Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 70 Chaos Begins
Before leaving, Chen Ye made a point of going across the street to greet Li Dagen and asking him to keep an eye on things for him.

Li Dagen patted his chest and agreed. He rarely dared to go out these days, so he stayed home to keep watch.

As they walked to the edge of the market, Chen Ye sensed that something was amiss.

Although it was cold in the early mornings, some rogue cultivators would still grit their teeth and go out of the workshop to try their luck.

But today, the market entrance is deserted.

Only a few guards from the Lingyin Sect shivered from the cold, watching the vast snowstorm outside warily.

These people are called guards, but they are actually all outer disciples of the Lingyin Sect.

Within the Lingyin Sect, disciples with exceptional potential or those who have achieved significant cultivation levels are generally accepted into the inner sect to continue their training.

Other outer disciples were not so lucky.

After three years of peaceful cultivation within the sect
Then you need to complete sect missions and earn contribution points.

After all, the Lingyin Sect isn't just sitting around feeding so many disciples for no reason.

These tasks include: guarding the sect's forces, tending to the spiritual fields, refining weapons and pills, etc.

If you fail to advance to the inner sect, you will need to keep completing tasks.

Of course, it's not necessary to become an inner disciple.

Those who perform well can also be promoted to sect stewards.

Chen Ye wanted to pass the Lingyin Sect's Spirit Plant Master assessment and become a sect steward.

"Stay!"

A guard stopped Chen Ye. This man was about thirty years old and had a cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 5.

He sized Chen Ye up and down, noticing that Chen Ye's aura was restrained, and although he was dressed plainly, he did not appear timid like ordinary rogue cultivators; his attitude was also quite polite.

"Fellow Daoist, the market is temporarily closed today, and no one is allowed to leave!"

"Closed off? Why?" Chen Ye was startled.

He wanted to check the situation outside the market, but he didn't expect that he couldn't even leave the gate.

The guard rubbed his hands together and exhaled a puff of white breath:
"What else could it be? Last night, a demonic beast attacked the west gate of the market! Although it was repelled, who knows if it will come back? The higher-ups have ordered a temporary curfew!"

Monsters are attacking the market?!
Chen Ye's expression changed slightly; this was not a good sign.

Yunxifang is built upon a spiritual vein and protected by array formations, so ordinary demonic beasts dare not approach it, unless...

He looked up at the still gloomy sky deep in the Three Thousand Mountains, and his unease deepened.

It seems that the impact of the heavenly tribulation was more severe than he had imagined.

Just as Chen Ye was about to turn and leave, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

This person was none other than He Qi, my old neighbor.

He Qi at this moment was no longer the easygoing and capable man he had been when they first met.

His clothes were covered in mud, and his face showed undisguised exhaustion and fear.

They looked like they had just come from the shantytown to the market.

"Brother He?" Chen Ye asked, somewhat surprised.

He Qi was taken aback when he saw Chen Ye.

Chen Ye explained, "I am Chen Ye... Chen Ye with two apprentices."

"What? You're Brother Chen?"

He Qi clicked his tongue in amazement, staring intently at Chen Ye, and spoke loudly.

"A scholar who has been away for three days should be looked at with new eyes! Brother Chen is so dashing, he's like a completely different person! Tsk, with that appearance, he could easily seduce a female disciple of the Lingyin Sect!"

This guy is never stingy with praise.

The guards couldn't help but laugh.

How difficult it is to find a female disciple of the Lingyin Sect to be your Daoist partner.

These female disciples have been in the sect for a long time.

What I usually see are all rising stars among the cultivators of Yan Kingdom.

Even if they are not good enough for it, it will inevitably broaden their horizons.

How can one possibly find a middle-aged rogue cultivator worthy of one's attention?
Chen Ye remained unmoved by the laughter of the crowd; he glanced at He Qi.

The man couldn't help but smirk, clearly telling a joke.

Chen Ye's expression remained unchanged, and he waved his hand:
"I was lucky; I had some enlightenment a few days ago and my cultivation improved a bit. But Brother He, why do you look so disheveled? Did you run into some trouble?"

When this was mentioned, the smile on He Qi's face was instantly replaced by bitterness and lingering fear.

He sighed heavily, pointed to the tightly closed gates of the market, then pointed in the direction of the shantytown behind him, his voice hoarse:

"Sigh, Brother Chen, don't even mention it! Last night... last night something terrible happened in the shantytown! A group of demonic beasts stormed into the shantytown and killed a lot of people! There were even second-tier demonic beasts among them!"

He Qi wiped the cold sweat from his face and continued:

"My dilapidated house isn't too far from the west. Last night, I was so scared by the roars of that monster and the loud explosions of magic clashes that I didn't dare close my eyes all night! As soon as it was light, I felt something was wrong. This weather is already abnormal, and now even monsters dare to attack the market... I'm afraid I can't stay in the shantytown anymore!"

The more He Qi talked, the more a chill ran down his spine.

He couldn't help but glance at Chen Ye again, then looked at his own disheveled appearance.

A month has passed. Why does he feel like his and Chen Ye's positions have been reversed?

He Qi secretly sensed Chen Ye's aura and discovered that he was still at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

He then inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

"Brother He, don't be anxious."

Chen Ye pondered for a moment, then offered words of comfort.

"The market closure should only be temporary. It will likely reopen once the situation is clarified and safety is confirmed. Why don't we wait and see here for now?"

He Qi gave a wry smile: "That's all we can do. But... it's freezing cold, who knows how long we'll have to wait? My wife is still waiting for me at Moon Rhinoceros Lake..."

Say it.

He Qi didn't exchange many pleasantries with Chen Ye. After agreeing to visit him another day, he hurriedly went to the market to rent a room.

just,

Times have changed. In these special times, rents in the market may double.

……

Not only at the city gates, but also inside the market areas, the situation was far from optimistic.

The Lingyin Sect imposed martial law, closing shops and doors, let alone the free trading area.

The news of the temporary closure of the market was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing Chen Yegang's initial enthusiasm for shopping.

He had planned to take advantage of his surplus spirit stones to visit the free trade zone.

See if you can find a water-based cultivation technique suitable for Zhiwei's practice, and also acquire some items to enhance your strength.

More importantly, he wanted to sell off the excess flint he had previously hoarded.

After the celestial calamity occurred, the temperature plummeted, and the price of flint inevitably soared, making it a good time to sell.

But now that martial law has been imposed on the market, all plans have fallen through.

"This damn weather is such a hassle!" Chen Ye cursed inwardly, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Left with no other choice, Chen Ye had to return home.

By the time we returned to the courtyard on Bishui Street, it was completely dark.

When Qingjun saw him return empty-handed, a hint of disappointment appeared on her face.

She was still thinking about the delicious food her master had promised to buy for her.

Chen Ye saw this and felt a little guilty.

He patted Qingjun's head and comforted her, "There's something going on at the market today, so all the shops are closed. I'll bring you some delicious food another day."

Qingjun cheered up again and, holding Zhiwei's hand, chattered on about cultivation.

The market remained closed the next day.

But the atmosphere was even more tense than yesterday.

A well-informed rogue cultivator reported that Ximen was attacked by demonic beasts again last night. Although the attack was small, several second-tier demonic beasts were among the attackers!
A second-tier demonic beast, its strength is comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
This news was like a boulder thrown into the center of a lake, causing a huge uproar in the market.

Panic began to spread.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Ye felt even more gloomy.

Even second-tier demonic beasts have appeared on the outskirts of the market. The disturbances in the Three Thousand Mountains are probably more serious than he imagined!

The two apprentices also sensed the tense atmosphere and stopped playing around as usual.

Zhiwei demonstrated astonishing perseverance, spending almost all her time meditating and absorbing water-based spiritual energy, except for necessary rest.

Her rapid progress even surprised Chen Ye.

Only Qingjun was still unable to sense the energy.

Although the little girl didn't say it, the disappointment in her eyes became more and more obvious.

She often sat alone on the doorstep, hugging her knees, staring blankly at the snowflakes falling in the yard, lost in thought.

Chen Ye saw it all and felt deeply pained.

He tried to guide Qingjun.

But Qingjun seemed to have lost interest in cultivation, and each time she just went through the motions.

Chen Ye had no choice but to give up for the time being.

"Perhaps... when she grows up a bit more and her bloodline awakens, she will naturally be able to embark on the path of cultivation." That was the only way he could comfort himself.

Two more days passed.

The market has finally been reopened!
At this moment, an uninvited guest quietly arrived at the door:
"Fellow Daoist Chen... The president requests your assistance in treating Xuan Shen."

This man was none other than Gao Ming, Kong Hongxuan's former subordinate!

Speaking of which...

Kong Hongxuan specializes in water-based martial arts.

In the past, he used his ice spike to easily and severely injure Chen Ye!

(End of this chapter)