Chapter 595: Future Planning

Qin Ming returned all the books and jade slips to their original places.

Even though he had seen much in his life, his heart was now thrumming with excitement!

These vast amounts of cultivation materials had been gathered over many years by the Blood Refining Devil Sect's Holy Son, Jiang Yuan, and included transmissions from numerous human world lineages.

"Compared to those spiritual items, the contents on this shelf are truly priceless."

"This rivals the core true transmissions of a Soul Transformation sect."

"If I fully digest all the knowledge here, my insight and horizons will surpass those of Nascent Soul sect cultivators."

"And I'll gain mastery over several devilish transmissions."

"It's a pity that the Crow Hermit took the Xuanqing Temple's core heritage and fled—if it had fallen into Jiang Yuan's hands, wouldn't I have missed out on yet another windfall?"

"Alas! Truly a pity."

Qin Ming thought this silently, filled with deep regret.

Besides these vast quantities of books and materials, Qin Ming discovered numerous vials and jars in another section.

Each was labeled with its contents and purpose.

Qin Ming opened several of the vials and inspected them—immediately, thick, overwhelming waves of bloody demonic energy surged toward him.

"These vials contain the essence blood of Gao Jie demonic beasts!"

"Moreover, there's essence blood from Gao Jie demonic creatures of the Blood Ring Realm."

Qin Ming's expression brightened—if so, perhaps his Heaven Demon Body Refining Strategy could advance further.

He picked up the vials one by one, examining them, until he found, within a pitch-black jade bottle, a vial of Gao Jie Perfect-grade demon king essence blood.

"Gao Jie Perfect-grade essence blood of the Crimson-Eyed Heavenly Qilin Beast!"

Alongside the thick blood aura, a demonic soul roared inside—the moment Qin Ming glanced at it, he knew this beast must have been a formidable entity from the higher realms.

"This Holy Son of the Devil Sect is truly a kind soul—he knew I was short on these treasures and delivered them all to my doorstep."

"All these cultivation resources have fallen into my hands—the Nascent Soul elders of the Blood Refining Devil Sect must be itching to devour me alive."

"Fortunately, the dimensional barriers prevent those old monsters from descending."

"The only one I truly fear is the other devil sect Holy Daughter—but it seems that as long as I stay away from them, the Blood Ring Curse Seal won't activate."

"This woman wounded the Crow Hermit—her strength likely surpasses Jiang Yuan's, rivaling a true Nascent Soul cultivator. Better keep my distance."

After gathering everything, Qin Ming's gaze returned to the strand of "Primordial Devil Qi."

"To activate this Primordial Devil Pearl, I'll need to refine and control this strand of Qi—even the Holy Son's power seems to have only refined one ten-thousandth of it."

"After all, this Primordial Devil Pearl is a Gao Jie-level devil treasure; even if the Holy Son's magic power is nearly Nascent Soul, forcibly activating it across realms would drain his power instantly."

"Only a true Nascent Soul cultivator can unlock the full power of the Primordial Devil Pearl."

"But to refine this strand of Primordial Devil Qi, I must cultivate devil arts."

Qin Ming pondered for a long while, then set it aside for now.

"This is a total windfall! His treasures and resources alone could sustain me all the way to Nascent Soul."

"Though I took some risks, it was worth it."

"Coming to Da Jin for this journey was truly the right decision."

Afterwards,

Qin Ming's spiritual sense withdrew from the Primordial Devil Pearl.

The Devouring Sky Rat climbed onto his shoulder, tiptoeing as it gently massaged him: "Hehe! Master, look at the Holy Son's Jin Dan."

The moment Qin Ming saw his expression, he knew what the creature was scheming.

"Don't worry—you won't be left out."

"I saw a pill in the Blood Refining Elixir Scripture called 'Bailuo Huangquan Pill.'"

"To brew this pill, you must grind a cultivator's Jin Dan into powder, mix it with dozens of other rare herbs, and refine it over seventy-seven days."

"The potency of the Bailuo Huangquan Pill depends on the rank of the Jin Dan used—the deeper the cultivator's realm, the higher the pill's grade."

"This pill greatly boosts devil sect cultivators and offers immense benefits to demonic beasts—significant gains, hehehe!"

"If I use this Holy Son's Jin Dan to brew the Bailuo Huangquan Pill, its grade will surely be high."

"It might even produce the legendary Gao Jie Supreme-grade Spirit Pill."

"After all, his cultivation had already reached Jin Dan Perfect, even beginning to nurture the Holy Embryo."

"The taste of a pill brewed from his Jin Dan is unimaginably exquisite."

Qin Ming smiled, deliberately coaxing the Devouring Sky Rat.

The Devouring Sky Rat's drool nearly spilled from its mouth as it gulped hard.

"Bailuo Huangquan Pill! This pill is excellent! Wonderful!"

"Hehe! Master, when will you brew it for us?"

The Silver-Winged Frost Bee and the Black Water Crocodile also shook their heads, rubbing vigorously against his pant legs.

Clearly, they couldn't wait any longer.

"Alright, alright, stop rubbing—I'll brew the Bailuo Huangquan Pill for you three if you behave well."

Then Qin Ming distributed some spirit materials and pills to the three beasts, sending them off to cultivate and play.

After tallying his gains, Qin Ming exited the Small Spirit Realm, stepped out of the room, and prepared to inquire about the outside situation.

Huoxu Zi caused a ruckus at the auction, fighting with Jin Han Elder in the Five Elements Mountain Bazaar.

He nearly tore half the bazaar apart.

Fortunately, the Mirror Snow Pavilion's property suffered no damage—only a few warehouses collapsed, with minimal impact.

Qin Ming went downstairs and asked Old Jia for an update.

"Old Jia, how's the situation outside?"

Old Jia sighed heavily: "Alas, Young Master! To have survived this is truly a miracle!"

"The neighboring Changfeng Trading House, just across the street, was completely reduced to dust by the residual shockwaves of the Jin Dan True Person's battle—all thirty or so people inside perished without exception."

"For me to see Master Lu again is sheer fortune!"

"The outside world is in utter chaos now."

"It's said that a highly important Holy Son of the Devil Sect perished in the Five Elements Mountains, causing a massive uproar in the cultivation world."

"On that day, Elder Jin led the Dao-Patrolling Alliance to pursue Huoxu Zi, but fell into a devil sect ambush—every last one was annihilated."

"Only Jin Han Elder barely escaped, though he was gravely wounded and his survival is uncertain."

"I've heard even the Nascent Soul Ancestors of the Ten Thousand Dao Trading Alliance and the Li Huo Palace were stirred by this."

Qin Ming thought for a moment, then asked calmly: "Do we know who killed that devil sect Holy Son?"

"I don't know, but according to our intelligence, the devil sect had been preparing to ambush the Crow Hermit of Xuanqing Temple."

"But Huoxu Zi stole the Star Sea Divine Vine as the final auction item, accidentally stumbling into them."

"Also, Hua, the chairman of the Thousand Mechanism Trading House, was pursued by Huoxu Zi—but returned to headquarters unharmed."

"This Chairman Hua is truly incomprehensible."

"He's narrowly escaped death time and again."

Old Jia replied slowly.

"Hmm, you've done well, Old Jia. The Five Elements Mountain region is now a hotbed of turmoil."

"I think we should shift our development focus to Zhongzhou as soon as possible."

"In the near future, this place will face even greater chaos," Qin Ming said gravely.

Old Jia froze—he had only just established the Mirror Snow Pavilion's branch in the Five Elements Mountain Bazaar. Was he really expected to relocate so soon?

"Master Lu, does that mean we abandon the spirit fields too?"

The Five Elements Mountain spirit fields had been immensely profitable for them.

Yet now, he clearly respected Qin Ming's judgment and dared not voice any objections.

"Yes, I mean to prepare in advance. As for the spirit fields, once Li Lan's Jade Emperor Spirit Rice matures and is harvested, we'll sell them to another faction—we'll make another profit. As for Zhongzhou, I'll speak to the Ten Thousand Dao Trading Alliance and secure a shop space in Li Tian Xian City."

In just a few words, Qin Ming had already set his future direction.

Hearing that Master Lu had already planned an exit strategy, Old Jia's face lit up, and he hurriedly replied.

"Yes! I'll follow Master Lu's orders."

"Good. Go about your duties—I'll call you if anything arises."

…

Meanwhile, deep within the Five Elements Mountains,

Inside a hidden mountain chamber, upon a black stone plaza, a youth in blue robes sat cross-legged, his magic power surging violently.

As time passed, his aura continued to climb.

BOOM! Suddenly,

A boundless wave of magic power erupted through the cavern.

The surrounding spiritual energy rushed into the blue-robed youth like a whale drinking water.

If Qin Ming were here, he would see that the dark demonic aura lingering atop the Crow Hermit's Nascent Soul had vanished entirely.

At this moment, the Crow Hermit's soul wounds had fully healed.

In an instant,

Ripples stirred in the air as a terrifying spiritual pressure radiated from the blue-robed youth.

He opened his deep, abyss-like eyes, rose slowly, and stepped off the woven grass mat.

"Hahaha! The pills that boy named Lu gave me were truly potent—my entire injury has been restored in such a short time!"

According to reason, a Nascent Soul True Person injured would take decades to recover, let alone a wound to the Nascent Soul's spirit.

It would not be surprising if it took a hundred years.

"Congratulations, Supreme Elder, on your full recovery! Your cultivation base is restored!"

Bai Yuhan and Luo Xi, the Elders guarding outside, heard the commotion and hurried in, bowing deeply.

On the pale, refined face of Han Ya Shangren, a long-absent smile appeared. "My cultivation isn't fully restored yet—this body is a possession, and it still needs time."

"But my Nascent Soul-level power has recovered about seven tenths; I can now use some of my former techniques again."

Bai Yuhan's eyes lit up. "Then I humbly wish the Supreme Elder a swift return to peak strength, to lead us all to resurgence!"

"Hmm, naturally. Yuhan, Luo Elder—you've both done exceptionally well. This feat is of paramount merit; I shall reward you accordingly."

"Also, take these tokens and deliver my edict: recall all core disciples, and prepare for the coming grand undertaking."

As Han Ya Shangren spoke, he flicked his fingers, sending two ancient tokens and several bestowed spirit items to the two.

Bai Yuhan took them, his expression trembling with excitement. "Rest assured, Supreme Elder Han Ya!"

"To restore the glory of Xuanqing Temple—this is our sacred duty!"

"Hmm." Han Ya Shangren nodded in satisfaction.

"There is one more thing I must tell you: reclaiming the Great Zhou's Xuanqing Temple will not happen overnight."

"I have decided to join the Wei Dao Alliance, to jointly resist the demonic sects' invasion."

"Yes!" Bai Yuhan and Luo Xi bowed low in response.

"Enough. No other matters—go attend to your duties now."

Yet Bai Yuhan and Luo Xi exchanged a glance, then spoke: "Supreme Elder, we have one more matter to report!"

"While you were recovering and healing, we dared not disturb your meditation."

"Speak," said Han Ya Shangren coolly.

"Recently, a riot broke out at the Five Elements Mountain marketplace. Rumor has it that the Holy Son of the Blood Refining Demon Sect perished in that clash." Bai Yuhan spoke carefully, watching his ancestor's reaction.

The moment he finished speaking,

"What?!"

Han Ya Shangren's eyes snapped open!

"Say that again!"

"What exactly happened?"

Hearing this news stirred his spirit profoundly.

Others might not know the Holy Son's abilities, but Han Ya Shangren had fought both the Holy Son and Holy Daughter.

Jiang Yuan, the Blood Refining Demon Sect's Holy Son, possessed an extremely troublesome fourth-rank demonic pearl—one that had once plagued him greatly.

Then Bai Yuhan recounted, in full detail, everything that had transpired recently.

"I never expected the Blood Refining Demon Sect's Holy Son to die—this is actually good news for us."

"With only one demonic Holy Daughter remaining, the difficulty of my plan to reclaim our mountain temple has dropped considerably."

"I wonder… who exactly struck the blow?"

Han Ya Shangren's eyes narrowed slightly, his mind swirling with thoughts.

"It seems a certain old fox still lurks within the Five Elements Mountains—truly treacherous. You must be more cautious from now on."

"Yes!" Bai Yuhan replied.

Han Ya Shangren's gaze turned icy. "Heh heh heh! If one is dead, once I restore my full strength, I shall avenge that day's humiliation!"

Then, as if remembering something,

he turned to the two and asked:

"By the way, do you know where that Lu Shopkeeper is now?"

"That brat took advantage of my grave injury to demand exorbitant prices, trading for two fourth-rank spirit items."

"Others I could overlook, but the Five Elements Spirit Ginseng is priceless—not comparable to ordinary fourth-rank materials. Even our sect only had two plants, and we barely had enough for ourselves. How could he just take it?"

"Though he did save my life, this was truly outrageous!"

"I must go find him myself and settle this account."

As Han Ya Shangren recalled the scene, the face of "Lu Shopkeeper"—unyielding, impassive—rose unbidden in his mind.

He remembered how the man had forcibly traded him for the Five Elements Spirit Ginseng. In a thousand years of cultivation, no one had ever dared such a thing.

Times change. Now that he has regained his strength, he must personally visit and settle this matter face-to-face.

Hearing this, Bai Yuhan's face flushed with embarrassment. "Supreme Elder, the Lu Shopkeeper purchased a spirit field on Five Elements Mountain."

"He's been there ever since."

"Understood. I know now."

…

Within the Five Elements Mountain spirit field, life thrived abundantly.

After returning to the field, Qin Ming inspected the growth of all spirit plants—everything was satisfactory.

The spirit farmers from Jingxue Pavilion bowed respectfully upon seeing him.

Li Lan, drenched in sweat, was casting the Great Five Elements Spirit Rain Art to irrigate the Jade Emperor Spirit Rice.

The third-rank Jade Emperor Spirit Rice had grown into a vast expanse of emerald-green bamboo-like stalks.

After exchanging pleasantries and offering guidance to Li Lan,

Qin Ming went to tend to his own ten mu of Tian Luo Fruit trees.

At that moment,

Shi Tian Mouse ran back from outside, its expression thrilled. "Master, someone wants to meet you! Heh heh heh!"

…

(End of Chapter)