Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 109: Chapter 109 Extorted

Ye Qingchen first greeted Xiao Xiao and Ye Ying, telling them he was going to the Sect Main Hall to exchange his token for an Inner Sect Disciple’s token. Xiao Xiao excitedly promised she would prepare a delicious welcome-back meal by the time he returned. Ye Qingchen affectionately patted Xiao Xiao’s hair, nodded at Ye Ying, and then headed toward the Sect Main Hall.

Perhaps Li Qingfeng gave special instructions. The process of exchanging his token went surprisingly smoothly, far exceeding his expectations. Ye Qingchen had originally thought he would have to go to great lengths to prove his identity, especially since the Apprentice Alchemist Conference had just ended. Instead, the moment he stated his name, the Elder in charge of the exchange handed him a brand-new Inner Sect Disciple Identity Token. The Elder then explained the activity areas for Inner Sect Disciples and other important rules. Once the explanation was complete, Ye Qingchen took his leave.

Looking at the token in his hand, even with his stoic temperament, Ye Qingchen couldn’t suppress a surge of joy. After so many days in closed-door cultivation, I’ve finally become an Inner Sect Disciple. Now I can enter Redflame Mountain and retrieve the Fen Tian Earth Fire. With its power, not only will my practice of the Pill Emperor’s Heart Sutra improve, but my own cultivation will undergo a world-shaking transformation.

Ye Qingchen started walking toward his small courtyard. The one he currently lived in was in the outer sect disciple area, a relatively remote part of the Qingyun Sect. However, now that he was an Inner Sect Disciple, the Elder had said he was eligible to claim a courtyard exclusive to his new status.

Just as Ye Qingchen was leaving the inner sect area, five men blocked his path. He glanced at their Identity Tokens and saw they were all Inner Sect Disciples. Knowing they were up to no good, Ye Qingchen immediately raised his guard, though his words were polite. ”Senior Brothers, is there something I can help you with?”

The leader of the group was a tall man with a sallow complexion, a telltale sign of debauchery. Hearing Ye Qingchen, he replied in a snide tone, ”You must be Ye Qingchen. I hear you won the Apprentice Alchemist Conference. We, your Senior Brothers, came specifically to congratulate you.”

Ye Qingchen offered a polite smile. ”Then I thank you for your kind intentions, Senior Brothers. I am an Inner Sect Disciple now as well, so I hope I can count on your guidance in the future.”

The sallow-faced man continued in his sneering voice, ”Of course, of course. We’re all disciples of the Qingyun Sect, so it’s only right that we look out for each other. But we Senior Brothers are busy with our own cultivation. We can look after you, but not for free. You understand, don’t you?”

At this, Ye Qingchen let his polite smile fall. It was obvious they were here to cause trouble. He discreetly used his Double Pupils to assess their strength. The leader was a third-level martial master, while the other four were first-level and second-level martial masters.

Yet Ye Qingchen felt no fear. Although his recent closed-door cultivation hadn’t resulted in a breakthrough, his control over his power had improved immensely. Even facing five opponents, he was confident he could escape unscathed. Besides, they were within the Qingyun Sect’s grounds. He doubted they would dare to make a fatal move.

With these thoughts, his tone turned cold. ”What are you implying, Senior Brothers?”

The sallow-faced man gave a disdainful sneer and retrieved several first-grade Spirit Pills from his storage ring. ”Junior Brother Ye Qingchen, here are a few top-grade Spirit Pills. I heard the Sect Master personally awarded you twenty Low-grade Spirit Stones at the conference. You can’t possibly hold onto a treasure like that with your current strength. Why not trade them to me? You’re going to be an Alchemist anyway. You can take these top-grade Spirit Pills back and study them. Who knows, it might even cause your Alchemy to improve by leaps and bounds! HAHAHA, when that happens, don’t forget to come back and thank your Senior Brother!”

With his discerning gaze, Ye Qingchen could tell at a glance that the pills in the man’s hand were not only the lowest first-grade Spirit Pills but also defective. A whole cartload of them wouldn’t be worth a single Low-grade Spirit Stone. And he wants to trade this trash for my twenty Low-grade Spirit Stones? Does he really think I’m an easy target?

Thinking this, Ye Qingchen let out a cold laugh. ”Your top-grade Spirit Pills are far too precious, Senior Brother. I wouldn’t dare accept them. You should keep them for yourself. If you ever get injured, they might just save your life!”

The sallow-faced man’s expression froze. He stared at Ye Qingchen with a sinister glint in his eyes. ”Brat, you dare curse me? It seems you’ve refused a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Let me tell you, you’re making this trade today, whether you like it or not!”

Ye Qingchen retorted with equal disdain, ”And what if I refuse?”

The leader waved a hand at his cronies. The other four men moved in sync, surrounding Ye Qingchen. The sallow-faced man stretched his mouth into a hideous grin and laughed gratingly. ”Refuse? Do you really think you’re in any position to negotiate with us?”

Ye Qingchen eyed the five men coldly, secretly using his Double Pupils to observe their weaknesses. They’re clearly here to make trouble. No matter what I do, a fight is unavoidable. He watched their smug expressions, seeing how they acted as if he were already their prey.

What they didn’t expect, however, was that Ye Qingchen was already prepared. Just as the sallow-faced man was mocking him, Ye Qingchen exploded into action. He instantly unleashed his Picking Leaf Hand, striking at one of the first-level martial masters. As a second-level martial master himself, Ye Qingchen had once used this very technique to defeat Li Susu, a third-level martial master. Furthermore, with the element of surprise now on his side, this first-level disciple stood no chance.

Before the disciple could even react, he was sent flying by the blow, landing heavily on the ground, unconscious. This was only because Ye Qingchen had held back. Otherwise, the disciple would have been killed on the spot. Ye Qingchen knew his limits. Fighting within the Sect might go unpunished, but outright murder was another matter entirely.

Seeing Ye Qingchen dare to strike first, the other four disciples were stunned for a moment before they erupted in angry curses and charged at him. However, Ye Qingchen’s movement technique was agile and enhanced by his Double Pupils. He was always able to deftly evade their attacks just as they were about to land, and he even found opportunities to strike back and inflict heavy damage. In a four-on-one fight, it was they who had fallen to a disadvantage