Chapter 76: The Final Key

After the spirit field incident occurred.

The Lingyu Sect dispatched a large number of law enforcement disciples to investigate the matter.

After all, the death of a Foundation Establishment elder was a major event for the sect, one that had even affected its internal affairs.

Even Qin Ming was summoned to the Law Enforcement Hall and interrogated repeatedly.

Naturally, like the other spirit planters, he claimed to know nothing when questioned.

At such a critical juncture.

Even the slightest disturbance could trigger the Lingyu Sect's nerves, given that what they plotted was no small matter.

Not only did the Lingyu Sect heighten security around Qingyang Market.

But they also deployed additional personnel to conduct rotating patrols of the spirit fields.

Almost every day, Qin Ming could see large formations of people standing in strict readiness.

He too remained tense for a while.

Deeply fearing that Lin Zi might return to cause him trouble again.

However, more than a month passed without any sign of movement.

Qin Ming's life returned to tranquility.

Half a year passed.

Within Qingyang Market, a strange atmosphere pervaded.

Cultivators from various factions were visible everywhere, yet the sword-drawing, bow-stretching confrontations of the past were absent.

Qin Ming arrived at the seventh floor of Juxuan Pavilion.

"It has been a long time; I did not expect Fellow Daoist Qin's cultivation to have broken through to the late Qi Condensation stage. Congratulations!" Gu Qingzhao smiled faintly and poured him a cup of tea.

Qin Ming picked up the cup, took a sip of tea, and said modestly, "Compared to Fellow Daoist Gu, my humble cultivation amounts to nothing."

"Have there been any new developments recently?"

Hearing this, Gu Qingzhao pondered for a moment, his expression graver than ever before as he said, "Based on the intelligence we control, it seems that compared to a third-grade spirit vein, the struggle over that ancient ruin is the true headline event."

"Various signs already indicate that this ancient ruin is a legacy site left behind by an ancient powerhouse."

"Whoever opens the ruin and obtains the legacy within."

"Their future achievements will be beyond imagination."

"It is estimated that Lei Yuanzong will soon be unable to hold back any longer."

Qin Ming furrowed his brows and asked in confusion, "Given the situation, has Lei Yuanzong still not sent anyone over?"

"Fellow Daoist Qin may not be aware; the reason all sect factions are currently holding their positions is that the keys to open the ruin are missing the final few pieces."

"If the keys cannot be assembled, no one can enter the ruin."

"Therefore, the current situation is one of surging undercurrents; although all parties appear peaceful on the surface, in reality, everyone is trying every means to secretly locate those missing keys."

The so-called keys were, of course, the dragon-shaped tokens.

Qin Ming nodded silently to himself; he feared that the moment those dragon-shaped tokens were assembled would be the day all factions tore off their masks and fought openly.

He happened to know the specific location of one of those tokens.

However, after the incident with Lin Zi, Qin Ming had already sensed that these dragon-shaped tokens seemed capable of sensing each other.

He wondered whether that token had been picked up by someone after Fellow Daoist Feng's death? Apart from that.

The fact that the Lingyu Sect had secretly maneuvered a Heaven Spirit Root cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment to quietly break through to the Jin Dan stage seemed to be unknown even to Gu Qingzhao.

"Could it be that Fellow Daoist Qin is also interested in the legacy within that ruin?" Gu Qingzhao rarely smiled, asking Qin Ming.

Hearing this, Qin Ming waved his hand. "My Daoist skills are meager; I dare not covet such an opportunity."

"Hehe, then does Fellow Daoist Qin have any needs for trade in this visit?" Gu Qingzhao asked.

Hearing this, Qin Ming calmly took three bottles of pills from his storage bag and placed them on the table.

Gu Qingzhao extended her soft, white hand, gently opened one of the jade bottles, and immediately a strange pill fragrance wafted to the nose.

"It is actually a Nourishing Spirit Pill!" Deep surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes, and she then asked, "Could it be... has Fellow Daoist Qin broken through to become a high-grade alchemist?"

Qin Ming nodded, neither confirming nor denying.

A glint of light appeared in Gu Qingzhao's beautiful eyes; she hastily poured spiritual tea for Qin Ming again and offered congratulations: "Then I must congratulate Fellow Daoist Qin once more. Congratulations!"

Qin Ming revealing a bit of strength this time was also meant to demonstrate his own value.

Only in this way could he obtain more information and intelligence from Gu Qingzhao in the future.

Gu Qingzhao's reaction was exactly as he had anticipated, extending an olive branch to him once again.

After the transaction concluded.

Qin Ming returned to his courtyard.

Several more months passed.

From the spirit herb field in his courtyard, Qin Ming harvested five 【Ripening】 attributes.

He immediately used them to fully ripen those five second-grade Divine Spirit Fruits, and consecutively consumed two 【Quality Improvement】 attributes to elevate the final ripe fruits to the top-grade tier.

In this harvest, Qin Ming obtained a total of eighteen top-grade Divine Spirit Fruits, along with five 【Soul Power Crystal】 attributes.

It must be known that these were fruits from second-grade spirit plants; if placed outside, they would attract countless cultivators fighting to seize them.

Holding the egg-sized Divine Spirit Fruits in his hands, Qin Ming could not help but feel immense joy.

He quickly sealed them in specially crafted jade boxes to ensure the spiritual essence of the fruits would not dissipate.

"Thinking about it, so much time has passed."

"With Su Yuqing's aptitude, he should have broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage by now, right?"

"Perhaps he has already advanced to become a second-grade Alchemy Master."

After a bout of inexplicable emotion, Qin Ming...

He entered the cultivation meditation chamber.

Qin Ming prepared to use five 【Soul Power Crystals】 to further strengthen his divine soul.

He sat cross-legged in meditation upon the cushion.

Yet recalling the excruciating, life-tearing agony that accompanied each enhancement of his divine soul...

He couldn't help but shudder.

But to increase his strength, Qin Ming gritted his teeth.

"Let's go all out!"

Qin Ming calmed his mind and focused his intent on the 【Soul Power Crystal】 entry.

Buzz~ A terrifying power suddenly exploded within his sea of consciousness.

It was as if, amidst the dark night, a massive radiance had risen; this light constantly shifted and expanded, instantly turning night into day.

Subsequently, it completely occupied Qin Ming's entire sea of consciousness.

Crack! A brand new power was born within his sea of consciousness.

The Power of Divine Sense!

This was a power only mastered upon breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Originally, Qin Ming's divine soul had already been amplified to a terrifying degree.

Now, the final barrier was pierced by him as easily as paper covering a window.

After a wave of intense pain passed...

Clarity returned to Qin Ming's mind.

With a slight movement of his thought, a strange power emanated from his body.

It covered an area of several dozen zhang with unparalleled clarity.

Not only could it perceive the distant macroscopic view, but it could also scrutinize microscopic dust.

Every single movement within those several dozen zhang lay under his control.

"So this is the Power of Divine Sense?"

Qin Ming felt exhilarated; he tried using his divine sense to move a table not far away, but it only shifted a tiny bit.

He felt somewhat strained.

He then targeted a book on the table and found that the book was easily lifted into the air by him out of thin air.

It moved and danced continuously in mid-air.

"This sensation of manipulating objects with divine sense is truly wonderful."

Half an incense stick later.

Suddenly.

Darkness flashed before Qin Ming's eyes, and his face turned pale.

The book in mid-air fell to the ground with a "patter."

Qin Ming panted heavily, "It seems the Power of Divine Sense cannot be overused."

His current divine sense strength was already comparable to that of an ordinary cultivator who had just stepped into the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

When fully unleashed, his divine sense could cover an area of approximately sixty zhang in radius.

Once one possesses divine sense, whether in daily cultivation or in battling others, one gains immense convenience.

Next, Qin Ming pressed on in one continuous effort.

Spending several days...

He exhausted the remaining four 【Soul Power Crystal】 entries as well.

His divine soul was strengthened once again.

The strength of his divine sense was also elevated to rival that of a cultivator at the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage; when fully unleashed, it could now cover an area of several hundred zhang in radius.

Just as Qin Ming finished his cultivation and prepared to exit seclusion...

He received a message talisman sent by Gu Qingzhao.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, the situation has changed!"

"The latest intelligence shows that the various factions have now gathered most of the keys."

"Now only the final one remains missing."

(End of Chapter)