Qinghe Immortal Clan.

"Floating Cloud Mountain Range", in the medicinal herb garden on the back mountain of Red Cloud Mountain.

A woman in white poured a few drops of spiritual liquid onto the roots of the spiritual herb in front of her, and then took out a low-grade spirit stone from her person and placed it in the spirit-gathering array next to her.

Just as the woman in white stood up, she noticed a person smiling at her from a short distance away. Startled, she quickly turned around, cupped her hands, and bowed to him.

"Chu Ling greets Senior Brother Tang!"

"Hey Junior Sister Chu Ling, there aren't any bad guys here, why are you so startled when you see me?"

Since being rescued by Song Qingming and following him from the "Northern Frontier" to Chiyun Mountain, Chu Ling has been here for more than ten years.

Although Song Qingming had stated beforehand that he would respect Chu Ling's choice, whether she stayed or left.

But having nowhere else to go, she had no choice but to follow the advice of Song Qingyu and the others and stay on the mountain for the time being.

Because of her talent for cultivating spiritual plants, she was assigned to help take care of the spiritual plants in the herb garden on the back mountain.

With the help of Tang Muyan and others over the years, Chu Ling has gradually gotten used to life in the human territory. She no longer needs to worry about becoming a blood sacrifice for the demon race like other members of her race.

Having lived a life of fear since childhood, she had instinctively developed a cautious personality, always afraid of offending others unintentionally and being punished.

Hearing Tang Muyan's reminder, Chu Ling, who was a little nervous, finally realized what was happening and quickly relaxed, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Senior Brother Tang, please don't be offended. I was just thinking about some things and that's why I didn't notice you coming in."

"Oh! Junior Sister, are you perhaps thinking about Foundation Establishment?"
Don't worry, Uncle Qingyu said long ago that as long as you cultivate to the ninth level of Qi Refining within ten years, he will give you a Foundation Establishment Pill.

With your dual spiritual roots, you have at least a 70% chance of successfully establishing your foundation as long as you take the Foundation Establishment Pill. There's no need to worry too much about it.

"Uh, Senior Brother, you misunderstood. I wasn't thinking about my Foundation Establishment just now. It was about that spiritual herb in the herb garden that you asked me to look after last time. It seems to have changed a bit since then."

"Spiritual herb, which spiritual herb are you referring to? Is it the one I asked you to look after when I was in seclusion?"

Upon hearing what Chu Ling said, Tang Muyan pondered for a moment, then asked another question with a hint of excitement on his face.

Upon hearing this, Chu Ling nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes! It's the spiritual herb that Senior Brother Tang asked me to take care of. It hadn't shown any signs of life before, but a few days ago a flower bud sprouted on its branches and leaves."

"What? Flower buds have really sprouted?"

After shouting excitedly, Tang Muyan hurriedly walked to the white magic array at the innermost part of the herb garden.

With practiced skill, Tang Muyan opened the outer concealment array and leaned forward to take a look.

On the largest branch of a small golden tree less than three feet tall in the "Spirit Gathering Array," a white dot had appeared.

Seeing this, Tang Muyan was overjoyed, and then turned to look at Chu Ling, who had followed him.

"Junior Sister Chu, tell me carefully, what kind of spiritual liquid did you use to water it while I was away for the past two weeks? Did you write it all down?"

"Don't worry, senior brother, I've remembered everything."

Having spent so many years in the "Spirit Herb Garden," Tang Muyan had always given the impression of being honest and steady. This was the first time Chu Ling had ever seen her senior brother suddenly become so excited, so she quickly took out the notes she had written on her person.

".."

Donghuang Kingdom, Yunlong Mountain in Nanzhou.

In a pavilion on the west side of the mountain, Song Qingming sat upright at a long table, while Zhou Daoping, who had just emerged from seclusion, sat not far away opposite him.

In front of the two, there were more than a dozen maids dressed in gorgeous palace attire, some playing musical instruments and others dancing gracefully.

When Song Qingming first came to Yunlong Mountain, he had already met Zhou Daoping and they had tasted wine together.

Just then, Zhou Daoping came out of seclusion and took the initiative to invite him to a banquet. Song Qingming, who happened to have nothing to do on the mountain, paid a visit and presented a congratulatory gift.

"I am deeply honored that Fellow Daoist Song has come to this banquet today. I would like to offer you another toast."

"It's a rare occasion for you, Fellow Daoist, to advance in your cultivation today. I've only come to share in the joy. You're too kind, Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

"Compared to you, fellow Daoist, who has advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage and become a great cultivator at the age of five hundred, my cultivation is truly insignificant. I have nothing to be proud of. I am somewhat ashamed to say this."

“We Nascent Soul cultivators live for thousands of years. Cultivation is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Fellow Daoist Zhou has only recently advanced to the Nascent Soul realm. He may very well have the opportunity to become a great cultivator in the future.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Daoping smiled slightly and nodded quickly, saying, "Fellow Daoist Song is right. The path of cultivation is full of unpredictable opportunities, and no one can know how far they can go on their path."

However, aside from his spiritual practice, Zhou was also a person who indulged in pleasure throughout his life.

I offer music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to my beloved; I seek a kindred spirit amidst towering mountains and flowing waters.

Even now that I have reached the Nascent Soul realm, I still cannot let go of these mundane things in my heart. In terms of Dao heart, I am far inferior to you, fellow Daoist.

I don't strive for any special opportunities in this life. Being able to hide away on Yunlong Mountain and spend a few days living the comfortable life I love is enough for me.

Although Song Qingming and Zhou Daoping were not very close, looking at the various landscape and figure paintings hanging all over the room, he could sense that the other party's love for them far exceeded that of ordinary people.

In the world of cultivation, most people who can cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage are people with firm Dao hearts who will not easily be tempted by worldly things and thus affect their cultivation.

Song Qingming also rarely saw Nascent Soul cultivators like Zhou Daoping who were so engrossed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

After Li Xuanyi left, Zhou Daoping had the opportunity to return to his own family to cultivate instead of staying in the Li family as a live-in son-in-law.

Having grown accustomed to his freedom in "Yunlong Mountain," he did not want to return to the Zhou family to compete with others for the Nascent Soul Spiritual Object, and ultimately chose to stay.

It was precisely Zhou Daoping's easygoing and unambitious nature that ultimately earned him the trust of the two elders of the Li family, who finally decided to support him in successfully forming his Nascent Soul.

"Among cultivators throughout history, there has never been a lack of those with firm Dao hearts, yet how many have been able to ascend and attain the Dao? This shows that the path of cultivation is by no means so simple."

Fellow Daoist Zhou, by cultivating according to your own nature, you might also be able to comprehend a path to enlightenment that belongs to you alone.

After hearing what Song Qingming said, Zhou Daoping remained silent for a moment before slowly nodding in response:
"Oh! Since I began my cultivation and entered the Dao, my elders have always criticized me for this. This is the first time I've heard such comments."

"It seems that Fellow Daoist Song's rapid advancement to the Great Cultivator realm truly demonstrates his unique insights into the path of cultivation. I, Zhou, have learned a great deal today!"

Having said that, Zhou Daoping raised his glass again and drank heartily with Song Qingming.

Just as the two were enjoying their wine and chatting, a figure suddenly walked in from outside the pavilion and quickly came to Song Qingming's side.

"Senior Song, Master has emerged from seclusion!"

"Oh! Fellow Daoist Zhou, I have some matters to attend to today. I will visit you another day!"

Looking at Li Siyun who had come to deliver the message, Song Qingming nodded slightly, got up, and took his leave.

After Song Qingming and the other person left, Zhou Daoping smiled and shook his head gently, then turned his gaze to the many maids not far away.

"Don't stop, keep playing!"

".."

As soon as Song Qingming returned to "Qingxuan Peak", not only was Li Xuanyi already waiting outside the cave, but there was also an old man with white hair, who was none other than Li Boying, the patriarch of the Li family.

Upon seeing Song Qingming arrive, Li Boying used his magic to conjure a long crimson ribbon that landed in Song Qingming's hand.

"I have lived up to your trust, fellow Daoist. Using the tendons and bones from that Demon Emperor's body, along with other materials, I have finally forged this Purple Flame Divine Fire Silk."

This item contains a wisp of Purple Mystic Divine Fire from the spiritual fires of heaven and earth; it is a powerful magical artifact capable of trapping and defeating enemies.

Looking at the purple long silk magic weapon handed to him by Li Boying, Song Qingming covered it with his divine sense and found that the item's grade had reached the fourth-level high-grade realm. A look of satisfaction immediately appeared on his face.

Previously, Song Qingming learned that Li Boying's weapon-refining skills had reached the fourth-grade upper level decades ago, so he handed over the materials from the "Cloud-Clearing Demon Emperor" to him, asking him to try to help refine a magic weapon.

Although Li Boying has been unable to continue crafting magical artifacts for others for many years due to his impending death.

However, when Song Qingming made his request, he nodded and accepted the monster materials from him.

With the help of Li Xuanyi and Li Mengliang, and after more than half a year of secluded refinement, he finally completed the crafting of this top-grade fourth-level magic weapon, which truly excited him.

Although the "Purple Flame Divine Fire Silk" crafted by Li Boying is not as powerful as the "Golden Palace Cloud Light Sword" on Song Qingming's body, it is still a powerful fourth-grade high-quality magic weapon.

It should be noted that apart from Song Qingming, there are only two other magic treasures in the entire "Floating Cloud Mountain Range" cultivation world that have reached the fourth-grade superior quality.

These are the "Golden Yue Sword" held by Wang Yan of the Wanling Sect and the "Canglang Ruler," the sect's treasure.

The difference in magical power between a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is enormous. Without the divine power of a high-grade fourth-level magic weapon, it is impossible to contend with them.

A Nascent Soul Level 6 cultivator like Wang Yan, possessing a Level 4 High-Grade Magic Treasure, is equivalent to half a Nascent Soul Level 3 Grand Cultivator.

When Zhao Wuling failed to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, the two magical treasures of the Starry Sky Sect and the Myriad Spirits Sect played an indispensable role in the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range" successfully repelling the attacks of the demon race and the Heavenly Sea Alliance.

It is precisely because these sects possess these two powerful Grade 4 superior magic treasures that the Starry Sky Sect and the Myriad Spirits Sect, even after losing their own late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, are still able to maintain a strong advantage over other Nascent Soul sects.

Even though he now possesses better magic weapons, Song Qingming was still extremely excited to obtain such a rare, high-grade fourth-level magic weapon.

In the future, when Song Qingyu or Li Xuanyi advance to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, this treasure will be given to them for refinement. Even if I am not in the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range" in the future, Crimson Cloud Mountain will not be afraid of other powerful enemies in the surrounding area.

"Senior Li's skills are truly superb. I thank you."

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Song is already family, so there's no need to be so polite with me."

"Besides, Yunlong Mountain has already earned a considerable amount of spirit stones from this large order. If you have any good high-grade materials in the future, please feel free to come to us."

Besides the "Purple Flame Divine Fire Silk," Song Qingming had also brought a lot of high-level demon beast materials with him, all of which he handed over to Li Mengliang for processing, resulting in more than twenty high-quality level three magic weapons.

The Li family also earned over 100,000 spirit stones, which was a considerable income for them.

Seeing Song Qingming happily put away the magic weapon in his hand, Li Boying nodded slightly and left "Qingxuan Peak" first.

Just as the two returned to their cave, Li Xuanyi suddenly took out a silver short sword from her person and asked Song Qingming with a happy expression:

"Husband, what do you think of the quality of this magical artifact?"

"Could this flying sword have been crafted by you?!"

Seeing the brand-new silver flying sword in the other person's hand, which also seemed to have just been forged, Song Qingming immediately looked up at Li Xuanyi beside him.

But the other party smiled and nodded, saying:
"I failed once with the materials from the Ancient Cloud Demon Emperor, and then I used the remaining materials to mix with some Geng metal to forge this sword."

Although its quality is not as good as that of my third great-uncle and Meng Liang's great-uncle, it is still a qualified low-grade fourth-level magic weapon.

"Oh! I didn't expect your weapon-refining skills to improve so quickly. It seems that in the future, when we have high-grade weapon-refining materials, we won't have to worry about finding someone to refine magic weapons."

Li Xuanyi comes from the Li family of Yunlong Mountain and has also inherited the family's weapon-refining skills.

Although her weapon-refining skills were not as good as Li Boying's and Li Mengliang's, she had already reached the third-level high-grade realm.

Upon returning to Yunlong Mountain, Li Xuanyi happened to have the level-four refining materials brought by Song Qingming. With the help of her two elders at home, Li Xuanyi's refining skills also successfully advanced to the lower level of level four.

Thinking of her weapon-refining skills, which would undoubtedly be of great help in "Red Cloud Mountain" in the future, Song Qingming was also happy for her and personally brewed a pot of spiritual tea to celebrate.

“Xuanyi, I’ve almost finished processing all the materials I have, so there’s nothing for me to do at Yunlong Mountain.”

I plan to bid farewell to Senior Li in a few days and then visit other nearby markets to see if I can buy some useful spiritual items.

If you'd like to spend more time with Senior Li and the others, you can stay on the mountain. I'll come pick you up from Yunlong Mountain after I'm done with my work there, how about that?"

Upon hearing that Song Qingming intended to leave alone, Li Xuanyi's expression changed slightly. She then nodded and said, "Yes! We've lived in Yunlong Mountain for over a year now; it's time to leave. Don't worry, my husband, I've already mentioned this to my third great-uncle, and he has no objections."

To be honest, even if you hadn't brought it up today, I would have told you anyway, so you wouldn't feel reluctant to leave if you stayed here too long.

"What are you saying? Yunlong Mountain isn't some kind of blessed land for immortals, so what do I have to be nostalgic about?"

“I heard that during the months I was in seclusion, my husband often went to enjoy wine and music with Fellow Daoist Zhou.”

".!"

Several days later, the location of the "Yunlong Mountain" gate.

Upon hearing that Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi were leaving, Li Mengliang personally led more than a dozen people to the mountain gate to see them off.

“Xuanyi, Uncle San unfortunately had to go down the mountain some time ago and we don’t know when he will be back. I think you should stop waiting for him.”

Being away from home is different from being at home, so don't neglect yourself in the future, and come back to visit often when you have time.

"Don't worry, Senior Li, I will take good care of Xuan Yi."

Although Li Xuanyi is a direct descendant of the Li family, she has not had many clansmen familiar with her on the mountain because she went to "Yuxuan Island" to cultivate since she was a child.

The people I miss most now are my two elders, Li Boying and Li Mengliang.

After waiting for a long time without seeing Li Boying arrive, Li Xuanyi could only nod silently and turn to board Song Qingming's "White Bone Flying Boat".

As a white streak of light gradually disappeared into the distance, Li Mengliang turned his gaze and discovered that a white-haired figure had suddenly appeared on the other side of the mountain.

Seeing this, Li Mengliang shook his head slightly, then turned and left.

".."

After leaving Yunlong Mountain, Song Qingming took Li Xuanyi on a long tour of Ningzhou, Yunzhou, Liangzhou and other places.

After nearly half a year, the two also participated in several trading conferences held by cultivators of the same level, and each acquired several spiritual items that were helpful to their cultivation.

Having already made considerable progress and having been away for quite some time, Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi decided to turn east and return to the cultivation world of the "Floating Cloud Mountains".

The two rode the "White Bone Flying Boat" eastward at breakneck speed, and soon crossed Liangzhou and entered the boundless "Illusory Sea Desert".

As traces of human cultivators' activities in the desert below dwindled, the demonic sand worms that roamed the desert began to appear more frequently near the flying boat.

However, even when facing Nascent Soul cultivators like Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi, and even when several Golden Core level giant sand worms attacked together, they were instantly cut down by the sword.

Several days after the two ventured deep into the "Illusory Sea Desert," Song Qingming, who was piloting the flying boat, suddenly heard a loud bang in the distance. Immediately afterward, his divine sense detected a dense spiritual energy suddenly appearing nearby.

"Husband, is there something over there?"

Before Song Qingming could turn around to check, Li Xuanyi, who was sitting in a corner of the flying boat, also sensed the strange aura and quickly stood up.

As soon as their gaze fell upon the northwest, a cloud of five-colored auspicious clouds suddenly rose, its multicolored light illuminating half the sky.

"Auspicious clouds appearing in the world, could it be that some treasure has appeared?"

Upon seeing this somewhat astonishing scene, Li Xuanyi's eyes widened, and she spoke with some surprise.

Song Qingming, standing to the side, also looked somewhat surprised.

"It seems that something has indeed appeared over there, but this Illusionary Sea Desert is full of demons and bandits, so it's hard to say whether there are really any treasures."

"Don't be hasty, let's go check the situation first!"

In the world of cultivation, when high-level spiritual objects appear or "ancient secret realms" descend, auspicious clouds often appear in the nearby sky.

However, being in the "Illusory Sea Desert," Song Qingming had heard stories more than once about the monsters and demonic cultivators in the vicinity manipulating mirages to lure and abduct low-level cultivators.

He didn't seem too agitated until he confirmed what was causing the distant scene.

The two traveled hundreds of miles northwest and soon arrived near a barren Gobi desert, getting closer and closer to the place shrouded in auspicious clouds.

Just as the flying boat was about to approach the auspicious cloud, Song Qingming, who was controlling the flying boat, suddenly noticed several golden figures flying out from below, opening their mouths and rushing straight at the flying boat.

Upon seeing this, Li Xuanyi, who was standing in front, immediately waved her hand and took out a silver flying sword.

As the sword light fell, the golden sandworms were cleaved into several pieces and fell from the sky.

"These sandworms seem to have been attracted by this thing as well, so it must be something good."

Just as Li Xuanyi's expression became somewhat excited, the flying boat crossed a valley, and soon a pool of water radiating golden spiritual light appeared before the two of them.

Besides Song Qingming and his companion, there were also twenty or thirty sandworms that had gathered from the vicinity, as well as other kinds of demonic beasts, surrounding the pool.

However, these demonic beasts were blocked by some kind of restriction, circling around the edge of the pool but unable to enter it.

Just as Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi landed, the demonic beasts also noticed them not far away and surrounded them, wanting to deal with the two human cultivators first.

Before they could even get close, several sword lights flew out from Song Qingming's hand, instantly killing more than a dozen low-level demonic beasts running in front.

The remaining sandworms and demonic beasts sensed the powerful aura emanating from Song Qingming and turned away, not daring to approach the two of them again.

Song Qingming didn't pay much attention to these low-level demonic beasts and sandworms, which were already weak, and brought Li Xuanyi to the edge of the pool.

"My lord, is there any danger in this restriction?"

"It doesn't look like a powerful restriction. Luckily we arrived in time. If those Golden Core demons had discovered us, the restrictions here probably wouldn't have been able to stop them."

With a quick glance at the barrier in front of him, Song Qingming lightly patted his storage bag at his waist, took out several golden array flags, and cast a spell to throw them around the pool.

In a short while, Song Qingming easily broke the restriction. Soon, the golden spiritual light above the pool slowly spread out, revealing a seven-colored lotus flower emitting golden light.

"This is... a seven-colored golden lotus! My God, there's such a wondrous creature here!"

Upon seeing the seven-colored lotus in front of her, Li Xuanyi immediately recognized it as a high-grade fourth-level spiritual herb, and her expression immediately showed a hint of shock.

But as Li Xuanyi stared in surprise at the magical object before her, Song Qingming, who was standing next to her, suddenly frowned and cast a spell to release his natal magic weapon, the "Five Elements Divine Light Mirror," to protect himself.

Before Li Xuanyi could react, Song Qingming swept her up and vanished from the spot.

The next moment, a white light suddenly shone in the middle of the pool, instantly enveloping Song Qingming and his companion who had just escaped hundreds of feet away.

A loud bang followed, making the ears of the two men tremble.

Even though the "Five Elements Divine Light Mirror" isolated most of the impact, Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi were still directly blasted away.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, a cyan spiritual light appeared and blocked the two behind him, allowing Song Qingming to stabilize himself and once again activate the jade tablet in his hand to disappear from the spot.

Only after the surrounding white light disappeared completely did Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi slowly rise from the white sand in the distance, and then flash into the air.

The colorful auspicious clouds in the surrounding sky had long since disappeared, and even the pool of water that the two had just discovered had vanished without a trace.

In the entire Gobi Desert, apart from a huge pit with a circumference of more than ten miles, there was nothing else to be seen.

".."

A hundred miles away from Song Qingming and his companion, in a cave beneath the desert, a man in purple robes stared at the two figures appearing in the realm he held in his hand, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"This is... how is this possible!"

Three exploding spirit beads—even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't withstand them head-on. How could they be completely unharmed?

Could it be that they possess some powerful amulet to ward off calamity?

Just as the purple-robed man looked puzzled, another person beside him asked, "Sect Leader, they've already fled southeast. Should we still give chase?"

"Forget it! Even the Exploding Spirit Orb couldn't hurt him. Even if we chase after him, we definitely won't be able to stop him."

This has likely alerted them, and it will be difficult to find such a good opportunity again in the future. Let's leave this matter at that for now and not think about it any further.

We have done our best today; I will handle the situation with the Grand Elder.

"I'll understand later!"

As soon as the man in the purple robe finished speaking, several people beside him immediately chimed in, and soon they disappeared without a trace at the cave entrance.

Hundreds of miles away, high in the sky.

Standing on the "White Bone Flying Boat," Song Qingming maintained full speed while keeping his divine sense covering a radius of a hundred miles around him, probing every move in the vicinity.

After traveling for tens of thousands of miles without finding anyone chasing them, Song Qingming relaxed his vigilance and slowed down the speed of the flying boat.

"Husband, who is setting this trap to lure us in? Could it be a demonic cultivator hiding nearby?"

"Their calculations were so accurate, knowing that we would happen to pass by this area. It was probably no coincidence. These guys must have planned this carefully."

If nothing unexpected happens, it's probably someone I have a grudge against who made the move.

"You mean, the Qingyang Holy Sect!"

"They are the only ones who would dare to plot against us and spare such a huge expense. They are the ones who have a grudge against us."

Over the years, I thought that with the Demon-Slaying Sect around, they wouldn't be able to openly take action, and at least we would have a hundred years of peace.

"I never expected that a sect ranked among the top ten would act so unscrupulously. They're all birds of a feather."

When Song Qingming was drawn to the pool by the auspicious clouds, he already had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

It wasn't until the restriction was broken that the "Azure Rhinoceros Jade Pendant" on his body suddenly reacted, and he immediately realized that the place was a trap prepared for him.

But this time the other side went all out, and even though Song Qingming had reacted in advance, he still couldn't escape the area covered by the explosion in time.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, the "Substitute Lotus" within their bodies blocked most of the attacks, allowing Song Qingming to escape safely with Li Xuanyi.

Thinking that he had almost been tricked and killed by the other party, Song Qingming also showed a bit of anger.

Although he couldn't be 100% certain who did it, the fact that they could plan so meticulously and spend so much money was astonishing.

Unsurprisingly, it was the "Qingyang Holy Sect" who had once been his mortal enemy.

The reason the other party set this trap is probably because of their relationship with the "Demon Slayer Sect," and they couldn't openly attack me, so they chose to do so in this desolate "Illusory Sea Desert."

Song Qingming couldn't quite figure out why those people had found him so accurately and meticulously set up such a trap.

However, now that things have come to this point, it seems unlikely that I would be willing to peacefully let the matter go.

Standing on the flying boat, Song Qingming's eyes also revealed a hint of coldness.

"I will remember this grudge for now, and I will make you pay for it in the future."

"."

(PS: Fellow cultivators, I don't need any explanation today, just one monthly pass will do! It's a pity about today's match, it was so close.) (End of Chapter)