Immortal Refiner

Meanwhile, atop a majestic snow mountain in the Northern Ice Plains, a shadowy cultivator clutched a tightly closed-eyed nascent soul in his hand, devouring it bite by bite.

The cultivator’s face shifted constantly. If any cultivator from the Northern Ice Plains were to witness this scene, they would be horrified to realize that these ever-changing faces were none other than those of the deceased Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

After devouring the final nascent soul, the Formless Saint Ancestor revealed a sinister smile.

”It seems my target isn’t in this great domain. I’ve killed innocents in error.”

With a lick of his lips, the Formless Saint Ancestor stepped through the void, his figure vanishing instantly from the snow mountain.

Only a faint voice lingered, dissipating into the air:

”You with the elusive and unpredictable fate, I eagerly await the moment I find you.”

”But remember to hide well. I wouldn’t want this game to end so quickly.”

Li Qing, who was in secluded cultivation within his cave abode, involuntarily shivered.

He opened his eyes from his meditative trance, his brow furrowed deeply.

”This is an ominous sign indeed. I wonder if the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild can uncover the truth.”

Ultimately, Li Qing, filled with unease, decided to inquire further with the merchant guild for more information about the matter.

In truth, he wasn’t the only Nascent Soul cultivator with this idea. After learning of the tragedy in the Northern Ice Plains, many other Nascent Soul cultivators had also sent spirit letters to the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild.

The merchant guild, true to its reputation, responded with replies outlining several possibilities, all of which were connected to the word ”demon.”

”The first possibility is that a mysterious great power in the Human Realm at the Divine Transformation Stage has cultivated a demonic path cultivation technique in an attempt to enhance their strength. However, this is the least likely scenario!”

Firstly, a great power at the Divine Transformation Stage would have already established their dao, making it extremely difficult to change their Cultivation Technique Inheritance.

Moreover, the number of Divine Transformation Stage cultivators in the Human Realm is limited, and it’s almost impossible for any of them to leave their cultivation grounds.

”The second possibility is that an Ancient Demon of the Transformation Stage, who failed to return to the demon realm in time, is responsible. This scenario is quite plausible.”

Although the demonic cataclysm has ended, there’s no doubt that many ancient demons remain hidden in the Human Realm, lurking in the shadows and fearing retribution from human cultivators.

It’s universally acknowledged that these hidden ancient demons include beings at the Divine Transformation Stage. Consequently, the major immortal dao factions in the Human Realm have been actively searching for traces of these demons in recent days.

”The third possibility is that the Formless Saint Ancestor’s dao body has descended to the lower realm unnoticed.”

The Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild generously shared information about the Formless Saint Ancestor, revealing that this Demon Realm Saint Ancestor possesses unfathomable power and has attained enlightenment for countless millennia. Even in the spirit realm, he is renowned.

The Formless Saint Ancestor possessed countless incarnations, each capable of perfectly transforming into any being he had slain—human, demon, or any other race. Once transformed, these incarnations could even wield the signature divine abilities of their original forms.

Even the closest companions could never be certain whether the person beside them was truly who they appeared to be, or merely an incarnation of the Formless Saint Ancestor.

His methods were so sinister that even the great powers of the spirit realm trembled in fear, constantly suspecting that a loved one might be the saint ancestor’s dao body in disguise.

Yet, if someone managed to slay one of the Formless Saint Ancestor’s dao bodies, the saint ancestor’s true form could glimpse heaven’s will, peering into the past and future fate of the slayer, thereby gaining complete insight into their existence.

Hiss...

After reading this intelligence about the Formless Saint Ancestor, Li Qing drew a sharp breath.

He had no doubt about the veracity of the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild’s information. Having long known of the guild’s deep ties to the spirit realm, he understood that their access to such intelligence was only natural.

So sinister and terrifying... This is what a Demon Realm Saint Ancestor is like? Even a mere dao body is this formidable.

Back then, I used the methods left behind by the Crimson Radiance Heavenly Monarch to suppress and obliterate a dao body of the Formless Saint Ancestor. Whose fate did the saint ancestor glimpse through that? Mine, or the Crimson Radiance Heavenly Monarch’s?

Li Qing’s expression darkened considerably. The answer to his question had become painfully obvious.

The Crimson Radiance Heavenly Monarch was no longer in this realm. Therefore, the Formless Saint Ancestor’s dao body had descended with him as its sole target!

Of course, Li Qing still hoped the Saint Ancestor might have other motives for descending.

Regardless, he needed to prepare accordingly.

Gritting his teeth, Li Qing vowed fiercely, ”If all else fails, I’ll hide! I refuse to believe you can find me even in the World of Eternal Night!”

This was, of course, a last resort.

If the Formless Saint Ancestor truly sought him, his only path to survival lay in ascending to the spirit realm as quickly as possible.

Prolonged exposure to the End of Dao Era environment in the World of Eternal Night would suppress his cultivation, causing it to regress.

Just as Li Qing was racking his brains for solutions, True Monarch Chen Yuan, whom he had been waiting for, finally sent word.

The eccentric old man with the distinctive goatee had finally prepared to break through to the Divine Transformation Stage!

”Boy, I’m about to attempt my breakthrough and tribulation crossing. Come here quickly to serve as my guardian.”

Reading the location in the spirit letter, Li Qing paused, muttering to himself, ”Isn’t this the very spot where the Demonic Realm Rift opened? Senior Chen Yuan intends to undergo his tribulation crossing here?”

Li Qing quickly recalled something: when the Demonic Realm Rift first opened, a mysterious great power at the divine transformation stage had emerged from this very place!

”Wait a minute... If this Qian Gu, the divine transformation stage great power, emerged from this grotto-heaven, doesn’t that mean his cave abode must be inside?”

”How could I have overlooked this?!”

A pang of regret struck Li Qing’s heart.

That was a cave abode left by a divine transformation stage expert! It might even contain their inheritance!

”Then again, Senior Qian Gu was preparing for ascension after his emergence. He might have taken everything with him,” Li Qing consoled himself as he stood up, preparing to leave the sect.

Witnessing the process of breaking through to the divine transformation stage firsthand would be immensely beneficial to him. After all, he might face such a trial himself one day. Observing someone else’s experience now could only be advantageous.

Moreover, he planned to collect some Heavenly Thunder from the Spirit Transformation Heavenly Tribulation to refine Thunderfire Cores.

Thunderfire Cores refined with such Heavenly Thunder would possess terrifying power, capable of threatening even divine transformation stage beings.

At this critical juncture, Li Qing felt it imperative to acquire such a trump card for self-preservation.

Thus, he departed the sect at top speed, heading toward the location of the original grotto-heaven.

(End of the Chapter)

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