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

A hint of madness flashed in his eyes. Since the Yan family was no longer of any use, he wouldn't be foolish enough to throw his life away. Yang Ling ignored them, thinking that the Qin family had probably already forgotten about them.

He felt an aura above his head, and for a fleeting moment, the Qin family elder sensed death approaching. He was quite certain it was Yang Ling's doing, and wondered how Yang Ling had discovered him.

"Elder Qin, hiding in the back and cowering like this is not like you at all!"

"You won't be so lucky next time. I will kill you without hesitation!"

"I've won this time!" The Qin family elder seemed to realize something, and Yang Ling was about to leave. He wanted to chase after him, but then realized he was no match for Yang Ling.

Thinking of this, he had no choice but to suppress his anger. He couldn't believe that Yang Ling could grow to such a level; he simply couldn't understand it.

"I advise your Qin family not to test my patience again and again, or I guarantee you will die by my hand. You know the consequences!" Yang Ling surveyed his surroundings, his aura chilling. The Yan family members were bewildered, but they had witnessed everything. They could hardly believe that their young master would fall at Yang Ling's hands.

How am I supposed to explain this when I get back?

Feng Xueyuan silently followed behind Yang Ling, and the group left Sunset Valley in a grand procession.

"You were really amazing just now! How did you do that? And who were you talking to just now? Was someone eavesdropping?" Yang Ling did not deny it; someone was indeed eavesdropping.

"Yes, someone was indeed eavesdropping, but I've already taken care of most of it!"

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you. But this is the first time I've heard you genuinely praise me, it's a little unusual!" Feng Xueyuan couldn't help but roll her eyes, thinking that Yang Ling really dared to say that.

"Let's get going!"

"Don't stay here any longer!"

Feng Xueyuan stood up and walked outside. This place was no place to linger; as for the qualifying spots, they were the only ones who could secure them. In any case, the sect leader had a way to get them to participate. Meanwhile, on the other side…

The elders of the Qin family were somewhat dissatisfied.

"I was just a hair's breadth away from killing him. If that kid didn't have so much power behind him, I would have killed him already. If I incurred the wrath of that female patriarch, that crazy woman is not someone I can handle!"

"Although I failed to kill him this time, he definitely won't be so lucky next time!" He couldn't act rashly in the first place, otherwise he would break the rules, and it would be terrible if the old man noticed. He just wanted to use Yan Lin to test Yang Ling's strength, but Yan Lin was too weak and was defeated in one move. He gritted his teeth.

"I have to go and talk to the Huo family about a deal. How can I not go to the Huo family?" He had decided to abandon the Yan family and instead seek cooperation with the Huo family. Whoever could be useful to him, he would choose.

On the outskirts of Sunset Valley, an old man sat alone, resting with his eyes closed. Suddenly, a group of people emerged from within. Normally, they should have stayed inside for several days, but now some of them were coming out.

The old man suddenly opened his eyes, thinking that something must have happened.

The old man strode forward to Yang Ling, his face full of curiosity as he asked, "What happened? Did someone bully you?" Hearing this, the person beside him couldn't help but twitch their lips, thinking to themselves, who could possibly bully him? The old man had barely finished speaking when they saw Feng Xueyuan supporting several disciples. These disciples were severely injured, and it was highly likely their cultivation would be crippled. Seeing this, the old man's brows furrowed instantly, and he thought to himself: It seems something unexpected has happened.

"what happened?"

What exactly happened?

The group exchanged bewildered glances before truthfully reporting to the old man: "Young Master Zhao and Yan Lin are locked in a fierce battle inside, their fight fierce and evenly matched. The situation inside is currently unclear, but it looks like they'll be out soon!"

The first to emerge were Feng Xueyuan and her disciples, but Yang Ling was nowhere to be seen. The old man's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself: If Yang Ling really went to fight Yan Lin, Yan Lin himself wasn't much of a threat, but the Qin family behind him was not to be trifled with. Going against the Qin family would likely end badly. The old man quickly calmed himself down, suddenly realizing that his arrival was timely. He had come specifically to protect Yang Ling, and besides, he couldn't break the rules.

The old man decided to go in and check on Yang Ling, just in case something had happened to him. Seeing the old man's movement, the others knew he was going to look for Yang Ling, so they blocked his way and advised, "Don't worry too much. Maybe Yang Ling will come out safe and sound. Besides, who could possibly harm him?"

"That's right, don't take it too seriously, nothing will happen!"

"Don't worry, there won't be any major problems!"

“That’s right, you can’t go there yourself and break the rules, can you? If word gets out, you’ll lose face.” The old man was displeased by their words and didn’t take them seriously at all. He sneered as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world: “Do you really think you can scare me with a few words? Besides, even if you die and I go in, what can you do to me!”

They had intended to prevent the old man from entering, given Yang Ling's overwhelming strength; if he were to make a move, they would be no match for him. Even if the old man couldn't get in, it wouldn't matter. The others were in high spirits, eager to see what would become of Yang Ling.

The old man walked straight inside, his heart pounding with anxiety, when Yang Ling emerged. The old man was stunned and asked, "What are you doing? I'm perfectly fine, why are you rushing out? Besides, I'm right here in front of you." Yang Ling smiled and walked up to the old man. The moment the old man saw Yang Ling, a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

Seeing this, everyone smiled, thinking that Yang Ling was indeed unharmed. The others, however, looked on in disbelief. How could Yang Ling have fought Yan Lin and escaped unscathed?
"How could you be alright?"

"What did you do to him? You didn't kill him, did you?" Yang Ling didn't even look at them and said directly, "That's right, I took care of him. You can go in and collect his body!" The Yan family members naturally didn't believe Yang Ling's words and thought that if nothing had happened, it must have been an accident.

"I don't believe it. We'll wait until they come out before making a conclusion. Besides, even if it's true, we'll settle accounts with you!"

"Why don't we wait until the match is over before we leave? What kind of nonsense is this, leaving now!" They chattered incessantly, trying to persuade Yang Ling and the others to stay. Yang Ling ignored them and simply left with the old man. Just as they were about to say something, the old man interrupted them, finding them too noisy.

"We already have spots in the selection competition, and we don't need many. Who do you think you are, daring to obstruct us? If you obstruct us again, don't blame me for being impolite!" the old man said, enunciating each word clearly. The others coughed, momentarily speechless; this was not what they had expected.

"What right did you have to do this? What was your reason for doing this?" Before they could ask any further questions, they saw Yang Ling and the old man board the treasure ship and leave. After they left, the members of the Yan family came out, each with a face full of pain.

"Sect Master, how can you let them leave? They killed the young master and the princess! This is unacceptable! We absolutely cannot let them go like this!"

"That's right, they're terrifying!" The head of the Yan family couldn't withstand the consequences and fainted. Seeing this, the other families became even more wary of Yang Ling, thinking that they couldn't let him off so easily next time.

"Next time, we absolutely cannot let Yang Ling off so easily. Letting him go will do us no good!"

"We must settle this in the next match!" they gritted their teeth, wishing they could get rid of Yang Ling immediately. After Yang Ling left with the old man, the old man walked up to him and said, "I'm not nagging, but this was too dangerous. You have to think carefully next time and never act impulsively!" The old man tried to calm Yang Ling down, but Yang Ling didn't respond. To him, this was nothing.

"Hey old man, why are you being so long-winded? Even if they come, what can they do? I won't stay in the sect for a while; I'll go out and settle accounts with them!"

"Don't worry, they want my life, it won't be that easy!" Yang Ling's words stunned the old man, who didn't react for a moment.

"Are you planning to leave? You don't mean you're thinking of leaving after you finish the mission, do you?"

"Good heavens, do you know the consequences if you leave? And it's not appropriate for you to leave like this!" The old man said, holding Yang Ling's hand, "Besides, you need to think this through carefully, you can't be careless!" Yang Ling knew what the old man was thinking and sighed helplessly.

"Old man, I'm just going back for a short trip. Besides, I have everything I need. Do you really think the things in the sect can satisfy me?" Yang Ling's words left the old man speechless.

"Alright, as long as you come back on time, everything else is up to you. Just don't forget what you promised us!"

"Don't worry, I always keep my word and will never forget!"

"I understand the situation, but you should still be careful of their people!"

Immediately afterwards, Yang Ling turned and left without hesitation.

Not long after he returned, news spread that the female head of the family had returned.

The barrier to the outside world is about to be broken.

Upon learning of this, Yang Ling immediately contacted the Chen family and other sects.

After all, the area was rich in spiritual energy, attracting the covetous eyes of powerful families, all of whom wanted to possess it. Once the news spread, Yang Ling didn't remain idle; he summoned Ying Zheng and others to discuss their next move. In a short time, all the powerful figures gathered to discuss their grand plan.

Yang Ling sat in the center, looking around. All eyes were on him, waiting for him to make a decision.

"Our improvement has been extremely rapid. Now even the demonic beasts are on our side. With the help of the female clan leader, we definitely have the strength to contend with those clans. In a short period of time, our strength has increased significantly, enough to rival them!"

"The barrier will be broken in a few days. This is a message the female patriarch sent me not long ago. It seems we can't avoid a fierce battle!" Yang Ling said slowly. Hearing his words, everyone exchanged glances, finally understanding why the atmosphere felt off—the barrier was about to be broken. Previously, with the barrier's protection, they hadn't needed to worry about external invasion. Yang Ling's words dispelled any lingering hope they had.

Now, they are like prey waiting to be slaughtered, while the powerful families are like wild beasts in a cage; once they unleash their full power, a bloodbath is inevitable. Moreover, they know in their hearts that this place still holds many undiscovered treasures.

Everyone looked solemn, and Yang Ling took in their reactions.

"You can rest assured, we must plan carefully and never admit defeat easily. After returning, gather the disciples of the clan; we have quite a few people!" Yang Ling's words reminded them that, relying on the spiritual energy of this place and the treasures Yang Ling had previously bestowed upon them, their strength had greatly improved, and their cultivation levels were also rapidly rising.

They were in no way inferior to the disciples of those powerful families.

"That's right, how could we possibly lose to them? We can definitely win!"

"We don't care what kind of big family they are. If they dare to rob us, we'll beat them to a pulp!"

Everyone eagerly shared their opinions.

Yang Ling waved his hand, signaling them to be quiet.

"Alright, you should all go back and cultivate as soon as possible!"

After speaking, everyone dispersed, leaving only Yang Ling. A short while later, a figure appeared before Yang Ling; it was the female patriarch. Upon seeing Yang Ling, the female patriarch remained calm and composed.

"You don't seem to be in a hurry at all. Do you already have something to be sure of?"

Yang Ling did not deny it.

"No matter what, with your help and the demonic beasts of the python clan, how could we possibly be inferior to them? When I left, I set up a barrier constructed from treasures from the ancient tomb, which is enough to withstand many powerful individuals!"

Yang Ling was full of confidence and didn't take those people seriously. The female patriarch coughed lightly.

"I can't worry about all that, I'll help you. But on the day of the Blood Moon, you must help me get what I want!"

"Don't worry, there's no problem. However, I'm afraid the Qin family's young lady's life is in danger."

Yang Ling asked curiously.

The female head of the family did not respond. Meanwhile, on the other side...

Inside the Qin family residence.

The Qin family patriarch was in seclusion, cultivating. He sat cross-legged in the center, oblivious to the outside world and paying no attention to it.

The other elders stood outside, looking at each other in bewilderment.

What on earth is the head of the family up to? Why doesn't he come out?

"Shouldn't we fight for it?"

"Other families and sects have all gone. Once they get the opportunity, what chance will there be for us?"

Their hearts were filled with doubts.

At this moment, Qin Zhen came out from inside. Several elders saw him and quickly went up to ask him questions.

"You're finally out... Did you get any news?"

Qin Zhen turned his head to the side, a hint of disdain in his eyes.

"I've already asked around, and it seems our Qin family shouldn't go. This trip isn't suitable for us!" Hearing Qin Zhen's words, disbelief was written all over their faces. They simply couldn't understand why they weren't being allowed to take such a great opportunity.

Even with Yang Ling in charge, his strength is insufficient to contend with them. Moreover, the Qin family is so powerful; they have every right to seize it. Why give up? Why not go? Is there some conspiracy involved? (End of Chapter)