Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 131 The Cultivation World: The Black and White Duo Arrive!

Bai Susu sized up the two exquisitely beautiful girls in front of her; one was clever and lively, while the other was calm and reserved.

As for its appearance... it's barely comparable to what I had when I was a child.

But don't let it be all show and no substance.

In the world of cultivation, having only a good appearance can actually bring trouble.

A playful thought suddenly struck her: "Well, I can indeed take you to Moon Rhinoceros Lake. But..."

Qingjun nodded repeatedly, happily shaking the bell.

However, Wei sensed that something was amiss.

She subtly pulled Qingjun behind her, her cool eyes fixed on Bai Susu, and asked calmly, "Any other requests?"

Before Bai Susu could speak, she continued, "Then Qingjun and I won't go."

These words were spoken crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

Zhiwei knew in her heart that the blonde girl in front of her was strange and unpredictable, and the request she made would definitely not be simple.

She would rather not make mistakes than do nothing.

So as not to cause trouble for Chen Ye without helping him.

Bai Susu didn't expect Lu Zhiwei to refuse so quickly. Her excited expression froze on her face. She was in the middle of playing and couldn't stand such a straightforward rejection.
She immediately became anxious: "Wait a minute! I haven't finished speaking yet! It's just a small request, something that's easy for you!"

The black-haired girl remained unmoved. She took her junior sister's hand and actually turned around, pretending to take Qingjun home.

At the same time, she bowed slightly in a polite manner: "We're sorry to bother you, Sister Bai. We are just children with low cultivation levels. If we go to Yuexi Lake, we'll be unfamiliar with the place and people, and we might cause trouble for our master. It's better not to go."

This made Bai Susu even more anxious, so she stomped her foot.

She was just acting on a whim, wanting to tease the two girls and see how capable they were without the protection of that old man Chen Ye.

If they cried and begged to go, she would find it boring.

But this little black-haired girl, who looks so quiet and gentle, is so ungrateful and wants to leave after just a few words. How can she tolerate that?
Hey! You two, stop right there!

Bai Susu moved swiftly, blocking Zhiwei and Qingjun's path. Hands on her hips, her pink cheeks puffed out, she looked just like an annoyed kitten.

"My word is law. If I say I'll take you there, I will! What do you mean by causing trouble? With me here, who would dare to cause trouble for your master?"

Zhiwei maintained her aloof demeanor, but a hint of unease crept into her voice:

"We appreciate Sister Bai's kindness. However... Master must have important matters to attend to at Moon Rhinoceros Lake. If we go with him, wouldn't that only distract him further?"

Her words were perfectly tactful, highlighting their weakness while subtly hinting at the trouble Chen Ye might encounter, cleverly passing the buck back to Bai Susu.

Upon hearing this, Bai Susu was indeed swayed by Zhiwei's sensible words.

Her eyes darted around, and she patted her not-so-ample chest, saying with a heroic air:

"What's so difficult about that! You're just worried about your master running into trouble! Since I've agreed to take you there, I'll naturally look after him. If Chen Ye really encounters any unsolvable problems, I can easily take care of them with a little help, right?"

A fleeting smile crossed Zhiwei's cool eyes, but her expression remained one of respect mixed with a hint of unease.
"Is what you say true, Sister Bai? But... how can my junior sister and I trouble you with such trouble?"

"Hmph! My word is my bond!"

Bai Susu couldn't stand being questioned. She raised her delicate chin and said proudly,

"It's settled then! As for your master... if he really gets into any trouble, I'll just take care of it for him!"

She was completely unaware that she had fallen step by step into the trap set by the girl in front of her.

Lu Zhiwei's age was so deceptive that it was hard for anyone to detect the girl's scheming.

Bai Susu even felt that although the black-haired girl looked aloof, she was quite sensible, unlike the silver-haired girl who was so loud and boisterous.

"Well... thank you, Sister Bai."

Zhiwei breathed a slight sigh of relief, then pulled the still somewhat bewildered Qingjun along and bowed to Bai Susu.

Qingjun blinked her big eyes, looking at Bai Susu's smug face, then at her senior sister's faint smile, and felt that... Sister Bai seemed to have been deceived by her senior sister?
"Alright! On the other hand, of course I'll bring you along!"

Bai Susu looked at the two girls with great interest.

"However, I don't have that much free time to spend with you two little brats all day long. When the time comes, I will send you to Moon Rhinoceros Lake, but I won't stay with you. Let's see how much you two little girls are worth!"

Zhiwei hesitated: "Sister Bai, Qingjun and I are still inexperienced. If we encounter danger..."

"rest assured,"

Bai Susu waved her hand impatiently, interrupting Zhiwei, and with a flick of her finger, a barely perceptible wisp of golden divine thought quietly entered the space between the two girls' brows.

"I have left a divine mark on each of you. If you encounter any trouble that you cannot resolve, I will protect you. However... for ordinary minor troubles, you will have to figure out your own solutions."

That was her real purpose.

Since you're just idling around anyway, and you've reached her level, it's difficult to break through even with arduous cultivation, so you might as well take some time to have some fun.

hum...

Both girls have reached the Qi Refining stage, with the black-haired one even reaching the third level of Qi Refining.

Don't be fooled by the fact that his cultivation level is unremarkable in the Lingyin Sect.

However, most independent cultivators are basically in the early stage of Qi Refining.

Moreover, the world is vast, and there are countless mortals living there.

Therefore, despite their young age, the two girls are quite strong!
Bai Susu was curious to see what kind of name these two girls could make in the cultivation world!
Chen Ye probably wouldn't want his apprentice to face bloodshed.

However, in the cultivation world, flowers grown in a greenhouse never live long...

Like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, Qingjun's face lit up with excitement and anticipation at the prospect of venturing out on her own. She patted the Xiaohan Sword at her waist.
"Hehe! Finally, I can go out with my senior sister! Qingjun has even thought of nicknames! From now on, my senior sister and I will be called the Black and White Duo!"

"Pfft-"

Bai Susu couldn't help but laugh, and teased,
"That's quite a show! Let's get going right away, there's no time to lose!"

At that moment, she suddenly understood Chen Ye a little.

Hmm... it's like raising two little animals?
Bai Susu was already looking forward to seeing how these two girls would navigate the turbulent world of cultivation...

Since Bai Susu was traveling with them, the three of them naturally did not ride in ordinary spirit boats or carriages.

A thin, golden sword, resembling a cicada's wing, flew out from the blonde girl's sleeve.

As soon as it flew out, it expanded rapidly.

"Wow! How amazing!" Qingjun's eyes lit up.

Bai Susu smiled modestly: "It's nothing special... just a second-tier top-grade magic weapon."

"A second-tier top-grade item, so amazing!" Qingjun exclaimed again.

Bai Susu immediately found the little girl much more pleasing to the eye and praised, "Not bad, the little thing has some taste."

Unexpectedly, the little girl bit her finger and looked at Bai Susu with pleading eyes:

"Sister Bai knows the enlargement spell, can you help Qingjun make this pastry bigger? This is the last pastry that Master left behind."

As she spoke, the little girl carefully took out a flattened pear blossom pastry from her small purse.

She's been reluctant to eat it, but if Sister Bai could enlarge it, she would be willing to eat it!

"...The flying sword can grow bigger because it's a second-tier magic weapon, not because of an enlargement spell! There's no such spell as an enlargement spell in the world!" Bai Susu's eyelids twitched.

"A second-tier magic weapon?" The little girl frowned, looking puzzled.

"You...don't know how powerful a second-tier magic weapon is? Then why were you exclaiming how powerful it was earlier!" Bai Susu had a bad feeling.

"Because saying that will make Sister Bai very happy!"

The little girl thought she was very clever; she smiled and raised her eyebrows.

"Didn't Sister Bai praise Qingjun for her good taste before?"

"……hateful!"

Her fair and delicate face immediately darkened.

she……

She actually got fooled by this silly little girl!!!
"Let's go, that's enough, get on the sword!" Bai Susu gritted her teeth.

The two girls quickly followed.

Her flying sword was extremely fast, far surpassing Chen Ye's iron sword.

This was the first time Qingjun had experienced such a lightning-fast sensation, and she turned pale with fright, clinging tightly to Zhiwei's arm.

Fortunately, after being trained by her master, the little girl is no longer as afraid of heights as she used to be.

She couldn't help but peek through her fingers at the rapidly receding mountains and rivers below, her eyes filled with wonder and excitement.

Bai Susu sat on the sword pommel, her petite figure as steady as a rock in the raging wind.

"Humph!"

Seeing the two girls looking disheveled from the wind, Bai Susu snorted coldly and casually cast a spirit shield, enveloping them inside.
"My flying sword is extremely fast; it can reach Moon Rhinoceros Lake in half a day. By then, I should be even faster than your master!"

……

Meanwhile, Chen Ye was completely unaware that his disciple was about to go to Moon Rhinoceros Lake under the alias Black and White Duo to find him.

The carriage traveled smoothly on the official road. Inside the carriage, a partition had been used to divide the space into two sections, front and back.

Chen Ye sat cross-legged behind the partition, with the initially completed zombie puppet of the Wan Kui Sect disciple lying in front of him.

The zombie puppet's eyes were tightly closed, its face was stiff, and its body was covered with fine holes left by the Geng metal energy.

If it weren't for the faint trace of Yin energy still lingering around it, it would be almost indistinguishable from an ordinary corpse.

[Small Success in the Hundred Refinements Technique: 7/100]

"This Hundred Refinements Method is truly difficult to refine..."

Chen Ye wiped the sweat from his forehead, but felt no joy whatsoever.

Practicing this Hundred Refinements Method was more difficult than he had anticipated.

For the past two days, he has been refining zombie puppets.

During this time, he first tried to refine a robust woman, but unfortunately, his technique was not skilled enough, and he ruined her.

After that, they began to refine the Myriad Puppet Disciples.

With his current cultivation level at the late stage of Qi Refining, and after consuming several Qi-restoring pills and refining the body for two days without sleep, he barely managed to break through to the minor completion stage of the Hundred Refinements Technique, successfully refining the corpse of this Wan Kui Sect disciple ten times, reaching the tenth refinement stage.

Moreover, this is just a zombie puppet, the lowest-level puppet in the puppet-making technique.

Its combat power is less than one-tenth of what it was in life. It moves stiffly and has low intelligence. Its only redeeming quality is its fearlessness and ability to act as a human shield.

“However, if the Hundred Refinements Technique is at a higher level, it should be able to be strengthened even further,” Chen Ye pondered.

The Hundred Refinements Method is the key to crafting puppets.

Especially for low-level puppets, the most crucial factor is the strength of the materials.

The strength of the materials almost entirely determines the combat power of the puppet.

The Hundred Refinements Method, on the other hand, is a technique for refining materials. It allows one to repeatedly refine raw materials using spiritual power, up to a maximum of a hundred times!
Of course, due to diminishing marginal returns, the more times the material is refined, the smaller the enhancement effect.

Even if it's described as being refined a hundred times, the actual effect can't possibly be increased a hundredfold.

The corpse itself has low strength, so to refine a zombie puppet, it must be refined more than ten times.

But... if one has the skill, it is not impossible to refine the zombie puppet into a hundred-fold refinement.

The puppet-making method, on the other hand, is merely a set of blueprints for puppets, recording how to create various types of puppets.

It has no inherent realm, and there is no way to improve its realm using the proficiency panel.

"Never mind, the main purpose of this trip is still to extract information."

Chen Ye calmed his mind, made a hand seal with his fingertips, and sent a faint wisp of divine sense into the center of the zombie puppet's brow.

One of the advantages of crafting a zombie puppet is that it can briefly connect with some of its remaining obsessions and fragments of memory. Although it cannot be as detailed as soul searching, it is still possible to ask some simple questions.

The zombie's eyelids twitched slightly, and its empty eyes stared blankly at Chen Ye.

"Who sent you?"

Chen Ye asked in a deep voice, carefully guiding the remaining consciousness of the zombie puppet with his divine sense.

The zombie made a series of unintelligible hoarse sounds from its throat, and after a long while, it managed to squeeze out a few words intermittently: "Chairman...".

"President?"

Chen Ye was stunned. At first, he thought it was someone sent by Xu Qingsong.

"Which president?" he pressed.

"Heh...heh..." The zombie's voice grew weaker and weaker, yet it couldn't answer for a long time.

"No... her mental state is too low."

Chen Ye frowned, then turned and asked,
"You were sent by Ji Yueze?"

The zombie's body began to tremble slightly, as if the question had touched upon some deeper memory: "Yes..."

Ji Yueze?
But why would he go to such lengths to hunt down Ji Yueze, given his petty grudge against him?
After all, the six-leaf scrophularia had already cured him.

Killing yourself now will not help.

Furthermore, why would a disciple of the Wan Kui Sect address President Ji Yueze?
Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Ye's mind as he tried to ask for more details.

However, no matter how much they pressed him, the zombie puppet could no longer respond.

"Alright, from now on you'll be called... Chen Yi."

Chen Ye put the zombie puppet back into his storage bag and had no choice but to give up.

After dealing with the zombie puppet, Chen Ye felt a bit stuffy in the back of the carriage.

He was about to get up and go to the front for some fresh air when he vaguely heard the sound of water coming from the other side of the partition, as well as Li Qiuyun humming an off-key tune.

This girl is taking a bath?
Chen Ye paused, his steps faltering.

The carriage is not very spacious, and the sound insulation is not very good.

He had intended to wait until Li Qiuyun was ready before going out, but as the sound of water subsided, it seemed that she had finished washing up.

After several days of running around, she really needs to clean up properly.

"Qiuyun, is it convenient for you over there?" Chen Ye asked loudly.

From behind the partition came Li Qiuyun's slightly lazy reply, mixed with the rustling sound of tidying clothes: "Okay, Uncle Chen, I'm done washing, you can come out now."

Now that she had finished washing up, Chen Ye didn't wait any longer, lifted the partition, and went out.

The scene before him startled him slightly.

Li Qiuyun was facing away from him, her body still damp with moisture, her snow-white undergarment loosely draped over her shoulders, not yet fully dressed.

Large areas of skin were exposed, delicate as jade, and radiant with a lustrous sheen.

Her long, dark hair was wet and cascading down her back, with a few playful strands clinging to her smooth neck and slightly exposed shoulder blades, adding a touch of charm and languor rarely seen on ordinary days.

Hearing Chen Ye come out, Li Qiuyun simply brushed her disheveled, wet hair to one side and smiled back.

Her demeanor was completely natural, showing none of the panic or embarrassment that a typical woman would feel when caught in such a situation by a man.

"Uncle Chen, please wait a moment, it will be ready soon."

As she spoke, she began to tidy her inner garments at a leisurely pace, treating Chen Ye as if he were an outsider.

hiss……

This girl... she really has absolutely no sense of caution towards him.

These past few days have been getting increasingly outrageous.

Chen Ye remained expressionless, merely shifting his gaze slightly to the passing scenery outside the car window, and said calmly, "No rush, take your time."

"Uncle Chen, did you get any information out of them?"

"The cultivator's soul had already dissipated, so we couldn't get any useful information out of him. All we knew was that he was one of Ji Yueze's men..."

While the two were talking,
Li Qiuyun had already put on her Taoist robe, but due to the haste she had just put it on, the robe, which had originally fit her well, was slightly open to one side, revealing a patch of fair and delicate skin.

A strand of damp hair fell unintentionally onto the full curves of her chest, adding a touch of unwitting allure. She was slightly surprised.

"Ji Yueze? Isn't that the former young master of the Ji family at Moon Rhinoceros Lake?"

Chen Yeben was pondering Ji Yueze's matter when he heard this and subconsciously looked up, just in time to catch a glimpse of the scenery that the girl had inadvertently revealed.

His gaze sharpened slightly, then he casually looked away, picked up the teacup beside him, and took a small sip: "The Ji family? Ji Yueze also comes from Yuexi Lake Lane?"

Chen Ye was somewhat surprised, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense.

Mao Qingzhu came from Yuexi Lake Lane. Judging from Ji Yueze's closeness to her, the two must have had some interaction long ago.

"yes……"

Li Qiuyun glanced at Chen Ye seemingly casually, only to see Chen Ye sitting with his legs crossed, sipping his tea in deep thought.

A strong sense of frustration welled up inside me.

Ultimately, it was because Uncle Chen truly regarded her as a junior, with no ulterior motives.
Or is it that I simply lack any feminine charm?
She gently bit her moist cherry lips with her pearly teeth and whispered:

"Moon Rhinoceros Lake Market is located at the border between the Lingyin Sect and the Wan Kui Sect. There are four or five cultivation families in it, but the strongest are the Xu family and the Ji family. The Xu family is backed by the Lingyin Sect, while the Ji family is backed by the Wan Kui Sect."

Chen Ye stared at the sloshing tea, somewhat puzzled: "Then why is Ji Yueze a disciple of the Lingyin Sect?"

"That's a long story..." Li Qiuyun was about to continue when Chen Ye pointed out the window: "Qiuyun, there's a beautiful little bird over there."

The girl was surprised and looked back, only to find the outside of the window empty; there were no birds to be seen.

When he turned around again, Chen Ye had vanished!
"Uncle Chen?"

"Ahem, Qiuyun, since it's a long story, let me study the zombie puppet while you tell me."

Chen Ye's voice could be heard coming from behind the partition.

what?
So much time for cultivation...

Uncle Chen would rather stay with the zombie puppet than stay with me?
Although it was for the purpose of researching puppet-making techniques...

Countless Lingyin Sect disciples would rather not cultivate than revolve around him!
A flicker of resentment crossed the girl's eyes, and she gritted her teeth:
"Hmm... In cultivation families like this, although blood ties serve as a bond, once a family grows large, factional strife easily arises. The Ji Yueze lineage was once the main branch of the Ji family, but unfortunately, its talent pool dwindled, with two Foundation Establishment cultivators falling one after another. However, within a branch, someone successfully established their Foundation..."

The atmosphere inside the carriage became somewhat awkward.

Li Qiuyun, separated by a partition, recounted the past of the Ji family in detail, her voice tinged with melancholy.

As Chen Ye's skills improved, he roughly understood what had happened.

In short, the Ji family had a major conflict, and Ji Yueze's lineage was defeated, with some injured and others killed.

Therefore, Ji Yueze betrayed the Ji family and joined the Lingyin Sect.

The Lingyin Sect has always had some conflicts and friction with the Wankui Sect. While they can't say they welcome Ji Yueze, they are even less likely to resist him.

After all, accepting Ji Yueze would help attract other forces under the Wan Kui Sect in the future.

But who would have thought that eight years ago, Shijing Town fell to the enemy.

Ji Yueze happens to be the guardian disciple of Shijing Town, and he also has connections to the Wan Kui Sect...

In fact, Ji Yueze was just a minor outer disciple at the time, and it was absolutely impossible for him to have been involved in the fall of the sect.

However, his ambiguous identity aroused suspicion among some Lingyin Sect disciples, especially the relatives of the disciples who died in the fall of Shijing, who were even more dissatisfied with Ji Yueze's existence.

After some discussion among the sect's higher-ups,

Ji Yueze is definitely not an easy person to kill.

Firstly, the Lingyin Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect, unlike the demonic sects which kill people indiscriminately.

Especially now that many cultivators outside are paying attention to this matter, it's even more important not to ruin one's reputation.

Secondly, if we kill him, how will other forces dare to switch sides in the future?

Therefore, Ji Yueze was expelled from the Lingyin Sect...

"call……"

Listening to the girl's clear, melodious voice as she narrated her story...
Chen Ye let out a long sigh and said indignantly:

"This Lingyin Sect, such a large cultivation sect, why bother with evidence? Just kill them!"

He was very dissatisfied. If he had killed Ji Yueze earlier, he wouldn't be in this trouble.

"what?"

Li Qiuyun chuckled and shook her head.
"This isn't about evidence. If the sect really suspects Ji Yueze, why would they need evidence? Because, to put it bluntly, Ji Yueze is someone who defected from another sect and happens to be in Shijing Town. At the same time, some relatives of the deceased disciples hate him because of this. If we kill Ji Yueze for this reason, who will dare to join the Lingyin Sect in the future?"

But, having said that.

Li Qiuyun also knew that Chen Ye was just saying it casually.

The next moment, she saw the man straighten his back and walk out from behind the partition with an upright posture.

Ok?
Why does Uncle Chen seem a bit different from before?

Why does he look so righteous?

He seemed to carry an aura of righteousness with him...

The girl's delicate nose twitched slightly, as if she had smelled something, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Seeing Li Qiuyun sniffing lightly, Chen Ye snorted coldly:
"What are you sniffing for! This smells like it's from making zombie puppets!"

"what?"

The spirited young girl's face paled, and she quickly covered her mouth in disgust.
"No wonder it smells so bad, the odor is so strong..."

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