Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 161 Breakthrough in Cultivation; Speak of Qingjun, and Qingjun arrives!

There's no need to rush the management of the medicinal herb garden.

Since the master and his disciples were newcomers, they needed to gain a deeper understanding of Lin Song Valley before making any further plans.

Moreover, the Linsong medicinal garden is a protracted battle that cannot be resolved overnight.

Chen Ye led the three of them to their new home in Linsong Valley.

Although Steward Wei often made things difficult for people, he didn't secretly try to annoy them at his residence.

The courtyard was clean and tidy, and a spirit-gathering array was set up.

Although its scenery and size are far inferior to the Luoli Courtyard of the Lingyin Sect, it is still much better than my home on Bishui Street.

"Oh dear, there aren't even flowering trees or a small pond..."

As soon as Qingjun entered the courtyard, a look of disappointment appeared on her face, and she smacked her lips in disdain.

Zhiwei gently tapped her junior sister's forehead and said softly, "This is already quite good. Contentment brings lasting happiness."

Qingjun scoffed: "Qingjun will never be satisfied!"

This greedy little girl...

Chen Ye shook his head: "Master thinks it's not bad, but a house is a house and a home is a home. Without people, even the best place is just an empty shell."

With a thought, he took out the stone table that Qingjun had been longing for from his storage bag and placed it steadily under the old pine tree in the courtyard.

“Master?” Qingjun’s eyes lit up when she saw the familiar stone table with the Go board carved on it.

"Come on, set up the stone benches too."

Chen Ye greeted his two apprentices with a smile.

The three of them worked together and quickly set up the small stone table. Seeing this, Li Qiuyun also quickly came to lend a hand.

"Hmm...it looks pretty decent now."

Qingjun looked around the small courtyard, and a smile finally appeared on her little face.

Strangely enough, after this stone table was placed there, the courtyard looked much more pleasing to the eye.

After the new house is settled.

"Alright, we've had our fun, we've made our way through things, and we've settled things at home. Starting tomorrow, I will be going into seclusion to cultivate for a while."

Chen Ye suddenly looked at the group with a serious expression.

These days, he vaguely sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough in his cultivation; he was only one step away from the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Over the past period, Chen Ye has refined and consumed a large number of high-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills, spending a lot of spirit stones. Although the effects of the Qi-Nourishing Pills are now minimal, they still add up to a considerable boost to his cultivation.

"Retreat?"

Upon hearing this, Qingjun's smiling face immediately fell again. She tugged at Chen Ye's sleeve and grumbled in dissatisfaction.

"Is Master going to leave us behind to go play again? Who will cook delicious food for us then?"

"Eat, eat, eat! All you do all day is eat! Are you going to eat your master one of these days?"

Chen Ye pinched the little girl's pouting lips and gave her a disapproving look.

Unexpectedly,

These words opened a new world for Qingjun.

The little girl seemed to have been enlightened, as if waking from a dream:
"How could Qingjun not have thought of that?! Master has always said he wants to eat braised girl... then why can't Qingjun eat braised Master?!"

As she spoke, she narrowed her long, narrow eyes and looked her master up and down, secretly assessing which part of her master was the most delicious.

Chen Ye felt a chill run down his spine. What... what nonsense is this little girl spouting?
He said eating green ginger was just a joke.

But now, why does Qingjun's gaze seem like she really wants to eat him?
Fortunately, at that moment, the eldest disciple asked softly, "Master, have you encountered any difficulties?"

She was incredibly intelligent and had already sensed from Wei Cheng's behavior that the Linsong Herb Garden was not a safe place.

Master's sudden decision to go into seclusion must be to prepare for future troubles.

You should know that Master could have taken his time and progressed gradually, allowing his cultivation to advance smoothly.

But since he's going into seclusion for a period of time, he must be planning to force a breakthrough.

"good."

Taking the opportunity to ignore the rebellious little girl, Chen Ye gave Zhiwei an approving look. His eldest disciple's thoughts were always so insightful.

He didn't hide anything, and said with a serious expression:
"This place is not like the sect. People's hearts are unpredictable, and Wei Cheng is no good. Although we retreat today, he will surely cause trouble again in the future. Although we have Qingzhi, Qingzhi is ultimately an external thing... It is easy to dodge open spears but hard to guard against hidden arrows. Only by becoming strong ourselves can we secure our lives."

He paused, then turned his gaze to his two disciples:
"During my seclusion, you two must not slack off. If there is anything you don't understand, write it down first, and I will answer it for you one by one when I come out of seclusion."

As he spoke, Chen Ye took out another batch of spirit stones from his storage bag, a total of thirty, and handed them to Zhiwei.

He took another thirty yuan and handed it to Li Qiuyun.

"Uncle Chen, this...this is unacceptable!"

Upon seeing this, Li Qiuyun's pretty face changed, and she quickly pushed the heavy money bag back, saying, "Qiuyun is escorting Uncle Chen and my two junior sisters on the orders of the sect. It is my duty. How can I accept your spirit stones again?"

But before Chen Ye could explain, Qing Jun, who was standing to the side, got angry.

"Master! Why did you give our spirit stones to Sister Qiuyun?!"

The little girl jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She rushed forward, grabbed Chen Ye's arm, and glared angrily at her master, her eyes looking as if she were looking at a spendthrift master.

"What does it have to do with your master's spirit stones?" Chen Ye asked, puzzled. This girl was getting stranger and stranger.

"No way!" Qingjun pouted.

In her little world, her master, her senior sister, and she were the only family.

Although Qingjun likes Sister Qiuyun, she is ultimately an outsider. How could she just take away thirty spirit stones from the family?

That's thirty yuan!

She remembered that her master used to earn this much in a month.

Chen Ye was both amused and exasperated by the little girl. He patted her head reassuringly before explaining to Li Qiuyun:
"Qiuyun, don't misunderstand. I don't mean to bribe you with spirit stones. It's just that I've decided to go into seclusion, and I'll need you to take care of the two little girls afterwards. Consider this their living expenses, and the rest as payment. Keep these thirty spirit stones. If any unexpected situation arises, you'll have some money to tide you over."

Li Qiuyun felt the trust in Chen Ye's words, and her heart warmed. The words of refusal were on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't bring herself to say them.

Zhiwei also tugged at the still sulking Qingjun and whispered in her ear, "Master is asking Sister Qiuyun to help take care of us, it's not for nothing."

She does...understand Qingjun.

Master may never understand why Qingjun reacted so strongly.

But Zhiwei knew that Qingjun already harbored a kind of non-malicious hostility towards Li Qiuyun...

Now, seeing that Master has given such a large sum of spirit stones, as if he doesn't treat Sister Qiuyun as an outsider at all, I feel a little uncomfortable.

After hearing her senior sister's explanation, Qingjun lowered her head in grievance, indicating her agreement.

Seeing this, Li Qiuyun finally stopped refusing. She solemnly accepted the money bag, bowed to Chen Ye, and said firmly, "Uncle Chen, rest assured, as long as Qiuyun is here, my two junior sisters will be here. As long as Qiuyun has a breath left, I will protect them."

"it is good."

Chen Ye nodded in satisfaction. After giving his instructions, he glanced at the three women in front of him one last time before turning around and striding into the manager's residence, which had been cleaned spotless.

"boom--"

As the wooden door slowly closed, Chen Ye's presence was completely shut out of the courtyard.

……

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these seven days, Chen Ye completely isolated himself from all external disturbances, immersing himself entirely in the challenge of reaching the eighth level of Qi Refining.

In the quiet room, he sat cross-legged, with the bottle of Tongxuan Pill he had obtained from Li Guangzong placed in front of him.

This pill can help cultivators break through their cultivation levels, and Li Guangzong only has this one in his storage bag.

It was probably prepared by Li Guangzong in order to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

After killing Li Guangzong, another major gain for him was the numerous pills in the man's storage bag.

Unfortunately, pills of the Tongxuan grade are extremely rare.

Most of them are basic pills such as Qi-nourishing pills and Qi-restoring pills.

With his mind made up, Chen Ye tilted his head back and swallowed the Tongxuan Pill. The powerful and pure medicinal power instantly dissolved in his stomach, like a rushing river washing over his limbs and bones.

Chen Ye immediately focused his mind and fully activated the Evergreen Technique, which had reached the Grandmaster level, guiding the powerful medicinal force to repeatedly impact the invisible barrier of realm.

"boom!"

"Boom!"

Each impact caused his dantian to tremble violently, and his meridians to ache with tearing pain.

But Chen Ye gritted his teeth, his mind as calm as still water, focusing all his thoughts on one point, just to break through that final shackle.

At first, everything went smoothly.

But just as he was about to take advantage of the remaining power of the medicine to break through the bottleneck in one go, a sudden change occurred!

He felt that the torrent of spiritual energy that should have been flowing freely in his meridians had become sluggish and turbid, as if it had been mixed with mud and sand, and its circulation was obstructed at every turn.

A gray, heavy aura emerged from the depths of his spiritual energy, tightly binding his meridians and causing him waves of stinging pain and suffocation. "It's a pill blockage!"

Chen Ye's face turned pale, and his heart sank.

He ultimately underestimated the potential dangers of continuously taking elixirs.

Since arriving in this world, he has consumed a large number of pills in order to quickly improve his cultivation. Although his cultivation has progressed rapidly, he has also accumulated a lot of pill impurities in his body that are difficult to refine.

These impurities are the cinnabar barrier!
Normally, the Dan Barrier is hidden and not obvious, but once you reach the critical moment of breaking through a realm, it will turn into the most dangerous obstacle, blocking the meridians, polluting the spiritual power, and causing the breakthrough to fail at the last minute!
"puff--"

Chen Ye made several forceful attempts to break through the barrier, but not only did he fail to budge it in the slightest, he was also backfired by the Dan Barrier, causing his blood and qi to flow backward. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his aura immediately weakened considerably.

"Damn it, it had to flare up now!"

Chen Ye wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes grew even calmer.

He took a deep breath and activated the Evergreen Technique with all his might.

Fortunately, this method is a wood-based technique, gentle and full of vitality, which is perfect for regulating one's energy and recovering from injuries.

"If we can't resolve it... then we'll have to force our way through! With the help of the Evergreen Skill, we shouldn't suffer any hidden injuries."

A ruthless glint flashed in Chen Ye's eyes.

The next seven days became the longest and most painful seven days Chen Ye had ever experienced since his transmigration.

His daily routine consisted of only one thing: condensing all the spiritual energy within his body into a single stream, and then launching repeated attacks against the solid barrier of his realm and the stubborn Dan Barrier.

On the first day, he attempted to break through more than thirty times, each time ending with his blood and qi churning and his spiritual energy dissipating.

The stone walls of the quiet room were splattered with the blood he coughed up.

On the third day, his face was as pale as paper and his lips were cracked, but his eyes were still frighteningly bright, like two indomitable flames in the dark night.

On the fifth day, he could no longer feel the intense pain in his meridians. He was in a state of numbness, mechanically repeating the impact motion with only a stubborn determination to keep going until he hit a wall.

On the evening of the seventh day.

Chen Ye's consciousness was already somewhat blurred; he was merely mechanically circulating the Evergreen Technique to protect his vital energy before attempting another breakthrough.

"Break for me!!"

He concentrated all his divine sense and spiritual power into one point and launched a final assault on the already crumbling fortress!

This time, he was not bounced back.

"Crack——!"

A crisp, shattering sound, seemingly emanating from the depths of the soul, suddenly rang out!

The formidable barrier that had troubled him for seven days finally crumbled in response!

An unprecedented sense of power filled his heart, and his dantian expanded once again. The eighth cyan vortex slowly condensed under the influence of the abundant spiritual power!

Qi Refining Level 8, done!
My spiritual power and divine sense have increased by nearly 40%!

Previously, when he used the Three Waves Slash, he was willing but unable to perform it, as it would consume too much spiritual energy after each use.

But now, he can easily unleash the Triple Wave Slash!

In addition, his more powerful divine sense made his control over Qingzhi even more exquisite.

"Eighth level of Qi Refining, how far away is Foundation Establishment..."

After his breakthrough, Chen Ye's chaotic mind suddenly cleared. He felt the powerful energy within him, and his thoughts began to wander.

"At this rate, by the time my disciple reaches Foundation Establishment, she'll probably be a grown woman by then..."

……

Meanwhile, on the other side of Rin-song Valley.

Deacon Wei looked at the withered spirit field before him with a strange expression, and sneered:
"Does this Deacon Chen think he's going to retire in Linsong Valley? Does he completely disregard all these spiritual plants?"

Although, as a deacon at the supervisor level, he naturally doesn't need to personally get involved like the old farmer.

Since Lin Song Valley has suffered from the cold disaster, shouldn't we at least use some spiritual plant magic to protect the spiritual plants' vitality? We should at least think of some countermeasures to deal with it.

Even Steward Tian, ​​who was preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, used to cast spells such as the Nourishing Rain Technique and the Purifying Source and Turbidity Technique every now and then.

But this Deacon Chen, after arriving at Linsong Valley, stayed at home for seven days straight, playing with two tiny little girls.

Another disciple leaned closer and whispered, "Steward, that guy surnamed Chen... it's been seven days, and he's still locked himself in his room, not stepping out a single step. Does he even know how to care for spiritual plants? Could it be..."

"Hmph, Tian Nong isn't stupid! Lin Song Valley is a vital place for the sect, how could he let a mere show-off come here to waste his time?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Cheng shook his head.
"However, I'm afraid he doesn't have a good solution for these spiritual plants either. He's just figuring things out as best he can, since we're watching over them..."

His words seemed to be speaking up for Chen Ye, but in reality, he was subtly sowing discord.

The implication is that Chen Ye is shifting all the blame onto these eight outer disciples and Wei Cheng himself.

really,

The disciple's face showed dissatisfaction: "This Deacon Chen has a good idea! He expects us to do all the dirty and hard work. But... but the sect sends a protector to evaluate us every month. He doesn't care about the evaluation, but this matter concerns our entry into the inner sect..."

This is nothing like what a manager should be like! He's clearly an incompetent fool who can't handle any problem!

The other disciples were all filled with righteous indignation and whispered among themselves.

Deacon Wei's eyes darted around, and he suddenly said, "I have a way to protect you from Deacon Chen's influence..."

The disciple's eyes lit up: "I hope Deacon Wei can enlighten me!"

"Well... my Wei family is an affiliated family of the Lingyin Sect. Our family owns a Spirit Peach Garden, which is also a property of the sect! I will try to find a way to borrow you to the Spirit Peach Garden. You will follow me then. Once the Protector comes to assess the situation, the state of Lin Song Valley will no longer be our concern."

Deacon Wei looked at the eight disciples with a kind smile.

These outer disciples are native to the Herbal Peak, possessing superb skills, and are exactly the kind of talent the Wei family lacks!
One disciple hesitated: "But... but if we all leave, only Steward Chen will remain in Lin Song Valley. If something happens to Lin Song Valley, how can we escape responsibility?"

"It's alright. This is a long story, and it all started with Steward Tian."

At this point, Steward Wei couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

Before leaving, Tian Nong, in an attempt to show his magnanimity or perhaps to make things difficult for Wei Cheng, this "old friend," actually applied to the sect to hand over all personnel transfer authority within the valley to the new manager.

This was originally a means for Tian Nong to keep Wei Cheng in check, but unexpectedly, it has become the best reason for him to get away now!
……

The black-haired girl practiced flying sword absentmindedly. Ever since she learned the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique, she had studied and practiced diligently, and had long since mastered the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique to the second level.

If it weren't for the fact that the third level of the surging waves required a strong spiritual force for support, she would have already entered the third level by now.

However, Master has gone into seclusion...

She didn't know why, but without her master, she had much less motivation to practice swordsmanship.

The Shenchen Sword in his hand seemed to have become heavy, and his whole body felt weak and listless.

"Hmm? Is Zhiwei sick?"

A warm, large hand rested on her shoulder.

Zhiwei seemed to come alive all at once, her pale face showing a hint of surprise: "Master!"

Chen Ye tapped Zhiwei on the head without hesitation, adopting the air of a master, and said sternly:

"If you're sick, take a good rest! In the path of spiritual cultivation, haste makes waste!"

Looking at her master, who was talking incessantly and looking worried, Zhiwei's eyes couldn't help but curve into two crescent moons.

She's not sick...

just,

Seeing how worried her master was, she decided not to tell him the truth.

It's okay to lie once in a while, right?

The black-haired girl's slender legs buckled, and she grabbed her master's sleeve, her long, jet-black hair obscuring her expression.

"Um... I'm sorry, Master, I'm feeling a little dizzy. I didn't mean to offend you..."

She quickly released her small hand, letting her frail body sway precariously.

Chen Ye, having never seen Zhiwei so pitiful, immediately shook his head: "What has offended you? Let your master check for you."

He supported his eldest disciple's knees with one hand and slipped the other under her armpit, easily lifting her into his arms.

"Teacher...Master!"

The girl in his arms stiffened abruptly, her cool face instantly turning bright red. Instinctively, she buried her face deep into her master's broad chest, leaving only a section of her snow-white neck and slightly reddened ears visible.

Her master's embrace was broad and warm, carrying a faint, comforting herbal scent...

But...but...this is just too embarrassing!
This is the first time Master has ever carried someone horizontally!

"You're just too shy."

Chen Ye looked at his eldest disciple, who was curled up like a little black cat in his arms, and couldn't help but sigh.

What's there to be embarrassed about?

If it were Qingjun, she wouldn't feel embarrassed at all if she rode on her head!
Speak of Qingjun, and Qingjun arrives.

"Senior sister...wait? Are you sick? How come Qingjun didn't know..."

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(End of this chapter)