Translator: AnubisTL
Maintaining the secret realm's passage required a significant expenditure of mana. After closing it, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven continuously activated his true body's devouring true essence to absorb spiritual energy from the world, replenishing his mana.
It was precisely this heightened sensitivity to spiritual energy that allowed him to instantly detect the anomaly within Li Qing's body.
"Hmm? Have you absorbed some extremely Yin substance? Your aura is... peculiar."
At Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's words, several gazes immediately turned toward Li Qing.
Li Qing's current appearance was indeed unsettling. His hair had been completely burned away, and his once robust physique was now emaciated, covered in marks that looked like either frostbite or burns—resembling someone whose vital energy had withered, nearing the end of their life.
It was hard to imagine what he had endured within the secret realm!
Li Qing's heart sank. Realizing he couldn't hide the truth any longer, he forced a wry smile and prepared to confess everything.
Ancestor Devourer of Heaven waved his sleeve dismissively, saying, "If you don't wish to speak, you don't have to. Everyone has their secrets, and we are not unreasonable people."
"Just remember this: you are an elder of the Lingyun Sect. As long as you don't act against the sect's interests, that's all that matters."
Hearing these words, Li Qing felt a surge of gratitude.
Such understanding and reasonable senior experts were rare indeed—ones who didn't use their authority to pressure others or force them to reveal their secrets.
At that moment, even Li Qing felt willing to give everything for the sect, even his life, without hesitation.
"Thank you for your understanding, Ancestor!" Li Qing clasped his hands in a grateful salute.
"Alright, follow the other elders onto the spirit boat and return to the sect. Time is pressing," Ancestor Devourer of Heaven said, flicking his sleeve dismissively to dismiss Li Qing.
As they watched Li Qing stumble toward the spirit boat, the others couldn't help but wonder what secrets he was hiding within him.
Only Ancestor Bing Yun, ever direct and unreserved, asked bluntly, "Senior Brother Devourer of Heaven, you must have discerned the anomaly within Elder Li's pure-hearted nature, haven't you?"
Ancestor Devourer of Heaven smiled calmly, stroking his beard as he replied softly, "Heh, the boy's Fortuitous Destiny is quite remarkable. Telling you won't hurt."
"This child cultivates a fire attribute cultivation manual. If my senses are correct, it should be the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art from the Hall of Technique Transmission!"
"Just now, faint white flames flickered deep within his pupils, and his entire being radiated a chilling aura."
"Furthermore, his divine soul has suffered significant damage, and his vital energy is severely depleted."
At this point, Sect Leader Xu Yun, Ancestor Bing Yun, and even Shen Ningbing immediately connected the dots to heavenly spirit fire!
"The Netherworld Cold Fire?!" Ancestor Bing Yun exclaimed, her surprise evident. "This child actually stumbled upon such fortune? He entered the secret realm and emerged with a heavenly spirit fire?!"
Sect Leader Xu Yun and Shen Ningbing were even more astonished. They never imagined that a heavenly spirit fire—a legendary phenomenon recorded only in ancient texts—would suddenly manifest before their eyes!
Sect Leader Xu Yun narrowed his eyes and said, "Nothing surprising. The Cold Wind Secret Realm was created by an ancient, powerful cultivator. It's only natural for a heavenly spirit fire to emerge here. Perhaps it's a fire seed left by a former sage, now rekindled?"
"One of the characteristics of the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art he cultivates is the ability to sense nearby heavenly spirit fires. He likely detected it by chance."
"The only intriguing thing is that the boy hasn't fully refined the spirit fire yet. He's still suppressing it within his body."
A deathly silence fell over the assembly. Even Ancestor Bing Yun gasped.
Shen Ningbing clenched her jade fingers until they turned white, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.
"So... Senior Brother Li endured the backlash from the Netherworld Cold Fire the entire time he escorted me out?"
She didn't know the agony involved in refining a heavenly spirit fire, but judging by Li Qing's earlier appearance and Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's description, it must have been an unbearable torment.
At this thought, Shen Ningbing's heart clenched slightly.
"No wonder Junior Brother Li was staggering when he walked," Sect Leader Xu Yun murmured to himself. "He's still refining the Netherworld Cold Fire even now?"
"This child is not only blessed with good fortune, but his determination far surpasses that of ordinary people," True Lord Bing Yun remarked softly. "He may truly achieve great things in the future."
Ancestor Devourer of Heaven nodded in agreement. "Well said. We must not mistreat him. Whatever the future holds, he will be a blessing to the Lingyun Sect!"
Indeed, having lived for so long, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven possessed an exceptionally comprehensive and long-term perspective.
His reasoning was this: if Li Qing's cultivation progressed significantly, he could later serve as a shield for the Lingyun Sect, protecting it from future storms.
Even if Li Qing's progress stalled at the foundation establishment realm, it wouldn't matter. As long as the sect treated him well, the heavenly spirit fire would still belong to the Lingyun Sect upon his death, becoming a permanent part of the sect's inheritance.
For a cultivation sect with a vast capacity for growth, the lifespan of a foundation establishment cultivator was ultimately too short.
In short, regardless of the circumstances, the Lingyun Sect stood to gain.
Sect Leader Xu Yun sighed, "Junior Brother Li's success in achieving foundation establishment with a four spirit root is no mere stroke of luck."
"Having cultivated the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art and even acquired heavenly spirit fire, his future dao path may indeed be incomparably brilliant."
"Alright, let's return to the sect first. We need to discuss how to handle this demon's den calamity," Ancestor Devourer of Heaven said, shaking his head and sighing.
The demon's den remained the most pressing concern. Without resolving this calamity, all other discussions were meaningless.
Meanwhile, Li Qing, following behind the other foundation establishment elders, returned to Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's giant spirit boat.
Unaware of the Ancestors' earlier discussion about him, he casually found a quiet, secluded corner and sat down cross-legged.
The moment he settled, his eyelids began twitching and the corners of his mouth twitched.
He felt as if his internal organs had been frozen by millennia-old mystic ice. His vital energy was rapidly depleting, and even his divine soul was undergoing immense strain.
The Soul-Protecting Pill's medicinal power was nearing its limit. His only remaining protection for his divine soul was the last Millennial Heavenly Star Grass in his storage pouch.
Without hesitation, Li Qing swiftly retrieved the last stalk of thousand-year Heavenly Star Grass from his storage pouch and swallowed it whole, moving with lightning speed before any of the other elders on the giant spirit warship could notice.
He immediately resumed refining the source fire seed of the Netherworld Cold Fire.
"Hah, today I will completely refine you!" Li Qing thought fiercely. Having endured so much pain, failing to completely refine it now would be a colossal waste.
Lost in his efforts, Li Qing didn't even realize when the giant spirit boat took off and ascended into the sky, his mind entirely focused on refining the source fire seed.
Ancestor Devourer of Heaven, who was piloting the giant spirit boat, subtly erected a barrier around Li Qing, isolating him from all external disturbances.
The elders, having just survived a life-or-death crisis, were in no mood for idle chatter. They sat quietly in meditation, recovering their mana.
Thus, Li Qing's actions didn't seem out of place at all, appearing perfectly normal.
"This kid... he's clearly nearing his limit. I'll transmit a fragment of a technique to him," Ancestor Devourer of Heaven mused.
"Whether you survive this next stage depends entirely on your fate."
Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's expression flickered slightly before he used divine sense to transmit a fragmented incantation directly into Li Qing's mind, audible only to him.
"This technique, called the Withered Wood Meets Spring Technique, was acquired during my early years when I roamed the world seeking a worthy disciple to inherit my legacy!"
"However, it's only a fragmented incantation. Whether it can aid you in refining the Netherworld Cold Fire depends entirely on your own good fortune."
As Li Qing sat cross-legged, refining the source fire seed, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
He was initially startled, but quickly composed himself and patiently memorized the fragmented incantation of the Withered Wood Meets Spring Technique.
The technique emphasized the principle of "destruction before creation." To unlock its life-giving potential, one must first plunge oneself into a state of utter stillness and despair, a state of complete annihilation.
Fortunately, the fragmented incantation was simple and easy to memorize.
And wasn't he already in precisely the state described by this incomplete technique?
Of course, being a fragmented technique, its effects couldn't match the heaven-defying power of the complete Withered Wood Meets Spring Technique.
But for Li Qing, this was enough.
He had previously cultivated the Precious Wood Body Refinement Manual, nourishing his fleshly body with vast amounts of spirit wood qi. Through a series of coincidences, this had laid the perfect foundation for using the Withered Wood Meets Spring Technique.
"Without destruction, there can be no creation. Only after breaking down can true creation arise. Though this technique is incomplete, its potential remains immense!"
Immediately, Li Qing abandoned all defenses of his fleshly body and divine soul, channeling every ounce of his crimson radiance true essence into refining the Netherworld Cold Fire.
This was a desperate gamble, ignoring the damage inflicted by the heavenly spirit fire as he focused solely on refining it.
Time passed unnoticed. The giant spirit boat had long since returned to the Lingyun Sect, yet Li Qing remained seated cross-legged within, as if he had entered a state of seated meditation.
Beside him, Shen Ningbing and Fatty Wu watched with growing concern.
"How did things get this bad? Li Qing is pushing himself too hard!" Fatty Wu exclaimed, having learned about Li Qing's situation from his master and Shen Ningbing. His worry had reached its peak.
Shen Ningbing was equally anxious, her slender, jade-like fingers gripping the hem of her robe tightly, her brow furrowed slightly.
Li Qing's current state was truly bizarre. Had Ancestor Devourer of Heaven not warned them beforehand, they might have believed he had truly passed away.
His fleshly body now resembled completely charred coal, devoid of any discernible life force.
Moreover, the so-called Netherworld Cold Fire seemed nonexistent, emitting none of the characteristic aura of a heavenly spirit fire.
This situation closely resembled the spirit fire's dormant state described in ancient texts, a state from which it would only slowly revive after many years.
As the two waited anxiously, a crisp sound suddenly rang out.
Crack!
A piece of charred material broke off from Li Qing's body, which was sitting cross-legged in the corner. Soon, more and more layers of old skin and keratin began to flake off in a rustling cascade.
In an instant, Li Qing's skin, as smooth and delicate as that of a newborn infant, was revealed.
Not only that, but strands of hair began to sprout from his scalp, and eyebrows slowly grew above his eyes.
(End of the Chapter)
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