Longevity: Start by refreshing your entries through farming.

Chapter 971 Nightmare Saint Ancestor
The port of Tiansha City, where flying magic ships and warships dock, is extremely large, with strict guards and formations surrounding it to monitor every ship entering and leaving.

"Senior Qin, we've arrived at Tiansha City." Fairy Qianmo and Elder Fengqi came to the deck and said to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming nodded, and then followed the people of the Wood Crystal Clan into this immortal city in the desert.

Outside the Immortal City, there are several layers of huge golden light curtains that cover the entire city, clearly a composite array of the seventh rank or higher.

Judging from Qin Ming's current mastery of array formations, it is at least a mid-grade seventh-rank protective array.

This alone means that without sufficient resources, it would be impossible to sustain the operation of the array.

This is enough to show that the "Heavenly Sand Master" is indeed extremely powerful, able to establish himself as a king and occupy a place in such a transportation hub.

The Nine Spirits Merchant Guild of the Wood Crystal Clan is renowned in the Spirit Realm, and thus has a branch in Tiansha City. They quickly passed the identity verification and entered the city.

But as soon as Qin Ming and Yun Gu Zi entered the city, the surveillance array above seemed to react, flashing alarm runes.

Just a few breaths later.

A streak of yellow light appeared from the city center, approaching them quickly. Its imposing presence was astonishing, causing all the cultivators in the city to tremble.

The light dissipated, revealing the figure of a middle-aged man in a yellow robe. His face was resolute, his demeanor extraordinary, and he possessed the majesty of someone who had long held a high position. He was a cultivator at the peak of the Void Refinement stage.

Amidst the extremely surprised gazes of everyone.

The man in the yellow robe walked up to Qin Ming and his companion, bowed to them, and said:

"Welcome to Tiansha City, two senior human beings. I am Huang Yingtian. My master was away on business not long ago and was unable to come. So, I will be the one to entertain you two seniors."

Seeing the Huang surname cultivator's attitude towards Qin Ming and his companion, everyone realized that for the deputy city lord of this major city to address him as a senior, he must be a legendary Nascent Soul cultivator.

For a moment, the cultivators coming and going in the city looked at Qin Ming and Yun Gu Zi with a sense of awe.

It's rare to see cultivators at the Integration Stage, but I never expected that two of them would arrive today.

"Fairy Qianmo, it's been a long time. It seems you know the two seniors." Huang Yingtian greeted Qin Ming and his companion, who had come with the Wood Crystal Clan's caravan.

His attitude toward the Wood Crystal Clan became extremely polite.

Fairy Qianmo replied, "Indeed, the two seniors are honored guests of my Wood Crystal Clan. We happened to meet on the road and came together."

Upon hearing this, Huang Yingtian felt a great weight lifted from his heart. After all, even a cultivator at the peak of the Void Refinement stage like himself couldn't handle a stranger entering the city.

If cultivators with ulterior motives are allowed into the city, even if Tian Sha Shangren returns, he will face serious consequences.

Then.

Huang Yingtian then led everyone along the main road into the inner city, where he had many local specialties from the vast desert prepared to entertain Qin Ming and the others.

As soon as the Devouring Rat heard about food, it quickly poked its head out and drooled as it looked at the dazzling array of spiritual food on the table.

Huang Yingtian introduced the dish to the group one by one: "Seniors, this delicacy is a unique specialty of our Tiansha City, 'Skewered Black-tailed Scorpions,' a sixth-order rare insect that is very beneficial to cultivation and has a very unique taste."

"This dish is 'Fire-Scaled Viper Soup.' It has a certain enhancement effect on cultivating fire-attribute techniques, and secondly, it has a great nourishing effect on that aspect! It should not be drunk in excess, otherwise it will easily cause excessive sexual desire."

Before he could finish his introduction, the Devouring Rat was already eating and drinking heartily, one hand holding a skewer of grilled meat and the other a large bowl.
Upon hearing Huang Yingtian's introduction, it froze on the spot and said:

"What did you say? I just drank ten bowls of snake soup!"

Besides.

Huang Yingtian also arranged for a fairy song and dance performance full of exotic charm to entertain everyone, which can be described as extremely high-level treatment.

After observing for a moment, Yun Gu Zi smiled and said to Qin Ming:

"Fellow Daoist Qin, this young man is quite shrewd and worldly-wise, quite different from his master, Venerable Tiansha."

"With him managing and taking care of things in Tiansha City, it saves a lot of trouble. No wonder this place has changed so much."

Qin Ming nodded secretly.

After a few rounds of drinks...

Fairy Qianmo said to Qin Ming, "Senior Qin, in a few days, Tiansha City will hold a large-scale auction. The items up for auction cover dozens of alien races in the surrounding area, including some rare treasures that are rare in the Spirit Realm. If you two are interested, you can also go and participate."

"Oh? I didn't expect to run into the legendary 'Han Hai Auction'? Then this old man must go and see it." Yun Gu Zi seemed quite interested in the auction in Tian Sha City.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, you might as well participate. Who knows, you might find what you're looking for at the auction. As a gathering place for many business routes, Tiansha City is quite rich in all kinds of dazzling treasures."

Qin Ming replied with interest, "Alright then, I'll stay for two more days."

……

……

the other side.

Not long after Qin Ming and his group left.

At the site where the Wood Crystal Clan caravan was attacked, a violent spatial fluctuation reverberated, and several demonic figures exuding a berserk aura emerged.

The leader was a tall man with blue skin, red hair, and dark gold demonic armor, exuding an extremely terrifying aura.

One of his demon generals stepped forward and reported, "Reporting to Lord Jiumoxing, the team responsible for providing backup disappeared here."

As he spoke, the demon general broke out in a cold sweat. Facing such a powerful figure from the Ancient Demon Realm, he could lose his life if he said the wrong thing.

Jiu Moxing's sinister gaze swept across the surrounding air for a moment, then he reached out and made a grasping motion with his five fingers, and countless black threads gathered in his palm.

Just moments later.

He said in an extremely cold tone, "A bunch of useless good-for-nothings who are good for nothing but ruining things. They have all been wiped out. They must not have acted according to my orders. Our plan must have been exposed."

"As the commander of the demon army, you are culpable and deserve to die!"

Having said that, Jiu Moxing merely glanced at the demon general who had reported, before being suddenly squeezed by an immense spiritual pressure.

The demon looked terrified and repeatedly begged for mercy, "Lord Demon Star, spare my life! Ahhh!"

But before he could finish speaking, he was crushed by an invisible force.

In an instant, a bloody and murderous aura filled the air, making people feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, sending chills down their spines.

After crushing a Void Refinement Demon to death, Jiu Moxing stared coldly in one direction and gave orders to his trusted subordinates:
"Go over there and investigate. I want to see who in the Nascent Soul stage made this move. I'll make sure they wish they were dead and throw them into the eternal hell to struggle for their lives." "Yes!" The demon generals bowed and replied.

Just as Jiu Moxing was about to set off, a blood-red communication talisman was urgently sent to him from the void.

Jiu Moxing stopped, casually opening a communication talisman to browse, but after only two glances, he revealed an expression of extreme shock:

"What?! The Succubus Star has returned to the Holy Realm, secretly advanced to the Saint Ancestor realm, and been given the title 'Nightmare Saint Ancestor.' She has summoned me back to pay my respects and observe the ceremony."

"How is it possible that she could advance to the Mahayana stage in such a short time?"

"It seems the Succubus Star must have had a great opportunity and good fortune during her time in the Spirit Realm! Damn it! She actually took this step before any of us!"

The demons around him, upon hearing this earth-shattering news from Jiu Moxing, also showed expressions of shock.

The birth of a Saint Ancestor-level being in the Ancient Demon Realm is a major event that could shake the entire realm.

Even these twelve demon stars at the top, without special fortune, might be trapped at the peak of the Integration Realm for their entire lives.

The Mahayana stage cannot be achieved through mere cultivation; one must also embrace the great destiny.

At this moment, Jiu Moxing's face was ashen, filled with jealousy and resentment.

Even so, under the summons of the Holy Ancestor of the Ancient Demon Realm, he dared not delay and immediately disappeared into this space with his subordinates.

The skies above the mountains, once filled with carnage, have returned to tranquility.
……

Several days later.

Inside Tiansha City.

Before the auction started, Qin Ming strolled alone through the streets of Tiansha City, idly wandering around.

Yun Gu Zi also parted ways with him, and the two went their separate ways to seek their own opportunities.

The streets, which extend in all directions, are bustling with people coming and going, creating a lively and prosperous atmosphere.

Various strange and unusual alien cultivators can be seen everywhere here, and most of them get along very well.

Many rare and exotic treasures from other races can be found everywhere in this immortal city, making it a veritable paradise.

This also allowed Qin Ming, a spiritual plant master who had long stayed in the spiritual herb garden and never left the house, to see things.

The Devouring Sky Rat, the Little Silver Fox, and Tian Ling'er, the three beasts, strolled around him, all looking quite interested.

Not long after.

The Devouring Rat was already carrying large and small bags, not forgetting its brother: "I'll bring some for Xiao Qing too, otherwise this guy won't gain any weight."

As Qin Ming was walking, a broker from the Immortal City approached him. The broker was a young man with a slightly immature appearance and a Foundation Establishment cultivation level.

There are many cultivators coming and going in Tiansha City, which has led to the emergence of many low-level cultivators who make a living by doing things like guiding people and running errands.

"Senior, would you like me to show you the way? I am a local expert and only need fifty spirit stones a day."

Qin Ming did not refuse and immediately nodded, saying, "Okay, if you do well, you will naturally be rewarded."

He originally didn't care about these low-level cultivators, but when he realized that the boy was actually a demon cultivator with a wisp of high-level snake blood flowing through his veins, he felt compassion for him.

"Thank you, senior! Please come with me." The rustic-looking boy was overjoyed when he saw that Qin Ming had agreed.

Meanwhile, the other competitors soliciting customers nearby looked on with envy.

"What incredible luck did Aliman have? He actually made a sale today, and not only that, he also managed to get involved with a powerful cultivator. He looks like he's at least at the Golden Core stage, right?"

"I think it's more than that. This person has an extraordinary demeanor; he must be at least at the Nascent Soul stage."

"It can't be that exaggerated, can it? I should have gone up and struck up a conversation first. Sigh! I've missed another huge opportunity!"

Amidst murmurs of discussion, the young man led Qin Ming to an alleyway by the street and wiped down a wooden carriage.

"Please get in the car, senior."

"May I ask how you should address me, senior? My name is Jiang Xiaoyu, but everyone calls me Aliman. Before entering the world of cultivation, I was a shepherd."

Qin Ming stepped onto the carriage. The carriage was open-air and quite spacious. The Devouring Sky Rat and the other beasts followed him onto the carriage.

"My surname is Qin, but judging from your appearance, you seem to be of demon race, right?"

When Qin Ming asked her this, Jiang Xiaoyu's sallow face froze for a moment, and she immediately replied, "Senior Qin has such keen insight. I didn't expect you to see through me so easily."

"I am indeed a demon, but I have never been able to awaken my bloodline. It is already difficult to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage. I can barely survive in the Immortal City and make ends meet, hehe!" Jiang Xiaoyu scratched his head and answered embarrassedly.

Qin Ming didn't ask any further questions and said to him, "Tell me about some things in the Vast Sea Sand Region, even strange and unusual stories. Take me to the place with the richest collection of books here."

Jiang Xiaoyu's bright eyes lit up, and she immediately and nimbly started the spirit horse carriage, introducing it to Qin Ming:
"The place with the most books in Tiansha City has to be the 'Earth Treasury Pavilion,' where the senior Tiansha Master collected all the ancient books he found from all over the vast desert region. It covers hundreds of thousands of years of history in the desert region and is a treasure trove."

"Senior Qin, don't be fooled by the yellow sands all around here. When it comes to opportunities, the depths of the Vast Sand Domain hold unparalleled wonders. The most talked-about story is that of our city's Senior Tiansha, who obtained a great opportunity deep within the sand domain, breaking through to the Integration Realm in one fell swoop and creating the extraordinary feat of establishing Tiansha City!"

"Besides, there are also extremely dangerous places in the Vast Sea Sand Domain. Even cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage risk death if they rashly venture in. It is listed as one of the major forbidden areas. That is the 'Stone Scale Temple' where the Snake-People clan lives. It is said that the leader of this clan is a great demon with the appearance of a celestial being. Any cultivator who is looked at by him will immediately turn into a stone statue and never recover. Even someone like the Heavenly Sand Man does not dare to provoke him easily."

"In the desert, every few hundred or thousand years, three major natural disasters occur, and if a caravan encounters one, its life is in danger."

"."

Jiang Xiaoyu rarely encountered a big customer like Qin Ming, so she immediately racked her brains and emptied her knowledge to introduce him to Qin Ming in a fluent and engaging manner.

Even the Sky-Eating Rat sitting in the back was completely stunned by what it heard.

After listening for a while, it suddenly interrupted and asked, "What you're saying, kid, isn't it all made up? Is it true or false?"

"And you still have a trace of serpent blood in you, could you be one of those snake-people?"

Upon hearing the words of the Devouring Rat, Jiang Xiaoyu immediately swore to the heavens, "Everything I have said has been passed down since ancient times in the Vast Sea Sand Region, and there is absolutely no falsehood in it! If you do not believe me, senior, you can easily find out by browsing through the Earth Treasury Pavilion later."

"However, what you say is true, senior. I do indeed have a trace of snake-human blood, but it is probably too diluted, so I was abandoned by my people. I have to rely on my own efforts since I was a child. I hope you don't mind."

The Devouring Rat waved its hand and said, "Sigh! Another pitiful person. We're all in the same boat. You can continue."

(End of this chapter)