Chương 12: Lin Ke'er's Breakthrough

Looking at Ye Chen about to offer her more pills, Lin Ke'er felt a swirl of conflicting emotions in her heart. She truly hadn't come here today with the intention of accepting anything else from Ye Chen. After all, the Dragon Elephant Fist he had given her earlier was far too precious. It was an external technique that many cultivators would eagerly seek, and Ye Chen had given it to her without a second thought. Now, he was also offering her cultivation pills, once again being thoughtful and generous.

This touched Lin Ke'er deeply, but it also made her realize how much she had overthought things before. Ye Chen still harbored goodwill toward her. The reason he hadn't been actively seeking her out lately or speaking to her after gifting her something wasn't because he had lost interest. It was simply that he didn't want to put too much pressure on her. Lin Ke'er asked herself, ever since stepping onto the path of cultivation, had she ever encountered anyone like Ye Chen?

A person who selflessly gave without expecting anything in return? What cultivator wasn't driven by personal gain? No one would ever do something without a benefit in mind. Even Dao partners were usually cautious with one another, often scheming and calculating. But Ye Chen had always been quietly giving to her. If she were to become Dao partners with someone like him, life would surely be much more peaceful and comfortable. However, the cultivation world was fraught with danger.

Demonic beasts and tribulations were numerous. Take the Silver Moon Market, for example. This was already the third generation of the market. The first generation had been destroyed by a beast tide, turning it into ruins. The second generation had been obliterated when a Golden Core demonic beast fought a powerful expert deep in the mountains; the shockwaves from that fight had razed the entire market. This world was simply too dangerous, and Lin Ke'er still wished to grow stronger, to climb higher.

Yet, the Ye family was merely a Qi Refining-level family. Even though Ye Chen had some talent, the support he could offer was limited and would never help her reach greater heights. As perfect as Ye Chen seemed, he simply wasn't the right person for her. What a shame! Looking at the pill bottle in her hand, Lin Ke'er hesitated for a moment before reaching out and accepting it, sincerely thanking, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye…." Ye Chen, on the other hand, smiled at the prompt sound echoing in his mind.

"No need for thanks, Fellow Daoist. Just focus on your cultivation," he replied with a warm smile. To Lin Ke'er, Ye Chen's smile seemed to be a reflection of his joy at her accepting his gift, which, in turn, made her feel a bit of pressure. Ye Chen really liked her, didn't he? What if, in the future, she couldn't return his feelings? What if, out of love unreciprocated, resentment arose? Would he want everything back? And if she couldn't repay him, might he try to force her…?

For a moment, Lin Ke'er's thoughts were in disarray, but a loud thud broke her train of thought. Ye Chen, after giving the gift, simply returned to his room. Lin Ke'er paused in surprise but soon let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps this was for the best. With that, she quickly left the backyard and headed back to her cultivation, pushing the complex feelings aside for now.... Meanwhile, inside his room, Ye Chen was thoroughly pleased with the tenfold rewards he had received.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Five lower-grade Elephant Blood Pills have turned into twenty-five upper-grade ones. Five middle-grade Qi Gathering Pills have turned into fifty middle-grade Qi Gathering Pills, perfect for selling and earning more spirit stones. This system really is thoughtful, adjusting the rewards based on my needs." Ye Chen was incredibly satisfied with the result. Without hesitation, he swallowed one of the upper-grade Elephant Blood Pills.

The more refined medicinal power surged through his body, filling him with vitality and vigor. His blood boiled, and he immediately began to cultivate using the postures from the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique. Ye Chen's talent was ordinary at best. However, with the assistance of the upper-grade Elephant Blood Pills, he could feel his strength rising swiftly. It wouldn't be long before he would reach a small level of mastery in the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique. The days passed by steadily.

Each day, Ye Chen focused on two things: cultivating and refining pills. Every week, without fail, he would send more pills to Lin Ke'er, triggering the tenfold feedback. Each week, he would receive hundreds of pills from her in return. As Ye Chen's pill-refining skill improved, his success rate grew steadily higher. Once he had accumulated a sufficient amount of middle-grade Qi Gathering Pills, he would head to other shops to sell them.

The Qi Gathering Pill was especially popular among cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining, and the market in Silver Moon Market was full of such practitioners. As a result, there was no shortage of buyers willing to purchase the pills. Two months had passed in the blink of an eye. Ye Chen had amassed a fortune of eighty lower-grade spirit stones. Being an alchemist was indeed profitable. Of course, most low-tier alchemists would not earn this much.

After all, Ye Chen had a perfect mastery of his craft, with a nearly 100% pill success rate and minimal waste. On top of that, Lin Ke'er provided a tenfold reward system, allowing him to rake in even more. This was an income that other alchemists simply couldn't match. Aside from accumulating spirit stones, Ye Chen's cultivation was progressing at a remarkable speed since he was consuming upper-grade Qi Gathering Pills and Elephant Blood Pills every day.

The treatment he was receiving now was comparable to that of a top disciple from a great sect. Ye Chen estimated that it wouldn't be long before he broke through to the fourth level of Qi Refining.... Ye Chen stood up leisurely. Today was another day for giving gifts. He glanced at the time. Soon, it would be closing time. With ten middle-grade Qi Gathering Pills in hand, Ye Chen made his way to the store to deliver his gifts to Lin Ke'er.

By the time Ye Chen arrived, the store was already in the process of closing up. Seeing Ye Chen, the shop assistants exchanged sly smiles, while one of the female attendants wore a look of "serves him right." This piqued Ye Chen's curiosity. What had happened? But when he saw Lin Ke'er, he quickly understood. Her aura was noticeably stronger than the last time he had seen her, and there was a significant shift in her cultivation level. Clearly, she had broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Lin Ke'er's eyes were full of joy as she saw Ye Chen. With a slight bow, she smiled and said, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye, for your help. I've broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining. I just confirmed my resignation with Manager Zhang and settled my wages. I won't be coming in tomorrow.

"But I won't forget your kindness, Fellow Daoist Ye. If you need anything, you can come to my courtyard to find me. However, I will often be out with my team, searching for Silvermoon Grass in the mountains, so I may not be home often. If you leave me a message, I'll come to see you as soon as I can." Lin Ke'er had resigned? Ye Chen was surprised at first. But as she continued, he understood. The work at the store had little future and earned very little.

The primary product of Silver Moon Market was the Silvermoon Grass. Some stores would form teams to venture into the mountains to search for it. They would be in the mountains for ten days at a time. Not only was it exhausting work, there were also demon beasts in the mountains, so it could be dangerous. However, the reward was considerable. A successful trip could earn seven or eight lower-grade spirit stones, and if they were lucky enough to find some rare medicinal herbs, the profits could be even greater.

Moreover, these teams were usually led by cultivators at the later stages of Qi Refining, which made the expedition safer. So for many scattered cultivators who didn't have the courage to go into the mountains alone, joining a medicinal herb-hunting team was a viable option. Ye Chen now realized that Lin Ke'er had resigned to join one of these teams. No wonder the male attendants and the female receptionists in the store had such strange expressions when they saw him, some even looking a bit sympathetic.

It turned out that Lin Ke'er was leaving!