Translator: AnubisTL
"It's been a while since I've had short hair," Li Qing murmured, running a hand over his head. The crisp, short strands stood upright like a bristle brush.
Of course, with his current mastery of body arts, he could stimulate his kidneys with vital energy at any moment, causing his hair to grow back rapidly.
But there was no need. As an immortal cultivator, why should he concern himself with such trivial matters of appearance?
Wu Chong, who had been waiting nearby, watched Li Qing rise to his feet and muttered, "Li Qing, did you really refine a heavenly spirit fire?"
Even Shen Ningbing's gaze was fixed intently on Li Qing, her beautiful eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Having overheard Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's secret transmission on the spirit boat, Li Qing knew he couldn't keep the existence of the heavenly spirit fire within him hidden.
Yet, judging by the current situation, he had perhaps overestimated the complexity of human nature.
If the Heaven-Devouring True Lord and True Lord Bing Yun had truly harbored malicious intentions, he would never have had the chance to return to the sect alive.
Such scenarios of forceful seizure and oppression by the powerful didn't occur as frequently as one might imagine.
"Indeed, it was a perilous situation. Fortunately, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven imparted a fragment of a technique to me; otherwise, I might not have survived."
As he spoke, Li Qing flipped his hand, palm open.
In the next instant, a wisp of searing white flame danced into existence from his palm.
Almost immediately, the surrounding area grew bitterly cold, even the gentle breeze carrying a chilling aura.
The Netherworld Cold Fire! He had finally refined it completely!
Boom!
Having mastered the source fire seed, Li Qing could now summon this spirit fire at will, elevating his combat prowess to a new level.
The flame flowed like a living entity across his fingertips, yet it no longer harmed his fleshly body as it had before.
Now the true master of the Netherworld Cold Fire, he was naturally immune to the flames he had refined.
Seeing this, Shen Ningbing took a deep breath, casting aside the lingering worry in her eyes. She smiled warmly.
"Congratulations, Senior Brother Li, on obtaining this supreme treasure! Heavenly spirit fire is an exceedingly rare and precious resource in the immortal cultivation world. Combined with your Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art, your future dao path is truly promising!"
When Shen Ningbing smiled, she resembled a flower swaying in the wind atop a snow-capped mountain—icy yet undeniably radiant.
"Hahaha, Li Qing, you've really made it big now! With this flame, who among the foundation establishment cultivators could possibly stand against you?" Wu Chong roared with laughter, genuinely thrilled for Li Qing's success.
Li Qing didn't feel particularly proud. Though he was undeniably excited, he remained grounded, refusing to let it inflate his ego.
The immortal cultivation world teemed with extraordinary talents and countless heroes. He knew better than to believe his modest abilities could make him lord over all.
"Enough about that, Fatty Wu," Li Qing said seriously. "Where's your master, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven? I want to thank him personally."
This time, he truly owed the sect's Ancestor a great debt.
Without the incomplete fragment of the Withered Wood Meets Spring Technique, he might have perished during the final stages of refining the Netherworld Cold Fire.
At that critical moment, he had been utterly drained—his divine soul, fleshly body, and true essence and mana completely exhausted, like a lamp flickering its last before going out.
Fortunately, the fragment of the Withered Wood Meets Spring Technique had worked miraculously, reviving him as if he had been reborn anew!
Indeed, his current condition was exceptional—better than ever before.
His spirit was brimming with vitality, his fleshly body overflowing with vital energy, and his mana profound and abundant!
Every gesture and step felt imbued with inexhaustible power, a testament to the further refinement of his physical form.
He now stood a mere hair's breadth away from the late second-tier of body refinement, feeling as though he could break through at any moment.
It was unbelievable that even this incomplete spell could be so potent. Li Qing dared not imagine the full power of the complete Withered Wood Meets Spring Technique.
"Master left the sect shortly after returning, probably to seek assistance," Wu Chong said, his face grim. "He mentioned a terrifyingly powerful ancient demon residing within the demon's den grotto-heaven."
"I see..." Li Qing's heart tightened slightly, his eyes dimming once more.
If the demon's den grotto-heaven problem remained unresolved, it would inevitably become a ticking time bomb destined to explode.
In an instant, the joy of refining the Netherworld Cold Fire faded, replaced by a renewed sense of dread.
"Senior Brother Li, you should rest first," Shen Ningbing said coolly. "There's nothing we can do about the sect's affairs now. We can only wait for Ancestor and the sect leader to reach a decision."
Hearing this, Li Qing nodded, bid farewell to Shen Ningbing and Wu Chong, and returned to his cave abode.
Back in his cave abode, Li Qing had no mind for rest. Instead, he immediately began sensing the changes in his Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art.
"With the support of the heavenly spirit fire, this supreme cultivation manual can finally unleash its full potential!" he murmured to himself before attempting a meditative practice session.
First, he tried drawing heaven and earth spiritual energy into his body. As the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art circulated, vast quantities of the dense spiritual energy surged into Li Qing's body.
Previously, this had been the limit.
To convert the heaven and earth spiritual energy into mana that he could wield, he needed to rely on the cultivation manual, guiding it through countless cycles within his meridians.
But this time, the source fire seed of the Netherworld Cold Fire spontaneously activated.
In an instant, searing white flames flooded Li Qing's meridians, miraculously assisting in refining the chaotic and disordered spiritual energy from heaven and earth!
"This is truly unbelievable!"
Realizing this, Li Qing couldn't help but sigh inwardly, genuinely astonished.
The chaotic and disordered spiritual energy flowing through his meridians was being filtered by the Netherworld Cold Fire, instantly transforming into pure, refined energy that smoothly converted into mana and true essence within his dantian.
"So it's using heavenly spirit fire to refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth! No wonder this cultivation manual accelerates cultivation so dramatically. It's truly miraculous!"
A joyful smile crept across Li Qing's lips.
He immediately accelerated his absorption of heaven and earth spiritual energy, like a tireless engine running at full throttle.
As vast quantities of spiritual energy surged into Li Qing's body, his mana visibly thickened, and his aura grew increasingly formidable.
He had been in the foundation establishment realm for quite some time, consuming countless medicinal pills over the years, yet he had never even touched the bottleneck of the mid-foundation establishment stage.
This was simply due to his abysmal four spirit root aptitude.
But now, with the assistance of heavenly spirit fire, Li Qing's cultivation efficiency had skyrocketed.
This was far superior to taking any medicinal pill, and the improvement came without any side effects. There was no accumulation of pill toxins in his body, nor any risk of developing drug resistance.
It was truly a win-win situation!
Having tasted this sweet success, Li Qing now felt that the hardships he had endured while refining the Netherworld Cold Fire were nothing compared to the rapid advancement in his cultivation. No matter how bitter or painful the process might be, what did it matter when his progress was so extraordinary?
"No wonder this cultivation manual is said to have the power to defy fate and alter destiny. So this is how those with exceptional spirit root aptitude cultivate..."
Months passed in this manner.
After experiencing a life-or-death crisis, most of the Lingyun Sect elders had come to understand the importance of cultivation and had entered seclusion.
On this very day, the rewards for the elders who had entered the demon's den finally arrived!
"Martial Uncle Li, you can now claim your rewards from the sect. Capturing an ancient demon alive truly makes you the greatest contributor this time!"
A friendly voice echoed outside Li Qing's cave abode, its tone both flattering and respectful.
After a long moment, Li Qing slowly emerged from his cave abode.
"Is that so? I thought I'd have to wait much longer. The rewards came surprisingly quickly," Li Qing said, his face beaming with delight.
The timing of this reward couldn't have been more perfect. Li Qing had just hit a bottleneck in the mid-foundation establishment stage and was fretting over how to break through quickly.
"Hahaha! I heard the sect leader and elders spent a considerable time deliberating your reward. Otherwise, it might have come even sooner!" The disciple delivering the news looked at Li Qing, his eyes brimming with reverence and admiration.
Unbeknownst to him, Li Qing had already become a true monument in the hearts of the sect's lower-level disciples.
"Is that so? It certainly makes me look forward to it even more. Here, take these spirit stones. Thank you for making the trip."
In high spirits, Li Qing casually produced a small pouch containing at least seventy or eighty spirit stones.
The disciple accepted the spirit stones with a mix of shock and delight, his face even showing a hint of unease.
"This... this is too much! I was just performing my duty. I can't possibly accept this."
Before he could finish, Li Qing burst into laughter. "Enough! Just take them. Remember to cultivate diligently and serve the sect well in the future, understand?!"
With that, Li Qing stepped onto his wind spear and soared away at lightning speed, vanishing into the horizon.
Clutching the pouch of spirit stones, the disciple bowed respectfully toward Li Qing's departing figure. "This disciple will heed your teachings!"
(End of the Chapter)
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