Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 141 Another Trip to the Ghost Market, My Disciple's Secret (10,000 words a day, please continue reading)
"real."

Chen Ye nodded affirmatively.
"However, on the path of cultivation, while talent is important, character and diligence are also indispensable. Now that Zhiwei has such talent, he should calm his mind and focus on cultivation in order not to waste this opportunity."

He looked at his eldest disciple, who was aloof and calm yet exceptionally talented, and his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts.

A flawless, crystal-clear body, the five elements of heavenly spiritual roots... such talent is destined to stir up a storm in this region.

However, fortune and misfortune are intertwined.

Everything has a cause and an effect.

This also means that the hardships and trials she will have to endure in the future are far beyond those of ordinary cultivators.

of course,

As Zhiwei's master, Chen Ye naturally had an unshirkable duty to protect his disciple.

"Master."

Zhiwei suddenly spoke, interrupting Chen Ye's thoughts.

Her clear black eyes gazed at him quietly. "Zhiwei... will work hard in my cultivation and will not disappoint Master."

Chen Ye reached out his hand, and this time, Zhiwei did not flinch, letting his broad palm gently land on her little head.

"Okay, Master believes you."

He gently stroked her soft, dark hair, a relieved smile spreading across his face.

With such disciples, what more could a teacher ask for?
Regardless of their future status or position, for now they are just two little girls under my care...

Chen Ye withdrew his hand and handed the complete jade slip of "Frost Flower Record" to Zhiwei:

"You have already entered the realm of cultivation with this Frost Flower Record. Now that you have the complete method for the Foundation Establishment stage, you will have no worries about your future cultivation."

Zhiwei took the jade slip; it felt slightly cool to the touch.

The cultivation techniques for the Foundation Establishment stage are quite valuable.

Knowing the weight of the martial arts manual in her hands, the black-haired girl nodded solemnly: "Thank you, Master."

"Go on, and cultivate diligently." Chen Ye waved his hand.

Zhiwei bowed again, then, holding the jade slip, turned back to his meditation cushion and immersed himself in cultivation once more.

Chen Ye felt somewhat helpless about this.

My eldest disciple is good in every way, except that sometimes he is too particular about etiquette.

Sometimes, Chen Ye felt a little uncomfortable with the respect his eldest disciple showed him...

……

When they arrived at He Qi's house, the gaunt man was dissecting a demonic tiger that was at least ten feet long.

"Brother He, you have excellent skills. This tiger should be a Crimson Lotus Tiger, and its strength is almost equivalent to that of a cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining."

Chen Ye's gaze swept over the wounds on the monster's torso. His eyesight was now far superior to what it used to be, and he immediately recognized that these were burn marks from fire magic.

It turns out that He Qi's main cultivation method was fire-based.

He Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead, his smile warm:
"Sigh, I ran into him in the Misty Forest yesterday. I don't know why he was seriously injured, which gave me an advantage. After I've taken care of him, we'll go to the Nameless Ghost Market together."

Chen Ye nodded. He had come here to go to Wuxiang Ghost Market with He Qi.

Although Li Qiuyun grew up in Yuexi Lake, she was, after all, a disciple of a sect and might not be familiar with the activities of these rogue cultivators.

Going with He Qi would reduce a lot of trouble.

"Daddy—"

A clear, childlike voice came from inside the house. A little girl with pigtails rubbed her eyes and rushed to the door, her cotton shoes still dangling from her heels.
"Shuyao, I want to hear Little Sparrow sing."

He Qi's hard eyebrows softened instantly. He wiped his hands, which were stained with tiger blood, on his trouser leg before hugging his daughter: "Yaya, be good. Daddy will make you a little sparrow tonight."

Turning to Chen Ye, he sighed:
“This is my daughter, He Shuyao. We earn our living by risking our lives, hoping that she will be found to have good spiritual roots… Shuyao, quickly call Uncle Chen.”

He Shuyao timidly nestled her head in her father's arms and whispered, "Uncle Chen..."

This is the daughter He Qi once spoke of?
Ironically, it was precisely because He Qi had a daughter that he was so helpful to me when we were in the shantytown.

Think of this,

Chen Ye hurriedly rummaged in his pocket and took out a mid-grade first-level Qing Shen Jade from Ji Yunting's belongings.

This Qing Shen Jade feels warm and smooth to the touch, and can calm the mind and spirit. It is a rare and valuable calming item for children.

“Brother He, it’s our first meeting, and I don’t have anything of value to offer. I’ll give this Qing Shen Jade to Shu Yao as a small gift.” Chen Ye handed over the jade pendant.

Seeing this, He Qi quickly declined, saying, "Brother Chen, what are you doing! Our pursuit of the Dao is arduous, how can I accept such a valuable gift from you!"

The Pure Spirit Jade is a mid-grade first-level item, and it costs at least twenty or thirty spirit stones on the market. For a rogue cultivator like him, it is already a considerable fortune.

"Brother He and I have helped each other many times, so a mere jade pendant is nothing."

Chen Ye insisted that he would never be a big spender and give away twenty or thirty spirit stones if he were an ordinary person.

Although He Qi is a carefree and easygoing person, he is also public-spirited, warm-hearted, and helpful to me.

Chen Ye placed the jade pendant into the little girl's hand and smiled:
"Besides, Shuyao is a well-behaved and adorable child, and I like her too."

Seeing his resolute attitude and noticing his daughter's longing gaze at the beautiful jade pendant, He Qi felt a warmth in his heart and stopped refusing: "In that case, I'll accept it without hesitation. Another day, I'll prepare some more gifts for Brother Chen's two disciples. Haha, giving them gifts would be even better than giving them to Brother Chen!"

The two grown men exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

Little Shuyao received the jade pendant, and a happy smile appeared on her face. She held the jade pendant tightly in her hand, and then timidly thanked Chen Ye in a soft voice, like a kitten.

After chatting for a while, He Qi cleaned the Crimson Lotus Tiger, took some valuable ingredients, and left the rest of the tiger meat for his daughter and Chen Ye's disciples to try.

Then, He Qi's Daoist partner returned.

The two then set off together for the hidden, formless ghost gathering place.

……

He Qi, familiar with the area, led Chen Ye out of Yuexi Lake Ward and into the countryside outside the market.

Night had fallen, and few people were on the main road. The two of them took several turns, deviating from the main road, and followed a deserted path deep into a rocky slope rarely visited by people.

The slope is covered with jagged rocks and overgrown with weeds, and occasionally a few withered trees creak in the night wind.

“This Wuxiang Ghost Gathering is truly remote…” Chen Ye clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Brother Chen, you may not know this, but among the rogue cultivators who come to Wuxiang Ghost Gathering, there are many who cannot see the light of day. If we were to conduct our activities openly and honestly in the market, these cultivators would not feel at ease."

He Qi stopped in front of a boulder shaped like a reclining ox, took out an iron token from his pocket, and tapped it three times on an inconspicuous groove in the rock wall. After pausing for a moment, he tapped it twice more.

"Rumble--"

The reclining ox-shaped boulder slowly moved to one side, revealing a dark opening with flickering firelight and suppressed noises.

"Brother Chen, stay close," He Qi said in a low voice, then bent down and squeezed inside first.

Chen Ye put on the bronze mask and followed closely behind. Inside the cave was a downward-sloping path. After walking about a hundred steps, the view suddenly opened up before them.

This is a huge, naturally formed cave. Stalactites of strange shapes hang from the top of the cave, and dozens of torches burn on the walls, illuminating the entire cave in a flickering light.

Upon arriving at the ghost market, Chen Ye easily found a stall to sell his wares.

Although he didn't have many spirit stones, his assets were still quite substantial.

For example, the three spiritual plants from Baiqi Garden, and the spoils from the disciples of Wan Kui Sect and Ji Yunting.

In fact, these resources are difficult for ordinary independent cultivators to afford.

For example, the first-grade superior spiritual plant obtained from the Garden of Wonders...

However, the Wuxiang Ghosts are mostly cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining, and they are wealthy.

Chen Ye quickly sold all the resources, earning a total of 276 spirit stones.

In addition to the spirit stones he had left.

Chen Ye now has three hundred spirit stones on hand!

After selling the spiritual plants and magical artifacts he no longer needed, Chen Ye did not leave immediately. Instead, he gave He Qi a wink, signaling him to be patient.

He Qi understood that Brother Chen's visit today was probably not just about selling things, but also about finding some good items.

The two wandered into the darker corners of the cave. These corner stalls were often more secluded, displaying more exotic items, but naturally, the prices were also much higher.

“Mysterious Soul Crystal, Condensed Nether Soul… In the Puppet Refining Technique, these two spiritual materials can be used as lower-grade substitutes for second-tier materials, barely enough to repair the puppet's core.”

Chen Ye looked at them and didn't hesitate for long. He spent one hundred spirit stones to buy the two spirit materials.

He never expected to restore the puppet's core to its full potential.

To fully repair it, one would need both second-tier materials and a second-tier weapon refiner, which is extremely difficult.

Why not buy some Tier 1 materials, refine them yourself, and make do with them?

Moreover, the core of the puppet is still largely intact, so even if it is repaired with low-grade materials, it will not lose much power.

“Right now, all we need is a furnace…” Chen Ye pondered.

Unfortunately, although there were refining furnaces for sale in this Wuxiang Ghost Market, they were not the furnaces Chen Ye wanted.

He wanted to buy a furnace that could be used for both refining weapons and alchemy, which would save him a lot of money.

"Boom-thump-thump-"

Suddenly, three deep, resonant chimes echoed from the depths of the cave, instantly silencing the previously noisy ghost market.

All the masked monks looked in the direction from which the bell sounded.

In the center of the cave, a simple stone platform had been erected at some point. On the platform, a man wearing a wolf-head mask and with an exceptionally burly build announced in a loud voice: "Fellow Daoists, as is customary at today's Ghost Market, there will be a small auction. The highest bidder wins. Only spirit stones will be accepted; no credit will be given!"

auctions?
Chen Ye immediately became interested.

Chen Ye had long heard of auctions, but this was his first time experiencing one.

The burly man didn't waste any words. After the room quieted down a bit, he took out a dark wooden box from behind him and carefully opened it.

A thick, pungent stench of blood, accompanied by a chilling aura, instantly filled the air. Inside the wooden box lay a grotesque skull, the size of a fist, entirely black, its surface covered with eerie, blood-red patterns!

"The first item up for auction is the skull of a Blood Fiend Wolf, a demonic beast at the first level of Foundation Establishment! This wolf is a rare species from the Three Thousand Mountains, and its skull is incredibly hard, making it an excellent material for refining demonic artifacts or setting up Yin Fiend formations. The starting price is one hundred spirit stones, and each bid must be at least ten spirit stones higher!"

Upon hearing this, a suppressed gasp immediately filled the room.

Materials from second-tier demonic beasts, though only at the first level of Foundation Establishment, are extremely rare among rogue cultivators.

"One hundred and twenty spirit stones!"

"I'll pay 130 yuan!"

"One hundred and sixty yuan!"

After a brief silence, the sound of bidding erupted in the arena, including from a cultivator wearing a golden mask and surrounded by a chilling aura.

Chen Ye had no interest in this item and simply observed the crowd silently.

The people in the arena were mostly divided into four categories, each wearing a different level of demon mask.

At the lowest level were rogue cultivators like him and He Qi, wearing bronze masks, whose cultivation had just reached the late stage of Qi Refining.

Then there are the iron-faced rogue cultivators; their auras are noticeably more concentrated. Finally, there are a few golden-faced rogue cultivators; these are likely at the Foundation Establishment stage!
The cultivators wearing various demonic beast masks are members of the Wuxiang Ghost Clan.

However, one cannot use masks to gauge the strength of these cultivators.

Some rogue cultivators like to play dumb to deceive others, and they will wear the low-level ghost mask that they themselves have stolen.

For example, He Qi, whose cultivation level is at the eighth level of Qi Refining, actually has an iron mask, but he still chooses to wear a copper mask.

"I heard that Luo Heng has successfully established his foundation in recent days... Yunxi Fang's foundation is ultimately too shallow, as it only has Luo Heng as its foundation-establishing cultivator."

It was rare to see a Foundation Establishment cultivator among the rogue cultivators, and Chen Ye pondered to himself.

Luo Heng was the only Foundation Establishment cultivator with whom he had a relatively deep friendship.

At the auction,
After a fierce bidding war, the Blood Demon Wolf skull was finally sold to the black-robed cultivator with the golden mask for 320 spirit stones.

"The second item!" the burly man announced again, taking out another jade box.

As the jade box was opened, a refreshing fragrance instantly dispelled the previous bloody and sinister aura.

Inside the box lay a spiritual herb, about half a foot long, entirely emerald green, with a faint golden halo around the edges of its leaves.

At the tip of the herb, a crystal-clear droplet, like a dewdrop, was condensed, radiating a rich spiritual energy.

"Soul-Gathering Grass! A top-grade first-tier spiritual herb, the main ingredient for refining Soul-Gathering Pills! Soul-Gathering Pills can help cultivators refine their souls and stabilize their realm. For fellow cultivators who are about to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining or whose spiritual sense has been damaged, its preciousness is self-evident! This Soul-Gathering Grass is nearly a hundred years old and has abundant medicinal power. Starting price is seventy spirit stones, and each bid must be at least five spirit stones higher!"

Among independent cultivators, some extremely rare cultivation techniques, magical artifacts, and spiritual materials are traditionally referred to as top-grade.

For example, the six-leaf scrophularia can be called a top-grade spiritual plant.

For example, Chen Ye's Azure Wave Sword Control Technique is also a top-tier first-class flying sword technique.

This Soul-Gathering Grass truly deserves the title of "top-grade"!

Chen Ye's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart raced!

Now that his divine consciousness is just beginning to take shape, he needs this kind of elixir that can nourish his soul!
Although the Seven Luminaries Soul Nourishing Method is profound, visualizing the star chart consumes a great deal of the soul. With the help of the Soul Condensing Pill, it can definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort!
As soon as the burly man finished speaking, sporadic bids began to be heard in the room.

Although Soul-Gathering Grass is good, it needs to be refined by a master alchemist. Besides, ordinary rogue cultivators lack spiritual cultivation techniques and have never paid much attention to cultivating spiritual sense.

But the price continued to climb, eventually reaching 160 yuan, which was then acquired by an iron-faced cultivator.

……

"Brother Chen, the items at the end of this auction are probably even more expensive. We're both short on cash, so why don't we head out first? Besides, things might change if we delay, so it's better to leave sooner rather than later," He Qi whispered to Chen Ye after seeing that the Soul-Gathering Grass had already been sold.

Chen Ye nodded; he had certainly seen something new about this ghost market auction.

But the remaining items are probably beyond his means to afford.

The two did not linger, but quietly blended into the crowd and headed towards the cave exit.

Just as they were walking out, Chen Ye suddenly realized that, in addition to them, there were quite a few other masked cultivators who had also chosen to leave early.

Among them was the iron-faced cultivator who had just bid 160 spirit stones for the Soul-Gathering Grass.

What made Chen Ye even more wary was that several faint auras were subtly following the iron-faced cultivator.

"Brother He, this Wuxiang Ghost Gathering is a mixed bag, and everyone who comes and goes wears a mask to conceal their identity. It would probably be difficult to ambush and steal treasures outside of this place, wouldn't it?"

Chen Ye asked telepathically.

He secretly observed that the Ghost Gathering also had rules: if a cultivator left the Ghost Gathering, they had to leave through a different exit randomly.

Logically speaking, it would be difficult to intercept them midway.

After all, they were all wearing masks to conceal their presence, and each of them used their disguise techniques to leave through different exits. Trying to find them again would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

Upon hearing this, He Qi chuckled and lowered his voice, saying, "Brother Chen, you may not know this. The reason why this Ghost Market has been able to exist until now is due to its own rules. Firstly, these masks not only conceal one's appearance but also disrupt one's divine sense to a certain extent, making it difficult for others to discern one's true identity. Secondly, the location and time of the Ghost Market's opening are not fixed, and its whereabouts are elusive, making it extremely difficult to set up an ambush in advance."

He paused, then continued, "But if the target is clear, someone would have been identified long ago... There is always a way."

Chen Ye understood.

As they spoke, they had already left the cave and returned to the desolate, rocky slope.

The night was still dark, and the cold wind howled, making people's clothes rustle.

Halfway there, behind several huge rocks not far ahead, a sudden burst of intense magical collisions and a short cry of surprise came from nearby!

"They really started fighting..." He Qi shook his head, his eyes filled with excitement. "Since we've run into them, let's go over and see if we can reap the benefits."

Ambushes and attacks after auctions are commonplace.

As he spoke, He Qi wanted to step forward and peek inside.

Chen Ye grabbed him, signaling him to conceal his aura and quietly approach.

The two carefully bypassed several boulders and saw several cultivators besieging a figure wearing an iron mask on a wrecked open ground ahead.

At this moment, the Iron-Faced Cultivator was already at a disadvantage. He was struggling to defend against attacks from all directions with a magic sword in his hand that was dimming in spirit, and he kept coughing up blood.

One of the black-robed cultivators who participated in the attack shouted in a hoarse voice, "Li Guangzong! I knew your soul was already damaged in order to refine that Foundation Establishment Pill! You're just at your last gasp now, how could you possibly still be a match for us! Hand over the Foundation Establishment Pill obediently, and we'll leave you with a whole corpse!"

Li Guangzong?!

Chen Ye's eyes narrowed when he heard the name.

He stared intently at the masked monk, who was fighting fiercely and covered in blood. Although the mask concealed his face, his fighting style and his name...

Isn't that Li Guangzong, the sworn brother of the previous incarnation?

He betrayed his promise and stole the Hundred Herbs Elixir Manual back then, and when he reunited with Yunxi Workshop, he continued to suppress his predecessor.

Li Guangzong, the head of Miaodan Pavilion, was the sworn brother who caused his predecessor's path to be severed and his heart to turn cold!

This person had come to Yuexi Lake Workshop to help people refine pills several months ago.

Unexpectedly, nearly three months later, Li Guangzong was still in Yuexihufang!

"Foundation Building Pill! This person... is actually Li Guangzong? Then the person who bought the Soul Condensing Grass is probably him... Heh, it seems that someone deliberately used the Wuxiang Ghost Market auction to lure Li Guangzong into buying the Soul Condensing Grass."

He Qi's breathing suddenly became heavy.

For independent cultivators, the allure of Foundation Establishment Pills is unimaginable!

Chen Ye suddenly reached out his hand, his expression grave: "Brother He, don't meddle in other people's business! This person... is probably not someone to be trifled with. I know him well; he's cunning and treacherous, so how could he easily fall into someone else's trap?"

However, He Qi's eyes showed hesitation: "But... that's a Foundation Establishment Pill! Li Guangzong is only a Qi Refining Stage 8 cultivator. If we fight to the death, we might not be unable to win."

Chen Ye shook his head: "I once heard someone say that Li Guangzong was refining Foundation Establishment Pills for others, perhaps... the Foundation Establishment Pills have already been taken."

Back in Yunxifang, Granny Wang had revealed that Li Guangzong was refining elixirs for others in Yuexihufang.

Moreover, Wang Po had many connections with the Duqing Sect.

Li Guangzong was probably also a member of the Duqing Sect.

He Qi's expression changed drastically, and he was drenched in sweat. Knowing that there might be a Foundation Establishment cultivator nearby, even the deepest greed vanished in an instant.

“Brother Chen is right!” He Qi made a quick decision without hesitation. “Let’s not get involved in this mess! Let’s get out of here!”

The two did not linger, quickened their pace, and swiftly left this place of trouble.

Li Guangzong seemed to sense something and glanced in the direction He Qi had left.

"With the Foundation Establishment Pill as a lure, they actually... sent away a rogue cultivator? Oh well, the news has probably already spread, and quite a few rogue cultivators have already arrived at the Ghost Gathering, so one more won't make a difference..."

He had a sudden thought and gave the cultivator opposite him a wink.

……

Chen Ye and He Qi quickly left that place of trouble, traveling at a brisk pace until they could see the lights of Yuexi Lake Market in the distance, at which point they slowed down slightly.

Not long after they left, a wave of energy from a Foundation Establishment cultivator indeed erupted from his body!

"Brother Chen, thanks to your reminder today, otherwise I would have almost gotten myself into big trouble."

He Qi said with lingering fear.

He was the kind of person who loved to join in the fun and take advantage of others. If Chen Ye hadn't decisively pulled him away, he probably would have stayed there.

Chen Ye waved his hand: "Brother He, you flatter me. Since we are companions, we should look after each other. The matter of Li Guangzong is very complicated, and it is best if we don't get involved."

He sighed inwardly.

The grudge between him and Li Guangzong had run deep, and they were bound to end up fighting to the death.

Fortunately, although Li Guangzong has the backing of the Demonic Sect and the assistance of a Foundation Establishment True Person, his cultivation level is still only at the eighth level of Qi Refining, so he may still be able to kill him...

After the two parted, Chen Ye was preoccupied and hurried back to the Herbal Pavilion.

He was slightly taken aback by the scene before him as soon as he stepped into the lobby of the Herbal Pavilion.

Two small figures could be seen busily moving between the herbal medicine counters, dressed in oversized apprentice uniforms from the Herbal Medicine Pavilion.

It really is his two disciples!
Qingjun was standing on tiptoe, her little face full of curiosity, surrounding an old pharmacist who was sorting medicinal herbs. Every now and then, she would reach out her little hand to touch the withered spiritual herb here and smell the medicinal root that emitted a strange fragrance there. Occasionally, she would let out a few small exclamations of surprise, which made the old pharmacist both amused and exasperated.

Zhiwei followed behind Steward Sun, holding a thick herbal medicine guide in her hands, carefully classifying the medicinal materials.

"What...what's going on?"

Chen Ye felt a bit dumbfounded.

He was only gone for half a day, how did his two disciples suddenly become apprentices of the Herbal Pavilion?

When Steward Sun saw Chen Ye arrive, he stroked his beard with a smile: "Steward Chen, your two apprentices..."

"Grandpa Sun, you're not allowed to tell!"

Qingjun immediately blushed, ran to Steward Sun, and opened her arms to block him.

"Okay, okay, don't tell me."

Manager Sun was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was all smiles.

In the past two weeks, the managers of Bencao Pavilion have become familiar with Chen Ye's two apprentices.

In addition, the two disciples were adorable, Zhiwei was sensible and obedient, and Qingjun was full of energy, so they were quite favored by the old man.

"Master, you...you should go back to your cultivation and not worry about it."

Zhiwei also put down the illustrated guide in her hand, gently pushed Chen Ye's back, and pushed him towards the medicine garden.

Chen Ye was completely confused, but since his two disciples were doing something important, he decided to let them be.

He didn't want to force his two disciples to ask questions just because he was curious.

"Alright then, you must listen to Grandpa Sun and not cause any trouble!"

Chen Ye had no choice but to comply with them and returned to the herb garden alone.

But it felt like a cat was scratching an itch in my heart:
"These two little girls are getting more and more troublesome as they get older. What kind of bad idea are they plotting... well, maybe not a bad idea."

Chen Ye smiled with relief. After being teased by the two little girls, his slightly suppressed emotions immediately eased.

As for Li Guangzong...

Chen Ye took out the puppet core, his eyes flashing with a sharp look.

Perhaps he can strike first!
(End of this chapter)