I tamed beasts and achieved immortality in the world of cultivation.

Seeing the Blood Moon Wolf's murderous aura growing stronger, Chen Qing's pupils contracted, and thoughts raced through his mind.

Blood Moon Wolves are strong, but that's not the key point!

The Blood Moon Wolf's status bar clearly displayed "Fear". For a high-grade first-tier Blood Moon Wolf to feel fear, it could not possibly be someone like me, a sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator, standing in front of it. The only explanation is Yang Ming behind it.

This seemingly honest, round-faced, and pot-bellied senior brother from Faxiang Peak is far more powerful than the Qi Refining Level 6 he appears to be.

Seven levels of Qi Refining?

Is it the eighth floor? Or the ninth floor?

Chen took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and forced a bitter smile. He said, "Senior Brother Yang, we're fellow disciples, let's talk this out. What have I done to offend you? Please explain, why resort to violence?"

Yang Ming stood with his hands behind his back, chuckled upon hearing this, and shook his head: "Junior Brother Chen, there's no need to think about stalling for time."

He slowly took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped away the lingering spiritual energy from his palm: "I scouted this place half a year ago. Within a radius of thirty miles, there isn't a single mortal, let alone a cultivator. Do you know how many times I secretly made this trip to find such a place?"

Chen Qing's heart sank.

"As for your acquaintances—" Yang Ming counted on his fingers, his smile growing increasingly amused, "Xiao Chunan is far away at Lingjian Mountain. Even if we set off now, it would take at least a day to get there. Xu Gui? That old codger who retired to his hometown is practically dead. He wouldn't be of any use even if he came."

"Oh, right, there's also Zhou Youfu, but he's still at the sect's Hundred Beasts Hall, which is further away than Xiao Chunan and the others."

He looked at Chen Qing, his eyes filled with pity: "Junior Brother Chen, tell me, who else can save you?"

Chen Qing remained silent.

Yang Ming was right. In the entire Yunzhou, he only had these two close friends, and they were both in Zhenyuan County in the west. They were too far away to help him in his immediate situation.

As for Zhou Youfu, let's not even mention him.

"Alright." Yang Ming clapped his hands, his smile vanished, and his tone turned indifferent. "It's time to let you die knowing why."

His spiritual power suddenly surged forth—

Qi Refining Level 6, Qi Refining Level 7, Qi Refining Level 8!

Its momentum steadily increased, eventually settling at the eighth level of Qi Refining. The surge of spiritual power pressed down on Chen Qing, making it difficult for him to breathe.

Eighth level of Qi Refining!

Chen Qing's heart clenched suddenly.

Although he had suspected it before, the moment he finally confirmed it still filled him with despair. The sixth level of Qi Refining was two minor realms apart from the eighth level of Qi Refining, and there was a formidable barrier of the late stage of Qi Refining in between.

Add to that the first-tier high-grade Blood Moon Wolf, and it seems like a dead end no matter how you look at it.

Seeing Chen Qing's changing expression, Yang Ming laughed even more heartily: "Junior Brother Chen, do you know what kind of spiritual root I possess? And how old I am?"

Before Chen Qing could answer, he continued speaking to himself, his tone full of self-satisfaction: "Four spiritual roots: fire, wood, metal, and earth; four pseudo-spiritual roots; thirty-five years old this year."

He held up four fingers and waved them in front of Chen Qing: "Thirty-five years old, eighth level of Qi Refining. Junior Brother Chen, tell me, am I amazing?"

Chen Qing didn't speak, she just looked at him quietly.

"Impressive?" Yang Ming suddenly stopped smiling, his eyes turning cold. "No, not impressive at all. Someone with four spiritual roots like me, if I could break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining by the age of fifty with normal cultivation, I should be burning incense in gratitude."

He took a deep breath, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes: "But I'm just not reconciled! Why is it that those geniuses with Heavenly Spiritual Roots and Dual Spiritual Roots can reach Foundation Establishment and Core Formation at such a young age, while we pseudo-spiritual root geniuses are destined to die in the Qi Refining stage?"

"The secret realm is too dangerous; I dare not go there. So ten years ago, I volunteered to come to Jueyuan County as a garrison disciple."

Yang Ming's voice gradually calmed down: "Over the years, I have killed four guard disciples and obtained a lot of good things from them. With those resources, I have cultivated all the way to the eighth level of Qi Refining."

Chen Qing was stunned. The names of the four missing disciples flashed through his mind, and he blurted out, "So it was you who killed them!"

"Otherwise what?"

Yang Ming spread his hands, his smile innocent. "Qian Kingdom cultivators? Tribulation cultivators? Those are just excuses. You think the sect sent people to investigate for a few days and then left because they really couldn't find anything? It's just that those four unlucky guys had no background and were in this godforsaken remote area. They died, so they died. Who would really go to great lengths for them?"

"Their storage bags, their spirit stones, pills, and magical artifacts all ended up in my pocket. It was thanks to these things that I was able to cultivate to the eighth level of Qi Refining."

Chen Qing fell silent again.

Although Yang Ming's argument was flawed, it was also true.

The Canglan Domain is prone to secret realms. Although external resources are not scarce, they are by no means abundant. The Lingyun Sect has been able to stand for six thousand years because of its strength, not because of its sentimentality.

The sect has already done more than enough by sending someone to investigate the deaths of four Qi Refining stage disciples with no background or talent.

"What a pity."

Yang Ming sighed, his tone tinged with regret, "Those four short-lived ghosts, even though they made a lot of money while guarding their positions, my four spiritual roots were too inferior. After I reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, my resources dried up."

His gaze fell on Chen Qing, his greed undisguised: "Until nine months ago, I saw you in Yunzhou Market."

Yang Ming looked Chen Qing up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Back then, you were only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, yet you released twenty blue carp without batting an eye. Later, I inquired further and found out that you raised quite a few spirit fish and birds in Half Moon Lake and also had dealings with the dining hall."

He licked his lips, his smile gradually turning sinister: "Someone like you, weak and without any background or spirit stones, isn't that the perfect target for me?"

After hearing this, Chen Qing smiled bitterly to himself.

He considered himself to be careful enough, conducting all his transactions with the dining hall within Half Moon Lake and never going out to show off.

It seems that either one of the disciples in the dining hall was not discreet, or he had flaunted his wealth at the Yunzhou market and was targeted by someone with ulterior motives.

Ultimately, it was his carelessness that caused the problem.

Having spent eleven years in the Lingyun Sect, with a Nascent Soul Elder presiding over the sect and bound by its rules and regulations, the fellow disciples, though not particularly close, at least maintained a facade of harmony, and no one dared to engage in such murderous and plundering schemes.

But this is the outskirts of Lingyun Sect, far from the emperor's reach, where all sorts of monsters and demons have emerged.

Chen Qing sighed inwardly.

He almost forgot that this was, after all, a world of cultivation where deceit and the survival of the fittest prevailed!

Seeing that Chen Qing remained silent, Yang Ming assumed he was frightened and shook his head with a smile: "Junior Brother Chen, although you have broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining, in my eyes, there is no difference between you and the fifth level of Qi Refining."

He raised his palm, and spiritual energy gathered in his palm, the light dazzling.

"Let me see the scenery for you from now on."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Ming's figure vanished from the spot.

Chen Qing's pupils suddenly contracted!

The next second, Yang Ming appeared beside Chen Qing and struck out with a palm, which was wrapped with fierce spiritual power and went straight for Chen Qing's crown!