Chapter 429: The Nascent Soul Grand Ceremony

"So it is Daoist Long Mu from the East Sea Immortal Realm; please, come inside!"

Qin Ming made a welcoming gesture, inviting her with extreme enthusiasm.

Beside them, the Brother Li Huo Shangren's face instantly twitched.

This brat had not treated him with such an attitude just moments ago.

"Then this old one shall not decline your kindness," True Monarch Long Mu said, nodding slightly.

When Qin Ming had returned to the Southern Wilderness Immortal Realm back then, he had learned quite a bit about the East Sea Immortal Realm from the exchanges between Yue Lingyan and Shi Jin, the captain of the Black Sail Ship.

The East Sea was once a major Immortal Realm that had continuously produced Soul Transformation Venerables for a long period.

The Penglai Sect had also once given birth to a Soul Transformation stage Venerable, and it was said that they possessed the inheritance of a Penglai Immortal Tree to ensure their lineage never died out; producing another Soul Transformation stage cultivator was merely a matter of time.

Major sects like the Penglai Sect certainly did not lack great cultivators in the mid-to-late Nascent Soul stages.

And now, this silver-haired old woman standing before them, 'True Monarch Long Mu,' hailed precisely from the 'Penglai Immortal Sect.'

Compared to the Penglai Immortal Sect, the Brother Li Huo Palace's stature and level were still considerably lower.

After all, the Brother Li Huo Palace had never produced a Soul Transformation cultivator; its founding ancestor, Yunxi Laozu, had only reached the late Nascent Soul stage, and now even his whereabouts were unknown.

Which was stronger and which was weaker was obvious.

From the way Brother Li Huo Shangren treated True Monarch Long Mu, Qin Ming could discern a thing or two.

The three of them flew down and landed on the island.

As they passed the spiritual fields on the main peak, True Monarch Long Mu could not help but stop to observe them.

"Dragon Blood Divine Tree, Five Elements Primordial Qi Spiritual Peaches, Three-Crimson Soul-Returning Grass, Jade Emperor Spiritual Rice."

She listed these rare spiritual plants, which were hard to come by in the outside world, as if reciting treasures from her own family collection.

"This old one had previously heard various rumors about Daoist Qin and remained skeptical, but now seeing it with my own eyes, Daoist Qin's attainments in spiritual planting have truly entered the realm of perfection, and perhaps even surpassed it."

True Monarch Long Mu's gaze was profound; upon seeing the dazzling array of spiritual plants atop the main peak, she revealed an expression of great appreciation.

Qin Ming was slightly surprised: "It seems Daoist Long Mu is also a practitioner of this path?"

At this moment.

Brother Li Huo Shangren, standing nearby, explained upon hearing this: "Daoist Qin speaks correctly; Daoist Long Mu has deeply inherited the spiritual planting techniques of the Penglai Immortal Sect and is a genuine fourth-tier mid-grade spiritual planter."

His implied meaning was also to hint to Qin Ming that the status of a fourth-tier mid-grade spiritual planter was evidently superior to that of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

Even within the circle of Nascent Soul cultivators, such a person was an extremely special existence, not to mention that her background and roots were profoundly deep.

Brother Li Huo Shangren had accidentally met True Monarch Long Mu during an exchange meeting among fellow cultivators; in truth, their relationship had not reached a very close level.

He spoke to remind Qin Ming to be cautious in his words and actions, lest the young man's impetuosity lead him to say something he should not.

"Oh, is that so?"

"So Daoist Long Mu is actually a fourth-tier mid-grade spiritual planter; my apologies, my apologies!"

Although the fourth-tier spiritual plants in Qin Ming's Small Spirit Realm were already abundant, he still maintained a humble and polite demeanor.

"Qin Mou's meager skills have earned Daoist Long Mu's excessive praise."

True Monarch Long Mu, however, shook her head. "Hehe! Daoist Qin is the one hiding his true abilities; although the plants grown here are mostly third-tier, cultivating them to such a level of quality still requires extremely profound skills."

She was someone who knew the value of goods; unlike others, she saw through the intricacies at a single glance.

Even some spiritual plants that had gone extinct in other Immortal Realms could be found here, which was enough to explain the situation.

True Monarch Long Mu was deeply versed in the way of spiritual planting and could be said to have a special affection for it.

While traveling to the Black Sea on business, she heard that a newly promoted Nascent Soul True Monarch in the Southern Wilderness Immortal Realm was of spiritual farmer origin and also a spiritual planter who had walked step by step to his current position, which aroused her curiosity.

If he were merely an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator who had condensed his infant, she would not have gone to such trouble to come to this place.

True Monarch Long Mu had her own plans for this visit; if True Monarch Wangyue was merely famous without substance, she intended only to pay her respects and leave.

But if he truly possessed unique insights in the path of spiritual planting, she harbored the intention of befriending him. From the moment True Monarch Long Mu first saw Qin Ming, although he appeared ordinary, her sixth sense was extremely strong.

Although Qin Ming had only just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, she felt an inability to see through him.

After personally inspecting the Lingdao, she became even more certain of her speculation.

After entering the main hall.

Qin Ming served spiritual tea to the two Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

"Daoist Long Mu, this is the specialty of this island, Snow Soul Spiritual Tea, personally planted and cultivated by Qin Mou; please taste it and see how it is."

True Monarch Long Mu smiled gently and took a small sip: "Mm, indeed, this is a rare and excellent tea."

Immediately after, she set down her teacup, took out an exquisite pill bottle, and handed it to Qin Ming, saying: "This old one wishes Daoist Qin great success in his Nascent Soul and eternal longevity in the Immortal Path; this trifling gift is merely a token of my respect."

"Then Qin Mou thanks Daoist Long Mu," Qin Ming replied without false modesty, directly accepting the pills from her hand.

He merely lifted the lid slightly, and a strange pill fragrance immediately spread throughout the entire hall.

Inside, one could clearly see three pale purple spiritual pills lying there, emitting a strong pill halo.

Upon seeing these pills, Brother Li Huo Shangren raised his eyebrows and exclaimed in astonishment: "Daoist Long Mu is truly generous; these are actually Clear Void Pills!"

"Clear Void Pills?" Qin Ming asked in confusion.

Neither his 'Source Dao Pill Classic' nor his 'Blood Refining Pill Classic' contained any records regarding them.

They were likely a unique spiritual pill specific to the Nascent Soul stage in the East Sea Immortal Realm.

"Precisely; this pill is named 'Clear Po Po Xu Dan,' refined using fourth-tier sea beast demon cores unique to the East Sea Immortal Realm; it is of immense help in advancing and consolidating the magic power of the early Nascent Soul stage."

"This pill is quite rare; only the East Sea Penglai Immortal Sect possesses it."

"Daoist Qin truly possesses profound fortune."

Brother Li Huo Shangren introduced this with considerable envy.

"I did not expect it to be such a precious spiritual pill; in that case, Qin Mou thanks Daoist Long Mu once again for your kindness," Qin Ming said upon hearing this, expressing his gratitude once more.

Brother Li Huo Shangren watched from the side; although his expression showed no major change on the surface, his heart was already filled with mixed emotions.

He could easily see that True Monarch Long Mu already had the intention of befriending this newly promoted Nascent Soul from the Southern Wilderness.

After a round of pleasantries, Qin Ming began conversing with the two.

"Fellow Daoist Qin appears extremely young; could it truly be that you condensed your Nascent Soul at merely over three hundred years of age?" Long Mu Zhenjun, looking at Qin Ming's youthful face, could not help but ask.

Qin Ming smiled indifferently and replied, "Indeed. The technique I cultivate focuses primarily on nourishing life rather than killing, and in my youth, I consumed a Face-Fixing Pill."

Upon hearing 'Face-Fixing Pill,' both Nascent Soul True Lords simultaneously revealed expressions of sudden realization.

This was because upon reaching the Nascent Soul stage, most cultivators become stuck at the early Nascent Soul phase, finding it difficult to make any further progress.

The younger one is when condensing the Nascent Soul, the more lifespan remains to break through to subsequent realms, representing greater future potential.

Hearing that Qin Ming had successfully condensed his Nascent Soul at merely over three hundred years old, Long Mu Zhenjun's desire to befriend him grew even stronger.

Li Huo Shangren was also secretly astonished; the other party was a wild-path rogue cultivator without the support of sect resources, yet managed to reach this step. Without needing to think too much, one knew he must possess great fortune and great luck.

However, anyone who could rise to such a height surely had some secrets; thinking of this, he felt relieved.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, rising from a rogue cultivator status to the Nascent Soul stage in only three hundred years, fully demonstrates that you are a genius born of heaven."

"Forgive my presumption in asking, but does Fellow Daoist Qin have any plans for the future? With your spirit-planting skills and cultivation potential, remaining in the Southern Wilderness is truly a waste of talent."

"If Fellow Daoist Qin does not mind and is willing to join the Great Jin Dao-Protecting Alliance, this old man can make the decision immediately, and I can guarantee that the treatment as a guest elder will be no worse than my own."

Li Huo Shangren seemed to have seen through Long Mu Zhenjun's intentions in his words and actually stepped forward to extend the invitation first.

Long Mu Zhenjun's expression shifted slightly.

Clearly, Li Huo Old Monster's shameless action had aroused a trace of displeasure in her.

"I fear Qin Mou must decline Fellow Daoist Ding's kind offer; Qin Mou is accustomed to acting alone and has no intention of joining any faction." Qin Ming politely refused. With the three kingdoms of Zhongzhou engulfed in raging warfare, although he now possessed the strength to protect himself, he naturally intended to stay far away from this place and avoid entanglement in trouble.

Long Mu Zhenjun had actually intended to extend an invitation as well, after all, recruiting a Nascent Soul rogue cultivator of clear background into the sect...

... would not only raise the sect's overall strength once again but also constitute a major merit.

"In that case, since Fellow Daoist Qin has just successfully condensed his Nascent Soul, you must have many questions regarding this realm. Although the two of us are also long trapped at the early Nascent Soul stage and unable to advance further, we are still willing to exchange a few words with Fellow Daoist Qin," Long Mu Zhenjun said with a faint smile.

Hearing this, Qin Ming's eyes lit up, and he immediately perked up. "Oh? Then Qin Mou would be delighted."

Since ascending to the Nascent Soul stage, Qin Ming had never properly interacted with fellow Nascent Soul cultivators and was a complete blank sheet regarding matters of this circle; taking advantage of the time before the Nascent Soul Grand Ceremony began presented a perfect opportunity.

As the Grand Elder of the Li Huo Palace of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty, Li Huo Shangren was a chess player manipulating the situation of the Zhongzhou Immortal Realm.

Naturally, he possessed much of the latest frontline intelligence.

Merely from chatting with him for a few moments earlier, Qin Ming had already learned such critical information as the abnormal changes occurring in the descending realm channel of the Blood Universe Realm.

Such secret intelligence, if placed within an organization specializing in selling information, could fetch a considerable sum of spirit stones.

Furthermore, as a high-ranking cultivator of the 'Penglai Sect' in the East Sea Immortal Realm, Long Mu Zhenjun...

... allowed Qin Ming, through conversation with her, to greatly broaden his horizons and learn some secrets of the foreign Immortal Realms.

Should he travel to the East Sea in the future, he could thus grasp some important information in advance and avoid taking unnecessary detours.

Perhaps he could even establish a connection with her.

After all, what Qin Ming focused on nowadays was building a reputation and forging good connections.

After some exchange, Qin Ming instructed Wu Jiang to select two excellent cave dwellings on the main peak for the two True Lords to rest.

Time flew by in a flash.

Three days later, the Nascent Soul Grand Ceremony officially began.

Qin Ming stepped out of his cave dwelling, his vast divine sense covering the spiritual energy Archipelago.

Outside the spirit islands, countless mounts and carriages, spiritual light flying birds, and magical flying shuttles arrived from the five lakes and four seas, all converging upon Wangyue Lake.

The Nascent Soul Grand Ceremony was the most grandiose event in the Immortal Realm; to witness the bearing of a Nascent Soul cultivator was something countless cultivators dreamed of achieving in their lives.

Representatives from major immortal city merchant houses, sect leaders, powerful rogue cultivators, and various factions arrived in droves, numbering in the tens of thousands.

Foundation Establishment experts and Jin Dan ancestors, rarely seen on ordinary days, were now visible everywhere.

However, only cultivators of the middle tier or above in the Immortal Realm were invited onto the island.

Most low-tier cultivators were celebrating and making merry together on the other islands of the spiritual energy Archipelago.

Even the seating arrangements for the banquet were divided into zones according to the hierarchy and status within the Immortal Realm: the outer perimeter of the spirit island was for Foundation Establishment cultivators, the mid-mountain slope for Jin Dan cultivators, and the main peak where the fourth-grade spirit vein lay was for Nascent Soul cultivators.

Of course, Qin Ming's three spirit pets had a table reserved exclusively for them.

"I never expected there to be such a paradise abundant with spiritual qi in this world."

The cultivators who ascended the island were each shocked by the scene before their eyes.

Immediately, sounds of congratulation rang out continuously.

Factions from all sides made their entrances one by one.

Besides factions from the Southern Wilderness Immortal Realm, there were also several large sects from neighboring Immortal Realms.

"Am I seeing things correctly? Isn't that senior in the python robe standing beside True Lord Wangyue actually True Lord Li Huo of the Li Huo Palace?"

"Eh? And who is that Nascent Soul senior holding the Dragon Wood Staff beside him? Why have I never heard of them?"

At this moment.

A Jin Dan True Person with some knowledge pondered for a moment, then said in astonishment, "The Dragon Wood Divine Staff... Hiss! Could it be Senior Long Mu Zhenjun from the East Sea Immortal Realm!"

"True Lord Wangyue really has impressive clout; to actually be acquainted with such figures."

"May I ask, Fellow Daoist, what kind of faction is this Penglai Sect? Is it stronger than the Li Huo Palace?"

"Hmm, a major sect from the East Sea that once produced a Soul Transformation Venerable; what do you think, is it strong or not?"

"Hiss~"

Just then, violent fluctuations echoed through the nearby space.

Following a flash of rainbow light.

Two consecutive beams of escaping light with massive auras arrived in an instant, landing upon the main peak.

"Ten Thousand Dao Merchant Alliance's Ten Thousand Treasures True Lord arrives to offer congratulations!"

"You Sha Zhenjun of the Yellow Sand Sect from the Western Nether Immortal Realm has arrived to offer congratulations!"

As two more Nascent Soul powerhouses made their entrance, the atmosphere on the scene instantly became suffocating.

The myriad cultivators below could never have imagined, even if beaten to death, that they would witness so many top-tier great experts in their lifetimes.

Qin Ming also stepped forward to warmly greet the two Nascent Soul cultivators he had never met before.

Wanbao Zhenjun of the Myriad Dao Shang Alliance was a middle-aged man resembling a merchant, dressed in a jade robe embroidered with money patterns, wearing no fewer than ten exquisite storage rings on his hands, clearly possessing immense wealth.

This person was the true backbone of the Myriad Dao Shang Alliance and one of the several behind-the-scenes powerhouses of the Dao-Upholding Alliance.

Wanbao Zhenjun's face always bore a gentle smile, giving people a feeling of approachability, like a spring breeze brushing against one's face.

Meanwhile, Xuan Sha Zhenjun from the Western Nether was burly in build, wearing a simple and plain yellow robe.

"Qin Mou pays respects to the two fellow Daoists who have traveled from afar; please, take your seats."

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Qin, on the great completion of your Nascent Soul; hearing about it a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once."

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Qin."

After a round of pleasantries and the presentation of congratulatory gifts, the two newly arrived individuals immediately took their seats.

They also spotted Long Mu Zhenjun from the Eastern Sea Immortal Realm, causing their hearts to tighten involuntarily, and they hurriedly greeted him.

After Wanbao Zhenjun settled down, he glanced around the table and then asked Li Huo Shangren:

"Where is that old fellow Han Ya Shangren? Wasn't he clamoring to come?"

"This old man had matters to attend to and arrived a step early; it seems he was also delayed by some affair and will arrive a bit later," Li Huo Shangren said, frowning slightly in thought before speaking.

"What kind of business could that old rascal possibly have?" Xuan Sha Zhenjun seemed familiar with the others as well.

At the same time.

In the sky above the border between the State of Wei and the Beast Roar Mountain Range.

A streak of shocking rainbow escape light crossed the void, appearing thousands of li away in the blink of an eye; it was a Green Phoenix precious carriage.

Inside sat three people: a palace-dressed beautiful woman holding a small silver fox in her arms, a giant man built like an iron tower, and a youth in a green robe.

"Fellow Daoist Han Ya, thank you for personally delivering the invitation and guiding the way this time," Yue Lingyan said with a faint smile to the youth in the green robe.

The other giant man, built like an iron tower, was Gushan, the Demon Saint of the Mountain Ape Giant Clan of the Wang Zu, possessing a fourth-stage mid-level cultivation realm, equivalent to a late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator of the human race.

Sitting in the same carriage with these two great Demon Saints of the Demon Race (Yao Zu).

At this moment, Han Ya Shangren was sitting as if on a bed of needles, hating that he couldn't jump out of the carriage immediately. "Uh, hehe! Fellow Daoist Lingyan, it was just a matter of being on the same route."

'That heaven-damned Shopkeeper Lu actually lied to me!'

'Knowing him truly brought eight generations of bloody bad luck.'

(End of Chapter)