Chapter 90: The Final Card [Please Follow!]

Night was deep, and all was silent.

Tonight was destined to be sleepless for Qin Ming.

He lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Qin Ming never imagined it.

In the blink of an eye, several of his neighbors had been wiped out without explanation.

His mind kept replaying the information Feng Yuan had given him; he decided to forgo sleep and carefully plan his next steps.

…

The next day, the sun rose in the east, and all things stirred awake.

Qin Ming rose, opened the window, and exhaled a long, deep breath of stale air.

After a night of thought, he had made his decision.

He ate breakfast.

Qin Ming arrived at the seventh floor of Juxuan Pavilion.

Across from him sat Gu Qingzhao, serene and otherworldly.

“Gu Daoist, the situation is chaotic, and a storm is coming. I wish to purchase some powerful items for protection—do you have any recommendations?”

Gu Qingzhao smiled calmly and spoke with a breath as fragrant as orchids: “Of course I do.”

With that, she took several items from her storage pouch and laid them before Qin.

Yin Thunder Seeds—single-use consumables; even a Foundation Establishment cultivator must avoid their sharp edge.

“Talisman Treasure: Golden Spirit Brick—still usable three times, its power equals a full-force strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

…

Qin Ming spent a vast sum of spirit stones to purchase five Yin Thunder Seeds and the Golden Spirit Brick talisman treasure; his pouch’s spirit stones shrank by more than half.

But it still wasn’t enough.

As he put away the items on the table, he casually asked Gu Qingzhao: “By the way, Gu Daoist, I’d like to ask you something.”

“How strong is Elder Huangfu within your pavilion?”

Gu Qingzhao’s expression flickered with slight surprise at the question, but she answered plainly:

“Elder Huangfu is the strongest of our pavilion’s three protectors in Wei State.”

“Without exaggeration, though his cultivation base is only mid-Foundation Establishment, his strength ranks among the top ten among all Foundation Establishment cultivators in Wei State.”

Who would have thought Huangfu Qi, with his refined demeanor, was so formidable!

Hearing this, Qin Ming now had a clearer sense of things.

He concluded his transaction with Gu Qingzhao.

Qin Ming took his leave.

As he reached the first-floor lobby, he heard disciples from a sect gossiping over drinks.

“Ugh, we’ve been stuck in this godforsaken place for over half a year—why hasn’t our sect ordered us to seize that third-rank spirit vein yet?”

“Exactly! We can’t just sit here doing nothing forever!”

“Are you idiots?”

“Whoever moves first against that third-rank spirit vein will have the upper sect’s blade fall on their head.”

“Look at Lingyu Gate and Jinyun Valley—they’ve taken control of the vein, but dare they openly exploit its resources?”

“Don’t you know your own strength? Is a third-rank spirit vein or an ancient ruin something so easily taken?”

“Do you know why the upper sect, though aware of the third-rank spirit vein, hasn’t sent anyone to Yunze Wildlands?”

“They’re waiting for someone to lose patience and jump out—ready to kill one to warn a hundred!”

Qin Ming paused only slightly in his steps, then left Juxuan Pavilion.

The “upper sect” those sect disciples mentioned—Qin Ming knew exactly who they meant.

In Wei State, Lei Yuanzong, with its Jin Dan elder ancestor in residence, was the undisputed dominant power.

It governed seven second-tier forces: Lingyu Gate, Jinyun Valley, Baihua Sect, Shennong Sect, and three other cultivation families with False Core cultivators.

Qin Ming’s own cultivation family belonged to the third-tier forces; such families could produce a Foundation Establishment cultivator generation after generation.

Yet even with the entire Qin family’s resources, they could barely cultivate just one Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Below them were countless Qi Refining families and other factions.

Gu Qingzhao had already hinted to him that the current bizarre situation was very likely orchestrated by Lei Yuanzong. None of the seven second-tier forces dared move on the third-rank spirit vein or the ancient ruins because Lei Yuanzong had yet to declare its stance—everyone was holding back, afraid to act.

So they could only turn their attention to lone cultivators.

Because who knew? A third-tier faction, possibly sanctioned by the upper sect, might be lurking in the shadows, ready to replace one of the seven.

For now, the situation in Yunze Wildlands had settled into a delicate stalemate—no one wished to be the first to break the balance.

Because whoever moved first against this prize would likely be targeted and destroyed by a coalition of other factions.

Qin Ming directly left Qingyang Market.

He mounted his Spirit Light Shuttle and headed straight for Yunmeng Mountain.

After half an hour of high-speed flight, he arrived at Yunmeng Mountain, shrouded in mist and clouds.

He landed on the mountainside and reported his presence to the guards.

Soon, the guards returned, speaking with deep respect: “Daoist Qin, Elder Huangfu requests your presence.”

Following his memory from last time, Qin Ming quickly reached Huangfu Qi’s cave dwelling.

The forbidden array at the entrance rippled, revealing an opening.

Qin Ming stepped inside.

In the study pavilion, Huangfu Qi was practicing calligraphy with a brush, his strokes bold and fluid.

Seeing Qin Ming arrive, he set down his brush and warmly greeted: “Young Qin is here! Come, come—take a look at my new calligraphy today!”

Qin Ming respectfully bowed to him first.

Then he stepped forward and studied the characters.

Honestly, he couldn’t tell much from them.

“Excellent characters! Graceful as a startled swan, agile as a roaming dragon—truly rich in ink, powerful in stroke!” Qin Ming recited every compliment he could think of, flattery timed perfectly.

After all, he needed something from this man.

Huangfu Qi chuckled knowingly, pointing at Qin Ming: “You’re quite the smooth talker.”

“Speak up—what do you want from me?”

“Elder Huangfu, I wish to claim the promise you made me,” Qin Ming said bluntly.

Huangfu Qi smiled warmly. “Go on—what do you want me to do?”

Qin Ming’s eyes flickered with a hint of unease; he cleared his throat and gathered courage to speak: “I’ve heard that Elder Huangfu, even throughout Wei State’s cultivation world, is a peerless force.”

“I’ve long admired you, and now I wish to use your promise simply to witness your strength.”

“Could Elder Huangfu demonstrate your strongest technique?”

Huangfu Qi: “????”

“Young Qin, are you certain? That’s all you want?”

Huangfu Qi was baffled, unsure of the boy’s intentions.

“Fine. Since I promised you, I won’t break my word.”

“Come outside with me—this place is too cramped to unleash anything.”

Seeing him agree, Qin Ming’s expression brightened instantly. The two left the cave and took to the air on their magical artifacts.

After more than half a censer’s time…

Even Yunmeng Mountain was out of sight.

Qin Ming was puzzled—was it really necessary to fly so far just to cast a technique?

Finally…

Huangfu Qi stopped. His sleeves fluttered as he stood with hands clasped behind his back.

Then he turned to Qin Ming and said: “Watch closely—I’ll cast it only once.”

Qin Ming’s heart raced—he had never before witnessed a Foundation Establishment elder’s technique. He nodded eagerly.

The next instant…

Huangfu Qi moved.

And thus…

Qin Ming witnessed, since his arrival in this cultivation world,

the most shocking sight of his life!…

Immediately after, the purple [Spell Replication] leaf in Qin Ming’s spiritual sense vanished. (End of chapter)