Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 196 Qingzhu Protects Her Brother, Slapping the Xu Family in the Face

"Wait a minute."

Chen Ye had just sent Qingjun and Zhiwei away to take a bath when his keen senses detected several powerful and malevolent auras approaching Linsong Valley.

However, he never expected that the leader would be Xu Qingsong, who had disappeared for half a year!
Back then, after Chen Ye visited Mao Qingzhu, this sworn sister used some unknown means to make the Xu family lie low for the next six months and not cause Chen Ye any more trouble.

however……

The purpose of today's unexpected visit is self-evident.

At the mouth of the valley.

Duan Ling was already drenched in cold sweat from the immense spiritual pressure. Looking at the Azure Phoenix Flying Boat in front of him and the young men and women in front of it, he felt his throat go dry and even breathing became extremely difficult.

This was not because he lacked willpower, but because he was forcibly intimidated by someone using their cultivation level.

As Chen Ye's figure silently landed, the invisible protective array of the mountain quietly activated, relieving him of most of the pressure.

Duan Ling felt as if he had been granted a pardon and whispered:

"Deacon Chen, be careful! This group is from the Xu family of Moon Rhinoceros Lake. The man leading them is Xu Qingsong! And behind them, that old man... his aura is unfathomable! That terrifying pressure just now was secretly released by him; he probably has Foundation Establishment cultivation!"

Duan Ling's voice was filled with lingering fear. The oppressive aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was like a mountain collapsing in front of him, a Qi Refining disciple.

Chen Ye nodded slightly, his gaze passing over Xu Qingsong, who stood proudly at the head of the group, and landing on the old man at the back of the crowd.

The old man, with his white hair and beard, sat comfortably on the back of the blue phoenix, leaning on a wooden cane, like a coachman.

He was simply dressed, and his demeanor was understated.

Seeing Chen Ye's gaze pierce through him like lightning, the old man slowly raised his eyelids and smiled calmly. The smile was extremely peaceful, but it sent a chill down Chen Ye's spine.

Although he had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining.

However, there is a world of difference between the ninth level of Qi Refining and the Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Fortunately... thinking that Sister Qingzhu was currently meditating in Linsong Valley, Chen Ye's tense nerves relaxed a little.

Ha, he has powerful backers too!
Chen Ye immediately snorted coldly: "Senior, you have quite the airs! Since we are all cultivators under the jurisdiction of the Lingyin Sect, why do you remain silent and intimidate the sect's disciples? Could it be that the Xu family is about to rebel?"

The old man's face turned cold: "What a quick-witted brat! He thinks he's got some skill just because he withstood seventy percent of my spiritual pressure with the great formation?"

Chen Ye shook his head: "I am not as capable as you, senior. You are old and frail, yet you can still bully young disciples. I admire you greatly."

His words not only enraged the old man, but also left Duan Ling speechless.

Everyone thought that even if Chen Ye was dissatisfied, he would be submissive in front of the Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, to everyone's surprise, he not only did not bow his head, but also mocked them with cold words.

"Deacon Chen, this is a Foundation Establishment cultivator..."

Duan Ling was extremely anxious and hurriedly tried to dissuade him in a low voice. His face was anxious, but his heart was filled with deep emotion.

What merit or ability does Duan Ling possess to make Chen Ye stand up for him in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
"So what if they're Foundation Establishment cultivators? Fellow Daoist Duan, I know what I'm doing. Since they've bullied you, it means they don't take me, Chen Ye, seriously!" Chen Ye declared firmly.

These words brought tears to Duan Ling's eyes again.

Chen Ye was not reckless.

It's very simple.

Previously, Xu Qingsong had plotted against him because of Qingjun, and now he was visiting with obvious ill intentions. He and the Xu family were already enemies.

Since he was going to get trouble either way, did he think that by acting submissive, Xu Qingsong would be more lenient?
Do not……

If he kneels down and begs for forgiveness, and gives Qingjun to the Xu family, perhaps then the Xu family will be too lazy to "hold a grudge" against him!
"Good good!"

The old man was furious. He raised his wrist slightly, but then he saw the spiritual light flowing through the pine valley behind Chen Ye and hesitated.

Chen Ye was, in the end, a steward of Lin Songgu.

Moreover, although his words were disrespectful, every word he said was reasonable.

It would be fine if he secretly used his power to intimidate, but if he were to openly and honestly attack Manager Lin Song with his Foundation Establishment cultivation... the Lingyin Sect wouldn't care whether he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator or a Qi Refining cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, it's been half a year, and you've become much more eloquent. Tsk tsk tsk, this is quite unlike the Deacon Chen who sighed and groaned in front of me back then."

Xu Qingsong's gaze darkened slightly. He stepped forward and said with a half-smile,
"Thinking about it, it makes sense. After all, a mere spiritual plant grower who just joined the sect has transformed into the manager of this Medicine Valley. Not bad, not bad. It seems that Fellow Daoist Chen is indeed skilled at tending to plants. Such talent, even if he went to the mortal world, could become an excellent farmer."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Xu family members behind him burst into laughter.

The blue-robed cultivator chuckled lightly, fanning himself, exuding an extraordinary air.

"Perhaps, we have enjoyed the spiritual plants that Deacon Chen painstakingly cultivated while we were in the Xu family. In that case, we should thank Deacon Chen."

Laughter erupted again, full of mockery.

The visitor is not good.

Chen Ye's mind raced, and he was somewhat puzzled as to the purpose of the Xu family's visit.

In a few days, Mao Qingzhu will be returning to the Xu family with Qingjun. Why are they causing trouble for me today?
They should know that Mao Qingzhu is in Linsong Valley.

Is it just a show of force? Or... is there something else going on?
"Of course I should thank you."

Chen Ye showed no anger. He glanced around at the Xu family members and said calmly.
"Our sect is not skilled in alchemy, nor is it adept at crafting weapons, nor does it possess any puppetry techniques passed down through generations. Nor does it engage in the demonic practices of plundering rogue cultivators. May I ask you, fellow Daoists, where do the spirit stones that our sect uses for its operations come from? Where do the monthly stipends that we disciples receive come from? Why are you now mocking the cultivation of spiritual plants?"

This is indeed the case.

The herbal medicine pavilions and medicine valleys scattered throughout the Yan Kingdom are a major cornerstone of the Lingyin Sect.

These people were subtly implying that his knowledge of spiritual plants was inferior.

In that case, where does the Lingyin Sect, which is founded on spiritual plants, stand in their hearts?

The smiles on the faces of the Xu family members who had been laughing just moments before instantly froze.

It's not that they don't want to—even if Chen Ye's words make sense, so what? They came here to mock him, and their voices are loud enough to suppress reason.

If they continue to laugh like that, and word gets out, outsiders will think they are disrespecting the Lingyin Sect.

Xu Qingsong narrowed his eyes slightly, abandoning his initial disdain.

Being eloquent is not a real skill.

However, to be able to hold one's own against a group of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators or even Foundation Establishment cultivators on one's own requires considerable skill.

"Fellow Daoist Chen's verbal skills are quite impressive. I wonder if his hand skills are as nimble as his tongue?"

Xu Qingsong abruptly changed the subject, returning Chen Ye's words verbatim:

"You just said that my elders bully the weak. How about... I'll give you a chance today to bully the weak yourself, what do you say?"

As he spoke, he turned to the blue-robed cultivator behind him, who had been fanning himself and whose face had turned ashen from the earlier embarrassment, and said indifferently, "Xu Lin, come out and spar with Deacon Chen."

Upon hearing this, the blue-robed cultivator named Xu Lin's eyes instantly flashed with a ferocious light!

With a "whoosh," he closed his folding fan, stepped forward, and unleashed his late-stage Qi Refining spiritual power without reservation, creating a gust of wind!
“Deacon Chen,” he said with a sinister grin, enunciating each word clearly, “please enlighten me!”

Having failed to gain the upper hand verbally, he was determined to reclaim all the face he had lost, with interest!
The atmosphere at the valley entrance was tense and ready to fight!

Duan Ling's heart jumped into his throat.

Judging from Xu Lin's aura, he was clearly a master in the late stage of Qi Refining, with a solid foundation, far superior to ordinary rogue cultivators!
Deacon Chen's sword intent is powerful, but his killing aura is too fierce. What if he accidentally kills Xu Lin...?

Xu Qingsong's smile deepened as he looked at Chen Ye, whose expression had changed slightly.

He added slowly:
"Of course, if Deacon Chen doesn't dare to accept the challenge, that's simple too."

He pointed to the Foundation Establishment elder behind him who was resting with his eyes closed, and slowly said:

"If you go there now and kowtow to my elders to apologize for your rudeness just now, then this matter will be dropped."

"I have no interest in listening to apologies from such glib-tongued cultivators. Forget it!" The old man waved his hand impatiently, feigning indifference.

"Uncle Xu, although adults don't hold grudges against petty people, a petty person should at least know that they were wrong."

The blue-robed cultivator's face was ingratiating as he showered him with compliments.

The old man then nodded calmly: "That's fine. As a senior, I should teach the younger generation a lesson."

Just then, Mao Qingzhu's voice transmission suddenly rang in Chen Ye's mind:
“Brother Ye, if you want to make a move, then do so... There’s no need to worry about that old man.”

"Yes, this matter cannot be backed out."

Chen Ye replied inwardly, gradually understanding the situation.
“Xu Qingsong never wanted Qingjun to return to the Xu family openly before, but now that Sister Qingzhu is about to bring Qingjun back to the Xu family, they can’t stop you, so they want to suppress me and start by targeting me.”

"It seems I've caused you trouble again, Brother Ye..." Mao Qingzhu said apologetically. "Not at all. Qingjun's affairs are my affairs, Chen Ye's affairs," Chen Ye replied calmly.

He understands it clearly.

Perhaps in Xu Qingsong's eyes, he used to be just a rogue cultivator with no courage.

All he had to do was bring people to his door, and through either coercion or bribery, he would hand over Qingjun with both hands, just as he had done in the Lingyin Sect in the past...

For Xu Qingsong and others, Qingjun was undoubtedly a disgrace and an easy target for other forces in the Xu family, so they naturally did not want Qingjun to return home.

Therefore, if Qingjun falls into Xu Qingsong's hands, the consequences are predictable.

"it is good."

Amidst the gazes of the crowd—some scornful, some worried, some watching with amusement—Chen Ye cupped his hands in greeting.

"Since Fellow Daoist Xu has such an interest, I, Chen, will gladly oblige."

Seeing him accept the challenge, the blue-robed cultivator Xu Lin's sinister smile deepened!

His spiritual energy surged, and a long sword gleaming with azure light appeared in his hand, its tip pointing directly at Chen Ye, exuding a menacing aura!

Chen Ye's hands were empty; he hadn't even drawn his magic sword.

He simply looked at the other person and raised his right hand.

"Zheng——!"

A soft cry.

Dozens of incredibly sharp golden energies, as if alive, shot out from his fingertips, swirling and dancing around his body!

It is precisely the Qi of Geng Metal!
However, the Geng metal energy at this moment was no longer what it used to be, and the crowd could hardly recognize that this was a mere first-tier low-grade spell.

Each burst of energy was condensed to the point of being tangible, its sharp aura causing the air to hiss softly as it cut through it!

"Fancy!"

Xu Lin snorted coldly, his foot suddenly stomped, his figure like an arrow, and the green sword in his hand drew a sharp spiritual light, stabbing straight at Chen Ye's chest!
He wanted to completely crush this arrogant plant grower with a single move!
Chen Ye's lips curled slightly, and a thought flashed through his mind.

The dozens of swirling strands of Geng metal energy seemed to come alive, transforming into a golden barrier that stood in front of him!

“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!”

A series of rapid, crisp cracking sounds!
Xu Lin's sword, which he was determined to strike, pierced the golden energy barrier, but not only did it fail to advance an inch, the force of the recoil made his tiger's mouth numb and his blood surge!

"This is actually a protective spell?" Some people were puzzled and looked serious.

Xu Lin, however, had a lot of unspeakable suffering.

Before he even got close to the Geng metal energy, his palms were already bleeding profusely from the sharp energy, indicating that it was definitely not just a simple protective spell!
Chen Ye gave him no chance to catch his breath.

He flicked his fingertips lightly.

Several streams of Geng metal energy, like a carbuncle clinging to the bone, bypassed Xu Lin's longsword and headed straight for the major acupoints on his body!

Xu Lin was shocked and hurriedly sheathed his sword to defend himself. In an instant, he was forced into a flustered and disheveled state by those few small Geng metal energies!
Chen Ye calmly manipulated the Geng metal energy, which, under his control, sometimes transformed into sharp blades and sometimes into ropes, circling around Xu Lin.

"Shh!"

A golden light flashed, and Xu Lin's hair bun broke off, leaving his long hair disheveled and hanging down.

"Shh!"

Another golden light flashed, and the jade belt around his waist was cleanly severed, causing his magnificent robe to fall loosely.

Under the pressure of the Geng metal energy, Xu Lin was forced to struggle and made a fool of himself.

"Indeed, it is said that the Xu family is quite skilled in dancing!"

Chen Ye looked at Xu Lin, who was gesticulating wildly, and smiled leisurely.

This is utterly ridiculous!
Many members of the Xu family looked ashen-faced.

Xu Lin's already ashen face turned a deep shade of liver. He roared and desperately channeled all his spiritual power, wanting to make a final stand!
However, everyone knew the truth in their hearts.

How could Xu Lin be a match for Chen Ye? Xu Lin was just blinded by anger at the moment.

"Enough! Xu Lin, spare his life. My Xu family treats people with kindness and compassion; how can we learn from the treacherous cultivators who are fond of fighting and brawling?"

At the back of the crowd, the Foundation Establishment elder who had been resting with his eyes closed suddenly opened them, and a tremendous pressure from a Foundation Establishment cultivator erupted. He wanted to stop this farce before Xu Lin was defeated!

Under the pressure, Xu Lin regained his senses and realized that he had acted impulsively. He snorted coldly, "Uncle Xu is right, so I will not argue with you!"

"Oh?"

However, at the very moment the old man set off.

With hair as black as ink and a long sword as swift as water, a striking splash of color gracefully landed before the old man.

Mao Qingzhu's black hair was loosely tied up with a plain white jade hairpin, with a few strands falling down her cheeks. She wore a simple and elegant blue dress.

But his phoenix eyes were sharp and resolute, and his sword was pointed directly at the old man:
"In literature, there is no first place; in martial arts, there is no second. Since we are going to have a contest, we must find a winner. If you want to maintain peace, then those who know they are no match should simply admit defeat."

She smiled faintly, her tone gentle, but her sword intent lingered, and she did not retreat even half a step.

The old man's face darkened. He hadn't expected that this little girl from the Mao family would dare to block him to his face!
But... but I'm still no match for him.

If it weren't for my declining health, why would I have to become a protector of a junior?
In this brief stalemate, the outcome of the game had already been decided.

"Not going to dance anymore? Then you might as well die."

Chen Ye said softly,
Those dozens of strands of Geng metal energy instantly merged into one, transforming into a golden sword that struck Xu Lin's wrist as he held the sword!
"what--!"

Xu Lin screamed in agony as he lost his grip on the longsword, which clattered to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, the golden sword hovered steadily three inches in front of his brow!
The chilling sword energy cut into his brow, causing a sharp pain!
"me……"

Xu Lin collapsed to the ground, his body already soaked in cold sweat. Looking at the Geng metal energy in front of him, he felt as if his soul had been scattered, and he couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

“You just said that adults don’t hold grudges against children, but children should at least know they’re wrong. Now…”

Chen Ye slowly walked up to Xu Lin, looking down at him with a cold smile playing on his lips:

Do you realize you were wrong?

Xu Lin clutched his blood-soaked wrist; the pain, fear, and depletion of his spiritual energy nearly made his vision go black.

He couldn't help but glance around.

In his blurry vision, the Xu family cultivators were already blocked by a slender figure, and no one could save him anymore.

"what!"

The next moment, the Geng metal energy advanced another step.

His brow was torn open, and blood blurred his vision.

Xu Lin let out a miserable howl. Overwhelmed by the fear of death, he disregarded everything else. Tears streamed down his face as he frantically kowtowed on the ground, begging for mercy incoherently.

"Deacon Chen... no, Senior Chen! I was wrong! I was blind to your greatness! I beg you... I beg you to forgive my mistake and spare my life!"

His pleas for mercy were like a slap in the face to everyone.

Even Xu Qingsong, who was usually extremely composed, couldn't save face for a moment and gritted his teeth, saying:
"Fool! You've disgraced the Xu family!"

Seemingly in an attempt to make amends, another cultivator from the Xu family also shouted out sharply:
"Xu Lin, do you really think he dares to kill you? Foolish! Young Master sees that you are not diligent in your cultivation and indulge in pleasure, ranking last among the disciples of my Xu family. That's why he wants Deacon Chen to teach you... Although Deacon Chen is ruthless, how can you beg for mercy?"

Come on.

The Xu family always has an endless supply of excuses.

No wonder Sister Qingzhu has been cultivating in seclusion in Shenwu Valley; she must have long been accustomed to these kinds of faces.

Chen Ye smiled slightly: "So, the cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining is the weakest cultivator in the Xu family... In that case, how about you all come at me together?"

Chen Ye is least afraid of being ganged up on!

Since advancing to the ninth level of Qi Refining, he has been able to unleash his immense spiritual power with Geng Metal Qi, enabling him to fight against many opponents with few, and with the assistance of the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique... dealing with several cultivators whose cultivation level is lower than his own is a piece of cake!

　Thank you to Zhiyinyun for the 100 coins!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)