Chapter 135: Canghai Xiancheng

He had been in seclusion for many days.

Qin Ming strolled out of his cave dwelling, hands behind his back.

The world outside was a vast, white expanse.

Over the Moon-Watching Lake, mist rose thickly, like a hazy gauze veil, wreathed in immortal aura.

After the snowfall had cleared, the main peak of the island displayed snow, rime ice, sea of clouds, and sunrise all at once.

The winter Moon-Watching Island, clad in silver, shimmered brilliantly, like a fairyland.

As Qin Ming stepped out of his cave, he inspected the growth of his spiritual plants along the way.

His life-vine, the sentient plant tied to his core, stood like a colossal tree piercing heaven and earth, its branches and trunk coated in thick layers of ice and snow.

Qin Ming then descended downward.

He had just deactivated the protective array when he saw Wu Jiang and Mu Ruyin approaching, each holding a baby.

Both bore expressions brimming with joy.

Wu Jiang cradled the infant and beamed at Qin Ming: "Brother Qin, not long ago, Ruyin gave birth to twins—a boy and a girl! Hehehe!"

"I saw you were in seclusion lately, so I didn't dare disturb you."

"Now that you've emerged, I came straight to share this good news!"

Wu Jiang's tone dripped with smug pride.

Beside him, Mu Ruyin's sweet face now carried the gentle grace of motherhood.

She stepped forward, smiling, and bowed gracefully to Qin Ming.

Upon hearing this news,

Qin Ming's expression remained calm, but his heart churned with shock.

'Damn, this guy's really something!'

'One shot, and twins? Boy and girl?'

Qin Ming immediately took the infant from Wu Jiang's arms and probed its root constitution with his spiritual sense—his astonishment deepened.

'Water-wood elemental root!'

He then took the girl from Mu Ruyin's arms and examined her as well.

'Triple elemental root—wood, fire, earth—but she possesses the Gui Water Spiritual Body!'

'This—'

Qin Ming fell silent for a long while. Had he really stumbled upon such improbable odds? A pure elemental root was top-tier talent even in a major sect—reserved for elite cultivation, prioritized for resources.

Thinking of this,

Qin Ming recalled his own inferior four-element pseudo-root, and a pang of bitterness rose in his chest.

'Sigh, the gap is staggering.'

'Comparing oneself to others only breeds despair.'

'Thankfully, I have the Life-Vine—and my artificial spiritual body is nearly complete.'

Qin Ming was genuinely pleased for Wu Jiang and Mu Ruyin, and immediately pulled a pair of spiritual jade pendants from his storage pouch to gift them.

These spiritual jade pendants had a calming, spirit-soothing effect—rare and valuable items.

"Brother Qin, these two children were both born on Moon-Watching Island, and we haven't named them yet."

"You're the island master—could you please give them names?" Wu Jiang said eagerly.

Qin Ming's forehead twitched. He had zero talent for naming.

But seeing Wu Jiang's joy, he didn't want to dampen his spirits.

After a moment's thought, he said seriously: "Then let the girl be named Wu Wangyue, and the boy Wu Wangfeng."

Wu Jiang and Mu Ruyin exchanged glances, then turned to Qin Ming with delighted thanks.

"These names are perfect—they carry meaning."

Qin Ming waved dismissively. "No need to thank me."

Over the past two years, Wu Jiang had worked diligently farming on Moon-Watching Island, advancing rapidly.

He could now skillfully cultivate Golden Spirit Rice and had reached intermediate level in the Spirit Rain Technique.

Qin Ming had observed all this.

He had never guided Wu Jiang directly.

After exchanging pleasantries and congratulations, Qin Ming said:

"Brother Wu, I must travel to Canghai Xiancheng. While I'm away, I'll rely on you to watch over the spirit island."

Wu Jiang nodded. "Brother Qin, rest assured—I'll keep an eye on everything here."

One and a half days later,

Qin Ming soared through the sky at top speed, riding his Spirit Light Glider toward the southwest.

Soon after,

A vast, majestic city, backed by the Beast Roar Mountains, grew steadily larger in his vision.

The hermit-sage sanctuary: Canghai Xiancheng.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the entire city radiated multicolored auroras, thick with immortal aura.

Within Canghai Xiancheng, an aerial prohibition array forbade flight.

Canghai Xiancheng was built along the slopes of the third-rank spirit vein, Canghai Peak, its concentric walls spreading outward in layers.

At its center stood Canghai Peak, home to a high-grade third-rank spirit vein.

It was the exclusive domain of Golden Core True Persons.

At the city gates, a constant stream of cultivators flowed in and out.

Above the surrounding skies,

Cultivators of all kinds flew on magical artifacts, rode spirit beasts, or rode in spirit carriages—light trails streaked across the air, the sound of breaking space never ceasing.

It resembled a dazzling, fantastical realm of immortals.

Qin Ming landed before the gate and patiently queued behind the crowd.

He looked up at the central region—the towering, boundless Canghai Peak—and an overwhelming pressure instantly pressed upon him.

The entire Canghai Xiancheng was shielded by a third-rank prohibition grand array, emitting a faint blue ripple, countless talismanic characters flickering and vanishing within it.

This third-rank array, centered on the high-grade Canghai Peak spirit vein, fused with heaven and earth, forming its own self-contained realm.

An array of this scale, covering an entire city, could defend a major sect, wielding mysterious and unfathomable powers.

At this stage, the art of arrays underwent a qualitative leap.

But the resources required to sustain it far surpassed those of ordinary arrays.

Two incense sticks later,

Qin Ming followed the crowd to the towering city gate, registered his identity, paid spirit stones, and received an identity plaque.

His background was clean—he was no fugitive or demonic cultivator—so entry was smooth.

Qin Ming walked into the outermost zone of Canghai Xiancheng.

The outer city.

Even here, in the outer city, the dense network of shops and streets surpassed ordinary market towns in prosperity.

This zone featured a high-grade first-rank spirit vein—better than the spirit veins of many islands in the Spirit Dwelling Archipelago.

Most establishments here were inns, relay stations, and small shops.

The residents were primarily low-rank hermit cultivators.

Following his map, Qin Ming reached the inner city.

The inner city's spirit vein ranged from low-grade to high-grade second-rank, depending on the district.

Those who resided here were mostly major trading houses, upscale residential zones, auction halls—key institutions clustered here.

As for the very center, Canghai Peak, only a few areas were open to outsiders.

Qin Ming walked along the inner city's main avenue, turning corners until he reached a core district.

The second-rank spirit vein here was even stronger than that of his Moon-Watching Island.

Luxurious shops stood shoulder to shoulder.

Jingxue Pavilion was a major force within the city.

Gu Qing had mentioned its location was in the inner city.

Following the directions, Qin Ming arrived before a familiar nine-story building, its massive sign reading: "Jingxue Pavilion."

But to his surprise,

Today, the entrance of Jingxue Pavilion was unusually grandly decorated.

From afar, Qin Ming saw a graceful woman in plain robes stepping out to greet him personally.

"Welcome, Brother Qin, to Canghai Xiancheng."

…

(End of Chapter)