Chapter 239: Unexpected Turn

Qin Ming's body-refining technique had not yet fully broken through, yet his strength had already advanced greatly once more.

He also prepared to depart for Qianye Island to search for and collect the ghostly corpses required to plant the Abundant Nether Ghost Jujube.

Now, he was comparable to a humanoid great demon, separated from a true third-rank Demon King by only a hair's breadth.

After consecutively devouring and refining the essence blood of two second-rank peak ape-type demonic beasts, plus the essence blood of the Double-Pupil Demon Ape he had refined when previously breaking through to the second transformation.

Through his physical strength alone, Qin Ming had already surpassed many second-rank peak great demons.

Even if a second-rank peak great demon from among the Demon Beast Royal Clans were to engage him in close-quarters combat, it would likely not be his match.

At this moment, every movement Qin Ming made radiated immense momentum and power.

Powerful confidence filled his heart.

Very soon.

He retracted the aura surrounding his body, reverting to that harmless, utterly ordinary young man.

"Depart, head for Qianye Island!"

With eyes bright as torches, Qin Ming waved his hand at the Shi Tian Shu and spoke.

"Yes!"

"I'll go fetch Second and Third right now."

Upon hearing that they could go out and romp again, the Shi Tian Shu immediately beamed with joy, its whole body brimming with energy.

It did not wish to spend even another quarter-hour digging underground; thus, to be on the safe side, Qin Ming summoned his three spiritual pets, left Wangyue Island, and headed straight for Qianye Lingdao.

'The Profound Sha Spirit Liquid—I am determined to obtain it.'

'Although I have now cultivated the Ancient Wood Yu Changqing Body, possessing aptitude comparable to a Heaven-grade Spirit Root, meaning that even without consuming any spiritual items or pills, I still have a certain chance to break through to the Jin Dan.'

'Yet Jin Dan are also divided into grades; since I am to form a core, naturally the higher the quality, the better.'

Ever since Qin Ming had established relations with Wei Wuya and True Person Nalan Xi.

Through their words, he had gradually come to understand some secrets regarding the condensation of a Jin Dan.

Theoretically speaking, once a cultivator with a Heaven-grade Spirit Root reaches the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, provided they have the spiritual energy supply of a third-rank spirit vein, they can attempt to directly break through to the Jin Dan realm without relying on external aids.

However, such a course of action is generally taken only by cultivators who have no other choice.

Furthermore, the risk is extremely high; once the breakthrough fails, without a formed Jin Dan to protect the qi sea, dantian, and the meridians throughout the body.

At best, one's cultivation will regress; at worst, one will perish on the spot, and if the qi sea is damaged, one will forever lose the opportunity to attempt breaking through to the Jin Dan again.

For instance, Yuwen Hong of the Lingyu Sect achieved his Jin Dan directly under extreme circumstances.

According to Wei Wuya, the Jin Dan Yuwen Hong formed at that time was of middle grade; given his aptitude and fortune, had he possessed other spiritual items to assist him, he could originally have reached an upper-grade Jin Dan.

Wei Wuya, however, was different; he had a powerful sect as his backing, and Lei Yuanzong, as the undisputed hegemon of the State of Wei, possessed foundations far beyond comparison with Lingyu Sect.

It provided him with vast quantities of rare resources, even strategic-level resources like a core-forming Jin Dan, which, combined with his own Heaven-grade Spirit Root talent, allowed him to successfully achieve an upper-grade Jin Dan in one leap.

One's own talent, effort, physical and mental state, fortune, and resource supply—all these are indispensable.

An upper-grade Jin Dan is rare even throughout the entire Southern Wild Immortal Realm, with only one or two individuals possessing such.

This was precisely what later allowed Lei Yuanzong, in its disputes with Lingyu Sect, to firmly press down upon its opponent once again.

The quality of the formed Jin Dan differs, and thus their power cannot be mentioned in the same breath.

Relying on this, Wei Wuya, on that day when Canghai Immortal City was besieged by a beast tide, severely wounded the Earth-Shaking Giant Bear Demon King with a single sword strike.

Had it been an ordinary lower-grade Jin Dan Yunxi Laozu, they likely would not even have been able to breach the Demon King's defenses.

A lower-grade Jin Dan is merely the most ordinary True Person of the Jin Dan.

Nevertheless, even so, the Great Dao of the Jin Dan remains the goal that cultivators pursue with their entire lives.

"Those who chase the Dao are as numerous as carp crossing the river; those who attain the Dao are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns."

"With my traits in hand, I naturally must pursue the highest Great Dao."

Half an hour later.

Riding his Silver-Yin Yi Shuangfeng, Qin Ming arrived near Qianye.

Gazing into the distance from the sky with a raised hand, he saw that Qianye Island, during that battle years ago, had already been shattered into pieces, becoming numerous large and small islets.

Since the third-rank spirit vein on the island had been destroyed, and after two rounds of turmoil, the resources within had been scavenged clean by cultivators from all paths; they had dug down three feet, taking everything that could be taken, leaving behind only traces of broken walls and ruins.

After the spirit vein was completely severed, naturally no cultivators remained interested in this place; even Qi Refining families looked down on it. As time passed, the Seventy-Two Islands San Alliance also abandoned this location.

Only occasionally, when the San Alliance's law enforcement teams patrolled, would they pass through here.

"The rise and fall of the Immortal Realm continues; even a family as powerful as the Zhao clan, one of the seven great powers, has been completely obliterated in the historical dust of the Wei State's Immortal Realm, becoming nothing but clouds of the past."

"Whatever royal power or hegemony, it is all fleeting clouds."

"Only strength, cultivation, and longevity are eternal."

Times have changed and circumstances shifted; gazing at the fragmented Qianye Lingdao, Qin Ming was momentarily filled with myriad emotions.

He had personally experienced the transformation of Qianye Island, as well as the subsequent Demon-Slaying Battle.

He could be counted as one of the witnesses to this segment of history.

Especially during those two major events, Qin Ming had acquired considerable resources, which allowed him to reach his current step.

Without that demonic plant, his own innate spiritual plant would still be unable to advance, and the Ancient Wood Yu Changqing Spirit Body could not have been achieved so swiftly.

"Descend."

Qin Ming patted the Silver-Yin Yi Shuangfeng beneath him and immediately dropped down toward the spirit island below.

Following the Shi Tian Shu's directions, he arrived upon an unremarkable island to the southwest.

This place had already been plowed inside and out by the world-shattering spells of three Jin Dan Old Ancestors, leaving the ground everywhere scorched black.

The vitality of the earth was severed; it was bare and bald, with only some earthen mounds and scattered rocks, not a shred of vegetation in sight.

"Are you certain this is the place?" Qin Ming released his divine sense, sweeping it over the entire island, yet discovered nothing.

Immediately, he furrowed his brows, released the Shi Tian Shu, and asked.

"Hehehe!"

"Master, that demonic cave is right beneath this."

"Absolutely certain; I have already sensed it."

"Just watch my methods."

Having spoken, the Shi Tian Shu moved before a ruin overgrown with chaotic rocks.

It exhaled and inhaled a swath of black mystical light, enveloping the entire ruin.

Suddenly, at one spot along the ruin's edge, an entrance revealed itself, clearly hidden by someone using an extremely powerful method.

Even Qin Ming's divine sense, comparable to the Jin Dan stage, could detect nothing amiss.

Seeing this, Qin Ming gained a renewed understanding of the Shi Tian Shu's abilities as a third-tier Demon King.

This was still without it having recovered its full cultivation strength; what he saw was likely only the tip of the Bingshan.

"Well done," Qin Ming said, nodding in approval.

Hearing Qin Ming rarely praise him, the Shi Tian Shu immediately grinned, "Hehe, just a trivial trick."

Just as the Shi Tian Shu was about to speak again,

Qin Ming's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "Someone is coming this way; hide first."

The words on the Shi Tian Shu's lips halted, and it then exercised its divine ability, merging into the void.

Qin Ming, meanwhile, found a concealed spot nearby and secretly employed the Withered Wood Art from the Ancient Wood Longevity Technique; his entire aura vanished, making him seem like a piece of withered wood.

Half an incense stick later.

Five beams of escaping light, each a different color, approached from afar and landed at the spot where Qin Ming had previously stood.

The cultivation of these five individuals was uniformly at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Only one was at early Foundation Establishment, three were at mid Foundation Establishment, and the remaining one was at late Foundation Establishment.

However—

Among these furtive few, Qin Ming spotted a figure that surprised him considerably.

'It's her!'

(End of Chapter)