Translator: AnubisTL
To help these orphans grow quickly and develop combat skills, Li Qing imparted a wealth of knowledge, including Martial Arts Legacy, intricate martial techniques, and even two precious wine recipes he had once used himself:
Five Poisons Blood-Activating Wine.
Tiger Bone Nourishing Wine.
These two recipes had formed the bedrock of his Martial Dao foundation. Their efficacy was a major reason for his continuous and rapid progress in martial arts.
Of course, the orphans currently lacked the resources to brew these wines. They would need to work in the black market, earning spirit stones to purchase the necessary ingredients.
In the Great Wilderness Domain, the materials for these medicinal liquors were common and readily available for a small number of spirit stones.
Li Qing had even considered using Demon Tiger bones to brew the Tiger Bone Wine, but after careful deliberation, he abandoned the idea.
Materials from demon beasts often contained malevolent energy. If mortals consumed Tiger Bone Wine made from such ingredients, it could lead to serious complications.
Of course, Li Qing withheld the final ninth transformation of the Qi Blood Method. He wasn't ready to reveal this secret technique prematurely.
Only after someone demonstrated exceptional talent in the Martial Dao would he consider imparting this secret technique.
And so, in this overlooked corner of Sunward City's north district, a batch of promising seeds for the development of the Martial Dao had been unknowingly sown.
"I can't predict the future," Li Qing sighed, "I only hope the Ghost Sword Sect's attention remains diverted for as long as possible."
With a sigh, he slowly turned and walked away.
He had done nearly everything he could for now. He had also instructed the orphans on what tasks they should perform in the black market.
Shen Ningbing followed closely behind Li Qing, her voice soft as she spoke:
"Senior Brother Li, you truly have the qualities of a sect leader. Sect Leader Xu Yun actually mentioned this to our master long ago. He planned to pass the leadership of the Lingyun Sect to you after his retirement."
Li Qing's heart jolted at these words, and a flicker of sorrow involuntarily surfaced in his eyes.
"Is that so... But the Lingyun Sect is gone now," he said bitterly.
He always felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia for those carefree days of cultivation within the sect.
But those days were gone forever.
The two walked side by side in silence, not exchanging another word until they had left Sunward City and returned to their cave abode on Nanyang Spirit Peak. Even then, the silence persisted.
Time flowed relentlessly onward, and before they knew it, several months had passed.
Li Qing and Shen Ningbing's black market in Sunward City finally began operating smoothly, and a steady stream of spirit stones started flowing into their hands.
There were a few incidents caused by unruly cultivators, but Li Qing and Shen Ningbing easily resolved them.
Unbeknownst to them, they had both reached a level of power that allowed them to look down upon even foundation establishment realm cultivators. Working together, they could even hold their own against pseudo core formation stage cultivators.
With their spirit stone income stabilizing, Shen Ningbing was able to focus more on her cultivation. Her ice attribute variant spirit root finally began to show its true potential.
Already close to the late foundation establishment realm, Shen Ningbing officially broke through to this level on a night when the moon hung full and bright in the sky!
Boom!
On Nanyang Spirit Peak, a vast tide of spiritual energy surged toward Shen Ningbing's cave abode.
The commotion startled many rogue cultivators renting nearby caves, their expressions shifting as they gazed toward the converging spiritual energy.
"Hiss! Someone's reached the late foundation establishment realm?"
"Such a powerful display! This person's strength must be extraordinary. When did such a formidable cultivator appear on Nanyang Spirit Peak?"
"Am I imagining things? Does it feel colder around here?"
"I feel it too. It's like being in the dead of winter."
"..."
Li Qing, naturally, sensed the disturbance immediately.
He strolled out of his cave abode, a hint of envy on his face as he remarked, "So this is a variant spirit root. Though its cultivation speed can't match a heavenly spirit root, it's not far behind."
"Still, reaching the late foundation establishment realm so quickly is largely due to the cultivation resources she accumulated in the sect."
Envy was inevitable. Shen Ningbing's foundation was undeniable. Having exhausted all her accumulated resources, her advancement to the late foundation establishment realm was merely a matter of time.
Now that Shen Ningbing had reached the late foundation establishment realm, her ice spirit root's combat prowess meant she could face even pseudo core formation stage cultivators alone without fear.
This significantly boosted Li Qing's sense of security.
As long as they avoided provoking core formation realm experts or higher, no one could threaten their safety for the foreseeable future.
Working together, the pair had finally managed to secure a foothold in the Great Wilderness Domain.
As the turbulent spiritual energy in the world subsided, the aura emanating from Shen Ningbing's cave abode gradually receded.
Upon closer inspection, one would have noticed a thick layer of ice crystals had formed around the cave entrance. However, as Shen Ningbing withdrew her aura, the ice crystals melted away, vanishing without a trace.
This demonstrated her perfect control over her power, never allowing a single wisp of spiritual energy to leak. Her breakthrough had been a natural progression, not a stroke of luck.
Yet, this momentous breakthrough meant little in the grand scheme of the Great Wilderness Domain.
It was merely the addition of another rogue cultivator in the late foundation establishment realm, hardly affecting the domain's overall power balance. In this vibrant and tumultuous region, even more breathtaking events unfolded every moment.
As Li Qing had predicted, the great age of tomb raiding had truly begun!
In a secluded mountain valley within Giant Deer Prefecture, a massive fissure suddenly tore open in the earth.
Rumble!
Wind and clouds converged, earth qi surged, and even the celestial phenomena seemed to be disrupted.
"Hahahaha! The ancients did not deceive me! This terrain truly is a dragon conception terrain! King Jing, who died a thousand years ago, was buried right here!"
"Another royal marquis's grand tomb! This time, I'm going to strike it rich!"
A foundation establishment cultivator in a cyan Daoist robe stood at the edge of the fissure, gesticulating wildly with excitement.
If Li Qing were present, he would immediately recognize Fellow Daoist Qiu—the same man who had been trying to sell him a nearly ruined piece of purple veined copper mother at the Hundred Refinements Pavilion just recently!
Qiu Zhen's heart raced wildly, his face flushed with anticipation.
There was no doubt about it: he had unearthed a royal marquis's grand tomb, and the funerary treasures within would be extraordinary.
"The ancients did not deceive me! This time, I'll dig up some real treasures and make those arrogant artifact refiners who looked down on me regret it so much their intestines turn green!"
As Qiu Zhen waited for the earth qi to dissipate, he rubbed his hands together excitedly. If not for the ceaseless release of earth qi, he would have plunged into the fissure long ago to explore this extraordinary royal marquis's tomb.
King Jing, a once immensely powerful royal marquis of the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty, had cultivated to the brink of the nascent soul realm.
Tragically, an accident during his breakthrough to the nascent soul realm nearly led to his death and the dissipation of his cultivation. After that, he vanished without a trace.
The immortal cultivation world at the time believed King Jing had undergone martial disintegration, passing away peacefully within his Prince's Manor.
"After all, he was a royal marquis," Qiu Zhen murmured to himself, already impatient to enter the grand tomb. "Even in death, he secured such an auspicious feng shui burial site, hoping for a favorable reincarnation and true Dragon Transformation in his next life!"
However, such a dramatic disturbance inevitably drew attention.
A goatee-bearded daoist, radiating the air of an old charlatan, materialized nearby.
"Tsk, tsk, you impudent brat!" the old daoist chided. "Breaking into someone's tomb without accumulating any karmic merit? How utterly shameless!"
"Tsk tsk, this is actually a dragon conception terrain," the old daoist remarked, stroking his goatee with one hand. "The person buried here had quite the ambition—were they planning to transform into a dragon in their next life?"
Hearing this, Qiu Zhen's body stiffened. He slowly turned to face the goatee-bearded daoist.
"Ox-nosed daoist, who are you?" Qiu Zhen demanded, his expression darkening. "This grand tomb took me immense effort to uncover. Are you planning to steal my find at the last moment?"
The goatee-bearded daoist remained unfazed. "You impetuous youth," he scoffed, "breaking open a Dragon Transformation Terrain like this? Aren't you afraid the vengeful spirits will come seeking retribution?"
"In my opinion, this tomb is fraught with peril and saturated with yin energy. You can't handle it alone. Let this old daoist accompany you to explore it—lest you awaken a millennial yin corpse you can't control!"
It was clear the old daoist had no intention of leaving easily; he was determined to claim his share of the spoils.
Realizing this, a murderous glint flashed in Qiu Zhen's eyes. He drew his whisk and launched a swift attack against the old daoist.
"Well, you little brat! Daring to attack me? I might even be your grandmaster!" The goatee-bearded daoist startled, then immediately turned and fled.
Having already made his move, Qiu Zhen had no reason to let the old man escape easily.
While the earth qi still surged, he pressed his pursuit, determined to capture the daoist and safeguard the secret of the royal marquis's grand tomb.
"Hmph! A true disciple-betraying whelp! No wonder you dare desecrate a grand tomb—you have no fear of divine retribution!"
The goatee-bearded daoist's escape speed was surprisingly swift. Despite being a mere tenth-layer qi refining cultivator, the old man managed to outpace Qiu Zhen, who was at the early foundation establishment realm.
Thus began a relentless chase, a deadly game of cat and mouse.
"Ox-nosed daoist, if you're so tough, stop running!" Qiu Zhen snarled through gritted teeth. As a foundation establishment cultivator, he felt utterly humiliated to be outrun by a qi refining old man.
The old daoist retorted without backing down, "Hmph! Ox-nosed brat, if you're so capable, stop chasing me!"
After a long pursuit, Qiu Zhen began to tire. Glaring at the old man's unnaturally swift escape ahead, he roared:
"Old Daoist, stop running! I won't chase you anymore! Isn't that enough?"
"Let's explore the tomb together, but keep this news a secret!"
Hearing this, the old daoist refused. "You're a young whelp with ulterior motives. I won't go to that grand tomb. Go explore it yourself."
Qiu Zhen couldn't trust him. Fearing he would reveal the tomb's secrets, he relentlessly pursued the old daoist.
Unexpectedly, the old daoist snapped. As he fled, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Disaster strikes! A royal marquis's grand tomb has emerged in central Giant Deer Prefecture! Someone come quickly!"
"Earth qi surges skyward from the rear! A royal marquis's grand tomb has been unearthed! Someone come quickly!"
Amidst their chase, the earth qi from King Jing's Grand Tomb finally erupted completely. Deep within the tomb, a coffin suspended in mid-air began to tremble violently.
Rumble!
The tomb filled with chilling yin energy, and murderous intent permeated every corner.
After a long moment, the coffin finally stilled. The lid slid open with an eerie creak.
A pale hand slowly emerged from within. Its fingernails were exceptionally sharp, piercing through the coffin lid with ease.
Boom!
Another deafening explosion shattered the suspended coffin completely, sending a body clad in a royal robe crashing heavily to the ground.
Thud!
(End of the Chapter)
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