Chapter 328: Departure

Gu Qingzhao's family had vast enterprises and naturally could not be as carefree as Qin Ming, simply leaving at a moment's notice.

After she achieved the Jin Dan realm, many matters within the Mirror Jing Xue Ge required her oversight, and even the role of helmsman would fall upon her shoulders.

Otherwise, she too would very much wish to travel through Great Jin just like Qin Ming.

Gu Qingzhao's thoughts drifted; after hesitating for a long while, she finally gathered her courage and asked Qin Ming:

"Fellow Daoist Qin, you have cultivated for so long and have now reached the mid-stage of the Jin Dan realm; whether in cultivation or reputation, you are far beyond what you once were."

"Could it be... that you do not intend to find a Dao companion?"

As she spoke, her gaze rested upon Qin Ming, her expression appearing utterly open and honest, as if merely asking a friend about something trivial.

Yet in reality, her heart was filled with tension—the moment Gu Qingzhao's words fell.

In that instant, Qin Ming also briefly lost his composure.

He had not expected Gu Qingzhao to broach this topic so directly.

After pondering for a moment, Qin Ming replied, "The Immortal Realm is ever-changing; while the Jin Dan stage marks the threshold of high-level cultivators and may grant one some influence here in the Southern Wilderness, looking at the surrounding Immortal Realms, one can barely ensure their own safety."

"Only upon reaching the Nascent Soul realm can one stand securely without worry."

"Therefore, Qin Mou has currently given little thought to matters of romance."

"I only wish to seek opportunities and break through to the late Jin Dan stage as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Gu Qingzhao looked somewhat dispirited and lost in thought, understanding his meaning in her heart.

Given Qin Ming's nature, aside from farming and bitter cultivation, there was little that could distract him.

"Hehe! Then I wish Fellow Daoist Qin a smooth journey ahead and an unobstructed path on the Immortal Dao."

"Rest assured, once matters here are settled, I will reopen the Chu Tianhe Market in the Lingxi Archipelago; I will do my best to look after your Moon Gazing Island until your return."

"I offer you this cup in respect."

Gu Qingzhao raised her wine cup and clinked it against Qin Ming's.

"Then many thanks to Fellow Daoist Gu."

Afterwards, Qin Ming also inquired with Gu Qingzhao about routes to Great Jin, seeing if she had any connections.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, if you intend to go to Great Jin, aside from using a long-distance teleportation array, you can also board a Dharma ship of the Qilian Merchant House."

"Oh? The Qilian Merchant Alliance?" Qin Ming said thoughtfully.

He still had some impression of this merchant alliance.

"Precisely; the Qilian Merchant House belongs to the Wan Dao Shang Alliance under the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty and conducts trade everywhere."

"However, within the Southern Wilderness, the Qilian Merchant House operates Dharma ships to Great Jin rather infrequently."

"Previously, when I helped send a letter to Fellow Daoist Su, it was through them."

"Next month, they should have a merchant vessel departing for Great Jin; since this pavilion maintains close cooperative ties with the Qilian Merchant House, I can make some introductions for Fellow Daoist Qin."

"If Fellow Daoist Qin plans to use the long-distance teleportation array of the Brother Li Huo Palace in the capital of Liang Kingdom, the cost would be exceedingly Gao Ang."

Hearing this, Qin Ming nodded. "Then many thanks to Fellow Daoist Gu."

Several days later.

Qin Ming returned to Moon Gazing Island, gave instructions to Wu Jiang and the others, then took the address Gu Qingzhao had provided and flew toward a place in Liang Kingdom called Gathering Immortals City.

Along the way.

Riding his Yin Yi Shuangfeng, Qin Ming gazed at the scenery swiftly receding behind him, filled with deep emotion.

He never expected that one day he too would leave this homeland of the Southern Wilderness.

"Master, are we really going to the legendary Great Jin Immortal Dynasty this time?"

The Shi Tian Shu shrank its form, landed on Qin Ming's shoulder, and spoke with animated brows and dancing eyes, utterly ecstatic.

"Indeed," Qin Ming said lightly.

"Alas, who would have thought, who would have thought..."

"Who would have imagined that I, Shi Tian Shu, would have such a day, finally able to leave this world and witness the broader world beyond."

"If those fellows in the Beast Cry Mountain Range knew, they would surely die of envy. I've heard that over in Great Jin there are also many demon cultivators, even fourth-stage transformed female Demon Saints; if this Grand Sir could just catch a glimpse of their beautiful faces, wouldn't that be delightful? Hei hei hei..."

Qin Ming shook his head speechlessly, while the Shi Tian Shu, immersed in its own fantasies, chuckled foolishly without stopping.

Seeing Qin Ming ignore it, it returned to the Small Spirit Realm and spoke eloquently to the Profound Water Crocodile, dreaming of the future.

Half a month later, Qin Ming rode his Yin Yi Shuangfeng to Gathering Immortals City.

However, only Gu Qingzhao and a few others like Nalan Xi knew of his departure for Great Jin.

For this journey, Qin Ming planned to travel discreetly; after all, the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty possessed even Nascent Soul Zhenjun, not to mention the fourth-stage transformed Demon Saints mentioned by the Shi Tian Shu, so he had to be extra cautious.

He had already attracted the attention of the Brother Li Huo Palace in the Southern Wilderness; if he directly used a long-distance teleportation array, he feared it would draw the notice of those with ulterior motives.

Especially the sworn enemies of the Brother Li Huo Palace; they surely would not wish to see a Dandao Sect grandmaster recruited into another faction.

Therefore, he did not even plan to use the Brother Li Huo Palace's teleportation array, simply to avoid making his movements known to everyone.

He intended to first see if he could find an opportunity to impersonate someone else and slip in.

After all, with his mid-stage Jin Dan cultivation, when Qin Ming employed his True Demon Illusion, even a Nascent Soul Zhenjun could not see through it.

Upon arriving near Gathering Immortals City.

Qin Ming cast an illusion, transforming into an elegant middle-aged cultivator, controlling his magic power aura to appear at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

This was the identity Gu Qingzhao had arranged for Qin Ming: "Shopkeeper Lu" from the Mirror Jing Xue Ge, traveling to Great Jin to deliver goods.

Qin Ming arrived before a magnificent building within the city and stepped inside.

Ten days later.

A pitch-black Crossing-Abyss Dharma ship, with the banner of the Qilian Merchant Alliance hanging from its mast, slowly sailed away from Gathering Immortals City.

Inside the ship's cabin, Qin Ming, disguised as 'Shopkeeper Lu', beamed with joy as he exchanged toasts with the three cultivators sitting opposite him.

These three were no ordinary figures; they were cultivators under the banner of the Ten Thousand Dao Shang Alliance.

It had taken Qin Ming considerable effort to befriend them.

"Shopkeeper Lu, I must say, this Bai Yulin Wine you brought is truly worthy of being called nectar and jade liquid."

"I wonder if you could sell some to me?" asked a graceful and beautiful woman, her smile blooming like a flower as she addressed Qin Ming.

"Hehe! Fellow Daoist Liu Ye, this Bai Yulin Wine represents the last few jars remaining in my establishment."

"There is not much stock left."

Qin Ming replied with a smile.

"Alas! That is indeed a pity; the two of us were also planning to purchase some from Shopkeeper Lu."

Sitting opposite Qin Ming were a silver-haired elder and a tall, thin cultivator with a sallow face, both expressing their regret.

The silver-haired elder was named Han Yuan, and the tall, thin cultivator was called Gao Feng.

All three possessed cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment realm; yet even with such a realm, their status within the Ten Thousand Dao Shang Alliance was not particularly high, belonging to the rank of ship-escort cultivators.

Over this period, Qin Ming had learned quite a bit of intelligence from them.

It was not in vain that he had plied them with so much Bai Yulin Wine.

After flying for some time, Qin Ming could sense that the Crossing-Abyss Dharma Ship of the Qilian Merchant Guild had actually descended from the sky onto a stretch of sea.

Seeing 'Shopkeeper Lu's' reaction.

The silver-haired elder, Han Yuan, said with a smile: "Is this Shopkeeper Lu's first time traveling to Great Jin?"

"The Southern Wilderness lies in a remote region; to the north, it is cut off by the Eerie Mist, while to the west borders the natural moat of the Beast Cry Mountain Range, where even fourth-rank shape-shifting demonic beasts exist in the deepest parts, making it extremely dangerous."

"Only by navigating the Black Sea to the east can one reach Qilin Island."

"After verifying one's identity on the island, one can use the transmission array there to quickly arrive in Great Jin."

"Once at Qilin Island, only one-third of the journey remains, thus saving a large sum of spirit stones."

Upon hearing the other's explanation, Qin Ming could not help but feel stunned, never expecting the route from the Southern Wilderness to Great Jin to be so circuitous.

(End of Chapter)