Chapter 110: The Supreme Sect in Turmoil
Qu Yi Qiu deeply understood the vast gap between herself and the few towering peaks supported by mighty clans. Unhurriedly, she arranged a spirit-sealing formation and then moved on to the next cave.
The spirit fields cultivated on the gentle slopes were terraced, and the caves dug by the Golden Ghost King followed the same pattern, albeit with a much gentler incline than the spirit fields above. Ignoring the Golden Ghost King’s nearly jaw-dropping astonishment, Qu Yi Qiu took out heaps upon heaps of spirit stones, carefully placing a spirit-sealing formation and spring eye beneath each corresponding spirit field.
Half an hour passed, and the Golden Ghost King’s mouth was almost touching the ground, his expression rich and exaggerated. After Qu Yi Qiu had arranged all the spirit-sealing formations, she glanced at the comical figure before her and thought to herself that ghost cultivators, lacking physical bodies, were quite amusing—they could make expressions that ordinary people could never manage.
“Master… when did you…” The Golden Ghost King retracted his jaw from the ground, swallowing his greedy saliva in shock. “How did you manage to get so many spirit stones?”
Qu Yi Qiu had anticipated such a question. After all, even the treasury of the Ghost Cultivator’s Paradise didn’t hold this many spirit stones, and the wealth she had obtained in the Spring Rain Pavilion and Qu Nan City was completely unbeknownst to the Golden Ghost King.
She playfully rolled her eyes and said mysteriously, “If I can be your master, naturally I have extraordinary abilities. Just know that following me means you will never lack resources for cultivation.”
Since she had taken him as a subordinate, she must demonstrate her prowess to command his respect from the heart.
The Golden Ghost King was indeed intimidated by her words; his pupils constricted sharply, and from deep within, he began to fear Qu Yi Qiu’s strength.
Not missing the flicker of emotion in his eyes, Qu Yi Qiu smiled faintly and pulled a dusty storage bag from her bosom, tossing it to him.
“This is fertilizer made from centuries-old spirit herbs. Go add it to the soil, but don’t let anyone else on the gentle peak discover your presence.”
The Golden Ghost King accepted it with trembling reverence, hastily replying, “Y-yes, master, rest assured, I will proceed cautiously!”
Qu Yi Qiu nodded slightly without further words and swiftly returned to the surface.
The Golden Ghost King solemnly opened the storage bag; an intoxicating aroma burst forth, and dense spirit energy directly assaulted his face.
He gasped, “Master, this fertilizer must have been made from spirit herbs nearly a thousand years old! The freshness and the pure, sweet fragrance of the spirit spring—ordinary fertilizer could never compare!”
His heart stirred with overwhelming waves of emotion. Standing there dazed for a long while, he finally sighed with mixed relief and sorrow: “Master is more worthy of being king. I have ruled the Ghost Cultivator’s Paradise for so many years but have never amassed such wealth…”
His voice echoed faintly in the empty cave as gray mist swirled and drifted into the spirit fields above.
Qu Yi Qiu’s return was timely. Ao Qian had already cultivated all the wasteland above the mountainside into spirit fields.
From afar, Ao Qian spotted her and excitedly waved. “Benefactor, I’ve finished the task you assigned me. What’s next?”
Qu Yi Qiu lightly tapped her toe and quickly approached, taking the storage bag from her waist and handing it over. “After the fields are cultivated, you need to scatter this to enhance the rank of the fields.”
Without even looking, Ao Qian took it and confidently patted her chest. “Leave it to me, benefactor!”
Qu Yi Qiu smiled and nodded.
Ao Qian rushed to the new spirit fields and opened the bag, astonished. “Wow, such dense spirit energy!”
The contents of the storage bag given to Ao Qian differed from the Golden Ghost King’s. Hers contained upgraded Red Essence Soil mixed with finely ground rare flower-ginseng stones that benefited the growth of spirit plants. Spreading this on the spirit fields would rapidly elevate their grade and increase the survival rate of spirit plants.
Qu Yi Qiu estimated that with this material, the spirit fields on the gentle peak would at least reach fourth grade, and this was already a restrained estimate.
Mo Qing Li and Mu Yun Jin were advancing too quickly. If she continued to move slowly, she would only be left further behind.
...
At the Supreme Sage Sect, in the Soul Lantern Hall.
The hall master, who had been guarding the hall for many years, was dozing off. Having consumed too many supplements and advanced rapidly in cultivation, his body had grown pale and weak.
A disciple on duty at the sole entrance of the Soul Lantern Hall was patrolling back and forth when suddenly one person stopped abruptly.
The female disciple beside him glanced at him impatiently, unsure of what he was doing.
The disciple, trembling, stretched out his right hand and pointed toward the very top of the hall, his hand shaking like a sieve.
“The Sect Master… the Sect Master’s soul lantern has gone out!!!”
His trembling voice thundered through the hall.
The hall master snapped awake, blinking his cloudy eyes and turning to glare at the brilliantly lit hall.
His eyes cleared instantly, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
“The Sect Master’s soul lantern has actually gone out...!!!”
His already pale face turned even paler.
Before he could silence the disciples at the door, a clever disciple had already crouched and fled far away, spreading the news throughout the entire sect.
Chaos erupted within the Supreme Sage Sect.
...
While Ao Qian spread fertilizer across the mountainside region, Qu Yi Qiu found Zhou Chen and Mu Yun Jin and handed them storage bags filled with Red Essence Soil.
“Mix these into the spirit fields. I’m going back to sow seeds.”
Qu Yi Qiu surveyed their cultivated spirit fields with satisfaction.
Zhou Chen and Mu Yun Jin obeyed like disciplined soldiers, taking her words as absolute law without any hint of disobedience.
They responded earnestly and returned to the fields with the storage bags.
Qu Yi Qiu returned to the spirit fields where Ao Qian had already spread Red Essence Soil and sowed the fifth-grade Golden Jade Valley spirit seeds.
These seeds had been obtained from the treasury in Qu Nan City, but most marketplaces sold them. Apart from the high price, there was nothing particularly special, so Qu Yi Qiu was unconcerned about others discovering them.
Besides this, near the only bamboo forest, she created several artificial deep pools of various sizes, filling them with diluted spatial spirit spring water.
She named the area Bamboo Pool Grove, intending to raise spirit fish there.
Zhou Chen’s astonishment at the dense spirit energy radiating from the Red Essence Soil in the storage bag was invisible to Qu Yi Qiu.
After Ao Qian finished spreading Red Essence Soil on all the newly cultivated spirit fields, Qu Yi Qiu finished sowing the seeds.
Ao Qian stood with hands on her hips, radiating pure, bright smiles, boasting, “Benefactor, our merfolk’s rainwater is the best nourishment for spirit plants. You chose Ao Qian to help, and you truly picked the right merfolk!”
Qu Yi Qiu, having some knowledge of the merfolk, nodded in agreement. “Our spirit fields rely on Ao Qian.”
Ao Qian patted her chest confidently. “Leave it all to Ao Qian!”
While Ao Qian was making rain on the mountainside, Qu Yi Qiu went to the spirit fields cultivated by Zhou Chen and Mu Yun Jin and sowed seeds.
—End of side note—
As always, heartfelt thanks for everyone’s support~~~~~
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