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

“As the head of a large family, you can’t just make a move in front of so many people; it would be very unbecoming. Besides, why bother with a junior? I remember you’re quite a bit older than him!” Zhao Rong’er said seriously.

Qin Zhen stopped what he was doing, turned his head to the side, and wished he could tear Yang Ling to pieces. Yang Ling had not only provoked him, but also made him look bad in front of so many people.

He knew he would get his hands on Yang Ling when the opportunity arose, showing no mercy whatsoever. Just then, another person spoke up, "I think Young Master Zhao's strength is indeed formidable; he must have encountered many fortuitous events. Let's have a proper discussion about martial arts sometime!"

This person came from an ordinary sect. Although he spoke righteously, his true intentions were written all over his face. He clearly wanted to curry favor with these major families, and perhaps he could even use this opportunity to get on good terms with the Qin family.

Yang Ling looked at the person in front of him. He had never even met him before, yet he had already revealed all his thoughts. He didn't take him seriously at all. Did he really think Yang Ling was made of clay?

"Is that so? If you want to spar with me, I'm afraid it won't work. I'm worried you won't even last one round, and then you'll just embarrass yourself!" No sooner had Yang Ling finished speaking than the man immediately said, "Young Master Zhao, I just want to have a proper spar with you. I know my strength is inferior to yours. Are all the people in your Yun family so arrogant?" The others, watching the spectacle, were indeed amused by this man's actions, and they could also see through his intentions. This man's family was somewhat useful to them; if they could win them over, they could at least use them as pawns.

While the man was pondering his next move, Yang Ling strode forward and stared directly at him.

When everyone saw Yang Ling come out, they wondered if he was going to make a public move. That seemed unlikely.
"Are you going to make a move?" the man questioned Yang Ling. Yang Ling replied directly, "Our Yun family isn't someone anyone can provoke, and we certainly won't tolerate an outsider's insolence. If you think you can trample on my head, you're mistaken. I, Yang Ling, will never tolerate such humiliation!" His eyes were filled with determination. But the other man didn't take Yang Ling seriously at all, not believing that Yang Ling would dare to make a move in front of so many people, unless he was insane. Yang Ling looked at the man's reckless attitude and smiled.

"Since that's the case, I don't mind personally sending you on your way. Consider it a friendly sparring match. After all, you were the one who brought it up first!"

After saying that, Yang Ling did not make a move immediately, but an aura flashed around him, and even the heavens and earth trembled.

Just from this aura alone, one can imagine that even in hand-to-hand combat, Yang Ling's strength is astonishingly powerful, making it hard to believe.

The group exchanged bewildered glances; Yang Ling's strength far exceeded their expectations. Yet, this man, oblivious to their own limitations, dared to provoke Yang Ling.

"Fine, so arrogant of your Yun family! I'll see how you deal with me. I'll make you realize the difference between us!" Yang Ling dared to try and attack him in front of so many people; it was utterly laughable. Since Yang Ling was courting death, he would grant his wish. However, he ultimately underestimated Yang Ling.

The two collided violently, unleashing a deafening roar. A flicker of panic crossed the man's face, his eyes filled with disbelief. He was then sent flying backward, not even having a chance to utter a complete sentence. Someone sensed the danger and rushed to intervene, trying to block Yang Ling's attack, but it was too late. The man crashed heavily to the ground, immediately losing consciousness.

It was obvious that he was seriously injured.

Yang Ling remained calm, slowly withdrawing his gaze, his hands hanging casually in front of him. He had initially thought his opponent was quite strong, but he hadn't expected them to be so easily defeated.

"If you want to spar with me, you'd better think twice about whether you have the ability. Don't try to impress others when you're not, or you'll only embarrass yourself." Yang Ling's words were extremely arrogant, and in everyone's eyes, they were undoubtedly an invisible threat.

Those people were basically stunned by Yang Ling's methods. After all, their cultivation level was similar to Yang Ling's, yet they couldn't even withstand a single move from Yang Ling. Wasn't Yang Ling's strength even more terrifying?
Everyone was truly surprised by Yang Ling's strength.

Qin Yixian looked at the old man beside him, filled with curiosity. What had Yang Ling gone through to cause such a drastic change? The old man also looked helpless; he didn't understand why Yang Ling's strength had increased so much in such a short time. He stared at Yang Ling, secretly amazed. Yang Ling had only been gone a short while, yet his strength had increased to such a level. There must have been some immense opportunity in that place; otherwise, it would be impossible for him to improve so quickly. Thinking of this, his killing intent towards Yang Ling intensified.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd blurted out, "This kid's physique is extraordinary, far beyond what ordinary people can match. Moreover, his strength is considerable. Even if I were to face him, I might not have a chance of winning. He's truly admirable!" He spoke each word carefully, his words surprising the crowd. In their minds, they knew...

These words were clearly praising Yang Ling, which is truly admirable.

However, they remembered that Yang Ling was highly skilled in swordsmanship, so how could he also be so physically strong? They racked their brains but still couldn't figure it out.

Just as they were secretly speculating, a white light pierced the sky.

Clearly, a treasure is about to appear in the world, and given its abundance of spiritual energy in this place, it must be an extremely precious treasure.

Seeing this, everyone stared intently at the light, convinced that this treasure must be extraordinary.

They were all eager to compete, but Qin Yixian spoke up before them, saying, "Since so many people want to go, then you can go. However, once you're inside, your life or death is up to fate, and it won't have anything to do with the Yun family anymore. This is your own choice!"

No one cared about anything else, and they rushed in like a swarm of bees. Yang Ling looked at the old man beside him and decided to take him along. After all, the old man was willing to follow him, so his strength must be considerable. However, as soon as Yang Ling entered, he realized that this was an ancient tomb ruin. Yang Ling could sense that there were treasures hidden inside, so he immediately quickened his pace to get closer.

The old man also noticed that someone was following him. Those people clearly wanted to kill Yang Ling, and were relentlessly pursuing him. He looked at Yang Ling and said, "The killing intent emanating from that Qin family member is far too intense. How did you provoke him? His killing intent towards you is so strong, and his abilities in all aspects are extraordinary; this is no coincidence!" He spoke each word clearly, his eyes filled with determination. In truth, Yang Ling knew that their situations were similar; in his view, this was quite normal.

"Should we get rid of him? Keeping him around isn't a solution. What if he has ulterior motives and something unexpected happens?" the old man asked. Yang Ling, however, didn't seem to care and felt there was nothing to say.

"Alright, let's get out of here quickly. I have a way to shake him off. If he wants to follow, let him. What can he do to me?" Hearing Yang Ling's words, the old man knew Yang Ling had another plan, so Yang Ling immediately led the old man to another location. In Yang Ling's view, something more important seemed to await him.

The old man looked at Yang Ling, sensing that Yang Ling was hiding something from him, but he didn't press the matter. After all, there were indeed many things about Yang Ling that were difficult to explain.

"You seem to know everything about this place. Could it be that you already knew there was treasure here?" the old man asked cautiously, trying to glean some clues from Yang Ling's expression. Yang Ling glanced at the old man, thinking that this senior was quite the conjecturer, actually saying such a thing. "Senior, you're mistaken. I never said anything like that. These are completely different things," Yang Ling said seriously. He wasn't surprised at all; Yang Ling's words actually reminded him.

"Alright, I knew you weren't easy to fool, and I think I know you pretty well now!" Yang Ling turned his head to the side, not surprised at all. In his mind, he already had a clear understanding of the old man.

"I do have faith in your abilities, and I hope you're even stronger than I imagined. Don't disappoint me!" Yang Ling walked ahead, while Qin Zhen followed closely behind. They had been walking for most of the day without seeing a single person. What was going on?

"Didn't you say he was here? How come he's gone somewhere else now? What happened?"

“We’ve been following him all this way. Logically, he couldn’t have run off to somewhere else. He’s probably planning to ambush us here, otherwise there’s no other way to explain it.” Qin Zhen was determined to get rid of Yang Ling. In his view, Yang Ling was a huge threat and could not be let go easily.

"We must get rid of him, no matter the cost, or the consequences will be unimaginable!" he said, emphasizing each word. The others quickly echoed his sentiment. More importantly, they firmly believed that Yang Ling was exceptionally strong and superior in every aspect.

"That guy might be hiding a lot of treasures. We absolutely have to get them from him, or we'll be at a huge loss!" he said seriously. The others calmly withdrew their gazes; they all understood what was going on.

Yang Ling strode forward, while the old man followed behind him at a leisurely pace.

Before long, they arrived at a magnificent hall.

Just then, Yang Ling stopped and turned to face the old man, saying, "You all wait here. I'll go in and investigate, and I'll be back shortly!"

What he was looking for was inside. As soon as Yang Ling stepped into the main hall, he felt a strange aura wash over him, and his vision went black for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, the scene before him greatly shocked him. Before coming here, Yang Ling had been speculating what kind of treasure he would find, but what he saw before him completely exceeded his expectations.

The old man told him about this.

The overwhelming aura forced Yang Ling to unleash his full spiritual power to resist. Before him stood a colossal demonic beast, its head a dragon, its body a snake, and its claws numerous. Upon seeing Yang Ling, its eyes gleamed with excitement.

"you……"

Yang Ling looked the enormous beast up and down. It was clear that the beast was exceptionally powerful, and he could clearly sense its immense strength.

"I've finally waited for you!" Upon hearing the monster's words, Yang Ling fell into deep thought.

Why are you waiting for me? Do you know me?

The demonic beast stared intently at Yang Ling and said, "That's because this treasure is perfectly suited to you. I've been waiting here for you. I'm very familiar with your aura!" Hearing the beast's words, Yang Ling's lips twitched slightly. He wondered to himself, "Am I here to pick up a bargain?" However, what he obtained this time wasn't a tangible treasure, but rather an aura—a kind of spiritual essence. A strange feeling instantly swept over Yang Ling's entire body. His body trembled involuntarily, and his face turned pale. This aura had directly entered his body. The demonic beast looked at Yang Ling, its eyes filled with admiration.

Years ago, an old man left a message saying that whoever could enter this place would be the one to take the spiritual essence. The demon beast initially thought it was a lie, but now it had actually happened; truly, perseverance pays off. Before long, Yang Ling had refined this aura. He suddenly opened his eyes, expecting his strength to advance, but he was stuck at an insignificant level.

His lips twitched, and he muttered to himself, "That's it? This seems far inferior to the treasures I've obtained before."

"Can this thing really bring me any benefits? It seems so-so to me, and I haven't felt any changes!" As Yang Ling's voice fell, the demon beast was so angry that it almost vomited blood.

Did Yang Ling actually know the importance of this thing?
"You probably don't understand just how beneficial this thing is!" Yang Ling crossed his arms, a surge of interest rising within him; it sounded like this thing was no ordinary object.

"Then tell me in detail!"

"Well, the stronger you become, the more you'll understand its secrets. And at crucial moments, it can even help you reach extraordinary heights!" The beast's words made Yang Ling instantly realize that obtaining this thing was precisely to make himself stronger and pave a smoother path in the future.
"Why not take advantage of free stuff? It would be a shame not to grab it." Yang Ling's gaze towards the demonic beast changed.

"Anyway, I'm quite grateful that you gave me this!" the monster quickly said, adding that it didn't deserve such a compliment, especially since it was its mission.

"Someone asked me to give this to you, but I don't know who that person is. That person has an extraordinary aura and is definitely not an ordinary person!"

"I believe you'll meet him someday!" Yang Ling said, intrigued, but more than anything, curious. If that's the case, then she'd definitely want to meet him someday.

"Speaking of which, you've been in this tomb for so long, don't you plan to get out?"

The monster shook its head at Yang Ling.

"My time is almost up, and I'm just waiting here for someone destined to come. Now that the goods have been delivered, I'm content. I probably don't have the strength to do anything more." Yang Ling looked at the demonic beast, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him. He had never met this demonic beast before, yet he could sense some kind of connection between them, as if he had seen it somewhere before. (End of Chapter)