System crash? I prove it with my control panel!

The servants in the mountains noticed that Ah Er was being chased and gathered around to watch.

The mountains are desolate, and it's rare to see any liveliness.

Forced into a medicinal herb field, Ah Er stopped hiding and turned to face Ah Yi, a bitter expression on his face.

"Ah Yi, I'm sorry. I only overheard your secret by accident. We are all fellow disciples, why must you be so ruthless!"

Upon hearing this, Ah Yi became even more enraged and shouted, "Nonsense! What secrets do I have? You first provoked me, and then you slandered me. Do you really think I'm made of clay?!"

As he spoke, he made a hand seal, as if to cast a spell.

Ah Er hurriedly shouted:

"If you have no secrets, then how did you acquire your cultivation level? Tell me! If you don't explain clearly, even if you kill me, you won't escape the punishment of the Punishment Hall!"

There were many handymen disciples around, and upon hearing this, they all looked at A-Yi. Sure enough, they found that he was actually at the third level of Qi Refining, and his magic power was so pure that he could even be compared with those inner disciples.

Upon hearing this, Ah Yi's face darkened, and a sword aura instantly shot towards Ah Er.

Ah Er neither dodged nor avoided the attack until the sword energy was upon him, at which point he dodged to the side.

The sword energy grazed Ah Er's body and flew towards the medicinal field.

A sly glint appeared in his eyes as he thought, "Let's see if you'll live or die this time!"

However, at that moment...

The sword energy was actually caught by a fair and slender hand.

Ah Er was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and saw a boy who had appeared in the herb field at some point.

Upon seeing his face, his pupils contracted sharply, and he quickly bowed in greeting:

"Greetings, Senior Brother Jingwen!"

The servant disciples standing nearby finally reacted and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Senior Brother Jingwen! Greetings, Master!"

A-Yi, on the other side, was stunned. His Green Bamboo Sword Qi was extremely sharp; how could it be so easily caught by someone?!

But the reality was right before his eyes: his sword energy was still trembling in Senior Brother Jingwen's hand, and he tried to break free, but to no avail.

A-Yi's anger was instantly extinguished. He was no match for the man in front of him. How ridiculous that he had thought that he was only slightly inferior to him in terms of cultivation.

He bowed deeply and said, "Senior Brother Jingwen, I have made a mistake and am willing to accept punishment!"

Chen Wenchao nodded to the crowd, then said, "Let's disperse."

Everyone bowed and withdrew, leaving only Ah Yi and Ah Er behind.

Ah Er was a little anxious, fearing he would be implicated, and quickly knelt down and said:

"Senior Brother Jingwen, I have something important to report. A-Yi is likely a spy from an outer sect. I personally witnessed his cultivation level..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Wen raised his hand to stop him.

Ah Er immediately fell silent, lowering his head and remaining silent.

Chen Wen turned to look at his medicinal herb field, where all the herbs looked listless and seemed to be on the verge of dying.

With a wave of his hand, he cast a Spring Breeze and Rain spell, and emerald clouds enveloped the entire valley, with emerald rain pouring down.

The elixir restored the body at a speed visible to the naked eye, even surpassing its former glory.

Chen Wen realized something: the withering was actually the most intense!

What about the withered one?

Chen Wen was somewhat eager to try.

Turning to look at Ah Er, he raised his hand and pointed, sending a faint, withered gray mist flying into Ah Er's brow.

Ah Er's body stiffened, and suddenly white hair appeared on his face, along with wrinkles.

In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a teenager into a middle-aged man.

On the other hand, Ah Er did not notice anything amiss, only that he felt much weaker and his body became sluggish and heavy.

Chen Wen nodded in satisfaction. That move just now was another application of the Lesser Withering and Flourishing Hand, which could reduce one's lifespan by ten years.

This elimination does not mean the end of lifespan, but rather the depletion of one's life essence, causing one to age ten years from the root.

Moreover, he has no way to recover.

Because of the depletion of life force, it can only be replenished through cultivation or longevity-enhancing elixirs.

Ah-Yi's pupils constricted sharply, and he quickly lowered his head, his heart filled with horror. "Is this something I can see?!"

Chen Wen didn't pay attention to A-Yi's reaction, but pointed at A-Er again, this time with a burst of emerald green energy.

Ah Er felt as if he was enveloped by a warm current, and he regained his usual vitality and felt much more relaxed.

From the outside, it appears that she has regained her youth, her white hair has turned black, and her wrinkles have disappeared.

This is not true youth; it's just that Chen Wen used the Little Withering Hand to collect the essence of plants to nourish him, making him appear younger on the surface, but he is actually still old.

As long as he remains in the valley, and Chen Wen provides him with nourishment from time to time, he will not realize that he has lost ten years of his lifespan.

Like everyone else, we grow up until we enter old age, only we will be a little older than others.

Ah Er thought Ah Yi had used some kind of magic on him and that Chen Wen was treating him, so he was overjoyed and kowtowed.

"Thank you so much, Senior Brother Jingwen, for your help!"

Retract your fingertips.

Chen Wen spoke calmly:

"This matter ends here. It must not be discussed further. You may leave."

Ah Er was somewhat unwilling, wondering why Senior Brother Jingwen didn't kill Ah Yi to take the treasure, but he knew that in this mountain, Senior Brother Jingwen's words were like an imperial edict.

Despite their reluctance, they could only reply, "Yes!"

Ah Er slowly retreated.

Leave Ah Yi behind.

Ah Yi knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head. He was extremely uneasy, thinking about how to explain and how to answer.

However, at this moment, Senior Brother Jingwen's gentle and refined voice came as always:

"Don't be nervous. Everyone in the cultivation world has their own opportunities and destiny. Your opportunity is yours. There's no need to explain, and I won't ask any further questions."

"Keep a low profile from now on, and don't be ostentatious. The disciples in this valley already know, and it will surely spread. Be careful..."

A-Yi's eyes welled up with tears. Senior Brother Jingwen was so noble and virtuous, while she herself was so despicable and malicious in her speculations about him. She deserved to die!

He immediately bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you so much, Senior Brother Jingwen. You gave me resources, guided me, and spared my life. Your kindness is as vast as the sea, and I can never repay it. I will definitely repay you in the future!"

Chen Wen raised his hand, sending a gentle breeze to help him up, and said with a faint smile:

"There's no need for that. If you ever see someone from humble beginnings like us in the future, just treat them kindly."

Ah Yi suddenly realized why. Because he himself came from humble beginnings, he felt obligated to take care of others from similar backgrounds...

He said firmly, "I will not fail Senior Brother Jingwen's trust!"

"Good!"

Chen Wen nodded, then his figure gradually faded and disappeared, turning into a spiritual medicine.

A faint sound lingered in the air.

"By the way, you've qualified to become an outer disciple. From now on, you can call me by my real name."

A-Dun stood there dumbfounded for a long time before realizing that Senior Brother Jingwen had never actually appeared; he had only come in disguise through magic.

He immediately bowed down before the pavilion, saying, "Ye Fan thanks Senior Brother Jingwen!"

...

At this moment, on the upper floor.

Chen Wen looked down at A-Yi... no, Ye Fan, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

What he just used was the Withering and Flourishing Body Technique.

He can transform into plants and trees, making him indistinguishable to the naked eye, and he can even manipulate them from a distance to cast spells.

So far, the results seem good.

He was already planning how to make use of Ayefan.

He saw what just happened clearly; Ye Fan had lost his luck, or rather, it had weakened!

He himself became less calm, more irritable and impulsive.

Ah Er regained his usual cleverness and even knew how to use the medicinal field to cause trouble for Ye Fan.

Clearly, when dealing with a chosen one, one should gradually deprive him of his opportunities and weaken his luck.

The stronger he is, the more prosperous his fortune becomes, but if the opportunities brought by his fortune are stolen by others, his fortune will naturally be wasted.

He stole Ye Fan's cultivation technique and became like this.

If there were a few more opportunities, wouldn't he just become an ordinary person?

At that time, his fundamental opportunity, the jade mirror, will naturally fall into his own hands!

Chen Wen looked radiant.

Moreover, he had another idea: if he were to seize Ye Fan's opportunity, would his own luck increase?

He didn't know, but he figured it would probably grow.

He took out a bamboo whistle and blew it gently.

Soon, a crane descended from the sky.

Chen Wen leaped onto the crane's back. This crane was not one he knew, so he proceeded strictly by telling it their destination.

"Beast Peak Spirit Beast Hall".

"唳——"

The crane cried out, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky.

This time, I'm going to the Spirit Beast Hall to find Zhai Ji and receive my own spirit beast.

This exercise took him several months to figure out.

The delivery date is approaching in March.

The production of spirit beasts cannot be decided arbitrarily; only a rough estimate can be made.

To avoid being beaten to it, it's best to set off early.

There is a medicine valley between Beast Peak and Purple Cloud Peak.

It is located in a corner of the sect, near the depths of the Qingming Mountains.

This is because they often need to venture deep into the mountains to search for wild spirit beast cubs and spirit beast eggs.

As the sky was bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the air was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs.

Although the valley is named Yaogu (Medicine Valley), there is no valley in sight.

For thousands of miles ahead, it seemed as if the land had been flattened, a vast expanse of flat land covered with densely packed medicinal fields.

Only on its main peak can one find a towering mountain formed by layers upon layers of medicinal fields.

The cranes dared not fly over it and instead went far away.

Even just passing by, Chen Wen felt his spiritual root become active, and he felt refreshed and invigorated!

If it weren't for Qin Shuiru, this place would be the most suitable place for him to cultivate. Perhaps if he cultivated here for a period of time, his wood spirit root would be able to successfully transform.

Chen Wen didn't feel regretful, after all, he was already shaped like Zixia Peak.

It's a pity that things can't be changed. There were some considerations in this search for Zhai Ji, hoping to exchange some green beads to promote the transformation of spiritual roots.

The crane flew for several hours before finally passing through the Medicine Valley and arriving at the outer edge of Beast Peak.

Looking into the distance, the mountain peaks appear layer upon layer.

The various pools, animal pens, and burial houses are arranged in a staggered and orderly manner, like chess pieces.

Chen Wen's eyes were fixed on the mountain peak ahead, where a beast's horn stood upright.

That is where the Spirit Beast Hall is located. That beast horn was left by the former peak master's pet beast of Beast Peak and is a symbol of Beast Peak.

It was precisely because this beast horn emitted the aura of a golden core that it was able to intimidate the many spirit beasts within.

As soon as you get close, a domineering and ferocious aura rushes towards you.

The spirit crane beneath Chen Wen immediately became restless, and Chen Wen quickly patted its head to soothe it with his magic.

The vibrant magical power quickly calmed it down, though it remained restless and its speed slowed considerably.

Chen Wen picked up his identity jade token and sent a message to Zhai Ji.

He replied very quickly.

Following the message's guidance, Chen Wen landed in front of a valley shrouded in mist.

With a flick of his finger, a few spirit stones fell into the crane's mouth and were collected by it.

Then they waited where they were.

A moment later, Zhai Ji's figure appeared from the mountains.

He wore a blue Taoist robe, had a refined appearance, and held a feather fan, looking like a scholar from the mortal world.

However, the small black snake coiled around his waist made him look somewhat strange.

Chen Wen immediately went to greet him, "Brother Zhai, long time no see! You look even more impressive than before! You must be about to break through to the eighth level of Qi Refining!"

Zhai Ji smiled but did not answer, instead jokingly saying:

"You flatter me, Senior Brother Zhenchuan. I am deeply humbled!"

Chen Wen slapped him on the shoulder, rolled his eyes, and laughed as he scolded:

"You're pretending to be a bastard with me..."

Zhai Ji hurriedly covered his mouth and whispered, "Be careful what you say, my father is in the mountains!"

Chen Wen immediately fell silent, ceasing his joking, and said seriously:

"Uncle is in the mountains? Why didn't you say so earlier? I came in a hurry and didn't prepare any gifts. Since he is an elder, I should pay my respects to him to show proper etiquette."

"It's all because of your spirit beast egg."

Zhai Ji's face fell, and he sighed, looking somewhat helpless.

"There's no need for a visit. My father has finished his business and is in seclusion. It's not convenient to disturb him."

"This time I'm repaying the favor you did me before. The He family had their eyes on your egg, and I had to ask my father to help me save it."

Seeing his distressed expression, Chen Wen knew that he must have been punished by his father.

After a moment's thought, he said:

"What talk of human sentiment? There's no need for such formalities between us. However, I can't let you do all this for nothing. This jade pendant is something I specially found for you. It was made by Master Wen Yang of Qifeng. I think it suits your temperament perfectly, so I bought it for you. Please accept it."

As he spoke, Chen Wen took out a piece of pure white jade pendant and handed it to Zhai Ji.

Zhai Ji's expression shifted. "Master Wenyang? What... Ouch..."

Chen Wen could tell from his expression that he was tempted, but he was too embarrassed to put it away, so he simply stuffed it into his hand.

The two made concessions;

You... sigh...

"Please accept this, don't be shy!"

"Oh dear, I...you...okay."

After some initial refusals, Zhai Ji finally accepted it, rubbing and playing with it in his hands, but a hint of reproach appeared on his face.

"Between you and me, there's no need for this. It's unnecessary. And you mustn't do this again!"

Chen Wen sighed inwardly, realizing he would have to spend more time finding a gift for Qin Shuiru, but waved his hand and said:

"It's just a small item, nothing to mention."

"This is not a small, delicate item!"

Zhai Ji waved his hand repeatedly, looking very serious, and pointed to the jade pendant, saying:

"Master Wenyang is a Foundation Establishment cultivator and is most skilled at making protective magic items. However, the protective magic items he makes are usually elegant items such as jade pendants, bracelets, and hairpins, which are very popular among his disciples."

"But since he advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, he has rarely made mid-grade magic artifacts. Nowadays, they are practically priceless on the market. You must have gone to great lengths to obtain this one!"

He had an expression that said, "I've seen right through you," and he fondled the jade pendant, praising it with delight.

"If this jade pendant were taken to Qingming City, it could be auctioned off directly and would be worth a fortune!"

Chen Wen's heart bled upon hearing this; he never expected Qin Mo to give him such a valuable gift.

He truly hadn't expected that a mid-grade magic weapon could be so valuable, worth at least several thousand or even tens of thousands of spirit stones to be auctioned!

This was too hasty!

He narrowed his eyes, thinking, "I won't stop until I've squeezed every last drop out of your Green Pearl!"

.........