At that moment, Ye Chen understood everything in an instant. The Senior Sister, seemingly warm-hearted, was actually very calculating. It was possible that the attendant was in cahoots with her, intentionally waiting there to stage the scene. The reason for all of this was most likely related to the rumors about Ye Chen being a simp. Perhaps the Senior Sister was trying to see if she could profit from him.

  However, she had handled it quite delicately. Her intentions were not overtly obvious. Her skill level was far beyond that of the opportunistic girls from his past life.

  Once Ye Chen figured it all out, he couldn't help but smile even more. For him, it wasn't that he feared the opponent being an opportunistic girl trying to take something from him.

  On the contrary, he would rather face such a person. What truly terrified him was encountering a high-level, unattainable female cultivator, one with no desires. A woman he could see but never touch.

  Besides, the Dragon Grasp spell sounded quite useful and versatile. He couldn't help but wonder how much more potent it would be after the thirty-fold amplification.

  With that thought in mind, Ye Chen immediately flicked his wrist and retrieved ten mid-grade spirit stones from his storage ring.

  "I'll take the Dragon Grasp."

  The attendant stared at the spirit stones in surprise.

  Yao Xi, too, immediately turned around and, with a smile, said, "Junior Brother, you wish to acquire this spell as well? That's wonderful! I'd much rather have you buy it than let it fall into the hands of my competitors!"

  Ye Chen clicked his tongue and nodded in approval. Such acting skills were no worse than Sun Ruoxin's.

  As expected of the Senior Sister of Green Cloud Sect, she was quite something. He shook his head, taking the jade slip from the attendant's hand with a smile. "Senior Sister, what are you saying? Taking what others cherish is not the way of righteous cultivators like us.

  "What this junior sister said is true. Cultivators climb step by step, and every misstep could cost us dearly. Losing this technique may even cause you to miss your chance for Foundation Establishment. So please, accept it, Senior Sister."

  Upon hearing these words, the beautiful face of Yao Xi, full of youthful vitality, was filled with surprise.

  "No, no…" she shook her head. "We've only just met, Junior Brother. How can I accept such an expensive gift from you? This is absolutely not possible."

  Ye Chen smiled and stepped forward, taking Yao Xi's delicate hand in his own and gently placing the jade slip into her palm.

  "The moment I laid eyes on you, I felt like we were old friends. You've been so patient with me, helping me understand the sect and showing me around. In my heart, I already consider you the closest person to me. This gift is just a token of our first meeting. If you refuse, it would mean you don't see me as a friend. In that case, I'll stop troubling you in the future, and we'll act like strangers."

  While speaking, Ye Chen didn't let go of her delicate hand. Her hand was soft and tender, as fragile as if it were made of jelly. No wonder she walked with such a bounce.

  Yao Xi's face turned slightly red at his words, and she lowered her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

  “...The first time I met Junior Brother, I also felt something special, like we were close. Among the male disciples in the sect, you're the only one I feel this way about! So… well, then I'll shamelessly accept it. In a few months, I'll return the spirit stones to you!"

  Ye Chen shook his head, a playful smile on his lips. "Senior Sister, if you say that, it means you still don't see me as a friend."

  Yao Xi was at a loss for words this time. She could only smile awkwardly and say, "If that's the case, thank you, Junior Brother."

  At that moment, however, a familiar sound rang out in Ye Chen's mind.

  "Gift successfully given!"

  "The gift is 'Dragon Grasp'!"

  "Feedback in progress!"

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  "Thirty-times feedback…."

  "Reward: 'Heaven-Destroying Hand.'"

  "Detected that the gift given by the host to the recipient, Yao Xi, is of great importance to her and exceeds her expectations. Her emotional state has fluctuated significantly, triggering a critical hit reward!"

  "Reward: One-day private tuition from the Ancestor of the Chen family's phantom. 'Heaven-Destroying Hand' is an ancient family technique of the Chen family. The host can now learn related knowledge of the technique from the phantom!"

  Listening to the system's rewards, Ye Chen couldn't help but show a satisfied smile on his face.

  The name "Dragon Grasp" already sounded imposing. But once "Heaven-Destroying Hand" appeared, it became even more terrifying.

  But an ancient technique of the Chen family?

  Though Ye Chen had never heard of it before, any technique with the term "ancient" attached to it must belong to a power far greater than Green Cloud Sect, likely countless times stronger. Such a family legacy technique would undoubtedly be no disappointment in terms of power.

  So this was the result of the thirty-times female cultivator feedback? Even ancient techniques were popping out. He was absolutely in love! Not to mention, the critical hit reward had been triggered. Such a treasure could not be missed. He would have to make the most of it.

  On the opposite side, Yao Xi felt Ye Chen's fiery gaze, as if he were looking at an extraordinary treasure, and her delicate face turned crimson. Though she had sensed Ye Chen's interest in her from their first meeting, she had never imagined his feelings would burn so intensely. It left her heart somewhat stunned.

  After a long pause, Yao Xi finally spoke in a shy voice, "Junior Brother, I've already accepted the gift... How about... you let go of my hand now?"

  Since giving her the jade slip, Ye Chen hadn't let go of her hand. Ye Chen snapped back to reality upon hearing her words and feigned embarrassment, reluctantly releasing her small hand. The embarrassment was an act, but the reluctance was real.

  Yao Xi's hand truly felt like it came from the heavens. Such hands were a shame to be wasted on anything other than alchemy.

  "Junior Brother, let's go."

  Ye Chen nodded and followed Yao Xi as they made their way out.

  ...

  After casually wandering around for a while, Yao Xi turned to Ye Chen with an apologetic smile. "It's time for my alchemy session, so I'm afraid I can't accompany you any longer. Let's do this another time."

  Ye Chen nodded in understanding.

  When a woman wants to distance herself from a man she doesn't quite care for, especially one she finds unappealing, she usually buys what she wants, eats, and then finds some excuse to leave.

  Ye Chen also wanted to return and study the technique the system had just rewarded him with, so their thoughts aligned perfectly. They parted ways soon after.

  On the way back, Yao Xi looked at the jade slip in her storage pouch, her thoughts swirling. Ever since hearing the rumors that Ye Chen, the new direct disciple, was a simp, Yao Xi had begun to entertain other thoughts.

  So today, she decided to put those rumors to the test, curious to see if they were true. She didn't expect the reality to be such a shock.

  Ye Chen's generosity towards female cultivators far exceeded her expectations. A technique worth ten middle-grade spirit stones, and he gave it to her without even batting an eye. How wealthy could he possibly be?

  At that moment, Yao Xi couldn't help but feel intense emotions. She was genuinely moved. In the Green Cloud Sect, the disciples with the greatest strength were often supported by powerful families. The more talented a disciple was, the more resources their family would provide.

  But Yao Xi was different. She had no family support behind her. She had to rely entirely on herself. Her journey had been incredibly difficult. Due to a lack of resources, she was always slightly behind others, and when great opportunities presented themselves, she often missed them by a hair.

  The prospect of reaching Foundation Establishment seemed like an unattainable dream. Yet the appearance of Ye Chen, this elite simp, had given Yao Xi a glimmer of hope.

  Lost in thought, she was suddenly interrupted by the sight of Sun Ruoxin. The moment Sun Ruoxin spotted Yao Xi, a bright smile spread across her face, and she quickly walked over to greet her cheerfully.

  Yao Xi, however, felt a bit awkward. After all, in some ways, she was competing for the attention of the same simp. Her elders had told her to look out for Sun Ruoxin, to take care of her. But now, in a twist of fate, she was in the position of possibly taking the simp from right under Sun Ruoxin's nose.

  Although cultivators typically didn't care much about face or pride, and many close brothers had turned on each other without hesitation over opportunities, Yao Xi still felt a little guilty. So, she merely nodded coldly and left, not sparing much time for pleasantries.

  As Yao Xi walked away, Sun Ruoxin's face quickly clouded with displeasure.

  "What's the big deal with being an outer sect senior sister?" she muttered under her breath. "She's just at the ninth level of Qi Refining, what's there to be so proud of? Hmph, Ye Chen adores me. He's a direct disciple, far stronger than her!

  "Though, I can't believe he didn't tell me about this last time we met. He had a chance to become a direct disciple, but he still gave me just a regular Green Cloud token. He kept all the good things for himself. What kind of love is that? If he doesn't give me enough gifts next time we meet, I'm not going to forgive him!"

  Sun Ruoxin smiled to herself as she thought of Ye Chen. She felt secure in her position and believed her future was bright. However, when Sun Ruoxin arrived at the Mission Hall, hoping to find a task suited to her, she overheard some gossip from nearby disciples about the new direct disciple.

  It seemed that the new direct disciple had fallen head over heels for Senior Sister Yao Xi at first sight and had taken her to the Green Cloud Market, where he bought her a technique worth ten middle-grade spirit stones as a greeting gift.

  To give such an expensive gift right off the bat? The rumors had completely confirmed Ye Chen's simp status.

  Hearing this, Sun Ruoxin's face immediately darkened.

  "My simp went to fawn over someone else?"

  This couldn't be possible!