Chapter 401

In the several years since the Great Li invaded the Great Zhou, countless refugee cultivators have flooded into the border.

Even the Southern Region of the Great Jin is no exception; no matter how it is controlled, there are still quite a few Great Zhou cultivators who have smuggled themselves into the Great Jin.

In recent years.

The Five Elements Mountain market has become a place where dragons and snakes are mixed.

Since the establishment of the Dao-Defending Alliance, this situation has eased quite a bit.

The forces formed by the Dao-Defending Alliance are huge, and the Great Jin Immortal Cultivation World is still considered stable, but from time to time, there will be friction with the forces of the Great Li.

Of course, it also has to do with the fall of the Demon Gate Holy Son, which makes the Blood Refining Demon Gate and the Yin Demon Sect deeply wary of this side.

They are constantly sending people to the Great Jin to investigate the fall of the Holy Son.

But a long time has passed, and they have still gained nothing.

Besides that, with the outbreak of the war, more and more wounded have flooded into the border, and healing pills and life-saving items have become hot commodities in the Five Elements Mountain market.

High-tier healing medicines are even more priceless.

After Qin Ming refined the Heavenly Net Powder, he handed it to Old Jia to take to the Five Elements Mountain market for sale.

He also instructed him that if he could exchange the Heavenly Net Powder for high-tier spirit materials, that would also be fine, not limited to spirit stones.

After all, last time, Old Jia exchanged Soul-Cleansing Incense for the follow-up secret recipe of the "Wine Immortal Divine Formula," which was extremely worthwhile.

This gave him the opportunity to brew the legendary Demonic Flame Wine that can help cultivators break through to the Jin Dan perfection realm.

And as a Tier 3 high-grade precious medicine, I believe many Jin Dan cultivators are also willing to exchange spirit materials for it.

Inside the Small Spirit Realm, Qin Ming was guiding the Earth Heart Spirit Spring to irrigate the spirit plants.

In this medicine field with the richest spiritual energy, he planted Infant-Nurturing Fruit, Five Elements Spirit Ginseng, Taiyi Bodhi, Transformed Demon Grass, and added a whole bottle of Ten-Thousand-Year Green Spirit Saliva obtained from the demon cultivator surnamed Chou.

The five major main materials for refining the Infant-Condensing Pill had already been used by him to catalyze several portions using entries, ensuring nothing would go wrong.

These five spirit materials, even if placed alone in the Immortal Cultivation World, are all extremely rare objects, only mastered by Nascent Soul sects.

They are the foundation for cultivating Nascent Soul True Persons.

And here with Qin Ming, he only needs to get one portion of spirit material, and he can constantly catalyze it using entries.

Five major rare main materials, plus more than a dozen Tier 4 rare auxiliary materials, and more than a hundred Tier 3 auxiliary materials.

Such a massive amount of high-tier resources, even if the Great Jin's Departing Fire Palace used the strength of the entire sect, it would be difficult to gather them in several hundred years.

And Qin Ming, through some fortuitous encounters, plus the help of Hua Hua Tianxiong and Su Su Yuqing in collecting them, spent several decades before and after, and finally gathered the vast majority of the spirit materials needed to refine the Infant-Condensing Pill.

And the materials used to refine the Ice Heart Jade Soul Pill have already been fully collected.

"Right now, for the materials to refine the Infant-Condensing Pill, only the last few Tier 3 auxiliary materials remain; Hua Hua Tianxiong's side should also be fast."

This day.

Qin Ming finished his daily cultivation homework and came to the spirit fields.

Of the two hundred mu of Tier 4 branch spirit fields in Five Elements Mountain, only the one hundred mu of Tier 3 Jade Emperor Spirit Rice planted by Li Lan had not yet matured.

The maturation cycle of Jade Emperor Spirit Rice is generally about ten years; if tended well, it can be a little earlier.

Qin Ming observed the situation in the spirit fields; the emerald-like Jade Emperor Spirit Rice had already grown more than a zhang tall, like a large bamboo forest.

Under Li Lan's careful tending, the growth was quite good, and I think the yield at harvest time will not be too bad.

"Shopkeeper Lu, you are here!" Li Lan saw Qin Ming and hurried over to greet him.

Qin Ming said indifferently: "Hmm, you did well."

"This batch of Jade Emperor Spirit Rice is estimated to be harvestable two years early; I originally planned to let you farm here for another thirty years."

"But the current situation is beginning to become chaotic; after harvesting the Jade Emperor Spirit Rice, although these two hundred mu of spirit fields are good, they have to be abandoned."

"In these two years, I have already let Old Jia move the Mirror Snow Pavilion's industry to the Central Continent; after harvesting this season's spirit plants, you follow along too."

Li Lan listened to Qin Ming and hurried to agree.

"Shopkeeper Lu, don't worry, Li will definitely do what was promised before."

"Being able to move to the Central Continent to work is something many loose cultivators pray for; I will definitely do my best and will not fail Shopkeeper Lu's great kindness."

Qin Ming nodded with satisfaction.

Afterward, he flew toward the Five Elements Mountain market.

As soon as Qin Ming arrived near the Five Elements Mountain market, he could clearly feel that the number of cultivators entering and leaving the market had increased.

There were even some cultivators who were seriously injured rushing inside.

But these foreign cultivators who wanted to enter the market had to pay a considerable amount of spirit stones to enjoy the protection of the Dao-Defending Alliance.

After Qin Ming entered the market, he walked toward the Mirror Snow Pavilion.

He saw that the Mirror Snow Pavilion was already surrounded, and there was no lack of cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage among them.

Old Jia and the shop assistants were all already busy and sweating profusely.

He was hesitating whether to go in when he happened to run into an old acquaintance on the street.

"Yo! Fellow Daoist Lu, long time no see."

"Your Mirror Snow Pavilion is incredibly popular now! Hahaha! I didn't expect to run into you here."

The person who came was Han Yuan, who was currently leading a team of Dao-Defending Alliance cultivators patrolling the market.

"Haha! Fellow Daoist Han, you have been promoted? Congratulations, congratulations!" Qin Ming saw Han Yuan wearing the blue and white uniform of the Dao-Defending Alliance and couldn't help but ask, "Where are Fellow Daoists Gao Feng and Liu Ye?"

"Sigh! Don't mention it; it's not that the number of cultivators in the Five Elements Mountain market has surged recently, and there is a serious shortage of manpower, so I am just filling in wherever needed."

"Gao Feng and Liu Ye, they have also been sent to the outer patrol camp now."

Although Han Yuan said so, Qin Ming could still see a trace of high spirits in his expression.

Apparently, being responsible for patrols in the market was also considered a lucrative job.

Usually, the three of them were quite decent, and relying on this personal friendship with Qin Ming, they had often taken care of the Mirror Snow Pavilion.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, why not go to the Wind-Riding Tower for a chat?"

"I see your Mirror Snow Pavilion is too lively, with too many people and mixed eyes." Han Yuan suggested.

Qin Ming nodded and agreed: "That's fine."

He also wanted to ask Han Yuan about some inside information.

Afterward.

The two came to a window seat on the third floor of the Wind-Riding Tower, ordered a table of wine and food, and began to talk.

It wasn't mealtime, and the entire third floor only had their table of people.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, I didn't expect your connections to be truly wide! Even precious medicines like Heavenly Net Powder that can bring the dead back to life can be obtained."

"Now the cultivators queuing up at the Mirror Snow Pavilion to ask for medicine can line up for two miles every day; it's truly exaggerated, haha!"

"Now a bottle of Heavenly Net Powder has been speculated to twenty high-grade spirit stones, and there are still many forces competing to buy it!"

"Fellow Daoist Han is overpraising, just a small business."

Although Qin Ming had expected that life-saving spirit medicine would be very popular, he didn't expect it to be so outrageous.

Immediately, he took a jade bottle from his bosom and placed it in front of Han Yuan, "Haha! Over the years, thanks to the care of the three fellow daoists for my pavilion, this is a little token of Lu's."

"Fellow Daoist Lu, look at what you are saying, it's too formal." Han Yuan said and opened the jade bottle, but was stunned on the spot.

"Heavenly Net Powder!!"

"Fellow Daoist Lu, this thing is too precious; how can Han accept it?"

Han Yuan knew clearly that now the three of them were in patrol positions, it was inevitable that they would have to fight with others.

This medicine could save their lives at a critical moment. "It's just a little spirit medicine, Fellow Daoist Han, don't decline." Qin Ming said with a faint smile.

Han Yuan's expression was excited; he half-pushed and accepted the spirit medicine, solemnly saying: "Then many thanks to Fellow Daoist Lu; if there are any errands in the future, just mention them."

"I will also toast Fellow Daoist Lu on behalf of Gao Feng and Liu Ye; this is the new Blue Wave Wine from the Wind-Riding Tower, you try it."

"The two of them are on duty outside, and their affairs are busy, so they don't have this kind of good fortune."

Afterward, Han Yuan began to talk to Qin Ming about some things within the Dao-Defending Alliance.

He first poured a cup of spirit wine for Qin Ming, hesitated for a moment, and then asked: "Fellow Daoist Lu, I heard that a Nascent Soul True Person once came to your spirit fields; is there such a thing?"

Qin Ming didn't expect the other party to know even this, and immediately didn't hide it and nodded.

"That's right, but that senior came to order some high-tier spirit rice."

"He didn't stay long either."

Hiss~ Han Yuan confirmed this from Qin Ming's mouth and was still quite surprised.

After all, that is the top existence in the Immortal Cultivation World, a chess player who truly controls the board.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, is it convenient to reveal which True Person senior it was?" Han Yuan's gossip heart was hooked first.

"It was Senior Cold Crow from the Great Zhou's Profound Clarity Temple."

"I didn't expect it to be Senior Cold Crow!" Han Yuan sighed, and then continued, "Not long ago, True Person Cold Crow had already brought the Profound Clarity Temple and joined the Dao-Defending Alliance."

"It is rumored that Senior Cold Crow was seriously injured; I didn't expect him to recover so quickly."

"It's truly baffling..."

When speaking of this.

Han Yuan raised his hand to cast a soundproof barrier and said to Qin Ming: "I heard some inside information in the alliance; the Five Elements Mountain Range is not quite right recently, I fear something big is going to happen."

"I suggest that if Fellow Daoist Lu has a way out, why not stay away from this place of right and wrong, sigh!"

"Oh? Why does Fellow Daoist Han say this?" Qin Ming saw that he was talking about serious matters and couldn't help but ask.

"It seems that a spy planted by the upper echelons of the Departing Fire Palace in the Divine Dao Mountain has secretly found a piece of extremely important intelligence in the Five Elements Mountain Range."

"Now the interior of the Dao-Defending Alliance is full of wind and cranes, and there is quite a feeling of something bad."

"In addition, it can be confirmed that the Divine Dao Mountain has completely leaned toward the Great Li's Yin Demon Sect; even without the Five Elements Mountain matter, I fear that in the near future, the long-standing contradictions between the two sides will sooner or later break out again."

"Once the position of the Divine Dao Mountain changes."

"A great battle is estimated to be unavoidable."

"Therefore, the current Southern Region of the Great Jin is not a good place either."

"The three of us are helpless and can no longer make a choice to get out."

"Fellow Daoist Lu must have seen it too; the number of cultivators in the Five Elements Mountain market has surged suddenly, and among some of these cultivators, there is no lack of major forces secretly deploying troops..."

Han Yuan sighed after finishing.

"So that's how it is; many thanks to Fellow Daoist Han for telling me."

Qin Ming drank a cup of spirit wine, his heart thoughtful.

'It seems that paper cannot wrap fire after all; the Divine Dao Mountain and the Yin Demon Sect failed to hide the matter of the ancient Profound Origin Sect secret realm, and it was discovered by the Departing Fire Palace.'

'In this way, in order to compete for this secret realm, I fear many more cultivators will die; a great battle is unavoidable.'

'Right now, it's just hindered by the entrance of the secret realm, that Seven-Marvels Treasure Tree has not yet bloomed, and the secret realm cannot be opened, so these major forces have not immediately torn their faces.'

Qin Ming pondered for a long time and asked Han Yuan again: "What is the current composition of the Dao-Defending Alliance?"

Han Yuan replied: "The Dao-Defending Alliance was initiated and led by the Departing Fire Palace, and the conditions for joining the alliance are still extremely harsh."

"The Dao-Defending Alliance only accepts Nascent Soul-level forces to join, representing the most top-tier forces in the Immortal Cultivation World; currently, they are the Departing Fire Palace, the Ten Thousand Dao Commercial Alliance, the Profound Clarity Temple, and Nascent Soul loose cultivators."

"However, it is said that some forces with Jin Dan perfection great cultivators sitting in town are also barely qualified."

"But they have to pass the evaluation of the members in the alliance."

"Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Han for telling me; actually, Lu also has this intention. In these two years, I have already secretly transferred the Mirror Snow Pavilion's industry to the Central Continent of the Great Jin." Qin Ming toasted the other party with a glass of wine.

"So it was Han who worried too much; Fellow Daoist Lu has long-term vision and doesn't need me to worry at all, haha!"

……

After the two exchanged some words.

Han Yuan still had to patrol and perform duties in the market, so he said goodbye and went to get busy.

Qin Ming was alone, sitting at the table by the window, tasting wine by himself, looking at the bustling crowd on the street, his heart thoughtful.

Not long after, more cultivators came to the restaurant to eat.

The third floor was also full of people and became lively.

The cultivators at the surrounding tables were discussing heatedly.

"Sigh, isn't the Heavenly Net Powder of the Mirror Snow Pavilion too outrageously expensive? It's only been a few days, and it has risen to twenty high-grade spirit stones again."

"Who can afford this?"

"If you don't buy it, there are plenty of people who will! After all, this medicine can instantly heal even the injuries of Jin Dan cultivators and bring the dead back to life."

"With this medicine, as long as it's not an instantly fatal injury, it's equivalent to having an extra life; who wouldn't want it?"

"Exactly, exactly; the more profound the cultivation, the more they care about their little lives."

"And, they also said, if there are rare spirit items, they can also be exchanged!"

"Sigh, anyway, such luxury items are not something we can get our hands on; twenty high-grade spirit stones are enough to buy several high-tier life-saving magic tools."

"By the way, there is another explosive piece of news; have you heard it?"

"I heard that Grandmaster Su Su Yuqing of the Dragon Court Lake in the Central Continent of the Great Jin refined a Tier 4 low-grade Primordial Spirit Pill not long ago and has advanced to the realm of a Pill King."

"Pill Master Su truly possesses stunning talent in the path of alchemy, becoming the youngest Tier 4 Pill King in the history of the Great Jin Immortal Cultivation World."

"The Su family of Dragon Court Lake is said to have already received an invitation from the Dao-Defending Alliance."

"The Departing Fire Palace must be regretting it to death, right? Agreeing to let the Su family separate from the sect back then."

"You have to know, the Departing Fire Palace only has one Tier 4 Pill King sitting in town now."

"Tier 3 high-grade Heavenly Net Powder is not something anyone can refine; I heard that the Mirror Snow Pavilion has some friendship with Pill King Su."

"Could this medicine be from his hand?"

"……"

Qin Ming held the wine glass in his hand, listening to the news around him, his heart secretly sighing:

'I didn't expect Brother Su's progress to be so fast; silently, he has already taken a step ahead to become a Tier 4 alchemist.'

Just at this moment.

A person slowly walked up the stairs of the third floor.

This person was wearing a black feather garment, with a fair complexion, black hair tied in a crown, a slightly sharp nose, wearing a pair of straw sandals on his feet, and a faint smile always hanging on his face.

He looked around the third floor and saw that it was full of people everywhere.

Afterward, his gaze fell on Qin Ming's table by the window.

Seeing Qin Ming drinking alone and the opposite seat empty, he walked over and asked with a gentle and elegant smile:

"This fellow daoist, I wonder if this seat can be sat in?"

……

(End of chapter)