Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 164 Xu Xinming, Reappears! (Daily 10,000 words, Day 1)

The Jade Lizard Society's headquarters were located in a high, open area outside Yunxifang.

Since Luo Heng successfully established his foundation, this place has undergone extensive construction. What was originally a somewhat chaotic gathering place for scattered cultivators is now a place with towering walls and strict guards, resembling the atmosphere of a celestial sect.

The Lingyin Sect did not stop this.

After all, to the Lingyin Sect, the Jade Lizard Society was nothing more than an ant, and at the same time, it could provide a large amount of spirit stones, so naturally they were happy to see the Jade Lizard Society continue to develop.

As soon as the three approached, two guards in matching uniforms stepped forward and warily stopped them: "Who goes there?"

"Chen Ye, a steward of the Lingyin Sect, has come to pay his respects to President Luo." Chen Ye showed his steward's badge, his voice calm.

After checking them over, the two guards dared not delay and respectfully ushered the three inside, while one of them quickly ran off to report.

Before long, a familiar figure strode out to greet them; it was Gao Ming.
"Deacon Chen...Deacon Chen, your presence is an honor! I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly!"

Gao Ming's face was full of humble smiles, and he adopted an extremely low posture.

After Kong Hongxuan died, he broke through to the sixth level of Qi Refining.

As a senior member of Tingfeng Hall, Gao Ming naturally took over the power that originally belonged to Kong Hongxuan, and is now a capable assistant under Luo Heng.

Nevertheless, he still dared not be careless when facing Chen Ye.

Chen Ye looked at his former enemy, no longer harboring any hostility. After exchanging a few polite words, he was led into a grand hall.

In the main seat, Luo Heng was meditating with his eyes closed. His aura was as deep as the sea, a far cry from his previous appearance as a Qi Refining stage cultivator.

"Congratulations, Chairman Luo, on successfully establishing your foundation! The path to the Great Dao is within reach!" Chen Ye said, cupping his hands in congratulations.

Luo Heng slowly opened his eyes, and upon seeing Chen Ye, a genuine smile appeared on his face:

"You're too kind, Deacon Chen. If it weren't for your help, I'm afraid I would have wasted several more years. Please have a seat."

He glanced at Li Qiuyun and Qingjun behind Chen Ye, and then smiled and said, "Steward Chen, you must not have come here today simply to congratulate this old man, right?"

"I am currently in charge of the Linsong Herb Garden, and I have heard that your Donggou Valley also has many unique spiritual plants," Chen Ye said. "Therefore, I have come to learn from you, hoping that I may be able to find some new cultivation methods for the sect."

His words shifted the blame to the sect, which was perfectly reasonable.

Upon hearing this, Luo Heng stroked his beard and smiled, "I see. However, the Eastern Valley still retains some demonic energy and is quite dangerous. Nevertheless, since Deacon Chen is in such a good mood, I will gladly oblige."

He had other plans in mind.

Luo Heng, a man who rose from a rogue cultivator to build a force like the Jade Lizard Society in the chaotic Yunxi Fang, and eventually successfully established his foundation, possessed a character and vision that were far beyond those of ordinary cultivators.

In his view, this Deacon Chen was no ordinary person...

Although Luo Heng has now confirmed that Kong Hongxuan was killed by Chen Ye.

He was willing to cripple Kong Hongxuan's cultivation when Chen Ye was still in a lowly position, so why now?
Luo Heng's gaze fell on Qing Jun, the little girl who was staring wide-eyed at her surroundings. He immediately clapped his hands together and chuckled.

“Deacon Chen’s disciple is truly adorable… This is a Thousand-Mile Communication Talisman. If the distance between two parties is within a thousand miles, they can use this talisman to communicate.”

As he spoke, he took out two exquisite jade talismans from his storage bag, handing one to Qingjun and the other to Chen Ye.

"Hey, for Qingjun?"

The little girl was delighted to see the jade talisman, which was sparkling and beautiful. She happily accepted it and sweetly thanked it.

Since that's the case, Chen Ye couldn't refuse.

Besides, he did want it. With the jade talisman, he could keep in touch with his disciple often. He cupped his hands and said, "President Luo is very kind."

Luo Heng's smile widened as he saw that Luo Heng had accepted the gift.

He immediately ordered Gao Ming to personally lead Chen Ye and his group to Donggou Valley.

……

Donggou Valley is located in a secluded mountain valley on the outskirts of the Three Thousand Mountains. The valley is filled with miasma, dim light, and the air is thick with the smell of decaying vegetation and blood.

The flowers, plants, and trees in the valley grow in even more bizarre and unusual shapes.

It appears to be full of life and has lush foliage, but its color is purplish-black and its shape is often distorted.

"This place is filled with demonic energy, it's truly sinister!"

As soon as Li Qiuyun stepped into the valley, she felt unwell all over. Her brows furrowed, and she subconsciously used her spiritual power to protect herself, cautiously looking around.

Chen Ye also looked solemn. He could sense that the demonic energy here came from the same source as the various sickly patients he had dealt with in the past.

However, the little girl beside him was not afraid at all. Instead, she opened her big, dark phoenix eyes wide with curiosity. She took a deep breath, a look of intoxication on her face, and whispered to Chen Ye:

"Master, it feels so comfortable here!"

Chen Ye was shocked. Qing Jun was actually quite adapted to demonic energy?

Could this be the reason why the demonic cultivator who crossed the river of love abducted her?

Gao Ming led the way, explaining as he went: "Deacon Chen, this East Valley is crisscrossed with caves, like a spider web. Most of the demonic spiritual plants are cultivated in these dark caves."

He pointed to a strangely shaped flower with a twisted form at the cave entrance and continued, "The earth's veins here were modified by that demonic cultivator using evil magic, and these spiritual plants rely on these veins to grow. If they were to leave the East Valley, they would be on the verge of death..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye suddenly understood and joked:
"I've always wondered why the Stone Mirror Society keeps coming to Donggou Valley to steal spiritual plants. Why don't you just bring these spiritual plants back to your base? It turns out, these spiritual plants can't be separated from Donggou Valley!"

Having said that, he decided to head towards the cave to investigate.
Gao Ming quickly stepped forward and stopped him, his face showing difficulty: "Deacon Chen, this place is not suitable for us to stay for long. The further we go in, the deeper the demonic energy becomes. If we Qi Refining cultivators stay here for too long, we may be eroded by the demonic energy, which is extremely dangerous."

Chen Ye paused, his gaze sweeping across both sides of the cave. Sure enough, he spotted several scattered skeletons, already blended into the soil.

His heart sank, and he instantly understood the Jade Lizard Society's previous dealings.

Previously, Zhang Laodao had led the way to capture him and bring him to this Donggou Valley to work as a medicinal herb farmer.

If I had been captured that day, I would probably be one of these skeletons by now!
Gao Ming noticed the strange look in Chen Ye's eyes and felt quite uncomfortable himself, so he changed the subject:

"However, although the demonic energy is heavy in the depths, the spiritual plants are often of higher quality. Our guild leader found the six-leaf ginseng in the deepest part of this cave."

Chen Ye nodded: "The Jade Lizard Society truly has remarkable methods to possess such a... treasure land."

"Haha..." Gao Ming chuckled awkwardly.

As Chen Ye looked at the deep cave before him, his desire to explore grew stronger.

He glanced at Qingjun beside him. The little girl still looked like a curious child, showing no discomfort whatsoever to the dense demonic energy around her.

However, upon seeing the skeletons, the little girl shuddered and obediently placed her small hands into her master's large hands:

"Master, don't be afraid! Qingjun will protect you!!"

Who is protecting whom...?

Seeing that Qingjun's body was almost stuck to him, Chen Ye thought to himself: Since Qingjun is not affected by the demonic energy, and I have the Evergreen Skill to protect me, a short stay should be fine, but... Qingjun seems very scared?
Chen Ye made up his mind. He turned to Gao Ming, cupped his hands, and said, "Fellow Daoist Gao, I wish to go inside and investigate the methods demonic cultivators use to cultivate spiritual plants. Would you be so kind as to grant me this request? I will only take my little disciple Qingjun inside, and Qiuyun will wait outside. If there is any unusual activity, she can provide immediate assistance."

The little girl was startled and looked at her master with teary eyes: "Master, let's go home! Master, listen to Qingjun! This cave doesn't look like a good place!"

The timid little dumpling wouldn't dare enter this dark and strange cave.
Chen Ye patted the little girl's head reassuringly and looked at Gao Ming.

Gao Ming hesitated slightly, then pondered for a moment.

The most valuable six-leaf scrophularia in this eastern valley had already been picked by the association president.

As for the other spiritual plants, those that were worth a little bit of spirit stones have been mostly dealt with in the past few months.

If Deacon Chen wants to come in, then so be it.

"If Deacon Chen wishes to investigate further..."

Before Gao Ming could finish speaking, Li Qiuyun's pretty face changed, and she said urgently:
"Uncle Chen, please think it over! Qingjun is still a child, easily corrupted by demonic energy!"

Strangely enough, the little girl who had been protesting by his side became unhappy when Li Qiuyun tried to dissuade her.

"Qingjun is not a child, Qingjun wants to go in!"

Qingjun puffed out her little chest and hugged her master's hand even tighter, her grandmother's voice trembling.

Why?

Why is Sister Qiuyun so concerned about me? Does she think she's my master's wife?

This thought, like a spark ignited, instantly overwhelmed all the fear in her heart.

In the little girl's head, only one thought remained crystal clear: She couldn't lose! She absolutely couldn't back down in front of this woman!
If she backs down, wouldn't she look like a coward?
Doesn't that mean she's admitting that Sister Qiuyun is more qualified to stay by Master's side than she is?
no! Absolutely not!
Chen Ye looked at the little dumpling beside him, which had been terrified and about to cry a moment ago, but suddenly became "heroic" the next moment, and he couldn't quite figure it out.

A girl's heart is truly like a needle at the bottom of the sea...

Chen Ye shook his head before saying to Li Qiuyun, "Qiuyun, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Don't you trust me? My dear niece..."

"Chen...Chen Ye!!"

Hearing the term "niece," Li Qiuyun was incredibly embarrassed and annoyed, but knowing Chen Ye's mind was made up, she could only turn her head away and huff.
"Hmph! If anything goes wrong, I won't be going in to save you!"

……

Chen Ye grasped Qing Jun's soft little hand tightly, took a deep breath, and led her into the deep, dark cave.

The light outside the cave was instantly swallowed up, but inside the cave, it was not completely dark.

On the stone walls on both sides, all sorts of strange and magical plants grow.

Some resemble twisted venomous snakes, their bodies radiating a ghostly purple phosphorescence; others are like blooming blood-red lotuses, their stamens shimmering with scarlet light.

These eerie plants became the only source of light in the cave, casting their shadows, which stretched out in a jagged, menacing manner, on the uneven stone walls.

"Master...Master..."

Qingjun's little hand, which was being held, unconsciously tightened its grip.

The heroic spirit that had risen outside the cave dissipated by seven or eight tenths the moment they stepped into this eerie environment.

Her small body pressed tightly against Chen Ye, her big, dark eyes warily scanning the surroundings, as if afraid that a big, biting monster might suddenly jump out from some corner.

only……

This chilling, demonic energy, penetrating to her very bones, not only did not make her uncomfortable, but instead felt like cool, silken threads, silently seeping into her limbs and body. The Supreme Love-Crossing Technique, which had been dormant for so long, quietly began to circulate!

The cave has many branching paths, crisscrossing like a spider web, each leading to unknown darkness.

Chen Ye intended to use his perception of spiritual energy to find a path where demonic energy was relatively weak, but Qing Jun beside him suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

"Master," the little girl's eyes lit up, and she stretched out her delicate white hand, pointing to one of the paths, "We can go this way! It looks like there's treasure!"

Chen Ye was overjoyed; just as he suspected!

He knew that bringing Qingjun here was the right thing to do!

"Alright, then we'll do as Qingjun says."

Chen Ye led her, following Qingjun's instructions, and led her through the cave in a maze of twists and turns.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the stone wall in front of us suddenly opened up, and we had reached the end.

With a whoosh, the little girl broke free from Chen Ye's hand and quickly walked to the stone wall.

With a furrowed brow, she gently touched the stone wall with her small handprints, sensing its texture.

Ok?
It seems... I can use the Love-Crossing Technique to open a mechanism?
But after opening it, how can I explain the "Crossing the Heart Sutra" to my master?

Can't handle so much anymore!
Anyway, she could sense that there was no danger...

Qingjun clenched her small fist and decisively activated the Love-Crossing Technique.

next moment.

This seemingly solid ground suddenly cracked open with a "crack" without warning, revealing a deep black hole beneath!
"not good!"

Chen Ye's expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously tried to activate his spiritual power to throw Qing Jun away.

However, the suction force beneath their feet was astonishingly strong. Caught off guard, he and Qingjun plummeted straight down into the endless darkness below, as if falling into an abyss!
After the two fell, the shattered ground above the black hole silently reformed itself.

……

"boom!"

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Ye crashed heavily to the ground. Even with his strong physique, the impact caused his blood and qi to surge.

He immediately got up and went to find Qingjun.

But looking around, where was Qingjun?
"Qingjun!"

Chen Ye was extremely anxious, for he was actually in a much larger underground cave!

Above his head were dense, pulsating purplish-black veins, like blood vessels. These veins extended like a spider web, continuously absorbing the mixed energy emitted by the demonic plants from the eastern valley above.

In the instant he was stunned, countless scarlet eyes suddenly lit up in the surrounding darkness!
"Jie——!"

A piercing scream shattered eardrums, and countless twisted, transparent vengeful spirits, like sharks that had smelled blood, rushed madly toward Chen Ye!

"Damn it!"

Chen Ye roared, and with a thought, Qingzhi instantly stood in front of him, smashing the vengeful spirit that rushed at him to pieces.

At the same time, the iron sword was drawn from its sheath, and the sharp sword light was like splashed ink. The three waves of slashes were unleashed without reservation, annihilating the hordes of vengeful spirits!

But these vengeful spirits seem endless; as soon as one wave is wiped out, even more surge out from the darkness.

What he was most worried about was Qingjun's safety!

"Qingjun! Where are you!"

While defending himself on his sword, Chen Ye frantically scanned his surroundings with his divine sense.

The underground caves were also interconnected, and the demonic energy was more than ten times denser than that above. Yet, there were no spiritual plants here.

He looked at the veins above his head that were absorbing demonic energy and suddenly realized what was going on!

"So, the demonic cultivator's purpose in planting the demonic herbs wasn't for the herbs themselves, but to collect their essence to nourish something below!"

Having figured this out, Chen Ye became even more anxious.

He ceased fighting, took out the long-distance communication talisman given to him by Luo Heng from his storage bag, infused it with spiritual power, and urgently transmitted his voice:

"Qingjun! Did you hear a reply?"

The jade talisman felt slightly warm in Chen Ye's palm, its spiritual light flickering, but it received no response.

"Qingjun!" Chen Ye grew increasingly anxious. He increased the amount of spiritual energy he poured into the device and transmitted his voice again, "Did you hear a reply?"

This time, from the other end of the jade talisman came an extremely cold voice. It was not Qingjun's usual clear, childlike voice, but a tone that was almost indifferent:

"...It's so noisy."

who is it?

Who is this? !

Chen Ye's pupils contracted sharply. This voice was completely unfamiliar; it was definitely not Qing Jun!

Could it be that Qingjun met with misfortune and the jade talisman fell into the hands of someone else?
"Who are you? Where is Qingjun?" Chen Ye's voice was as cold as ice.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the jade talisman before it spoke in a flat, monotone tone:
"...Follow the flow."

After saying that, the jade talisman fell silent.

Chen Ye stood frozen in place, holding the jade talisman, his heart filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Countless questions swirled in his mind, but for now, he had no other choice.

He put away the jade talisman, forced himself to calm down, and carefully discerned the direction of the demonic energy flowing in this underground cave.

He discovered that all the mixed demonic energy absorbed from above eventually converged in one direction, like rivers flowing into the sea.

That place must be the heart of this place!

"Could this be the vein she was talking about?" Chen Ye murmured to himself.

Without further hesitation, Chen Ye gripped his iron sword and moved with lightning speed, following the densest vein of demonic energy, rushing towards the depths of the cave.

The deeper one goes, the thicker the demonic energy becomes, almost solidifying.

A thin layer of black frost crystals had even condensed on the surrounding stone walls, emanating a bone-chilling cold.

During this time, vengeful spirits would occasionally howl in.

Fortunately, these vengeful spirits were only as strong as cultivators in the early stage of Qi Refining.

After cutting down enemies along the way, Chen Ye finally saw a clear view after passing through a narrow and steep passage.

He arrived at an enormous underground cavern.

In the center of the cave was an altar made of obsidian.

Above the altar was a dark pool, but it was not filled with water; instead, it contained a thick, pure demonic aura.

In the center of the pond, a pure and holy lotus flower grows quietly.

The lotus was pure white, like jade, without a speck of dust. Its petals were layered upon each other, emitting a soft white light that dispelled the darkness above the altar.

Its fragrance is refreshing and cleansing, purifying the surrounding dense demonic energy.

On the lotus seedpod, seven lotus seeds lay quietly, six of which were still green and unripe.

Only the one in the very center was ripe, golden in color, and bathed in rosy light.

"Heart-Cleansing Lotus?!"

Chen Ye's pupils contracted sharply, and a storm raged in his heart.

As a plant master, he naturally had an impression of this famous plant.

Legend has it that this creature emerges from the mud unsullied, and can only be born from the most yin and evil places.

Lotus seeds, when consumed, can cleanse the marrow and body, and remove hidden ailments.

only……

Where is Qingjun?
Surely he couldn't possibly turn his fair and delicate Qingjun into this fair and delicate lotus flower, could he?

Just as Chen Ye was feeling unsettled, his gaze suddenly froze.

Beside the altar, there was another person!
The man was disheveled, his clothes were tattered, and he looked extremely haggard.

The moment Chen Ye saw the person's face clearly, he was stunned.

Hearing the noise behind him, the man turned around warily.

Their eyes met, and both of them showed utter surprise.

"Ji Yueze?"

"Chen Ye!"

The two gasped in shock almost simultaneously.

Chen Ye never expected that the president of the Stone Mirror Society, who had been missing in Yunxifang for a long time, would appear in such a mysterious demonic lair!
but……

This person had long been involved with the demonic cultivators of the Crossing Love Sect, so his presence here was not surprising.

Could it be that he has hidden Qingjun away?
　Thank you to Yaowang Qingqingtan for the 20000 points!

　　Thank you to Hei Yaoyan, Book Friend 20250617101216795, and Daojian Dashuai for the 100 coins each!

　　Finally, I've reached 10,000 words a day! (In a way, it's also a way of paying back yesterday's manuscript.)

　　Anyway... it's 10,000 a day!
　　Keep up the good work tomorrow!
　　Quiz: How many days can the author write 10,000 words a day? Those who guess correctly can join the book club to claim a reward!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)