Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 124 A Body of Cattle and Horses, Leveling Up!
"court death!"

Li Qingyan let out a fierce shout, and his body shone with a bright blood-red light as he tried to break free from his restraints.

But Chen Ye had anticipated this.

He never expected to be able to completely subdue a Blood Lotus Sect disciple with just one hand, even if the opponent was already defeated and injured.

Therefore, at the very moment Li Qingyan's spiritual power surged, Chen Ye's eyes suddenly changed, becoming incredibly deep.

When the singing begins, a pavilion rises from the ground; when the water sleeves fall, a magical sea appears out of thin air.

The Mirage Court Musician's talent—Perfect Illusion Play—is activated!

hum!
Li Qingyan felt everything in front of her instantly distort and stretch, the walls of the room flowed like melting candles, and Chen Ye's face, which was so close to hers, turned into countless bizarre and colorful blocks.

The next second, the scene before my eyes re-coalesced.

She found herself standing in the familiar training ground of the Blood Lotus Sect, surrounded by the gazes of countless fellow disciples, filled with mockery, pity, and schadenfreude.

On the high platform, her senior brother Wang Chen was embracing Lin Meng, her most hated enemy, looking down at her with eyes full of contempt and disdain.

"Junior Sister Li, you lost. You're a piece of trash. You should act like a piece of trash."

"Hehehe, Li Qingyan, didn't you pride yourself on being a favored daughter of heaven? Why are you crawling on the ground like a dog now?"

Wang Chen and Lin Meng's mocking laughter was like the most vicious curse, tearing at her heart with every single word.

The scene was so real, and the humiliation and pain of being deceived were so profound that her very soul trembled.

"No...this isn't real! It's an illusion!" Li Qingyan screamed as she tried to break free.

But the scene can change again.

This time, she saw the deepest desire in her heart.

She succeeded. Using the technique of absorbing yang energy to replenish yin, she drained the life force of one powerful male cultivator after another, and her cultivation level increased by leaps and bounds, her strength skyrocketing.

She returned to the Blood Lotus Sect and trampled Wang Chen, Lin Meng, and all those who had looked down on her underfoot, listening to their desperate cries and savoring the thrill of revenge.

She even ascended to the position of sect leader, overlooking the entire sect and enjoying supreme power and glory.

The allure of ultimate power and influence almost completely succumbed to her charms.

However, just as she stood at the pinnacle of power, ready to enjoy the fruits of her victory...

Chen Ye suddenly appeared in front of her throne.

He was still dressed as a criminal, but his eyes were as indifferent as if he were looking at an ant.

He simply extended a finger and pointed it at her from afar.

"broken."

In an instant, Li Qingyan felt that everything he had worked so hard to obtain—his vast and boundless cultivation and his supreme power—shattered and vanished like a mirage.

She reverted to being the down-on-her-luck disciple who had been banished to Blackwater Lake, whose cultivation had been severely damaged, and who was now vulnerable to bullying by everyone.

The extreme contrast between heaven and hell instantly shattered all her defenses.

"Do not!!!"

She let out a piercing scream, her mental defenses completely collapsing.

It's now!

With a thought, Chen Ye used another skill of the Mirage Court Musician.

[Trial of the Loyal Martyrs]!
Within the illusion, the winds and clouds shifted dramatically.

The space around Li Qingyan transformed into a blood-red inferno, with countless wronged souls of the Tanka people she had tortured and killed crawling out from the ground.

Some of them were skinned alive, their bodies a bloody mess; some had their tendons pulled out, their bodies twisted into bizarre shapes; some were turned into blood lamps, leaving only a pair of eyes filled with resentment.

These wronged souls transformed into vengeful ghosts, letting out silent howls, and swarmed forward, surrounding her completely.

The icy hand pierced through her body, tearing at her soul with madness.

The pain and despair that the criminals endured before their deaths were magnified a hundredfold and were all applied to her!

“Ahhhhh——!”

Li Qingyan's soul wailed in extreme pain, her will was torn apart and ground down bit by bit, and finally turned into a blank.

In that instant, Chen Ye used the power of his Illusionary Art to silently plant an indelible mark of enslavement deep within her soul.

This brand, like a maggot clinging to her bone, is inextricably linked to her life, death, and soul.

After doing all this, Chen Ye let go of her hand.

The illusion receded like the tide.

"Huff... Huff... Ha..."

Li Qingyan was drenched in sweat, and collapsed to the ground as if he had just been pulled out of the water, panting heavily.

She stared blankly at the expressionless man before her, her eyes filled only with the deepest fear from the depths of her soul.

Chen Ye didn't speak, but just looked at her quietly, as if admiring a newly completed work of art.

Li Qingyan struggled, instinctively trying to mobilize the last of her spiritual energy to resist.

But as soon as the thought arose, a heart-wrenching pain came from the brand deep in her soul, as if her entire soul would be torn to pieces if she dared to be disrespectful in the slightest!
At this moment, Chen Ye spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"From this moment on, I am your master, do you understand?"

Owner?

Upon hearing those words, Li Qingyan's face instantly flushed red, and a sense of humiliation erupted like a volcano.

How could she, a proud inner disciple of the Blood Lotus Sect and a future figure of great influence, possibly acknowledge a filthy criminal as her master?

"What...what did you do to me?" She endured the excruciating pain in her soul, gritting her teeth, trying to make a final struggle. "I have a secret tracking technique left by the sect on me. If you kill me, you won't survive either!"

Chen Ye saw through her bluster and said calmly, "I didn't kill you, nor do I intend to. I just left a little something in your soul."

Chen Ye didn't really intend to kill her. Although she had lost power in the internal strife of her sect and was ignored by everyone, she was still a disciple of the Blood Lotus Sect. Therefore, if she died, it would inevitably attract the attention of the Blood Lotus Sect, and he would be very likely to be exposed.

Most importantly, keeping her alive is more useful than killing her; she might even be a stepping stone for his future advancement.

"Of course, you can disagree, so you can try now and see if you can tell others what just happened."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan felt a chill run down his spine, and immediately began to visualize the jade slip used for emergency communications within his sect.

However, the moment this thought took shape, the imprint deep within his soul suddenly erupted!
A terrifying urge surged through her, making her want to end her life immediately and tear her soul to shreds!
That feeling is more terrifying than death!
"Uh!"

Li Qingyan was so frightened that her face turned ashen, and she quickly forced herself to stop all thoughts.

The urge to self-destruct slowly subsided, but the lingering fear of death still made her tremble uncontrollably, and cold sweat instantly soaked through her clothes.

She finally realized that her life and death truly depended on this man's single thought.

despair.

Utter despair.

Because resistance means death, and so does pleading for help.

The methods this man possessed were beyond her comprehension.

Everything she was so proud of—her cultivation, her status, her cunning—was as fragile as a sheet of paper in front of this man.

The harsh reality forced her to lower her once proud head.

Li Qingyan struggled to get up from the ground, straightened her disheveled red dress, and then knelt down again.

"This servant, Li Qingyan, greets...Master."

His voice trembled, each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with undisguised humiliation.

Chen Ye looked down at her, then suddenly reached out and pinched her smooth chin, lifting her face up.

Li Qingyan dared not resist, nor even look him in the eye, and could only let Chen Ye do as he pleased.

This intense, almost humiliating feeling, like that of a plaything, made her nose sting, her eyes instantly redden, and two lines of tears welled up in her eyes, but she forcibly held them back, not daring to let them fall.

Seeing her humiliated and terrified expression, yet still trying to appear calm, Chen Ye suddenly laughed.

He let go.

Li Qingyan felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and only then did he dare to breathe heavily.

"Get up," Chen Ye said calmly.

"yes……."

"Tomorrow morning, go to the dock and announce that the daily quota of Spirit Pearls paid by all sinners will be restored to its original value."

Li Qingyan was stunned. She had imagined countless possibilities, but she never expected that the first order this man gave after becoming her master would be this.

But she dared not hesitate for a moment and immediately bowed her head and replied, "Yes, Master."

Chen Ye said no more, turned around and walked out of the room, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

Only after he left did Li Qingyan dare to get up from the ground. She rushed to the basin and frantically washed her face with cold water over and over again, as if trying to erase the scene of kneeling on the ground and having her chin lifted from her memory. But that humiliating image was like a brand, impossible to forget.

At the same time, a deep sense of doubt and fear arose in her heart.

Who is this man...?
Why does a criminal possess such terrifying mental magic and a monstrous physical body far exceeding that of ordinary people?
What is his purpose in lurking in Blackwater Lake, a place teeming with criminals?
Could it be... an undercover agent sent by a rival sect?
The more Li Qingyan thought about it, the more terrified he became, and a chill ran down his spine.

But for some reason, amidst this extreme fear and humiliation, a faint glimmer of excitement and anticipation rose from the deepest recesses of her heart—an excitement she herself was unwilling to admit.

The Blood Lotus Sect's motto is the survival of the fittest, where the strong are respected.

Her personality is also extremely strong-willed.

Being completely conquered by such a mysterious and powerful man in such a domineering way, while incredibly humiliating, also gave her a morbid sense of pleasure.

The next morning, before dawn, the Blackwater Lake pier was already packed with people.

Despair and deathly silence filled the air, and every criminal wore a numb resignation on their face, preparing for another day of their drudgery.

Just then, Li Qingyan, dressed in a red dress, appeared on the high platform.

She remained as cold and aloof as ever, but a barely perceptible hint of humiliation lurked deep within her eyes.

All eyes were on her, filled with unease, wondering what new tricks this female devil would come up with to torment them today.

Under the astonished and uncertain gazes of all the criminals, Li Qingyan finally spoke, his cold voice echoing throughout the entire dock.

"From today onwards, the daily Spirit Orb quota will revert to the old system. Those who failed to complete the task previously will not be held accountable."

Upon hearing this, the entire dock fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone thought they heard wrong.

A few breaths later, a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd.

"What? The old system has been restored?"

"Oh my god! Am I dreaming?!"

"Thank you, sir! Thank you for your kindness!"

Many criminals knelt down excitedly, kowtowing frantically to Li Qingyan on the high platform, tears streaming down their faces.

This ruthless female demon who killed without blinking an eye just a few days ago has suddenly become merciful?

It's like the sun is rising from the west!

Li Qingyan ignored the overwhelming gratitude and even found it somewhat jarring.

Her gaze involuntarily swept across the crowd and landed on Chen Ye at the end of the line.

He stood there, calm, showing neither excitement nor elation, as if none of this concerned him.

Li Qingyan's heart trembled, and he dared not look any longer. He hurriedly looked away and turned to leave.

That evening, Chen Ye visited Li Qingyan's residence again.

This time, he didn't even knock; he just pushed the door open and walked in, as if it were his own home.

Li Qingyan was already waiting inside. When he saw him arrive, he lowered his head in humiliation, not daring to look him in the eye.

Chen Ye didn't stand on ceremony with her. "Prepare some wine and meat for me. I want to eat."

Li Qingyan dared not disobey and turned to do so, but Chen Ye said again, "What I want is not ordinary wine and meat, but food specially supplied by your Blood Lotus Sect."

Li Qingyan was taken aback upon hearing this.

The Blood Lotus Sect naturally has specially supplied food, and it is diverse and of excellent quality.

However, these foods cost money, and not just ordinary money, but very precious sect contribution points.

Therefore, even though he was a disciple of the Blood Lotus Sect, Li Qingyan usually couldn't bear to eat it, and would only grit his teeth and buy a portion when he encountered a bottleneck in his studies.

She was somewhat taken aback when Chen Ye suddenly asked for this special food.

Chen Ye said calmly, "What? Is there a problem?"

Li Qingyan trembled and hurriedly shook his head, "No...no problem."

As she spoke, she opened a jade slip from her sect that was used specifically for selecting ingredients, and with a pained expression, she chose some wine and meat.

"Not enough, bring more." Chen Ye was somewhat dissatisfied with her stinginess and urged her directly.

Li Qingyan was on the verge of tears, but could only order a lot more.

"When will it be delivered?" Chen Ye asked after Li Qingyan finished ordering.

"Soon." Li Qingyan said somewhat dejectedly, clearly distressed about his dwindling sect contribution points.

Indeed, it was very fast. In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a streak of blood-red light flew across the sky and stopped in front of Li Qingyan.

This was clearly a cargo flying sword, loaded with the ingredients ordered this time.

After Li Qingyan took the item down, the flying sword turned around and flew away automatically, without any human intervention.

Chen Ye looked on in surprise.

Is the Blood Lotus Sect's logistics system so advanced that they actually use flying swords to transport goods?

The key point is that this flying sword seems to have automatic navigation, which is truly amazing.

With the ingredients arrived, it was time to cook. Unexpectedly, Li Qingyan's cooking skills were quite good. Chen Ye had previously thought that someone like her would never lift a finger in the kitchen.

But now it seems that being a disciple of the Blood Lotus Sect is actually quite miserable, because resources are limited, so you have to do many things yourself in order to reduce losses.

Soon, an outrageously lavish dinner was served.

The grilled meat sizzled with a magical aura, the delicious fish soup was fragrant, and the amber-colored spirit wine exuded an intoxicating aroma.

Chen Ye sat in the main seat with an air of authority and began to eat heartily without any hesitation.

Li Qingyan, however, was like a humble maid, dressed in a gorgeous red dress, standing respectfully to the side, serving food and wine to Chen Ye, without even the right to sit down.

The stark contrast in their social status made her feel as if her dignity was being torn apart piece by piece and then roasted on a fire.

Tears welled up in my eyes several times, but I managed to hold them back.

patience!
We must be patient!
Chen Ye, however, seemed not to notice her expression and continued eating as if nothing had happened.

As he consumed a large amount of flesh and blood containing pure energy, he felt his blood and qi surging at an unprecedented speed.

A surge of intense heat coursed through his limbs and bones, nourishing every inch of his muscles and flesh.

At the same time, the Tanka people's natural talent of being as strong as cattle and horses was also brought to its extreme at this moment!
After all, this body hadn't eaten anything good since arriving at Blackwater Lake. Now, faced with such a sumptuous meal, this beastly body went completely mad, absorbing every bit of nutrition it could get its hands on.

Li Qingyan, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded.

She had never seen such a terrifying amount of food!

That's ten catties of century-old fire rhinoceros meat, two green-eyed spirit fish, and a peck of green jade spirit rice!
Even martial arts cultivators who specialize in physical training couldn't eat this much in one meal!

But the man in front of them was like a bottomless pit, devouring all the wine and meat in a whirlwind, leaving not even a drop of soup.

What alarmed her even more was that as Chen Ye ate, she could clearly feel that the fluctuations of his qi and blood were rising at an unbelievable speed.

Just as Chen Ye finished drinking the last sip of spiritual wine, a series of prompts suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[The Tanka people's occupational level has been upgraded to LV3]

Chen Ye was somewhat taken aback.

No, it's already upgraded?

I don't think I did anything special.

You should know that since he transmigrated here, the Tanka profession has remained largely unchanged, and Chen Ye even thought that there was no room for advancement in this profession.

In retrospect, it seems that our previous guesses were wrong.

His animal-like body endowed him with an exceptionally strong digestive ability, which was the key to his survival in this cruel world, even when he was eating only coarse food.

But now that they have suddenly eaten so much food rich in spiritual energy, their ox-horse bodies are naturally working at full capacity, which has led to an increase in their professional level.

At this moment, Chen Ye opened the panel and checked the Tanka people's profession.

【Occupation: Tanka (lv3)】

[Talent: Cold Resistance, Body of an Ox or Horse]

[Skills: Diving Lv4, Spirit Clam Sensing Lv4]

Not only did my job level increase, but my diving and clam sensing skills also jumped two levels each.

Although the Tanka profession may not be as powerful as the Night Walker or the God-Seeing Master, Chen Ye knows that it is the foundation of his existence in this world. In particular, it is currently the only profession with dual talents, so its importance is self-evident.

So when he saw that he had improved, Chen Ye was naturally very happy.

However, Chen Ye did not reveal anything on the surface. Instead, he looked up at Li Qingyan and asked, "I need spirit pearls of grade seven or higher. Is there any way to get them?"

(End of this chapter)