Translator: AnubisTL
At Nanyang Spirit Peak, Li Qing, having just completed his breakthrough, showed no haste to emerge from seclusion.
It wasn't that he needed to consolidate his realm. His advancement to the late foundation establishment realm had been remarkably smooth, like water flowing naturally into a channel. His spiritual energy was stable and required no further refinement.
Seated cross-legged on the Clear Heart Meditation Cushion, Li Qing remained as steadfast as an ancient pine, his meditative posture utterly still.
Yet his brow soon furrowed.
"Hiss!"
A sharp pain pierced his forehead, followed by a dizzying surge of mental disorientation.
Refusing to endure the agony, Li Qing swiftly retrieved an antique bronze bell from his person and began channeling spiritual energy to activate it.
Ring-a-ling!
The crisp, melodious chime reverberated through the air, rapidly quelling the torment in his mind.
"Phew! Cultivating this soul core method is truly arduous. No wonder senior Wu Yuan descended into madness because of it."
Indeed, Li Qing had just attempted his first cultivation of the soul core method.
This secret technique for core formation, originally obtained from Elder Wu Yuan at Lingyun Sect, proved astonishingly difficult to master, leaving Li Qing utterly speechless.
"Even this initial attempt has inflicted such torment on my divine soul. Without the Soul Nurturing Bell, I fear I too would inevitably succumb to madness in the long run."
Li Qing smiled bitterly as he gazed at the Soul Nurturing Bell in his hand, then carefully put it away.
His divine soul's strength now far surpassed that of most late foundation establishment realm cultivators. The bell's ability to enhance spiritual awareness had become largely redundant for him.
Its sole remaining purpose was to protect his divine soul from injury while practicing the soul core method.
Despite having the bell to soothe his divine soul, Li Qing chose not to continue cultivating.
"Mastering the soul core secret technique isn't something you can rush. It requires time and patience, as senior Wu Yuan taught me."
Haste makes waste. While this secret technique could increase the success rate of core formation, attempting to master it quickly was a pipe dream.
Li Qing remained cautious, fully aware of his ordinary talent compared to the prodigious senior Wu Yuan. He dared not be greedy or reckless, lest he endanger himself.
"Well, after two years of secluded cultivation and a natural breakthrough, it's time to venture out."
With that, Li Qing rose to his feet and stretched his limbs. After stowing away the Mind-Calming Meditation Cushion, he stepped out of his cave abode.
To his surprise, several spirit letters lay quietly in the grass outside the cave. Protected by the restriction against wind and rain, they remained undamaged.
"It's been two years since I last left seclusion. I wonder how the black market is doing," Li Qing murmured as he gathered the spirit letters lying before his cave abode.
All the letters had been sent by Zhang Da, who had managed the black market during Li Qing's absence.
Of course, the Black Market Trade Fairs, held periodically, had continued uninterrupted. Before entering seclusion, Li Qing had entrusted Zhang Da with the dozen or so first-tier crimson crystals he had left.
In addition to these crystals, Li Qing had also given Zhang Da some of his spoils of war—items he no longer needed that had been seized from the Shangqing Sect elders—to auction off.
During this time, Shen Ningbing occasionally emerged from her own seclusion to oversee the black market's affairs, so Li Qing had no concerns about Zhang Da acting dishonestly.
Trust those you employ, and don't doubt those you trust. He understood this principle well.
The spirit letters detailed the events that had transpired in the black market over the past two years.
"Hmm... it seems without second-tier crimson crystals, we haven't acquired anything truly valuable," Li Qing sighed as he read through the letters.
Scarcity drives value. When first-tier crimson crystals first appeared, they could be exchanged for Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid and millennial spirit milk, though in limited quantities—a deal that was undoubtedly worth more than its weight in gold.
With the emergence of second-tier crimson crystals, the value of first-tier crystals naturally declined.
Li Qing wasn't surprised by this development.
"Interesting... Three orphans have already touched the threshold of Transformed Strength. Their martial arts aptitude is truly remarkable!"
Li Qing's jaw dropped slightly. He never imagined that three of the orphans he had initially taken in as errand boys would soon reach the level of Transformed Strength in the Martial Dao.
TL/N: Also known as the Grandmaster realm.
This shocked him deeply, even surpassing the speed he himself had achieved in his early days.
"The Great Wilderness Domain is a land blessed with talent and resources. This place boasts ancient medicinal herbs, a complete Martial Arts Legacy, and the two Medicinal Liquor recipes I provided. Achieving such progress here is understandable."
Although they practiced the Martial Dao, the orphans' frequent contact with cultivators likely granted them additional benefits.
In the Martial Dao, progress could be rapid and effortless.
Considering these factors, Li Qing's initial sense of envy gradually subsided.
His own martial arts training environment had been far inferior to these youngsters'. He had to rely entirely on self-discovery, and even brewing two vats of Medicinal Liquor had required immense effort.
Yet it was precisely through these trials that he had created the Limitless Art!
These orphans were merely standing on the shoulders of giants.
With this thought, Li Qing fell into a contemplative silence.
"Since someone has already reached the threshold of the vital energy martial dao, this new martial path can finally be passed down."
Once a Martial Artist embarks on the vital energy martial dao, their combat prowess will multiply exponentially. Even battling immortals would no longer be a problem!
With that, Li Qing continued reading through the remaining letters.
Zhang Da's letter mentioned several developments. Several cultivation clans in Giant Deer Prefecture had begun investigating the black market's background, hoping to establish a stable channel for purchasing crimson crystals.
This included the Zhao Family, the foremost cultivation clan in Giant Deer Prefecture, and the Beast Taming He Clan. Four cultivation clans in total had expressed this interest.
Additionally, two mysterious figures wearing conical hats had been frequently inquiring about the black market's operations.
Figures wearing conical hats.
The moment Li Qing read those words, a vivid image flashed through his mind.
Could it be those two mysterious individuals who were so desperate for crimson crystals?
The pair had been remarkably generous, even offering Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid as payment. Their extravagance had left an indelible impression on Li Qing.
"Among these people, it's impossible to tell who comes with good intentions and who harbors ill will."
As Li Qing finished speaking, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
At the end of the spirit letter, Zhang Da had subtly mentioned his hope that Li Qing would refine a prosthetic arm and leg for him as soon as possible, explaining that life without limbs had become unbearably difficult.
"I almost forgot about that," Li Qing muttered, shaking his head with a wry smile. "It seems spirit herbs capable of limb regeneration are quite rare even in the Great Wilderness Domain. Zhang Da hasn't managed to find any in two years."
Considering Zhang Da's diligent efforts over the past two years, Li Qing decided to help him by refining a set of magic artifact limbs that would move as naturally as his own.
In truth, these thoughts had already taken root in his mind long ago.
As a transmigrator, how could he not have considered the path of arming himself with magic artifacts?
"Refining parts of my own body into magic artifacts... With divine sense, I wouldn't need to worry about neural connections."
"Could this be considered a form of mechanical ascension?"
Upon closer reflection, Li Qing realized this path held considerable potential.
After all, no matter how strong one's physical body became through body refinement, it could never match the durability of magic artifacts forged from spiritual materials!
(End of the Chapter)
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