Chapter 10: Giant Tree Island

Li Qing looked up at the deep pit nearby, then walked out vigilantly.

This was to avoid the situation inside the courtyard from being discovered.

When he arrived outside the courtyard, he saw a figure walking toward him. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Meng Ran.

When Meng Ran saw Li Qing, the lifeless expression on his face regained a hint of calm.

"Brother Meng, long time no see."

Li Qing stepped forward to greet him.

Meng Ran, however, sighed and shook his head.

"Why does Brother Meng sigh?" Li Qing asked with a look of confusion.

"Brother Li, I am about to head out to carry out a mission," Meng Ran said with a bitter smile.

"This mission is also a thankless task."

"I am being sent to guard Qianxia Island for two years. The sect has a spirit mine there that requires a rotation of personnel."

Meng Ran spoke with a look of helplessness.

Only bottom-tier cultivators like him, who lacked a background, would be assigned such a grueling task.

Although the compensation for long-term stationing was relatively generous, it was a mission no one wanted to choose.

This was because the spirit mines they were stationed at often had thin spiritual energy and turbid spiritual power.

Qianxia Island, where he was headed, only had a dilapidated first-tier spirit vein, and the concentration of spiritual energy was far lower than that of his own cave dwelling.

Cultivating under such conditions, even with relatively generous compensation, was actually less efficient for one's cultivation speed than grinding away in the Outer Sect.

"The sect's orders are hard to defy, but I must still congratulate you, Brother Meng."

Li Qing noticed that Meng Ran's cultivation had advanced to the fourth level of Qi Refining.

The sect only assigned missions to guard spirit mines to those in the middle stage of Qi Refining.

"Eh?"

"You have also advanced?"

Meng Ran was surprised to find that the aura Li Qing emitted was no less than his own.

"Just a stroke of luck," Li Qing said softly.

"..."

After chatting for a few moments, Meng Ran intended to take his leave.

"Sigh."

"I won't talk much more. Who knows when we will meet again after I leave? Take care, Brother Li."

Thinking of his sect mission, Meng Ran had no heart left for idle chatter.

"Take care as well, Brother Meng," Li Qing replied.

"The path to immortality is long; I hope that the next time we meet, fellow Daoist's strength will have greatly increased."

After bidding each other farewell, Meng Ran rose and departed.

Watching Meng Ran leave, Li Qing's expression returned to calm. As he gazed at Meng Ran's retreating back, a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

Meng Ran's departure was a good thing for Li Qing.

Within the Outer Sect, only Meng Ran had a deeper understanding of his situation.

Therefore, Li Qing had always maintained a sense of vigilance toward him.

He could not afford even the slightest risk regarding his change in status.

Meng Ran's departure effectively resolved any potential risks Li Qing might have faced.

Li Qing had previously deliberately avoided contact with Meng Ran just to be safe.

His path to longevity would absolutely not allow for any risks.

Before leaving, Meng Ran did tell Li Qing one piece of news.

Ever since he went into seclusion, Wei Xuan had initially sent people to investigate, but as time passed, no one came anymore.

Looking at Meng Ran's receding figure, Li Qing wore a thoughtful expression.

Meng Ran's situation served as a reminder to Li Qing.

More than half a year had passed since his last mission, and in about three more months, it would be time to collect his next sect mission.

The Qianshui Yuling Sect stipulated that Outer Sect disciples must complete one sect mission every year. Firstly, the sect could not keep feeding idlers with spirit stones, and secondly, it was to test the disciples.

Except for a few true geniuses, most cultivators had to undergo tempering to achieve anything.

Thinking of the upcoming sect mission, Li Qing felt even more urgent.

He did not believe Wei Xuan would give up on the Foundation Establishment Pill so easily. Moreover, that man was vicious by nature and notorious within the Outer Sect.

After a moment of thought, Li Qing headed toward the docks on the side of the outer island.

To conceal his movements, Li Qing deliberately took a detour and chose a dock primarily used for cargo transport.

In the vast blue sea, a huge black spirit boat was sailing.

Li Qing's figure also appeared on board.

The destination of this massive spirit boat was a large island located near Qianyu Island—Jumu Island.

The region where Jumu Island was located was rich in wood-attribute spiritual energy, and the island was famous for its spirit wood.

These spirit woods were natural materials for forging spirit boats, which was how Jumu Island got its name.

Due to its natural advantages and developed spirit boat trade, it had become a large trading hub.

Li Qing's purpose in going there was to exchange the Profound Water Spirit Fish in his possession for spirit stones, and to procure some medicinal pills and means of self-preservation.

Previously, even with the dual cultivation of the Zhenhai Pearl's spiritual energy and the cave dwelling's spiritual energy, Li Qing had still failed to advance to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

To accelerate his cultivation speed, Li Qing had to use medicinal pills.

Beyond that, the most pressing matter was to purchase a suitable magic tool.

Li Qing did not even have a decent magic tool in his possession; he couldn't just reveal his physical cultivation strength right away.

Jumu Island was a place where all sorts of people gathered, and with so many cultivators, Li Qing's sale of spirit fish would not easily attract attention.

Jumu Island was not too far from Qianyu Island; at the spirit boat's speed, it would take two hours to arrive.

Feeling the noisy sounds around him, Li Qing sat calmly in a corner.

Since this was a cargo spirit boat, the ticket price was lower than other spirit boats, and most of the passengers in the cabin were rogue cultivators.

Li Qing even saw an elderly man with silver hair whose strength was only at the early stage of Qi Refining.

While he was closing his eyes to rest, the surrounding noise grew louder.

"Jumu Island has arrived."

A servant on the spirit boat shouted, and Li Qing stood up to look outside.

At a glance, it was lush and green, filled with flourishing, towering giant trees everywhere.

The entire island sat in the sea like a verdant gemstone, and a majestic force of vitality rushed toward him.

"The island truly lives up to its name," Li Qing remarked with emotion.

Jumu Island was under the jurisdiction of the Qianshui Yuling Sect, but it was actually occupied by the Muling Sect.

Strictly speaking, the Muling Sect was a subordinate force of the Qianshui Yuling Sect.

As a sect primarily focused on wood-attribute cultivation techniques, the Muling Sect was like a fish in water on Jumu Island.

The entire island was a natural gathering place for wood-attribute spiritual energy.

The Muling Sect was a renowned major sect throughout the Qianyu Archipelago, with as many as four Golden Core cultivators within its ranks.

Beyond their formidable strength on the surface, more importantly, the Muling Sect held the heritage for refining spirit boats.

It could be said that half of the spirit boats in the entire Qianyu Archipelago came from the Muling Sect, and even major powers from nearby archipelagos came to purchase them, which showed the Muling Sect's status in the Qianyu Archipelago.

If it weren't for their own powerful strength combined with the heritage of refining spirit boats, the entire Jumu Island would not be controlled by the Muling Sect alone.

At this moment, Li Qing had already put on a gray bamboo hat and then walked quickly toward the marketplace.