Chapter 248: Jade Bamboo Forest Valley

Profound Stream Valley, Spirit Medicine Garden, Steward Main Hall.

More than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators recruited by Profound Stream Valley stood in the center of the hall, waiting quietly.

That fat elder, Di Shan, who did not get along well with Yu Changqing, had also passed the recruitment for a guest elder of Profound Stream Valley.

As soon as he entered, he glared at Qin Ming, pursed his lips, and stood aside with unconvinced resentment.

Half an incense stick later.

A golden-haired elder, radiant with spirit and eyes shining with sharp light, slowly stepped into the hall and sat directly in the seat of honor at the head.

He emanated a massive wave of magic power characteristic of the False Dan stage; the terrifying spiritual pressure he released immediately caused the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the hall to quickly bow their heads, daring not to meet his gaze.

Qin Ming also pretended to react like the others and lowered his head.

However, he was extremely familiar with the newcomer; it was none other than Xu Zhanglao of Profound Stream Valley, the grandfather of Xu Jing from the Pill Cauldron Pavilion in Yunze Xiancheng.

Since Qin Ming was currently disguising himself as Yu Changqing, the other party naturally could not recognize him.

After Xu Zhanglao settled himself, he looked around the hall once, nodding slightly.

"Xu Zhanglao, the complete list of guest elders assigned to the Spirit Medicine Garden is all here."

Subsequently, a Foundation Establishment disciple of Profound Stream Valley stepped forward and respectfully handed a booklet to Xu Zhanglao.

Xu Zhanglao took the roster, opened it, and carefully reviewed its contents.

"Hmph, barely acceptable."

Next, Xu Zhanglao spoke to the cultivators present, his voice full of authority and his tone measured as he said: "This old man is Xu Shanzhong of Profound Stream Valley."

"Welcome everyone to join my Profound Stream Valley; from now on, you are members of the sect, sharing both glory and shame!"

"This old man has reviewed all your records; you are all individuals of clear background and outstanding ability from the State of Liang."

"From this moment forward, you will fall under the jurisdiction of the Spirit Plant Garden."

Upon hearing this, the cultivators below quickly cupped their fists in salute and responded: "Yes!!"

"Greetings, Xu Zhanglao!"

Xu Zhanglao nodded with satisfaction and continued: "Since you have all become guest elders of this sect."

"You will naturally enjoy various generous treatments provided by this sect."

"However, at the same time, you must complete the tasks issued to you by this sect on time."

"You must also strictly abide by the sect rules; if anyone violates them, this old man will show no mercy and will punish them severely without exception!"

"Of course, for guest elders with outstanding contributions, this old man will also provide rewards."

Xu Zhanglao employed a mix of grace and terror, instilling the tenets of Profound Stream Valley into everyone.

Immediately after, he assigned positions to everyone on the spot.

"Yu Changqing, you shall go to the Jade Bamboo Forest."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming stepped forward, cupped his fists respectfully, and replied: "Yes! I respectfully follow Xu Zhanglao's instructions!"

Half a day later, the assignment of individual tasks concluded.

Di Shan was assigned to Misty Pine Ridge, right next to Qin Ming.

After Xu Zhanglao finished giving them their instructions, he left the main hall.

Subsequently.

Led by an inner sect female disciple, Qin Ming arrived at a lush, green bamboo forest.

Although this bamboo forest consisted only of first-grade spirit plants, far inferior to his own Void Spirit Bamboo Forest, it still possessed quite a scenic view.

The female disciple guiding him was named Yan Ruyan; she had a clear and beautiful appearance, a delicate figure, and was in her early twenties.

Her cultivation had just broken through to the late stage of Qi Condensation.

"Elder Yu, this is your residence; I have already cleaned everything for you."

"From now on, this Jade Bamboo Forest and the valley belong to your jurisdiction." Yan Ruyan's voice was crisp as a bell as she led Qin Ming to a row of houses. Qin Ming looked at the rooms, which had been swept clean and tidy, and nodded faintly: "Mm, you may withdraw."

Yan Ruyan was slightly startled, then gracefully bowed to him, saying, "Yes!"

She then left the Jade Bamboo Forest.

On the way back, Yan Ruyan pouted her small mouth and secretly cursed: 'Ai! So unlucky! This Elder Yu is truly stingy! He didn't give a single spirit stone.'

'Next time, this lady will absolutely not accept any tasks related to him, hmph!'

She had accepted the task of hosting the newly arrived guest elders at the Steward Hall; although such tasks were very easy, they did not yield many contribution points.

However, as long as one was diligent, based on past experience, new guest elders would, more or less, give some reward to the disciple who guided and introduced them.

Unexpectedly, today Yan Ruyan had encountered a special exception.

Qin Ming casually selected a wooden hut to stay in.

This Jade Bamboo Forest valley possessed a second-grade upper-tier spiritual vein environment, which was not just a little worse than his own Moon-Watching Island, but he would not be staying in Profound Stream Valley forever.

For now, he could only make do.

Subsequently, he took out a jade slip issued by Profound Stream Valley and immersed his divine sense to examine it.

Inside was recorded the complete map of the entire Profound Stream Valley.

Profound Stream Valley had a total of thirteen peaks; the Spirit Medicine Garden where he was currently located was on Small Spirit Mountain in the southernmost part.

In addition, Profound Stream Valley had three forbidden zones with clear regulations stating that without permission, no elder or disciple under the sect could privately enter them.

They were respectively the back mountain of the main Qianyuan Peak, the Pill Tower forbidden zone on Danxia Peak, and the Scripture Pavilion on Luoyun Peak.

Qin Ming pondered for a moment; the Jin Dan pill formula he intended to steal, besides being in the hands of the Jin Dan Supreme Elders, was most likely located in one of these three places.

"Master, why don't I go directly to these three places and investigate? If I find the pill formula, I'll snatch them all! Hehehe!" The voice of the Shi Tian Shu came from the spirit beast bag.

Being so eager to achieve merit, it was also harboring its own little schemes.

This was because the Shi Tian Shu had heard Qin Ming say that within Profound Stream Valley, there was likely a spirit pill formula that could help it restore its third-grade Demon King strength.

Since this concerned its own future, it had to take the initiative and attack proactively.

"No rush. There is a Jin Dan late-stage Yunxi Laozu presiding within Profound Stream Valley; we must act with caution. I will observe for a period before making a decision," Qin Ming said lightly.

"Understood, Master," Shi Tian Shu replied.

In the days that followed.

Qin Ming fully integrated into the identity of Yu Changqing and settled down in the Jade Bamboo Forest.

The selection of disciples by the Pill Tower of Profound Stream Valley also came to a temporary end.

Among them, the youth Fang Han, who possessed a Dao Pill Saint Body, even broke through to the seventh layer of the Pill Tower in one go, causing a huge uproar in the Liang Kingdom's Immortal Realm.

He directly joined the sect under Gongsun Yang, a third-tier Pill Refining Grandmaster, truly soaring to the heavens; from now on, his path to immortality knew no bounds.

For a third-tier Dao Pill Grandmaster to take a disciple was something ordinary people would not dare to dream of.

As for the tasks assigned by Profound Stream Valley to Qin Ming and these other Qin Keqing, they were required to submit a fixed quantity of spiritual plants annually according to regulations.

Whether by recruiting inner sect disciples to cultivate them or by personally undertaking the labor themselves, as long as the tribute was completed by year's end, it sufficed.

"Thirty dan of first-tier Purple Crystal Spiritual Rice."

"Fifteen stalks of second-tier spiritual herbs, among which there must be one second-tier mid-grade spiritual plant."

"Indeed, I am just being used as a tool."

Qin Ming glanced through his task contents and casually tossed them aside.

He had no interest in contributing bricks and tiles to Profound Stream Valley's grand cause, planning merely to go through the motions.

……

(End of Chapter)