ISWI Chapter 107-108

Chapter 107: Breakthrough!

Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er had long become accustomed to Ye Chen's weekly routine of leaving in the afternoon and returning just in time for dinner. So, as usual, they prepared the meal just before Ye Chen's return.

"Young Master..."

Upon seeing Ye Chen, both women smiled warmly. But when they saw Sun Ruoxin behind him, their expressions soured, and their brows furrowed.

To be honest, neither Lu Jing nor Lin Ke'er held any fondness for Sun Ruoxin. They were well aware of how Sun Ruoxin had repented after Ye Chen had abandoned her, and they had taken satisfaction in it for a long time.

However, today, Sun Ruoxin had followed Ye Chen up to Sword Peak. Had she received Ye Chen's forgiveness?

For both women, this was not good news. After all, time was limited. Although they were somewhat exhausted, they could still endure. None of them wanted another person to share the benefits.

Ye Chen didn't pay any attention to the expressions of the two women. After dining, he prepared to return to his room to organize the gains from this period. Before heading to his room, Ye Chen glanced at Sun Ruoxin. "Come to my room later. As for the two of you, take the night off and rest well!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Ruoxin immediately nodded eagerly. She had just cried her eyes out a moment ago, and her appearance had surely been affected. It was true she needed some time to tidy herself up.

Meanwhile, the two women showed disappointment. As expected, their worst fear had come true. Tonight, they wouldn't even have a chance to practice.

After Ye Chen left, the two women exchanged a glance. Having spent over a year cultivating together, though there was competition, there had also been cooperation. They had developed a lot of mutual understanding.

Lu Jing walked up to Sun Ruoxin and spoke softly, "Fellow Daoist Sun, you'd better think carefully. You may never be able to break through to Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. If I were you, I'd focus on cultivation. After all, cultivation is everything! Once you have strength, it will be easier to earn Junior Brother's forgiveness, don't you think?"

Sun Ruoxin had originally been a little nervous, fearing the two women's dissatisfaction and the possibility of them targeting or ostracizing her.

But upon hearing their concern, she sighed with relief. "If I can't reach Foundation Establishment, then I can't. Honestly, my chances were slim to begin with. As long as I can get Junior Brother's forgiveness, I'm willing to do anything."

Lin Ke'er, standing beside them, frowned slightly. "I suggest you leave. Let me tell you, Junior Brother actually has a bit of a..."

Lu Jing nodded in agreement. "Yes, Junior Brother knows all sorts of strange things."

"..."

"We're both trapped, already deep in the abyss. But Sun Fellow Daoist, you're still young. Don't make a rash decision!"

Sun Ruoxin was shocked. Junior Brother, so he has this side to him, huh? But even so, I'd be willing to accept him. If you love someone, you must accept everything about them. And honestly, it doesn't sound so bad. In fact, it even seems... intriguing.

"Thank you both for your concern, but I'm fine!" she replied. With those words, she took out the prepared cleansing talisman and a new set of clothes.

Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er exchanged glances. Not only did their words not scare Sun Ruoxin away, but it seemed as if Sun Ruoxin was even more eager than before.

...

Meanwhile, Ye Chen was busy sorting through the items in his storage ring, planning to pick out a batch of things suitable for selling. Some items were of high value, others of low value. He couldn't bring everything out all at once.

The cultivation world was not Earth. Or rather, even if it were Earth, the same rules applied. When your wealth far exceeds your social status and strength, you inevitably attract covetous eyes. It was like when a poor person wins the lottery and a rich person makes a business deal—they both earn five million.

The rich person is envied, even courted, because they have the strength to back it up. But the poor person's money, which was earned purely by luck, makes others greedy.

In fact, it's common for lottery winners to be swindled, losing everything and ending up with their lives ruined. The cultivation world, however, was even worse. Holding wealth that surpasses your cultivation level can truly get you killed.

Thus, Ye Chen knew better than to unload everything at once. It was best to take things slowly, one step at a time. After finishing up his preparations, Ye Chen's door was knocked on. From the rhythm of the knocking, he could tell it wasn't Lu Jing or Lin Ke'er.

"Come in," Ye Chen called.

The door immediately swung open.

Standing at the threshold was Sun Ruoxin, her hair still slightly damp, with a few strands hanging loosely around her face. Her expression was full of hesitation and restraint.

...

Meanwhile, at the peak of Sword Peak,

Gu Yunyun, dressed in a red robe, was sipping on wine. Suddenly, her hand holding the wine gourd trembled slightly.

"Another new one?"

Under the starlight, the evening glow lighting her face, Gu Yunyun looked surprised. This unfamiliar voice had stirred new emotions within her.

Gu Yunyun could only shake her head in resignation. Her disciple, though lacking in spiritual roots, had astonishing other talents. Having won first place in the sect competition and earned the Foundation Establishment Pills, yet instead of focusing on cultivation, they were wasting time. It seemed her disciple was beyond help.

Later, in the dead of night, with her vision blurry from the alcohol, Gu Yunyun's eyes widened again.

"Why are those two here as well?"

She could only hear the sounds, but she saw nothing.

But...

Gu Yunyun's cultivation of her state of mind had once again been disturbed.

With a swift movement, Gu Yunyun vanished from her spot. Her cultivation of her state of mind had failed again today...

...

"Qi Refining Ninth Layer..."

The next morning, Ye Chen felt the surge of his cultivation and smiled.

Sun Ruoxin's method truly worked. The Qi Refining stage had always been too weak. Breaking through to Foundation Establishment as soon as possible was the best course of action. Both of his maidservants remained unresponsive, still lost in their sweet dreams.

Meanwhile, Sun Ruoxin's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she quickly adjusted her clothes and got up.

...

When she sensed her own cultivation, Sun Ruoxin was stunned. It didn't seem like she had fallen back at all—if anything, she had grown stronger! She had originally just broken through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining. Now, she was at the peak of the seventh layer. How could this be?

Sun Ruoxin's heart was filled with surprise.

Ye Chen, however, understood what had happened. It was the effect of the Great Joy Zen Method. After all, the Great Joy Zen Method emphasized mutual benefit.

Under the influence of the technique, Sun Ruoxin's spiritual energy had successfully fed back into both of them. It wasn't just Ye Chen who gained the benefits! It had even brought extra enhancements. Both of them had experienced growth.

Sun Ruoxin's technique was indeed remarkable. It had helped Ye Chen break through successfully during his cultivation.

"Master..."

Sun Ruoxin, having called him that out of habit, now paused.

Ye Chen waved his hand. "Just call me Junior Brother."

He preferred each of the female cultivators to have their own unique way of addressing him. It made things more distinctive, otherwise, it would all feel too repetitive...

As for what to do with Sun Ruoxin, yesterday, with so many people around, he hadn't had the chance to think. But now, he had an idea.

Chapter 108: The Middle Mountain Secret Realm!

"After this, you will leave the sect. You will become my maidservant."

Ye Chen spoke calmly. Originally, he hadn't planned to keep Sun Ruoxin by his side. His plan was to send her to help Sun Ye with selling his goods.

However, after waking up and thinking things over carefully, Ye Chen realized that he couldn't be too harsh on her. He couldn't just cut ties completely.

Though Sun Ruoxin had made many mistakes in the past, she had genuinely turned over a new leaf.

Yesterday, Ye Chen had also felt how deeply she regretted her actions. So, he decided to keep her around.

In the end, Ye Chen kept Sun Ruoxin out of a moment of softness. It had nothing to do with her cultivation techniques or anything like that.

As for being his maidservant, to be honest, it was far better than being a direct disciple of Green Cloud Sect.

Before, without the Heart Command Talisman, Ye Chen had been hesitant. He hadn't been able to fully trust his maidservants and hadn't given them much. But now that he had the Ancient Heart Command Talisman, there was no need to worry. He could give her things, even the useless Five Elements Pills he had lying around. After all, the higher her cultivation, the more assistance she could provide. Any investment that brought him help was worth making.

Hearing Ye Chen's words, Sun Ruoxin hesitated. It wasn't that she didn't want to become Ye Chen's maidservant, but leaving the sect with an active mission wasn't as simple as it sounded.

She could face punishment, and might even be considered as having betrayed the sect.

Seeing the hesitation in Sun Ruoxin's eyes, Ye Chen smiled faintly. "It's alright, I'll go with you."

Sun Ruoxin wasn't betraying the sect—she was simply becoming his maidservant. She would stay at Sword Peak from now on. The Internal Affairs Hall would surely give him this face. After all, the last time Ye Chen filed a complaint, his master had even involved the Internal Affairs Hall. If they didn't give Ye Chen this face, Ye Chen could always call on his master for help.

Ye Chen had come to realize that his master, though cold, valued face more than anything. Since Ye Chen had won first place in the Sect Competition and defeated Fa Zhen, his master's attitude toward him had softened considerably.

Seeing Ye Chen's confidence, Sun Ruoxin also relaxed her worries. She gazed at Ye Chen with an expression full of admiration. For her, something that was a matter of life and death was easily settled with just a word from Ye Chen. To be able to return to Ye Chen's side, even if it was just as a maidservant, was more than enough to make her feel happy.

...

As for Sun Ruoxin's matter, everything went remarkably smoothly. The Internal Affairs Hall knew that there was something off about Sun Ruoxin's task. After all, it was Kong Xiangli himself who had personally intervened. For an ordinary person, this wouldn't have been possible. But now that Ye Chen wanted to take Sun Ruoxin as his maidservant and handle her sect resignation paperwork, it was a different story.

On one side, there was an elder in the middle of Foundation Establishment, and on the other, there was the peak master, who was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment and the most likely to break through to Golden Core.

Not to mention, Ye Chen was the first place winner of the Sect Competition. Though his breakthrough chances were low, if he succeeded, his combat strength would be terrifying. He was definitely worth cultivating a good relationship with. So, it was clear which option to choose.

Elder Chen personally and courteously handled the paperwork for Ye Chen and Sun Ruoxin. As for Kong Xiangli? If he wasn't happy about it, he could go speak to the Sword Peak Master. If you're not even willing to confront Sword Peak, what right does the Internal Affairs Hall have to get involved?

After handling Sun Ruoxin's resignation from the sect, Ye Chen also sent a message to the Ye family, telling them to stop targeting Sun Ye.

Ye Chen was now the first disciple of the sect. Naturally, the Ye family would pay attention to him. And Sun Ruoxin also sent a letter to Sun Ye.

When Sun Ye received the letter, he was left speechless. His eyes were filled with disbelief. Had it really only been a year? Ye Chen had already become the top disciple of Green Cloud Sect, and he had also broken through to the ninth layer of Qi Refining? And his daughter had become Ye Chen's maidservant? Was he really going to end up working for Ye Chen?

Sun Ye's emotions became incredibly complex. After all, just a year ago, Ye Chen was still at the sixth layer of Qi Refining. He used to call him "Senior" whenever they met.

At that time, Sun Ye had thought Ye Chen was not worthy of his daughter. It felt like a frog wishing to eat a swan's meat. Now, in the blink of an eye, everything had turned upside down. His daughter wasn't even Ye Chen's partner; she was just a maidservant. And now, he himself was going to be working for Ye Chen?

This…

Sun Ye felt a deep sense of frustration, but there was nothing he could do about it. Had he known this would happen, he would have just married his daughter to Ye Chen back then. He would have become Ye Chen's father-in-law instead of a mere worker. How foolish he had been!

Sun Ye sighed, but he obediently followed Ye Chen's instructions and started looking for a suitable shop. After all, his daughter was now Ye Chen's maidservant. As a father, what could he do? He could only obediently work for Ye Chen.

...

Sun Ruoxin's matter was handled flawlessly. Kong Xiangli didn't cause any trouble. During the time that Yao Xi was in seclusion, Ye Chen wasn't idle either. He spent nearly every day focusing on cultivation. With Sun Ruoxin around, his efficiency had greatly improved.

Ye Chen was full of energy, driven by the desire to quickly reach the peak of the ninth layer of Qi Refining and break through to Foundation Establishment. Of course, he didn't neglect his gift-giving duties. With Yao Xi in seclusion and the three women by his side having no right to receive gifts, Ye Chen turned his attention to the female cultivator with a twenty-fold multiplier.

Ye Chen specifically chose to give the gift when she was alone. That way, there would be no misunderstandings between her and her boyfriend.

Ye Chen had been a little worried that she might not accept the gift, but she took it eagerly, even expressing her willingness to sever ties with her original male partner and follow Ye Chen...

Ye Chen spent quite some time convincing her to abandon that idea and simply accept the gift in peace. Yet every time they spent time alone, she would dress in a particularly alluring manner. Her desire to return a favor was clearly strong. Aside from her, there was also the young female cultivator who had always been around Yao Xi.

After Yao Xi entered seclusion, this girl frequently showed up in front of Ye Chen. She would often say things like, "I am in seclusion, but if you need anything, you can come to me."

She would also, unintentionally, mention things like how Senior Sister had intentionally tricked Ye Chen before. That Senior Sister had once thought little of him, even calling him a heartless failure.

Hearing this made Ye Chen twitch at the corners of his mouth. Was this what a best friend does? Starting to backstab now? How shameless!

But even with her five-fold multiplier, Ye Chen wouldn't pick her, no matter how cunning she got. He truly had no interest in cultivators with five or ten-fold multipliers now. After all, the cultivation world had far too many beautiful women.

If Ye Chen decided to take every one that caught his eye, even his bed made of stone and jade would never fit them all. So he had to be discerning. Anything under thirty-fold was just a passing cloud to him.

And so the days passed. Sun Ye was efficient in his work. He opened a shop and began selling the goods slowly.

Ye Chen had come to understand his master's temperament quite well by now. So, he had used his master's name to run the business, ensuring that everything went smoothly with no one daring to cause any trouble.

Besides the occasional high-grade magic tools and pills that Ye Chen provided, Sun Ye also worked hard to expand the business, seeking to prove his worth. After all, his daughter had become Ye Chen's maidservant. He certainly had to demonstrate his value, so that Ye Chen would pay more attention to him and treat his daughter kindly.

A month passed.

Yao Xi still hadn't emerged from seclusion. But today, Ye Chen received a visit from a disciple of the Internal Affairs Hall.

"Direct Disciple Ye, the Middle Mountain Secret Realm is about to open. Will you be entering this year?"

The Middle Mountain Secret Realm?

Ye Chen listened, raising an eyebrow with little interest.