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

"Young Master Huo, please rest assured, we will definitely help you slay that demonic beast!" Tang Yi said firmly. He was arrogant when facing Yang Ling, but he was a completely different person when facing Huo Zun. After all, Huo Zun was very popular among them.

They secretly thought to themselves, "We might not be able to snatch the treasure, but after slaying the demon beast and gaining the favor of the Huo family, are we still afraid of not getting the treasure?"
"Thank you all very much. I hope you all return safely. Please come in!" Huo Zun took a step back, making room for him.

The group rushed forward, moving with incredible speed, afraid of being overtaken.

Because they know that ancient ruins are born with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and if they are lucky, they might be able to obtain advanced cultivation techniques.

Besides these, there are also the demonic beasts inside. In short, this ancient ruin is full of great opportunities.

Tang Yi rushed to the front, but he didn't go in. Instead, he turned back and waited for Yang Ling. He and Yang Ling still had a battle to fight.

However, after thinking about it, he felt that Yang Ling's strength couldn't be that great, and killing him would be as easy as turning his hand; he could kill him anytime.

Yang Ling and Feng Xueyuan entered the ruins together. As soon as they entered, they felt a force pressing down on their shoulders, making them want to fight back with all their might. As expected of ruins left over from ancient times, even after so many years, the aura inside was still very strong.

"This place is so strange. It feels like there's something that specifically suppresses a person's strength. I felt something suppressing me as soon as I came in!"

Feng Xueyuan lowered her voice, her expression becoming increasingly alert. The ruins had an inexplicable strangeness about them, and she only felt somewhat at ease when she was by Yang Ling's side.

"This is really strange. Why is there such a strong aura of demonic beasts permeating this place? It shouldn't be like this normally!"

"Don't worry, your strength is suppressed, but everyone else's will be suppressed too!" This suppressive force didn't have much of an effect on Yang Ling. As he spoke, Yang Ling led Feng Xueyuan toward the first cave.

Suddenly, the voice of the Evil Cloud Saint rang in his mind.

"Good lad, your choice is not wrong. Ancient monsters are hidden in these ancient ruins, so you have to be careful. However, if you can obtain the crystals from those ancient monsters, it will be of great benefit to you in the future."

"It's just an ordinary crystal, what use could it be?" Yang Ling wondered. Thinking of Huo Zun's words, he wondered to himself: Could this be the monster Huo Zun was talking about? He shook his head, stopped thinking about it, and pulled Feng Xueyuan along as they continued on their way.

He firmly believed that the Evil Cloud Saint would not lie to him.

"What do you know, kid! This crystal may look ordinary, but it's from an ancient demon beast, a treasure born of heaven and earth. This thing can be used to refine pills, and it can also make one's aura purer!"

"You are exceptionally talented and physically strong, more than capable of dealing with that demonic beast. After killing it, you can refine it directly within your body and make it a part of your own strength!" Upon hearing the words of the Evil Cloud Saint, Yang Ling suddenly understood. So that's how it is. This crystal is indeed worth taking.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

"Young Master, we have a question in our minds. May we ask you for your guidance?" After hesitating for a moment, a disciple finally spoke to Huo Zun.

"Speak," Huo Zun said, a slight smile playing on his lips, his attitude still arrogant. The disciple, forcing a smile, replied:

"Is Yang Ling really that strong? And he should be as powerful as the rumors say, right?" Huo Zun nodded, not denying it. He had his own pride and naturally didn't want to say more.

"Then why won't you let us in? Besides, we could easily take care of Yang Ling if we went in. Yang Ling is our enemy too, isn't this the perfect opportunity?" Several disciples frowned slightly. They considered themselves outstanding among the disciples of various families. That's why they were unwilling to show weakness. After all, Yang Ling hadn't shown up before, and left before the selection competition was even over. How could he possibly be their match? Even if Yang Ling was as powerful as the rumors suggested, so what?

"They outnumber us, surely they can handle Yang Ling?" Huo Zun sighed helplessly.

"I'm not letting you in to save your lives. If you want to die needlessly, I won't stop you. But I can give you a piece of advice: you are no match for Yang Ling!"

"Why do you say that? How can we be no match for Yang Ling? How can you not believe in our abilities!"

"That's right, we're not weak either, we might not lose against him. Besides, we outnumber him!" Their eyes widened, their faces filled with disbelief, feeling somewhat uncomfortable at Huo Zun's words. Although Huo Zun was powerful, he shouldn't underestimate them like that. Hearing Huo Zun's words, they found it hard to accept; were they really no match for Yang Ling?

In Huo Zun's eyes, were they really that vulnerable?
Huo Zun calmly withdrew his gaze.

“You haven’t fought Yang Ling, so you don’t know how terrifying his strength is. Besides, you’ve underestimated him. I won’t stop you, but if you disgrace the Huo family, I won’t let you off easily. In short, you’d better remember that!” He then added:
"The reason I didn't let you deal with him is simple. He still has great value to be used, and even if he dies, we should still make the most of that value." They suddenly realized that Huo Zun's inaction was because he had already planned ahead. It's just that Yang Ling escaped again; they really don't know where Yang Ling's good luck came from.

"Young Master, what method did you use? Can you tell us? We want to know too!"

"That's right, young master, we also want to know what the good idea is!" Their eyes lit up, and an indescribable emotion welled up in their hearts.

Huo Zun fiddled with the object in his hand, telling them it wasn't impossible. In short, how much trouble could Yang Ling, a dying man, possibly cause?

"I put an ancient demon beast inside, and I tampered with its body. Its fighting power is beyond what ordinary people can withstand. Besides, there's nothing left in the ruins anymore; the Huo family has emptied them all!"

"They'll only die at the hands of the demonic beasts if they go in. If Yang Ling can kill the demonic beasts, he'll definitely be seriously injured. Then, killing him in the competition will be as easy as turning one's hand!" He was agitated, and several disciples couldn't help but shudder upon hearing Huo Zun's words. Huo Zun's words instilled fear in them, and besides, Huo Zun's methods were far too ruthless.

Even they are probably no match for Huo Zun.

"Don't worry, most of those powerful families will perish here too. None of them will come out alive. No one will be a match for us in the competition!" He spoke casually, and the disciples, besides fear, were mostly excited. Huo Zun's plan was truly brilliant. Yang Ling, with Feng Xueyuan, wandered around the ruins, only to find them completely empty. There were no treasures, not even a single person in sight.

Finally, he arrived at an open space where the aura of the demonic beasts grew increasingly intense. Yang Ling gritted his teeth and quickly stepped forward to confront the demonic beast. As he fought the beast, he sensed a familiar aura, as if he had seen it somewhere before, a feeling of déjà vu.

"This aura does seem somewhat familiar! I think it resembles Huo Zun!"

He connected the two things to Huo Zun's words, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt there was a connection. It seemed that Huo Zun was even more cunning than he had imagined.

"This guy is really despicable. He went to so much trouble just to lure us here. We can't let him succeed!" Yang Ling sneered. Huo Zun had gone to so much trouble to trick him. If he knew that everything he had planned would be used by Huo Zun, he would be furious.

"You step back first. This has nothing to do with you. I'll deal with this monster!" Feng Xueyuan nodded; she wanted to go outside and check the situation first. Yang Ling moved extremely quickly, rushing forward and clashing with the monster after Feng Xueyuan left. The monster roared, its sound shaking the surrounding area.

Yang Ling wanted to finish the battle quickly, so every move he made was aimed at the monster's vital points.

He could keenly sense the intense, fiery aura emanating from the other person.

He released this ancient monster again, an act that is bound to cause many changes.

The ancient demon beast looked ferocious, while Yang Ling frantically racked his brains for a solution. He was certain that Huo Zun had placed a restriction on the beast, or that something was secretly influencing it. This beast's rampant and arrogant behavior clearly indicated it lacked sentience.

It seems Huo Zun definitely has a backup plan. His actions are so dishonest; isn't he afraid of retaliation from other families? With his strength, unless he encounters a stronger opponent, no one can defeat him. The ancient demon beast didn't take Yang Ling seriously at all; its aura rapidly condensed, forming a visible vortex, neither side willing to back down even an inch.

Yang Ling secretly challenged it, attacking with all his might without holding back. His physique was robust, and although the ancient demon beast was powerful, it couldn't defeat him. Instead, Yang Ling fought with increasing ferocity, seemingly tireless, able to bounce back any impact he suffered. Feng Xueyuan witnessed this scene, never expecting Yang Ling to be even more superior.

The ancient demon beast was brimming with confidence, certain it could defeat Yang Ling. After all, it was an ancient demon beast, possessing extraordinary strength. However, facing its attack, Yang Ling did not dodge, but decisively retaliated with a slash, showing no fear. Even though the ancient demon beast's physique was practically invincible in this world, Yang Ling unleashed his full power without hesitation in the clash. At this moment, Yang Ling displayed unparalleled power.

Seeing Yang Ling's formidable strength, the ancient demon beast coughed up blood. Yang Ling took a deep breath, his aura suddenly surging, and his injuries rapidly healed. He then launched another fierce attack. The man and the beast fought for over a hundred rounds, and in the end, the ancient demon beast was defeated by Yang Ling.

Yang Ling smiled. Did he really think he could deal with him with this?
That's absolutely delusional!
The Evil Cloud Saint urged Yang Ling to quickly remove the crystal from the demon beast. Yang Ling acted swiftly, disemboweling it and clutching the crystal tightly. Just as he was about to proceed, he sensed the aura emanating from the crystal, meaning Huo Zun had tampered with it…

"So what if this guy tries to scheme against you? Your physique is incredibly strong; those auras are nothing to you. You can easily absorb them!" Yang Ling said thoughtfully. It seemed that Huo Zun was ultimately no match for him. After Yang Ling finished dealing with everything, Feng Xueyuan walked to his side.

"Should we go look for some treasures now? Such a huge ruin must have a lot of treasures hidden inside. If you find some, share some with me, and I'll follow you from now on!" Yang Ling couldn't help but roll his eyes. When did this guy learn to freeload? But he should give up on that idea as soon as possible; it's not that easy.

"It's not as simple as you think. You really think you got in by luck? You're overthinking it!"

"Everything in here has probably been taken away long ago. It's completely empty now. In other words, there's nothing left. Do you understand?" Feng Xueyuan was dumbfounded upon hearing this. How could such a big place be completely empty? Yang Ling must be joking.

"You're not just making excuses to lie to me, are you? This place is so big, how could there be nothing here? Besides, it looks like there are quite a few treasures here. Could it be your imagination? I think there definitely are some!" Yang Ling sighed helplessly. He never expected her to be so naive, which left him speechless.

"Use your brain and think about it carefully. That guy let us in before not because he was kind, but because he had been here before. For him, letting us in was as easy as turning his head. Besides, what if someone from the Qin family is helping him behind the scenes!" Yang Ling's words immediately enlightened Feng Xueyuan. It was clear that Yang Ling had seen through everything long ago.

“I think he has other intentions. In short, the aura of demonic beasts in these ruins is too strong; there's probably more than one. I'm worried he might target other families, and those disciples will all be in danger!” Yang Ling mentioned this, and Feng Xueyuan was somewhat incredulous. Wasn't Huo Zun's behavior going too far? Wasn't he afraid of retaliation from the other families? Those families were not to be trifled with.

What are you thinking? Do you have any ideas?

he asked cautiously.

Throughout the entire process, Yang Ling remained remarkably calm...

Finally, Yang Ling stepped forward. When they emerged from the ruins, Tang Yi was surprised to see Yang Ling, as he had been searching for him for a long time.

"I've finally found you! You've come at the perfect time. I was planning to wait until I found the item before coming to you, but you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep."

"If you want to die, I can grant your wish. Besides, I don't think you're even qualified to be my opponent!" Yang Ling said casually.

Tang Yi listened as if he had heard a joke. Yang Ling, who hadn’t even finished the selection competition, had the nerve to laugh at him?

He showed off his skills in the selection competition. In his opinion, Yang Ling was nothing but a useless person with a false reputation. He dared to offer himself up to die, so he would grant Yang Ling's wish.

"I heard you used to be very strong and could quickly kill your opponents. I want to see just how strong you really are!" Yang Ling was very calm, feeling that Tang Yi was not qualified for him to make a move.

In Tang Yi's eyes, Yang Ling's actions were a blatant provocation.

Tang Yi roared, and a huge light burst forth from his body, condensing into a long giant axe, which he smashed down fiercely towards Yang Ling.

He easily smashed a large hole in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, causing everyone to take several steps back. (End of Chapter)