Immortal Refiner

Upon hearing Li Qing’s question, the Goateed Old Man narrowed his eyes and chuckled.

”Heh heh, I can impart a dao pattern to you—a Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern. By concealing yourself with this pattern, you can approach the heavenly tribulation without being struck by Heavenly Thunder and triggering your own tribulation!”

”Once you’re close enough, you can find a way to weaken the Demon Tiger’s tribulation, making its passage smoother.”

As these words left his lips, a glint flashed through Li Qing’s eyes, revealing his interest.

”Oh? Such a miraculous dao pattern exists in this world, and I’ve never heard of it?”

Though intrigued, Li Qing remained cautious.

After all, heavenly tribulations were trials ordained by the Heavenly Dao itself. He found it hard to believe that a mere dao pattern could truly deceive the heavens.

If such a miraculous effect were possible, wouldn’t heavenly tribulations become a mere formality? Anyone undergoing a thunder tribulation could simply hire a trusted guardian to use this pattern, weakening the Heavenly Thunder and drastically increasing their chances of success.

The Goateed Old Man stroked his beard with two fingers. ”Of course, there are limitations. This pattern can only conceal the tribulation aura of those at the Divine Transformation Stage. Beyond that level, the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern loses its effectiveness.”

”Apart from that, there are no other restrictions.”

”This Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern originates from the inheritance of a Great Ancient Sage. Even I barely survived obtaining it!”

”How’s it going? Your demon pet seems to be struggling to hold on.”

At this, Li Qing abruptly turned his gaze toward the sea territory below. Dense Heavenly Thunder, seemingly endless, continued to strike down relentlessly.

Fan Tong’s massive tiger form was now completely engulfed in lightning, making it impossible to discern his condition.

Through their spiritual contract, Li Qing sensed that Fan Tong’s situation was indeed dire. His body was covered in wounds, some so deep they exposed bone.

”The intensity of this transformation tribulation is far greater than expected,” Li Qing murmured inwardly, his brow furrowed. ”Even Fan Tong is struggling to endure it?”

The Goateed Old Man, observing with detached ease, remarked, ”This tiger demon’s bloodline is unremarkable, yet it has attracted such a formidable heavenly tribulation. It must possess some extraordinary qualities.”

”Its bones are purple. Ordinary Demon Tigers don’t have such demonic bones. As far as I know, only the extinct Heavenly Demon Tigers of the ancient era possessed purple Tiger bones.”

”Young friend, your pet beast has quite the extraordinary fortune, managing to obtain such a powerful Tiger bone. However, given the current situation, mastering it seems far from easy.”

Hearing these remarks, Li Qing was inwardly astonished, marveling at the Strange Old Man’s profound knowledge. In just a few words, the old man had discerned Fan Tong’s true nature.

Indeed, Fan Tong had been implanted with a Heavenly Demon Tiger Bone at Beast King Mountain, but this didn’t mean he had fully mastered it.

The heavenly demon tiger’s bloodline was overwhelmingly fierce, its very bones brimming with untamed arrogance. Such a force could not be easily controlled.

Even now, as Fan Tong began his breakthrough to the transformation stage, the Heavenly Demon Tiger Bone remained only partially tamed.

The heavenly tribulation, influenced by the bone’s aura, had grown exceptionally formidable, far surpassing the transformation tribulations faced by other demon beasts at this stage.

”Aowww!” Fan Tong roared skyward, his tiger’s roar as ferocious as ever. Even before such overwhelming Heavenly Might, he refused to bow his head.

Rumble!

Heavenly Thunder crashed down in relentless waves, its immense power utterly obliterating the isolated island where Fan Tong stood. The sea territory stretching for hundreds of miles glowed with intense lightning.

Witnessing this spectacle, Li Qing finally spoke.

”Senior, what must I offer in exchange for the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern?”

Li Qing understood the world didn’t offer free lunches. Though the man was Qiu Zhen’s master, he wouldn’t simply gift such a precious ancient dao pattern without expecting something in return.

”You’re a sensible lad, unlike my ungrateful disciple. He’s reaped countless benefits from me yet shows no gratitude—utterly heartless!”

The Goateed Old Man chuckled and scolded his disciple before revealing his conditions to Li Qing.

”Two simple requests, nothing difficult for you. In fact, you could accomplish them with ease.”

Li Qing remained cautious, refusing to let his guard down. ”I’m listening.”

”Heh heh, this old man plans to attempt Divine Transformation soon. Everything else is manageable, but the heavenly tribulation of the Divine Transformation Stage worries me.”

”When my tribulation arrives, I need you to act as my guardian. Use the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern to slightly weaken the Divine Transformation Tribulation’s power.”

So, he’s also planning to cross the tribulation!

Li Qing nodded. If the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern proved effective, acting as the man’s guardian once would be a small price to pay.

”Agreed,” Li Qing said. ”As long as the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern truly works, I’ll do my utmost.”

The old man’s cultivation had reached the perfected nascent soul realm, and who knew how long he had lingered at this stage? It was hardly surprising that he was preparing to break through to the Divine Transformation Stage.

The Strange Old Man nodded in satisfaction, then continued, ”The second matter is this: after I successfully advance to the Divine Transformation Stage, you will refine a spirit treasure for me!”

”Heh, don’t try to weasel out of it. This old man knows your artifact refinement skills are unmatched in this realm. That Old Azure Flood Dragon in the East Sea suddenly acquired a handy Azure Dragon Mace—it must have been your handiwork, wouldn’t you say?”

”As for the spirit materials, I’ll gather them myself. You needn’t worry about that!”

Li Qing chuckled wryly. ”I never imagined my crude artifact refinement skills would catch the eye of a senior like you. Since you hold me in such high regard, how could I possibly refuse?”

Hearing Li Qing’s immediate agreement, the Goateed Old Man’s smile widened.

”Hahahaha! You’re far too modest, young man! If your refinement skills are considered crude, then who in this world dares claim mastery of artifact refinement?”

”Rest assured, if the spirit treasure is successfully refined, you’ll receive your due reward!”

”Of course, if I fail to break through, then none of this matters.”

Even the most prodigiously talented cultivator wouldn’t dare claim a perfect certainty of success when attempting Divine Transformation.

The old man himself knew his chances were less than half a percent—virtually a death sentence.

Li Qing took a deep breath and finally agreed to the old man’s second request.

Pleased with Li Qing’s promptness, the Strange Old Man swiftly brought two fingers together and tapped Li Qing’s forehead.

Instantly, the contents of the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern flooded into Li Qing’s Sea of Consciousness.

The pattern was profoundly complex, imbued with an ancient aura—a technique commonly used in the ancient era.

”This Lightning-Repelling Dharma Robe was discovered in the cave abode. It’s inscribed with both the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern and the Lightning-Repelling Dao Pattern. Though slightly damaged, wearing it will ensure your safe passage through the heavenly tribulation without being harmed by its aftereffects.”

The old man’s preparations were meticulous, eliminating the need for Li Qing to refine a separate magic treasure to carry the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern. A ready-made solution was at hand.

This robe was likely part of the old man’s own preparations for his Divine Transformation Tribulation. With this robe and a trustworthy guardian, he might have stood a chance of surviving the nearly impossible Divine Transformation Tribulation.

Li Qing didn’t refuse. Though the magic robe appeared worn, it was undoubtedly a rare treasure, its quality far surpassing that of ordinary magic treasures.

”Thank you, Senior, for this precious gift!” Li Qing said, draping the Lightning-Repelling Dharma Robe over his shoulders.

The Strange Old Man’s face darkened instantly. ”It’s not a gift, it’s a temporary loan!” he snapped. ”You’re being greedy, kid! A fifth-tier refiner with the backing of a powerful cultivation sect, yet you’re eyeing this old man’s meager possessions!”

Li Qing chuckled dryly, offering no further argument. Instead, he activated the ancient robe.

Buzz!

A faint spiritual light emanated from the robe, enveloping Li Qing’s body.

Sensing that the light completely masked his presence, Li Qing cautiously approached the thick thunderclouds overhead.

Soon, when the clouds were almost within arm’s reach, Li Qing’s eyes lit up with delight.

It worked!

The Heavenly Thunderbolts crashing down on Fan Tong seemed utterly oblivious to his existence, treating him as if he were nothing at all.

Li Qing quickly suppressed his elation. Fan Tong’s tribulation crossing had reached a critical stage, and he needed to lend a hand.

Gazing at the thick thunderclouds and the dense network of lightning bolts ahead, Li Qing activated the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings beneath the cover of his Lightning-Repelling Dharma Robe.

This yellow-grade spirit treasure, imbued with both wind and thunder attributes, was the perfect vessel for collecting the Heavenly Thunder.

”Come! Absorb it all!”

Boom!

The wind and clouds churned violently as the lightning flashing within the thunderclouds seemed to be drawn toward an unseen force.

The massive, ten-thousand-zhang thunderbolts, originally poised to strike downward, were instead redirected upward.

The Wind-Thunder Silver Wings blazed with spiritual light, drawing upon the concentrated Heavenly Thunder Force in the area.

Vast quantities of Heavenly Thunder poured into the spirit treasure, causing the silver-purple bone wings to glow with intense lightning radiance.

”It’s working! The tribulation thunder has weakened significantly!” Li Qing muttered to himself, finally exhaling in relief as he glanced down at Fan Tong, who had been battered beyond recognition by the thunderbolts.

Having absorbed a massive amount of Heavenly Thunder Force, the heavenly tribulation visibly weakened, becoming even less potent than a typical demon beast’s transformation tribulation.

”That should be enough. Fan Tong still has reserves of energy. With his capabilities, overcoming this tribulation shouldn’t be too difficult.”

”Weakening the tribulation too much would hinder his growth. A breakthrough should always involve some trials.”

With these words, Li Qing, clad in his Lightning-Repelling Dharma Robe, turned and moved away from the thundercloud.

Meanwhile, the Goateed Old Man, observing from afar, murmured, ”I never expected the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern to actually work.”

Li Qing’s spiritual perception was sharp enough to catch every word. His lips twitched, and his face darkened like the bottom of a pot.

”Senior, that’s not a very funny joke!”

”So you never even verified the effectiveness of the Heaven-Deceiving Dao Pattern!”

The Strange Old Man quickly chuckled awkwardly, trying to change the subject.

”Hahaha, just teasing you! Of course I knew it would work when I gave you the dao pattern!”

”By the way, those bone wings behind you—are they the spirit treasure you refined from my Thunder Sound Bamboo? Truly extraordinary.”

In the end, Li Qing decided not to pursue the matter further. He slowly removed the Lightning-Repelling Dharma Robe and returned it to its owner.

He felt no reluctance, for during their brief exchange, he had thoroughly examined the ancient treasure robe using his powerful divine sense.

He had grasped the Lightning-Repelling Dao Pattern within, the refining techniques used to create the robe, and the specific spirit materials required. He now possessed a comprehensive understanding of the process.

In the future, he could refine such a robe himself, and even extrapolate from this knowledge to create similar magic robes for repelling wind, water, and other elements!

As time passed, Fan Tong’s transformation tribulation finally reached its climax. Becoming a Transformed Demon King was now a certainty.

Seeing this, Li Qing clasped his hands in a respectful bow toward the Goatee-Bearded Eccentric Old Man and said, ”I haven’t yet had the honor of learning your esteemed name and daoist title, Senior.”

”My daoist name is Chen Yuan,” the True Monarch replied, carefully stowing the robe. ”Since we both cultivate at the late-stage nascent soul realm, there’s no need for such formalities. Fellow Daoist will suffice.”

However, facing a Half-Step Spirit Transformation cultivator, Li Qing dared not presume familiarity. He insisted on addressing him as ”Senior.”

”Senior Chen Yuan, now that this matter is concluded, when do you plan to undergo your Divine Transformation Tribulation? I’d like to prepare in advance.”

Chen Yuan waved his sleeves, turned with a smile, and casually replied, ”Keep your schemes to yourself, boy. Don’t try to pry into my true strength. I’ll be cultivating in this domain for quite some time. When the day comes to face the tribulation, I’ll inform you myself.”

”Alright, the show’s over. Time to leave!”

With those words, the slovenly old man with the goatee vanished without a trace.

Li Qing clasped his hands in a respectful bow toward the direction Chen Yuan had departed.

Their agreement hadn’t required a great heart demon oath. At their level of cultivation, such formalities were unnecessary. A verbal agreement was generally sufficient, as no one would risk incurring a heart demon by breaking their word.

Moreover, True Monarch Chen Yuan had complete confidence in his own strength and Li Qing’s integrity, making a heart demon oath entirely superfluous.

The heavenly tribulation had finally concluded. Fan Tong, now reduced to his smaller form, lay sprawled on a fragment of island floating on the sea.

His aura was faint, his tiger body covered in gruesome wounds—scorched scars nearly obscured his entire frame.

Yet, despite everything, Fan Tong had successfully completed his transformation. Once fully recovered, he would become a mighty demon king, revered by all demons!

A smile crept into Li Qing’s eyes. ”You’re not just playing pitiful, are you?” he teased. ”Quick, let me see what you look like after your transformation!”

(End of the Chapter)

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