Chapter 173: Primordial Breath Soil

Qin Ming circled around outside a few times, and after confirming no one was following him, he immediately rode his escape light, vanishing from the sky in an instant.

However, he did not rush to fly toward Moon-Watching Island, but instead headed toward a nearby city.

This city was located near the Fangcun Mountain Market, not too far away, and was named Jialing City.

Qin Ming had also come to Fangcun Mountain this time, and suddenly remembered something: back when he was still in the Cloud Wilderness Great Marsh at the Qingyang Market, he had made a deal with Feng Yuan, promising to look after his descendants.

At that time, Feng Yuan had used the Foundation Establishment spiritual item 'Heavenly Fire Spiritual Liquid' to exchange with Qin Ming.

Furthermore, he had finally revealed the hiding place of the beast-skin map, which was how Qin Ming unexpectedly obtained the Devouring Spirit Poisonous Flame and the subsequent cultivation method of the 'Hundred Treasures Glazed Sutra'.

It could be said that he owed this to Fellow Daoist Feng Yuan; otherwise, it would have been truly difficult for him to reach his current situation.

Before his death, Feng Yuan had instructed that his clansmen were located within this Jialing City.

Since Qin Ming was passing through this area, he decided to fulfill his past promise right then and there, settling this karmic tie.

Qin Ming transformed into a burly man with a curly beard, then landed near a small grove of trees outside Jialing City.

He adjusted the aura of his magic power on his body to the late Qi Condensation stage, nodded in satisfaction, and walked toward Jialing City.

This small city was not large in scale; mortals even lived inside it. Qin Ming swept it with his divine sense and discovered that the cultivator with the highest cultivation base in the city was merely at the late Qi Condensation stage.

Inside Jialing City, restaurants stood in rows like forests, banners fluttered, pedestrians and carriages on the roads were endless, and various small stall vendors shouted enthusiastically; although the city was small, it possessed all the vital organs, with stalls of diverse goods filling the view.

The snacks by the roadside emitted aromas that whetted the appetite, filled with the smoke and fire of the mortal world.

Qin Ming wandered around for a while, then arrived in front of a residence, where several children were playing and frolicking just outside the gate.

As soon as they looked up, they spotted a fierce-looking burly man with a curly beard walking toward them.

Immediately, they scrambled back into the courtyard like a wisp of smoke. Qin Ming touched his own face and couldn't help but mutter, "Am I that scary?"

He stepped forward and knocked on the courtyard gate; after a moment, a middle-aged cultivator came out to open it, whose appearance was quite similar to the Feng brothers.

Qin Ming casually swept a glance at the other party and discovered he was merely a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator.

Upon coming out and seeing the visitor, the middle-aged cultivator realized the other party was a deep-cultivated late-stage Qi Condensation expert; he quickly cupped his hands in salute and said, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist. May I ask what brings you to my humble home?"

"Heh! Is this the Feng family that relocated from Jiangdong? What is Feng Yuan and Feng Fan to you?" Qin Ming asked in a muffled voice.

As soon as these words were spoken, the expression of the middle-aged cultivator opposite him instantly became excited, and he hurriedly asked, "Does Fellow Daoist know news of our clan uncles?"

To tell the truth, over these years, the remaining clansmen of the Feng family had been investigating news of their two clan uncles, but until now, there had been no word whatsoever.

They never expected that today, news would be delivered right to their doorstep.

"Mm, my surname is Long; I am an old acquaintance of the two Feng brothers, and our friendship was quite good," Qin Ming nodded noncommittally.

"Then please, come in quickly; I am Feng Sihai."

Hearing this, the middle-aged cultivator was overjoyed; he reached out and welcomed Qin Ming into the courtyard.

The Feng family's courtyard was quite spacious, and the family was rather prosperous; when the clansmen inside saw their clan leader respectfully leading a stranger in, they all revealed curious expressions.

Feng Sihai welcomed Qin Ming to the inner hall, then summoned several other direct-line clansmen, including men, women, the elderly, and the young; having heard that there was news of their two elders, they all gathered in the hall, their eyes revealing anticipation as they gazed at Qin Ming.

Seeing this setup, Qin Ming momentarily did not know how to begin speaking.

Finally, he sighed and said, "Both Fellow Daoists Feng have already perished; this is the handwritten letter Fellow Daoist Feng Yuan entrusted to me before his death to deliver to you."

"What?!"

"The two clan uncles have perished?"

"This..."

This news struck the Feng family like a bolt from the blue; many of the clansmen present could not accept it for a moment and immediately began to sob and whimper softly on the spot.

Feng Sihai himself was as if struck by lightning; his face turned pale. He had originally thought that there was finally news of his two clan uncles, never expecting that what awaited them was such tragic tidings! With some disbelief, he took the letter from Qin Ming's hand, then with trembling hands opened it to look; indeed, it was undoubtedly the handwriting of his clan uncle Feng Yuan.

"Fellow Daoist Feng, please restrain your grief," Qin Ming comforted the other party, sensing the sorrowful atmosphere in the main hall.

"Fellow Daoist Long, could you inform us how these two clan uncles perished?"

Hearing this, Qin Ming proceeded to tell the Feng family everything about how the Feng brothers had met with misfortune while exploring an ancient ruin.

"Alas! It was timing, it was fate!"

"I had long advised the two clan uncles not to always take such huge risks, going out to hunt demons and seek opportunities."

"There is always a time when even a good horse stumbles; who would have thought this wasn't... Alas!"

Qin Ming did not intend to linger here long, so he continued speaking: "Before departing, Fellow Daoist Feng Yuan made a transaction with me; I have come this time to repay his kindness."

"You may choose any one item from cultivation resources: pills, cultivation methods, magical treasures, or spiritual materials are all acceptable; or you may make a reasonable request, provided it is within my, Long's, capabilities."

Hearing this, Feng Sihai was momentarily stunned; he had already secretly observed this Fellow Daoist Long earlier and realized his cultivation and strength were unfathomable, by no means those of an ordinary cultivator. After pondering for a while, he decisively asked, "In that case, I, Feng, have an impertinent request: among these young descendants of our clan, are there any worthy in the eyes of Fellow Daoist Long?"

"I am by nature free-spirited and dislike taking disciples; please choose another," Qin Ming quickly waved his hand and said.

"Uh..."

"Then, may I ask what Clan Uncle Feng Yuan used back then to exchange for this favor with Fellow Daoist Long? This will help me gauge its value," Feng Sihai said after thinking for a moment.

Qin Ming did not hide the truth: "It was a Foundation Establishment spiritual item, the Heavenly Fire Spiritual Liquid." Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was shocked; they had never expected it to be such a rare cultivation resource.

"If you wish, I can likewise give you a Foundation Establishment spiritual item, however... given the Feng family's current capabilities, giving it to you would instead bring disaster; have you thought this through?"

"Additionally, I can tell you a piece of news: soon, there will be a beast calamity affecting the entire Immortal Realm of the State of Wei; you must prepare early to evacuate this place."

"It is best to relocate and reside within a large immortal cultivation city; only then will it be relatively safe."

Qin Ming said in a flat tone.

"Ah? What?! A beast calamity?"

At this, the people of the Feng family began to panic; they never expected that this Fellow Daoist Long's news items would be more explosive one after another, striking heavily upon the hearts of the Feng clansmen.

"Then, does Fellow Daoist Long have connections that could introduce us Feng family members to move into a large immortal city? I, Feng, am willing to use this condition to offset the favor transaction of my clan uncle." Facing matters of life and death, Feng Sihai still knew very well how to advance, retreat, and make choices.

Right now, the most crucial thing was to preserve one's life; what good were Foundation Establishment spiritual items, cultivation methods, or pills if one did not have a life to enjoy them!

Furthermore, residency rights in such large immortal cities were not so easy to obtain; Feng Sichai also wanted to seize this opportunity, for once this village was passed, there would be no such shop again.

Hearing this, Qin Ming pondered slightly and said, "Very well."

Subsequently, he took out a blank jade slip, wrote a letter of introduction, and handed it to Feng Sihai, instructing, "Take this object to Canghai Xiancheng and give it to the guards at the entrance; just say it is for Executive Lü."

"At that time, someone will naturally settle your clansmen."

Feng Sihai accepted the jade slip, his expression filled with excitement as he bowed deeply to Qin Ming, "Many thanks, Daoist Long! For such a great kindness, I, Feng, am endlessly grateful!"

One must know that Canghai Xiancheng is the foremost great city for rogue cultivators, a place countless people dream of; moving to such a location means safety is naturally not a major concern.

Furthermore, there would be numerous benefits for the Feng family's future development; after all, since the Feng family's primary industry is currently talisman making, they need not worry about their livelihood wherever they go.

"Daoist Feng, please hasten to organize your clansmen to depart; the beast tide will likely arrive soon."

Subsequently, Qin Ming took out two bottles of Spirit-Nurturing Pills and handed them to Feng Sihai, "Very well, now that matters are settled, I shall take my leave; if fate allows, we shall meet again!"

"It is actually Spirit-Nurturing Pills! Daoist Long, please wait a moment!" Seeing that Qin Ming was so trustworthy, not only introducing them to a place of refuge but also bestowing precious elixirs, Feng Sihai's impression of him immediately soared.

He hesitated for a moment, as if having made up his mind about something!

Hearing this, Qin Ming was slightly stunned and asked, "Does Daoist Feng have other matters?"

"Oh, Daoist Long, it is like this: some time ago, when a junior of our clan went out, they obtained an object within an abandoned cave dwelling, which is quite miraculous."

"We have studied it for a long time, yet still could not figure out what it is, nor did we dare to take it out to sell, fearing it would invite disaster."

"I will take Daoist Long over to have a look; if you find it agreeable, we can conduct another transaction while we are at it," Feng Sihai explained.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming furrowed his brows slightly, then nodded.

Subsequently, Feng Sihai led Qin Ming to a secret chamber in the rear courtyard.

After opening several hidden doors, a spacious stone room appeared before Qin Ming's eyes.

In the center of the stone room sat a stone jar, inside which flickered a faint, dark-colored glow, roughly the size of a fist.

Qin Ming stepped closer to look, and instantly his heart surged with wild joy, thinking secretly, 'It is actually Primal Breathing Earth!'

The so-called Primal Breathing Earth contains the source power of a region's spiritual soil; it is a legendary spiritual substance capable of causing spiritual soil to continuously generate and expand, and not only that, it can also enhance the fertility within the spiritual soil.

With this clump of Primal Breathing Earth, the area of spiritual fields on the island could be continuously expanded.

The value of this object could no longer be measured in spirit stones.

'I truly never expected the Feng family's fortune to be so heaven-defying, allowing them to pick up such a rare and extraordinary treasure.'

'Hehe! This clump of Primal Breathing Earth is destined to be mine by fate today!'

'Fortunately, Feng Sihai was cautious enough; once news of this object leaked, it would surely invite the calamity of clan extermination.'

On the surface, Qin Ming spoke with the calm of a still ancient well, "This object is indeed miraculous; I am indeed quite interested."

"Daoist Feng, name your price."

Feng Sihai's face lit up with joy, and he immediately cupped his fists, saying, "If Daoist Long had not arrived today to notify us, my Feng family would likely have suffered a great disaster; I leave it entirely to Daoist Long to decide."

Hearing this, Qin Ming pondered for a moment, then took out from his storage bag some cultivation methods and pills suitable for the Qi Condensation stage, along with several high-grade magical artifacts, and handed them all over to the other party.

He also promised, "If in the future a cultivator of the Feng family breaks through to the late stage of Qi Condensation, I will then present another portion of opportunity."

Feng Sihai had not expected Qin Ming to be so generous, and for a moment, he felt all sorts of gratitude and indebtedness toward him.

"Furthermore, once a beast disaster erupts, various cultivation resources will inevitably rise in price; for instance, pills, talismanic artifacts, spiritual rice, and so forth will also increase in cost, so it would be wise for you to prepare in advance."

With the transaction completed, Qin Ming gave him a few parting instructions, then, amidst the respectful farewells of the Feng family members, departed from Jialing City.

"I never expected this trip to yield such abundant gains; not only did I secure a third-grade formation, but I also happily obtained a clump of Primal Breathing Earth."

"Perhaps this will allow the area of my spiritual field island to expand once again! Hehehe!"

(End of Chapter)