Yuan Ming instructed Hua Zhi to catch a nearby demon beast for an experiment and found that the soul crow's "Crow Cry" could cause an opponent's Divine Soul to tremble, rendering their consciousness stupefied and body rigid, taking some time before they could recover.

In addition, during his previous cultivation sessions, he had preliminarily completed the first level of the Dream Butterfly Illusion Technique, "Mirror Flower." Now, by combining it with the release of the soul crow, he could imperceptibly trap enemies in an illusion.

This greatly extended the range within which Yuan Ming could cast illusions, which excited him immensely.

Yuan Ming called back the soul crow and was about to test other Soul Cultivator abilities when he suddenly noticed that the "Stealing Heaven Tripod" mark on his arm was getting warm.

With a thought, he summoned the Stealing Heaven Tripod.

No sooner had the Stealing Heaven Tripod appeared than Yuan Ming noticed a deeper connection with it. In the air, thin filaments of an invisible force began gathering from all directions, each one of them entering the Stealing Heaven Tripod.

"What is this?" Yuan Ming exclaimed with surprise, sensing the invisible force, and quickly made a discovery.

This invisible force was very similar to Divine Sense, yet there was a difference.

His expression thoughtful, he held the Stealing Heaven Tripod in his hands, focused his mind, and tried to sense the interior of the tripod.

With a hum, a layer of golden runes and forbidden spells appeared around the Stealing Heaven Tripod, blocking his Divine Sense from penetrating even the slightest bit.

When Yuan Ming was still in the Southern Border, he had tried to refine the Stealing Heaven Tripod and encountered this layer of golden prohibition. That time, he was violently repelled, but now the reaction of the golden prohibition was not as strong as before.

He was inwardly pleased, believing that with the progress he had made in the Moonlight Technique, his connection with the Stealing Heaven Tripod was deepening and its resistance was weakening. Sooner or later, he would have complete control over it.

Yuan Ming closed his eyes to sense the invisible force that was gathering and soon showed a look of surprise again.

His Divine Sense, upon contact with the gathered invisible force, actually absorbed a bit of it, and found it quite beneficial.

"These invisible forces can be absorbed? It appears that they are indeed of the same nature as Divine Power. Whenever my Divine Soul was injured in the past, the surge of heat from the incense burner must have been the invisible force collected by the Stealing Heaven Tripod," Yuan Ming realized suddenly.

Unfortunately, with the golden prohibition surrounding the Stealing Heaven Tripod, he was unable to permeate inside, so it seemed he was still a distance away from being able to mobilize this force.

Yuan Ming set down the Stealing Heaven Tripod and recalled that its name was given by Xi Ying. He wondered if she knew anything about this force.

He took out the Communication Talisman that Xi Ying had left him, thinking of sending a message to inquire, but after some thought, he stowed it away again.

He had been in closed-door cultivation in his Cave Mansion for five years, focusing on his practice without much contact with the outside world, and barely using the Black Incense, unaware of Xi Ying's whereabouts.

His thoughts then shifted to his parents at home. Having not seen them for many years, he wondered how they were now.

He took out a piece of Black Incense and inserted it into the tripod, ready to possess his father and check on the situation, but he suddenly felt that the Black Incense also faintly possessed that same invisible force, albeit somewhat diluted.

"Black Incense also contains this force..." Yuan Ming muttered to himself. After some thought, he took out the only remaining original Black Incense.

As expected, the original Black Incense also carried that invisible force, which was extremely rich, even giving him a sense of stickiness.

Yuan Ming seemed to come to a realization, then took out the incense ashes used for Incense Making and discovered that they too were enveloped in the invisible force.

"So that's how it is... So that's how it is," Yuan Ming said, coming to an epiphany and laughing out loud.

He had long suspected that the possessing divine power of the Black Incense was triggered by a special force within the incense ashes; the more of this force there was, the better the effect of possession. Now it seemed he was right indeed!

The force within the incense ashes seemed to originate from the wishes and prayers of worshipers, and Yuan Ming decided to name this force "Desire Power."

His research on this Desire Power was still very superficial, and he could not figure out its intricacies in a short time, so he temporarily set aside his thoughts and lit the Black Incense, possessing his father's body.

At this moment, his father seemed to be sitting in a quiet room cultivating, and judging by the Spiritual Power circulating within him, his cultivation had progressed from the Qi Refining Seventh Level to the Qi Refining Ninth Level, entering the Late Stage Qi Refining.

Yuan Ming noticed this and immediately felt happy. If his father could take another step forward and encounter some opportunities, advancing to the Foundation Establishment was not impossible.

However, he then thought about his mother, who did not have a talent for cultivation. Now that he and his father had obtained longevity, how could he leave his mother alone with a short lifespan?

He made up his mind to specifically find some life-extending elixirs for his mother if he had the chance.

His father was very dedicated to cultivation, and his thoughts were neither hurried nor slow. Until Yuan Ming ended the possession, he did not leave the quiet room.

This also indirectly confirmed that nothing significant had happened at home, which reassured Yuan Ming a bit.

After Yuan Ming's Divine Thought returned, he planned to continue sitting in meditation.

Vajra had been cultivating inside the Spiritual Beast Bag lately and had already devoured all of the Copper Skin Pills he obtained from Liu Su. Now he could only practice diligently in the conventional manner.

As the Vajra Spirit's intelligence gradually increased, it recorded the cultivation methods it practiced. Yuan Ming took a look at them and discovered that the Body Cultivation Method practiced by Vajra was truly extraordinary.

Previously, Yuan Ming had also collected some information on Body Cultivation and knew that the fundamental essence of the Body Cultivation Methods in the Central Plains started from the outside and worked inwards, beginning with skin and flesh, then training muscles and bones, and finally the internal organs. However, the Body Cultivation Method that Vajra passed to him started with directly tempering the internal organs and was incredibly brutal in its approach, only suited for demon beasts with exceptional physical gifts. It was simply impossible for ordinary cultivators to practice.

He could only reluctantly put aside the idea of Body Cultivation for the time being, planning to look for a proper Body Cultivation Method later on.

Suddenly his expression changed, and he took out a Communication Talisman from his bosom.

The talisman crumbled with a "sizzle," and Hu Tu's voice came through, speaking about matters concerning the Spiritual Fragrance Shop. There was a customer who wanted to discuss a major business deal, insisting on dealing with the owner directly, and he could not refuse.

Yuan Ming had just broken through with his Moonlight Technique, and his Soul Power had not yet completely stabilized. He did not wish to end his seclusion so prematurely, yet due to an overly optimistic estimate earlier, he had already consumed all the Snow Crystal Pills. Continuing to consume the previously acquired hundred thousand Spirit Stones at the current rate would eventually lead to depletion, which was not a solution.

The higher the cultivation, the more expensive the elixirs needed. If he wished to maintain the same high-speed cultivation rate until breaking through to the Late Foundation Establishment, he would still need a large number of Spirit Stones. He couldn't afford to pass up on the major deal at the Spiritual Fragrance Shop.

With this thought, he left Hua Zhi and Lei Yu to guard the Cave Mansion and headed towards Wangyue City.

"What kind of person could it be coming this time? I've already authorized Hu Tu to handle all shop affairs, what matter could there be that they insist on discussing with me? Could it be someone with ill intentions?"

Yuan Ming was already curious why someone had so adamantly requested a face-to-face meeting with him, and now, as he grew closer to the shop, thoughts rapidly flashed through his mind, causing him to subconsciously stop walking.

After a moment of contemplation, he released a soul crow and sent it diving into the city's underground, heading stealthily towards the direction of the Spiritual Fragrance Shop.

After the breakthrough to the Fourth Level of the Moonlight Technique, the soul crow also improved in its ability to change form and could now completely virtualize. It moved through the earth quickly and soon arrived at the Spiritual Fragrance Shop.

There was no one in the outer hall of the Spiritual Fragrance Shop, only Mu Yang was at the counter, and the soul crow sneaked into the inner hall, poking half its head out from a hidden corner.

In the inner hall, Hu Tu was conversing with a grey-robed elder, seemingly enjoying a pleasant conversation. This should be the person who demanded to talk with Yuan Ming.

Upon seeing the man's face clearly, Yuan Ming's pupils suddenly constricted. The person was none other than Zuo Qinghui!

"Why is he here!"

As a cultivator of Chang Chun Temple, and being at the Core Formation Stage himself, Yuan Ming had remained highly vigilant about Zuo Qinghui since their first acquaintance at the Tianxiang Auction.

If they had simply run into each other by chance in Wangyue City, Zuo Qinghui would have likely introduced himself by his name. Now, acting so covertly and asking to purchase a large batch of Spirit Incense, it was probable that he had no good intentions.

After a moment's thought, Yuan Ming immediately summoned the White Jade Shuttle to return to his Cave Mansion and instructed Hua Zhi and Lei Yu to leave the Cave Mansion and find a place to hide.

He then took out the Bronze Thunder Pattern Array and arranged it around the Cave Mansion, interweaving it with the Five Elements Illusion Destruction Array.

After all these preparations, Yuan Ming used the Hidden Element Technique to suppress his cultivation to the peak of the Early-stage Foundation Establishment and returned to Wangyue City, entering the Spiritual Fragrance Shop directly.

"A customer wants to order custom-made Spirit Incense? Oh, Senior Zuo?" Yuan Ming feigned surprise.

"Hehe, Yuan, it's been a long time," Zuo Qinghui said with a light laugh.

Yuan Ming remained calm, unsurprised. He had been using his real name in Wangyue City, and Zuo Qinghui could have easily learned of this with a little inquiry.

Hearing Yuan Ming utter the honorific "Senior," Hu Tu was stunned. He knew that Yuan Ming was already at the Foundation Establishment Stage, so could this customer be at the Core Formation Stage? With this thought, Hu Tu quickly found a reason to leave, tactfully excusing himself.

"Senior Zuo, previously I was compelled to challenge the former State Preceptor. To maintain the reputation of Chang Chun Temple, I used a false name and kept a low profile. I hope Senior does not take offense," Yuan Ming quickly recovered his usual manner and said, giving a bow.

"Not at all, all of that is in the past now. You are meticulous in thought and decisive in action, Yuan. Moreover, you executed Pu Zhengqing, establishing an extraordinary achievement for the Da Jin Cultivation World. Few of the younger generation disciples in Da Jin can match you," Zuo Qinghui's face beamed with an even broader smile.

"Senior flatters me," Zuo Qinghui's words seemed to carry an underlying meaning, and Yuan Ming carefully pondered his words.

"Your Spiritual Fragrance Shop was thriving in Little Lake City; why suddenly close it and come to open a shop in Wangyue City?" Zuo Qinghui asked, glancing around.

"Spirit Incense, unlike elixirs or spiritual materials, is not an essential item for cultivators. Only those with ample wealth would buy it for novelty. The business in Little Lake City was actually not so good anymore. Continuing there was simply not profitable," Yuan Ming replied.

"Oh, I didn't realize that aside from your strength, Yuan, you also have unique insight into business. It seems I didn't misjudge you," Zuo Qinghui chuckled.

"What do you mean by that, Senior?" Yuan Ming asked, slightly startled at the remark.

"I'll be frank. I've come here for a matter I need to discuss with you, Yuan," Zuo Qinghui sat down on a chair beside him and waved his hand to create a soundproof barrier, speaking leisurely.

"Please speak, Senior," Yuan Ming said, as he saw Zuo Qinghui act in such a manner, his heartstrings tightened, yet his face remained obliviously composed.

"Making Spirit Incense is a minor matter. I've come to you to revisit an old proposal. Do you remember the suggestion from five years ago?" Zuo Qinghui's smile grew warmer as he spoke.

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