Chapter 76: The Final Key

After the incident in the Spiritual Fields, the Lingyu Sect dispatched a great number of law enforcement disciples to investigate the matter. After all, the death of a Foundation Establishment elder was no small affair for the sect—it had even begun to affect the sect’s internal affairs. Even Qin Ming was summoned to the Hall of Law and interrogated several times in succession. Of course, like the other spiritual herb cultivators, he professed complete ignorance.

At such a sensitive moment, even the slightest disturbance could set the nerves of the Lingyu Sect on edge, for what they coveted was by no means trivial. The sect not only tightened its watch over Qingyang Market, but also increased patrols over the spiritual fields. Nearly every day, Qin Ming saw squads of cultivators standing guard in full readiness. He too remained tense for some time, deeply afraid that Lin Zixiao might return to cause him trouble. But more than a month passed without any sign or movement. Life gradually returned to normal for Qin Ming.

Half a year slipped by.

A strange atmosphere now pervaded Qingyang Market. Cultivators from various factions were everywhere, but the tense, drawn-sword confrontations of times past had disappeared. Qin Ming made his way to the seventh floor of Gathering Pavilion.

“It’s been a while—who would have thought that Fellow Daoist Qin has already broken through to late-stage Qi Refinement? Congratulations!” Gu Qingzhao smiled faintly, pouring him a cup of tea.

Qin Ming picked up the cup and took a sip, replying modestly, “My meager cultivation is nothing compared to yours, Fellow Daoist Gu.”

“Any new developments lately?”

At this question, Gu Qingzhao paused, her expression more solemn than ever before. “Based on the intelligence we’ve gathered, it seems that compared to the Grade Three spiritual vein, the real drama lies in the struggle for that ancient ruin.”

“There are increasing signs that this ruin is a place of inheritance left behind by a powerful figure from antiquity.”

“Whoever opens the ruin and obtains the inheritance within—well, their future achievements are unimaginable.”

“I suspect... even the Lei Yuan Sect can hardly restrain themselves much longer.”

Qin Ming frowned. “With things as they are, why hasn’t the Lei Yuan Sect sent anyone yet?”

“You might not know, Fellow Daoist Qin, but the reason all the major sects have yet to make a move is that a few final keys to open the ruin are still missing.”

“Without all the keys, no one can enter.”

“So for now, the surface may look calm, but powerful undercurrents are surging. Every faction is scheming in secret, searching for those last few keys.”

These so-called keys were, of course, the dragon-shaped tokens. Qin Ming nodded inwardly; surely, once all those tokens were gathered, it would mark the day when every faction would tear off their masks.

He, after all, knew the exact location of one of those tokens. Yet after the incident with Lin Zixiao, Qin Ming had realized that these dragon-shaped tokens seemed able to sense each other’s presence. He wondered whether, after Friend Feng’s death, that token had been picked up by someone else.

Beyond this, Lingyu Sect had quietly maneuvered in the shadows, with a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator of heavenly spiritual root secretly breaking through to the Golden Core stage—a fact even Gu Qingzhao seemed unaware of.

“Could it be that you, too, are interested in the inheritance within that ruin?” Gu Qingzhao allowed herself a rare, slight smile as she looked at Qin Ming.

Qin Ming waved his hand at the question. “I am of humble means and wouldn’t dare covet such fortune.”

“Heh, then what brings you here today? Is there anything you wish to trade?” Gu Qingzhao asked.

Unhurried, Qin Ming took out three bottles of pills from his storage bag and placed them on the table. Gu Qingzhao reached out with slender fingers, gently opening one of the jade bottles. At once, a strange fragrance wafted forth.

“These are Spirit Nourishing Pills!” Surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes, followed by a question. “Could it be... Fellow Daoist Qin, you’ve advanced to high-grade alchemist?”

Qin Ming simply nodded, neither confirming nor denying.

A glimmer of light appeared in Gu Qingzhao’s eyes. She quickly poured him another cup of spiritual tea and offered her congratulations. “Then let me congratulate you again, Fellow Daoist Qin!”

By displaying some of his strength this time, Qin Ming intended to demonstrate his own value. Only in this way could he hope to obtain more information from Gu Qingzhao in the future. As expected, her reaction was just as he had guessed, extending another olive branch to him.

After the transaction was complete, Qin Ming returned to his own courtyard.

...

Several more months passed.

Qin Ming harvested five [Accelerated Growth] entries from the spiritual herb field in his courtyard. He immediately used them to ripen five second-tier Divine Essence Fruits. Then, using two [Quality Enhancement] entries in succession, he elevated the ripened fruits to the highest grade.

In total, Qin Ming harvested eighteen top-grade Divine Essence Fruits this time, along with five [Soul Power Crystal] entries. Bear in mind, these were the fruits of second-tier spiritual plants. Such things would spark fierce competition among cultivators if offered elsewhere.

Qin Ming held the egg-sized Divine Essence Fruits in his hands, unable to hide his joy. He quickly sealed them in specially crafted jade boxes to preserve their spiritual potency.

“Come to think of it, after all this time, Su Yuqing should have broken through to Foundation Establishment by now, given her talent. Perhaps she’s even advanced to second-tier alchemy master.”

With a vague sense of nostalgia, Qin Ming entered his meditation chamber. He was ready to use the five [Soul Power Crystal] entries to further strengthen his spirit.

He sat cross-legged on a cushion. Yet, remembering the excruciating, soul-tearing agony that came with every strengthening of the spirit, he could not help but shudder. Nevertheless, for the sake of power, Qin Ming gritted his teeth.

“Here goes nothing!”

Calming his mind, he focused his will on the [Soul Power Crystal] entry.

Buzz—

A terrifying force exploded within his sea of consciousness. It was as if a great light had suddenly risen in the darkness of night, growing larger and brighter until it turned night into day, completely filling his mind.

Crack!

A brand-new power was born within his consciousness.

The power of Divine Sense!

This was a force one could only master upon breaking through to Foundation Establishment. Qin Ming’s spirit had already been enhanced to a terrifying degree, but now, the final barrier broke as easily as a sheet of paper.

After a wave of excruciating pain, clarity returned to his mind.

With a mere thought, an uncanny power flowed from his body, enveloping everything within a radius of dozens of yards with utter clarity. He could observe distant scenes or inspect the finest specks of dust—every movement within that range was under his control.

“So this is the power of Divine Sense?”

Elated, Qin Ming tried to move a table nearby with his mind, but it only shifted a little and felt rather heavy. He then targeted a book on the table and found it could easily be lifted and made to fly about the room at will.

“The feeling of manipulating objects with Divine Sense is truly wonderful.”

After the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, all of a sudden, darkness swam before his eyes and his face went pale. The book in the air thudded to the ground.

Panting, Qin Ming realized, “It seems even Divine Sense can’t be used to excess.”

Currently, the strength of his Divine Sense was about equal to that of an ordinary cultivator who had just entered Foundation Establishment. When fully extended, it could cover a radius of about sixty yards. Once possessed of Divine Sense, both daily cultivation and combat became vastly more convenient.

Riding this momentum, Qin Ming spent several days consuming the remaining four [Soul Power Crystal] entries. His spirit was further strengthened; the intensity of his Divine Sense now rivaled that of a peak early Foundation Establishment cultivator, able to cover several hundred yards when fully deployed.

Just as his cultivation ended and he prepared to leave seclusion, Qin Ming received a message talisman from Gu Qingzhao.

“Fellow Daoist Qin, the situation has changed!”

“Latest intelligence shows that all factions have now gathered nearly all the keys.”

“Only one remains.”