“Lord Li, did my third uncle get lost? It’s been so long, and he still hasn’t arrived! Could something have happened to my mother?”
Just as Li Mu was lost in thought, Xue'er, standing beside him, asked with a worried expression.
Hearing this, Li Mu was slightly startled and also felt very surprised. Logically, Senior Jin Ling was extremely concerned about Artifact Refining and Alchemy, and Bai Tianya was a seventh-tier fox Yao Beast, skilled in transformation techniques. Even if he infiltrated the Human Race Cultivator's Domain, he shouldn't have been discovered by other Advanced Cultivators.
If there were no accidents, he should have arrived earlier.
“Lord Li, can I go back to my clan to see?” Xue'er looked at Li Mu, pleading again.
Li Mu frowned and glanced in the direction of the Spiritual Field. If it weren't for his worry about the purple yang jade and Yin Soul Fruit, it wouldn't be difficult to send Xue'er to the Snow Fox Clan with the speed of a six-tier Earth Element Spirit Ship.
With the six-tier Earth Element Spirit Ship's speed of three hundred thousand li per day, a round trip to the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range - Snow Fox Clan - Holy Land would take about six or seven days if nothing unexpected happened.
The Fourth Order Spiritual Plants, purple yang jade, and Yin Soul Fruit seedlings had all entered their growth period. Their growth status was excellent, and they were no longer as delicate as before. Half a month or a month of care would be more than enough.
Soon, Li Mu made a decision and prepared to send Xue'er to the Snow Fox Clan.
The Snow Fox Clan was preparing to contact other Yao Races to collect Advanced Spiritual Materials and Spirit Medicine for refining Spirit Pills and Spirit Treasures. This trip might yield some good harvest. However, before setting off, Li Mu still had some things to do.
“Alright! But how about I send you home in a few days? I need to first take care of the Spiritual Field, set up a Spiritual Array, and go to Barren Ancient City to purchase some Spiritual Materials,” Li Mu asked Xue'er with a smile.
“Of course, Xue'er will stay obediently in the Valley and wait for Lord Li to return,” Xue'er replied happily.
“Alright! I’ll go get busy first. You should also prepare well. If your Cultivation can Breakthrough a Small Realm, it might give your mother a big surprise,” Li Mu said with a smile.
Hearing this, Xue'er's eyes lit up, and she excitedly said, “That’s right, Lord Li, I’m going to Cultivate! I feel like I’m about to Breakthrough!”
With a bright voice, Xue'er scurried towards the Cultivation room, full of energy, preparing to Breakthrough another Small Realm before returning to her clan.
Li Mu smiled faintly, flew down beside the Spiritual Field, performed the Qingfeng Huanyu Technique with his hand, conjured a faint Spiritual Rain, replenished some moisture for the purple yang jade and Yin Soul Fruit, then took out purple yang jade and taihua moon dew, using Spiritual Power to catalyze them, replenishing auxiliary growth Spiritual Materials for the two Spiritual Plants.
Weeding, pest control… Li Mu was like an old farmer, meticulously and efficiently taking care of the five hundred mu of Spiritual Field.
Of the two Fourth Order Spiritual Plants, the purple yang jade had grown two Spiritual Leaves, with uniform plants, mostly two inches high. The Yin Soul Fruit plants were sturdier, all around four inches. At this growth rate, they could be harvested in about 20 more Years.
After tending to the five hundred mu of Spiritual Field, Li Mu couldn't help but reveal a joyful smile. His figure flickered, appearing in the Cultivation room, and he entered the world of the Painting World Treasure Mansion, beginning to care for the Spiritual Plants within the Cave Heaven Spirit Treasure world.
Li Mu spent three days just tending to the Spiritual Plants. Afterwards, he summoned the Earth Element Spirit Ship, flew out of Yin Yang Valley, and headed towards Barren Ancient City.
Along the way, Li Mu constantly maintained an outward state. The Earth Element Spirit Ship was silent and swift as lightning. A journey of several thousand li was reached in the blink of an eye.
A hundred li from Barren Ancient City, just as it was about to arrive, the massive hull of the Earth Element Spirit Ship, which had broken through the clouds, suddenly paused, and then the hull rapidly shrank.
In a flash, the ship's body transformed into a palm-sized object, flew into Li Mu's palm, and was stored in his nine storage spiritual pearl.
Li Mu summoned a fifth-tier Metal Element Spirit Sword, rode his sword, and transformed into a golden rainbow, speeding towards Barren Ancient City - Floating Air Port.
At Barren Ancient City - Floating Air Port, various Spirit Ships, large and small, were constantly taking off and landing, bustling with activity. However, the standard large warships belonging to the Xuantian Sword Sect and Taiyi Sect, the two great Immortal Sects of the Central Plains Domain, were nowhere to be seen. For a time, the entire Floating Air Port's docking area immediately became less crowded.
It was completely different from what Li Mu had seen and heard last time.
Li Mu displayed his Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivation and, carrying the Advanced Guest Elder token from Wanbao Pavilion, entered the Floating Air Port without any hindrance, heading straight for Wanbao Pavilion.
All the staff of Wanbao Pavilion recognized Li Mu and stopped what they were doing.
Upon seeing Li Mu's figure, two young and beautiful maids immediately enthusiastically led him into the inner hall. Their gazes at Li Mu were incredibly fervent, wishing they could use all their charm to attract Master Li's attention.
“Miss Wang, you’ve left your shawl behind. Aren’t you taking it?” Li Mu picked up the blue shawl that had fallen by his hand and suddenly called out to Wang Lanting, motioning to her.
“Master Li, if you like it, it’s yours!” Wang Lanting quickly stopped her graceful departing figure, turned around, and looked at Li Mu fervently, saying boldly.
“Haha! Thank you for your kindness, Miss Wang, it smells quite fragrant!” Li Mu brought the shawl to his nose and sniffed it, saying with a half-smile.
Hearing this, Wang Lanting was overjoyed and was about to respond to Li Mu when a hurried sound of footsteps rapidly approached.
The next moment, Lin Baoqing's sturdy figure appeared at the doorway. He looked at Li Mu in the hall, then at the shawl in his hand, paused slightly, and then broke into a happy smile.
“Master Li, what brings you here today? I was just about to have Executive Chen make a trip to Yin Yang Valley!” Lin Baoqing asked enthusiastically, a brilliant smile plastered on his face.
Seeing that Manager Lin and Master Li had something to discuss, Wang Lanting gave Li Mu a hopeful smile, turned to leave, and didn't forget to close the door behind her.
Lin Baoqing quickly took out a Jade Tablet, injected Spiritual Power, and activated the soundproofing array in the inner hall to prevent eavesdropping.
Li Mu smiled slightly, casually putting the shawl aside, planning to ‘return’ it to Miss Wang later.
“Yes, I have something to do. I’m preparing to leave temporarily and specifically came to you to order a batch of Spiritual Materials. Bring out the inventory book!” Li Mu said to Lin Baoqing.
“Uh! May I ask how long Master Li plans to be out this time? Where are you going? Currently, the Xuantian Sword Sect, Taiyi Sect, and Nine Demon Sect are fighting fiercely, and the scale of this battle shows no signs of being contained. Master Li, would you like me to arrange for escorts to accompany you?” Lin Baoqing handed the prepared inventory book to Li Mu, asking with concern.
“I won’t go too far, I expect to be back in half a month. No need for trouble, no escorts needed!” Li Mu took the inventory book, replied with a smile, and focused on flipping through it, selecting Advanced Spiritual Materials.
“That’s good!”
Hearing this, Lin Baoqing couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Li Mu, this Six-Tier Grandmaster Refiner, was the treasure of Wanbao Pavilion. He was truly afraid that Master Li would go out and never return.
“Master Li, this battle between the Allied Army and the Nine Demon Sect will likely not stop anytime soon. The commissions for refining six-tier spirit treasures have increased significantly. Several Soul Transformation Seniors have even offered some rare Spiritual Materials as rewards, including the six-tier spiritual seeds you were looking for, and the six-tier Time Spiritual Materials you urgently need. Would you like to take a look first?” Lin Baoqing looked at Li Mu and suggested.
Last time, Wanbao Pavilion took on the commission for Li Mu to refine ten six-tier spirit treasures. He took the bulk of the profit, but Wanbao Pavilion also earned a good reward and the favor of ten Venerable Deity Transformation through this opportunity.
Lin Baoqing wished such profitable and easy transactions could happen every day.
Hearing this, Li Mu's heart stirred. His action of selecting Advanced Spiritual Materials didn't stop, and he simultaneously indicated, “Oh! What commissions are there? What rare Spiritual Materials? Quickly give me the list to see.”
Lin Baoqing was overjoyed and quickly offered a white Jade Slip with both hands.
Li Mu took the Jade Slip and immersed his Divine Sense to examine it, immediately being attracted by the rewards for the Artifact Refining commissions. This time, someone was actually willing to offer Advanced Spiritual Seeds and six-tier ten-thousand-year-old mushroom to commission the refining of a six-tier spirit treasure. This was a rare opportunity!
There were both six-tier and fifth-tier Spiritual Seeds, and the types and quantities were considerable. There were four types of six-tier Spiritual Seeds, totaling over five thousand, and eleven types of fifth-tier Spiritual Seeds, totaling over a hundred thousand. If he acquired this batch of Advanced Spiritual Seeds, he wouldn't have to painstakingly search for them everywhere in the future.
As for the six-tier Time Spirit Treasure - ten-thousand-year-old mushroom, the power of Time it contained could be used to heal the injuries of the six-tier spirit treasure - Time Luck Spirit Turtle, helping it recover sooner.
The Time Luck Spirit Turtle, a six-tier spirit treasure, not only had the ability to glimpse the future but also possessed a Time Domain. If a large amount of Time Power could be gathered and used to set up a Time Spiritual Domain, it would be crucial for helping the Azure Jade Ginseng King accelerate the recovery of its Divine Sense.
“Very good. Help me accept these few Artifact Refining commissions, and tell them to pay the deposit as soon as possible,” Li Mu urged, returning the recorded list Jade Slip to Lin Baoqing, fearing these few commissions might slip away.
“Okay! No problem!” Lin Baoqing took the list Jade Slip and readily agreed.
Thinking of the Azure Jade Ginseng, Li Mu took out the inventory book and looked at Lin Baoqing, asking with dissatisfaction, “This time, why are there only three thousand strands of mu yi essence? It’s been so long, is it that difficult to gather a hundred thousand strands?”
Hearing this, Lin Baoqing's expression turned bitter: “Master Li, although mu yi essence is only fifth-tier, it’s difficult to produce and is a crucial auxiliary Cultivation item for many Wood Element Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation Venerables. A hundred thousand strands of mu yi essence is too massive a quantity. Master, please give me a few more months, and I will do my best to gather it for you.”
“Three months!” Li Mu nodded, looking at Lin Baoqing.
“Okay!” Lin Baoqing agreed, bracing himself.
mu yi essence was essential for awakening the Azure Jade Ginseng King. Li Mu was eager to gather this item to awaken the Azure Jade Ginseng King and complete the Five Elements Spirit Beasts.
He wondered how Little Gold and Little Tile were doing!
The thought of the Five Elements Spirit Beasts flashed through Li Mu's mind. He sensed the Spirit Control Contract Seal, confirmed that their Divine Souls were fine, and continued to inventory Wanbao Pavilion's warehouse, filtering for Advanced Spiritual Materials.
After the Earth Element Spirit Ship was successfully refined, Li Mu next planned to refine a batch of six-tier Puppets for it. Unfortunately, after searching through the inventory book, Wanbao Pavilion's treasury had no six-tier Spiritual Wood, nor any six-tier Yao Beast bones.
A clever housewife cannot cook without rice. Li Mu could only lower his requirements and select fifth-tier Spiritual Materials to refine a batch of fifth-tier Battle Puppets.
… … … …
Li Mu emerged from Wanbao Pavilion three days later.
After leaving Wanbao Pavilion, Li Mu used the Spirit Fox Mask to change his appearance, transforming into the Alchemist - Master Ye, and then went to Return to Heaven Pavilion and Tianji Pavilion to try his luck.
Five days later, Li Mu piloted the Earth Element Spirit Ship back to Yin Yang Valley. After tending to the Spiritual Field and watering the purple yang jade and Yin Soul Valley with Spiritual Rain, he prepared to take Xue'er on a long journey.
However, just as they were about to depart, a familiar figure sped towards them, entering Li Mu's Sea of Consciousness.
“Xue'er, wait a moment. Senior Qing Wei is visiting. We’ll greet him, then depart!” Li Mu put away the Earth Element Spirit Ship and said to Xue'er.
Xue'er nodded obediently and quickly walked to the kitchen, starting to boil water to prepare Spirit Tea.
As Xue'er emerged from the kitchen carrying the tea tray, Qingwei Venerable's figure flew into the Spirit Valley and slowly landed in front of Li Mu.
“Master Li!”
Qingwei Venerable looked at Li Mu, his face slightly fatigued, with an undisguised sorrow.
“Senior, please take a seat!” Li Mu enthusiastically made an inviting gesture and asked curiously, “What’s wrong with you? Is Xuan Ling Senior not with you?”
“Alas! Xuan Ling was single-mindedly seeking revenge but fell into a trap set by the Nine Demon Sect and perished in this battle!” Qingwei Venerable looked at Li Mu and sighed deeply.
Hearing this news, Li Mu felt a huge shock to his mind. He never expected such a result; Senior Xuan Ling had actually perished.
“How could this be! Did the defensive Spirit Treasure I refined for Senior Xuan Ling have no effect?” Li Mu looked at Qingwei Venerable, asking in disbelief.
“He hated the Demon Cultivators of the Nine Demon Sect to death. Relying on the advantage of his Spirit Treasure, he killed several Nascent Divinity Demon Lords and slaughtered many Demon Cultivator True Monarchs. In the end, he was targeted by a Refining Void Demon Ancestor. The difference in strength was too great. I couldn't rescue him in time, alas!” Qingwei Venerable gave a bitter smile and explained again.
Hearing this, Li Mu was momentarily speechless. Indeed, a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Being too prominent can lead to Mortal danger!
Earlier, Executive Fang of Xuantian Sword Sect and Elder Hu of Taiyi Sect had shown an eager attitude to recruit him… this probably also contained immense killing intent.
No, he must quickly escape this vortex and the attention of the two great Sects.
The unusual reactions of Executive Fang and Elder Hu earlier probably meant that the battle with the Nine Demon Sect was not as simple as it seemed.
“Senior, what is the current situation of the battle? Is it very bad?” Li Mu looked at Qingwei Venerable, asking with concern.
Qingwei Venerable sighed again, looking at Li Mu, hesitating to speak, not knowing how to explain.
“Master Li, do you know about the Demon Abyss?”
Qingwei Venerable thought for a moment, looked at Li Mu, and asked with a heavy tone.
“I have never heard of it!” Li Mu was slightly startled, shaking his head.
Qingwei Venerable nodded and explained in detail: “This world of ours is called the Spirit Realm. Beyond the Spirit Realm, there are countless Main Worlds, Small Worlds… In ancient times, there was originally only one Great Barren World. However, due to a world-shattering war, the Great Barren World shattered, breaking into countless worlds, Outer Realm Small Worlds… Our Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain, Central Plains Domain, Endless North Sea, Western Mountain Cloud Marsh, Eastern Heavenly Ridge, together form the entire Spirit Realm….”
“The Spirit Realm borders the Upper Realm - Immortal Spirit Realm, and the Lower Realm - Demon Abyss. The Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain was originally peeled off from the Demon Abyss territory and has a deep connection with the Demon Abyss World. Within the Demon Abyss, there are Divine Demon Great Experts who can use the demonic creatures remaining from the Demon Abyss on this land. The Nine Demon Sect is probably plotting to restore the aisle and connect the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain with the Demon Abyss. In other words, the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain is very likely to face endless demonic creatures from the Demon Abyss!”
“However, the passage between the Upper Realm - Immortal Spirit Realm and this Realm has long been sealed. The path to ascension and seeking aid is cut off. This means that the people in this world need to fight against Divine Demons with Mortal bodies.”
“Is this possible? If we can’t win, where can we escape to?” Qingwei Venerable looked at Li Mu, his expression somewhat dejected.
Suddenly hearing such a shocking secret, and then recalling the future scenes he had glimpsed in the long river, Li Mu was stunned for a moment. (End of Chapter)
