Immortality Start with Farming - chapter 815 (Patreon)

Chapter 815: Extreme Baleful Yin Soil

Two days later.

Another person arrived at the Guest Reception Monastery within Mount Sumeru.

He was a refined middle-aged cultivator wearing a scholar’s headscarf, with late Void Refinement cultivation.

Master Kongzhi brought the man before Qin Ming and introduced him, “Allow this old monk to make an introduction for Fellow Daoist Li. This is Fellow Daoist Qin Shujian, the seventh direct disciple of the Jade Void Palace’s sect master. He is also the newly appointed Hall Master of the Hall of Heaven’s Mandate in Celestial Star City.”

“Hall Master Qin, this is Fellow Daoist Li Qianjie of Little Turtle Peak, whom I mentioned before. The two of you may well meet often in the future, so this is a good opportunity to get acquainted.”

“Fellow Daoist Li may not know this, but Fellow Daoist Qin’s attainments in the Sword Dao are regarded as the finest in the Jade Void Palace. I’ve heard he has already reached the realm of ‘Sword Heart Clarity’!”

“After attending this Dharma Assembly, if he gains an enlightenment in the Sword Dao, he may advance even further. Perhaps he could even reach the legendary realm of ‘Sword Spirit Becoming Void.’ If that happens, his name will shake the cultivation world! Hahaha!”

Qin Ming was deeply moved upon hearing this.

It was the first time he had heard of sword cultivation reaching such an extraordinary level.

Moreover, after all these years of cultivation, this was the first high-level cultivator he had met who shared his surname.

That said... the position of Hall of Heaven’s Mandate Master in Celestial Star City was truly a pitfall. Two predecessors had already died in succession. That was hardly an auspicious sign.

Qin Shujian surely knew this, yet he still dared to take the position. It could only be said that his skills matched his courage.

Back then, when Ren Water Ancestor of the Heavenly River Sect had wanted Yin Lingzi to take the job, Qin Ming had avoided it like the plague.

He had found an excuse and declined.

That old fellow had tried every possible way to place someone from his own sect into that crucial position, but it seemed his plans had failed.

Instead, someone from the Jade Void Palace had beaten him to it.

“So it’s Fellow Daoist Qin. I’ve heard much about you,” Qin Ming said with a smile, cupping his hands in greeting.

Qin Shujian wore a warm and gentle smile, giving off an exceptionally elegant and approachable air.

He lacked the sharp arrogance commonly associated with sword cultivators. Instead, he was remarkably restrained.

He returned the greeting warmly.

“Fellow Daoist Li of Little Turtle Peak, I’ve also heard your name many times. You are the true hidden master.”

“As for comprehending Sword Spirit Becoming Void, that is extraordinarily difficult. It requires tremendous fortune and opportunity. Even Soul Transformation cultivators may not achieve it. I have merely touched the threshold of Sword Heart Clarity. If I can improve even a little during this gathering, I’ll be satisfied. As for the higher realm of Sword Spirit Becoming Void, I wouldn’t dare dream of it.”

“Master Kongzhi is praising me too much.”

As he spoke, Qin Shujian looked Qin Ming up and down before sighing with emotion.

Even the Grand Commander beside them seemed somewhat surprised.

Qin Shujian was usually extremely low-profile. It was rare to hear him evaluate someone so highly.

“By the way, Hall Master Qin, has something happened in Celestial Star City? Does it involve Fellow Daoist Li?”

“He was just about to ask you about that.”

Lord Zichen also spoke up.

Qin Shujian nodded.

“Reporting to the Grand Commander, that is indeed the case. Two days ago, wasn’t there an envoy delegation from the demon race that came to Celestial Star City for peace negotiations?”

“The leader was from the Qingqiu Fox Clan, one of the ancient True Spirit races. I’m sure all of you are aware of this.”

At this point, he cast Qin Ming a strange glance before continuing:

“That Soul Transformation fox cultivator seemed to take a liking to one of Fellow Daoist Li’s spirit pets and wanted to take it by force. It even attacked Little Turtle Peak directly.”

Qin Ming’s expression darkened.

“Hall Master Qin, nothing went wrong afterward, did it?”

As expected, it was related to Yue Lingyan.

Qin Shujian replied with a smile, “No need to worry, Fellow Daoist Li. Who would have thought that you were actually on such good terms with that senior of the Flower Spirit Clan? At the critical moment, she intervened and drove away the Qingqiu Fox Clan expert.”

“Thus, Little Turtle Peak suffered no serious damage, and your spirit pet was not taken away.”

“I heard this from Ancestor Yunxi. He happened to be present that day.”

“That’s good to hear. Thank you for informing me, Hall Master Qin. I can finally rest easy,” Qin Ming said, cupping his hands in thanks.

At the same time, he added the Qingqiu Fox Clan cultivator to his mental blacklist.

Lord Zichen and Master Kongzhi were equally astonished.

While they had been away, such an incident had actually occurred.

It involved the True Spirit races and had even escalated into a fight.

What shocked them even more was that the Flower Spirit Clan’s great expert had stepped in to help Li Qianjie resolve the crisis.

“I never expected Fellow Daoist Li to have such deep ties with the Flower Spirit Clan senior. When you mentioned the matter before, I approved their migration through our territory. I thought it was merely out of respect for Yin Lingzi.”

Lord Zichen finally understood.

Seeing their surprise, Qin Ming vaguely explained:

“This matter was largely thanks to Fellow Daoist Yin. If he hadn’t helped the Flower Spirit Clan find a new homeland back then, I would never have become acquainted with them, let alone become their neighbor.”

At this point, even Qin Shujian could not help sighing.

“Speaking of Insect Devil Yin Lingzi, what a pity. With his peerless mastery of insect arts and overwhelming strength, along with his remarkable record of slaying major generals of both the demon and devil races, he truly was a once-in-ten-thousand-years demonic overlord.”

“Even my master spoke highly of him and believed he was the most likely person after Ren Water Ancestor to become the Heavenly River Sect’s second Soul Transformation cultivator.”

“But fate plays tricks on people. He fell in the Battle of Insect Valley.”

Master Kongzhi nodded in agreement.

“Though he was ruthless, he did save both the Grand Commander and me. Sigh.”

Qin Ming wore a strange expression.

The three of them were discussing the matter right in front of him, unaware that the real Yin Lingzi was standing before them.

Naturally, he had no intention of revealing that the reason the Myriad Blossoms Saint Lord had been willing to help was because he had extended her lifespan with a Profoundspirit Immortal Peach, a heaven-defying treasure.

Otherwise, why would such an ancient existence, even after her cultivation had fallen, bother dealing with a mere Void Refinement human cultivator?

After exchanging pleasantries, Master Kongzhi invited everyone to sit down and chat.

He specially arranged Mount Sumeru’s unique spiritual vegetarian cuisine for them, which had a distinctive flavor.

During the meal, they discussed the recent state of the cultivation world.

From Qin Shujian, they learned that the demon race’s territory was already being overwhelmed by insect swarms. The scale of the disaster continued to expand, and the situation was rapidly spiraling out of control.

Clearly, the insect-rift fissure was growing larger.

If it developed into a full-scale invasion from the Insect Realm, the consequences would be unimaginable. After all, insect disasters were capable of exterminating all life in an entire world and reducing it to a barren wasteland.

If that happened, history would repeat itself, just as it had in ancient times.

For this reason, the upper echelons of humanity had tentatively agreed to the demon race’s proposal. Cultivator armies would be dispatched from the Skyridge Mountains to suppress the insect disasters along the border between the two races.

Both sides would also jointly discuss solutions for dealing with the void insect tunnel within demon territory.

However, after mutating, the insect tunnel born within the Linglong Immortal Estate secret realm could no longer be sealed as before.

Its severity far exceeded that of the insect tunnel in Insect Valley within the Scarletwater Wasteland.

Toward the end of the discussion, as the host, Master Kongzhi addressed the three of them.

“Fellow Daoists, this Dharma Assembly can truly be described as a gathering of cultivators from all directions. Even those without admission qualifications have come here out of admiration.”

“They are all outstanding talents from the various spiritual domains of the human race.”

“Therefore, before the Lesser Mount Sumeru Dharma Assembly officially begins in a few days, a large-scale trade fair will be held in Posa City. If any of you are interested, you may attend.”

“In addition, my senior brother Yuanjue will be organizing a small gathering of fellow cultivators within the immortal city, allowing everyone to exchange what they need. It is quite a rare opportunity.”

As soon as he finished speaking, even Qin Shujian could not help asking:

“Could it be that Master Yuanjue, whose Buddhist attainments within Mount Sumeru are said to be exceptionally profound?”

“Then I must go and see for myself.”

Master Kongzhi chuckled.

“That’s right. Whether in Buddhist doctrine or cultivation, Senior Brother Yuanjue far surpasses me.”

Qin Shujian smiled.

“I’ve also heard that Master Yuanjue’s attainments in the Sword Dao are exquisite. Using supreme Buddhist divine abilities, he forged a one-of-a-kind Wisdom Sword.”

“It is said to cut through nearly anything and possesses an innate restraint against heretics and demonic beings, even surpassing the Nine Heavens Divine Lightning.”

“No matter what, I must exchange pointers on the Sword Dao with Master Yuanjue.”

The smile on Master Kongzhi’s face instantly froze.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a gathering for fellowship and exchange?

How had it once again turned into a discussion about combat and sparring?

If his senior brother found out, there would be trouble.

Meanwhile, Qin Ming inwardly grumbled. Sure enough, sword cultivators were the same everywhere. Their desire to compete was incredibly strong. The moment they heard of a powerful sword cultivator, they could not resist issuing a challenge.

Lord Zichen immediately changed the subject, and the group continued drinking and chatting happily.

…

Several days later.

Qin Ming followed Master Kongzhi and the others back to Posa Immortal City.

Outside the city, streams of colorful light, spirit birds, and treasure carriages flowed endlessly through the sky amid a sea of people.

Clearly, they had all come for the trade fair.

After arriving at the venue, Qin Ming spent half a day browsing alone.

He actually managed to acquire several excellent spiritual materials.

Afterward, following his agreement with Master Kongzhi and the others, he arrived at a secluded courtyard in the city’s core district. It possessed an ancient elegance and a remarkably tranquil atmosphere.

As soon as he entered, an attendant led him into the spacious hall of a pavilion.

Only then did he discover that more than a dozen Void Refinement cultivators with profound auras were already seated inside.

The highest cultivation among them belonged to a white-browed old monk at the peak of Void Refinement. He was presumably the Master Yuanjue whom Master Kongzhi had mentioned.

The group immediately introduced Qin Ming to the others.

All of them were mid- or late-stage Void Refinement cultivators.

According to Master Kongzhi, there were even participants from the other two Soul Transformation sects of the Brahma Heaven Domain: Vast Righteous Pavilion and Infinite Dao Palace.

They too had come for the Lesser Mount Sumeru Dharma Assembly.

If not for this once-in-ten-thousand-years gathering, so many high-level cultivators would never have assembled in one place.

Normally, Void Refinement cultivators were not nearly as common as they seemed today.

Most secluded themselves in remote mountains and forests, only emerging when they heard of opportunities related to breaking bottlenecks or obtaining Heaven-Tribulation Treasures.

As the organizer of this exchange meeting, Master Yuanjue briefly introduced everyone before taking out the first item for trade.

With a smile, he produced a long jade box and removed its seal.

In an instant, an astonishingly dense yin-baleful aura poured out from within, utterly inconsistent with his identity as a Buddhist master.

Qin Ming focused his gaze and saw that inside was a mass of gray-black spiritual soil of extreme yin attribute.

Among the soil particles lingered an icy force so cold that it seemed capable of freezing the soul itself.

“This is a portion of Extreme Baleful Yin Soil,” Master Yuanjue said. “This old monk obtained it by chance from the convergence point of yin veins within an ancient battlefield. It originated from an extreme yin land and formed after absorbing baleful energy, yin souls, and moonlight for over ten thousand years.”

“It can assist in cultivating yin-attribute techniques, induce mutations in yin-attribute spirit beasts, nurture yin-attribute spiritual plants, and even provide unimaginable benefits to ghost cultivators and soul bodies.”

The moment he finished speaking, Old Devil Qingyang within the Lesser Spirit Realm had already become excited.

“Th-that really is Extreme Baleful Yin Soil! How did it end up in that old bald donkey’s hands?”

“Hehehe! Little Friend Qin, this thing would greatly benefit me. I’ve hardly ever asked you for anything. Could you exchange for it on my behalf?”

The instant he saw the yin soil, Old Devil Qingyang went from drowsy to fully alert.

His words were filled with longing.

After a brief moment of thought, Qin Ming agreed.

The Extreme Baleful Yin Soil would also be an invaluable material for nurturing the Profound Yellow Myriad Qi Blood Mother Vine.

With this soil, he might even be able to raise the blood vine to the seventh tier.

“Very well. However, there are many old monsters here, and none of them are ordinary. Naturally, they won’t overlook such a treasure. I’ll do my best to obtain it, but whether I succeed depends on fate.”

As expected, the moment Master Yuanjue revealed the Extreme Baleful Yin Soil, all the Void Refinement old monsters present showed keen interest.

“Master Yuanjue is truly generous. To put such a rare yin soil up for trade—its value could increase dozens of times in the hands of cultivators specializing in ghost arts.”

“May I ask what you wish to exchange for this box of Extreme Baleful Yin Soil? Fang is also interested,” said a long-bearded middle-aged man in black robes with a smile.

Qin Ming recalled Master Kongzhi’s introduction. This man was an elder of Vast Righteous Pavilion, a mid-stage Void Refinement cultivator with considerable backing. Rumor had it he was the illegitimate son of some major figure.

Master Yuanjue spoke frankly.

“This old monk wishes to exchange it for pills or spiritual treasures that increase the cultivation of mid- and late-stage Void Refinement cultivators, or treasures capable of resisting heart demons. If anyone has something else suitable, feel free to present it. This old monk will make the final decision.”

The moment he said this, most of the eager cultivators immediately lost interest, leaving only a few still considering.

The items he requested were things these old monsters barely had enough of themselves. They treasured them like their own lives. Exchanging them for the yin soil simply was not worthwhile.

As for pills capable of increasing the cultivation of mid- and late-stage Void Refinement cultivators, there was basically only the sixth-grade mid-rank Nine-Revolutions Dao-Comprehension Pill, and its quantity was extremely limited.

Still, several cultivators proposed alternative trade items.

Yet Master Yuanjue shook his head and rejected them all.

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