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

He could tell that the demon beast had only managed to hold on by sheer willpower. It was truly remarkable that it had entrusted this thing to him.

"Since I'm about to vanish from this world anyway, I'm giving you a set of armor before I go. This armor was forged from my own body, so please keep it safe!"

"Moreover, if you ever encounter my master in the future, take out this armor, and those demonic beasts will naturally obey your commands!" Yang Ling was somewhat incredulous, never expecting the demonic beast to give him such a great gift. This demonic beast appeared to possess ancient bloodlines. Demonic beasts with ancient bloodlines had powerful physiques and were all exceptionally talented. Compared to them, the current demonic beasts were far inferior and simply incomparable.

Yang Ling was surprised that the demon beast would give him such a generous gift. He looked at the demon beast gratefully.

"If I ever achieve anything in the future, I will do everything in my power to benefit your people and ensure their safety," Yang Ling said firmly, enunciating each word clearly. The demon beast looked at Yang Ling; having said this, it had no regrets.

"Thank you!" With that, the demonic beast vanished from the hall. Yang Ling, witnessing this, silently withdrew. Just as Yang Ling left, the surrounding scenery rapidly changed. The old man strode out, his eyes filled with worry as he looked at Yang Ling.

"Why have you been inside for so long? Did something happen? Or did you encounter some accident? Do you need my help?" Yang Ling waved his hand with a smile on his face.

"I'm fine, but where did those people go?"

"Those people are probably still searching inside the ancient tomb; they're probably thinking of coming to find you!" The old man breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that Yang Ling was alright. Yang Ling then realized that the old man had been guarding outside the whole time. Just then, Sun Yao's voice came from outside, and the light emanating from her was unimaginable. Yang Ling then realized that there were puppets!
Judging by the quality of this puppet, it could be considered a rare treasure. More puppets appeared one after another around them, and the old man immediately took action to deal with them. If they didn't get out soon, they would likely become victims of the puppets' blades.

After surveying the surroundings, Yang Ling naturally didn't treat everyone unfairly, distributing some items among them. The old man could tell that Yang Ling must have gained something from his trip inside, otherwise he wouldn't have come and gone in such a hurry.

Since Yang Ling did this, he must have his reasons. At this moment, Yang Ling stopped, his expression turning serious. It seemed they wouldn't be able to leave so easily today.

"Senior, I'm afraid we'll drag you down with us. This battle has only just begun!" A hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes.

"What happened!" The old man turned his head sharply to look at Yang Ling. Had Yang Ling sensed something? He then turned his gaze to the others.

"You probably haven't sensed it, but an aura is approaching us! It's Qin Zhen's aura, and there's no one else but him!"

"They were only a few meters away from us!" The old man looked at Yang Ling, whose eyes were wide with disbelief. Even he hadn't noticed them from such a distance; how had Yang Ling discovered them?
"Your cultivation level isn't as high as mine, so how come your strength has suddenly increased so much?" Yang Ling's actions puzzled the old man. He quickly realized that this might not be difficult for him. It must be due to absorbing spiritual energy earlier; otherwise, Yang Ling wouldn't be so powerful. He spoke unhurriedly.

"Now is not the time to discuss this. Besides Qin Zhen, there are a few others who are slightly weaker than him, but still much stronger than these puppets. They clearly think a few of them can take us down. Let's not think too much about it!" The old man's lips twitched slightly. Yang Ling really knew how to cause him trouble. Thinking about it carefully, following Yang Ling had indeed offended quite a few people.

“Actually, I can help you deal with him, no problem. However, there are many of them, so we can only hold them off for a while at most!” Yang Ling said thoughtfully. The old man could handle one of them, and Sun Yao could handle another. That way, holding them off for a while shouldn't be a problem, more than enough to deal with them. Then, Yang Ling led them forward.

Qin Zhen and the others arrived at the main hall, and couldn't help but smile. They could sense Yang Ling's presence there.

"The treasures brought from the Qin family are really useful! I'm truly impressed! We must catch him this time and beat him until he's bruised and battered. That kid must have a lot of good stuff on him!"

He spoke slowly and deliberately, and the people around him quickly echoed his words.

"That's right, Patriarch, your strength is incredible now. Who can compare to you? Yang Ling is nothing in front of you. No one can compare to you!"

"That's right, Patriarch, don't worry. Once we see Yang Ling, we'll finish him off quickly to prevent reinforcements from arriving!" Qin Zhen interrupted them, knowing full well what was going on. He planned to deal with Yang Ling himself; with his strength, he could easily defeat him in a few moves.

"It's best not to leave any of his people alive, unless they have powerful backgrounds. Don't take action unless absolutely necessary!" Yang Ling had been waiting there for a while, and greeted Qin Zhen when he saw him.

"I never expected Patriarch Qin to care about me so much, to take me to heart so quickly. It's truly admirable, and far beyond my expectations!" Yang Ling said. Qin Zhen looked at Yang Ling with a hint of disdain in his eyes. Was Yang Ling waiting here because he felt he couldn't avoid it, so he came to admit defeat?
"You've been waiting for me here because you knew you couldn't escape, so you're surrendering to me? If you're willing to commit suicide, I can give you that chance!" Qin Zhen said. Yang Ling fiddled with something in his hand.

"If you're looking for death, that's fine too. Besides, you were the one who willingly delivered yourself to my doorstep from beginning to end; I didn't say a word!" Yang Ling snorted coldly and turned his head to the side. Did Yang Ling truly not understand his situation, or was he unaware of his current status?

"Do you know who I brought with me? Besides, my cultivation level is higher than yours. You're like an ant in my eyes. Do you really think you're so great just because you have someone protecting you outside?!"

Upon hearing his words, Yang Ling immediately sealed off all the surrounding spiritual energy to prevent them from escaping and attracting the attention of others. Qin Zhen panicked when he saw Yang Ling's actions.

What did Yang Ling mean by this? Did he think they couldn't defeat him? Qin Zhen roared, signaling the other elders to attack first. They unleashed terrifying power, shaking even the heavens and earth. Yang Ling and Qin Zhen had clashed many times, but each encounter ended unpleasantly. Qin Zhen's desire to kill Yang Ling was nothing new.

Yang Ling had helped someone before, which allowed Qin Zhen to witness Yang Ling's strength. Although he had now firmly secured his position as the head of the Qin family, he still harbored resentment towards Yang Ling. If it weren't for Yang Ling, how could he be in such a sorry state? And Yang Ling, on the other hand, was quite lucky, getting all sorts of good things into his hands.

Qin Zhen thought that Yang Ling's abilities might just be a lucky accident, and that he was the one with the greatest destiny. He secretly plotted that Yang Ling was usually protected by many people, making it impossible to strike. Now that he had the opportunity, he was determined to kill Yang Ling. Yang Ling's strength had increased too quickly, and he was somewhat afraid. Perhaps one day, Yang Ling would surpass him.

The old man blocked Yang Ling's path. "Why don't I test your skills and see what you're capable of!" Qin Zhen took a step back as the old man approached. Who was this guy? How could he be so strong? Yang Ling had someone like this by his side; his words carried a hint of accusation.

"I wonder who you are, senior, and which sect you belong to? Our Qin family is here today to kill Yang Ling. There's no need to throw our lives away for one person. What do you say?" The old man looked at Qin Zhen, completely unmoved by his words. As for what to do, it was entirely up to Qin Zhen himself.

"I think you should do it. It's up to you. If you back down now, we can back down too!" The old man's words were clear: unless Qin Zhen withdrew, they wouldn't back down. A white light flashed in the old man's eyes, and he directly drew his sword. That sword was extraordinary; spiritual energy surrounded it, an aura that made them dare not act rashly.

They looked at each other, speechless for a long time.

The old man directly engaged them in combat. From beginning to end, they displayed extraordinary abilities. Even Sun Yao's strength was inferior to those she was fighting, and she seemed to be struggling greatly. What kind of fighting style did these people have? They were supposed to be strong, yet they were being beaten so badly they couldn't fight back at all.

As for Yang Ling, he faced off against an elder. The elder glared fiercely at Yang Ling, believing that as long as he dealt with Yang Ling, he would surely be valued by the family head and rise to prominence in the future. His excitement was palpable.

"You're unlucky to have run into me today!" He was unusually agitated. Yang Ling looked at him; his emotions were written all over his face. No wonder he wasn't very capable.

The atmosphere in the air suddenly dropped to freezing point.

Yang Ling was incredibly powerful, no ordinary person. His cultivation had already reached a certain level, vastly different from ordinary people. Moreover, he had just obtained that spiritual essence, further enhancing his strength. The elder clearly sensed something amiss, and facing such a powerful attack, he didn't hesitate at all, immediately unleashing his strongest technique.

He drew his sword, his body radiating a dazzling white light, his aura gradually enveloping Yang Ling. He thought to himself that his strength was no weaker than Yang Ling's, and that by unleashing his life's work, he could surely defeat Yang Ling. A calculating glint flashed in his eyes, and he couldn't wait to utter a mocking remark.

"Is this all you've got? In my opinion, nothing special, not even enough to fight!" He had thought Yang Ling would be very strong, but now it seemed he was far inferior. Yang Ling stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed intently on the elder before him.

"You never realized my true strength. If this is all you can achieve, it seems the Qin family are all good-for-nothings!" Faced with Yang Ling's mockery, the elder clenched his fists, his anger burning. He unleashed a powerful aura, relentlessly attacking Yang Ling. However, it wasn't long before he realized that things were far more complicated than he had imagined.

His attacks were evenly matched with Yang Ling's. Yet, when they clashed, Yang Ling was not only unharmed but also appeared completely unaffected. It should be noted that Yang Ling's strength usually allowed him to easily kill some experts of average cultivation level. Now, he was utterly panicked, his heart skipping a beat.

Yang Ling swung his sword again, slashing fiercely at him. The sword energy unleashed was too much for him to withstand, no matter how strong he was. A faint sound rang out, and his expression instantly changed. The light slowly dissipated, faintly revealing a power that filled him with fear.

The elder panicked and instinctively tried to flee. Yang Ling, however, blocked his way and sighed helplessly.

"You're quite strong, yet you're just like those arrogant cultivators, always thinking you can carve out a bloody path on your own. Too bad, my strength is a hundred times greater than yours!" With that, Yang Ling punched the elder. The elder screamed in agony as his defenses vanished instantly. The attacks left him covered in wounds, not a single part of him unscathed.

In the end, the elder was tortured to death by Yang Ling. Qin Zhen, witnessing this, stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief. The elder he brought was at least twice as strong as Yang Ling, yet he had died at Yang Ling's hands. Even if Yang Ling was powerful, his talent was astonishing; he was able to kill an elder in such a short time.

"Who could have done that?" Qin Zhen pondered to himself. From the very beginning, Yang Ling had remained calm and composed, even preventing their auras from leaking out. Clearly, Yang Ling's actions were extraordinary. Now, Yang Ling was displaying such formidable strength that he couldn't help but gasp. The old man also took a step back, inwardly sighing. Truly worthy of being called a strong person; every aura he exuded filled him with admiration. If he hadn't been prepared beforehand, things might have really gone wrong.

As expected, the new head of the Qin family was not someone to be trifled with. Most importantly, Yang Ling's cultivation level was comparable to his own; even with his superior strength, he couldn't subdue him easily. Had Yang Ling forgotten his promise? He wondered how things were going on Yang Ling's side. If something had happened, he could only try to stall for time. However, when the old man looked in Qin Zhen's direction, he found Yang Ling standing to the side as if nothing had happened.

The old man's pupils contracted sharply. When he met Yang Ling's gaze, Yang Ling quickly stepped forward and slowly spoke.

"Thank you so much for your help, senior. Your contribution is immense and I have the utmost respect for you!"

"It's mainly thanks to you, senior!"

Yang Ling's words made the old man's lips twitch; he felt somewhat ashamed and unworthy of such praise. After all, he hadn't been of any help at all and had almost gotten injured in the process.

The old man racked his brains but still couldn't understand how Yang Ling had done it. In other words, did Yang Ling become so strong after just one trip inside? Obviously, that's highly unlikely.

Yang Ling approached the old man and took out a few more pills.

"Senior, you should focus on healing your injuries. I think the most important thing right now is to recover; we can talk about the rest later." The old man looked at the pills, all of them of exceptional quality, and breathed a sigh of relief. Since that was the case, he was at ease. Besides, he wouldn't refuse anything Yang Ling gave him. He accepted the pills from Yang Ling without any hesitation.

Looking at the old man's actions, Yang Ling felt that Yang Ling had changed; he wasn't as "greedy" as he was now before.

"Senior, you weren't like this before!" (End of Chapter)