“A name is just a title, Master Qi, you don’t need to care too much about it. We have a better way to prove it.” Ye Yunchuan took out a jade-like object and said to the others, “This is a kinship stone. Put a drop of blood from each of the two people on this kinship stone. If the stone changes color, it means that the two people are related by blood. The darker the color, the deeper the blood bond.”
Qi Zhiheng didn't intend to brush it off with a random excuse: "Forget about the kinship stone. Even if Han Yuan is a descendant of Master Ye Dan, it's not a big deal. I remember there are many disciples from other families in the sect. Our Lu Shen Sect is inclusive and won't be biased just because a disciple is from another family. Placing someone in the Lu Shen Sect will never bury your descendants." These words indirectly acknowledged that Ye Han Yuan and Ye Yun Chuan were related by blood.
"Master Qi is joking. I will personally teach the members of our Ye family. There is no need to trouble the Slaughtering God Sect to help teach them." This statement was somewhat divisive. The idea that the Slaughtering God Sect would help teach them meant that they would still be members of the Ye family in the future, and that the sect was willing to train alchemists for the Ye family.
Ye Yunchuan had no choice but to avoid saying that Ye Hanyuan was a member of the Shenmu Sect. He could only say it in the name of the family. If Ye Hanyuan were placed in the position of the Shenmu Sect, how would he explain that someone from the Shenmu Sect had been a disciple of the Lushen Sect for several years? If he was indeed a spy who had gathered information about the sect's internal affairs and then returned, the Lushen Sect would certainly not allow the spy to go back.
Now, things haven't gone too far yet. He also realized that Qi Zhiheng's attitude was very important. If Qi Zhiheng let go, then Ye Hanyuan would have a better chance of being taken away by him.
He originally thought there would be no surprises. He only wanted one person, and that person was from the Ye family. Who knew that Qi Zhiheng would have such an attitude? How dare a mere Golden Core cultivator defy him? In his opinion, Qi Zhiheng should have rushed to deliver the person to him.
"Han Yuan is my disciple, how can you say it's a burden? Besides, Han Yuan has already completed all the sect's tasks for the next two years, making significant contributions to the sect. I'm happy to spend any amount of resources on such a disciple!" Qi Zhiheng said, giving Ye Han Yuan an appreciative smile. He was indirectly telling him that even if Ye Han Yuan leaves the Lu Shen Sect in the future, the tasks he completed within the sect alone would offset the resources spent on his training.
Ye Hanyuan humbly replied, "Master, you flatter me. As a member of the Slaughtering God Sect, this is what we disciples should do."
Que Hanhai raised an eyebrow, indicating that everyone's attitude was quite clear.
Ye Xuan was extremely anxious, but as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he knew that no one here was someone he could easily provoke.
Ye Yunchuan thought that if he could persuade Ye Hanyuan, a rift would inevitably form between the two, master and disciple. So he turned his attention to Ye Hanyuan and said, "You are a descendant of the Ye family. If you come back with me, I will personally teach you and give you more resources." Ye Hanyuan had defied him so much; it was impossible for him to personally teach him. If he initially wanted to bring him back because he saw some talent, his insistence on taking him back now stemmed from a grudge. These people had disrespected him; if he took them back, he would simply leave them to fend for themselves.
Although Ye Hanyuan didn't know what the other party was thinking, he didn't believe that Ye Yunchuan's personal instruction could compare to Qi Zhiheng's. The resources he had obtained in the Ye family were only a tiny fraction of what he had received from Qi Zhiheng. Ye Yunchuan had miscalculated if he thought he could lure him with resources.
Ye Hanyuan also generously acknowledged his identity as a member of the Ye family: "Thank you for your kindness, ancestors. The old grudges between your descendants and stepfather are probably difficult to resolve in a short time. At present, your descendants do not have much energy to think about things other than alchemy. They only want to concentrate on learning alchemy. The Slaughtering God Sect is the best place for them. Therefore, it is inconvenient for them to return to the Ye family with their ancestors."
Ye Yunchuan was aware of the intricacies involved, but he didn't seem to care: "We're all family, what grudge can't last overnight? Just come back with me, and I'll naturally make Hongkun let go of his prejudices."
Qi Zhiheng interjected, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. If grudges could be resolved so easily, why didn't anyone investigate the truth when Han Yuan had his accident? If the Ye family had investigated the truth more fairly, Han Yuan wouldn't have gone unnoticed for so many years. Since Master Ye has spoken, then I'd like to ask, if Han Yuan returns to the Ye family, how will the Ye family handle the matter from back then? As far as I know, Han Yuan suffered severe damage to both his spiritual root and his sea of consciousness back then."
"It's just a minor dispute between disciples. The people involved are all dead. Isn't that enough?" Ye Yunchuan frowned. Why should he bring up this old story again?
Qi Zhiheng laughed and said, "Dispute? Hearing what Master Ye said, it means that what happened later was not thoroughly investigated at all? My second disciple experienced more than just a dispute. Clearly, someone had ulterior motives and wanted to kill him!"
"Master Qi, don't go too far! My brother has already passed away, so why do you have to make up stories about him like this!" Ye Xuanwei's heart skipped a beat. If this were to be investigated, he wouldn't be able to escape the consequences either.
Qi Zhiheng glanced at Ye Xuanwei with a hint of sarcasm: "Your brother is gone, but you're still here, aren't you? You were there at the time, don't you know what happened? Didn't you participate? How can you prove this wasn't a scheme devised by you brothers?"
His words left Ye Xuanwei speechless, and he could only stammer, "Back then... back then it was just a small conflict between my brothers. Ye Xuanwei killed my brother, so can't we seriously injure him?"
Qi Zhiheng raised his hand to interrupt, saying, "You don't need to talk to me about this nonsense. You should talk to Master Ye and ask him if he believes your nonsense." He had no interest in listening to this kid's rambling.
After saying that, he turned to Ye Yunchuan and said, "And Master Ye, knowing that my disciple has a feud with your descendant, what is the meaning of bringing him here? Provocation? I think Master Ye's so-called sincerity is completely lacking. You should at least have tied this person up."
Ye Yunchuan, holding his breath, glanced at Que Hanhai beside him and suppressed his anger, saying, "The grudges from a few years ago cannot be resolved in a short time. As for Ye Xuanwei's matter, it was indeed my oversight."
Seeing him suppress his anger, Qi Zhiheng found it amusing. He was merely speaking the truth; did this man think he had something to hold back? He looked at Ye Yunchuan dismissively and said, "Master Ye is focused on cultivation and alchemy, so it's understandable that he's ignorant of worldly affairs. But if Master Ye takes Han Yuan back, how will he treat him? Will the events of that year be thoroughly investigated? Will Han Yuan be exonerated after bearing the stigma of fratricide for so many years? Will Ye Xuanwei and those who committed the crime together receive their due punishment? And what will that punishment be? Since those people destroyed Han Yuan's cultivation and consciousness, we can simply retaliate in kind. There's no need for further punishment."
"Master Qi is being too hasty. The matter from back then hasn't been investigated thoroughly yet. How can you arbitrarily punish these people? Once Xuanqing returns, I will definitely order a thorough investigation and give Xuanqing an explanation. Besides, Xuanqing is fine now, isn't he? We're all brothers, why ruin our harmony?" How could Ye Yunchuan agree to punish those people? They were all his Ye family's bloodline. To cripple so many descendants for the sake of one bloodline was naturally not worthwhile. He could only deal with Qi Zhiheng for now.
Qi Zhiheng sneered: "Since you haven't found out about Master Man Ye yet, go back and find out before you come back. Who knows if my disciple will be accused of another crime after he goes back with you? Who knows who will be punished then?"
"Does Master Qi mean you don't believe I will investigate this matter fairly and thoroughly?" Ye Yunchuan's tone was displeased.
Qi Zhiheng smiled faintly and denied it, saying, "No, Master Ye, I naturally believe that you will investigate this matter fairly and impartially. However, judging from your performance just now, you seem to be somewhat naive. I am afraid that you may be fooled by some treacherous and unscrupulous people. Why don't you go back and find out the whole story first, and once you can clear my disciple's name, we can discuss whether Han Yuan should return or not?"
Que Hanhai spoke up at the opportune moment: "That makes sense. It's best to investigate this matter thoroughly first. Only five years have passed, so it shouldn't be too difficult to investigate it completely." At this point, Qi Zhiheng clearly had the upper hand, so Que Hanhai made his stance clear.
Ye Xuanwei was seething with anger and wanted to shout, "Does Ye Xuanqing, that little bastard, deserve all this trouble?!"
However, he couldn't say much after all. Otherwise, if he opened his mouth, those present would not only not listen to him, but would also use his past involvement as an excuse to ask Ye Yunchuan to punish him. In front of these people, Ye Yunchuan might actually punish him to save face, which was something he didn't want to see.
Ye Yunchuan couldn't think of a way to deal with it, so he didn't answer their questions directly. Instead, he turned to Ye Hanyuan and said, "Xuanwei, tell me what you mean? As long as you are willing to go back with me, I will thoroughly investigate this matter and give you justice. I will also personally teach you and give you the best resources in the future."
Ye Hanyuan said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Hanyuan thinks it would be best for Ancestor to go back and investigate the matter before coming back. If it turns out that the disciple is wrong, the disciple will have no face to return to the Ye family."
That's a shameless statement. If the blame were on him, he would never go back. So no matter how much Ye Yunchuan investigates, the fault cannot be Ye Hanyuan's, otherwise there's no point in discussing it.
Ye Yunchuan slammed his hand on the table, his tone somewhat sinister, and said, "Don't regret your decision today!"
Ye Hanyuan calmly replied, "I, Ye Hanyuan, will never regret my decision today!"
Ye Yunchuan was almost laughing in anger: "Fine! Fine! I'd like to see what kind of achievements you can make by following a Golden Core cultivator!" He then glared fiercely at Qi Zhiheng. Ye Hanyuan's refusal to leave with him for a Golden Core cultivator was a blatant insult to Ye Yunchuan. The fact that Que Hanhai, who hadn't objected at all, had already made his stance clear: if bribery didn't work, he wouldn't resort to force on the territory of the Slaughtering God Sect.
"Then please wait and see, ancestors." With his master's support, Ye Hanyuan straightened his back and spoke with great confidence.
After calming himself down, he bid farewell to Que Hanhai and left.
Ye Xuanwei, as the culprit in this incident, remained as quiet as a chicken, not daring to provoke Ye Yunchuan's brow, swallowing all his resentment.
Qi Zhiheng looked at the two who had left, stood up and said to Que Hanhai and Tang Min, "Sect Master, Peak Master, since our distinguished guests have left, shall we, master and disciple, also take our leave?"
Que Hanhai smiled leisurely and said, "I didn't expect you to be so eloquent."
Qi Zhiheng humbly replied, "Sect Master, you flatter me. The reason I am so eloquent is simply because I am in the right and the fault does not lie with me. Naturally, I should have a way to deal with it."
Que Hanhai said, "I suppose Master Ye won't go to any more trouble for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. This matter should be settled now. I understand your attitude, master and disciple. As long as they are loyal to the sect, our sect will resolutely protect them!"
Qi Zhiheng bowed and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Sect Master! Rest assured, my disciple's talent is exceptional. I will definitely train him to become a Level 3 Alchemist with a little effort, and a Level 4 Alchemist is not out of the question!"
Que Hanhai laughed heartily: "You have ambition, then I'll be watching closely."
Qi Zhiheng took this opportunity to tell Que Hanhai about the pills he had sent out: "Sect Master, I sent you a lot of pills for your birthday. Please take them. They can clear impurities and should be of some benefit to your health."
Que Hanhai hadn't paid much attention to the fourth-level pills before, but after hearing what Qi Zhiheng said, he took it to heart: "I'll go and take a look in a bit."
Qi Zhiheng called Tang Min, and the three of them returned to Danfeng together.
Ye Hanyuan's identity has been made public, and she will no longer be treated as a spy in the future.
Two days later, the cultivators of the Divine Wood Sect left the Slaughtering God Sect.
Ye Hanyuan started refining his soul power and spiritual power again, and Qi Zhiheng was just waiting for this guy to be able to refine level three power when he was in the Foundation Establishment stage.
As for his eldest disciple Rong Gu, Qi Zhiheng knew that his talent was not as good as Ye Hanyuan's, and that it was not appropriate to work in isolation. So he let the two of them use the same alchemy room so that they could discuss any problems together.
Thus, Qi Zhiheng's alchemy room effectively became three.
Immediately following was the start of the alchemy lecture.
Qi Zhiheng has already offended the Shenmu Sect this time. It's unknown whether his actions will cause the Shenmu Sect to take their anger out on the Lushen Sect. The Lushen Sect and the Shenmu Sect still maintain a considerable amount of trading relations. It would be bad if he really caused the sect to lose its source of pills. Therefore, it is necessary to teach the sect's alchemists to a higher level. At least these alchemists can refine more pills to solve the sect's urgent needs when it is short of pills.
Of course, if the Shenmu Sect is not as narrow-minded as Qi Zhiheng thinks, then consider it his apology for causing trouble for the sect this time.
Regarding the lecture hall, Qi Zhiheng had heard some rules, namely that alchemists from the sect could come and watch the alchemists discuss the Dao of Alchemy.
Qi Zhiheng approached Tang Min and offered some suggestions: "Peak Master Tang, your suggestion is good, but I think we can further subdivide it. This part should ideally focus on breaking through the threshold of alchemy. For example, the threshold for a second-level alchemist to become a third-level alchemist."
Tang Min's eyes lit up: "Zhiheng, are you planning to personally teach these people?"
Qi Zhiheng smiled awkwardly: "Peak Master Tang, if I were to teach them, it would be a bit presumptuous of me to be a disciple."
Tang Min disagreed with his statement: "Your alchemy skills are far superior to mine, how can you say that you are misleading students?"
Qi Zhiheng spoke from the heart. He sighed and said, "Peak Master Tang, you probably don't know, but although I am an alchemist, I did not attain enlightenment through alchemy."
"You didn't actually achieve enlightenment through alchemy!" Tang Min was utterly shocked! He had always thought that Qi Zhiheng's alchemy skills were so strong that he must have a high level of expertise in alchemy. Now, Qi Zhiheng was telling him that he didn't achieve enlightenment through alchemy!
Qi Zhiheng said, "I did not enter the Dao through alchemy. The best time for a second-level alchemist to enter the Dao is when they begin to comprehend a third-level alchemist. I was thinking that it would be best to find an alchemist who entered the Dao through alchemy to teach them how to enter the Dao. In this way, these alchemists will have fewer bottlenecks in their future cultivation."
Once you've entered the Dao through alchemy, alchemy becomes equivalent to cultivation, unlike lower-level alchemists who still need to meditate and cultivate after alchemy.
“Actually, there’s no rush to enter the Dao when you’ve reached the level of level three after reaching level two. I only entered the Dao when I was a level four alchemist, so it’s fine for you to teach a level two peak alchemist.” Tang Min felt that Qi Zhiheng was able to teach two alchemists like Rong Gu and Ye Hanyuan in such a short time, so he must have the ability to teach others.
Qi Zhiheng said, "I can only teach the more basic things, but I know nothing about how to enter the Dao of Alchemy. I have someone in mind to teach me."
Tang Min became interested: "Who's the candidate?"
Qi Zhiheng said, "My grandfather, Qi Dong. Although my grandfather is a Golden Core cultivator, he can now refine top-grade pills of the fourth level. Moreover, he entered the Dao of Alchemy when he broke through from the second-level Alchemist to the third level. It would be perfect for him to teach. Of course, if the Peak Master has other candidates, you can certainly suggest them."
"I have no objection. We'll discuss this with him tomorrow." Tang Min had no objection whatsoever. He greatly admired Qi Dong, and Qi Dong frequently visited Dan Peak, so many alchemists knew him. It would be easier for Qi Dong to accept Qi Zhiheng than for Qi Dong to accept Qi Zhiheng. For one thing, Qi Dong was older, while Qi Zhiheng was too young. Many people knew that he could refine level four pills, but only a few peak masters knew about specific details, such as his ability to refine ten top-grade pills in one batch. His young age would give other alchemists the impression that he was "a greenhorn who can't handle things."
Soon, Tang Min discussed the matter with Qi Dong, and Qi Dong agreed.
The announcement of the alchemy lecture series caused a huge stir in Danfeng. It is well known that many alchemists are very protective of their knowledge, and some precious alchemy materials are not even passed on to their disciples.
Now that they have this opportunity, even if they only hear some basics, all the alchemists are happy to learn from the alchemy experience of a fourth-level alchemist.
Qi Zhiheng's lecture was placed directly in the first round. When this was announced, it sparked a heated discussion.
"Who is Qi Zhiheng, a Nascent Soul cultivator? I've never heard of him before."
"You don't know? Qi Zhiheng is the alchemist who confiscated more than a hundred disciples."
"What? Isn't that a Golden Core cultivator? Isn't this alchemy lecture supposed to be given by a Level 4 alchemist? Don't tell me he can refine Level 4 pills across levels, that's no joke."
"How do you know that someone can't refine level four pills across levels? I heard from a whistle that Qi Zhiheng is indeed a level four alchemist. There was a very popular alchemist before, I think his surname was Ye, who could also refine pills across levels. However, he refined level two pills when he was in the Qi Refining stage, but soon broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage. This alchemist who could refine pills across levels was Qi Zhiheng's apprentice."
"Such a leap in cultivation level is nothing special. If I were at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, I might be able to refine level two pills as well."
"Keep bragging. Back when you were at the peak of Qi Refining, you couldn't even refine a level one pill properly. You want to advance to the next level? I know your character too well."
"How can that be the same? I didn't have a master to teach me back then. Although I was accepted into the sect by my master, he didn't really care about us before I reached the Foundation Establishment stage. If I could be taught alchemy by someone like that guy surnamed Ye, maybe I could have skipped a stage."
That's what they say, but the reality is that most disciples who haven't reached the Foundation Establishment stage are rarely taught by their masters. It's only after they've reached the Foundation Establishment stage and become legitimate disciples that their masters begin to teach them.
Most people expressed doubts about Qi Zhiheng's alchemy skills, and whether he was actually an alchemist was also brought up.
All of this continued until the day the lectures began.
Many people crave novelty, and even though Qi Zhiheng is only at the Golden Core stage, or even just a level three alchemist, many are still willing to attend his lectures.
Qi Zhiheng walked up to the podium and looked at the crowd below.
Seating at this lecture hall is limited, as alchemy furnaces need to be set up for alchemy, and people need to maintain a certain distance from each other. In addition, each seat is equipped with an array to prevent one's furnace from exploding and affecting the alchemy of those around them.
Qi Zhiheng's first class was so popular that all 500 seats were filled, and many people had to apply to audit the class. Auditing allowed them to hear the lecture, but they couldn't practice along with the students.
Qi Zhiheng looked at the people in the seats below, then at the disciples sitting on the ground around the perimeter, and said, "I know many people are wondering, isn't this lecture platform for fourth-level alchemists? How can someone like me, a Golden Core cultivator, be worthy of standing here?"
Qi Zhiheng's words voiced the doubts in many people's hearts. Not many people knew that Qi Zhiheng was a fourth-level alchemist, and they all remained silent, waiting for Qi Zhiheng's explanation.
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