Chapter 529: Balance

Qin Ming returned to the spirit fields and gathered all the spirit farmers together.

"From now on, if you notice anything unusual in the spirit fields or dig up anything special, report it to me immediately."

"Yes! We humbly follow Master Lu's instructions!"

The spirit farmers all responded in unison.

Jia Heyi, drenched in sweat, asked Qin Ming: "Master Lu, has something gone wrong in our spirit fields?"

"Hmm, the situation lately has been a bit off—have your men stay alert."

"The Wan Dao Alliance and the Shen Dao Mountain have clashed—likely over spirit veins."

"But you needn't worry too much," Qin Ming said calmly.

Jia Heyi hurriedly agreed and withdrew, then strengthened the guards around the spirit fields.

Qin Ming did this as a precaution; if no spirit ore was found, it would be fine—this was merely a branch vein, and he believed the odds of uncovering spirit ore in these two hundred mu were low.

But Shen Dao Mountain clearly refused to let any potential site for spirit ore slip away, hence their interest in this place, willing to pay a heavy price to seize it.

If spirit ore truly was unearthed in his fields, this place would become a battleground between the two major factions again—and that was something Qin Ming did not wish to see.

After this incident.

The shifting landscape of the cultivation world served as a warning to Qin Ming; he tightened his schedule, cultivating diligently and farming hard.

After some time.

Jia Heyi came again to report to Qin Ming:

"Master Lu, I've confirmed the identities of the two Shen Dao Mountain Jin Dan elders who came to our fields recently."

"The one named Yun Yangzi is the chief elder of Shen Dao Mountain's Punishment Hall—a veteran late-stage Jin Dan cultivator in the Great Jin cultivation world."

"The other, Wen Yuliang, possesses a Heavenly Spirit Root and is hailed as the most gifted young cultivator Shen Dao Mountain has seen in centuries—he reached Jin Dan peak in just over two hundred years."

"He has already been admitted into Shen Dao Mountain's Nascent Soul Seed roster."

"Outside observers speculate he is the most likely candidate to break into Nascent Soul since Shen Dao Mountain's 'Ten Thousand Wasp Immortal.'"

"Not only is his cultivation talent extraordinary, his fortune is also remarkable—he once acquired a rare treasure called Heavy Water during his travels, and during Shen Dao Mountain's war with Li Huo Palace, he used it to slay several powerful Jin Dan elders, earning great fame in Great Jin."

"His prestige among high-level cultivators ranks only below Jin Han of the Wan Dao Alliance."

"Sigh… I never expected our Jing Xue Pavilion to draw the attention of such a figure—whether this is fortune or misfortune, I can't tell."

After speaking, Jia Heyi sighed heavily, his face filled with worry—anyone facing such a situation would be deeply troubled.

Qin Ming nodded after listening and offered reassurance: "No need to fret—Jin Han has already told me the Wan Dao Alliance will protect us."

"It's just a patch of spirit fields."

"If they keep harassing us after this season's harvest, we can simply sell the land."

"As long as the green hills remain, firewood will never run out."

Qin Ming had weighed all options and prepared his response.

If Shen Dao Mountain truly intended to seize this land, he would not let himself be used as a pawn by the Wan Dao Alliance—directly confronting a power like Shen Dao Mountain was not wise.

Earlier, Jin Han had urged Qin Ming not to sell the land at all—likely because he had his own calculations, and not out of goodwill.

In the cultivation world, the strong devour the weak; under the weight of profit, the small trading houses under the Wan Dao Alliance are merely pawns in the great powers' game.

"Master Lu's insight is profound—I'll follow your lead," Jia Heyi sighed in relief.

Meanwhile.

During this time, besides farming and cultivating, Qin Ming had also begun visiting the Five Elements Mountain bazaar more frequently.

Mainly to keep tabs on the situation.

If things turned grim, he had already prepared to flee at any moment.

Over the past several months, Shen Dao Mountain and the Wan Dao Alliance had clashed multiple times, in varying scales.

To retaliate, the Wan Dao Alliance not only barred Shen Dao Mountain's affiliated businesses from entering the Five Elements Mountain bazaar but also secretly assassinated a Jin Dan elder—paying back in kind.

One day.

Qin Ming was inquiring about the latest developments with Han Yuan and the other two, seated by the window on the third floor of the Yu Feng Tower.

As they conversed,

Hua Tianxiong descended the stairs from the fourth floor with an unfamiliar Jin Dan elder, heading toward the exit.

Hua Tianxiong naturally spotted Qin Ming, but years as a double agent for Li Huo Palace and Qin Ming had honed his ability to conceal his true self.

Even in public, he showed no sign of recognition, his expression perfectly natural.

Yet the next moment,

Han Yuan and the other three at Qin Ming's table immediately rose and greeted: "We pay our respects to Elder Zou!"

"Greetings, Elder Hua."

The blue-robed Jin Dan elder glanced over casually, "Hmm."

He said nothing more and left with Hua Tianxiong.

After the two had departed far away,

Qin Ming turned to Han Yuan and the others and asked:

"Han Dao, who was that elder just now?"

"Oh, that was Elder Zou Pinghai of our Alliance—a high-ranking member of the Elder Council," Han Yuan explained.

"Elder Zou rarely appears in public—never expected to meet him here, especially with Hua Huizhang of Qianji Trading House."

Qin Ming nodded, sat back down, and resumed drinking and eating with them.

A while later, Hua Tianxiong sent Qin Ming a message via the Black Talisman.

"Master, you're here too?"

Qin Ming frowned but replied without expression: "Why are you with Zou Pinghai?"

"Reporting to Master, the Wan Dao Alliance has a shipment needing transport, but with tensions rising, no one else could be found—so Zou Pinghai approached Qianji Trading House, offering generous rewards."

"I've just finalized the deal."

"You've got guts—taking on the Alliance's business now, in this climate," Qin Ming said.

"Heh! That's how our line of work goes—no risk, no reward," Hua Tianxiong chuckled.

"Fine. Just be careful."

"Yes, Master."

…

Six months later.

In the Five Elements Mountain spirit fields, Qin Ming gazed at his ten mu of land, where golden terms flickered in his vision.

【Name】: Dragon Pattern Grass 【Term】: Magic Power Source X5 (Harvestable) 【Name】: Dragon Pattern Grass 【Term】: Blood Qi Source X5 (Harvestable) 【Name】: Dragon Pattern Grass 【Term】: Quality Boost X5 (Harvestable) 【Name】: Star Mist Flower 【Term】: Magic Power Source X5 (Harvestable) 【Name】: Star Mist Flower 【Term】: Blood Qi Source X5 (Harvestable) 【Name】: Star Mist Flower 【Term】: Space-Time Leaf X5 (Harvestable) Qin Ming smiled and harvested all the spirit plants from the ten mu.

His spiritual sense instantly filled with many blue term leaves.

"Ten 【Magic Power Source】 terms—enough to break through to late-stage Jin Dan?"

Qin Ming's eyes gleamed with excitement.

(End of Chapter)