Chapter 36

Inside the auction hall.

With the appearance of the Bone-Marrow Elixir.

The atmosphere of the auction instantly reached its peak.

After several rounds of fiercely intense bidding.

Each Bone-Marrow Elixir was ultimately sold for four thousand five hundred spirit stones, acquired by three Qi Refining late-stage cultivators.

Even Gu Qingzhao revealed a rare smile.

She exchanged a few words with Su Yuqing in the private booth, then left to handle the aftermath.

After it ended.

Qin Ming and Su Yuqing immediately took their leave.

After this experience, Qin Ming grew even more eager to master alchemy.

Su Yuqing, from this single auction alone, netted over ten thousand spirit stones after deducting the auction house’s fees.

“Next time, I must succeed in alchemy!”

Qin Ming silently vowed to himself.

“Brother Su, you said this year, if I help you cultivate spiritual plants, you’d grant me one favor.”

“I wonder… if I wished to borrow your alchemy chamber to practice alchemy, could you…?” Qin Ming hesitantly voiced his request.

After all.

This touched on the other’s privacy, and his request.

Was indeed rather presumptuous.

Su Yuqing blinked in surprise, sized up Qin Ming, then chuckled: “Brother Qin, you truly won’t give up until you’ve hit the Yellow River.”

“Let me be frank—alchemy hinges first on talent, and most crucially, on the cultivator’s own spiritual soul force!”

“During alchemy, you must constantly multitask—two, three, or even more tasks at once. Merely controlling the flame and fusing the herbal base requires immense spiritual soul force to sustain.”

“In alchemy, talent sets the ceiling; otherwise, it’s merely a waste of time.”

Hearing this, Qin Ming’s eyes lit up! Spiritual soul force could be strengthened too—for him, that meant just working harder in the fields! “I’ll still give it a try. If I make no progress in this path by year’s end, I’ll give up for good.”

Qin Ming said this to Su Yuqing.

“Alright then, since I promised you.”

“I stand by my word—whenever I’m not using the alchemy chamber, feel free to use it.”

“Besides… I won’t be staying here long.”

Su Yuqing tilted his head, gazing into the distance, speaking slowly.

Qin Ming’s expression brightened with joy.

“I can get free access to this earth-fire vein too.”

As the two spoke.

A massive shadow suddenly passed over Qingyang Market.

Qin Ming looked up in surprise.

A hundred-zhang-long grand magic vessel entered his view, its deck adorned with three levels of exquisite, ornate buildings.

At a glance, including the interior cabins, it housed at least several thousand rooms.

The colossal magic vessel loomed like a primordial beast, radiating grandeur and showcasing the sect's profound heritage.

Instantly.

All cultivators in the market noticed this.

They all looked up.

Everyone was stunned.

Qin Ming, however, had already learned of this from Shopkeeper Liao, and remained calm, his expression unchanged.

“Look!”

“Even Lingyu Gate’s Du Yuan Magic Vessel has arrived!”

“Could something big be about to happen?”

…

Su Yuqing gazed upward, his expression thoughtful.

Lingyu Gate’s Du Yuan Magic Vessel docked beside the market, and its occupants began streaming out in orderly fashion.

Leading them were five Foundation Establishment Elders.

Behind them followed four inner-disciples clad in blue robes with golden-thread embroidery.

Each exuded vigor, radiating the spiritual power of Qi Refining late-stage cultivators.

“Even core disciples have been dispatched.”

“Qingyang Market is surely about to undergo a major upheaval.”

“What exactly is happening?”

Among the market’s lower-tier cultivators, unrest began to stir. Qin Ming’s expression grew grave as he fell into deep thought.

With the arrival of Lingyu Gate’s elite cultivators.

Three days later.

Another magic vessel, no less grand than Lingyu Gate’s, docked near Qingyang Market.

Its banner, bearing the emblem of “Jinyun Valley,” fluttered in the wind.

The vessel was filled entirely with Jinyun Valley’s elite cultivators, dressed in red robes.

After Jinyun Valley’s arrival, they too began setting up camps near the market.

Suddenly, the number of cultivators in Qingyang Market surged, overwhelming its capacity.

Even the shanty district’s dwellings were fully rented out.

Soon after, Lingyu Gate and Jinyun Valley jointly announced the formation of a united army.

They would establish a “Yunze Immortal City” five hundred li from Qingyang Market, at Five Peaks Mountain.

The announcement sent shockwaves through the market; rumors and speculation erupted everywhere.

Qin Ming sat alone in his room, pondering his future plans.

With the shanty district now swarming with people, cultivators of all kinds—good and bad—mingled chaotically.

Even Lingyu Gate’s patrol teams couldn’t possibly manage such a crowd.

Murders and treasure thefts would soon begin to multiply again.

Qin Ming’s current strength, though no longer fearful of Qi Refining sixth-layer cultivators,

Still sent a chill through him when he recalled how Dao Long, a Qi Refining eighth-layer late-stage cultivator, had been dumped dead in a river.

He began boiling Blood Locust Rice again, and according to the beast-skin scripture, practiced the sixth layer of the Hundred Treasures Luminous Scripture.

Late at night, after cultivation ended.

His blood qi had grown significantly stronger.

“No good—I must move inside the market.”

Qin Ming pondered briefly, then sent a message-charm to Shopkeeper Liao, asking if there was any way to secure a rental spot inside the market.

Qin Ming pondered for a moment, then immediately sent a message talisman to Liao the Shopkeeper, asking if there was any way to obtain a rental quota within the marketplace.

Shopkeeper Liao replied.

“Brother Qin, you know the situation as well as I do.”

“Rents inside the market have skyrocketed several times over. Unless Lingyu Gate and Jinyun Valley complete the Immortal City, there won’t be any space freed up anytime soon.”

“But… recently, I heard Lingyu Gate mention that Ru Dao’s family had visited the Administration Hall to report that Ru Dao’s soul lamp back home had gone out.”

“Ru’s remaining family members couldn’t afford the courtyard rent and have already canceled the lease.”

“Ru’s courtyard slot is now vacant.”

“I’ll inquire and see if you might have a chance to claim it.”

Qin Ming heard this and smirked.

“How convenient—Ru Dao himself just handed me the key.”

“A lucky accident.”

Mid-April.

Qin Ming was working in the fields.

Master Gu’s magic vessel arrived above the spirit rice paddies.

Du Haifu, the overseer, came along.

He gathered all the spirit farmers together.

Master Gu’s stern face showed no emotion as he declared in a commanding tone: “Due to frontline pressures, the sect has dispatched large reinforcements.”

“During the period before Yunze Immortal City is completed.”

“The spirit rice tax for all spirit farmers will increase by another ten percent on top of the current rate.”

The announcement sparked immediate uproar.

The farmers below erupted: “What?! Again?!”

“That’s eighty percent tax now!”

“Are you trying to kill us?!”

Are you trying to kill me?!

Cai Laojiu stood beside Qin Ming, his face clouded with worry.

“Alas, Brother Qin, what are we to do now!”

Qin Ming also frowned tightly, for though his tax burden had been halved, it was now to be raised again by one-tenth.

That meant a total of forty-five percent in spirit rice taxes.

He couldn’t help but think to himself: ‘You don’t reap leeks like this! They haven’t even grown full yet.’

(End of Chapter)