Translator: AnubisTL
Li Qing traversed the deep, dark region without encountering any other demonic races. He smoothly passed through the gap in the Extreme Ice Demon-Sealing Formation and arrived at the Cold Wind Secret Realm.
Feeling the faint, icy wind brushing against him, Li Qing fell into deep thought.
"Should I first return this captured demon lord to the Cold Wind Pool, or should I search for the heavenly spirit fire first?"
The Chi demon he had captured alive was a ticking time bomb. Keeping it with him was risky; who knew when it might suddenly awaken? If it self-detonated, his entire mission would be ruined.
After all, once he began taming the heavenly spirit fire, unpredictable situations could arise. If he was delayed too long, the ancient demon might regain consciousness.
"Sigh, if I return now, who knows if I'll ever get another chance to come back down here?"
"Am I going to have to play the role of the selfless hero again?!"
Li Qing chuckled bitterly, realizing this might be the safest course of action.
With that thought, Li Qing retrieved Fan Tong into his spirit beast pouch. Then, he hoisted the unconscious Chi Man onto his shoulder, ignoring the creature's immense weight, and sprinted toward the exit of the secret realm.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Each step left deep footprints in the ground, the earth of the secret realm trembling beneath his feet.
The passage to the outside remained stable, maintained by the two core formation ancestors of the sect, allowing for easy entry and exit.
Meanwhile, outside the Cold Wind Pool, the Lingyun Sect members waited anxiously.
"It seems the ancient demons have mobilized their entire force. I wonder if our rescue will succeed."
"The crucial part is capturing an ancient demon alive. This mission is far too difficult. If we fail, we'll have to go back in."
"Sigh, let's just hope the other elders succeed!"
Chu Lingyi, who was among those waiting, paled slightly. She had drawn the eighth rotation, which was considered a fortunate draw.
Yet true safety remained elusive. If the third to fifth batches of elders failed to complete their mission, she would likely be next to enter the cave abode.
The thought of venturing deep into the cave abode to confront the ferocious ancient demon sent her heart racing.
Though she had risen through the ranks during the ascension conference to join the sect, she knew her victories in the arena had relied entirely on the talismans she crafted herself.
In a life-or-death struggle within the dark grotto-heaven, she lacked the necessary experience.
Moreover, the grotto-heaven's sparse spiritual energy would severely diminish the effectiveness of her talismans.
As she fretted over these concerns, movement finally stirred at the entrance to the Cold Wind Secret Realm.
Boom!
A massive black shadow shot upward from below, crashing down with the force of a collapsing mountain.
Thud!
Seeing the shadow's form, Chu Lingyi mistook it for an ancient demon attacking and nearly drew her talismans in alarm.
"Huh?! What's that?"
"Is that the suppressed ancient demon? It looks so... ferocious!"
"Hahaha, it seems the mission is complete! Our fellow disciples below are truly capable!"
"..."
Amidst the chatter, Li Qing quickly emerged from the secret realm passage.
"Reporting to the two Ancestors and Sect Leader Xu Yun, I have captured an ancient demon alive!"
Upon exiting, Li Qing immediately clasped his hands in a respectful bow toward the two Ancestors maintaining the passage and Sect Leader Xu Yun, who stood nearby.
"Hahahahaha, Junior Brother Li, it was you who captured the ancient demon? You've earned great merit this time!" Sect Leader Xu Yun roared with laughter.
Ancestor Devourer of Heaven nodded approvingly at Li Qing. "Well done. With this ancient demon, I can now perform soul-searching and soul-refining to extract any remaining information about the ancient demonic race from its Sea of Consciousness."
"You've indeed earned great merit this time. The sect will reward you handsomely!"
Li Qing replied humbly, "Ancestor, you flatter me. It was merely good fortune."
Beside them, Ancestor Bing Yun pressed urgently, "Why are you the only one who came up? Where are the others?!"
Hearing this, Li Qing immediately responded, "Reporting to Ancestor Bing Yun, the other elders are still in the grotto-heaven rescuing the fellow sect elders who were trapped!"
"These ancient demons are fiercely independent. If captured alive, they would immediately choose to self-destruct rather than be taken prisoner."
"I only managed to knock this one unconscious through a clever trick. If he were to awaken, our combined strength might not be enough to prevent his self-destruction. That's why I brought him here first to report."
His explanation was logical and well-reasoned, leaving no room for criticism.
No one would accuse Li Qing of deserting his post. After all, the mission's success took absolute priority.
"Hmm, Junior Brother Li, you've done well. You truly are a pillar of our sect! You must be exhausted from this ordeal. Go and rest now," Sect Leader Xu Yun said, stroking his beard.
Just when everyone expected Li Qing to seize the opportunity to withdraw and recuperate, he made a decision that surprised everyone.
"Ancestors, Sect Leader Xu Yun, I request permission to re-enter the grotto-heaven and assist our fellow disciples still trapped by the ancient demons!"
His words caused nearly everyone to widen their eyes, staring at Li Qing with disbelief.
Even the two core formation ancestors were slightly astonished, glancing sideways at Li Qing, utterly surprised by his words.
"Junior Brother Li, are you sure you're not mistaken? You really intend to go back down there?" Sect Leader Xu Yun asked, his words tumbling over each other.
Li Qing responded solemnly, "Yes. While the other elders are fighting for the safety of our fellow disciples, how could I stand idly by? I implore the Ancestor and Sect Leader to grant my request!"
His words, filled with righteous fervor and unwavering resolve, stirred genuine admiration in everyone present.
Most would have avoided the demon's den below like the plague, but Li Qing, having just emerged, was already volunteering to descend a second time!
His eloquent words left many feeling ashamed of their own inaction.
After a moment of deep contemplation, Sect Leader Xu Yun sighed, "I always knew Junior Brother Li possessed great benevolence and righteousness. Some in the sect may have doubted your sincerity in the past, but today, I will vouch for your true character."
"Lingyun Sect is fortunate to have an elder like you!"
Hearing these words, even Li Qing felt a twinge of embarrassment. However, thanks to his exceptional control over his vital energy, he managed to suppress any blush from rising to his cheeks.
In the end, Li Qing's request to venture deeper into the grotto-heaven was granted, and quite naturally so.
With many fellow sect elders trapped below, this was precisely the time for immediate combat strength. Who would refuse someone who volunteered to contribute?
Thus, Li Qing once again plunged into the secret realm.
After Li Qing's figure vanished, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven and Ancestor Bing Yun nodded in agreement. "This young man's sincerity is truly remarkable, Xu Yun. Tell us more about Elder Li Qing."
Sect Leader Xu Yun organized his thoughts briefly before recounting Li Qing's story, starting from how he had joined the Lingyun Sect after being pursued and presenting an ascension token.
The other elders leaned in, eager to hear Sect Leader Xu Yun's perspective on Li Qing's character.
Before long, a portrait of a cultivator who repaid kindness with gratitude and valued loyalty above all else began to emerge in their minds.
Li Qing, of course, couldn't hear these words. Had he done so, he might have blushed and his heart would have raced!
Passing through the secret realm passage opened by the two Ancestors, Li Qing felt the surrounding space-time shift and found himself once again in the Cold Wind Secret Realm.
Thud!
After landing on the ground, Li Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and surveyed his surroundings.
"This place has been corrupted by demonic qi. The secret realm is completely ruined, and nearly all the spirit herbs have withered."
"I wonder if the heavenly spirit fire has been affected by this!"
If the former secret realm could be described as a fertile spiritual land, it was now a scorched wasteland, devoid of life and overrun by demonic qi.
"Netherworld Cold Fire," Li Qing murmured to himself, his eyes burning with anticipation.
Now, he finally had the chance to seek out the Netherworld Cold Fire!
Although he didn't know its exact location, he wasn't worried and didn't rush into a blind search.
The Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art possessed a unique ability: it could sense the presence of nearby heavenly spirit fires!
Immediately, Li Qing sat cross-legged and began circulating this supreme fire attribute cultivation manual.
Buzz!
As the manual activated, Li Qing wasn't cultivating in the traditional sense. Instead, he was reversing the flow of energy, releasing his scarlet true essence to form countless microscopic crimson threads that radiated outward.
As the cultivation manual reversed, Li Qing's senses sharpened, granting him an acute awareness of the fire-attribute spiritual energy permeating the secret realm.
"Hiss... The demonic qi here is far more pervasive than I anticipated. Sensing the heavenly spirit fire has become exceedingly difficult."
Seated in meditation, Li Qing frowned deeply. The oppressive demonic qi severely hindered his perception of Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire. Even knowing the Netherworld Cold Fire lay within the secret realm, he struggled to pinpoint its location.
Yet he refused to yield. This was his chance to defy fate, a hard-won opportunity he couldn't afford to squander.
Li Qing persisted, relentlessly channeling his true essence outward, striving to establish a resonant connection with the fire-attribute spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Soon, he detected a region where the demonic qi seemed unusually thin, far less concentrated than elsewhere.
Whoosh!
Li Qing's eyes snapped open, twin beams of sharp light piercing the darkness.
"If demonic qi repels heavenly spirit energy, could it be that heavenly spirit fire possesses a counteracting effect against demonic qi?"
The possibility was highly plausible!
With this thought, Li Qing surged toward the direction he had sensed, moving with lightning speed.
(End of the Chapter)
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