Chapter 150: The Appearance of the Demonic Beast

Leaving the Tianhe Market, Qin Ming summoned his Silver-Winged Frost Bee and embarked on the return journey to Wangyue Island.

With a single tremor of its silver wings, the Silver-Winged Frost Bee lifted Qin Ming and instantly transformed into a streak of silver light, vanishing into the distant horizon.

High in the air, Qin Ming pondered matters concerning the Chaye Spirit Island.

Suddenly.

His powerful divine sense abruptly detected the presence of a Foundation Establishment-tier beast five miles away, flying off toward his flank.

Furthermore, he clearly perceived it to be a tiger demon with a pair of white wings on its back, radiating the aura of the early second rank.

Yet the tiger demon's movement technique was exceedingly swift; within a few breaths, it vanished from sight entirely.

In truth, when the tiger demon had approached just moments earlier, it had also sensed Qin Ming. Filled with feral bloodlust, it had initially intended to pounce and devour him. However, upon discovering that the human possessed an insect-type beast of not inconsiderable aura beneath him, it immediately veered away and fled in another direction.

"Why would a demonic beast appear in this place?" Qin Ming immediately called the Silver-Winged Frost Bee to a halt, a trace of vigilance rising in his heart.

Then, expanding his divine sense once more, he discovered that two miles behind the tiger demon, more than ten cultivators clad in the white robes of the Vast Sea Immortal City were in hot pursuit.

The leader was someone Qin Ming knew quite well: the mid-Foundation Establishment deacon who had escorted him to see Master Vast Sea on that previous day.

A distance of a few miles was covered in the blink of an eye for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Unwilling to meddle in extraneous affairs, Qin Ming prepared to detour and leave.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, please stay your hand!"

The white-robed middle-aged deacon evidently spotted Qin Ming not far away and hurriedly called out to him.

Hearing the voice, Qin Ming halted.

"What a coincidence to run into Fellow Daoist Qin here. I am Lü Liang."

"Owing to a busy schedule last time, I regrettably failed to sit down and converse properly with Fellow Daoist Qin," Lü Liang said, flying over to land before Qin Ming with a respectful demeanor.

Though Qin Ming only displayed the aura of the early Foundation Establishment stage, his identity as a superior second-rank spirit planter meant that even a grand cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment would treat him as an equal.

At the same time, Lü Liang noticed the Silver-Winged Frost Bee beneath Qin Ming, recognizing it as a rare variant among demonic beasts, for no such bee-type beast existed in his memory.

Moreover, although this silver-winged spirit bee was merely an early second-rank beast, it gave him a deeply unnerving sense of foreboding.

Qin Ming had concealed his cultivation aura, so Lü Liang failed to notice that he had already broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

"Oh, so it is Fellow Daoist Lü!" Qin Ming smiled faintly and cupped his hands in greeting.

"My men and I are tracking a tiger demon. Might Fellow Daoist Qin have caught sight of where it fled just now?" Lü Liang asked directly, dispensing with pleasantries.

Qin Ming nodded, pointing toward the northwest on his flank. "Indeed, I saw that fiend flee in that direction."

"Many thanks for the information, Fellow Daoist Qin!" Lü Liang expressed his gratitude.

Shortly after, the dozen or so cultivators behind him sped off in the direction pointed out by Fellow Daoist Qin.

Lü Liang was about to depart as well when he heard Qin Ming ask, "Fellow Daoist Lü, has something happened?"

"Why are the demonic beasts of the Beast-Howling Mountain Range all running over to the Lingqi Archipelago?"

Qin Ming also felt a vague sense that something was amiss; first, he had heard rumors of unusual movements among nearby beasts at Vast Sea Peak, and now he had run right into this incident.

With lingering doubts in his mind, he seized the opportunity to inquire of Lü Liang.

"Ah, to speak the truth without hiding it from Fellow Daoist Qin, these past few days these demonic beasts have driven me to distraction."

"Last night, the cultivators of our scout battalion were ambushed by a pack of beasts, resulting in casualties."

"According to our investigations during this period, this group of beasts should be under the command of that Double-Pupils Demonic Ape."

"It seems that after being wounded by the City Lord, that fiend not only has no intention of keeping a low profile, but has instead dispatched numerous subordinate beasts, restless and eager to seize an opportunity for revenge," Lü Liang said with a grave expression.

"Fellow Daoist Qin should exercise some caution when coming and going during this period; after all, prudence is never amiss."

Hearing once again of that murderous demonic ape, Qin Ming felt his scalp tingle instantly.

"Many thanks for the warning, Fellow Daoist Lü!"

"Think nothing of it, think nothing of it! I have pressing matters to attend to and cannot linger with Fellow Daoist Qin. Another day, when Fellow Daoist Qin visits Vast Sea Immortal City, we shall share a cup and talk at length."

Appearing exceedingly anxious, Lü Liang cupped his hands at Qin Ming after speaking and immediately flew off in pursuit.

Watching the other's departing figure, Qin Ming furrowed his brows in deep thought.

"Alas, one wave has barely receded when another rises!"

Without delay, Qin Ming urged the Silver-Winged Frost Bee forward at maximum speed, heading toward Wangyue Island.

At this moment, only one's own lair offered true safety.

Half an incense stick of time later, he returned to Wangyue Island.

Finding Wu Jiang immediately upon his return, Qin Ming told him straight away, "Fellow Daoist Wu, although the turmoil in the Lingqi Archipelago has quieted down for now, I went out for a trip just now and found that the situation is far from optimistic!"

"Ah?! Fellow Daoist Qin, has some new変故 (change) occurred?" Hearing even Qin Ming—who was usually as steady as an old dog—speak in such a manner, Wu Jiang could not help but turn tense with anxiety.

Frowning, Qin Ming nodded and said, "On my way back just now, I happened to run into an early Foundation Establishment beast from the Beast-Howling Mountain Range straying into the Lingqi Archipelago. I fear this bodes ill."

"You and your clansmen should avoid leaving the island for the time being if there's nothing urgent."

"!!!"

"Another Foundation Establishment great beast!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Jiang's expression instantly turned gloomy and despair-ridden. Any single Foundation Establishment demonic beast, they well knew, spelled a catastrophic disaster for Qi-refining island clans like theirs.

"I merely happened to stumble upon it, and the security guards of Vast Sea Immortal City have already gone in pursuit of the fiend, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

Seeing him thus, Qin Ming patted his shoulder and said, "If you truly feel uneasy, you can bring your clansmen onto the island to take refuge should trouble arise outside."

"Fellow Daoist Qin, your immense kindness is beyond mere words of thanks!" Wu Jiang said with profound gratitude.

With that, he hurried off Wangyue Island to notify his clansmen.

Returning to the interior of the island, Qin Ming resumed his customary routine: cultivation, breeding spiritual beasts, tending fields, brewing wine, refining pills, and researching puppet arts.

Inside the cavern dwelling, Qin Ming produced the lower third-rank Soul-Transforming Spirit Grass given to him by Master Vast Sea Nalan Xi, alongside the lower third-rank spirit plant—the Bathing-Fire Golden Lotus—he had harvested within the vegetation illusion realm.

"The Bathing-Fire Golden Lotus must be cultivated in a location with a high-grade fire vein; it is clearly impossible to grow it here on my Wangyue Island."

"However, I have already mastered its cultivation methods, and with the 'Leaf of Time' trait, I merely lack the proper environment at present. There is no rush for this."

"The Soul-Transforming Spirit Grass, on the other hand, is extremely delicate and has high demands for spiritual veins. Fortunately, I possess the 'Regenerative Spirit Seed' and 'Strong Adaptation' traits, which will allow it to grow on Wangyue Island as well."

"It's just that I still lack a wood-attribute spirit soil."

"Where on earth can I procure such a thing?"

"Perhaps the trading assembly on Chaye Spirit Island will have such an item."

Pondering this, Qin Ming put away the spirit seed and began his cultivation.

...

Half a month drifted by in the blink of an eye.

Throughout this period, Qin Ming remained in closed-door seclusion within his cavern dwelling.

On this day, he finally received a transmission message from Granny Long.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, the trading assembly on Chaye Spirit Island is about to begin."

"I have already arrived outside Wangyue Island with people to escort Fellow Daoist Qin."

Upon hearing the news, Qin Ming concluded his seclusion and stepped out of the cavern dwelling.

With a thought, he summoned his two spirit pets.

A short while later, the Dark-Water Crocodile broke the surface of the Wangyue Lake, shaking its head as it shrunk its massive form down to a manageable size.

"This time, I'll need you to come out with me as well—a double insurance." Qin Ming reached out and patted its large head.

Eagerly rearing up, the Dark-Water Crocodile let out a low bellow.

The Silver-Winged Frost Bee also flew out from its hive within the Longevity Vine and landed before Qin Ming.

With a wave of his hand, Qin Ming stowed both demonic beasts into his spirit beast pouch.

After giving parting instructions to Wu Jiang, he opened the mist illusion array and departed Wangyue Island.

No sooner had he cleared the boundary of the mist than he saw a massive Dharma boat suspended in the sky not far away, its mast bearing the insignia of the Mirror Snow Pavilion.

Standing at the prow, Granny Long watched as a gap opened in the pink mist that blanketed the area, causing the surrounding fog to part in all directions.

Qin Ming flew out from within on his Qi, descending right beside her.

Instantly, the mist behind him converged once more, restoring the barrier to its original state in a manner most wondrous.

"Fellow Daoist Long, you've kept me waiting. Let us set off."