Translator: AnubisTL
Lingyun Sect, Hall of Merit.
"Junior Brother Li, the Hall of Merit has recently added many cultivation-enhancing pills. Are you sure you don't want to exchange for some?"
The exchange elder looked at Li Qing with surprise. Just moments ago, Li Qing had exchanged for a large quantity of spirit herbs that strengthened the foundation and nourished vital energy, which was quite unexpected.
In recent times, most elders had been frantically exchanging for Purple Yang Pills, hoping to raise their cultivation levels as much as possible before venturing deeper into the sealing formation. This would increase their chances of survival.
It was almost an instinctive reaction, as a cultivator's mana and cultivation realm were always their most fundamental assets.
Li Qing, however, was different. He knew his Spirit Root aptitude was exceptionally poor. Even if he spent all his contribution points on pills, he doubted he could advance his cultivation to the mid-foundation establishment stage.
Instead, he chose to exchange for spirit herbs rich in vital energy, hoping to enhance his body refinement cultivation through this method.
Of course, neither approach was inherently right or wrong. Each person's circumstances varied, leading to different choices.
Li Qing had simply chosen a path that suited him best. Perhaps others could have exchanged for more Purple Yang Pills and truly advanced their cultivation to the next level.
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother," Li Qing replied, "but my Spirit Root aptitude is rather dull. Even if I exchanged for more Purple Yang Pills, I doubt I could break through."
"Given the current critical situation, it would be better to let these pills go to other Fellow Disciples who might find them more useful."
"I recently acquired a body refinement secret technique. By supplementing my cultivation with these spirit herbs that nourish the foundation and replenish vital energy, I'll be more than satisfied."
Upon hearing these words, the exchange elder at the Hall of Merit immediately felt a profound respect for Li Qing. He had long heard tales of Li Qing's great benevolence and righteousness.
Now, witnessing it firsthand, he realized the rumors were true. To think so thoughtfully and considerately of his fellow sect members and elders during such a critical time was truly remarkable!
Li Qing smiled warmly at the exchange elder before pointing to the names of two spirit herbs:
"I'll also take that vitality blossom and the blood jade orchid. Thank you for your assistance, Senior Brother!"
With that, Li Qing spent all the war preparation contribution points the sect had allocated to him, exchanging them entirely for nourishing spirit herbs.
Returning to his cave abode, Li Qing immediately sat down in a meditative posture without a word.
"Time is short. I need to maximize my self-defense capabilities through physical refinement."
This was likely the only way to quickly enhance his combat power in the short term. Although body refinement cultivators were rare in the immortal cultivation world, the advantages of mastering body arts were undeniable: sheer toughness!
Boom!
In the next moment, Li Qing, still seated in meditation, fully unleashed the surging Vital Energy dormant within his body.
His heartbeat thundered like war drums, and his blood qi surged like a tidal wave.
Before formally beginning his cultivation of the Brahma King True Body, he planned to complete the Qi Blood Nine Revolutions first, laying a solid foundation.
Just as when he had cultivated the Precious Wood Body Refinement Manual, his physical body had already reached the level of a Martial Dao Grandmaster, allowing him to refine his physique with twice the efficiency.
Each revolution of the Qi Blood Nine Revolutions required the Red Moon Secret Power as a catalyst.
While this world lacked the mysterious red moonlight, Li Qing had accumulated a substantial number of Crimson Crystals!
The Red Moon Secret Power contained within these crystals was exceptionally pure, far more potent than cultivating under the Red Moon in the World of Eternal Night.
As his blood qi surged, Li Qing slowly retrieved a crimson crystal from his storage pouch. The walnut-sized gem was crystal clear and translucent.
Crack!
The Crimson Crystal shattered, releasing its pure Red Moon Secret Power.
"Now! Seventh qi blood transformation!"
As his voice faded, Li Qing's cave abode erupted with the sound of a thousand galloping horses, thick blood qi surging relentlessly.
Rumble!
Fortunately, he had activated a sound-isolating restriction beforehand, preventing the commotion from alerting the other elders.
Instead of absorbing the Red Moon Secret Power directly, Li Qing used it as a catalyst to stimulate his own Vital Energy.
The seventh qi blood transformation proceeded remarkably smoothly, almost suspiciously so.
Without expending much effort, his Vital Energy underwent another complete sublimation.
Though he felt the surging power within him, Li Qing remained unsatisfied. He aimed to complete all nine qi blood revolutions and lay the foundation for cultivating the Brahma King True Body.
Only then could he rely on his terrifying physical prowess to secure a sliver of survival within the sealed ancient magic formation.
"If the sect dares to send all its elders into the formation, they must have some confidence that not all of us will perish."
"There's no doubt it's dangerous inside, but my goal is to be the last one standing. If ninety-nine out of a hundred people are destined to die, I'll become the sole survivor, no matter what it takes!"
With a deep breath, Li Qing once again channeled his Vital Energy, using the Red Moon Secret Power to complete the next two transformations.
---
The cultivation world around the Heavenly River Sect had truly become a living hell.
In just one month since the Great War began, the Shangqing Sect had swept through the region like a storm, seizing numerous strategic strongholds.
The spirit stone mine where Li Qing had once spent some time was now occupied by Shangqing Sect forces.
"This Spirit Stone Mine naturally belongs to the virtuous. It's been wasted on the Heavenly River Sect for far too long."
"Go, thoroughly search every mine tunnel. There are bound to be spirit stone miners hiding inside. From now on, they'll be our Shangqing Sect's mine slaves."
As the elder's orders rang out, Shangqing Sect disciples swarmed into the mine's tunnels like wolves, hunting down the remaining spirit stone miners.
Once the spirit stone miners were found, they wouldn't be killed outright. The Shangqing Sect would keep them alive, enslaving them to mine for life.
Their future would likely be worse than death.
"Ahhh, spare me! Spare me! I surrender!"
"Don't hit me! Don't hit me! I yield!"
"Have mercy, great masters of the Shangqing Sect! Have mercy!"
"..."
There was a strict rule for entering the mine tunnels: to prevent spirit stone miners from hoarding spirit stones, the Heavenly River Sect would confiscate their storage pouches and magic artifacts beforehand.
Now, these miners, already unskilled in combat, were utterly defenseless against the Shangqing Sect disciples without their magic artifacts.
The outcome was inevitable. After a lifetime of grueling labor in the spirit stone mines, the miners had been reduced to gaunt, sallow-skinned figures by the Heavenly River Sect's exploitation. Now, they were falling into the hands of the Shangqing Sect, promising an even darker future.
Faced with the Shangqing Sect's overwhelming force, the Heavenly River Sect lost more than just this stronghold.
For example, the Heavenly River Market, painstakingly rebuilt after previous destruction, suffered another devastating blow.
The once-floating island archipelago was now a shattered ruin. Amidst the chaotic debris, remnants of its former glory whispered tales of its past splendor.
"Heh, once we've completely taken over the Heavenly River Sect, we'll rebuild this market ourselves."
A disciple of the Shangqing Sect strode through the ruins, casually dragging a corpse from a collapsed stone wall and expertly searching its storage pouch.
"Too bad so many storage pouches were destroyed in the aftermath of the Great War, along with their contents."
The disciple in charge of clearing the battlefield sighed, but his hands moved swiftly, scavenging every valuable item in sight.
Amidst the chaos of war, rogue cultivators who hadn't evacuated in time suffered the most tragic fates. Caught in the crossfire between the two cultivation sects, their end was utterly miserable.
The conflict between the two sects claimed countless innocent lives, truly living up to the phrase "a sea of blood and mountains of corpses."
Even the Heavenly River Sect's mountain gate, once a magnificent immortal palace, now lay in oppressive silence.
"Old Ghost Wanshan, come out! How long will you hide like a coward?!"
A white-haired crone floated through the air, her hoarse voice echoing across the Heavenly River Sect's mountain gate as she challenged its leader.
Despite her hunched posture and withered face, the old woman exuded a terrifying aura, far more formidable than even the other core formation ancestors of the Shangqing Sect.
She had already reached the late-stage of core formation.
Yet even such a powerful cultivator dared not step within the Heavenly River Sect's mountain gate, forced to issue her challenge from outside.
In the next moment, layers of spiritual light rippled outward from beyond the Heavenly River Sect's mountain gate.
A burly middle-aged figure soared into the air, and the entire Sect-Protecting Grand Formation instantly activated.
"Fellow disciples, now is the time for our Heavenly River Sect's survival! Join me in forming the battle formation to face the enemy!"
"As the Sect Leader commands!"
A resounding chorus erupted from within the Heavenly River Sect's mountain gate.
Boom!
The Heavenly River Sect's most formidable Sect-Protecting Grand Formation fully activated, unleashing a terrifying aura that distorted the very heavens.
The old woman who had been issuing the challenge earlier sneered coldly and retreated rapidly, no longer daring to approach the Heavenly River Sect's mountain gate as she had moments before.
"Let's see how long you can hold out!"
With that, the old woman's figure flickered several times, transforming into a streak of spiritual light as she swiftly withdrew.
Even as a late-stage core formation cultivator, she dared not confront the Heavenly River Sect's Grand Formation head-on.
(End of the Chapter)
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