The protagonist stole my spiritual root? Hey, heroine, give birth to me!

"Elder Master, you mustn't do that! Let's not even talk about whether I can produce those herbs. Even if I could, what you're doing is too extreme. I'm afraid the Dongli Sect Master will hate you for the rest of his life!" Chen Xuan advised.

"Sigh, let her hate me. She'll understand later that I did all this for her own good!"

Qian Yunji looked righteous and awe-inspiring. If Chen Xuan hadn't seen a hint of lewdness in his eyes, he would have believed him.

"I regret that I cannot comply with the old sect leader's suggestion. Furthermore, although I am a plant-based cultivator, my cultivation level is ultimately too low. Even if I were to concoct the medicine, it would most likely be ineffective for Sect Leader Dongli, so..."

"Well, since that's the case, then I have nothing else to say to you. You may leave now, but you must not mention this matter to anyone else, understand?"

"Don't worry, old sect leader, I will keep my mouth shut!"

"Well, let's go."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan left immediately and returned to his cave.

Qian Yunji looked in the direction Chen Xuan left, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, but then he remembered that if Chen Xuan died, Tao Hua would be gone, so he suppressed his killing intent.

After it's all done, I'll imprison him. I can kill Chen Xuan when I'm close to ascending to immortality.

……

Not long after, the Flying Immortal Sect notified all its disciples that Sect Master Dongli would be holding a grand wedding in a week, and that she would be inviting everyone to attend! The notification was sent out now so that the disciples could prepare.

As for why outsiders weren't invited, it's because too many people outside know Yu Gang, and it could easily cause unnecessary trouble. So, it's best not to invite them.

Qingfeng Mountain, Hua Mengjie's side.

"The sect leader is getting married? Why now! The disciples can skip preparing gifts, but as the mountain lord, I have to give a grand gift. But right now, all my contribution points have been converted into peach blossoms..."

Hua Mengjie murmured to herself.

"Master, today when I went to the mission hall to exchange for items, why did the disciples there say that we had no contribution points left?" a disciple asked in confusion.

"Yes, Master, why is there something wrong with our monthly offerings this month? This never happened when Senior Brother Xingchen was around!"

"Don't mention that traitor! I get angry just hearing his name!" Mu Feng said.

"But... when my senior brother was around, he led us on missions, and our monthly allowance was quite substantial!"

"Yes, now that our senior brother is gone, not only are our missions harder to complete, but even the contribution points we earn from completing missions have vanished!"

Hua Mengjie lowered her head in shame.

For a moment, she completely forgot that this was the contribution points of everyone in Qingfeng Mountain, and now, she had squandered it all by herself...

"Yes, our senior brother also gives his monthly allowance to Su Yao and Mu Feng every month, so they definitely don't lack supplies now!"

"I disagreed with locking up our senior brother in the Black Prison back then, and now look what's happened! We've lost all our resources!"

"Hmph, he killed so many disciples of the sect, he should be locked up in the Black Prison!"

"That's right. Just because you don't have resources now doesn't mean you can deny that he harmed his fellow disciples. Maybe one day, when he makes his move on you..." Mu Feng said in a sinister tone.

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

"Master, I remember when you first received the contribution tokens, we had so many contribution points. Conservatively speaking, we could use them for 10 years. Why are our contribution points gone now? Did something go wrong with the Mission Hall? Should I go ask them again?"

“No need!” Hua Mengjie said.

"Why, Master? It must be those people from the Mission Hall who withheld our contribution points. We have to get them back from them!"

“I said, no need. I will find a way to help you with the contribution points. Let’s wait until the sect leader gets married.”

"Yes."

After Hua Mengjie spoke, the disciples naturally had nothing to say.

However, at this moment, Li Qingfeng, with a withered face and a full head of silver hair, arrived at Qingfeng Mountain.

"Hey, who are you? How dare you trespass on my Qingfeng Mountain?!" Mu Feng jumped out and said.

At this moment, Li Qingfeng ignored his apprentice and walked straight towards Hua Mengjie:

"Mengjie, you have to save me!"

……

Inside Chen Xuan's cave.

"Hmm... there are still seven days left. I'm all ready now, so what should I do?"

"How about... I capture Ye Xingchen's female lead and play with her? Anyway, Dong Li is focused on preparing for the wedding and doesn't have time for this."

"No, the more I think about it, the more tempted I become. No time like the present, my beauty, here I come!"

With that thought in mind, Chen Xuan appeared at the entrance of the Black Prison the next moment, and stepped inside.

"Elder Chen, Elder Chen Xuan, why are you back again? Could it be..." Ye Xingchen said.

Upon hearing this news, Yu Gang also looked over, but Ji Youruo remained silent, sitting alone in the corner.

"My good disciple, how are things on your end? Are you confident you can rescue your master?"

Faced with their eager questions, Chen Xuan didn't bother to answer, not even glancing at them out of the corner of his eye. He simply walked straight toward where Ji Youruo was.

"What's wrong with you, sister? You seem listless and lacking energy today!"

However, Ji Youruo responded with a single, cold, and brief word:

"roll."

"You think I'd just leave because you tell me to? I'd lose face!"

After speaking, he flicked his wrist, and a bronze key appeared in his hand. Then, with a crisp "click," the heavy lock on the cell door opened.

In an instant, the three people in the prison were all dumbfounded and stood there in shock. Even Ji Youruo herself was astonished and incredulous.

She never imagined that she could step out of the cage that had imprisoned her for so long so easily. Everything happened as if in a dream, as if from another world.

"You...you actually have the key to the prison cell?!" Ji Youruo was the first to come to her senses and asked in surprise.

Chen Xuan smiled calmly and replied unhurriedly, "Why can't I have the key?" With that, he gently pushed open the cell door and stepped inside.

It wasn't until he entered the cell and saw Ji Youruo's beautiful face up close that Chen Xuan finally understood why Ji Youruo's attitude towards him had changed so drastically recently.

It turned out that on Ji Youruo's fair, snow-white cheek, there was a shocking handprint. The bright red mark was like a red plum blossom blooming in the cold winter, particularly eye-catching.

"Who hit him?"

Ji Youruo seemed not to hear. She bit her lip tightly, remained silent, and didn't even glance at Chen Xuan. She simply turned away silently, as if trying to escape the question and Chen Xuan's piercing gaze.

This clearly did not satisfy Chen Xuan, and his attitude was unusually firm.

He rushed forward, grabbed Ji Youruo's shoulder, and forcefully turned her around, forcing her to face him.

"Do you know that I am a very dangerous woman? If you get this close to me, you could die!"

"I'm asking you, who hit him?" Chen Xuan repeated.

Ji Youruo had been imprisoned for many years, and because of the Black Prison, she was unable to absorb spiritual energy to replenish her strength. Her cultivation had been reduced to less than one-tenth of its original value, so she was naturally no match for Chen Xuan.

Ji Youruo remained silent and pushed Chen Xuan away.

She was at the Mahayana stage of cultivation, and even though she had only a tenth of her original cultivation, killing Chen Xuan would still be no problem for her.

The reason she didn't make a move was because this was the Flying Immortal Sect, and Chen Xuan had some kind of relationship with that woman. If she made a move, she might face death, so she didn't dare to.

"Oh ho, your temper has gotten quite fiery now!"

With a sharp crack, Chen Xuan suddenly raised his hand and delivered a solid palm strike.

The crisp sound instantly shattered the silence of the dark prison, echoing continuously in the oppressive space.

Ji Youruo, who had been hit, was stunned at first, then her eyes widened as she stared at Chen Xuan in disbelief. "You...!" Her cherry-like mouth opened slightly, but she was too shocked to utter a complete sentence for a moment.

At that moment, her face turned bright red at a visible speed, as red as a ripe apple, almost as if it were about to bleed. The clearly visible handprint on her face also gradually disappeared with the blush, completely blending into her flushed cheeks.

"How dare you?! Do you know who I am?"

Finally, Ji Youruo, regaining her composure, trembled with rage, gritting her teeth as she forced out the words. She glared at Chen Xuan, her eyes blazing with fury; if looks could kill, Chen Xuan would have been torn to pieces long ago.

Faced with Ji Youruo's questioning and anger, Chen Xuan remained calm and composed, even with a slight upturn of his lips revealing a disdainful smile.

"Oh? You still won't tell me who it is? Well, I'd like to see how long you can keep up this stubbornness!" With that, he slowly raised his hand again, making a gesture as if he was about to spank him.

"You...! You know perfectly well who hit you. If it weren't for you..."

"No, what does this have to do with me? Don't you dare make false accusations against me!"

"Hmph, you just left here, and that hateful woman named Dong Li barged in aggressively and slapped me hard without saying a word. Do you dare to say you knew nothing about this?" Ji Youruo questioned angrily, her beautiful eyes flashing with anger and grievance.

If you have anything to do with that Dong Li, you can just say so. Why would I need to seduce you?

"Dong Li? Why would she suddenly hit someone? And you too? Is it because you tried to seduce me? But as far as I know, the person she likes isn't...?!?"

Chen Xuan looked astonished and pondered to himself.

"You, you actually knew that I used a charm on you?" Ji Youruo's delicate body trembled, her face instantly turning ashen white, her once bright eyes now filled with disbelief and fear.

"Snapped!"

"Hmph, do you really think I'm an utterly stupid person? I knew your intentions from the very beginning. I just never said it out loud."

Chen Xuan snorted coldly and looked at Ji Youruo with a sharp gaze.

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Ji Youruo's slender and smooth wrist tightly.

"What...what are you doing? Let me go!"

Ji Youruo was terrified and struggled desperately to break free from Chen Xuan's grasp, but Chen Xuan was too strong and she couldn't escape at all.

"Don't move! I just want to help you heal your injuries, I mean no harm," Chen Xuan said in a deep voice.

Then, he gently raised his other hand and placed it on Ji Youruo's beautiful face. Immediately afterward, a powerful yet gentle life force surged from his palm, gently brushing over the scars on Ji Youruo's cheek like a warm spring breeze.

As the life force continued to flow in, those shocking handprints began to heal and disappear at a speed visible to the naked eye. In a short while, Ji Youruo's originally injured face had been restored to its original state, and her skin had become smooth and delicate again, as clear and translucent as white jade.

"Yeah, that's the only way it looks good."

"You...what did you do to me?"

"You'll find out once you get out. Or do you not want to go out?"

"Although I really want to get out, Dong Li cares about you so much. If I go out with you now, I'll be courting death!" Ji Youruo glanced at the open cell and finally shook her head.

"Heh, if you ask me, it's not up to you!"

As Chen Xuan spoke, he summoned the Lesser Chaos Ribbon and bound Ji Youruo.

……

Qingfeng Mountain.

Brother Qingfeng, what happened to you? Why do you look so old all of a sudden!

Hua Mengjie was so anxious when she saw Li Qingfeng, who looked weak and old.

"Cough cough, Mengjie, you must save me! My life force is draining away, I need, cough cough, I need the Peach Blossom of Life!"

"Life Peach Blossom? I... I gave you all of them! Didn't Chen Xuan give you the spiked version last time? How... how could this happen! Could it be Chen Xuan...? That's impossible, everyone else is fine!"

"Mengjie, save me!" Li Qingfeng said, then fainted. Hua Mengjie was so frightened that she was at a loss. She hurriedly left a few words and went to Chen Xuan's cave.

……

When Chen Xuan returned to the cave with Ji Youruo tied up, he suddenly noticed that Hua Mengjie had returned and was in her own room. So he raised an eyebrow, threw the tied-up Ji Youruo into his own room, and then went to Hua Mengjie's room.

"Oh, what a rare guest! What's wrong? Didn't you say you'd never be my servant again? Why did you decide to come back today? Perhaps... you're thirsty and want to drink my cultivation-enhancing beverage?"

"Pah! Chen Xuan, I never expected you to be this kind of person! You actually resorted to underhanded tactics in Peach Blossom Village!"

Chen Xuan blinked.

This isn't right. This woman's brain is completely malfunctioning. How did she guess that? Could it be a sudden burst of intelligence in a moment of panic?

But it didn't matter; he had already thought of what to say to Li Qingfeng.

Hua Mengjie... just a toy in my hand!