Tian Shang Honored One and Kunling Honored One exchanged surprised glances, both looking at Li Mu, not expecting his Artifact Refining skills to reach such a level.
Li Mu quickly stood up and humbly responded to the Purple Azure Thunder Beast.
The Purple Azure Thunder Beast laughed heartily, growing fonder of Li Mu, and asked him in detail about his movements and recent situation over the years.
Li Mu responded truthfully, recounting his experiences in Barren Ancient City.
"Little Friend Li, I didn't expect that after only twenty-odd years, you've already had a Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, and are only a step away from the Nascent Soul Late Stage! Soon, you'll be able to Breakthrough to the next Great Realm! This Aptitude truly lives up to being a Dragon among men!" Venerable Lei Hong looked at Li Mu, praising him with a smile, his eyes full of admiration.
"Indeed! Compared to last time, twenty-odd years ago, Little Friend Li, your Cultivation speed has truly advanced by leaps and bounds! It won't be long before you catch up to us!" Revered Qing Wei sized up Li Mu, nodding in agreement.
"Just a bit of good fortune, a lucky Breakthrough. Both Seniors are overpraising me!" Li Mu responded with a humble smile, his expression a bit awkward, as his Realm Breakthrough was indeed too fast and somewhat irregular.
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances and smiled in unison, naturally disbelieving Li Mu's explanation, having already determined that he possessed Aptitude and talent far surpassing ordinary people.
After chatting for a while, Venerable Lei Hong ordered his subordinates to set up a grand banquet to entertain Li Mu, and cordially invited Tian Shang Honored One and Kunling Honored One to chat about old times.
Li Mu couldn't interject in many of the topics, silently listening to them discuss important matters, interesting anecdotes, and adventure experiences from the Southern Spirit Great Wilderness.
After all, Li Mu spent most of his time rarely venturing out. For over a hundred years, the vast majority of his time was spent cultivating in the valley, with his actual time spent outside totaling less than four or five years.
He had only a partial understanding of the Southern Spirit Great Wilderness and the major events occurring in the Central Continent Spirit Realm's forces.
Tian Shang Honored One and the others' topics of discussion almost revolved around the grievances and entanglements between the Eight Great Families and various Sects.
Revered Qing Wei talked more about the Dao, and strange occurrences encountered during his external training.
As they chatted, Revered Qing Wei raised his Spirit Cup, took a deep drink, and with a somewhat despondent look, murmured, "This old man has lived for over four thousand years, witnessing the rise and fall of many forces, but I never expected that the Hundred Refinements Sect and Heavenly Evolution Sect, who fought alongside our Yu Ling Sect, would be successively destroyed by the Nine Demon Sect. Now, only the Qingxuan Sect, Tianhe Sect, and our Yu Ling Sect remain, persevering with great effort."
When Li Mu heard Revered Qing Wei mention the Nine Demon Sect, his heart stirred, and he asked with concern, "Senior Qing Wei, wasn't the Hundred Refinements Sect allied with you? How did they end up being destroyed by the Nine Demon Sect?"
Li Mu's question attracted everyone's attention. Tian Shang Honored One and the others also looked at Revered Qing Wei with curiosity, awaiting his reply.
Upon hearing this, Revered Qing Wei's face showed a bitter expression. There was nothing to hide, and he directly said, "Originally, our Yu Ling Sect and the Hundred Refinements Sect spent a great price to invite a Formation Great Master from the Central Continent to construct a teleportation Formation. Once a Sect encountered a calamity, we would assist each other. However, this time, from the incident's start to its end on their Sect's side, we received no news whatsoever."
"It wasn't until a Soul Transformation Venerable's Divine Soul escaped and came to us, informing us that a traitor had appeared within the Hundred Refinements Sect, destroying the teleportation Formation, and using a sealing Formation to block all message transmission, setting up an inescapable net to trap them."
Li Mu was not surprised. Similar events had occurred in the Qingxuan Sect, and fortunately, he had discovered something, which prevented a tragedy from happening.
"Then Senior, I'd like to ask, is the whereabouts of the Hundred Refinements Sect's Heavenly Fire known?" Li Mu knew that asking this question in such a setting was a bit inappropriate, but since it concerned the Heavenly Fire, he still ventured to ask.
Heavenly Fire is extremely hard to find, and news about Heavenly Fire across the entire world is even rarer.
Now that the Hundred Refinements Sect had been destroyed, the Heavenly Fire became ownerless. If there was an opportunity, Li Mu intended to inquire about it to see if he could reclaim it.
Revered Qing Wei shook his head slightly: "Little Friend Li, I truly don't know about this news, but Xuanling Venerable of the Hundred Refinements Sect might know, after all, he is one of the Sect's three Protectors."
"Then where is he?" Li Mu asked eagerly.
Revered Qing Wei replied: "He was besieged by the Nine Demon Sect's Soul Transformation powerhouses; only his Divine Soul escaped. He is currently reconstructing his Physical Body at the Azure Water Pool."
"Senior, could you introduce me?" Li Mu nodded, getting straight to the point.
"No problem, Little Friend Li, I'll take you!" Venerable Lei Hong smiled and stood up.
Li Mu thanked him gratefully, temporarily leaving the banquet, and followed Venerable Lei Hong to the Azure Water Spirit Pool.
Venerable Lei Hong led the way, and Li Mu followed closely. Soon, the two arrived at a Spirit Mountain covered in thunderclouds.
Before even getting close, Li Mu felt that between heaven and earth, centered on that thundercloud peak, everything around it was enveloped in Spiritual Qi, with only Thunder True Essence and Water True Essence remaining.
The other Five Elements, Yin and Yang, and other Spiritual Qi seemed to no longer exist. While flying, Li Mu sensed a large amount of Thunder Spirits, with threads of lightning snakes moving across his body's surface, while his Water Spiritual Root was abnormally active, greatly enjoying the surrounding climate.
As they continued to fly, this feeling grew denser.
The two quickly flew up the Spirit Mountain. On the Spirit Mountain, there were only a few dozen figures, sitting cross-legged at the foot of the Spirit Mountain or halfway up.
Only two people were at the top of the Spirit Mountain, enduring the terrifying thunder power and water power emanating from the Spirit Mountain to temper their own Cultivation.
Under the guidance of Venerable Lei Hong, they landed on a cliff peak at the top of the Spirit Mountain, where dozens of arm-thick bolts of lightning continuously lashed at a Physical Body.
Around them, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.
A body with only half its Physical Body, the other half a bloody mess of intertwined blood vessels, was currently undergoing Rebirth within the lightning. The skeleton, with flesh attached, looked incredibly horrifying, appearing exceptionally strange and bloody, truly terrifying.
Seeing a Soul Transformation powerhouse reconstruct his Physical Body for the first time, Li Mu's brows furrowed, and he forced down the discomfort of nausea.
Venerable Lei Hong, however, said as if it were common: "Little Friend Li, this is the Azure Water Spirit Pool. Xuanling Venerable of the Hundred Refinements Sect Cultivates both Thunder and Fire. The heaven and earth thunder true essence here can accelerate his Physical Body reconstruction. His Divine Soul was also severely damaged back then, making Physical Body reconstruction extremely difficult. Several years have passed, and he has only reconstructed half."
Li Mu nodded upon hearing this, then stepped forward, cupping his hands slightly: "Junior Elder Li Mu of the Qingxuan Sect greets Xuanling Venerable."
The clear voice spread, and Xuanling Venerable, who was regenerating within the lightning, heard the sound and slightly opened his blood-red eyes, turning his head? He looked at Li Mu with confusion: "Qingxuan Sect? Li Mu? What do you need from me?"
Li Mu did not hide much, cupping his hands respectfully and asking, "Xuanling Venerable, I wish to inquire about the whereabouts of the Hundred Refinements Sect's Heavenly Fire."
Upon hearing this, Xuanling Venerable suddenly paused, but the next second, as if possessed, he let out an ear-piercing, tragic howl: "Hahahaha, truly a tiger fallen into the plains to be bullied by dogs! The former Hundred Refinements Sect no longer exists, and everyone wants a piece of the pie. A mere Nascent Soul True Lord dares to covet our Hundred Refinements Sect's sacred object!"
Xuanling Venerable was clearly still reeling from the grief of his Sect's destruction, and his Divine Soul was in disarray. Li Mu directly asking about the Heavenly Fire's whereabouts stimulated him to the point of madness.
Venerable Lei Hong immediately stepped forward and said, "Daoist Xuanling, Little Friend Li is truly extraordinary. He is the benefactor who saved the Qingxuan Sect and our Yu Ling Sect. If not for him, the Yu Ling Sect would no longer exist. You should still remember the deeds of Li Jianxian."
Xuanling Venerable, who was laughing tragically, heard Venerable Lei Hong's introduction. At this moment, his originally chaotic Divine Soul finally cleared a bit. He turned his head and scrutinized Li Mu, gradually recalling the rumors about Li Jianxian.
Looking at Li Mu, a hint of sorrow in Xuanling Venerable's eyes grew stronger. Disregarding the lightning reconstructing his body, he stood upright, took a step, and slowly walked out of the Azure Water Spirit Pool.
Li Mu and Xuanling Venerable's gazes met, and Li Mu looked at the other party calmly.
Xuanling Venerable walked to Li Mu's front, one complete arm and one bloody, mangled arm, grabbing his shoulders, and choked out, "Little Friend Li, why are you not destined for us? You alone saved two Sects, why don't we have such good fortune...? My wife and children are all dead, all my Senior Brothers are dead!"
As a Soul Transformation powerhouse, at this moment, Xuanling Venerable had no semblance of a powerhouse's demeanor. His brothers-in-arms and his own family had all met tragic ends, leaving him a lone survivor. The impact on his state of mind was incredibly violent.
At this moment, Xuanling Venerable shed tears, wishing so much that Li Mu before him was as Divine Might as the rumors said, and could also save their Hundred Refinements Sect from its crisis.
But everything was merely wishful thinking and fantasy.
Li Mu sighed in his heart. He had always been self-centered, only seeking to live a long life, and the fate of others had little to do with him.
But seeing others suffer such a fate, he couldn't help but feel pity. For a moment, he didn't know how to comfort him, only soothing him, "Senior, please restrain your grief!"
Xuanling Venerable trembled upon hearing this, and his eyes instantly calmed down.
Venerable Lei Hong, standing by, sighed heavily, his expression somewhat worried. He had witnessed the fate of the Hundred Refinements Sect, which made him feel very uneasy. The Nine Demon Sect still existed, and he deeply feared that the Yu Ling Sect would also suffer the same fate.
Xuanling Venerable, having calmed down, stared at Li Mu and said in a deep voice, "I can tell you about the whereabouts of the Heavenly Fire, but I have a condition..."
"Senior, please speak!" Li Mu asked readily, without hesitation.
Xuanling Venerable's eyes gleamed with vengeance, and he said with monstrous hatred, "I know you possess powerful Artifact Refining abilities. I want you to help me refine two six-tier spirit treasures to aid my revenge!"
Li Mu nodded almost without thinking, agreeing directly: "Senior, that's fine. As long as the Artifact Refining Materials are prepared, give me five years, and I can help you refine two six-tier spirit treasures most suitable for you!"
Next, he still had to go to the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range with Kunling Honored One and others. Currently, Li Mu had no time to refine six-tier spirit treasures, and he didn't know how long this trip would take.
To be safe, Li Mu extended the timeline.
However, upon hearing Li Mu's response, Xuanling Venerable was stunned, and Venerable Lei Hong beside him also looked dumbfounded.
"No! Little Friend Li, five years, are you confident? Have you already been able to refine six-tier spirit treasures?" Venerable Lei Hong took a step forward, looking at Li Mu intently and asking with concern.
Li Mu did not hide much, nodding slightly: "Yes, I was fortunate enough to rely on the power of Heavenly Fire to enter a higher Artifact Refining Realm, but six-tier spirit treasures are extremely difficult to refine. I only have a three to four tenths chance of success!"
"Three to four tenths?"
Xuanling Venerable, deeply immersed in grief and indignation, heard that Li Mu could refine six-tier spirit treasures, and with a success rate as high as three to four tenths, and his mind was instantly filled with that phrase.
For a moment, Xuanling Venerable even forgot his sorrow, staring at this young Nascent Soul cultivator with an expression of disbelief.
Upon hearing this, Venerable Lei Hong gasped, never expecting to hear such explosive news.
"Little Friend Li! Last time you said you could refine six-tier spirit treasures within a hundred years, and how long has it been...? You, I, really don't know what to say!" Venerable Lei Hong's face was flushed with joy, looking at Li Mu, too excited to speak.
"Just luck, just luck. An Epiphany allowed me to comprehend much about Artifact Refining, and with the help of Extreme Yang Heavenly Fire, I was able to refine six-tier spirit treasures. If it weren't for the Heavenly Fire, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to successfully refine it even if I spent a thousand years. I should really thank your Sect, especially True Lord Tianhong." Li Mu responded with a smile, expressing his gratitude.
After a pause, Li Mu looked at Xuanling Venerable and Venerable Lei Hong, and truthfully said, "If I can obtain another mass of Heavenly Fire, the success rate of refining six-tier spirit treasures can increase by several more tenths, and I might even be able to glimpse the Realm of refining Seven-Order Dao Weapons within a thousand years."
"Eight tenths chance? Seven-Order Dao Weapon? Little Friend Li, are you sure?" Venerable Lei Hong asked in shock.
"Of course!" Li Mu was full of confidence.
"Seven-Order Dao Weapon, this..."
Venerable Lei Hong looked at Li Mu, only feeling his head buzzing, with these two words echoing in his mind, unable to calm down for a long time.
A Nascent Soul True Lord being able to refine six-tier spirit treasures is already extremely astonishing talent. If an ordinary person dared to say that they hoped to refine a Seven-Order Dao Weapon within a thousand years while still a Nascent Soul True Lord, they would probably be slapped directly.
But looking at this Little Friend Li, with his style of doing things and his Prodigy-like talent, Venerable Lei Hong had no choice but to believe, his eyes full of pleasant surprise.
"Little Friend Li, could you let me see the six-tier spirit treasure you refined?" Xuanling Venerable, who still had a trace of doubt, asked inquiringly.
Upon hearing this, Li Mu didn't mind, smiling and asking, "Senior, I can naturally reveal the six-tier spirit treasure I refined, but after I do, could you disclose some valuable information about your Sect's Heavenly Fire to me? Not too much, but it must be valuable!"
Xuanling Venerable, whose expression had returned to normal, understood the meaning of Li Mu's words. He thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Of course, it's only right. I'll tell you first! The Heavenly Fire fell into the hands of the Nine Demon Sect, but the Heavenly Fire is our Hundred Refinements Sect's sacred object. In the past, there were also some Cultivators who didn't know their place and infiltrated our Hundred Refinements Sect, attempting to steal the Heavenly Fire, but they didn't know that we had secretly left a hidden tracking method on the Heavenly Fire long ago. Even if it's at the ends of the earth, we can know its whereabouts!"
Upon hearing this, Li Mu's expression became excited.
The Hundred Refinements Sect had existed for thousands of years, so it certainly wasn't that simple. It was impossible for a valuable Spirit Treasure like the Heavenly Fire to be easily lost to thieves. They must have had emergency measures in place... and the result was just as he expected.
If there was such a tracking method, then reclaiming the Hundred Refinements Sect's Heavenly Fire would be greatly reduced in difficulty!
After Xuanling Venerable finished speaking, he looked at Li Mu with anticipation, and Venerable Lei Hong was the same. They were both eager to witness the six-tier spirit treasure he had refined.
Meeting their eager gazes, Li Mu smiled slightly, his Divine Thought entering the nine storage spiritual pearl, and then, a flash of spiritual light appeared.
