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

The two sides finally clashed. Fortunately, they were not weak.

"With so many of us, are we afraid we can't handle them? Just give me enough time, and I can take care of them!" Yang Ling said, emphasizing each word.

The man sneered and stared straight at Qin Yixian.

"What's the use of bringing so many people? The outcome will be the same anyway. Why bother confronting us? You'd better think it through, lest you meet a violent end!"

"You're being far too noisy. I advise you to think carefully before you speak, or you'll lose your tongue!" the female patriarch said calmly. In truth, they didn't want to confront her directly, because whoever won or lost would suffer heavy losses. But since she insisted on fighting, they had nothing more to say.

Both sides attacked simultaneously, and those around them were affected by the force of the attack, retreating in droves. In the blink of an eye, many people were blasted away.

"As expected, a powerhouse of this level is truly formidable!" They had assumed the female family head was strong, but they hadn't anticipated her strength to this extent. Fortunately, as long as they were far enough away, they wouldn't be affected.

"How could you few possibly defeat us?"

"You don't think struggling now will do any good, do you? Madam, don't be delusional. I've brought more help than you have!" Although they were somewhat apprehensive, Yang Ling had specifically instructed them beforehand to reassure them. They were curious about the other helper Yang Ling had mentioned. Who was he referring to? And why was someone else coming?
"He probably doesn't know any important figures, does he?" the female patriarch wondered to herself. Then, she couldn't worry about that anymore; at this point, she could only trust Yang Ling. She banished all other thoughts from her mind.

"I'm telling you, you'll all have to kneel and beg for mercy then. But I'm also a man of mercy, Madam. You're so beautiful, why don't you take off your veil and let me see!" They laughed heartily, not believing they would lose. A whooshing sound filled the air, and the others immediately went on guard, afraid of being injured. After all, if their aura was revealed, they would likely suffer serious injuries if they couldn't block it.

"A fool's dream! You're still as disgusting as ever, truly nauseating!" the female patriarch said coldly. Yang Ling, seeing this, was extremely anxious. Where were the helpers that the Evil Cloud Saint had found? He hadn't seen a single one.

"Don't you dare mess this up for me! If no one comes, I'll be utterly humiliated!" the female patriarch muttered to herself. Not far away, the elders of the Power Clan did not rush to make a move.

"I really didn't expect you to be able to gather so many people to help you. I really underestimated you!" Yang Ling was too lazy to pay attention to the elders. Even though the elders were of similar strength to him, he had enough ability to crush them.

There was a time when, even though his strength was inferior to theirs, he could already defeat them one by one. Now that his cultivation has improved and he is on the same level as them, why would he fear them?

"This person... wouldn't happen to be the helper you invited?" The female patriarch suddenly interjected. Upon hearing this, Yang Ling subconsciously looked up. His pupils suddenly contracted—it was him!

The newcomer was none other than the old man who had sought him out earlier, still dressed in tattered clothes. If Yang Ling hadn't recognized him before, he might have mistaken him for a homeless wanderer.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, I hope you won't take it to heart!" the old man said to Yang Ling, then turned his gaze to the female family head. The battle was raging on, and the others stared at the old man who had appeared out of nowhere, their hearts filled with questions.

A hint of surprise flashed in their eyes. Who exactly was this person? He seemed to be here to lend Yang Ling a hand. Could he be overestimating himself?
Anyone from here could destroy a city. Where did he get his courage?
"Senior, I never expected to meet you here. It's truly exciting!" Yang Ling quickly bowed to the old man, his heart filled with admiration.

"No need for such formalities, I never expected we would meet again so soon!" The old man smiled slightly, his gaze falling once more on the female head of the family.

The female head of the family turned her head to the side, too lazy to pay him any attention.

Why did Yang Ling invite this old man here? He still remembers how the old man tricked him back then.

However, it was precisely because of the old man that he was able to meet Yang Ling and cooperate with him.

"I feel like I've seen him somewhere before!" A figure flashed through the mind of the person opposite. Only one person matched this look and the aura he exuded.

That shouldn't be the case. Didn't that old man disappear long ago? Why would he appear at this moment?
"Alright, since I've been entrusted by an old friend, I will certainly lend you a hand. Leave the rest to me!" With that, he quickly stepped forward. The man stared intently at the old man and shouted loudly.

"Old man! I thought you had already passed away. You left with the Evil Cloud Saint back then, and that old guy is no longer alive. I originally thought you would not escape this calamity either. How come you suddenly appeared?"

"And what does Yang Ling have to do with you? Why are you helping him like this?" They were filled with disbelief. They had previously thought it was impossible for a powerful figure to come to their aid, but now the situation had reversed in an instant. The old man's entry into the battle was extremely disadvantageous to them, and they were extremely excited.

“We’re determined to take this land. You know this place is rich in spiritual energy, and countless creatures have been born here. Don’t you want to share in the profits with us?”

“That’s right, why don’t we cooperate and achieve a win-win situation? Why do you have to be our enemy?” They chattered on and on, trying to persuade us with reason and emotion.

The old man, however, was not fooled at all and blurted out the answer.

“I know what you’re thinking. You just want to compete for a higher realm and greater strength. The reason I’m helping Yang Ling is because he is the true master who has transcended that realm.”

They looked at each other, thinking the old man was talking nonsense.

"Don't try to fool us. Since you say he's a master who has transcended the realm, then tell us what's so special about him!"

"I told you, but you wouldn't understand. You're a bunch of vulgar people!"

"Alright, since that's the case, we won't waste any more words with you, let's get straight to the point!" With that, they swiftly advanced. The heavens and earth trembled, the erupting aura enveloping the entire land. Fortunately, there was a barrier outside, one that Yang Ling had already set up.

Otherwise, the sheer power they unleash would be enough to destroy the world.

"Now, we've reached a draw!" Yang Ling said with a smile, turning to look at the elders. The elders' faces were ashen. Yang Ling had dared to toy with them. They had only managed a draw so far; the real battle had just begun.

With both sides evenly matched, the elders couldn't contain themselves and unleashed their auras, laying down an inescapable net. During their seclusion, they had poured all their efforts into developing this inescapable net.

They used various methods to inscribe numerous formations on it, making it virtually impossible for anyone to break through. They had long known that Yang Ling was physically strong, and that they would suffer a great loss if they confronted him head-on. Therefore, they laid out an inescapable net to suppress Yang Ling's combat power, at least enough to contend with him.

The elders were quite satisfied with the intricate trap they had set up. They felt that Yang Ling couldn't be that strong. Their cultivation levels were not low; surely they could defeat one person by working together?
Yang Ling turned his head to the side, his heart filled with disdain. At that moment, he unleashed all his inner power and charged towards the elders. Seeing this, the others followed suit and attacked alongside Yang Ling.

Several auras collided, and even though they were far apart, they could still feel the faint killing intent.

But they were fearless. They had finally made it this far; they couldn't possibly leave empty-handed. Yang Ling sent several old men flying with a single punch. The old men staggered back a few steps, a slight smile on their faces.

They silently retreated, keeping their distance from Yang Ling, and then spoke.

"How about that? Not bad, right? Your punch won't break our formation. With your skills, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Let me tell you, even if you improve your cultivation level, you still can't handle a few of us!"

"We're much stronger than you think!"

He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm. It must be said, the intricate trap set by those old fogies was indeed formidable, but to think they could defeat him with that was simply wishful thinking.

"Now comes the main event. You just wait, I won't let you get away with this!" They raised their hands simultaneously, a faint light appearing on them. Sensing the oppressive force emanating from the formation, Yang Ling remained calm and spoke casually.

"You're not thinking of beating me with this, are you? What I've never understood is that you can't grasp the gap between us, and you think you can beat me with these kinds of tricks. I'll tell you today!"

"Even if you cultivate for another ten years or so, you will still be no match for me!"

They seemed to have heard a joke; Yang Ling had shown them what it meant to boast.

They thought they were arrogant enough, but they didn't expect Yang Ling to be even more boastful than them.

It's utterly ridiculous and incredibly foolish.

Yang Ling snorted coldly; it was time to show them their true strength.

A dragon-shaped phantom appeared behind Yang Ling. He mobilized his internal energy, and his fist was imbued with profound energy.

This punch was incredibly fierce, as if it could tear the heavens and the earth apart.

A sense of foreboding washed over the elders, and they instinctively wanted to withdraw their attack.

However, before they could stop, a series of cracking sounds came from all around. They looked up and saw that the formation had been broken open from all directions, having been shattered by Yang Ling in one fell swoop.

Their eyes widened in disbelief. This thing had cost them countless efforts. Now that Yang Ling had destroyed it in a single move, how could they not hate him to the core? They gritted their teeth and pounced on Yang Ling again, but Yang Ling was filled with disdain.

He once again faced off against several elders, leaving everyone around him dumbfounded. When did Yang Ling become so powerful? Even more astonishing than the rumors had suggested.

"My God, Yang Ling has made such tremendous progress in such a short period of time?"

"He's too strong! No one among his peers can match him!"

"Most importantly, it is said that Yang Ling is extremely outstanding in all aspects, and has great talent in every field!"

"Truly unprecedented and unparalleled, truly the best!"

"That old man just praised Yang Ling for having transcended the realm of cultivation!"

They chattered amongst themselves, their gazes towards Yang Ling now completely different. Yang Ling's power made them hesitate, feeling that opposing him was tantamount to courting death. The elders, hearing their words, did not quell their anger.

They tried various methods to suppress Yang Ling. Yang Ling sneered; how could these petty tricks possibly harm him? He drew his sword and thrust it at the elders.

"You can only be my stepping stones, and you're not even qualified to be my stepping stones!" he blurted out, and the elders' eyes turned sinister.

"You're far too arrogant! Once we catch you, we'll cut off your head and hang it outside as a warning!"

They suppressed their anger and thought to themselves.

"You think you can kill me? I have hundreds, if not tens of thousands, of enemies. You're not qualified!" Yang Ling's aura was as heavy as a mountain, making it hard for them to breathe. For a moment, they felt as if Yang Ling had descended from heaven, radiating golden light, as if anything happening to him made perfect sense. Yang Ling felt the power erupting within him, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. So what if his opponents had tricks up their sleeves? They couldn't defeat him by relying on external force.

Even if they could hold out for a while, how long could they last? Before the elders could react, they were sent flying by Yang Ling. Faced with Yang Ling's imposing aura, they felt a moment of fear. Unfortunately, they believed that Yang Ling was no match for them, so they burst into laughter.

"So what? Even if you've broken through our inescapable trap, so what?"

"We have something even stronger than an inescapable net: the protective shield we've built with our blood and sweat!"

"No matter how strong you are, you can't break through!" they said, enunciating each word clearly, but Yang Ling ignored them.

He faced them again, but this time Yang Ling's aura was more than a hundred times stronger than theirs. Even those at the same cultivation level as Yang Ling would likely find it difficult to withstand. Their expressions changed drastically; their previous confidence vanished, replaced by panic, realizing they might not be able to hold their own.

However, Yang Ling had already arrived in front of them, moving so fast that they couldn't dodge in time. They gasped as Yang Ling struck them with a punch, their bodies jolting.

He unleashed several more punches, the power surging through them with astonishing force. After Yang Ling's repeated attacks, the elders gradually could no longer withstand the onslaught. They realized that if this continued, they might be defeated by Yang Ling.

They exchanged a glance, gathering their power in their palms to form a large blade. This blade, imbued with the spiritual energy of everyone present and shrouded in a heavy aura of malevolence, slashed towards Yang Ling. Yang Ling sneered and met the attack head-on. Did they really think he was that strong? Seeing this, they were astonished, watching helplessly as Yang Ling cleaved the descending blade in two.

Ultimately, they were overwhelmed by the backlash from this aura and blasted away.

Why? Why were they no match for Yang Ling? They considered themselves older than Yang Ling and quite powerful among ordinary people. Yet, they appeared so weak in front of him; it was truly unacceptable. (End of Chapter)