Sun Ye was genuinely stunned. He knew all too well how poor Ye Chen's aptitude for talisman crafting had been. To say he was a lost cause would not have been an exaggeration. Ye Chen was completely clueless. Yet, in just a week….

  When Ye Chen began to craft talismans, it was as though he had become a completely different person. His brushstrokes flowed like a stream, smooth and effortless. While there were still some awkward pauses at certain points, it was clear that his transformation was nothing short of remarkable.

  "Ye Chen, how did you suddenly improve so much?" Sun Ye asked, holding the Dust-Dispelling Talisman in his hand, inspecting it with growing curiosity.

  He couldn't help but ask, suspecting that Ye Chen had been secretly getting lessons from another talisman crafter.

  Without hesitation, Ye Chen replied, "I've been reading books."

  Reading books?

  Sun Ye froze for a moment before recalling the talisman crafting notes he had sold Ye Chen. Those notes were indeed from his own master. He himself had poured over them daily in the past. But after just a week of reading, to see such a huge improvement? Wasn't this a bit too absurd? When Sun Ye had studied them, he hadn't seen such immediate results.

  Could it be that Ye Chen was actually a genius? Had he been the one teaching incorrectly all along? Was Ye Chen not lacking in talent, but rather had Sun Ye been a poor teacher?

  For a moment, Sun Ye even doubted his own abilities as a mentor. However, the truth was far from what Sun Ye had imagined. Ye Chen simply had a system.

  In any case, Ye Chen's performance completely threw Sun Ye's plans into disarray. But if Ye Chen could master the basics, that was a good thing. It meant that Sun Ye could keep collecting tuition fees.

  With that thought, Sun Ye regained his enthusiasm. However, for the next month, he was repeatedly shocked by Ye Chen's progress. Every week, Ye Chen's skills seemed to make a leap forward.

  In just one month, Ye Chen had fully mastered the fundamentals of talisman crafting. He had already perfected low-grade talismans like the Gentle Breeze Talisman and the Dust-Dispelling Talisman. He was now officially a first-tier talisman master. At this point, he could even begin to try crafting mid-grade talismans.

  Just like spells, low-grade talismans had little power. Only with mid-grade talismans could one begin to attempt creating the true spell talismans needed by cultivators.

  Sun Ye was completely stunned by Ye Chen's performance. One month, from a novice to mid-grade, how could this be the work of a mere talentless fool? This was clearly the mark of a genius like no other.

  As this realization struck him, Sun Ye couldn't help but feel a sharp pang in his heart. It wasn't that he regretted wasting a genius's potential. What really hurt was that Ye Chen had gained enlightenment by using his master's talisman crafting notes, while he had only received three mid-grade spirit stones for them. He had lost out big time.

  ...

  "Senior, can I start learning to craft mid-grade talismans?" After class ended, Ye Chen asked seriously.

  Upon hearing this, Sun Ye felt a headache coming on. Ye Chen was progressing too quickly, and he hadn't even collected much tuition. Yet, he couldn't deliberately delay, as that would look too greedy.

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  After a moment's hesitation, Sun Ye replied, "Yes… come a day early next week and join me for class with my daughter."

  Whether it was one student or two, it made little difference. Since his daughter had begun crafting mid-grade talismans, she had become a bit arrogant. It would be just right for Ye Chen to join, so his natural talent could humble her.

  Upon hearing this, Ye Chen's eyes immediately lit up. "Although I haven't formally become a disciple, your daughter is considered my senior sister, right? Since we'll be attending class together next time, should I prepare a gift for our first meeting?"

  Seeing Ye Chen's excitement, Sun Ye furrowed his brows. This kid… Why is he so excited just hearing about my daughter? Why didn't he prepare a gift for me instead? Could it be that this kid really gets all eager around female cultivators?

  But Sun Ye knew his daughter well. Her ambitions were grand, and she certainly wouldn't give Ye Chen a second glance. So, if Ye Chen truly wanted to chase after her, it wouldn’t matter.

  ...

  "Finally, I've waited so long for this! I'm glad I didn't give up...."

  Ye Chen hummed as he left Green Cloud Shop and made his way back to his courtyard, feeling in high spirits. At last, he had a chance to get close to Sun Ruoxin. She was a fifteen-fold reward, after all!

  Sending spells or similar gifts would surely bring back top-tier feedback. So, what should he give on their first meeting? For resource-type gifts, the difference between ten and fifteen-fold was negligible. It was mostly a matter of a little bit more quantity. But for gifts that could enhance his own strength, the difference between ten and fifteen-fold could be enormous.

  For instance, a spell would have a huge grade difference between ten-fold and fifteen-fold feedback. The same applied to magic tools. But he didn't know Sun Ruoxin at all and had no idea what she needed. What if he gave her something she didn't require, and the feedback didn't trigger? That would be a huge loss. So, this was indeed a matter that required careful thought.

  In the following days, Ye Chen focused on his cultivation, occasionally enjoying the sight of Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er competing for his attention. He also took pleasure in the little benefits they sent his way.

  Meanwhile, the Mo family had provided an update. Jin Zhaodi's blood had already been entered into the Silver Moon Market's formation. Once she entered, the formation would immediately trigger a warning and send the information to the Mo family.

  Therefore, Ye Chen didn't need to worry about retaliation. Unless, of course, something went wrong at Silver Moon Market, and the Mo family was too busy to care. But a Foundation Establishment family was unlikely to face such a crisis.

  With that reassurance, Ye Chen's mood improved greatly. Perhaps it was because his strength had grown, and he felt a bit safer now. His interest in Silver Moon Market also deepened.

  For example, the stall trading area. In addition to shops, Silver Moon Market also had a dedicated area for stalls. As long as a stall fee was paid, anyone could set up their own stand. The variety was vast, though the quality was often uneven.

  Ye Chen had always been intrigued by the market's stall area. In his past life, he had read countless web novels where the protagonist would discover hidden treasures in the bustling stall zones and rise to fame.

  With his system, perhaps he, too, could pick up something valuable that no one else noticed. So, on a day when Lu Jing was resting, Ye Chen decided to visit the stall area with her.

  Lu Jing frequently visited the area to buy beast meats, so it was a perfect opportunity.

  Upon arrival, Ye Chen's eyes lit up. The stall area wasn't very spacious, with cultivators sitting cross-legged in various spots. Some had set up makeshift stalls, while others simply laid out cloths on the ground to sell their goods. The variety of items for sale was staggering: meats, pills, magic tools, spirit herbs; everything imaginable.

  At first, Ye Chen was quite intrigued, wondering if he might find a hidden gem or a suitable gift for Sun Ruoxin. But soon, his interest waned. The quality of the items was subpar.

  While Ye Chen didn't know much about other things, he had a keen eye for pills and talismans. Some of the pills were of terrible quality, even worse than low-grade ones. They were so full of impurities that they seemed half useless. They were even inferior to the pills his predecessor had made.

  The talismans were no better, with uneven spirit qi, insufficient power, and slow activation. In crucial moments, they might not even activate at all. While they were cheap, they were utterly useless to Ye Chen.

  However, as they continued wandering, Ye Chen and Lu Jing noticed a crowd gathered around a particular stall in the middle of the area.

  This caught Ye Chen's attention.

  Why so many people? Had they discovered something valuable?