Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 165 The Arrogant Xinming Must Be Taught a Lesson! (Day 2 of 10,000 words)

Inside the cave, the atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.

"You're not dead..."

Ji Yueze broke the silence first, looking at Chen Ye and sighing.
"You're really lucky to have survived."

Chen Ye's brow twitched.

From Ji Yueze's words, he immediately guessed that this person had probably ordered the two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators to assassinate him before entering this cave and becoming isolated from the outside world.

Therefore, he was unaware that he had not only escaped assassination but had also become famous within the Lingyin Sect.

Currently, Qingjun's whereabouts are unknown, and she may even have fallen into Ji Yueze's hands.

Chen Ye did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

He suppressed the murderous intent in his heart, feigning ignorance and frowning, "What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist Ji? We only had a verbal dispute at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, why did it come to this? Besides, since I joined the Spirit Hidden Sect, we have kept to ourselves..."

During the conversation, Chen Ye looked around.

Apart from the altar, the black pool, and the white lotus, there was nothing else in this cave.

Ji Yueze was emaciated and dressed in rags; it was unknown how long he had been there.

He clearly came for the Heart-Cleansing Lotus, but... since the lotus seeds are already ripe, why doesn't he consume them?
Ji Yueze suddenly shrugged, his expression frank:

"Fellow Daoist Chen, you are unaware of the truth. Indeed, I do not wish to fight you. As you have surely seen, this place is a den of demons. It was that fiend from the Crossing Love Sect who forced me to attack you. Now that we are both trapped here, why not join forces, first take this Heart-Cleansing Lotus, and then find a way out? What do you say?"

He spoke with such sincerity that it seemed he truly had some unspeakable secret.

But Chen Ye's heart was filled with coldness.

Ji Yueze is known for his honeyed words and ruthless nature, so how could he easily trust him?

Sure enough, just as Ji Yueze was speaking, a flying needle that he had already concealed in his sleeve transformed into a streak of poisoned black light and silently shot toward Chen Ye's heart!

"Ding!"

Chen Ye was prepared. With a thought, his iron sword was instantly drawn, and he unleashed the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique at will. A sword light, like a wave of water, arrived first and instantly struck down the incoming poison needle.

Seeing that his sneak attack had failed, Ji Yueze's eyes flashed with surprise: "This is... the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique? What a pity, I didn't expect you to have some talent in swordsmanship!"

How regrettable!

This person will die on the spot!

He was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, how could Chen Ye be his match?

Behind Ji Yueze, a flying sword gleaming with spiritual light had already been drawn!

Its sword light was unpredictable and ever-changing; it was actually the Myriad Manifestations Sword Technique that Bai Susu had once used!

Amidst the crisscrossing sword energy, Chen Ye was firmly suppressed!

"Let's go!"

Ji Yueze sighed leisurely, and he made a hand seal, causing an invisible ripple to spread out instantly.

"The Sect of Passionate Love, a treacherous art of manipulation!"

In an instant, Chen Ye felt a tremendous shock to his soul. Countless negative emotions—greed, anger, lust, and fear—surged into his mind like a tide, making his vision blur and almost causing him to lose his mind and fighting ability.

Fortunately, he possessed the Seven Luminaries Soul Nourishing Method, making his soul far more resilient than that of ordinary people!
Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the seven stars shone brightly, desperately guarding the last vestige of clarity.

Even so, he still felt confused and infatuated, and his movements became slightly sluggish.

Seeing that his scheme had succeeded, Ji Yueze's eyes blazed with murderous intent!
When a lion fights a rabbit, he must use all his strength!
Even though Chen Ye was only a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator in his memory, he still unleashed his full power and showed him the utmost respect!
With a change of hand seals, the flying sword that shimmered with spiritual light emitted a clear and melodious sword cry. The Myriad Manifestations Sword Technique was pushed to its limit, and the sword light was like a rainbow, carrying a killing intent, and went straight for Chen Ye's vital heart meridian!
He was absolutely certain that this sword strike would completely annihilate this rogue cultivator who had repeatedly surprised him!

Chen Ye's mind was in turmoil, and illusions arose before his eyes, making it impossible for him to dodge effectively.

As the sharp sword light was about to pierce his chest, the sense of impending death sent a chill down his spine!
"not good!"

In the critical moment, Chen Ye had a sudden thought, and an ancient Bagua mirror flew out, instantly expanding to block his way!

On the mirror, Bagua runes flowed, and a golden barrier of mysterious light suddenly lit up!

"clang--!"

A deafening clang of metal echoed through the cave!
Ji Yueze's determined sword strike landed squarely on the mystical light barrier of the Bagua Mirror!

"Crack!"

The mystical light barrier lasted only a moment before shattering!
The flying sword, its momentum undiminished, slammed heavily into the body of the Bagua mirror!
Several clear cracks appeared on the mirror surface!
Even so, the terrifying aftershocks of the sword energy still penetrated through the layers of protection of the magic weapon and slammed hard into Chen Ye's chest!
"puff!"

Chen Ye felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as if his internal organs had been displaced.

No wonder he became famous at a young age!

If the target of his, He Qi's, and Li Qiuyun's joint attack had been Ji Yueze instead of Li Guangzong, the three of them probably wouldn't have been a match for Ji Yueze even if they had joined forces!
Ji Yueze remained calm and pressed his advantage.

The flying sword split into countless sword lights, like a sky full of meteors, surging forward to annihilate Chen Ye into blood and gore.

As the thousands of sword lights hurtled towards him like a meteor shower, threatening to engulf him completely, Chen Ye remained clear-eyed and fearless despite his injuries.

Ji Yueze's strength was within his expectations, so he made preparations well in advance.

A tall, dark figure quietly appeared behind Ji Yueze.

It was Qingzhi, the puppet that Chen Ye had hidden in the shadows of the cave from the very beginning!
As a puppet, Qingzhi is devoid of emotion and desire. Ji Yueze's cunning and treacherous schemes, which he is so proud of, are nothing more than a gentle breeze to it, having no effect whatsoever.

Its aura, driven by a second-tier core and perfectly concealed by the Qi Concealment Technique, was so strong that even a Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator like Ji Yueze didn't detect it at all!
In an instant, a loud explosion erupted!

"boom!"

Ji Yueze was shocked. Before he could react, a fist made of black iron and made of cold jade tore through the air and slammed into his back with tremendous force!
His protective magic artifact, which had just emitted a faint light, was instantly shattered!
"Crack!"

A sickening cracking sound echoed clearly throughout the cave.

His body jolted violently, and the sword light that filled the sky dissipated and disappeared instantly due to loss of control.

Ji Yueze looked down in disbelief, only to see a pitch-black iron fist that had pierced through his protective aura and embedded itself deep in his back, shattering all his internal organs!

"puppet……"

With a struggle and using his last bit of strength, he turned around, only to see a pair of pupils shimmering with a faint blue light.

Qingzhi remained silent, but tightened his grip.

With a tearing sound, blood splattered across the sky!
Ji Yueze, fallen!
"Just like that... he died?"

Chen Ye stared at the bloody scene, momentarily stunned.

He thought... he would have to fight Ji Yueze again.

I never expected that Chairman Shi Jing, the abandoned son of the Ji family, would die so easily after being ambushed.

It's as if a renowned and battle-hardened general didn't die in the charge between two armies, but was killed by a herbalist who appeared out of nowhere and stabbed him to death with a rusty pitchfork.

Life is unpredictable; that's generally true.

Chen Ye shook his head, suppressing the emotions in his heart.

He strode forward, skillfully rummaging through Ji Yueze's body, and carefully collected his gleaming flying sword and broken Bagua mirror.

Unfortunately, Ji Yueze sat there in the cave, with nothing but his flying sword and not even a storage bag.

"He said he was trapped here, but who trapped him? They looted his storage bag, leaving only his flying sword behind..."

Chen Ye pondered for a moment, then suddenly felt annoyed.

Qingzhi acted too quickly, tearing Ji Yueze in half.

He originally intended to force Ji Yuezeqingjun to reveal his whereabouts.

After doing all this, Chen Ye sat cross-legged and circulated the Evergreen Technique to quickly regulate his churning blood and qi.

Although the Bagua Mirror blocked most of the power of Ji Yueze's angry attack, it still caused great damage to his internal organs. If it is not treated in time, he will probably die on the spot before he finds Qingjun!
Fortunately, he has now reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, and the recovery ability of the Evergreen Skill is now far superior to what it used to be.

In less than half an hour, his pale face had regained some color.

With his injuries temporarily stabilized, Chen Ye finally turned his attention back to the strange cave in front of him and the Heart-Cleansing Lotus swaying gracefully in the Demon Pool.

He walked slowly to the altar made of bones, his gaze fixed intently on the sacred lotus in the pond.

Tier 2 Spirit Plant, Heart-Cleansing Lotus!

Its lotus seeds can cleanse the marrow and purify the body, which can solve his problem of alchemical obstacles!

"Since Ji Yueze has stayed here for so long, why not take advantage of these already ripe lotus seeds?"

A sense of vigilance rose in Chen Ye's heart.

He slowly spread his divine sense and cautiously probed towards the Heart-Cleansing Lotus.

Sure enough, just as his divine sense was about to touch the lotus, the power of the restriction suddenly erupted, instantly pulverizing the wisp of his divine sense!
"hiss……"

Chen Ye groaned, feeling a sharp pain in his head. He quickly withdrew his consciousness, his face turning even paler.

This Heart-Cleansing Lotus was actually covered with an extremely sophisticated restriction!
This restriction is connected to the entire altar and even the demonic energy of the earth veins below. If it is forcibly broken, it will likely trigger a backlash of demonic energy throughout the cave, with unimaginable consequences.

"I see."

Chen Ye suddenly realized.

He looked again at the intricate and bizarre demonic runes on the altar, and his understanding became even clearer.

The reason why Ji Yueze sat there in vain was not because he did not want to pick the fruit, but because he was waiting, or rather, maintaining the status quo!
He was probably coerced by the demonic cultivators of the Crossing Love Sect in some way, and had no choice but to stay here. Using his own spiritual power as a guide, he operated the altar array day and night to refine the mixed energy absorbed from the East Valley into pure demonic liquid, which he used to irrigate the Heart-Cleansing Lotus.

He is called a caretaker, but in reality... he is a gardener who has no choice in his own life!

This explains why he had nothing else on him except his natal flying sword.

It's likely that his storage bag had already been taken by that demonic cultivator, cutting off all his escape routes, leaving only his flying sword to defend against the vengeful spirits' attacks.

That pure and holy lotus swayed quietly in the Demon Pool.

just,

No matter how good the spiritual plants are, how can they compare to my disciple?
Chen Ye suppressed the urge to pick the lotus seeds and took out the long-distance communication talisman from Luo Heng again, infusing it with spiritual power.

He didn't know who was on the other end of the jade talisman, but for now, it was his only clue.

"Where is Qingjun?" he asked again in a deep voice.

A long silence fell on the other end of the jade talisman.

Just when Chen Ye thought the other party would not respond again, the voice rang out once more:
"You're not dead?"

Chen Ye's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

How could he not understand? The other party clearly wanted to use Yue Ze to get rid of him!

That previous guidance was tantamount to pushing him into the tiger's den!
When did he ever offend a female cultivator...?

Could it be that the demonic cultivator from the Crossing Love Sect is right opposite the jade pendant?
"Continue, head towards the deepest part of the demonic energy."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a mocking tone.

"But you should think carefully, is this another trap...?"

After saying that, he ignored Chen Ye and unilaterally cut off contact.

"Damn it!"

Chen Ye gritted his teeth. This person... does he really think of himself as a cat and him as a mouse?

He held his breath, suppressing the injuries within his body.

Actually, I can still withstand the physical injuries alone.

The key issue is that Ji Yueze once used a malevolent spell. Although he has a strong mind, this curse is extremely vicious and still affects his sanity to this day.

This causes one's emotions and desires to be uncontrollably provoked.

……

Following the direction of the demonic energy flow, Chen Ye ventured deeper once more.

This time, the scene ahead made even this cultivator, who had lived two lives, feel his scalp tingle.

It was a much larger underground space, more like a huge graveyard than a cave!

Countless vengeful spirits, more solid than before, wandered aimlessly and roared in this place, like a gray ocean.

They come in all shapes and sizes, some human, some beast, but without exception, they all exude overwhelming resentment and deep-seated hatred for the living!

"Jie——!"

The moment Chen Ye stepped in, all the vengeful spirits found an outlet, turned around, and rushed towards him with shrill screams!
"Qingzhi!"

Chen Ye roared, and a tall puppet instantly blocked his way.

Faced with such an overwhelming horde of vengeful spirits, any spell would seem pale and powerless; only Qingzhi's tireless body of steel would be the most effective barrier!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With each swing of Qingzhi's iron fist, several vengeful spirits were smashed to pieces, but these vengeful spirits were endless and relentlessly attacked the defense line.

Chen Ye stood behind Qing Zhi, calmly observing everything.

"These vengeful spirits... could they be the transformed beings who perished after the cold disaster?"

In recent days, since the cold disaster, several waves of beast tides have been stirred up.

Among them, the number of dead is enormous. Perhaps... someone secretly set up a grand formation to collect the resentment of the dead and build the formation to nourish the Heart-Cleansing Lotus?

"So that's how it is. No wonder that demonic cultivator planted the Heart-Cleansing Lotus in the eastern valley of the Three Thousand Mountains. It seems that the Crossing Love Sect knew early on that someone from the Refining God Sect was going to undergo the Nascent Soul Tribulation in the Three Thousand Mountains and made preparations here in advance."

As Qingzhi tore open a rift in the tide of vengeful spirits, Chen Ye followed closely behind without stopping, surging through the trough.

"Strange... Qingjun and I fell at the same time, so why did he disappear instantly..."

Chen Ye clenched his fists, completely baffled.

He prayed incessantly, clenching his fists, until he reached the deepest part of the cave, where a soft, almost holy, silvery moonlight came into view.

Chen Ye stopped involuntarily.

He saw a lake.

A vast underground demonic lake formed from liquefied demonic energy; the black pool atop the altar is extracted from this demonic lake.

The lake was as black as night, reflecting the luminous crystals on top, like an inverted Milky Way.

Above the starry sky, in Chen Ye's pupils, was a holy silver moonlight.

She looked very young, dressed in a gorgeous palace gown, with long, silver hair that reached her waist and cascaded down like flowing moonlight.

Her features were exquisitely beautiful, like the most perfect creation of heaven, yet she possessed a cold and aloof air that kept people at a distance.

Her slightly narrow eyes were closed, her expression indifferent, as if she were one with heaven and earth, or as if she were independent of the three realms and six paths.

Even though Chen Ye had already seen Li Qiuyun's heroic bearing and Bai Susu's charming beauty.

At this moment, he had to admit that the beauty of the girl before him had surpassed his understanding of beauty in both of his lifetimes.

It was a kind of inhuman, almost Taoist beauty.

"You came."

The girl's long, curled eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.

These are a pair of eyes that are breathtaking.

His pupils were not the pitch black of ordinary people, but as clear as the finest rubies, burning with a flame that seemed capable of incinerating everything. That flame was covered by a very faint layer of indifference, just as scalding lava was sealed under ancient ice.

Two extreme contradictions intertwined in her eyes, creating a breathtaking beauty.

Chen Ye's heart leaped into his throat at that moment.

He had never seen such a sophisticated person before!

Could it be that a Nascent Soul True Monarch has arrived?
He was about to speak instinctively, but the aftereffects of the "malicious scheme" suddenly struck at that moment!
An uncontrollable possessiveness, erupting from the depths of his heart without warning, made him look at the somewhat familiar little face before him and blurt out:

"So cute……"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ye wanted to slap himself.

Logically, one should say "really beautiful," so what does it mean to say "really cute"...?

Ahem, of course, that's not the key point.

The key point is that he actually said such reckless things to a girl who looked very strong?

As expected, upon hearing his words, the girl's crimson eyes flashed with an almost tangible killing intent.

"lecher!"

She stared at Chen Ye with disgust, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinized him, a mocking smile playing on her lips, as if she had already seen through the man before her.

But then, a bizarre scene unfolded.

While Chen Ye was still on edge, a suspicious blush crept onto her snow-white earlobes, which then quickly spread to her entire face.

But the girl was oblivious, and just stared at him with disgust.

This guy……

Looking at the extremely conflicted girl in front of him, Chen Ye's vigilance reached its peak.

He forcefully suppressed the turmoil caused by the treacherous spell and demanded in a high-pitched voice, "Who are you? Where is my disciple Qingjun?!"

"Your disciple..."

The girl's eyes suddenly changed, as if she had thought of something very interesting.

Her gaze fell on Chen Ye.
"If you promise me one thing, I will release your disciple."

What kind of look is this?
Chen Ye felt a chill run down his spine. Was this guy trying to force him to sell himself into servitude?
Although the girl in front of him was so beautiful that she seemed otherworldly, how could Chen Ye, a dignified man of seven feet tall, endure such humiliation?
What's more, he is the master of two disciples!

What if… what if Qingjun is nearby and witnesses her master selling himself? Everything would be over! He forcibly suppressed the wicked thoughts welling up in his heart caused by the treacherous scheme, and asked in a deep voice, “What is it? But… will you keep your word?”

Chen Ye didn't believe her, because he had already been tricked once!
The silver-haired girl seemed to see through his filthy thoughts, and narrowed her eyes with obvious disgust.

She knew it...

Chen Ye is no good!

However... this could be a good opportunity to let Xu Qingjun see through his true colors!
"What do you think I would do to you?"

She looked down at Chen Ye as if he were an ant, a playful smile curving her lips.

"Your body is filthy and smelly. In my eyes, how is it any different from those withered bones?"

She extended her slender, jade-like finger and gently touched her blood-red lips, speaking slowly in an almost dreamlike tone:
"I want you... to please me."

She paused, and in her crimson eyes, the violent flames and cold indifference intertwined, ultimately transforming into pure malice.

"Weren't you under that wicked spell? I imagine your heart is churning with desire right now, isn't it?"

She chuckled softly, a laugh that sent chills down Chen Ye's spine.
"Since that's the case, I'll give you a chance to vent."

“You, right here, in front of me.”

She slowly raised her hand and pointed at Chen Ye.
"Do it yourself, let me see how ugly and despicable you, a so-called righteous cultivator, are in the face of desire."

boom!
These words, like a thunderclap from the heavens, exploded in Chen Ye's mind!
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the shocking young girl before him. The extreme humiliation was almost burning away his reason!

Scholars can be killed, but not humiliated!

He would rather die in battle than do such a despicable thing in a place like this, in front of a woman!
“You…you’re dreaming!” he squeezed out the three words through gritted teeth.

"is it?"

The girl wasn't annoyed at all; she simply snapped her fingers lightly.

The next moment, to Chen Ye's horrified gaze, a water mirror made of demonic energy slowly rose from the surface of the Demon Lake behind him.

The reflection in the mirror was none other than the image of his little apprentice, Qingjun!
Qingjun was trapped inside a sphere made of black demonic energy, her eyes closed, her small face filled with pain and unease, as if she were experiencing some terrible nightmare.

“Look, your precious disciple seems to really like the smell here.”

A girl's voice drifted over.
"She is currently a guest in my... my nightmare prison. If you do not comply, I do not mind... leaving her here forever, and seeing just how many interesting nightmares her little body can hold."

"You...!" Chen Ye's eyes were bloodshot. He looked at Qing Jun's pained little face in the water mirror, and his defenses completely collapsed at this moment.

……

The figure of Qingjun was naturally just a fabrication by Xu Xinming.

Deep within his consciousness, unknown to anyone, Xu Xinming's voice carried a hint of pleasure.

"Take a good look at your so-called master, the man you protect so much and regard as a god, and see how ugly and despicable he really is!"

That was so... exhilarating!
She wanted to make Qingjun's most respected master do the most despicable thing in the world in front of Qingjun!

"See clearly! Then, utterly... loathe him, abandon him!"

"If you truly love him... why regard him as a master? Wouldn't it be better to regard him as a plaything? In that case, sparing his life wouldn't matter..."

……

Chen Ye slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all the struggle in his eyes had turned into a deathly silence.

He knew he had no other choice.

For Qingjun's sake, he would not hesitate for a moment, let alone dignity, even if it meant dying immediately.

Under the expectant gaze of the silver-haired girl, he raised his head in humiliation, taking one last look at the mysterious girl.

The girl remained arrogant and disdainful, flames flickering in her crimson eyes, urging, "Hurry up! Ha, a grown man, dawdling like that..."

Chen Ye's hand trembled slightly as he slowly raised it.

However, just as he was about to do so, his movements suddenly stopped!
Something is wrong!
The young girl before me exuded an aura that was indeed mysterious and powerful.

But rather...

Just now, she activated her demonic energy to condense a water mirror and used words of coercion, thus revealing a trace of her most primal aura.

That breath...

He's only at the fifth level of Qi Refining?!

Yes!

She was bluffing, using Qingjun to threaten him, making him lose his composure and dare not resist!
In reality, this person was nothing more than an ant to him!
He slowly lowered his trembling hand.

"Ok?"

Upon seeing this, the flames in the girl's crimson eyes suddenly flickered. She frowned her beautiful brows and said coldly, "What? You want to back out?"

Surprisingly, this guy seems quite excited about it.

"Go back on your word?" Chen Ye laughed, staring directly into the girl's savage crimson eyes, and slowly walked towards her step by step. "I just suddenly realized that you seem... much weaker than I imagined."

As he approached, a hint of panic appeared on the girl's beautiful face, which had been frozen for millennia.

She could sense that the man in front of her had changed his demeanor.

It was a confidence that saw through all disguises and completely reversed the roles of prey and hunter!
"Stop! If you dare take another step forward, I'll make sure your precious disciple's soul is scattered!" the girl shouted fiercely, her voice trembling with fear. The demonic energy behind her surged again, transforming into countless tentacles that bared their fangs and claws.

Chen Ye laughed. These demonic energies looked terrifying, but what power did they actually have?
Chen Ye could crush one of those vengeful spirits, formed from the essence of demonic energy, with a single hand...

"If you were truly capable of capturing Qingjun without my noticing, you wouldn't be at the fifth level of Qi Refining."

The roles of offense and defense were reversed, and at this moment, Chen Ye's smile was tinged with cruelty.

Chen Ye had been wondering about this for a while.

Why did Qingjun disappear from his side without him noticing in the blink of an eye?

Those who can do this are either highly skilled individuals or possess some kind of sleight of hand, much like magic tricks from a past life.

Moreover, at this point, he was pushing his luck, which should have enraged the girl.

The fact that this girl only makes empty threats is enough to show that this person's strength is negligible!

As for the so-called "Dream Prison" she cast before, it was probably just a smokescreen!

Chen Ye took a step and stepped onto the black lake, standing in front of the girl.

The two were very close.

"I know who you are..."

Chen Ye stared at the girl.

The silver-haired girl's eyelashes fluttered, and she listened as Chen Ye began to speak:

"Qingjun once said that after she was captured by Wang Po, an older sister came to rescue her. You are that older sister, right? If you really wanted to kill Qingjun, why would you save her?"

The silver-haired girl breathed a sigh of relief and sneered, "So what if I am? My name is Xu Xinming!"

Xu Xinming?
Chen Ye pondered the name to himself; he had never heard of it in the original game.

Logically speaking, someone with such stunning looks should not be an unknown person in the original story.

Unfortunately, the original game was just a pixel game, so he couldn't possibly recognize which character from the original story she was just by looking at her.

Unless the person has a certain characteristic.

For example, Qingjun has phoenix eyes and a mole at the corner of her eye, which is why Chen Ye associated Qingjun with the world-destroying demon woman in the story when he first transmigrated.

Xu Xinming also has phoenix eyes, but Chen Ye can't very well say that she is Qingjun, can he?

It's impossible no matter how you think about it!
Once Chen Ye made up his mind, his movements were as swift as lightning.

Before the girl could react, someone grabbed her fair, slender neck and lifted her up!
"Let...let me go!"

With the girl's body restrained, her unfathomable aura vanished, revealing her fragile true cultivation level.

She struggled violently, staring intently at Chen Ye with her crimson eyes.

But when she saw Chen Ye's face so close to hers, a disgusting longing welled up from the bottom of her heart, making her weak all over and forgetting to resist.

Chen Ye sighed: "You... are somewhat like my little apprentice, all show and no substance, just a paper tiger, all talk and no action."

"you……"

For some reason, the girl named Xu Xinming seemed to feel wronged, and tears welled up in her phoenix eyes.

Chen Ye's voice was like a cold wind from the deepest hell, icy and piercing:

"Tell me, where is my disciple? Since you saved her life before, I naturally regard you as my benefactor. Why make things difficult for me!"

"You...don't even think about it..." the girl gritted her teeth and squeezed out a few words.

Even now, she still won't confess!

"is it?"

Chen Ye sneered. Looking at the stunningly beautiful, cold face before him, and those crimson eyes burning with anger and murderous intent, a bold and wicked thought suddenly emerged from the depths of his heart, which had been affected by the Calamity Technique.

With his other hand, he slowly reached towards the girl's magnificent palace dress...

These clothes... why do they look a bit like the Mao family's attire?

"What...what do you want to do?! How dare you! You lecher! You despicable! You villain!"

Xu Xinming panicked completely. She struggled violently, and for the first time, fear appeared in her violent red eyes.

She could tolerate being killed, but she could never tolerate being humiliated by a man she hated!
However, her struggles seemed so pale and powerless in the face of Chen Ye's iron-like grip.

Chen Ye didn't speak, but the playful smile on his face grew even more cruel: "Will you talk or not?"

"Don't even think about it!" Xu Xinming's mouth was very hard, harder than Chen Ye had imagined.

His hand eventually landed on the magnificent palace dress.

"Tear—!"

A crisp sound of tearing cloth rang out, sounding jarringly loud in the silent cave.

Large swaths of snow-white, delicate skin, as fine as the finest mutton fat jade, were instantly exposed to the air.

Delicate collarbones, graceful neck, and the unique curves of a young girl were all presented before Chen Ye's eyes.

He tightened his grip on her neck slightly, while his other hand roughly slipped inside her torn clothes.

The girl in his arms trembled violently as if she had been electrocuted, her tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and the flames in her crimson pupils almost burst forth!

"You...you dare...! Do you know who I am?!"

"Why don't I dare?"

Chen Ye's face was almost touching hers; he could clearly see the glistening tears clinging to her long eyelashes.
"Don't you enjoy manipulating people's hearts? Don't you enjoy watching others succumb to their desires? Now, I'll let you taste the bitterness of being unable to control your own destiny!"

……

Outside the cave, the light was dim and the atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating.

Li Qiuyun stood gracefully at the cave entrance, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, her beautiful eyes filled with lingering worry.

She paced back and forth, gazing repeatedly at the bottomless cave that resembled the maw of a giant beast.

It's been almost an hour.

After Uncle Chen and Qingjun went inside, there was no sound at all, as if they had been completely swallowed up by the endless darkness.

"How could he... how could he just barge in with a child!"

Li Qiuyun felt both worried and resentful.

She regretted not having stopped him more firmly.

But when she thought of Chen Ye's calm and confident demeanor, the resentment in her heart turned into a sense of powerlessness and a trace of infatuation that she herself was unaware of.

After all, Uncle Chen has never been one to play by the rules.

Just trust Uncle Chen...

Li Qiuyun's reason told her this, but her emotions were beyond her control—just like her feelings for Uncle Chen.

"Fairy Li, don't be anxious."

Seeing her like this, Gao Ming quickly stepped forward and comforted her with a dry laugh, "Deacon Chen is a lucky person. She must have discovered something and is studying it diligently. We... we'll just wait a little longer."

Although he said that, he had already cursed Chen Ye a thousand times in his heart.

He wasn't worried about Chen Ye's life or death at all.
Although the enmity between the two has been resolved, it doesn't mean that Gao Ming has any respect for Chen Ye!
He was afraid!
I'm afraid this Lingyin Sect steward will die mysteriously on the territory of his Jade Lizard Society!

If the sect investigates, how will he be able to bear the consequences?
Time is passing by, second by second.

The air at the cave entrance seemed to have solidified, making it hard to breathe.

"Alright, let's wait a little longer, it'll only be an hour."

Finally, out of trust in Chen Ye, Li Qiuyun forcibly suppressed the worries in her heart.

But she also secretly made a decision in her heart.
If Uncle Chen still doesn't come out after another hour, she will definitely inform the sect and go to rescue him!

……

Grandma Li's courtyard was a rare place of tranquility and warmth.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the fence of the small courtyard and fell on Zhiwei's cool yet focused little face.

She sat upright on a small wooden stool, holding a slender embroidery needle in her hand, clumsily threading it through a piece of brand-new fabric.

These small hands, which once wielded the Shenchen Sword and created dazzling sword flowers, now seemed somewhat unruly when faced with this tiny embroidery needle.

Several times, the mischievous needle pricked her fair fingers, drawing out a few tiny beads of blood, causing her to furrow her pretty brows slightly.

"Oh dear, my sweet girl, be careful."

Grandma Li, standing to the side, felt both sorry for her and amused by her appearance.

She put down her work, went to Zhiwei's side, took her little hand, and began to teach her step by step.

"You have to hold the needle like this, relax your wrist, and see, this way you won't prick your hand?"

With Grandma Li's patient and gentle guidance, the crooked stitches finally became neater.

"Mother-in-law,"

Zhiwei looked at the still somewhat clumsy stitches on the fabric, a hint of annoyance flashing across her little face.

"Am I stupid?"

"Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Grandma Li patted her head affectionately.

"You little rascal, you're a natural talent for swordsmanship. It's only natural that you're not good at this kind of thing, which is typical for girls. But... your mother-in-law is a little curious, you're a disciple of a celestial being, why did you suddenly decide to learn this?"

Zhiwei's face suddenly turned red without warning.

She lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling nervously, and stammered, "I...I just saw that my mother-in-law does a good job with needlework, and I wanted to...I wanted to learn, anyway...I'm just killing time."

"is it?"

Granny Li had lived for decades; how could she not see through the young girl's thoughts? Looking at Zhiwei's embarrassed expression, she deliberately drawled out her words, teasingly saying...

"I think you're not just idle; you want to make a thoughtful garment for your master yourself, don't you?"

"I don't!"

Zhiwei, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, instinctively retorted, but her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, lacking any confidence.

Her little scheme was so easily exposed by Granny Li.

yes……

She just wanted to do something for her master.

Master is always so hard-working, worrying about their cultivation, fretting about the mess in Lin Song Valley, and dealing with enemies with ill intentions like Wei Cheng.

Her cultivation level was too low to be of much help.

Unlike her junior sister, she wasn't lively, knew how to act cute, or used innocent childish remarks to amuse her master.

The only thing she could think of was to use this most clumsy method to sew her respect and gratitude for her master into the fabric, stitch by stitch.

only……

The thought of her loud and boisterous junior sister who was always clinging to her master filled Zhiwei with an indescribable sense of guilt.

Is my "secret" effort to please my master considered... competing with my junior sister for his favor?

This thought made her already flushed face burn even hotter.

Looking at the little girl in front of her, who was caught in her own dilemma and whose face was so red it was almost steaming, Granny Li chuckled to herself, but stopped teasing her.

She simply patted Zhiwei's shoulder affectionately and said softly:

"Silly child, respecting your elders and wanting to do something for them is the most normal thing in the world. This is not called competing, this is called... good intentions."

"Is it the most normal thing in the world?" Zhiwei murmured to herself.

Grandma Li's words, however, drifted on like distant clouds, seemingly from afar:

"Yes, many families have children who secretly compete for the emperor's favor, let alone the royal children in the mortal world, whose competition for favor is truly fierce..."

　Thanks to efe恶风 for the donation.

　　day2
　　If we can stick it out for another 5 days, I'll start asking for more reads and monthly votes!!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)