Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 154 Initial Reputation (Day 2 of 10,000 words)

"Master...why did you leave for so long?"

The little girl lowered her head and finally slowly walked to Chen Ye's thigh.

I finally managed to live with my master and senior sister, why do we have to separate again?
She pouted, and glistening tears welled up in her eyes, but stubbornly refused to fall.

Six months or even several years...

Little Qingjun is about to become Big Qingjun!
"Did...did Qingjun make Master angry? Qingjun will not talk back to Master anymore, and will not secretly step on Master's face anymore...Master, please don't go."

As she spoke, she hugged Chen Ye's waist, tilted her little face up, and looked at her master pitifully.

"As long as... as long as Master doesn't leave, Master can kiss Qingjun however he wants in the future!"

Zhiwei also silently clenched the hem of her clothes. She raised her head, and her clear, dark eyes were now covered with a layer of mist.

Her voice was hoarse: "Master, if it's because of spirit stones, Zhiwei has accumulated quite a few here..."

"What are you talking about?"

Seeing his two disciples looking so pitiful, Chen Ye's heart softened, and he could no longer maintain his serious expression.

He reached out and pulled the two little girls into his arms, one in each hand, and sighed, "When did Master ever say he would abandon you?"

"Eh?"

The two little girls were startled at the same time, and they both raised their little faces, looking at him with teary eyes.

Qingjun sniffed and asked uncertainly, "Master... Master means..."

"That means,"

Chen Ye gently pinched her nose and then Zhiwei's cheek, a teasing smile on his face.
"You two little burdens will naturally go to Peach Mountain Lane with your master. Although Falling Pear Courtyard is nice, it can't be considered home without your master."

"Wow--!"

The reversal came so fast that Qingjun's little mind couldn't process it for a moment.

She stared blankly at Chen Ye for a moment, then realized what was happening. Her little mouth twitched, and she burst into tears, but this time, they were tears of joy.

"Bad master! Stinky master! All you do is scare Qingjun!"

The little girl cried as she pounded Chen Ye's chest with her tiny fists, venting all the grievances and worries she had felt over the past few days.

Zhiwei's eyes also reddened. She buried her face in Chen Ye's other shoulder, silently shedding tears, her thin shoulders trembling slightly.

Chen Ye panicked and was no longer as calm as before.

He wanted nothing more than to slap him.

Tell him to shut up!

He hadn't expected that his desire to explain later would cause his two disciples to cry like this, and he hurriedly and frantically tried to comfort them.

Li Qiuyun couldn't help but laugh when she saw Chen Ye awkwardly comforting his two apprentices.

Serves you right!
Uncle Chen... he's great in every way, except he loves to play pranks on people!
Now you're reaping the consequences, aren't you?

Suddenly, she had a thought. Seeing that the two little girls had stopped crying, she stepped forward, half-squatted down, and, imitating Chen Ye, jokingly kissed Qing Jun's smooth forehead.

"Okay, okay, don't cry anymore. Sister Qiuyun, give me a kiss too."

At this moment, Master Qingjun's movements came to an abrupt halt. She touched her forehead in a daze and then looked at the smiling Li Qiuyun.

Forehead...

I was kissed by both my master and Sister Qiuyun at the same time...

Doesn't that mean that Master has become Sister Qiuyun's father?
A strange pang of jealousy stirred within the little girl. Although she couldn't explain why, she subconsciously felt that her master's kisses were exclusively hers.

of course,

This jealousy has nothing to do with matters between men and women.

Just as a child might be jealous when their parents show affection to other children, a younger sister might be jealous when her older brother starts dating someone special.

It's just simple possessiveness.

Li Qiuyun was incredibly clever; seeing Qingjun's eyes darting around, she guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.

She never expected that her playful remark would upset this jealous girl.

Seeing Chen Ye's stiff expression again, he was immediately annoyed.

The young female cultivator was immediately embarrassed, her cheeks flushing slightly, and she belatedly felt a touch of shyness. Quickly thinking, she turned and kissed the equally bewildered Zhiwei on the cheek.

"Alright, one for each of you, impartial!" She forced herself to remain calm, then turned her anger towards Chen Ye, feigning anger, "Uncle Chen, how can you be biased? You kissed Qingjun, but not Zhiwei? This won't do!"

"Huh?" Chen Ye was taken aback by her actions.

Although it's normal to kiss a child's forehead and cheeks, Zhiwei is always mature and composed, and has a cold personality... If he really kisses her, will he be seen as a lecher?

But looking at Li Qiuyun's unquestionable gaze, and Qingjun's accusing look that seemed to say "Master, you are indeed biased"—in reality, the little girl wanted to express that her master was not allowed to kiss her.

Chen Ye gritted his teeth.

So be it, they're all my disciples! I must treat them all equally!

When Zhiwei saw Chen Ye walking towards her, her clear eyes showed a hint of timidity. Her face tightened, and she subconsciously took a half step back, her voice weak: "Zhiwei... Zhiwei isn't a child..."

"In front of our master, we are all just children!"

Chen Ye said in an irresistible tone, squatting down and gently kissing Zhiwei's cool yet delicate face.

The older girl lowered her head shyly, looking somewhat awkward.

Chen Ye was completely satisfied.

Sigh, that's true.

If I don't cherish my disciples now, I won't have the chance when they grow up!

Seeing that his two disciples had been calmed down, Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up and said to them:

"Alright, everyone go pack your things. We still have two days before we go to Peach Mountain Village. In these two days, I need to spend all the contribution points I have to avoid wasting them."

He decided to go to the Transmission Hall on Danxia Peak immediately to exchange his skills for a superior alchemy technique.

……

Chen Ye and Li Qiuyun walked side by side on the mountain path leading from Bencao Peak to Danxia Peak.

“I love Qingjun, you love Qingjun,” Chen Ye said, looking at the pretty girl with a beautiful face and a graceful figure beside him, and couldn’t help but tease, “Does this count as… cough cough…”

Li Qiuyun was lost in thought when she was taken aback by his seemingly random words. When she realized what he meant, her pretty, spirited face flushed bright red.

"Uncle Chen! What... what nonsense are you talking about!" She was both embarrassed and angry, and punched Chen Ye's arm lightly with her fist.

As the two were playing around, a discordant voice came from behind them.

"Junior Sister Li, Deacon Chen, what a fine time you are!"

The two turned around and saw that Zhao Qing had caught up with them at some point.

This is an old acquaintance...

Chen Ye complained that he was one of Li Qiuyun's biggest simps.

Unfortunately, his aunt was the protector of Danxia Peak, so she often came to Danxia Peak.

They probably heard that Li Qiuyun had returned to her clan and came specifically to find her.

Zhao Qing wore a gentle smile, but the smile looked somewhat stiff, and her eyes held an undisguised gloom.

Watching the intimate actions between Li Qiuyun and Chen Ye, he felt a burning jealousy in his heart.

What kind of elder-junior relationship is this? What kind of elder and junior are flirting like this?!
That Chen Ye is indeed a shameless old man!
"Deacon Chen is truly riding high these days,"

Zhao Qing's tone seemed to be praising, but it contained a hidden sarcasm.

"Not only has he gained the favor of Master Bai, but now he is also going to travel to a wealthy place like Peach Mountain Village. I just don't know what Steward Chen is trying so hard to curry favor with the Xu family and keep their bloodline by his side. What is he after?"

"Wow, I heard that although that bloodline is Xu family blood, it's actually a bastard."

His words directly addressed the unfounded rumors circulating within the sect, and the insults he conveyed were undisguised.

"Zhao Qing! Stop spouting nonsense and making false accusations!" Li Qiuyun's pretty face turned fierce as she immediately rebuked him.

Chen Ye stopped her, his gaze turning cold as he looked at Zhao Qing's smug face.

He may not care about what others say about him, but if his disciple is involved, then that touches his sore spot.

Seeing Chen Ye's gloomy face, Zhao Qing became even more smug. He sneered, "What? You're angry because I hit the nail on the head? Let me tell you, Chen Ye, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have Uncle Bai protecting you! I, Zhao Qing..."

"Senior Brother Zhao,"

Hearing him address Chen Ye by his given name, Li Qiuyun frowned deeply. She stepped forward, shielding Chen Ye behind her.
"Uncle Chen is a sect deacon. Aren't you afraid that your disrespectful words and disrespect for your elders will be discovered by the senior disciples in the Discipline Hall?"

"elder?"

Zhao Qing felt like he had heard the biggest joke in the world; he couldn't hold back any longer!

He had been trying to please Li Qiuyun for years, only to be scolded by a spirit plant farmer!

As an inner disciple, it was one thing for me to condescend to curry favor with this outer disciple, but I never expected that this outer disciple would take advantage of my kindness.

Seeing Li Qiuyun so protective of Chen Ye, Zhao Qing's jealousy intensified, and she blurted out:
"Ha, just a spirit plant grower, what kind of senior is he? I advise you to stay away from him! Lest he tarnish your reputation! What kind of good person is someone who even uses his own disciple as a stepping stone for advancement! And you, Li Qiuyun, what kind of good person do you think you are? Aren't you just looking for a better opportunity while keeping your options open? Pretending to be innocent, who knows which true disciple you're trying to hook up with!" "You...you shut up!" Li Qiuyun trembled with anger, feeling even more wronged.

What can she do?
She had always resisted Zhao Qing's advances, but he just kept bothering her like a fly...

"enough."

Chen Ye couldn't bear to watch any longer. He pushed aside Li Qiuyun, who was standing protectively in front of him, and looked directly at Zhao Qing, saying each word clearly:

“Zhao Qing, I respect you as an inner disciple and will not hold it against you. But you have spoken rudely time and time again, and now you have even openly slandered my disciple and Qiu Yun’s reputation. If I do not teach you a lesson today, you will really think that I, Chen Ye, am a soft persimmon to be bullied.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qing laughed instead of getting angry: "Teach me a lesson? You think you can? Fine! I'd like to see what skills you, this spirit plant steward, have besides arranging some flowers and plants! Within the sect, death duels are forbidden, but do you dare to take me to the dueling platform?!"

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Chen Ye narrowed his eyes slightly and readily agreed.

Upon hearing this, Li Qiuyun's pretty face turned completely pale. She quickly grabbed Chen Ye's sleeve and said urgently, "Uncle Chen, no! Zhao Qing... he is already in the late stage of Qi Refining, and he has also received the family's true teachings. He cannot be compared to ordinary late-stage Qi Refining cultivators!"

Chen Ye patted the back of her hand: "It's alright. He insulted you and Qingjun. As your elder, how can I sit idly by?"

"no!"

Li Qiuyun pleaded as she tugged at Chen Ye's sleeve.

Uncle Chen didn't understand the inner workings of the dueling arena, but she did!

Firstly, in combat, it is difficult to use underhanded tactics.

Uncle Chen comes from a background of independent cultivation, so he may have many hidden tricks that cannot be revealed.

Secondly, there are unspoken rules. Although the fighting platforms are protected by formations, each peak's fighting platform is under the control of that peak.

If the fighters are acquainted with the higher-ups of this peak, they have the opportunity to secretly manipulate the formations on the dueling platform!

If Uncle Chen were seriously injured in the battle and his path to enlightenment were severed...

"Heh, if you beg for mercy, I might spare you a bit." Zhao Qing sneered at the two of them.

By this time, the commotion had already attracted many disciples from Danxia Peak.

Of course, most of the disciples of Danxia Peak were obsessed with alchemy and knew little about the outside world, including Chen Ye.

But watching a spectacle is human nature.

One of the disciples chuckled and said, "What are you afraid of? They're all in the late stage of Qi Refining, and your uncle is quite old. Are you worried that you can't beat a younger generation?"

At this point, most of the disciples already showed a hint of disdain on their faces.

In the world of cultivation, it's all about competition!
If an older, senior colleague were to be afraid of younger, more accomplished individuals, wouldn't that make him a laughingstock?

"Tsk tsk tsk, some people get more timid as they get older." Zhao Qing felt a sense of satisfaction, especially seeing Li Qiuyun's panicked face, and breathed a sigh of relief.

That wretched woman, all she knows is how to give people attitude, and now she's getting anxious?

"I... Senior Brother Zhao, Uncle Chen is just a spirit plant grower, how can you have the nerve to gamble with him?"

Li Qiuyun gritted her teeth, forcibly pulled Chen Ye behind her, and argued with him based on reason.

"Ling Zhifu?"

The Danxia disciples' gazes towards Zhao Qing immediately changed.

"Huh? Isn't this Protector Zhao's nephew? How dare he bully the herb farmer..."

They were all alchemists, and their combat strength was roughly the same as that of the Spirit Plant Master, so they naturally put themselves in Chen Ye's shoes.

However, due to Zhao Qing's status, these disciples, though indignant, dared not say much.

Chen Ye sighed.

He grabbed Li Qiuyun's fair wrist and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. Some things just need to be settled."

He then turned to Zhao Qing, a strange smile playing on his lips. "A mere contest of magic is rather boring. How about adding some stakes? Thirty contribution points, dare you accept?"

Upon hearing this, the disciples watching the commotion immediately erupted in an uproar.

Thirty contribution points? Did I hear that right? That's almost half a year's worth of monthly allowance for us outer disciples!

"This Deacon Chen is truly insane! Not only does he dare to accept the challenge, but he also dares to place such a huge bet!"

Zhao Qing was taken aback for a moment, then overjoyed. He burst into laughter, "Thirty contribution points? Hahaha! You old geezer, are you in a hurry to give me money? Fine! I'll bet with you!"

……

Danxia Peak, Battle Platform.

This platform is constructed from a single piece of azure rock, making it incredibly sturdy. It is engraved with defensive runes all around, making it capable of withstanding a full-force attack from a Qi Refining stage cultivator.

At this time, there were already quite a few outer disciples of Danxia Peak watching the battle from below the stage.

Dressed in a sky-blue inner disciple's robe and wielding the Flowing Flame Sword, Zhao Qing strode confidently onto the dueling platform, surrounded by several inner disciple friends.

His gaze swept contemptuously across the audience, finally settling on Chen Ye, who stood quietly in the corner of the stage in a blue robe, a cruel smile curving his lips.

However, his expression darkened when he saw the beautiful young woman beside him, her face full of concern.

After confirming the bets between the two sides, the supervising deacon of the Discipline Hall announced loudly: "The prize for this contest is a total of sixty contribution points, which the winner takes all! It must be stopped when the point is reached, and no one should be killed! The contest begins!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhao Qing made his move!
The Flowing Flame Sword in his hand hummed, and a crimson flame more than a foot high rose from its blade, making the surrounding air scorching hot.

"Chen Ye! Today I will show you that there is an insurmountable gap between sect disciples and rogue cultivators like you!"

He shouted and formed a sword incantation with his hands. The Flowing Flame Sword instantly transformed into a fire dragon, carrying scorching sword energy, and roared towards Chen Ye!
Chen Ye neither dodged nor evaded. Just as the fire dragon was about to strike him, he slightly shifted his feet, pushed the Cloud Chasing Step to its limit, and moved like a ghost within a small space, easily avoiding the fire dragon's attack.

It wasn't that Zhuiyun Bu was strong; it was Chen Ye's divine sense that was strong.

He could easily track Zhao Qing's spell trajectory!

"All you do is hide?"

Seeing this, Zhao Qing became even more enraged. He changed his sword technique again, and the fire dragon roared, transforming into a rain of fire that swept over Chen Ye like a tidal wave!

Chen Ye finally made a move.

"Clang!" A clear and melodious sword sound resounded throughout the arena. The dark iron sword was suddenly drawn from its sheath, and a blue light flowed across its blade!

With a flick of his wrist, his sword surged like a tidal wave, cleaving the rain of fire in two with a single strike!

The azure sword light, its momentum undiminished, struck the blade of the Flowing Flame Sword with unparalleled precision.

"clang!"

Zhao Qing felt a tremendous force strike him, his tiger's mouth trembled violently, and the Flowing Flame Sword flew out of his hand, drawing an arc in the air before crashing to the edge of the dueling platform.

One move, just one move, and the outcome was decided!

The audience fell into a deathly silence; everyone was stunned.

Zhao Qing's face flushed red. He couldn't understand how his sure-fire attack had been so easily neutralized, and how he had even had his weapon taken away.

"I...I was just careless!"

He roared in frustration and charged at Chen Ye again with his bare hands, his fists carrying scorching spiritual energy!
"Stubborn."

Chen Ye shook his head, seemingly somewhat helpless.

He no longer held back, and golden light shone brightly from his fingertips!

"Boohoo!"

In an instant, a massive amount of Geng metal energy appeared out of thin air, numbering in the dozens!
These golden rays transformed into a golden storm, carrying unparalleled sharpness, instantly tearing Zhao Qing's scorching spiritual energy to shreds!
"This is impossible?!" Zhao Qing was shocked. He had never seen anyone use Geng metal energy to such an extent!
He hastily tried to return his sword to defend, but the golden storm was already approaching. Several golden rays pierced through his protective aura, leaving several deep, bone-revealing wounds on his body.

Fear, for the first time, surfaced in Zhao Qing's heart.

"Are you convinced now?" Chen Ye looked down at him, his tone indifferent.

"I refuse to accept this!" Zhao Qing's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Chen Ye, cursing him with foul language, "You old bastard, you must have used some kind of sorcery! If you have the guts, fight me fair and square without using this demonic art!"

His gaze swept across the audience and landed on a dignified middle-aged cultivator, Zhao, the protector of Danxia Peak!

Protector Zhao sighed and subtly made a hand seal with his fingers.

The runes around the dueling platform glowed almost imperceptibly, and an invisible spiritual power instantly blessed Zhao Qing!
"Hahaha! You old bastard, die!"

Zhao Qing felt the surge of spiritual power within his body, and a ferocious laugh appeared on his face. He poured all his spiritual power into the Flowing Flame Sword, and a fiery sword aura, even larger than before, slashed towards Chen Ye once again!

"Ugh--"

Chen Ye sighed softly, and the blue light of the iron sword in his hand suddenly surged. The sword's momentum changed abruptly, no longer as casual as before, but transformed into a truly raging storm!

The first strike, a rainbow of azure light, easily cleaved the fiery sword energy in two!

The second strike, with its surge of power, shattered Zhao Qing's hastily summoned protective artifact with overwhelming force!

There was no need for a third strike; there was only a loud "boom".

Zhao Qingru was struck hard; the sound of her ribs shattering was clearly audible. She flew backward like a kite with a broken string, spitting blood into the air before collapsing to the ground in a disheveled state, completely unconscious.

The whole place was in dead silence.

Chen Ye slowly sheathed his sword. He walked to the edge of the dueling platform and looked down at Protector Zhao below.

"Is this... the third capture of Zhao Qing?"

Protector Zhao's face turned ashen. Without even glancing at Zhao Qing, he turned and left.

(End of this chapter)