For the next period, Ye Chen's life was remarkably calm. Every day, he focused on his cultivation and learning new spells.

  As for Sun Ruoxin, Ye Chen continued his lessons in talisman crafting under her guidance. The father and daughter, however, had clearly begun treating him like a cash cow. They constantly tried to get him to buy expensive items. For instance, Sun Ye had specially brought in a bottle of Rejuvenation Pills, urging Ye Chen to purchase them.

  Cultivators, as they aged, would gradually lose their youthful appearance. But if they took the Rejuvenation Pill, even if they were hundreds of years old, their skin and features would remain as youthful as they were in their prime. Naturally, this made the pill highly sought after by female cultivators.

  However, the Rejuvenation Pill was a second-grade elixir. Even Ye Chen himself couldn't concoct it. On top of that, the materials were quite rare, with each pill costing a hefty twenty middle-grade spirit stones. And that didn't include other miscellaneous items, like top-tier magic tools or large, powerful defensive talismans.

  Despite knowing that they were trying to take advantage of him, Ye Chen didn't mind in the slightest. As long as he confirmed that the items were truly useful to Sun Ruoxin, he would pay without hesitation.

  This attitude left Sun Ruoxin, who had long considered Ye Chen nothing more than a gullible simp, quite surprised. Was Ye Chen really that wealthy? And wasn't he just a little too obsessed with her? Yet, even after sensing Ye Chen's infatuation, Sun Ruoxin didn't show him any more affection. If anything, she became even colder and more distant. She didn't even bother calling him "Junior Brother" anymore.

  Ye Chen didn't mind this at all. It was perfectly normal for a simp to be treated this way. After all, when you're constantly giving gifts, no matter how cold or dismissive they are, they're only going to treat you worse.

  Ye Chen remained unfazed by Sun Ruoxin's cold attitude. As he continued sending gifts, his profits from the fifteen-times feedback stacked up exponentially. For easy-to-handle items, he dealt with them quietly. For those that were difficult to sell in Silver Moon Market, he stored them away in his spatial pouch, waiting for a more opportune time.

  At present, Ye Chen had accumulated a single high-grade spirit stone. This didn't even include the treasures he hadn't yet processed. The amount he had earned was clear to see. Therefore, while Sun Ye and his daughter greedily treated him like an ATM, he only hoped that Sun Ruoxin would increase her demands.

  ...

  In his room, Ye Chen sat cross-legged on the Stalactite Jade Spirit Bead Bed, his body pulsing with spirit Qi. Suddenly, it felt as though an invisible chain had been shattered.

  Ye Chen opened his eyes, and a brilliant light flashed within them. Thanks to the terrifying enhancement effect of the Stalactite Jade Spirit Bead Bed, Ye Chen had broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining in just three months. He was now only one small realm away from the later stages of Qi Refining.

  Beside his cultivation, Ye Chen had made rapid progress in his mastery of spells. For instance, in his Five Elements Concealment Technique, Ye Chen could now maintain an invisible state while moving at a slow pace. The effect was exceptional.

  When Lin Ke'er and Lu Jing came to find him, even though he was only three meters away, they couldn't detect his presence. He had even tested it at Green Cloud Shop. Standing still in a shop for half an hour. Sun Ye came out to assess items, yet he never noticed Ye Chen.

  With the Emperor's Qi Viewing Technique, Ye Chen could now easily see through a cultivator's realm and life force. He still couldn't quite make sense of their luck, but for the time being, it was enough.

  For example, Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er were both at the fourth level of Qi Refining, which Ye Chen could easily discern. He could even distinguish their specific cultivation progress. Because Lu Jing was focused on cultivation rather than studying spells, her progress was actually faster than Lin Ke'er's, and she would likely break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining before Lin Ke'er.

  Ye Chen could clearly see the cultivation levels of Sun Ye and Sun Ruoxin. Sun Ruoxin, with her Qi Refining sixth level, was on the same level as Ye Chen himself.

  As for Sun Ye, Ye Chen had originally thought he was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, but to his surprise, Sun Ye was actually a high-level expert at the ninth level of Qi Refining, meaning he had hidden his cultivation very well.

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  Ye Chen estimated that even if he practiced the so-called Zen Mind Qi Observation, he wouldn't be able to see through Sun Ye's cultivation fully.

  However, Ye Chen could tell that Sun Ye's life force was particularly withered. It was clear that he had suffered some severe injuries in the past. It was said that breaking through to Foundation Establishment required a high demand on one's life force, and with Sun Ye in this state, it was obvious he had no chance of achieving it.

  In any case, Ye Chen was very satisfied with the effectiveness of his spells. With the spells he had now, Ye Chen felt confident that even disciples of the Green Cloud Sect were no match for him. At least within the sect's jurisdiction, he should be invincible at the same cultivation level. Against loose cultivators, crossing a small realm or two wouldn't be a problem either.

  This gave Ye Chen a huge sense of security. As for Jin Zhaodi, who was just a loose cultivator, and at most, was at the seventh level of Qi Refining. Even if she sought revenge, Ye Chen felt confident he could hold his ground.

  ...

  Just as Ye Chen finished his training and was about to head to Green Cloud Shop to see what tricks Sun Ye and his daughter were planning next, a servant from the market arrived with a message.

  "Fellow Daoist Ye, Steward Sun has said that today's class is canceled. We will notify you of the rescheduled time later."

  Ye Chen frowned immediately. "Is Steward Sun busy today?"

  The servant shook his head and whispered, "Two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Mo family's guard were killed last night. Two others were heavily wounded. It's said that someone was killed on the outskirts of Silver Moon Market last night. When the Mo family's guard pursued, they were ambushed! It seems to have been the cultivators from the mountains."

  Upon hearing the news, Ye Chen immediately furrowed his brows. He had always known about the group of cultivators in the mountains. They were either people who had offended the Mo family, or they were those who, for various reasons, couldn't enter the market. So, they stayed in the mountains, hunting demonic beasts and gathering herbs. They then sent people to the market to exchange for spirit stones and resources. Those who could survive in the mountains were considered powerful among the loose cultivators.

  However, they had always refrained from provoking the Mo family. After all, the Mo family was a Foundation Establishment family. If they angered them, a Foundation Establishment ancestor could easily enter the mountains and wipe them out. But now, these cultivators had actually made a move on the Mo family's guards.

  Although Ye Chen didn't know the exact reason, he was certain that it had something to do with the Mo family's ancestor. Had the Mo family's ancestor died? After all, Sun Ye had said that the Mo family's ancestor hadn't shown up for three years. If he was really dead, it would make sense that the Mo family kept the news a secret.

  But whatever the case, Ye Chen could sense that Silver Moon Market was about to be thrown into chaos. This wasn't good news for Ye Chen. After all, with his gift feedback system, he could easily accumulate resources and increase his cultivation. The more peaceful the environment, the more favorable it was for him.

  Chaos was not in Ye Chen's best interest. But whether or not there would be chaos wasn't something Ye Chen could control. Who knew what might happen in the next few days? So, Ye Chen decided to stay in seclusion. The nearby One Leaf Pill Shop had also announced that it would be closed for the next two days and had even activated the shop's defensive formation to prevent any "zero-cost shopping."

  In the cultivation world, "zero-cost shopping" wasn't uncommon. After all, cultivators were restless by nature, and once Silver Moon Market descended into chaos, the regular cultivators in the market would start itching to take advantage of the situation. They would be looking for a way to grab resources. And these shops, naturally, would become prime targets for plunder. The thought crossed Ye Chen's mind: Would Jin Zhaodi take advantage of this opportunity to make a move?

  Before nightfall, a knock sounded at the door.

  Ye Chen opened it to find Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er standing outside.

  Lu Jing's eyes held a trace of panic as she sighed in relief upon seeing Ye Chen. "There are rumors circulating among the cultivators outside. They say the Mo family's ancestor is dead..." she said, her voice trembling. "They also say that the mountain bandits. Those rogue cultivators will be coming to raid the market in the next few days!"

  Her fear was evident, and she added, "I... I was a bit scared, so I came here."

  Lin Ke'er, standing beside her, shot a glance at Lu Jing, her expression slightly disdainful. Dressed in a tight combat outfit, she spoke with a calm tone, "If things really do get chaotic, there will definitely be plenty of opportunists trying to take advantage of the situation. My cultivation is only at the fourth level of Qi Refining. I'm too weak to handle it on my own, but if I stay with Fellow Daoist Ye, I'll be safer."

  Ye Chen didn't refuse. Both of them had a tenfold feedback multiplier, and if something happened, it would be a loss for him as well. It would be safer for them to stay here. His courtyard was small, with only a few empty rooms besides his own. It would be easy to arrange for the two of them to stay. After a bit of idle chatter, the two women soon returned to their rooms.

  Ye Chen kept a close watch on the situation outside, but everything remained eerily quiet. It seemed that, in such an atmosphere, most of the ordinary cultivators were too wary to wander around.

  By midnight, Ye Chen was resting peacefully. Suddenly, a knock came at his door.

  Ye Chen listened for a moment, then opened it and allowed the person inside. "Fellow Daoist Lu, what brings you here?" he asked with a smile.

  It was indeed Lu Jing. She was dressed in a sleeveless silk gown, the fabric clinging to her graceful figure. The buttons were only loosely fastened, exposing her smooth, flat stomach. Her appearance, in the middle of the night, was certainly enough to provoke thoughts of desire.

  "Fellow Daoist Ye, I'm still feeling a bit scared."

  Her pitiful expression made it hard to refuse.