In the swamp of Four Winds Valley.

With the appearance of the Tier Five Demon Venerable Six-winged Centipede, two late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators perished in an instant.

Such a tragic scene.

Upon witnessing this, the other cultivators immediately ignored the opportunity at hand and scattered desperately to escape.

"Run quickly!!"

"It’s a Tier Five Demon Venerable, how could such a terrifying great demon lurk within Four Winds Valley?"

Even the late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators left no bones behind, let alone these Golden Core Junior Cultivators and early-stage Nascent Souls.

"Fellow Daoists, let’s scatter and escape separately!!"

Master Yaochen hurriedly said to Qin Ming and the others, then each took out their protective relics and struggled to break through.

"Ah!!"

But the strength of the Tier Five Demon Venerable wouldn’t allow them to escape easily. A wave of overwhelming green light spilled from the vertical pupils of the Six-winged Centipede, sealing the space within a hundred-mile radius.

The panicked loose cultivators rushed into the green mist field as if falling into a trap, instantly immobilized, and soon dissolved into nothingness amidst their screams.

Master Yaochen and others were also forced back by the demon domain formed by the green mist.

At this moment, their faces were ashen, showing despair.

They didn’t expect such danger here. Originally, they just came for some excitement, hoping to pick up some benefits.

However, they gained nothing and are now trapped.

Qin Ming and Lan Bing Fairy exchanged a glance, quietly retreating.

Although the Six-winged Fierce Centipede before them was a Tier Five Demon Venerable, it was only at the initial stage, not posing any threat to them.

But he wouldn’t act rashly to expose his painstakingly concealed identity.

Though Tier Five Demon Rice is precious, there must be other ways to acquire it elsewhere, not worth the risk.

However, just at this moment.

Boom!!

Qin Ming sensed the water attribute Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi nearby being drained instantly.

Soon after, these Water Spirit Qi formed a hundred-zhang long skyward black giant sword in the celestial vault, exuding world-destroying momentum, slashing towards the Six-winged Centipede!

A flash of black light, instantly cutting through the outer Tier Five Demon Venerable’s green mist demon domain, then continued unabated, striking the back of the Fierce Centipede.

A sound of electric sparks clashing reverberated, causing tumultuous waves in the swamp, even making the ground tremble thrice.

The originally doomed cultivators, upon seeing such Divine Techniques that directly manipulated heaven and earth, knew a Venerable Divinity Transformation had arrived.

Their death-awaiting hearts felt a sense of miraculous survival.

The next moment.

Spiritual Qi gathered in the sky, dark magic light flickered, swiftly condensing into a human figure.

The instant this person appeared, they manipulated Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

Three Flowers Gather Above, Earth-Surging Golden Lotus.

It was an extremely stern and indifferent old man in hemp clothing.

Qin Ming scrutinized slightly, discovering the other’s cultivation realm was surprisingly mid-stage Divinity Transformation.

Master Yaochen, upon seeing this person arrive, couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief: "Great, it’s the Supreme Elder ’Venerable Nether Bone’ of our sect who has come!"

’So it’s one of the three Divinity Transformation of the Netherworld Sect.’ Qin Ming realized upon hearing this.

The gray-robed old man, seemingly seeing the disciples of the sect dying under the beast’s jaws, also bore a slight anger in his expression.

After all, to cultivate a late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator required pouring in numerous sect resources.

Equivalent to their centuries of hard work, all turned to naught.

The few Tier Five Demon Rice were initially discovered by loose cultivators digging for poisonous ore here, and the news leaked, reaching the ear of the Netherworld Sect.

As the sect ruling this territory, the Netherworld Sect naturally wouldn’t let such Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects fall into loose cultivators’ hands.

But because the Spirit Plants weren’t mature yet.

The Netherworld Sect had early dispatched True Monarch Poison Dragon and disciples to guard this place, waiting for the Demon Grain Spirit Rice to mature, then a Divinity Transformation from the sect would arrive to handle the harvest.

Yet who would have thought, beneath the seemingly calm swamp lay hidden a Tier Five Demon Venerable, who swallowed up the Netherworld Sect’s disciples.

The gray-robed old man waved his hand, directly manipulating Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi again, turning it into a skyward giant hand, reaching for the Demon Grain Spirit Rice in the mountain cove.

The Six-winged Fierce Centipede sensed his intent, immediately twisting its massive body, unraveling countless sharp claws to shred the Primordial Qi Hand into pieces, instantly collapsing it.

Under the clash of two Divinity Transformation level beings.

The few mature Tier Five Demon Grain Spirit Rice were stirred up in the aftermath, uprooted and swept away.

Qin Ming’s eyes narrowed sharply, debating whether to take action to seize them.

But the gray-robed old man suddenly summoned a Spirit Treasure level black sail, swinging it towards the Six-winged Fierce Centipede, instantly filling the sky with wailing ghosts, an aura of death surging.

An endless swarm of malevolent spirits and fierce ghosts emerged, all at least Golden Core Nascent Soul level, instantly annihilating the Six-winged Fierce Centipede.

Then the gray-robed old man flicked his fingers once more, summoning from within the black sail a massive ghost-faced spider.

Likewise, a Tier Five initial-stage creature.

To be precise, it was a half-demon, half-ghost entity, with a half-decomposed body, its abdomen inlaid with hundreds of twisted skull-like human faces.

The appearance of the Tier Five Ghost-faced Spider instantly turned the tide of the battle. It spat out a strange black web, enveloping the Six-winged Fierce Centipede and restricting its movements.

Seizing this opportunity, the old man in hemp clothing raised his hand toward the falling Tier Five Demon Grain Spirit Rice.

The Spirit Rice flew straight toward him.

Seeing the treasure about to fall into his hands, the old man in hemp clothing showed a trace of a smug smile.

But in the next moment, the unexpected happened!

The Six-winged Fierce Centipede suddenly burst out with unprecedented potential, forcibly breaking free from the spider web’s constraints. It roared skyward and then emitted a terrifying black light wave from its mouth.

Cultivators with lower cultivation couldn’t resist it, falling into madness and bleeding from their seven orifices, resulting in death.

This action also interrupted the gray-robed old man’s attempt to collect the Demon Grain Spirit Rice, and those few Spirit Rice plants fell toward Qin Ming’s side.

Master Yaochen and the others felt their hearts race, fearing they wouldn’t be able to avoid it.

Yet, they heard the gray-robed old man coldly instruct them, "So, it’s you people. Collect the Spirit Rice first, then I’ll deal with this stinky centipede and come back for the items."

Hearing the gray-robed old man say this, Master Yaochen and Shii Susu dared not refuse, given that they were honored guest elders of the Netherworld Sect.

Even if there was great danger now, they had to grit their teeth and press on.

Fortunately, the landing point of the five Demon Grain Spirit Rice plants was very close by. Master Yaochen risked capturing the Spirit Rice at the edge of the Divinity Transformation level battlefield.

However, due to the Divine Technique ripples from the battle, several roots and stems of the Demon Grain Spirit Rice broke into two halves and fell to the ground.

Master Yaochen didn’t care; as long as he collected the mature Spirit Rice, it was enough.

With a word from the gray-robed elder of the Netherworld Sect, even with the courage of eight hundred men, he dared not secretly keep the Spirit Rice.

However, Qin Ming’s gaze fell on those few roots and stems.

Rumble!

The terrifying Divinity Transformation level battle continued. Without the cover of the Demon Realm, everyone stayed far away.

Half a day later.

The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi began to calm, and the intense aura of battle gradually dissipated.

Even though the gray-robed old man possessed Mid-Stage Divinity Transformation cultivation, held a top-grade Spirit Treasure level Black Sail, and was assisted by the Tier Five Ghost-faced Demon Spider.

He still couldn’t kill the Six-winged Fierce Centipede, which used the Earth Escape Technique to flee.

The gray-robed old man could only retract his Divine Techniques and in a few flashes, landed beside Master Yaochen and the others.

Master Yaochen immediately, with utmost respect, handed over the few Spirit Grains: "Nether Bone Supreme, here are the Spirit Grains of the Demon Grain Spirit Rice."

The gray-robed old man expressionlessly waved his hand to collect the Spirit Grains: "Hmm, you did well."

Then, he took out two Spiritual Objects beneficial for the Nascent Soul Stage, rewarding Master Yaochen and Shii Susu.

As for the others, he didn’t care to spare them a glance.

After completing all this.

The gray-robed old man’s figure instantly transformed into countless dark red light points, disappearing from the spot...

The group respectfully bid farewell to the Venerable Nether Bone, having experienced a series of dangers so intense that they all wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

Qin Ming then headed to the former battlefield, reached out his hand, and collected the root and stem of the Demon Grain Spirit Rice that the gray-robed old man didn’t want.

Seeing Qin Ming’s actions, Master Yaochen and the others asked curiously, "Fellow Daoist Lii, what are you doing? These Spirit Plants only have roots and stems left, the vitality has already completely disappeared. I’m afraid Spirit Plants of this level can’t be grown, right?"

Qin Ming, however, smiled without speaking, and then said, "Fellow Daoist Lii is well-versed in the Path of Spiritual Plants. Now, needing a breakthrough to the Tier Five Spirit Plant Master level, I want to take these leftover roots and stems back to try. Do fellow Daoists have no objections?"

"Well! A Tier Five Spirit Plant Master... I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Lii’s mastery to be so profound. These branches are of no use to us, so naturally, it’s fine." Master Yaochen and the others were surprised.

However, they didn’t believe that ’Fellow Daoist Lii’ could cultivate living Tier Five Demon Grain Spirit Rice with just a few leftover roots and stems.

After all, even the Spirit Plant Masters within the Netherworld Sect couldn’t propagate it with a complete Spirit Seed.

After Qin Ming collected the roots of the Demon Rice, he didn’t hurry to leave. Instead, he flew to the mountainside where they had just grown, collecting some green poison miasma and black marsh containing Nine Yin Marrow-Eroding Water, placing them in containers before storing them into his storage pouch.

Seeing Qin Ming’s actions, Master Yaochen and the others were all wide-eyed.

After all, they didn’t understand Spirit Plant cultivation and didn’t know the purpose of Qin Ming collecting these things.

Then.

Qin Ming and the four of them returned to Qianji City.

The casualties at Four Winds Valley were significant, and the Divinity Transformation level battle caused a stir in Qianji City.

These loose cultivators never expected that the poisonous marshes they mined daily would be so dangerous with even a Tier Five Demon Venerable lurking within.

However, this still didn’t affect their enthusiasm for seeking fortune in this place.

The loose cultivators also heard that the terrifying Fierce Centipede Demon Venerable had been driven away by the Venerable of the Netherworld Sect.

Qin Ming’s Demon Infant then returned to Black Obsidian Peak.

Soon after, near the cave mansion, he used sorcery to open up a mu of Spirit Field, spreading the green poison miasma and black mud he collected all over the Spirit Field.

He then took out the several bare stem roots and planted them into the Spirit Field.

Subsequently, Qin Ming activated a [Regenerative Spirit Seed] entry, applying it to the front of the Demon Rice roots.

In an instant, clusters of purple spores emerged, enveloping the Demon Grain Spirit Rice roots, and the rich vitality began to continuously restore the Spirit Plants in front of him.

Half an hour later.

The previously lifeless Demon Rice unexpectedly experienced a revival, sprouting a wisp of black new buds!!

...