Chapter 181: The True Person of Canghai

Enter the hall.

Qin Ming looked up and saw a female cultivator clad in a green Daoist robe, her high crown binding her hair in a simple style, her appearance preserved in middle age, though in truth she was likely several hundred years old.

The person before him was the True Person of Canghai—Nalan Xi.

She was also one of the vital pillars that had allowed this Canghai Immortal City to stand firm for so many years at the crossroads of the four nations.

Nalan Xi's face was lovely, still radiating grace, with no excess adornments; her cultivation aura was completely contained, making her seem like an ordinary person, utterly inscrutable.

Yet the moment Qin Ming laid eyes on her, he felt a profound sense of unease.

"Greetings, True Person!"

After entering the hall, Qin Ming bowed deeply.

"No need for such formalities."

Nalan Xi smiled faintly and gestured with her hand: "Young Master Qin, please be seated and have some spirit tea."

She had long heard of Qin Ming, after all—he was a free cultivator capable of refining Foundation Establishment pills.

Before he even entered the hall, she had already reviewed every scroll detailing his origins.

He began as a conscripted servant of his clan, laboring as a spirit farmer cultivating spirit rice, gradually rising to become a second-rank spirit planter, leaving Lingyu Gate, then dominating the spiritual energy Archipelago, seizing Wangyue Island, withdrawing into seclusion, living in peace with the world, cultivating only spirit plants on the island—her investigation had been exceedingly thorough.

His origins were clean; he was no fugitive cultivator.

On the contrary, he was a man of arduous perseverance, devoted to quiet cultivation.

She had just observed Qin Ming and realized this young man was truly extraordinary—his magic power was extraordinarily dense, far surpassing cultivators of his own realm, already comparable to a Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator, likely on the verge of breakthrough.

'To reach this level with four-element spiritual roots is quite remarkable.'

After sitting down, Qin Ming appeared somewhat restrained; he could already guess the reason she had summoned him.

"Young Master Qin, in the recent trial of the Plant Illusion, the spirit plant you cultivated was the third-rank Fire-Resistant Golden Lotus, correct?" True Person Nalan Xi said with a faint smile.

Qin Ming had just felt a spiritual sense sweep over him, and every hair on his body stood on end.

"Reporting to the elder, yes, that was it—I merely got lucky." Qin Ming knew he could not hide anything from a Jin Dan True Person, so he openly admitted it.

Nalan Xi nodded kindly. "Excellent! Your skill in spirit planting is truly rare."

"Among all the cultivators I know, none have ever grown this spirit plant."

"With your level of skill in spirit planting, becoming a third-rank spirit planter is merely a matter of time."

Qin Ming silently thought: it seemed the True Person of Canghai had already marked him as a reserve for third-rank spirit planting.

Hence her elevated regard—otherwise, he would never have been allowed into this hall today.

"True Person, you flatter me. The path of third-rank spirit planting is profound and mysterious; I am still merely groping in the dark." Qin Ming replied with modest restraint.

Next,

After conversing with Qin Ming for a while, Nalan Xi spoke: "Young Master Qin, you possess exceptional talent in both spirit planting and alchemy, and you are a free cultivator. I wish to invite you to become a patron of Canghai Immortal City. What do you say?"

"I can specially allocate to you a third-rank spirit vein cave dwelling and spirit fields beneath Canghai Peak, for your daily cultivation and spirit planting."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming's spirit instantly sharpened.

A cave dwelling and spirit fields within a third-rank spirit vein—such generous terms would make any other cultivator leap to accept immediately.

Though Qin Ming was deeply tempted, he could not accept.

Living beneath the eyes of a Jin Dan True Person carried immense risk of exposing his secrets.

Moreover, his root spirit plant still took hold on Wangyue Island; though the Longevity Vine could conceal itself, whether it could hide from a Jin Dan True Person remained uncertain.

His own Wangyue Island, though only a second-rank middle-grade spirit vein, was still an isolated cultivation haven; after reinforcing its defenses, its safety was no worse than Canghai Immortal City.

"Thank you for your kindness, Elder, but I am accustomed to a free and idle life—I have no desire to join any faction. I still prefer the life of farming on the island."

After hesitating briefly, Qin Ming politely declined the True Person of Canghai.

Nalan Xi had not expected Qin Ming to refuse her invitation.

Yet she had heard rumors—he had once refused Lingyu Gate's entreaties to stay, choosing instead to come to the spiritual energy Archipelago.

After achieving Foundation Establishment, he had likewise turned down overtures from many large factions nearby.

Clearly, this young man disliked constraint; his demeanor of calm detachment revealed as much.

Any cultivator who reached such mastery in the hundred arts inevitably carried some eccentricity. She thought for a moment, then spoke: "Pity. Since Young Master Qin's aspirations lie elsewhere, I will not press you."

As she spoke, a gilded token appeared in her hand; with a flick of her fingers, it flew and hovered before Qin Ming.

Qin Ming took the token and saw, engraved in gold script, the two characters: "Canghai."

"Elder, what is this?"

"This is the Canghai Token. It grants access to the core zones beneath the main peak, beyond the inner and outer cities," Nalan Xi explained calmly.

Qin Ming naturally understood the token's value—this meant he would now have access to the most central areas of Canghai Peak: the third-rank earth-fire vein, the breakthrough meditation chambers, high-grade trading halls, and more.

Yet he also knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.

The True Person of Canghai would not do this without conditions.

"Thank you for this generous gift, Elder. What service can I render in return?" Qin Ming rose and bowed.

Nalan Xi smiled faintly at his perceptiveness. "I do have a favor to ask of you, Young Master Qin."

With a flick of her slender hand, she produced a long, exquisitely crafted jade box—clearly of exceptional quality.

She gently opened the lid, revealing a spirit plant shaped like a ginseng; instantly, a rich earth-yellow spiritual aura flowed from within.

Even from afar, Qin Ming could sense the astonishing spiritual energy radiating from the plant.

Yet when he extended his spiritual sense for a closer look, he noticed its spiritual essence was damaged—the roots had been forcibly broken off.

After retrieving this item, Nalan Xi fell silent, as if testing Qin Ming.

"Elder, is this perhaps the third-rank low-grade spirit plant, Hualing Yao Cao?" Qin Ming thought briefly, then spoke without hesitation.

Nalan Xi's eyes brightened with admiration. "Correct! It is indeed this spirit herb. I did not expect Young Master Qin to be so well-versed—even in such obscure spirit plants."

Qin Ming had learned of it from the third-rank spirit planter's legacy.

Though Hualing Yao Cao was a third-rank spirit plant, it held little use for cultivators—but for beasts, it was a heavenly treasure.

This spirit plant could heal severe beast injuries, and every ten years bore several beast fruits, enabling beasts to surge in cultivation and strengthen their foundations.

It was regarded as a rare treasure by beast-taming sects.

A single third-rank Hualing Yao Cao, if properly used, could even nurture a high-rank beast.

"Not to hide anything from you, Young Master Qin, recently during my battle with that demon monkey, one of my spirit companions was gravely wounded, damaging its foundation."

"Unless Hualing Yao fruits are used in medicine, it cannot fully heal—it will permanently hinder its future potential."

"That spirit companion has served me for many years; I cannot bear to see it wasted."

"Therefore, I entrust you with reviving this Hualing Yao Cao and cultivating its beast fruits."

Nalan Xi made this request with utmost sincerity.

(End of Chapter)