Another week passed.

  After refining three top-tier Five Elements Pills, Ye Chen was in a good mood as he descended the mountain. Tomorrow, the Five Elements Cave would open.

  However, the spirit Qi in the Five Elements Cave was depleted within a day or two by the disciples. Even if the cave was packed to capacity, it would be over in three or four days at most.

  So, Yao Xi entering the Five Elements Cave didn't interfere with Ye Chen's weekly gift-giving routine. As Ye Chen descended the mountain, he furrowed his brows slightly.

  At the foot of the mountain, a woman with a slender waist, long legs, and a nearly perfect figure stood there. With such long legs, it could only be Sun Ruoxin.

  Ye Chen had known she'd been waiting for him at the foot of the mountain, but he hadn't expected her to still be there now.

  Sun Ruoxin appeared somewhat haggard, her eyes red and swollen, clearly having cried quite a bit over the past few days. But Ye Chen's mood remained unaffected. There was no sympathy or concern, not even a hint of pity.

  In fact, he found it a bit laughable. Before, he had no choice but to flatter Sun Ruoxin. She had taken so much from him, yet remained arrogant, rejecting the gifts he gave her and picking them apart.

  How could a woman like that really be regretful? It was nothing more than envy over the precious gifts Yao Xi had received.

  Ye Chen sneered, walking past Sun Ruoxin without even sparing her a glance, not even bothering to acknowledge her.

  Sun Ruoxin had been waiting at the foot of the mountain for an entire week. When she saw Ye Chen finally descending, her heart raced with excitement, thinking he was finally moved by her. But the cold indifference that radiated from him made her realize she had been deluding herself.

  Sun Ruoxin hurriedly grabbed Ye Chen's sleeve. "Junior Brother, I really know I was wrong… Please, I'm begging you, give me a chance to apologize."

  Ye Chen, visibly impatient, waved his hand. He had a lot to do next: attending alchemy classes, chatting with Yao Xi, strolling around, giving gifts. He was busy. How could he waste time with someone like you, who doesn't even have enough depth to be worth the effort?

  However, Sun Ruoxin held on tightly, and Ye Chen, for a moment, couldn't shake her off. "Fellow Daoist Sun, please have some self-respect!"

  Ye Chen's impatient expression, his cold voice, and the sharp "Fellow Daoist Sun" stung Sun Ruoxin deeply. It made her feel like crying.

  In the past, whenever Ye Chen saw her, he always smiled so warmly. She didn't want to respond to him—Ye Chen would say ten things, and she'd respond to only one or two, yet he would never get angry. But now, Ye Chen had completely stopped caring about her.

  "Junior Brother, I really was wrong. Please forgive me. That dual cultivation technique... while I've been waiting for you these past few days, I've been practicing it. I've already made some progress... I…"

  Sun Ruoxin lifted her head, her voice choked with emotion.

  Ye Chen's expression remained indifferent. "What you want isn't my forgiveness. You just want me to give you gifts and provide you with cultivation resources, don't you? You probably want the Five Elements Cave spot too, right? Oh, and I'm supposed to talk to the Ye family for you and make sure they stop targeting your father, right?"

  ...

  Sun Ruoxin couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears.

  "No, Junior Brother, I didn't think that way. I really…"

  But Ye Chen had already lost interest in listening further. There were too many things he needed to focus on. For instance, he needed a better alchemy furnace. The one he brought from the Silver Moon Market was terrible. A better furnace would increase the chances of refining top-tier pills.

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  At the same time, he needed to keep an eye out for any potential contracts or useful treasures. With so many things to do, he didn't have the time to entertain someone like Sun Ruoxin.

  Ye Chen couldn't be bothered to listen to Sun Ruoxin's self-pitying act. He yanked his sleeve away and drifted off without a second glance. Only Sun Ruoxin was left, sitting there, crying uncontrollably.

  Yes, this was how she saw herself in Ye Chen's eyes. She had broken his heart. How could he ever believe her again? But she truly regretted it. She had been jealous of Yao Xi, not because of the gifts Yao Xi received, but because of the love Yao Xi had—the unconditional love.

  "I love you, and it has nothing to do with you."

  Those words should have been for her. But she had ruined it all. As those thoughts raced through her mind, her crying grew even more desperate, tearing at her heart.

  ...

  "Junior Brother, tomorrow is the day for entering the Five Elements Cave. If I enter, my chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment will be much higher. Should you take back the Five Elements token? That way, Senior Sister won't be able to break through and will have no choice but to become your Dao partner!"

  After the class, Yao Xi, with her eyes curving into crescent shapes, smiled brightly and teased.

  Ye Chen admired Yao Xi's graceful figure, her curves like the full moon.

  At her words, he smiled.

  Become my Dao partner? You sure have a nice imagination. You better focus on breaking through to Foundation Establishment!

  "I only hope that Senior Sister's chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment will be as high as possible."

  Ye Chen wasn't lying. If only the Five Elements Pills weren't something he couldn't share, he would have loved to give Yao Xi the top-tier pills he had just refined. At least then, he could have gotten a batch of sixty top-tier Five Elements Pills, saving himself the trouble of refining them.

  Though he couldn't give her the Five Elements Pills, the Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect competition this year would definitely be hers. If there were anything else that would help her breakthrough, Ye Chen wouldn't hesitate to give it to her.

  Yao Xi, noticing the appreciative glance Ye Chen gave her, smiled lightly. She sensed his admiration, and with a graceful spin, she moved elegantly, making sure he had an even better view.

  Today, Yao Xi wore a skirt that resembled a professional one from Ye Chen's past life, only reaching her knees. The hem of the skirt swayed with her steps, like the ripples of water in motion. Then, she suddenly spun around. The skirt flared up, resembling a lotus blooming. And above the lotus, was the rounded, full moon. This scene was utterly breathtaking. Noticing the awe on Ye Chen's face, Yao Xi smiled even brighter.

  That's the way women are. When they don't like someone, no matter how good you treat them, they won't care and will find faults. But if they have feelings for someone, even if you seem imperfect, they won't mind at all.

  In the past, Yao Xi had been uncomfortable with Ye Chen's gaze. But now, she even turned to show him more.

  ...

  "Junior Brother, we can just walk around and chat," Yao Xi said when she saw that Ye Chen was about to take her to Green Cloud Market. She immediately declined. In the past, she had despised Ye Chen and thought, "Why not take advantage while I can?" But now, she no longer had that mindset.

  Ye Chen smiled and shook his head, saying that now that he had reached the late stage of Qi Refining, he needed to buy herbs and change the medicinal pills he was using for cultivation.

  Normally, cultivators wouldn't inquire about each other's cultivation level when they met. Upon hearing that Ye Chen had broken through, Yao Xi's eyes lit up. She was genuinely happy for him.

  After all, for any cultivator, their cultivation level was their foundation. Moreover, at the late stage of Qi Refining, using Qi Nourishing Pills wasn't very effective anymore. It was best to switch to the Spiritual Essence Pill.

  So, Yao Xi immediately followed Ye Chen into Green Cloud Market. After purchasing the necessary herbs for Spiritual Essence Pill, Ye Chen also casually picked out a top-tier magic tool-grade alchemy furnace and gifted it to Yao Xi.

  The furnace offered better spiritual feedback, improved control, and minimized the loss of medicinal power during the refining process. It also came with an Earth Fire array, allowing it to be lit using spirit stones for even better results.

  Yao Xi truly didn't want to accept any more gifts from Ye Chen. But she couldn't resist his enthusiasm. She reluctantly, yet happily, accepted it. The reluctance came from Ye Chen's persistence. But she was also happy because, in the cultivation world, many male cultivators were initially very attentive when pursuing female cultivators, going above and beyond.

  But once they felt the female cultivator was interested or had already been won over, their attitude would often change and lose that fervor. After all, the unattainable always stirs desire.

  Once something is obtained, the effort naturally lessens. But Ye Chen's treatment of her had never changed. Despite everything, he still treated her as he had when they first met. There truly were few men like this in the cultivation world.

  Seeing Ye Chen's face light up with joy as she accepted the alchemy furnace, Yao Xi couldn't help but be affected and let a small smile curve her lips.