**Chapter 55: Return to the Fields**

After Qin Ming left. 

Four black-robed cultivators landed at the spot where Qin Ming and Jiang Kun had fought. 

"Damn it! Someone snatched our prey!" 

"That guy was a fat target. We worked so hard to injure him." 

"Should we chase after them?" 

"No time. The Spirit Feather Sect's reinforcements are almost here. Let's retreat for now." 

"Damn it! If I ever find out who stole my kill, they're dead!" 

As the four discussed, a flying vessel from the Spirit Feather Sect approached rapidly in the distance. 

"Not good! Let's go!" 

An elder aboard the vessel frowned as he watched the four flee. When he arrived and saw the ashes of a burned corpse on the ground, his face turned pale with shock. 

He immediately abandoned the vessel and chased after the four. 

… 

After taking a detour that added over an hour to his journey, Qin Ming stealthily returned to Green Sun Market through a series of twists and turns. 

Back at Cool Breeze Abode, the tension in his heart finally eased. 

Phew~ 

Qin Ming exhaled deeply. 

But a hint of excitement lingered on his face. 

Killing Jiang Kun, that bastard, had finally brought him peace. 

He entered the meditation room. 

And began to inventory his spoils. 

The most coveted item in Jiang Kun's storage pouch was the exceptional-grade magic sword. 

Qin Ming held it in his hand for a moment, then easily erased Jiang Kun's residual magical imprint using his powerful spiritual sense. 

This exceptional-grade sword was called the 'Azure Void Sword.' 

After a brief refinement process, it became entirely his own. 

However, when Qin Ming attempted to activate it with his magical energy, he was shocked to discover that wielding this sword required an immense amount of power. 

Even with his Qi Refinement Stage Five cultivation, which gave him double the magical energy of others at his level, he could barely maintain control for half an incense stick's time. 

He would need to reach the later stages of Qi Refinement to fully utilize it. 

In the storage pouch, there was also a top-tier sword technique manual, the *Azure Void Sword Manual*, consisting of six layers that could be practiced up to the late Foundation Establishment stage. 

The first three layers corresponded to the Qi Refinement stage, while the latter three were for Foundation Establishment. 

Having personally experienced the might of this sword technique, Qin Ming knew its power all too well. 

A single Azure Void Sword Qi could pierce through his Glazed Treasure Armor and his reinforced body. 

He set aside the Azure Void Sword and the manual, continuing to examine the contents of Jiang Kun's storage pouch. 

There were fifty mid-grade spirit stones and over three thousand low-grade spirit stones. 

In total, this amounted to the equivalent of over eight thousand low-grade spirit stones. 

To his surprise, there was also a Marrow Cleansing Pill, a breakthrough pill for the late Qi Refinement stage. It was the same one Jiang Kun had intended to use to bribe him at Treasure Pavilion. 

After going full circle, it had returned to Qin Ming's hands. 

There were also some healing and detoxification pills, as well as pills to enhance magical energy. The rest consisted of spiritual materials and talismans. 

At the very bottom of the storage pouch lay a golden talisman, its spiritual energy faded and its surface dull. 

When Qin Ming picked it up for closer inspection, he broke into a cold sweat. 

"It's a Talisman Treasure!" 

Talisman Treasures were crafted by Foundation Establishment cultivators or higher and could be used multiple times, releasing spells equivalent to a full-power strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. 

However, upon examining this Talisman Treasure, Qin Ming found that its spiritual essence was completely depleted.

It seemed Jiang Kun had used it several times already, rendering it useless. 

Qin Ming felt a wave of relief. Had Jiang Kun not exhausted this Talisman Treasure while being chased by those bandits, the outcome might have been very different. 

It served as a stark reminder: robbing and killing always carried immense risks. 

Farming was much safer. 

But if he hadn't encountered Jiang Kun in such a weakened state, Qin Ming wouldn't have dared to act rashly. 

Missing such an opportunity might mean waiting a long time for another. 

All in all, the harvest was bountiful. 

For now, Qin Ming couldn't openly use Jiang Kun's items in Green Sun Market. He would have to wait until he grew stronger and left the Spirit Feather Sect. 

Or perhaps, he could find a black market to discreetly sell them off. 

Qin Ming packed up his belongings. 

Clearing his mind, he entered the meditation room, took some pills, and began his cultivation. 

The next day. 

Qin Ming rose early. 

After a night of cultivation, he felt refreshed and full of vitality. 

He walked over to the corner of the courtyard to check on the Witherblood Poison Vine. 

Despite the passage of time, the three purple demonic flowers remained unchanged. 

[Name]Witherblood Poison Vine [Entry]: Time-Space Leaf x5 (Maturity 1%) 

Qin Ming retrieved the blood pearl left behind after Jiang Kun's death and tossed it toward the vine. 

Instantly, the black withered vine pounced on it like a starving wolf, swiftly enveloping and absorbing its essence. 

The black vines visibly thickened. 

Gradually, the three purple demonic flower buds began to open slightly. 

Qin Ming observed closely and noticed a change in their entry. 

[Name]Witherblood Poison Vine [Entry]: Time-Space Leaf x5 (Maturity 15%) 

Absorbing that single blood pearl had significantly increased the maturity of the purple demonic flowers. 

"The essence blood and soul of a peak Qi Refinement cultivator truly accelerates its growth." 

Qin Ming stroked his chin thoughtfully. 

Then, he retrieved the nest of Four-Winged Frost Bees from his Spirit Beast Bag and hung it directly on the black withered vine. 

Once the flowers bloomed, these bees would pollinate them. 

With that done. 

Qin Ming headed toward his spirit field. 

It had been several days since he last tended to it, and he was somewhat concerned. 

Arriving at the field, he looked at the thriving spiritual plants and smiled like a farmer. 

The three acres of Golden Spirit Rice had grown halfway, lush and green. 

Two golden entries caught his eye: 

[Name]Golden Spirit Rice [Entry]: Weak Magical Energy (Maturity 48%) 

[Name]Golden Spirit Rice [Entry]: Quality Enhancement (Maturity 43%) 

After tending to the Golden Spirit Rice fields, Qin Ming moved to the three acres of Beast Tooth Rice fields. The rice ears were heavy with grain, awaiting harvest by the end of the year. 

In the two-acre medicinal herb field. 

Twelve Demon Flame Grasses and eleven Seven-Leaf Skullcaps were growing vigorously. 

Because of the presence of Beast Tooth Rice and high-grade spiritual plants, the Spirit Feather Sect's field supervisor Du Haifu and the records officer from the duty hall frequently inspected the area with their teams. 

Unless attacked by bandits on the level of those who raided Elder Zhuang Xiran's medicinal garden, the fields were relatively safe. 

Qin Ming spent half a day casting the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique. 

A gentle rain of spiritual energy fell upon all the crops, causing their growth to flourish even more. 

Even the three acres of Beast Tooth Rice showed signs of improving in quality. 

And this was without Qin Ming using the [Quality Enhancement]entry even once. 

"Could it be? Supreme-grade Beast Tooth Rice?" 

After spending the entire day working in the fields, Qin Ming returned to Green Sun Market. 

At the beginning of the evening hour. 

Qin Ming cooked a pot of Supreme Blood Locust Rice, ate it, and entered his daily cultivation state. 

He was currently practicing the *Hundred Treasures Glazed Sutra* and was just a step away from reaching the seventh layer. 

However, he still needed to accumulate more blood and qi energy. 

Two days later. 

News of the bandit gang's brazen raid on the Spirit Feather Sect's medicinal garden spread like wildfire. 

After all. 

Many wandering cultivators outside the sect had witnessed the event. 

No amount of paper could cover such a fire. 

The outcome? The Spirit Feather Sect failed to capture the five cultivators. 

It was said that two Foundation Establishment elders had engaged them but were no match for the black-robed cultivator wearing the Buddha mask. 

That black-robed cultivator wielded bizarre and insidious evil techniques. 

Elder Jiang Minshan of the Punishment Hall nearly perished and was severely injured. 

Elder Zhuang Xiran sustained lighter injuries. 

Only then did the cultivators in Green Sun Market realize the truth. 

"Wow! What a scam! Those bastards from Jin Yun Valley only offered a Foundation Establishment Pill as a bounty reward for a star-level threat that two Foundation Establishment cultivators combined couldn't defeat!" 

"And they expect us to take his head?" 

"Why don't they do it themselves?" 

"Heh, disgusting. These sects are despicable." 

… 

(End of Chapter) 

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