“The Ancestor, Qin Deming, Qin Dexin, and Qin Ruqing finally set off for the Southern Jungle.

As for why Qin Ruqing, with the lowest cultivation, was included in the team, it was because she possessed a treasure-seeking detector.

Of course, under the Ancestor’s Protection.

Qin Ruqing sat on the Ancestor’s flying sword, her black robe billowing in the brisk wind—yes, Tang Zifeng’s black robe.

Qin Ruqing had discovered that it was a magical tool capable of concealing her form and aura, so she bought it from him for this expedition.

Qin Ruqing covered her face with the hood of the robe, clutching the Ancestor’s sleeve and asked in a muffled voice, “Ancestor, when will we arrive?”

The wind was so strong that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Despite the protection of the spiritual energy shield, it was still uncomfortable—actually, Qin Ruqing wanted to pilot the flying sword herself, but the Ancestor thought she was too slow and forcibly brought her onto her sword.

The Ancestor glanced at her indifferently and replied, “Very soon.”

But how soon was ‘very soon’? Qin Ruqing curled up in frustration on the Ancestor’s sword.

Because she wasn’t proficient in controlling the flying sword, she was often criticized by the Ancestor for her slow flying speed and was frequently carried like a little chick.

But it wasn’t her fault; she wasn’t a sword cultivator, so it was normal for her sword control to be lacking.

Qin Deming, who was trailing behind, couldn’t help but say, “Qingqing, why don’t you come sit on Dad’s alchemy furnace.”

Qin Ruqing lifted her head, her eyes brightening.

“Just to catch a little breeze; this girl has been spoiled, don’t listen to her whining,'” the Ancestor said calmly.

Qin Ruqing’s uplifted expression froze instantly.

Her father threw her a helpless look. “Daughter, it’s not that Dad won’t help you, it’s that Ancestor has spoken. Just lie down on the sword, okay?”

Qin Dexin flew on the Ancestor’s left side and remained silent at the scene. ‘This girl has been spoiled,’ Ancestor, aren’t you the one who spoils her?

She’s been unruly since she was a child, and with you backing her now, she’s become even more unrestrained—because she walks sideways.

Seeing no one extending a helping hand to her, Qin Ruqing completely gave up, pulled the hood of her robe tighter over her face, and swore silently in her heart that she would coax Tang Zifeng more when she returned, urging him to quickly design the blueprint for her own destined magic tool.

She had previously emphasized to Tang Zifeng that the magic tool’s attributes should focus on critical hit acceleration.

With a magic tool that boosted her speed, she wondered if Ancestor would still complain about her being slow.

Hmph!

After about half an hour of flying, the three of them landed on the outskirts of the Southern Jungle in a small town.

This was already the southernmost part of the Southern Region.

The Southern Region was already remote, not to mention being close to the outer edge of the Jungle.

Thus, within a radius of a hundred miles, there was only one small town named Yuanshan.

Typically, those entering the jungle would settle and rest in Yuanshan Town.

The Ancestor and the others were now resting at a tea stall.

Qin Ruqing took a sip of bitter tea and glanced at several practitioners sitting nearby who seemed to radiate strong energy.

This strength did not necessarily refer to their cultivation level.

Qin Ruqing was sure that unless high-level experts visited Yuanshan Town, no one here could have a higher cultivation level than the Ancestor.

It was more of an aura, a feeling.

Most of these people’s attire was incomplete,

Missing arms and legs, some people even had their backs and chests exposed, revealing faint scars of varying ages on their exposed skin.

Each person carried one or two weapons, one at their side and one slung across their back.

Overall, these were likely rogue cultivators who had stationed themselves in Yuanshan Town for years, their weapons stained with blood.

Qin Ruqing withdrew her gaze and took another sip of tea.

Meanwhile, the Ancestor and Qin Deming were having a conversation.

The Ancestor took out several small packets of medicine powder, handing one to each person, saying, “There are many poisonous insects and beasts in the jungle, and closer to the center are high-level monsters. This powder can repel insects and beasts and to some extent mask human presence.”

Qin Ruqing silently wrapped the medicine powder, packed in wax paper, and stored it away.

This stuff was crucial in the primitive jungle.

After putting it away, she held the teacup with both hands, looking quite obedient.

For some reason, the Ancestor twitched at the sight of her reaching out to take the medicine.

Even Qin Deming realized something was up and looked over with him.

When Qin Ruqing noticed the gazes of the Ancestor and the others on her, she sat up slightly straighter.

“What’s up?” she asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Qin Deming, being her father, spoke directly, “Daughter, why so quiet? This isn’t like you at all.”

Qin Dexin, holding her sword, stared at her and added, “Could it be you’re brewing up some mischief again?”

…No way, Qin Ruqing felt unfairly accused. “Do I really look that unreliable, always thinking of mischief?”

The Ancestor, Qin Deming, and Qin Dexin all gave Qin Ruqing a look of agreement.

Qin Ruqing shrugged. “I was just thinking, should we open a branch of the Qin Family Medical Pavilion and Alchemy Workshop here in Yuanshan Town?”

Once she started talking about this, Qin Ruqing became animated.

Her eyes seemed to brighten a bit. “I checked out the environment of Yuanshan Town earlier. The people here live rough lives, and I feel like the medicinal travel packages offered by our Qin Family could sell really well here. But the place is a bit small, and it seems like the market demand might not be that large, so if we really want to open a branch, we should be cautious…”

Ancestor Wenxuan: “…”

Qin Deming: “…”

Qin Dexin: “…”

The Ancestor stood up, grabbed Qin Ruqing’s collar, and calmly said, “For now, the Qin Family doesn’t need those trivial matters. Give your brain a break.”

Signaling to Qin Deming to pay for the tea, the Ancestor lifted Qin Ruqing onto the flying sword. “Let’s go!”

As the four of them left, the people sitting at the tea stall finally dared to speak a little louder as they watched their backs.

“The group just now didn’t look like people from Yuanshan Town!”

“Their clothes were neat, their demeanor relaxed and calm, yet their aura was strong, especially the leader in the green dress. Her cultivation is unfathomable; she must be from a major clan.”

“Some big clan doesn’t change the fact that it’s dangerous near the center of the jungle. It’s been chaotic there lately.”

“Yeah, these past few months, the number of monsters has increased a lot. It used to be safe enough around the outskirts, but now even the outskirts are dangerous.”

“I hope those people can come out of there alive.”

Unaware of the discussions behind them, Qin Ruqing and the others finally reached the edge of the jungle.

The Ancestor stopped, her expression serious.

The Ancestor said, “It’s inconvenient to use flying artifacts inside the jungle; it might alert the monsters. Let’s land here and proceed on foot.”

After stowing away their flying artifacts, the Ancestor instructed, “Now, sprinkle the powder.”

She handed two black robes to Qin Deming and Qin Dexin, saying, “These robes can also conceal your aura.”

Seeing that Qin Ruqing was already wearing a black robe, the Ancestor didn’t offer her one but couldn’t help asking, “Where did you get this robe from?”

The Ancestor’s gaze was sharp, noticing that this robe was a magical artifact, perhaps even better than the one she had in her hands.

Qin Ruqing smirked, “I got it from Elder Tang.”

As they finished dressing, Qin Deming casually tucked his hands and teased, “This girl got herself quite a powerful craftsman from the Zhang family.”

The Ancestor grunted in agreement.

Qin Dexin, however, was puzzled. “From the Zhang family? Wasn’t it said that this Elder Tang is an alchemist?”

Ancestor Wenxuan didn’t want to linger any longer and waved her hand, leaping into the jungle first, followed closely by Qin Deming.

Qin Dexin tried to catch up with Qin Ruqing by grabbing her collar, but Qin Ruqing evaded her.

She chuckled and said, “I can keep up without riding a flying sword.” She also answered her Aunt’s previous question, “Elder Tang is skilled in both artifact forging and alchemy, but he’s much better at forging.”

Qin Dexin nodded casually and gestured for Qin Ruqing to follow.

Ancestor Wenxuan stepped into the depths of the jungle and immediately sensed its unusual nature.

She had traversed numerous jungles in various mystical and secret realms before, but this one felt distinctly different.

Ancient trees towered overhead, obscuring the sky and casting a dense shadow that barely allowed any light through.

The air carried contradictory scents of fresh vegetation and decay.

Thick layers of dry leaves covered the ground, damp mosses clung to everything, and robust vines hung like massive nets from the branches of ancient trees.

Occasionally, small exotic beasts darted past, accompanied by sharp cries and beastly roars.

The atmosphere was eerie, oppressive, and tense.

The Ancestor paused on a sturdy branch, her expression grave as she surveyed the path ahead.

Qin Ruqing landed next to her and instinctively lowered her voice, “Ancestor, why does this jungle feel so strange?”

Qin Deming also looked puzzled, sensing an unsettling discomfort, “Could this be the difference between a primal jungle and an ordinary one?”

Qin Dexin, on the other hand, leaped down from a tree, the heavy dry leaves crunching underfoot like stepping onto a cushion.

She examined the ground, cutting through vines, and pointed to a faint red mark on a tree trunk, saying softly, “There are signs of a skirmish here.”

“It appears to be marks left by beasts fighting,” the Ancestor glanced at the signs briefly, his brows furrowing tightly.

With her formidable spiritual awareness, after a moment of closed-eyed sensing, she remarked, “There are many such traces like this.”

“Would normal jungle beasts fight so frequently?” Qin Ruqing asked.

The Ancestor shook her head, “It wasn’t like this the last time I was here. It seems that over these years, the southern jungle has also undergone…”

Before the Ancestor could finish her sentence, a sudden rustling noise nearby interrupted her, causing all of them to tense up, ready for whatever might emerge from the dense undergrowth ahead.

Ancestor Wenxuan stood in a place with a unique terrain, feeling her body half cold and half warm.

Her gaze fixed on a faintly reddish spring, seemingly marking the boundary between the sensations of cold and heat.

Continuing further, she soon understood the reason behind this sensation.

A silver ice spring and a red fire spring descended from the distant mountains, winding their way down and converging at this spot, forming a single stream.

And at the confluence of these two springs… grew a radiant grass.

Shaped like an orchid, its slender leaves gracefully curved and hung down, with two flower buds at its center—a white one and a red one.

The Ice and Fire Dual Grass!

The group couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

Before them lay the celestial medicine that could heal the Ancestor’s wounds.

The Ancestor exhaled slowly, about to say something, when Qin Ruqing suddenly turned her head, her eyes shining brightly, and exclaimed, “Ancestor, look, this grass hasn’t been eaten by any beasts!”

The Ancestor’s expression froze momentarily.

Seeing the grass here reminded the Ancestor of some past events, stirring complex emotions within her.

However, Qin Ruqing’s comment immediately lightened the atmosphere, leaving the Ancestor momentarily speechless.

After a while, Ancestor Wencuan withdrew her gaze and remarked, “Thanks to you. If someone as greedy as you were guarding this grass, I’m sure it wouldn’t last more than a few years.”

This playful remark eased the tension, bringing a moment of light-heartedness to the solemn task at hand.

Qin Ruqing smiled awkwardly and changed the subject, “Ancestor, the Ice-Fire Dual Grass is at the confluence of Shuangquan. Where is the Golden Core stage demon beast? Has it moved?”

“It hasn’t,” Elder’s spiritual awareness cautiously extended out and quickly retracted after a while, “It’s already on its way here.”