Chapter Thirty-Three: The Jade Void Palace Lantern

Under the scorching blaze of the Ninefold Divine Fire, the Giant Spirit Clan could do nothing but await their doom, clan extinction inevitable and without recourse. After all, this was the preeminent divine fire of the world; unless one possessed the cultivation of a quasi-sage or the restraining power of the Three Lights Divine Water, extinguishing it was virtually impossible.

Among the Giant Spirits, it was the children and youths, weakest in cultivation, who succumbed first, turning to ashes one after another. The elders, though wracked with grief and fury, could barely protect themselves; the only difference was the timing of their demise.

Hidden in the shadows, Qingxu watched the unfolding tragedy, and compassion welled up within him. Pity surged in his heart, and he longed to help, but his own strength was woefully inadequate.

“The Supreme Purity Immortal Talisman? This is my only choice.” The thought crossed his mind—he had only recently acquired the Supreme Purity Immortal Talisman, and now was the time to use it. With the power of the Three Pure Ones’ avatars, he might just help the Giant Spirit Clan survive this calamity.

The Three Pure Ones’ avatars embodied the principle of the Supreme Sage’s One Qi dividing into Three Purities. Though they were called the Three Pure Ones, in essence their aura was still Supreme Purity; Jade Purity and Upper Purity were not so easily emulated. Nonetheless, these were three avatars at the pinnacle of Golden Immortalhood—sufficient to reverse the Giant Spirits’ desperate plight.

It was a bitter sacrifice to use such a precious talisman, and Qingxu felt the loss keenly. Yet he could not stand idly by and watch the Giant Spirits perish—after all, he was a transmigrant, not entirely devoid of human feeling, and sometimes acted on emotion. If he truly had no means, so be it; but now that there was a chance, he must act. Moreover, he sensed the Giant Spirit Clan guarded some great secret—perhaps he could earn their friendship through this deed and secure some benefit.

With this thought, he did not hesitate, producing the Supreme Purity Immortal Talisman and channeling his immortal essence, transformed into Jade Purity Immortal Power, into the talisman. This was out of caution: after all, it was crafted by the Supreme Sage himself. To think there would be no connection was unrealistic—if his use of the Three Purities’ immortal power was discovered, the consequences might be dire.

Suddenly, the avatars of the Supreme Purity Sage, Jade Purity Sage, and Upper Purity Sage appeared in the void, identical in form to those Qingxu had seen atop Kunlun Mountain, though their demeanors differed subtly.

“Disciple greets Grand Master!” At a glance, Qingxu saw that the Supreme Purity now controlled the avatars, and his confidence increased as he bowed joyfully.

“No need for excessive ceremony. I know your intentions well, but I must admonish you: good is not always good, and evil not always evil—the mystery lies in the heart. By saving the Giant Spirit Clan, you will incur the enmity of the Wu Tribe, and the consequences will be grave. Whether the Giant Spirits can survive in the future remains uncertain, and you are taking on a great karmic burden. That karma will surely bring many tribulations in days to come,” said the Supreme Purity avatar, his expression indifferent, unchanging as an ancient stone, unmoved by the winds of fate.

“Grand Master, your golden words are engraved in my heart. Yet the Wu Tribe is overbearing, seizing treasures and exterminating clans—I cannot abide such wickedness,” Qingxu replied, his indignation barely contained.

“Foolish child,” the Supreme Purity Sage sighed, shaking his head. He said no more, but with a wave of his hand, took Qingxu’s Jade Void Palace Lamp, and the three avatars flew into the fray.

The Jade Void Palace Lamp was one of the divine lanterns born at the dawn of creation, possessing boundless power and forty-two innate restrictions. It could subdue all fires under heaven or incinerate all realms. The Ninefold Divine Fire was of high rank, but in the hands of mere Fire Wu soldiers, its might was limited; the Three Pure Ones’ avatars, wielding the Jade Void Palace Lamp, could easily subdue it.

“Who are you, vagabond cultivators, daring to interfere with our Wu Tribe? Leave now while you can, and do not bring destruction upon yourselves!” The Fire Wu commander, though only an early-stage Golden Immortal, could see at a glance that these three were no lesser than the Great Wu—pinnacle Golden Immortals. He barked his threat loudly, hoping to intimidate the newcomers and avoid complications, but he had already memorized their faces, vowing to seek vengeance later.

“Hmph!” The Supreme Purity avatar’s anger flared. The Three Pure Ones prided themselves on their Pangu lineage, lofty and proud. Though he seemed aloof, his pride was no less than that of Origin or Virtue. Always confident that only Hongjun stood above him, he had never once been called a vagabond cultivator; this was a first since time immemorial. Though the Wu Tribe also traced their origins to Pangu, he had now resolved to annihilate these Fire Wu soldiers.

He wasted no words—these ants were beneath his notice. He simply raised the Jade Void Palace Lamp, and the three avatars formed intricate seals, sending streams of spiritual light into the lamp. Instantly, an immense invisible force radiated forth, drawing all the Ninefold Divine Fire from the Giant Spirits into the lamp.

“Quickly, send your mind into the lamp and use the Ninefold Divine Fire to refine the restrictions!” The Supreme Purity’s voice echoed in Qingxu’s mind. Enlightened, Qingxu sent his spirit into the Jade Void Palace Lamp.

The lamp, an innate fire-attribute treasure, was best refined with fire. The Ninefold Divine Fire was peerless among flames, and with the Supreme Purity-controlled avatars aiding him, the process was greatly enhanced. Layer upon layer of innate restriction talismans were forced out, clearly revealed within the treasure’s restriction space.

“Such an unexpected harvest!” As soon as his spirit entered the first restriction space, he saw 129,600 innate talismans arrayed before him—no need to search, he could directly comprehend their mysteries and refine them.

First layer—refined in a few breaths.
Second layer—refined in dozens of breaths.
Third layer—refined in half an hour…
It was too effortless!

Qingxu moved smoothly through the layers, refining more than a dozen restrictions before his progress began to slow.

When he finally finished the twenty-first restriction, the power of the Ninefold Divine Fire was exhausted.

“Twenty-one out of forty-two layers refined in one go! Halfway there! This is incredible.” Any regret Qingxu felt for sacrificing the Supreme Purity Immortal Talisman had long vanished. Compared to his gains, it was nothing—refining just twenty-one innate restrictions by himself would have taken countless ages!

“The rest is up to you. Summoning the Three Pure Ones’ avatars has greatly depleted the talisman; next time, it will only be sufficient for early or mid-stage Golden Immortals—use it wisely!”

With those words, the avatars faded and the Supreme Purity Immortal Talisman returned to Qingxu’s hand, its brilliance now much dimmer.

“It can still be used?” This truly surprised Qingxu, filling him with delight.

“That gave me quite a scare—just a secret treasure technique after all. Go kill that brat for me!” The Fire Wu commander had also noticed Qingxu and the talisman, and now understood the situation. Enraged, he ordered his subordinates to slay Qingxu. As for Qingxu possessing such a precious treasure and potentially having powerful backers, the commander cared not—after all, he had the ancestral Wu god, Zhurong, behind him.

“Men, attack! Slaughter these dogs!” Chief Gale of the Giant Spirits roared, gratitude toward Qingxu in his heart. But first, the Fire Wu soldiers had to be dealt with. Previously, many of their children and youths had been reduced to ashes by the divine fire—his heart seethed with a wrath that demanded release.

And it wasn’t just Gale—all the Giant Spirits burned with fury, with grief and righteous anger.

“Time to show some real skill. Just saving the Giant Spirits isn’t enough to earn their respect—strength is everything in the Primordial Wilds!” Qingxu thought to himself with a secret smile.