Translator: AnubisTL
"My Adoptive Father passed away a few years ago."
These were An Xuan's first words upon seeing Li Qing, her expression somber and her demeanor lonely.
Tian Long's death didn't surprise Li Qing. The last time he saw him, Tian Long himself had sensed he didn't have many years left.
In this dark and desolate world, hunger, cold, and death had become commonplace.
"Seeing you manage the Righteous Gang so well and grow it to such a scale, I'm sure Big Brother Tian Long would be very proud," Li Qing said warmly.
Hearing the words "Big Brother Tian Long" deepened the melancholy in An Xuan's eyes.
"Brother Li, you haven't changed at all, not in your attitude or your appearance," An Xuan murmured, her lips pursed. She looked nothing like the gang leader she was.
Only in front of Li Qing did she allow a hint of the girl-next-door charm she once possessed to surface.
"After achieving Grandmaster status in the Martial Dao, one can completely control their Vital Energy," Li Qing replied vaguely.
An Xuan lowered her head slightly and asked, "Brother Li, are you leaving again?"
"Yes."
"Every parting lasts so long. When will we meet again?" Her voice was tinged with reluctance.
Before Li Qing could answer, An Xuan threw herself into his arms again, her head nuzzling against his chest, savoring his scent.
"I know I can't stop you, but please let me do something for you. The Green Gang is quite powerful now; we should be able to help."
"Consider it my way of repaying your great kindness in Blackrock City."
If not for Li Qing back then, An Xuan and her grandfather would have faced a tragic fate.
She was acutely aware of this, which was why she had tirelessly developed the Green Gang over the years, hoping to offer Li Qing some assistance.
It was also the reason the Righteous Gang had been renamed the Green Gang.
Li Qing didn't refuse. He did need the Green Gang's help, which was why he had intervened to settle the score with the City Lord's Manor and the Red Fish Merchant Guild.
"Mm, I do need the Green Gang's help," Li Qing said. "The old man Xiang who died at my hands earlier was a cultivator. I need you to help me find traces of other cultivators."
"This is the End of Dao Era. Those cultivators rarely take action anymore, so as long as you don't provoke them, you shouldn't cause any major trouble."
"In addition, I need you to collect some rather unusual materials for me."
As Li Qing spoke, he wasn't entirely sure if any of the spiritual materials used for artifact refinement could still be found in this era.
But regardless, contacting cultivators from this world and searching for artifact refinement materials were tasks he had to undertake.
Especially in this End of Dao Era, befriending these cultivators might allow him to exchange for higher-level cultivation manuals.
In this era, the traditional methods of passing down cultivation manuals and various cultivation techniques were useless. With a little effort, he could always obtain them.
Having embarked on the path of cultivation, Li Qing naturally had to think long-term.
"Mm, after the situation in Giant Rock City stabilizes, I'll have my people take care of it," An Xuan nodded vigorously in Li Qing's arms.
Li Qing thought for a moment and took out a small porcelain bottle from the collection of vials and jars he had obtained just now.
"This should be the Vital Blood Pill. Take it. You can use it to cultivate your confidants or for yourself—it's entirely up to you."
"Don't refuse. These things are of little use to me now."
"Is there anything else you want?"
At Li Qing's final question, An Xuan, who was tightly clutching the white jade porcelain bottle, blushed slightly.
She buried her head in Li Qing's chest and whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's, "Brother Li..."
Feeling the increasingly feverish warmth of the woman in his arms, Li Qing couldn't help but sigh, thinking, "What have I done to deserve this?"
But then he remembered An Xuan's cold and imposing demeanor in front of others, and when he combined that image with the coquettish and alluring face before him, he couldn't help but feel a slight flutter in his heart.
Rustle!
Not long after, the sound of rustling clothes filled the room as the two figures intertwined tightly.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Qing gently stroked the jade-like skin of the sleeping An Xuan beside him.
As a Grandmaster of the Martial Dao, he had been as gentle as possible with An Xuan, who was experiencing this for the first time. After all, she wasn't a martial artist and couldn't withstand his full strength.
After a final moment of tenderness, Li Qing withdrew his hand and silently dressed, then left the room.
With this matter settled and all necessary instructions given, he could now return periodically to check on the Green Gang's progress in searching for cultivators.
For now, the most important thing was the path of cultivation. He wouldn't allow himself to become overly preoccupied with matters of the heart.
After Li Qing's figure vanished, An Xuan, lying on her side in bed, found a tear silently welling up in the corner of her eye.
Small Jade Ridge.
Li Qing, carrying Fan Tong, returned to the ridge and let out a long sigh of relief.
Fan Tong, who had been listless all day, immediately perked up, roaring a few times into the verdant mountain wilderness.
The tiger's roar shook the forest, startling a flock of birds into flight.
"It's so much more comfortable in a world with spiritual energy!"
Li Qing stretched out his arms, savoring the sunlight filtering through the dense foliage, the mountain breeze rustling through the trees, and the spiritual energy permeating the air.
After enjoying this for a while, Li Qing sat cross-legged and began to contemplate the path of cultivation.
In the World of Eternal Night, he had obtained two complete cultivation manuals, and it was time to discard the Earth Origin Manual he had been practicing.
"Should I cultivate the Azurewood Art or the Fire Origin Art?"
The names of the two manuals clearly indicated their elemental affinities: one was wood-based, the other fire-based.
Cultivating the Azurewood Art offered the advantage of living longer than others at the same cultivation level, contributing to longevity.
Living longer was always a good thing, wasn't it? After all, seeking immortality was the ultimate goal of cultivation!
However, Li Qing didn't need to rely on his cultivation manual for longevity. He could achieve immortality through continuous artifact refinement.
With this in mind, the Fire Origin Art naturally became the best choice.
Artifact refinement would inevitably require fire, and cultivating a fire-attribute cultivation manual would also help him become more attuned to the fire element.
Moreover, Li Qing had no aversion to fire itself. After years of blacksmithing, he had long grown accustomed to the company of the furnace fire.
I'll choose the Fire Origin Art!
Having made his decision, Li Qing immediately began to switch cultivation manuals.
Fortunately, his progress in the Earth Origin Manual was not very advanced, not even reaching the First Layer of Qi Refining. This made switching to another cultivation manual relatively easy.
If he had already achieved a higher cultivation level before switching, especially to a cultivation manual of a different attribute, the time cost would have been much higher.
And so, in the wilderness of Small Jade Ridge, a new ascetic appeared—a wild-looking man who lived on wind and dew, like a hermit.
Time passed slowly, and Li Qing's cultivation began to gradually climb!
(End of the Chapter)
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