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

In the deep cave, echoes reverberated, as if ancient spirits were murmuring. Hearts pounded in the dim light, each step taken with extreme caution. Ying Zheng gripped his longsword tightly, its blade gleaming coldly in the faint spiritual light. His gaze was resolute and sharp, like the brightest star in the night sky.

"Brother Yang," Ying Zheng said in a low voice, his voice echoing through the cave walls, "just what kind of power is hidden in the core of this dragon vein?"

Yang Ling turned and glanced at him, his deep eyes seemingly containing boundless wisdom. "The dragon vein is the place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converges, and its core must contain supreme mysteries."

Xu Fu frowned, his fingers gently stroking the edge of the talisman. "Should we set up some protective talismans? The atmosphere here makes me feel a little uneasy."

Yang Ling nodded in agreement, "Brother Xu is right. Only by being cautious can we go far."

During their conversation, the group arrived at a relatively open cave. Several glowing gems were embedded in the rock walls, illuminating the surroundings. Yang Ling stopped and slowly scanned the rock walls. "Something is amiss here. Everyone, please be careful."

As soon as the words were spoken, a sudden roar echoed through the cave, and the gems on the rock walls lit up abruptly, emitting a blinding brilliance. Immediately afterward, an invisible force surged from all directions, as if to crush them into dust.

“This is a trial of the dragon vein,” Yang Ling said in a deep voice. “Everyone, guard your minds, circulate your spiritual power to protect your bodies, and do not let this power invade your sea of ​​consciousness.”

Li Si and Ziya immediately sat cross-legged on the ground, closed their eyes, and focused all their spiritual energy on resisting the oppressive force. Ying Zheng, on the other hand, swung his longsword, slashing at the invisible pressure. Each flash of sword light seemed capable of tearing a rift in the force.

Xu Fu chanted incantations, and talismans transformed into streams of light, flying out and surrounding the group to form a sturdy barrier. Yang Ling stood at the forefront, his hands forming a hand seal, and a powerful spiritual force surged from his body to resist the power of the dragon vein.

The trial lasted a long time, and everyone was drenched in sweat, but their eyes grew increasingly resolute. Finally, with a roar, the invisible pressure suddenly dissipated, and the gems in the cave returned to calm.

"It's approved," Yang Ling breathed a sigh of relief. "You all did a great job."

After continuing for a while, the cave gradually widened, and the runes on the rock walls became increasingly intricate. Yang Ling stopped and looked ahead with a solemn expression. "There's something strange about this place; it seems like some kind of being is awakening."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a deafening roar erupted from the depths of the cave, a roar imbued with boundless majesty and power that caused every inch of the rock walls to tremble. The group was shaken to their core by the sudden roar, but soon they felt an almost irresistible, powerful aura sweeping in from the depths of the cave.

"It's the Dragon Soul!" A look of shock flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes, but he reacted quickly. His longsword was instantly drawn, and with an indomitable determination, he slashed fiercely at the overwhelming aura of the Dragon Soul.

But the power of this dragon soul was far greater than Ying Zheng had anticipated. The moment his longsword touched the dragon soul's aura, it was blasted away, flying out of his hand and embedding itself deeply into the hard rock wall.

Seeing this, Yang Ling stepped forward without hesitation, blocking Ying Zheng's path. He quickly formed hand seals, his spiritual power surging wildly within him, and a surge of immense spiritual power erupted from his body, transforming into a solid spiritual barrier in an attempt to block the violent aura of the dragon soul.

"Don't panic, everyone! Attack together!" Li Si shouted, his figure rushing towards the dragon soul's aura like the wind. He clenched his fists, his spiritual power condensing into a tangible force, and slammed it fiercely into the dragon soul.

Ziya followed closely behind, holding a long whip in his hand. The whip drew a strange arc in the air and lashed towards the dragon soul with a whooshing sound.

Meanwhile, Xu Fu did not directly participate in the battle, but instead chanted incantations from the sidelines. Holding talismans in his hand, he chanted, and these talismans transformed into streaks of light, flying into the chaotic battle. Whenever a talisman touched a dragon soul or an ally, it would unleash a powerful force, providing significant assistance to everyone. The battle was exceptionally fierce, and everyone was seriously injured. Ying Zheng's longsword was broken, and Yang Ling's spiritual barrier had been breached by the dragon soul several times, but he gritted his teeth and persisted in regrouping his spiritual power. Li Si and Ziya were also covered in wounds, but their eyes were filled with determination and resolve.

"We cannot give up!" Ying Zheng shouted, picked up a huge rock from the ground, and hurled it fiercely at the Dragon Soul.

"Good! Attack together!" Yang Ling roared, forming hand seals once more and unleashing a powerful spiritual attack.

Under the combined attack of everyone, the dragon soul gradually weakened. Finally, with a mournful howl, the dragon soul completely dissipated into the air.

"We succeeded!" Li Si shouted excitedly, but Yang Ling shook his head. "This is only the first line of defense of the dragon vein. The real core is still deeper inside."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill, but they knew that what Yang Ling said was true. So after making some adjustments, they continued on their way and soon arrived at a huge stone gate.

The stone gate was engraved with intricate totems and runes, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura. Yang Ling stepped forward and gently touched the stone gate, saying, "This is the core of the dragon vein."

"How do we activate it?" Ying Zheng asked curiously.

"We need to use the methods from the 'True Scripture of the Heavenly Dragon'," Yang Ling said, taking out the ancient book from his robes. "Please step back, everyone."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately took several steps back. They saw Yang Ling open the "Heavenly Dragon True Scripture" and chant incantations, his fingers rapidly tracing complex paths on the stone door. As his movements quickened, the runes on the stone door began to glow and rotate.

Suddenly, a powerful force erupted from the stone gate, sending everyone flying several meters away. When they regained their footing, the stone gate slowly opened, revealing a passage leading deeper into the area.

"Let's go!" Yang Ling rushed in first, followed closely by the others. They passed through the passage and arrived at a huge stone chamber, which was filled with spiritual energy so dense it was almost liquefied, and every inch of air contained supreme mystery.

“This is the core of the dragon vein,” Yang Ling said, taking a deep breath. “Everyone, seize this opportunity to cultivate.”

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately sat down cross-legged and began cultivating, knowing that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The spiritual energy in the stone chamber continuously flowed into their bodies, nourishing their meridians and souls, causing their cultivation levels to rise at a visible speed.

Time passed quietly in the mysterious stone chamber. After an unknown amount of time, everyone opened their eyes one after another. Their eyes shone with an unprecedented light, as if they had been reborn.

"Thank you, Brother Yang, for leading us here," Ying Zheng said, taking a deep breath. "This training has been very beneficial to me."

"We have all come here to seek the truth," Yang Ling said with a smile. "As long as we don't forget our original aspirations, the road ahead is long." (End of Chapter)