Longevity: Start by refreshing your entries through farming.

Chapter 916 Secret Fight
Upon hearing this news, the disciples in the Spirit Herb Garden boarded the sect's spirit ship and set off for the sect's sacred land.

These outer disciples rarely have the opportunity to go to the inner sect unless they have other important matters to attend to.

After all, the Spirit Herb Garden was located in a remote area and was not valued by the Spirit Misty Sect. It was also extremely far from the main peak of the mountain gate.

The vast fleet of spirit ships traveled for most of the day before finally reaching the outer perimeter of the main peak.

Qin Ming found a quiet place to rest his eyes. He wasn't very interested in the three-faction conflict, but he thought it would be best if the Hanguang Cave Mountain Range fell into the hands of the Lingmiao Sect.

He would need to travel to Hanguangdong Mountain Range again in the future, which would also make things easier for him.

Meanwhile, his fellow disciples from the Spirit Herb Garden were all incredibly excited, discussing this magical duel that could change their fate.

Those who are able to join a powerful sect like Lingmiao Sect, even as outer disciples, possess cultivation talents that are among the best in the world.

It's impossible to say that he has no arrogance at all.

Some ambitious individuals, who endure hardship and cultivate diligently, secretly accumulate strength in the herb garden, waiting for the opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Qin Ming released his divine sense and casually swept over these sect spirit ships, even discovering that several disciples were not inner disciples.

Some even secretly concealed their true strength, making them even more powerful than the inner disciples.

Just as Qin Ming was calmly closing his eyes to rest,

The cultivator surnamed Huang, who was also in the spirit herb garden with him, approached with a smile, first bowing to Qin Ming, and then asked:

"Junior Brother Li, do you have absolutely no interest in this Three Sects Tournament?"

"This is the largest competition among the three major sects of our Tianyuan Domain, apart from the competition held once every thousand years. It's an unprecedented spectacle!"

"I heard that the sect has prepared a lot of top-level rewards for this. As long as you can win a small match in the competition, you can get various resource rewards, not to mention getting a good ranking."

"There is even a chance to enter the inner sect, or even be accepted as a personal disciple by an elder. It is also an important test for us new disciples who have been in the sect for a long time."

"Among the many rewards, it is said that even the Yin-Yang Returning to Emptiness Pill, which is used to break through to the Void Refinement stage, is included, not to mention the combat competition between Void Refinement stage cultivators."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming smiled slightly and said, "I also want to participate, but my cultivation level is too low, only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Going up there would only make me look foolish and bring ridicule to the sect, which would be counterproductive. So I'll just go and broaden my horizons this time."

“Junior Brother Li, you are mistaken. We, your fellow disciples, witnessed your performance in the Hanguang Cave Mountain Range. However, you should still be able to show some skill in a battle between cultivators in the early stages of the Nascent Soul realm,” the cultivator surnamed Huang said dismissively.

"Even winning just one match can yield elixirs to enhance your magical power, or even a higher-level inheritance technique from the sect. Junior Brother Li, don't miss this rare opportunity."

"We cultivators should be courageous and diligent, and not be timid at crucial moments! Not only will we waste opportunities, but we will also be unable to hold our heads high in the sect in the future."

"Does Junior Brother Li intend to spend his entire life as a spirit plant master in the spirit herb garden?"

The monk surnamed Huang still tried his best to persuade him.

In his view, Junior Brother Li must have some extraordinary abilities to be able to interact with Qinglu Peak disciples like Zhao Xuan and Lü Lu.

Otherwise, these arrogant geniuses would never bother to deal with them, the outer disciples, or even give them a second glance.

This is true not only within the Lingmiao Sect, but also in most other cultivation sects.

Qin Ming still did not intend to participate: "I will not participate this time. If I have the opportunity to break through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm in the future, I will go up and spar with the disciples of the other two sects."

The cultivator surnamed Huang: "."

Subsequently.

The cultivator surnamed Huang stopped trying to persuade them, and the two started talking about other topics. Before long, the sect's spirit ship arrived at the main peak of the Lingmiao Sect.

When they arrived, all sorts of colorful streaks of light outside the mountain gate converged toward the Lingmiao Sect like tassels.

Beside the white jade platform outside the main peak, large spirit ships and magic vessels of Taiyi Sect and Beast King Valley are moored, displaying an imposing presence and showcasing the foundation and prestige of a major sect.

Qin Ming stood on the deck and looked around, thinking that the people from the other two sects had also arrived at Lingmiao Sect.

There were many cultivators dressed as members of the Taiyi Sect and the Beast King Valley nearby, already moving among the crowd.

The disciples of the Spirit Medicine Garden were uniformly assigned to an area halfway up the main peak.

When they arrived, they found that the three Void Refinement Elders of Qinglu Peak were already waiting for them.

Qin Ming also saw Zhao Xuan and Lü Lu, both looking dashing and heroic, standing behind their respective masters, presumably also going to participate in the Three Sects Battle.

When the two saw Qin Ming arrive, they gave him a slight nod, as if to say hello.

The main reason is that they cannot easily meet alone in such a setting.

Another moment passed.

All the cultivators from the other halls of the Qinglu Peak lineage had also arrived.

On the plaza halfway up the mountain, thousands of outer sect cultivators from Qinglu Peak had gathered in a great commotion.

"Disciple greets Peak Master and two Elders!"

Qingluzi remained calm, nodded slightly, and after glancing around at the disciples present, began to speak.

"I presume you already knew the reason for summoning you here on your way here, so I will not say any more."

"If you can bring glory to my Qinglu Peak, I can make an exception and promote you to inner disciple, or even core disciple."

"Next, we will conduct a selection process within our Qinglu Peak area to determine the winners who will represent our sect in the battle."

"This is a tremendous opportunity. I have said all I have to say. I hope you will not disgrace the reputation of Qinglu Peak."

"."

Immediately following were speeches from Fairy Suxin and Elder Chen.

Qin Ming, standing in the crowd below, was getting drowsy and yawned.
If Qin Ming hadn't intervened to save them, those three elders of the Lingmiao Sect would probably be buried with grass three feet tall by now, reduced to demonic souls.

Soon, the three of them finished speaking.

They cleared a space in the center of the square and began selecting inner and outer disciples, since it was impossible to have so many people participate in the battle.

Because the rules for this three-sect battle have been changed, cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage and above can participate, thus the requirements have been greatly relaxed. Direct disciples like Zhao Xuan and Lü Lu, however, do not need to participate in the selection process and are automatically given a spot.

As the strongest among the younger generation of Qinglu Peak, it is only natural that they deserve this.

By chance, Zhao Xuan accidentally entered the Desolate Realm, and her cultivation broke through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul stage. Her master, Qing Luzi, also had high expectations for her.

After the selection process began, the plaza was divided into large and small areas, and spells of various colors danced wildly everywhere, dazzling the eyes.

These levels of magical abilities are now no different from fighting a child in Qin Ming's eyes.
When it was Qin Ming's turn to go on stage, he casually revealed a flaw and decisively conceded defeat and left the stage.

After all, he was hiding his identity and shouldn't show too much of himself.

When the cultivator surnamed Huang and Zhao Xuan saw Qin Ming's defeat, they could not hide their disappointment. It seemed that Qin Ming's true strength in their minds was quite different.

Lu Lu walked over and patted Qin Ming on the shoulder, comforting him, "Junior Brother Li, it's just a temporary setback, don't be discouraged."

Qin Ming smiled slightly and didn't say anything more.

"It is only natural that I, with my meager cultivation, would lose, and I don't care. On the contrary, I wish Senior Brother Lü good results in the Three Sects Conference and that he will become famous in the cultivation world."

"Haha! Then I'll accept Junior Brother Li's kind words!" Lu Lu replied with a smile, and then prepared to go and have a match.

It only took a few days.

The selection process for Qinglu Peak has concluded, and the group will then proceed to the main peak of Lingmiao Sect, the White Jade Platform, for a three-sect martial arts competition.

However, just before the martial arts tournament began, Qin Ming's previously listless expression suddenly changed as he noticed something unusual.

Above the main peak of the Lingmiao Sect.

Three figures with extremely concealed auras quietly appeared, all of them being powerful cultivators at the Integration Stage.

They were an elderly man in a silver robe, a middle-aged man in animal skin, and an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face, dressed simply.

The silver-robed elder had a unique cloud-shaped mark between his eyebrows, clearly indicating that he was the 'Northern Mausoleum Ancestor,' one of the three Nascent Soul stage elders of the Taiyi Sect.

The burly man in animal hides stood with his arms crossed, his eyes flashing like lightning; he was none other than the patriarch of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts, 'Patriarch Chequ'.

The last old man with an air of otherworldly wisdom was none other than Lingyuan Patriarch of the Lingmiao Sect.

Qin Ming gazed at them with a thoughtful expression.

These powerful figures, who stand at the pinnacle of the Tianyuan Domain, are gathered together at this moment, seemingly valuing the ownership of the Hanguang Cave Mountain Range highly.

Since he mastered the first level of the "Taiqing Yuandao Visualization Technique", his divine sense crystallized and underwent a transformation, becoming comparable to the late stage of the Integration Realm. The three people in front of him were only at the early stage of the Integration Realm, far surpassing him by several levels.

Therefore, even if they are early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, as long as Qin Ming does not want to show himself, they will not be able to detect or discover that he is secretly spying on them.

The three big shots don't seem to be on good terms right now. They're vying for the spiritual vein, so the upcoming duel is unlikely to be a simple matter of stopping short of a fight.

Lingyuan, the patriarch of the Lingmiao Sect, spoke first: "Right now, our human race is experiencing an unprecedented calamity. Yet our three major sects are preparing to wage a great war over a mere spiritual vein. There are still countless cultivators fighting bloody battles on the front lines. In my opinion, we should stop here and save our strength to fight against the demon race."

"Hmph! Fellow Daoist Lingyuan, I don't like hearing your words. You know better than anyone what kind of place Hanguang Cave Mountain Range is. Such an important place, I, Che Qu, will not give it away so easily. At our level of cultivation, why bother with so much right and wrong? If you are willing, you can withdraw from this competition among the three sects. Fellow Daoist Beilingzi and I would be more than happy to do so." Old Ancestor Che Qu of Ten Thousand Beasts Valley said with a sneer.

The Northern Ancestor of the Taiyi Sect smiled and said, "Fellow Dao is absolutely right. If the Lingmiao Sect is willing to give up, we have no objection."

"It's been many years since I last met Fellow Daoist Lingyuan. You're still as impressive as ever, and your cultivation has improved considerably. You're nothing like the rumors circulating outside."

"I need not worry about my condition. I can still cause trouble for tens of thousands of years without any problem. In that case, let's see how capable our disciples are." Ancestor Lingyuan didn't react much and said calmly.

He was just testing the waters. The Hanguang Cave Mountain Range had been infiltrated so deeply by the demons that there must be a great secret, but he didn't find it and hastily left.

Secondly, after the three sects explored this spiritual vein, they discovered many resource-rich areas containing numerous rare and precious materials, which would greatly help strengthen the foundation and power of any sect. Therefore, the other two sects were unwilling to give it up easily.

After listening to this, Qin Ming also realized it.

The fact that the three sects are now able to sit down and determine ownership based on the outcome of the martial arts tournament is already a very peaceful solution.

If it weren't for the great calamity raging among the alien races at this time, the three major sects would probably already be engaged in a bloody struggle, with rivers of blood flowing between them.

After a while.

The silver-haired elder of the Taiyi Sect, the Beiling Patriarch, suddenly suggested to the other two, "Since we're going to have a contest of magic, why don't we three old folks join in the fun?"

"What do you mean? Could it be that Fellow Daoist Beilingzi's 'Taiyi Guizhen Jue' has made further progress? I, Che Qu, would be willing to learn from you." Ancestor Che Qu raised an eyebrow, and his aura began to emanate.

Lingyuan Ancestor, standing to the side, was completely bewildered.
If those three combined ancestral masters were to really fight, they would definitely tear the Lingmiao Sect apart.
He was about to stop him when Bei Lingzi waved his hand and explained, "Fellow Daoist, please don't misunderstand. What I mean is to add some stakes. If any sect wins the dueling tournament, all the stakes will go to that fellow Daoist."

"Oh? That's quite interesting. What kind of spiritual item does Fellow Daoist Beiling intend to offer as a wager?" Ancestor Chequ concealed his aura and asked with great interest.

Lingyuan Ancestor also showed a smiling expression, seemingly not objecting.

next moment.

But then, the Old Ancestor of Beiling flipped his hand, and a flash of light appeared above his palm, revealing a milky white crystal the size of an egg. An extremely vast amount of Dao essence was contained within it, condensed into ice crystal patterns.

It also displays a deep, luminous glow of moon white, sky blue, and dark gold, intertwining and swirling like a nebula, which is quite mystical.
This was the first time Qin Ming had ever seen such a spiritual object; it was likely something that would greatly benefit the cultivation of a Nascent Soul stage expert.

"Seventh-Order Tribulation Reversal Jade!"

In the sky, when Ancestor Chequ and Ancestor Lingyuan saw this thing appear, their originally calm and composed faces couldn't help but show extreme surprise.

Especially after Elder Chequ repeatedly confirmed it, he looked up at Elder Beiling and asked:

"Fellow Daoist Beiling, are you kidding me? Are you sure you want to use this as a wager? Or are you eyeing what we two old folks have? Just say what you have."

The Old Ancestor of Beiling put away the crystal and said with a faint smile, "Indeed, I heard that Fellow Daoist Che had previously obtained a small bottle of 'Nether Spring Water', so I took out the 'Reversal Tribulation Jade' as a wager."

Upon hearing this, the old patriarch of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts paused for a moment, then immediately looked suspicious and said, "You old ghost from Beiling, so you've been waiting for me here all this time, haven't you?"

"Judging from your confidence, and your willingness to wager a spiritual item of the level of the Tribulation Reversal Jade, could it be that the injury of your swordsman has been healed?"

They are all ancient monsters who have lived for tens of thousands of years, so naturally they would not do anything without a purpose.

(End of this chapter)