Starlit Path of the Mystic Forge

Lu was indeed about to break through.

The million-mile-wide spiritual qi vortex was deliberately manifested by him.

Not to show off, of course—just to gauge how much spiritual qi he could harvest from this wave.

From the looks of it, the number of cultivators who achieved breakthroughs under the Voice of the Quasi-Saint far exceeded Lu’s expectations.

Even Sixth Revolution Golden Immortals had gained substantial insight from it. Under such profound comprehension, their strength surged forward, delivering an enormous harvest of spiritual qi to Lu.

The vast sea rose and fell. The spiritual qi vortex swept through, causing the ocean waters to churn violently.

Countless sea creatures prostrated themselves, overwhelmed by a primal fear and unease born deep in their souls.

Two vortices—one in the sky, one in the sea—swirled in harmony, creating a striking visual spectacle.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three streaks of light shot toward him at high speed.

It was Ni Yu, Yi Yue, and Ning Zhao. Their white skirts fluttered wildly in the storm, hair whipping in the wind.

“Young Master’s breakthrough this time is truly grand. He used to be so low-key before.”

Ni Yu muttered while carrying her black pot.

Ning Zhao said nothing, but worry flickered in her beautiful eyes. In the past, Young Master’s breakthroughs had always been quiet, like a gentle breeze. This time, the spectacle was enormous. She couldn’t help wondering if he had encountered some difficulty, or if this breakthrough was especially challenging.

The three did not set foot on the island. They floated in the swirling sea vortex outside the island, each taking one of the three directions, facing outward, guarding Heart Island.

The three maids performed their duties diligently.

Lu sensed their presence but said nothing.

The breakthrough was nearly complete. Once it finished, they would naturally come ashore.

Lu still wasn’t used to such a high-profile breakthrough. After all… it was only advancing one layer in Qi Refining.

And it wasn’t just Ning Zhao and the others.

Tantai Xuan, Lu Jiulian, Zhu Long, and other Golden Immortals of Five Phoenixes also descended swiftly.

They were all stopped outside Heart Island by Ning Zhao and the others.

Though Ning Zhao’s strength was inferior to theirs, she showed no fear whatsoever.

Of course, Tantai Xuan and the others weren’t foolish enough to offend the three maids and force their way onto the island.

After all, reputation mattered.

As Young Master Lu’s personal maids, even if their strength was lower, the man behind them was Lu Ping’an!

With Young Master Lu’s notoriously petty streak, if they dared mistreat the maids, they’d likely be planted upside-down on the island like scallions.

The spiritual qi vortex began spiraling like a tornado.

Like a dragon drinking water, it quickly poured into the island.

The thick spiritual qi clouds that had blotted out the sky soon vanished.

The world cleared, and the momentum of the breakthrough quickly subsided.

Everything returned to calm.

“From a tall building built on flat ground—congratulations, Host, for completing spiritual qi accumulation and meeting the conditions for Qi Refining advancement. Proceed with promotion?”

Finally, when everything had settled, the system prompt appeared before Lu’s eyes.

Lu leaned back in the Thousand-Blade Chair, white robes pristine, expression calm.

His gaze seemed distant, as though lost in thought.

“Promote.”

Lu didn’t hesitate or choose to hoard more power.

When it was time to break through, it was best to do so. Holding back too long wasn’t healthy.

The moment Lu agreed, the system prompt dimmed.

Boom!

It was as though a thunderclap exploded in his mind, like a lightning pillar smashing down onto an endless plain.

In that instant, Lu’s essence, energy, and spirit underwent transformation. A faint purple sheen seemed to veil his eyes.

From the peak of the tenth layer to the eleventh layer of Qi Refining…

Lu was curious just how much this step would elevate his strength.

With a thought, he opened the system panel.

Host: Lu

Title: Qi Refiner (Permanent)

Special Title: God and Demon Hunter

Qi Refining Layer: 11 (↑)

Spiritual Qi Reserve: 2200/10000 (hundred million)

Primordial Spirit Power: 1000 (ten thousand units)

Innate Purple Qi: 100 strands

Current World Rating: Five Phoenixes Great World [Immortal-Martial]

This was the updated panel. Lu could feel the spiritual qi vortex pouring entirely into his body.

The Innate Purple Qi had coalesced within his cells, subtly strengthening his flesh.

In battle, with a thought, he could draw it forth from his cells, unleashing world-destroying power.

The original ten strands had increased to one hundred.

The upper limit of his spiritual qi reserve had also reached ten trillion for the first time.

His Primordial Spirit Power had transformed as well.

Now, Lu’s divine sense was immensely powerful. A single sweep could easily cover the entire Five Phoenixes starry sky.

It was a mysterious and profound force.

Lu closed his eyes, savoring the changes in his power.

But soon, he frowned.

The breakthrough to the eleventh layer had not reached the Daluo Immortal level.

At the peak of the tenth layer, he already possessed Great Emperor combat power.

With the Golden-Element Immortal Demon Body and Innate Purple Qi, he could fight peak Emperors.

Now, even without any amplification, the eleventh layer granted him peak Emperor combat power.

Of course, it was only at the early stage of peak Emperor—after all, he had only just stepped into the eleventh layer.

Lu had hoped this breakthrough would bring Daluo Immortal-level combat power. The disappointment was palpable.

The higher the expectation, the greater the letdown.

“I got too full of myself… It’s just one layer of Qi Refining, after all.”

Lu shook his head, suppressing the regret.

In a high-martial world, even advancing one level of high-martial didn’t qualify one to pursue the Daluo Immortal realm.

Only by entering the Immortal-Martial level could one have the qualifications to chase after Daluo Immortals.

Now that Five Phoenixes had achieved Immortal-Martial, Lu believed reaching Daluo Immortal combat power was not far off.

“If I erupt with the Golden-Element Immortal Demon Body, could I break the barrier and gain Daluo Immortal combat power?”

Lu pondered.

But instinct told him it would be difficult.

He might get infinitely close, but truly reaching Daluo Immortal level was basically impossible.

“Above Daluo Immortal lies the Quasi-Saint realm. A single Voice of the Quasi-Saint brought such transformation to Five Phoenixes, with unfathomable power…”

Lu took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a spark of anticipation.

“Congratulations, Host, on completing the promotion to the eleventh layer of Qi Refining. You are walking further and further on the path of becoming an outstanding Qi Refiner.”

“Reward obtained: Immortal Demon Body (Fire-Origin Source), Materials: Gold-Origin Insect Corpse ×3, Immortal Herb Seed ×1.”

Just as Lu was contemplating the limits of his strength, another system prompt appeared.

This time, it was the reward for the breakthrough.

Lu’s slightly dazed eyes refocused.

“Reward issued? This time it didn’t drag on.”

Lu smiled and began examining the reward.

The moment he did, his eyes narrowed.

“Hm? Immortal Demon Body (Fire-Origin Source)! Another attribute of the Immortal Demon Body?”

Though he had guessed it might happen, seeing a new attribute still surprised him.

Perhaps once all five elemental origins were gathered, the Immortal Demon Body would reach true perfection.

At that point, its unleashed power might easily erase peak Emperors.

“In that case, let me see just how powerful the Fire-Origin is.”

Anticipation flickered in Lu’s eyes.

The Golden-Element Immortal Demon Body had given him immense help, allowing him to contend with peak Emperors.

Now another attribute had appeared. He was genuinely looking forward to it.

“Host, confirm fusion?”

The system prompt appeared again.

As before, fusing the Immortal Demon Body carried significant risk.

After a brief hesitation, Lu smiled and chose to proceed.

Buzz…

Vaguely, Lu seemed to see a special flame burning before his eyes.

A terrifying heat threatened to incinerate him into ash.

Pain clawed at his nerves, dragging him toward the abyss of death.

“Fusion failed… One fusion attempt remaining.”

The system prompt appeared.

Lu opened his eyes. At some point, fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.

He exhaled slowly. Just now, he had truly felt he was about to be burned to death.

The failed fusion had snapped his mind back into his body.

“Failed…”

Lu fell silent.

This was the first time he had ever failed.

In the past, fusing the Immortal Demon Body had always been painful, but… it had never failed.

It had always succeeded on the first try.

Even the previous Golden-Element fusion had been the same.

But this time… it failed.

“Why did it fail?”

The pain had overwhelmed him earlier, but now Lu was curious about the reason.

He didn’t even bother checking the other two rewards.

With a thought, he entered the Sermon Platform.

Buzz…

The Eight Trigrams formation words floated. Lu began simulating the fusion process of the Fire-Origin Immortal Demon Body.

This time, the simulation was not interrupted.

He saw the consequences of forcing the fusion.

His entire body turned to charred ash, life extinguished. The spiritual qi within him became the most ferocious fuel, instantly turning heaven and earth into a sea of fire.

During the simulation, Lu also discovered the main reason for failure: his physical body wasn’t strong enough, or rather, the unstable Gold-Origin clashed with the even more unstable Fire-Origin.

The result of that collision was mutual destruction.

“The Gold-Origin isn’t stable enough…”

Lu suddenly understood.

If he wanted to fuse the Fire-Origin, he first had to resolve the instability of the Gold-Origin.

“If I can stabilize it, fusing Gold and Fire—two elemental origins—might allow me to touch Daluo Immortal-level power?”

Lu’s eyes gleamed with eagerness.

He exited the Sermon Platform. With one fusion attempt remaining, he didn’t want to waste it.

With his current physical strength and the unstable Gold-Origin, even trying again would end in failure.

“How can I stabilize the Gold-Origin?”

Lu frowned, but no ideas came to mind.

Asking the system yielded no answer either.

He withdrew his thoughts and turned to the other two rewards.

“Gold-Origin Insect Corpse?”

With a thought, a golden radiance appeared above the pavilion—so brilliant it was like a blazing sun descending.

Lu narrowed his eyes and reached into the golden light, soon grasping the source of the glow.

It was the corpse of an insect—long and narrow, with six legs. It was hard to tell which end was the head. It was plump, and the golden light emanated from within its body.

A unique, strange fragrance wafted from the corpse.

“So… what exactly is this thing for?”

Lu was puzzled.

“Gold-Origin Insect Corpse: A type of food.”

Lu: “…”

So… this thing is edible?

Holding the corpse, Lu considered braising or steaming it, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it and simply stored it in the Nether Profound Ring.

The last reward was an immortal herb.

“Immortal Mandala: An immortal herb of extreme toxicity (Immortal Mandala Flower—below Daluo Immortal, all can be poisoned).”

Reading the system’s explanation, Lu’s pupils shrank.

He hurriedly stored the immortal herb seed.

An immortal herb seed?

This was clearly a demonic herb seed!

Such terrifying toxicity—and it was still called an immortal herb?

He suspected the system was trying to mess with him by giving him a poison seed.

“Even Daluo Immortals can’t withstand it. I wonder if Dad’s physique can handle it?”

Lu’s eyes flickered.

“With Dad’s talent for cultivating poisons, perhaps he can breed a version with diluted toxicity and turn it into a true immortal herb.”

Lu nodded slightly, an idea forming.

Leaning back in the Thousand-Blade Chair,

A breeze blew past. Lu suddenly felt a little dazed.

This time, none of the breakthrough rewards seemed immediately useful!

The Fire-Origin couldn’t be fused.

The Gold-Origin Insect Corpse… he couldn’t bring himself to eat it.

The immortal herb seed was a poison seed…

In other words, this breakthrough was… utterly underwhelming!

His spiritual sense spread outward.

Soon, Ni Yu, Yi Yue, and Ning Zhao outside Heart Island perked up and hurried toward the island.

“Young Master!”

Upon reaching the island, they saw Lu strolling through the peach blossom grove. Petals danced around him, lending him an air of refined elegance.

Tantai Xuan, the Overlord, Tang Yimo, and the others also stepped onto the island.

“We thank Young Master Lu for saving our lives.”

Tang Yimo clasped his hands and bowed deeply.

Without Lu, after opening all eight meridians, he might have become a cold corpse.

Lu smiled and waved it off.

He would have saved anyone who fought with all their might for Five Phoenixes—how could he stand by and watch them die?

The Overlord’s breathing was slightly hurried.

“Young Master Lu, how did the breakthrough go?”

The Overlord asked curiously.

He wasn’t the only one—Tantai Xuan, Tang Yimo, Mi Jia, and the other powerhouses were all extremely curious.

Lu shook his head.

“Just advanced one layer in Qi Refining.”

Tantai Xuan, the Overlord, and the others clearly didn’t believe him.

Seeing their disbelief, Lu felt helpless. Why wouldn’t they believe him when he was telling the truth?

“My strength didn’t increase much. Basically standing still.”

“Utterly ordinary. Quite disappointing.”

Lu was genuinely disappointed. This eleventh layer of Qi Refining had been utterly ordinary.

His combat power hadn’t risen significantly.

After all, before the breakthrough, he already possessed peak Emperor combat power. After it, he still hadn’t surpassed that level. It was essentially standing still.

This time, everyone believed him—because Lu’s expression and tone were filled with genuine disappointment.

Of course, they didn’t dare disbelieve him again. Disbelieving once was fine, but continuing to do so would surely be remembered by Young Master Lu with his petty streak.

Being remembered by Young Master Lu meant sleepless nights.

Tantai Xuan, the Overlord, and the others also understood that cultivation grew harder the further one progressed.

Even with the Six Paths Immortal’s preaching, most people were still stuck at bottlenecks.

Seeing Lu was stable, they bid farewell and departed.

When Lu Changkong was about to leave, Lu hesitated and called out to him.

“Dad, hold on.”

Lu Changkong, dressed like an old farmer, was preparing to return to the ancient tomb to continue his divine herb research.

Lu thought for a moment, then raised his hand. Spiritual qi carried a single immortal herb seed into the air.

“Father, this is an immortal herb seed surpassing even divine herbs. But it is extremely toxic—even with a poison physique, you must be careful! Extremely careful! This seed is called Immortal Mandala. Once it blooms, its poison is lethal to all below Daluo Immortal.”

Lu spoke very seriously.

Lu Changkong froze—bewildered, puzzled—then his eyes suddenly shone brighter than the brightest star in the night sky.

“An immortal herb seed?! Something above divine herbs?!”

“Oh ho! What a treasure!”

Lu Changkong’s excitement was something Lu couldn’t comprehend.

He completely ignored Lu’s grave warning about the seed’s terrifying toxicity.

Having obtained the immortal herb seed, Lu Changkong eagerly left Heart Island and hurried back to the ancient tomb.

He couldn’t wait to crossbreed it with his top-tier divine herbs!

He had thought his path of the Hundred Herbs had reached its end, yet Lu had brought him an immortal herb seed!

Watching Lu Changkong leave like a child with a new toy, Lu suddenly wondered if he had made the right decision.

…

With the Voice of the Quasi-Saint dissipated,

The impact and changes it brought to Five Phoenixes were immense.

Many cultivators achieved enlightenment and broke through under its influence. Countless mortals gained clarity in a single moment and stepped into the path of cultivation.

Most importantly, it greatly accelerated Five Phoenixes’ Immortal-Martial transformation.

As the Voice faded, the Origin Universe once again concealed itself.

But now, in the Five Phoenixes starry sky, every life-bearing star shone brightly, nurturing secondary Heavenly Daos under the Immortal Origin’s governance…

Many ancestors on those life stars achieved minor breakthroughs and extended their lifespans.

After transforming into Immortal-Martial, Five Phoenixes could be divided into two regions:

One was Five Phoenixes Continent, shrouded in immortal qi.

The other was the many life stars scattered throughout the Five Phoenixes Universe outside the continent.

For the powerhouses on those life stars, Five Phoenixes Continent had become an immortal land.

It possessed an irresistible pull. For cultivators on the life stars, the ultimate goal was to be summoned to Five Phoenixes Continent.

It was akin to ascending to immortality!

Five Phoenixes’ Immortal-Martial transformation was gradually maturing!

Chaotic regions began to stabilize. Some areas even expanded their territories, starting to encroach on the Nine Heavens’ domain.

…

In the Nine Heavens, within the void rift,

Because of the Six Paths Immortal, the ancient Emperors hadn’t dared probe Five Phoenixes further. They had been filled with unease.

But soon, as the Voice of the Quasi-Saint faded,

The ancient Emperors finally regained their senses and began investigating Five Phoenixes once more.

Yet this time, the results left all the ancient Emperors in the rift utterly dumbfounded.

From deep within the rift, Ancient Emperor Hao erupted with wildly fluctuating emotions—his mentality seemed on the verge of collapse.

Their plan to ally with the gods and demons of the Primordial Starry Sky hadn’t even begun…

How could Five Phoenixes’ Immortal-Martial transformation… be nearly complete?!