ISWI Chapter 187-188

Chapter 187: What is Master's Hobby?

When seeing his Master, it was natural to bring a gift. Ye Chen presented to his Master a bell that he had specially purchased from Heavenly Evolution Pavilion. It wasn't the kind worn around the neck, but rather a wind chime hung in the courtyard. It was a top-tier magic treasure.

The wind chime could gather spirit Qi, and the sound it emitted could help cultivators calm their minds. It could also detect strong spirit senses. Once the wind chime detected external spirit senses, it would immediately issue a warning. It was quite a valuable item.

The most important thing was that it was beautiful. Looking at the delicate little wind chime, Gu Yunyun couldn't help but smile inwardly. This wind chime was indeed exquisite, and just from this, one could tell that Ye Chen always kept her in his thoughts.

A sigh escaped Gu Yunyun's heart. She raised her hand, signaling for Ye Chen to leave.

Ye Chen, however, left with a smiling face. His Master was indeed cold on the outside but warm on the inside. When she received the gift, her face showed no reaction. But the critical strikes she gave him were certainly not lacking. Choosing to return had indeed been the right decision. After all, where else could he find a female cultivator who would give him critical strikes every day if he stayed in Divine Will Sect?

So even though An Miaoli had a two hundred times multiplier and Li Feihuang had reached three hundred times, when it came to ease of receiving praise, his Master was the best.

Ye Chen had not yet taken out the Glazed Purification Water. He decided to wait a couple of days before presenting it, giving him a chance to see his Master more. With a respectful bow, Ye Chen left and made his way to his own courtyard.

After Ye Chen left, Gu Yunyun carefully raised her hand and hung the wind chime beneath the peach tree next to the pond. The gentle breeze blew, and the pleasant chime echoed, almost massaging her ears, creating an exceptionally comforting feeling.

A smile appeared on Gu Yunyun's face. Although Ye Chen had not stayed in Divine Will Sect, and his self-destructive decision angered her, the fact that he had returned without hesitation also brought a hint of joy to her heart. She gently removed her red dress and lay sideways in the pond.

Looking up at the purple wind chime, Gu Yunyun's emotions were incredibly complicated. As the sky gradually darkened, Gu Yunyun naturally released her spirit sense to probe toward Ye Chen's courtyard. But halfway through, she hesitated. Now that Ye Chen had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, would he detect it?

However, soon enough, Gu Yunyun confidently shook her head. It's impossible. Her cultivation method, a special flying sword technique, had greatly sharpened her spirit sense, giving her abilities far beyond what would be expected of someone at the Foundation Establishment stage. Her spirit sense had even reached the level of the early Core Formation stage. Though her disciple was extraordinary in combat, his spirit sense was certainly not as strong as hers. So, there was no need to worry…

With that, Gu Yunyun boldly directed her spirit sense into Ye Chen's courtyard. Before long, Gu Yunyun's face turned bright red.

Upon returning to his courtyard, Ye Chen was warmly received by his maidservants. Their young master had become the leader of the Divine Will Assembly. This was undoubtedly the happiest news for them. As the sky was just beginning to darken, the eager maidservants pulled Ye Chen into a study session, hoping to learn more.

However, as they were switching to the second person in the study session, Ye Chen suddenly sensed a spirit sense enter his room.

This caused Ye Chen to immediately pause the study session. It prompted Lu Jing to let out a soft, dissatisfied hum, and she began studying on her own.

In an instant, Ye Chen had already detected the owner of this spirit sense. It was his Master…

What was going on with his Master? Was she so blatantly concerned about her disciple?

Ye Chen was momentarily surprised. But soon, he realized what was happening. It was the effect of the Glazed Purification Water. Not only did the Glazed Purification Water enhance cultivation, but it also greatly increased the strength of the spirit sense.

Ye Chen's spirit sense was likely already at the level of the early Core Formation stage. It was probable that his Master had occasionally cared for him before. He had just not noticed it due to his weaker spirit sense at the time. Now that his spirit sense had grown stronger, he could finally detect it.

Thinking that his Master was listening at this very moment, Ye Chen didn't feel awkward in the slightest. On the contrary, there was a special excitement he couldn't quite describe! Thus, he threw himself into his studies with even more focus.

...

Ye Chen's victory as the leader of the Divine Will Assembly, but his decision to forgo the direct disciple spot, quickly spread throughout Green Cloud Sect over the next week. The elders were even more shocked when they heard the news. That was a direct disciple spot from Divine Will Sect.

You're not going to take it?

They were all stunned by Ye Chen's wastefulness, wishing they could take it instead. Ye Chen was undoubtedly the first cultivator in Divine Will Sect's long history to ever forfeit the direct disciple spot.

But this act undoubtedly moved the old sect master deeply. He never expected that Green Cloud Sect would have such loyal disciples. Not to mention that Ye Chen was also the first place winner of the Divine Will Assembly.

In terms of pure performance, Ye Chen was even more impressive than Gu Yunyun. With one Gu Yunyun, the sect already had a successor. Now, with Ye Chen, the future was looking even brighter. It was truly an exciting time for Green Cloud Sect!

So, the old sect master personally visited Ye Chen to offer his condolences. He also gave Ye Chen several treasures from the sect's treasury.

Ye Chen accepted everything graciously. It would be useful for spirit stones later when used for feedback.

A week later, Ye Chen returned. This time, he was ready to present the gifts that could be used for feedback this week. The gift Ye Chen intended to give this time was the Blue Sea Essence, also known as Blue Sea Stone.

It was a rare treasure that could slightly increase the chance of forming a Core. The increase in chances wasn't very high. It might not even reach half a percent. But because it was so rare, it was worth a steep price—one thousand high-grade spirit stones.

Ye Chen had obtained it from Heavenly Evolution Pavilion. It was just the right gift for his Master. The Blue Sea Essence would be used for critical strikes. After giving the Blue Sea Essence, he would also send the Glazed Purification Water to his Master. Since the Glazed Purification Water was a system reward, it couldn't trigger a critical strike; it was purely a gesture of filial piety.

Ye Chen had originally planned to give it to his Master a few days ago, hoping for more chances to meet her. However, his Master's spirit sense, which had been coming over every night, seemed cautious, but in reality, it was quite reckless.

This had made Ye Chen a little tired, and he ended up forgetting about it. Now, it was the perfect time to give it all together. As soon as Ye Chen entered the courtyard, his Master was already waiting there.

Looking at Ye Chen, she spoke seriously, "I'll be entering seclusion for the next six months to break through to the Core Formation stage."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen immediately raised an eyebrow. His Master, who had been snooping around every night, not focusing on her cultivation, was now planning to break through to the Core Formation stage? Was his Master ready for this?

As Ye Chen pondered, he took out the Blue Sea Essence. "Since Master plans to break through, this will come in handy. This is the Blue Sea Essence I bought from Heavenly Evolution Pavilion. It can increase the success rate of a cultivator's breakthrough to the Core Formation stage. Simply place it over the dantian without needing to move it during the breakthrough."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yunyun gently pressed her lips together. Ye Chen had somehow guessed that she was planning to break through soon. He had even taken the time to prepare a treasure for her during his trip to Divine Will City.

What was most surprising was that this Blue Sea Essence was something Gu Yunyun had heard of. It was worth over a thousand high-grade spirit stones. Moreover, it was only produced by Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, and its supply was incredibly limited. Most of it was reserved for internal use within the Holy Land. Only a few pieces flowed out to Heavenly Evolution Pavilion, and even then, it wasn't something one could just buy with spirit stones—it required connections.

For Ye Chen to acquire this Blue Sea Essence, he must have put in a great deal of effort. What struck Gu Yunyun the most was that these were the sorts of things a Master should do for their disciple. Yet, in Ye Chen's case, he was the one preparing these things for her.

At this moment, Gu Yunyun's emotions were a complex mixture. After a brief hesitation, she nodded and accepted the Blue Sea Essence. First, she would break through to the Core Formation stage and significantly boost her strength. This would, in turn, allow her to provide Ye Chen with better resources for his own breakthroughs.

Gu Yunyun made up her mind. She would ensure that Ye Chen used the best spiritual objects when breaking through to Core Formation, and he would form the finest Golden Core.

As Ye Chen saw that his Master didn't hesitate or refuse the gift, he listened to the prompt from the system in his mind, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth...

Chapter 188: Myriad Things Pill Soil

"Gift successfully delivered."

"Gift: Blue Sea Essence!"

"Feedback in progress!"

"200 times feedback in progress."

"Detected that the gift given by the host... Triggered a critical strike reward!"

"Reward: Myriad Things Pill Soil!"

"A primordial essence of heaven and earth, capable of nourishing all things. When used during the formation of a Golden Core, it can significantly improve the quality of the Golden Core..."

As Ye Chen looked at the reward, his heart was in turmoil. His Master was truly impressive. The Blue Sea Essence, which only increased the chance of forming a Golden Core by less than half a percent, had transformed into the Myriad Things Pill Soil, which could greatly improve the quality of the Golden Core? This was simply unbelievable.

Myriad Things Pill Soil was considered one of the most valuable treasures for a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage. Its fame was widespread. It was a true heaven and earth spirit object. It could nourish all things and had many uses.

In the ancient times, humanity had relied on discovering that Myriad Things Pill Soil could elevate the quality of the Golden Core, allowing their strength to rise dramatically and barely enabling them to compete with the many other races.

However, just like the main ingredients of the original Five Elements Pill that became extinct due to changes in the natural world, Myriad Things Pill Soil had become increasingly scarce. By the ancient era, it was almost extinct.

Moreover, Myriad Things Pill Soil had many more important uses, so it was impossible to use it for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. In the ancient times, it was rare to hear of anyone breaking through to the Golden Core using Myriad Things Pill Soil. And now, it was nothing more than a legend.

In this situation, for Ye Chen to receive a portion of Myriad Things Pill Soil was beyond priceless. Its value was unimaginable. It was worth countless times more than the formula for the new Five Elements Pill.

Ye Chen had always pursued perfection. The spiritual objects and treasures he used to break through to the Golden Core stage in the future would undoubtedly be of the highest quality.

Now, with the addition of the Myriad Things Pill Soil to his collection, and considering that Ye Chen was cultivating the West Emperor Scripture, the most powerful Foundation Establishment technique, his future breakthroughs were bound to be exceptional.

Ye Chen felt that the coveted nine-turn Golden Core that most cultivators dreamed of might not be his ultimate limit.

However, Ye Chen had never heard of any better Golden Core beyond the nine-turn. So, he wasn't sure what kind of Golden Core he would form when the time came. It could be a waste of effort, and he might still form a Nine-turn Golden Core. But it was also possible that he would surpass all predecessors and form a more extraordinary Golden Core.

The chances might be slim, but regardless, Ye Chen was willing to give it a try. His Master had given him such a great surprise. Naturally, Ye Chen wasn't going to be stingy. He immediately took out the jade bottle containing the Glazed Purification Water, which he had prepared long ago.

"Master, this is Glazed Purification Water. It can enhance cultivation, improve spirit sense, and most importantly, if taken before a breakthrough, it can optimize a cultivator's condition, increase the chance of forming a Golden Core, and possibly improve the quality of the Golden Core. This is a treasure of the Buddhist sect. I went to great lengths to obtain it. Master, please make sure no one else knows about this. It could cause trouble."

It wasn't that Ye Chen was being overly cautious. Glazed Purification Water, a sacred water of the Buddhist sect, was so scarce within the sect that they could barely supply enough to their own members. If it suddenly appeared outside, it would definitely attract attention and investigation. So many things had to be kept low-profile.

At that moment, Gu Yunyun was truly shocked. Her stunning phoenix eyes widened in disbelief. Ye Chen had actually taken out the Buddhist sect's sacred Glazed Purification Water? If the Blue Sea Essence from earlier was a treasure that even cultivators from major families or large factions might be able to acquire with some effort, then this Glazed Purification Water was truly something that only existed in legends. Ordinary people outside the Buddhist sect wouldn't even catch a whiff of it. Yet Ye Chen had brought out a bottle?

Glazed Purification Water could improve the chances of forming a Golden Core and might even increase the quality of the Golden Core.

Faced with such a treasure, Gu Yunyun's first reaction was to refuse: "Keep it for yourself!"

She was still planning to prepare resources for Ye Chen to break through to the Golden Core stage after he reached it. But at this moment, just seeing the Glazed Purification Water, Gu Yunyun knew that not only would she be unable to obtain resources for her own Golden Core, but even for a Nascent Soul breakthrough, she might not be able to get it. Such a treasure was something she absolutely could not accept.

However, in this moment, Ye Chen didn't listen to his Master at all. With great determination, he stretched his hand out and placed the Glazed Purification Water directly into Gu Yunyun's hand.

This left Gu Yunyun stunned. Even so, she knew she couldn't accept it. Just as Gu Yunyun was about to return the Glazed Purification Water to Ye Chen, her movements suddenly froze.

Because Ye Chen, once again, took out another jade bottle identical to the one in her hand. "Master, please accept it. I have another bottle..."

The Glazed Purification Water, so precious that it was beyond description, was already unbelievable for Ye Chen to possess. And now, he had two bottles? This was simply beyond reason.

Gu Yunyun knew about Ye Chen's family situation. She also knew that Ye Chen's father had died, but his body had never been found. She was aware that Ye Chen's father wasn't from the Ye family.

At this moment, Gu Yunyun began to wonder—could Ye Chen's father have been a powerful defector from the Buddhist sect? Otherwise, how could Ye Chen possibly have obtained this Glazed Purification Water?

But no matter where it had come from, Ye Chen could give such a precious treasure so freely and even forcefully present it to her. This clearly showed how much Ye Chen valued her.

Feeling Ye Chen's firm resolve, Gu Yunyun fell completely silent…

...

Gu Yunyun had always understood Ye Chen's feelings. But she had been avoiding them. It had to do with their Master-disciple relationship and many other factors played a part.

When she had received so many things from Ye Chen before, Gu Yunyun could comfort herself with the thought that once she broke through to the Golden Core, she would repay Ye Chen with an even greater treasure. But now, with the Glazed Purification Water in hand...

Gu Yunyun could no longer feel at ease accepting it. How could she ever repay such a heavy gift?

Gu Yunyun felt as though Ye Chen had pushed her to the edge of a cliff.

...

Seeing his Master fall silent, Ye Chen nodded in satisfaction. His Master was incredibly important to him. When he had first crossed over to this world, his days in Silver Moon Market had been filled with anxiety. Whenever he used the system, he had to come up with all sorts of reasons to explain the origin of his wealth. Just thinking about it exhausted him.

But once he arrived at Green Cloud Sect and had his Master, everything changed. He no longer had to explain anything with effort. Even if there were speculations from the outside world, no one dared to target him.

All of this was because he had a Master who would protect him and act when necessary. So even if the Glazed Purification Water didn't trigger any feedback and couldn't activate the system, Ye Chen still wanted to make sure his Master accepted it.

However, Ye Chen felt that just this wasn't enough. It would be best if his Master could break through perfectly. In the future, his Master might even encounter new opportunities, such as gaining a bloodline or physique that would further increase her multiplier.

That way, Ye Chen could continue to admire and support her. Although receiving rewards for favoring female cultivators was great, and the feedback would still be substantial if a critical strike occurred, the experience of supporting his Master was different. Perhaps it was the bond of Master and disciple that made it feel more fulfilling.

When Ye Chen gave his support, the pleasure of the feedback was accompanied by a subtle joy. So, after some thought, Ye Chen asked, "Master, have you prepared the spiritual objects you need for your breakthrough?"