Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 179 The World is Desolate; Master is Spraying Water!

Chapter 179 The World is Desolate; Master is Spraying Water! (Added 1600 words)

Lin Jinghua received the reward, but surprisingly, he felt little joy.

Fifteen people, each will be rewarded with two spirit stones.

In one transaction, thirty spirit stones were exchanged.

That's a considerable sum!

He first thanked him, then offered his advice:

“We appreciate your kindness, Steward. However, Lin Song Valley is in dire need of rebuilding. We have already received our wages, so how can we accept this extra reward from you? As the saying goes, too much reward leads to loss. The way to manage subordinates is to reward and punish. Steward has already done far too much for us... Any more and it will only encourage greed among us.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye pondered for a moment.

Lin Jinghua's words make sense. For example, when Lin Song Valley harvests again next time, will he still give this extra reward?

As the saying goes, a small favor is appreciated, but a large one breeds resentment.

These spiritual plant growers are merely ordinary, lowly cultivators in the marketplace; they might not recognize the importance of such a title.

Moreover, the benefits he brought to these spiritual plant growers were numerous, far exceeding just the high rewards.

For example, they can bring their families to live in the spiritually rich Lin Song Valley. You should know, Chen Ye used to spend several spirit stones a month just to rent a second-class courtyard!
If he continues to give gifts indiscriminately, some people will inevitably take advantage of him... As the saying goes, a kind person is often bullied.

He looked up at Lin Jinghua, the old man's expression slightly tense, as if worried that his rash words would displease Chen Ye.

Uh... In his previous life, was Lin Jinghua a so-called public traitor?

This old man truly regarded Chen Ye as his master.

"Alright."

Chen Ye patted the old man on the shoulder and said gently,

"In that case, let's put these spirit stones on the books for now. Once the foundation of my Lin Song Valley is secure, we'll celebrate together."

Lin Jinghua breathed a slight sigh of relief, feeling extremely grateful.

Deacon Chen actually listened to the opinions of this old geezer...

In fact, he no longer cares about his personal future.

I only hope that Deacon Chen can go further in the cultivation world.

After all, his youngest daughter was Deacon Chen's apprentice, and his eldest daughter was his maid...

Even if it means I'm letting down my brothers!
Brothers are just brothers, but daughters are the real family...

……

Inside the quiet room, Chen Ye sat cross-legged.

Before him, the ancient herbal furnace was emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.

"Fifteen portions of medicinal herbs are enough to refine fifteen top-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills..." Chen Ye pondered.

Now, the Qi-Nourishing Pill can no longer meet his cultivation needs.

However, for his two disciples who were in the middle stage of Qi Refining, and Lin Jin who was in the early stage of Qi Refining, it was the perfect pill.

Five pieces a month is more than enough for each of the three apprentices.

Even the finest elixirs should not be consumed in excess.
Once he had a clear idea of what was going on, he began the refining process with practiced ease.

In just half a day, a batch of pills was successfully refined!

[Qi Nourishing Pill Completed: 53/400]

Still one top-grade piece, and eight high-grade pieces!

Including the one he refined before, he now has two top-grade pills in his possession.

Chen Ye stopped, satisfied, and did not continue refining.

Speaking of which, today is the day Li Qiuyun will leave.

Chen Ye looked out the window.

He rose at sunrise, so although he had spent half a day refining pills, it was still early.

Li Qiuyun drank too much yesterday and should still be resting...

"Well, all good things must come to an end."

He carefully put away the pills and pushed open the door to the meditation room.

The morning sunlight, warm and gentle, shone on his moon-white robes, making him appear ethereal and otherworldly.

He strolled to his disciple's room and gently pushed open the window.

On the bed, the two little girls, even in their sleep, didn't forget to stick together, huddled together, sleeping soundly.

Her silver hair, like moonlight flowing through snow, was scattered on the pillow.

Qingjun was fast asleep, her small body curled up in a ball, one of her fair little arms draped over her senior sister's body.

And a cascade of ink-black hair lay softly on the little girl's arm.

Zhiwei lay quietly on her side, letting her junior sister cling to her like an octopus.

"As expected of my disciple Chen Ye, she is so adorable."

Chen Ye couldn't help but take another look.

No matter how tired he is, as long as he can see his disciple's cute sleeping face in the morning, he will instantly feel full of energy.

It's like charging...

I've been playing with them these past two days and they're probably exhausted. They're sleeping until noon now, which is extremely rare for them.

Chen Ye was about to close the window when his gaze paused again.

Beside the feet of his two disciples, the snow-white little fox named "Xiaobai" by Qingjun lay on its back, its furry little belly exposed, rising and falling with its breath, fast asleep and even occasionally sticking out its pink little tongue to lick its lips.

"This little fox didn't run away after all. It seems she's stuck with Qingjun... Strange, this demon beast actually knows how to be shy?"

Chen Ye was puzzled.

Yesterday, when he examined the little fox, it was acting shy and timid. This wasn't a fox at all; it was more like... a girl.

Moreover, the little fox's body structure seems to be different from that of ordinary foxes.

Even in its monster form, it still has hair to cover its private parts.

How strange and bizarre!

Just as Chen Ye was wondering, the little fox's ears suddenly twitched slightly.

Then, its dark, gem-like eyes, still half-closed, looked in Chen Ye's direction.

Eyes facing each other.

The little fox's previously confused eyes instantly cleared.

It suddenly lowered its head and glanced at its unsuspecting little belly.

The next moment, the little fox hurriedly used its two front paws to pull the corner of Zhiwei's blanket next to it and tightly covered its little belly!

After doing all this, it poked half its little head out from the edge of the blanket and stared at Chen Ye with its dark eyes.

It's as if Chen Ye is a voyeur.

"?"

Chen Ye watched with great interest.

Cute little foxes are nothing special, but a little fox that looks like a little girl is quite rare.

He even whistled at the little fox, in a mischievous way.

"!!!"

The little fox was stunned, and even more ashamed and indignant!
It...it had never seen a bad man who would whistle at a little fox!
The little fox was so frightened that it shrank its entire head back under the covers and refused to come out again.

"Hahaha, little thing, you can run away for a while, but can you run away forever?"

Chen Ye sneered. If this little fox wasn't putting on an act, he wouldn't bother playing with it.

But because it was so shy, Chen Ye wanted to tease it even more.

After reading it, he closed the window again, turned around, and walked towards Li Qiuyun's guest room.

Inside the courtyard, the girl had already gotten up and was practicing her swordplay.

She never seemed to miss any opportunity to cultivate, and among the people Chen Ye knew, Li Qiuyun was probably the most diligent.

The sword light was cold and clear, like autumn water.

It reflected the girl's cool and pretty face.

"Don't you want to sleep a little longer?" Chen Ye asked with a smile, leaning against the door frame.

Li Qiuyun remained silent, her sword stance unchanged, until she finished practicing the entire sword technique. Only then did she sheathe her sword and look at Chen Ye.

"If we sleep any longer, we'll miss the Spirit Boat..."

She rolled her eyes at Chen Ye in dissatisfaction, then lowered her gaze.

How could she possibly fall asleep peacefully at this time?

"Too……"

Chen Ye smiled, took out a bag from his storage bag, and handed it over.

"This is?"

The girl had a strange sense of anticipation, but after taking the bag, she found it to be quite heavy.

"Didn't we agree on this before? How could we forget Qiu Yun when it comes to dividing the spoils?"

Chen Ye frowned and said with displeasure,
"Do you really think Uncle Chen is a heartless person? If I have a bite of meat to eat, you'll have a bite of soup to eat."

There were a full one hundred spirit stones in the storage bag!

Presumably, this will make things much easier for this niece who is short of money.

"..."

Unexpectedly, despite receiving the spirit stones for free, Li Qiuyun seemed somewhat unhappy. Her slender white fingers tightly gripped the money pouch, and she forced a smile.
"Thank you... thank you Uncle Chen. But this is too much."

"Take it."

Chen Ye, however, did not allow her to refuse.

"There's no need for formalities between us. Besides, if you achieve a good ranking in the competition, you'll be able to better protect me in the future, won't you?"

His half-joking remark lessened Li Qiuyun's sadness at the impending separation.

In the end, with tears in her eyes, she accepted the money.

"Nothing in the world is more desolate than parting..."

Looking at her like that, Chen Ye felt a pang of emotion.
"In the future, we will meet again, as we are both cultivators of the Lingyin Sect."

yes……

It's just that there's still some sadness in it.

The girl gently rubbed her eyes.

As for the sentiment?

Earlier or later,
It will get out sooner or later.

"Chen Ye, I'll definitely come looking for you after the inner sect competition!" The girl clenched her fist. "Then, I'll teach you a lesson!"

What a wicked woman!
They gave me spirit stones and then tried to teach me a lesson...

"it is good."

Chen Ye didn't ask where he had offended her; he just smiled and nodded.

"I'm waiting for you."

However, the loneliness of parting lies in the fact that no one can be sure whether the so-called future will arrive as promised.

……

Inner valley, back mountain.

"I have a premonition... that the world is about to change drastically. At the Qi Refining stage, one is like a piece of duckweed adrift in a chaotic world, unable to control one's own destiny."

Chen Ye was filled with worry.

However, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage is not something that can be accomplished overnight.
At the very least, it will take several years.

He composed himself and took out the flying light.

This sword was obtained from Ji Yueze and is a second-tier low-grade magic weapon!

The sword was entirely ivory-colored, reflecting a chilling light under the sunlight. Compared to his iron sword, the flying sword was light and sharp, and possessed a trace of spirituality, although it required too much spiritual energy to fully activate.

Of course, the presence of the flying light doesn't mean that the iron sword has become useless.

The iron sword is made of a large amount of smelted gold, which is expensive and sold by the grain, but it is worth the price. Its toughness is no less than that of ordinary second-grade low-quality spiritual materials, but it is too heavy.

Therefore, in terms of toughness alone, the iron sword is actually superior to the magical flying light.

Under Chen Ye's touch, Fei Guang emitted a joyful sword-like sound.

Chen Ye closed his eyes. His mind was no longer filled with uncertainty about the future, nor with those two disciples whom he both loved and hated.

All that remains are the various insightful observations recorded in the swordsmanship manual given to him by Li Yanfeng.

[Qinglan Sword Control Technique Mastery: 170/200]

We are just one step away from perfection.

For ordinary cultivators, this final step is like an insurmountable chasm, making it difficult for many sword cultivators to break through even in their entire lives.

Only cultivators with exceptional talent and skill can comprehend the sword intent within the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique.

"The Azure Wave Sword Control Technique is divided into six levels. The first four levels train the form and the moves. But the fifth level, Thunderclap, trains the intent!"

What is meaning?

Chen Ye didn't rely too much on the proficiency panel, but instead asked himself the same question over and over again in his mind.

He attempted to merge his divine sense with the flying light sword in his hand at the deepest level.

He could sense the sharp, metallic edge of the sword, born from its material.

He could also feel the vibrant wood element within him, born from the Evergreen Technique.

However, these two ideas are like water and fire, and can never be perfectly integrated.

"No...no..."

Chen Ye's brows were tightly furrowed.

or……

Should we practice hard for a few more days?
Now I only need 30 more points of proficiency, and in just a few days I will be able to naturally break through to perfection.

only……

He did not want to rely entirely on external things for all his spiritual practice.

This is Chen Ye's consistent philosophy of spiritual practice.

Whether he was refining elixirs or practicing spiritual plant cultivation, he always kept thinking and learning, rather than simply accumulating proficiency.

Therefore, he was able to draw inferences from one instance to another, and thus made rapid progress in other areas of spiritual practice.

……

Time flies, and seven days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Aside from spending two hours each day handling affairs in the valley and guiding his disciples in their cultivation, Chen Ye devoted the rest of his time to comprehending the essence of swordsmanship.

He no longer adhered to sword techniques, nor was he obsessed with spiritual power.

Instead, he carefully examined the two flying swords he possessed: the Iron Sword and the Flying Light.

Iron Sword was his old companion who had been with him since the beginning of his transmigration.

Ordinary in appearance and unremarkable in looks, it has accompanied him from the shantytown of Yunxifang all the way to where he is today. It embodies Chen Ye's "tenacity" and "simplicity" as an ordinary person.

Before transmigrating, he was just an ordinary office worker...

And Feiguang was his newly acquired weapon.

Its quality is exceptional, its sharpness unparalleled, and its agility swift. It represents the "power" and "sharpness" that Chen Ye now possesses, belonging to the realm of cultivators.

When he obtained the flying light, he could already be considered a mature cultivator who had undergone many trials and tribulations.

"Sword intent... does not come from the sword, nor from spiritual power, but originates from the cultivator's own will!"

Chen Ye suddenly understood; in an instant, a stroke of genius struck him.

In that instant, the flying light sword flew out from his sleeve.

The ivory-like sword emitted a sharp, bluish-white light about a foot long, before disappearing into the void in the next instant.

There was no earth-shattering sword light, nor any world-destroying momentum.

When it reappears,

There was only a white line that was moving at an extreme speed, like a line cutting through the void in the abyss!

"Crack-!"

The waterfall, which had flowed for countless years, was cleaved in two by this silent sword energy.

The broken edge is as smooth as a mirror!

After a long while, the interrupted water flow crashed down, splashing up a cloud of water mist.

And it was at this very moment!

"Boom——!"

A thunderous explosion finally arrived, resounding loudly in the quiet back mountain.

The sword's edge was faster than sound!

This is the fifth level of the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique: Thunderclap!
The sword strikes like a deep sea splitting the sky; its force can sever gold and jade, and its speed can chase wind and thunder.

[Azure Wave Sword Control Technique Perfected: 1/400]

Looking at the result of his sword strike, Chen Ye let out a long roar, feeling the long-suppressed anger in his chest vanish completely!

With such methods, he was confident that even if he faced a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator like Ji Yueze again, he would no longer need to rely on Qing Zhi's sneak attacks and could fight head-on!
He sheathed his flying sword and prepared to return to the inner valley.

But as soon as he turned around, he couldn't help but pause slightly in surprise.

Not far away, under the crooked old pine tree, two small figures were standing there.

It was his two beloved apprentices.

"When...did you arrive?"

Chen Ye looked at them, quietly put his hands behind his back, and looked cold.

Damn,

I never expected my disciple to witness me being so handsome...

"When Master was practicing his sword," Zhiwei replied softly.

In fact, these days when Chen Ye practices swordsmanship, his two disciples always follow behind him to peek.

I always have to peek for half a day before I leave.

This...is a real headache for Chen Ye.

When his disciple wasn't around, he would lie on a rock like Ge You, contemplating whatever made him comfortable.

But since my disciple has come, I naturally cannot practice in such an unseemly posture.

He always has to go to great lengths to strike an ethereal pose...

This time, however, he was so focused on his swordsmanship that he didn't notice his disciple's arrival.

However, looking at the bright eyes of his two disciples, he must have looked quite handsome just now... probably?

"Master is so amazing!"

Qingjun looked at him with adoration, her bright, dark phoenix eyes sparkling with admiration.
"That last move was...so amazing! Just like a divine fish from the sky!"

Chen Ye was very pleased. Although he didn't understand why it was described as a divine fish, he was still very proud.

He stood with his hands behind his back, facing the spray from the waterfall, and gave a light "hmm," asking in a nonchalant tone, "Did you understand everything?"

"Of course I understand!"

The little girl nodded vigorously, then tilted her head and asked innocently,

"Was Master spraying water just now? It was spraying so powerfully!"

"..."

The smile on Chen Ye's face froze instantly.

How could his sword intent, which is so cool, possibly be spraying water?
Wait a minute, in front of two girls, that might really be the case.

The white line looked like a water line, after all, it was a rift in the abyss...

No wonder this girl said he was a divine fish!

He coughed twice, forcibly steer the conversation back on track: "Ahem... Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about how handsome I was just now?"

"handsome?"

Upon hearing this, Qingjun carefully examined him from head to toe.

She wouldn't stop talking once she started, making Chen Ye feel uneasy.

After a long while, the little girl tiptoed, squinted her bright black phoenix eyes, shook her head, and said in an extremely serious tone:
"certainly……"

Chen Ye has high expectations.

The little girl deliberately kept everyone in suspense before putting her hands behind her back and raising her chin:

"Of course he's not handsome!"

Seeing her master's face instantly crumble, she added in a comforting tone:

"Master, don't worry. With your unkempt beard and constant work in the fields, you look like an old man... Hehehe, Master is a diligent old herb farmer! So, no girl would ever be interested in you! Master, don't daydream!"

That wretched little girl!

Chen Ye felt as if his heart had been pierced by a hundred needles, riddled with holes.

He's only forty years old, why does he look like an old man?
He let out a long sigh: "Alas... am I... am I really that bad..."

"Oh dear, Master, don't be sad!"

Seeing this, Qingjun seemed to realize that what she had said was a bit too hurtful.

She quickly stepped forward, tugged at Chen Ye's sleeve, and stood on tiptoe, trying to get close to his ear.

However, no matter how hard Qingjun stood on tiptoe, her short stature meant she couldn't reach her master's ears, let alone his shoulders.

She had to wait for Chen Ye to pick her up.
Only then could Qingjun wrap her arms around her master's neck and whisper in his ear,

In a sneaky, discreet voice that only the two of them could hear, he added in a low voice:
"Although no girl would like Master, but... but maybe, some girls will!"

After saying that, she winked her slightly narrow eyes at Chen Ye.

Her smug look was exactly like her master's; she was just waiting for her master to turn his sorrow into joy and then happily kiss her!

only……

Chen Ye realized something was wrong.

That wretched little girl!

At such a young age, how dare you manipulate your master!

If this isn't PUA, then what is?!

"Oh? But what good is it for a girl to like her master?"

Chen Ye frowned, staring at the little girl.

"Ah...um..."

The little girl was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head and tugged at her fingers.

"Master... Master, what do you mean? Qingjun is a stupid child, I don't understand!"