Chapter 511: Allocation

Several days passed.

Qin Ming and Yue Lingyan had fully restored their magic power, so they took the Silver Fox and the Devouring Sky Rat and headed deep into the Beast Roar Mountains to obtain the Nurturing Soul Fruit.

A mature fourth-rank Nurturing Soul Fruit is rare even for beast beasts.

It can even help a beast break through its constraints and fully complete its transformation.

If word of this spiritual plant leaked out, it could spark bloody contention between humans and beasts alike.

Fortunately, Qin Ming had already asked Yue Lingyan, and only she and the Silver Fox knew of this— it was the greatest secret of their Silver Moon Tianhu clan.

The Beast Roar Mountains stretched boundlessly; after half a month of flight, Qin Ming's party finally reached the northwestern region.

Here, mountains loomed vast and wild, perpetually shrouded in toxic mists, rarely visited by humans, and even beasts seldom appeared.

Gradually, a chasm formed of gray mist blocked their path.

Qin Ming merely probed slightly—and was startled to find that the gray toxic mist here was no less formidable than the Guiwu of the Spirit-Dead Lands.

"Qin Daoist, come in."

Yue Lingyan pulled out a Biyun Sha magic treasure, infused it with beast power, and the thin green gauze instantly expanded to half a zhang in size—just enough to cover the two of them.

"Cough! Yue Daoist, may I ask—is this magic treasure only capable of expanding to this size?" Qin Ming coughed lightly and asked.

He had noticed that if both of them hid beneath it, the space would be cramped—perhaps forcing them to stand pressed together as they moved forward.

Yue Lingyan seemed to sense his thoughts; her expression didn't change much, and she spoke calmly:

"When I forged this treasure, the materials were too difficult to gather completely, so this magic treasure is only a half-finished product, and only I can activate it with beast power."

"I originally intended it only for retrieving treasures; half a zhang was sufficient."

"I didn't expect—"

Qin Ming nodded slightly. Since Yue Lingyan didn't mind, he wouldn't pretend modesty—he stepped directly into the range of the Biyun Sha.

Instantly, a refreshing, deep fragrance entered his senses, making his spirit perk up.

Then,

Yue Lingyan infused beast power.

A purple-hued aura spread from the Biyun Sha, shielding the two of them, causing the nearby gray mist to instantly disperse.

Immediately, they leapt forward, pushing through the toxic gray mist, continuing to fly deeper into the mountains.

Due to the cramped space, Qin Ming simply wrapped his arms around Yue Lingyan and flew at full speed.

"Forgive me, Yue Daoist, but this way we'll reach our destination faster."

Yue Lingyan made no resistance—Qin Ming had already treated her before, and he'd seen everything he needed to see.

One more touch didn't matter.

She also knew that if they didn't break through this mist quickly, even the Biyun Sha wouldn't hold out long.

The Devouring Sky Rat and the Silver Fox had entered the Little Spirit Realm and watched the ambiguous scene outside, both beasts stunned.

"We're done. If this keeps up, your mother's clearly going to be won over by my master," the Devouring Sky Rat turned and grinned slyly at the little Silver Fox.

Hearing her mother was about to be stolen away, the Silver Fox pouted, tears welling in her eyes.

Seeing this, the Devouring Sky Rat quickly changed tone to soothe her: "Hehe! I was just teasing you, kiddo, don't take it seriously—look here—"

"My master seeks the Path of Immortality—how could he be distracted by petty romantic feelings?"

"Don't overthink it."

"Look at how he holds your mother—his heart holds not a single selfish thought; he's already reached the sage's state of non-attachment."

"This is purely for treasure retrieval and cooperation—don't imagine anything else, hehehe."

The Silver Fox's expression returned to normal; she snorted, huffed, and stomped off to the side, turning her head away from the Devouring Sky Rat.

…

After flying for two full hours,

A valley surrounded by mountains appeared before Qin Ming and Yue Lingyan.

At the valley's center, untouched by toxic mists, it resembled a paradise beyond the world—towering ancient trees grew thick and dense, and the spiritual energy was extraordinarily rich.

A thousand-zhang waterfall cascaded down, sunlight piercing through the outer gray mist and refracting into a rainbow of auroras upon it.

"Qin Daoist, we've arrived."

"The cave is behind the waterfall," Yue Lingyan whispered.

"Mm." Qin Ming replied, still holding Yue Lingyan, flying toward the direction she indicated.

Upon entering the cave,

Qin Ming's vision abruptly shifted—he felt a powerful surge of yin Sha energy strike him.

Fortunately, the Biyun Sha blocked it out.

As they advanced deeper, Qin Ming noticed countless fissures in the cave, from which occasional terrifying jets of black yin Sha energy erupted.

A normal Jin Dan cultivator touching even a trace would be dissolved into a pool of blood—this was the most terrifying part.

"I didn't expect the outer perimeter of the Nurturing Soul Fruit tree's growth site to be guarded by such a terrifying chasm," Qin Ming murmured.

Yue Lingyan nodded: "Yes, I once heard elders of my clan say that the yin Sha here has weakened by more than half over time; otherwise, even Nascent Soul experts would have struggled to pass."

"After all, this is a birthplace of heavenly treasures—such natural barriers are normal."

Another half hour passed.

The dim cave ahead suddenly revealed a glimmer of light, jolting Qin Ming's spirit! As they accelerated forward, the light expanded rapidly in his vision.

Moments later, they entered a vast cavern, where light streamed down from the ceiling, illuminating the center.

A geothermal spiritual spring, exuding mist, bubbled forth spiritual water, radiating potent spiritual energy.

Beside the spring grew a two-zhang-tall spiritual plant—its trunk as hard as black iron, its leaves snow-white and maple-shaped, glinting with crystalline brilliance under the light.

Hanging from the tree were three fist-sized crimson fruits, marked with strange golden patterns, radiating dazzling, colorful luminescence.

Qin Ming released Yue Lingyan; both stared at the treasure, their expressions simultaneously brightening with delight.

He gazed closely and saw that one of the Nurturing Soul Fruits was the darkest in color—fully mature.

The other two still held a hint of greenness, lacking sufficient ripeness.

"This is the fourth-rank spiritual plant—the Nurturing Soul Fruit!"

The Devouring Sky Rat and the Silver Fox also emerged from the Little Spirit Realm, gazing at the scene before them, their expressions filled with excitement.

At this moment, Qin Ming turned to Yue Lingyan beside him and asked: "Yue Daoist, this fourth-rank Nurturing Soul Fruit ripens once every thousand years. These three fruits—only one is fully mature; the other two appear to need at least several decades more."

"How do you propose we divide them?"

He could see that Yue Lingyan had gone through great lengths to come here solely for the fruit.

"I already promised you, Qin Daoist—I shall never forget your life-saving grace. Then, you take the mature fruit first."

"I can always return decades later to collect it."

Yue Lingyan bit her lip and decided at once.

The Silver Fox, hearing this, tugged at Yue Lingyan's robe and said plaintively: "Mother…"

Qin Ming also realized that Yue Lingyan carried a deep blood feud and urgently needed this mature fourth-rank Nurturing Soul Fruit to break through.

Yet still, she prioritized giving it to him.

It was clear that, as a beast, she still upheld a sense of covenant.

He paused a moment, then suggested: "I see that you went to great lengths to obtain this fruit, having prepared for a long time—you urgently need this mature fruit, don't you?"

"I am only at the mid-stage of Jin Dan—I won't need this mature Nurturing Soul Fruit anytime soon. Why not let you have it?"

"On one condition: I take the geothermal spiritual spring and the Nurturing Soul Fruit tree."

Yue Lingyan's expression froze—she knew Qin Ming possessed a Little Spirit Realm, capable of transplanting the tree.

"Here's another proposal: when the remaining two Nurturing Soul Fruits ripen, I can give you one of them. After all, you're surely thinking of your daughter's future, aren't you?" Qin Ming added quickly.

Yue Lingyan nodded immediately: "Then I accept your words, Qin Daoist. This Nurturing Soul Fruit is vital to me—I shall not refuse."

"Thank you for your understanding."

The Nurturing Soul Fruit ripens only once every thousand years; she kept it, she'd never live to see the next cycle.

Seeing her agreement, Qin Ming's face broke into a faint, enigmatic smile.

…

(End of Chapter)