Chapter 10: Long Daoist Visits

Qin Ming silently pondered.

It seemed the Liu Shopkeeper’s connections were far from ordinary—he could get advance news about upper echelons of cultivation sects.

Cultivating a good relationship with him might not be a bad thing.

“Thank you, Liu Shopkeeper, for the information.”

“Is there anything else?” Qin Ming asked.

The Liu Shopkeeper smiled faintly, then said with deep implication: “Heh, Qin Daoist really is humble!”

“I have a humble request: when the Beast Tooth Rice matures in two years, could you sell some to my shop?”

“My establishment will buy it at a price ten percent above market value.”

Qin Ming was startled—how could they know this so soon?

“Liu Shopkeeper truly has vast reach—even the affairs of my spirit field can’t escape your notice,” Qin Ming said, not immediately agreeing.

“I’ve planted the Beast Tooth Rice seeds, but I can’t guarantee they’ll mature and yield in two years.”

So this was it—the Liu Shopkeeper had just paid him for the spirit rice at the inflated price, while also revealing numerous details about the Spirit Feather Sect.

He was essentially trying to buy exclusive rights to Qin Ming’s “Beast Tooth Rice” channel for the cost of twenty or thirty extra spirit stones.

No wonder he was a seasoned merchant!

“Of course, if Qin Daoist has other conditions, we can certainly discuss them!” The Liu Shopkeeper watched Qin Ming’s reaction closely and immediately poured him tea.

“You’re young, yet you’ve achieved such mastery in spirit cultivation—surely you’re gifted. Harvesting Beast Tooth Rice is surely a sure thing.”

“Do you happen to have any body refinement techniques for sale?” Qin Ming paused, then suddenly changed the subject.

The Liu Shopkeeper instantly understood.

He immediately pulled out several body refinement techniques and introduced them one by one: “The Nine Revolutions Yang Restoration Art—a top-tier body refinement technique, cultivable all the way to Foundation Establishment, supremely yang and forceful, priced at three thousand spirit stones.”

Qin Ming smirked inwardly: ‘The technique is good, but the price is outrageous.’

The Ming King Body Tempering Scripture—can open 270 acupoints and condense true gang, a high-tier body refinement technique, priced at one thousand spirit stones.

“The Golden Steel Forging Essence Art—a mid-tier body refinement technique, takes thirty years to reach minor mastery, priced at five hundred spirit stones.”

…

After exhausting his list, the Liu Shopkeeper drank some tea and added: “The Heavenly Calamity Summoning Demon Scripture—eighty spirit stones.”

“Wait a moment!”

“Shopkeeper, please elaborate on this technique.”

“The Heavenly Calamity Summoning Demon Scripture? Hmm… this technique is excellent!”

“Sounds positively uplifting! I’ll take it!”

The Liu Shopkeeper: “.”

Qin Ming pondered for a long while, then made up his mind decisively.

“This is a demonic technique—anyone who cultivates it will be hunted down by all,” said the Liu Shopkeeper.

“Then why are you selling it to me?”

“My apologies—I grabbed the wrong one.”

“.”

An hour later.

Qin Ming left the Juxuan Pavilion.

The techniques the Liu Shopkeeper offered were either beyond Qin Ming’s current wealth to afford, or required decades of cultivation to show results.

Desperate for a method—he could only stare helplessly.

But in the end, the Liu Shopkeeper did point him toward a viable path.

“Qin Daoist, in the eastern district of Qingyang Market, there’s a Ruan family whose fortunes have declined. Their ancestors left behind a body refinement technique.”

“I once offered a hundred spirit stones for it, but the Ruan Daoist refused outright, insisting he’d only sell it if I added some blood-boosting pills or herbs.”

“I thought it wasn’t worth it.”

“Perhaps you could try your luck there.”

“But don’t hold out too much hope.”

The Liu Shopkeeper’s implication was clear: Qin Ming, with his imminent Beast Tooth Rice harvest, could use it as a bonus to sway the Ruan Daoist.

In return for this tip, he agreed to sell a portion of the Beast Tooth Rice to the Juxuan Pavilion once it matured.

The deal was concluded.

Both parties were pleased.

He had just stepped out of the shop.

When he encountered a large patrol squad from the Spirit Feather Sect rushing urgently out of the market.

They were fully armed and intimidating.

“Excuse me, Daoist, do you know what’s happening?” Qin Ming casually asked a bystander.

“They say they’re going to kill a beast?”

“But don’t worry—our market is perfectly safe. Even a Foundation Establishment beast can’t break through our second-tier protective array.”

“Just don’t wander around.”

Qin Ming fell into thought.

He then followed the Liu Shopkeeper’s advice and went to the Ruan family in the eastern district.

But when he arrived, he found the Ruan family’s gate tightly shut.

A nearby cultivator told him the Ruan Daoist had gone out on business and wouldn’t return for three or four months.

Qin Ming had no choice but to come back later…

He returned to the shantytown.

Evening.

Inside his hut, Qin Ming was preparing dinner.

He was distracted.

Qingyang Market was safe enough, but the protective array didn’t cover their shantytown. “Knock knock knock!”

At that moment, a knock interrupted his thoughts.

Qin Ming opened the door warily.

The visitor turned out to be Long Daoist.

Rare indeed—he was truly an unexpected guest!

“Qin Daoist, I heard your spirit rice yield and quality are excellent. I’d like to purchase some.”

Long Daoist got straight to the point.

Qin Ming weighed his options, then forced a smile: “Yes, my recent rice yield has been decent, but most of it’s already sold.”

Long Daoist frowned, yet still spoke gently: “How much spirit rice do you still have? I’ll buy all of it—at market price.”

“Long Daoist, I’ve heard the market price for spirit rice will rise by about fifty percent in the next few days,” Qin Ming hesitated.

Though he didn’t wish to offend this late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, he also wouldn’t let himself be taken advantage of.

Long Daoist visibly froze, then studied Qin Ming closely—few knew of the spirit rice price increase.

Though it would soon be public knowledge, in Qingyang Market, only a handful of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators and a few factions were aware.

“Qin Daoist, you’re well-informed.”

“In that case, I’ll pay the increased price. How does that sound?” Long Daoist said bluntly.

Qin Ming nodded in agreement: “I currently have about fifty jin left. Nothing more—I’ll have to wait for the next harvest.”

After the spirit rice transaction.

Long Daoist bowed and hurriedly left.

Qin Ming didn’t dare truly offend him.

After all, the nearby alleys were under his protection.

“Sigh—even late-stage Qi Refining cultivators are preparing. It seems the winds are truly changing.”

“The rise in spirit rice prices is good for me.”

“But it also means the environment around me is growing increasingly hostile.”

…

Qin Ming ate a meal of spirit rice.

He went to his bedroom, sat cross-legged on the cushion, and began practicing the Evergreen Art.

His spiritual sense still retained two “Weak Magic Power” entries.

“Today’s the day!”

Qin Ming focused his mind—one “Weak Magic Power” entry vanished.

Magic power surged from his dantian, circulating through the meridians again and again.

Constantly scouring and expanding the channels.

Finally!

Boom! When the magic power in Qin Ming’s dantian reached its critical threshold.

A thin membrane seemed to tear open.

“Qi Refining Stage Three!”

The fluctuation of Qin Ming’s magic power rose a notch.

“Huh～”

Qin Ming exhaled a cloud of turbid air.

“How many years has it been? Finally, I’m no longer imprisoned in Qi Refining Stage Two.”

He couldn’t help but sigh, realizing that in this short year and change, he had changed considerably.

“As long as I develop steadily, Foundation Establishment isn’t out of reach.”

Qin Ming felt the Changchun spiritual power in his dantian, grown nearly double in size.

Yet even in his joy, he did not let himself become overconfident: “Qi Refining Stage Three is still unstable—I must raise my strength as soon as possible.”

“The cultivation world is ever-changing; at the bottom of Qi Refining, one is cannon fodder. Only at Foundation Establishment can one barely stand firm—my fate must ultimately be in my own hands.”

Now, living under another’s roof brings many inconveniences.

I could be dragged into the sect’s power struggles at any moment, with no control over my own fate.

To escape Lei Yuanzong’s corvée labor and regain my freedom, I must meet just one of three conditions.

First, break through to Foundation Establishment.

Second, advance any one of the hundred arts of cultivation to Level Two.

Third, submit any one type of Foundation Establishment resource.

He understood he must now strive toward all three goals.

And next,

breaking from Qi Refining Stage Three to Stage Four.

For Qin Ming, this would be a tremendous trial.

Qi Refining Stage Four marks the entry into the middle phase of Qi Refining.

It is, strictly speaking, the first true bottleneck in cultivation.

Far harder than his breakthrough to Qi Refining Stage Three—by countless times.

……

Ten days later.

Most cultivators in Qingyang Marketplace and its surrounding shantytowns had learned that staple goods—spirit rice, meat, and others—had surged sharply in price.

Prices for magic treasures, elixirs, and talismans also began rising.

Ever since Qin Ming cultivated “Beast Fang Rice,” the overseer Du Haifu had gradually increased his patrols of Qin Ming’s spirit field.

Lately, things had been unsettled, so he’d even added extra personnel to patrol the field’s perimeter.

During this time, aside from casting the Intermediate Spirit Rain Art to enrich his field’s fertility,

Qin Ming immersed himself in studying spirit plant knowledge.

Beyond that, he needed to find a suitable body cultivation technique.

Qin Ming’s “Beast Fang Rice” had not yet matured; there was no rush.

In the blink of an eye,

three months passed.

Inside the spirit field,

perhaps Qin Ming’s luck had been exhausted during this period.

In the second season’s four mu of Jin Ling Rice, he harvested only two “Weak Magic Power” traits.

Still, fortunately,

after breaking into Qi Refining Stage Three, his magic power had doubled—he no longer suffered the exhaustion he once did when casting the Intermediate Spirit Rain Art.

The second-season Jin Ling Rice yield also set a new record, exceeding nine shi.

This time, after paying his spirit rice tax, Qin Ming did not rush to sell it.

Instead, he kept back some for storage, to prepare for unforeseen needs.

Liao the Shopkeeper wanted to buy more, taking advantage of the price surge.

Qin Ming had already prepared an excuse.

He told Liao about Long Dao’s request to purchase spirit rice.

The market price of spirit rice had soared, rising over sixty percent above its original level.

Qin Ming made a small fortune.

The spirit stones in his storage pouch had, for the first time, surpassed one hundred fifty.

He bought another low-grade Jin Guang Protective Talisman and a low-grade magic treasure, Qing Ling Sword, spending another twenty-five spirit stones.

“These days, you can’t get by without some defensive gear.”

(End of Chapter)