Chapter 398: Visitors to the Spirit Field

Qin Ming looked at the Heaven-Devouring Rat, which wore a mysterious expression.

He set down the Divine Farmer's Hoe in his hand and couldn't help but ask with a smile:

"Who has arrived?"

"What has made you so delighted?"

The Heaven-Devouring Rat winked at Qin Ming and replied with a grin: "It's Senior Yue Lingyan, a Demon Saint of the Silver Moon Sky Fox Clan, bringing the little silver fox to visit Master, hehehe!"

"Oh? I didn't expect Yue Lingyan to come in person?" Qin Ming felt greatly surprised upon hearing this.

"Jokes aside, what do you mean by winking at me like that?"

"Then why aren't you quickly inviting them in?"

The Heaven-Devouring Rat scratched its head and replied: "Isn't it because Master and Senior Lingyan are close? You two have even embraced each other."

"What nonsense are you spouting? It seems you lad is lacking labor again, isn't it?" Qin Ming reached out and flicked the Heaven-Devouring Rat's head.

"Alright, alright, Master, I'll go welcome them in right now."

Just at that moment.

"No need, Fellow Daoist Qin, this palace has already arrived."

Along with a clear, graceful, and gentle voice.

A noble and beautiful woman dressed in palace attire, resembling a fairy stepping out of a painting, holding a small silver fox as white as snow in her arms, suddenly appeared above the spirit field.

Below, the spirit farmers working there looked up at such an unparalleled beauty and involuntarily lost themselves in admiration.

The farming tools in their hands dropped to the ground.

Old Jia rushed out, equally astonished.

However, what shocked him was the cultivation level of the visitor, which was simply unfathomable.

With his own late Foundation Establishment cultivation, he could not detect even a trace.

If that were the case, there was only one possibility.

That was, this woman of extraordinary temperament before him likely had a massive background; her cultivation was probably at the Jin Dan stage, or perhaps even mid-stage Jin Dan.

Yet what surprised him even more was yet to come: such a stunning senior actually appeared extremely familiar with Shopkeeper Lu, as if they had known each other for a long time; this was truly inconceivable outside the spirit field hut.

"Hehe! So Fellow Daoist Lingyan has arrived; please come to my humble abode for a chat. Why didn't you inform me in advance so I could come out to welcome you?" Qin Ming put on a smile, cupped his fists, and said.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, there is no need for trouble."

Yue Lingyan flew down and immediately followed Qin Ming into his room.

Qin Ming first brewed a pot of fine Snow-Soul Spirit Tea for her, then arranged some spirit food, fruits, and spirit wine for the little silver fox and the Heaven-Devouring Rat.

Only then did he turn his head, look at Yue Lingyan, and ask with a faint smile: "Fellow Daoist Lingyan, you have traveled far to come here; is there something specific you need?"

Yue Lingyan smiled meaningfully, "Can this palace not come to chat with Fellow Daoist Qin even if there is no other matter?"

"Hehe! Where would such words come from? If Fellow Daoist Lingyan can come, Qin Mou is naturally more than welcome."

After a while.

Yue Lingyan gently sipped some Snow-Soul Spirit Tea, then moved her vermilion lips and explained: "Actually, what Qin Ming said is not wrong; this palace did indeed come to inquire about certain matters from Fellow Daoist Qin."

"Oh? I wonder what matters Fellow Daoist Lingyan wishes to know? Qin Mou will certainly speak without reservation." Qin Ming said solemnly.

But the next moment, the question Yue Lingyan asked instantly left him awkwardly stuck.

"This palace wishes to ask Fellow Daoist Qin: do you know how the Holy Son of the Blood Refining Demonic Sect died?"

Qin Ming's facial skin twitched; could he directly tell her that Jiang Yuan was killed by him? Obviously not.

At this moment, Jiang Yuan's corpse had already been used as fertilizer and buried in the soil; Qin Ming first pretended to be stunned, then calmly replied: "So it is this matter... To be honest, Qin Mou has also heard a little about it, but the specific details are unclear."

"Qin Mou also sent people to investigate."

"However, regarding other matters, I can tell Fellow Daoist Lingyan about them."

Subsequently.

Qin Ming told the other party in great detail about recent events in the Southern Region of Great Jin.

"Mm, this palace also heard Demon Saint Gushan and others discussing this matter, which is why I personally came to verify it."

"I didn't expect that the Holy Son of the Blood Refining Demonic Sect truly perished; it seems the Five Elements Mountain Range truly hides dragons and crouching tigers."

"This palace also heard that the Holy Son of that demonic sect had one foot already stepping into the Nascent Soul stage."

"The one capable of instantly slaying the Holy Son with thunder likely could only be a Nascent Soul cultivator."

Yue Lingyan was also slightly puzzled, then added:

"With the death of the Demonic Sect's Holy Son, the situation here will likely change drastically; Fellow Daoist Qin must be extra cautious."

Qin Ming smiled freely: "Thank you for the reminder; Qin Mou believes he still possesses some ability to protect himself, so Fellow Daoist Lingyan need not worry."

"Furthermore, I also plan to move to the Central Prefecture of Great Jin after harvesting this season's spirit plants."

"That is very good." Yue Lingyan nodded.

Afterwards, Qin Ming chatted with her about old times and casually exchanged views on cultivation matters.

Within the spirit field.

All the spirit farmers and Li Lan gathered around Old Jia, each asking with extremely envious expressions:

"Shopkeeper Jia, who was that senior whose beauty rivaled a celestial fairy?"

"It seems her relationship with Shopkeeper Lu is extraordinary! Hehehe!"

"You ask this old one, but who shall I ask?"

"However, it seems she is a senior at the Jin Dan stage."

"If Shopkeeper Lu can win her over, won't our Mirror Jing Xue Ge rise completely?"

"Go, go, go, what are you prying into blindly?"

"Go back to properly tending your fields."

Just as everyone was buzzing with discussion.

Suddenly!

The nearby space began to fluctuate, first rippling like water waves, then shaking violently.

Not knowing what was happening, everyone hurriedly circulated their magic power to resist the physical discomfort.

At that moment, a cyan streak of lightning flew in from the distance, its spiritual pressure so immense that every cultivator present changed color.

The cyan escape light actually ignored the outer formation arrays and barged directly into the airspace above the spirit fields.

When the escape light dissipated, it revealed a green-robed youth with delicate features.

The instant this person appeared, the spirit farmers below, along with Old Jia, trembled uncontrollably and collapsed to the ground one after another.

"What?! A Nascent Soul Qin Zhenjun!"

Fear was written all over the faces of these low-tier, low-cultivation individuals!

No matter how hard they tried, they could not comprehend why such a top-tier figure of the Immortal Realm would come to this place; legend had it that Nascent Soul old monsters were capricious, acting solely on whim, and with one careless mistake, they would be reduced to ash, their bodies dead and their Dao extinguished.

The green-robed youth made no attempt to conceal the magic power on his person; even though they could not discern his specific cultivation, they could roughly guess a thing or two.

The visitor was none other than Elder Crow; having suffered a great loss in his previous transaction with Qin Ming, he had come this time to save face.

And incidentally, to give a good warning to this junior who knew no bounds.

The door of the house by the spirit fields opened.

Qin Ming walked out from within; with such a huge commotion outside, he had naturally detected it as well.

He walked to the edge of the spirit fields, cupped his hands toward the sky, and bowed respectfully, saying with a smile, "To think Elder Crow would grace us with his presence; this junior failed to welcome you from afar, and I hope you will forgive my offense."

"Hmph! You kid still have the nerve to say that." The green-robed youth snorted lightly, then vanished from mid-air.

When he reappeared, he was already standing before Qin Ming.

With an expression of displeasure, he swept a glance at Qin Ming and was just about to bring up old matters to give the other party a good warning.

But just then.

"Daoist Lu, since the guest has arrived, why not invite them in for a chat?" Elder Crow's gaze shifted backward, landing on the palace-dressed beautiful woman inside the house.

The next moment.

His pupils suddenly contracted.

'A fourth-stage Form-Transformation Demon Saint!'

In an instant, Elder Crow's heart was churning like a stormy sea.

'H-how is this possible?'

'How could this kid be together with such a great demon?'

Even at his peak, if Elder Crow faced a fourth-stage Form-Transformation Demon Saint alone, it would be a certain death.

Once a demon race member advanced to the Demon Saint realm, their cultivation and strength would generally be one realm higher than that of humans, equivalent to the power of a mid-stage Nascent Soul.

Moreover, Elder Crow had not yet recovered his full cultivation and strength, while this palace-dressed female Demon Saint seemed to have a significant background; she might not even be comparable to an ordinary Demon Saint. Originally, Elder Crow had come to save face.

But encountering this situation immediately placed him in a dilemma where he could neither advance nor retreat.

The human race and the demon race were irreconcilable enemies, with frequent conflicts.

If this Form-Transformation Demon Saint before him were to attack, he would almost certainly die; however—

As an old hand who had mixed in the Immortal Realm for many years, Elder Crow instantly formed a plan.

With a smile that didn't reach his eyes, he laughed off the tension, "Hehe! In that case, I shall accept your kind invitation."

Elder Crow dared not continue showing off and retracted the aura of magic power from his body.

The spiritual pressure weighing on the hearts of the crowd outside receded like a tide, making Old Jia and the others feel as if they had received a grand pardon.

The successive arrivals of major figures today had completely shattered the worldview of everyone at Mirror Jing Xue Ge.

For a moment, they felt dizzy and trembling with fear.

Qin Ming then welcomed Elder Crow into the house.

"Elder Crow, please taste the Snow Soul Tea personally planted by this junior."

After entering the room, Elder Crow discovered there were actually two third-stage great demons inside, eating fruits and drinking spirit wine; one of them was even a late third-stage semi-transformed Sky-Devouring Mouse Demon King.

And when his gaze fell upon the little silver fox, realization instantly dawned in his heart! He immediately turned to face Yue Lingyan and asked in an extremely polite, probing tone, "Could it be... that Daoist is the new Fox Clan Great Saint who rose within the demon race several years ago?"

"That is correct; it is indeed this palace," Yue Lingyan replied after taking a sip of tea, sizing up Elder Crow with a glance and speaking indifferently.

"Then Your Excellency must be Daoist Crow of the Great Zhou Profound Pure Observatory?"

"Indeed; this old man is meeting a Daoist of the demon race for the first time; truly, my apologies for my disrespect!" Elder Crow gave a start, cupped his hands, and bowed to Yue Lingyan.

Seeing this scene, Qin Ming sighed inwardly; indeed, throughout the Immortal Realm, strength was supreme wherever one went!

Even someone as powerful as Elder Crow, a Nascent Soul Qin Zhenjun, appeared so restrained before Yue Lingyan.

This was the complete opposite of his earlier attitude when he arrived with overwhelming momentum and arrogant unrestraint; it was as if he had become an entirely different person.

Low-key and humble.

Gentle yet still polite.

"I wonder what instructions Elder Crow has for this visit?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Crow's facial skin twitched.

Anyone with normal eyes could see that 'Shopkeeper Lu' and the Fox Clan Demon Saint before him clearly shared a relationship that was far from ordinary.

Otherwise, how could they be sitting together drinking tea and chatting cheerfully?

"Hehe! Qin Xiao You jokes; how could this old man have any instructions?"

"Last time, thanks to Daoist trading the Nine Yang Soul-Continuing Pill, this old man was able to retrieve his life."

"This old man is infinitely grateful and has specifically come to express my thanks in person."

"Cough! Apart from this, there is absolutely no other intention."

After speaking, Elder Han Ya took an object from his storage bag and gently placed it before Qin Ming.

As he withdrew his hand, one could almost feel his heart aching. Qin Ming focused his gaze and discovered it was actually a small packet of spirit rice with astonishing spiritual essence.

"Fourth-tier lower grade Phoenix Blood Spirit Rice!"

Even Qin Ming could not help but speak in surprise.

Such high-grade spirit rice, he had previously seen mentioned on a jade slip within Jiang Yuan's bookshelf.

"Fellow Lu truly hides his talents; you even recognize this rice without needing this old man to introduce it, hehe!" Elder Han Ya's heart was dripping blood. "Elder Han Ya, as the saying goes, one should not accept rewards without merit."

"What happened earlier was a fair trade; Elder, you owe Qin Mou nothing."

"How can this be appropriate?"

"However, this junior also did not expect that a spirit land rumored to possess Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold would have a chance to spontaneously produce Phoenix Blood Spirit Rice; it turns out the rumors were true."

Qin Ming said in a polite tone.

Fair trade?

Hearing these four words, Elder Han Ya was rendered speechless.

"Fellow Lu truly possesses extraordinary knowledge, knowing the origin of this spirit rice so clearly," Elder Han Ya said with slight surprise. "These two spirit items were indeed accidentally obtained by this old man on an island in the Outer Sea."

"This is also a small token of this old man's regard; Fellow Lu must not decline!"

"Otherwise, pushing it back and forth would only make a fool of myself before our fox clan fellow daoist."

"In that case, very well. Thank you, Elder Han Ya; this junior accepts your command with respect."

Qin Ming waved his hand toward the table, and the small packet of spirit rice instantly vanished, stored away in his storage bag.

"Come! Elder Han Ya, taste this Yulin Wine as well; it was personally brewed by this junior and has quite a flavor."

Qin Ming had not expected that while sitting at home, someone would actively deliver treasures to him, and his mood became extremely cheerful.

He secretly sighed in his heart: 'This Elder Han Ya is truly a good person.'

Afterwards.

The three of them raised their cups to drink freely, clinking glasses and exchanging thoughts.

After more than half a day, Elder Han Ya noticed that although Yue Lingyan was a demon, she bore no malice toward human cultivators, and he finally put down his hanging heart.

Otherwise, his Nascent Soul would also be a great tonic for a Demon Saint. They stayed for a full day.

Only then did the green-robed youth, Elder Han Ya, rise to bid farewell to Qin Ming and the other, saying: "The time is about right; today I enjoyed conversing with you two fellow daoists immensely, so this old man will take his leave first."

"Fellow Qin Xiao, thank you for your hospitality; the Yulin Wine tastes truly excellent, enough to rank among the top three spirit wines this old man has ever tasted."

"When I have free time, this old man must come here often to beg for wine, hehe!"

Qin Ming immediately took out a jar of Yulin Wine as a return gift and presented it to the other, saying: "Elder Han Ya jokes; how can mere spirit wine compare to Elder's generous gift?"

Elder Han Ya accepted the spirit wine, his facial skin twitching uncontrollably again; he only wanted to leave this place of sorrow quickly. "There is no need for you two fellow daoists to see me off."

"The green mountains do not change, the green waters flow long; we shall meet again."

Immediately, ripples surged around Elder Han Ya's body, and his figure instantly vanished above the spirit fields.

On the way back.

Elder Han Ya's delicate face immediately shifted to a different expression, and he began cursing incessantly: "Truly unlucky! This kid seems to curse me; in the future, it is better if we never meet again."

"In just these few short days, I have consecutively given away three fourth-tier spirit items..."

"If I continue like this, the last of Xuqing Temple's family assets will all be donated to him."

"Alas! This old ancestor truly should not have traveled recently! Whatever I do, I am utterly unlucky!"

"It seems that unless I recover my full cultivation, I should not come out wandering blindly."

"I must go back and settle down properly..."

(End of Chapter)