Translator: AnubisTL
As Li Qing continued to wrestle with the Mountain-Moving Rat, Crimson Hair Immortal finally lost patience.
His brows furrowed sharply as he immediately activated three Po Jun Blades, which began to carve into the solid ground.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Under the assault of these razor-sharp magical artifacts, the hardened earth crumbled like tofu. In mere moments, a large pit had been excavated.
Once the ground beneath the Black Furnace had been cleared away, Li Qing finally released his grip on its inner wall, allowing the Mountain-Moving Rat to flip it open.
Boom!
The Black Furnace flew aside, revealing Li Qing sitting cross-legged inside.
"Finally decided to come out, have you?" Crimson Hair Immortal sneered, preparing to unleash a second Thunderfire Talisman to kill Li Qing.
But in that instant, the sky suddenly darkened.
Above, a colossal worm with nine tentacles descended from the heavens.
It was Ninth Insect!
Li Qing had released Ninth Insect the moment the Black Furnace was overturned.
Boom!
The ninth insect moved with lightning speed, unleashing all its tentacles at the Crimson Hair Immortal below.
"A third-tier demonic beast?" the Crimson Hair Immortal exclaimed, quickly redirecting the Thunderfire Talisman to target the strange creature above.
But Li Qing was far from idle. His eyes burned with icy killing intent as a multicolored light materialized in his hand.
In the next instant, at his mental command, the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer hurtled toward him, landing firmly in his grasp.
Vital essence, amplification!
Buzz!
A terrifying aura suddenly surged from the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer.
Vast quantities of seven-colored life essence poured into the magic treasure!
This was the amplification ability from the transformation chapter of the Myriad Lives Demonic Art, sacrificing one's lifespan to amplify the power of a magic treasure!
In that instant, the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer's power surged to unprecedented levels!
Just moments ago, within the Black Furnace, Li Qing had consumed nearly a century of his lifespan in a single breath.
At such a terrifying cost, the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer's power reached its historical peak.
The colossal hammer crashed down with earth-shattering force, tearing through the air and causing even the surrounding space to tremble.
Boom!
The Crimson Hair Immortal, standing too close to Li Qing, had no chance to evade. His only hope lay in the Mid-Grade Third-Tier defensive talisman he wore, praying it could withstand this devastating blow.
"Thunderfire—"
Before he could even activate the Thunderfire Talisman, the hammer had already descended.
Crash!
A crisp, shattering sound echoed as the golden aura that had enveloped the Crimson Hair Immortal shattered into fragments.
Clatter!
Golden shards rained down like glittering dust, the protective light of the Mid-Grade Third-Tier talisman utterly annihilated.
The Crimson Hair Immortal's body twisted grotesquely, crushed into a pulpy mess by the hammer's force.
Splat!
Blood splattered as his fleshly body was completely pulverized, his divine soul extinguished.
One strike to seal his fate!
A core formation realm true lord had been utterly annihilated!
Li Qing stood panting heavily, his chest heaving.
Unleashing such a devastating hammer blow had taken a considerable toll on him.
He had not only sacrificed a century of lifespan but also drained more than half of his mana.
The Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer, amplified by the seven-colored life essence, was truly terrifying. Its power far exceeded that of ordinary magic treasures, making it exceedingly difficult to wield.
"One hundred years of lifespan for a single strike... at least you died with some dignity," Li Qing thought to himself between ragged breaths. He glanced down at the Mountain-Moving Rat beneath his feet and, without hesitation, stomped down hard.
Thud!
The giant gray rat's skull shattered instantly, leaving it utterly and irrevocably dead.
"Go retrieve all his belongings," Li Qing ordered Ninth Insect, still panting heavily.
Ninth Insect dutifully crawled forward, using its tendrils to gather Crimson Hair Immortal's remaining possessions and bring them to Li Qing's side.
After Li Qing picked up the three Po Jun Blades from the ground, he began to stroke them thoughtfully.
"This fellow's natal magic treasure is a composite type, nourishing three blades simultaneously in his dantian. His ambition is truly audacious—did he really think he could acquire three powerful magic treasures in one fell swoop?"
Unfortunately for him, he had crossed paths with Li Qing, and his grand schemes had vanished like smoke.
Without hesitation, Li Qing stored the three blades in his storage pouch and then gathered the remaining items left by the ninth insect.
The man possessed two storage pouches, a spirit beast pouch, and was still clutching an unactivated Thunderfire Talisman.
Li Qing claimed all these spoils of war for himself, refusing to leave them to rot in the wilderness.
"Wait a minute..."
"You gluttonous creature! You swallowed a second-tier demonic beast crystal core whole?"
Li Qing's lips twitched slightly, his face darkening.
Just as he was cataloging the items, the ninth insect had unhesitatingly devoured the Mountain-Moving Rat that Li Qing had crushed moments earlier—including its second-tier crystal core!
Hearing Li Qing's reproachful tone, Ninth Insect innocently curled its tentacles and rested them on its head, looking somewhat aggrieved.
"Ah, forget it. We've already gained a substantial harvest this time. A little more won't make much difference."
With that, Li Qing recalled Ninth Insect into his spirit beast pouch. He then gathered all of Crimson Hair Immortal's belongings and prepared to leave the area swiftly.
Although this place was far from Sword Valley, the commotion from their earlier battle might still attract unwanted attention. Li Qing wanted to escape the scene immediately.
Boom!
A crimson pill fire erupted in his hand, instantly incinerating the entire battlefield.
Every trace left by Crimson Hair Immortal was burned to ashes, leaving the area desolate and barren.
Having completed this, Li Qing turned to leave, but his gaze suddenly turned cold as he called out in a deep voice toward a distant direction:
"Fellow Daoist hiding in the shadows, please reveal yourself."
As his words echoed, a silver-haired elder emerged from the mountain peak ahead.
"Heh, Fellow Daoist Limitless, please calm yourself. This old man means no harm!"
The speaker was none other than True Bone Immortal. He emerged from the shadows, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting toward Li Qing, and spoke in a remarkably placid tone.
"Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu, what are you doing here?! When did you arrive?" Li Qing asked, his brow still furrowed.
"This old man sensed the violent thunderfire just now and mistakenly believed a rare treasure had appeared. Overcome by curiosity, I couldn't resist coming to investigate."
"Fellow Daoist Limitless, rest assured. I'm a reasonable man and will leave immediately!"
A cold sweat trickled down True Bone Immortal's back as he glanced at Li Qing with palpable fear and dread. He had witnessed firsthand the devastating power Li Qing wielded—a core formation true lord had been utterly annihilated in an instant.
Moreover, Li Qing possessed a third-tier demonic beast. Though True Bone Immortal couldn't identify the creature, he recognized that combined with Li Qing's own formidable strength, this was an opponent far beyond his capabilities.
Seeing this, Li Qing's lips twitched slightly. He knew True Bone Immortal had only witnessed the final moments—his decisive strike against Crimson Hair Immortal.
True Bone Immortal likely assumed Li Qing had ambushed and killed Crimson Hair Immortal, engaging in the demonic act of murder and treasure theft.
Li Qing explained, "Fellow Daoist Xuan Gu, you misunderstand. That rogue ambushed me first! I had no choice but to retaliate in self-defense."
Despite this, beads of cold sweat trickled down True Bone Immortal's forehead as he echoed, "I see. So that's what happened. It seems Fellow Daoist Crimson Hair courted his own demise by being so reckless."
Though he spoke these words, his true thoughts remained hidden.
Seeing this, Li Qing knew further explanation would be futile, likely only making things worse. Helpless, he shook his head and clasped his fist in a farewell salute. "Farewell, Fellow Daoist. Until we meet again!"
With that, he soared into the sky, vanishing from the horizon in moments.
Left behind, True Bone Immortal clicked his tongue and wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
Only after confirming Li Qing's departure did he murmur to himself, "What a terrifying presence... It's fortunate he didn't harbor any ill intentions toward me. Otherwise, today might have ended very differently."
As he spoke, he recalled Li Qing's final act—the practiced way he had incinerated the corpse with alchemical flames, leaving no trace behind.
"What a fiend! Fortunately, he didn't harbor any ill intentions toward me, or today could have been truly perilous."
As he spoke, he recalled Li Qing's final act of using pill fire to destroy the corpses and erase all traces of the battle. The man's movements were so practiced, so utterly seamless, that it was clear he'd done this countless times before.
The True Bone Immortal's lingering fear intensified at this thought. He resolved to minimize future interactions with Li Qing, adding him to his list of dangerous individuals.
"When did such a demon lord appear in the Great Wilderness Domain? The immortal cultivation world is becoming increasingly perilous."
Muttering these words, the True Bone Immortal fled in the opposite direction from Li Qing, not daring to look back.
The day's events had left an indelible mark on him, one he would likely never forget.
Meanwhile, Li Qing, having flown far from the Ghost Sword Sect's territory, sighed repeatedly.
"Ah, I doubt that old True Bone Immortal will believe my explanation now. This misunderstanding has grown far too large."
"Will my carefully cultivated reputation be completely ruined?"
As he spoke, he repeatedly reviewed his memories, confirming that he hadn't revealed any more secrets. With this assurance, he finally relaxed slightly.
"That old codger has lived this long, so he must be a sensible fellow. He'll know what to say and what to keep quiet."
"The chances of this matter being leaked are slim. There's no need to worry so much."
With these thoughts, Li Qing's mind finally settled.
To be honest, his gains today had been substantial. The Crimson Hair Immortal's half share of dragon marrow alone would have been enough to satisfy him.
Combined with the half share he already possessed, this trip to the Ghost Sword Sect had allowed him to gather a complete portion of dragon marrow—a truly remarkable harvest.
Seven or eight days passed in a blur. Li Qing finally returned to his Hundred Refinements Peak, where he could now properly digest everything he had acquired.
(End of the Chapter)
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