Chapter 402: The Great Black Heaven Demon Saint

Qin Ming withdrew his gaze from the window.

Immediately, he followed the sound with his eyes, fixing his sight on the person before him.

Yet not looking was fine; at first glance, Qin Ming's pupils suddenly contracted.

His heart instantly surged with turmoil, filled with hidden astonishment.

'A fourth-stage transformed great demon!' Although the Black-Feathered cultivator had disguised his aura with extreme authenticity and skill, appearing exactly like an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

If it were anyone else, even the Jin Dan elder with the highest cultivation in the Five Elements Mountain Market, they might not detect any abnormality.

However, Qin Ming possessed spiritual sense comparable to an early Nascent Soul stage, along with the Dharma-Breaking Double Pupils.

Some days ago, when he cultivated the 'Heavenly Demon Body Refining Strategy' to the perfection of the Jin Dan chapter, he additionally absorbed the divine ability of the Red-Eyed Tian Lin, enhancing his eye technique divine abilities by more than double.

No matter how sophisticated the disguise methods were, they were merely illusory before him.

Therefore, Qin Ming saw through the other party's disguise with just one glance.

Within Qin Ming's eyes, the other party's true appearance was revealed:

The black-feathered demon cultivator man standing opposite possessed a pair of unusually small emerald-green pupils and grew a keratinous nasal tip.

He must be a bird-type demon cultivator.

He was a genuine early fourth-stage Demon Saint!

However, this Black-Feathered demon cultivator before him gave off an aura slightly weaker than Yue Lingyan's.

'A fourth-stage transformed great demon. Could this person be the Great Black Heaven Demon Saint of the Wind-Splitting Eagle clan?'

'How did even he come to the Five Elements Mountain Market?'

'I heard Yue Lingyan mention that this person is highly ambitious and deeply interested in the Qingyuan Sect's secret realm.'

'Could there be some conspiracy?'

Qin Ming's thoughts raced quickly; combining some of the other party's characteristics, he had roughly guessed the Black-Feathered demon cultivator's origins.

The Black-Feathered demon cultivator probably never expected that.

That he had casually entered a restaurant, and within mere moments, someone had seen through his identity.

If this were spoken aloud, he would likely be mocked by his own clan.

Although Qin Ming had discerned the other party's background, on the surface his expression remained normal, calm and unruffled.

He responded faintly to the Black-Feathered demon cultivator, "There is no one else here; fellow Daoist, please make yourself at home."

"Heh! Many thanks, fellow Daoist."

The Black-Feathered demon cultivator curled the corners of his mouth into a smile and directly sat down opposite Qin Ming with blatant informality.

Subsequently, he did not order any wine or dishes, but instead shamelessly asked Qin Ming directly, "Fellow Daoist, do you mind if I beg a cup of wine?"

The Black-Feathered demon cultivator looked at Qin Ming with a smiling face.

Qin Ming immediately nodded and poured him a cup of spiritual wine.

'This demon took the risk of coming to the Five Elements Mountain Market; could he also be targeting that Qingyuan Sect secret realm?'

'Indeed, in the face of tremendous opportunities, few can remain seated; even a fourth-stage Demon Saint cannot avoid it.'

'Of course, except for me...'

The Black-Feathered demon cultivator took the spiritual wine, made no sound, and simply began tasting it on his own.

One poured, one drank; the two exchanged no further words.

Half an hour passed, and two pots of wine had been consumed.

"Hmm, this wine ultimately lacks something; drinking it feels flavorless."

"Many thanks to fellow Daoist for treating me to wine."

"May I ask fellow Daoist's honorable surname? If there is a chance another day, I will treat fellow Daoist to a meal of my own brewed spiritual wine."

The Black-Feathered demon cultivator said with a smile hanging on his lips; despite having just downed an entire pot of Blue Wave Wine, he showed not the slightest sign of drunkenness.

It must be known that this Blue Wave Wine was a second-grade spiritual wine of the Wind-Riding Tower; let alone an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, even a late Foundation Establishment cultivator would become drunk if they drank too much.

Qin Ming replied faintly, "My surname is Lu; we meet by chance, and it was merely a humble drink; fellow Daoist need not be polite."

Hearing this, the Black-Feathered demon cultivator seemed to take some interest in Qin Ming; his pair of small pupils contracted as he scrutinized him incessantly.

Yet he did not detect the slightest abnormality.

Immediately, he smiled faintly, "Fellow Daoist Lu is indeed a remarkable person; it seems you also prefer to act independently?"

"It has been a long time since I interacted with a straightforward fellow Daoist like you; this is truly quite rare!"

Qin Ming did not directly answer the other party's question, but countered, "May I ask fellow Daoist's honorable surname? You do not seem to be a local?"

Hearing Qin Ming ask this, the Black-Feathered demon cultivator paused for a moment, then he said with a smile:

"That is correct; my name is Mo Yu, and in my early years, I always lived in seclusion within the mountains cultivating silently."

"This time I came out merely to see the world and undergo some trials..."

"I see." Qin Ming nodded, then fell silent.

With his current strength, even facing a Nascent Soul stage cultivator or an early fourth-stage Demon Saint, he no longer felt fear.

Therefore, he displayed no trace of fear.

Initially,

Qin Ming had thought the other party had come for him, but after all this, it turned out the other party had merely encountered him by chance.

Although he could not figure out exactly what the Black-Feathered demon cultivator intended to do, he had already guessed that nine times out of ten, it was for the Qingyuan Sect secret realm.

Qin Ming did not wish to get entangled with him and create unnecessary complications.

Feeling the time was about right, he stood up and bid him farewell, "Fellow Daoist Mo, continue drinking; I have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first."

"I have already paid for the wine."

"Then many thanks to Fellow Daoist Lu for treating Mo to wine; I will not see you off." The Black-Feathered demon cultivator showed no intention of standing up.

Qin Ming paid him no heed and went straight downstairs.

After he left, the black-feathered demonic cultivator, listening to the bustling shouts, revealed a hint of mockery in his narrow eyes: "Before long, the prosperity here will inevitably fade."

"At that time, we can properly harvest a batch of materials."

"Wine brewed with a cultivator's Jin Dan tastes far better."

Night fell, and the bright moon hung high.

Qin Ming did not return to the Mirror Jing Xue Ge; instead, with brows tightly furrowed, he went straight to Hua Tianxiong's courtyard.

'A fourth-stage shapeshifting great demon arriving here is hardly a good omen; it seems I must prepare to slip away in advance.'

'Earlier, Yue Lingyan mentioned that the Great Black Heaven Demon Saint of the Rift Wind Condor clan is extremely warlike and eager to slaughter humans.'

Had Qin Ming not learned of this beforehand, he too would have been deceived by the black-feathered demonic cultivator's gentle demeanor.

'These old monsters are indeed more sinister and cunning than the last.'

'One cannot easily trust them.'

Upon seeing Qin Ming arrive, Hua Tianxiong hurriedly welcomed him into the main hall and brewed a pot of fine spiritual tea.

"Master, you have come."

"Mm."

After taking his seat, Qin Ming began inquiring about the situation.

The information obtained from his mouth differed little from what Han Yuan had said.

Qin Ming pondered for a moment, feeling the black-feathered demonic cultivator's movements were too suspicious; if left unchecked...

... it might well pose a threat or disaster to the human race, especially since if such a demonic cultivator went on a killing spree here, it would also affect his spiritual fields and the Mirror Jing Xue Ge.

Thus, he decided to use Hua Tianxiong to report the matter to the Dao-Protecting Alliance, at which point a Nascent Soul Qin Qin Zhenjun would inevitably emerge to deal with it.

He himself would not need to take any risks.

Immediately, Qin Ming set down his teacup and, with a grave expression, said to Hua Tianxiong: "Hua Tianxiong, there is a matter I need you to handle."

"Just now in the market, I discovered a shapeshifting great demon from the demon race has infiltrated; this matter is extremely important and concerns the very survival of the market."

"Ah?! A shapeshifting Demon Saint?" Hua Tianxiong was so frightened he spat out a mouthful of tea, freezing on the spot.

"Th-this... Master, what should I do?"

Then he thought of something: "Could it be that this great demon is also here for the secret realm of the Qingyuan Sect?" "That is likely the case; secretly leak this information to the Brother Li Huo Palace. This matter is critical; do not concern yourself with anything else," Qin Ming said indifferently.

"You should also prepare to evacuate the Five Elements Mountain Market; this place is no longer safe to stay."

"Yes, I shall strictly follow your orders, Master!"

Several days later, the number of Dao-Protecting Alliance cultivators in the Five Elements Mountain Market surged dramatically, looking as if facing a great enemy.

The rogue cultivators coming and going in the market knew nothing of what had happened.

Qin Ming could sense that even two powerful auras had secretly descended within the market.

They simply had not revealed themselves.

In all likelihood, these were the Nascent Soul True Lords sent by the Dao-Protecting Alliance to deal with the shapeshifting Demon Saint.

Yet several days passed with nothing occurring, and the market returned to tranquility.

Sitting within the Mirror Jing Xue Ge, Qin Ming pondered silently.

"This shouldn't be the case? Could it be that the demonic cultivator escaped?"

Meanwhile, within the Beast Cry Mountain Range on the other side...

The black-feathered demonic cultivator transformed into a streak of black light, flying at extreme speed while occasionally glancing back.

"Damn it, where exactly did I slip up?"

"How could my identity have been exposed? Those two old human fellows must have received intelligence."

"Nevertheless, the purpose of this trip has been achieved; it is of no great consequence."

"Later, I will have some fun with those two old things."

The black-feathered demonic cultivator's small, emerald-green pupils darted about as he accelerated, vanishing instantly into the horizon.

Inside the Mirror Jing Xue Ge of the Five Elements Mountain Market.

Old Jia, brimming with confidence, held an account book and reported his work to Qin Ming.

"Hehehe, Shopkeeper Lu truly anticipated everything!"

"This Tianluo Powder sold out completely within just half a month, and the price has more than doubled..."

"Here are all the accounts; please review them."

Qin Ming took the account book, casually flipped through it, and nodded slightly.

Subsequently, Old Jia handed over all the spiritual stones for Qin Ming to dispose of.

"By the way, Shopkeeper Lu, besides this, I have already been seeking a buyer to take over the two hundred mu of spiritual fields in Five Elements Mountain."

"However, after negotiating with several factions consecutively, they seem to have noticed the current instability in the Five Elements Mountain Market and fear it might affect the spiritual fields, so their offers are not very high."

"If we are in a hurry to sell, we can only transfer them at a low price."

Qin Ming pondered briefly, then shook his head.

"Rest assured, someone will offer a high price."

"Moreover, the Imperial Jade Spiritual Rice planted by Li Lan has not yet matured; there is still some time, so let us wait a bit longer."

"I will notify you when the time comes."

"With matters here concluded, the shop in the Five Elements Mountain Market can pretty much be closed."

"Be ready to evacuate with the people at any moment."

"Yes, Shopkeeper Lu."

Old Jia now followed Qin Ming's words implicitly, with unwavering loyalty.

After all, 'Shopkeeper Lu' could even forge connections with a Nascent Soul Qin Qin Zhenjun, so he naturally had access to highly reliable intelligence from the upper echelons in advance.

He only needed to follow orders.

"By the way, after all this hard work, the spirit stones in here are a reward for you." Qin Ming tossed a bag of spirit stones to Old Jia. "Deal with those spirit farmers as you see fit."

Old Jia accepted the reward, his expression filled with excitement as he said, "Thank you, Shopkeeper Lu!"

Then he went off to attend to his duties.

After Old Jia left, Qin Ming also departed from the Five Elements Mountain Market.

But just as he was returning to the spirit fields, he received an urgent message from Hua Tianxiong via the black talisman.

"Master, things have gone terribly wrong!"

"I just learned from Elder Qian that the Divine Dao Mountain and the Mo Sect are preparing to hold some sort of ritual soon to force that Seven Wonders Treasure Tree to bloom ahead of schedule."

"After receiving this intelligence, the Brother Li Huo Palace is already standing on high alert; they will likely join this fray as well to lock down the location of the secret realm."

"After all, the allure of a mountain gate secret realm belonging to the number one sect of the ancient human world is simply too great."

"If scattered cultivators from the outside learn of this, the situation will probably become even more chaotic."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming couldn't help but furrow his brows tightly.

He hadn't expected the Mo Sect to choose a date that would arrive so quickly.

"Hua Tianxiong, you've done well; continue investigating and report back."

"Thank you for your praise, Master!" Hua Tianxiong said joyfully, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, regarding the last few spirit materials you tasked me with gathering, there are already leads, though their locations are quite scattered."

"I will have my subordinates gather them and deliver them to you as soon as possible."

"Very good, go attend to your business," Qin Ming replied.

After listening to Hua Tianxiong's report,

Qin Ming felt somewhat uneasy and immediately summoned Shi Tian Shu.

Shi Tian Shu scurried up onto Qin Ming's shoulder in a flash and said with a grin, "Master, what do you need me for?"

"My strength has increased greatly; I'm brimming with endless energy and ready to fight for you in this life."

"To put it simply, that Green-Faced Poisonous Flood Dragon I used to ride upon, I can now handle it at will; dealing with it is no different than handling a loach, eh heh heh!"

"Enough with the Green-Faced Poisonous Flood Dragon; that's ancient history from years ago. Its demon core was already used by me to brew wine."

"You still can't let go of it, holding such a long-standing grudge?" Qin Ming turned his head and said to Shi Tian Shu.

"Let's not talk about that."

"I've received intelligence that beneath the Five Elements Mountain spirit vein, a disturbance may occur soon; those demonic cultivators are likely planning another ritual."

"Go keep an eye on them for me; see what tricks they're up to, and notify me when the ritual begins."

"The matter of the Qingyuan Sect's secret realm has already been exposed; the situation below may be a mix of dragons and fish, with even Nascent Soul cultivators watching. Be careful yourself."

Qin Ming instructed.

Shi Tian Shu patted his chest and said, "Rest assured, Master. Ever since I advanced to the peak of the third stage, not only has my strength surged, but my divine abilities have also made significant breakthroughs."

"Now, when I employ my Void Walking Escape Technique, even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator cannot detect me."

"It's a trivial matter."

"That would be best; go then."

"Heh heh! Just wait for my news, Master."

Immediately, Shi Tian Shu jumped down from Qin Ming's shoulder, transformed into a wisp of black light in mid-air, and vanished without a trace.

After returning to the spirit fields, Qin Ming resumed his normal cultivation.

Only three days had passed

when Shi Tian Shu rushed back to report to Qin Ming, "Master, those people are about to hold their Spirit Sacrifice Ritual; the time is set for the Hai hour today."

"Oh? So soon? Take me there to see," Qin Ming said.

Immediately, the man and the mouse followed the underground tunnel dug by Shi Tian Shu, arriving near the entrance of the secret realm.

They saw that in the dim underground world, a massive sacrificial altar had already been constructed.

Thanks to fellow Daoist "160905010717325" for the donation of 100 coins.

Thanks to all fellow Daoists for your support and votes; many thanks! (End of Chapter)