A month passed in the blink of an eye.

  Since the chaotic events from the previous month, Silver Moon Market had regained its calm. No one dared to provoke the Mo family again. Meanwhile, Ye Chen had been quietly accumulating spirit stones. On the last day of the month, Manager Zhang hurried to the backyard with excitement.

  "The clan has sent word!" he said eagerly. "The clan leader has successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage! He's now in seclusion, stabilizing his breakthrough. Nephew Ye, you can start preparing. Someone will come to take you to Green Cloud City in a month!"

  Upon hearing the news, Ye Chen's eyes brightened. The clan leader had really broken through to Foundation Establishment? This was indeed great news. With the clan leader's breakthrough, Ye Chen could leave without worry. Not only that, he would also secure the opportunity to enter the Green Cloud Sect. It was undoubtedly a good thing. Moreover, with the clan leader at Foundation Establishment, Ye Chen's position was more secure. After all, he was still a member of the Ye family. Wasn't that essentially a guarantee of backing?

  Seeing Ye Chen so pleased, Manager Zhang smiled widely.

  "Nephew Ye, congratulations on earning a spot in Green Cloud Sect…. But I've heard that your performance, along with your brothers', has been pretty similar these past two years. So when the time comes, you might have to refine pills on the spot, and the spot will be awarded based on your pill refining skills."

  Manager Zhang said this with an air of amusement, clearly looking forward to seeing Ye Chen's reaction. But to his surprise, Ye Chen's smile only grew broader.

  "Is that so?" Ye Chen said with a grin. "In that case, it looks like this spot is destined for me."

  Ye Chen's confident demeanor caught Manager Zhang completely off guard. It left him momentarily speechless. What was going on here? Did Ye Chen not realize his own limitations? If it weren't for his deliberate help in arranging the purchase of those Qi-Nourishing Pills, Ye Chen might not have even managed to finish his tasks.

  And as for his alchemy skills, were they really passable enough to justify him shamelessly going to learn talisman-making from others? Was Ye Chen really so caught up in his own lies that he was now starting to believe them himself? But in the end, it didn’t matter. When the time came, his flaws would inevitably be exposed.

  Manager Zhang didn't press the issue further. He simply smiled and congratulated Ye Chen, reminding him not to forget about him once he made it into Green Cloud Sect. Meanwhile, when both Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er learned that the Ye family patriarch had broken through to Foundation Establishment, they were both stunned.

  Lu Jing's eyes shone brighter than ever. With a Foundation Establishment elder backing them, the sense of security was overwhelming. That night, Lu Jing almost threw herself at Ye Chen in an attempt to seal the deal.

  As for Lin Ke'er, who had been wavering before, her heart was now in turmoil. What had seemed like a hopeless situation (Ye Chen's initial weak cultivation) was now turning around. Not only had his cultivation increased, but the Ye family had also leveled up to a Foundation Establishment family. There was even a significant chance Ye Chen would join Green Cloud Sect and become a disciple. Now, Ye Chen seemed almost out of her reach.

  This realization stirred up feelings of regret within her. If she had known this would happen, she never would have left One Leaf Pill Shop. Had she stayed, she could have kept Ye Chen all to herself. Now, though, it was obvious that Ye Chen and Lu Jing had already developed a close bond. To join them now would mean sharing Ye Chen with another woman.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Lin Ke'er wasn't happy about it. But Ye Chen was growing more impressive by the day. If she didn't act soon, she might miss her chance entirely. Thus, that night, Lin Ke'er found herself unable to sleep….

  The next morning, as dawn broke, Ye Chen made his way to Green Cloud Shop. He had received word that the item he had ordered had finally arrived. Upon reaching Green Cloud Shop, the attendant immediately led him upstairs, where Sun Ye was already waiting for him.

  In his hands, Sun Ye held a small object that resembled a boat. Upon seeing Ye Chen, he smiled and spoke, "Your flying boat has arrived. It can travel a thousand miles a day. With this, you'll reach Green Cloud City in just two days. It can soar up to six hundred meters high, but if you fly too high, you'll need to shield it yourself, or the wind will be too strong. One or two hundred meters should suffice. If you fly higher and encounter a demonic beast, a single hit could leave you with no escape. This basic flying boat, aside from flying and the ability to enlarge or shrink, has no other functions. So, use it with caution. The consumption of spirit Qi is significant. With your current cultivation at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, you'll likely be able to keep it flying for half a day at most."

  With that, Sun Ye handed the small boat to Ye Chen.

  Ye Chen took it, raising an eyebrow as he inspected it. The boat was inscribed with various intricate patterns. When he injected his spirit qi, the boat immediately emitted a soft glow. In the next instant, it floated into the air, slowly rotating and growing larger. It soon reached a size of two meters in length and one meter in width.

  The boat had only three seats, making it quite small. If one were to compare, it was like the mini cars from Ye Chen's past life. It could move, but that was about it. The only thing it could do was fly, providing not even any protection from wind or rain, nor did it have defensive capabilities, and if he encountered danger at a high altitude, death would be inevitable. It could only be powered by spirit qi. One could say it was barely functional.

  However, Ye Chen was not in a hurry. Tomorrow, the system's feedback would trigger, and he could then take this boat and present it to Sun Ruoxin. After a fifteen-fold enhancement, the mini-boat would surely transform into something on par with a luxury vehicle.

  Ye Chen paid the remaining spirit stones with ease. The pile of low-grade spirit stones made Sun Ye's eyes gleam with excitement.

  Ye Chen was incredibly wealthy. Sun Ye couldn't help but think, If only Ye Chen could give this flying boat to his daughter….

  However, Sun Ye knew it was impossible. Fifty middle-grade spirit stones was no small sum. There was no way Ye Chen would give them to someone else.

  "Ye Chen, for this shipment, I've also acquired a batch of new spells. Some of them are quite powerful. Would you like to take a look? My daughter also quite likes them."

  Hearing the pitch, Ye Chen might have bought them previously. After all, with the fifteen-fold feedback, why not? But who knew when the Mo family's patriarch would pass, how much longer they could conceal it, or when Silver Moon Market would descend into chaos? He might need to flee to Green Cloud City at any moment. The best treasures would surely be in Green Cloud City. There was no need to waste any more spirit stones here.

  So, seeing Sun Ye's disappointed gaze, Ye Chen smiled and shook his head in refusal, before taking his leave. Sun Ye watched Ye Chen leave with such resolve, disappointed. Many of the items were perfect for his daughter. But why had Ye Chen's attitude changed? Had his daughter been too distant? Even Ye Chen, who was a complete simp, had been driven to the brink of abandoning his affections?

  Thinking this, Sun Ye couldn't help but feel the urge to scold his daughter. Her attitude in recent times had indeed been excessive. When Ye Chen gave gifts, he called her "Junior Brother," but when Ye Chen didn't send anything, she didn't even glance at him. Sometimes, during class, she'd just announce that she was off to make talismans, and simply leave.

  Sun Ye asked himself, if he were Ye Chen, and a female cultivator treated him this way, no matter how much he liked her, he couldn't tolerate such a dismissive, disrespectful attitude. If Ye Chen stopped chasing her, it was understandable. Though it was a pity to lose such a fat sheep, he didn't want to force his daughter into anything.

  With those thoughts, Sun Ye headed back to the courtyard to craft talismans. The fact that the Mo family's patriarch hadn't died meant that Silver Moon Market could remain stable for a few more years. If he could save up a little more spirit stones in the meantime, he would be able to send his daughter to her master with even more assurance….

  However, the next morning, as he glanced at the sect's communication talisman, Sun Ye's expression immediately changed. Something major had happened!