Immortal Refiner

”Relying solely on the power of fire?” Mo Ying’s figure flashed across the night sky, leaving only these words hanging in the air before vanishing again.

Facing such an incredibly swift opponent, Li Qing knew he couldn’t afford to be impatient. The more he rushed, the more openings he would expose.

Instead of hastily attacking, he decided to focus on defense, waiting for Mo Ying to make his move before attempting a counterstrike.

”Spiritual objects belong to the virtuous. My ability to wield spirit fire is my own skill,” Li Qing declared calmly, his inner resolve growing stronger.

If it came down to it, he was prepared to wage a war of attrition. He had the resources to outlast Mo Ying.

Sensing Li Qing’s strategy, Mo Ying finally lost patience. He had initially hoped to defeat Li Qing without taking any damage, but that now seemed impossible.

He steeled himself for injury, even if it meant being burned by that strange and peculiar flame.

”Night Shadow Strike!”

In an instant, a massive night hawk descended from the sky. Mo Ying had fully transformed into his avian form, a manifestation of the Flying Spirit Clan’s ultimate power.

The hawk’s speed was astonishing, leaving Li Qing no chance to evade.

Li Qing’s heart tightened slightly as he channeled his spirit fire to its maximum potential.

Boom!

Four-colored spiritual flames erupted, with the Great Sun Golden Flame burning most brilliantly, forming several radiant golden suns around Li Qing.

Mo Ying’s attack still landed, the raging spirit fire unable to suppress his killing intent. Sharp claws pierced through the flames, tearing deep, flesh-revealing wounds across Li Qing’s body.

But Mo Ying clearly suffered as well. With a thought, Li Qing willed the flames clinging to Mo Ying to burn like leeches, impossible to extinguish, rapidly spreading across his entire body.

Ignoring the searing pain, Li Qing drew a gleaming golden Peerless Killing Sword—the Immortal Slaughtering Sword had been unleashed!

Hum!

A baleful sword hum resonated, like the roar of a dragon or the howl of a tiger, filling heaven and earth with an overwhelming sense of sharpness.

Mo Ying had previously been able to blend seamlessly into the night, his movements untraceable. But now, coated in spirit fire that defied ordinary means of extinguishing, even his iron-hard black feathers were ablaze with heavenly spirit fire.

Even Mo Ying’s incredible speed had become traceable.

”Kill!”

Li Qing endured the searing pain, raised the Immortal Slaughtering Sword, and slashed downward. The razor-sharp sword qi nearly cleaved through space itself, ignoring distance to strike the massive, flame-wreathed avian creature.

Swish!

A shower of charred, shattered fire feathers rained down as Mo Ying narrowly evaded the strike. But Li Qing had no intention of stopping there.

Having drawn his blade, he would now unleash his full power to eliminate the enemy!

”You’re not the only one with extreme speed! Witness my Kunpeng Extreme Speed!” Li Qing roared, channeling the full force of his Kunpeng divine power.

Screech!

A thunderous cry, like the combined shrieks of a thousand birds, erupted as Kunpeng divine power surged through Li Qing’s body. Combined with the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings on his back, his speed reached its absolute peak.

Mo Ying’s pupils constricted. He felt an oppressive aura of superiority emanating from Li Qing, and even his most prized bloodline seemed to tremble in fear.

”Impossible! You possess Immortal Bird Bloodline?” Mo Ying cried out in shock, too stunned to even extinguish the spirit fire burning on his body.

Li Qing had no time to answer his questions. Having revealed his trump card, he couldn’t let this man escape. He needed to end the battle swiftly to avoid complications.

Golden sword beams flashed across the night sky in an instant. Before even a single breath could pass, hundreds of sword lights had crisscrossed the darkness, dividing it into countless fragments.

”Ten Thousand Swords Return to Their Origin!” Li Qing murmured, slowly sheathing his sword. The terrifying sword beams gradually faded away.

At the very center of the carnage, Mo Ying stood frozen, his pupils wide with lingering shock.

The burning black hawk shattered into countless pieces, each cut perfectly smooth and clean, without a single drop of blood seeping out. The fragments plummeted from the sky.

”What a pity,” Li Qing muttered, ”even the wings were severed, and most of the feathers were burned by the spirit fire. There’s barely anything left to salvage. Otherwise, I could have considered using these true feathers to enhance the Wind-Thunder Silver Wings.”

Slightly disappointed, Li Qing collected the scattered remains of the Night Owl Clan member. With that done, he fled the scene at top speed, neglecting even to tend to his own wounds.

It wasn’t until dawn that Li Qing finally reached a secluded mountain cave where he could treat his injuries.

Fortunately, Li Qing carried a substantial supply of healing pills. Combined with his naturally robust fleshly body and abundant life force, the deep, bone-revealing wounds had healed completely in less than half a day.

Though he still needed time to fully recover, he was no longer in any immediate danger.

”That feathered beast’s claws were truly sharp,” he mused. ”I’ll refine them into hidden weapons later—no point in letting them go to waste.”

Once his injuries were healed, Li Qing immediately resumed his flight toward Profound Ancient City.

He felt deeply insecure in the wilderness, finding true safety only within the walled cities of the human race. These cities were protected by powerful formations, and with City Lord Lingxu, a body integration realm expert, guarding them, even the strongest cultivators couldn’t easily breach their defenses.

A sense of foreboding weighed on him, knowing he had stirred up serious trouble.

The Flying Spirit Clan was a dominant force on Tonggu Continent, rivaled by only a handful of other races. By brazenly killing a Night Owl Clan avian with cultivation nearing the void refinement realm, he had likely brought considerable trouble upon Profound Ancient City.

”Now that it’s done, I can only return to Profound Ancient City for now,” he thought. ”If Flying Spirit Clan experts come seeking retribution, I’ll simply retreat into the World of Eternal Night and wait them out.”

”Let’s hope things don’t escalate to that point...”

Unbeknownst to Li Qing, the trouble he had caused paled in comparison to the far greater calamity that would soon unfold after his departure.

At Giant God Mountain, the Old Black Bull had completely lost control, his bloodline burning fiercely as he relentlessly suppressed Chi Xiao.

The Old Black Bull’s Heaven-Cleaving Giant Axe was no ordinary weapon; it was likely an earth-grade spiritual treasure. Even the Night Owl Clan, empowered by the darkness, stood no chance against its might.

”You feathered vermin! Dawn approaches, and with it, your doom!” the Old Black Bull snarled, his bloodline surging anew, his massive form swelling further until it nearly pierced the heavens.