Longevity: Start by refreshing your entries through farming.

Chapter 959 Advancement of Natal Spiritual Plant
The young man in the dragon-scale python robe couldn't help but show surprise when he heard the Xuan Shui Crocodile speak so highly of a human cultivator.

However, he still asked, "What are Fellow Daoist Xuan Shui's plans next?"

"As far as I know, besides the damned Emperor Chen, the one who tampered with the inter-domain teleportation array was also that old ghost Hu Yan, who was in charge of the command platform. Naturally, I will go and settle accounts with him, and also find out where Fairy Lan Bing is." Xuan Shui Crocodile said in a sinister tone.

His words were filled with murderous intent, clearly indicating that he held a grudge.

After hearing this, the handsome young man pondered for a moment and said, "I have heard some rumors from within my clan."

"It is said that on Nirvana Sacred Island, where the True Phoenix Clan is located, a clanswoman with the bloodline of the ancient Heavenly Phoenix has been found again. The purity of her bloodline is rare in hundreds of thousands of years, and she has been established as a saintess."

"What Fellow Daoist Xuan Shui said earlier, the time when that Fairy Lan Bing got separated from you matches perfectly. Could it be her?"

Upon hearing this, the Xuan Shui Crocodile frowned, its thick brows furrowing, and its vertical pupils suddenly contracted. It said calmly:

"Since this information was obtained from within your Dragon Clan, it is highly likely that Fairy Blue Ice once obtained an ancient True Phoenix inheritance, and that ancient True Phoenix was one of the Phoenix Clan's strongest members."

"It seems that I will have to make a trip to the True Phoenix Clan."

The young dragon smiled slightly and said, "Hehe! I know the location of 'Nirvana Sacred Island'. I've been free lately, so I'll go with Fellow Daoist Xuan Shui. It'll be a good way to relax."

Xuan Shui Crocodile raised an eyebrow and said, "I have already made it clear that I will not join the True Dragon Clan, so why do you insist on doing so?"

The young man in the dragon-scale robe didn't seem to mind and said with a smile, "It's alright. I just want to make friends with a powerful figure like Fellow Daoist Xuan Shui."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Shui Crocodile said no more, and once again shouldered the enormous black wolf-tooth club. The two figures blurred and disappeared into the bottom of the abyss.
……

……

Lingmiao Sect, within Cuixu Garden.

Qin Ming inquired about Xiao Xun's whereabouts from Elder Kui Mu of the Star Palace, but learned some news instead.

"So Fellow Daoist Qin is asking about Junior Nephew Xiao. That's quite unfortunate. She went out to train with Senior Xingchenzi and hasn't returned to the sect for hundreds of years. But since Fellow Daoist Qin has asked, I'll keep an eye on her for you. Once she returns to the palace, I'll have someone inform you."

"By the way, may I ask who Junior Nephew Xiao Xun is to Fellow Daoist Qin?"

Elder Kui Mu asked this question because Xiao Xun, with her talent and unparalleled beauty, was pursued by various geniuses within the Star Palace.

He also assumed that Qin Ming admired Xiao Xun, hence the question, and immediately became curious.

Qin Ming said calmly, "To be honest, Xiao Xun is my Daoist partner."

hum~
Upon hearing this, Elder Kui Mu's mind went blank for a moment.

The shocking revelation has left even this long-serving elder of the Star Palace struggling to process it.
"What? This?"

"Fellow Daoist Qin, are you telling the truth?"

Elder Kui Mu was stunned for a long time before revealing an extremely surprised expression: "No wonder Junior Nephew Xiao Xun has remained alone for so many years, rejecting the pursuit of many prodigies."

"So you already have someone you love!"

"Could it be that Fellow Daoist Qin is also an ascended cultivator?"

Qin Ming nodded, and then did not deny it. With his current strength and the high status of an ancestor, he was not intimidated even by the Star Palace.

Upon hearing this, Elder Kui Mu suddenly understood.

No wonder, only ascended cultivators possess such powerful supernatural abilities, capable of easily crushing cultivators of the same level at the Integration Stage.
But the thought that Xinggong could form a relationship with such a powerful cultivator made his mind start to wander again.

"Hahaha! No wonder! The Lingmiao Sect will have to interact more with the Star Palace in the future. Nephew Xiao Xun is so lucky to have a Daoist partner like Fellow Daoist Qin."

“She possesses the core inheritance of the Holy Land, yet she is only at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, while Fellow Daoist Qin is already at the Integration stage.”

Next, Elder Kui Mu told Qin Ming about everything he knew in great detail.

After hearing this, Qin Ming thought to himself, 'I didn't expect her to have already reached the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm?'

During the time Xiao Xun ascended to the Spirit Realm, her cultivation progress was already considered extremely fast.

Then.

He asked another question: "Where has Xingchenzi taken his disciples to train and seek opportunities?"

"Well, this matter is a secret of the Holy Land, but since it is Fellow Daoist Qin, I can still reveal a little bit. Senior Xing Chenzi and his disciples have gone to the 'Ten Thousand Spirits Realm'."

"I presume that Fellow Daoist Qin has also heard of the Myriad Spirits Realm."

"Is it the Realm of Ten Thousand Spirits again?" Qin Ming nodded slightly.

After a brief exchange, Qin Ming had Zhao Xuan see Elder Kui Mu off.

……

The Lingmiao Sect was bustling with activity for more than half a year.

Qin Ming's situation has calmed down. He took some time to return to the main peak and prepare to summon the nine peak masters to explain some things.

As soon as he arrived at the White Jade Square, he discovered that the Devouring Rat's belly was round and bulging like a ball from eating.

Beside it, bone fragments were piled up like a small mountain.

Qin Ming glanced at it and saw that it had eaten forty or fifty cows, twenty or thirty demon pigs, and countless spiritual melons and fruits.

But the Devouring Rat looked listless, lying on the ground contemplating its life.

Qin Ming immediately went over and asked it, "Devouring Rat, is something on your mind? Why are you eating so little?"

Upon seeing Qin Ming, the Devouring Rat quickly scrambled to its feet, let out a burp, and said, "Hehehe, I'd barely managed to eat half full."

"I was just thinking about the second brother and Fairy Blue Ice. They've become so successful now. I wonder how they're doing in the Ancient Demon Realm."

"Don't worry, both of them have had good fortune, and they might have already achieved fusion." Old Demon Qingyang stroked his beard and said, then glanced at the Devouring Sky Rat. "On the contrary, you need to work harder."

The Devouring Rat was quite unconvinced: "How is that possible? I'm only one step away from the late stage of the sixth rank, and those two are cultivating faster than me?"

Qingyang the Old Demon simply smiled, unimpressed.

Qin Ming took the Devouring Sky Rat with him and transformed into a streak of light, landing inside the sect's main hall.

At this moment, countless disciples of the Lingmiao Sect were already waiting here, bowing in unison:

"Welcome, Venerable Ancestor!!"

Qingluzi and the other peak masters also formed two rows in front of the hall and bowed deeply to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming, dressed in a green robe, floated down from the sky and sat on the throne at the head of the table.

He glanced at it briefly, then asked Qingluzi in a calm tone:
"Where is Peak Master Luo of Sword Peak? Has he not yet emerged from seclusion?" Upon hearing this, Qing Luzi hurriedly stepped forward to report, his tone somewhat heavy, "Reporting to the Ancestor, Peak Master Luo failed in his attempt to break through to the Integration Stage. Some time ago, he passed away peacefully in his cave."

Qin Ming frowned upon hearing this. He hadn't been in the Lingmiao Sect for long, so he naturally knew that this Peak Master Luo was exceptionally talented and had unparalleled swordsmanship.

This person had been steadily accumulating opportunities, hoping to attain the Dao and merge with the body, but was forced by circumstances to hastily attempt to break through the realm, and ultimately fell before this insurmountable barrier.

It is conceivable that not everyone can achieve the fusion stage. Even those with exceptional talent will find it difficult to reach it without a bit of luck.

Qin Ming immediately waved his hand and ordered, "Peak Master Luo made great contributions to saving the sect. Order people to set up a memorial tablet in the sect's ancestral hall so that future generations will remember him and make proper arrangements for his descendants."

"Yes! We will obey the Ancestor's decree!" The remaining eight peak masters hurriedly bowed and accepted the order.

Afterwards, Qin Ming arranged some matters concerning the sect, and as for the new Sword Peak Master, he left it to his subordinates to decide.

"The demon army suffered a great loss in our sect and may seek revenge in the future. Have all the disciples outside withdraw. As for the human race's upper echelons, I will explain myself."

"I have already sent Taiyi Sect and Beast King Valley to handle the dirty and hard work, as well as the task of fighting the demons on the front lines. If they dare to play any tricks, you can report to me at any time."

Qin Ming thought for a moment and said, "The fact that even a big figure like Li Moxing from the Demon Clan has fallen at his hands must have caused quite a stir."

Not only that, but the battle situation on the front lines was also greatly affected.

With the deaths of the three old demons, the demon race immediately lost its backbone, and its previously unstoppable momentum of pressing forward came to a standstill.

Qingluzi and the others below were thrilled. When had their Lingmiao Sect ever been so domineering and powerful?

Even when the Spirit Origin Ancestor was in power, he could not reach such a height.

A few days ago, they saw that the Northern Ancestor of Taiyi Sect and the Chequ Ancestor of Beast King Valley had changed their previous attitudes and personally visited them with generous gifts to apologize.

They knew that from now on, their Lingmiao Sect would no longer be the bottom-ranked Integration Sect it once was.

After giving instructions to the sect, Qin Ming rewarded the disciples according to their merits before gracefully departing.
……

Back at Cuixu Garden.

Qin Ming then began to process the demon corpses, which were extremely rare fertilizers.

After searching through the remains of Li Moxing, Ren Shui Laozu, and others, he obtained three storage rings, which were filled with the belongings of these three Nascent Soul stage old demons.

Of course, these old devils were all cunning, and they didn't carry all their secrets with them; each of them had multiple escape routes.

Even so, Qin Ming still gained a considerable amount of resources during the Integration Stage, making a fortune.

With the addition of Lingyuan Ancestor's wealth, Qin Ming could smoothly transition to the mid-to-late stages of the Integration Realm.

Most importantly, it allowed Qin Ming to obtain a peak-level Fusion Soul Bead, a mid-level Fusion Soul Bead, and an early-level Fusion Soul Bead.

These soul beads are closely related to one's cultivation, enabling the natal spirit plant, the Black Vine, to grow and advance, making them excellent fertilizer.

The moment Qin Ming obtained the Fusion-level Soul Bead, his natal spiritual plant, which had taken root in the Desolate Realm, immediately emitted a burst of excitement.

He wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he separated the remaining three demon kings' corpses and buried the corpses of the Ren Shui Ancestor and the Golden Ring Demon under the Xuanhuang Myriad Qi Blood Mother Vine as fertilizer.

If this ancient and exotic plant can grow again, it will be able to produce more blood vines for itself in the future.

Qin Ming buried the remains of the Demon Star beneath the Brahma Sacred Tree.

In an instant.

Under the witness of Qin Ming and his servants, the pitch-black demonic jujube tree seemed to have encountered some extremely rare food. Its gnarled roots plunged into the corpse of the Demon Star and frantically absorbed nutrients.

Several days later.

The demonic light on the Brahma Tree surged, manifesting all sorts of strange demonic phenomena, and the entire spiritual plant grew more than several feet taller.

The trunk of the demon tree was covered with many mysterious Brahma Saint Demonic Runes, and it suddenly advanced to the middle level of the seventh rank!
And among the branches filled with demonic energy, dozens of jet-black flower buds have sprouted.

Two golden entries then came into Qin Ming's view:

【Name】：Sacred Tree of Brahma 【Status】：Combined Mana x5 (Maturity 2%)
[Name]: Brahma Sacred Tree [Entry]: True Demonic Energy x5 (Maturity 2%)
"It actually refreshed five strands of true demonic energy at once. It truly lives up to its reputation as a seventh-tier Brahma Demon Sacred Tree."

Qin Ming looked at the pitch-black demon tree that was frantically absorbing the essence of the demonic remains, and a gratified smile appeared on his face.

As for the Xuanhuang Myriad Qi Blood Mother Vine, nourished by the remains of the two combined demon clan leaders, Qin Ming no longer needed to find fertilizer for it for a short period of time.

All you need to do is have Tian Ling'er and the little silver fox take care of it from time to time.

Having done all this, Qin Ming had a thought and arrived inside the Desolate Realm.

The natives of the desolate realm continued to worship the towering black vine day and night, without interruption, just as always.

The black vines are already laden with Dao fruits formed from the power of incense and prayers.

These incense and Dao fruits are very useful, but even with Qin Ming's current Nascent Soul stage cultivation, he cannot maximize their utilization.

It seems rather wasteful to use it only to accelerate the growth of that tree of emotions and desires.

After all, incense and prayers are something that even the holy races of the demon realm at the Mahayana stage covet.

Qin Ming silently approached his natal spiritual plant, the Yanfu Immortal Vine, gently stroked its dark trunk, and said with some emotion:
"Old friend, we've come all this way since Qingyang Market. Before we knew it, we'd walked hand in hand to this point."

"I don't know what kind of future we'll be in."

"But right now we must seize every minute."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire black vine emitted a layer of dark black light, as if responding to Qin Ming, exuding an aura of vicissitudes of time.

Qin Ming smiled faintly and fed all three Fusion-level Soul Beads to his natal spirit plant, the Black Vine.

The jet-black vines danced like tentacles, and in the blink of an eye, they wrapped around the three soul beads that were emitting astonishing fluctuations, frantically absorbing their essence.

hum!
A massive wave suddenly reverberated throughout the heavens and earth, gradually sweeping across the entire desolate realm!
Under the astonished gaze of the native inhabitants of the desolate realm.

The immortal vine they worshipped suddenly burst forth with countless gold and silver runes, and the aura of the entire spiritual plant began to surge wildly.

boom!
Suddenly, new branches sprouted from the black vines, and many mysterious spiritual patterns appeared on the branches.

The gold and silver runes transformed into emerald green runes, emanating a profound aura that transcended the laws of this world.

It's gradually starting to influence the rules within the desolate realm!
at the same time.

Deep within the abyss of the mountain range bordering the Barbarian Bone Clan and the Fiend Clan, at the sealed site of the ancient Great Witch and the Ancient Demon, some ancient being seemed to have been awakened by this commotion, uttering a hoarse voice filled with doubt and uncertainty:
"To be able to so easily alter the laws of nature of a world... could it be..."

As the words fell, a distant memory seemed to be stirred up.

(End of this chapter)