Chapter 461: Storm

The small marketplace on Qilin Island was modest in size, but everything it needed was present.

Qin Ming followed the three of them as they wandered around, encountering many things nonexistent in the Southern Wastes cultivation world.

Besides various spirit minerals, the most abundant items here were materials from sea beasts; second-rank beast materials rarely seen in the Southern Wastes could be found on nearly every few steps, displayed by hunting cultivators at their stalls.

Even Qin Ming couldn't resist buying some novel items he liked, along with sea beast core pearls, for use in alchemy.

Afterwards.

As Qin Ming prepared to leave the stalls with Han Yuan and the others, heading toward the teleportation array,

a commotion arose on the stone path ahead of them.

The group drew closer and immediately furrowed their brows.

"My lord! These are my last reserves of spirit minerals—you can't take them all!"

"Otherwise, when will I ever gather enough spirit stones for the teleportation array?"

An old man in tattered clothes, by his appearance, was clearly a mine slave from the island.

He knelt on the ground, desperately pleading before a group of cultivators.

The leader was a fat cultivator dressed in a blue silk robe embroidered with gold thread and white jade, his belly protruding, radiating authority as he idly twisted two large, polished walnuts in his hands.

Qin Ming's gaze, however, was drawn to those two walnuts; after a careful look, he silently thought: "These are third-rank superior Soul-Nourishing Walnuts!"

As a third-rank spirit plant master, he naturally recognized the item.

Long-term wearing and handling of these Soul-Nourishing Walnuts continuously nurtures and strengthens the spiritual soul of a Golden Core cultivator; for ghost cultivators, they have immense effects in cultivating yin spirits and ghostly entities.

They are rare third-rank spirit trees.

At the same time, he discerned the fat man's cultivation base: clearly, early-stage Golden Core.

One of his followers stepped forward and kicked the mine slave several times, shouting:

"Damn it! If you're smart, get the hell out of our way!"

"Hmph! You ungrateful bastards haven't paid stall fees for over two months."

"This is just the interest. If next month you still bring in this little, you'll spend the rest of your life digging mines on this island."

With that, the group ignored the reactions of surrounding cultivators and walked away.

The well-dressed fat cultivator strode directly toward Qin Ming and the others.

Han Yuan and the others immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Disciples bow to Elder Hua!"

Qin Ming quickly mimicked their posture and bowed as well.

The fat cultivator known as Elder Hua, still playing with the walnuts, lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at them, speaking coolly:

"So it's you lot. Did you complete the Shangmeng Society's task?"

Han Yuan, tense and respectful, replied: "Elder Hua, the task is complete. We are just preparing to return and submit our report."

"Hmm."

Elder Hua's gaze lingered for a moment on Liu Ye's plump figure, causing her face to instantly pale.

Then it settled on Qin Ming, and he asked curiously: "Who is this person?"

Qin Ming's heart tightened—he felt a vast spiritual sense sweep over him.

He quickly feigned sweat pouring down his face.

"Elder Hua, this is Lu, the manager of Jingxue Pavilion, who has been granted special permission by Lihuo Palace to conduct business in Da Jin," Gao Feng quickly interjected to rescue Qin Ming.

Upon hearing this, Elder Hua nodded, his expression shifting, then suddenly said:

"Since you have the Upper Sect's permission to trade, that's fine—but foreign cultivators from the Southern Wastes must pay an additional two thousand mid-grade spirit stones to use this teleportation array."

At these words, not only Qin Ming, but even Han Yuan and the others turned pale.

Han Yuan still mustered courage to plead: "Elder Hua, Master Lu's journey to Da Jin is part of our Wanda Shangmeng Society's deep cooperation. Could you perhaps make an exception?"

At this, Elder Hua's motion of turning the walnuts halted, and his Golden Core spiritual pressure erupted.

It shook Han Yuan and the others, nearly knocking them off their feet.

Qin Ming inwardly sneered: "Who are you to teach me how to act?"

He hadn't expected a Golden Core True Person to be so mercenary, utterly lacking any aura of a high cultivator.

Qin Ming didn't want to reveal his strength right after arriving; he was about to produce spirit stones to appease the situation.

But then Elder Hua's fat face twisted into a lewd grin as he turned to Liu Ye and asked:

"This fair lady of the Wanda Shangmeng Society—you're quite unfamiliar. Why not come to my cave tonight? I'll guide your cultivation."

Liu Ye's plump body trembled, her face instantly ashen; she stammered, unable to refuse.

At this moment, greed, lust, bullying the weak, and tyranny were all laid bare on Elder Hua's person.

Qin Ming was speechless—he hadn't expected such a high-rank cultivator existed.

At that moment,

a squad of Lihuo Palace cultivators approached, led by a burly middle-aged man.

"Hua Tianxiong, what brings you here? Why didn't you notify me?"

The burly Lihuo Palace cultivator arrived instantly, then, expressionless, told Qin Ming and the others: "You may leave."

At these words,

Han Yuan and the others felt as if released from a death sentence; they thanked him without looking back and hurriedly departed from Heiyan Marketplace.

Once they were far away,

Qin Ming asked Han Yuan: "May I ask, Han Daoist, who was that Elder Hua? How could he—"

"Shh!"

Han Yuan cast a soundproofing barrier, then whispered: "It's understandable you didn't know, Master Lu."

"Elder Hua Tianxiong is the chairman of Qianji Business House, ranked among the top ten in the Wanda Shangmeng Society, and holds a seat within the alliance."

"We dare not offend him in the slightest."

"Sigh, if I tell you his story, you might not believe it."

"Hua Tianxiong was originally just a shop assistant, utterly ordinary—until one day he encountered a benefactor who changed his life."

"It's said that in his youth, by sheer accident, he saved the life of a Lihuo Palace Elder."

"From then on, his fortune soared—he even awakened the legendary Earth-Elemental Spiritual Body."

"With a Lihuo Palace Elder as his patron, and his own sharp, ruthless mind, he built a vast business empire in barely a century."

"The exclusive rights to mine and operate Qilin Island were granted solely to Qianji Business House by Lihuo Palace."

"Even the maintenance and repair of the teleportation array fall under their purview; Qianji Business House receives a ten percent share annually."

"Sigh—this is fate."

Han Yuan sighed deeply.

Qin Ming, having heard it all, was equally awed—he hadn't expected Hua Tianxiong to have such luck.

It was practically a god-touched life.

Yet he had secretly observed earlier: Hua Tianxiong's magic power was unstable, his body clogged with dantian toxins, his foundation shaky.

He must have taken countless spirit pills to forcibly boost his cultivation.

His actual combat ability was likely only at the False Golden Core level—if he continued like this, early-stage Golden Core would be the peak of his life, wasting his innate Earth-Elemental Spiritual Body.

This was merely a minor incident along the way.

Afterwards, Qin Ming and the others arrived at the teleportation array within the island's mountain, and after paying five hundred mid-grade spirit stones,

hum—the runes in the cavern glowed fully, and a crimson light rained down from the sky, settling upon them at the array's center.

The next instant,

whoosh—their figures vanished from the spot.

(End of Chapter)