Everyone was stunned when they heard Ye Chen''s words. They had never expected that, upon learning Lin Ke''er was leaving, Ye Chen''s first reaction wasn''t sadness, wasn''t sorrow. Instead, he was worried about Lin Ke''er? Because he was concerned that the herb-gathering trip would be dangerous, he had gone out of his way to buy a spell for her?


    This was absolutely absurd! It should be known that truly effective spells were far from cheap. The crowd was at a loss for words, unsure of how to describe the situation. They could only wonder, just how much did Ye Chen like Lin Ke''er? How could he act this shamelessly?


    Lin Ke''er was also taken aback. Ye Chen''s unexpected move had left her speechless. Her usual quick wit failed her in the face of this sudden turn of events, and for a moment, she didn''t even know how to respond.


    Before she could say anything, Ye Chen continued, "This spell is one I carefully selected at Green Cloud Shop just now, priced at a medium-grade spirit stone. Fairy Lin, please make sure you''ve mastered it before heading to the mountains. It will make your journey much safer."


    As Ye Chen finished speaking, the attendants, who had already been internally mocking him, couldn''t hold back their astonished exclamations.


    A medium-grade spirit stone? That was an exorbitant price for a spell. Given their annual income of thirty to forty lower-grade spirit stones, they would have to go without food or drink for at least two or three years just to afford such a spell. And yet, Ye Chen was simply giving it away?


    At this point, the attendants couldn''t help but feel a mix of envy and disdain. How could anyone be such a pushover? If they had Ye Chen''s wealth and background, they would invest in themselves. With strength, what woman wouldn''t be within reach? How could anyone choose to be a simp like this? It was truly embarrassing.


    The crowd''s feelings were complex. As Lin Ke''er looked at the jade slip Ye Chen handed over, a storm of emotions surged within her heart. She had always regarded Ye Chen as a stepping stone. But this time, she was genuinely moved. Her departure was, in essence, a form of betrayal. It was the act of taking what she needed and leaving without a second thought.


    Yet Ye Chen wasn''t angry in the slightest. In fact, he was this concerned for her. This made Lin Ke''er''s heart swirl with conflicting emotions. Gratitude, guilt….


    "Fellow Daoist Ye, I don''t deserve this."


    For the first time, Lin Ke''er genuinely felt that she couldn''t accept Ye Chen''s kindness. In the face of Ye Chen''s sincere feelings, she felt unworthy of his affection. Compared to Ye Chen''s purity, she felt she was truly inadequate.


    Meanwhile, Ye Chen, who had inflated the price in order to make Lin Ke''er feel moved and trigger a critical hit reward, smiled lightly and shook his head. "Don''t say that! Ke''er, you deserve everything good in this world. I only regret that when I can''t offer you more help, having to watch you go into the dangerous mountains to gather herbs. You must accept it. Because no matter what happens in the future, as long as you''re safe, it will be a sunny day for me."


    With that, Ye Chen took Lin Ke''er''s jade hand in his own. Her hand was soft and smooth, cool to the touch, with an excellent feel. After placing the jade slip in her hand, Ye Chen turned around and walked away.


    The main reason being, the sweet words he had just spoken were almost too much to bear. If he laughed, it would completely ruin the atmosphere.


    As Lin Ke''er held the jade slip in her hand, she deeply bowed, her voice sincere and filled with gratitude: "Fellow Daoist Ye, your kindness, I shall never forget for all my life. One day, I will repay this."


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    This time, Lin Ke''er was not merely speaking empty words. She was genuinely moved.


    "As long as you''re safe, it will be a sunny day for me."


    Such a pure sentiment. How could she not be touched? Although she was wholeheartedly focused on her cultivation, unwilling to bear the weight of such emotions, Lin Ke''er made a vow. Once her own cultivation reached a higher level, she would find a few exceptional Dao companions for Ye Chen to make up for his sacrifice.


    The jade slip was a one-time item. To prevent others from coveting it, Lin Ke''er pressed it to her forehead and activated it.


    "Sword Finger Technique! Using the finger as a sword, unleash swift invisible sword qi!"


    As she read the description, Lin Ke''er''s excitement grew. This technique was far superior to any spell she had purchased in the past. It was worth the value of a middle-grade spirit stone. With this technique, her combat strength would certainly increase dramatically. Her ability to protect herself when entering the mountains would be much stronger.


    Ye Chen had truly done her a great favor. With Dragon Elephant Palm and the Sword Finger Technique, she could even contend with enemies more powerful than her.


    "Ye Chen.…"


    She silently whispered his name as she left, her expression filled with mixed emotions.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Ye Chen had just returned to the courtyard. The system''s prompt sounded in his mind:


    "Gift successful!"


    "The gift was Sword Finger Technique."


    "Rewarding…"


    "Ten times feedback, reward: Black Yellow Sword Finger."


    "Detected that the gift you provided was of great importance to the recipient, exceeding their expectations and causing significant emotional fluctuations, triggering a critical hit reward!"


    "Reward: Shadow of the third-generation patriarch of the Black Yellow Sect, with the ability to ask them for guidance on cultivating the Black Yellow Sword Finger."


    "Detected that the host does not own storage equipment. Physical items will be temporarily stored in the system''s space and can be extracted at any time…."


    Listening to the system''s prompt, Ye Chen couldn''t help but clench his fists. As expected, he got a critical hit.


    Ye Chen''s talent was average, his comprehension also ordinary. Having a mentor to guide him would certainly make all the difference. This reward was far beyond his expectations. It was well worth the cringy words he had spoken earlier.


    After closing the door and settling down in silence, Ye Chen retrieved the jade slip from the system''s storage space and pressed it to his forehead.


    "Black Yellow Sword Finger, an outer sect technique of the Black Yellow Sect, created by the third-generation patriarch of the sect after observing the birth of the Black Yellow Qi, an accidental low-level technique…."


    "Using the finger as a sword, it unleashes invisible sword energy that can pierce anything. The wounded parts of the enemy will be eroded by the technique, like implanting maggots in the bones, making it extremely difficult to heal."


    "…"


    Reading through the description, Ye Chen couldn''t help but smile. The tenfold reward was truly powerful. Although he had never heard of the Black Yellow Sect, this Black Yellow Sword Finger was far stronger than the Sword Finger Technique.


    The essence of any spell was its ability to transform spirit qi into offensive power. The reason spells varied in strength was due to how effectively they utilized this transformation. A weak spell would only allow you to use half your spirit qi''s potential for damage.


    But with a superior spell, even with less spirit qi, you could unleash your full power. A powerful spell not only dealt more damage but also consumed less energy.


    For example, the Black Yellow Sword Finger, under the same conditions, was twice as powerful as the Sword Finger Technique. But the consumption was nearly the same. In a fight with equal strength, whoever used the Black Yellow Sword Finger would inevitably win.


    With this technique, Ye Chen''s combat power would certainly rise dramatically. After the excitement, Ye Chen crossed his legs and began to meditate. At his current cultivation, still in the Qi Refining third layer, it was pointless to focus on the technique. His priority was to break through first.


    Ye Chen could feel that the breakthrough to the fourth layer of Qi Refining was already close at hand.


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside.


    Thanks to the spreading gossip, fueled by the staff''s exaggerations and jealousy, more cultivators in Silver Moon Market became aware of the events that transpired at One Leaf Pill Shop.


    They learned that there was a young simp-alchemist who had given Lin Ke''er a pill he personally crafted, then went further by gifting her a martial art his father had purchased, and even gave her a spell worth a middle-grade spirit stone.


    He was dubbed Silver Moon Market''s first simp. This left many male cultivators in Silver Moon Market feeling disdain. As for the female cultivators, they were filled with regret, lamenting why they hadn''t met such a simp themselves.