Chapter 315: Proposal

As soon as Qin Ming approached Canghai Xiancheng, he sensed several familiar Jin Dan auras.

Similarly, the four Laozu on Canghai Peak naturally detected Qin Ming's arrival.

"Oh! Fellow Daoist Qin has returned!"

"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Qin on advancing to the mid-stage of Jin Dan; your immortal path has taken another step forward."

"A cause for celebration indeed!"

Elder Qingxuan's figure flashed and vanished, appearing before Qin Ming, smiling as he offered his congratulations.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, it has been a long time!"

"You truly seem younger with each passing year."

Nalan Xi's figure also materialized.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, congratulations on your great progress in cultivation."

Wei Wuya and Pei Qing also flew out, warmly greeting Qin Ming.

"Heh! I didn't expect all you fellow cultivators to be here; what a coincidence," Qin Ming said, putting on a smile and returning greetings to each of them in turn.

Afterwards.

Qin Ming then followed the four back to Canghai Peak.

After the affairs in Wu Kingdom, their attitudes toward Qin Ming had undergone many changes.

"Fellow Daoist Nalan, I must thank you for looking after Wangyue Island all this time."

Qin Ming raised his cup, smiling as he spoke to Nalan Xi.

"Fellow Daoist Qin is too polite; it was merely a simple favor. This one received your Dust-Extinguishing Pill from you, so it is I who gained the advantage, heh!"

"On the other hand, Fellow Daoist Qin, though we haven't met in years, your cultivation has advanced even further; your immortal journey knows no limits."

"It seems this recent journey abroad yielded quite a harvest."

Qin Ming spoke modestly: "A fortunate breakthrough; I merely had a slight encounter with good fortune, that is all."

Any loose cultivator who could reach this stage must have their own secrets.

The people present would not pry to the root of things.

"By the way, on my way back, I saw the demonic beasts retreating into the Beast Cry Mountain Range; it seems the situation has reversed again?"

"Fellow Daoist Qin, that is indeed the case."

Next, the several Laozu briefed Qin Ming on the current situation in the Southern Wild Immortal Realm, as well as their own subsequent plans.

"Now that the beast tide has receded, this presents a splendid opportunity for us."

"As long as we remove the remaining poison of the Taihu ruins, the Immortal Realm can stabilize once more."

"As for the Jin Kingdom side, we must reclaim it as well; otherwise, if it falls into the hands of the Demonic Path, it will remain like a fishbone stuck in the throat, requiring constant vigilance."

Speaking to this point, Elder Qingxuan paused, then addressed Qin Ming: "We few have discussed this previously; we propose that if we successfully retake the Jin Kingdom, would Fellow Daoist Qin be interested in taking charge?"

"Take charge of the Jin Kingdom?" A trace of surprise appeared on Qin Ming's face.

However, he still shook his head and said: "Qin Mou is accustomed to a life of leisure and has no interest in founding a sect or establishing a school."

"Furthermore, I cannot bear such a great responsibility."

Qin Ming naturally understood without needing words; he knew their intention was to hope he would lend a hand to jointly deal with the Demonic Path and the ghost calamity.

Upon hearing this, traces of regret appeared on the faces of Elder Qingxuan, Nalan Xi, and the others.

After all, with Qin Ming's current strength at the mid-stage of Jin Dan, his addition would naturally increase the odds of success against the ghost calamity and the Demonic Path considerably.

After all, the ability to slay three Jin Dan cultivators of the Demonic Path in succession was something that, among those present, 恐怕 only Elder Qingxuan at the late-stage of Jin Dan could achieve.

The several Jin Dan Laozu also knew Qin Ming's character and did not press him; instead, they changed the subject and began exchanging cultivation experiences.

Taking this opportunity, the few of them also hosted a small welcome banquet for Qin Ming, celebrating his successful breakthrough to the mid-stage of Jin Dan.

During the drinking session, a small trading meeting also took place.

As a third-tier Spirit Plant Grandmaster and a third-tier Dandao Sect Grandmaster, Qin Ming naturally possessed many good items.

During the ten years in the Small Spirit Realm, he had refined quite a few third-tier pills one after another, which now proved useful.

Once cultivation reaches the Jin Dan stage, these third-tier spiritual pills become a hard currency even more popular than spirit stones.

Through pill refining, Qin Ming exchanged with the several Laozu for many treasured spiritual materials kept at the bottom of their chests.

After all, among them, some were sect masters, while others were city lords who had镇守 a region for hundreds of years.

They certainly possessed deep foundations.

Half a day later; since the several Laozu still had matters to discuss, Qin Ming first took his leave.

He did not rush to depart, but instead went to the Jingxue Pavilion within the inner city.

Inside Jingxue Pavilion, Shopkeeper Liao, dressed in a luxurious golden robe, sat in a private room on the seventh floor with a face full of spring breeze; fragrant incense curled upwards as he held an account book handed in by his subordinates in one hand, flipping through it.

In his other hand, he held a cup of precious spiritual tea, calmly savoring the brew with an air of serene confidence.

His cultivation had even advanced to the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

"Shopkeeper Liao, I hope you have been well since we last met!"

"Life seems to be treating you very comfortably."

Just at this moment.

Accompanied by an ethereal sound.

The space in the room fluctuated, then rippled outward.

Shopkeeper Liao stared at the scene before him in shock, as if he had seen a ghost.

Suddenly, an extra person appeared out of thin air within the room.

Once the figure fully materialized, a familiar silhouette appeared within his line of sight.

It was smiling warmly at him.

Shopkeeper Liao's eyes widened, his expression of shock instantly turning to delight as he excitedly stepped forward and bowed, saying:

"Qin Qianbei! Qin Qianbei!"

"How did you come to be here?"

"Welcome, Qin Qianbei, we are honored by your illustrious presence!"

Qin Ming casually raised a hand and waved, lifting him up: "Rise, no need for formalities."

Shopkeeper Liao's face broke into a warm smile; he hurriedly brewed spiritual tea for Qin Ming, saying, "Qin Qianbei, please have some tea."

"I didn't expect that after so long apart, Shopkeeper Liao would not only succeed in Foundation Establishment but also become the Deputy Gu Gezhu of the Mirror Snow Pavilion; you've truly risen rapidly in the world, haven't you?" Qin Ming glanced at Shopkeeper Liao and said with a faint smile.

Hearing this, Shopkeeper Liao hurriedly replied: "Hehe! Speaking of which, it is all thanks to Qin Qianbei's blessing."

"My superiors, noting my merit in having acquainted myself with Qin Qianbei, appointed me to the position of Deputy Gu Gezhu after Gu Gezhu Gu departed; during Gu Gezhu Gu's absence, I am temporarily managing the shop's affairs on her behalf."

"This junior also seized this opportunity to accumulate some savings, and at an auction house, successfully bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill, fortunately achieving Foundation Establishment."

"If it weren't for meeting Qin Qianbei during that time at the Qingyun Market, this junior恐怕 would never have reached this step in this lifetime."

Hearing this, Qin Ming said: "All of this is your own fortune; there is no need for such humility."

"By the way, has Fellow Daoist Gu still not returned even now?"

Qin Ming's return on this occasion was originally intended to meet Gu Qingzhao.

When she last departed, she said she was going out to undergo training, seeking an opportunity to break through to the Jin Dan realm.

"Gu Gezhu Gu has only returned twice during this period; the last time this junior heard from her, she said she was going to the State of Liang to slay demonic beasts and ghostly entities for training, and to gather spiritual materials as well."

"There has been no news since then."

Qin Ming nodded, unable to help but sigh inwardly; he hadn't expected Gu Qingzhao to be so strong-willed, choosing to temper her cultivation by slaying demons.

Yet doing so means danger and risk coexist; a single slight misstep, and years of bitter cultivation would be reduced to ashes.

Since Gu Qingzhao was not present, Qin Ming exchanged a few pleasantries with Shopkeeper Liao before departing the Mirror Snow Pavilion.

He also wrote a letter, asking Shopkeeper Liao to deliver it to Su Yuqing of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty, attaching fifty jin of Jade Emperor Spiritual Rice.

He did this merely to learn in advance about the current situation in Great Jin and how the battle situation at the Li Fire Palace was developing.

This was in preparation for his future journey to the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty.

The letter briefly introduced his recent circumstances, then emphasized with heavy ink the matter of his successfully refining a third-tier mid-grade spiritual pill.

He wondered what thoughts would arise in Su Yuqing, that genius of the Pill Dao, upon learning of this.

Qin Ming then went to the Duty Hall to check on Lu Wanjun; after sitting for a short while, he departed Canghai Xiancheng.

Half an hour later.

Riding his Silver-Winged Frost Bee, he once again returned to the spiritual energy Archipelago.

At the same time, several small black figures lurking near the Xiancheng observed the situation, then slowly faded into the void and vanished without a trace.

(End of Chapter)