《Immortality Starts With Investment》


 Chapter 1: Gift-Offering Bonding System

    The Falling Cloud Mountain Range, Silver Moon market.


    The cold wind howled, knocking something over with a resounding crash. The noise jolted Ye Chen awake in an instant. His bloodshot eyes snapped open. Before him stood a massive alchemy furnace that was still warm to the touch. The faint scent of something burnt lingered in the air above it.


    The room was a chaotic mess. Clothes, herbs, and various bottles and jars were scattered across the floor.


    Looking at the mess, Ye Chen couldn''t help but sigh. So it was true. He had crossed over to another world. This was already the third day since Ye Chen''s transmigration. Yet, he still couldn''t adapt to this new world, or to his own identity. He longed to return home more than anything.


    In his past life, he had been an office worker living a comfortable life.


    But the identity he had inherited here? An eighteen-year-old from a small family, with some knowledge of alchemy. He was supposed to enjoy the resources of his family, continue refining his alchemical skills, and cultivate his powers.


    But instead, for some unknown reasons, he had been sent to a shop in the Silver Moon Market to work as an alchemist for money.


    The problem was that his alchemy skills were far from impressive. His success rate was barely half that of a regular alchemist.


    He couldn''t let anyone discover that he was a fraud. Working as an alchemist in the market was considered a good job, so there was no shortage of competition. If he failed and was reassigned to something else, it would mean even more hardship, exhaustion, and danger.


    His predecessor most likely had spent countless sleepless nights in panic and fear, desperately refining pills in an attempt to improve his skills and fulfill the family¡¯s expectations. Thus he overworked himself to death.


    That was when Ye Chen possessed his body.


    But now, all these challenges were Ye Chen¡¯s. In the days following his arrival, he had been trying his hand at alchemy, hoping that maybe he had talent after all. But with his predecessor''s meager foundation and a teacher who hadn''t properly guided him, Ye Chen''s memories were a jumbled mess. After two or three days of trying, his efforts were even more disastrous than his predecessor''s.


    Ye Chen had completely given up now. He had even begun to consider whether he should leave his family behind. Maybe he could find some ordinary mortal city and drift through the rest of his life as a temple devotee.


    However, the path of cultivation was treacherous. There were already many cultivators who couldn¡¯t break through idling around. With his current cultivation at the second level of Qi Refining, it would be hard for Ye Chen to receive any good treatment.


    The area outside the market was also far from safe. There were many cultivators who specialized in robbing others, and if he were caught by one, his life would be over.


    Simply put, even if Ye Chen wanted to waste away his days, he didn''t have the privilege to do so.


    "Forget it. Whatever happens, I''m done pretending..." Ye Chen muttered.


    With that, he suddenly sprang to his feet and threw open the door. Since arriving in this world, he had been hiding indoors, afraid that someone might notice something strange about him. But now, he simply didn''t care. As soon as the door swung open, however, the cold wind from the courtyard rushed in.


    Ye Chen couldn''t help but shiver. He hastily returned to his room to add another layer of clothing. When he stepped out again, he saw someone walking from the front courtyard.


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    The figure was dressed in a long white gown that didn¡¯t seem as white as her skin, delicate and luminous, as if she herself radiated light. Her figure was also quite graceful. Even in the slightly thick gown, her slender form and curves were prominent.


    But what drew Ye Chen''s attention most was her face. Youthful and radiant, her features were soft. A single glance from her beautiful eyes would stir a sense of tenderness and sympathy within anyone¡¯s heart.


    Upon seeing her, Ye Chen immediately recalled her identity. She was a cultivator working at the shop, with a cultivation level of the third stage of Qi Refining. Her role seemed to be that of a receptionist or guide.


    "Fellow Daoist Ye, you have finally come out?" she said with a smile. "I noticed Fellow Daoist had not left your room for five days and worried you might have overexerted yourself with alchemy. I came to check on you. Now that I see you''re well, I can breathe easy."


    Before him, Lin Ke''er''s beautiful face showed a look of relief.


    Being cared for by such a beauty, Ye Chen couldn''t help but feel excited, as if he were a schoolboy thinking, "Mom, I think I''m in love." But Ye Chen knew better. This woman was a green tea girl.


    In his predecessor¡¯s memories, he had hardly produced any pills worth mentioning, yet he had given her quite a few.


    The previous Ye Chen had been somewhat naive since before coming here, he was only focusing on cultivation. After being sent here, he had been charmed by this woman''s gentle words and gestures, leading him to believe that Lin Ke''er had feelings for him.


    So, when Lin Ke¡¯er had casually mentioned that her wages were too low to afford rent and still buy pills, his predecessor had immediately given her some of the few pills that he had managed to make.


    Lin Ke''er smiled with delight at this. From then on, she would frequently mention this gesture, praising his predecessor''s alchemy skills and the quality of the pills. The previous Ye Chen became a simp. Every week, he would give Lin Ke''er more pills.


    Thinking back on it now, Ye Chen couldn''t help but feel a sense of disgust. His predecessor could barely take care of himself, yet he was handing out cultivation pills like candy.


    In his past life, Ye Chen had never been a simp. He didn¡¯t lack girlfriends, so he understood that money wasn''t meant to be spent on women¡ªit was meant to be spent on oneself.


    Ye Chen''s salary in his previous life wasn''t bad. He used it to work out, travel, buy cars, buy houses. His life had been vibrant and full. Every time he posted on social media, it was filled with comments from girls.


    Indulging girls wouldn¡¯t win you their hearts. In fact, it would only make them see you as a convenient ATM. Once they had drained you of everything you had to offer, they would simply kick you to the curb.


    Pathetic, and on top of that, a simp. This thought made Ye Chen dislike his predecessor even more.


    Lin Ke''er noticed that Ye Chen didn''t react the way he usually did, which was being moved to the point of tears whenever she showed concern.


    There was a flicker of surprise in her eyes. However, she didn''t think much of it since last time, Ye Chen had given her five Qi Gathering Pills. Though Ye Chen''s alchemy skills were poor and the pills were of low quality, free was free.


    Lin Ke''er was in need of money, so she didn''t hesitate to accept this strangeness. Her eyes turned into crescent moons as she smiled, her voice sweet as she asked,


    "Fellow Daoist Ye must have spent a lot of time in seclusion. Surely, you''ve refined quite a few pills in that time?"


    She continued with a hint of envy: "I really admire Fellow Daoist Ye''s alchemy talents. Unlike you, I¡­." Her voice trailed off toward the end, tinged with an unmistakable sadness.


    Hearing that, Ye Chen couldn''t help but feel a flicker of sympathy. Yet, within his heart, cold laughter welled up.


    Now, when Ye Chen didn''t immediately respond, Lin Ke¡¯er was already getting anxious. She couldn''t hide her true intentions anymore, could she? This woman was definitely not as innocent as she appeared.


    But Ye Chen wasn''t his predecessor. He wasn''t a simp. Want pills? No.


    Though he still had more than twenty Qi Gathering Pills from his predecessor, he no longer cared about fulfilling any expectations. Whatever would happen if he denied her, he didn¡¯t care. It wasn¡¯t the worst idea for Ye Chen to use these pills on himself to experience what it was like to cultivate. In fact, Lin Ke''er''s appearance and grace were top-notch, so he didn¡¯t mind giving some to her.


    But it was another story when she wanted to take advantage of him. No way was Ye Chen going to play the simp, not even if it meant leaping off a cliff!


    Just as he prepared to say something, a sudden chime sounded in his mind.


    "Detecting matching female cultivator¡­."


    "Gift-Offering Bonding System, activating¡­."


    "Target: Lin Ke''er!"


    "Gift return multiplier: Ten times!"


    Ye Chen felt a mixture of excitement and confusion at the voice. Excitement, of course, because he now had a system. But something about this system didn''t feel quite right¡­.

 Chapter 2: This Is Investment!

    Gift-Offering Bonding System?


    The name alone felt off. The details about the system''s target gift recipients, with its tenfold return and other such descriptions, seemed even stranger. Was it saying that if he gave Lin Ke''er a gift, the system would return ten times the value to him? Was this some kind of simp system?


    Ye Chen immediately accessed the system''s full details. Soon, the system''s description appeared before him.


    "This system is the Gift-Offering Bonding System."


    "As long as a suitable gift is given to the appropriate recipient, a return will be granted."


    "The recipient must meet the following criteria: beauty over 90 points, physique over 90 points, must possess spiritual roots, be a cultivator, and be a maiden."


    "Based on the recipient''s specific qualities and cultivation level, the system will provide a different multiplier of gift return.¡­"


    "The return may be a quantity increase or a quality improvement, determined by the system and based on the host''s needs."


    "Gifts cannot exceed the cultivation needs of the female cultivator. If the gift is deemed unsuitable, the system will reject the transaction and not provide any return."


    "If the gift holds significant importance to the recipient and causes a strong emotional reaction, an additional reward may be granted."


    "Only one gift return may be triggered per week."


    Upon reading this, Ye Chen was utterly confused. This system was quite something. Gifting items would result in a return, and if the gift was something the female cultivator desperately needed, there could even be an additional reward. Wasn''t this just the path of cultivation for the ultimate simp?


    Even the system was trying to turn people into simps¡­. What the hell was going on in this world? But with this system, Ye Chen realized that he might not need to give up on cultivation after all!


    "Fellow Daoist Ye?"


    Lin Ke''er noticed that Ye Chen was staring at her face, lost in thought, instead of responding. She raised an eyebrow in slight confusion.


    In truth, Lin Ke''er had little regard for Ye Chen. His cultivation was weak, and although he had the backing of a small family, he was only at the third level of Qi Refining. But there was a crucial difference: Lin Ke¡¯er was a loose cultivator.


    Ye Chen had family resources, yet here he was, lagging behind in cultivation, which only meant one thing: His aptitude was poor, and he most likely possessed a low-grade spiritual root. The only thing Ye Chen could offer was his alchemy talent.


    But Lin Ke''er doubted even that. The pills he made were mostly low-grade Qi Gathering Pills, with not a single mid-grade one to his name. A cultivator like him had no future.


    Unless he somehow earned a spot in the Qingyun Sect, he was destined to be just a passing figure in her life. He was certainly not the ideal Dao partner.


    However, Lin Ke''er didn''t let any of these thoughts show on her face. After all, to her, Ye Chen still had some use. Even if his pills were of poor quality, they were still pills. Twenty low-grade Qi Gathering Pills were equivalent to a low-grade spirit stone. Her monthly salary barely amounted to three low-grade spirit stones. So she simply smiled lightly, hoping to snap Ye Chen out of his daze.


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    Ye Chen, hearing her voice, snapped back to reality. As he looked at Lin Ke''er, his gaze had completely changed. He hated being a simp. But what irked him even more was Lin Ke''er constantly taking without giving anything in return. A typical green tea attitude.


    However, if there was something to gain, and that too with a tenfold return.¡­ Whether she was a green tea type or not didn''t matter anymore. As for gifting being a simp''s behavior? Nonsense!


    If you gave gifts and received nothing in return, that was simping. But if you gave gifts and got a tenfold return, then it would be an investment. With this Gift-Offering Bonding System, the problems Ye Chen faced seemed easily solvable.


    So, Lin Ke''er was no longer the irritating green tea in his eyes. She was a shining, glittering gold mine. Unless he encountered a female cultivator with a higher return multiplier, Lin Ke''er could have anything she wanted from him.


    The more precious, the better, since the more he gave, the more he stood to gain. In the path of cultivation, what mattered most was wealth, partners, skills, and land. With the System, he was certain to gain endless opportunities. Becoming an immortal and a patriarch would no longer be a distant dream.


    Ye Chen looked at Lin Ke''er with his smile wide and eyes gleaming. "Why so modest, Fairy Lin? At such a young age, you''ve already cultivated to the third level of Qi Refining as a lone cultivator. Your talent is extraordinary, and your future is certainly promising. I''ve just come out of closed-door meditation and have managed to refine a batch of pills. These are for you."


    Ye Chen turned to head back to his room. The truth was, he didn''t even own a storage bag.


    Lin Ke''er, hearing this, quickly waved her hands in polite refusal. "Fellow Daoist Ye, there''s no need. Those pills are your hard work, and you still need to hand them over to the shop. If I were to hinder your task, I would feel terrible¡­."


    Ye Chen couldn''t help but sneer inwardly. She was already rejecting the offer, but her lips were curled up? Go on, why don¡¯t you refuse more resolutely? Did you want me to beg you to accept? How typical.


    But Ye Chen wanted exactly that from her. If she really felt bad about accepting them, things wouldn''t be so easy for him. So Ye Chen smiled and reassured her, "Fairy Lin, you''re overthinking. The success rate of my Qi Gathering Pills is quite high, so I''ll end up with more than I need. Taking a few won''t affect my tasks."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Ke''er no longer refused. Her gaze softened as she lowered her head, a blush on her cheeks. "Then, thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye! You''re truly kind."


    You''re the kind one, your whole family is kind.


    Ye Chen inwardly mocked, though his steps remained steady. He swiftly returned to his room, collecting the pill bottles his predecessor had crafted. There were two bottles containing only twenty pills in total.


    Ye Chen quickly calculated: If he gave all twenty at once, it would result in a return of at least two hundred pills. If he gave two hundred pills next week, he''d get two thousand in return.


    With just Lin Ke''er alone, he could practically open a pill shop. He could even mimic the tactics of businesses in the modern world, engaging in low-price competition and driving all the other merchants in the Silvermoon Market to bankruptcy. The profits would be astronomical!


    But just as he grabbed the bottles, the system chimed in.


    "Gift-giving of pill-type items: A maximum of ten pills per gift. Any excess will not be returned!"


    Ye Chen''s dreams of becoming a business mogul ended before they could even begin. He pouted, but picked up a bottle and walked out.


    "Fairy Lin, please accept this."


    Lin Ke''er''s eyes sparkled with delight, though she still looked somewhat shy as she carefully accepted the gift. "Your kindness is overwhelming, Fellow Daoist Ye. Thank you. Once I break through, I will surely repay you."


    Lin Ke''er lowered her head to glance at the bottle, her heart swelling with joy. There were exactly ten pills, even more than she had expected!


    Ye Chen smiled and nodded, but inwardly, he couldn''t care less. Having lived two lives, he had never seen a green tea character who actually repaid simps. Well, maybe it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. He''d heard of simps getting babies from their green tea "lovers." But none of that mattered now. Because in his mind, the system''s notification was already ringing clear and sweet¡­.

 Chapter 3: This Is Treasure!

    "Gift successful!"


    "Gift: Ten low-grade Qi Gathering Pills."


    "Returning gift¡­."


    "One hundred low-grade Qi Gathering Pills have been credited."


    "First gift by the host detected. Though it didn''t surprise the recipient greatly, a critical hit reward has been triggered!"


    "Reward: Complete understanding of First Grade Alchemy."


    "First Grade Alchemy Complete Understanding has been delivered."


    "Detected that the host does not possess storage equipment. Physical rewards will be temporarily stored in system space and can be retrieved at any time..."


    Holy crap¡­!


    Hearing the system''s notification, Ye Chen''s eyes widened. Not only had one hundred Qi Gathering Pills been credited, but he had also triggered a critical hit reward? He had directly gained a complete understanding of First Grade Alchemy? This was too good to be true!


    Ye Chen had felt firsthand just how difficult alchemy was in those past few days. There were no formulas to follow. You had to pay full attention to the furnace, constantly adjusting the flame based on the different materials, and channeling spiritual energy to fine-tune the process. A single mistake and the entire batch would be ruined.


    His predecessor had studied alchemy for four years and was only just a beginner. He was nowhere near a true First Grade Alchemist. Now, with a single critical hit, he had attained the complete understanding of First Grade Alchemy. It was like winning the lottery.


    At this moment, Ye Chen''s gaze toward Lin Ke''er had completely changed, like a stock-trader watching his portfolio shoot up to the sky.


    Lick, lick, lick¡­ I''m going to lick this treasure for the rest of my life!


    ¡­


    Ye Chen''s burning gaze made Lin Ke''er feel a slight unease. A sense of worry crept into her heart. Could it be that Ye Chen thought giving a gift meant she would become his Dao partner? How could that be possible? Ye Chen must be too desperate!


    However, every time he gave something in the past, Ye Chen would eagerly drag her into conversation, babbling on for ages. Lin Ke''er had no choice but to listen, smiling along. After all, it wouldn''t look good to just take the gift and leave.


    But she had to maintain some distance. Receiving a gift was one thing, but becoming a Dao partner was another. The two were entirely separate matters.


    As Lin Ke''er pondered how to phrase her next words, balancing keeping Ye Chen interested while not leading him to think she was fully invested, Ye Chen suddenly spoke.


    "Then, Fairy Lin, go back and focus on your cultivation. I''ll head back to rest for a bit myself¡­."


    With that, he turned and left. The sound of the door slamming shut behind him echoed.


    Lin Ke''er, who had been preparing various responses in her mind, blinked in surprise. He''s leaving just like that? Why wasn''t he clinging to her like before, desperately chatting away and not wanting to part?


    But the surprise was only momentary. Lin Ke''er didn''t think much of it. Who would care about the thoughts of a simp, anyway? Her attention was entirely on the pills in her hands.


    The Qi Gathering Pills were the most suitable for early-stage Qi Refining cultivators. They could significantly speed up cultivation. Taking one before each session of training would give her roughly 1.5 times the normal effect.


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    Lin Ke''er didn''t want to be stuck working as a receptionist in this small shop forever. Once she broke through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining, she could look for a better job. So, without further hesitation, she turned and left, not wasting a single moment.


    ¡­


    With the rewards flooding in, Ye Chen was more than ready to leave. What else could he do? Was he really supposed to act like a simp? The gift-giving was just a task assigned by the system, nothing more. He wasn''t about to get emotionally wrapped up in it.


    "Extract Qi Gathering Pills!"


    He mentally spoke the words, and in an instant, ten small bottles of Qi Gathering Pills appeared in his hands. Opening one, he took a light sniff of the pill''s fragrance. There was a faint undertone of mixed medicinal herbs. The pills weren¡¯t pure.


    Clearly, the refinement process had not been flawless, and the pills were barely passable. But low-grade pills were still good enough. This batch of pills was part of a task to hand in five hundred Qi Gathering Pills to the store.


    Now, he had a hundred in hand. At this rate, in a month, he could easily gather the remaining amount. The task deadline was actually two months away so there was no rush. What once seemed like an impossible task that had nearly drained his predecessor was now a walk in the park.


    As long as he completed the task, he wouldn''t need to find another job. He could stay comfortably in the shop, relying on the simp system to gather endless resources and cultivate his way to immortality. Just imagining that scenario made Ye Chen feel a surge of excitement.


    After counting the pills, Ye Chen placed them in a box at the side. As he looked at the box, a thought crossed his mind, and he couldn''t help but feel a bit annoyed. Here he was, a cultivator, and not only did he lack a storage ring, he didn''t even have the basic standard storage bag. It was so inconvenient.


    But after searching through his memories, Ye Chen realized that storage bags weren''t exactly low-tier in the cultivation world.


    The smallest one, with just half a cubic meter of space, would cost fifty low-grade spirit stones. What kind of concept was that? Lin Ke''er, a Qi Refining third layer cultivator, worked eight hours a day at the shop, took one day off a week, and earned only three low-grade spirit stones per month.


    The market itself was protected by formations with a higher concentration of spiritual energy than the outside world. Even a small courtyard there would cost one low-grade spirit stone for rent. And then there was food and other daily expenses.


    If cultivators ate ordinary, spiritless food, it would merely fill their stomachs and create waste, which would slightly hinder their cultivation. Hence, they needed to consume the flesh of spirit beasts, spiritual grains, or else take special pills like the Spiritual Fasting Pellets. This was the basic requirement.


    If cultivators wanted to speed up their training, they''d need medicinal pills, magic tools for protection, and perhaps even some offensive spells. All of these would undeniably cost money.


    The cost of cultivating immortality was astronomically high. That''s why, typically, only cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining who have multiple sources of income would be able to afford a storage bag.


    Most cultivators barely had enough spirit stones to get by, let alone spend them on female cultivators. Once their cultivation reached a certain level, they would have no shortage of women around them. It was no wonder Lin Ke''er had latched onto someone like him and was milking him for all he was worth. It was truly a matter of being broke!


    In the cultivation world, everyone was poor and obsessed with spirit stones. Who had the time or energy for romance?


    But for Ye Chen, this was not a problem at all. Ten low-grade Qi Gathering Pills were worth half a spirit stone. Sending one gift would result in a tenfold return, meaning he''d earn five spirit stones. With this, his monthly income could easily reach twenty low-grade spirit stones. And this didn''t even include the fact that he had now attained the full comprehension of First-Grade Alchemy.


    Alchemy was also an incredibly profitable profession. He could easily be considered one of the wealthy elites in the cultivation world. The higher his skill level, the more he would earn.


    Take for example, refining Qi Gathering Pills, which was the task that his predecessor had failed at. He needed to hand in five hundred pills and the materials the shop had provided could produce a total of 1,500 pills.


    The reason for the extra materials was the failure rate in alchemy. A success rate of thirty percent was already considered acceptable for an alchemist. If he raised his success rate slightly, the surplus pills would be his own profit.


    Ye Chen''s salary at the pill shop was five low-grade spirit stones. If he improved his success rate and managed to refine 750 pills, the remaining 250 would be his personal profit. That would easily add another dozen spirit stones to his pocket. By this calculation, he''d comfortably earn around forty to fifty spirit stones a month.


    Thinking about the future influx of spirit stones, Ye Chen, who had previously been ready to slack off, suddenly felt a renewed sense of hope. Luck truly seemed to be on his side.

 Chapter 4: The Green Cloud Sect Quota!

    "Alchemy, money!"


    With the system bringing him renewed hope, Ye Chen was full of energy and no longer slacked off.


    Having lived two lives, Ye Chen knew one thing very well: Money was a man''s courage. No matter which world you lived in, this truth remained the same. On Earth, with money, you could hit the gym, buy a house, buy a car, travel the world, and never be controlled by anyone.


    In the cultivation world, it was no different. Without spirit stones, one could only live like Lin Ke''er, acting like a "green tea" to get a little resource. But with spirit stones, you didn''t have to waste time working every day. You could rent a better residence, use better pills, and eat better spiritual rice. Once your strength grew, it was others who would try to please you.


    And with Ye Chen having the simp system at his disposal, the stronger his power became, the higher the level of female cultivators he could encounter. The feedback multiplier would only increase.


    So, Ye Chen''s drive was fully ignited. He was eager to experience the full comprehension of First-Grade Alchemy and see just how effective it was.


    However, when Ye Chen took the herbs from his storage box, carefully counting and checking them, his brows furrowed. There was a problem with the materials. To refine Qi Gathering Pills, the main herbs needed were withered yellow grass and red rose. But the red rose had some issues.


    A few of the plants were clearly not stored properly, and their petals had faintly turned white, though the change wasn''t too obvious. Such slightly faded red rose, having lost some of its medicinal properties, could no longer serve as the main ingredient. Using them would only result in waste.


    Ye Chen''s predecessor, being a novice, had failed to notice this issue. But now, with his full understanding and comprehension of First-Grade Alchemy, Ye Chen was well-versed in the herbs used for this stage and could spot these issues easily.


    Ye Chen pulled out all the red rose herbs and found that at least a third of them had this issue. His expression immediately darkened. No wonder his predecessor''s failure rate was so high. Back in the family, his success rate was at least around 20%.


    For every five batches of pills, at least one would succeed. But after coming here, he succeeded only once out of seven or eight attempts. Now it made sense. Someone had been sabotaging behind the scenes.


    Ye Chen''s eyes narrowed as this realization dawned on him. The herbs were provided by the shop. And this was Ye Family''s own business. An increase in his failure rate certainly didn''t benefit the family. So, who could be behind this?


    ...


    Knock, knock, knock...


    A gentle voice called from outside the door: "Nephew Ye, are you doing well?"


    Upon hearing the voice, Ye Chen''s lips curled into a cold smile. Speak of the devil, and the devil appears!


    Ye Chen tossed the red rose back into the storage box, quickly put on a warm smile, and politely opened the door to greet the visitor. "Manager Zhang, what brings you here? Please, come in."


    Having worked in a government office for ten years, Ye Chen had learned a few things.


    The person entering was Manager Zhang, a plump man with a friendly smile on his face. "I just wanted to check in and ask how your pill refining is going. Did I disturb you?"


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    Ye Chen immediately shook his head. "No, not at all. The pills are coming along fine. It''s just that I''m still getting used to things, so the progress is a bit slower than expected. I''m afraid I won''t be able to hand in the pills until the deadline."


    Hearing this, Manager Zhang, noticing the faint burnt smell lingering in the room and the discarded herbs piled up on the side, smiled even more broadly. "Oh, Nephew Ye, you''re being too modest. You''re a member of the Ye family, and this shop belongs to the Ye family. Don''t worry about the deadline. Even if it''s a bit delayed, I can extend it for you. I have enough authority to help you out. With your efforts, you''ll surely have a better chance of joining the Green Cloud Sect in the future."


    Green Cloud Sect?


    Ye Chen heard this and, although his expression remained unchanged, his heart confirmed his suspicions. The one who had been sabotaging him with the faulty red rose was none other than this man right here.


    The Green Cloud Sect was a major sect in the area, with a Golden Core Ancestor overseeing its power. The first-generation ancestor of the Ye family had once been an outer disciple of the Green Cloud Sect. Unfortunately, he was unlucky and never managed to form his foundation. Later, he left and founded the Ye family, which grew and expanded.


    The Green Cloud Sect had supported this action. Disciples with no future leaving to branch out helped increase the Sect''s influence across different regions. Sometimes, they would assign tasks to these people as well.


    The first-generation Ye family ancestor had friends who became Foundation Establishment Elders, and occasionally, these former peers would visit. This allowed the family to find help whenever trouble arose.


    As a result, the Ye family thrived. But after the death of the first ancestor, the connection to the Green Cloud Sect started fading out. By the time the third-generation head took over, the ties to the Green Cloud Sect were completely severed.


    However, the Green Cloud Sect had a policy of preferential treatment for these semi-affiliated families. If a family produced a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they would be granted two spots to join the Green Cloud Sect.


    Now, the current head of the Ye family, at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, was attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment. But the resources required to support a Foundation Establishment cultivator were immense.


    Thus, the Ye family''s fifth generation, including Ye Chen, was cast out, sent to work for the family to earn resources to support the family head. It was a sacrifice for the greater good of the family.


    There was still an upside: The two spots for entering the Green Cloud Sect. There were seven members in the current fifth generation of the Ye family. The competition for those two spots would be fierce, depending on their performance in the coming time. That was why Ye Chen''s predecessor worked so hard to refine pills, to the point of overworking and dying.


    After all, joining a major sect meant a much better future and a broader perspective. It was far beyond the prospects available within the small Ye family. But despite being a small family with no Foundation Establishment cultivator, the Ye family''s internal factions were still deeply entrenched in rivalries.


    Ye Chen was the only heir of the third branch. As for the shop, it was managed by the second branch. The predecessor had even learned alchemy from his second uncle.


    Upon this realization, Ye Chen finally understood everything. No wonder the predecessor''s alchemy skills were so poor, unable to even detect the problem with the red rose. No wonder the shop had secretly provided sabotaged herbs. They had set him up to fail. This was an attempt to prevent him from competing for the Green Cloud Sect spots.


    At this point, Ye Chen could only sneer. A mere Qi Refining family, instead of working together to elevate their clan, allowing everyone to rise alongside the family, was instead sabotaging their own descendants over a spot that might not even be obtainable. It was utterly ridiculous.


    Even if the family head successfully broke through to Foundation Establishment, a family like this would have no future. Once Ye Chen understood all this, he had no more expectations from the Ye family.


    However, the Green Cloud Sect''s spot was still something he was very interested in. According to the system, the higher the quality of the female cultivator, the higher the feedback multiplier.


    On Earth, beautiful women always flocked to big cities. The same logic applied in the cultivation world. Outstanding female cultivators were bound to join sects.


    If Ye Chen entered the Green Cloud Sect, he might meet women with 20, 30, or even 100 times the feedback multiplier. He could save decades of effort in one go.


    Just the thought of it made Ye Chen incredibly tempted. The sects had very high requirements for formal disciples. They had to be pure and untainted by any prior cultivation, with clean backgrounds. For someone like Lin Ke''er, a loose cultivator with no opportunities, joining a sect was practically impossible.


    Ye Chen himself was in the same position. So, this spot¡­! He would definitely fight for it!