Chapter 293: The Herbal Child

The second type are prodigies of the Divine Palace realm.

These individuals, after breaking into the Divine Palace realm, still retain the potential to further elevate their cultivation.

Among them, the exceptional ones.

May even “glimpse the Divine Altar” and advance further.

The Divine Palace realm spans an enormous range.

Depending on one’s foundational cultivation and spiritual status, the combat power of beings in the Divine Palace realm varies drastically.

“Glimpsing the Divine Altar” is an extremely critical milestone for distinguishing strength within the Divine Palace realm.

Only once this is achieved can one be considered a top-tier Divine Palace cultivator.

Like Shen Xi, Xu Qingxian, and others.

After glimpsing the Divine Altar.

Their true combat power immediately surges dramatically!

In the Earth-Moon Four Realms, under the condition that the Spirit Platform realm remains hidden.

These beings are Earth’s strongest combat force!

This time,

the Yu Xing Palace’s operation plan against Mercury is extremely meticulous.

It requires one hundred beings to use special methods to bypass heavy surveillance and quietly enter Mercury’s surface.

But if a being has “glimpsed the Divine Altar,” their soul undergoes preliminary transformation, their aura becoming extraordinarily prominent—like a bonfire in the dark, bright and glaring, utterly impossible to conceal.

Should such a being approach Mercury, the occupying Ba Xia Demon Lord would immediately sense them.

Conversely, beings below the “glimpsing the Divine Altar” threshold, through Yu Xing Palace’s special concealment techniques, can evade Ba Xia Demon Lord and Mercury’s tight detection to enter undetected.

“Although the surface realm quotas are selected by the Tianjing Central Authority,”

“those in power, the Spirit Platform True Lords, still hold the right to recommend candidates.”

Lu Chen raised his wrist, tapped his identity device, and sent Jiang Jian a file: “Master Lu didn’t say it outright, so I’ll speak for him.”

“At the Tianjing official assembly, he recommended two people.”

“One is you, the other is me.”

Upon hearing this,

Jiang Jian’s expression grew slightly solemn.

He knew well that undertaking the operation on Mercury was no leisurely task, but fraught with great danger.

Yet alongside the danger came countless opportunities.

And the true core resources of the Earth Alliance.

Master Lu Yezhen’s actions clearly stemmed from a long-planned intention to unite you with Lu Qingqing—hence his relentless cultivation support for you.

“Please thank the True Lord on my behalf.”

Jiang Jian said solemnly.

Lu Chen nodded, then blinked and said, “Lu Qingqing may have a sharp temper, but she’s a good person—would you reconsider?”

Lu Qingqing, as the Lu family’s direct daughter, naturally had no shortage of suitors.

Yet since childhood, she trained diligently, and though immersed in Tianjing’s noble circles, she remained pure and untainted, never linked to a single scandal.

Master Lu Yezhen’s intention was for Lu Qingqing to marry the Lord of Yinshan; this had already been communicated to her.

Lu Qingqing did not agree, but neither did she oppose.

Yet,

Master Lu Yezhen had not anticipated.

That Jiang Jian had already made a prior engagement with someone else.

“The operation is imminent; I shall return to Yinshan to cultivate and strive to break into the Divine Palace realm as soon as possible, lest I delay the Earth-Moon matters.”

Jiang Jian smiled politely, avoided a direct answer, and shifted the topic.

Lu Chen was about to speak when his peripheral vision caught a figure ahead—he swallowed his words, quickly schooled his face into a cold, indifferent expression.

Outside the bamboo grove,

Lu Qingqing approached, glanced at Lu Chen, sneered, then turned to Jiang Jian and said: “Rarely do you visit the Lu family—come with me to the auction house.”

She pulled out a black card and handed it to Jiang Jian.

“This is an internal black card from the Surface Gold Bank—ignore price limits, claim three items, paid for by the Lu family.”

Jiang Jian took the card, gently stroking it.

The card was metallic, cool to the touch, with substantial texture.

“Thank you.”

Jiang Jian made no pretense or false refusal—he simply thanked her and accepted it outright.

He understood clearly.

The “Book of Life and Death” had fallen into public hands.

Its potential impact was unimaginably vast.

And the indirect benefits the Lu family gained by handling it first would be no less significant.

Yet even so,

Jiang Jian still held a favorable impression of the entire Lu family.

Not to mention that Master Lu Yezhen, a Spirit Platform True Lord of high rank and power, had humbled himself to personally meet with him.

Just the sincerity shown throughout their interaction revealed the grandeur and bearing of a true great clan.

A few minutes later,

Jiang Jian followed Lu Qingqing aboard a sky-ship and departed the island.

“You’re betrothed to the Qin Palace Princess? You’ve been hiding it well.”

Lu Qingqing sat on the sofa, fiddling with her identity device.

Her expression was calm, betraying no emotion.

Clearly,

she already knew Jiang Jian would not marry her.

But regarding this matter,

Lu Qingqing showed no strong reaction.

As the Lu family’s direct daughter,

Lu Qingqing had never actively considered matters of marriage or affection.

She understood perfectly well.

In such matters, she had little control.

Her impression of Jiang Jian was favorable, but no more than that.

Whether or not she ultimately married Jiang Jian, Lu Qingqing would accept it calmly.

“The Qin Palace Princess.”

Jiang Jian repeated softly, his expression darkening.

In truth,

he had long suspected Nie Zheng’s origins were extraordinary.

But when Nie Zheng proposed that trade—offering the “Divine Edict” as leverage—

Jiang Jian knew he could not refuse.

One of the ten fragments of the “Treaty of the Solar System Planets,” personally inscribed by a Divine Descendant.

Pulsing with divine power, it could increase the chance of glimpsing the Spirit Platform by thirty percent!

The Spirit Platform realm signifies a leap in life’s tier.

When such an opportunity appears before one’s eyes,

any being cannot resist the temptation.

“Her princess title holds higher status than even the Young Prince.”

Lu Qingqing smiled, yet her expression held no envy—her eyes were utterly calm: “But the Qin Palace has long been absent from Earth; this is indeed surprising.”

The Qin Palace has appeared on Earth extremely rarely.

On the surface realm,

many rumors surround the Qin Palace.

Yet none of these rumors have ever been verified—they clearly are not the truth.

Only the Spirit Platform clans have a faint idea of the Qin Palace’s true location.

As they spoke,

the sky-ship neared the Surface Gold Bank and slowed.

“I must return to Yinshan first.”

Jiang Jian suddenly spoke: “Attending the Gold Bank auction isn’t urgent.”

Lu Qingqing raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, and nodded: “Then I’ll disembark first—I’ll have the vessel take you to the boundary.”

Jiang Jian said: “Alright.”

Boom.

With a slight vibration and a hum, the sky-ship halted beneath the Gold Bank.

The cabin door opened.

Lu Qingqing rose and walked to the door, pausing to turn her head and say, “The next Gold Sect’s finale auction is on Sunday night. There are some excellent items inside—come if you have time.”

With that, she fell silent.

She descended the gangway and left the sky-ship.

On the surface, the Gold Sect holds auctions every night.

But the finale auctions occur only once every five days, and each one always features rare treasures.

This is the confidence of the Lu Family Gold Sect—the largest auction house on the surface.

The sky-ship activated again.

Moments later.

It passed through the world gate, exited the Sevenfold Realm, and docked at the edge of the fleet yard.

Jiang Jian descended the gangway, opened his identity device, and initiated a real-time communication.

“Immediately pilot the Interrealm Shuttle to the Sevenfold Realm.”

On the other side of the identity device.

Ji Xue’s voice carried delight: “I’m leaving right away!”

As a click echoed through the air.

On the holographic map, the light point representing the auxiliary device finally began moving, speeding toward him.

Jiang Jian found a nearby café and sat in a corner outdoors.

He held the steaming cup, watching the ships take off and land, yet the gloom within his spirit grew heavier.

“Yao Tong.”

Jiang Jian murmured softly.

For some reason.

He felt this name carried an odd, unsettling aura.

And the appearance of “Yao Tong.”

Only deepened Jiang Jian’s inner gloom.

In the photo forwarded by Zhou Qingyue, the girl named “Yao Tong” looked exactly like his sister, Jiang Zhao!

Jiang Jian was certain—this was no coincidence!

His sister Jiang Zhao was extraordinarily beautiful.

Her eyebrows and eyes were like painted scrolls, her bone structure peerless, her form possessing celestial grace that could make wild geese fall and fish sink.

Among all the people he had ever seen.

Setting aside temperament.

Simply in terms of appearance.

Only a handful—Shen Qingchan, Lu Qingqing, and a few others—could even remotely compare.

Such a being appearing in this world.

Could not be explained away by mere coincidence.

“Yao Tong.”

“Yao Tong.”

As Jiang Jian murmured.

Suddenly his spirit trembled—he froze in shock!

“Medicinal Acolyte!”

“She’s the Physician’s Medicinal Acolyte!”

“The Medicinal Acolyte left on Earth to guard the herbs!”

His fingers tightened around the coffee cup unconsciously.

His knuckles turned pale.

The cup swayed back and forth, spilling hot coffee.

This was the first time Jiang Jian had ever lost composure so badly.

“Can’t you watch where you’re going!”

A sharp rebuke rang out.

Jiang Jian frowned and looked up.

A girl in a blouse and short skirt glared at him angrily.

A few drops of coffee had soaked into the white sleeve of her blouse; the dark-brown stain rapidly spread, growing to the size of a bottle cap in moments.

“Sorry.”

Jiang Jian steadied himself, stood, set down the cup, and said softly, “How much is the blouse? I’ll pay for it.”

The girl had been furious.

But now, seeing Jiang Jian’s face, her words caught in her throat.

The boy before her wore ancient black robes embroidered with gold thread at the cuffs; his features were pale and refined, his beauty like a painted scroll.

His dark eyes held a deep melancholy.

The moment she looked into them, she forgot what she had been about to say.

“I just bought this outfit for this interview—it cost over three hundred Alliance coins.”

After a few seconds, the girl sighed and finally spoke, “Don’t you know to watch where you’re going?”

“I was already heartbroken about failing the interview, and now my clothes are stained—what bad luck.”

As she spoke,

she pulled out tissues from her bag and tried to wipe the stain.

But she quickly realized her efforts were useless—instead, the coffee stain only spread and became more obvious.

“Interview?”

Jiang Jian turned his head and glanced behind him at the Sevenfold Realm.

The girl scrubbed at the stain while rolling her eyes. “Yeah. The Lu Family’s surface Gold Sect is hiring openly—it drew crowds. That’s my dream employer.”

“But the Gold Sect’s standards are too high. Everyone who gets hired is one in ten thousand.”

As she spoke,

her expression clearly showed disappointment.

(End of Chapter)