Chapter 67: Elder Zhuang Xiran

Two days later, at dawn.

After preparing himself, Qin Ming stepped out of the courtyard gate.

Outside the Qingyang Marketplace.

Qin Ming tapped his storage bag, and the supreme spirit-light shuttle floated before him.

He could hardly suppress his excitement, stepped onto it, and activated his magic power.

Whoosh! The Spirit Light Flyer became a streak of blue light and vanished into the horizon.

This wasn’t Qin Ming’s first time riding a flying magic artifact, yet he still felt a touch of nervousness.

After flying awkwardly for a while, Qin Ming grew accustomed to the sensation and soon handled the flyer with ease.

Watching the scenery rush backward beneath his feet, he felt a profound sense of peace and boundless freedom.

Below, the Yunze Wilds stretched endlessly—forests and marshes interwoven, mountains piled upon mountains, lush and green. Some regions were perpetually shrouded in blinding toxic mists, like natural barriers, hiding lurking monstrous insects and ferocious beasts.

Half an hour later.

Qin Ming, riding the Spirit Light Flyer, arrived before a vast mountain range.

The highest peak pierced the clouds, flanked by sheer cliffs that rolled on without end.

Green mountains faded into misty haze.

Thin wisps of blue smoke curled around the mountain’s midsection, spiraling upward; the higher one went, the thicker the clouds became, coalescing into dense veils.

The main peak of Yunmang Mountain resembled a mighty, ancient dragon coiled atop the sea of clouds.

The branch sect of Lingyu Sect was seated upon this second-tier spiritual vein.

At the summit stood rows of immortal palaces, ancient and dignified in design.

Even as a branch outpost, it radiated an unmatched grandeur.

As Qin Ming approached on his flyer, numerous cultivators flew past him on magic boats.

A protective array guarded the main peak; Qin Ming landed on a vast white jade plaza before the mountain gate.

The plaza was already crowded with a large group of cultivators, all apparently invited to attend Elder Zhuang’s lecture.

The cultivators lined up orderly, waiting for identity checks before entering the mountain gate.

When it was Qin Ming’s turn, he presented his jade token; the guard inspected it and let him pass, though he gave Qin Ming several extra glances upon seeing he was a Lingyu Sect farmer.

Holding the jade slip given by the guard, Qin Ming followed the winding stone steps up the mountain until he reached a massive hall.

Wu Zhen Hall.

This was where Lingyu Sect elders regularly taught and delivered lectures.

Qin Ming stepped inside and found the interior spacious, plainly decorated, with neat rows of ancient-style tables and chairs.

Over three hundred cultivators had already gathered inside—mostly from Lingyu Sect’s main body, others like him, scattered cultivators who had come from Qingyang Marketplace.

While waiting for the lecture to begin, the cultivators chatted in small groups.

Qin Ming found a seat midway toward the back.

With nothing else to do, he pulled out a book on spiritual plants and began reading.

At that moment.

A voice sounded behind him.

“Hey, fellow cultivator, you’re a Lingyu Sect spiritual planter, right?”

Qin Ming turned and saw a thin, middle-aged scattered cultivator.

“I’m just a farmer,” Qin Ming replied plainly.

The thin cultivator feigned surprise, then said, “Then you must have great fortune—you actually got a jade token.”

“I, on the other hand, spent nearly all my savings to get this one from Mingzhen Pavilion—what a rip-off.”

The thin cultivator made a pained expression, then lowered his voice: “Do you know why Elder Zhuang of Lingyu Sect suddenly decided to give a public lecture?”

Qin Ming looked confused and shook his head. “No idea.”

“Isn’t it said they’re using this public lecture to select disciples?” a cultivator at a nearby table chimed in.

The thin cultivator gave him a look of contempt. “You really think sects are this generous? They’d take outsiders over their own disciples?”

“What are you thinking? Too naive, fellow cultivator!”

Qin Ming frowned—he found the man’s words plausible.

Hearing this, several nearby cultivators gathered closer.

“Fellow cultivator, you seem to know something—tell us!” The thin cultivator cleared his throat, a hint of pride on his face, and whispered: “From what I’ve heard, Elder Zhuang Xiran has a strange temperament—he dislikes showing off his strength, yet his cultivation base is unfathomable.”

“He rarely interferes in sect affairs, devoting himself entirely to spiritual plant cultivation. He has no children, and only three disciples: two first-tier upper-grade spiritual planters, and one first-tier middle-grade spiritual planter.”

“But reportedly, even his three disciples are far inferior in spiritual plant mastery compared to those of other elders.”

“This public lecture to select disciples? It’s no accident—it has a hidden agenda.”

The thin cultivator fell silent, scanning the gathered cultivators, building anticipation.

“Come on, don’t tease us! Spit it out! The lecture’s about to start!”

The thin cultivator gave a cryptic smile and asked: “Do you know what the final trial is to advance to second-tier spiritual planter?”

“Of course—we all know: the Plant Illusion Trial,” everyone replied.

The thin cultivator shook his head, then revealed a startling piece of news.

“You know only half. Within Lingyu Sect’s Plant Illusion Trial, every ten years, a few strands of the legendary ‘Ten Thousand Trees Mother Qi’ are born.”

“For a second-tier spiritual planter, this ‘Ten Thousand Trees Mother Qi’ is invaluable.”

“Any planter who ranks highly in the trial may obtain a strand of it within the illusion.”

“I believe Elder Zhuang’s grand move is aimed squarely at this ‘Ten Thousand Trees Mother Qi.’”

“In a few years, the Plant Illusion Trial will open again. So, for any cultivator below first-tier middle-grade spiritual planter, don’t even dream of becoming his disciple—you’ll only get to listen to the two-day lecture and pick up some plant cultivation experience.”

The moment the thin cultivator finished speaking.

“What? Why didn’t you say this sooner?”

“I’m only a lower-grade spiritual planter!”

“Me too!”

“Oh well, at least I spent my money to hear a second-tier upper-grade planter’s lecture—it’s worth it for the knowledge.”

A chorus of sighs and groans erupted among the crowd.

Qin Ming fell into deep thought—he needed to pass the Plant Illusion Trial to advance to second-tier spiritual planter.

As for this ‘Ten Thousand Trees Mother Qi’... ‘I’ll worry about that later.’

Whether Elder Zhuang Xiran would even notice him was uncertain.

Though he was now, effectively, a young middle-grade spiritual planter.

Still, Lingyu Sect had no shortage of gifted disciples.

As the crowd murmured among themselves.

The hour of Chen had arrived.

Dong! Dong! Dong! Three deep tolls rang from the bronze bell outside Wu Zhen Hall.

Under the gaze of all the cultivators.

An elderly man with white hair and a ruddy face stepped into the hall, hands behind his back—immediately, a terrifying Foundation Establishment aura descended.

The hall fell utterly silent—not a pin could drop.

Elder Zhuang Xiran wore a gray-white Dao robe, his hair and beard pure white, his face flushed, his gaze deep and profound, radiating an immortal’s bearing.

Qin Ming had never seen a Foundation Establishment cultivator before; his eyes widened, his spirit shaken.

Elder Zhuang Xiran sat at the central seat and spoke slowly: “I assume all present here are spiritual planters.”

“Before I begin my lecture, I have a question.”

“What is a spiritual planter?”

…

Meanwhile.

Ten li beyond Lingyu Sect’s mountain gate, in a hidden valley.

Five masked cultivators, cloaked in black robes, stood on the cliff’s edge, gazing toward Lingyu Sect.

“Big Brother, I didn’t expect Old Man Zhuang’s lecture would draw so many people—there are plenty of fat lambs inside!”

“Should we…”

The tallest of the five spoke calmly: “Focus on the mission. Didn’t you hear what I said?”

The black-robed cultivator who had spoken shuddered and fell silent.

(End of Chapter)