Translator: AnubisTL
"Five bottles of Purple Yang Pills, one inheritance of your choice from the second floor of the Hall of Technique Transmission, one treasure of your choice from the Sect Treasury, three thousand spirit stones, five hundred contribution points, and an increase in your annual contribution points from two hundred to three hundred!"
"Well, Junior Brother Li, these are your rewards. Do you have any questions?"
Sect Leader Xu Yun maintained his benevolent smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. With his white beard, hair, and eyebrows, he looked every bit the kindly old grandfather.
After hearing the list of rewards, Li Qing stood frozen in place for a long moment, his inner turmoil making it difficult to compose himself.
Noticing this, Sect Leader Xu Yun frowned slightly. "What's wrong, Junior Brother Li? Are you dissatisfied with the Sect's rewards?"
Li Qing immediately shook his head. "Not at all!"
"Junior brother feels these rewards are far too generous. I merely captured one living ancient demon."
Indeed, Li Qing found the lavish rewards almost unbelievable, making him question the very nature of reality.
Though he knew joining the Sect would bring many benefits, this seemed excessive.
Any single one of these rewards, if thrown into the outside world, would ignite a fierce struggle among countless foundation establishment cultivators.
Yet all of them were being given to him at once, leaving Li Qing feeling uneasy and even a little panicked. He couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't truly deserve such lavish rewards.
"Heh heh heh, Junior Brother Li, the ancient demon you captured alive holds immense significance for the sect. Don't underestimate your contribution!" Sect Leader Xu Yun chuckled.
"Ancestor Devourer of Heaven has extracted crucial information from the ancient demon's Sea of Consciousness, including the language of the ancient demonic race. This knowledge will be recorded in jade slips and distributed to all sect members for study."
"Don't feel overwhelmed. You've earned every bit of this!" Sect Leader Xu Yun said with a smile, even patting Li Qing's shoulder to reassure him.
Normally, such extravagant rewards would indeed be considered astonishingly generous, far exceeding what was customary.
However, ever since Ancestor Devourer of Heaven revealed Li Qing's unique potential, the Lingyun Sect had resolved to secure his unwavering loyalty.
Despite their apparent extravagance, these rewards were merely a sound investment.
The logic remained the same: if Li Qing could truly develop his potential, he would become a pillar of the sect.
Even if all these resources failed to nurture him, it wouldn't be a loss. At the very least, the sect would gain a heavenly spirit fire that would be passed down through generations—an invaluable treasure.
Therefore, the sect decided to treat Li Qing well, hoping to secure his loyalty.
Moreover, Li Qing's conduct since joining the sect clearly demonstrated his loyalty and righteousness. He was no ingrate.
Thus, the Lingyun Sect made these investments with complete confidence.
Good deeds truly bring good fortune!
Deeply moved, Li Qing clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Li Qing thanks the sect for its nurturing and will never forget this kindness!"
Sect Leader Xu Yun laughed heartily. "Hahaha! I've already brought you the other rewards. You'll need to visit the Hall of Technique Transmission and the Sect Treasury yourself to choose your inheritance and treasures. The selection is entirely up to you."
With that, Sect Leader Xu Yun handed Li Qing a storage pouch containing the Purple Yang Pill and three thousand spirit stones.
Holding the pouch, Li Qing felt its weight in his heart.
"Alright, you can choose when to select your cultivation manual inheritance or treasures. The Hall of Technique Transmission and the Sect Treasury have already been informed."
"Still, I advise you to claim your rewards as soon as possible. Trouble is brewing again at the snow mountain, alas."
Sect Leader Xu Yun sighed deeply, a hint of worry flickering in his eyes.
Li Qing's expression darkened slightly. "Senior Brother Sect Leader," he asked, "what about the..."
The existence of a Nascent Soul Realm ancient ancestor within the demon's den grotto-heaven had not been publicly disclosed.
Yet many elders had sensed the cataclysmic aura that day. Foundation establishment realm cultivators felt like mere ants under its oppressive weight.
This pressure far surpassed anything they had ever experienced from the sect's own Ancestors, likely exceeding the core formation realm and reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.
However, these were merely speculations. Ancestor Devourer of Heaven had deliberately kept the matter secret to prevent panic and maintain morale.
Only a select few at the highest levels of the sect knew the truth.
"Very well, there's no harm in telling you," Xu Yun said. "Martial Uncle Devourer of Heaven extracted memories from the ancient demon's Sea of Consciousness. It's highly probable that a Nascent Soul Realm ancient ancestor does indeed exist within the demon's den grotto-heaven."
"Martial Uncle Devourer of Heaven exchanged a blow with it through the Extreme Ice Demon-Sealing Formation, confirming this fact."
"But don't worry, Martial Uncle Devourer of Heaven has extensive connections. He once roamed across several great domains and will undoubtedly be able to find Nascent Soul Realm reinforcements!"
Sect Leader Xu Yun reassured Li Qing, urging him not to be so apprehensive and tense.
Hearing these words, Li Qing let out a long breath.
"The Nascent Soul Realm..."
He had just obtained the heavenly spirit fire and finally glimpsed a sliver of hope for core formation, only to now face such a formidable opponent.
"Heh, Junior Brother Li, relax. We must trust in Martial Uncle Devourer of Heaven."
"Understood! Senior Brother Sect Leader, I'll take my leave now. In times like these, I must focus on improving my strength as much as possible!" Li Qing declared resolutely.
With that, Li Qing bid farewell to Sect Leader Xu Yun and immediately returned to his cave abode.
With the aid of the heavenly spirit fire for cultivation and the newly acquired Purple Yang Pills, he now felt confident in breaking through the bottleneck of the mid-foundation establishment stage.
Therefore, he didn't rush to select treasures or inheritances. For now, such things were secondary; the urgent matter was to raise his cultivation level.
"I've been at the foundation establishment stage for quite some time now. Breaking through to the mid-foundation establishment stage isn't particularly fast, but it's certainly not slow either!"
"I hope I can succeed in one go!"
With that, Li Qing settled into a meditative posture in his cave abode, retrieving the Purple Yang Pills Sect Leader Xu Yun had just bestowed upon him.
There were five bottles in total. These pills, which enhanced cultivation in the foundation establishment realm, were considered extremely precious no matter where they were found.
Without hesitation, Li Qing took out a pill and swallowed it whole.
Boom!
He continued circulating the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art, but this time, he wasn't relying solely on the manual's circulation to refine the medicinal power.
Having subdued the Netherworld Cold Fire, he could now leverage the manual's unique properties to use the flame as an auxiliary tool in refining the pills' medicinal power.
The potent and concentrated medicinal power of the Purple Yang Pill caused barely a ripple within Li Qing's body, dissolving completely with astonishing ease.
It was almost effortless!
Sensing the unyielding bottleneck that remained stubbornly unchanged, Li Qing couldn't help but let out a wry chuckle. Could these be fake pills? he wondered.
Of course, the Purple Yang Pills bestowed upon him by the sect couldn't possibly be fake!
The difficulty in breaking through his bottleneck stemmed from his truly mediocre aptitude.
After all, refining the heavenly spirit fire had only accelerated his cultivation speed; it hadn't fundamentally improved his innate aptitude for cultivation.
His spiritual root remained an ordinary four-spirit root, a destiny etched in the heavens. In the mortal realm, finding a divine artifact or method to alter one's spiritual root was virtually impossible.
To defy fate and change one's destiny—how could such a feat be easily achieved?
"Continue!"
With that, Li Qing retrieved two Purple Yang Pills and swallowed them simultaneously.
Glug!
Time flowed slowly, each moment passing like a drop in the ocean.
The bottleneck, which had seemed like an impenetrable barrier, gradually wore down under his relentless efforts.
Pill after pill vanished down his throat, their medicinal power surging like tidal waves, ceaselessly battering against the bottleneck.
Finally, after nearly three more months had passed...
Boom!
A faint aura leaked from Wild Cloud Peak, drawing in the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy.
The source of this commotion was none other than Li Qing himself!
As vast amounts of spiritual energy converged, Li Qing unreservedly absorbed it all into his body in one breath.
Now that he possessed the heavenly spirit fire, he no longer feared his meridians being overwhelmed by the spiritual energy. He could freely refine it into his own mana.
"Come on, all of you! This is the perfect opportunity to consolidate my cultivation!" Li Qing murmured, intensifying his absorption of the heaven and earth spiritual energy with unrestrained fervor.
Finally, as the influx of spiritual energy gradually subsided, Li Qing slowly opened his eyes.
Whoosh!
For a fleeting moment, his eyes turned completely incandescent white, as if they had no pupils at all.
As the blazing white Netherworld Cold Fire receded, a satisfied smile slowly spread across Li Qing's lips.
Mid-foundation establishment stage!
Yes, he had successfully broken through the bottleneck and reached the mid-foundation establishment stage!
"What a crucial step! It certainly wasn't easy!" he mused, glancing down at the four empty bottles at his feet.
Three months ago, those bottles had been filled with precious Purple Yang Pills.
To break through his bottleneck, he had stubbornly consumed four entire bottles of these pills, finally shattering the barrier in one fell swoop.
If word of this got out, many would surely be heartbroken and furious.
Purple Yang Pills were meant to rapidly enhance cultivation and refine mana during the foundation establishment realm. Yet, for Li Qing, they had become mere pills for breaking through bottlenecks.
Most foundation establishment cultivators would spend time slowly grinding away at their bottlenecks. Who would dare waste such precious Purple Yang Pills?
"Was it a waste? Not really. The true calamity is about to begin—the full emergence of the ancient demonic race."
"I don't have time to slowly grind away at bottlenecks. Rapidly increasing my strength is the only way forward."
Li Qing muttered to himself, fully aware of the situation and showing no regret for his actions.
"I'll consolidate my realm and stabilize my aura a bit more, then head to the Sect Treasury."
With that, he settled back into a meditative posture.
(End of the Chapter)
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