"Senior Sister, Ye Chen got the spiritual fire, but he hasn't come to see you even after so many days. He's definitely regretting it. After all, the spiritual fire is extremely precious. Some elders have even offered a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill in exchange.

"Plus, Ye Chen only has a third-grade spiritual root. With the spiritual fire, he could accelerate his cultivation and refine his spiritual power. So, I guess he probably won't offer it to you willingly.

"But Senior Sister, you must take the initiative and ask for it! After all, it's the spiritual fire! You've already failed a breakthrough once, and the next one will be even harder. Only with the spiritual fire can your chances of success increase.

"Not to mention, you are a first-grade alchemist. If you had the spiritual fire, you would certainly break through to the second grade much faster. So, the spiritual fire must be yours. If Ye Chen refuses, you must force his hand..."

In Yao Xi's courtyard, she lay back in a recliner, her posture graceful and her complexion flushed with health. Under the moonlight, she gleamed with vitality, looking as though she had fully recovered. Beside her, her junior sister chattered incessantly.

Yao Xi remained unmoved, listening without any visible reaction. When the younger sister finally finished, Yao Xi looked at her with a sigh.

"Junior Sister, the reason I've been so close to you is because your face reminds me of my younger sister, the one who had no spiritual root talent. She died in an accident during a journey when she was caught in the crossfire of a battle between wandering cultivators. I've always missed her.

"That's why, even though you've been jealous of me, slandering me behind my back, and making trouble after my breakthrough, I've never let it bother me. I only tolerated it because your face makes me feel like if my sister had had a spiritual root, she could have been here with me. But you've gone too far this time! Now, go. Our relationship ends here."

The female disciple, who had been excitedly talking, froze in place. She wanted to say something, but under Yao Xi's cold gaze, the words caught in her throat. She could only lower her head and leave in silence.

Yao Xi sighed. It had been over a month since she last saw Ye Chen, and she found that, despite herself, she missed him a little. But Yao Xi hadn't gone to seek him out. She was also worried that Ye Chen might have truly intended to refine the spiritual fire for himself. If that was the case, she wouldn't interfere.

If Ye Chen kept the spiritual fire, that would be ideal. After all, Ye Chen's spiritual root was too weak. With the spiritual fire, his cultivation would be greatly accelerated, and he might even break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. But if she went to him, it might make him feel like she wanted the spiritual fire, causing him to hesitate.

So, Yao Xi patiently waited for Ye Chen to come to her. The moon hung high in the sky, and the stars were sparse.

Suddenly, there came a knock on the door. The familiar rhythm of the knock made Yao Xi smile. Ye Chen had come! She opened the door to find Ye Chen standing there. But when she saw the jade box in his hands, Yao Xi let out a quiet sigh.

"Junior Brother, why didn't you refine the spiritual fire yourself?"

Yao Xi couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.

Ye Chen smiled softly, walking over to the reclining chair, still warm from Yao Xi's presence. He took the half-finished honey water from her cup and drank it in one gulp.

Yao Xi glanced at him, seeing that he was using her own cup. With a seductive look, she shot Ye Chen a playful glare, but said nothing. Instead, she refilled the cup with more honey water. She intended to sit beside him.

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However, Ye Chen pulled her delicate hand, guiding her to sit directly on his lap. The quality of the reclining chair was excellent, bearing the weight of both of them effortlessly.

Yao Xi's face flushed with a hint of crimson. The moment she sat down, she could distinctly feel Ye Chen's sword.

Yao Xi had already realized that Ye Chen truly enjoyed her full moon. Whenever he embraced her, he always preferred to do so from behind.

"I went to the Middle Mountain Secret Realm solely to bring you the spiritual fire. How could I possibly use it for myself? The reason I only came today is simply because I had too many matters to attend to," Ye Chen whispered softly, holding Yao Xi's delicate waist.

Yao Xi couldn't help but smile. In truth, the moment Ye Chen arrived, she had already understood. He had clearly brought her a gift, yet he still worried about giving her too much pressure. After all, the spiritual fire was invaluable. If the elders found out, many would undoubtedly come to ask to purchase it. It was far better for him to secretly give it to her.

Ye Chen's thoughtful gesture made Yao Xi feel a strong desire to repay him. She pretended to adjust her position, making it seem as though she was uncomfortable.

Yao Xi could distinctly feel that, as she shifted, Ye Chen tightened his embrace around her arm. Leaning back against him, she closed her eyes, a blissful smile adorning her face, and spoke softly, "Junior Brother, my body has fully recovered. Why not stay the night?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen shook his head without hesitation. "Let's wait until you've reached the Foundation Establishment stage."

Unless he could recruit Su Yuxuan, Yao Xi was the one most suited for him. He could not make a move just yet.

Yao Xi sighed upon hearing the expected response. Junior Brother still considered her so carefully. In return, all she could do was adjust her position slightly…

"Thank you, Junior Brother!"

Yao Xi carefully lifted the box containing the spiritual fire, feeling its weight. It wasn't just the weight of the box; it was the weight of Ye Chen's heartfelt intention.

As she received it, Ye Chen's face broke into a bright, beaming smile.

"Then I won't disturb you any longer, Senior Sister. It's best if you refine it before leaving the seclusion," he said.

With that, Ye Chen turned and walked away.

Yao Xi watched his retreating figure, a smile curling at the corners of her lips. Ye Chen had left in such a hurry, surely to avoid her refusal. But now that it had come to this point, how could she possibly turn him down? The only thing she had to do now was focus on reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Once she did, she would capture Ye Chen, lock him in her small courtyard for a few days, and with the full moon he adored, she would drain him dry. This would be the best way to repay Ye Chen.

She couldn't help but smile at the thought of how he would beg her to stop, while she ignored him entirely. Once Ye Chen had completely disappeared from view, Yao Xi reluctantly pulled her gaze away and shut the door behind her.

...

On his way back, Ye Chen listened to the system's prompt in his mind. The joy on his face grew harder to hide.

"Gift successfully given!"

"The gift was the third-grade Green Stone Fire."

"Reward is being processed..."

"Thirty-fold reward in progress..."

"Detected that the gift given by the host was extremely significant for the recipient and far exceeded their expectations, causing a great fluctuation in their state of mind, triggering a critical hit reward!"

"Reward: Seventh-grade Myriad Star Fire, no need for refining, can be absorbed directly!"

Listening to the prompts, Ye Chen was on the verge of ecstatic excitement. Giving the spiritual fire to Yao Xi had truly been the right choice. A third-grade fire had directly transformed into a seventh-grade fire.

How precious was a seventh-grade spiritual fire? To put it simply, if the news got out, even the Green Cloud Sect with its Golden Core elders might not withstand the greed of the outside world. Its rarity was evident. And the reward was not only a seventh-grade fire. It didn't even need to be refined—it could be absorbed immediately. This was even more invaluable.

The spiritual fire was born from the convergence of the heavens and earth, imbued with its own intelligence. To refine it was an immensely difficult task.

Moreover, the fire burned fiercely, indistinguishable between friend and foe at first. The refining process was bound to be incredibly painful. A seventh-grade spiritual fire would be difficult to refine even for Ye Chen. There was even a chance he might be burned to death in the process.

Yet now, the system had awarded him a fully refined one. It saved him an immense amount of time and effort. It was incredibly considerate of the system.

As Ye Chen closed his eyes to comprehend and understand the functions of the Myriad Star Fire, his excitement reached a fever pitch.

At that moment, he almost felt like running back to Yao Xi and giving her a kiss. This seventh-grade spiritual fire was simply too powerful!

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