Translator: AnubisTL
The heavenly spirit fire was crucial to Li Qing's dao. To ensure his cultivation speed during the divine transformation stage, he decided to hear the Profound Yellow True Flame's conditions.
"The condition is simple," the flame said. "When you ascend to the upper realm, if you encounter the Heavenly Monarch, return me to his side!"
"Of course, if you never meet the Heavenly Monarch, then forget I said anything."
Li Qing was stunned. He hadn't expected the Profound Yellow True Flame to still yearn for the Crimson Radiance Heavenly Monarch after so many years.
This Heavenly Monarch must have possessed extraordinary charisma!
Long ago, to suppress the Formless Saint Ancestor's dao body, the Crimson Radiance Heavenly Monarch had left it in the lower realm, along with the Fire Spirit Pearl and Crimson Radiance Hall, sealing the dao body deep within Fire Cliff Cave.
No wonder the Crimson Radiance Heavenly Monarch didn't annihilate the Formless Saint Ancestor's dao body, only suppressed it. He was setting a trap for me!
Li Qing chuckled bitterly, recalling the Formless Saint Ancestor's abilities. Had the dao body been destroyed, the saint ancestor's true form would have sensed his existence and even peered into his fate.
Thus, the Heavenly Monarch chose not to annihilate the dao body, instead suppressing it beneath the magma sea.
"That's not entirely accurate," the Profound Yellow True Flame countered. "The Heavenly Monarch's battle was indeed arduous. Even with every trick at his disposal, he could only suppress the saint ancestor's dao body, unable to destroy it outright."
"Moreover, if you hadn't coveted the Heavenly Monarch's legacy, you wouldn't have entangled yourself in this karma."
Li Qing didn't argue with the Profound Yellow True Flame's words. Instead, he shifted the topic:
"I accept your condition!"
"But how can you be so certain I can ascend to the upper realm? Even many great powers at the Divine Transformation stage in the lower realm fail to achieve this!"
"And after all these years, the Crimson Radiance Heavenly Monarch might already be deceased."
The Profound Yellow True Flame scoffed. "You underestimate the Heavenly Monarch. He was a true prodigy, destined to soar like a dragon returning to the sea. Nothing could have hindered his rise in the upper realm."
"Furthermore, the upper realm's Primordial Energy of Heaven and Earth is abundant, making it easy to obtain Longevity Substance. Achieving immortality there would be far from difficult."
"As for whether you can ascend to the upper realm, let's consider it a gamble for now."
With that, Li Qing and the Profound Yellow True Flame completed their transaction.
"The first location where spirit fire might be born is within an ice nest in the Northern Ice Plains."
"The second location is in the Cloud Marsh Domain, an ancient ruin."
"The third location is on a peculiar island in the Western Wind Sea Domain."
As it spoke, the Profound Yellow True Flame transmitted corresponding beacons for each location into Li Qing's Sea of Consciousness, allowing him to pinpoint their exact coordinates.
After a long pause, Li Qing nodded. "Very well. If I ascend to the upper realm and encounter the Crimson Radiance Heavenly Monarch, I will ensure you are returned to his side."
With these words, Li Qing prepared to leave Beast Flame Valley.
He had thoroughly scavenged the demonic corpses within the valley. The remaining burning corpses, their essence blood nearly exhausted, held little further use for him.
The eternally burning flames within Beast Flame Valley were merely residual embers from the Life-Annihilation Voidfire. Without a source fire seed present, Li Qing had little interest in them.
He immediately soared out of the deep valley, his figure streaking across the sky like a roc, moving with unparalleled speed.
With his business concluded in the demon realm, he had no reason to linger and prepared to return to the Azure Ridge Domain.
Meanwhile, in a remote region of the demon realm, the group of cultivators from a distant sea territory had miraculously traversed the treacherous terrain unhindered, arriving at the mountain range housing the Spirit Nourishing Pool.
"We've truly struck a stroke of incredible luck! We haven't encountered a single third-tier demonic beast along the way!"
"Perhaps some upheaval has occurred within the demon realm itself!"
"I suspect the demon realm's reputation is greatly exaggerated. It's likely not as dangerous as the legends claim."
Ahead, atop the pitch-black mountain range, a spirit pool drew in the essence of the sun and moon, its entire form radiating an extraordinary aura.
This must be the Spirit Nourishing Pool, the group thought, their eyes gleaming as they gazed at the luminous, mist-shrouded pool.
"Exactly! Absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, and containing spirit fusion within—this is the Spirit Nourishing Pool the man spoke of!"
"Strange... why isn't such a precious site guarded by any demonic beasts? I expected at least a third-tier beast to be stationed here!"
"Indeed. It seems this opportunity is destined for you young ones. Heaven bestows, but failure to seize it brings retribution. Ascend the mountain and enter the pool at once!"
The core formation realm elders immediately instructed several foundation establishment realm juniors to ascend the mountain and enter the Spirit Nourishing Pool for its nourishing effects.
Only a few insignificant second-tier demon beasts roamed near the mountain slope, posing no real threat to the core formation realm cultivators.
"Understood!"
"Brother Dong, let's go up together!"
"The Spirit Nourishing Pool... I will forge a Peerless Dao Foundation here, laying a perfect foundation. Perhaps one day, I can form a Flawless Golden Core and tread the dao path unhindered!"
"..."
The four juniors were brimming with excitement as they ascended the mountain, each riding their magic artifacts at breakneck speed toward the Spirit Nourishing Pool.
Meanwhile, the three core formation realm cultivators swiftly eliminated the handful of second-tier demon beasts in the area.
As they watched the juniors approach the spirit pool, a hint of envy flickered in their eyes.
"This spirit pool has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon for centuries. This opportunity will save them at least decades of arduous cultivation and lay a perfect dao foundation for their future core formation."
"Indeed. If I had been able to enter this pool in my youth, I might have had a chance to attempt breaking through to the nascent soul realm."
From their conversation, it was clear that the Spirit Nourishing Pool was an extremely precious resource.
Just then, a lizard with peculiar claws and exceptional speed came darting toward them from the distance.
"It's him! That person has returned to the demon realm again, and his cultivation has advanced at a terrifying pace. Even the combined forces of the Four Great Demon Kings couldn't withstand him!"
"What a pity we couldn't meet him. Alas!"
The peculiar-looking lizard muttered to itself. Its cultivation had reached the perfected third-tier, and it was nearing the transformation tribulation.
Suddenly, it sensed a disturbance in the air ahead and its heart leaped in alarm.
The energy signatures belonged to human cultivators!
"Damn it! Where did these human cultivators come from?"
"This is bad! They've set their sights on Brother Elephant's Dao Fruit. How could something go wrong in such a short time? This is infuriating!"
With a furious roar, the lizard soared into the sky, bellowing, "Stop! Do you have a death wish?"
As the thunderous roar echoed through the air, the three core formation realm cultivators turned to face the threat, their expressions shifting slightly.
"It's here! A third-tier Terrorclaw Lizard!"
"Looks like we were too optimistic. This place does have an owner after all, it's not unclaimed territory."
"Don't panic. It's just a third-tier demonic beast. We can handle it. You four, hurry up the mountain and into the pool!"
The three cultivators soared into the sky, each radiating a surging aura as they prepared to engage the formidable Terrorclaw Lizard.
The four junior cultivators in the foundation establishment realm showed clear signs of panic, but they heeded their elders' instructions and immediately approached the Spirit Nourishing Pool, each taking their place within it.
Seeing this, the Terrorclaw Lizard's fury erupted. Ignoring the three core formation realm cultivators blocking its path, it lunged forward to prevent the ritual.
But it wasn't so easy. Each of the core formation realm cultivators wielded a formidable natal magic treasure, unleashing them in unison to intercept the Terrorclaw Lizard's advance.
Boom!
The battle erupted instantly, with both sides unleashing a barrage of techniques. Spiritual energy surged violently, causing the entire mountain range to tremble incessantly.
In a one-on-one confrontation, the Terrorclaw Lizard would have held an overwhelming advantage. But facing three core formation realm cultivators simultaneously, it was quickly suppressed by their combined natal magic treasures.
"Hmph, kill it here and now! Third-tier demon beast inner cores are rare!"
"Indeed! I recall there's a third-tier pill refiner in the Southern Sky Archipelago who possesses a pill formula with demon beast inner cores as its primary ingredient!"
"Slay the beast and claim its core!"
Soon, a series of devastating blows rained down upon the Terrorclaw Lizard, leaving it battered and unable to retaliate effectively.
Its flesh torn and blood spraying into the air, the Terrorclaw Lizard rained crimson droplets across the surrounding terrain.
Even in this dire state, the Terrorclaw Lizard never forgot to glance toward the Spirit Nourishing Pool in the mountains, roaring:
"Brother Elephant, wake up!"
At the Spirit Nourishing Pool, the four foundation establishment realm juniors had already plunged into the pool, their faces alight with ecstasy as they began to refine themselves with the essence of the spirit pool, laying the foundation for their Peerless Dao Foundations.
The essence within the Spirit Nourishing Pool was truly extraordinary. The moment they entered, their auras surged upward, undergoing a qualitative transformation from within.
"Incredible! The Spirit Nourishing Pool lives up to its reputation!"
"I can feel my cultivation rapidly advancing, and my true essence is being refined again and again."
"It's like consuming an immortal elixir! Unbelievable!"
They were reaping immense benefits. The pool's effects far exceeded their wildest expectations, leading them to believe they could even ascend to the peak of the foundation establishment realm.
Without exchanging further words, the four cultivators focused entirely on circulating their cultivation manuals, absorbing the pure energy within the Spirit Nourishing Pool with all their might.
This opportunity would save them vast amounts of arduous cultivation time and resources, allowing them to ascend directly to the peak of the foundation establishment realm—the pseudo core formation stage.
Once they reached that stage, they could attempt core formation. If successful, they would become the youngest core formation realm cultivators in the history of the Southern Sky Archipelago.
A single step ahead meant every subsequent step would be faster. With their abundant Lifespan, they might even glimpse the splendor of the nascent soul realm in the future.
This allure was irresistible, capable of driving any cultivator to madness.
The foundation establishment realm cultivators recklessly absorbed the pure energy from the Spirit Nourishing Pool, refining it effortlessly as it flowed into their dantian, transforming into pure mana.
Before long, all four broke through their current cultivation stages!
Two advanced to the mid-foundation establishment stage, while the other two surged into the late foundation establishment realm.
But it wasn't over yet. The Spirit Nourishing Pool still held ample energy for them to absorb and refine, more than enough to reach the peak of this realm—the perfected foundation establishment stage, also known as the pseudo core formation stage.
Nearby, the Terrorclaw Lizard, locked in battle with three core formation realm cultivators, roared desperately, "Brother Elephant, wake up!"
Finally, whether due to the Terrorclaw Lizard's desperate cries or the Spirit Nourishing Pool's rapidly depleting energy, the entire mountain range began to tremble violently, as if struck by a massive earthquake!
Then, a piercing elephantine wail echoed through the air:
"Wooong!"
(End of the Chapter)
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