Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Storm Approaches

Qin Ming received the message, and his brows furrowed at once.

He soon fell into deep contemplation.

“I didn't expect it to happen so soon.”

...

Mid-June.

Dark clouds gathered over the vast expanse of Yunhuang Marsh, as if a violent storm was brewing.

In the Qingyang Market, in the Gathering Pavilion.

Qin Ming sat by the window, gazing outside, his thoughts adrift.

“Hey! Have you heard?”

“All the factions have searched everywhere, but still can't find that last dragon-shaped token.”

“The elders say that's the most crucial one.”

“How strange! Could it be someone secretly hid it?”

“Yeah, I wonder which scoundrel did it, making us waste away here for nothing.”

“What are we supposed to do?”

“We can't just keep waiting around like this!”

“No choice. I hear that no amount of brute force can break into that ancient ruin.”

At the wine tables of the Gathering Pavilion, all manner of cultivators discussed the current situation in hushed tones.

“Waiter, the bill please.” Qin Ming sat for a while longer before deciding to leave.

Shopkeeper Liao hurried over with a smile. “Fellow Daoist Qin, won’t you stay a while longer?”

“No, the weather’s about to change and there are things to tend to in the spirit fields.” Qin Ming rose, reaching for his spirit stones to pay.

Shopkeeper Liao quickly stopped him, “You’re too polite, Fellow Daoist Qin. You’re our honored guest now—let me treat you this time.”

With that, the shopkeeper warmly escorted Qin Ming out of the establishment.

...

Outside Qingyang Market, in the second-tier spirit fields.

Suddenly, a fierce wind swept down from the sky, accompanied by torrential rain that battered the spirit crops, bending them to and fro.

Inside the spirit fields, the spirit gardeners scrambled in confusion, trying every method to save the plants.

“What’s going on?”

“Why has the protective array in the fields failed?”

“If this goes on, all our crops for the year will be ruined!”

The spirit gardeners began calling out in panic.

At this moment—

Qin Ming arrived at the spirit fields.

He couldn’t understand it. The protective formation over the fields had never failed before.

Why had it suddenly stopped working?

In an instant—

His powerful spiritual sense detected someone secretly watching from nearby.

Behind a secluded grove near the fields—

Two Foundation Establishment elders of the Lingyu Sect stood, their faces expressionless as they observed the unfolding events.

One of them casually raised a hand, casting a soundproofing spell.

...

“Elder Gu, isn’t this approach... a bit inappropriate?” Elder Zhuang Xiran frowned at the fields, hesitated, and spoke to his companion.

Elder Gu’s face remained impassive, his tone cold. “A mere spirit farmer—does he think I can’t handle him?”

“He’s always been rebellious, always scheming to slip free from our sect’s control. Does he think it’s so easy?”

“Instead of submitting to our sect, he chose to collaborate with Mirror Snow Pavilion.”

“If he won’t serve me, then his path leads only to death.”

“When our sect recruited cultivators from the immortal clans, the terms required sixty years of service—he owes every single one.”

“If he dares run, I’ll make his family pay the price!”

Since breaking through to Foundation Establishment, Elder Gu’s temperament had changed dramatically.

Back when he was merely the field steward, he couldn’t bear to see those lowly spirit farmers he used to exploit climb to his level and stand as his equal.

But now things were different.

Having advanced to Foundation Establishment, Elder Gu’s standing within the Lingyu Sect had soared, and his mindset shifted yet again.

Back when he was still an outer sect steward, he’d tried to purchase premium beast fang rice from Qin Ming.

But Qin Ming, relying on the backing of Mirror Snow Pavilion, had flatly refused, giving him no face at all. Elder Gu still bore that grudge.

“The other elders in the sect feel the same: no matter what, stop him from advancing to second-tier spirit gardener.”

“Keep him here, farming for the sect for the rest of his life.”

...

Qin Ming withdrew his spiritual sense.

Such a soundproofing spell was utterly useless before his formidable divine sense.

Having learned the truth, his face grew grim and his fists clenched tightly.

“So the old scoundrel Gu never let go of his grudge against me.”

He hadn’t expected the man’s scheming to run so deep, already plotting against him.

Years of exploitation weren’t enough—now he wanted to chain him to the Lingyu Sect for a lifetime.

A cold gleam flashed in Qin Ming’s eyes.

He already had a plan.

He formed a strange incantation with his fingers and pointed toward his spirit field.

A grayish barrier enveloped the five-acre field.

Instantly, all the wind and rain seemed frozen in midair, unable to breach the barrier.

“Fortunately, my herb garden recently produced the [Wind-Stilling Spell].”

“Otherwise, I would have fallen right into his trap.”

...

In the distant woods—

Elder Gu’s eyes widened. “What? How is this possible?”

“How does that brat know such an obscure technique?” Zhuang Xiran was equally astonished.

“Enough, don’t lose sight of the bigger picture.”

“We’ll deal with him later.”

“Right now, what matters most is to find the dragon-shaped secret key before the other sects do.”

“We mustn’t alert anyone until Elder Yu Wen breaks through to the Golden Core stage.”

“We have to maintain the current situation by any means necessary.”

“Any mistake would be disastrous.”

Elder Zhuang Xiran spoke gravely.

“Once our sect produces a Golden Core ancestor, everything will change.”

Elder Gu understood the stakes and nodded in agreement, though his eyes flickered with other thoughts.

The two did not linger and soon departed.

A short while later—

Within the spirit fields.

The previously failed defensive array gradually reactivated, blocking the wind and rain outside.

Qin Ming gazed thoughtfully up at the formation overhead.

He had heard every word of the final exchange between Elder Gu and Zhuang Xiran.

“What’s going on with the Lingyu Sect?”

“They’ve fixed it again?”

“Luckily there wasn’t widespread damage—losses are minimal.”

...

Qin Ming returned to the market.

He found Gu Qingzhao and bought a small protective array to install around his fields, just in case.

He also secretly buried spirit seeds imbued with the Thorn Technique around the perimeter—if anyone dared covet his crops again, they would have only themselves to blame.

“Fellow Daoist Qin, starting next month, our pavilion will withdraw from Qingyang Market and temporarily return to Yunmeng Mountain.”

“If the situation in Yunze Great Wild doesn’t settle down soon, our pavilion may withdraw entirely from here.”

“I wanted to inform you in advance.”

Gu Qingzhao spoke to Qin Ming with deliberate gravity.

“In that case, may I trouble you to deliver this to Brother Su?” Qin Ming produced a jade box and handed it to Gu Qingzhao.

He had planned to wait before presenting this item, but since Mirror Snow Pavilion wished to stay out of the fray, he had no choice but to act sooner.

Gu Qingzhao took the jade box, opened it slightly, and her eyes widened in astonishment. “Second-tier Divine Essence Fruit!”

Inside the box lay five strange fruits, each the size of an egg and surrounded by a faint, shimmering aura.

“No—these are top-grade spirit fruits!”

Gu Qingzhao looked at Qin Ming in amazement. “Did you cultivate these yourself?”

“Yes. This was something I promised Brother Su before he left.”

Gu Qingzhao closed the box and put it away, pondering for a moment before asking with anticipation, “Fellow Daoist Qin, your skill with spirit plants is truly rare. To think you’ve already succeeded in cultivating second-tier spirit herbs! Do you have any surplus Divine Essence Fruits? Our pavilion is willing to buy at a high price.”

“I do have a few left, but I’d like to propose a different trade,” Qin Ming replied after some thought.

Seeing hope, Gu Qingzhao’s brows arched with delight, and she smiled. “What is it that Fellow Daoist Qin desires?”

...