Chapter 133: Island of Safety

Qin Ming had just returned to Wangyue Island.

He saw Wu Jiang running over with a face full of anxiety, speaking to him in great haste: "Fellow Daoist Qin, something terrible has happened!"

"The Seventy-Two Islands San Alliance has launched an attack against the Zhao family; the great war has begun!"

Qin Ming's expression remained calm as he replied unhurriedly: "Mm, I already knew this long ago; I saw it myself when I just returned."

Seeing Qin Ming's unruffled demeanor, Wu Jiang felt quite astonished in his heart.

As the saying goes, when gods fight, the fish in the pond suffer.

Wu Jiang looked at the other party, who appeared completely unconcerned.

Could it be that Fellow Daoist Qin harbored not a shred of worry? Qin Ming seemed to perceive the anxiety in Wu Jiang's heart and said lightly: "Rest assured, Wangyue Island is temporarily safe and free from danger; if you are worried, you can also bring your family from Baiyan Island here to seek shelter from the storm for a while."

This sense of security of his stemmed entirely from confidence in his current strength: his body-refining technique had reached the first transformation of True Gang Forming, he possessed a Foundation Establishment great beast with an Earth-grade bloodline, along with his life-bound spirit plant, the Longevity Vine, and a second-rank upper-grade protective great formation.

Even if he encountered a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, though he might not be able to defeat them, he would still have more than enough to protect himself; the spiritual energy Archipelago only had a handful of late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators in total, few enough to count on one hand.

A Jin Dan old ancestor would even less deign to look upon this remote, out-of-the-way place.

As for those below late-stage Foundation Establishment, if they dared to run wild on his Wangyue Island, basically every single one who came would die.

He happened to need blood pearls to accelerate the growth of his life-bound spirit plant, the Longevity Vine.

Wangyue Island was far from the center of the storm, so relatively speaking, it was still quite safe.

However, the Wu family's Baiyan Island was different; its geographical location lay in the heart of the spiritual energy Archipelago, and after some time passed, it was very likely to be engulfed by the flames of war.

After receiving Qin Ming's consent, Wu Jiang informed Mu Ruyin and then rushed home without stopping to handle matters.

Two days later.

Wu Jiang brought several dozen of his direct clan members and moved to the foot of Wangyue Island.

Wu Jiang's father, Wu Hanyuan, whose hair was already half-white, came before Qin Ming with tears nearly streaming from his old eyes, expressing great gratitude: "Thank you, Qin Qianbei, for taking us in! Otherwise, our Wu family would have found it difficult to survive this tribulation."

"This boy Wu Jiang, over these past years, also relied entirely on Qin Qianbei's care and protection to reach this stage."

Wu Hanyuan was clearly very aware of the situation in his heart.

"Fellow Daoist Wu need not stand on ceremony; since Wu Jiang runs errands for me, it is only right that I look after his family to some extent."

"From now on, just call me 'Fellow Daoist'."

Another seven days passed.

Having run out of third-rank barrier-breaking talismans, the Seventy-Two Islands San Alliance suddenly found themselves completely helpless against the remaining third-rank defensive great formation on Qianye Lingdao and could only stare in frustration.

However, the Zhao family was no pushover either; they did not choose to simply turtle up inside their formation.

Instead, they allied with those families that had sided with them and engaged the Seventy-Two Islands San Alliance in fierce battles across the spiritual energy Archipelago.

In an instant, the region of the spiritual energy Archipelago was divided into numerous battlefields, large and small.

Originally, Baiyan Island where the Wu family resided, along with nearby islands, all suffered catastrophic disasters.

The other spirit island families were not as lucky as the Wu family; under the impact of this great war, they all met with misfortune one after another.

Only the Wu family fortunately managed to escape this calamity.

Qin Ming's Wangyue Island, located in the far north, was now far removed from the disturbance of the chaos.

It stood alone as if separated from the world, becoming much quieter instead.

The members of the Wu family also began working even harder to plant spirit rice and reclaim spirit fields.

Subsequently.

Qin Ming released the Profound Water Crocodile to patrol around Wangyue Island around the clock; once any abnormal situation occurred nearby, he could grasp it immediately.

As for the Six-Winged Frost Bees, since their failed breakthrough last time, they had been accumulating strength, waiting for an opportunity to attempt breaking through again.

After being fed blood pearls by Qin Ming, the Longevity Vine had bloomed with flower buds once more, and the nest of spirit bees beneath the vine benefited greatly from this.

Qin Ming observed the queen of the Six-Winged Frost Bees for a while, pondered repeatedly, and then took out a demon core and a bottle of demonic beast essence blood from his storage bag.

That demon core had been found in Mu Yuanshan's storage bag; it was the second-rank early-stage Flame-Feathered Eagle demon core that he had won at the auction last time.

As for that bottle of demonic beast essence blood, it was the Bi Xue Suanni essence blood that Qin Ming had purchased, possessing a genuine Earth-grade bloodline.

Currently, both items could help the Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng break through, but compared to breaking through by consuming pills, the danger for a demonic beast to swallow a demon core or demonic beast essence blood to breakthrough was far greater.

Qin Ming could not make up his mind for a moment.

Just then.

The Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng inside the hive seemed to sense Qin Ming's thoughts.

It flew out from beneath the Longevity Vine, flapping its three pairs of purple wings, and stopped before Qin Ming; afterward, it pondered for merely two breaths of time.

Then it moved to stand before the bottle of second-rank Suanni essence blood.

Qin Ming was also surprised by this Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng's choice.

Because the danger of devouring a high-grade bloodline far exceeded that of the Flame-Feathered Eagle's demon core.

If it failed this breakthrough, it was very likely to perish on the spot.

Yet within the intent the Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng conveyed to Qin Ming, there was not a trace of hesitation; instead, it was incredibly firm! This spirit bee had followed him continuously since the time Qin Ming was still a spirit farmer at the Lingyu Sect.

Although it had not accompanied him to fight enemies in magical battles, it had repeatedly achieved remarkable feats in dealing with insect pests affecting spirit plants.

If it were to die just like that, Qin Ming would be extremely reluctant to part with it.

"Sigh! So be it; since we have reached this step, let us fulfill your wish."

If the breakthrough succeeded, for this Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng, it would be a tremendous opportunity.

If it failed, all the hard effort and cultivation of the past would go up in flames, turning into nothing but clouds and smoke of the past.

Qin Ming directly broke the seal on the jade bottle, and a strong scent of blood wafted out.

The Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng hesitated no longer, immediately aimed at the bottle's mouth, and began sucking up the Bi Xue Suanni essence blood.

In just a few breaths of time, it had sucked the entire bottle of essence blood clean.

Subsequently, it flew back beneath the Longevity Vine tree and began attempting to refine the essence blood to break through to the rank of a second-tier great demon.

The Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng fell into slumber once again.

This continued until three days later.

Qin Ming sensed a massive aura emanating from beneath the Longevity Vine.

A vast vortex of spiritual energy gathered above the sky of Wangyue Island.

It all poured into the body of the Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng.

Blood gushed from the Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng's body, and countless horrifying cracks appeared all over it.

It kept screeching, seemingly enduring immense pain.

One hour later.

The epidermis of the Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng began to peel off in layers, and its entire coloration underwent an earth-shattering transformation, turning completely silver-white.

Boom! The aura of a second-tier Foundation Establishment great demon suddenly erupted from its body! "The advancement succeeded!"

Qin Ming's face lit up with joy, but immediately his heart tightened again, because the most critical step was yet to come.

That was the demonic beast undergoing the Heavenly Tribulation of Thunder.

Rumble-rumble! The terrifying celestial phenomenon descended once more.

The members of the Wu family below the island were already used to it; soon, the Lei Jie continuously struck down, fiercely slashing onto the silver bee.

Yet Qin Ming discovered with utter astonishment that after this spiritual bee broke through to become a Foundation Establishment great demon, its entire body radiated a silver light.

Although it lacked heaven-defying innate divine abilities like the Profound Water Crocodile, it could actually withstand the lightning heavenly tribulation through brute force.

The law-warding effect the Longevity Vine bestowed upon it had reached an unimaginable level of intensity.

This continued until it withstood the seventh and eighth bolts of Lei Jie.

Its aura gradually began to wither, seeming to have reached its limit as well.

It started to become barely breathing.

But the ninth bolt of tribulation thunder, the most powerful one, had not yet fallen; in its current state, it would likely be very difficult for it to survive this tribulation.

Qin Ming was also extremely anxious, yet he dared not rashly intervene to block the heavenly tribulation for it.

With a heavenly might and tribulation of this magnitude, one slip could get himself struck dead, which would be ridiculous.

Boom-crack! The final bolt of golden Lei Ting crashed down! Qin Ming let out a sigh of despair in his heart, "It's over..."

Similarly, the Six-Yin Yi Shuangfeng let out a mournful cry toward him, as if foreseeing its own fate.

But at that very moment! The immobile innate spiritual plant, the Longevity Vine, actually began to move! Countless black vines danced across the sky, and streams of profound silver runes spiraled out.

These vines resembled tentacles that had come to life.

Suddenly! With an unparalleled momentum, they surged forward to meet that bolt of golden heavenly tribulation.

(End of Chapter)