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

"My name is Yang Ling!" The moment the words left his mouth, the expressions on their faces changed instantly. Not for any other reason than that the name sounded so familiar, as if they had heard it somewhere before.

"This name sounds familiar, don't you guys think so?"

"Indeed, it sounds familiar!" No one could quite place it for a moment. Just then, a gasp rippled through the crowd.

"It's him! It's actually him! He founded the Yun family with the Qin family's young master and led the Yun family to great heights. Moreover, not long ago, when they were fighting for the supreme treasure, he killed someone with a higher cultivation level than him in a single move!"

"That's right, it's him! I've seen him before, no wonder he looked familiar!"

"My God, I remember him being extremely capable, I didn't expect him to be so skilled in this area as well!" The group secretly rejoiced, thankful they hadn't offended Yang Ling earlier. With his strength, defeating them in one move would have been a piece of cake. Yang Ling heard their words but didn't stop.

Afterwards, Yang Ling found a restaurant nearby to stay temporarily. He had repeatedly declined the invitation from the man to visit his home.

Besides, he didn't intend to stay here long. Although the man was hospitable, he didn't want to have too much interaction with him to avoid getting into trouble. However, just as Yang Ling entered the restaurant, he saw two men hurrying past him, and he heard them say:

"Let's hurry back to the secret door. We were suddenly notified to assemble and prepare to deal with a woman!"

"This is a golden opportunity. If we can't intercept her, we'll definitely face retribution from that female family head in the future!"

“Yes, that’s something we can’t afford!” Yang Ling frowned slightly. How did this woman get involved with the Dark Gate group? Who are they going to kill?
Clearly, this person is very important, which is why they are so wary of the female head of the family.

He suddenly realized, could it be him? Could it be that the matter from last time hasn't ended yet, and that's why the Dark Gate is retaliating against them? Otherwise, why would they do this for no reason? Besides, that woman's strength isn't that great; even the most powerful person shouldn't have much trouble dealing with her.

Unless it's that woman, with her extraordinary talent—perhaps it's precisely because of her talent that the Dark Gate is so wary, sending so many people to hunt her down. Yang Ling's expression gradually turned grim. Although he wasn't very familiar with them, he couldn't just stand by and watch them die. It seemed the Dark Gate had gone all out this time. Since he could sense this, he couldn't just sit idly by.

He strode forward and stood in front of the two men.

The two men felt a surge of apprehension upon seeing Yang Ling and were about to attack when Yang Ling produced the token for the secret passage. They breathed a sigh of relief; giving him that token had indeed proven incredibly useful.

"You're also from the Dark Gate?"

"I never expected to run into fellow disciples of the Dark Sect here!" They found Yang Ling somewhat unfamiliar, so Yang Ling quickly explained:
"I've just joined the Dark Gate, and there are some things I don't quite understand. I overheard what you two were talking about earlier. Why don't you tell me, and I'll go with you!" They glanced at Yang Ling thoughtfully; every extra person meant extra strength.

"Alright, I'll tell you. It's just within a hundred miles! You'll see when you get there!" With that, they hurriedly left. In Yang Ling's eyes, they were nothing at all.

Yang Ling fell into deep thought. The place wasn't far away, and he couldn't worry about that now.

He prepared to leave with Sun Yao. Sun Yao looked at Yang Ling's hurried expression and a strange feeling welled up inside her. Yang Ling couldn't worry about that now; he could only say to her as they walked:

"Let's hurry, the people from the Dark Gate have gone again. They probably didn't get anything last time, but we can't just stand by and watch them die this time. If we go now, we might still have a chance." Yang Ling was in a hurry. He thought that instead of searching blindly on his own, he should ask that person from before for help. Maybe his abilities could really help. So, he went to that person's residence. As soon as he entered, someone blocked his way.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass! Leave now, or don't blame us for being impolite!"

"My name is Yang Ling, and I've come specifically to see your family head. Get out of my way!" he shouted. The others exchanged glances; the name Yang Ling was completely unfamiliar to them, and they had never heard of him before.

"You can't just come and see our mansion whenever you want. Get out of here now, or don't blame us for taking action!" Just as Yang Ling was about to make a move, the man came out from inside. He looked at Yang Ling and asked:
"It's you! What brings you here? Is there something you need?"

"I need to get somewhere quickly. Do you have a treasure ship that can give us a ride?" The man thought it was something important and readily handed the treasure ship to Yang Ling. Yang Ling gave him a grateful look.

"Consider today's matter a favor I owe you. If you ever come looking for me again, I will definitely repay you. Now I'll be leaving!" With that, Yang Ling turned and left with Sun Yao.

He couldn't worry about anything else at that moment; if it had been any later, someone might have died.

Sun Yao watched Yang Ling's retreating figure, her eyes filled with admiration. Being able to win Yang Ling over was definitely a stroke of good fortune for their family.

After Yang Ling finished speaking to her, he hurriedly left with his men. Only after Yang Ling's figure disappeared from sight did she walk up to the man, feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

"That's a magic weapon, and it can only be used a limited number of times. This was originally the last chance, and now it's being used on him. Isn't that a waste?"

This was none other than the clan's eldest elder, utterly bewildered by the man's actions. Even if Yang Ling possessed extraordinary strength, and might reach a level beyond their comprehension in the future…

But would Yang Ling truly remember their kindness? They'd be lucky if he didn't turn against them. His brow furrowed, filled with worry that Yang Ling would become a scourge to the family. The man sighed helplessly upon hearing his words.

“Elder, perhaps your vision is still too limited. I can't see through his hidden potential, and he's completely beyond my control. In the future, he might become even stronger. If we don't win him over now, we might not even have the right to get close to him!” The First Elder disagreed, feeling the man was exaggerating, as everything was still uncertain. “You're speaking too soon. I went out to take a look recently, and the disciples in our family are all cultivating quite well. Even if they are strong, they're still just greenhorns right now!” he said casually.

The man waved his hand, feeling that giving Yang Ling the last chance to use the treasure ship was no big deal, as he trusted his judgment in judging people.

Yang Ling's future is bound to be extraordinary; perhaps many years from now, he will even have to thank himself for his decision.

Meanwhile, when Yang Ling finally arrived at the canyon, it was deserted, yet filled with an eerie atmosphere. Yang Ling breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this was the place. It was strange everywhere, and even carried a hint of killing intent, clearly the work of the Dark Sect.

Moreover, the surroundings were unusually quiet. Yang Ling was walking forward when suddenly, an invisible hand reached out to grab him. Yang Ling reacted quickly, dodging to the side and pulling Sun Yao back at the same time.

He hurriedly pulled out his token and held it in front of him.

"What? You're even attacking your own people?" He secretly rejoiced; the token was truly effective, having already saved him from several assassination attempts. Sun Yao, however, remained vigilant. After all, the Dark Gate members were ruthless and unpredictable, and a moment's carelessness could lead to her death. Their cunning and shrewdness were evident; she had to be wary. Seeing this, the man withdrew his hand and said coldly:

"Someone of your rank dares to meddle? That's quite surprising. I didn't expect anyone weak to come!" He looked at Yang Ling with disdain in his eyes.

Yang Ling quickly chuckled, thinking that the most urgent thing now was to get some information out of him and see if he could find out anything.

"Well, I just happened to be nearby when I heard about this, so I thought I'd come and lend a hand. Besides, I'm also a member of the Dark Gate, so it's only right that I help out. And you've gone to such lengths, bringing so many people along, are you worried about something going wrong?" The man frowned, thinking that Yang Ling's words made sense. With Yang Ling's strength, what kind of trouble could he possibly cause?
"Alright, you have a point. Now quickly conceal your aura, lest you be discovered. That person will arrive in about a while." Anyone who can join the Dark Gate is bound to be wicked, with countless lives on their hands. They are not as friendly as Yang Ling thought; everyone is selfish and self-serving. Even fellow disciples should be treated with caution.

After speaking, the man turned and left. Yang Ling calmly withdrew his gaze, led Sun Yao to a patch of grass, and hid, concealing their aura. He surveyed the surroundings and, as expected, the people from the Dark Gate were no ordinary individuals; those they sent were all very strong. Another pre-planned operation—it seemed this time their chances of survival were slim. Even if their opponents had improved, facing so many powerful figures, they were doomed.

Sun Yao comforted Yang Ling.

"Don't worry too much. I heard that the female family head is quite powerful. And it's strange that they only sent one or two people; they might have a backup plan. Let's observe and see what happens before making a decision!" Yang Ling said expressionlessly, agreeing with Sun Yao's assessment. Even if they attacked now, it wouldn't make a difference. With so many people, even if Yang Ling could kill those stronger than himself, he couldn't possibly eliminate them all at once; their chances of survival were slim. He pondered his next move; in this crucial moment, he could only rely on himself. He decided to first figure out what the Dark Gate was planning, and then respond accordingly.

"Let's see what these guys are up to first, then we can decide what else to do. After all, this is a good opportunity, and I'll take care of them myself!" Hearing Yang Ling's words, Sun Yao's expression changed. Could it be that Yang Ling intended to fight them all by himself?

"Young Master, you must be careful! Don't be so reckless. Their strength is extraordinary. Going to fight them now is like pushing yourself into a fire pit; it won't be a good thing!" Those people are more than twice as strong as them, and they're already in danger. What can they do? Yang Ling glanced around and saw someone very close to them. He thought he might as well take this opportunity to investigate. So, he quickly stepped forward. The person waved his hand impatiently when he saw Yang Ling.

"Aren't you afraid of being discovered? Just stay here and don't bother me unless it's absolutely necessary. Besides, your cultivation level is lower than mine, what right do you have to ask so many questions?" Yang Ling smiled, thinking to himself that he shouldn't say such things. Although his cultivation level wasn't as high as that person's, it wasn't as bad as he made it out to be.

"I just want to ask them what their plan is, that they're so confident they can win. Is there some secret we can't see through? Or is there some other hidden reason?" Yang Ling asked cautiously, watching the man's expression gradually change...

The man was lost in thought and didn't want to pay attention to Yang Ling. But Yang Ling kept chattering in his ear, which was really annoying.

"Alright, are you ever going to stop? Since you want to know, I'll tell you. We've set up a powerful formation here that can enhance our strength."

"Moreover, its abilities are extraordinary, and we will work together to take them down."

"This formation can suppress space, greatly reducing their strength!" He paused deliberately, glancing at Yang Ling, thinking to himself, "Will Yang Ling ever stop? He's already made things clear; don't bother him anymore." Hearing his words, Yang Ling continued, "..."

"But that female family head is no ordinary person. If you want to deal with her, she definitely won't let you off easily. And why would you risk your lives to do something like this?"

The man was already annoyed by Yang Ling's persistent questioning, but Yang Ling's continued questioning made him completely lose patience.

He glared fiercely at Yang Ling and roared, "What else do you want to know? As for why we did this, how would I know? If you're so capable, go ask the people above!"

Yang Ling feigned embarrassment and cautiously asked, "What if we fail today? Won't we all be in trouble? Our lives will be in danger!" As he spoke, his body trembled, and his fists clenched tightly, making him look utterly terrified. Seeing this, the man couldn't help but roll his eyes, completely disregarding Yang Ling.

"How did you even get into the Dark Gate? We Dark Gate members are all men of blood, sworn brothers, not cowards like you!" His words were full of sarcasm.

Yang Ling sneered, calmly withdrawing his gaze, thinking to himself, "Go ahead and mock me now, but who knows who will suffer a worse fate later." He looked around and indeed found traces of an array.

This formation was clearly set up specifically for them. Was there no way to break it? He pondered for a moment, then suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he began rummaging through his storage ring.

He had indeed obtained a treasure before that could counteract formations, but it was extremely rare and could only be used once. He gritted his teeth and decided to bite the bullet and use it anyway.

Once a way to break the formation is found, resolving the current predicament will be a piece of cake. Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, he secretly used his abilities and disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye.

To be honest, Yang Ling felt a pang of regret; this was a priceless treasure, and once it was used up, it was gone. (End of Chapter)