Chapter 365: The Shitian Rat

At dawn, mist hung thin as the sun rose in the east.

The surface of Wangyue Lake was draped in a gauzy veil of mist, reflecting the morning sun into a rainbow of auroras, dreamlike and illusory.

After completing his daily cultivation, Qin Ming stepped out of his cave dwelling.

After the Jin Dan ceremony, rumors spread through the Wei Kingdom's cultivation world of the strange events that had occurred on Wangyue Island that day.

The most talked-about topic was the presence of the Jin Dan Ancestors from all four kingdoms, lending the event great prestige.

This alone demonstrated the high regard and influence Qin Ming, the newly elevated Jin Dan cultivator, commanded among the various factions.

Of course, except for the Lingyun Sect, which was currently invading the Wei Kingdom.

Most shocking of all was the personal attendance of Qingxuan, the Ancestor of Xuanyi Valley, and the envoy from the Nascent Soul sect, Lihuo Palace.

These explosive rumors quickly spread to other parts of the cultivation world.

As a result, the reputation of "Wangyue True Person" soared to a height future generations could never reach, and he was even hailed as the most inspiring legendary cultivator in the Wei Kingdom's cultivation world in centuries.

Qin Ming walked outside his cave and sat on the stone bench beneath the spirit peach tree, then summoned the Shitian Rat.

The Shitian Rat was drooling as it watched Wu Jiang tally and verify the gifts received during the ceremony.

Upon hearing Qin Ming's call, it instantly snapped to attention and appeared before him.

"Hehe! Master, what do you need me for?"

Qin Ming immediately pulled from his storage pouch a Jin Dan—the high-grade Jin Dan that Lingfuyang had failed to detonate after his death.

A Jin Dan is the essence of a human cultivator's cultivation base; when consumed by a beast, it brings great benefit.

Seeing this, the Shitian Rat's eyes gleamed, and it straightened its body instantly.

It had waited eagerly, day after day, for this very moment.

"After consuming this Jin Dan, you should reach mid-third rank, right?" Qin Ming tossed the Jin Dan casually to the Shitian Rat.

The Shitian Rat carefully caught it and said excitedly, "Thank you, Master, for this gift!"

"I'm only one final breakthrough away—I have no doubt this Jin Dan will do the trick."

"Hmm, you've earned it. By the way, how long will it take you to fully digest this Jin Dan?"

"I may need to leave for something else," Qin Ming asked casually.

"I promised Wei Wuyan I'd handle the Lingyun Sect matter—I must fulfill that promise."

The Shitian Rat thought for a moment. "About half a year."

"Alright, go ahead," Qin Ming nodded.

The Shitian Rat then joyfully clutched the Jin Dan and prepared to break through.

After it left,

Qin Ming took another Jin Dan from his storage pouch.

This one was the low-grade Jin Dan of Yan Laomo.

"Should I give this Jin Dan to the Xianshui Crocodile or the Silverwing?"

Qin Ming held the Jin Dan, pondered for a moment, then decided to give it to the Xianshui Crocodile.

After all, it possessed a Heaven-grade bloodline and had a higher chance of breaking through to a third-rank beast king.

As for the Silverwing Frost Bees, there would be other opportunities later, and their potential wouldn't be weak, given their connection to the Yin-Yang Mystic Vine.

Qin Ming then summoned the Xianshui Crocodile and handed it Yan Laomo's Jin Dan.

The Xianshui Crocodile snatched the Jin Dan, its eyes gleaming with excitement, and waddled back to its nest to digest it.

Having finished this,

Qin Ming went to the storage room and saw Wu Jiang carefully verifying the gift list.

"Master, all the gift lists have been checked and verified—perfectly accurate."

"Please take a look!"

Wu Jiang now faced Qin Ming with none of his former frivolity.

After all, Qin Ming had become a Jin Dan True Person—things were no longer as they once were.

The cultivation world's hierarchy was strict, and he dared not overstep by even a fraction.

Thus, he was extremely respectful before Qin Ming.

During the Jin Dan ceremony, Wu Jiang had also shone brightly before all the factions.

Outside, other cultivators envied him to the point of despair.

Even many major factions had secretly come to flatter this newly Foundation Establishment cultivator.

But Wu Jiang knew clearly what he could and could not do—he remained humble and proper.

"Hmm, well done."

"Go attend to your duties."

Qin Ming glanced briefly at the gift list, then looked at the dazzling treasures filling the room, and nodded in satisfaction.

He waved his hand, and all the treasures vanished, absorbed into his storage pouch.

Qin Ming thought for a moment, then extended his palm—out appeared a small, ancient purple cauldron, no larger than his palm.

"Third-rank high-grade alchemy furnace: Fenglei Ding."

"Lihuo Palace really went all out."

Qin Ming then refined the Fenglei Ding—he could now use it to refine Gao Jie elixirs.

The Fenglei Ding shifted effortlessly in size under his control, then spun once and settled on the ground as a full-sized cauldron.

A third-rank high-grade alchemy furnace naturally enhances alchemy.

Moreover, it can withstand prolonged exposure to third-rank spiritual flames.

Additionally, the Fenglei Ding functions as a third-rank high-grade defensive magic treasure, capable of withstanding Jin Dan-level attacks.

But since Qin Ming possessed the Zhenji Body, it was merely a bonus.

Qin Ming stored the refined Fenglei Ding.

Then he remembered something and took out the two fragments of the bronze mirrors.

He asked the spirit: "By the way, Jin Lingzi, how can the Gouyu Jinguang Mirror be repaired?"

"This treasure cannot be repaired by ordinary forging methods."

Jin Lingzi's flat voice replied.

Qin Ming frowned—he had gone to great lengths to obtain this item.

"So there is still a way to repair it?" "Yes, this mirror can only be repaired in the Washing Thunder Pool of Qing Yuan Sect, requiring Supplementing Heaven Soul Fire Liquid as an aid, along with the Magic Artifact Crafting Scripture I gave you."

"Yes. This mirror must be repaired in the Washing Thunder Pool of Qingyuan Sect, aided by Baitian Hunhuo Fluid, and combined with the refining technique I gave you."

Jin Lingzi explained without emotion.

"Washing Thunder Pool? Where would I find that?"

"Why must it be Qingyuan Sect's Washing Thunder Pool?" Qin Ming asked, puzzled.

"Because the Gouyu Jinguang Mirror was originally Qingyuan Sect's most treasured artifact—not forged by Baigu True Person."

"He acquired it later by chance."

"Qingyuan Sect no longer exists, but the Washing Thunder Pool remains."

Jin Lingzi gave Qin Ming the exact location.

Qin Ming asked: "Are you certain the Qingyuan Sect's Washing Thunder Pool lies in the Shouming Mountains near Liang Kingdom?"

"White Bone True Person originally obtained this mirror from there; few ordinary people know its true origins."

"Baigu True Person obtained it from there long ago—no one else knew the truth."

"Even to his own disciples during his lifetime, he kept it secret."

"He only revealed it accidentally after he had already forged me into a spirit."

Qin Ming pondered. "Looks like I'll have to go to the Shouming Mountains again."

This legendary Gouyu Jinguang Mirror was a top-tier third-rank magic treasure; once refined, it could sweep all Jin Dan cultivators aside.

Qin Ming coveted it deeply—he must find a way to repair it and make it his second true spirit treasure.

Jin Lingzi added: "By the way, I've noticed you already possess a rather formidable third-rank heavenly-spirit flame."

"You can fuse this flame with your Jin Dan-level Sanmei True Fire—it should further elevate the flame's rank."

"That will help when you repair the mirror."

Qin Ming nodded—he had planned to do this even without Jin Lingzi's suggestion.

He returned to his cave, opened his mouth, and spat out two flames: the third-rank low-grade Shiling Poison Flame and the Sanmei True Fire.

Qin Ming began to cast the technique, fusing the two third-rank flames together.

Since both flames were intimately tied to him, the fusion process went smoothly.

Three days later,

Jiu! From within Qin Ming's cave, a green phoenix made of flame emerged—strange and majestic, its long, azure flame-tipped wings circling him in flight.

The Shiling Poison Flame radiated terrifying power, casting the entire cave in deep emerald light.

"Third-rank high-grade heavenly-spirit flame!"

"Comparable to a powerful divine technique."

Qin Ming gazed at the upgraded Shiling Poison Flame, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

Thus, the power of his secret weapon had increased significantly.

Qin Ming waved his hand, summoning the phoenix flame to his palm, then swallowed it and returned it to his dantian for continued nurturing.

"My magic power has formed a flawless Jin Dan—rare among ten thousand, comparable to mid-Jin Dan magic power."

My body cultivation has also achieved the True Flesh Golden Core, and with my True Ultimate Body, I far surpass ordinary third-rank beast kings—even among beast royalty, anyone who dares to clash flesh to flesh with me will shatter on contact.

My spiritual sense has also broken through to match that of a late-stage Golden Core.

Added to that are the third-rank top-grade Wood Emperor Nail magic treasure and the third-rank upper-grade Soul-Devouring Poison Flame.

Below late-stage Golden Core, no one can threaten me.

This doesn't even count the Hook Jade Golden Light Mirror—if I repair it, wouldn't that mean?

Qin Ming rested his chin in thought, silently tallying his cards.

Instantly, he felt a grand and commanding sense of heroism.

"After all these years of toil, tilling all this land—it's been no easy feat!"

"Finally, I have some sense of security."

"Hmm, back to farming."

Qin Ming took out the Shennong Hoe, stepped out of his cave dwelling, and turned over the spirit fields atop the main peak once more.

Then, from his storage pouch, he pulled out a dozen grains of third-rank spirit seeds emitting emerald radiance.

They were precisely the third-rank Jade Emperor Spirit Rice seeds Yuwen Hong had given him.

Qin Ming gazed at the third-rank spirit seeds in his hand, thought of Yuwen Hong's fate, and sighed deeply.

After planting the seeds, he chanted a spell and performed the Great Five Elements Art once more, summoning a spirit rain to nourish them—the rest was now merely waiting for growth.

Then, Qin Ming arrived before the Spirit Marrow Xuemi Tai Sui at the heart of the spirit island and, in one go, pulled out fifty high-grade spirit stones and fed them to it.

After consuming so many high-grade spirit stones, the massive fleshy mound of the Tai Sui continued to grow.

An hour later, the Tai Sui excreted a vein of spirit marrow brimming with astonishing spiritual energy, which flowed continuously into the island's spirit veins.

The spirit vein environment atop Wangyue Island's main peak instantly transformed, rising in an instant to the upper tier of third-rank.

Qin Ming felt the thick, dense heavenly spiritual energy in the air—now comparable to that of Canghai Peak—and a faint smile curled his lips.

…

Time slipped away swiftly; half a year passed.

A vortex of spiritual energy spanning five li rapidly gathered over Wangyue Island.

It spiraled downward like a funnel, pouring into a certain cave on the island.

Following it, a staggering, heaven-piercing beast power descended upon the main peak.

"Hahahaha! This great master has finally broken through to mid-stage third rank!"

"Who else?!"

A boastful, arrogant laugh rang out—but before the Shi Tian Rat could savor his triumph for long…

BOOM! A muffled thunder cracked! Above its head, a dark, oppressive storm cloud instantly formed.

CRACK! A silver lightning bolt flashed forth—a thick column of lightning slammed down upon the Shi Tian Rat.

"Damn it, I was just joking with you!"

…

…

(End of Chapter)