An Miaoli stood gracefully before the gate, her figure poised and elegant, lingering for a long time. The jade slip in her hand loosened and tightened repeatedly as her thoughts churned. Finally, a faint glow flickered from the red mole on her brow, as if she'd come to some realization. She turned and drifted away, her white robes flowing.

No one knew what conclusion she'd reached. But those who observed closely might notice that An Miaoli, who once seemed otherworldly, as if she might ascend on the wind at any moment, now carried a subtle trace of human warmth.

...

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had flown tens of thousands of miles from Divine Will City. The system's silence didn't faze him. If An Miaoli truly refused to accept the gift, he'd simply return to the Divine Will Sect and retrieve the Eternal Cosmos Sutra fragment. No big deal.

But in the next moment, the system's prompt finally chimed in his mind.

"Gift successful!"

"Gift: Eternal Cosmos Sutra Golden Core Chapter Fragment…"

"Return in progress!"

"Two-hundredfold return in progress…"

"Detected that the gifted item triggered a critical hit return…"

"Reward: Eternal Cosmos Sutra Golden Core Chapter (Complete), Eternal Cosmos Sutra Nascent Soul Chapter (Complete), Eternal Cosmos Sutra Deity Transformation Chapter (Complete)!"

Ye Chen's eyes widened. A single Golden Core chapter fragment had triggered a critical hit, yielding the complete Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Deity Transformation chapters? He was soaring!

An Miaoli was truly remarkable. All his painstaking efforts, the back-and-forth of gifting, had paid off. What a woman—truly exceptional. Once he broke through to the Golden Core stage, he'd definitely gift her again.

His mood buoyant, Ye Chen glanced ahead, only to raise an eyebrow. Streaks of light suddenly converged from all directions. In an instant, four cultivators blocked every possible escape route. Below, an array surged to life, enveloping him and the four in its glow.

This… Was he being ambushed?

Ye Chen remained utterly calm, curiously sizing up the four cultivators. All were early-stage Golden Core cultivators, their auras muddled and impure—likely bearing low-grade, turbid Golden Cores, not even comparable to that old monster Wang, who'd been on his last legs. Probably rogue cultivators, he figured.

The four, seeing they'd successfully cornered Ye Chen, lit up with greed, their eyes gleaming with avarice. They were rogue cultivators from beyond the Divine Will Sect's domain, here for the auction hoping to fish in troubled waters. They hadn't found a suitable target until one of them spotted Ye Chen appearing suddenly in a corner of Divine Will City—right during the auction. Tracking him, they uncovered his identity: the top prodigy of the Divine Will Assembly, owner of a thriving shop. His appearance coincided with the end of the third auction item, hinting at immense wealth.

The potential profits set their hearts racing. They didn't dare act in Divine Will City or too close to the Divine Will Sect, so they bided their time, waiting for Ye Chen to head back to Green Cloud Sect. Now, their moment had arrived.

"Kid, you're the one who snagged the Thunderbane Bamboo Core, right?" one sneered. "Nineteen thousand high-grade spirit stones for it—such extravagance! You must be loaded with even more. And that Ye Boutique, it's raking in gold daily. A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator richer than us Golden Cores? Why should you have it all?"

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The four unleashed their Golden Core auras, their oppressive pressure suffocating, their eyes brimming with killing intent. They knew Ye Chen was strong—topping the Divine Will Assembly meant he could likely rival a Golden Core. But they were four against one. No matter how talented, he'd fall.

Ye Chen, surrounded, didn't flinch. He glanced around, confirming no one else was nearby, then casually tossed an array disc to the ground.

A triangular-eyed rogue cultivator narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?"

Ye Chen smiled faintly. "Your array is too shoddy—I don't want outsiders seeing this. The array I just set up? Even a late-stage Golden Core can't break out easily, and it blocks Nascent Soul spiritual sense. This way, no one will notice."

His words stunned the four into a brief silence.

Before they could respond, Ye Chen leisurely began pulling items from his storage bracelet. Like last time, he was on the verge of breaking through to Golden Core, a new chapter.

Yet, he'd barely used the arsenal he'd prepared during Foundation Establishment—his opponents had been too weak. These four showed up at the perfect time. Their quality might be lacking, but their numbers made up for it. It was just the opportunity he needed to go all out before moving on to the next stage.

The four Golden Core rogue cultivators gaped as Ye Chen, in the blink of an eye, donned a full set of top-grade magical treasures. Their amazement grew—this kid was loaded. But their jaws dropped further when his eyes suddenly clouded with endless mist, his once-lively pupils transforming into double pupils: the left radiating revival, the right exuding destruction.

A terrifying aura flooded the array, pressing down on the four until their heartbeats slowed.

"Heavy Pupils… It's the Heavy Pupils!" one of them shouted in terror, stumbling back.

Such a supreme innate Divine Ability was the stuff of legends. And they were witnessing it firsthand? A prodigy with Heavy Pupils, hiding in a minor sect instead of dominating a Holy Land? Doubt gnawed at them, and retreat flickered in their minds.

Heavy Pupils were too heaven-defying—legends said such prodigies could slay foes across realms as easily as eating or drinking. Even as Golden Cores, and four of them at that, they were rattled.

But it didn't end there. A blazing sun seemed to rise from Ye Chen's chest, its radiant light overwhelming, the pressure so intense their legs trembled. Another innate Divine Ability? What kind of monster was this? Fear now dominated their eyes as they glanced behind, plotting an escape.

Ye Chen shot them a dissatisfied look. "This is the Primordial Supreme Heart," he said, exasperated. Rogue cultivators, indeed—such limited knowledge. They didn't even recognize the Primordial Supreme Heart. He had to explain it himself, stripping away any sense of grandeur.

The four stared blankly. Heavy Pupils were rare but recognizable. The Primordial Supreme Heart? So obscure only top sects or Holy Lands would know it. They'd never even heard the name. Still, their fear deepened, their bodies quaking.

Then, flames erupted across Ye Chen's body, the Myriad Star Body ignited by the seventh-grade Myriad Star Fire bursting forth for the first time. Seeing their clueless expressions, Ye Chen snapped, "This is the Myriad Star Body, powered by the seventh-grade Myriad Star Fire…"

Seventh-grade spiritual fire? The four were speechless.

Brother, we get it—we messed up. You're incredible. Please, let us go…

Panic consumed them. Who could've imagined ambushing a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a minor sect only to face someone with two top-tier Divine Abilities and a seventh-grade spiritual fire? Even Holy Land direct disciples might pale in comparison.

But the show wasn't over. Ye Chen unleashed his full spiritual power, activating his cultivation technique. Instantly, ethereal immortal chants filled the air. Behind him, a faint, indistinct figure of an immortal maiden appeared, her aloof gaze fixed on the four. A chilling dread washed over them, their Golden Cores nearly freezing under her stare.

What was this? Ye Chen sighed. He used to scoff at luxury brands advertising to the poor, who couldn't afford their goods and didn't deserve to see the ads. Why not market solely to the rich? But now he understood: if the poor didn't know luxury, how could the rich feel satisfied?

Here he was, his final chance to show off in the Foundation Establishment stage, and it wasn't even fulfilling. In the future, when he was truly powerful, he'd compile a handbook of heaven and earth treasures and techniques, mandating education for every cultivator. No one would advance to Qi Refining without memorizing it.

For now, he patiently explained, "This is the Western Empress Scripture."

An immortal scripture? The four felt as if they'd seen their own ancestors appear before them.

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