Immortal Refiner

With Li Qing’s addition, the repair of the Demonic Realm Rift proceeded smoothly for two more days.

During these two days and nights, ancient demons still descended intermittently, but they no longer posed a significant threat.

Any nascent soul realm ancient demons that were fortunate enough to survive their dimensional descent had no chance against Li Qing’s powerful and ruthless methods; they were instantly slain.

Over time, Li Qing seemed to be stained with a trace of Demonic Qi, a malevolent energy that arose from killing enough ancient demons of the same realm.

Perhaps realizing that sending more nascent soul realm ancient demons down was futile, the Demonic Realm Rift opened in the Azure Ridge Domain gradually subsided, and no more ancient demons descended.

”In about another day and night, this void rift will be completely repaired!”

”Given the current situation, the demon realm should also have calmed down. The repair of this rift in our domain can be considered a great success!”

”I just wonder how the repair of the Demonic Realm Rifts in other great domains is going. Is it going as smoothly as ours?”

True Monarch Guangzhu and True Monarch Tianbao, both at the nascent soul realm, had relaxed and were quietly awaiting the moment the Starlight Mending Heaven Formation would completely seal the void rift.

They couldn’t help but worry about the progress of void rift repairs in other great domains, hoping they would go as smoothly as they had here.

But that was destined to be impossible. Compared to other domains in the Human Realm, the situation in the Azure Ridge Domain was indeed far less dire.

Because this domain had not been plagued by divine transformation stage ancient demons, Li Qing, a late-stage nascent soul cultivator, arrived and immediately reduced the pressure. He managed to weather the most critical first two days with relative ease.

But other domains were different. With the interference of divine transformation stage ancient demons, the danger there had increased astronomically.

”Fortunately, no divine transformation stage ancient demons descended upon this domain. Otherwise, this operation would never have gone so smoothly,” True Monarch Guangzhu remarked casually.

Li Qing, however, remained vigilant and didn’t take up the conversation.

Because he knew that at the very beginning of the Demonic Realm Rift’s opening in the Azure Ridge Domain, two divine transformation stage ancient demons had indeed descended.

The first Divine Transformation stage ancient demon was intercepted by a mysterious, reclusive Divine Transformation cultivator from the Azure Ridge Domain. Both vanished without a trace, presumed to have perished together.

The second Divine Transformation stage ancient demon was the leader of the Doma Clan.

He observed that Li Qing of the Lingyun Sect was the only Nascent Soul stage cultivator in the entire Azure Ridge Domain, and his battle merits were pitifully low. Desperate for more, he ventured into other great domains to seize glory.

Ultimately, Li Qing lured this Doma Clan Leader into the territory of the Flood Dragon Clan, where the Azure Flood Dragon King personally slew him.

In the blink of an eye, the final night arrived.

The once monstrous Demonic Realm Rift in the sky had shrunk to a mere fissure.

Just as everyone believed the mission was nearing completion, the closing void rift suddenly twisted.

Against all hopes, a black cocoon, shrouded in dense demonic qi, plummeted from the rift.

Boom!

True Monarch Tianbao reacted instantly. He manipulated the Starlight Mending Heaven Formation, shifting the void and transferring the Demonic Cocoon beyond the spirit formation’s boundaries.

”How can it be a demonic seed?” True Monarch Guangzhu’s vigilance immediately heightened. This final Demonic Cocoon that had descended was different from the previous ones!

Li Qing immediately released his divine sense, trying to perceive what lay within the Demonic Cocoon.

But his divine sense power was blocked, unable to penetrate the cocoon’s shell.

Soon, the Demonic Cocoon began to twist and distort in an irregular manner. Watching this, Li Qing felt a sense of foreboding.

He immediately shouted to Wu Chong and the other two: ”You three go! You’re no longer needed here!”

The three supreme elders of the Lingyun Sect, who had originally wanted to witness the closing of the Demonic Realm Rift firsthand, now realized they couldn’t linger any longer.

This Demonic Cocoon that had descended at the last moment seemed extraordinary!

As soon as Li Qing spoke, they immediately took flight, each using their own methods to escape swiftly, trying not to burden him.

”Li Qing! Be careful!”

”Senior Brother Li, you must return to the mountain gate safely! We’ll be waiting for you!”

”Ancestor, please take care!”

Wu Chong, Chu Lingyi, and Jiang Han were all swift. After shouting their farewells, their figures rapidly soared away from the scene.

They knew that if even Li Qing was reacting so strongly, the ensuing battle would be devastating and could easily engulf them!

Seeing the danger, True Lord Yuanbao immediately fled. As a cultivator at the core formation realm, he dared not linger.

In an instant, only Li Qing and the other two nascent soul realm cultivators remained.

True Monarch Tianbao, noticing Li Qing’s grave expression, asked, ”Fellow Daoist Limitless, do you recognize this object?”

But Li Qing shook his head. ”I don’t. Yet I have a terrible premonition.”

”No time for caution! Let me dissect it and see what lies within!”

As he spoke, True Monarch Guangzhu soared into the air, his Jade Nine-Section Staff aimed at the writhing Demonic Cocoon.

But at that exact moment, the Demonic Cocoon tore open a void rift, and a razor-sharp claw shot out.

With a casual flick, the claw unleashed a torrent of demonic qi. True Monarch Guangzhu was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string.

Boom!

Li Qing’s pupils constricted slightly as a formidable pressure descended upon him.

The Demonic Cocoon cracked open wider and wider, and a Demonic Insect crawled out, its body seemingly forged from black steel. The creature wasn’t large, resembling a hybrid of a centipede and a praying mantis.

Its head and torso were like a centipede’s, but beneath them sprouted ten pairs of mantis-like limbs, each pair razor-sharp and glinting coldly in the night.

”Screech!”

As the Demonic Insect emerged, it emitted a piercing shriek that cut through the air with incredible force.

”This must be a Demonic Insect from the demon realm! A fifth-tier creature, comparable to a Divine Transformation stage cultivator!” True Monarch Tianbao exclaimed.

Li Qing could see it too. The Demonic Insect radiated a terrifying aura that pressed down on him.

A fifth-tier Demonic Insect—he never expected the final trial to bring forth a demonic creature rather than an ancient demon!

The Mantis Centipede Demon Insect was ferociously aggressive, seemingly devoid of reason. Its compound eyes burned with utter madness, unlike normal demon beasts that reach the fourth-tier and gain the ability to transform, developing spiritual intelligence on par with humans.

Boom!

The Mantis Centipede Demon Insect quickly locked onto Li Qing. The pairs of mantis blades beneath its body trembled slightly before it charged straight at him.

”Fellow Daoist Limitless, be careful!” True Monarch Tianbao shouted.

Fully focused, Li Qing immediately activated his Wind-Thunder Silver Wings. His figure flashed through the air, leaving only afterimages in its wake.

Swish!

The Mantis Centipede Demon Insect slashed through the air with its razor-sharp claws, the space around them visibly tearing. Its blades were impossibly sharp.

So strong... I can’t face it head-on!

This was Li Qing’s only thought. A single hit from those mantis blades would inflict devastating damage even on his resilient body.

Missing its target, the Mantis Centipede Demon Insect lunged at Li Qing again.

Fortunately, the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings’ speed allowed Li Qing to easily evade the attacks, keeping him out of harm’s way.

Frustrated by its inability to land a decisive blow, the Mantis Centipede Demon Insect grew agitated. Its multiple pairs of mantis blades tapped in the void, unleashing waves of corrosive demonic qi.

Sensing the demonic qi’s impact, Li Qing unleashed three strands of heavenly spirit fire, retaliating against the fifth-tier Demonic Insect with equal ferocity.

In an instant, three dragons of fire—black, white, and gold—blazed forth. They intertwined as they surged toward the fifth-tier Demonic Insect.

Boom!

The heavenly spirit fire swept over the Mantis Centipede Demon Insect, instantly evaporating a large portion of its demonic qi.

Though the damage was not severe, it caused the creature to shriek in pain: ”Hiss!”

The sound seemed to carry a demonic power that made Li Qing’s divine soul tremble. Had his soul not been far stronger than that of cultivators at his level, he would have been bleeding from all seven orifices by now.

”Fellow Daoist Limitless! I will temporarily halt the spirit formation’s repair of the void rift and channel the incoming starlight into you!” True Monarch Tianbao shouted.

Li Qing glanced up at the Demonic Realm Rift in the sky, which was now nearly fully repaired. Pausing the repair to focus on the demon insect seemed like a good strategy.

Soon, waves of radiant starlight descended upon Li Qing, forming a shimmering, full-body armor of starlight that looked incredibly magnificent.

Empowered by the starlight, Li Qing felt his mana surge as if it had grown by a significant margin. His movements now left trails of starlight, and his attacks blazed with celestial radiance.

”Fellow Daoist Limitless! This starlight treasure armor offers astonishing defensive capabilities, and it even protects your divine soul!”

”Moreover, your mana will become much more profound. All the divine abilities and ultimate techniques you unleash henceforth will be imbued with starlight!”

True Monarch Tianbao eagerly explained the effects of this starlight enhancement. Since Li Qing was currently the strongest combatant, it was only natural to bestow the enhancement upon him.

Hearing this, Li Qing tried unleashing a few fire palms. As expected, they erupted with surging starlight, their destructive power significantly amplified.

”Incredible! This formation is truly miraculous, capable of channeling starlight to empower oneself—a feat I’ve never heard of!” Li Qing marveled as he retrieved the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer.

Instantly, even this natal magic treasure was coated in a layer of dazzling starlight, its radiance reaching blinding intensity.

”Hahaha, this formation originates from the upper realm. Such wondrous effects are only to be expected!” True Monarch Tianbao laughed heartily.

Li Qing’s brow twitched slightly as he filed this information away.

Indeed, there must be some hidden connection between the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild and the spirit realm. He had long harbored suspicions about this.

Whether it was the resources displayed on Heaven’s End Island or by the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild, none of it seemed like methods that could exist in the lower realm.

If its origin was the spirit realm, then it wasn’t surprising.

With this thought, Li Qing immediately activated the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer!

The massive hammer soared across the sky, trailing starlight and spiritual flame. Empowered by both forces, it slammed down on the multi-legged Demonic Insect with devastating force.

Boom!

This time, the attack worked. The hammer’s power was terrifying. The dual assault of starlight and spiritual flame shattered more than half of the insect’s demonic qi.

The great earth trembled violently across a thousand-mile radius as the Demonic Insect plummeted, gouging out a massive crater.

Li Qing, now radiating starlight, was not satisfied. He stood suspended in the void, the bone wings behind him shimmering with an opalescent glow, transforming into a magnificent spectacle.

With a thought, he drained thirty percent of his true essence in an instant.

In the next moment, starlight erupted across the surrounding heaven and earth, conjuring countless illusory figures of Li Qing.

True Monarch Tianbao’s eyes widened, initially mistaking them for external incarnations. But upon closer reflection, he realized that was unlikely.

Starlight Illusion Annihilation Strike!

The figures, resembling external incarnations, moved in unison, leaving trails of dazzling starlight as they surged toward the Demonic Insect at the bottom of the pit.

The Wind-Thunder Silver Wings, shimmering with starlight, slashed across the creature’s body countless times in an instant. Then, a blinding flash of starlight erupted, nearly engulfing everything in its path.

Amplified by the spirit formation, Li Qing’s full-power strike with the spirit treasure now rivaled the power of a cultivator in the divine transformation stage.

When the dazzling starlight finally faded, the Demonic Insect’s demonic qi had completely dissipated. Its steel-like carapace shattered into fragments, and the creature quickly lost its life force.

”Hoo! Hoo!”

Li Qing gasped for breath, the strain of that ultimate strike on his fleshly body considerable due to the extreme speed.

”So powerful... I never imagined such a miraculous formation existed. I thought it was only for mending the heavens,” Li Qing marveled.

Hearing this, True Monarch Tianbao laughed heartily as he withdrew the starlight from Li Qing’s body. ”It is indeed powerful, but it has its limitations.”

”This formation art can only empower a single cultivator at a time, and while it’s active, it cannot perform any other actions.”

”Moreover, it cannot empower cultivators who are too far away; they must be within the formation’s influence range.”

”Furthermore, if a cultivator at the Divine Transformation stage receives the starlight empowerment, the effect is minimal, and the resulting improvement is almost negligible.”

”I’ve heard that there are more powerful spirit formations in the upper realm. These formations can mobilize the power of heaven and earth to empower hundreds or even thousands of people simultaneously, easily turning the tide of a battle.”

Li Qing nodded inwardly, then casually asked, ”Fellow Daoist Tianbao, you seem to know so much about the upper realm. Even this spirit formation originates from the spirit realm. Could it be that the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild has connections with certain forces in the upper realm?”

True Monarch Tianbao let out an awkward laugh. ”Haha, these aren’t exactly secrets. By the time one reaches the Divine Transformation stage, they’ll naturally learn about such matters. It’s no harm telling you.”

”That’s right, our Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild truly originated from the upper realm!”

Boom!

A tempest of shock nearly swept through Li Qing’s heart. He never expected True Monarch Tianbao to admit this so directly!

(End of the Chapter)

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