Translator: AnubisTL

Hundred Refinements Peak—this was the name Li Qing had chosen for the mountain peak on Nanyang Spirit Peak that the Ghost Sword Sect had promised him, symbolizing that the land now had an owner.

The name "Hundred Refinements" clearly indicated that the peak's master was an artifact refiner, its meaning self-evident.

Today, Hundred Refinements Peak finally welcomed its first guest seeking Li Qing's artifact refinement services.

"Senior Li, Zhao Tianxiong requests an audience!"

The visitor identified himself as Zhao. Hearing this, Li Qing, who had been deep in cultivation, slowly ceased his breathing exercises.

Hum!

His formidable divine sense silently expanded outward, swiftly locating Zhao Tianxiong, the Patriarch of the Zhao Family, standing respectfully at the foot of Hundred Refinements Peak.

Why him? Li Qing's eyebrows arched slightly in surprise.

He remembered Zhao Tianxiong vividly. Shortly after Li Qing's successful core formation, the man had presented him with a generous gift: several clam pearls from ancient clam demons, each of considerable value.

Recalling this, Li Qing immediately abandoned any pretense of being a core formation true lord and called out loudly, "Ha ha ha! Fellow Daoist Zhao! Please, come in!"

Below the peak, Zhao Tianxiong's expression relaxed slightly upon hearing these friendly words. He knew then that his earlier gift of precious clam pearls had not been in vain.

Before long, the restriction on a cave abode atop Hundred Refinement Peak was lifted, and Zhao Tianxiong immediately flew over.

"Heh, Patriarch Zhao, forgive my lack of proper welcome," Li Qing said with a calm smile.

Zhao Tianxiong clasped his hands respectfully, his expression humble. "Senior Li, you're too kind. This Zhao wouldn't dare presume. To be honest, I've come with a request."

The Zhao Family was a thousand-year-old cultivation clan that had once produced a core formation true lord. Why would they need to ask him for help?

This immediately put Li Qing on guard. "Fellow Daoist Zhao, what is your request? Please, tell me."

Zhao Tianxiong's face darkened as he sighed deeply. "Alas! It's about my unworthy son."

"He recently joined the Ghost Sword Sect and, just the other day, successfully achieved foundation establishment, becoming an elder of the sect."

Hearing this, Li Qing feigned confusion. "Shouldn't this be good news? Achieving foundation establishment and becoming an elder of the Ghost Sword Sect—that calls for celebration! Why are you sighing so heavily, Fellow Daoist Zhao?"

Zhao Tianxiong slowly explained:

"Ah, Senior Li, under normal circumstances, this would be the best news imaginable. But as you know, the righteous and demonic paths have been locked in a brutal conflict recently, with countless lives lost!"

"Moreover, the Taiyi Sect has recently acquired a new source of support. They've even managed to reclaim a spirit gold vein that the Ghost Sword Sect seized just days ago."

"Now, the Ghost Sword Sect is mobilizing its forces for a major offensive to retake the spirit gold vein, and my son has been drafted into their ranks!"

Zhao Tianxiong's heart ached. Though he had many descendants, only this one son possessed exceptional talent.

But he had no choice. The Zhao Family's foundation lay within the Ghost Sword Sect's territory. To prove his loyalty, he had sent his son to join their ranks.

Originally, this seemed like a wise move. When the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, the Great Wilderness Domain had stabilized, and the righteous and demonic paths had even cooperated harmoniously, even jointly hosting auctions.

Sending his son to the Ghost Sword Sect had appeared to be a win-win situation.

Yet, Zhao Tianxiong never could have foreseen the sudden and dramatic shift in circumstances following the discovery of the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty's Ancient Emperor's Mausoleum Complex.

After Gui Fan and Zhang Xiao's decisive battle, the righteous and demonic paths officially tore off their masks, plunging into open warfare over the Ancient Emperor's Mausoleum Complex.

Hearing Zhao Tianxiong's account, Li Qing sighed, "So that's what happened. It truly was a perilous situation."

"But if that's the case, Fellow Daoist Zhao, you should try to influence the Ghost Sword Sect directly. Coming to me is pointless."

Li Qing feigned helplessness. Although he maintained good relations with the Ghost Sword Sect and even had some personal ties with its young sect master, this was ultimately an internal matter for their sect.

For an outsider like him to interfere in the Ghost Sword Sect's internal affairs would be presumptuous and entirely inappropriate.

Sensing Li Qing's refusal, a flicker of disappointment crossed Zhao Tianxiong's eyes.

Indeed, his true purpose in coming was to ask Li Qing to intercede with the Ghost Sword Sect, hoping to withdraw his son from the conscription.

However, he had underestimated Li Qing's philosophy of self-preservation. Ever since achieving core formation, Li Qing had remained secluded on Nanyang Spirit Peak, avoiding the conflict between the righteous and demonic paths entirely!

Li Qing's reclusive nature, rarely venturing beyond his own courtyard, made it nearly impossible for those seeking his acquaintance to approach him.

Rumor had it that the Limitless True Lord, who had recently achieved core formation, possessed a temperament as placid as still water. Despite living in a chaotic era brimming with opportunities, he showed no ambition for fame or fortune, preferring instead to remain in secluded cultivation.

Realizing Li Qing's intentions, Zhao Tianxiong had no choice but to settle for second best.

"Senior Li," he began, "I've heard that Hundred Refinements Peak offers artifact refinement services?"

Li Qing readily confirmed this. "Indeed, that is true. However, given the Zhao Family's long inheritance, surely you lack nothing in terms of magic artifacts?"

Zhao Tianxiong chuckled dryly. "Heh, I've come to request Senior Li's assistance in refining a top-grade magical artifact—a life-saving talisman—for my son."

Artifact refinement? Now that was a different matter entirely!

Hearing this request, Li Qing's smile warmed considerably. "Ah, that's easily arranged. Fellow Daoist Zhao, what specific requirements do you have? Please, tell me more."

Before the words had even finished leaving his lips, Zhao Tianxiong produced a bamboo slip from his storage pouch and handed it directly to Li Qing.

He came prepared!

Li Qing raised an eyebrow, then accepted the bamboo slip and began to skim through it.

His expression quickly shifted to astonishment as he realized the slip contained an artifact refinement diagram—a blueprint for crafting a magical artifact!

"A Golden Jade Garment? Fellow Daoist Zhao, are you joking? You're showing me such a precious refinement diagram so casually?"

After confirming the contents, Li Qing immediately closed the slip, adopting a resolute air of refusing to look any further.

In truth, with his powerful core formation-level divine soul, he had already memorized nearly eighty percent of the diagram the moment the slip unfurled. Unless he actively erased the memory, it was unlikely he would ever forget it.

Zhao Tianxiong forced a bitter smile. "How dare This Zhao joke with Senior Li? The Golden Jade Garment is precisely what I wish to commission you to refine."

Hearing this, Li Qing frowned. "Fellow Daoist Zhao, your son has only recently achieved foundation establishment, not core formation, correct?"

"Even if you gave a foundation establishment cultivator a magical artifact, wouldn't he be unable to activate or control it?"

"Or does the Zhao Family possess some special method that allows even foundation establishment realm cultivators to wield magical treasures?"

This was, of course, nonsense. If such a method truly existed, foundation establishment elders from every cultivation sect would be rampaging across the land with magical treasures, and the war between the righteous and demonic paths would be a thousand times more brutal than it already was.

"Naturally not, Senior Li misunderstands. This Zhao wishes to request your assistance in refining a top-grade magical artifact—a Golden Jade Garment—based on this magical treasure."

Imitating magical treasures was not uncommon in the cultivation world.

Many renowned magic artifacts were actually imitations of heaven-piercing magical treasures, possessing perhaps a few percent of their original power.

Some exceptionally talented artifact refiners could even create magical treasures of comparable power by imitating heaven-piercing spirit treasures.

Now, Zhao Tianxiong was entrusting the Golden Jade Garment's artifact refinement diagram to Li Qing, hoping he could devise a method to refine a Golden Jade Garment that could be wielded by a foundation establishment cultivator.

"I see," Li Qing murmured, then openly unfurled the bamboo slip.

(End of the Chapter)

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