Selected as One of the 72 Talents

Qin Kingdom, Spirit Control Sect.

Sky Shadow Peak, Sky Shadow Hall.

Li Hua sat in the main seat, while Chen Qingqing was giving a report.

"We have already located some of the Zhao Kingdom's mineral veins and medicinal Spirit Herb Garden Spirit Herb Garden. If war breaks out, we can take them over as quickly as possible."

Chen Qingqing said.

The Five Sects of Qin wanted to take action against the Four Sects of Zhao, and sending spies was to gather strategic intelligence.

The Four Sects of Zhao were seriously divided, and their overall strength was inferior to that of the Qin Kingdom. Of course, Qin Kingdom did not intend to destroy Zhao Kingdom, after all, the Barbarian Race were the great enemy of the Human Race. Taking over some territory and cultivation resources was the strategic goal of the Five Sects of Qin, and sending spies was to find out the situation of these strategic goals.

"Didn't the spies send back any particularly important intelligence?"

Li Hua asked.

"Not for now. Our intelligence network has been rebuilt, but it's impossible to gather important intelligence in the short term. Just integrating intelligence personnel into the Zhao Kingdom's cultivation Immortal Realm is not easy."

Chen Qingqing looked troubled.

After the Spirit Control Sect's intelligence network was destroyed, it was rebuilt, but its intelligence gathering capabilities were far inferior to before.

"Disciple Shen Long requests an audience with Uncle Li."

A loud male voice came from outside.

"Shen Long! Didn't he go to Mysterious Yin Marketplace? Why is he back?"

Li Hua asked in confusion, looking at Chen Qingqing.

"I didn't ask Junior Brother Shen to come back. Perhaps his identity has been exposed!"

Chen Qingqing said.

"Nephew Shen, come in and let's talk!"

Li Hua gave the instructions.

Shen Long walked in and bowed.

"Nephew Shen, why did you suddenly come back? Were you exposed?"

Li Hua asked.

"Uncle Li, I have made a significant discovery. There is a Third Rank Golden Jade Ore Vein in the Azure Cloud Mountain Range. Here is a rough map showing the distribution of the mine."

Shen Long took out Zhang Qing animal hide and handed it to Chen Qingqing.

This is a map of mineral vein distribution drawn by the Xu Family's descendants, which benefited Shen Long.

Chen Qingqing handed the map to Li Hua, Li Hua looked puzzled and asked, "How did you discover the Golden Jade Ore Vein?"

Shen Long dared not hide anything and told the truth. He did not mention that he had obtained the Law Treasure and the Golden-Winged Wind Peng. He took out the corpses of Xu Yunfeng and the other five Foundation Establishment Cultivator as physical evidence.

"Golden Jade Ore Vein! Excellent! I'll inform the Sect Master leader immediately."

Li Hua said excitedly, taking out a golden Communication Disk and casting a spell.

"What happened, Junior Brother Li?"

A dignified male voice rang out.

Li Hua recounted the entire story in detail, explaining that acquiring the Golden Jade Ore Vein would bring a substantial fortune.

"Understood. Tell Nephew Shen to rest well and not to leave the General Headquarters. I might need to ask him something later."

Chen Xiao gave the instructions.

"Yes, Sect Master Brother Sect Leader."

Li Hua agreed and put away the Communication Disk.

"Uncle Li, will this merit of mine qualify me for the 72 Talents?"

Shen Long asked, this was the question he was most concerned about.

"If you can capture this Golden Jade Ore Vein, you can become 72 Talents. Not bad, Nephew Shen, I didn't expect you to be able to find out such important information."

Li Hua's face showed approval.

Shen Long made a great contribution, and the Intelligence Hall also benefited from it.

"It's all thanks to Uncle Li's excellent guidance; this disciple has only done my humble best."

Shen Long said modestly.

Li Hua appreciated Shen Long's understanding and said, "Go back and rest first. If our sect can acquire the Golden Jade Ore Vein, I will recommend you to become 72 Talents. However, before that, you must not publicize the news of the Golden Jade Ore Vein to anyone, not even your fellow dao companion."

"Yes, Your disciple obeys."

Shen Long agreed, then, remembering something, said, "Uncle Li, Liu Shi was killed while gathering information. Could you provide Liu Yuruo with some compensation?"

"Yes, provided we acquire the Golden Jade Ore Vein."

Li Hua said.

Shen Long nodded, bowed, and withdrew.

"I never expected Junior Brother Shen to be so capable. Uncle Li has a discerning eye; others might not have made such a great discovery."

Chen Qingqing flattered.

Shen Long had no idea what was in the Azure Cloud Mountain Range. If he just gave a perfunctory answer, he could pass the information to a messenger, who would then relay it back, and the Spirit Control Sect would send people to investigate. This process would take a long time, and other forces might discover the Golden Jade Ore Vein.

Li Hua nodded and said with a smile, "Hopefully we can acquire this mine!"

The intelligence network of the Spirit Control Sect was destroyed by the Hundred Ghosts Sect, which made Li Hua lose face and he was also held accountable. Now, Shen Long has discovered the Golden Jade Ore Vein and successfully turned the tide.

If we can capture the Golden Jade Ore Vein, the destruction of the intelligence network won't be a big deal.

After leaving Sky Shadow Peak, Shen Long returned to Azure Cloud Peak, arrived at the entrance of Green Silkworm Courtyard, and sent a Sound Transmission Talisman.

Not long after, the gate of the Green Silkworm Courtyard opened, and Lin Cheng walked out. He was shocked when he saw Shen Long.

He hadn't seen Shen Long for over ten years; he thought Shen Long was dead!

"Senior Brother Shen, no, Uncle-Master Shen, you're back."

Lin Cheng bowed respectfully.

"I was away on a mission and only recently returned. How are Junior Sister Ye and the others?"

Shen Long asked.

Lin Cheng told the truth: Ye Yuqing, Ye Yutang, Qian Dafu, and Qin Bao had successively advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm and had been sent out to carry out missions.

"If you run into them, tell them I'm back. I'm currently staying at Green Lotus Garden on Sky Tiger Peak."

Shen Long instructed, taking out two Cyan Porcelain Bottle, and said, "These are two bottles of Qi Refining Pill, please accept them! By the way, how is Lin Shan? Has he advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm?"

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle-Master Shen. He's doing well. He's not Uncle-Master Shen, he's just at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer."

Lin Cheng stated the truth.

"If he's free, he can come to Sky Tiger Peak to find me. I'll arrange some work for him; he won't be treated unfairly."

Shen Long gave the order.

He needs people to gather information and intelligence, and Lin Shan is a good candidate.

"Yes, thank you for your kind offer, Uncle-Master Shen. I'll have him go over tonight. Please feel free to ask if you need anything, and he will do his best to help Uncle-Master Shen."

Lin Cheng was beaming with joy, his expression filled with excitement.

The Spirit Control Sect has tens of thousands of Qi Refining Cultivator. Having a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to look after them would make their lives much easier.

Shen Long gave a few instructions, left the Green Silkworm Courtyard, and went to the entrance of the Green Peach Courtyard, where he sent out a Sound Transmission Talisman.

Not long after, the courtyard gate opened, and Sun Sen came out.

He sensed Shen Long's powerful spiritual pressure, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. He quickly bowed and said, "Disciple greets Uncle-Master Shen."

"Senior Brother Sun, you're too kind. I was away for a while and just got back today."

Shen Long said with a smile.

"Uncle-Master Shen is too kind. This disciple dares not address you as an equal."

Sun Sen said respectfully.

"I am currently residing in Green Lotus Garden on Sky Tiger Peak. You are welcome to visit me Green Lotus Garden for tea. If you need any assistance, please feel free to ask. This is a small token of my appreciation, and it may come in handy for Junior Nephew Sun."

Shen Long took out two Cyan Porcelain Bottle and handed them to Sun Sen.

He remembered everyone who had helped Shen Long.

With his current wealth and status, taking care of a few Qi Refining Cultivator is not a problem.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master Shen. This disciple thanks you on behalf of Uncle-Master Shen."

Sun Sen expressed his gratitude and accepted the two Cyan Porcelain Bottle.

After chatting for a few minutes, Shen Long returned to Sky Tiger Peak and happened to see Wang Yumei walking out of Green Lotus Garden.

"Junior Brother Shen, you're back."

Wang Yumei smiled slightly and greeted Shen Long.

"I'm back after finishing my business. Is Senior Sister Wang still planting spirit medicine?"

Shen Long asked.

"No, I just picked spirit medicine. Now that you're back, I'm returning the Green Lotus Garden to you. Here's your Access Token. I've been raising some Spirit Fish, but I haven't caught them yet. If you're interested, Junior Brother Shen, you can catch some to eat."

Wang Yumei returned the token to Shen Long and said warmly.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Sister Wang. I won't touch the spirit field and fish pond for the time being, but please clean them up as soon as possible."

Shen Long said.

"Okay, definitely. Give me seven days, okay?"

Wang Yumei said.

"No need to be so hasty, a month should be enough! Senior Sister Wang can take her time to handle it."

Shen Long said.

"Okay, thank you very much, Junior Brother Shen."

Wang Yumei expressed her gratitude.

After chatting for a few minutes, Shen Long returned to Green Lotus Garden.

Wang Yumei planted a batch of spirit fruit trees, as well as spirit medicine and Spirit Fish.

Shen Long pushed open the door to the Green Lotus Pavilion and went inside. The floor was covered in dust, indicating that Wang Yumei had not entered Green Lotus Pavilion.

He tidied up briefly, went into a secret room, took out a Blue Storage Bag, shook it with the opening facing down, and a blue glow swept across, leaving a large pile of things on the ground.

Shen Long killed more than fifty Xu Family cultivators and obtained more than 90,000 Spirit Stone. He had more than 200,000 spirit stones Spirit Stone, making him extremely wealthy. He also had two Law Treasure.

He currently possesses a Top-Grade Dharma Artifact, the Separating Fire Banner, twelve High-grade Magical Tool (three defensive, seven offensive, one supportive, and one flight-enhancing), and a considerable amount of refining materials.

Shen Long flicked his sleeve, and more than 30,000 Gold-Eating Ant flew out, killing Xu Yunfeng and his group. More than 2,000 Gold-Eating Ant were lost.

He plans to increase the breeding efforts of Gold-Eating Ant- Gold-Eating Ant ants and their numbers, which will provide more assistance.

Shen Long took out a batch of refining materials and let the Gold-Eating Ant eat them.

He entered the Spirit Control Tower and fed the Fire Rock Beast, Golden-Winged Wind Peng, Iron Tail Scorpion, Green-Eyed Spirit Fox, Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada, and Snow Wind Sparrow.

When he left the Spirit Control Tower, the Gold-Eating Ant had already eaten all the refining materials. He put the Gold-Eating Ant back into his Spirit Beast Bag, sat down cross-legged, and began to cultivate.

······

The Zhao Kingdom, with its Golden Bamboo Mountain Range stretching for tens of thousands of miles, is the ancestral home of the Liu Clan.

Deep within the Golden Bamboo Mountain Range, a massive castle can be seen, with the three large characters "Liu Family Fortress" inscribed on its plaque.

In a secret chamber, the stone walls were covered with mysterious Black Rune, and a cold wind blew. A tall Grey-Robed Elder sat cross-legged on a black jade bed. A green-faced, fanged Corpse Refining sat opposite him, its furry claws touching his palm.

The Grey-Robed Elder had his eyes slightly closed, and his whole body was shrouded in a Black Glow.

After a while, a Sound Transmission Talisman flew in.

The Black Glow emanating from the Grey-Robed Elder's body dissipated, and he opened his eyes, exhaling a long breath. He then spat out a beam of black light, which struck the Sound Transmission Talisman. The talisman spontaneously combusted, Sound Transmission Talisman a loud male voice. "Old Ancestor, the Xu Family has discovered a Golden Jade Ore Vein in the Azure Cloud Mountain Range. According to their preliminary exploration, it is at least a medium-sized mine."

"A medium-sized Golden Jade Ore Vein!"

The Grey-Robed Elder was somewhat surprised. He quickly took out Communication Disk that shimmered with black light, cast a spell, and asked, "Ruixin, what exactly is going on? The Xu Family discovered a Golden Jade Ore Vein and are so kind as to report it to us?"

"They inadvertently leaked the news, and most of the clansmen guarding the Golden Jade Ore Vein were killed; only a few Qi Refining Cultivator escaped."

Liu Ruixin reported.

"Killed? How many cultivators did they send to oversee the mine?"

The Grey-Robed Elder pressed for an answer.

Liu Yuguang, Core Formation Mid Stage.

"Five Foundation Establishment Cultivator and over fifty Qi Refining Cultivator, along with a second-tier Formation. The Qi Refining Cultivator who narrowly escaped didn't know who the enemy was or how many there were. They were ordered to find an infiltrator, and upon their return, they discovered that most of their clansmen had been killed."

Liu Ruixin reported.

"Report to the Hundred Ghosts Sect!"

Liu Yuguang gave the instructions.

"What? Report to the Hundred Ghosts Sect? Old Ancestor, this is a medium-sized Golden Jade Ore Vein. If we take control of this mine ourselves, our Lineage will develop even faster."

Liu Ruixin said with some reluctance.

"I know all that you're saying. The Azure Cloud Mountain Range are located on the border between the Qin Kingdom and Zhao Kingdom. What if it was one of the Five Sects of Qin who killed the Xu Family cultivator? If we really go and occupy that mine, wouldn't we be facing the Five Sects of Qin? To put it another way, even if it wasn't a Qin Kingdom cultivator but Zhao Kingdom cultivator, we can't keep it all to ourselves. Let's report it to the Hundred Ghosts Sect! That would minimize the risk and still yield considerable benefits."

Liu Yuguang analyzed slowly.

"Yes, Old Ancestor, I will notify the Hundred Ghosts Sect immediately."

Liu Ruixin agreed.

······

Time flies, and half a year has passed quickly.

Sky Tiger Peak, Green Lotus Garden.

Shen Long sat in a Cyan Stone Pavilion, with Lin Shan, Sun Furong, and a slender girl in a white dress standing respectfully to his side.

"Lin Shan, the Shen Family General Store is now in your management. Nephew Sun and Nephew Mu, you are responsible for keeping an eye on intelligence both within and outside the sect."

Shen Long said.

The girl in the white dress is named Mu Bing. She is Sun Furong's cousin and also Qi Refining Cultivator.

Shen Long opened a general store, mainly selling pills, and also buying and selling materials for refining weapons and pills.

He is now setting up the framework and building a group to serve him, so he can devote more energy and time to cultivation and alchemy.

"Yes, Uncle-Master Shen."

Lin Shan and the other two agreed respectfully.

Shen Long offered them good pay, and they were happy to work for Shen Long.

Shen Long took out Communication Disk that was flashing with blue light, and entered a spell. Chen Qingqing's voice sounded, "Junior Brother Shen, come to Sky Shadow Peak immediately. Uncle Li has something to tell you."

"Okay, Senior Sister Chen, I'll be right there."

Shen Long agreed and put away the Communication Disk.

"You guys go ahead and get busy!"

Shen Long waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

He released the Snow Wind Sparrow and walked onto its Snow Wind Sparrow.

With a gentle flap of its wings, the Snow Wind Sparrow took flight and soared into the sky.

Not long after, he arrived at Sky Shadow Peak and met Li Hua at the Sky Shadow Hall.

An elderly man in a golden robe with a fair complexion sat to one side; judging from his aura, he was also Core Formation Cultivator.

"Disciple pays respects to Uncle Li and Martial Uncle He."

Shen Long bowed respectfully.

"Does Nephew Shen know me?"

The old man in the golden robe said with some surprise.

"This disciple has heard of Uncle He."

Shen Long replied.

The old man in the golden robe was He Xin, the head of the Hall of Affairs of the Yuling Sect. He wielded great power. Shen Long had never met He Xin, but he had heard Qian Dafu mention him many times.

"Nephew Shen, I have two pieces of good news for you. Our sect has successfully acquired the Golden Jade Ore Vein. As per the Sect Master's orders, you have been selected as 72 Talents. Junior Brother He has come to help you with the formalities."

Li Hua had a big smile on his face.

"Among the newly initiated disciples, you are the fastest to be selected as one of the 72 Talents Disciples. Congratulations! Nephew Shen, continue your efforts and make even greater contributions in the future. This is your new perk."

He Xin said, taking out a Golden Storage Bag and handing it to Shen Long.