Chương 108: Chapter 107: Breakthrough!

Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er had long become accustomed to Ye Chen's weekly routine of leaving in the afternoon and returning just in time for dinner. So, as usual, they prepared the meal just before Ye Chen's return.

"Young Master..." Upon seeing Ye Chen, both women smiled warmly. But when they saw Sun Ruoxin behind him, their expressions soured, and their brows furrowed. To be honest, neither Lu Jing nor Lin Ke'er held any fondness for Sun Ruoxin. They were well aware of how Sun Ruoxin had repented after Ye Chen had abandoned her, and they had taken satisfaction in it for a long time. However, today, Sun Ruoxin had followed Ye Chen up to Sword Peak. Had she received Ye Chen's forgiveness?

For both women, this was not good news. After all, time was limited. Although they were somewhat exhausted, they could still endure. None of them wanted another person to share the benefits. Ye Chen didn't pay any attention to the expressions of the two women. After dining, he prepared to return to his room to organize the gains from this period. Before heading to his room, Ye Chen glanced at Sun Ruoxin.

"Come to my room later. As for the two of you, take the night off and rest well!" Upon hearing this, Sun Ruoxin immediately nodded eagerly. She had just cried her eyes out a moment ago, and her appearance had surely been affected. It was true she needed some time to tidy herself up. Meanwhile, the two women showed disappointment. As expected, their worst fear had come true. Tonight, they wouldn't even have a chance to practice. After Ye Chen left, the two women exchanged a glance.

Having spent over a year cultivating together, though there was competition, there had also been cooperation. They had developed a lot of mutual understanding. Lu Jing walked up to Sun Ruoxin and spoke softly, "Fellow Daoist Sun, you'd better think carefully. You may never be able to break through to Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. If I were you, I'd focus on cultivation. After all, cultivation is everything!

Once you have strength, it will be easier to earn Junior Brother's forgiveness, don't you think?" Sun Ruoxin had originally been a little nervous, fearing the two women's dissatisfaction and the possibility of them targeting or ostracizing her. But upon hearing their concern, she sighed with relief.

"If I can't reach Foundation Establishment, then I can't. Honestly, my chances were slim to begin with. As long as I can get Junior Brother's forgiveness, I'm willing to do anything." Lin Ke'er, standing beside them, frowned slightly.

"I suggest you leave. Let me tell you, Junior Brother actually has a bit of a..." Lu Jing nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Junior Brother knows all sorts of strange things."

"..."

"We're both trapped, already deep in the abyss. But Sun Fellow Daoist, you're still young. Don't make a rash decision!" Sun Ruoxin was shocked. Junior Brother, so he has this side to him, huh? But even so, I'd be willing to accept him. If you love someone, you must accept everything about them. And honestly, it doesn't sound so bad. In fact, it even seems... intriguing. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"Thank you both for your concern, but I'm fine!" she replied. With those words, she took out the prepared cleansing talisman and a new set of clothes. Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er exchanged glances. Not only did their words not scare Sun Ruoxin away, but it seemed as if Sun Ruoxin was even more eager than before.... Meanwhile, Ye Chen was busy sorting through the items in his storage ring, planning to pick out a batch of things suitable for selling. Some items were of high value, others of low value.

He couldn't bring everything out all at once. The cultivation world was not Earth. Or rather, even if it were Earth, the same rules applied. When your wealth far exceeds your social status and strength, you inevitably attract covetous eyes. It was like when a poor person wins the lottery and a rich person makes a business deal—they both earn five million. The rich person is envied, even courted, because they have the strength to back it up.

But the poor person's money, which was earned purely by luck, makes others greedy. In fact, it's common for lottery winners to be swindled, losing everything and ending up with their lives ruined. The cultivation world, however, was even worse. Holding wealth that surpasses your cultivation level can truly get you killed. Thus, Ye Chen knew better than to unload everything at once. It was best to take things slowly, one step at a time. After finishing up his preparations, Ye Chen's door was knocked on.

From the rhythm of the knocking, he could tell it wasn't Lu Jing or Lin Ke'er.

"Come in," Ye Chen called. The door immediately swung open. Standing at the threshold was Sun Ruoxin, her hair still slightly damp, with a few strands hanging loosely around her face. Her expression was full of hesitation and restraint.... Meanwhile, at the peak of Sword Peak, Gu Yunyun, dressed in a red robe, was sipping on wine. Suddenly, her hand holding the wine gourd trembled slightly.

"Another new one?" Under the starlight, the evening glow lighting her face, Gu Yunyun looked surprised. This unfamiliar voice had stirred new emotions within her. Gu Yunyun could only shake her head in resignation. Her disciple, though lacking in spiritual roots, had astonishing other talents. Having won first place in the sect competition and earned the Foundation Establishment Pills, yet instead of focusing on cultivation, they were wasting time. It seemed her disciple was beyond help.

Later, in the dead of night, with her vision blurry from the alcohol, Gu Yunyun's eyes widened again.

"Why are those two here as well?" She could only hear the sounds, but she saw nothing. But... Gu Yunyun's cultivation of her state of mind had once again been disturbed. With a swift movement, Gu Yunyun vanished from her spot. Her cultivation of her state of mind had failed again today......

"Qi Refining Ninth Layer..." The next morning, Ye Chen felt the surge of his cultivation and smiled. Sun Ruoxin's method truly worked. The Qi Refining stage had always been too weak. Breaking through to Foundation Establishment as soon as possible was the best course of action. Both of his maidservants remained unresponsive, still lost in their sweet dreams. Meanwhile, Sun Ruoxin's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she quickly adjusted her clothes and got up....

When she sensed her own cultivation, Sun Ruoxin was stunned. It didn't seem like she had fallen back at all—if anything, she had grown stronger! She had originally just broken through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining. Now, she was at the peak of the seventh layer. How could this be? Sun Ruoxin's heart was filled with surprise. Ye Chen, however, understood what had happened. It was the effect of the Great Joy Zen Method. After all, the Great Joy Zen Method emphasized mutual benefit.

Under the influence of the technique, Sun Ruoxin's spiritual energy had successfully fed back into both of them. It wasn't just Ye Chen who gained the benefits! It had even brought extra enhancements. Both of them had experienced growth. Sun Ruoxin's technique was indeed remarkable. It had helped Ye Chen break through successfully during his cultivation.

"Master..." Sun Ruoxin, having called him that out of habit, now paused. Ye Chen waved his hand.

"Just call me Junior Brother." He preferred each of the female cultivators to have their own unique way of addressing him. It made things more distinctive, otherwise, it would all feel too repetitive... As for what to do with Sun Ruoxin, yesterday, with so many people around, he hadn't had the chance to think. But now, he had an idea.