Ye Chen didn't take the old sect master's story too seriously. In his previous life working, he had seen plenty of near-retirement veterans who had accomplished nothing noteworthy in their careers. But when they were around newcomers, they just couldn't resist boasting about their so-called glorious pasts. And if their own lives didn't offer much to brag about?

Well, it was only natural to start borrowing someone else's tale and pass it off as their own. Still, it wasn't worth exposing them.

The old sect master was, after all, only a Golden Core early-stage cultivator. He didn't even seem capable of defeating that Old Monster Wang. At best, he probably had twenty-something years left to live. Let the old man enjoy his final days, boast a little, and feel good about himself…

...

Ye Chen didn't head straight for the Divine Will Mountains. Instead, he first made his way to Divine Will City. Partly to prepare the materials he would need for his breakthrough to the Golden Core stage. And partly to see if he could buy any treasures that would enhance his aptitude.

Whether it was cultivation techniques required for forming the Golden Core, spirit artifacts, or rare treasures that could elevate one's talent, they were all extremely expensive.

But to Ye Chen, it was nothing. After the past few years of accumulation, the total value of spirit stones and treasures in Ye Chen's possession had reached at least five hundred thousand upper-grade spirit stones. Forget the Golden Core stage, even Nascent Soul cultivators might not have his level of wealth. So anything he needed, he could afford to buy without hesitation.

This time arriving in Divine Will City, Ye Chen didn't bother with a guide as he had before. He went directly to the Divine Will City branch of the Ye Boutique.

With An Miaoli, the Divine Will Sect's Grand Elder, personally offering him protection. And with An Yuyi and Li Feihuang often visiting as well, no one dared to mess with the place. Plus, although the Ye Boutique sold a wide variety of miscellaneous items, it was known for offering only high-quality goods.

Even better, the prices they paid when buying items were roughly thirty percent higher than elsewhere. It was quite popular among rogue cultivators. Even disciples of the Divine Will Sect would frequently drop by to see if they could pick up any hidden treasures. Business was booming.

When Ye Chen arrived, Sun Ye, who had been leisurely seated at the counter, immediately stood up.

"Greetings, Young Master!"

He quickly led Ye Chen to the back courtyard. There, he activated a defensive formation—one that even a Golden Core stage cultivator would struggle to break through in a short time.

From within, he retrieved a storage pouch and handed it over.

"Young Master, these are the treasures and spirit stones we've acquired recently, along with the account ledger."

Ye Chen gave it a cursory glance and nodded in satisfaction. Sun Ye had managed to collect quite a few interesting items, including several rare and hard-to-find treasures. Some were suitable for triggering critical hits for Ye Chen's own use. Others could be sold at double their value for a hefty profit.

All in all, the haul was impressive. Unfortunately, he didn't spot anything related to enhancing spiritual root aptitude.

Still, Ye Chen wasn't disappointed. Top-tier treasures had always been rare—it all came down to luck. He handed over the various items he'd received as feedback during this period, letting Sun Ye handle the sorting and sales.

Just as Ye Chen was preparing to visit the Heavenly Evolution Pavilion to check for any new inventory or upcoming auctions, Sun Ruoxin came rushing in, breathless with excitement.

Sun Ye tactfully took his leave.

"Young Master, you finally came! I thought you'd forgotten all about me!"

Sun Ruoxin looked a little aggrieved. Though she had been dispatched elsewhere by Ye Chen, her resources remained abundant, far beyond what even Divine Will Sect disciples enjoyed. Still, it was nowhere near as comfortable as being by Ye Chen's side.

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Back when she had been near him, she could literally cultivate by lying down and doing nothing. Now, even though managing the Divine Will City branch appeared glamorous, Sun Ruoxin knew the truth: She had been exiled after losing the harem power struggle.

Just thinking about Lu Jing still being at Ye Chen's side, serving him day and night, eating her fill every evening made Sun Ruoxin grit her teeth.

That woman, Lu Jing, was too cunning. Always soft-spoken and unassuming, never competing for anything. Even when Ruoxin urged her to "come down early," Lu Jing would just give a pitiful nod and move faster. And it worked—she won Ye Chen's sympathy.

But even if she had lost once, Sun Ruoxin wasn't ready to admit defeat. Instead, her fighting spirit surged.

Sun Ruoxin had spent a fortune in secret to hire a female cultivator from the Tower of Desire to personally instruct her.

The Tower of Desire was, after all, a subsidiary of the Heavenly Desire Sect. And the Heavenly Desire Sect was a Deity Transformation sect, stronger than even the Divine Will Sect. Naturally, the female cultivators from there were in a league of their own.

Under one-on-one guidance, Sun Ruoxin learned a great deal. Beyond that, with her mentor's connections, she even had several outfits custom-made. Despite consisting of barely any fabric, the prices were absurdly high. Each piece had peculiar, specialized effects.

All in all, Sun Ruoxin wasn't trying to prove how amazing she was. She only wanted to reclaim everything she had lost.

...

Ye Chen gave a few simple words to settle Sun Ruoxin's ambitious spirit, telling her to wait for his return. Under her disappointed gaze, he left and made his way to Heavenly Evolution Pavilion. Backed by the Holy Land, Heavenly Evolution Pavilion always had the finest goods.

However, unfortunately, Ye Chen still couldn't find any top-tier Golden Core cultivation techniques. But it wasn't a total loss.

In two months' time, Heavenly Evolution Pavilion would be holding a grand auction. One of the featured items was a ten-thousand-year-old Thunderbane Bamboo Core. It could enhance a cultivator's aptitude, potentially even raising it to the level of Dual Variant Spiritual Roots. But another auction item was even more astonishing—the Golden Core chapter of the Immortal Scripture Eternal Cosmos Sutra.

Ye Chen was startled upon first hearing of it.

An Immortal Scripture? Heavenly Evolution Pavilion in Divine Will City had the qualifications to auction something like that? Weren't they afraid the original owner would come knocking?

But after a detailed explanation from the pavilion's steward, Ye Chen finally understood.

This fragment of the Eternal Cosmos Sutra's Golden Core chapter had been discovered by an elder of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land while exploring ancient ruins. And it wasn't the full chapter. In total, it amounted to just about two hundred words, and even those weren't coherent. It likely didn't even comprise a tenth of the full scripture. A fragment among fragments, essentially useless for cultivation.

Moreover, the Immortal who created the Eternal Cosmos Sutra—and his descendants, the Jiang Clan—had long since vanished into the mists of history. There was no one left to reclaim it.

After attempting to study it for several years with no results, the elder decided to have ten facsimiles made and distributed them to Heavenly Evolution Pavilion branches across the realm for auction. Only ten copies would be sold, ensuring buyers wouldn't have to worry about the market being flooded.

Was that fragmented chapter valuable? Of course—it absolutely held auction value. After all, what cultivator wouldn't want to glimpse an immortal scripture? Even more so when every word of such scriptures carried profound truths. While studying it, one might just gain an unexpected insight.

What's more, the Golden Core chapter of the Eternal Cosmos Sutra was said to be the strongest among all Golden Core chapters in the known immortal scriptures. In the ancient era, a Golden Core genius of the Jiang Clan once fought six Nascent Soul cultivators alone, battling for an entire day and night before slaying them all. Such terrifying battle records added immeasurable prestige.

Now that an opportunity to obtain this scripture had emerged, even a mere fragment would draw the attention of countless sects, forces, and individual experts vying for it.

...

The Thunderbane Bamboo Core was something Ye Chen absolutely needed. But this Eternal Cosmos Sutra fragment? He was just as determined to obtain it. To other cultivators, it was just a fragment. At best, they could hope to comprehend a little something from it.

But for Ye Chen, things were different. With his system's feedback ability, giving the fragment as a gift could potentially return the complete version. Spending a few spirit stones on a fragment, only to receive the full scripture? That would be a direct ascent to the heavens! Although he hadn't managed to buy anything for himself on this visit…

Ye Chen had found something of great use to Li Feihuang. And it was astonishingly expensive. Priced at a full fifty thousand upper-grade spirit stones. According to the steward, it was only temporarily housed in this branch of the Heavenly Evolution Pavilion. Soon, it was set to be transferred to a larger and more prosperous Immortal City.

Ye Chen didn't hesitate for a second. He paid the full fifty thousand up front and took it.

...

Returning to the general store's back courtyard in excellent spirits, Ye Chen found Sun Ruoxin waiting, eyes practically aching from anticipation. The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up. The room dimmed, lit only by the gentle flicker of a single candle. Under its swaying light, Ye Chen raised a curious brow. Did such robes exist in the cultivation world?

Moments later, Ye Chen experienced something entirely new. To that, Ye Chen had only one thing to say: Female cultivators from the big cities really did know how to play.

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