When Ye Chen fled the Silver Moon Market, he took his alchemy furnace with him. The goal was simple: plenty of space and complete freedom to do as he pleased. When the first batch of Five Elements Pills was completed, the furnace lid was lifted. The fragrance of the pills immediately filled the room.

  At Ye Chen's current level, even when refining a new pill he had never made before, it was nearly impossible to fail. Seven pills flew out of the furnace.

  Ye Chen took a glance at them in his hand. The Five Elements Pills were round and smooth, with five colors mixed together, creating a natural and harmonious feel.

  However, this batch of pills had slightly dull colors, not vibrant enough. Moreover, the five colors were not as evenly distributed as they should be.

  "Four medium-grade, three low-grade, no high-grade," Ye Chen muttered, shaking his head as he carefully stored the pills away.

  He was already preparing to continue refining. Two medium-grade pills were enough to compare to a full year's worth of spirit Qi from the sect's Five Elements Cave. But for Ye Chen, medium-grade pills were beneath him. If he was going to use them, they had to be top-tier.

  Top-tier pills not only increased the maximum expansion of his dantian but also improved the tolerance of his meridians, which, in turn, would slightly enhance his cultivation speed.

  While the increase in meridian tolerance wasn't immediately noticeable, even a small improvement was invaluable to Ye Chen. So, he was determined to continue refining. He wouldn't stop until he created top-tier Five Elements Pills.

  By evening, Ye Chen had finally refined a high-grade Five Elements Pill. He could feel that it wouldn't be long before he perfected the top-grade version, possibly in just a few more days.

  Ye Chen was in a good mood, and his enthusiasm for cultivation was high that evening as well. In fact, the Five Elements Pills he didn't need could be given to Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er, helping to increase their chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment in the future. The stronger their abilities became, the better the effects of their shared cultivation would be.

  However, to be honest, Ye Chen wasn't very trusting of the two women. And as for the value of the Five Elements Pill, those who understood knew just how precious it was. If the word got out, even his master might not be able to protect him.

  So, Ye Chen decided against it for now. He would wait to see in the future if any trustworthy contracts or treasures surfaced. In that case, he might be able to give some of the things he couldn't use, but didn't want to simply discard, to the maids. Later, he planned to go to Green Cloud Market to inquire about any potential options.

  ...

  While Ye Chen was diligently cultivating, atop Sword Peak, Gu Yunyun's delicate face was clouded with frost. For a peak master, having a direct disciple also came with its own costs. The performance of a direct disciple directly impacted the treatment the peak master received.

  Having had an easy, smooth life, and crushing her peers for so long, Gu Yunyun didn't usually care much about such things. But if her direct disciple was utterly humiliated in the upcoming sect tournament, it would be a huge embarrassment.

  That's why Gu Yunyun had specifically urged Ye Chen to secure the Five Elements Cave spot. Even a small increase in strength would make a difference. At least that way, during the sect competition, she wouldn't be as embarrassed. But what did she find out? Ye Chen had immediately given the spot away to someone else.

  Gu Yunyun, who typically didn't concern herself with the trivial matters of the sect, only learned of this now. Not only was her direct disciple weak, with poor talent, but he was also a simp. He even gave away the Five Elements Cave spot. This revelation made Gu Yunyun, usually calm and composed, quite angry.

  She, Gu Yunyun, with a life of prestige, was the most likely in her generation to break through to the Golden Core stage. And yet, she had taken on this embarrassing disciple. A poor talent who willingly gave away resources and played the simp.

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  Ye Chen's deep feelings were clear, but the embarrassment was all hers. What made it worse was the fact that the Peak Master of the Magic Peak had always had a poor relationship with her. She had beaten him several times in the past. He had never been able to defeat her, and now, with an opportunity in hand, he would undoubtedly have his disciples humiliate Ye Chen in the arena. And Gu Yunyun would have no choice but to sit and watch, helpless.

  As Gu Yunyun thought about the humiliation she would soon face, her fists clenched tightly. At this moment, she truly felt the urge to clean house. Gu Yunyun's garden had a pool, with spring water flowing continuously from a natural spring, crystal clear and pure. She sat directly in the pool, and only then did she feel her composure returning.

  Lying in the water, the rippling waves danced, and the light bent in such a way that it almost seemed like she could see the reflection of snow-capped mountains. Starlight radiated from the heavens, making the pool sparkle with a brilliant glow.

  Gu Yunyun naturally and instinctively let her spirit sense expand, reaching toward Ye Chen's small courtyard, beginning her daily cultivation routine. But soon, she began to feel something was wrong. During previous sessions, although her heart's state would fluctuate, it never felt as intense as this.

  But this time, for some unknown reason, her emotions were in turmoil, and her mind began to wander. What was going on? Had Ye Chen's behavior as a "simp" really gotten under her skin, causing her heart's state to destabilize? Sensing that something was off, Gu Yunyun decided to stop her cultivation for the day.

  However, as she started retracting her spirit sense, she couldn't help but extend it once more. Her jade-like hand, once resting beside the pool, had unknowingly slipped into the water. The tranquil surface rippled, and in the midst of the water's sound, there were faint, almost imperceptible, soft hums.

  Meanwhile, Ye Chen was unaware that his actions as a "simp" had caused his beautiful master's heart to be thrown into turmoil, even affecting her cultivation. Had he known... he would undoubtedly have been ecstatic. The following days were filled with daily cultivation and continuous furnace work for refining pills.

  Finally, on the sixth day, Ye Chen successfully refined his first top-tier Five Elements Pill. This brought a great sense of satisfaction. Without hesitation, he consumed and refined it. The top-tier Five Elements Pill melted instantly upon contact with his mouth.

  In a very short time, it transformed into the purest Five Elements spirit Qi, flowing through his five organs according to their attributes before finally entering his dantian. His dantian gently trembled, expanding at a barely perceptible rate. The sensation was incredibly strange. But at the same time, Ye Chen's face shifted again. The spirit Qi in his dantian stirred, and Ye Chen suddenly felt on the verge of a breakthrough...

  "Boom…"

  After an unknown amount of time, Ye Chen opened his eyes, a satisfied smile on his face. The effects of the top-tier Five Elements Pill were astonishing. One pill was enough to expand Ye Chen's dantian by almost one-tenth. With continued use, increasing his dantian by one or two times would be an absolute certainty. This was an effect that the Five Elements Cave could never achieve.

  Aside from that, Ye Chen had officially broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining today. Given the current rate of his breakthroughs, reaching the eighth level before the sect tournament at the end of the year was practically guaranteed.

  Ye Chen was determined to participate in this year's sect competition. While the Foundation Establishment Pill, unlike the Five Elements Pill, hadn't completely disappeared, its main ingredient was monopolized by the top-tier forces, making its annual supply fixed and thus still highly precious.

  In Green Cloud Sect, only direct disciples who reached the ninth level of Qi Refining were awarded a Foundation Establishment Pill. Beyond that, the only way to obtain one was through the sect competition. The first-place prize in the sect tournament would be a low-grade Foundation Establishment Pill.

  Although Ye Chen wouldn't be able to break through to Foundation Establishment this year, it was only a matter of one or two years. With his third-grade spiritual roots, the difficulty of the breakthrough would be monumental. The Foundation Establishment Pill, besides increasing the chance of success, played the crucial role of protecting a cultivator's meridians and foundation.

  Without a Foundation Establishment Pill, a cultivator who failed their breakthrough might not die, but their vitality would be severely damaged, and they would never have another chance to break through. However, if a cultivator used a Foundation Establishment Pill, even if they failed their breakthrough, they could rest and try again.

  One Foundation Establishment Pill essentially represented one chance at a successful breakthrough. For any Qi Refining cultivator, it was considered a miracle drug. And for Ye Chen, its importance was beyond measure.

  Ye Chen's demand for Foundation Establishment Pills was simple: the more, the better. It would be best if he could gather several hundred or even a thousand. With that many chances, one of them would surely succeed. But the system couldn't endlessly duplicate rewards, so any gifts he gave away wouldn't return with a feedback.

  Therefore, Ye Chen needed to obtain several Foundation Establishment Pills on his own. Ye Chen wasn't just aiming for victory in this year's sect tournament; next year's as well. As long as he hadn't broken through yet, no disciple in Green Cloud Sect could take the first place!