Translator: AnubisTL

The annihilation of space was like a sudden avalanche.

In an instant, the once-intact great world was reduced to a shattered ruin.

The current state of the Spirit Devouring Realm defied description, even by the term "apocalyptic spectacle." The void was riddled with fissures that devoured everything, and void turbulence surged everywhere, obliterating all in its path.

At the heart of the secret realm, even the towering mountain at its center could not escape the devastation.

Whoosh!

Above the mountain's peak, the air tore open like paper being ripped apart, and the surrounding landscape vanished like ink dissolving from a scroll.

A vortex of void turbulence erupted forth, plunging directly into the mountain's volcanic core.

Boom!

The once-imposing mountain had become more fragile than paper. It was now utterly devoid of its former qualities: hardness, weight, and immensity.

In the next moment, a muffled roar reverberated through the realm.

The muffled sound emanated from the surface of an ancient black furnace as it was struck by void turbulence. But the sound abruptly ceased.

Looking around, the black furnace that had been shrouded within the volcano had vanished without a trace.

Alas, this scene was destined to be witnessed by no one.

The void turbulence continued to rage, cracks expanding across the fabric of reality.

The entire Spirit Devouring Realm was collapsing and dissolving into nothingness!

As the spatial rifts converged, this realm, forged by an ancient great power, finally succumbed to oblivion, as if it had never existed.

Amidst the chaotic void, a boundary stone shrouded in primordial mist lay fractured, its surface riddled with cracks.

At last, the boundary stone, pushed beyond its limits, shattered into fragments, dissolving completely into the void and transforming into cosmic dust.

From that moment forward, the Spirit Devouring Realm ceased to exist.

"Hiss!"

Li Qing, having narrowly escaped back to his cave abode, barely had time to marvel at the Black Furnace's resilience before clutching his wrist and hissing in pain.

Indeed, the Black Furnace had withstood the full force of the void turbulence generated by the secret realm's annihilation!

To bring the Black Furnace back with him, Li Qing had braced his hand against its inner wall throughout the interdimensional travel.

When the blast of void turbulence struck the furnace's body, the shock fractured the bones in Li Qing's hand.

Excruciating pain surged from his hand, forcing beads of sweat to break out on his forehead as he gasped for air.

"Another moment and my entire hand would have been ruined. Thankfully, it's just a fracture. With proper rest, it should heal."

Li Qing glanced at the Black Furnace, his heart still pounding. He noticed a deep dent on its outer wall, but the furnace itself remained intact, without any cracks or damage.

At that moment, his understanding of this mysterious forge was once again shattered.

It's too tough! The void turbulence generated by spatial annihilation had only caused a slight deformation, failing to completely destroy it.

"What exactly is this furnace? Could it be a discarded immortal artifact left behind by some Immortal?"

Li Qing clicked his tongue, resolving to uncover the Black Furnace's origins in the future.

His gaze shifted from the scars on the Black Furnace's exterior to its inner wall, where thirty-six flame-mark-like black grooves were etched.

Of these thirty-six grooves, eleven were inlaid with resplendent golden Flame Seals, while the remaining twenty-five remained dark and unlit.

"I found six Golden Fire Seals in the Lingyun Sect's Treasure Vault, and later discovered another five in the Ancient Imperial City of the Great Wilderness Domain."

"That leaves twenty-five still missing. Could they be scattered across other great domains?"

Li Qing had a premonition that once all thirty-six Golden Flame Seals were collected, the Black Furnace might undergo some unexpected transformation.

Even based solely on its current defensive capabilities, this was an invaluable treasure.

After all, ordinary cultivators' natal magic treasures couldn't withstand the ravages of void turbulence.

It was likely only a legendary Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure could achieve such a feat!

Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasures!

These were artifacts that surpassed even the highest-grade magic treasures. Each Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure was unique in the world; others could only create imitations, never truly replicate the original.

Legend had it that the ancestral imperial sword, nourished for countless years by the imperial dragon qi within the dragon vein, had approached this level. However, no one could truly verify this claim.

After all, no one had ever seen a genuine Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure. All other claims were mere speculation, based solely on the ancestral imperial sword's extraordinary power, which far surpassed that of ordinary magic treasures. To call it nearly sentient would not be an exaggeration.

"If it's truly a Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure, we've struck gold! This thing is far more precious than even heavenly spirit fire."

"Obtaining just one would likely allow us to dominate the Great Wilderness Domain with ease."

As an artifact refiner, Li Qing's eyes now gleamed with hope, as if he had discovered a new goal for his future path in artifact refinement.

Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasures might be powerful, but they were still crafted by humans. If others could refine them, why couldn't he?

After licking his lips, Li Qing suppressed this somewhat audacious thought.

He slowly closed his eyes and began examining the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame he had just subdued.

Within his dantian, the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame remained utterly still and lifeless, like a dead Flood Dragon lying in silent repose.

At the opposite end, the Netherworld Cold Fire burned steadily, as if sensing the presence of the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame. It even extended tendrils of flame in a provocative gesture.

As the Lord of Spirit Flames, Li Qing naturally wouldn't allow this to continue. He immediately suppressed the Netherworld Cold Fire's agitation, forcing it to shrink obediently into a corner.

"Even after being subdued, spirit fires retain some of their own will. My dantian is going to get even more lively from now on," Li Qing mused, rubbing his temples with a slight headache. He then turned his attention to the dormant Spirit Devouring Demon Flame.

"I thought returning to a world with spiritual energy would automatically revive the Spirit Devouring Demon Flame. I guess I was being too optimistic."

Li Qing's mood darkened. He hadn't wanted a lifeless source fire seed that couldn't be revived. If it remained dormant, it would be no better than a mere ornament.

According to the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art he practiced, he could only subdue one heavenly spirit fire per cultivation realm. Exceeding this limit risked his body exploding from the overwhelming energy.

Now that his slot had been taken by a deathly silent spirit fire, it was truly worse than having a mere ornament!

If Li Qing encountered another heavenly spirit fire while still in the core formation realm, he would regret it to the core.

Of course, heavenly spirit fires weren't exactly common.

So, the only problem facing Li Qing now was how to reawaken the source fire seed of this heavenly spirit fire!

Because the source fire seed was dormant, the taming process had been remarkably smooth. However, this ease had brought forth an even more daunting challenge.

"Generally speaking, spirit fires don't easily fall into eternal dormancy," Li Qing muttered to himself, his brow furrowed. "With enough patience, waiting for a few centuries might actually allow it to reignite on its own."

Could he really afford to wait centuries?

Although his lifespan was sufficient to endure such a wait, it would mean being unable to benefit from the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art's spirit fire enhancement for an extended period.

"Sigh, I'll just have to delve deeper into ancient manuals and see if I can find any methods."

(End of the Chapter)

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