Chapter 288: A Small Gathering

Three days later.

Qin Ming departed on time as invited, heading to Canghai Xiancheng for the banquet.

By the time he reached the outskirts of the immortal city, he found the entire place decorated with lanterns and festive banners, exuding an atmosphere of celebration.

It was likely in honor of True Person Nalan Xi breaking through to the mid-stage of the Jin Dan realm; the scattered cultivators in the city had spontaneously organized a city-wide celebration for her.

This also indirectly demonstrated True Person Canghai's status among these scattered cultivators.

Near the immortal city, various escape lights shimmered with brilliant colors, and cultivators coming and going were endless.

Before Qin Ming had even entered the city, he saw a deep blue escape light flying from the direction of Canghai Peak, coming to a steady halt right before him.

The escape light dispersed, revealing the figure of a beautiful woman; a slight smile appeared on Nalan Xi's face as she extended her hand in a gesture of invitation: "Fellow Daoist Qin has arrived. The other few fellow daoists are already inside; please, come in."

"Hehe! Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Nalan on breaking through to the mid-stage of the Jin Dan realm; may your immortal path advance even further." Qin Ming also wore a smile as he offered his congratulations to Nalan Xi.

He hadn't expected that Nalan Xi would personally come out to welcome him.

"This is all thanks to Fellow Daoist Qin's Dust-Extinguishing Pill; otherwise, reaching the mid-stage would still be a distant hope," Nalan Xi said, her eyes filled with gratitude.

With that said, the two flew toward the summit of Canghai Peak.

Below the immortal city, many people witnessed this scene.

The myriad cultivators immediately began to discuss it.

"That senior we just saw must be True Person Wangyue, right? To actually compel the City Lord to personally welcome him."

"That is only natural; aside from True Person Wangyue, who else could receive such a level of treatment?"

"I just saw Great Ancestor Wan of Xuanxi Valley arrive, yet I didn't see True Person Canghai go out to welcome him."

"This fully demonstrates True Person Wangyue's standing in the hearts of all the Jin Dan Great Ancestors!"

"..."

At the mist-shrouded summit of Canghai Peak, outside an ancient and elegant cave dwelling.

Emerald bamboo provided shade, flowing water murmured, and pavilions and terraces were arranged with perfect harmony.

By the time Qin Ming and Nalan Xi arrived, three people were already seated around the pavilion, each radiating the aura of Jin Dan-stage magic power.

Except for one person whom Qin Ming did not recognize, the other two were old acquaintances of his: Wei Wuya of Lei Yuanzong and Great Ancestor Wan of Xuanxi Valley.

Naturally, only Jin Dan-stage cultivators would be invited by True Person Nalan Xi to such a small celebratory gathering.

Including Qin Ming, more than half of the Jin Dan-stage cultivators in the Southern Desolate Immortal Realm had gathered here.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, I have long admired your great name!"

"I am Lu Xiao of Beast King Valley in the Wu Kingdom. During the time Fellow Daoist held your Jin Dan grand ceremony, I happened to be in closed cultivation and could not spare the time to attend personally and offer congratulations; truly a regret!"

"Now that we meet today, Fellow Daoist Qin is truly young and promising; I must share a few more cups with Fellow Daoist Qin!"

Beside the two, Wei Wuya and the other, an elderly man with a head full of silver hair and advanced age, cupped his hands and greeted Qin Ming warmly.

Though this person had wrinkled skin and white hair, his pair of eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, giving one the impression of vigor despite old age.

Qin Ming secretly activated the divine ability 'Yin-Yang Profound Mirror' and looked at Lu Xiao; he saw that although this person appeared aged externally, a lush green vitality permeated his body, indicating he had at least over a hundred years of lifespan remaining.

It seemed he had also cultivated some kind of technique for extending life and preserving youth.

"Fellow Daoist Lu is too polite; thanks to the blessing of Fellow Daoist Nalan, haven't we now become acquainted? Hehe!" Qin Ming smiled faintly and returned the courtesy.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, long time no see!"

"Fellow Daoist Qin, you must drink a few more cups later."

Wei Wuya and Great Ancestor Wan also came over to greet Qin Ming.

In the Immortal Realm, strength is supreme; ever since Qin Ming alone slew the two Jin Dan cultivators of Lingyun Sect.

Qin Ming's status within the Jin Dan circle had skyrocketed, hence the Jin Dan Great Ancestors of the several kingdoms were all quite polite toward him.

"Fellow daoists, let us not all remain standing; please take your seats to enjoy the dishes and wine."

Nalan Xi invited the few of them to be seated.

Subsequently, servants from the immortal city brought out a table full of exquisite delicacies.

Nalan Xi took out a jar of spiritual wine, then removed the seal, releasing an enchanting, mellow fragrance of nectar and jade liquid.

Upon seeing this, the several Great Ancestors present all perked up, their eyes shining with light.

"Hehe! Come and taste the Bai Yulin Wine brewed by Fellow Daoist Qin."

"I am merely borrowing flowers to present to Buddha; it took considerable effort to obtain just this one jar from the Mirror Snow Pavilion."

Wei Wuya was naturally extremely familiar with this spiritual wine; in his mind, calling Bai Yulin Wine the finest brew in the Southern Desolate Immortal Realm would not be an exaggeration.

"So the spiritual wine was brewed by Fellow Daoist Qin originally; truly proficient in everything!"

"I, Wan, am immensely impressed."

Subsequently, the five raised their cups, clinked them together, and drained the spiritual wine in one gulp.

They all revealed expressions of utter intoxication.

"Truly excellent wine!"

With cups and chopsticks clinking, after three rounds of drinks.

Immediately after, Wei Wuya was the first to take out a brocade box and hand it to Nalan Xi, saying: "This is a humble gift from me, one Life-Returning Talisman, to congratulate Fellow Daoist Nalan on reaching the mid-stage of the Jin Dan realm; may your immortal journey be boundless."

Seeing Wei Wuya make such a move, offering such a high-grade item immediately, the remaining few people.

Although they showed no emotion on their faces, internally they were already secretly amazed.

The Life-Returning Talisman was a third-grade, middle-quality talisman; its greatest function was preserving one's life.

As long as the injury was not instantly fatal, this talisman could heal most wounds within a short time and restore one to peak condition.

Its rarity went without saying.

The social intricacies of the cultivation world had been handled perfectly by him.

"Then many thanks to Fellow Daoist Wei." Nalan Xi's eyes brightened, and she smilingly accepted the gift. Next was Great Ancestor Wan, who presented twenty high-grade spiritual stones and one piece of third-grade, middle-quality material for artifact refinement.

Lu Xiao of the Beast King Valley in the Wu Kingdom took out an exquisite porcelain bottle and handed it to Nalan Xi, saying, "Congratulations, Daoist Nalan, on your great advancement in cultivation. This third-grade lower-tier Beast Soul Pill can enhance a spirit beast's cultivation; it is a small token of my regard."

All of them knew that Nalan Xi possessed a third-grade spirit turtle as her pet, so Lu Xiao's gift had truly touched her heart.

"Thank you, Daoist Lu."

A trace of joy rarely appeared on Nalan Xi's face, showing that she cared deeply for her spirit pet.

Next, it was Qin Ming's turn.

Everyone's gaze converged upon him.

The several Laozu were also curious about what kind of gift Qin Ming would present, after all, besides being a third-grade Dandao Sect Grandmaster, his attainments in spirit plants were also considerable.

Naturally, he would not lack good items.

Seeing Qin Ming smile calmly, he unhurriedly took out an exquisite jade bottle and handed it to Nalan Xi.

"Congratulations, Daoist Nalan, on your great advancement in cultivation; this Longevity Fruit Pill is a small token from Qin Mou."

A high-grade longevity spirit pill!

As soon as he spoke, the Jin Dan Laozu among the others held their breath in shock! They were aware of the fame of the third-grade middle-tier Longevity Fruit Pill, but had only heard of its name, never having seen it with their own eyes, let alone consumed such a spirit pill.

That was a miraculous pill capable of extending life by eighty years! Which Jin Dan Laozu would not crave it? "I never expected that in such a short time, Daoist Qin would actually advance to the realm of a third-grade middle-tier Dandao Sect Grandmaster!"

"Truly something to celebrate!"

Coming to their senses, the several individuals flattered Qin Ming.

"Hehe! Qin Mou was merely fortunate."

Nalan Xi also accepted the jade bottle with an agitated heart, sincerely thanking Qin Ming.

For her, the importance of lifespan went without saying.

"With such a generous gift from Daoist Qin, I offer my heartfelt thanks here!"

"In the future, if Daoist Qin has any needs, just speak up."

Watching this scene, the other several Laozu also revealed expressions of extreme envy.

This time, when Qin Ming refined pills, four Longevity Fruit Pills emerged from the furnace; he consumed one himself, leaving three spirit pills remaining.

Apart from the one promised to Elder Yuheng, two pills remained, and he thought it might as well be a favorable gesture to do a kindness.

Back when Nalan Xi attended Qin Ming's Jin Dan ceremony, the gift she gave was also substantial, so his return gift could not be too shabby.

With this single move by Qin Ming, his status in the hearts of the several individuals immediately rose by a large margin.

Because, even within the Nascent Soul sects of Great Jin, Grandmasters capable of refining third-grade middle-tier spirit pills were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Moreover, this was a longevity-type pill, belonging to the most difficult category of high-grade pills to refine.

With the gift-giving concluded, the several Jin Dan True Persons present raised their cups to drink freely and began interacting with one another.

After all, these Laozu were each busy with their own sect affairs, so opportunities for such gatherings were quite rare.

"By the way, Daoist Qin, now that you have achieved Jin Dan, what are your plans?" Wei Wuya put down his wine cup and suddenly asked.

"I heard you even rejected the invitation from the Brother Li Huo Palace; could it be that you truly intend to stay on Wangyue Island for bitter cultivation?"

Hearing this, Qin Ming pondered slightly and said, "Mm, Qin Mou's original plan was to travel throughout the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty, both to broaden my horizons and to seek opportunities for Nascent Soul condensation."

"However, I heard that the Brother Li Huo Palace seems to be engaged in battle with another great enemy, so traveling to Great Jin at this time is probably not an opportune moment, thus I have temporarily shelved the plan."

"Therefore, next, Qin Mou intends to tour the Four Kingdoms, though the timing has not yet been decided."

At this moment.

Lu Xiao of the Beast King Valley first cautiously raised his hand to cast a barrier, then said, "Indeed, what Daoist Qin says is correct."

"According to my intelligence, the battle situation of the Upper Sect is likely extremely unfavorable; if it were not that the resources in our Southern Desolate Immortal Realm are truly too scarce, with very few high-level cultivators and nothing for Nascent Soul powers to covet, otherwise, I estimate that several of us would have been forcibly conscripted to participate in the war."

"When gods fight, the fish in the pond suffer."

"Since ancient times, such examples have been too numerous to count."

"Sigh, for vassal Immortal Realms like ours, once a Nascent Soul sect issues an order, there is simply no way to disobey."

"Fortunately, the Brother Li Huo Palace has not interfered in the affairs of the Southern Desolate Immortal Realm for several thousand years."

"Now, the ghost calamity in the Liang Kingdom is intensifying."

"Let us hope the war of the Upper Sect ends soon as well; sigh! Truly these are troubled times!"

Hearing this news, the expressions of the several Laozu present became quite grave.

If a war between Nascent Soul sects breaks out and their subordinate sects get dragged in, naturally there will be no good outcome.

After Lu Xiao finished speaking, he seemed to realize that the atmosphere at the scene had become somewhat grave, which was not suitable for the day.

Thus, he changed the subject, smiling as he said:

"If Daoist Qin comes to the Wu Kingdom, you must notify me; the Beast King Valley will surely sweep the mats to welcome you!"

"My Liang Kingdom also welcomes you with open arms! Hehe, however... this is not an opportune time either," Wan Laozu said with a bitter smile.

Qin Ming thanked them one by one, then pondered for a moment, thought of something, and said to everyone present:

"Fellow Daoists, some time ago when I slew Duanmu Sheng of the Lingyun Sect, I obtained some intelligence."

"Decades ago, the Jin Kingdom was already infiltrated by the 'Yuanmo Sect' among the Modaoliu Sect, and they have been secretly colluding; this invasion targeting the Wei Kingdom was also long premeditated."

"Even the breaking of the seal deep within the Taihu ruins in the Liang Kingdom bears their shadow."

"The demonic path's scheme this time is considerable, and we must remain vigilant."

Qin Ming gave a reminder to all the sect Laozu present.

(End of Chapter)