Chapter 348: Su Yuqing's Shock

Even now, Su Yuqing remained one of Qin Ming's few high-level connections.

After all, with the Su family backed by the Nascent Soul-level Li Li Huogong, they undoubtedly held firsthand information about the Immortal Realm.

After breaking through to the Jin Dan stage, Qin Ming had finally gained the qualification to establish himself in the Immortal Realm and possessed the power to protect himself.

Yet the Immortal Realm was ever-changing; once war erupted, even a Jin Dan cultivator might not escape the fate of demise.

Therefore, timely mastery of news from the upper echelons of the Immortal Realm was crucial for Qin Ming.

Beyond that, Su Yuqing was both a mentor and a friend to him.

Although Qin Ming's proficiency in the Dao of Pills had now advanced to the peak third-tier Grandmaster realm, there was still a gap when compared to a monster like Su Yuqing.

For instance, regarding that fourth-tier Infant-Condensing Pill formula, he had studied it for a long time yet remained completely clueless.

This visit was precisely to ask Su Yuqing to take a look at it.

Inside the cave dwelling.

Su Yuqing brewed a pot of special spiritual tea from Dragon Court Lake for Qin Ming.

"By the way, Brother Su, why did you travel all the way from Great Jin to the remote Yunze Dahuang to settle in Qingyang Market City?" Qin Ming voiced the doubt in his heart.

Su Yuqing sipped the spiritual tea and slowly explained, "Sigh, speaking of this matter, the reason is related to maneuvering among the upper echelons."

"At that time, to control and suppress the familial powers beneath them, the Li Li Huogong instigated a struggle between our Su family and other families."

"I was then secretly sent away by our old man, which is how I ended up in the Southern Desolation."

"Later, when our Su family won the struggle and secured the territory of Dragon Court Lake, they brought me back."

Qin Ming nodded upon hearing this, "I didn't expect Brother Su's departure back then was so hurried, and for such a reason."

"Brother Qin, do not be misled by the apparent calm on the surface of Great Jin today; in reality, undercurrents surge, and open and hidden struggles between aristocratic powers never cease. If not for the Li Li Huogong and the Divine Dao Mountain having just undergone a great war and now resting to recuperate, the turmoil would likely continue," Su Yuqing added.

"Let me put it this way: although the resources of the Great Jin Immortal Realm appear abundant, the total amount is fixed. With new powers emerging endlessly and eras changing, this cake keeps getting smaller."

"You must know that the founding Laozu of the Li Li Huogong once awakened an Innate Dao Body and broke through to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage in less than three hundred years, yet ultimately failed to achieve Soul Transformation."

"It is said that the cultivation resources of Great Jin remained limited, insufficient to allow a Nascent Soul cultivator to advance to the Soul Transformation realm."

"Subsequently, that founding Laozu went out to seek opportunities and has not returned to this day; no one knows whether he lives or dies."

"Since then, the Li Li Huogong has never regained its former glory and has not produced a single cultivator above the mid-Nascent Soul stage."

"They also have to guard against the two Nascent Soul sects in the neighboring Great Li Immortal Realm and the Great Zhou Immortal Realm."

"Otherwise, relying solely on the foundation of the Divine Dao Mountain, they would naturally be unable to contend with the Li Li Huogong."

After listening, Qin Ming could not help but click his tongue in surprise, "I didn't expect that even in a large-scale Immortal Realm like Great Jin, the Soul Transformation stage is extremely difficult to reach."

"In the final analysis, wars between Nascent Soul sects are fought for resources."

"The Nascent Soul stage represents the chess players who control the twists and turns of the Immortal Realm."

After the two chatted for a while about the situation in the Immortal Realm.

Su Yuqing suddenly remembered something and asked with a smile, "Brother Qin's methods are quite formidable!"

"Back then, I only told you that the Golden Core formula was within Profound Creek Valley, yet I never expected you to actually obtain it, successfully refine it, break through to the Jin Dan stage in one leap, and shake the Southern Desolation with your fame."

"At that time, those few old fellows in the Li Li Huogong could no longer sit still, hehe."

Qin Ming waved his hands modestly, "Just luck, that's all."

Then, Qin Ming took out the formula for the Divine Wood Pill and handed it to Su Yuqing, asking, "Brother Su, this ancient pill formula was something I accidentally acquired at an auction; could you see if there is any possibility for improvement?"

Su Yuqing accepted the formula with some surprise and began examining it, then glanced at Qin Ming with a strange expression, "I have heard slight whispers about this Divine Wood Pill formula; wasn't it said that it was bought by someone from the Mirror Snow Pavilion at the Five Elements Mountain auction?"

"How did it end up in Fellow Daoist Qin's hands?"

Qin Ming immediately smiled, activated his True Demon Illusion, and transformed into the appearance of Shopkeeper Lu, "Brother Su, to be honest, my main purpose in coming to Great Jin this time is to seek an opportunity to condense an infant."

"I do not wish to attract the attention of Great Jin's powers, so I asked Gu Qingzhao to exchange identities with me."

Seeing this, Su Yuqing was stunned; even he could not detect the slightest flaw in Qin Ming's disguise.

He then thought of something else and asked, "Does that mean Fellow Daoist Qin also secured that fourth-tier branch spirit field at Five Elements Mountain?"

Qin Ming neither confirmed nor denied, simply nodding.

"Hahaha! Brother Qin is truly a True Person who does not reveal his filling!"

"Those guys fought until their scalps were torn off yet failed to get their hands on it, but you actually secured it."

Subsequently, Su Yuqing continued examining the formula, and after only a moment, he stated with certainty, "This Divine Wood Pill formula appears to have been created by a senior whose attainment in the Dao of Pills exceeds the fourth-tier level; its pill-refining method is also vastly different from ordinary techniques."

"I have taken a look; some of the spiritual materials listed have been extinct since ancient times, but over a dozen of the spiritual herbs can be substituted without conflicting medicinal properties."

"I just need to study it further to see which spiritual materials to use; I will transmit the results to you later."

With Su Yuqing's words, Qin Ming's expression brightened with joy, and he felt reassured.

"Then many thanks, Brother Su."

"Why stand on ceremony between us?"

Speaking to this point, Su Yuqing first cautiously cast an isolation restriction to envelop the cave dwelling, then spoke to Qin Ming with a solemn expression, "Brother Qin, did you not say you came this time to seek an opportunity to condense an infant? What a coincidence; I happen to have one right here."

Hearing this, Qin Ming was stunned; he had not expected Su Yuqing to be willing to share such a secret with him.

Su Yuqing took out a grayish-green jade slip and handed it to Qin Ming, saying, "Inside is a Infant-Condensing Pill formula that I accidentally obtained not long ago through a twist of fate."

"An Infant-Condensing Pill formula?"

"Wasn't it said that both the Golden Core formula and the Infant-Condensing Pill formula are controlled by the Li Li Huogong and forbidden from being spread externally?"

Su Yuqing's actions today left Qin Ming somewhat perplexed.

A strange expression appeared on his face.

In truth, he had been planning to give his own Infant-Condensing Pill formula to Su Yuqing to help decipher it, never expecting the other party to produce one first.

This caught Qin Ming somewhat off guard.

Thus, driven by curiosity, he released his divine sense to examine the contents of this formula.

Half a moment later.

Qin Ming finished reading this Nascent Soul Condensation Pill formula, only to discover it was completely different from the one that had appeared when his own entry refreshed.

The version Su Yuqing held required beast materials, with the primary ingredient being precisely a water-attribute flood dragon core; wasn't that a remarkable coincidence? Qin Ming immediately took out the Green-Faced Poisonous Flood Dragon's core from his storage bag and handed it to Su Yuqing, asking, "Brother Su, take a look at this flood dragon core; can it be used to refine the Nascent Soul Condensation Pill?"

This time, Su Yuqing was also shocked.

He took the Poisonous Flood Dragon Pearl from Qin Ming's hand to examine it, then asked with an expression of astonishment on his face, "The core of a late third-stage semi-transformed great demon?"

"Brother Qin, where did you get this?"

Qin Ming cleared his throat lightly and said casually, "As for this, I obtained it from a certain ruin."

"Stop trying to fool me; do you think I, a Grandmaster Alchemist, wouldn't know?"

"This flood dragon core is still fresh... you must have obtained it within the last few years, right?" Su Yuqing asked with great interest.

"Hehe! That's right; a few years ago in the Beast Cry Mountain Range, I happened upon a severely injured poisonous flood dragon and got lucky," Qin Ming explained with a laugh, seeing he couldn't bluff his way out of it.

Su Yuqing showed a look of suspicion but still nodded half-believingly, "Then your luck is truly heaven-defying."

"You must know that the value of this flood dragon core is quite considerable."

"If this were out in the open, it would cause a bloody storm."

He pondered for a moment longer, then said:

"However, this flood dragon core is still insufficient for refining the Nascent Soul Condensation Pill; the requirements on my formula state that at minimum, a lower fourth-stage water-attribute flood dragon core is needed."

Afterward, Su Yuqing clicked his tongue in wonder and returned the Poisonous Flood Dragon core to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming suddenly realized the truth: the difficulty of gathering materials for the formula Su Yuqing held was basically harder than climbing to the heavens.

Requiring a fourth-stage flood dragon core meant needing a transformed great demon capable of rivaling a Nascent Soul True Lord.

Such a spiritual treasure was fundamentally difficult to obtain.

Qin Ming put away the Poisonous Flood Dragon core, then took out a copy of the Nascent Soul Condensation Pill formula he had recorded on a blank jade slip and handed it to Su Yuqing, saying, "Brother Su, I also have a Nascent Soul Condensation Pill formula; I'd like you to take a look. I've studied it for quite some time but still haven't figured out the key intricacies."

"Actually, the main reason I came to visit you today to catch up was for this."

Su Yuqing was stunned once again; he looked at Qin Ming as if seeing a ghost, then took the jade slip from his hand.

Thanks to Daoist "Passerby" for the donation of 100 coins.

Thanks to Daoist "Reader pxz1004" for the donation of 100 coins.

Thanks to all Daoists for your votes~ (End of Chapter)