With Yao Xi as a stable source of thirty times the feedback, Ye Chen's days at Green Cloud Sect were peaceful and fulfilling. Every morning, he would first move Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er off him, then begin his cultivation. In the afternoon, he would refine pills.

  The top-tier magic tool-grade alchemy furnace he had gifted Yao Xi didn't result in a critical hit. But he did end up with thirty top-tier alchemy furnaces, which turned out to be quite profitable for Ye Chen. Selling them off would make him a fortune.

  However, he needed a stable channel to sell them. Otherwise, he'd have to spend time selling them himself, which would be too troublesome. With the top-tier furnace, Ye Chen's pill refining efficiency had improved drastically. His success rate was off the charts.

  Now, with each batch of Five Elements Pills, eighty percent of them were top-tier. One furnace a week was more than enough. This also gave him more time to focus on refining spells and taking pills for his cultivation. In the evenings, he would continue his cultivation, improving alongside it.

  During this period, Ye Chen noticed a stream flowing down from the peak of Sword Peak. The water was exceptionally clear, and the spirit Qi was abundant.

  So, Ye Chen spent an entire afternoon using his magic to redirect the stream into his courtyard and created a bath pool. This was to give him more options for nighttime cultivation. He could either soak directly in the water or place his jade bed on the surface of the water for an almost perfect experience.

  The water in the cultivation world was different, to say the least. With rich spirit Qi, it was probably better than all the expensive skincare products on Earth used by women. Sometimes, Ye Chen even thought the water smelled faintly sweet…

  However, he was only about two hundred meters away from the mountaintop, where only his master resided. As an immortal like his master, she surely wouldn't need to use the bathroom. So, he didn't worry about whether the water had been used by anyone else.

  After entering the Five Elements Cave, Yao Xi stayed for four days before coming out. She didn't hide anything, openly saying that the spirit Qi in this year's Five Elements Cave was so abundant it was nearly turning into liquid.

  In the past, disciples would be lucky if their dantian expanded by a tenth of its capacity. Most of the time, they couldn't even reach that. But this year, Yao Xi's dantian had expanded by almost two-tenths. She said this with obvious joy.

  Ye Chen, upon hearing this, felt a mix of emotions. In the past few days, his own dantian had expanded by almost half. According to the effects described on the pill's recipe, with continued use, it could expand up to three times its original size.

  It was clear that compared to the Five Elements Cave, the Five Elements Pills were much more powerful. But Yao Xi didn't know this and was already very satisfied with her current progress. After leaving the Five Elements Cave, she immediately began preparing for this year's sect competition.

  Although with Yao Xi's current level, defeating Li Xiaoyao and the other direct disciples to get the Foundation Establishment Pill was unlikely, she was determined to try.

  Ye Chen, of course, fully supported her. Even when Yao Xi repeatedly refused and even locked herself away in her small courtyard, avoiding the alchemy lessons from the elder, Ye Chen would still show up on the appointed days. Any spell, magic tool, or treasure that could help Yao Xi, Ye Chen gave without hesitation.

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  Once, when Ye Chen needed something from the sect that wasn't available and had to go to Green Cloud City to fetch it, he couldn't wait. He went personally and returned late at night, immediately delivering the item to Yao Xi. This made Yao Xi feel touched, but also a bit confused.

  Why did it seem like Ye Chen was more enthusiastic about her breaking through to Foundation Establishment than she was? In Yao Xi's eyes, this must have been because Ye Chen loved her. He was doing everything he could to help her, ensuring she went further.

  And with Ye Chen's help, Yao Xi's strength soared. She felt that if she faced Li Xiaoyao again, she might not lose so easily this time. All of this made Yao Xi deeply moved.

  Previously, Yao Xi had been concerned about the issue of lifespan after reaching Foundation Establishment. But Ye Chen's selfless efforts had caused a subtle shift in her mindset. Being with a man who loved her as much as Ye Chen did would undoubtedly bring great happiness.

  While it was true that after experiencing the companionship of a Dao partner, enduring loneliness would be even more difficult, Ye Chen was simply too wonderful. When compared to that, the thought of enduring a few decades of loneliness didn't seem so frightening.

  Moreover, she could have children with Ye Chen, allowing them to keep her company in her later years. With this thought in mind, a brilliant smile appeared on Yao Xi's face.

  Meanwhile, Ye Chen, who had been showering her with gifts, was in an exceptionally good mood.

  Yao Xi was happy, and so was he. He would use whatever was useful from the rewards he received, while the useless items would be stored away and sold off slowly.

  As for giving Yao Xi so many gifts and making her so strong—what would happen if she got the Foundation Establishment Pill?

  What a joke. He would be participating in the competition as well. If Yao Xi truly made it to the finals and ended up facing him, he would definitely not hold back.

  Yao Xi might have good things, but the things he had were even better. Therefore, there was no way Yao Xi would get the Foundation Establishment Pill. Once it was in his hands, he would give it to her, and she would be overjoyed, triggering a critical reward. This outcome would be perfect.

  During this time, Sun Ruoxin had not given up. Every week, she would attend the alchemy class. At first, she had hoped to win Ye Chen's forgiveness. But Ye Chen's attitude was too cold. He ignored her completely. This left Sun Ruoxin with no choice but to silently watch him from afar.

  Ye Chen only left Sword Peak once a week, so if Sun Ruoxin wanted to see him, she could only come on that one day. And each time, she would watch helplessly as Ye Chen and Yao Xi laughed and conversed intimately, their bond unbreakable. She would watch Ye Chen giving Yao Xi various gifts.

  For Sun Ruoxin, this was nothing short of torture. Her heart felt like it was being torn apart. At the same time, the sorrow only deepened her regret. She realized something.

  In the past, Ye Chen had only appeared before her once a week as well. The rest of the time, he was nowhere to be found. She hadn't thought much about it back then, but now, Sun Ruoxin suddenly understood.

  Ye Chen hadn't avoided her. He just didn't want to waste the time of the one he loved. As a cultivator, time was precious—there was cultivation, study, and research to focus on.

  That's why Ye Chen had been so restrained, only appearing once a week. But it was precisely because he only appeared once a week that he would put so much effort into preparing gifts and surprises for the one he loved.

  The more she thought about it, the more Sun Ruoxin realized just how much Ye Chen had loved her. Everything Yao Xi enjoyed now was something Sun Ruoxin had once had. But she had destroyed it all herself.

  Over the past few days, Sun Ruoxin had been reflecting on how good Ye Chen had been to her. Whenever she saw something she liked, she would remember how Ye Chen used to give her everything she liked. When she ran out of pills, she would recall how Ye Chen had prepared high-quality pills for her.

  Yet, despite how much Ye Chen loved her, she had pushed him to another woman. It hurt… it hurt so much!

  Sun Ruoxin felt like she would spend the rest of her life living in regret.