Chapter 326: The Seas Turn to Mulberry Fields

After returning to Wangyue Island, Qin Ming resumed his days of farming and cultivation.

In the letters exchanged previously,

he had also learned from Su Yuqing about the route to the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty.

One needed to reach the capital of Liang Kingdom and use the long-distance teleportation array established by the Li Fire Palace, requiring additionally a Sacred Fire Token.

Apart from that, the only other option was to board the Crossing-Abyss Dharma Ships operated by several major merchant associations.

However, even upon arrival, one still needed a Sacred Fire Token to verify identity before being allowed entry.

Qin Ming happened to possess exactly one Sacred Fire Token, given to him by Zhou Yu back when he held his Jin Dan ceremony.

The Great Jin maintained extremely strict control over cultivators from vassal immortal realms entering its borders.

The consequences of smuggling oneself in, once verified, were invariably miserable.

Each activation of the long-distance teleportation array required an expenditure of one hundred and fifty high-grade spirit stones.

This single harsh condition alone barred ninety-nine percent of the cultivators from the Southern Wild Immortal Realm.

Except for the Jin Dan old ancestors of a few sects, loose cultivators simply could not afford such a colossal sum.

However, Qin Ming was in no hurry to leave immediately; he planned to bide his time a while longer, departing only after harvesting the spirit stones he had planted on the island.

Following this,

half a year later, the three kingdoms joined forces to retake Jin Kingdom from the grasp of the Modaoliu Sect.

They each dispatched troops to garrison the territory; with Jin Kingdom being so vast, naturally several major sects all wanted a share of the spoils.

However, when they finally demarcated their respective zones of control, disagreements arose.

The atmosphere even grew tense with the scent of gunpowder.

Qin Ming had long anticipated this; when resources and interests were at stake, these great sects and clans could turn on each other faster than flipping a page.

During this period,

an incident also occurred in the spiritual energy Archipelago.

On this day,

just as Qin Ming was tending to his spirit fields, he saw Wu Jiang arrive to pay his respects.

Over these years, Wu Jiang had matured considerably; not only had he become steady and prudent, but also shrewd and capable, advancing from establishing his foundation in his seventies to now breaking through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

Under his management, the Wu family flourished, producing many spirit farmers with extraordinary talent in spirit planting.

The spirit rice rent he submitted to Qin Ming increased year by year.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, what is the matter?"

Qin Ming asked, setting down the spirit hoe in his hand.

Wu Jiang walked steadily to stand before Qin Ming and said respectfully, "Reporting to the Island Lord, Alliance Leader Li Yuanqing of the Seventy-Two Loose Alliances passed away yesterday."

"The Loose Alliance has specially sent someone to inform you, likely wishing for you to select the next person in charge of the spiritual energy Archipelago."

Hearing this, Qin Ming let out a sigh.

"I did not expect that Fellow Daoist Li has also departed."

A sense of the vicissitudes of life suddenly surged within his heart.

Previously, during the resistance against the beast tide, Li Yuanqing had consumed pills that forcibly boosted his cultivation, leaving behind lingering complications.

Later, even though Qin Ming had given him Five-Elements Primordial Qi Spirit Peaches to extend his lifespan, he still failed to survive thirty years.

"So be it; since an old friend is gone, I shall go pay my respects."

Qin Ming actually held a favorable impression of Li Yuanqing, who had handled many tasks on his behalf.

Although these were done while Qin Ming had altered his appearance, it was still a fate shared between them.

Nowadays, while the spiritual energy Archipelago appeared to be under the unified management of the Seventy-Two Island Loose Alliance, in reality, everything still depended on the will of Qin Ming, the Wangyue True Person.

Ever since Qin Ming achieved his Jin Dan, many loose cultivators had come attracted by his fame to settle and develop within the spiritual energy Archipelago.

With the reputation of the Wangyue True Person, the influence of the spiritual energy Archipelago among the three kingdoms was in no way inferior to that of several major sects.

Qin Ming's gaze grew deep; after pondering for a moment, he suddenly spoke to Wu Jiang: "Fellow Daoist Wu, I cannot immediately think of who should take the position; why don't you become the alliance leader of this Loose Alliance?"

"Ah??"

"The Island Lord jokes; my cultivation and strength are insufficient, and my seniority is too shallow; I fear I cannot convince the masses and am unfit to bear such a great responsibility."

Hearing this, Wu Jiang was instantly startled and said with a bitter smile.

Qin Ming had only mentioned it casually; in truth, he wished to arrange a reliable person to manage the various islands of the spiritual energy Archipelago before his departure, lest he return to find a mess.

It seemed Wu Jiang had become addicted to farming, unwilling even to serve as alliance leader. Subsequently,

Qin Ming found time to visit Fengqi Island to pay respects to Li Yuanqing.

"Alas! Those elders I once knew are departing one by one..."

Regarding the selection of the new Loose Alliance leader, Qin Ming decided not to interfere, letting them hold their own vote.

Qin Ming observed the scene on-site; once the new alliance leader was born, he offered a few words of encouragement, thereby signifying his approval.

Immediately afterward, he established several rules, the gist being his hope for the peaceful and stable development of the spiritual energy Archipelago.

The succeeding alliance leader was named Ren Tianqi, a rather young middle-aged cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, a subordinate personally trained by Li Yuanqing.

Having him take over was most appropriate.

Time flew swiftly.

Five years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, just as Qin Ming finished harvesting all the spirit plants within his spirit fields, more than a dozen new entries appeared in his sea of consciousness.

Over these years, through Qin Ming's diligent farming in the Small Spirit Realm and on Wangyue Island, he had harvested quite a few 【Abundant Lifespan】 entries.

The lifespan he had previously consumed during combat exchanges had now been replenished back to over two thousand six hundred years.

His cultivation of magic power was also advancing in an orderly manner, drawing ever closer to the late stage of the Jin Dan.

With the aid of the Imperial Extreme Pill, his body-refining cultivation had also made a great leap forward.

Just at this moment.

Suddenly, an expression shifted across Qin Ming's brow.

He sensed the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy in the distance churning wildly, converging toward a certain direction, and his gaze immediately turned toward Yunze Xiancheng.

"A fluctuation of spiritual energy on such a scale."

"Could it be that Gu Qingzhao is breaking through to the Jin Dan realm?"

Thinking this, Qin Ming's figure blurred, vanishing from his original spot.

In less than half an hour, he had arrived outside Yunze Xiancheng.

He gazed upon Canghai Peak, where a dense vortex of spiritual energy spanning five li was pouring down like a funnel onto one of the cave dwellings.

Qin Ming's suspicion was now confirmed.

"As expected, it is she who is breaking through to the Jin Dan."

Inside Yunze Xiancheng, numerous rogue cultivators also raised their heads to watch the earth-shaking phenomenon, utterly shocked.

"A cloud mass of spiritual energy on this scale means a senior is breaking through to the Jin Dan realm!"

"To think that our Yunze Xiancheng is about to produce another Jin Dan True Person."

"To witness a breakthrough to the Jin Dan in one's lifetime makes this life worthwhile."

"I wonder which senior is breaking through."

At this moment, a streak of blue light flashed by and halted before Qin Ming; it was Nalan Xi.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, you have come as well," she said to Qin Ming with a smile.

Nalan Xi knew that Qin Ming and Gu Qingzhao shared a profound connection; indeed, her very life had been saved by him.

However, shortly after Gu Qingzhao recovered, she had rented a third-grade upper-tier spiritual vein cave dwelling on Canghai Peak and remained in closed-door cultivation until now.

Today, she had even begun her breakthrough to the Jin Dan realm, and the rosy clouds of spiritual energy forming were those of a true Jin Dan, not a false one.

With Nalan Xi's acumen, it was not difficult to guess that all of this before her eyes likely had something to do with Qin Ming.

Thus, a hint of meaningful smile appeared on her face.

"It seems Qingzhao has a considerable chance of succeeding in her breakthrough to the Jin Dan this time," Nalan Xi said with a faint smile.

Qin Ming, however, remarked, "It is not certain; although Fellow Daoist Gu possesses superior spiritual roots, breaking through to the Jin Dan remains quite difficult."

"Nevertheless, she has traveled and trained for over ten years and has grown significantly; her choice to break through at this time suggests she has made her decision."

Boom-crack!

The moment his words fell, the black clouds in the sky suddenly began condensing at an accelerated pace.

(End of Chapter)