Chapter 332

Words : 2352 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 332"Boy, where is this place? What exactly are you planning?" The Plague Elder saw Lu Qing suddenly appear, and what was more shocking to him was that he instantly recognized that the figure before him was formed by Soul Power. His expression changed drastically, and his heart sank. He realized his worst fear might have come true. This was indeed the space of a spiritual artifact. And it was under Lu Qing’s control. Otherwise, with his cultivation level, it would be impossible for Lu Qing to manifest such a high-level divine ability of transforming his soul into form. "I'm not planning anything. Plague Old Ghost, weren’t you just boasting that I couldn't do anything to you? Then take a guess, where do you think you are now?" Lu Qing looked leisurely at the Plague Gourd. "Stop pretending to be mysterious. This is just another spiritual artifact space, nothing more." The Plague Elder sneered. By now, he knew it was impossible to deceive Lu Qing, so he stopped playing tricks. "Boy, your fortune is against the heavens. You're just a mere Qi Refinement cultivator, yet you control two spiritual artifacts. But remember, arrogance doesn’t last. Such intense fortune is like a flame burning in oil. Be careful that one day you don’t die an untimely death and fall into a disaster beyond recovery!" "That’s none of your concern, old ghost," Lu Qing said calmly. "Since you’ve figured out that this is another spiritual artifact space, why not guess whose artifact space this is?" "No matter whose spiritual artifact it is, it cannot possibly defeat my Plague Gourd!" the Plague Elder said coldly. "Boy, I advise you not to waste your effort. If you really want to know about ancient matters, you might want to consider my proposal. Release me, and I will not only tell you about the ancient times, but also teach you unrivaled divine abilities. One day, you will achieve the Golden Core, enter the Nascent Soul stage, and even ascend to immortality!" "What big words—ascending to immortality. Plague Old Ghost, I didn’t know you had such divine abilities. In the past, in front of the righteous immortal sects, you were no more than a rat in the streets, always hiding in the dark and afraid to show yourself. You only gained some fame thanks to that broken gourd of yours. And now you dare to boast so shamelessly!" Just as the Plague Elder was about to try deceiving Lu Qing again, a mocking voice echoed from all around. "Who?!" The Plague Elder was shocked. Someone knew his origins so well; it had to be someone from his era. Could it be the person backing Lu Qing? His mind raced, and he immediately thought of a possibility. In the next moment, he saw a majestic middle-aged man, draped in a radiant robe of flames and sporting two horns on his head, appear in front of Lu Qing. With this man’s appearance, the heat in the space seemed to rise again, as if the sovereign of the space had arrived. "You are the Artifact Spirit of this spiritual artifact space!" Being an Artifact Spirit himself, the Plague Elder instantly recognized the true nature of “Yan.” His heart sank even further. The aura exuding from "Yan" was much stronger than his. This meant that this Artifact Spirit had recovered faster and was intrinsically more powerful than him. On top of that, there was also Lu Qing… The Plague Elder felt a chill in his heart. "What, are you scared now?" "Yan" seemed to sense the Plague Elder’s emotions and sneered. "Plague Old Ghost, I didn’t expect you to be so ruthless. In order to survive the great calamity of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, you actually possessed the Artifact Spirit of your own life-bound artifact, barely clinging to life. But even though you succeeded in possession, your true soul must be gravely damaged. Now that you’re trapped here, it won’t be long before your true soul collapses, and you won’t even have the chance to reincarnate!" The Plague Elder’s face changed dramatically. What he feared most was Lu Qing learning of this, and now "Yan" had revealed it. However, he still forced himself to remain calm and said coldly, "Is that so? My divine abilities are far beyond what a mere Artifact Spirit like you can comprehend. You say my true soul will collapse? Why don’t we wait and see if trapping me here for thousands of years will bring my downfall!" "Plague Old Ghost, there’s no need to posture here. I’ll ask you one more time, will you open your mind and let me imprint my soul mark on your true soul?" Lu Qing asked coldly. "Never! Boy, you want me, a mighty Nascent Soul expert, to submit to a mere Qi Refinement ant like you? In the past, I could snuff out countless like you with just a breath! And you dare dream of refining the true soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator? You’re utterly clueless!" "Very well." Lu Qing said no more. His figure dissipated from the spiritual artifact space, leaving only one command echoing in the air: "'Yan,' kill him for me!" Hearing Lu Qing call his name so directly, "Yan" stiffened. Yet, strangely, he felt no anger—only a trace of coldness crept into his heart. Not daring to delay, he stretched out his hand, and endless flames erupted within the spiritual artifact space. His form also transformed into a fire dragon, coiling around the Plague Gourd. "The Fire Dragon of Li Huo ... You are the Li Huo Cauldron of the Li Huo Sect!" Seeing the fire dragon that "Yan" had transformed into, the Plague Elder finally understood which spiritual artifact space he was in. In the ancient Immortal Era, he had no dealings with the Li Huo Sect, so he hadn’t recognized "Yan’s" aura at first. However, the Li Huo Cauldron was well-known throughout the cultivation world. Its signature move—unleashing a fire dragon to sweep across the battlefield—was infamous. Now, seeing "Yan’s" transformed form, the Plague Elder realized he was trapped in this legendary artifact. A chill ran through him. The Li Huo Cauldron was the life-bound artifact of the Li Huo Sect, a mid-grade spiritual artifact, one tier higher than his Plague Gourd. More importantly, the Li Huo Cauldron was famous for its ability to refine both artifacts and pills. The Li Huo Sect had built its reputation by continuously refining high-grade treasures and pills with this cauldron, securing its place in the cultivation world. Realizing he was trapped in this infamous artifact’s space filled the Plague Elder with regret. He shouldn't have provoked that boy. A flash of remorse crossed the Plague Elder’s mind. But it was too late for regrets now. As the fire dragon transformed by "Yan" coiled around him, the Plague Elder shrank back into the deepest recesses of his Plague Gourd. He could only hope that his artifact would withstand the refining power of the Li Huo Cauldron. The Plague Gourd was forged from a rare piece of iron that he had chanced upon, imbued with mysterious properties even he couldn’t fully comprehend. Perhaps it could protect him. Powerful flames surged around the Plague Gourd, and the fire dragon that "Yan" had transformed into tightly coiled around it. However, after a quarter of an hour, the Plague Gourd remained unchanged, as if the surrounding flames didn’t exist. "How is this possible?" "Yan's" eyes reflected disbelief. Though his current strength was only a fraction of his peak, the Plague Gourd was clearly more damaged than he was. Yet, as a mid-grade spiritual artifact, he couldn't refine it! "This gourd has some strange properties!" Just as the thought crossed "Yan’s" mind, Lu Qing’s voice rang from above. "Senior 'Yan,' how’s it going?" A hint of embarrassment flickered in "Yan’s" eyes, but he answered truthfully, "This Plague Gourd seems to be quite peculiar. I can’t refine it at the moment." "What should we do?" Lu Qing’s voice carried no discernible emotion. But "Yan" felt a sudden chill. After a moment of thought, he said, "My true soul hasn’t fully recovered, and I can’t wield much power. I’ll need your help if we’re to refine this Plague Gourd." "Very well!" Lu Qing immediately agreed. "I’ll use the grand array in this cave dwelling to assist you in refining that old ghost to death!" As soon as Lu Qing’s words fell, "Yan" felt a surge of powerful array energy reinforcing the Li Huo Cauldron. At the same time, a vast amount of spiritual energy poured into the cauldron. Energized, "Yan" absorbed all the spiritual energy without hesitation. In the next moment, his form within the spiritual artifact space swelled rapidly. He swallowed the Plague Gourd whole, coiling his body as endless flames penetrated deep into the gourd. The Plague Elder, who had been inwardly gloating when he saw "Yan" unable to harm him, suddenly saw "Yan’s" aura surge tenfold. His eyes widened in disbelief. "How is this possible?!" Desperately, he summoned his remaining soul power to defend himself with the Plague Gourd. But his efforts were futile. The white flames that "Yan" conjured penetrated layer by layer, destroying the intricate restrictions the Plague Elder had painstakingly placed within the gourd. The gray plague aura inside was burned away as the flames slowly but surely reached the deepest parts of the gourd. No matter how hard the Plague Elder struggled, he couldn’t stop it. "No!" Seeing the white flames creeping ever closer to his true soul, the Plague Elder’s face filled with terror. His soul violently trembled as he cried out, "Young Master, I surrender! I’m willing to open my true soul and submit to you!" The white flames halted. "Yan" also looked upward. The Plague Elder breathed a sigh of relief. But the next moment, Lu Qing’s cold voice descended from the sky: "Too late, Plague Old Ghost. I gave you a chance, but you didn’t cherish it. 'Yan,' refine him!" Both "Yan" and the Plague Elder were stunned by the words. The Plague Elder, now in full panic, cried out, "Master, that was all a misunderstanding! It was my fault for speaking so rudely and provoking you! I know my mistake, please spare me this one time. From now on, I’ll serve you faithfully, like a dog or a horse!" In his desperation to survive, the Plague Elder discarded all dignity, addressing Lu Qing as "Master" and himself as a lowly servant. His obsequious attitude left "Yan" in shock. He knew the cultivators of the demonic path were sly and treacherous, but he hadn’t expected that a former mighty Nascent Soul cultivator could stoop to such depths. But what shocked "Yan" even more was that, despite the Plague Elder’s pathetic pleading, Lu Qing remained utterly unmoved. Lu Qing’s voice was cold and detached: "'Yan,' didn’t you hear me? Burn him to death!" Hearing the increased severity in Lu Qing’s tone, "Yan" realized that his master truly intended to kill the Plague Elder, not merely frighten him into submission. Sensing Lu Qing’s displeasure, "Yan" dared not delay and immediately reignited the flames, sending them toward the Plague Elder. "No! Please, no!" The Plague Elder had never expected that even after he had debased himself so thoroughly, Lu Qing would still want to kill him. S~eaʀᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He frantically shouted, "Master, I truly know my mistake! Please, give me another chance! I will be your most loyal servant! Besides, if you refine me, the Plague Gourd’s rank will drop to that of a treasure artifact. That would be a great loss for you, Master! Please reconsider!" His desperate pleas were met with silence. Amid Lu Qing’s silence, "Yan" continued to drive the white flames deeper into the Plague Gourd, until they finally reached the space where the Plague Elder’s true soul hid. As the terrifying white flames inched closer and closer to his true soul, the Plague Elder was filled with despair. A crazed expression crossed his face. "Brat, if you want me to die, then we’ll all die together!" With that, he quickly attempted to trigger the core restrictions within the Plague Gourd to self-destruct, hoping to take Lu Qing down with him. But when he tried to activate the core, he found that he could no longer control the gourd’s power. "Trying to self-destruct?" "Yan’s" booming voice reverberated through the gourd. "Plague Old Ghost, if you had triggered the restrictions from the start, I might not have been able to stop you. But you’re too afraid of death. My flames have almost refined you to death, and now you’re thinking of self-destruction? You really think my power is for show? Die!" With that, the white flames, infused with a trace of the law of the universe, surged toward the Plague Elder’s true soul. "No!!!" The Plague Elder, whose true soul was already weak, couldn’t withstand the terrifying flames imbued with a trace of law. He didn’t even have the strength to resist before he was completely incinerated, burned into nothingness. After thoroughly refining the Plague Elder’s true soul, "Yan" immediately spat out the Plague Gourd and retracted all the flames. Without its Artifact Spirit, the Plague Gourd’s rank dropped. If "Yan" hadn’t withdrawn his power, the spiritual artifact would have been completely destroyed. Lu Qing’s figure reappeared in the spiritual artifact space. "Young Master, this is the Plague Gourd left behind by that Plague Old Ghost." "Yan" handed the Plague Gourd to Lu Qing. Even the way he addressed Lu Qing had changed, no longer calling him "boy." Lu Qing accepted the gourd. Now, the Plague Gourd, which used to be half the height of a person, had shrunk to the size of a palm and could be held with one hand. "Young Master, this gourd seems quite strange. Even my flames couldn’t affect it immediately. There must be some hidden mystery within." Table of content

Chapter 332

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