Immortality Start with Farming - chapter 774 (Patreon)

Chapter 774: A Visit at the Door

Within the Small Spirit Realm.

Qin Ming celebrated Lan Bing’s breakthrough for several days straight. Spirit wine, spirit fruits, spirit fish, delicacies from the immortal estate—everything was brought out and laid on the table.

A grand celebration was held.

Even Lan Bing herself seemed to be in an excellent mood, drinking a few extra cups with the Devourer Rat and the others.

If such a powerful Ice Phoenix carrying an ancient True Spirit bloodline had appeared in one of the beast-taming sects, it would have been worshipped like an ancestor or enshrined as the sect’s guardian sacred beast.

After all, there were clans in the Spirit Realm dedicated solely to worshipping True Spirits.

Yet Qin Ming had several of them.

Even Kunpeng, one of the Ten True Spirit Kings of ancient times, was being kept like a pet, causing trouble all day long inside the Small Spirit Realm.

At the banquet, the biggest eaters and drinkers were naturally the Devourer Rat and Xiao Qing.

The appetites of those two alone rivaled several times that of everyone else combined.

The Devourer Rat even shamelessly declared, “Master, we’re still growing. We need proper nourishment.”

After the celebration ended, Lan Bing returned to consolidate her cultivation realm.

Fortunately, Qin Ming’s spirit pets all possessed extraordinary origins and True Spirit bloodlines, so they did not need to undergo tribulation.

Otherwise, he would have had to go through great trouble preparing tribulation-defying treasures for them.

That saved him quite a bit of effort.

After the lively festivities subsided, Little Turtle Peak returned to its usual tranquility.

Qi Xiaoyu, Fishercloud, and Venerable Hanya had opened a shop called Gathering Fate Pavilion in Celestial Star City. Business was thriving, even outperforming many ordinary stores.

Much of that was thanks to Venerable Hanya’s business acumen and Qi Xiaoyu’s exceptional mastery of formations.

Qin Ming personally went to congratulate them. Fishercloud’s term of service had also ended, and he immediately stepped down from his position as Silver Armor Star Captain. He no longer had to fight alien races on the front lines.

After all, with his old bones and carefree temperament, he preferred the life of a wandering recluse.

Meanwhile, Yue Lingyan and Mo Lingwei had finally found kindred spirits with whom they could exchange cultivation insights, often discussing cultivation together on Little Turtle Peak.

After more than two hundred years of development, Little Turtle Peak had become overflowing with rare spirit plants.

Terraced fields of spirit rice stretched across the landscape in lush abundance.

Most of the terraces around the main peak were planted with Demonspike Spirit Rice and Purplejade Spirit Millet.

These fifth-grade spirit grains could be sold or used to cultivate attributes and train.

Although fifth-grade spirit rice was no longer particularly useful to Qin Ming, the surplus could still be used to nurture his subordinates.

The Devourer Rat and the others consumed enormous quantities, after all.

In recent years, Qin Ming’s attention had been focused mainly on the sixth-grade spirit rice and spirit peaches within the Immortal Heritage Field.

On this day,

Qin Ming sat in a wicker chair inside a stone pavilion atop the main peak, gazing toward the sea of clouds.

The Devourer Rat diligently kneaded his shoulders and massaged his legs, fully committed to creating a relaxed atmosphere.

Little Silvermoon brewed tea beside him while incense burned gently, feeding him peeled spirit fruits.

With a golden boy and jade maiden attending to him, the days of cultivation might be monotonous, but they were certainly comfortable.

“Master, how’s my technique?” the Devourer Rat asked with a flattering grin while continuing his enthusiastic massage.

“Mm. Your skills have improved quite a bit recently. There’s much to commend,” Qin Ming replied leisurely.

The Devourer Rat immediately redoubled its efforts.

Its advancement to a sixth-grade Beastgod depended entirely on Qin Ming.

If it could continue consuming heavenly treasures, it might even catch up to Silverwing and Lan Bing.

Just then,

Qin Ming’s expression shifted slightly, revealing a trace of surprise.

“What’s wrong, Master?” Seeing that expression, the Devourer Rat thought it had applied too much force.

“It seems another uninvited guest has arrived. Clean things up and withdraw for now.”

Qin Ming stood and spoke calmly.

“I’ll handle this personally.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a black interdomain spirit battleship thousands of feet in length came charging toward Little Turtle Peak with overwhelming momentum.

It resembled a palace-island sailing through the sky.

Only a sect at the Soul Transformation level could afford to maintain such a massive immortal vessel.

The ship moved with astonishing speed, crossing hundreds of miles almost instantly.

When it drew closer, the banner hanging from its mast became visible.

It was the unmistakable flag of the Soul Transformation sect of the Redwater Wasteland—the Heavenly River Sect.

Standing at the edge of the main peak, Qin Ming stared at the colossal vessel and pondered:

‘Why are the people of the Heavenly River Sect here instead of dealing with the insect tide in their own territory?’

After all, his previous dealings with the insect cultivator Yin Lingzi had been far from pleasant.

Even after a hundred years, the man still obsessed over Qin Ming’s visit to Insect Valley.

He remained convinced that Qin Ming had secretly stolen the opportunities hidden within the Void Insect Nest during the chaos.

Several times he had attempted to probe Qin Ming indirectly, only to be brushed off.

Now they had arrived in such force. Who knew whether it was related to that matter?

The enormous vessel that blotted out the sky attracted the attention of nearby vassal families and spirit-plant sects throughout the Eastern Huang Mountains.

Most had never seen such a terrifying interdomain spirit battleship in their lives.

It perfectly displayed the foundation and power of a major regional sect.

Baili Hui, Mo Lingwei, Yue Lingyan, and the others naturally witnessed the scene and were all deeply shocked.

Even Baili Hui, despite once belonging to a Soul Transformation sect himself, rarely saw war machines of this caliber.

Thus, he was scarcely calmer than the two women as he gazed at the giant vessel overhead.

The Heavenly River Sect’s battleship halted above the outskirts of Little Turtle Peak.

Moments later, several streaks of light descended from the massive ship and landed directly before Qin Ming.

When Qin Ming saw the visitors, he was momentarily stunned.

The three leading figures were Elder Lin, Daoist Xuanguan, and Master Kongzhi.

Behind them stood Yin Lingzi of the Heavenly River Sect, along with another middle-aged man in black robes whose expression was rigid and stern. Both possessed late Void Refinement cultivation.

Qin Ming also recognized this man.

He was Ye Kuchan, the new Hall Master who had been appointed to the Hall of Heaven’s Mandate a century ago, known by the Dao title Withered Cicada.

Rumor held that his strength was extraordinary. His poison arts, combined with Gu insect secret techniques, allowed him to rival even some peak Void Refinement cultivators.

More impressive still was his mastery of puppetry, which had reached the divine realm of sixth-grade high-tier attainment.

He combined puppetry with poison arts and insect arts, making him extremely difficult to guard against.

Even late Void Refinement cultivators had perished at his hands.

At first glance, Withered Cicada appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary old man.

Yet occasional flashes of sharp light flickered within his cloudy eyes.

He gave off an unfathomable and mysterious aura.

“Hahaha! Fellow Daoist Qin truly lives a carefree life!” Elder Lin, Daoist Xuanguan, and Master Kongzhi greeted him with cupped fists.

Qin Ming had not expected them to accompany the two Heavenly River Sect elders.

Out of courtesy, although he held little affection for the Heavenly River Sect, he returned the greeting for the sake of Elder Lin and the others.

He then opened the outer formation and invited them onto the main peak.

“So it is Hall Master Ye. Please, come into my humble abode for a discussion.”

A faint smile appeared on Withered Cicada’s stern face.

He raised his head to look at the towering Skyvault Tree that covered the heavens, then swept his gaze across the dazzling collection of high-grade spirit plants.

“Fellow Daoist Li, this is hardly a humble abode. Calling it a blessed paradise would not be an exaggeration.”

“A sixth-grade spirit vein environment. Even within our sect, only a handful of Void Refinement elders enjoy such treatment.”

“Not to mention these countless high-grade spirit plants. Even our sect’s spirit herb gardens cannot compare.”

“I have long heard of your achievements in spirit planting. Today I have finally witnessed them firsthand.”

After arriving atop the main peak, even Hall Master Ye of the Hall of Heaven’s Mandate was astonished by the high-grade spirit herbs and medicines growing here, as well as the spirit rice fields outside.

Even valuable spirit grains such as Demonspike Spirit Rice and Purplejade Spirit Millet were planted casually in the outer terraces, as though they were of little importance.

“You flatter me, Hall Master Ye. Please, take a seat.”

Qin Ming politely invited the guests to enjoy some tea.

“Heh. Fellow Daoist Li, there were some misunderstandings between us before. I hope you will not take offense.”

“If I offended you in any way in the past, allow me to apologize.”

At that moment,

Yin Lingzi suddenly stepped forward and said those words to Qin Ming.

A few forced traces of a smile appeared on his gaunt face.

Hearing this, Qin Ming thought to himself:

‘Has the sun risen in the west today?’

‘This old fellow certainly didn’t speak like this when he came looking for me before.’

Given Yin Lingzi’s vindictive nature, the fact that he was personally apologizing surprised Qin Ming somewhat.

Still, unusual behavior often concealed ulterior motives, so he paid it little mind.

Thus,

Qin Ming merely nodded and almost ignored the man completely. After pouring tea for everyone, he asked:

“May I ask why Hall Master Ye and Elder Lin have come all this way to my secluded corner of the world?”

“If there is anything you require of me, a message to Celestial Star City would have sufficed. How could I dare trouble Hall Master Ye to make the journey personally?”

Qin Ming knew that if even Elder Lin and Daoist Xuanguan had been brought aboard the Heavenly River Sect’s battleship, then this matter was unlikely to be simple.

Yin Lingzi had already lowered himself considerably.

As a late Void Refinement cultivator, he had personally come to apologize to Qin Ming, a mere early Void Refinement cultivator.

Yet Qin Ming barely acknowledged him.

The smile he had forced onto his face immediately stiffened, leaving him unsure how to continue.

Needless to say, he was deeply displeased.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere,

Master Kongzhi pressed his palms together and explained with a smiling expression reminiscent of Maitreya Buddha.

“Fellow Daoist Li, here is the situation.”

“Hall Master Ye has come specifically to request some core sap from the Skyvault Tree.”

“As you know, Ren Water Ancestor suffered damage to his soul while battling an ancient vicious insect in the past. He requires certain special treasures to aid his recovery.”

“It is said that the sap produced by the Skyvault Tree of the Wood Crystal Clan has beneficial effects in nourishing the souls of high-level cultivators.”

“That is why Hall Master Ye has come personally to request some from you.”

After speaking, Master Kongzhi shot Qin Ming a meaningful glance and secretly transmitted his voice:

“Little Friend Qin, it isn’t that this old monk wanted to come. I simply couldn’t refuse the assignment. Lord Zichen, the Grand Commander, is absent, and all affairs in Celestial Star City are currently under Hall Master Ye’s authority.”

“His power is equivalent to that of the Grand Commander. The rest of us were ordered to accompany him and had no choice.”

Qin Ming’s eyes flickered slightly.

The moment he heard this, he understood the situation.

Elder Lin, Master Kongzhi, and the others had been dragged along.

He was not particularly fond of the Heavenly River Sect.

Putting on a troubled expression, he said:

“This Skyvault Tree was transplanted from the Wood Crystal Clan at tremendous cost.”

“For it to reach its current state, I have invested countless resources, effort, and years of care.”

“As Hall Master Ye can see, this tree is deeply connected to the spirit vein of Little Turtle Peak.”

“If its core sap is extracted, there is a significant chance that the entire Skyvault Tree will wither and die.”

“Therefore... I am afraid I cannot agree to this request.”

Upon hearing Qin Ming refuse even Hall Master Ye’s request, Yin Lingzi’s expression darkened immediately.

Qin Ming’s status in Celestial Star City was now comparable to that of a hall master, differing mainly in cultivation level.

As for actual combat strength, he was virtually unmatched within the Void Refinement realm.

He was entirely capable of rejecting Hall Master Ye directly.

Moreover, he had Lord Zichen as a powerful connection.

With such a backer supporting him, the other side dared not force a transaction upon him.

After all, he had once served as an ambassador of peace for the cultivation world and made outstanding contributions to humanity.

Withered Cicada also knew about the grudge between Yin Lingzi and Qin Ming.

That was precisely why he had brought Elder Lin and the others along to play the emotional card.

Although the Heavenly River Sect was supported by a Soul Transformation cultivator, it was still worlds apart from Star Palace, one of the Three Great Sacred Lands.

Neither Hall Master Ye nor Yin Lingzi had expected to meet resistance immediately after explaining their purpose.

“I naturally understand that extracting the core sap will damage the Skyvault Tree.”

“That is why we are willing to compensate you appropriately for your losses.”

“If you have conditions, feel free to state them.”

“However, Fellow Daoist Li should also understand that our ancestor suffered severe soul injuries for the greater cause of humanity while driving back that ancient vicious insect.”

“The insect tide situation in the Redwater Wasteland remains dire. I hope you can place the bigger picture first.”

“If there is no Soul Transformation mighty expert overseeing the region, the insect tide will soon spread into the Kunlun Domain.”

“When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.”

Seeing that Qin Ming remained unmoved, Withered Cicada resorted to this line of persuasion.

Qin Ming frowned slightly.

When he still refused to budge, Withered Cicada continued:

“Recently, a major immortal estate secret realm within the Demon Race Spirit Domain has reopened.”

“Countless cultivators have flooded into it in search of immense opportunities.”

“If the demon and devil races manage to exploit it successfully, combined with the pressure from the insect tide, humanity will be unable to stop them.”

“The situation is far from optimistic.”

“I am willing to offer five hundred thousand contribution points, along with an opportunity ten years from now to attend the millennium lecture of a Soul Transformation mighty expert, in exchange for the core sap.”

“A lecture by a Soul Transformation mighty expert?”

Qin Ming could not help but show surprise.

Back when he was only at the Divine Transformation stage in Celestial Star City, he had once attended Elder Lin’s Dao discussion assembly.

He had not expected that there existed gatherings of even higher caliber.

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