Chapter 184: News Has Arrived

During his cultivation, the Blackwater Crocodile had somehow wandered over and lay beside him, absorbing the scattered plant essences.

It squinted its eyes, its massive mouth twitching, looking utterly blissful, its aura significantly strengthened—close to breaking through into mid-stage Second-Rank beast.

Qin Ming ended his cultivation, raised his head, and gazed at the Longevity Vine.

He found hundreds of new purple, skull-shaped buds blooming upon it.

And three golden terms had refreshed:

【Name】: Longevity Vine 【Term】: Minor Lifespan ×5 (Maturity 1%)

【Name】: Longevity Vine 【Term】: Space-Time Leaf ×5 (Maturity 1%)

【Name】: Longevity Vine 【Term】: Spirit Plant Infusion (Maturity 1%)

【Spirit Plant Infusion】: After use, grants a certain degree of spiritual awareness to a spirit plant.

"It can grant spiritual awareness to spirit plants!"

"Another fifty years of lifespan." Qin Ming smiled as he gazed at the terms on the Longevity Vine.

He knew that even the most potent longevity elixirs offered only minimal increases in lifespan, and their efficacy diminished with repeated use.

But the lifespan terms on his Longevity Vine had no such limitation—each use granted infinite lifespan extension.

"I may yet achieve true longevity!"

"I must also outpace other cultivators in lifespan."

Qin Ming was in high spirits today and fed each of his spirit pets another Dragon Blood Divine Fruit.

Then he suppressed his cultivation aura and descended the island.

Below, he found Wu Jiang and his wife tending the spirit fields, where the Beast Tooth Rice had grown into lush, emerald-green spirit crops—over ten mu in total.

Clearly, Wu Jiang had made great progress in cultivating spirit rice.

"Excellent, excellent!"

This meant Qin Ming could collect more Beast Tooth Rice rent in two years.

Seeing Qin Ming approach, Wu Jiang set down his tools and walked over, smiling: "Qin Daoist, how's my cultivation?"

"Hmm, quite good. You've managed to grow Beast Tooth Rice this well—remarkable," Qin Ming nodded in approval.

He glanced around, then asked curiously: "Where are your two children?"

"Why aren't they helping you today?"

Wu Jiang's face lit up with pride. "A few days ago, I sent them to Lei Yuanzong to cultivate."

"Wangfeng was taken as the Grand Elder's final disciple; Wangyue became the Third Elder's disciple."

Originally, Wu Jiang had hoped to have the children become Qin Ming's disciples, but Qin Ming had no intention of taking apprentices.

Watching his children grow, Wu Jiang, as a father, naturally wished them to become outstanding cultivators—find a great master, walk a smooth immortal path.

With their spiritual root potential, Wu Wangfeng and Wu Wangyue were coveted disciples anywhere; after much deliberation, Wu Jiang and his wife sent them to Lei Yuanzong.

Qin Ming frowned slightly upon hearing this. In peacetime, sending the children to Lei Yuanzong—a dominant sect ruling an entire nation—would be perfectly fine.

But now, Wu Jiang and his wife were unaware that the conflict between Lingyu Men and Lei Yuanzong was about to escalate, and peace would not return for a long time.

Sending the children into Lei Yuanzong now was unwise.

If Lei Yuanzong won, as disciples of Elders, the children would receive priority in resources and cultivation conditions.

But if they lost, Lingyu Men's ruthless nature would spare no one tied to the enemy sect.

Yet Qin Ming, seeing Wu Jiang's joy, could not bring himself to reveal the truth.

The door was already closed, the master already chosen—any words now were too late.

'I hope it's not as I fear.'

If Lei Yuanzong can stabilize the cultivation realm of Wei State, then with their talent, his children becoming regional prodigies is merely a matter of time.

Over the years, Wu Jiang had farmed on Qin Ming's Wangyue Island and reaped great gains—his cultivation had climbed to Qi Refining Ninth Layer. His wife, Mu Ruyin, had reached late Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

These were achievements they had never dared dream of when they shamefully returned to spiritual energy Archipelago aboard Jingxue Pavilion's magic ship.

After the recent turmoil on Qianye Spirit Island ended, Wu family's patriarch Wu Hanyuan led some clan members back to Baiyan Island.

After all, Baiyan Island was their ancestral home—they had to return and rebuild.

Qin Ming had only agreed to let them stay temporarily out of loyalty to Wu Jiang's long service.

Now, leaving a few spirit farmers to tend the fields was enough.

…

Qin Ming returned to the main peak.

"Ah, today is a day of breakthrough—time for a grand toast!" A smile spread across his face.

He entered the Purple Gold Bamboo Grove and, following the spot where he had buried the brewing "Spirit Fire Wine," pulled out a spirit spade and began digging.

After a short while, he unearthed two jars of Spirit Fire Wine; the rest remained buried—the longer, the richer the aroma.

"I hope this batch succeeded!"

After all, this Spirit Fire Wine was brewed using the very materials meant for Foundation Establishment Pills.

Qin Ming tapped the jar's side and lifted the seal.

Immediately, a hazy mist of spiritual essence drifted out.

A rich, intoxicating aroma of spirit wine filled the air, invigorating Qin Ming's spirit.

Merely smelling it was enough to make one spellbound.

"It succeeded!"

Qin Ming's face lit up. He immediately lifted the jar and drank.

"Truly excellent wine!" His eyes gleamed.

The moment he swallowed, an exquisite, rich flavor lingered in his throat, followed by a warm current spreading through his body—slightly increasing his magic power.

But this Spirit Fire Wine was designed to enhance Foundation Establishment First Layer cultivation; for Qin Ming's current Foundation Establishment Mid-Layer realm, its effect was nearly negligible.

Yet its unique taste and aroma would surely be considered a sacred nectar by any true connoisseur of spirit wine.

Qin Ming sat alone in the Purple Gold Grove, leisurely savoring the spirit wine, then opened the "Divine Wine Manual" again.

His gaze settled on a recipe called "Jade Qilin Wine"—this spirit wine could enhance Foundation Establishment Mid-Layer and even Late-Layer cultivation.

Even more precious, according to the Divine Wine Master who created this manual, Jade Qilin Wine was the one and only supreme spirit wine in the cultivation world.

The master himself had held it in the highest esteem.

Coincidentally, Qin Ming already possessed most of the ingredients needed to brew it—only a few more materials remained to be gathered.

After all, he had collected numerous storage bags from Foundation Establishment cultivators, each containing some stock.

"My magic power has now broken through to Foundation Establishment Mid-Layer."

"The second transformation of the Hundred Treasures Luminous Scripture still requires beast essence blood—I don't want to use low-grade essence. I need to find a better source."

Qin Ming had experienced the power of the first transformation of True Gang Forming—he knew the higher the rank of the beast essence, the stronger the resulting technique.

As he pondered,

a message arrived on his transmission talisman.

He opened it—it was from Long Yi of Jingxue Pavilion.

"Qin Daoist, the high-rank beast essence blood and third-rank spirit plant seeds you asked the Pavilion Master to look for—there's news."

(End of Chapter)