ISWI Chapter 239-240 (Patreon)

Chapter 239: The Boss is Pleading Poverty!

Hearing that Li Feihuang was short on spirit stones, Ye Chen couldn't help but smile. This was exactly what he wanted. He practically wished every high-multiplier female cultivator was broke, so he could cover all their cultivation needs. Wouldn't that send him soaring?

Meeting Li Feihuang's expectant gaze, Ye Chen put on an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry… To form my ninth-grade Golden Core, I paid a steep price to acquire spiritual items. I'm a bit strapped for spirit stones myself right now."

Li Feihuang blinked, caught off guard. Ye Chen was low on spirit stones too?

But it made sense. The Phoenix Stone couldn't produce a ninth-grade Golden Core. Ye Chen must have spent a fortune on top-tier spiritual items, leaving him short. It was reasonable.

The thought that Ye Chen might be deceiving her never crossed her mind. After all, he'd given her phoenix blood without hesitation. Mere spirit stones? If he had them, he'd likely hand them over without a second thought.

Seeing the guilt on Ye Chen's face for not being able to help, Li Feihuang quickly waved her hand. "No need to feel bad, Fellow Daoist Ye. It's fine."

Still, failing to borrow spirit stones from Ye Chen left her troubled. Was she supposed to hunt demonic beasts for resources? It wasn't difficult, but it was a waste of time—and beneath her status. That time would be better spent improving her cultivation.

As she frowned in thought, Ye Chen spoke up. "I may not have a large sum of spirit stones, but why don't you tell me what you need most right now, Fairy Li? I might be able to help with something smaller."

Without hesitation, Li Feihuang replied, "I'm cultivating an attack spell that requires a piece of Star River Purple Sand."

Star River Purple Sand was a top-grade material with wide applications—alchemy, artifact refining, talisman crafting, array formation, and even cultivation. It wasn't naturally formed but refined by Unity Stage powerhouses from the Outer Starry Rivers. A small piece costs 20,000 high-grade spirit stones.

Hearing her request, Ye Chen promptly took out a transmission talisman. Soon, Sun Ye arrived in the courtyard.

Seeing Ye Chen, now a Golden Core cultivator, Sun Ye bowed with deep respect. "Boss, what are your orders?"

Ye Chen spoke calmly, "Does the shop have any Star River Purple Sand?"

Sun Ye shook his head. "We don't have it in stock, but Heavenly Evolution Pavilion has some for sale."

Ye Chen nodded. "The shop's liquid funds are tight right now. Go find a partner, offload some inventory at a low price, and buy a piece of Star River Purple Sand to bring back."

Sun Ye froze. Tight on funds? How could that be? The shop's current liquid assets could buy ten pieces, let alone one.

But he quickly caught on. Glancing at Li Feihuang, he guessed the boss was dealing with someone trying to borrow spirit stones. Sun Ye had used the same "pleading poverty" tactic when old friends came asking. He'd cry poor louder than anyone, sometimes even claiming he needed to borrow from them.

In the cultivation world, lending spirit stones was often a one-way trip. The borrower might die, or if they survived, they'd avoid you, with no intention of repaying.

I borrowed it with my own skill, so why should I pay it back?

That mindset wasn't rare among cultivators.

Clearly, the boss was in a similar bind. And with the borrower being a beauty, he probably couldn't bring himself to outright refuse.

Understanding the situation, Sun Ye put on a troubled expression. "Boss, our liquid funds are already stretched thin. If we sell inventory at a loss, the shop could go under…"

Ye Chen inwardly praised Sun Ye's quick thinking. Sharp guy. Keep this up, and in a few years, he might just reach the Golden Core stage.

Li Feihuang, listening, hadn't expected Ye Chen's shop to be in such dire straits. Her lips parted hesitantly, but before she could speak, Ye Chen turned to Sun Ye with a stern glare. "Just do as I say! I want that Star River Purple Sand in my hands within an hour. If I don't see it, you're done as shopkeeper!"

Sun Ye let out a heavy sigh, saying nothing yet conveying everything. His departing figure seemed to slump a little more as he left.

"Maybe forget it…" Li Feihuang said, feeling a pang of embarrassment.

Ye Chen had activated the Divine Will Cave Heaven in advance and even given her phoenix blood. Now, he was willing to sell off his assets to buy her Star River Purple Sand, even at the risk of his shop collapsing.

Yet Ye Chen wore a nonchalant smile. "It's a small matter. Fairy Li's cultivation is what's important."

Seeing his attitude, Li Feihuang held her tongue. She was now a Golden Core cultivator with a Moon Phoenix Body and had awakened one of the True Phoenix Treasure Techniques. As long as she followed her path diligently, the imperial throne was hers.

Ye Chen, it seemed, was wholeheartedly supporting her, no matter the cost. Part of it was likely her own charisma, part admiration, and perhaps a desire to gain merit by backing her rise.

So, she didn't press further. Once she donned the imperial robe, she'd open the Great Chu treasury and let Ye Chen choose a few treasures. Even if his shop went under, he'd come out ahead.

The two sat down to drink tea, chatting casually. Li Feihuang downplayed her strength, perhaps to boost Ye Chen's confidence in her, and shared some details about the Moon Phoenix Body's wonders. She also mentioned awakening a True Phoenix Treasured Technique.

Ye Chen nodded, praising her, though Li Feihuang noticed his lack of surprise. She quickly realized he must have anticipated this when he gave her the phoenix blood, given his awareness of her talent. Of course he wouldn't be shocked now.

After listening to her boast for a bit, Ye Chen asked curiously, "Is the ninth-grade Golden Core the absolute limit? Haven't any prodigies formed a higher-grade core?"

As a royal daughter of Great Chu, Li Feihuang should be well-informed.

She nodded. "Ninth-grade Golden Cores are divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers, based on their luster, divine patterns, and so forth. There's a significant gap between them. The one I formed is an upper-tier ninth-grade Golden Core."

Ye Chen waved a hand, uninterested in her specifics. "I mean, is there anything beyond a ninth-grade Golden Core?"

Li Feihuang shook her head firmly. "I've never heard of such a thing. Some True Immortal chronicles mention wild tales, though. I read a few in the top floor of the royal library. You know of the Chaotic Ancient True Immortal? Undefeated, sweeping through his generation, stepping onto the path of immortality with unmatched prowess. His chronicle has over a hundred versions.

One claimed that after his Golden Core breakthrough, his dantian emitted seven-colored divine light, with the sound of galloping horses thundering within. But only that version mentioned it—others didn't. There was also a fragmented text, no idea which True Immortal it referred to, claiming they formed a five-colored Golden Core. Probably fake. If such a thing existed, ordinary cultivators might not know, but how could the Great Chu Dynasty be unaware?"

She scoffed at the notion. If a five-colored Golden Core were real, she'd have formed one herself. Since she hadn't, the ninth-grade Golden Core was clearly the limit.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. After all, within his own dantian, a five-colored Golden Core floated, rising and falling…

An hour passed as they chatted, but Sun Ye hadn't returned. Ye Chen frowned, about to stand and urge him, when Li Feihuang stopped him, telling him not to rush.

Another half-hour later, Sun Ye finally hurried back, pulling a jade box from his storage ring. "Please forgive me, Boss. Others saw us selling inventory at a low price and ganged up to drive it down further, so it took longer."

Sun Ye's tone was anxious, but Ye Chen mentally applauded. Well done. He decided to help Sun Ye reach the Golden Core stage someday—let the old man work for him a few more centuries.

With a sigh, Ye Chen said, "Fine, go on."

Sun Ye scurried off, his back even more hunched than before.

Ye Chen handed the jade box to Li Feihuang. As she thanked him and accepted it, a system prompt echoed in his mind…

Chapter 240: Has Li Feihuang Gotten Cocky?

"Gift successful…"

"500x feedback in progress!"

"Reward: 500 pieces of Star River Purple Sand!"

"Delivered to host's storage space!"

Five hundred pieces of Star River Purple Sand?

Ye Chen frowned at the reward. In terms of profit, it was an absolute windfall. One piece was worth 20,000 high-grade spirit stones, so 500 pieces equated to 10 million—a sum that would make even a Unity Stage powerhouse call him master and beg to learn his ways. A few more years of this, and he'd collapse the cultivation world's economy.

But the problem was… this wasn't what he wanted. He'd gone to great lengths, orchestrating a whole act with Sun Ye's cunning cooperation. If he only wanted a 500x feedback, why bother with the theatrics? He could've just handed over the gift directly.

I practically bankrupted myself to give you this gift, and you're not even touched?

Looking at Li Feihuang, radiant and brimming with vitality, Ye Chen had a suspicion. Had she gotten cocky?

Back when she was a fugitive, filled with uncertainty, the phoenix blood was her only lifeline. She'd clung to his help, valuing it immensely, which led to multiple critical hits.

But now, having broken through to the Golden Core stage, with her Fire Phoenix Spirit Body upgraded to a Moon Phoenix Body and even awakening a True Phoenix Treasure Technique, she likely believed the imperial throne was already hers. His help? Just icing on the cake, not enough to stir her emotions. Or maybe the Star River Purple Sand simply wasn't that important to her, so it didn't trigger a critical hit.

Ye Chen wasn't sure if his guess was right. Regardless, with a 500x multiplier, he was still making a fortune. Star River Purple Sand had plenty of uses for him too.

As for Li Feihuang's mindset, he'd test it a few more times. If there was no critical hit this time, it'd confirm she'd indeed gotten cocky.

"Many thanks for your help, Fellow Daoist Ye!" Li Feihuang said with a gentle smile, expressing her gratitude. "I'll remember this kindness and repay you in the future."

With that, she prepared to leave. Her focus now was on cultivating diligently, aiming to reach mid-Golden Core before the imperial throne contest. That way, she'd have a chance to defeat the late-stage Golden Core Champion King.

Ye Chen escorted her out of the courtyard, watching her exaggerated silhouette in the golden dress fade into the distance. His suspicions grew stronger. Li Feihuang had definitely gotten cocky. With her newfound strength, she seemed convinced the throne was hers for the taking.

But solving this wasn't straightforward. Beat her in a fight to bring her back to reality? That wouldn't work. Even if she realized she couldn't beat him, he wasn't her rival for the throne. It wouldn't spark any sense of urgency in her.

The only way was to instill some competitive spirit in her, like with Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er back in the day. With that in mind, Ye Chen decided to gradually distance himself from Li Feihuang and act closer to An Miaoli and the others. Perhaps that would rekindle her appreciation.

After all, a 500x base multiplier with critical hits was incredibly enticing. But if that didn't work, he wasn't too attached.

The base multiplier was important, but critical hits were the real prize—especially with top-tier treasures. A critical hit could yield rewards thousands or even tens of thousands of times greater than the original item. That far outstripped a mere 500x multiplier.

The choice was obvious.

After seeing Li Feihuang off, Ye Chen returned to the courtyard and began sorting through his outdated equipment, handing it all to Sun Ye to deal with. He also carefully sifted through the treasures Sun Ye had collected over the years, selecting those useful to him and suitable for gifting.

The Phoenix Stone he'd reclaimed from Senior Sister Yao Xi was among them. He planned to gift it again to see if it could still trigger a reward.

As for the third-grade alchemy and artifact refining insights he possessed, he needed to find suitable cultivators to gift them to. He hadn't given them to Yao Xi because her second-grade alchemy wasn't even perfected yet, and third-grade insights were still far beyond her reach.

Learn them himself? With his Heavenly Spiritual Root and top-tier comprehension, it wouldn't be hard. A few years of study, and he could likely master them fully. But why work hard when he could gain effortlessly? Why make things difficult for himself? Gifting a few more treasures would yield far greater returns.

So, in the days that followed, Ye Chen cultivated diligently while wandering Divine Will City, making several trips to Heavenly Evolution Pavilion to look for gifts suitable for An Miaoli.

...

At the peak of Quiet Wonder Peak, An Miaoli stood, her flawless beauty almost otherworldly, gazing at the rolling clouds. She seemed like an immortal ready to ascend, as if she might ride the wind and pass through the Heavenly Gate into the Nine Heavens Palace.

A trace of hesitation flickered across her dreamlike, exquisite face. A few days ago, she'd heard Ye Chen had arrived in Divine Will City. By all accounts, she should visit to thank him. The remnant immortal scripture he'd gifted her had provided profound insights, revealing flaws in her cultivation and boosting her combat strength significantly.

More importantly, the scripture's philosophy had clarified her path to immortality. She'd gained so much, yet her only repayment had been a third-grade artifact refining insight—far from enough. Not to mention, Ye Chen had also given An Yuyi a Thunderbane Bamboo Core, helping her balance her dual spiritual roots and form a ninth-grade Golden Core.

So, some time ago, An Miaoli had made a special trip to visit a third-grade spiritual plant master from an affiliated sect, who was also its sect master. At great cost, she'd acquired a third-grade spiritual plant insight, which she intended to gift to Ye Chen.

But An Yuyi was in seclusion, cultivating a spell. Would it be inappropriate for An Miaoli to visit Ye Chen alone?

The last time she'd gone to Green Cloud Sect by herself, she'd later felt it was a misstep. In hindsight, she was almost glad Ye Chen had been in seclusion and they hadn't met. After all, he was the man her niece admired. What would it look like for her to visit him alone?

An Miaoli stood atop the peak for a long while, her white robes and dark hair fluttering in the mountain breeze, her figure wreathed in misty water vapor. Soon, she made her decision. She would see Ye Chen.

He had helped her niece immensely, even saving her life. As her aunt, she had to express her gratitude. The third-grade spiritual plant insight would be gifted in An Yuyi's name, fostering their bond.

It was all for her niece's sake. As for herself? A clear conscience was enough.

With that thought, An Miaoli stepped forward, her graceful, misty silhouette crossing the boundless sea of clouds, drifting toward Divine Will City.