Chapter 195: The Longevity Vine's Unusual Movement

Inside Twin Peaks Peak, within Yiling Valley.

After Master Yuwen and True Person Canghai of the Lingyu Sect departed, they dispatched a large number of cultivators to continue searching for that missed fragment of the demonic vine.

Besides them, quite a few rogue cultivators also spontaneously joined in, but their motives were not as pure as those of the three major powers.

They all came with the mindset of picking up leftovers, hoping to snag even a shred of material from a third-tier Demon King.

Even just a few drops of blood would be enough to propel these low-level rogue cultivators to fame and fortune.

Qin Ming watched the swarming mass of cultivators flooding into the valley, shook his head, and had no interest in joining the commotion.

He immediately planned to leave this place and return to Wangyue Island.

But just at that moment.

Suddenly!

A fierce burning sensation surged up Qin Ming's arm.

In his surprise, he was astonished to discover that it was coming from the tattoo formed by his innate spiritual plant, the Longevity Vine.

'Uh, what is going on with the Longevity Vine today?'

Qin Ming's feet, which had been about to depart, stopped again.

'Could it be wanting me to enter the mountains as well to search for the demonic plant?'

'Does the Longevity Vine need this thing too?'

Just as Qin Ming pondered this, the Longevity Vine tattoo on his arm reacted once more.

'Very well, since that is the case, I will make a trip.'

Subsequently, Qin Ming turned around and flew back toward Yiling Valley.

Inside the valley, ancient trees reached for the sky and miasma permeated the air; numerous cultivators darted about within, searching for remnants dropped by the Demon King.

"With so many people... what is there left to find?"

In merely half a day, cultivators from various factions and countless rogue cultivators had already dug up every inch of Yiling Valley, inside and out, yet found nothing whatsoever.

At this time.

Qin Ming was inspecting the area near a stream when his divine sense detected someone approaching; he immediately looked up.

"Yo! Hahaha!"

"Fellow Daoist Qin, why are you here too?"

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qin!"

The arrivals were precisely Master Lü and his disciple; behind the two of them followed over ten cultivators dressed in the attire of Canghai Xiancheng.

They were likely subordinates under Master Lü's command.

"Hehe! Fellow Daoist Lü, I am just here to join the fun as well," Qin Ming said, forcing a slight smile onto his face.

"Ai! Fellow Daoist Qin, don't waste your time."

"I have already led people to search this ghostly place back and forth seven or eight times, with no discoveries whatsoever."

"I do not intend to continue searching; I am preparing to return to the Xiancheng to report my mission."

Hearing this, Qin Ming nodded. "I am about to withdraw as well."

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Qin, let me tell you some good news!" Master Lü dismissed his subordinates, pulled Qin Ming aside alone, and then activated a sound-isolating barrier.

Seeing Master Lü act this way, Qin Ming could not help but become curious.

Master Lü spoke to Qin Ming with great excitement: "Fellow Daoist Qin, this expedition by the three True Persons to slay the demon was not only a complete victory."

"Furthermore, the beast tide in the Beast Cry Mountain Range is very likely to be pacified soon!"

As a high-ranking member of Canghai Xiancheng, the intelligence Master Lü possessed was naturally false.

Hearing this news, Qin Ming's eyebrows involuntarily raised, and he immediately asked, "The beast tide will also be pacified?"

"What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist Lü?"

"Cough! Actually, I only learned this news yesterday; it is circulating only within the core leadership of the Xiancheng."

"It is said that the states of Wei, Jin, and Wu will all receive reinforcements from Liang State to jointly purge the beast tide in the Beast Cry Mountain Range," Master Lü revealed the information.

Qin Ming asked, "Liang State is willing to reinforce the other three states; could it be that several nations have made some sort of transaction?"

"I am not entirely clear either, but I estimate it has something to do with instructions from the Upper Sect," Master Lü said.

"The Upper Sect?"

"Could it be the Brother Li Huo Palace of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty?"

At this point, Qin Ming suddenly realized something.

"That is correct; after all, the Southern Desolate Immortal Realm also falls under the jurisdiction of the Brother Li Huo Palace, and those above certainly do not wish to see the entire region occupied by demonic beasts," Master Lü analyzed.

"Moreover, the relationship between Liang State's Xuanxi Valley and the Brother Li Huo Palace is profound; the only one capable of mobilizing Xuanxi Valley to offer assistance is the Brother Li Huo Palace."

Afterwards, since Master Lü still needed to take his people back to report, he chatted briefly with Qin Ming before leading his group away. Recalling the information Master Lü had told him, Qin Ming could not help but sigh that the changes in the Immortal Realm were truly impermanent.

Of course, being able to exterminate the beast tide as well would naturally be for the best.

He circled around inside Yiling Valley, yet still found nothing.

Just as he was about to change locations to look elsewhere, that familiar burning sensation transmitted from his arm again.

Furthermore, this time the duration was quite long.

"Could it be that the remnant branch of that Blood Curse Demonic Vine is still within the boundaries of Yiling Valley?"

"But why did the divine sense exploration of the two Jin Dan True Persons fail to detect it?"

At this time.

The Longevity Vine on Qin Ming's arm transmitted a message, pointing out a specific location to him.

'Could it be there?'

He immediately took to the air, following the route in his mind, and flew toward that location.

The faster Qin Ming flew, the more alarmed he became; the Ever-Lasting Vine on his arm seemed capable of precisely locating the remnant branch of that demonic plant, resonating with it from afar.

Half a teacup of time later.

Qin Ming arrived at the pass connecting Twin Peaks and the Beast Roar Mountain Range.

A sentry post had been established here, usually guarded by only a single squad of cultivators.

When Qin Ming arrived, no one was on duty inside the sentry pavilion; all around was utterly silent.

He could not help but raise his vigilance to the utmost.

Whoosh! Just then.

A streak of green light flashed, striking toward Qin Ming's back!

Qin Ming's hairs stood on end; he immediately activated his blood and vital true force, causing a glazed treasure armor to manifest around his entire body.

Clang! The green light struck the glazed treasure armor, failing to inflict any harm upon Qin Ming.

"Eh?"

"What a robust physical body! This seat happens to need a slightly stronger vessel."

In Qin Ming's line of sight, an old man dressed in the attire of a pass guard appeared.

Yet the other's eyes were filled with an eerie gaze, greedily fixing upon Qin Ming himself.

Then his forehead split open, revealing a section of blood vine within, which without further ado surged toward Qin Ming.

Qin Ming narrowed his eyes to observe; had this been a demonic vine in its prime, he would naturally have turned and fled.

But the demonic vine opposite was clearly merely a remnant branch; its aura fluctuated only around the second tier, mid-stage, and was extremely unstable.

Just as Qin Ming prepared to strike and subdue it.

In an instant.

The Ever-Lasting Vine tattoo on his arm actually detached on its own, transforming on the ground into a pool of black liquid, before its true form rapidly coalesced and revealed itself.

A towering black vine ancient tree, dozens of zhang high, abruptly appeared before the old man parasitized by the Blood-Curse Demonic Vine; countless profound silver runes drifted about the vines.

"Th-this, how is this possible?!"

"No!"

The remnant branch of the Blood-Curse Demonic Vine, upon the moment Qin Ming's natal spiritual plant, the Ever-Lasting Vine, appeared, emitted a reaction of extreme terror.

As if it had encountered some unimaginable existence.

Rustle-rustle! The black vines of the Ever-Lasting Vine danced; the long tendrils, like tentacles, allowed the old man parasitized by the demonic plant opposite no chance to resist, plunging straight into his body.

Puchi!

Accompanied by spraying blood, a section of the blood-colored demonic vine was extracted from the old man's body by the Ever-Lasting Vine, unable to mount even the slightest resistance.

Subsequently, as if encountering some rare and exquisite delicacy, the Ever-Lasting Vine began to ruthlessly devour this section of the demonic vine.

One incense stick later.

The remnant branch of the demonic vine was completely drained and absorbed.

Clatter-clang! Just then, from within the demonic vine that had been thoroughly drained by the Ever-Lasting Vine, a pitch-black iron shard fell out.

Seeing this, Qin Ming drew it into his hand; the moment he touched it, he felt the black iron shard was icy cold to the extreme, and simultaneously, a slight sensation of dizziness arose in his mind.

He immediately concentrated his divine sense to dissolve this intrusion.

"Eh?"

"What is this thing?"

(End of chapter)