Immortal Refiner

Translator: AnubisTL

Azure Cloud Peak, overgrown with weeds and shrubs, erupted with life as a dense vitality surged from the cave abode at its summit. The vegetation surged skyward, transforming the once barren peak into a verdant oasis in mere moments.

Suddenly, the overflowing vitality from the cave abode contracted sharply, retracting entirely into its depths.

Thump! Thump!

A powerful heartbeat reverberated through the mountain, its resonant rhythm akin to the striking of a colossal bronze bell.

A moment later, a long, drawn-out breath echoed from within the cave abode.

The lithe figure lying bare-chested within the Black Furnace slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed through his pupils before quickly fading into the depths of his gaze.

Li Qing, who had been "lying dormant" for nearly a century, had finally awakened. His hair, now cascading past his shoulders, lay in wild disarray.

His eyes, still slightly dazed, scanned the pristine, dust-free cave abode. He initially assumed his grave injuries and subsequent slumber hadn’t lasted long.

"How long have I been asleep? And how did my injuries heal so completely?"

"Who brought me back to my cave abode? What exactly happened?"

His thoughts were muddled. His last memory was of Old Daoist Xu Huan detonating his nascent soul. He had only managed to retrieve the Black Furnace before losing consciousness.

"The Black Furnace..." Li Qing murmured, recalling that before he passed out, the dozen or so Gold Fire Marks on the furnace’s inner wall had seemed to stir, emitting a faint, hazy glow.

"Hiss! Was that just my imagination? Or has my memory been distorted?"

"I remember there were only about a dozen Flame Gold Marks. How are there only two empty slots left now?! Have I already collected thirty-four?"

Li Qing was deeply shocked, his expression growing tense. He feared he had lost crucial memories, his sea of consciousness ravaged by Old Daoist Xu Huan’s detonated nascent soul.

But after a thorough examination, he found his sea of consciousness completely intact, as pristine as ever.

"What exactly happened?"

His face etched with confusion, Li Qing extended his divine sense. When he saw the scene outside his cave abode—Azure Cloud Peak—he finally fell silent.

The surrounding area was overgrown with weeds, a stark contrast to the Azure Cloud Peak he remembered.

Clearly, he had been asleep for many years, perhaps for a time beyond imagination.

Soon, Su Xin, her eyes brimming with tears, hurried out of the cave abode. Wiping away the tears, she smiled with relief and said, "You’re finally awake."

Seeing this familiar face, Li Qing’s heart gradually calmed. He finally understood why the cave abode was so spotless—Su Xin must have been tending to it all these years.

"You’ve worked so hard all this time," he said. "Tell me, what exactly happened while I was asleep?"

"And how did these Flame Gold Marks appear on the Black Furnace?"

Hearing this, Su Xin suppressed her excitement, gathered her thoughts, and began to explain:

"Where should I begin? A mysterious old woman delivered this forge to the sect’s gate, claiming that collecting enough Gold Fire Marks would revive you, who lay dormant inside."

"No one saw the old woman’s face, but given the gravity of the situation, we had no choice but to trust her words. It was our only hope."

"After that..."

In the nearly hundred years that had passed, countless events had unfolded. Not only had the Lingyun Sect undergone tremendous changes, but the entire cultivation world had been transformed beyond recognition.

Li Qing was heartened to learn that the sect had even prepared for war with the Western Heaven Pavilion of the Cloud Marsh Domain in their desperate quest to gather the Gold Fire Marks.

However, his expression immediately darkened upon hearing of Fan Tong’s ordeal, and he clenched his right fist involuntarily.

Next came the news of Fan Tong’s departure from the sect, True Lord Fu Xuan’s passing, the sudden emergence of the Golden Profound Sect, and the resurgence of the Savage Bone Battle Physique—the very entity they had once spared, now a mortal threat to the Lingyun Sect.

Each revelation cascaded into the next, stirring Li Qing’s thoughts into a turbulent storm.

After Su Xin finished speaking, Li Qing exhaled deeply.

"Good, very good. The Golden Profound Sect and the Savage Bone Battle Physique... truly dare to bully us? Do they think the Lingyun Sect has no one left to defend it?!"

A flicker of icy killing intent flashed through Li Qing’s pupils, but he quickly suppressed it.

He slowly rose from the Black Furnace, casually retrieving a cyan daoist robe from his storage bag and draping it over himself.

The Golden Jade Garment he had refined long ago was completely destroyed. This was just an ordinary daoist robe, not even a magic artifact.

But none of that mattered anymore. Now reborn, he no longer needed such things to protect himself.

Seeing this, Su Xin’s expression shifted slightly. She quickly cautioned him, "Don’t act rashly. The Golden Profound Sect is so arrogant—they might have powerful backers, perhaps even a great power at the divine transformation realm."

Li Qing chuckled dismissively. "Heh, no need to worry. I won’t be reckless."

"I simply wish to pay my respects to Fellow Daoist Fu Xuan. We built the foundation of Lingyun Sect together, yet he departed before me."

Hearing this, Su Xin finally relaxed and nodded without further objection.

The rear mountain of Lingyun Sect, as before, had become a cemetery.

Cultivators who reached the foundation establishment realm and became sect elders earned the right to be buried here.

The rear mountain was eerily silent, not even a single bird could be seen. White talisman paper hung from the ancient trees.

Li Qing stood before a simple tombstone, his hands clasped behind his back. After a long silence, he sighed softly, retrieved a flask of spirit wine from his storage bag, and slowly poured it onto the grave.

"Fellow Daoist Fu Xuan, may you rest in peace."

He recalled many memories—the days when he and True Lord Fu Xuan had fought side by side to establish the Lingyun Sect, building this magnificent foundation together.

There was nothing more to say. Li Qing lifted the jade flask and drained the last drop of spirit wine.

"Ah!"

"After a hundred years without wine, this single sip is truly exhilarating!"

As he spoke, a clear light radiated from Li Qing’s eyes. He raised his head, gazing at the vast sky above, and declared with heroic resolve:

"Today’s clear skies and crisp air make it the perfect time to break through this bottleneck and advance!"

The moment his words faded, the immense mana he had accumulated over a century surged forth from his body.

Boom!

(End of the Chapter)

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