Chapter 177: Handling Logistics

The moment the formation was completed.

A profound spiritual aura surged up on Moon Gazing Island, resonating with the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

From now on, Moon Gazing Island truly possessed the bearing of a great island.

"This third-tier middle-grade great formation of Lei Yuanzong is truly worth every penny! Excellent, excellent!" Qin Ming stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the formation in the sky above, and smiled faintly.

The members of the Wu family also noticed this phenomenon; they all curiously watched the huge turtle-shell-shaped light curtain in the firmament, exclaiming in astonishment.

"Alas! Who would have thought that after living so long, this old man is experiencing the protection of a third-tier great formation for the first time in his life; this life has been worth it, hahaha!" exclaimed Wu Hanyuan, the clan head of the Wu family.

Wu Jiang chuckled and said, "How about it, Father? My choice back then wasn't wrong, was it!"

"If I hadn't stubbornly insisted on venturing into the Cloud Desolate Great Marsh, I wouldn't have encountered Daoist Friend Qin."

"Back then, I used my sharp insight to judge that Daoist Friend Qin was by no means an ordinary person and would sooner or later soar to the heavens in a single flight; just look at Moon Gazing Island now—not only has the spiritual vein improved, but even a third-tier middle-grade great formation has been set up."

"Nowadays, even Fengqi Island, the headquarters of the San Alliance, cannot compare to this place, hehehe!"

"Mm, I saw potential in you since you were small."

"From today onward, Moon Gazing Island can be considered truly impregnable."

Two days later.

Qin Ming was sitting in meditation and cultivating within his cave dwelling.

Suddenly!

He abruptly opened his eyes.

Above Moon Gazing Island, a demonic wind swept through.

Dozens of black demonic birds circled within the clouds above; the aura of three or four of these demonic birds had already reached the early second-tier stage, while the rest were at the mid-to-late first-tier stage.

The members of the Wu family also discovered these terrifying demonic beasts; they were merely small Qi Condensation cultivators, and although they had the protection of a third-tier great formation, they still couldn't help but reveal panic in their eyes at the true prospect of encountering a beast tide.

"No need to be nervous; these are just some stray fish passing by, likely trying to bypass the San Alliance's defensive line to enter the interior of the Spirit Perch Archipelago."

Qin Ming glanced up at the sky and said with a calm expression.

Down below, the Profound Water Crocodile and the Silver-Winged Frost Bees were already eager to try, but Qin Ming told them not to move yet.

If they killed the demonic birds above, it might attract an even larger scale of demonic beast clans, turning Moon Gazing Island into a battlefield, which would be disastrous.

As expected, that group of demonic beasts circled in the air for half a day; unable to see through the pink mist below, they dared not approach.

Thus, they continued flying away toward the southern region.

Three months after the beast tide arrived.

Shadows of some demonic beasts also began to appear on the outskirts of the Spirit Perch Archipelago.

The signs of the beast tide's outbreak had actually begun appearing several years ago.

Back when Lü Liang was still leading the Scout Camp, he had already detected that the demonic beasts in the Beast Roar Mountain Range were beginning to show frequent abnormal movements.

Coupled with the later revenge expedition launched by the Heavy-Eyed Demon Ape clan against the Spirit Perch Archipelago, the contradiction between the demonic beasts and the human race was completely ignited.

From news transmitted by Auntie Long of the Mirror Snow Pavilion, Qin Ming learned that the scale of this beast tide would likely surpass imagination.

For instance, Canghai Xiancheng and the large sects of the Immortal Realm had already issued a massive number of missions, calling on their disciples and rogue cultivators to go to the front lines to hunt demonic beasts.

Moreover, countless demon-hunting cultivators hoping to rely on slaying demonic beasts to obtain materials and grow rich were emerging one after another.

Besides guarding the defensive lines and hunting demonic beasts, there were also logistical cultivators in the rear utilizing demonic beast materials to refine talismans, pills, magical treasures, and other myriad arts of cultivation; these cultivators would also receive rewards greater than usual.

Although Qin Ming preferred to stay in his corner and had no intention of going to the front lines to fight demonic beasts, after communicating with the people of the San Alliance, he agreed to intermittently refine and provide some wartime necessity pills.

In this way, he was also contributing his share to the Immortal Realm of the Spirit Perch Archipelago.

After all, if the demonic beasts truly occupied the Spirit Perch Archipelago, then his place would truly become an isolated island.

Another two months passed.

News came from the front lines that this beast tide was no small matter; even the Tianhe Market and several Foundation Establishment spiritual island families had been breached and swallowed by the beast tide.

Resources on the market such as talismans, pills, magical treasures, formations, and spiritual rice were seeing across-the-board continuous price increases.

Especially healing and life-preserving supplies were extremely scarce, having risen more than tenfold from their usual prices, yet supply still failed to meet demand.

The Golden Spirit Rice, Beast Tooth Rice, Five-Colored Rice, and a small portion of Spirit Perch Rice that Qin Ming originally had in stock had recently seen intensified consumption, with part of them sold to the San Alliance.

Fortunately, with the Wu family farming on Moon Gazing Island, the stockpile of spiritual rice was still considerable.

In addition, using the demonic beast materials provided by the San Alliance, Qin Ming also refined quite a few healing-type pills and a small quantity of second-tier spiritual pills, subsequently selling them all to the Alliance.

He hadn't expected that the arrival of the beast tide would instead allow him, a homebound rogue cultivator, to make a huge fortune.

The intensity of the beast tide's outbreak far exceeded the expectations of the San Alliance's high command; within just a few short months, their reserve of pill resources was nearly exhausted.

In the face of a natural disaster and calamity of this magnitude, wanting to remain untouched and safe was still very difficult.

Even Lei Yuanzong and Lingyu Gate, whose conflict had escalated to the point of being like water and fire, had to lower their flags and cease hostilities, temporarily setting aside their mutual grievances to deal with the beast tide first.

On this day.

Just as Qin Ming was about to go tend to his spiritual fields, a message arrived via the communication talisman on his person.

Upon opening it, he saw that people from the Seventy-Two Islands San Alliance had come to purchase pills again.

So he put down the spiritual hoe in his hand, flew out, and left Moon Gazing Island.

Several San Alliance dharma boats were hovering and docked near Moon Gazing Island.

Seeing Qin Ming emerge, an old man in gray robes on the main vessel hurriedly came forward to greet him; this person possessed mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, yet he still respectfully bowed to Qin Ming, saying, "Daoist Friend Qin, the battle situation at the front is truly critical; compelled by necessity, this old man must trouble Daoist Friend Qin to refine another batch of spiritual pills."

This gray-robed old man was named Zhou Ping, one of the newly promoted elders within the San Alliance.

"Daoist Friend Zhou need not be so polite; I happen to have just refined several batches of Spring-Returning Pills, Recovery Pills, and Genxue Pills, and was just about to have Wu Jiang deliver them to you, never expecting you to arrive just in time." Qin Ming smiled slightly, patted his storage bag, and took out dozens of bottles of pills, containing everything from combat-type, recovery-type, to life-preserving types.

Hearing this, Zhou Ping was overjoyed and sincerely thanked Qin Ming: "Thank you, Daoist Friend Qin! For our Spirit Perch Archipelago to produce a master of the Dao of Pills and a master of spiritual planting who possesses both virtue and talent like yourself is truly a great fortune!"

"If it weren't for you, fetching these pills would require us to take a long detour to Canghai Xiancheng; not only would we face countless threats from demonic beasts along the way, but it would also waste time and effort, stretching our supply lines."

"You don't know that some other Immortal Cities, precisely because they failed to receive these emergency resource supplies in time, saw their walls breached and their people perish—a tragedy beyond description, alas!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhou need not be polite; Qin Mou is merely contributing a meager effort." Qin Ming waved his hand as he spoke. Zhou Ping put away the pills, then took out a thick bag of spirit stones from his storage pouch and handed it to Qin Ming, saying, "Fellow Daoist Qin, please check if this amount of spirit stones is sufficient?"

Qin Ming took the bag of spirit stones, sensed it slightly, a smile touching the corners of his mouth, and stored it away without even looking.

"These spirit stones are more than enough."

The people of the San Alliance were indeed quite sincere; for this batch of pills alone, they paid him over two hundred mid-grade spirit stones, equivalent to more than twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones.

Subsequently, Zhou Ping handed Qin Ming a pile of demonic beast flesh and blood materials, commissioning him to refine some more pills when he had free time.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, this old one has duties to attend to; the battle situation ahead is critical, so I must return immediately and cannot linger any longer," Zhou Ping said, cupping his fists.

"Mm."

Suddenly!

Just as Qin Ming was about to bid farewell to Zhou Ping and the others, his divine sense stirred! He detected that in the sky ten li away, over a hundred demonic birds were sweeping down toward this place like an overwhelming tide.

This group of demonic beasts must have been targeting Zhou Ping's fleet for quite some time; they were all lurking between the cloud layers, their tracks extremely hidden and difficult to detect.

The leading demonic beast had a wingspan of fully seven or eight zhang, with layers of silver lightning swirling around its double wings; it was unmistakably a second-stage late-period Lei Peng.

"Don't move yet!" Qin Ming frowned slightly and hastily called out to stop Zhou Ping and the others.

A trace of confusion flashed across Zhou Ping's face first, but he still plastered on a smile and asked, "Fellow Daoist Qin, is there something else?"

"Tell your people to prepare for battle immediately!"

"A flock of flying demonic beasts is heading this way; they are likely targeting you," Qin Ming said quickly, his expression grave.

"Ah?" Zhou Ping's expression turned utterly stunned.

He hastily extended his divine sense to scout around, but needless to say about demonic beasts, he couldn't even find a single hair of one.

Yet Fellow Daoist Qin would absolutely not joke about such matters; could it be... that his divine sense far surpassed his own, which was at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment? Although it was often said that the divine sense of a Grandmaster of the Dao of Pills tended to be higher than that of ordinary cultivators, he hadn't expected Fellow Daoist Qin's divine sense to be so absurdly strong.

At this moment, there was no time for him to wander in thought; Zhou Ping immediately flew back onto the ship, circulated his magic power, and shouted loudly, "Beast attack! Approaching this location immediately! Everyone prepare to engage!"

In an instant.

The cultivators on the three Dharma Boats, each facing a great enemy, began filling the spirit-energy cannons with spirit stones under the command of their officers.

The battle cultivators with higher cultivation bases all stationed themselves at the bows, taking out their magical artifacts, ready to compete with the demonic beasts.

"Alas!"

Seeing their posture, Qin Ming couldn't help but shake his head.

The cultivators on these several Dharma Ships were basically mostly at the Qi Condensation stage; including Zhou Ping, there were only three combatants at the Foundation Establishment stage, which probably wouldn't even be enough to fill the teeth of that second-stage late-period Lei Peng... Very soon, in less than half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

In the distant firmament, a black-pressing horde of demonic beasts, their demonic qi soaring to the heavens, dense and numerous like dark clouds pressing down, swept toward this place.

Seeing such a scene, the people of the San Alliance unconsciously underwent a drastic change in complexion.

And when Zhou Ping detected the presence of that Lei Peng.

His entire face turned pale, and his heart instantly sank to the bottom.

Yet as an Elder of the San Alliance, at this critical juncture, he did not lose his composure; instead, he remained fearless in the face of danger and began deploying his troops in an orderly fashion.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, please hurry back inside the island to take shelter; we will hold the line here," Zhou Ping urgently sent a message to Qin Ming.

A few breaths later.

The San Alliance fleet engaged the attacking demonic beasts; for a moment, colorful spells suddenly bloomed in the sky above Wangyue Lake.

Screech! Suddenly, a fierce demonic wind arose; after a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, a massive Lei Peng, its body wrapped in silver lightning, spread its pair of wings to blot out the sun and sky, abruptly appearing directly above the several warships.

At the same time.

The oppressive pressure of a second-stage late-period great demon distinctly descended!

The spirit-energy cannons on the Dharma Ships bombarded the Lei Peng, but it felt as if they were merely scratching an itch; seeing silver arcs of lightning flicker around its body, it easily blocked all these spells.

As the Lei Peng waved its double wings, it released countless arcs of lightning; several San Alliance cultivators were struck by the lightning, instantly blasted into countless chunks of blood and flesh, falling from the sky.

Its offspring behind it let out sharp screeches, diving down one after another to quickly devour all this flesh and blood until nothing remained.

"Oh no! It's a second-stage late-period great demon!"

"We're finished!"

"!!!"

Seeing this, the cultivators on the Dharma Ships were each filled with gloom and despair, sighing endlessly.

Qin Ming knew that these people from the San Alliance were absolutely no match for this group of demonic beasts; he secretly thought, "Never mind, I happen to lack some materials for pill refining; I'll just use this Lei Peng's flesh and blood for refining."

Immediately, he moved his mind and contacted the Black Water Crocodile.

"You blockhead! Come out and work; this Lei Peng's demon core is yours."

Roar! Just as the people of the San Alliance were utterly despairing, a giant roar echoed between heaven and earth.

Splash!

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn over, only to see a giant crocodile demonic beast, its body reaching twenty zhang in length, suddenly burst forth from the bottom of Wangyue Lake, churning up towering waves and emitting an even more terrifying aura.

The people of the San Alliance were terrified, "How can there be another great demon below?!"

Immediately, they were about to turn their cannons and fire at the Black Water Crocodile.

Qin Ming hastily stopped them, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, this Black Water Crocodile is my spiritual pet; it has come to lend you a helping hand."

"Ah?"

"Oh, oh, oh!"

"Everyone stop! This is Fellow Daoist Qin's spiritual pet; it is here to help us."

The Black Water Crocodile's pair of vertical pupils were cold and ruthless, staring intently at that second-stage late-period Lei Peng.

It drooled shamefully.

Immediately, it roared toward the sky, then whipped its body around and pounced straight at Lei Pengfei!

(End of Chapter)