The Netherworld Elder was utterly panicked. He let out a furious roar, "Brat, must you be so ruthless? Are you truly intent on eradicating me completely?!" "Righteousness and evil cannot coexist. What sentiment could I possibly have for an ancient ghost like you?" Lu Qing's gaze was ice-cold. Instead of withdrawing the flames, he clenched his hand. With this motion, the illusory cauldron surged with the Nanming Bright Fire, its power intensifying once again before suddenly compressing toward the center. The final layer of gray aura was incinerated, and the flames surged into the Netherworld Ghost Claw. The overwhelming firepower burned through the layers of restrictive seals within, searing its way toward the core. As he watched the raging Nanming Bright Fire surge toward him like a tidal wave, he truly panicked. He hastily shouted, "Fellow Daoist, spare me! I am willing to submit! I will acknowledge you as my master and become your spiritual artifact!" At this moment, the Netherworld Elder could no longer care about the dignity of an ancient Nascent Soul cultivator. He directly begged for mercy. "A mere demonic spiritual artifact dares to think itself worthy of serving me?" Yet, facing his pleas, Lu Qing only revealed disdain. The Nanming Bright Fire had already flooded into the Netherworld Ghost Claw, ruthlessly breaking through the final core seal and engulfing the last wisp of spirit the Netherworld Elder had left. "AAAHHHH!!" Fınd the newest release on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽 In ancient times, the Netherworld Elder had abandoned his physical body and seized the artifact spirit. Though he had barely survived the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, preserving his existence, his essence had been greatly damaged, forcing him into a deep slumber. With spiritual energy depleted over these tens of thousands of years, he had never received the nourishment of spiritual essence. To this day, he had yet to fully recover—his divine soul remained weak. Thus, when the Nanming Bright Fire enveloped him, he was consumed by boundless terror. He could feel his divine soul's power rapidly burning away, disintegrating. The agony that pierced his very being was unbearable, overwhelming any attempt to suppress his fear. He let out a blood-curdling scream, "Spare me! Young friend, please spare me!" Yet all he received in return was an even fiercer surge of Nanming Bright Fire. Sensing Lu Qing's unshakable killing intent, the Netherworld Elder instantly fell into despair. At this moment, his heart filled with regret. He shouldn't have been so hasty. He should have continued lying low, slowly recovering his strength. Had he taken things slower, even if his recovery took longer, he would not have ended up in such a dire situation. Tens of thousands of years of survival, only to ultimately face complete annihilation. "Ahh! I curse you, brat! You will not die well!!" As his final wisp of spirit was burned to nothingness, the Netherworld Elder let out a piercing curse. Drowned in endless regret and unwillingness, he perished completely. Sensing the Netherworld Elder's disappearance, Lu Qing withdrew his hand seal. The raging Nanming Bright Fire gradually faded away. The illusory, crimson ancient cauldron also vanished without a trace. Only a white bone claw remained, suspended mid-air. Lu Qing reached out and took it into his hand. Compared to before, the bone claw had undergone a complete transformation. No longer sinister and grotesque, it now carried the luster of white jade, faintly exuding a sacred aura. "Younger Master, this bone claw was originally some mysterious treasure the Netherworld Elder obtained from an unknown source. Through years of demonic refinement, it became the Netherworld Ghost Claw. But now, with your Nanming Bright Fire refining it, all its evil aura and sins have been purged. I fear it has now become an extraordinary refining material." The voice of Yan echoed in Lu Qing's mind. As a grandmaster of refining, Yan's eye for materials was unparalleled. Moreover, earlier, when Lu Qing activated the Nanming Bright Fire, he had borrowed some of Yan's power. Thus, Yan had already gained some understanding of the bone claw's nature. Hearing Yan's words, Lu Qing nodded slightly. With a casual motion, he stowed away the white bone claw. There were more pressing matters at hand. Refining artifacts could wait for another time. After putting away the bone claw, Lu Qing looked around. All the surrounding cultivators were staring at him with deep reverence and awe. This was no surprise. In fact, this was precisely the effect he had sought. Just now, when refining the Netherworld Elder, why had he deliberately used the illusory cauldron instead of simply activating the Li Huo Cauldron? It was because he wanted to make an example—to publicly refine to death an ancient Nascent Soul cultivator before all these witnesses. And judging by the results, his plan had worked quite well. As Lu Qing's gaze swept across the scene, no one dared to meet his eyes. The sheer terror he instilled was evident. After all, what had just transpired? A true ancient Nascent Soul cultivator, someone who had survived from the previous cultivation era, a being filled with countless secrets… And yet, Lu Qing had simply refined him to death. He hadn't even left him the slightest chance of survival. Not even the allure of countless cultivation techniques and treasures had swayed him. His decisiveness, his ruthless methods—every cultivator present felt an unshakable fear. At this moment, no one doubted the words Lu Qing had spoken earlier—his declaration that he would slaughter them all. If they truly angered him, he would follow through on his threat. Sweeping his gaze across the onlookers, Lu Qing finally fixed his eyes on Meng Dian, who lay on the ground. Feeling Lu Qing's gaze, Meng Dian's body trembled, his eyes filled with terror. "Meng Dian, do you have anything to say?" Lu Qing asked indifferently. Meng Dian's face turned ashen. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Lu Qing shook his head. "You were indeed misled by the Netherworld Elder. But had there been no evil thoughts in your heart, that old ghost wouldn't have been able to tempt you. The beings that were refined—they truly died at your hands. No matter how you argue, their deaths are a stain that cannot be washed away. A so-called righteous cultivator… yet you slaughtered countless innocents, refining them into a demonic treasure. Tell me, how are you any different from a demonic cultivator? For your sins, you must die." Upon hearing Lu Qing's final words, Meng Dian's eyes widened in sheer horror. Yet before he could even plead for his life, an invisible sword aura had already pierced his brow acupoint. His head was pierced through, and his divine soul was completely obliterated. Meng Dian's body stiffened. A moment later, his limbs went limp, his consciousness vanished, and all traces of life were extinguished.