Chapter 183: Secret News and the Mysterious Profound Pill

Gu Qingzhao heard that Qin Ming needed high-grade spirit stones.

She couldn't help but pause, then explained, "Fellow Daoist Qin, high-grade spirit stones are incredibly precious, and there aren't many circulating on the market."

"However, I will do my best to keep an eye out for you."

Qin Ming had actually anticipated this; after all, high-grade spirit stones were too scarce, so difficulty in obtaining them was only reasonable.

High-grade spirit stones contained an extremely high volume and purity of spiritual energy, making them suitable not only for high-stage cultivators' practice but also typically used for breaking through bottlenecks or refining high-grade cultivation resources.

And if Qin Ming wanted to continue upgrading the spiritual vein grade on Moon Gazing Island, he absolutely had to use high-grade spirit stones.

However, for the time being, a third-stage mid-grade spiritual vein was already sufficient for his cultivation, so there was no urgent need.

He was merely gathering some in advance, just to be prepared.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Qin, you should be aware of the matter regarding that demonic plant on Thousand Leaves Island, correct?" Gu Qingzhao put away the pills on the table, then asked with a grave expression.

Hearing this, Qin Ming nodded. "On the way here, Alliance Leader Wei already hinted at it to me."

"The situation here in Canghai Immortal City is indeed tense; I can understand why True Person Nalan cannot leave."

"But as the de facto controller of the Wei Kingdom's Immortal Realm, is Lei Yuanzong just sitting idly by?"

"And what about the Jin Dan old ancestor from Lingyu Sect?"

Hearing this, Gu Qingzhao raised her hand to cast a soundproofing barrier before speaking: "Fellow Daoist Qin, there is a piece of secret intelligence: it is said that Old Ancestor Ao of Lei Yuanzong is nearing the end of his lifespan."

"According to reports coming back, Old Ancestor Ao has already lived for over five hundred and thirty years."

"Furthermore, he has already consumed life-extending pills several times; consuming more pills to increase lifespan afterward will no longer extend his life, so it is feared that his sitting in meditation to pass away is a matter of just these few years."

"Therefore, it is not that Old Ancestor Ao refuses to act; if he were to move, even if he won the battle, he would most likely exhaust his final remnants of lifespan and vitality."

"Additionally, there is another matter: Wei Wuya of Lei Yuanzong has secretly entered closed-door cultivation, rumored to be secretly attempting to break through to the Jin Dan stage."

"With Wei Wuya's heaven-grade spiritual root aptitude, it is highly probable that Lei Yuanzong will produce another Jin Dan old ancestor to continue Old Ancestor Ao's legacy."

Upon learning this news, Qin Ming couldn't help but suddenly understand.

'If Lei Yuanzong loses its Jin Dan combat power, then without a doubt, the only path left is for the sect to wither and decline.'

'Moreover, Lingyu Sect is watching eagerly like a tiger eyeing its prey.'

'Old Ancestor Yuwen of Lingyu Sect is a newly promoted Jin Dan cultivator; he is not old, and his remaining lifespan is estimated to be several hundred years.'

'If Old Ancestor Ao exhausts his lifespan and passes away, and Wei Wuya either fails his breakthrough to Jin Dan or only forms a false pill...'

'Then without Lingyu Sect even having to lift a finger, Lei Yuanzong will soon become mere dust in the history of the Wei Kingdom's Immortal Realm.'

'Everything will turn into passing clouds and smoke.'

'Sigh! It seems the Immortal Realm truly is about who can live longer!'

'Why do I feel that my five hundred and fifty years of lifespan are still a bit too short?'

Qin Ming nodded slightly and said to Gu Qingzhao, "It seems Lei Yuanzong's current situation is not very good either."

"According to the intelligence gathered by Alliance Leader Wei, that third-stage Blood Curse Demon Vine, having grown on blood food over these years, has already reached the peak of early Jin Dan cultivation strength."

"It is feared that it will take several Jin Dan old ancestors joining forces to defeat it, and whether it can be completely eradicated is anyone's guess."

"Alliance Leader Wei has already gone to meet True Person Canghai; let us hope there will be good news."

After hearing Qin Ming's words, everyone present wore very ugly expressions.

Because this was intelligence that even the Mirror Snow Pavilion had not mastered.

Concerning the safety of the entire Wei Kingdom's Immortal Realm, Qin Ming exchanged information with everyone for half a day, sharing what each had, before taking his leave.

By nightfall, the outer city of Canghai Immortal City was a scene of devastation; although the beast tide army had temporarily retreated, sporadic beast attacks still occurred occasionally outside the city walls.

Moreover, numerous evil-minded rogue cultivators, hoping to strike it rich from the beast tide and taking the opportunity to loot amidst the chaos, were emerging in endless streams.

This gave the cultivators on rotating city-guard duty a terrible headache, leaving them exhausted and rushing about.

The cultivators who had sacrificed themselves fighting the beasts were also carried out.

Not only the cultivators of Canghai Immortal City who fought the beast tide, but even the rogue cultivators had suffered heavy casualties; corpse after corpse was continuously cleared out, filling the streets of the outer city.

From time to time, sounds of sobbing drifted out, creating an atmosphere full of sorrow.

Looking at the desolate scene of the outer city, Qin Ming sighed; encountering such a natural disaster, a hundred years of cultivation had turned into nothing but bubbles.

He immediately stopped looking, instead following the main road to the core district again, his goal clear as he headed straight for the Alchemy Cauldron Pavilion.

The purpose of this trip was to gather intelligence along the way, after all, the pill formula for forming a Jin Dan that he needed was within the Xu Creek Valley, the power behind the Alchemy Cauldron Pavilion.

In less than a moment.

Qin Ming, familiar with the route, arrived before a building decorated in an ancient and simple style.

The moment he stepped into the main hall of the Alchemy Cauldron Pavilion, the shapely female Shopkeeper from last time welcomed him with extreme enthusiasm.

She even found it somewhat unbelievable that a cultivator like Master Qin would visit their Alchemy Cauldron Pavilion during the outbreak of the beast tide.

"Master Qin, long time no see; since our last parting, I thought you would never come again!"

The female Shopkeeper's name was Xu Jing; according to what Lü Liang had revealed, this Alchemy Cauldron Pavilion of Xu Creek Valley in Canghai Immortal City had always been managed by this woman, who possessed very senior qualifications.

Being assigned by the sect to manage such an important industry suggested that her background and status within Xu Creek Valley were likely not low.

Because establishing shops and industries in the core district of Canghai Immortal City yielded extremely considerable profits; to become a shop owner, one at minimum needed the backing of an inner sect elder.

When Qin Ming arrived, he was thinking.

How could he obtain intelligence from within Xu Creek Valley?

Qin Ming had also considered using his dual-specialty identity as a second-stage high-grade master to infiltrate Xu Creek Valley.

But firstly, he still had to manage his Moon Gazing Island, and secondly, even if he obtained the Jin Dan pill formula, his target would be too obvious, and he would definitely be marked by Xu Creek Valley.

Seeing it this way, he could only proceed gradually through Xu Xu's methods, and could not rush things.

"Hehe! Hasn't Qin Mou come then? Could it be that Shopkeeper Xu does not welcome me?" Qin Ming said with a smile.

Xu Jing knew the other party was joking, so she smiled gracefully and said, "How could that be? With Master Qin's arrival, naturally, this humble pavilion is illuminated with splendor."

"Please go up to a private room to be seated; I will brew a pot of spiritual tea for Master Qin."

Qin Ming followed Xu Jing up to the luxurious private room on the fourth floor.

Xu Jing, dignified and reserved, gently brewed spiritual tea for Qin Ming, then smiled and said, "I've heard that the Spirit-Gathering Tea cultivated by Master Qin is unparalleled in the Immortal Realm of the Lingxi Archipelago."

"I wonder if the spiritual tea of our pavilion will suit Daoist Qin's taste."

Qin Ming gave a faint smile, lifted the teacup, took a sip, and his eyes brightened with surprise as he said, "Shopkeeper Xu truly knows how to joke; this spiritual tea has already reached the tier-two middle-grade level, slightly surpassing my Spirit-Gathering Tea."

"It surely wasn't grown by an ordinary cultivator, was it?"

"Also, Shopkeeper Xu, just call me Daoist Qin; there is no need to be so formal."

"Very well, Daoist Qin." Xu Jing nodded lightly, then continued, "As expected of a top-tier spirit-planting master from the State of Wei, Daoist Qin could identify the grade and origin of my spiritual tea with just one sip."

"Daoist Qin guessed correctly; this tea is named Cold Crystal Tea. Its growing conditions are extremely harsh. It was cultivated by an elder in my family; there is only one plant, and the yield is scarce. I begged and pleaded with that elder for a long time before finally obtaining a few catties. Today, with Daoist Qin's visit, I specially brewed a pot for you." As Qin Ming sipped his tea, his eyes brightened involuntarily upon hearing the four words 'family elder'.

"Then Qin Mou is truly honored to be able to drink this tea."

"May I ask who this elder of Shopkeeper Xu is? Are they also a spirit-planting master?" Qin Ming asked without revealing his intentions.

Xu Jing was slightly stunned by the question but spoke frankly nonetheless: "That is correct, Daoist Qin. I presume Daoist Lü Liang has already told you that our Pill Cauldron Pavilion belongs to the Profound Creek Valley of the Liang State Immortal Realm."

"That elder of mine is my grandfather, hehe!"

"Currently, he serves as an elder in the spiritual medicine garden of the Profound Creek Valley's inner sect. Speaking of which, he is also a spirit-planting master, just like Daoist Qin."

"However, his skill level is slightly lower than Daoist Qin's; he is a tier-two middle-grade spirit-planting master."

Qin Ming had a good reputation in Canghai Xiancheng, so Xu Jing did not hide much about her background, hoping this might help draw the two parties closer.

Ever since Qin Ming entered, she had been thinking about how to poach this great figure from the Mirror Snow Pavilion.

"Oh? Is that so? Then perhaps there will be an opportunity to exchange and discuss the Dao of spirit-planting with your honorable grandfather," Qin Ming said leisurely.

Seeing Qin Ming's attitude, Xu Jing was overjoyed and said, "Is Daoist Qin serious? My honorable grandfather has long admired Daoist Qin's great name."

"If there is a chance to exchange views with a spirit-planting master like you, he would be extremely delighted."

"I will certainly remember to pass the message to him."

Qin Ming stopped there and did not dwell further on this topic; otherwise, being too obvious would be unfavorable.

"The purpose of my visit today is to sell a batch of pills to your pavilion and, incidentally, to purchase some pill formulas."

Xu Jing's eyes brightened upon hearing this. "That is excellent!"

"Not to mention other things; regarding high-grade pill formulas, our pavilion likely has the most sufficient reserves in the entire Canghai Xiancheng."

Qin Ming then took out two exquisite jade bottles and placed them on the table.

Xu Jing took the jade bottles, opened them, and saw five crimson spiritual pills lying quietly in each bottle, emitting astonishing spiritual essence. She couldn't help but stand there stunned: "Tier-two middle-grade spiritual pills, Blood-Tempering Pills and Blood-Bone Pills!!"

"D-Daoist Qin, you successfully refined them so quickly?"

After all, tier-two middle-grade spiritual pills were not so easy to refine; she had originally thought that without three to five years, Qin Ming absolutely could not refine these pills.

Because even the tier-two upper-grade grand alchemists within the Profound Creek Valley still faced a high failure rate when refining these two types of pills, despite having studied them uninterruptedly for ten years.

"Just good luck," Qin Modestly replied.

Xu Jing's beautiful eyes shifted as she pondered for a moment, then said, "Daoist Qin, these Blood-Tempering Pills and Blood-Bone Pills are sacred treasures for body-refining cultivators."

"Their value is considerable. I have the authority to accept them at fifty thousand spirit stones per bottle, which is twenty percent higher than the market price."

"What does Daoist Qin think?"

"Additionally, for Daoist Qin's purchase of pill formulas, I can offer a thirty percent discount."

Qin Ming nodded upon hearing this; the generous conditions she offered were already quite high.

Moreover, these two bottles of Blood-Tempering Pills and Blood-Bone Pills were not refined using demonic ape flesh and blood, but rather used the flesh and blood of other tier-two demonic beasts, so their effects certainly could not compare to those he used himself.

"Deal."

Xu Jing was overjoyed upon hearing this; she hadn't expected Daoist Qin to be so straightforward, and she had been wondering whether to make another concession.

Seeing Shopkeeper Xu's excited expression, a slight smile played on Daoist Qin's lips; how could she know that his true intention lay elsewhere?

"I wonder what kind of pill formulas Daoist Qin needs? I will settle the account for them all together," Xu Jing said with a smile.

Qin Ming thought for a moment, then said, "Just give me one copy of each of your highest-grade pill formulas."

"That will save me from making extra trips."

Xu Jing was stunned upon hearing this, and only after a moment did she reply awkwardly, "Daoist Qin, apart from the Blood-Tempering Pill formula and Blood-Bone Pill formula you purchased earlier, our pavilion's highest-grade pill formulas consist of only one remaining tier-two upper-grade formula."

She then took out that beast-skin pill formula and handed it to Qin Ming, saying, "Daoist Qin, please see if you need it?"

Qin Ming took the formula and looked at it, seeing clearly written upon it the three small seal-script characters 'Jade Profound Pill'.

This pill formula was only half complete; obviously, Xu Jing could not possibly show him the entire formula.

However, after reading the upper half, Qin Ming developed a strong interest in this Jade Profound Pill.

Because this pill not only had the effect of stabilizing and widening the meridians, but could also increase the magic power cultivation of cultivators at the late Foundation Establishment stage and those at the perfect Foundation Establishment stage.

It was the best pill for transitioning from the Foundation Establishment stage to the perfect realm, and its drug resistance was extremely low, almost negligible.

It was just that, as a tier-two upper-grade spiritual pill, its refinement difficulty made people sigh in despair.

Even within the Profound Creek Valley, only the Liang State's sole tier-three grand master alchemist had the capability and confidence to refine this pill.

Besides the difficulty of refinement, the spiritual materials were also extremely hard to find, all being tier-two upper-grade spiritual herbs.

After finishing reading this pill formula, Qin Ming was also greatly interested and immediately said, "Daoist Xu, I want this pill formula. In addition, I also wish to purchase some of the spiritual materials listed on the formula."

"Ah?!"

"Is Daoist Qin preparing to refine the Jade Profound Pill?"

Xu Jing's small mouth hung open, so surprised she could barely speak.

Qin Ming smiled slightly, appearing calm and carefree.

In fact, he had already obtained several tier-two upper-grade pill formulas from Su Yuqing earlier.

Furthermore, two types of upper-grade spiritual pills among them had already been successfully refined; his current divine soul strength had already caught up to the perfect Foundation Establishment stage, nearly reaching the divine sense strength of a Fake-Dan Laozu.

Refining high-grade pills had thus become even more like a fish in water for him.

"Mm, just giving it a try; I don't have much confidence myself," Qin Ming said after a moment's thought.

Only then did Xu Jing calm her emotions, and after hesitating slightly, she said, "As for most of the spiritual materials needed to refine the Yu Xuan Dan, our pavilion actually possesses them; we are short by just one ingredient."

"However, these items are not in stock within the pavilion and must be requisitioned from within the sect, which may cause some delay," Xu Jing explained.

Hearing this, Qin Ming asked, "Which spiritual material is missing?"

"A second-tier top-grade spiritual plant, the Seven-Leaf Nether Ganoderma; this item is extremely difficult to find, and even within Profound Creek Valley, it has not been successfully cultivated."

Qin Ming nodded thoughtfully and said, "Very well, I will take the pill formula first; approximately when will the other spiritual materials arrive?"

"Under normal circumstances, they could be delivered within half a month, but with demonic beasts running rampant outside nowadays, it will likely take over three months for them to reach Canghai Yunze Xiancheng."

"That estimate is only because, within our Liang Kingdom's borders, the beast tides have basically been pacified," Xu Jing said, and as she spoke, a look of pride surged onto her face.

Qin Ming naturally understood her implied meaning; with more than one Jin Dan Yunxi Laozu holding the fort within Profound Creek Valley, clearing these beast tides was naturally a trivial effort.

Furthermore, those high-tier demonic beasts were not foolish; knowing that Liang Kingdom possessed numerous high-level cultivators, they would not throw themselves into a trap.

"Hehe! With a great sect like Profound Creek Valley present, the safety of Liang Kingdom's Immortal Realm is naturally beyond worry," Qin Ming also offered a timely compliment.

"Then does Fellow Daoist Qin have any intention of joining our Profound Creek Valley? I can ask my grandfather to make a recommendation; with Fellow Daoist Qin's reputation and level of skill, the upper echelons of the sect would certainly be eager to have you."

(End of Chapter)