Chapter 57: Restoring the Divine Soul

Li Qing looked at Meng Kan curiously.

Facing his question, Meng Kan slowly extended a single finger.

Seeing his meaning, Li Qing understood as well.

It seemed this small spirit mine cave yielded quite a bit of profit, totaling nearly a thousand low-grade spirit stones per year.

Split among four people, it amounted to more than two hundred stones each.

Of course, they wouldn't keep it all for themselves; sometimes they needed to pay respects to those above, such as during the previous inspection.

Calculated this way, it was more direct than the sect's official stipend.

"Speaking of which, there is something I also wish to discuss!"

Li Qing spoke after a moment of contemplation.

"Please, Fellow Daoist Li!"

Meng Kan's face showed confusion.

"During my duty shifts over the past two years, I find I need to devote more time to secluded cultivation!"

"Therefore, I would like to discuss with you, Fellow Daoist Meng, whether it would be possible for me to relinquish my management of the spirit mine cave."

After saying this, Li Qing added a clarifying sentence.

"I intend to give up everything related to the spirit mine cave!"

"This!"

Meng Kan was stunned.

He couldn't quite grasp Li Qing's motivations.

The extra profit from the spirit mine duty was a significant temptation for ordinary outer sect disciples; after all, it was an interest of over two hundred low-grade spirit stones annually.

Moreover, the so-called duty didn't actually consume much time.

Naturally, he did not know.

The current Li Qing no longer cared for the profit of one or two hundred spirit stones.

Over these two years, he needed to devote his entire body and mind to cultivation.

He had a faint premonition.

The current friction between the sect and the Beast Spirit Sect would not be as simple as before.

Once a true sectarian war broke out, chaos would ensue everywhere.

He had to increase his strength as quickly as possible to ensure his own survival.

In a sense, even if war broke out, it was a mixed blessing for him.

Only amidst chaos could he acquire various resources to strengthen himself.

Furthermore, as his strength increased, certain things would inevitably attract the attention of those with ulterior motives; however, if war broke out, everything would change.

Only in the midst of chaos could all his actions remain inconspicuous.

"Have you firmly decided on this choice, Fellow Daoist Li?"

Meng Kan confirmed once more.

He had no reason to refuse this request.

He had long since lost his aspiration for immortality.

Having lost his conviction, almost all his remaining time was idle.

His only expectation was to strengthen his clan.

Only when the clan became powerful could his descendants have a chance to make a name for themselves in this cruel world of cultivation.

"That is correct!"

Li Qing's attitude was blunt and decisive as he spoke.

"..."

In the following days.

Under Li Qing's arrangements, a courtyard near the sea was completed.

The external explanation was that his cultivation of the Water Control Art required the use of the sea to comprehend the technique.

This excuse seemed a bit forced, yet it held a grain of truth.

Although he was only at the Qi Refining stage, everyone's comprehension of techniques differed.

Of course, the real reason was that the sea surrounding his new cave dwelling was shrouded in mist year-round.

This way, once he activated his grand array, he would truly become invisible.

After emphasizing the matter of the auction assembly to Meng Kan, Li Qing headed toward his new residence.

At this moment, watching Li Qing's departing back, Meng Kan's gaze had quietly undergone a change.

He always felt that this person was different from the previous outer sect disciples.

Ever since returning to White Jade Island, the other's mannerisms and demeanor had undergone slight shifts.

At this moment, he thought again of the Jade-Devouring Insects that had appeared previously, and the disappearance of Jiao Yujian.

For some reason, a sense of contemplation rose in his heart.

Everything seemed like a coincidence.

Whether it was a natural coincidence or a man-made one, he did not know.

However, none of this concerned him, a man whose path to immortality had already been severed.

The sect's affairs were for the sect to handle; he was currently nothing more than a leech clinging to the sect.

On the other side.

After returning to his residence, Li Qing took the formation flags of the Water Shadow Cloud-Mist Array from his storage bag.

Then, with a wave of his hand.

*Swish! Swish!*

Four formation flags appeared at the four corners of the courtyard.

"Rise!"

As Li Qing spoke, he pinched a hand seal.

A blue light appeared on the four flags, and then wisps of mist emerged to cover the entire courtyard, merging with the naturally occurring fog.

Once the formation was activated, he finally felt much more at ease.

Li Qing returned to his room and sat cross-legged.

A green jade box appeared.

He opened it cautiously.

The Earth-Root Soul Grass slowly revealed itself.

Looking at the brown beads within the five black leaves of the Earth-Root Soul Grass, a hint of excitement appeared in Li Qing's eyes.

These brown beads were exactly what could help him strengthen his divine sense.

Without hesitation, Li Qing immediately plucked a black leaf and quickly popped it into his mouth.

Upon entering his mouth.

There was no fragrance of other spiritual herbs; instead, there was an inexplicable bitter-sweetness.

The brown beads began to melt slowly... turning into a pale black mist that began to rise, entering his sea of consciousness.

Deep within the sea of consciousness.

The originally solid mass of his divine sense now looked much more illusory.

The area surrounding the divine sense had already become semi-transparent.

One could see how fierce the previous battle had been.

In order to kill Jiao Yujian, he had forcibly detonated his magic tool, and the divine sense residing within it had suffered massive damage as a result.

His breathing grew heavy.

Wisps of black mist began to surround his divine sense.

At this moment, Li Qing felt a sensation of coolness coming from the depths of his soul.

This coolness immediately relieved the raw, stinging pain.

He could clearly perceive his divine sense slowly recovering.

The black cloud-mist began to fade.

Li Qing's divine sense also began to become solid once more.

In fact, the solidified parts were even more resilient than before.

Every instance of the divine sense strengthening brought him a sense of comfort.

As time passed, his current divine sense had begun to recover several degrees toward its former state.

(End of Chapter)