Chương 237: Chapter 236: Give It Away and Still Take It Back

"Gift successful…"

"Hundredfold feedback in progress…"

"Critical reward triggered!"

"Feedback: Moon Medicine Rabbit Essence Blood…"

"Moon Medicine Rabbit: One of the divine beasts, the most adept at alchemy among the demon clans. Incredibly rare, they're known in the outside world as the Medicine Sovereign Clan. Its refined essence blood can be used as a core-forming spiritual item, potentially granting the Medicine Sovereign's inheritance." Below the Vicious Ten are the divine beasts. The Sword Peng belongs to this tier as well.

Those ranked among the divine beasts aren't necessarily inferior to the Vicious Ten—some simply lack fame or overwhelming combat strength. The Moon Medicine Rabbit is one such example. This item was clearly perfect for Yao Xi's core formation, capable of helping her forge a ninth-grade Golden Core. A ninth-grade Golden Core was exceptionally rare in the cultivation world. Even in the Divine Will Sect, only Li Feihuang and An Yuyi had achieved such a core in this generation, highlighting its scarcity.

After all, a ninth-grade Golden Core significantly increased the chances of forming a Nascent Soul, paving the way for a longer journey on the immortal path. Yet, for Ye Chen, ninth-grade Golden Cores felt almost commonplace, as if they were handed out in bulk, stripped of any prestige. He shook his head with a smile.

"Not tonight, Senior Sister. I've just broken through, and my aura is still unstable, hard to control freely. I'm worried I might accidentally harm you. Give me a week in seclusion to stabilize, and then I'll come discuss the Dao with you. I'll share some key points you'll need to know for breaking through to the Golden Core stage." At first, Yao Xi felt a pang of doubt when Ye Chen declined. Could her junior brother really not be up to it?

She'd once heard a junior sister mention that her Dao companion seemed perfectly fine in every way, but when it came to the main event, it was over in a flash. But after hearing Ye Chen's explanation, Yao Xi relaxed. Her junior brother had just broken through, and his aura was still erratic. Even she felt a subtle pressure standing before him. It truly wasn't the right time.

"Then I'll await your good news, Junior Brother…" Yao Xi said, a touch of shyness in her voice. She had waited so long already. If Ye Chen didn't agree soon, she felt she might develop a heart demon from the anticipation. Ye Chen smiled lightly and took out the jade vial containing the Moon Medicine Rabbit essence blood, a recent reward from the system, and gently offered it to Yao Xi.

"I thought it over, and this is far more suitable for Senior Sister's core formation." Yao Xi froze, caught off guard.

"This item can help you form a ninth-grade golden core," Ye Chen continued.

"More importantly, it carries the potential to inherit the Moon Medicine Rabbit's legacy. Since Senior Sister is devoted to the path of alchemy, this is perfect for you." Yao Xi's eyes widened as he spoke. The Moon Medicine Rabbit wasn't among the Vicious Ten, but its reputation was immense. Not known for combat prowess, it was legendary for its alchemy skills and unmatched ability to escape. Once, a Holy Land powerhouse had personally tried to capture one for alchemy, even setting up a grand formation in advance.

Yet the Moon Medicine Rabbit still slipped away. And now, Ye Chen was giving her its essence blood? Yao Xi's hands trembled slightly. This was too precious. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. But Ye Chen paid no mind to her hesitation. He placed the jade vial directly into her hands and said with a smile, "No need for formalities between us. What's mine is yours, Senior Sister! Oh, and could you return the Phoenix Stone?

I still have a use for it." Yao Xi nodded stiffly, retrieving the Phoenix Stone, which carried a faint imperial aura, and handed it back. Ye Chen gripped the stone, checking for a system response. No prompt appeared about retracting the reward. Satisfied, he nodded to himself. He'd given it away and taken it back, yet the system's reward remained intact. A new discovery. If he encountered someone ungrateful in the future, he could claim the reward, then demand the gift back. If they refused, he'd simply take it.

Ye Chen felt no shame in the thought. If someone didn't appreciate his generosity, why should he feel embarrassed about reclaiming what was his? He did wonder, though—if he gifted the same treasure to another female cultivator later, would it still trigger the system's feedback? If it could, that would be incredible. He'd test it next week. Meanwhile, Yao Xi held the weighty jade vial, her heart swelling with gratitude. This was a chance at a ninth-grade Golden Core.

She recalled how, when Ye Chen hadn't helped her "clear the water," she'd secretly bought some unorthodox books, hoping to learn techniques to entice him. The contents had been so embarrassing she couldn't bring herself to use them. But now, seeing how wholeheartedly her junior brother supported her, Yao Xi felt she couldn't hold back. Tonight, back at her courtyard, she'd study those books thoroughly. After seeing Yao Xi off, Ye Chen stood at what was once the mountainside but now the peak of Sword Peak.

With a casual toss, he set down a portable cave mansion. Such cave mansions were exorbitantly expensive, capable of expanding or shrinking at will. However, when shrunk, they could only store items, not house people. Convenient, yet not entirely so—different from what Ye Chen truly desired.

"Young Master, would you like to eat?" Lu Jing asked, her eyes sparkling with delight as Ye Chen emerged from seclusion. The stronger he became, the happier she was. Ye Chen shook his head. Noticing Lu Jing's name still absent from the system's feedback list, he asked, "Have you used the Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Core?" Lu Jing quickly replied, "I have. It awakened a Mist Spiritual Root." A Mist Spiritual Root, a variant of the Water Spiritual Root, leaned toward support roles.

Considering Lu Jing had always been the most nurturing of his maids, it wasn't surprising she'd awakened such a root. Single spiritual roots typically granted a fiftyfold feedback rate. Only those with hundredfold aptitude qualified as Dao companions in the system's eyes, regaining feedback eligibility. The Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Core couldn't be used repeatedly, but with his system, Ye Chen was confident he could eventually elevate all the female cultivators around him to hundredfold aptitude.

It wasn't a big issue.

"Young Master, you've just broken through. Shall I attend to you tonight?" Lin Ke'er, who had finally returned to Green Cloud Sect, spoke with eyes full of anticipation, her gaze as tender as a first love. She knew about the Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Core and was consumed with envy. She, too, wanted to enhance her aptitude, to obtain a core-forming item and forge a ninth-grade Golden Core. Among the maids, Lin Ke'er was the most ambitious, the most driven to advance her cultivation.

She'd nudge Lu Jing to step back or linger a bit longer to gain extra benefits. Now, she was especially proactive. After all, her young master had reached the Golden Core stage—cultivating with him would surely yield even greater rewards. But Ye Chen gave her a calm glance before retreating to the seclusion chamber in his cave mansion. He needed to cultivate, to master the power surging through him after his Golden Core breakthrough.

He also wanted to understand his five-colored Golden Core—what it was and what it could do. Lin Ke'er was left utterly disappointed. As night fell, the Old Sect Master cheerfully packed up his fishing rod. Though he hadn't caught a single fish today, the sect had gained another genius—a prodigy who triggered a heavenly tribulation at the Golden Core stage. That alone filled him with joy. He no longer dreamed of surpassing Divine Will Sect.

With Ye Chen leading Green Cloud Sect, he believed they could aim for the ranks of Deity Transformation sects in the future. Divine Will Sect? Just a bunch of nobodies, not worth replacing. As he mused, a sword talisman descended. The Old Sect Master paused, then looked up. A crimson figure, stepping on a flying sword, drifted away under the moonlight, moving at an astonishing speed. A voice echoed in his mind: "A Golden Core cultivator sensed the tribulation and came to investigate. I've already slain him.

Sect Master, this time, I'm truly leaving. I'll return in twenty years." Clutching the sword talisman, the Old Sect Master sighed. With his vast experience, how could he not see the truth? Gu Yunyun, who claimed to be leaving for a journey, hadn't gone far. She'd lingered near Green Cloud Sect, guarding Ye Chen. Only now, with Ye Chen out of seclusion, did she depart. Before leaving, she'd even eliminated a Golden Core cultivator drawn by the tribulation.

"She cares so deeply yet chooses to leave. Why put herself through this?" the Old Sect Master murmured.

"And last time, since it wasn't a real departure, why scare me like that? My five-hundred-pound silver dragon fish… what a pity." Shaking his head, the Old Sect Master shuffled back into the sect, his figure stooped.