Chapter 184: Returning to the Island to Farm

Xu Jing once again extended an olive branch to Qin Mou, her intention to recruit him being extremely obvious.

Naturally, Qin Mou could not truly join the Profound Stream Valley.

If he really went there, he might once again become a mere farming tool, just as he had been when he followed the Spirit Feather Sect.

Furthermore, Qin Mou was certain that when the time came for someone to deliver the spiritual materials needed for the Yu Xuan Dan within the Profound Stream Valley, that person would one hundred percent be Xu Jing's grandfather.

After all, no spirit planter could refuse a face-to-face exchange with a second-tier upper-grade grandmaster spirit planter.

As an inner sect elder, the information he possessed would certainly be far greater than Xu Jing's; Qin Mou only needed to interact with him briefly to proceed to the next step of his plan.

Therefore, Qin Mou still politely declined Xu Jing's invitation.

A trace of disappointment flashed across Xu Jing's face.

However, she did not become discouraged. "Hehe! Since Daoist Friend Qin has no intention of joining any faction, I cannot force you."

"However, Daoist Friend Qin could strengthen cooperation with our pavilion; this is our VIP identity token, please accept it, Daoist Friend Qin."

Xu Jing pulled an antique jade tablet from her bosom and handed it to Qin Mou.

Naturally, she hoped to deepen her connection and interactions with Qin Mou in the future.

Given Qin Mou's level, even if he could not be recruited, the opportunity for cooperation could not be wasted in vain.

"With this identity token, you can enjoy a twenty percent discount at all commercial establishments established by the Profound Stream Valley, and you will be qualified to purchase restricted-grade resources within our pavilion."

Qin Mou took the jade tablet and saw that its front was carved with the character 'Stream' in seal script, while its back depicted a three-legged cauldron.

"Then many thanks to Daoist Friend Xu," Qin Mou said without standing on ceremony.

Xu Jing organized her thoughts and then said, "The Yu Xuan Dan formula Daoist Friend Qin just purchased is precisely our pavilion's restricted-grade resource."

"Generally speaking, only stable customers who have cooperated with us long-term for over twenty years are qualified to obtain VIP status."

"Hehe! But Daoist Friend Qin possesses dual grandmaster-level skills, so naturally, you are not bound by this rule."

Qin Mou nodded, finally understanding the preciousness of this identity token.

"Since Daoist Friend Xu is so sincere, Qin Mou cannot be too stingy; if the Yu Xuan Dan is successfully refined in the future, I can sell a portion to your pavilion."

"Really? That is truly wonderful!"

"I shall toast Daoist Friend Qin with tea in place of wine!"

Afterwards, Xu Jing settled the accounts for Qin Mou's pill sales and the purchase of the pill formula.

"Daoist Friend Qin, this Yu Xuan Dan formula is valued at twenty thousand spiritual stones; with the discount applied, it comes to fourteen thousand spiritual stones."

"I will give Daoist Friend Qin another ninety-six thousand spiritual stones."

"Does Daoist Friend Qin want lower-grade spiritual stones, or would you like to exchange them for medium-grade spiritual stones?"

"Do you have upper-grade spiritual stones?"

"..."

"Upper-grade spiritual stones are high-tier resources; our pavilion does not circulate them either."

"Then please exchange them into medium-grade spiritual stones for me."

Subsequently, Xu Jing took nine hundred and sixty medium-grade spiritual stones from her storage bag and handed them over to Qin Mou.

After putting away the spiritual stones, Qin Mou suddenly asked with confusion, "By the way, Daoist Friend Xu, with the beast tide situation in Canghai Immortal City becoming so critical, do you not plan to return to Liang Country temporarily to avoid the danger?"

"Hehe! Daoist Friend Qin worries too much; when our pavilion established itself here, we reached an agreement with the Immortal City. If the moment truly comes when the city falls and its people perish, we can use the city's teleportation array to transmit out to a very distant location," Xu Jing explained with a smile, then produced a purple-gold token in her hand to show Qin Mou.

Qin Mou glanced at the teleportation token in her hand; he had not expected such an item to exist, which explained why these major powers in the core district remained unperturbed in the face of the beast tide—they had long prepared an escape route.

Unlike the scattered cultivators in the outer and inner cities, once the Immortal City was breached, they would have only the path of death. "Then in three months, Qin Mou will come to your pavilion again to collect the spiritual materials; if Daoist Friend Xu has any leads regarding the Seven-Leaf Nether Ganoderma, please also keep an eye out for me."

"At that time, I will certainly await your arrival; Daoist Friend Qin's matters will naturally be kept in my heart."

The transaction concluded.

Under Xu Jing's respectful send-off, Qin Mou left the shop.

While passing through the inner city, Qin Mou spotted a talisman-making shop of moderate size.

Several familiar figures inside caught his attention; he saw Feng Sihai and his clansmen busily working, for as the beast tide arrived, the price of talismans rose with the tide.

Moreover, having received Qin Mou's advance warning, the Feng family benefited greatly; Feng Sihai, being sharp-witted, had stockpiled a large quantity of talisman-making materials before the beast tide even began.

This allowed the Feng family to make a huge profit over these past few years, with their business flourishing ever upward.

"Senior! Are you here to purchase talismans?"

"Feel free to look around inside the shop."

"Our shop offers high quality at low prices, cheating neither the young nor the old; the talismans we produce enjoy a first-class reputation within the Immortal City."

Feng Sihai put on a smiling face; seeing a Foundation Establishment great cultivator lingering before his shop, he stepped forward to greet them with utmost respect.

"Hehe! I am just looking around casually," Qin Mou said with a smile to him, did not linger long, and strode away from the place.

Feng Sihai watched Qin Mou's departing figure and couldn't help scratching his head in puzzlement.

"Why does this senior give me such a familiar feeling?"

When Qin Mou had previously visited the Feng family, he had consumed the Hundred Illusions Pill and transformed into the appearance of a bearded burly man, so the other party certainly could not recognize him. However, Feng Sihai, leading his clansmen through years of hard struggle, had not only established a vast family fortune but also advanced his cultivation from the mid Qi Condensation stage to the late Qi Condensation stage.

With such achievements, Feng Yuan and his brother could smile in the netherworld.

Qin Mou had also promised Feng Sihai back then that if anyone in their family broke through to the peak of the Qi Condensation stage, he would bestow upon them a stroke of fortune; it seemed that day was not far off.

After all, the value of the Primordial Breath Earth that the Feng family had given him was immeasurable.

With matters in Canghai Immortal City mostly settled, Qin Mou also planned to return home.

He found Lv Liang and asked the other party to grant him passage.

However, he heard Lv Liang ask, "Uh, Daoist Friend Qin, our City Lord asked me to inquire on her behalf: how is the matter she entrusted to you progressing?"

"Oh~ Regarding this matter, please assure True Person Nalan not to worry; within two or three years at most, Qin Mou will be able to complete the entrusted task," Qin Mou said with solemn assurance.

Upon hearing this, Lü Liang's eyes suddenly brightened, and he said delightedly, "I truly never expected Fellow Daoist Qin to be so efficient; Lü is impressed!"

Qin Ming naturally guessed the general situation; True Person Nalan possessed a third-stage spiritual turtle as her beast pet, which was a rare and valuable asset for her.

After the spiritual turtle was injured, it had been resting and recovering, but now that times were troubled, she naturally hoped the spiritual turtle would regain its combat strength soon.

Although Qin Ming had long since forced that third-stage Spirit-Transforming Demon Fruit to ripen, he could not hand over the demon fruit too early, lest he arouse suspicion.

The third-stage spiritual turtle had not even gotten to eat it; instead, Qin Ming's own two beast pets had eaten their fill. "By the way, Alliance Leader Li asked me to tell Fellow Daoist Qin that he was in a hurry to return to the San Alliance to handle matters, so he did not wait for Fellow Daoist Qin and has already departed," Lü Liang suddenly said.

Qin Ming nodded; in truth, he was quite curious about how Li Yuanqing and True Person Nalan had conversed.

Perhaps this was also the reason True Person Nalan was so eager to have Lü Liang ask him about the progress of planting the Spirit-Transforming Demon Grass.

It seemed that as the master of Yunze Xiancheng, she did not wish to leave that third-stage Blood Curse Demon Vine unattended either.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, take care on your journey."

"Hehe! Fellow Daoist Lü, perhaps we will meet again very soon; in three months, I must return to the immortal city once more."

"At that time, I will have to trouble you again."

"That is naturally most welcome!"

While speaking, Lü Liang led Fellow Daoist Qin to a section of the city wall, then took out a token and struck a rune toward the protective great formation.

【73】 On the hazy blue light curtain, a passage large enough for one person to pass through instantly appeared.

On the blue, hazy light curtain, a passage large enough for one person to pass through instantly appeared.

Qin Ming flashed through the opening, transforming into a streak of cyan light that vanished into the horizon.

Fortunately, after repelling the beast tide yesterday, the number of demon beasts nearby had decreased significantly; they were likely resting and recuperating, preparing for the next wave of assault.

After leaving Yunze Xiancheng, Qin Ming summoned his Yin Yi Shuangfeng and rushed back toward Moon Gazing Island at a speed like wind and lightning.

More than an hour later.

The vast expanse of Moon Gazing Lake, with its ten thousand miles of blue waves, appeared within Qin Ming's line of sight.

Qin Ming waved his hand to open the mist illusion realm and entered Moon Gazing Island.

The members of the Wu family were still working diligently in the spiritual fields; when Wu Jiang saw him return, he also offered a greeting.

Qin Ming returned to his cave dwelling.

The first matter was to take out the spiritual seeds of the third-stage spiritual plant, the Three-Crimson Soul-Returning Grass; then, going outside the cave dwelling to the single medicinal field, he picked up a spiritual hoe to loosen the spiritual soil, ground those five types of spiritual materials into powder, and sprinkled them evenly one by one within the medicinal field.

Finally, he planted the spiritual seeds; there were not many of these seeds, only a mere few, after all, since the Three-Crimson Soul-Returning Grass, as the main material for refining high-grade longevity pills, was naturally extremely rare.

Furthermore, it was a third-grade longevity spiritual pill; it was said its efficacy was much better than other longevity pills, capable of extending life by fifty years in a single dose.

This was equivalent to the life-extending effect of five of his 【Faint Lifespan】 traits.

For those Jin Dan old monsters whose lifespan limits were approaching, the temptation thereof was imaginable.

Although there were only a few spiritual seeds, Qin Ming held traits in his hand; once the first batch of spiritual plants matured, he could use the newly spawned spiritual seeds to catalyze the growth of even more Three-Crimson Soul-Returning Grass.

After planting the spiritual seeds, Qin Ming cast the Great Five Elements Art upon the medicinal field, causing spiritual rain to fall continuously.

With his powerful affinity for plants, Qin Ming detected a wave of joy emanating from those few spiritual seeds within the spiritual soil.

The corners of his mouth curled upward. "Basically, there should be no major issues; I hope it brushes out a somewhat powerful trait for me."

However, the growth cycle of third-stage spiritual plants was far longer; only spiritual grass aged three hundred years could be used as medicine for pill refining, so he would also have to wait for the 【Space-Time Leaf】 trait within the spiritual fields to refresh before he could gradually force the spiritual grass to mature.

Having done these things.

Qin Ming came before the spiritual peach tree in front of the cave dwelling and discovered that tender green buds had already grown anew upon its branches.

He carefully circled these Five Elements Origin Qi Spiritual Peach Trees several times, for besides being exceedingly delicate, these spiritual peach trees were extremely prone to attracting diseases and pests, or stubborn harmful insects.

After finishing the inspection, Qin Ming, following the method from that spiritual planter inheritance, took out a pair of Golden Spirit shears to prune the branches of the peach trees.

"This is getting ridiculous; if I keep planting like this, it will soon become Flower-Fruit Mountain."

Gazing at these five spiritual peach trees growing in good condition, Qin Ming felt delighted in his heart.

Subsequently.

He took out the pill formula for the Yu Xuan Dan, sat on the stone stool beneath the peach tree, and while sipping Bai Yulin wine, he began to study it.

(End of Chapter)