No wonder Yao Xi had looked at her that way today. It wasn't indifference; it was guilt. The more Sun Ruoxin thought about it, the angrier she became. She had always respected Yao Xi as a senior sister, but here Yao Xi was, stealing her simp.

  It was completely unforgivable. Especially since there had been several attendants present at Green Cloud Market, all of them describing the situation in vivid detail. The ten middle-grade spirit stone technique? Yao Xi couldn't afford it. But Ye Chen, the new direct disciple, had waved his hand and bought it for her as a gift.

  At first, Yao Xi didn't want to accept it. But Ye Chen insisted, pushing her to take it. This had caused many disciples to gossip, amazed at such a display of devotion. A ten-spirit-stone technique, so rare and precious, yet Ye Chen had to beg Yao Xi to accept it!

  To Sun Ruoxin, it was utterly humiliating. That was supposed to be her gift. Why was Ye Chen giving it to someone else? And not just anyone, but Yao Xi, her rival!

  The more she thought about it, the more her face twisted in anger. She needed resources. Her cultivation was stalling, and she had so little. But here was Ye Chen, giving away priceless things to someone else.

  Why did Ye Chen do this? Did he hold a grudge because she hadn't invited him in last time? Was he getting back at her? How could he be so petty?

  Sun Ruoxin justified her actions. As a female cultivator, it was only natural to be cautious. She was protecting herself. But Ye Chen should have understood that. If he truly loved her, he would have supported her. Yet, instead of understanding, he was lashing out.

  Was this how he returned her feelings? Had he truly given up on her so easily?

  She had been willing to sacrifice so much for him, even accepting the dual cultivation technique for his sake. Yet, he treated her this way?

  Sun Ruoxin's anger burned bright as she stormed toward the Sword Peak, determined to confront Ye Chen. However, when she reached the base of the peak and saw the barrier blocking her way, reality hit her hard. Without a token, she found herself unable to proceed. Clenching her teeth, her brows twitched like falling meteors, and her lips turned pale with frustration.

  “This isn't over!”

  She swore to herself that the next time she saw Ye Chen, she would get to the bottom of this. She would confront him directly, asking why he had treated her this way. If Ye Chen couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, she would never forgive him.

  Still fuming, Sun Ruoxin returned to her residence, only to have one of her fellow female disciples come to her door not long after.

  "Junior Sister Sun, we're about to take on a mission, and we're short one talisman master who can handle beast materials. Would you like to join us? It's a two-week job. We'll earn about forty lower-grade spirit stones each for this trip."

  Sun Ruoxin sneered inwardly at the offer.

  Forty lower-grade spirit stones?

  Ye Chen could easily gift her something far more valuable than that. But, in truth, Sun Ruoxin was running low on spirit stones. Her father had not been able to provide support recently. After all, he had spent a considerable amount of spirit stones to get Elder Kong to ease up on certain matters, and even borrowed from old friends to smooth things over.

  Though Sun Ruoxin had secured a position within the Green Cloud Sect through Ye Chen, Elder Kong hadn't outwardly shown any dissatisfaction. Her father, however, could no longer maintain his position at Green Cloud Market.

  Now, her only means of repayment for the debt incurred was through her work as a talisman master. Without sufficient resources, she couldn't move forward in the sect.

  So, despite her disdain for the paltry reward, Sun Ruoxin reluctantly agreed to join the mission. She would meet with them tomorrow at the Internal Affairs Hall to receive the task.

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  In Sun Ruoxin's mind, the two-week absence would work in her favor. She was convinced that Ye Chen's extravagant gift to Yao Xi was simply a way to provoke her.

  "He'll be looking for me soon enough, and when he can’t find me, he'll be frantic."

  She would use this time to let him stew in his own uncertainty, forcing him to reflect on his actions. By the time she returned, she would know exactly how to manipulate him, making him apologize and beg for her forgiveness. A triumphant smile spread across her face as she imagined it all.

  On Ye Chen's side, he was comfortably enjoying the attentive care of Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er. With complete ease, he immersed himself in comprehending the Heaven-Destroying Hand.

  This technique was undoubtedly a powerful one. Even with the critical hit triggering the manifestation of the ancestor's spirit, Ye Chen still found it quite challenging to grasp the technique.

  This puzzled him. When he was studying the Great Joy Zen Method, he didn't have a spirit to guide him, yet his progress had been remarkably fast.

  At the time, Ye Chen had even gotten the mistaken impression that his comprehension was especially good. Now, however, he realized that his comprehension seemed to work only for dual cultivation techniques!

  It was somewhat absurd. But, despite his average comprehension, with the guidance of his ancestor's spirit, his progress wasn't slow.

  Three days later, Ye Chen stood halfway up Sword Peak. In front of him lay a pile of scattered rocks. His body radiated no spiritual energy at all.

  But suddenly, about a hundred meters away in the air, a golden-purple hand, half a meter long, materialized. The appearance of the golden-purple hand was swift, as if it had been formed in the blink of an eye.

  In the next instant, it slammed down, shaking the rocks apart as if a missile had struck. The scattered stones flew in all directions. For just starting out with the technique, the power was impressive.

  Ye Chen was extremely pleased with the result. What delighted him even more was the subtlety of Heaven-Destroying Hand.

  Now, Ye Chen could summon it anywhere within a hundred meters, and in complete silence! He could even launch an unexpected strike from behind an opponent during a fierce battle, making it nearly impossible for them to defend. Not to mention that Heaven-Destroying Hand wasn't just used for offense; it was versatile.

  For instance, he could easily grab a large stone without lifting a hand. Its practicality was impressive, and it could be used for all sorts of things, such as capturing enemies. The only downside, however, was its high energy consumption.

  At his current level, he could only unleash six Destruction of Heaven's Hands before exhausting all his spiritual power. But this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Once his cultivation progressed, the technique's duration would undoubtedly improve.

  After reflecting on the gains and losses, Ye Chen wearily returned to his courtyard. Being a direct disciple had its perks. Every day, fresh beast meat was delivered to him, along with the highest quality spiritual rice and vegetables. This gave Lu Jing plenty of room to demonstrate her talents.

  "Young master has returned? Please, come and eat. Today, the Internal Affairs Hall sent us some late-stage Spirit Deer meat. It's incredibly fresh….

  "Paired with Spirit Orchid and Spirit Vine, the taste is exceptional.

  "Please sit, young master!"

  As soon as she saw Ye Chen, Lu Jing eagerly took the opportunity to flaunt her cooking skills.

  Lin Ke'er, standing to the side, wasn't about to fall behind either. She hurriedly changed Ye Chen into comfortable robes and set the table with utensils.

  Ye Chen inhaled the fragrant aroma and smiled contentedly. With two beautiful maids at his service and exquisite food to enjoy every day, life was nothing short of luxurious.

  He took a bite of the Spirit Beast meat, savoring the taste, and looked at Lu Jing with approval. "The flavor is really quite good. Lu Jing, your cooking skills are getting better and better! Tonight, you take the lead."

  Upon hearing this, Lu Jing's face immediately lit up with joy.

  Ye Chen's physical prowess was extraordinary, and being able to cultivate alongside him was already a source of immense happiness. Not to mention the cultivation improvements it brought. In fact, her rate of progress was even higher than when she was on her own. To be chosen to lead meant an opportunity for greater advancement. How could Lu Jing not be pleased?

  Meanwhile, Lin Ke'er, standing aside with her innocent expression, couldn't hide her displeasure. But she quickly devised a plan. When Lu Jing was in the middle of cultivating, if she were a little more proactive, she could shorten Lu Jing's turn and take her place sooner.

  Compared to Lu Jing, Lin Ke'er was much more forward and assertive. She had mastered the art of subtly joining in to shorten the time before her turn. With that thought in mind, her expression quickly brightened again.

  Lu Jing noticed Lin Ke'er's change in demeanor and immediately frowned. "You can't keep rushing me, saying things like 'hurry up, it's my turn'... Otherwise, I'll have to ask the young master to step in," she warned playfully.

  Lin Ke'er immediately panicked. "No, no! I just want to make progress faster, I wasn't rushing you at all!"

  Meanwhile, Ye Chen sat back, enjoying the spiritual meal while watching his two maids bicker in a playful, jealous rivalry. His mind drifted for a moment to the thirty-times reward he'd received from Senior Sister Yao Xi, whom he'd already charmed. And when he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, there would be the hundred-times reward awaiting him from his master.

  Life felt so satisfying…. And as for Sun Ruoxin? She had long been pushed to the back of his mind, and he hadn't thought about her in ages.