Chapter 69: All Refined to Death

"The deceased Source Diggers pleaded with you, offering up all their possessions—did you ask if they truly submitted?"

"The bandits you support rob and plunder everywhere, committing acts of extermination; such beastly behavior is commonplace. How many villages, how many Loose Cultivators, how many maidens have suffered violation? To whom should they cry out for justice?"

"Within a thousand li, countless tragedies—this Qingxia Sect puts on a fine display of immortal airs, yet it is built upon endless, unspeakable horrors."

Jiang Xuan said coldly. From the bandits' previous memories he had seen countless events that made gods and men resentful, all pointing to these small sects.

"Senior, in the cultivation world the strong have always been revered. For a sect to develop and grow strong, harsh measures are always necessary," said the Qingxia Sect's sect master in a deep voice, attempting to justify himself.

"Swap roles, so you cannot blame me for being ruthless." Jiang Xuan's expression gradually darkened, and he said no more. The Eight Trigrams Furnace's power was activated, and this region seemed to become another Tian Di.

Within a hundred li became a world of flames, burning the Heavenly Vault, terrifying beyond measure. The Eight Trigrams Furnace enveloped the area, ancient and vast, forming a scene that was sacred and flawless yet terrifying and shocking in its strangeness.

The eight directions, the terrifying Divine Fire, ignited even the Void. Countless Eight Trigrams runes flashed and rotated. Jiang Xuan sat high in the Void, waving his hand to fan the flames, like a true Lord Lao refining pills.

Everyone in Qingxia Sect screamed and wailed. Anyone enveloped by the Eight Trigrams Furnace divine ability, from the Supreme Elder down to ordinary disciples—under the Eight Trigrams Furnace, all living beings were equal.

"Ah……"

This was a scene that shocked everyone immensely.

The terrifying green-robed youth high in the sky was simply not human; killing them was as easy as nodding, yet the green-robed youth actually wanted to burn them alive.

The Qingxia Sect sect master attempted to break out, sacrificing a Copper Lamp. His Heart's Divine Treasury transformed into a golden sun and merged with it, illuminating the long sky, trying to break through the barrier and escape.

The Ten Great Dao Palace Elders struck out ten magic treasures they had refined over half their lives, combining them together, cooperating with the sect master's divine power surging forth madly.

A Supreme Elder sacrificed eighty-one black lotuses; black petals, each like a blade, wanting to tear through the Eight Trigrams Furnace light curtain.

A Purple-Gold Gourd as large as a mountain, a Fallen Soul Divine Bell that shook souls, a Golden Divine Pagoda that suppressed the Void—hundreds of magic treasures tried to break the enclosure.

"Stubborn resistance!" A cold snort. Jiang Xuan waved one hand lightly again. There was Sun Divine Fire burning the flesh, Yin Divine Fire freezing the soul, Thunder Fire shaking the Space, like Heavenly Punishment descending, and Wind Fury Fire making flesh and bone melt away…

Sitting cross-legged in the Void, divine light enveloped his whole body. Below, the Eight Trigrams Furnace flames rolled, rendering him like a true god of Heavenly Punishment.

"Ah ah ah……"

Everyone in Qingxia Sect, high and low, screamed. In the endless flames of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, everyone wailed without cease. Any attempt to break through was utterly useless.

In an instant, the hundred-li area of Qingxia Sect, originally with fresh vegetation, towering mountains and rivers, clear springs flowing over stones, like a paradise beyond the world, a mortal-world fairyland, was now all reduced to ruins. Wails rose endlessly, then stopped abruptly in a flash, turning into flying ash, dissipating between Heaven and Earth.

Pile after pile of ash appeared, then scattered immediately with the wind. Jiang Xuan was like a deity sending down world-destroying Divine Fire, cleansing the pollution of the World.

Jiang Xuan's gaze was calm, but the Divine Fire was ruthless and merciless. Within a few breaths, hundreds of people in Qingxia Sect, high and low, were all reduced to ash. Though he used such a cruel method to burn everyone alive, the man himself appeared ethereal like an immortal, possessing an extraordinary air untouched by dust, as if demonstrating a special Art.

Blooming amidst slaughter, like a flower at dawn.

He waved his hand, Divine Fire rising. Jiang Xuan lightly struck out a Dao Seal, and hundreds of magic treasures scattered everywhere, of all kinds, like a long river of magic treasures, sank into the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

A terrifying scene occurred.

A Purple-Gold Gourd as large as a mountain slowly melted, turning into endless Geng Metal Qi. A bright lamp illuminating the four directions burst in an instant, firelight filling the sky, soaring upward…

Swords, spears, halberds, bells, pagodas, tripods, cauldrons…

Under the Great Dao Fire of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, all magic treasures turned into various essences: Geng Metal Qi, Sun Qi, Death Qi, Yi Wood Qi…

Opening his mouth to inhale, endless essence entered his mouth, flowing to every part of his body. Then he beckoned, and thousands of jin of source, originally hidden within Qingxia Sect's cruelty, shone brilliantly in five colors, small as date pits, large as fists—all burned, turning into life essence Qi like colorful clouds, drilling into Jiang Xuan's mouth and nose.

The terrifying life essence Qi, essence directly pushed Jiang Xuan's Cultivation Level forward another step.

"Has not yet comprehended Dao and Principle; far from a Great Power, roughly equivalent to the few transformations before Dragon Transformation."

Slightly sensing the surging mana within his body, Jiang Xuan gained a profound understanding of his Cultivation Level. Immortal Second Great Power weapons can interweave Dao and Principle, but the magic treasures within his own body have not a trace of Dao and Principle. By realm alone, he is not up to the Immortal Platform, yet far exceeds the Four Extremes.

Before merging with the Li Fire Divine Furnace, the Yaoguang Shengzi of the Four Extremes Realm was no match for him in a single exchange. Later, after initially merging with the Li Fire Divine Furnace, his realm and divine abilities were incomparable to before. This time, he refined over a thousand magic treasures and thousands of jin of source, and his mana took another small step forward.

It is a pity that among these thousand-plus magic treasures, the best one was no more than that Purple-Gold Gourd, refined by a Dao Palace Peak cultivator. Among the rest, over a dozen were sacrificed by Dao Palace Early/Middle cultivators. As for the remaining ones, a few were Spiritual Artifacts, and most had only faint spirituality.

In the next half month, Jiang Xuan, with an overwhelming momentum, "visited" one by one the small sects within ten thousand li. Thirteen sects had the same style and methods as Qingxia Sect, and all were refined to death by Jiang Xuan. All magic treasures, source, and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were swallowed in one gulp.

Half a month of thunderous methods, countless magic treasures and source entered Jiang Xuan's belly. Even though the Eight Trigrams Furnace's refining ability was terrifying beyond compare, Jiang Xuan at this time could not help but feel somewhat "stuffed," with many resources temporarily unable to be refined.

This was the shackle limited by realm. Jiang Xuan's mana had reached the limit of what his current realm could bear and control.

"The next stage of cultivation will focus on insight and refining treasures."

Jiang Xuan pondered slightly and then set the direction of his cultivation for the coming period. Resources were abundant, but limited by insufficient realm in a short time, cultivation should focus on increasing methods and comprehending the Great Dao.

Not only him—looking at the entire cultivation world, it was the same. Many ancient freaks were stuck at one realm for hundreds or thousands of years, yet their methods were endless, dazzling to behold. This was precisely the reason.

Jiang Xuan walked upon the boundless Dadi. Occasionally, some short-sighted bandits would happily surround and block him, only to be refined into flying ash by the Eight Trigrams Furnace, their magic treasures and resources received into his belly.

"It's time to return to the Southern Domain. The Fire Domain is abuzz with rumors of a cluster of Immortal Fire, which should be able to accelerate the merging of the Li Fire Divine Furnace…"

But before leaving, he still needed to make a trip to Zi Shan.

That White-Clothed God King worthy of admiration—his righteous qi was vast and mighty, yet like snow, desolate and lonely. A life of solitude, yet he never changed his original heart.

(Chapter End)