Chapter 300: Third-Tier Top-Grade Spiritual Vein, Small Xiao Lingjing (5k Large Chapter)

After leaving Xuanxi Valley, Qin Ming summoned his Silver-Yin Yi Shuangfeng and flew toward the Kingdom of Wu.

There was a reason he had chosen the Kingdom of Wu as the destination for this journey.

Before arriving, Qin Ming had carefully examined numerous historical records and weighed the pros and cons.

Located in the westernmost part of the four kingdoms of the Southern Wild Immortal Realm, the Kingdom of Wu is currently the second most powerful nation after the Kingdom of Liang.

However, in ancient times, the Kingdom of Wu even produced Nascent Soul True Monarchs; it once held absolute dominance over the entire Southern Wild Immortal Realm, unified the four kingdoms, and maintained tens of thousands of years of prosperity.

During that era, calling the Kingdom of Wu the center of the Immortal Realm would not have been an exaggeration.

Cultivation resources were abundant, and great experts and heroes emerged endlessly; White Bone True Person was also active during that age.

Although the Kingdom of Wu has declined now and is far from its former glory, its foundation remains.

A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

Qin Ming intended to seize this opportunity to witness the grandeur of the Kingdom of Wu while cultivating and seeking opportunities.

Beyond this, there was an even more important factor.

That was, the cultivation environment in the Kingdom of Wu was currently relatively stable.

Beast tides and ghost calamities had been drawn away by the Kingdom of Liang, the Kingdom of Wei was recovering from civil war, and the Kingdom of Jin had fallen under the control of the demonic path.

Overall, amidst this chaotic and turbulent situation, the Kingdom of Wu suffered minimal impact and had instead become the only pure land.

Apart from occasional disturbances by small beast tide factions, it was basically a scene of peace and prosperity.

If development continued like this and the Kingdom of Wu could produce one or two more Jin Dan old ancestors, its status in the entire Southern Wild Immortal Realm might even surpass that of the Kingdom of Liang.

Qin Ming disliked interference from unexpected factors, so he chose this place.

For this trip, he had no intention of altering his appearance or changing his visage; he planned to reveal his true self directly.

"Playing the pig to eat the tiger doesn't suit me; handling matters directly with the identity of a Jin Dan stage cultivator will cause me fewer troubles."

"Moreover, with my current strength, there are few cultivators within the four kingdoms who could be my match."

"There is no need to hide or conceal myself."

"Even if I were to face a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator now, I would have no fear."

"Once I unleash the Hooked Jade Jin Guang Mirror to fight to the death, who could outlast my 2,040 years of lifespan?"

"Even though 120 years have already passed, I still have 1,920 years left to live."

"I refuse to believe any Jin Dan old ancestor or third-tier Demon King has a lifespan greater than mine."

"Of course, the Turtle Demon King is an exception."

Two months later.

Qin Ming entered the territory of the Kingdom of Wu.

He prepared to visit the dominant sect of the Kingdom of Wu's Immortal Realm, the Beast King Valley.

With a profound foundation, Beast King Valley surpassed the four kingdoms in the path of beast taming, and the sect even housed two Jin Dan stage old ancestors.

Among them was Lu Xiao, a early-stage Jin Dan cultivator whom Qin Ming had met at Nalan Xi's small celebration, where the two had conversed quite happily.

At that time, upon hearing that Qin Ming planned to travel extensively, Lu Xiao had earnestly invited him to visit Beast King Valley once he reached the Kingdom of Wu.

He had been extremely enthusiastic.

Besides Lu Xiao, the early-stage Jin Dan cultivator, Beast King Valley also had an old ancestor named Pei Qing stationed within the valley, who was a mid-stage Jin Dan cultivator.

It was said this person was a genius of heaven-defying talent; not yet two hundred years old, he had already broken through to mid-stage Jin Dan and possessed a native demonic beast with high potential, which, although currently only at the peak of the second tier, was not far from breaking through to the Demon King realm.

At that time, the strength of Beast King Valley would ascend to another level.

Within the Immortal Realm of the Kingdom of Wu, there were only these two Jin Dan cultivators; the rest were merely a handful of False Dan cultivators.

Therefore, Beast King Valley's domestic situation could be described as one family dominating alone, with the sect governing four first-rate powers under its command to manage various affairs below.

After flying continuously for several more days, Qin Ming...

... arrived in Yunzhou of the Kingdom of Wu, at a place called Sanxiancheng, and then descended.

Qin Ming planned to rest here briefly and gather some information before heading to Beast King Valley, estimating he could arrive in a few days.

Sanxiancheng was one of the largest immortal cities in the Kingdom of Liang, built by Jin Kuizong, one of the four major powers under Beast King Valley.

Qin Ming retracted his Silver-Yin Yi Shuangfeng, transformed into a streak of flowing light, and descended toward the city gate.

The scale of Sanxiancheng was far less than one-tenth that of Canghai Immortal City, yet cultivators arriving here were endless, making it extraordinarily lively.

Though the city was small like a sparrow, it possessed all the vital organs.

Countless dazzling streaks of light and riding carriages rose and fell at the city gate, resembling a world of immortals.

In an instant.

The cultivators near the city gate suddenly felt a massive spiritual pressure descend upon them.

They all retreated in shock and awe.

The vast majority here were Qi Condensation stage cultivators coming and going; normally, even Foundation Establishment stage cultivators were rarely seen.

For a moment, they were unclear about what had happened; before their eyes blurred, they saw an ordinary-looking young man land at the city gate.

"Whoa! Could it be a Foundation Establishment expert?!"

"Such a terrifying magic power aura; it definitely is."

"However, why have I never seen this senior in Sanxiancheng before?"

"Perhaps he is a cultivator from outside."

"Yet, why do I feel he looks somewhat familiar? As if I've seen him somewhere, but I just can't recall."

"Yes, yes, yes, I have that same feeling too."

Qin Ming had only slightly released magic power equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage; otherwise, these cultivators would likely not have been able to withstand it.

He arrived before the city gate and was just preparing to pay a sum of spirit stones to enter when...

... he saw one of the guards at the entrance, a cultivator looking like a thin monkey, walk out and say respectfully to Qin Ming, "Senior, cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage enter this city exempt from spirit stone fees, hehe!"

"May I ask your esteemed name, senior? Once I register you briefly, you may enter the city."

"Qin Ming," Qin Ming stated flatly, his expression unreadable.

That skinny monkey-like cultivator grinned broadly, bowing and scraping as he produced a booklet, ready to make the entry.

He first froze, then the ink brush in his hand trembled, his tone uncertain as he asked, "May I ask... which region is Qin Qianbei from?"

"Wangyue Island, State of Wei," Qin Ming replied, still speaking in a bland tone.

Qin Ming had no desire to show off; he simply had no choice.

In any case, his arrival in the State of Wu was already known to some.

"Ah?!"

"Th-this, True Person Wangyue..."

No wonder he felt familiar; the skinny monkey cultivator stammered, dropping the booklet from his hands onto the ground.

As a mere late-stage Qi Condensation small cultivator, this was his first time facing a Jin Dan True Person in the flesh; he was so frightened that sweat poured down his back and his legs turned to jelly.

Qin Ming's reputation echoed throughout the Southern Wild Immortal Realm, naturally resulting in numerous portraits of him circulating across all nations.

"Greetings, True Person Wangyue!"

"Quickly, open the formation and let him pass!"

The guards at the entrance scrambled in panic, hastily activating the defensive formation to open it.

Qin Ming walked in without glancing sideways.

After he had entered the city and moved far away, the cultivators waiting in line at the city gate erupted into an excited clamor.

"Holy crap, it's actually a Jin Dan Laozu arriving."

"And it's True Person Wangyue, the number one rogue cultivator of the Four States; am I dreaming?"

"What virtue or ability does this tiny Sanxiancheng possess to warrant a personal visit from True Person Wangyue?"

"We're going to be remembered for eternity now."

Amidst the heated discussions of the myriad cultivators,

Qin Ming stepped into a restaurant named "Spring Breeze Drunken Rain Tower," a rather poetic name.

"Esteemed senior, what would you like to eat?"

"Our shop's signature dishes, the Saltwater Fire Spirit Chicken and the Braised Green Spirit Fish, are famous far and wide; paired with a pot of Yuan Bamboo Wine, they are the finest delicacy in Sanxiancheng. Would you care to taste them?"

A waiter approached and enthusiastically introduced the menu.

"Mm, bring me one of each."

Having said this, Qin Ming casually found an empty seat and sat down.

The diners eating nearby, seeing a senior come to dine, paid little attention; after a single glance, they returned to eating and chatting amongst themselves.

Mere moments later, steaming hot wine, dishes, and spirit food were served.

Qin Ming picked up a piece of Fire Spirit Chicken with his chopsticks and sent it into his mouth, then drank a cup of Yuan Bamboo Wine.

His eyes immediately brightened as he said:

"Actually, it possesses a unique flavor."

Just as he was eating and drinking, he heard voices discussing and exchanging news from a nearby table.

"Sigh, have you heard the news?"

"Just a few days ago, near Wuxia Mountain in Yunzhou, a small spirit realm was discovered; it is said that inside lies a third-grade top-grade spirit vein!"

"I heard it was discovered accidentally by a demon-hunting cultivator who got incredibly lucky."

"Although the space inside isn't large, it is still an extremely rare treasure land for cultivation."

"What is a small spirit realm?"

"It is an independent secret realm space, extremely stable, likely a remnant from ancient times; there are no extra rare treasures inside, just a pure spirit vein."

"Ah? Is that so? No wonder the number of cultivators in Sanxiancheng has suddenly increased so much these past few days."

"It seems they are all coming for the small spirit realm."

"What use is having so many people? As soon as such a feng shui treasure land of the cultivation world appeared, it was seized by Beast King Valley for themselves."

"Aside from Jin Dan Laozu, who else would dare to lay a hand on it?"

"They are just here to watch the excitement."

"That is a third-grade top-grade spirit vein! If I could just go in and take a single breath of the air inside, it would be worth my entire life."

"..."

Hearing this, Qin Ming immediately became interested in this so-called small spirit realm; after all, the spirit vein environment on his Wangyue Island had reached its limit at third-grade high-grade.

To use an attribute to upgrade the island's spirit vein again, he would need to feed the Spirit Marrow Tai Sui with top-grade spirit stones to raise the spirit vein to third-grade top-grade.

Yet even high-grade spirit stones were extremely difficult to obtain, let alone top-grade spirit stones; such treasures were rumored to be scarce not only in the Southern Wild but across the entire Immortal Realm—they were resources controlled only by Nascent Soul-level sects.

Now that he had just arrived in the State of Wu, hearing such news truly stirred his heart.

Third-grade top-grade spirit veins were possessed only by a few hegemon-level sects within the Four States.

He set down the wine cup in his hand, stood up, and walked over to the table of cultivators who had been talking; putting on a faint smile, he asked, "Fellow Daoist, may I ask where exactly in Yunzhou is Wuxia Mountain, the location of this small spirit realm?"

The several cultivators who had been chatting animatedly, seeing a senior with profound cultivation aura approaching to ask a question, all hurriedly stood up and replied, "Reporting to Senior, Wuxia Mountain is located within the Lanjiang River basin in southern Yunzhou."

"Hehe! But Senior, you should probably just go take a look, right? It is said that Beast King Valley has already surrounded the place."

"Ordinary cultivators are not allowed to enter the Wuxia Mountain area at all, let alone get a close look at that small spirit realm."

"This junior advises you not to waste your effort; just listen for amusement, hehe!"

Having obtained the information he wanted, Qin Ming smiled warmly, then took out five low-grade spirit stones and placed them on the table.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for the information; this meal is on me."

The several cultivators at the table were instantly overjoyed; half-pushingly, half-reluctantly, they accepted the spirit stones, saying, "How could we let Senior bear the expense..."

Just at this moment.

At the entrance of the restaurant, a large crowd suddenly arrived, surrounding the area so tightly that not even water could leak through.

This caused the cultivators inside the shop to feel extremely surprised.

Immediately after.

A young male cultivator wearing an ink-colored Dharma robe appeared; he wore a tall crown, possessed a jade-like face, star-like eyebrows, and cosmic eyes, exuding an extraordinary demeanor, with cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Several people followed behind him, every single one of them being a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.

As soon as this person appeared, the many cultivators eating inside the restaurant, upon clearly seeing the newcomer, could not help but feel utterly shocked.

"It is actually Chen Beixuan, the son of the Jin Kuizong Sect Master!"

"What great wind has blown even him here, personally arriving at Sanxiancheng?"

After Chen Beixuan of Jin Kuizong entered the restaurant, his gaze immediately fell upon Qin Ming.

Subsequently, amidst the gazes of the crowd filled with extreme astonishment.

Chen Beixuan was seen hastily walking up to Qin Ming, performing a deep and formal bow to him, then respectfully kowtowing and saying:

"Junior Chen Beixuan of Jin Kuizong pays respects to True Person Wangyue!"

"Qin Qianbei has traveled from afar; the Sect Master is out attending to matters, and Jin Kuizong has failed to welcome you properly; we hope Senior will not take offense!"

Whoosh! As soon as these words fell.

The restaurant, which had just been extraordinarily lively, instantly became so quiet that the drop of a needle could be heard.

Those few cultivators who had accepted Qin Ming's spirit stones also felt their brains buzzing loudly, unable to help but doubt their very existence right there on the spot.

What the hell? True Person Wangyue? A Jin Dan old ancestor!

"Mm, rise."

"This seat merely came here casually to sit for a moment." Qin Ming then waved his hand, lifting him up.

Chen Beixuan was also internally extremely astonished; he had been cultivating within the sect when he received an urgent report from a disciple under his command.

It stated that True Person Wangyue, whose name shook the Southern Wild Immortal Realm, had arrived at Sanxiancheng, which fell under their sect's jurisdiction.

How could this be tolerated?

Since the Sect Master was absent, he had no choice but to lead several elders of the sect to come and pay respects to this big shot.

He had long heard of the great name of True Person Wangyue from the State of Wei, and now seeing the person in flesh, his heart was filled with immense tension.

Although rumors claimed that True Person Wangyue had a gentle and kind temperament, as a Jin Dan old ancestor, he still exerted tremendous pressure upon him.

"Qin Qianbei, please come inside the sect for a chat, allowing this junior to fulfill his duties as a host."

"No need to trouble yourself; this seat has urgent matters to attend to at Beast King Valley, and will visit your honorable sect another day if the opportunity arises," Qin Ming said indifferently.

Chen Beixuan hurriedly replied: "Yes! Since that is the case, this junior dares not delay Senior's important affairs; if there is a chance, our Jin Kuizong will sweep the mats and welcome Senior's arrival at any time."

Then, before the crowd could react, Qin Ming's figure blurred and twisted momentarily, vanishing into thin air in an instant. The crowd watched this scene in shock: "Such divine abilities... it must undoubtedly be True Person Wangyue."

After a long while, the people present finally woke up from their shock.

A Foundation Establishment elder of Jin Kuizong stepped forward, hesitated for a moment, and said to Chen Beixuan: "Young Sect Master, could it be that True Person Wangyue has come this time also for that small spirit realm?"

"Most likely so; how could the thoughts of a Jin Dan True Person be guessed by the likes of us?"

"However... what puzzles me greatly is that the small spirit realm was only discovered a few days ago, yet True Person Wangyue traveled directly from the State of Wei to our Yunzhou in the State of Liang."

"Is the flight speed of this Jin Dan True Person truly that fast?"

"Or could it be that True Person Qin obtained some insider information in advance... it is truly strange."

Chen Beixuan knitted his brows tightly, finding it somewhat inconceivable.

Thousands of miles outside Sanxiancheng, Qin Ming transformed into a green rainbow and flew toward the Lanjiang basin in the south of Yunzhou.

Half a day later.

A winding great river stretching ten thousand li appeared in Qin Ming's line of sight, resembling a green giant dragon coiled upon the earth, seemingly endless.

"This is the Lanjiang basin."

Qin Ming paused for a moment, then continued flying southward.

Gradually, and suddenly, a vast mountain range appeared ahead, with spiritual mist shrouding the sky and blotting out the sun, drifting like smoke; a single mountain peak pierced the heavens, disappearing into the clouds and mist.

"Wuxia Mountain has been reached."

Qin Ming immediately released his powerful divine sense, comparable to that of the late Jin Dan stage, probing outward across a range of a hundred li.

He saw only that within a fifty-li radius of Wuxia Mountain, at regular intervals, cultivators of Beast King Valley dressed in green robes were heavily guarding the area.

They would not even let a single mosquito enter.

Qin Ming's vision shifted to a valley located ten li outside Wuxia Mountain.

At the entrance of this valley, there was even a False Dan old ancestor of Beast King Valley standing guard.

"It seems that the small spirit realm is located here."

Subsequently, Qin Ming carefully searched the valley with his divine sense for a full circle, yet discovered nothing.

Before he came, he had heard that the small spirit realm was an independent space, so it was normal not to find it.

Qin Ming stood in place and pondered for a long time.

"I intend to visit Beast King Valley to have a discussion; I might as well consult with those two old ancestors."

"Let us see if we can rent the small spirit realm from them for thirty to fifty years; if that happens..."

"There is hope for reaching mid-stage Jin Dan."

"No, perhaps even the late stage is possible..."

"In any case, Beast King Valley already possesses a third-grade top-grade spirit vein, so they would not miss this one."

"However, wanting to rent the small spirit realm will probably not be cheap..."

"Such a place of clear waters and lush mountains, with a stable situation, an independent secret realm space, and no one to disturb—it is simply tailor-made for me!"

Thinking of this, Qin Ming had already made his decision.

He took out a map jade slip from his robe, confirmed the direction, and then transformed into a streak of cyan rainbow light, flying swiftly toward Beast King Valley.

Ten days later.

Qin Ming arrived before the main gate of Beast King Valley.

Beast King Valley was located within a vast range of verdant mountains, where the peaks were steep and precipitous, and strange rocks stood in jagged clusters.

Fierce beasts roamed freely among the myriad mountains, and in some mountain ranges, one could even see giant pythons and great demons lying in wait.

Between the cliffs and ridges, the furious roars of demon beasts rang out from time to time, while the undulating cries of beasts and birds echoed throughout the valley.

Before Qin Ming had even arrived, he had already sent a message transmission to Lu Xiao of Beast King Valley.

Two streaks of startling rainbow light shot out beyond the sect gates, under the astonished gazes of the Beast King Valley disciples.

"Surprisingly, two Laozu are leaving the sect gate together."

"What exactly has happened?"

"Could it be that a great enemy has attacked us?"

"What are you thinking? Our Beast King Valley possesses profound foundations, and furthermore, we have two Laozu guarding it; which blind fool would dare harbor designs on our Beast King Valley?"

"That is true! I merely heard that the ghost calamity in the neighboring State of Liang is raging quite fiercely."

"The State of Liang is separated from us by hundreds of thousands of miles."

"Unless Profound Creek Valley truly cannot hold out, and the State of Liang is completely annihilated by the ghost calamity, only then might it possibly come to our State of Wu."

"Indeed, indeed; this Senior Brother speaks reason."

Only a few breaths passed.

Outside the sect gate.

The figures of Pei Qing and Lu Xiao, the Jin Dan Laozu of Beast King Valley, emerged.

Subsequently, a young cultivator of ordinary appearance entered the sight of the two Laozu; he resembled an evergreen tree, exuding an aura of indifference as clear as water.

Lu Xiao, with his head full of silver hair, broke into a smile upon seeing Qin Ming and hurried forward to welcome him, saying:

"Hahaha! Fellow Daoist Qin, long time no see!"

"I did not expect you to arrive so quickly; you had just sent me a message transmission, and now you are already here."

"Hehe! Qin Mou went out to travel for a while, happened to pass through the State of Wu, and thus came specifically to visit the two fellow Daoists." Qin Ming replied with a smile, returning a bow.

"For Fellow Daoist Qin to come as a guest to our Beast King Valley, it is naturally something we desire greatly; you are most welcome!"

"I have long heard of the great name of True Person Wangyue; today that I, Pei, finally meet you, your reputation is well deserved!"

Qin Ming's gaze fell upon Laozu Pei Qing; the other's aura of magic power was exceptionally robust, and within his body surged a lush, verdant vitality, brimming with vigor, indicating he had at least three or four hundred years of lifespan remaining.

Pei Qing's appearance also appeared extremely youthful, and his features were handsome, refined, and otherworldly.

Among all the cultivators Qin Ming had seen in the many years since he transmigrated to the Immortal Realm.

Except for Su Yuqing, this person could be called the second most handsome.

(End of Chapter)