qing’s rapidly dwindling lifespan served as a constant reminder of his life slipping away:

682 years... 635 years...

Indeed, Li Qing’s lifespan had plummeted to six hundred years, barely matching the remaining lifespan of an average Nascent Soul cultivator.

Under such a drastic loss of lifespan, Li Qing had absorbed a significant portion of the Golden Firmament True Lightning strikes meant for the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings.

At that moment, the heavy tribulation cloud in the sky finally began to dissipate slowly.

The golden lightning-infused clouds gradually receded, like defeated soldiers retreating to their homeland.

Finally, Li Qing’s lifespan stabilized at three hundred and ninety-seven years. Even for an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, this remaining lifespan was considered meager.

For Li Qing, who had always possessed a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people, this number felt truly meager.

Yet he remained unfazed. Li Qing slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calmly fixed on the receding thunderclouds.

”I survived... That was truly difficult.”

The Yellow Springs Water enveloping his body had vanished, and the Heavenly Thunder gradually faded into the horizon.

In the next instant, Li Qing’s aura surged violently!

Boom!

The spiritual energy between heaven and earth erupted into another violent frenzy!

He effortlessly broke through the bottleneck of the mid-Nascent Soul stage, and even advanced a considerable distance beyond it.

Although still a considerable distance from the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, this was an astonishing breakthrough!

Feeling the abundant, profound mana surging within him, nearly double what it had been at the time of his nascent soul formation, the difference was immeasurable.

Mid-Nascent Soul stage!

Li Qing’s current cultivation had already surpassed the vast majority of Nascent Soul cultivators. Most practitioners in this realm stagnated at the early Nascent Soul stage, unable to advance further throughout their lives.

But that wasn’t all!

Before Li Qing, a pair of completely charred bone wings began to tremble gently.

The blackened surface gradually faded away, revealing intricate natural dao patterns—patterns etched by the heavenly tribulation he had just endured!

Many of these patterns glowed with a faint golden light, left behind by the Golden Firmament True Lightning.

Having weathered such a colossal and terrifying heavenly tribulation, the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings’ radiant luster finally receded inward. The wings had passed the test of the great dao principles, transforming into a true spirit treasure!

As expected, an increase in lifespan followed!

[Successfully refined yellow-grade spirit treasure: Wind-Thunder Silver Wings. Reward: 1,200 years of lifespan!]

After carefully reading the notification, Li Qing paused in confusion, muttering to himself, ”Why is it a yellow-grade spirit treasure? Shouldn’t it be a heaven-piercing spirit treasure?”

Unable to immediately understand the issue, Li Qing simply put it aside and joyfully performed a refinement ritual on the spirit treasure.

However, the process proved unnecessary. The Wind-Thunder Silver Wings had been personally crafted by Li Qing, and they had weathered a heavenly tribulation together. Their connection was already unbreakable.

With a mere thought, the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings instantly responded.

In the next moment, the wings autonomously attached themselves to Li Qing’s back, as if merging into a single entity.

Boom!

In an instant, the surrounding heaven and earth erupted with howling winds and roaring thunder, as if the earlier tribulation were about to repeat itself.

But this was not the case.

A heaven-piercing spirit treasure could now resonate with the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth. Through the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings, Li Qing began to sense the Wind Thunder Primordial Energy permeating the world.

He could even briefly control it. The sensation was difficult to describe—it felt as if the untamed Wind Thunder Primordial Energy that roamed the world had become utterly obedient.

With a mere thought, this energy would obey Li Qing’s commands, allowing him to wield it at will.

Of course, his control was still far inferior to that of a cultivator in the Divine Transformation stage. For now, Li Qing was merely taking his first steps in harnessing this power through his spirit treasure.

Even this was already extraordinary. Nascent Soul cultivators without spirit treasures were destined to remain unaware of such mystical techniques.

By connecting his divine sense to the Wind Thunder Primordial Energy permeating heaven and earth, Li Qing’s perception expanded dramatically.

Soon, a faint smile curved his lips as he murmured playfully:

”Just when I’m thirsty, someone brings me water. My life essence is withering, and a demon conveniently delivers itself to my doorstep!”

(End of the Chapter)

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