In White Floating City, Ye Qin located Shen Bao and gave him a substantial sum of spirit stones, instructing Shen Bao to contact the Golden Core Island Master of Yellow Stone Island near White Floating City to purchase a large quantity of low-grade Yellow Dust Sand.

Shen Bao didn't know what Ye Qin intended to do with such an amount of cheap Yellow Dust Sand, but as he was paid to carry out orders, he asked no further questions. He made a trip to Yellow Stone Island, spending half a day filling more than ten large bags with the Yellow Dust Sand before returning and handing it over to Ye Qin.

Ye Qin transferred this Yellow Dust Sand into his Purple Mansion, piling it up inside the Earth Mansion to form a small earthen mound several dozen feet high, feeling quite pleased. This batch of Yellow Dust Sand was approximately several centuries' worth; each grain was the size of a Fire Dragon Fruit. They would slowly condense within the Earth Mansion, gradually refining until they became as fine as threads of silt. Now, all he needed to do was wait for them to slowly solidify into Yellow Dust Sand mud, which he estimated would take nearly half a month.

Having handled this matter, Ye Qin teleported from a small villa in White Feather City back to Fiery Mist Island.

For the next half month, Ye Qin remained on Fiery Mist Island and did not venture out.

He also postponed giving a definitive answer to the Purple Sword Palace's invitation.

Huangfu Bing'er engaged several Golden Core cultivators from the Azure Pill Sect, along with dozens of Foundation Establishment realm disciples, to jointly establish a medium-sized alchemy workshop in White Floating City. She then washed her hands of the whole affair, delegating all the trivial, tedious administrative work to Shen Bao and other low-level Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Ye Qin spent his days accompanying Huangfu Bing'er, cultivating together on Fiery Mist Island. In the early morning, they would tend to the herb garden.

In the evening, they would occasionally stoke a furnace to refine some spiritual pills. Life was remarkably tranquil and unhurried.

One day, the two of them arrived at a large expanse of medicinal fields located halfway up the main peak of the island.

The entire two to three hundred li radius of Fiery Mist Island was now cultivated with dozens of herb gardens. These ranged from Tier One and Two low-grade spirit herbs to Tier Seven and Eight spirit herbs. The high-grade spirit herbs were planted closest to the main peak, near their cave dwelling, where the spiritual energy was densest. In other areas, lower-grade spirit herbs were scattered about. Because Fiery Mist Island possessed the richest Fire spiritual energy, the majority of the herbs were fire-attributed, interspersed with a small number of other medicinal materials.

The pair reached a small basin halfway up the mountain, surrounded by dense patches of Iron Bamboo. Huangfu Bing'er held a jade token and pressed it against the vast, shimmering light barrier surrounding the herb garden, deactivating the formation restrictions. They entered the several dozen mu sized garden to inspect the growth of the spirit herbs inside.

The planting beds in the garden were divided into long strips by numerous furrows, laid out neatly, mu by mu. Every plot contained planted spirit herbs, and the entire garden pulsed with vital spiritual energy, offering immense comfort.

To Huangfu Bing'er’s delight, some of the spirit herb seeds they had planted days before had already broken the soil, sprouting tender, crisp new shoots.

Huangfu Bing'er’s gaze swept over the new sprouts in the beds, but she quickly furrowed her delicate, jade-like brows. She pointed a slender hand at a small patch of tender sprouts in the middle of the garden and remarked, "Junior Brother Ye, look at this small patch of Purple Velvet Grass. Isn't it planted too sparsely?"

Some of the spirit herbs in this garden had been planted by Huangfu Bing'er, and some by Ye Qin.

At that moment, Ye Qin held a Purple Smoke Hoe in one hand and a jade slip containing the planting records of the Azure Pill Sect in the other, quickly scanning the cultivation methods for Purple Velvet Grass.

"The jade slip says that for a Tier Seven spirit herb like Purple Velvet Grass, each plant should be spaced three chi apart. I don't think I made a mistake!"

He was slightly bewildered, unable to grasp where the error lay.

"The information on this jade slip is too simplistic; the yield won't be high. Purple Velvet Grass seeds only require a one-chi spacing. Ten-year-old Purple Velvet Grass needs three chi separation, and century-old grass requires a ten-chi gap to gather sufficient spiritual energy. Furthermore, if the spiritual energy on the island fluctuates, the spacing must be adjusted immediately, or it will affect the herb's growth. Also, transplanting Purple Velvet Grass requires extreme care… Junior Brother Ye, your alchemy skills are so profound, yet your planting skills are lower than even an entry-level disciple of the Azure Pill Sect."

Huangfu Bing'er chuckled, a faint, smoky smile gracing her face, as she slowly explained the correct method for cultivating the Purple Velvet Grass.

Ye Qin’s face flushed slightly; he could not refute her.

It was truly embarrassing. Although he was a disciple of the Azure Pill Sect and possessed his own set of herb garden plots within the sect, he had never personally planted anything. Well, he seemed to have planted something on a small hilltop once, but he never tended to it afterward, and he had no idea how those small herbs were faring.

The medicinal materials he required were obtained directly from his Purple Mansion. In the Purple Mansion, there was no need for planting techniques; as long as the spirit stones weren't misplaced, that was all that mattered.

Consequently, his ability to cultivate spirit herbs was disastrously poor. He estimated that any entry-level disciple in the Azure Pill Sect would know more about planting spirit herbs than he did.

The two busied themselves in the garden, replanting some seeds.

After inspecting the herb garden and working for over an hour, Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er descended the main peak via sword flight and arrived at a hot spring lake nestled at the base of the peak. They rested on bamboo chairs set up in a newly constructed, cool thatched bamboo hut by the lake shore.

Ye Qin lay back in the chair, holding Huangfu Bing'er in his arms, one hand wandering over her abundant, soft body. Huangfu Bing'er nestled against him, feeling the heat emanating from his large hands, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She gazed at her husband, savoring the intimacy and sweetness of their leisure time.

Ye Qin held her softly, gazing at his delicate wife while his mind wrestled with the matter of the Purple Sword Palace.

If he did not join the Purple Sword Palace, he certainly would not be involved in the campaign against the Earth Clan. And the Sacred Artifact of the Sea Plundering Tribe... the Child Serenity Lotus, the Tier Ten spirit herb essential for the Spiritual Root Potential Pill, would naturally be out of his reach as well.

No matter what, he had to obtain the Child Serenity Lotus.

Ye Qin’s gaze, previously filled with tender affection, gradually hardened with resolve; he made up his mind.

"Junior Brother Ye, what are you thinking about?"

Huangfu Bing'er had been watching Ye Qin with her bright eyes and naturally noticed the subtle shift in his expression, prompting her to ask.

Ye Qin replied calmly, "Bing'er, the Heavenly Dao Alliance will likely initiate a punitive campaign within the next year, targeting one of the Earth Clan tribes. The people from the Purple Sword Palace have invited me to join them and participate in this expedition. If nothing unexpected happens, I think I will likely join them in this campaign."

"Hm? A campaign against the Earth Clan? Must you go?"

Huangfu Bing'er paused, tilting her head back, her clear eyes fixed on him.

"Yes!"

Ye Qin nodded affirmatively.

Huangfu Bing'er rarely questioned Ye Qin's affairs, and this time she didn't press for the reason why he absolutely had to go. She knew that, originating as an itinerant cultivator, Ye Qin approached everything with extreme caution. Given his usual prudence and low profile, he must have a compelling reason to participate in such an expedition.

"Then I will go with you."

Huangfu Bing'er stated.

Ye Qin shook his head, disagreeing with Huangfu Bing'er going along. "Bing'er, this is just a minor punitive action against an Earth Clan tribe; it won't be very dangerous, so you don't need to worry. Moreover, you have only just become a Golden Core cultivator; everything should focus on your cultivation. Only with higher cultivation will you possess greater strength. The Purple Sword Palace’s invitation was impossible to refuse."

His purpose in joining the campaign was to see if there was a chance to acquire the Child Serenity Lotus for the Spiritual Root Potential Pill. As a Golden Core cultivator, as long as he was careful, even if he failed to obtain the lotus, the danger would not be significant.

However, if Bing'er went too, it would be an unnecessary risk for her.

Most importantly, he did not want Bing'er to face danger.

"But..." Huangfu Bing'er hesitated for a moment.

Ye Qin looked at her with unwavering determination.

Huangfu Bing'er showed some concern but finally offered a faint smile. "Alright, then you must be careful. I will prepare more talisman charms for you during this time! Although the Earth Clan tribes aren't particularly strong, they do possess some high-level Brutes."

Before heading to the Earth Clan territory, Ye Qin planned to make a trip to Immortal Palace City. He intended to find the legacy left behind by the Sacred Emperor Palace, acquire the schematics and techniques for Puppet Refining, and see if he could repair the Silver Armored Guards.

A Ninth-Rank Silver Armored Guard could dramatically boost his fighting strength.

Between the Northern Islands and the Central Islands, there existed a massive, ultra-long-distance teleportation array that directly connected White Floating Palace and Immortal Palace City. Naturally, while such long-distance teleportation saved time, it consumed an immense amount of spirit stones. Very few cultivators were willing to spend such a fortune to use the array.

The next day, to save time, Ye Qin teleported directly from White Floating City to Immortal Palace City, the foremost great city in the Eastern Seas.

Immortal Palace City was as lively and prosperous as ever.

Ye Qin emerged from the large teleportation array in the main hall of Immortal Palace City and inquired of passersby to locate the whereabouts of the Sacred Emperor Palace within the city. The disputes and grudges between the Sacred Emperor Palace and other Immortal Palaces occurred a thousand years prior; the matter had long since settled, and no one paid it any mind.

Ye Qin easily discovered the location of the Sacred Emperor Palace: an expanse of ruined palace structures in the center of Immortal Palace City.

This sight evoked a pang of emotion in him.

The Sacred Emperor Palace had long since become a ruin, overgrown with weeds among heaps of rubble. Only the massive foundation stones hinted at its former splendor. This Sacred Palace belonged to the territory of the Demonic Alliance. It was said that too many cultivators from the Sacred Emperor Palace had died there; even after a thousand years, the lingering scent of blood had not dispersed, and no one was willing to rebuild an Immortal Palace on the ruins, so it had been left abandoned.

Ye Qin coldly surveyed the ruins of the Sacred Emperor Palace before turning and leaving without a backward glance.

The Sacred Emperor had offended the Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the overlords of the Demonic Alliance, yet lacked the power to stand against them. Even the foremost overlord of the Demonic Alliance could not protect the Sacred Emperor, despite his late Nascent Soul cultivation.

The most pressing matter now was to find the legacy left behind by the Sacred Emperor.

He wandered the streets and alleys of Immortal Palace City, gathering intelligence. After several days, Ye Qin obtained some leads and arrived at the Drunken Immortal Tower, a little-known restaurant in the eastern part of Immortal Palace City.

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