Chapter Ninety-Seven: Turmoil in the State of Wei

Gu Qingzhao lifted her wine cup and smiled faintly.

“Since Fellow Daoist Qin has asked, of course there is no problem. I will have people gather as many as possible on my end.”

“Then I thank you. When the time comes, I will buy them all, however many there are.” Qin Ming raised his cup to her in salute and drained it in one go.

As for Qin Ming’s Foundation Establishment pill formula, it had been sent back not long ago by Su Yuqing through Mirror Snow Pavilion. In the letter, Su Yuqing first thanked him for the five superior divine essence fruits he had given him, praising him lavishly without the slightest stinginess. Afterwards, he briefly mentioned his recent situation in the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty. He also informed Qin Ming that he had successfully established his foundation and advanced to become a second-tier alchemist. At the end of the letter, he enclosed his insights into refining Foundation Establishment pills, together with a mainstream pill formula. In addition, there were two other formulas for pills that increased a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s cultivation.

“Could it be... that Fellow Daoist Qin wants to refine Foundation Establishment pills himself?” Shopkeeper Liao on the side asked in shocked tones.

Qin Ming could only give a wry smile. “There is no other choice. For a rootless wandering cultivator like me, there is simply no way to obtain Foundation Establishment pills through ordinary channels.”

“I can only try to refine them myself.”

“I do not have much confidence, either.”

Even Gu Qingzhao was deeply impressed by such a daring idea.

“Fellow Daoist Qin, you must think it through. The materials and spirit stones required to refine a Foundation Establishment pill are absolutely an astronomical sum.”

“However, I believe that with Fellow Daoist Qin’s talent in alchemy, it may not be impossible.”

Since the day Gu Qingzhao had met Qin Ming, he had repeatedly overturned her understanding. So she felt that perhaps Qin Ming truly had a chance of succeeding.

If Qin Ming were to break through to the second tier of alchemists, and moreover become an alchemy master capable of refining Foundation Establishment pills, the benefits to Mirror Snow Pavilion would be self-evident.

Gu Qingzhao took another small sip of spirit wine, her beautiful eyes flashing as she said, “By the way, I heard from Aunt Long that Fellow Daoist Qin purchased Spirit-Gathering Tea and Purple-Gold Bamboo seedlings from her?”

Qin Ming was startled when he heard this.

So the woman shopkeeper of Mirror Snow Pavilion in Heavenly River Market was called Aunt Long.

“Yes. I plan to cultivate those two spiritual plants next.” Qin Ming nodded.

“Then when the plants mature in the future, could you sell me some of them?”

“Of course. No problem.”

Gu Qingzhao’s expression brightened with delight, then she seemed to recall something and said with some regret, “I also heard about Fellow Daoist Qin seeking Spirit-Resting Rice. Unfortunately, that rice has truly become very rare.”

“It does not matter. I have already learned some clues from Fellow Daoist Wu,” Qin Ming said carelessly.

“Oh? That is excellent.” Gu Qingzhao was somewhat surprised, and smiled.

Qin Ming’s plan was this: in addition to asking Gu Qingzhao to help gather the spiritual materials needed for refining Foundation Establishment pills, he would also search for them himself. As the saying went, two legs walking were always faster than one.

After all, he had to prepare enough materials for multiple attempts at once. No one could guarantee success on the first try.

His cooperation with Mirror Snow Pavilion could be said to be extremely close and solid, so he was very reassured by entrusting the matter to Gu Qingzhao.

“Right, I have another important piece of news I want to share with Fellow Daoist Qin.” Gu Qingzhao suddenly said.

When Qin Ming heard this, he grew alert. He knew she was about to reveal the latest developments from the upper reaches of the cultivation world.

“Please speak, Fellow Daoist Gu.”

“The current situation is this: the next round of competition between Spirit Feather Gate and Thunder Origin Sect has already begun. Right now, the three great clans among the Seven Great Powers, along with quite a number of third-rate powers, have completely thrown their lot in with Spirit Feather Gate.”

“What? Weren’t the Seven Great Powers the vassals of Thunder Origin Sect? How could they change sides at such a critical moment?” Qin Ming was astonished by the news.

Gu Qingzhao frowned slightly. “It has to do with Spirit Feather Gate’s newly advanced Core Formation cultivator, Yuwen Hong.”

“A cultivator with Heavenly Spirit Root forming his core is certainly no small matter. If my judgment is not mistaken, Yuwen Hong’s Core Formation quality and strength are far beyond those of ordinary cultivators of the same level.”

“I even heard that Yuwen Hong has already fought a battle with the long-established Core Formation ancestor of Thunder Origin Sect, and the result was a draw.”

“In the cultivation world of the State of Wei, among two hegemonic powers, there can only be one dominant master. Sooner or later, they will have to decide which is which.”

“Also, the Zhao clan among the Seven Great Powers has likewise chosen to side with Spirit Feather Gate.”

Qin Ming listened with great astonishment.

He had not expected the situation to develop in yet another unforeseen direction.

Once caught in the clash between Core Formation sects, small fry like them would be reduced to ashes in no time.

Fortunately, he had fled in time!

Gu Qingzhao continued, “There is another piece of news. After the ancient ruins in Cloud Wasteland Marsh were opened, the inheritance within was seized by the demonic cultivator Lin Zixiao.”

“And in a very short time, he broke through all at once to the late Foundation Establishment stage.”

“Not only did his cultivation advance by leaps and bounds, but his demonic arts are also incomparably formidable. Among Foundation Establishment cultivators, there are very few who can match him.”

“There are already faint signs of him becoming a great figure among demonic cultivators.”

“However... I heard that before Lin Zixiao broke through, he seemed to have been pursuing two Foundation Establishment elders from Spirit Feather Gate and Divine Farmer Sect.”

“Those two Foundation Establishment elders also died without a complete corpse in that battle.”

“Later, Lin Zixiao was likewise heavily injured and fell silent for quite some time. When he appeared again, he had already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage.”

When Qin Ming heard this, his face did not redden and his heartbeat did not quicken. He merely wore the expression of someone listening attentively, as though it had nothing to do with him.

Still, when he heard that Lin Zixiao had actually broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, he was genuinely a little surprised.

It seemed that the final black barrier Lin Zixiao opened in the medicinal garden within the ruins must have contained some extraordinarily powerful demonic inheritance.

After Qin Ming and Gu Qingzhao exchanged views for half a day and confirmed their future cooperation, Gu Qingzhao and Shopkeeper Liao took their leave.

...

Afterward, Qin Ming summoned Wu Jiang as well, and likewise instructed him to help search for some auxiliary materials needed to refine Foundation Establishment pills.

Because refining a Foundation Establishment pill required more than thirty kinds of auxiliary ingredients, and aside from a few rare ones, some of the others were interchangeable with materials used in other second-tier pills.

They might also appear on the market, so Qin Ming simply told Wu Jiang that if he found any, he should immediately send a message to notify him.

Wu Jiang took the list Qin Ming handed him, scratched his head, and still could not figure out why the other man was gathering all these medicinal materials.

Then he hurried off to work.

Next, Qin Ming took out the seedlings of Spirit-Gathering Tea and Purple-Gold Bamboo.

Following the key points recorded in the spiritual-plant manuals, he planted them one by one beneath the main peak, where the spiritual energy came from a mid-grade second-tier spirit vein.

Cultivating spiritual plants in such a place was doubly effective with half the effort.

This time, each kind of seedling numbered only a dozen or so. Seeds of second-tier spiritual plants were not only scarce, but also expensive.

These had been procured by Aunt Long of Mirror Snow Pavilion after much effort, having been transferred directly from a higher-level shop.

Still, it was enough.

Once the “Ripen” attribute refreshed, Qin Ming could expand these few dozen spiritual plants into a great expanse.

Finally, he released the Black Vine, his natal spiritual plant, which had been coiled around his arm, and found an open patch of ground to plant it there.

The Withered Blood Poison Vine seemed to sense the change in its surroundings.

With abundant spiritual energy now available, the vines danced through the air and gave a joyful response.

Then they took root in the spiritual soil and greedily began absorbing the spiritual energy of the vein.

Strands upon strands of botanical essence poured ceaselessly into Qin Ming’s body.

Qin Ming felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

A thought stirred in his mind: if he fed it the “Mother Qi of Ten Thousand Trees” he had obtained from the botanical illusion...

what kind of effect would that produce?

Without further delay, Qin Ming formed a hand seal, took out a wisp of Mother Qi of Ten Thousand Trees, and sent it toward the Black Vine.