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

But Ying Zheng felt sorry for Yang Ling. Such a treasure, if acquired in one fell swoop, could make one even stronger; why give it away so easily? They were completely baffled. At the same time, they saw the white light gradually dissipate. As Yang Ling prepared to leave with Ying Zheng, he wondered where the female clan leader had gone. Just as he was pondering this, the female clan leader walked in from outside.

"To wake up so quickly after being unconscious for so long is beyond my expectations. Have some tea first!" Yang Ling looked at the female head of the family and sensed that she was different from before. He wondered what she was thinking, but he didn't say anything.

"I've probably been unconscious for several days. Can we have a proper chat? I'd like to know how you've changed." He touched his nose. The female patriarch frowned slightly and said to Yang Ling, "No one will be coming in now. Your friends haven't woken up yet; they'll have to wait another two days before they can see me. My cultivation level has greatly improved, but I've discovered that there are rules governing this world!"

"This is the rule of heaven and earth: no one can reach the strongest realm. Even with a powerful opportunity, one can only take half a step at most. Now, I have only comprehended one part of it!" Yang Ling exclaimed inwardly. The female patriarch was already so powerful, yet she was only at the half-step realm. Just how far could a true expert go?

He nodded thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, these forces are nothing to fear, and we will become stronger. As far as I know, your most urgent task is to improve your cultivation level!" he said seriously. Yang Ling remained calm because he knew that the female patriarch could no longer act freely, which made him feel a sense of crisis.

"By the way, did anything happen while I was unconscious?"

"The remnants of the Dark Gate have actually colluded with demonic beasts! Those demonic beasts haven't confronted you directly because they've already joined the Dark Gate and secretly gone to see Venerable Bodhi!" He clenched his fists, never expecting Venerable Bodhi to encounter such a thing. They had met Venerable Bodhi once before and held him in high esteem.

"Tell me, how are they? This is of utmost importance to me!" Although Venerable Bodhi was powerful, he was afraid he would have difficulty dealing with the sneak attack from so many demonic beasts. He looked at Yang Ling, trying to calm him down.

But Yang Ling couldn't calm down. The female patriarch gently patted his shoulder: "Don't worry too much. Venerable Bodhi suppressed them with a martyrdom. His disciple, Venerable, didn't disappear, but he consumed his essence and needs time to recover. You should understand this. I believe you can handle what happens next."

Yang Ling realized he had lost his composure earlier. Only by increasing his strength could he rescue Venerable Bodhi and deal with the remnants of the Dark Sect and the group of demonic beasts. Thinking of this, he was still somewhat puzzled: he had already dealt with the members of the Dark Sect, so why were there still remnants remaining?
"The demonic beasts are cunning and treacherous, and they see us as a thorn in their side. I suspect the Dark Gate has been pulling strings behind the scenes; they may still have many tricks up their sleeves!" he calmly analyzed. Yang Ling felt he made sense, and his gaze turned cold. As long as he could become stronger, that was enough. He looked at Yang Ling: "I can help you deal with someone. Once you take his essence, you will also become stronger."

Anyway, Yang Ling has many enemies, and sooner or later they'll all come to kill him...

"I want to kill that old bastard! He actually sent his disciple to harm me, he must hate me to the core. If I don't deal with him, he'll only get angrier, you know that." Hearing Yang Ling's words, he realized that's what was going on.

"Since you asked me to do this, I will definitely do it for you, don't worry!"

However, he seemed somewhat unable to grasp the deeper meaning behind Yang Ling's actions...

After all, the Qin family head and the Li family head were secretly colluding with the Dark Gate. Eliminating them would greatly benefit Yang Ling. If Yang Ling could take this opportunity to improve his cultivation level, who would dare to disobey him in the future? However, Yang Ling specifically chose that old man. What was the reason for this? He was filled with doubt.

“You know, that old guy is now at his wit’s end. His elders have died one after another at my hands, and his family is on the verge of collapse. Kill him, and he will be powerless to resist now, but he will definitely hate me to the bone, and he will be capable of anything!”

“If we don’t deal with him, I’m worried the Dark Gate people will find him again, and he’ll definitely agree to cooperate with them. Before he agrees, let’s strike and kill him directly—wouldn’t that be much more beneficial?” Yang Ling spoke calmly and confidently. The female patriarch thought Yang Ling’s words made sense, but still had some doubts. Would eliminating him really improve her cultivation level? She was puzzled, but Yang Ling smiled slightly.

"Don't worry, the path I've chosen will never be wrong!" Seeing his certainty, the female patriarch nodded in agreement. He would do his best to fulfill the task Yang Ling had entrusted to him.

"Alright, today! Today is the perfect day to act!" Yang Ling was unwilling to wait any longer. The demonic beasts and other families were eyeing him covetously; any further delay might lead to unforeseen complications. The female family head agreed and led Yang Ling away. A powerful figure like him could reach any place he desired with a mere gesture.

Shortly after they left, Ying Zheng slowly awoke. The first thing he did upon waking was to look for Yang Ling. They were curious about Yang Ling's next plans. However, they searched the surroundings but found no trace of Yang Ling, which puzzled them.

I tried to contact Yang Ling, but I couldn't get through to him no matter what I tried.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

The old man, the one Yang Ling had referred to as the "old fellow," paced anxiously in the room. Hearing footsteps outside, he instinctively looked up. He saw a man severely injured, his eyes filled with surprise.

"What exactly happened to you in the spirit world? Why are you so badly injured?" His words were accusatory. This was a disciple he had sent out; although capable, he was still inferior to those others. He had sent this person primarily to investigate the situation.

The old man was dissatisfied and even more curious as to why his disciple had not returned. Had his disciple met with misfortune? As for his disciple's life or death, he did not care at the moment. He only wanted to know what had happened to Yang Ling, and whether what he wanted had fallen into Yang Ling's hands.

"Master, Yang Ling did indeed kill the man, and the item is definitely in his possession!" he said through gritted teeth. Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, someone else rushed in from outside.

"Patriarch, someone wants to see you, and we can't stop him at all!" He clenched his fists, inwardly realizing the gravity of the situation. But he quickly realized that if Yang Ling got the item, he would definitely not let him go. Although his cultivation level and age had allowed him to kill many powerful figures and be arrogant, once his cultivation level increased again, he would no longer be able to control Yang Ling. Yang Ling's strength was simply too terrifying.

Just standing there inspires fear.

"Patriarch, it must be Yang Ling who got the item. Although I don't know if he's used it yet, many people along the way have mentioned it, and it's definitely Yang Ling who got it," he said solemnly, swallowing hard, a sense of dread creeping into his heart. The old man was furious. If the item fell into Yang Ling's hands, Yang Ling would definitely use it; he would never give it up so easily. This was utterly disastrous, because Yang Ling had many powerful backers, and he was no match for him. Furthermore, the female patriarch and the python clan's demonic beasts were both on Yang Ling's side; if they joined forces, he was doomed.

He took a deep breath, pondering a solution, when he suddenly remembered someone saying they wanted to come in and see him. Without a doubt, it was Yang Ling. If it was Yang Ling, he'd go all out; there was no way to avoid him anyway, so he might as well have a good fight with Yang Ling.

The old man walked outside, but before he could even step out, a man in black robes appeared in front of him, floating in mid-air and looking at him.

"I never imagined you'd end up like this! It's truly beyond my expectations!" His words carried a hint of mockery. Looking at this person who had appeared out of nowhere and whose identity was unknown, and listening to his voice and aura, the old man was certain that he was not Yang Ling.

But his aura was by no means inferior to Yang Ling's. This person could appear in front of him silently, and he didn't even notice, so his strength must be above Yang Ling's.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

“What else could I be here for? Of course, I’m here to cooperate with you. Your life is hanging by a thread right now, so you might as well cooperate with me.” He walked up to the old man, the two of them very close. The old man felt a frightening aura emanating from him.

“Believe me, if you don’t come with me now, Yang Ling will arrive here in about half an hour. You will definitely be defeated by him then. I’ve come to cooperate with you, and I can still save your life.” His face was hidden by a mask, making his true appearance impossible to discern. Hearing his words, the old man trembled. This man was extremely strange, giving him an urge to submit.

"Who exactly are you? I've never seen you before," he gritted his teeth and finally uttered the question. The man in black robes smiled, a hint of calculation in his eyes.

“We don’t have time. Instead of being curious about my identity, you’d better leave with me now. At least your life will be spared,” he said seriously. Whether he agreed or not was entirely up to the old man. He clenched his fists. If he agreed, his life and death would no longer be in his own hands, which was not a good thing. But the other party had no reason to lie to him; Yang Ling would definitely come to get him, and he would die if he stayed here.

"If I go with you, what will I do? Am I supposed to give up everything I have? All of this is what I've worked so hard to accumulate!" That wasn't a lie; was he really going to give it all up? The man smiled. If Yang Ling didn't spare their lives, what use would all this be?
"I advise you to think this through. If Yang Ling really gets rid of you, you'll lose everything here, and even your life. If you don't make a choice, I'll leave!" He was getting impatient; even now, he couldn't let go of these material possessions. The old man thought for a moment and nodded.

He pondered to himself that Yang Ling must have come for him and wouldn't harm anyone else. The man chuckled and led the old man away. The old man felt the surrounding scenery change instantly, and when he opened his eyes again, he was filled with confusion—wasn't this the territory of the Power Clan?

However, this person's methods were truly exceptional; with just a wave of his hand, he had brought him here. He knew he couldn't do that; just who was this person?
"Rest assured, I will teach you the most advanced techniques to help you break through to an extremely high realm and possess unparalleled power. But the condition is that you must forever submit to me and serve me." He stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm. The old man knew in his heart that he had embarked on a path of no return, and from the moment he escaped, there was no way back.

He nodded helplessly.

A smile played on the man's lips; just as he had predicted.

"You're not the first person to pledge allegiance to me, so there's no need to feel too guilty. Besides, I can help you achieve things that are unattainable for ordinary people; you should feel honored!" He couldn't hide his excitement. However, he quickly realized that this person could help him improve his cultivation level, but since then, his progress had stagnated. He knew this wasn't due to a lack of effort on his part, but rather a subtle feeling that someone was secretly restricting him. If this person could truly help him break through, why not agree?
Meanwhile, the female patriarch brought Yang Ling to search for the old man. Yang Ling was surprised by the female patriarch's speed, which was much faster than before.

"Your strength has indeed improved considerably; you're practically a different person compared to before. It truly makes me look at you with new respect!" The female patriarch couldn't help but roll her eyes. Hadn't she cultivated so diligently all for this day? Yang Ling rubbed his nose, wondering if it was just his imagination, but he felt the female patriarch's temper had improved a lot. Could it be that something was wrong with his brain?
He calmly withdrew his gaze.

However, despite their impressive display, they couldn't find the old man. Yang Ling looked around, puzzled. Where had the old man gone? The female patriarch observed Yang Ling's expression.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Do you think they can hide somewhere else?"

"If they don't come out, we'll turn this place upside down!" The female patriarch's sudden words startled Yang Ling. Wasn't that a bit too cruel? Besides, they hadn't even planned to do that.

But the female patriarch couldn't care less about that. She directly gathered spiritual energy in her palm and fiercely pressed it down in all directions. The people panicked and fled in all directions. Several elders stepped out from the crowd, amidst screams of agony.

They were somewhat surprised when they saw the female head of the family.

"What are you trying to do? We have no grudge against you. It's probably not appropriate for you to make a move now!"

"That's right, we have no grudge against you, what you're doing is going too far!" They stopped in their tracks as they looked at the female patriarch. If it were anyone else, they might have used the patriarch's name to intimidate them, but since it was the female patriarch, how could they dare to say anything?

Yang Ling stepped forward and said to them:

"Tell that old bastard to get out here right now, I need to talk to him. Besides, you people are no match for him, hurry up..." They knew who the old bastard Yang Ling was talking about was, but Yang Ling was far too arrogant, actually belittling their patriarch like that.

"Our master is not here, and he has already gone out. When he returns, he will never let you off!" They gritted their teeth, seething with hatred.

"That's right, we advise you to leave immediately, or don't blame us for being impolite!" They appeared tough on the surface, but inwardly they dared not make a move. Unless they were insane, with their current strength, fighting a powerful expert would be suicide. (End of Chapter)