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

"It's probably too late. I heard they went to find the female head of the family. We need to go back quickly, or things might get bad!" Yang Ling was astonished. Who would have thought the demonic beasts would move so swiftly? Could they have already attacked?

He clenched his fists and finally decided to contact the female head of the family first.

The female patriarch readily agreed to help, believing that with her assistance, the situation could surely be turned around. However, Yang Ling hadn't anticipated that the demonic beasts were attacking from all sides; they were well-prepared. Yang Ling made up his mind to fight to the death; he still wanted to give it a try.

The female patriarch and Yang Ling headed towards the Spirit Realm together. They were all gathered there now, and most of the creatures in the Spirit Realm who had pledged allegiance to Yang Ling were mostly good demon beasts. Yang Ling knew they wanted to break through the Spirit Realm's barrier so they could then enter unimpeded.

When Yang Ling and the female patriarch arrived, they saw the demonic beasts running rampant, and his anger instantly flared up.

"You damned beasts! Why didn't you stay in your cages and had to escape? Today I'll teach you a lesson so you'll never dare to cause trouble again!" The beasts recognized Yang Ling; after all, he had dealt with many beasts in the past, and every time he appeared in the Spirit Realm, some had died at his hands. They hadn't expected Yang Ling to come today, because the beasts who came this time were all of similar strength to him, and many were even stronger...

"With so many demonic beasts around us, how dare you come here to die? Are you out of your mind? Or do you really want to die? If so, we can grant your wish!" he said, enunciating each word clearly.

"You're not the only one who came, are you?" He found it strange. He had heard about Yang Ling before. Yang Ling was a powerful person with many trump cards behind him.

Could it be that he had planned this all along, which is why he came so rashly...?

"You are alone and no match for us. If you insist on doing so, it will do you no good!"

"So what? You dared to attempt to break the barrier in the Spirit Realm today. No matter the outcome, I will eliminate you!" Yang Ling smiled, his aura fully revealed. Just as they were feeling surprised, the female patriarch suddenly appeared.

"You little rascal, you walked so fast, didn't you even wait for me!"

"I didn't expect you to bring so few people. You really don't know your place!"

They sized up the several demonic beasts, feeling they were more than capable of dealing with them. In their view, no matter how strong these people were, they wouldn't be a match for them. The female clan leader remained expressionless, because she trusted Yang Ling; Yang Ling definitely had a backup plan.

"Tell me honestly, did you come prepared today?" the female patriarch asked Yang Ling, turning her head to look at him.

"I'm afraid I wasn't prepared today, and I left in a hurry without any help!" Yang Ling blurted out. The female patriarch looked at Yang Ling in disbelief, wondering if he was joking.
"You came all alone without any preparation? Are you crazy?" Yang Ling sighed. This time, he was prepared to fight to the death. Even with all his strength, he couldn't possibly defeat so many people. But since they were here, he couldn't let the monsters run rampant.

"You don't mean to ask me to die with you, do you?"

"How could that be? Even if you can't beat them, with your abilities, they can't catch you. Besides, their main focus is still on the Spirit Realm!" Yang Ling's words made sense to the female clan leader. Yang Ling was serious this time; he was going to fight so many people, and none of them were ordinary. The other demonic beasts rushed forward; who would have thought that Yang Ling would dare to come alone?

Yang Ling and the female clan leader were incredibly powerful; their mere aura was enough to intimidate the demonic beasts. The demonic beast at the forefront roared and engaged them in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

Yang Ling then approached another demonic beast, this one in human form, whose strength surpassed Yang Ling's. During their exchange, he discovered that Yang Ling could actually injure him. But no matter how strong Yang Ling was, he was insignificant before him. He stood before Yang Ling, whose pupils constricted sharply.

This man is too fast. Seeing Yang Ling emerge unscathed after being attacked repeatedly, he was quite dissatisfied. Yang Ling really did have some skill; he didn't want to delay any longer. It would be incredibly embarrassing to waste so much time facing someone weaker than himself.

Yang Ling was determined to risk his life to eliminate these people. Who could have imagined that Yang Ling could actually fight against someone stronger than themselves single-handedly? They were dumbfounded, but they felt that Yang Ling wouldn't last long and would definitely break through.

Just as Yang Ling was about to give up, a golden light flashed across the sky, and a person appeared out of thin air, like a great Buddha. They were dumbfounded; this person was actually the legendary figure.

The demonic beasts trembled at the sight of him like startled birds. The female patriarch was also quite surprised. News of the demonic beasts attacking the spirit realm spread, enraging everyone. Who would have thought that the sects, especially the powerful families, would remain completely silent?

"Didn't those families always swear to slay demonic beasts? Why aren't they showing up now? Have they gone mad?"

"Moreover, those demonic beasts were so powerful, yet Yang Ling was able to deal with them all by himself. Who would have thought?"

"That's right! I heard the female patriarch went too, and she and Yang Ling are joining forces!" they exclaimed eagerly. Now everyone knew of Yang Ling's existence and the hypocrisy of those families. They talked a big game all day, but now they're hiding at home, too afraid to come out—it's laughable. At this time, they should unite to deal with the demonic beasts and eliminate them. After all, the demonic beasts are so arrogant and their actions are becoming increasingly frequent; they clearly intend to wage war against them.

Besides, they already disliked the demonic beasts. Now, instead of fighting them, they're hiding at home in silence. They all feel ashamed; why should they continue to rely on those other families? They might as well rely on Yang Ling.

On Yang Ling's side, when he opened his eyes again, who could have imagined that the several demonic beasts would flee in panic? The female clan leader looked at the man, quite surprised. She had heard of him in rumors; he was once the strongest. Who would have thought he would appear here?
"Who was that person? You seem to know him!" Yang Ling asked curiously. The female patriarch recounted the story in detail. From her, he learned that the person from earlier was named Venerable Bodhi, one of the first to obtain a fortuitous opportunity on the day of the Blood Moon. However, Venerable Bodhi disappeared without a trace afterward, and no one knew where he went. Unexpectedly, he appeared in the Spirit Realm today, and those demonic beasts were no match for him. Moreover, it was he who had driven those demonic beasts here in the first place.

So when he released his aura, the demonic beasts were terrified. Besides, they wouldn't gain anything by continuing the fight. Yang Ling's aura had just become even stronger, which puzzled him.

"Why did your aura become so strong just now?" the female patriarch asked cautiously. Yang Ling shook his head, not knowing why. Perhaps it was simply a change in the aura he released. Knowing Yang Ling didn't want to talk about it, the female patriarch didn't press further. The demonic beasts slunk away. They hadn't expected that the damned Bodhi Venerable was still alive and could even help Yang Ling; it was truly laughable.

"You still haven't gotten things done, which is truly disappointing. You monsters are utterly unsatisfactory!"

"Now that you've done such a thing, let me tell you, it's not that simple!"

"What's the point of all your rambling? We demon beasts are no longer what they used to be. Before, we demon beasts were invincible. Besides, we demon beasts and you are sworn enemies. How dare you people from the Dark Gate act so arrogantly after cooperating with us?" They were quite dissatisfied. The other demon beasts told him to say less, after all, this matter couldn't be explained in a few words. Wasn't their goal to become stronger? Wasn't it already embarrassing enough to make a fool of themselves over something like this?
They vied to speak, but none of them wanted to do anything.

Moreover, they were all injured to varying degrees, so they didn't have much time to waste.

After they left, only a tiger-shaped monster remained at the scene.

Beside the tiger-shaped monster stood a man in black robes.

"Now I'm all alone!"

"You must know everything about this, and you know that as long as you help us and release our leader, you'll definitely reap the rewards!" The man in black robes turned to look at the demon beast, whose brows were furrowed.

“Of course I understand, but these things can’t be rushed. We’ve already lost this time, and it will be difficult to make a move next time!” The man in black clenched his fist, then seemed to have thought of something and said.

"I have a good idea, but I'll need your help!" The demonic beast frowned. He didn't know the identity of the black-robed man, but he was certain that this person was no ordinary individual. After all, asking them for help would come at a high price, and this black-robed man's strength was mediocre, yet he had somehow acquired so many treasures.

"Can you let me into the spirit world? But that will have to wait until the day of the Blood Moon, which means you'll have to give up this opportunity!" he said coldly.

The demon beast's eyes widened, and it refused without hesitation. Was this guy crazy? Making it give up such a good opportunity to help him? Although its own strength was considerable, and it was also a demon beast, many would surely vie for it. The chance, though small, was still there. If it gave up, how long would it have to wait for the next blood moon? It wasn't willing to give up!
"Don't be so quick to refuse, let me finish!" He leaned closer to the demon beast and whispered. The demon beast's expression changed, and it took a few steps back in shock, lost in thought, as if pondering something.

"Don't worry, since I promised, I will definitely keep my word. You can trust me, and I can give you half first. All you have to do is find a way to get me in on the day of the Blood Moon when they go to fight for it, and the rest is none of your business!"

"Why should I believe you? This is crucial to the demon beast, and equally important to the human race. Why should I believe you will give it to me?" He took a deep breath and shouted. The demon beast's aura leaked out; this item was extremely important to it, and once obtained, it would surely be of great use in the future.

"Since you already have it, why release your leader? You people from the Dark Gate are becoming increasingly unpredictable. Wouldn't it be better for you to get the new thing yourself?" he said seriously. Such good terms—could it be a lie? Even with his extensive experience, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"This is a matter for our secret sect, you don't need to keep asking, do you? But I can guarantee that everything I'm saying is true, I can even give you some samples so you can see for yourself!" He spoke with conviction, a hint of excitement in his voice. The demon beast clenched its fists; the temptation was simply too great. It took a deep breath.

"If you lie to me, do you know what the consequences will be!"

"Why would I lie to you? What I received before was only a part of it, so you can probably trust me!" He closed his eyes, and finally nodded as if he had made a great decision. They had reached an agreement.

Since that incident, everyone was surprised to find that the situation had calmed down. Moreover, significant changes had occurred during this time; the atmosphere in the world had become increasingly dense, making it somewhat difficult to adapt. They belatedly realized that the Blood Moon was approaching. They all began to improve their strength, after all, they were already quite powerful, but they still wanted to give it a try.

What if we succeed? If we don't try, we might never have another chance. The female head of the family looked at Yang Ling.

"Do you know that this is my only chance? If I don't seize this opportunity, I will suffer a backlash after the Blood Moon ends, and you know the consequences!" Yang Ling stood beside the female patriarch and comforted her.

"Don't worry, I will do my best to help you get it. If we can really get it, will your strength reach another level?" Hearing Yang Ling's words, the female family head was a little conflicted, and then shook her head.

"I don't know either, but now that we've chosen a new path, we must persevere. Otherwise, wouldn't all these years of effort be wasted?" The female patriarch stared directly at Yang Ling. Yang Ling knew the female patriarch was powerful, but he still had many concerns. The female patriarch didn't want to be left behind by the times.

"Don't worry, I won't forget my promise. I'll help you too; you just need to remove the obstacles on my path to growth!" For Yang Ling, his strength was only one realm away from the strongest. At that point, only a handful of people would be able to rival him. Yang Ling didn't say much more; he needed to increase his strength in such a short time. Only then would he be able to contend with the demonic beasts and the sealed people. He didn't know what the consequences would be if the sealed people broke free.

Sun Yao glanced at Yang Ling, surprised that Yang Ling hadn't been cultivating lately.

"Why aren't you cultivating? What's wrong with you today?" she asked Yang Ling. Yang Ling remained calm.

"I cultivate every day, just at a different time than you. You'll get used to it!" Yang Ling was right; he had his own unique cultivation method. For him, that method allowed him to reach a higher level. Moreover, Yang Ling's strength was indeed formidable.

The female patriarch felt helpless. In truth, although the little girl from the Qin family was a fragment of her own spirit, the girl harbored feelings for Yang Ling. Even her disciple felt a strange affection for Yang Ling. Yang Ling had also earned a place in her heart, and sometimes she didn't know if what she was doing was right. (End of Chapter)