Immortal Refiner

Translator: AnubisTL

Deep within a hidden branch of the Nine Lotus Sect, a vast stone chamber lay in quietude. The occasional drip of water echoed through the space, creating an atmosphere of profound stillness.

Only a few beams of sunlight pierced through the darkness, illuminating a pool of water within the chamber.

Above the pool, a purple lotus throne bloomed peacefully. At its center, a delicate woman in a purple gauze dress sat gracefully upon the lotus.

"The Lotus Token... or the Purple Lotus Token?"

To be honest, Shen Lianyi had almost forgotten when she had handed over such a token. If a fleeting image of a little tiger hadn't flashed through her mind, she might have mistaken it for a debt left by the previous generation's Purple Lotus Protector.

"Let her in. I want to see what the Commander of the Maple Guard has come here for," Shen Lianyi leaned back against the purple lotus petals, her chin tilted slightly upward. Her snow-white, jade-like feet restlessly kicked up ripples on the water's surface.

Soon, a figure in red appeared at the entrance of the dimly lit chamber.

"Hmph, what business does the imperial court's lapdog have with the Nine Lotus Sect?" Shen Lianyi snorted, turning her face away and casting a sidelong glance at Qian Hong in her red robes.

It was clear the two had crossed paths before; this was definitely not their first meeting.

"Maple Guard has decided to strike on the Sage Ruler's fiftieth birthday. We implore the Black Lotus Sect Master to emerge from seclusion and lend us a hand in overthrowing the False Dynasty!" Qian Hong declared with conviction.

Shen Lianyi, leaning against a purple lotus throne, showed little interest. "Grand Sect Master was seriously injured in his last battle and is still recovering his vital energy. There's no way he'll join you in this."

Qian Hong frowned slightly but persisted. "I must meet the Black Lotus Sect Master."

"I'm sorry, but the Purple Lotus Token only grants you an audience with me, not anyone else," Shen Lianyi replied, idly picking at her slender, jade-white fingers.

"The Lotus Token allows its bearer to make a reasonable request to the Lotus Protector. I want to see the Black Lotus Sect Master—surely that's not an excessive demand."

"Is the Nine Lotus Sect about to break its own rules?"

Shen Lianyi bit her lip, her silver teeth clenching. She wanted nothing more than to give that Wu Chong bastard a proper thrashing for carelessly giving away the Lotus Token!

"Sigh... I can only ask Grand Sect Master for you. Whether he agrees to see you or not..."

Before Qian Hong could finish speaking, a wavering, aged voice echoed from the sky:

"No need, Commander Qian Hong. Please return. After killing hundreds of elite cavalry, this old one is severely weakened. Cough, cough, cough!"

Qian Hong immediately turned, her gaze fixed on the source of the voice. She saw a stooped old man in a black Taoist robe, his white hair cascading down his back, slowly approaching.

The Black Lotus Sect Master of the Nine Lotus Sect!

A Peerless Grandmaster, representing the pinnacle of martial prowess in the mortal realm!

At first sight, Qian Hong felt a surge of respect. She spoke, "Greetings, Black Lotus Sect Master. Is your health still ailing, Grandmaster?"

"Cough, cough, cough. I know what you're thinking. The Nine Lotus Sect does indeed have an irreconcilable feud with the Wu Dynasty, and this generation's Red Lotus Protector also perished in the siege by the Grassland Marauders."

"But my condition is no pretense. If I were to force myself to act again, the Nine Lotus Sect would be left leaderless. As for the specific reasons, Commander Qian, I believe you must have some understanding, don't you?"

The Black Lotus Sect Master looked frail and aged, his voice punctuated by constant coughing.

Qian Hong's expression darkened slightly. She hadn't expected the aged Grandmaster to be so severely weakened by that battle, still not fully recovered.

Qian Hong knew a bit about the old Grandmaster's last remark.

Each Guardian of the Nine Lotus Sect cultivated a unique inner energy technique. Every generation, the Sect Leader was chosen through duels among the other Guardians, with the victor becoming the new leader.

When the old Sect Leader sensed his time was near, he would employ a special Nine Lotus Sect secret technique to transfer his entire cultivation base to the new Sect Leader.

This process had been repeated for fourteen generations, ensuring the lineage never broke.

This was the fundamental reason why every Sect Leader of the Nine Lotus Sect had always held the rank of Grandmaster.

If the old Grandmaster stubbornly insisted on forcing himself to fight despite his injuries, he would likely only worsen his condition, making it impossible to complete the transfer of his cultivation.

Having learned the truth, Qian Hong's beautiful eyes dimmed slightly, and her voice carried a hint of disappointment. "So that's how it is. Then I won't press the matter."

"Alas, it's not that I'm unwilling, but that I truly can't," the old Grandmaster sighed, shaking his head. "If you had come to borrow the Red Lotus Blade, I would have gladly lent it to you."

But Qian Hong immediately smiled. "Indeed, the more Peerless Divine Weapons we have for this operation, the better. If the Black Lotus Sect Master is willing to lend me the Red Lotus Blade, that would be ideal."

The Black Lotus Sect Master paused, then glanced at the Qing Hong Sword hanging from Qian Hong's waist. Finally, he nodded. "Lianyi, you should go with Commander Qian Hong to assist the Maple Guard this time. Take the Red Lotus Blade with you."

At these words, Shen Lianyi, seated on the purple lotus throne, brightened visibly. Clearly, she was eager to participate in this mission. She hadn't expected her Grand Sect Master to agree.

"As you command, Master Sect Leader!" The Purple Lotus rose and respectfully clasped her hands in a salute.

Thus, Qian Hong failed to take away any Grandmasters from the Nine Lotus Sect, but her trip wasn't entirely in vain. She had secured the assistance of an Inner Strength expert wielding a Peerless Divine Weapon!

On the journey, Shen Lianyi, clad in a purple dress, asked, "By the way, where did you get that Purple Lotus Token?"

"I traded it from Li Qing," Qian Hong replied casually.

Li Qing???

Shouldn't it be Wu Chong?

Hearing such an ordinary name, Shen Lianyi couldn't immediately recall who it was. But then she remembered the Fierce Tiger who had once been ranked alongside her as a rising star in the Martial Path before the Marauders entered the pass. That Fierce Tiger's name was Li Qing.

And he kept a tiger by his side!

Could it be that Li Qing was Wu Chong, and Wu Chong was Li Qing?

"Fine! So he used a fake name to deceive me, and then casually gave the Lotus Token he received from me to someone else—that woman in red I don't even like!"

Thinking this, Shen Lianyi nearly ground her silver teeth to dust. A flash of resentment flickered in her clear eyes, and she felt an urge to hack that lying man to pieces with her Red Lotus Blade.

Qian Hong, of course, had no idea what the Purple Lotus Protector was thinking. She silently led the way, her mind racing with plans for their next move.

And so, two dazzling figures—one in red, the other in purple—hurried toward Shengtian City.

Meanwhile, in Shengtian City, Li Qing, who was busy sharpening an iron nail, couldn't help but sneeze.

Beside him lay a snow-silver stone the size of a human head, its surface incredibly hard—the Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron.

"I never expected such a massive transformation from just a little Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron powder mixed into the Bone-Piercing Awl," Li Qing mused, staring at the text information that had appeared before him. He was utterly astonished.

The Bone-Piercing Awl, now named the Fallen Life Nail by Li Qing, had its lifespan extended slightly the moment he finished polishing it.

[Successfully crafted a fine-quality hidden weapon: Fallen Life Nail. Reward: Two months of lifespan!]

Damn! He hadn't received any lifespan reward for crafting ordinary Bone-Piercing Awls before. But this time, by mixing in powdered Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron during the smelting process, he'd gained two months of lifespan.

What a bargain!

He still had two fist-sized pieces of Ink Gold and a human-head-sized chunk of Extraterrestrial Meteorite Iron.

If he wanted to forge a weapon entirely from these special materials, he realized he didn't quite have enough.

He hadn't expected that incorporating them into a hidden weapon would grant him two months of lifespan, and that it would even be considered a fine-quality hidden weapon!

"The tip of the Fallen Life Nail should be nearly as sharp as those magical weapons."

"But using all these materials to craft only hidden weapons feels like a waste. Yet, I don't have enough to forge other weapons."

"Sigh!"

(End of the Chapter)

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