Chapter 162

Wangyue Island.

Wu Jiang was directing a group of spirit farmers to tend the spirit fields.

Mu Ruyin, beside the wooden house, was playing and laughing with two half-grown children.

Since Wu Jiang led his clan to begin farming on the island, the once desolate Wangyue Island had gradually gained a lively atmosphere.

Zou! A green aura-light streaked across the sky, flying toward the island.

Wu Jiang looked up, his face lighting up with joy: "Comrade Qin has returned."

He immediately walked over as usual, ready to greet Qin Ming.

Qin Ming also glanced at the island's scene before landing before Wu Jiang.

As Wu Jiang approached, he felt Qin Ming's entire body radiated murderous aura—it was as if he hadn't attended an auction, but returned from some slaughter.

A surging tide of bloody murderous aura rushed toward him; he trembled, unsure how to speak.

Qin Ming noticed this detail; secretly activating the Ancient Wood Longevity Technique, he suppressed his aura and returned to a calm, still state.

"Comrade Wu, nothing unusual happened on the island these past days, I assume?"

Sensing the thick murderous aura vanish from Qin Ming's body, Wu Jiang instantly exhaled in relief.

"Comrade Qin, all is normal on the island—you may rest easy."

Qin Ming nodded, exchanged a few words with Wu Jiang, then returned to his cave beneath the main peak.

As he passed the cave dug by the Blackwater Crocodile, Qin Ming sent out his spiritual sense to scan inside and found the creature's aura had grown significantly.

He then checked on the Longevity Vine—the Six-Winged Frost Bees remained in deep slumber.

Qin Ming returned to his cave and examined the storage bags of the four men, repeatedly scanning them thoroughly with his spiritual sense.

He confirmed no special marks, unique auras, or similar traces remained.

The storage bags of four Foundation Establishment cultivators contained an astonishing wealth of items.

Especially the two black-robed demonic cultivators' bags—calling them fat lambs was an understatement.

They must have grown accustomed to being bandits, looting fine items from across the Wei Kingdom's cultivation realm.

All manner of treasures were present, and now they all belonged to Qin Ming.

Mu Yuanshan, as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and son of the Mu family of Mount Qilian, naturally possessed many fine items.

That piece of Dragon Blood Divine Wood—after circling around—hadn't it ended up in his own hands?

In addition,

Qin Ming also discovered a high-grade puppetry cultivation scripture in Miao Renke's storage bag—a pleasant surprise.

Next,

According to Mu Yuanshan and Gu Huai's secret plot, the spiritual energy Archipelago was about to undergo major upheaval.

And the appearance of Lin Zixiao's gang had given Qin Ming an urgent need to enhance his strength.

Natural disasters and human calamities cannot be avoided by hiding alone.

Qin Ming approached his life-spirit plant, the Longevity Vine.

He immediately took out the bottle of White-Armed Sky Ape's essence blood, broke the seal, and without hesitation swallowed the entire bottle.

He then began refining the White-Armed Sky Ape's essence blood according to the Foundation Establishment section of the Hundred Treasures Glass Scripture, following the method of the First Transformation of True Gang Formation.

In truth, cultivators directly swallowing beast essence blood was extremely dangerous, as the beast's violent essence energy clashed violently with human blood—causing, at best, chaotic qi and blood flow, at worst, qi deviation, and even explosive death.

But Qin Ming possessed a formidable body, coupled with terrifying blood qi power at the True Gang External Release realm.

Naturally, he faced no major issues.

Boom! The instant the White-Armed Sky Ape's essence blood entered his body, a violent energy exploded within him.

Qin Ming quickly followed the Hundred Beasts Visualization Map, visualizing the colossal sky-shaking ape.

He then began refining the essence blood according to the scripture.

Roar! Instantly, the image of the dozens-zhang-tall mountain ape reappeared clearly in Qin Ming's mind.

The White-Armed Sky Ape's essence within the bottle, previously restless and turbulent inside his body, now seemed to encounter something unimaginable.

It instantly submitted.

Gradually, the total amount of Qin Ming's blood qi True Gang began surging uncontrollably, overflowing and shifting unpredictably.

Two hours later,

Suddenly! Qin Ming's blood qi True Gang erupted skyward, forming a vast crimson shadow that gradually solidified into shape.

Roar! In the end, a crimson giant ape shadow, condensed from blood qi True Gang, appeared on Qin Ming's body—over ten zhang tall, like a demonic deity.

"True Gang Formation First Transformation: Ape Transformation!"

Qin Ming rose and opened his eyes; he felt an unprecedented power filling his body.

As if with a single gesture, he could move mountains and fill seas.

He leapt into the air, vanished from his spot, flew for a stick of incense, and found a lifeless, barren island.

Qin Ming immediately activated the First Transformation of True Gang Formation—the colossal crimson mountain ape shadow appeared, mirroring his every movement.

He clenched his fist and slammed it down upon a mountain peak! Boom! Boom! The crimson ape shadow punched—flattening the entire peak instantly! Qin Ming's expression thrilled with excitement; he clenched his fist—what terrifying power!

With this technique, even facing a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he now had means of self-preservation.

Yet, after delivering that punch, Qin Ming instantly felt a vacuum within his body—his blood qi seemed drained completely.

"I didn't expect even the First Transformation of True Gang Formation would consume such immense blood qi," Qin Ming muttered, pale and drained.

But he had the Citiao —later, he could store several 【Blood Qi Crystals】 Citiao to instantly restore his state.

That way, he could activate it multiple times.

Qin Ming familiarized himself with the True Gang Formation state, then returned to Wangyue Island.

With his strength greatly enhanced, Qin Ming was in excellent spirits.

He instructed Mu Ruyin to prepare several fine dishes, then took out two jin of spiritual energy Rice and had her cook them together.

When Wu Jiang and Mu Ruyin heard Qin Ming say they'd be eating spiritual energy Rice—even Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't afford it—they were more excited than their two children.

Soon, Mu Ruyin prepared a full table of exquisite dishes, and Qin Ming ate with great relish.

Wu Jiang and his wife barely touched the dishes; after finishing the spiritual energy Rice, both turned rosy-faced and retired to their room to refine spiritual energy.

Wu Jiang and his wife barely ate any dishes; after finishing the spiritual energy rice, both turned rosy-faced and retired to their room to refine the spiritual energy.

The next day.

Qin Ming, as usual, wanted to check the condition of his two beast companions.

Boom! At that moment,

A massive spiritual energy vortex rapidly formed above Wangyue Island.

This celestial phenomenon drew the attention of all Wu family members working on the island—they assumed their master was cultivating some powerful technique.

Only Wu Jiang's face showed shock as he murmured: "This… this is the spiritual energy phenomenon of a beast breaking through to second-stage Foundation Establishment Great Beast!"

"Could it be… Qin's Blackwater Crocodile…"

"Could it be that Qin's friend's Xuan Shui Eel..."

Qin Ming's face broke into a smile; he flew to the Blackwater Crocodile's side, eagerly watching its breakthrough.

Qin Ming also showed a hint of delight, flying over to the Xuan Shui Eel and watching eagerly as it broke through.

As vast waves of spiritual energy poured into its body, the Blackwater Crocodile's aura surged rapidly.

More than an hour passed.

Only when the Blackwater Crocodile's aura stabilized at the Foundation Establishment stage did the surge cease.

But it wasn't over yet.

The spiritual energy vortex above Wangyue Island began to dissipate, replaced by a mass of black thunderclouds gathering directly above the Blackwater Crocodile.

This was the heavenly tribulation a first-stage beast must endure to ascend to second-stage Foundation Establishment Great Beast.

Unlike humans, beasts face far greater difficulty with each advancement—starting at second-stage, they must endure heavenly tribulation, whose power is not to be underestimated.

Whether it could transcend its mortal form and become a great beast, live or die, depended on this single crucial step.

Whether it can shed its mortal form and become a great demon, life or death, hinges on this most crucial step.

(End of Chapter)