Chapter 63: Father Died?

“Father, what exactly happened?”

Sun Ruoxin’s tone grew anxious. She had spent years painstakingly accumulating spirit stones. She had always believed that entering the Green Cloud Sect was a sure thing, why had it all fallen apart now?

Sun Ye’s face was full of bitterness as he began to explain what had transpired. His master, Kong Xiangli, was the Sect’s Elder in charge of talisman crafting. Much like Sun Ye himself, Kong Xiangli was deeply greedy.

In fact, Sun Ye’s current avarice was learned directly from his master. Years ago, Sun Ye had hoped to get his daughter into the Green Cloud Sect and had gone to Kong Xiangli to ask for help in opening a backdoor. Kong Xiangli had demanded five high-grade spirit stones as payment.

For a Qi Refining cultivator, this was an astronomical sum. Even for Sun Ye, who was at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, it was no small matter. But in order to secure his daughter’s future, Sun Ye had spent over ten years scraping together the spirit stones.

But today, when he went to meet his master, after taking the spirit stones, Kong Xiangli had made another request. He wanted Sun Ruoxin to marry his grandson, Kong Xiangbei. Once they were united by marriage, he would naturally admit Sun Ruoxin into the Green Cloud Sect. Of course, the spirit stones would not be refunded, they were to be considered as her dowry.

As Sun Ye recounted this part, Sun Ruoxin’s face immediately darkened. The cultivation technique she practiced the Clear Jade Body Technique, was something her father had worked hard to obtain. This technique wasn’t particularly suited for combat, but it cultivated an especially pure form of spiritual energy. It was said to be highly beneficial for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

However, it came with a major restriction: before reaching Foundation Establishment, she was absolutely forbidden from losing her virginity. If she did, her cultivation efficiency would be drastically reduced, and a third of her accumulated spiritual energy would be lost.

What was worse, if she broke the restriction before Foundation Establishment, it would essentially ruin any hope of ever advancing to that stage. Once she reached Foundation Establishment, however, the restriction would no longer apply. Thus, if Sun Ruoxin had any hope of advancing, there was no way she could get married or form a Dao partner early.

“Why would this happen? A Foundation Establishment cultivator’s descendant wouldn’t lack female cultivators, why would he be interested in me?” Sun Ruoxin asked, confusion written all over her face.

Sun Ye gave a bitter smile, his voice full of helplessness. “I just inquired with an old acquaintance. Master’s grandson, Kong Xiangbei, is the most promising one of this generation. But he’s been stuck at the eighth layer of Qi Refining for three years… He’s probably eyeing the unique qualities of the Clear Jade Body Technique and wants to use your spiritual power to break through. When I bought this cultivation method for you, I went through Master’s connections, paying him a hefty sum. It’s probably because of that he’s set his sights on you.”

Sun Ye spoke gently, but his words clearly indicated that Kong Xiangbei wanted to use Sun Ruoxin as a furnace to assist in his breakthrough.

At this point, Sun Ye’s face showed a trace of resentment. He had given five high-grade spirit stones, a significant sum for any Qi Refining cultivator. But not only had Kong Xiangli taken the money and failed to deliver, he now planned to use his daughter for his own gain. To turn his daughter into a tool for someone else’s breakthrough. What kind of master was this? So cold-hearted, so devoid of any sense of duty.

“Don’t worry, daughter,”Sun Ye continued, trying to reassure her. “I’ll go back and plead with Master again. After so many years of being his disciple, with the gifts I send him every year, surely he won’t be so heartless?”

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He paused, then sighed. “It’s a pity that Ye Chen is dead. If he were alive, he would have surely gotten us a slot. You could have asked him, and he would have given it to you! After all, he even gave you the flying boat!”

Sun Ye’s words were filled with regret as he thought of Ye Chen.

Hearing this, Sun Ruoxin also remembered Ye Chen, her expression growing dim. At one point, she hadn’t thought much of him, but compared to Kong Xiangbei, who wanted to use her as a stepping stone, Ye Chen’s wholehearted support and selfless efforts for her now felt all the more precious.

If Ye Chen were still alive, maybe she would have had a chance at a slot in the Green Cloud Sect. But alas, he was dead. And even if he weren’t, she knew full well that Ye Chen would harbor resentment toward her. After all, she had concealed the truth about taking the flying boat for herself. For any cultivator, that was a mortal grudge, something unforgivable. Perhaps everything would go awry once they arrived in Green Cloud City.

Sun Ruoxin’s heart was a storm of conflicting emotions, a deep sense of regret welling up within her.

…

Entering Green Cloud City required a fee, but since Ye Chen was from the Ye family, a local, his identity was quickly verified, and he was allowed to pass without issue, bringing the two women into the city. As soon as they entered, Lu Jing and Lin Ke’er couldn’t help but look around in awe.