Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

But now he discovers that the person he has always respected is actually a cunning and scheming individual.

Once this gets out, the Qin family's status will plummet, and Qin Yixian himself will find it hard to accept.

Hearing Qin Yixian's words, Yang Ling had to admit that he understood Qin Yixian's feelings. Finally, Yang Ling came up with a way to comfort Qin Yixian and encourage him to cheer up.

“Actually, I have some connection with Saint Xieyun. I’ve met Saint Xieyun before, as you probably know.” Yang Ling’s words perked Qin Yixian up. He frowned, never expecting Yang Ling to have this side to him; it far exceeded his expectations. They were utterly shocked. Who could have imagined this? Clearly, none of them had anticipated Yang Ling’s experiences.

Qin Yixian had previously tried to subtly inquire with Yang Ling, but Yang Ling refused to reveal anything, leaving him completely in the dark.

Now that Yang Ling had said it, Qin Yixian seemed to have a renewed hope. He stared intently at Yang Ling, trying to discern something from his face.

Yang Ling met his gaze, and to be honest, Qin Yixian's stare made it difficult for him to speak.

Did he leave any message?

"Did you say anything else? Was it really my father who did it?" Yang Ling nodded. Qin Yixian still felt a weight lift from his heart; it seemed that the matter was indeed true. Yang Ling continued.

"Actually, even the older generation doesn't believe your father would do such a thing. There's probably some hidden story behind it. We'll see." These words didn't stir any emotion in Qin Yixian. What's done is done; there's no way to change or reverse the situation. He quickly calmed down; it was too late to stop it now. Seeing that Qin Yixian had perked up, Yang Ling then got down to business.

"I've called you here because I have something important to discuss with you, and it's no simple matter. I plan to have a thorough discussion with you and see what you think. At the border between the Yun family and the Qin family, a treasure is about to appear. That treasure is definitely extraordinary and is coming with great force!"

"We're sure to be targeted by the other powerful families. Besides, our Yun family has only recently started to grow, so they'll definitely be eyeing us covetously. We must be careful and not fall into their trap!"

Yang Ling's words successfully reminded Qin Yixian. He hadn't expected Yang Ling to say that, and was somewhat surprised. He met Yang Ling's gaze.

"How did you find out about this? This should be a well-kept secret, known to very few people. How did you manage to discover this information? Or did you find out something?" He asked Yang Ling, trying to read something from his expression. Hearing this, Yang Ling couldn't say anything more and couldn't deny it.

In fact, there is indeed some connection between the two.

"I found out by chance, but I still need you to keep an eye on things. I'm worried that some people with ill intentions might come and cause trouble. If they continue to interfere with us, it will be detrimental to us." Yang Ling's analysis was very reasonable, and Qin Yixian thought it made a lot of sense. He nodded, his gaze towards Yang Ling remaining unchanged.

“Okay, you’re right. I believe your judgment will only get better.” He patted Yang Ling on the shoulder.

Yang Ling had indeed worked hard during this period, and he had guessed that Yang Ling was likely to come, so he wasn't too surprised, after all, Yang Ling's abilities were undeniable.

"You have indeed brought me good news. They must already know this news. I will strengthen our defenses and absolutely will not let them in," he said, emphasizing each word. Who knew there would be so many powerful forces in this place? The appearance of such a huge treasure is bound to attract a lot of attention.

It seems the Blood Moon is really coming soon, and the future is uncertain.

After chatting with Qin Yixian, Yang Ling returned to his residence.

To Yang Ling's surprise, Sun Yao came out from inside and their eyes met.

"Young Master Zhao, you're finally back!"

Yang Ling nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

In the next few days, he planned to calm down and focus on his cultivation.

However, at that very moment, a burst of red light shot into the sky from the border between the Yun and Qin families, staining half the sky crimson. Ever since the Yun family's spiritual energy became abundant, many forces had been eyeing their every move with covetous intent.

Who knows when a great treasure might appear? When those people saw the red light, they were immediately excited and hurriedly sent the news back to their respective families.

In no time, the news reached several families. Yang Ling and Qin Yixian stood at the forefront, followed by the old man. Almost all the powerful individuals with any strength had gathered together. Unless a truly extraordinary figure arrived, they might not be a match for them. The old man's strength was undeniable, and Yang Ling's cultivation had improved; even against an opponent stronger than himself, he would have a fighting chance.

Yang Ling gazed thoughtfully at the rolling mountains. He hadn't expected the treasure to be hidden in this seemingly inconspicuous mountain, a fact that truly surprised him. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. "I visited this place some time ago, but I never imagined this treasure would be hidden on this unassuming mountain. Truly, life is unpredictable!" Although this place was some distance from the Yun family, the surrounding scenery had changed since the spiritual energy became abundant. The old man was unusually excited, but only Yang Ling knew that the treasure had probably existed for a long time; otherwise, it wouldn't have appeared out of thin air so quickly.

Qin Yixian looked around, then turned to Yang Ling and said slowly:

"I just scouted around, and there are at least a lot of people from major families outside. They've probably already spread the word, and they'll all be here soon!" Yang Ling thought it was something serious and was glad they were coming, as it would be a good opportunity to test his skills against them. The old man curled his lip. He admitted that Yang Ling was very capable, but he didn't deserve to be so arrogant, showing him no respect at all.

Among his peers, there were almost none who could rival Yang Ling's strength. As for those older than him, Yang Ling didn't take them seriously. Last time, his strength improved significantly, showing signs of a breakthrough, but his current abilities were insufficient to fully control it, so he could only suppress it for the time being, waiting for the right opportunity to break through in one fell swoop.

Just as Qin Yixian had predicted, almost all of those people had arrived. The once deserted hill was now filled with members of various families, each radiating a white light, indicating their extraordinary strength. Yang Ling looked up and saw that these were all rare guests; almost all the major families were present, along with Qin Zhen.

As for the young patriarchs of the other families, namely Zhao Rong'er and Duan An, their strength was not weak. Although their auras were faint, they could not conceal their extraordinary temperament. When Yang Ling looked at them, many people's gazes also fell on him. Qin Zhen walked up to Yang Ling, burning with anger, the surrounding aura surging, and a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

"I really didn't expect you to dare come back. You've really impressed me! If you had kept hiding, I really wouldn't have been able to do anything with you. Now that you've shown up, don't even think about leaving alive!" He said each word clearly, his eyes filled with determination. These people were all slightly stronger than Yang Ling, but Yang Ling smiled and ignored Qin Zhen's words. They thought they could defeat him with that kind of strength? They were dreaming. He found it laughable.

"Don't be too nervous. Patriarch Qin is already the head of the family, why make such a fuss, right? Be careful not to upset yourself. I'm only thinking of you!" Yang Ling's strength is actually about the same as Qin Zhen's right now. If someone were to help him, he might even be able to hold his own for a few moves. Give him some more time, and his growth rate will definitely far surpass those of the people in front of him.

Qin Zhen naturally noticed Yang Ling's change and crossed her arms over her chest.

Others chimed in.

"To be honest, you are indeed strong, but you are still far from being able to compete with our major families. Don't be too arrogant, or you'll end up in a bad situation!"

"Who do you think you are? What right do you have to yell at me! I ignored you, but you still came running at me, utterly shameless!" Yang Ling said, each word dripping with sarcasm, causing everyone to gasp. Yang Ling was indeed even more arrogant than the rumors suggested. The man clenched his fists, clearly enraged by Yang Ling. The disciples didn't dare utter a sound; in a duel between powerful figures, it was best for them, the insignificant ones, to stay far away.

Most importantly, Yang Ling actually dared to mock a family head like that. Was he not afraid of these families, or did he have a powerful backer? A dark glint flashed in the man's eyes. He thought that Yang Ling must be relying on a powerful backer to dare to be so unscrupulous.

"Don't think that just because someone is protecting you today, you can escape from me. Let me tell you, it's not that easy. Don't think that your little bit of strength is enough to be of any use to me!" Yang Ling's lips curled up as he soothed him and told him not to overthink things.

"You're not my backer, so what? You want to be my backer? I wouldn't dare accept that. I wouldn't want a backer like that even if you gave it to me!" His words left the other man speechless, a lump in his throat, wishing he could kill Yang Ling to vent his anger. But he didn't continue arguing with Yang Ling.

Besides, his status is different from Yang Ling's. If he were to eliminate Yang Ling on the spot, Qin Yixian would definitely intervene, and if he were to do so, wouldn't he be lowering his own status? It's better to wait for a more opportune moment to deal with Yang Ling; in any case, Yang Ling absolutely cannot be allowed to live.

"So you're Yang Ling! Seeing is believing, indeed! I never imagined you could anger several powerful families like this with just a few words!" Zhao Rong'er said with a smile. She hadn't seen these people get their comeuppance in a long time. Yang Ling met Zhao Rong'er's gaze.

"Really? Then of course he can't compare to you. This person has an outstanding temperament. How can he be compared to those people?" Yang Ling's words made Zhao Rong'er very happy. The old man stood aside, his mouth twitching slightly. Was this still the Yang Ling he knew? Zhao Rong'er looked at Yang Ling and felt that he was a useful talent, so she wanted to win him over.

"Why don't you just join our family? All you need are cultivation resources, right? I can give you those too!"

Upon hearing Zhao Rong'er's words, Yang Ling waved his hand helplessly and let out a long sigh.

"If it were before, I might have agreed. But now that I've joined the Yun family, how can I switch to another family? Otherwise, wouldn't I be burdened with a bad reputation in the future!" As soon as he said this, the disciples felt uneasy. In their eyes, Yang Ling was like a jinx; who would dare to provoke him? Qin Yixian glanced at Yang Ling and thought to himself, does Yang Ling really not know how formidable Zhao Rong'er is? Zhao Rong'er is notorious for her volatile temper and ruthless methods. Few people can survive her attacks, and others avoid her at all costs.

Fortunately, Yang Ling was quite capable; otherwise, he would probably be dead by now. Now that almost everyone had arrived, Qin Yixian coughed lightly, emanating a powerful aura. Sensing this aura, everyone turned their gaze towards Qin Yixian.

"I didn't expect so many people to come. However, this is our Yun family's territory after all, so I will naturally treat you all well. Why don't we all go in together and see what treasures are hidden inside!" Qin Yixian knew that he alone could not stop these people, so he might as well go with the flow and let them go in on their own. Maybe he could even make them fight each other.

At this moment, an elder from the sect standing at the front spoke up, "Thank you very much, Patriarch Qin. You truly are a master; your insights are indeed unique. I heard that Yang Ling recently went to a place where things have changed drastically. I wonder if it's related to this?" As he spoke, he cast a glance at Yang Ling, clearly making an enemy of him openly. The changes that had occurred in the Yun family were indeed because of Yang Ling, and the changes in the surrounding area had already spread. Yang Ling had originally intended to go and see for himself, and everyone was more surprised to see him. However, Yang Ling did not back down and directly retorted.

“I didn’t expect an elder to be so concerned about my affairs. If you’re interested, I can invite you to the Yun family as a guest, and we can have a good chat,” Yang Ling said neither humbly nor arrogantly, his expression calm in the face of the other party’s provocation. He sneered and continued, “A brat like you shouldn’t be too arrogant, or you’ll only suffer the consequences. Do you know that geniuses often have short lives…” He said, emphasizing each word. Seeing this, Qin Zhen quickly chimed in. Now that an elder was backing him up, he naturally wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by.

"That's right, no matter how talented you are, you're nothing special until you mature. You might even die on the spot someday!" His words were full of sarcasm. Yang Ling feigned surprise and said, "I really didn't expect you to be so considerate of me, but I don't think you have much time left. Oh well, if you need help in the future, just come to the Yun family and find me. Maybe we'll give you something out of old friendship." Yang Ling spoke with utmost sincerity, and his words made everyone lower their heads, desperately trying to suppress their laughter. Yang Ling's mouth was truly formidable.

This was an utter humiliation for Qin Zhen; he had never been so openly insulted. Yang Ling not only offered him no way out but also laced his words with mockery. He understood Yang Ling's meaning perfectly and felt that Yang Ling was delusional. Just as he was about to make a move, Zhao Rong'er stopped him in time. (End of Chapter)