Immortal Refiner

A thick, oppressive gloom blanketed the entire Profound Ancient City. Someone had truly pierced the heavens this time, provoking the Flying Spirit Clan!

Rumor had it that the void refinement realm expert who died was a highly regarded junior of a body integration realm old monster within the clan, with future prospects of advancing to the body integration realm himself.

Now, he was dead, and the human race was implicated. This was an earth-shattering event.

Returning to his cave abode, Li Qing felt both uneasy and strangely reassured.

”Compared to this, I only killed a late divine transformation realm mongrel bird. I’m hardly noticeable in this whole affair.”

He carefully recalled the events of that day. The Old Black Bull of Wild Bull Ridge had been besieged by the Flying Spirit Clan. Li Qing had merely glanced over, and that was enough to trigger their pursuit.

After that, his knowledge of the situation grew hazy.

”I remember the Old Black Bull of Wild Bull Ridge being in dire straits at the time. I never imagined he could turn the tables and slaughter the entire Flying Spirit Clan force.”

”The person who intervened must be extraordinary, capable of single-handedly defeating so many late divine transformation realm Flying Spirit Clan experts.”

The current situation posed a grave threat to the entire Profound Ancient City, with the slightest misstep potentially leading to its complete annihilation.

Some, gripped by fear, had already fled the city, seeking refuge in secluded corners of the Tonggu Continent.

Yet the late divine transformation realm Flying Spirit Clan member Li Qing had slain now seemed insignificant in the grand scheme of things, likely to be attributed to someone else’s fault.

With this thought, Li Qing breathed a small sigh of relief.

”So, should I leave Profound Ancient City now?”

Due to the Flying Spirit Clan’s threat, the Golden Abundance Trading Company had temporarily suspended its acquisition of Jade Bone Pills. This meant Li Qing no longer needed to continue refining them for the time being.

Unless the threat subsided and the merchant caravan could resume external trade, the Golden Abundance Trading Company would not resume its Jade Bone Pill acquisition partnership.

After pondering for a long while, Li Qing ultimately decided to remain in Profound Ancient City for now.

”Leaving now would mean having nowhere safe to go, and the areas outside the city are likely extremely dangerous. If I rashly leave, I might run into a Flying Spirit Clan ambush.”

”At least within the city, I have the protection of the formation. Even if an old monster in the body integration realm attacks, it can buy me some time.”

”If the grand formation is truly breached, I can always retreat into the World of Eternal Night for refuge. Once the storm passes, I can return.”

With that, Li Qing resolved to stay and continue his cultivation.

In the spirit realm, his power remained too weak to significantly influence the overall situation in Profound Ancient City.

”I hope the Giant Spirit Race won’t stand idly by. I wonder if the relationship between the human race and the Giant Spirit Race is truly as close as City Lord Lingxu claims.”

The Giant Spirit Race’s attitude was now the most critical factor.

If they were willing to intervene and mediate, there might still be room for negotiation, and the crisis could be averted.

But if the Giant Spirit Race remained aloof, the Flying Spirit Clan would likely seize the opportunity to devour the human race like a succulent morsel, plunging them into true peril.

”Everything comes down to my lack of strength!” Li Qing sighed deeply, then sat down cross-legged and began cultivating.

His current mana felt somewhat unstable, so he refrained from consuming a Brahma Clarity Pill. Instead, he retrieved a Jade Bone Pill to reinforce his bones and tendons.

Inside the cave abode, as one Jade Bone Pill after another was swallowed, Li Qing’s bones and tendons resonated, emitting crisp, clattering sounds within his body.

Li Qing’s bones and tendons now possessed a faint jade-like luster, a sign that they were transforming into Jade Bone.

Simultaneously, his fleshly body grew increasingly formidable. He could now battle mid divine transformation realm demon races using only his physical strength.

Once his Jade Bone reached great perfection, Li Qing believed his body refinement cultivation would ascend to the late fifth-tier, rivaling late divine transformation realm demon beasts.

Under the threat of the Flying Spirit Clan, panic gripped Profound Ancient City. More and more people fled, terrified of falling prey to the clan’s magic claws.

This was only natural. No one would sacrifice themselves for the sake of the human race’s grand ideals and choose to perish alongside the ancient city. When disaster struck, everyone would naturally scatter.

But the illusion that safety lay beyond the city walls shattered when a refugee, fleeing in terror, stumbled back into the city.

”They’re slaughtering everyone! Countless Flying Spirit Clan experts have arrived outside the city, killing indiscriminately with extreme cruelty!”

”The sky beyond the walls is black with Flying Spirit Clan forces, their killing qi suffocating!”

”It’s a bloodbath! No one can escape. They’re all dying under the Flying Spirit Clan’s claws!”

”...”

The man’s return sent shockwaves through the city.

Many who had been planning to flee Profound Ancient City but hadn’t yet prepared breathed a collective sigh of relief.

They realized that if they had acted sooner, their bones would likely have been scattered by now.

The Flying Spirit Clan had indeed encircled the outer regions of Profound Ancient City, leaving no escape for anyone who dared to flee. Such attempts only hastened their demise.

Li Qing wasn’t surprised by this news. If escaping the city meant survival, the Flying Spirit Clan wouldn’t be so feared.

”It seems staying in Profound Ancient City was the right decision,” he murmured. ”Now that the Flying Spirit Clan is ready to turn hostile, they’ll naturally show no mercy to those who try to escape.”

With that, Li Qing withdrew from his deep cultivation session. He remained vigilant, never fully immersing himself in his practice.

This allowed him to immediately interrupt his cultivation and retreat to the World of Eternal Night should any emergency arise.

Within Profound Ancient City, the city guards’ patrols grew increasingly strict, with squads of soldiers marching along the city walls at all hours.

The royal guard’s presence was also ubiquitous. Facing the Flying Spirit Clan’s imminent attack, the city lord’s manor had prepared thoroughly.

The only question remained: would the Giant Spirit Race intervene in such a major crisis?

Several days later, Li Qing, who was in a shallow state of cultivation, suddenly jolted awake.

He clearly sensed the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual qi becoming agitated, converging rapidly toward the grand formation at the heart of the city.

”They’re coming...”

Li Qing’s heart pounded in his chest. He was already prepared for interdimensional travel, ready to flee the moment the city’s formation crumbled.

He felt little allegiance to the humans here, planning instead to exact revenge later when his strength had grown.

To fight alongside the city and share its fate was out of the question. Li Qing would never choose meaningless self-sacrifice.

Boom!

Within Profound Ancient City, all the spiritual energy between heaven and earth surged into the great earth formation.

In the next instant, the formation’s spiritual light erupted skyward, dazzlingly brilliant!

But almost immediately, a terrifying aura rose outside the city walls. Every person within the city felt a profound sense of dread.

An overwhelming pressure descended as a colossal avian creature revealed its presence. Spreading its wings, it blotted out the great yang in the sky, casting the entire Profound Ancient City into shadow.

Screech!

A piercing bird cry reverberated through heaven and earth, causing temporary deafness in some of the city’s weaker inhabitants.