Chapter 266: Returning to Canghai Peak

Qin Ming had just stepped out of the alley when he saw a woman walking gracefully toward him—it was Lu Wanjun.

She bowed with elegant poise and said to Qin Ming, "Greetings, Elder Long. The City Lord requests your presence."

Qin Ming pondered briefly—he guessed the incident outside his shop, combined with the appearance of the legendary cultivator "Elder Long," had reached the upper echelons of Canghai Immortal City, and he hadn't expected them to act so swiftly.

"Hmm! Lead the way!" Qin Ming, in his bearded giant form, replied in a deep, rumbling voice, making no effort to refuse.

He had delivered vital intelligence from within the Beast Roar Mountains—a great merit. The high-ups would hardly trouble him for it.

Lu Wanjun had never before dealt with a famed cultivator from the Wei Kingdom, and she couldn't help but feel slightly nervous.

Moments later.

Lu Wanjun used the Immortal City's grand array to teleport Qin Ming directly to the grand hall atop Canghai Peak.

Upon entering the hall, Qin Ming saw that besides Nanlan Xi, the Canghai True Person seated at the head, there were four high-level Jin Dan elders and several pseudo-Jin Dan elders.

Wei Wuyi was not present—he must have returned to Lei Yuanzong.

All those seated were likely elders from the other four nations who had come to support Canghai Immortal City, each representing the elite sects of their respective realms.

Though the elders had deliberately suppressed their aura, the grand hall still radiated immense spiritual pressure.

A common low-level cultivator facing such a scene would likely stumble and struggle to stand.

Lu Wanjun, trembling, brought Qin Ming forward and reported to Nanlan Xi at the head, "My Lord, Elder Long has been brought."

"Hmm. You may withdraw," came Nanlan Xi's calm, authoritative voice.

Qin Ming was left alone in the center of the hall, every elder's gaze fixed upon him.

Qin Ming didn't care—the withering technique from the Ancient Wood Longevity Scripture suppressed his aura so thoroughly that only a late-stage Jin Dan could possibly detect anything.

Moreover, Elder Long was famed as a body cultivator; the outside world knew only of his body refinement arts, nothing else.

Among the elders, Qin Ming also spotted the pseudo-Jin Dan elder from Jin Guo's Spirit Sword Mountain—a short, stout old man.

He was squinting at Qin Ming, and Qin Ming could already sense the Spirit Sword Mountain elder's spiritual sense probing him repeatedly—no less than dozens of times.

It seemed the incident at the Feng family's talisman shop had also reached this pseudo-Jin Dan elder's ears.

Qin Ming kept his gaze straight ahead, not giving the Spirit Sword Mountain much thought—beyond Jin Dan elders, no one could truly threaten him now.

At the throne at the head of the hall.

Nanlan Xi also turned her gaze toward "Elder Long," noting his low magical power but his body refinement having reached its peak, as if he were a human-shaped legendary beast.

The other elders present stared at him, their expressions filled with astonishment.

"I am Elder Long. Greetings, Canghai True Person, greetings to all elders!" Qin Ming bowed respectfully, neither humble nor arrogant.

Even beneath such overwhelming spiritual pressure, Qin Ming used his mighty bloodline strength to render the Jin Dan elders' pressure utterly negligible.

He felt almost no pressure at all.

He suspected Nanlan Xi had summoned him merely to ask questions.

His guess proved correct.

Nanlan Xi's next words confirmed it.

"Elder Long, your reputation is well-deserved—your body refinement has reached the pinnacle."

"Please be seated."

Nanlan Xi then ordered servants to serve spiritual tea.

Qin Ming, hearing this, took a nearby chair and sat down, then listened as Nanlan Xi asked, "We owe you a great debt for your timely intelligence. Had you not warned us, we would have been blind to the massive upheaval within the Beast Roar Mountains—and the emergence of such a terrifying entity as the Green-Faced Poisonous Dragon King."

"Could you kindly explain how you came to know such a secret and detailed piece of information regarding the demon race's internal affairs?"

Qin Ming had anticipated this question and had already prepared his reply. "I encountered a second-stage peak demon beast while gathering spiritual materials in the Beast Roar Mountains. After slaying it and performing soul-searching, I accidentally obtained this information."

"I dislike drawing attention, so I immediately had Lord Li relay the news to you, Elder Nanlan."

When Qin Ming spoke of slaying a second-stage peak demon beast, he treated it as if it were a trivial matter.

The Jin Dan elders were unmoved, but the pseudo-Jin Dan elders paled, their expressions turning sharply doubtful.

Some second-stage peak demon beasts possessed power rivaling that of human Jin Dan elders.

For instance, the earlier Twin-Pupiled Demon Ape had fought two pseudo-Jin Dan elders to a standstill, then even severely wounded Canghai True Person's third-stage spiritual turtle.

This was the vast power gap caused by bloodline differences.

None of the pseudo-Jin Dan elders present dared claim they could easily kill a second-stage peak demon beast one-on-one.

Thus, they remained skeptical of "Elder Long's" claim.

Though Elder Long had defeated Du Gu Yang and ranked among the top three Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Wei Kingdom, he was still merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Seeing the elders' skepticism, Qin Ming reached into his storage bag and withdrew a spherical object, displaying it before them.

"A second-stage peak thunder-affinity demon core!"

Nanlan Xi said, frowning.

This finally dispelled all doubt among the cultivators present.

Qin Ming put the demon core away—second-stage peak demon cores were exceedingly rare, let alone thunder-affinity ones.

The Jin Dan elders stared at the demon core Qin Ming had shown, their eyes gleaming with desire; many were already pondering what spiritual items they might offer to trade for it after the meeting.

"Your intelligence was crucial. Had we ignored it, the consequences would have been catastrophic."

"I should record you for a great merit."

"Haha! No need for great merit. This concerns the safety of the entire Southern Wasteland's cultivation world—I merely did what I could."

Then, Canghai True Person seized the opportunity to invite him to join the Immortal City, offering lavish terms.

A cultivator as formidable as "Elder Long" was a prized guest everywhere, sought after by all factions.

Qin Ming, of course, declined Nanlan Xi's invitation.

Next,

Seeing that Qin Ming had no intention of joining the Immortal City, Nanlan Xi did not press him. After asking a few more questions, she dismissed the assembly.

But at that moment,

The short, stout pseudo-Jin Dan elder from Spirit Sword Mountain suddenly rose and shouted at "Elder Long," "Wait!"

"I hear you humiliated my disciples within the Immortal City—is this true?"

At these words, all present froze.

"Chu Tianhe, are you mad? Elder Long has rendered a great service. Your worthless disciples were beaten because they were outmatched—whose fault is that?"

At this, Wan Laozu of Liang Kingdom's Xuanxi Valley frowned and spoke.

The short, stout pseudo-Jin Dan elder from Spirit Sword Mountain was named Chu Tianhe.

Hearing Wan Laozu's rebuke, he dared not defy him, but continued, "Disciplining one's disciples is one thing—but in broad daylight, this concerns Spirit Sword Mountain's reputation. I cannot let this pass so easily."

"I hear Elder Long possesses the strength to slay second-stage peak demon beasts."

"Today, I wish to test your skill personally."

"Do you dare accept my challenge?"

(End of Chapter)