Bang…


    Ye Chen''s room was spacious. After all, it housed a pill furnace, and this wasn''t Earth where every inch of space was precious. The outer room spanned a full 400 square meters, incredibly roomy.


    Ye Chen glanced at the pill bottle positioned 15 meters away, then raised his hand and gently pointed at it. In an instant, the pill bottle exploded, shattering into fine powder. Even the wall behind it bore a small crater from the blast.


    Seeing this display of power, Ye Chen nodded in satisfaction. The current Ye Chen was noticeably different from before. The aura emanating from his body was more refined than ever.


    Clearly, with his continuous consumption of upper-grade Qi Gathering Pills, Ye Chen had successfully broken through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining.


    At the same time, under the guidance of the third-generation patriarch''s phantom from the Black Yellow Sect, he had also made progress with the Black Yellow Sword Finger. Its power certainly did not disappoint.


    Even though he had only just started practicing, he could already unleash impressive power from ten meters away. The maximum range seemed to be about twenty meters.


    Moreover, the speed at which the technique was launched was far faster than he had imagined, with almost no preparation time needed. Most importantly, it could be used in quick succession.


    Ye Chen calculated that with his Qi after the breakthrough, he could fire about twenty consecutive shots. He didn''t think many cultivators in the middle stage of Qi Refining would be able to withstand such a barrage. This realization eased the tension that had been constantly hanging over Ye Chen since he crossed into this world.


    As an Earthling, Ye Chen shared a common psychological fear, one that most of his countrymen could relate to: the fear of insufficient firepower. Now, with his robust physical body and the Black Yellow Sword Finger as an attack method, Ye Chen''s sense of security has greatly increased.


    After breaking through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining, Ye Chen still had many things to do. For example, it was time to change his pills.


    In the early stages of Qi Refining, one would consume Qi Gathering Pills. However, once reaching the middle stage of Qi Refining, the effects of the Qi Gathering Pills would no longer be as significant. It was best to switch to Qi-Nourishing Pills.


    Fortunately, these low-tier pills were already ubiquitous, and even the pill formulas were no longer secrets. As long as he had the materials, Ye Chen could easily refine them himself.


    The problem, however, was that Ye Chen didn''t have any spirit stones left. After buying the Sword Finger Technique, he had spent all his spirit stones, leaving him with nothing to purchase the necessary materials for the pills.


    After some calculations, Ye Chen realized that the deadline for submitting the quest was fast approaching. With that in mind, he grabbed the low-tier Qi Gathering Pills he had previously purchased at a discount and headed for the shop.


    Upon seeing him, the shop''s attendants exchanged complicated expressions. The new attendant, however, brightened upon spotting Ye Chen and quickly approached him. "Master Ye, are you here to prepay for some materials? I''ll assist you!"


    Ye Chen glanced at her. This new attendant was fairly attractive, with a pair of seductive fox-like eyes that could easily make someone''s heart race.


    In Ye Chen''s previous life, with her looks, she would have been a celebrity. It had only been a week since Lin Ke''er resigned, and yet a new attendant had already replaced her. This attendant’s appearance was even more striking.


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    The employment situation in the cultivation world really wasn''t great. This truly proved the saying, "If you don''t do it, someone else will."


    However, Ye Chen''s system didn''t offer any prompts. So, he couldn''t be bothered to waste time on her. He shook his head and directly headed upstairs. "I''m looking for Manager Zhang."


    The attendant didn''t even get a second glance from Ye Chen. This made the female attendant''s eyes narrow in frustration. She had long heard of Ye Chen''s reputation, and when she saw the job opening at One Leaf Pill Shop, she rushed to apply. Her goal was to reel in Ye Chen.


    If she succeeded, not only would her pill needs be met, but she could even gain access to external skills and techniques. This was far more promising than just working a regular job. But the problem was, how dared he ignore her like that?


    The female cultivator felt a blow to her pride. As she watched Ye Chen ascend the stairs, her fox-like eyes were filled with malice.


    "Young Master Ye has actually broken through to the middle stage of Qi Refining? Truly, congratulations are in order. Five hundred low-grade Qi Gathering Pills delivered five whole days ahead of schedule! Master Ye, you’re so trustworthy that there’s no need to count them."


    "To speak frankly, low-grade Qi Gathering Pills are of little value, contributing very little. It will be difficult to contend for a position in the Green Cloud Sect with this. Young Master Ye, would you happen to know how to refine the Qi-Nourishing Pill?


    "The Qi-Nourishing Pill is the cultivation medicine required for the middle stage of Qi Gathering. It holds twice the value of a Qi Gathering Pill. If you can refine it, the contribution would naturally be considerable. Would you care to give it a try?"


    Manager Zhang''s plump face remained ever-smiling. He did not hold back in praising Ye Chen. Yet, in his heart, disdain ran deep. He knew better than anyone where Ye Chen''s pills came from.


    As for the breakthrough? The cultivation speed during the Qi Refining stage was not slow to begin with. As a member of the family, even a small insignificant one, Ye Chen had always been provided with resources, never needing to toil and struggle.


    In such circumstances, only now did he break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining. This clearly reflected his lack of talent. Facing a disciple like Ye Chen, one so lacking in ability, he could not allow him to continue making Qi Gathering Pills to simply pass the days. There had to be some challenge.


    The Qi-Nourishing Pill was worth twice as much as the Qi Gathering Pill. In Zhang''s eyes, Ye Chen would surely be unable to refine it. In the end, he would have to buy it from somewhere else.


    That somewhere would naturally be Manager Zhang himself, who would pocket the difference. Although he was an outsider, he was still a member of the Ye family. Earning spirit stones for himself was far more useful than watching Ye Chen, that fool, waste them on women.


    And if Ye Chen ran out of spirit stones and could not provide the pills? Then he would report it truthfully, ensuring Ye Chen''s qualification for the competition was revoked. That would fulfill the task assigned to him by Ye Jia''s second-in-command. A perfect win-win situation.


    Upon hearing this, Ye Chen''s face revealed a trace of hesitation. After a brief pause, he gritted his teeth and nodded. "For the sake of contributing more to the family, I shall refine the Qi-Nourishing Pill."


    Seeing Ye Chen''s expression, Manager Zhang immediately knew that Ye Chen was incapable. A smile spread across his face. "Since that''s the case, Young Master Ye, you may go ahead and collect the materials. Of course, the workload won''t be too heavy. Five hundred pills in three months, don''t feel any pressure."


    Ye Chen gave a grateful nod, sincerely appreciating the other''s consideration. Once he exited the room, however, a sly grin tugged at the corners of his lips. The materials for refining the Qi-Nourishing Pill was exactly what he had been waiting for.


    With his current skill level, refining the Qi-Nourishing Pill would be a simple task. A few more attempts and he could easily ensure that most of the pills were of medium grade, with high-grade ones not being difficult to achieve.


    Moreover, the manager would undoubtedly offer him the low-priced pills as expected. Ye Chen could then sell his own medium-grade pills at a high price. And with those earnings, he could purchase the low-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills. It was a guaranteed profit.


    After receiving the materials, Ye Chen carefully inspected them. He found that everything seemed to be in order. This only improved his mood further. He immediately returned to his room and began preparing to refine the Qi-Nourishing Pills.


    Lin Ke''er was likely still practicing the Sword Finger Technique and had not yet entered the mountains. This gave Ye Chen the perfect opportunity to send her some Qi-Nourishing Pills for ten times the return. A single gift was roughly equivalent to refining ten batches of pills. He certainly couldn''t miss such an opportunity.


    Of course, even if Lin Ke''er had already entered the mountains, Ye Chen would not pass up the chance for a double reward. At worst, he could find a female cultivator with a lower multiplier to deliver the pills. Though the return might be lower, it was better than none at all.