Chapter 226: I Absolutely Can’t Accept It!

“This Thunderbane Bamboo Core is indeed something Yuyi desperately needs,” An Miaoli said, her voice firm. “But as her aunt, how could I let Fellow Daoist Ye bear such an expense? Here is the Spirit Infant Grass and 60,000 high-grade spirit stones. Please, Fellow Daoist Ye, take them.”

Ye Chen’s heartfelt gesture stirred a whirlwind of emotions in An Miaoli, but she couldn’t accept it so easily. His intentions were clear—he was doing this for her. If she took the Thunderbane Bamboo Core, would it mean she was reciprocating his feelings?

That was impossible. Setting aside everything else, she could never be with someone her niece admired. And to accept the gift while ignoring his intentions? That wasn’t her way either.

More importantly, her cultivation technique was tied to karma. Owing too great a debt without repayment could cloud her heart and hinder her progress, perhaps even preventing a breakthrough. So, without hesitation, she offered the Spirit Infant Grass and 60,000 high-grade spirit stones.

Ye Chen glanced at the items and chuckled. “Senior An, when I give a gift, it’s from the heart, and I’ve never taken one back. If you don’t want it, then throw it away.” He turned to An Yuyi. “Yuyi, escort me out of your sect.”

With that, Ye Chen rose, hovering lightly in the air. An Yuyi hurriedly followed, trailing him through the sea of clouds toward the sect’s gates.

An Miaoli stood rooted in place, her white robes fluttering, her misty eyes fixed on Ye Chen’s retreating figure, dreamlike and surreal. In the end, she didn’t move, only letting out a soft sigh.

At that moment, a system prompt echoed in Ye Chen’s mind.

“Gift successful!”

“Gift: Thunderbane Bamboo Core!”

“Two-hundredfold return in progress…”

“Detected significant emotional fluctuations in the recipient, triggering a critical hit reward…”

“Reward: 50 Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Cores!”

“Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Core: A spiritual bamboo unique to the Azure Hill Holy Land, cultivated for ten thousand years to produce a Jade Bamboo Core. It can enhance a cultivator’s spiritual root aptitude. Reusable. Maximum potential: upgrading to an Earth Spirit Root!”

Ye Chen’s smile widened. The Thunderbane Bamboo Core was only effective for those below an Earth Spirit Root, but the Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Core could elevate a cultivator’s aptitude all the way to an Earth Spirit Root.

The difference in value was at least a hundredfold, and with fifty Jade Thunderbane Bamboo Cores rewarded, the return was a staggering five thousand times the initial investment. A two-hundredfold return had ballooned into five thousand. This critical hit was exhilarating.

The extra hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones he’d spent in the bidding war? Absolutely worth it. Without that fierce competition, gifting a Thunderbane Bamboo Core bought for a mere 50,000 or 60,000 might not have triggered the critical hit.

An Miaoli could’ve afforded it herself, after all. But because he’d played the fool, splashing out 190,000, it had touched her deeply, sparking the massive reward. Five thousand times the value—whether he sold the Jade Thunderbane Bamboo Cores or used them to boost the aptitude of the female cultivators around him, the impact would be immense.

His grin grew brighter at the thought.

An Yuyi, seeing Ye Chen’s joy, couldn’t help but feel a spark of happiness herself. Look at that—he’d even let her escort him out alone. If she kept at it, surely one day she’d win his heart.

…

“Aunt, I’m back!” An Yuyi returned, practically bouncing with excitement.

An Miaoli, still standing gracefully in place, her presence ethereal, spoke calmly. “What took you so long?”

An Yuyi gave a sheepish smile. “I escorted him a bit far!” If Ye Chen hadn’t stopped her, she might’ve followed him all the way to the Ye Boutique.

An Miaoli glanced at her niece and shook her head, handing over the Thunderbane Bamboo Core. “Go refine it. Once you’re done, you can break through to the Golden Core stage.”

An Yuyi nodded eagerly, taking the treasure with a delighted grin. In her heart, she made a plan: after refining it, she’d visit Ye Chen again under the guise of gratitude. Next time, she’d go alone, without her aunt. If he refused to see her, well, she’d bring her aunt along then. With that, she hurried off to refine the Thunderbane Bamboo Core.

An Miaoli sat in the pavilion, gazing at the sea of clouds, now ablaze with the fiery hues of sunset. Her thoughts drifted. She had to repay Ye Chen for his gift, but if she treated it like a transaction, he’d never accept it. Only a return gift would do, but what should its value be?

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The Thunderbane Bamboo Core was worth 50,000 or 60,000 high-grade spirit stones—something she could afford. The problem was, Ye Chen had spent 190,000. What kind of gift could match that?

Her flawless brow furrowed slightly as she pondered.

Returning to the Ye Boutique, Ye Chen didn’t immediately head back to Green Cloud City. He planned to stay another week. In a few days, he’d deliver the incomplete Eternal Cosmos Sutra. Once he received the full Golden Core chapter as a reward, he’d return to Green Cloud Sect to meet his master and senior sister, then begin secluded cultivation.