Chapter 183: Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage

The conversation ended.

Qin Ming took out five intact Jade Flower Spirit Lotus plants, along with some Spirit Rice and Spirit Focus Tea, and entrusted Gu Qingzhao to send them all to Su Yuqing.

"What about me?" Huangfu Qi gazed at Qin Ming with hopeful eyes.

Qin Ming smiled slightly. "Naturally, Huangfu Daoist won't be left out."

He then took out another hundred jin of Spirit Rice and two Rice Blossom Spirit Fish, selling them to Huangfu Qi.

Huangfu Qi was powerful in both cultivation and combat; cultivating goodwill with him was no bad thing.

Now that Qin Ming possessed the Everlasting Vine, he could live for a very long time, so his current principle was to build as many good connections as possible.

"Hehehe, Qin Daoist is truly considerate. If that's the case, I suppose you don't lack spirit stones either."

"Then let me exchange this with you—what do you think?" Huangfu Qi pulled out a yellow jade slip from his storage pouch and smiled as he handed it to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming took the jade slip in confusion, sent out his spiritual sense to probe it, and his expression instantly brightened.

The words "Floating Light Illusion Technique" appeared before Qin Ming's eyes.

It was a burst-energy secret art that could unleash an extremely swift escape speed for a brief time.

At advanced stages, the speed boost, depending on the cultivator's condition, could reach two to three times their original velocity.

Given Qin Ming's current speed, if he mastered this secret art, even at Foundation Establishment early stage, he could achieve a speed rivaling Foundation Establishment late stage.

Of course, according to the technique's description, once activated, the magic power consumption would multiply drastically, and it could not be sustained for long—otherwise, exhaustion of magic power would be disastrous.

Yet for Qin Ming, whose magic power was extraordinarily abundant, this was still a powerful secret art.

After considering it, Qin Ming decided the item was well worth it; though he already had Silver-Winged Frost Bees for transportation, who would ever refuse an extra life-saving trump card? "Deal, Huangfu Daoist." He immediately completed the exchange.

Next,

Qin Ming entrusted Gu Qingzhao to sell some of the elixirs he had recently crafted.

Most were second-rank low-grade elixirs for Foundation Establishment cultivators, with a few second-rank mid-grade ones.

Gu Qingzhao and Liao the Shopkeeper were delighted; with this batch of second-rank elixirs, they could now command respect.

The development momentum of Jingxue Pavilion was growing stronger by the day.

"Gu Daoist, please keep an eye out for any news regarding third-rank spirit seeds or spirit plants."

"Of course. If I come across any, I'll have Long Yi notify Qin Daoist immediately." Gu Qingzhao well understood that after Qin Ming advanced to second-rank high-grade spirit cultivator, he would inevitably aim higher.

Yet third-rank spirit plants were exceedingly rare—even in Canghai Xiancheng, let alone the entire Wei Kingdom's cultivation world.

After the banquet ended,

Qin Ming exchanged a few words with Chen Qiaoling on spirit plant cultivation.

Then he rose and took his leave from everyone.

For he had important matters to attend to.

…

Outside Canghai Xiancheng, Qin Ming summoned his Silver-Winged Frost Bees and sped back toward Wangyue Island at a blinding pace.

On the return journey, no complications arose—no hero rescuing a maiden, no ambushes or bandits. Qin Ming simply returned to his stronghold.

He opened the Mist Illusion Array and flew toward the island.

After landing, he released the Xuan Shui Crocodile, which had been whining to go out with him but had been cooped up in the spirit beast pouch for days—likely never wanting to leave again.

The Wu family members were busy tending the spirit fields; upon seeing Qin Ming return, they all looked up.

Qin Ming greeted Wu Jiang, then returned to his cave dwelling on the main peak.

This trip had been quite fruitful; the most significant gain—the Wanmu Mother Qi—had yielded nearly half a bottle, dozens of strands in total.

His life-vine, the Everlasting Vine, should now grow considerably.

Most crucially, he sensed his abundant magic power was beginning to show signs of breakthrough.

It would surely happen today.

Yet he did not rush to feed the Everlasting Vine; instead, he first cooked a pot of premium Spirit Rice and ate it, then drank a large bowl of Rice Blossom Spirit Fish soup. Since he intended to break through, he would do so with the most stable approach.

Only then did Qin Ming approach the Everlasting Vine, opened the jade bottle in his hand, and poured nearly half of the Wanmu Mother Qi onto it.

Whoosh! Instantly, the Everlasting Vine emitted a soft glow, and countless new vines sprouted rapidly. Silver runes began swirling and dancing around the entire spirit plant.

In Qin Ming's vision, nourished by the Wanmu Mother Qi, his life-vine, the Everlasting Vine, surged upward by several zhang in height.

Spiritual aura overflowed from the vines; intricate silver spiritual patterns glowed across its surface.

Immediately, a vast torrent of plant essence and temporal power flowed from the Everlasting Vine, continuously surging into Qin Ming's body.

Qin Ming activated the "Ancient Tree Everlasting Technique," circled his meridians, and cultivated the "Ancient Tree Everlasting Body."

Boom! A faint silver rune flew from his third eye, forming behind him into a silver phantom of the Everlasting Vine.

Qin Ming himself seemed to transform into an ancient tree, standing timeless between heaven and earth, resonating with his life-vine.

Profound insights continuously flooded his mind.

The silver phantom of the Everlasting Vine behind him absorbed the temporal energy, growing taller and taller, reaching eight to ten zhang in height within moments.

In an instant,

The spiritual energy in heaven and earth, through Qin Ming's spiritual roots, increased its conversion efficiency by another full fold.

Several hours later, the cultivation progress of the Ancient Tree Everlasting Body surged directly to halfway completed.

Whoosh! Qin Ming's emerald liquid magic power gathered increasingly dense, expanding from a small pond into a vast lake within his dantian.

At this moment, Qin Ming shifted his intent.

The 【High-Efficiency Purification】 word-leaf vanished from his spiritual sea; a wondrous five-colored aura descended upon him, entered his body, and began purifying the emerald liquid magic power.

Time passed slowly.

After consuming five 【High-Efficiency Purification】 word-leaves, Qin Ming's emerald liquid magic power had become utterly pure, free of even the faintest impurity.

As external spiritual energy continued to be refined into liquid magic power, the storage capacity of his dantian expanded to the absolute limit achievable at Foundation Establishment early stage by the "Ancient Tree Everlasting Technique."

Boom! Under the immense external spiritual pressure, Qin Ming sensed, in some deep, intuitive way, that he had shattered a barrier—his magic power lake instantly filled completely with exquisitely pure emerald liquid magic power.

At this moment, he had successfully broken through, becoming a Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator.

Qin Ming closed his eyes and cultivated, stabilizing his new realm.

He now resembled an evergreen ancient tree, his surrounding magic power radiating vibrant life, the ebb and flow of time, carrying a faint, herbal fragrance.

After a long while,

Qin Ming opened his pitch-black eyes, feeling an indescribable sense of physical and spiritual ease.

"This breakthrough, aided by the Ancient Tree Everlasting Body, felt as natural as water flowing downhill. My Foundation Establishment mid-stage magic power has been purified, and I didn't even need a breakthrough pill."

"Though my spiritual roots are mediocre, with the Ancient Tree Everlasting Body's enhancement, the old bottlenecks and constraints have vanished."

Moreover, upon reaching Foundation Establishment mid-stage, Qin Ming's lifespan increased by another thirty years.

Normally, minor realm breakthroughs did not grant such substantial lifespan gains.

But Qin Ming cultivated the Ancient Tree Everlasting Technique, and had the Everlasting Vine's blessing.

Qin Ming extended his spiritual sense to check—what he saw made him jump.

His spiritual sense now covered a fifteen-li radius, rivaling that of a Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator! Then he turned his spiritual sense inward to his dantian.

"When I was at Foundation Establishment early stage, my liquid magic power already far surpassed peers, rivaling Foundation Establishment mid-stage."

"Now, after breaking through to Foundation Establishment mid-stage, my magic power has surged several-fold, forming a lake—and its purity far exceeds that of any peer. Even compared to late-stage sect prodigies who cultivate top-tier techniques, I am no less."

"In fact, I'm even stronger."

"Sigh~ There's nothing quite like overwhelming with realm!"

"With my powerful body cultivation technique and such potent, pure magic power, effortlessly crushing late-stage sect prodigies should be no problem, hehehe!"

"Still, now that I have five hundred years of lifespan, I should remain low-key. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid making enemies."

"For me, building good connections and steadily tending my cultivation is the path to immortality."

"But those I've written down in my little notebook—"

(End of Chapter)