Chapter 60

"Congratulations, Brother Qin, on your promotion to high-grade herbalist!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingzhao first blinked in surprise, then smiled with delight, sincerely offering her congratulations.

Shopkeeper Liao also chimed in, his voice trembling with excitement: "Congratulations, Brother Qin, on breaking through to high-grade herbalist—your immortal path has taken another step forward!"

Qin Ming's ascent to high-grade herbalist clearly brought benefits to Juxuan Pavilion as well.

After all, Qin Ming was now closely allied with Juxuan Pavilion.

Shopkeeper Liao couldn't help but sigh.

Back then, this young man had to sneak in through the back door just to sell spirit rice.

Now, he was someone even Liao himself had to court and befriend.

High-grade herbalists were already rare among free cultivators.

Even within sects, their status ranked just below certain inner sect elders and core disciples.

Moreover, once one became a high-grade herbalist, they gained the right to apply separately for leasing spirit fields on second-tier spirit veins.

After all, cultivating higher-grade spirit plants now required more spiritual energy than first-tier spirit veins could provide.

Qin Ming was also in good spirits: "Thank you both for waiting here—I'll treat you to a drink back at Juxuan Pavilion."

Afterwards,

In the presence of several elders and Gu Qingzhao, Qin Ming activated the third leaf of his herbalist identity plaque.

He officially became a high-grade herbalist.

Qin Ming also continued renting the house in the slum district that Su Yuqing had occupied.

After finishing his affairs,

Qin Ming took his leave of Elder Zhuang and exited the Office Hall.

The four elders sat inside the inner chamber, exchanging glances.

"Wait, Elder Zhuang—how the hell did this kid pull this off?"

"You didn't go easy on him, did you?"

"Bullshit! I didn't expect this—I was caught off guard!"

"..."

"So what do we do now?"

"Leave it to fate—second-tier spirit plants aren't easy to cultivate."

"All of you elders should understand this well."

"If this boy finds another way to secure a slot and passes the Plant Illusion Realm trial..."

"Then I have nothing more to say."

Juxuan Pavilion.

As Qin Ming and Gu Qingzhao reached the shop entrance,

they ran into an old acquaintance.

It was none other than their neighbor, Herbalist Yan.

"Oh! Brother Qin! Long time no see—are you heading to Juxuan Pavilion for a drink?" Herbalist Yan spotted Qin Ming from afar and came over to greet him.

When he drew closer and saw that Qin Ming was with Gu Qingzhao, he was slightly startled.

He knew very well that Gu Qingzhao's background was far from ordinary.

Herbalist Yan frequently bought and sold spirit materials at Juxuan Pavilion.

He naturally recognized the power behind her.

He quickly bowed to Gu Qingzhao in greeting.

"Madam Gu, you know Brother Qin?"

Gu Qingzhao gave a slight nod. "Indeed. Brother Qin is a valued guest of our pavilion—he just broke through to high-grade herbalist today."

"Herbalist Yan, since we've met by chance, why not join us for a drink?" Qin Ming also greeted Yan and extended the invitation.

Herbalist Yan's head went numb.

He froze for a long moment.

"What?"

"High-grade herbalist?"

"So fast?"

Shopkeeper Liao ordered a lavish banquet set up in a private room.

At the table,

Herbalist Yan's face flushed red as he pulled out a simple wooden box from his storage pouch and gently placed it before Qin Ming: "Today is a grand day for Brother Qin's breakthrough to high-grade herbalist—this is a small token of my congratulations."

Qin Ming could not refuse such goodwill; he accepted the box and thanked him: "Thank you, Herbalist Yan."

Then, Herbalist Yan raised a cup to toast Qin Ming.

"I've already sent message-charms to the other neighbors—they should be arriving shortly."

"Since it's Brother Qin's promotion to high-grade herbalist, we should celebrate together, hehe!"

Qin Ming was stunned—he hadn't expected Herbalist Yan to invite others.

Beside him, Gu Qingzhao suddenly asked, "Brother Qin, since that's the case, why not invite Herbalist Su as well?"

"Oh, Madam Gu, you don't know—Brother Su left Yunze Dahuang some time ago," Qin Ming explained.

Gu Qingzhao's beautiful eyes flickered with regret. "I didn't realize Herbalist Su had already left."

The Alchemist Yan beside him raised his wine cup, completely dumbfounded. "Friend Daoist Qin, you actually know Alchemist Su?"

"More than know — Friend Daoist Qin's alchemy was even personally instructed by Alchemist Su." Shopkeeper Liao said with a smile on his face.

Alchemist Yan was stunned. "Alchemy? Instructed by Alchemist Su?"

"Exactly. While Friend Daoist Qin is now a high-grade Spirit Gu Zhishi, he is also a genuine mid-grade Alchemist." Shopkeeper Liao explained.

This time Alchemist Yan could no longer sit still.

"Friend Daoist Qin, you never mentioned to this old man that you're also a mid-grade Alchemist."

"Sigh, it seems this old man underestimated Friend Daoist Qin."

Alchemist Yan sighed that he was already old — first there was the dazzlingly talented Su Yuqing, who achieved high-grade Alchemist at such a young age.

Even Qin Ming was now a mid-grade Alchemist, and still so young.

"The young are truly formidable!"

Not long after.

Several of Qin Ming's neighbors also arrived.

When the crowd saw that it was Gu Gezhu Gu personally keeping company, they couldn't help but be startled.

"Friend Daoist Qin, I really couldn't tell! You actually advanced to high-grade Spirit Gu Zhishi this quickly — congratulations, congratulations!" Huang Xishan, a high-grade Refiner of the Treasure Refining Hall, offered his congratulations.

He then took out an exquisite long wooden box as a congratulatory gift and handed it to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming opened it slightly and saw that inside was actually a finely crafted Spirit Hoe!

"Heh heh, this Spirit Hoe was something I refined on a whim back in the day — no worse than an ordinary mid-grade magic artifact. Now there's no better time to give it to Friend Daoist Qin."

Huang Xishan was clearly also trying to befriend him. Among the surrounding neighbors, only Qin Ming was like him — having reached the first-tier high-grade level in the Hundred Arts of Cultivation.

He already regarded him as a cultivator of the same tier.

The Feng brothers also came. The two of them also flattered and congratulated him, and presented congratulatory gifts.

The gift the two brothers gave Qin Ming was rather straightforward — a small pouch of spirit stones, but a full two hundred spirit stones.

"Hehe, Friend Daoist Qin, who would have thought your talent in the path of Spirit Planting was so extraordinary. In just a short year, you've silently surged ahead of us." Lin Zi said with a grin, teasing him.

He then likewise took out a congratulatory gift and presented it.

Lin Zi's gift was a set of warning formations, which was also quite useful to him.

In an instant, the private room livened up.

Qin Ming's standing in the eyes of the surrounding cultivators was now completely different from before.

Such a young high-grade Spirit Gu Zhishi could very well take another step forward and become a second-tier Spirit Gu Zhishi.

By then, if they wanted to befriend this young Spirit Gu Zhishi, it would be too late.

Three rounds of drinks passed.

The celebration banquet dispersed in a harmonious and lively atmosphere.

……

Returning to the Cool Little Lodge.

Qin Ming's eyes flickered with excitement.

"Almost there — only one step away from a second-tier Spirit Gu Zhishi!"

(End of this chapter)