Ye Chen surveyed the interior of the Boundless Demon Sect's Internal Affairs Hall. The place was practically empty, which was a bit of a disappointment. Turning around, he saw Su Yuxuan looking at him with a mix of frustration and resentment.

Ye Chen chuckled and pulled out a blood crystal he had obtained from killing a Blood Fiend. Such a Foundation Establishment-level blood crystal was hugely beneficial for demonic cultivation and could fetch at least five top-grade spirit stones in the market.

"Don't worry, Junior Sister. I'll give you this blood crystal. Cultivate well, and when the time comes, we siblings will join forces. Our combined strength will cut through all opposition. We will definitely carve out a bloody path!"

Ye Chen spoke with a grin. Su Yuxuan looked at the blood crystal, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words came out. Giving her a blood crystal at this time seemed pointless. The defensive array might only hold for three to five days before breaking. By then, they would all likely be dead.

In her heart, Su Yuxuan was almost furious with Ye Chen. If it weren't for running into him, she could have either fought her way out or escaped. If Ye Chen hadn't escaped the encirclement just before, she could have fled too.

Now what?

Recalling all of Ye Chen's actions up to this point, Su Yuxuan began to wonder if he might actually be a spy sent by the Misty Sect to infiltrate the Green Cloud Sect.

As Su Yuxuan accepted the blood crystal, Ye Chen heard the system notification in his mind: "Gift successful..."

"50x feedback initiating..."

"Reward: Fifty Foundation Establishment-level Blood Spirit Crystals!"

So, these were called Blood Spirit Crystals. With a feedback of fifty crystals, that was equivalent to 250 top-grade spirit stones. This rate of return was simply skyrocketing.

Ye Chen still had two portions of Blood Spirit Crystals. If he could give these away within two weeks, that would total 750 top-grade spirit stones in revenue.

What a windfall!

"Why so pessimistic, Junior Sister? Just focus on your cultivation, there's always a chance! Besides, even if we die, your Senior Brother will be with you. You won't be alone in the afterlife."

While talking, Ye Chen examined the array, trying to gauge how long it might hold. If only it could last another two weeks. But after a long inspection, he couldn't determine much.

Ye Chen, lacking knowledge about arrays, was resolved to change that. Once he returned, he planned to find a female cultivator skilled in arrays to whom he could give gifts, thus enhancing his knowledge and skills not only in arrays but also in other varied cultivation arts like artifact crafting. The more skills he mastered, the more solutions he would have when facing challenges.

...

Su Yuxuan, hearing Ye Chen's attempts at reassurance, curled her lips in disdain. She had no intention of dying here.

Deep in thought, she pondered a way to break their current predicament. Quickly, she pulled out a jade slip containing a spell. She glanced cautiously at Ye Chen, who was still inspecting the array, and then pressed the jade slip to her forehead.

This jade slip contained the spell she had snatched from the two elders. As she accessed its contents, her eyes lit up—this spell was far more powerful than she had imagined. If she could master it, there might genuinely be a chance to escape this dire situation.

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However, her hope faltered as she reviewed the materials required for the spell's cultivation. Among other things, it needed items like the Blood Spirit Crystals, one of which Ye Chen had just given her. That part was manageable.

But another required material, typically obtainable in the outside world with some effort, was now beyond her reach, trapped as they were in the Internal Affairs Hall. With the top-tier spell in hand and a potential escape within sight, the inability to cultivate it due to a lack of materials was maddening.

Su Yuxuan felt her sanity fraying at the edges. Glaring at Ye Chen's handsome face, she gritted her teeth harder. If it weren't for Ye Chen, how would she have ended up in this mess?

...

Ye Chen turned around, sensing something amiss.

Instantly, Su Yuxuan's expression changed to one of despair. Though she had achieved Foundation Establishment through her own merits, Ye Chen had been able to suppress her even when he was just at the Qi Refining stage. Who could know the extent of his current strength?

The very thought of being subdued by him again filled her with dread.

"What's the matter? That look on your face?" Ye Chen asked with a grin, seemingly unfazed by their predicament. In fact, he seemed rather hopeful that their confinement would last a bit longer, eager for the potential rewards.

Although Ye Chen was not versed in arrays, he carried several top-tier reinforcement charms that might fortify their protective barriers, though their effectiveness remained uncertain.

Su Yuxuan, with a downcast voice, revealed, "Those elders wanted to seize my technique, didn't they? I've just reviewed it, and it seems it could not only help us escape our pursuers but potentially allow us to turn the tables on them. It's a supreme spell from the Boundless Demon Sect—the Extreme Dao Blood Pupil!

"If mastered, it can captivate and bewitch the hearts of others. Whenever one's mind wanders, if their will is weak, they might even be destroyed by a mere glance, reduced to idiocy.

"However, this spell requires the eyes of at least a hundred cultivators to cultivate. And among them must be the eyes of at least one cultivator whose cultivation level is no less than my own, to serve as the primary pupil. Yet, trapped here as we are, it's impossible to gather the necessary materials."

Su Yuxuan sighed deeply, her spirit dampened by the thought.

Ye Chen's eyebrows rose at her explanation. Typical of the demonic sects—such an outrageous spell, requiring the eyes of cultivators. And Su Yuxuan's implication was clear; had they not been confined here, she would have pursued such a ruthless method without hesitation. The little witch was indeed cruel.

An audacious thought flashed through Ye Chen's mind as he inquired, "Does it really require the eyes of so many cultivators to perform?"

Su Yuxuan nodded and then shook her head. "The spell does mention that if one encounters a cultivator with a peculiar innate ability in their eyes, then just one pair of such eyes would suffice. Moreover, the Extreme Dao Blood Pupil crafted from them might even be more potent, possibly capturing some of the donor's divine abilities due to some latent power of bloodlines...

"However, those with such gifted divine abilities are exceptional talents, and defeating them would be beyond our means. Senior Brother, my eyes are just ordinary, and furthermore, this spell can only be cultivated by those with a Blood Spirit root."

By the end, Su Yuxuan's voice carried a cautious tone, perhaps worried that Ye Chen might harbor intentions of seizing such a powerful artifact by force. She made it clear that only those with a Blood Spirit root could practice it.

Ye Chen had no intention of seizing such a perilous artifact, nor was he concerned about whether Su Yuxuan was deceiving him. He was shocked to discover that this technique could also be cultivated with eyes possessing innate divine abilities.

And his own eyes, which bore the innate ability known as the Eyes of Destruction, perfectly fit this requirement. Truth be told, though it felt grand to possess such a power and the Eyes of Destruction were immensely potent, for Ye Chen, such offensive divine abilities were merely embellishments to his already formidable capabilities.

To say they were nonessential wouldn't be an exaggeration. If it were possible to exchange them, Ye Chen wouldn't mind at all. He had pondered this matter before, but dismissed the idea, assuming no female cultivator would need his eyes. Yet unexpectedly, an opportunity had now presented itself.

But the problem remained, could eyes truly be considered an appropriate gift? If they were, then it would be ideal. A feedback with a critical hit could propel him directly to new heights. But if they weren't considered gifts, then offering his eyes would be for naught—a complete waste, akin to fetching water with a bamboo basket. And it was uncertain whether he could even reattach them or if they would still function effectively without causing side effects. The risks were immense.

Ye Chen decided to consult the system to inquire whether donating his eyes would count as a gift. However, the system remained unresponsive, its usual aloof self, only chiming in when it came to gifting or detecting female cultivators.

Left without guidance from the system, Ye Chen found a corner to sit in, brooding over his dilemma. This was the first time Ye Chen felt such hesitation over a gift!

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