Chapter 383: News of Elder Cold Crow and an Encounter on the Road

Time flowed, and three years quietly passed.

Within the Small Xiao Lingjing, Qin Ming sat cross-legged beneath his life-bound spiritual plant, the Yin-Yang Profound Vine Tree, engaged in closed-door cultivation.

No matter how chaotic the wars raged outside, he remained as steady as an old dog; external affairs could not disturb him in the slightest.

His cultivation of the "Green Emperor Art" proceeded in an orderly fashion, nearing a breakthrough to the tenth layer.

Although the progress of cultivating the Green Emperor Wood Emperor Sacred Body was incredibly slow, it was still advancing.

Qin Ming resembled an evergreen ancient tree; having endured eternal ages, a ceaseless stream of verdant wooden essence flowed from his life-bound spiritual plant into his body.

The magic power of his flawless Jin Dan became even more pure and transparent, while the volume of the Jin Dan itself had grown another size larger than before.

"The completion of the Jin Dan stage is near."

Qin Ming was very satisfied with this cultivation progress; for an ordinary cultivator, this stage would be fraught with bottlenecks and obstacles, not to mention that every slight increase in Jin Dan magic power was exceedingly difficult.

It required grinding away through long stretches of time, a task of slow and steady effort.

Yet through his own unremitting efforts, along with slight assistance from attributes and pills...

... he was finally approaching the last step of the Jin Dan stage.

After concluding his cultivation, Qin Ming slowly opened his eyes, which were as black as ink; his body was now wreathed in an aura of vegetation that had flowed through the ages.

He then gazed at his life-bound spiritual plant, the Yin-Yang Profound Vine, noting that the attributes upon it were now ready for harvest.

【Name】: Yin-Yang Profound Vine 【Attribute】: Abundant Lifespan x5 (Maturity 100%, Harvestable) 【Name】: Yin-Yang Profound Vine 【Attribute】: Space-Time Leaves x5 (Maturity 100%, Harvestable) 【Name】: Yin-Yang Profound Vine 【Attribute】: Potent Purification x5 (Maturity 100%, Harvestable); immediately afterward, he raised his hand and summoned dozens of demon fruits from the tree to harvest them.

In an instant.

Three blue attribute leaves appeared within his sea of consciousness.

Qin Ming immediately activated the 【Abundant Lifespan】 and 【Potent Purification】 attributes.

From the depths of fate, a vast power of ages descended upon him.

His original lifespan of two thousand six hundred years instantly increased to two thousand eight hundred and fifty years.

Such a long and enduring lifespan exceeded even that of some old monsters in the late Nascent Soul stage.

The Jin Dan magic power within Qin Ming's body also became more pure and harmonious, making his spellcasting smoother and more fluid.

Not only was the quantity immense, but the quality also presented an overwhelming advantage.

His current magic power strength had already surpassed that of ordinary cultivators at the peak of the Jin Dan stage.

At the same time.

Over these past three years, Qin Ming had planted every alchemical material he could gather that was suitable for planting into the medicine field within the Small Xiao Lingjing.

Once the remaining materials were gathered, he could begin preparing to refine pills.

The alchemical materials required for refining the Infant-Condensing Pill and the Ice-Heart Jade-Soul Pill demanded very high years of growth; fortunately, Qin Ming's sea of consciousness now stored quite a few 【Space-Time Leaves】 attributes.

Using them to accelerate the maturation of these spiritual plants would be more than sufficient.

He then used his divine sense to check the 'Demon Flame Wine' buried beneath the Yin-Yang Profound Vine Tree, finding its spiritual energy growing increasingly rich.

In another six years, it would be ready to unseal and drink, coinciding with the time he would break through to the peak of the Jin Dan stage.

Subsequently.

Qin Ming exited the Small Xiao Lingjing and arrived at the spiritual fields outside.

Qin Ming glanced at the lush, verdant ten mu of top-grade spiritual fields outside.

Three golden attribute leaves came into his view.

【Name】: Sky Net Fruit 【Attribute】: Source of Magic Power x5 (Maturity 60%) 【Name】: Sky Net Fruit 【Attribute】: Source of Qi and Blood x5 (Maturity 62%) 【Name】: Sky Net Fruit 【Attribute】: Regenerative Spirit Seed x5 (Maturity 64%); these third-tier upper-grade spiritual plants, the Sky Net Fruits, were estimated to mature and be ready for harvest in about two more years.

Afterwards, processing the Sky Net Fruits into the spiritual medicine Sky Net Powder for sale would surely earn a huge profit.

This was because, over the past three years, as the war continued unabated, external demand for healing spiritual medicines had constantly increased.

Especially rare life-saving treasure pills were in short supply and high demand, often having a price but no market availability.

Within the ten mu of spiritual fields, Qin Ming cast the Great Five Elements Art to summon spiritual rain, causing the Sky Net Fruits to grow even more vigorously.

He closed his eyes and sensed them through his affinity with vegetation, discovering that the growth condition of every spiritual plant had reached its optimal state.

Nodding in satisfaction at these spiritual plants, Qin Ming then walked toward the outside.

Passing by the spiritual fields managed by Li Lan, he saw that over one hundred mu of third-tier Jade Emperor Spiritual Rice had already grown to three feet tall.

These spiritual plants, jade-green from head to toe, shot upward continuously like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

At a glance, they looked like a vast expanse of emerald bamboo shoots just emerging from the soil.

Li Lan, braving the blazing sun, worked like an old farmer, carefully clearing debris within the spiritual rice fields.

It was fortunate that he possessed cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage; otherwise, managing one hundred mu of third-tier spiritual rice simultaneously would have been quite a struggle.

After all, the daily casting of the Spiritual Rain Art was indispensable.

Since this was Li Lan's first time planting third-tier Jade Emperor Spiritual Rice, and considering the high difficulty of maintaining such spiritual rice on a daily basis...

... Qin Ming had originally thought that even if Li Lan succeeded in planting them, the future yield would not be particularly high.

But who could have expected that Li Lan's talent for spiritual planting would truly exceed Qin Ming's expectations, especially combined with the planting experience he had imparted.

Now, the over one hundred mu of spiritual rice were managed by him in perfect order, and the yield upon maturity would not be low.

It was estimated that Li Lan would give him a huge surprise.

"Shopkeeper Lu, you have arrived."

Seeing Qin Ming approach, Li Lan hurriedly put down his work, came over, and bowed to greet him.

"Mm, you are quite impressive; I originally thought the survival rate of the spiritual rice would not be this high."

"It seems now that I underestimated you." Qin Ming adopted an air of serene confidence.

Li Lan hastily said, "It is all due to Shopkeeper Lu's excellent guidance; otherwise, Li Mou would not have achieved today's success."

"I will definitely not fail Shopkeeper Lu's expectations."

"Mm, having this intention is enough." Qin Ming patted his shoulder, "Alright, I was just taking a casual look; continue with your work."

"By the way, those dozen or so stalks of Jade Emperor Spirit Rice in the corner of the spirit field on the right have contracted the Mutated Insect Plague; how to resolve and handle this, I don't need to teach you, do I?"

Li Lan was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, then immediately cupped his fists and said, "Ah? Many thanks, Shopkeeper Lu, for the reminder!"

"I shall go attend to their treatment at once."

After Qin Ming departed, Li Lan walked to the spot Qin Ming had just indicated and carefully observed those few stalks of Jade Emperor Spirit Rice.

Yet, despite observing them closely for a long while, he could not detect the slightest trace of the Mutated Insect Plague.

It was only when he recalled the spirit planting insights Qin Ming had given him, flipping through them for a while, that he finally discovered some green threads, fine as gossamer, on the backs of a few leaves.

These fine threads were extremely similar to the spirit plant's own veins, so much so that without careful observation and differentiation, one truly could not spot them.

"To be able to identify the diseased spirit plants among tens of thousands in just a brief moment..."

"With this skill alone, Shopkeeper Lu's attainment in spirit planting must have reached an extremely high realm."

Li Lan felt even more convinced and admiring of Qin Ming; he asked himself that even if he studied for several more decades, he would still be unable to achieve such a feat.

This was no longer simply about planting spirit plants, but rather the ability to communicate with spirit plants as legend describes, reaching an astonishing level of communion with vegetation.

Qin Ming left the spirit field and once again came to the Five Elements Mountain Market to gather intelligence.

Although he now had Hua Tianxiong under his command to collect spirit materials and intelligence for him, aside from his own cultivation, he would still occasionally visit the market personally.

The Five Elements Mountain Market still possessed a considerable amount of information.

Due to its unique geographical location, combined with the presence of various intelligence organizations within the market, any wind or stir within the Immortal Realm would promptly appear there.

Furthermore, Qin Ming vaguely felt that the current situation was also intricately linked to that secret realm discovered at Divine Dao Mountain.

Although so much time had passed without this news leaking out, the number of cultivators coming to Five Elements Mountain had obviously increased over the past few years.

There were many unfamiliar faces among the cultivators.

Qin Ming even suspected whether those demonic cultivators from the Blood Refining Demon Sect, who had descended from the Blood Universe Realm, had already infiltrated and lurked here.

After all, over the course of more than three years, the Great Zhou Immortal Realm had collapsed like a crumbling wall, falling completely into the hands of the Great Li Demonic Path.

As for Yuan Ying True Lord Cold Crow Immortal of the Profound Pure Sect, who fled without fighting, he was despised by all, thoroughly nailed to the pillar of historical shame, and subjected to the scorn of ten thousand people; for a proper Yuan Ying stage cultivator to have a reputation rot to such an extent was truly unparalleled.

On this day, Qin Ming arranged to meet Han Yuan and the other two at the Wind-Riding Tower for a small gathering, intending to inquire about the situation as well.

The group arrived at a private room on the third floor to drink wine and eat dishes.

"Fellow Daoist Lu is truly a busy person; it has been so long before you thought of us three again."

Liu Ye smiled brightly as she poured wine for Qin Ming and spoke.

"Just busy, just busy," Qin Ming replied modestly.

"Look at that, Fellow Daoist Lu is starting to be humble again."

"Who does not know that Fellow Daoist Lu's Mirror Jing Xue Ge is now a renowned existence within the Ten Thousand Dao Merchant Alliance?"

"Speaking of which, the scene of Fellow Daoist Lu traveling with us by boat from the Southern Desolation region to Great Jin in the past remains vividly clear in my mind."

"Yet in merely a few years' time, Fellow Daoist Lu has managed Mirror Jing Xue Ge, transforming it from an obscure small merchant house in the Southern Border region into the universally known existence it is today."

"Such capability and boldness truly make us feel ashamed!"

Han Yuan also spoke with endless sighs of emotion.

After three rounds of wine.

The group's conversation turned to the current situation in the Immortal Realm.

Han Yuan first raised his hand to set up a soundproofing barrier within the private room, then spoke with a rather grave expression:

"Fellow Daoist Lu, do you know why Great Zhou fell and was defeated so rapidly this time?"

"Is it not said that besides the Blood Refining Demon Sect from the Blood Universe Realm, it is also related to Cold Crow Immortal fleeing without fighting?" Qin Ming asked in return, slightly puzzled.

"Alas! Fellow Daoist Lu, you know one part but not the other."

"Recently, new intelligence has come back from Elder Jin Han at the upper levels of the Merchant Alliance."

"The true inside story is not as the outside rumors claim."

"It is said that at the time, Cold Crow Immortal of the Profound Pure Sect did not flee without fighting immediately, but first engaged in a fierce battle with people from the Blood Refining Demon Sect."

"However, very few cultivators personally witnessed that battle of magical powers."

"Elder Jin Han said that in that battle, Cold Crow Immortal was defeated and fled, which led to the subsequent event of the entire Profound Pure Sect fleeing."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming asked with slight surprise, "What? Could there really be such a matter? Even Cold Crow Immortal at the Yuan Ying stage was not a match for them?"

"Then does this mean the methods of the Blood Refining Demon Sect are so terrifying?"

"Exactly; rumor has it that among the Blood Refining Demon Sect descending to this lower realm this time, there are two Demon Sect Holy Son and Holy Daughter of immense strength; the cultivation techniques and divine abilities they practice are bizarre and unpredictable, perhaps even surpassing Yuan Ying great experts."

"Cold Crow Immortal was likely defeated by these two individuals."

"Fortunately, Cold Crow Immortal was heavily injured, and before leaving, he took all the foundational treasures of the Profound Pure Sect with him, causing this group of demonic cultivators to come up empty-handed."

"I heard from Elder Jin Han that the demonic cultivators of the Blood Refining Demon Sect are currently searching everywhere for Cold Crow Immortal's whereabouts."

"Yet he has vanished as if evaporating from the human world, showing not a single trace, leaving the Demonic Path helpless."

"If you ask me, this Cold Crow Immortal is truly a master of appearing foolish while being wise!"

"If he had truly fought hard against the Demonic Path, the final outcome would likely have been not only his own death and the extinction of his Dao, but also handing over the sect's foundation accumulated over many years to others for nothing."

After listening to Han Yuan's words, Qin Ming nodded, his mind filled with thoughtful consideration.

"If we speak of who is truly miserable, it must be the low-level cultivators of Great Zhou; over these three years, quite a few families and immortal cities have completely fallen, and countless cultivators have been blood-sacrificed to become the dead souls of demonic weapons in the hands of demonic cultivators."

"If the Way-Defending Alliance had not begun to intervene and provide aid, Great Zhou would likely no longer exist at all by now."

Gao Feng also added from the side.

"However, this demonic invasion of Great Zhou has also given rise to some renowned ruthless figures."

"For instance, Clan Head Li Haoran of the Li family at Immortal Tomb Mountain; relying on his late-stage Jin Dan cultivation and the Confucian Dao secret techniques and divine abilities he practices, which severely restrain the Demonic Path, he once single-handedly and forcefully slew a late-stage Jin Dan elder of the Yin Demon Sect."

"This matter greatly boosted the morale of those cultivators from Great Zhou."

"The Li family has since been invited to join the Guardian Dao Alliance; it is said that Li Haoran was personally summoned and guided by the Offspring of Separating Fire, who even bestowed a heavy treasure upon him on the spot, truly making others green with envy."

Qin Ming silently digested this information, never expecting that so many events had unfolded during the short time he was in secluded cultivation.

Having gathered nearly all the news, he bid farewell to the three, circled through the market once more, and purchased some spiritual materials.

After leaving the Five Elements Mountain Market, he did not linger, intending to return directly to his spiritual fields.

But halfway there, he saw a dark-gold dragon-patterned carriage flying toward him; the carriage was semi-open, topped only by a sun-shading canopy.

Seated inside were three young cultivators clad in black profound robes, emanating magic power auras of mid-to-late Foundation Establishment.

Yet Qin Ming merely swept a glance from afar and immediately felt a chill! His divine sense, comparable to the Nascent Soul stage, far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.

Such concealment techniques were naturally utterly useless before him.

With just one glance, Qin Ming discovered that all three had hidden and disguised their true cultivation.

He then secretly activated his Dharma-Breaking Double Pupils, yet the conclusion he reached left even Qin Ming quite unsettled.

'They are actually three Jin Dan-stage demonic cultivators!'

'Never thought they would venture this far.'

Qin Ming was currently employing his True Demon Illusion, disguising himself as Shopkeeper Lu and suppressing his cultivation to late Foundation Establishment.

Thus, he immediately feigned ignorance, preparing to brush past the three.

In an instant.

That dark-gold carriage suddenly halted, blocking Qin Ming's path.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist."

"May I trouble you to ask if the Five Elements Mountain Market is nearby?"

A lean young cultivator seated on the far left suddenly cupped his fists and inquired of Qin Ming.

A smile hung on his face, making him appear utterly harmless.

Qin Ming returned the salute with cupped fists, pointed toward the northwest, and replied calmly without changing expression: "Travel one thousand li in this direction, and you will arrive."

"Very well, many thanks!" the lean cultivator in the profound robe replied with a laugh, then turned to the burly, rough-featured cultivator in the middle and said, "Senior Brother Qiu, after traveling so long, we have finally arrived."

Unwilling to get involved in such matters, Qin Ming immediately cupped his fists and said, "If there is nothing else for the three of you, this humble one will take his leave."

"Mm." The rough-looking man's gaze was extremely cold; he merely nodded with lukewarm indifference.

Qin Ming instantly transformed into a green rainbow and departed without looking back, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.

Moments after Qin Ming had left.

The lean cultivator's face suddenly shifted to a sinister grin as he asked somewhat perplexedly, "Senior Brother Qiu, why didn't you kill that lad just now?"

"Had we employed the Soul-Searching Technique on him, we might have extracted some information useful to us."

"We are not far from that market now; there are too many eyes and ears nearby. It is better to exercise restraint. Do not forget the primary purpose of our journey." Senior Brother Qiu's tone brooked no argument.

"Hehe! Senior Brother Qiu's consideration is most apt. Allow me also to congratulate Senior Brother Qiu on obtaining such a divine object as the 'Evergreen Spirit Nectar'."

"Never thought that within a tiny family in Great Zhou, a fourth-tier spiritual item would be concealed."

"By the way, Senior Brother Qiu, do you think that piece of news is true or false? Is it really possible that the Offspring of Cold Crow fled to Great Jin?"

After offering some flattery, the lean cultivator seemed to recall something else.

"Junior Brother Meng, this news came from several other fellow disciples; how could it be false?"

"Jie jie jie! It is said that Senior Sister Lan Ice was the one who acted."

"Her divine ability 'Ice Soul Demonic Light' has been cultivated to the great completion realm; it nearly cost the Offspring of Cold Crow half his life."

"Were it not for this matter, we would all still be in the dark. Never thought that after years of secluded cultivation, Senior Sister Lan would actually refine such a heaven-defying divine ability."

"In the future, she will likely firmly surpass Senior Brother Jiang Yuan."

The square-faced cultivator on the far right remarked with a hint of envy in his expression.

Thanks to the big shot "Master Wang Xiu" for the donation of 5000 coins! You've spent generously.

Thanks to all fellow Daoists for your various votes! (End of chapter)