Immortal Refiner

Over the next five years, Wu Chong finally reached his limit.

Within the Lingyun Sect, a formidable spiritual pressure swept outward.

The aura even disturbed Li Qing, who was in secluded cultivation. With a flicker of his willpower, he quickly discerned the situation.

Wu Chong had begun his breakthrough attempt!

From his spirit peak, roars like those of ravenous Taotie shook heaven and earth.

”His aura remains stable,” Li Qing observed. ”If he consumes the dragon transformation pill, he should have at least a six-tenths chance of success.” He immediately assessed Wu Chong’s chances.

Six-tenths! For a nascent soul breakthrough, this was remarkably high. Most cultivators, even with thorough preparation, rarely exceeded a two- or three-tenths success rate.

More often, cultivators rushed their breakthroughs, sometimes even before reaching the perfected core formation realm. With their lifespans running out, they were forced to gamble in the late core formation realm.

Such desperate attempts further diminished their chances, often to less than one-tenth. This was precisely why the mortality rate for nascent soul breakthroughs in the cultivation world remained so tragically high.

Despite Wu Chong’s six-tenths chance of success, Li Qing remained uneasy, keeping a close watch and ready to intervene to save his life at any moment.

”If he becomes trapped in the inner demon tribulation, even I will be powerless to help. My only recourse would be to try and activate the Exquisite Immortal Sound to awaken him,” Li Qing murmured to himself, pondering what form Wu Chong’s inner demon tribulation might take.

Without a doubt, Wu Chong’s heart demon would be his master, the Ancestor Devourer of Heaven!

Even now, the mere thought of this long-deceased senior stirred ripples in Li Qing’s tranquil state of mind.

”Sigh... I hope he can endure this.”

Wu Chong spent over ten days painstakingly condensing his nascent soul. The moment it formed, he inevitably plunged into a dreamlike inner demon tribulation, akin to the primordial chaos of the womb.

One day... two days... seventeen days!

Wu Chong endured the inner demon tribulation for a full seventeen days. Li Qing even considered intervening to check on his condition at one point.

Fortunately, perseverance paid off. Wu Chong emerged from the tribulation, his face streaked with tears. The vividly realistic heart demon had left an indelible mark on his soul, one he would struggle to shake off for some time.

”Master...”

Rumble!

Before Wu Chong could wallow in sorrow for too long, the tribulation clouds gathered overhead, seemingly drawn by the Taotie’s aura. This heavenly tribulation was extraordinary, far more intense than the transformation tribulations faced by ordinary demon beasts.

”This guy’s so preoccupied with reliving his heart demon, he hasn’t even gone out to face the tribulation. Is he planning to have the sect struck by lightning?” Li Qing muttered, exasperated. Still, he intervened, manipulating the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth to forcibly drag Wu Chong, who was still wiping tears in his cave abode, out to face his thunder tribulation.

”If you don’t face the tribulation now, the sect will suffer,” Li Qing said flatly before retreating into silence once more.

The heavenly thunder raged for three days and three nights before finally subsiding. Wu Chong, thick-skinned and tough, sustained only minor injuries that would heal with a few days of rest.

With this, the Lingyun Sect gained another nascent soul ancestor, further strengthening its position.

Over ten days later, Wu Chong hastily organized a nascent soul ascension ceremony, inviting no one from outside the sect. The event was held solely within the sect grounds.

Still recovering from his injuries, he volunteered to oversee the Southern Domain Snowfield Spirit Vein.

The sect naturally had no objections. Having a nascent soul ancestor stationed at a branch vein was undoubtedly the best possible arrangement.

Li Qing completely lost interest in the sect’s affairs, focusing solely on studying his daoist arts.

During his years of researching the five elements daoist arts, he had gained much insight and learned a secret technique that allowed him to use the power of the five elements to lock his vital essence.

”No wonder the Five Elements Spirit Saint has been so diligently searching for the five elements spirit pearls for so many years. It turns out that collecting all the spirit pearls allows one to lock their vital essence, effectively creating an alternative Self-Sealing Method.”

Normally, even if a divine transformation cultivator in the human realm refrained from engaging in spell duels, their vital essence would gradually dissipate unnoticed.

Only by using unique Self-Sealing Methods in certain ancient lands could the loss of vital essence be significantly slowed, to the point of being almost negligible.

However, by using the five elements self-sealing method, as long as one didn’t mobilize the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth for spell duels, the loss of vital essence would be completely halted, allowing one to move freely even outside those ancient lands.

”Not a bad secret technique. It might even be useful to me.”

Due to his years of unrestrained cultivation, Li Qing’s remaining lifespan had finally dwindled to just over ten thousand years.

In another hundred years or so, if he didn’t resume artifact refinement, his lifespan would fall below the ten thousand-year mark.

No one wants to die sooner, not even Li Qing. He had no choice but to ask Su Xin for the five elements spirit pearls, preparing to use the five elements self-sealing method to lock away his vital essence.

Inside his cave abode, he gazed at the five dazzling spirit pearls for a long time, lost in thought.

”By borrowing the power of the five elements from these pearls, I can cast a self-sealing secret technique within my body. After that, I’ll only need to reinforce it every few centuries, and I won’t have to carry the spirit pearls with me constantly.”

With that, Li Qing activated the secret technique, drawing a strand of origin power from each pearl. Five-colored spiritual light flowed through his limbs and bones.

Before long, the slow leak of his vital essence finally ceased.

The five elements self-sealing method!

”Not too difficult after all. With the five elements spirit pearls, it’s surprisingly easy to cast.”

Li Qing nodded in satisfaction. Now he wouldn’t have to agonize over whether to enter secluded cultivation in those ancient lands.

”The later sections of the Void Refining Scripture detail the principles of five elements harmony. Comprehending them will be even more time-consuming, but these daoist arts are of paramount importance.”

Li Qing sighed, feeling the sealed scripture within his body. He suddenly wondered if he should take advantage of the World of Eternal Night’s triple time flow to accelerate his cultivation.

Ever since achieving the divine transformation stage, Li Qing had been hesitant to venture into the World of Eternal Night.

If the Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth in the human realm was merely thin and barren, the energy in the World of Eternal Night was likely completely depleted.

Once he entered, the rate at which his vital essence would drain would be even more terrifying. Even with the aid of the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings, he had lost a significant portion of his lifespan back when he was only at the nascent soul realm.

Now, having sealed himself with the power of the five elements spirit pearls, perhaps he could finally attempt a visit.

”How long has it been since I last went to the World of Eternal Night?”

”Two hundred years? Three hundred?”

Li Qing chuckled bitterly. He had almost forgotten about the place entirely. Now, it was time to go and see what had become of it.

With the triple time flow, at least several hundred years would have passed there. The environment might have changed drastically.

”Now that I’ve reached the divine transformation stage, I no longer need to worry about the drain on my vital essence. It’s time to go and see what’s become of the place.”

”At the very least, I can use the World of Eternal Night’s triple time flow to continue my enlightenment of the dao.”

(End of the Chapter)

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