With the Nether King's Gall in hand, Su Yuxuan and Manjusaka went into seclusion to refine it. As for the Soul-Swaying Mountain, while impressive, it held little direct value for Ye Chen.

Its primary use was to gradually enhance the spiritual roots of the female cultivators around him. After testing a few Soul-Swaying Divine Stones and confirming they had no effect on his own Heavenly Spiritual Root, Ye Chen set them aside and focused on his cultivation.

Compared to his past self, Ye Chen was marginally stronger now, but in the vast world of immortals teeming with powerhouses, he was still far from the top. There was no room for complacency.

A week later, Su Yuxuan emerged from seclusion, an air of profound mystery clinging to her. Dressed in her flowing white skirt, she leapt barefoot into Ye Chen's arms.

"Senior Brother, I didn't just upgrade to a Nether Spirit Root—I awakened the Nether Spirit Body!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement. "Even Master didn't expect me to awaken it. I feel so powerful now… like I could punch the Champion King to death!"

Ye Chen glanced at the system prompt, nodding with a wry smile. Su Yuxuan was indeed formidable—her system multiplier had surged. But one-punching the Champion King? That was a bit of an exaggeration.

"Dao Companion Su Yuxuan: 500x Multiplier!"

Her multiplier had skyrocketed to five hundred, and with the Dao Companion bonus, it effectively reached a thousandfold. Even without a critical hit, this was a staggering boost, far surpassing Li Feihuang's non-critical multiplier. The Nether King Root alone wouldn't account for such a leap; the Nether Spirit Body was likely the key.

"Good job," Ye Chen said, chuckling as he patted Su Yuxuan's fluffy head. She tilted her face upward, squinting in delight as she savored the moment.

Then she spoke again, her voice soft. "Awakening the Nether Spirit Body is all thanks to you, Senior Brother. While refining the Nether King's Gall, a surge of power flowed from my heart, and my Golden Core radiated a tri-colored divine light, illuminating the Gall and triggering a miraculous transformation…"

Ye Chen nodded thoughtfully. The human body was an interconnected whole. Su Yuxuan's heart and Golden Core—both gifts from him—were exceptionally potent, influencing and elevating her entire being. With the Tri-Color Golden Core and the Exquisite Heart as catalysts, her awakening of the Nether Spirit Body made sense.

He recalled reading about the Nether Spirit Body. It leaned toward summoning, allowing the user to call forth creatures from the Nether Realm. At higher realms, it could even drag enemies into the Nether Realm for banishment.

Lost in thought, Ye Chen felt Su Yuxuan nuzzle his arm, her warm breath tickling his ear. "Everything I am now is because of you, Senior Brother. I need to thank you properly."

She paused, then added mischievously, "Master said that if my Nether Spirit Body reaches the late Golden Core stage, I can connect to the Nether Realm and summon its creatures to serve me. I've heard the Nether Realm has charm demons—perfect figures, and their feet… flawless as jade. Too bad I just broke through to mid-Golden Core, and with the robust Golden Core you gave me, reaching the late stage will take a while. If I could break through now, I'd summon a charm demon to pamper you, Senior Brother!"

Ye Chen chuckled at Su Yuxuan's suggestion. "Forget about the charm demon, I'm not interested in such things."

Su Yuxuan pouted, her thoughts sharp.

If you'd let go of my foot, I might actually believe you.

She was plotting how to convince her senior brother to secure her an opportunity for imperial aura infusion. Her unexpected awakening of the Nether Spirit Body had thrilled her master, drastically boosting her strength and forcing her to adjust her plans. If she could swiftly break through to the late Golden Core stage, she could vie for the Nether Immortal inheritance. The Great Chu Dynasty's imperial aura infusion was the fastest way for a Golden Core cultivator to advance.

"Senior Brother, you haven't seen a Charm Demon. They're the most seductive creatures in the world—guaranteed not to disappoint," Su Yuxuan teased, trying to sway him.

Ye Chen smiled softly. "In my heart, you're the most captivating woman in the world."

Su Yuxuan froze, her cheeks flushing. His sudden sweet words threw her carefully planned arguments into disarray. Seeing her blush, Ye Chen grinned, patting her head. "Alright, I'm done teasing you." Turning serious, he addressed her ring. "Senior, the imperial aura infusion allows only one participant. After entering the palace, please look after Yuxuan. I'm giving you the token for the infusion."

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He produced the token for the imperial aura infusion quota, but the ring remained silent. Manjusaka's soul form didn't appear or respond. Ye Chen felt like a middleman ignored in a transaction. After waiting a moment, he shook his head, abandoning hopes of triggering a critical reward from old granny. Su Yuxuan's 500x multiplier, boosted to 1000x as his dao companion, was already substantial without a critical hit.

He handed the token to Su Yuxuan, who accepted it with a delicate hand, playfully brushing his palm. Tilting her head, she smiled mischievously. "Senior Brother, you're too greedy. You already have me, yet you're still thinking about Master? She's just a soul now. Didn't expect you to be that kind of Senior Brother. But it's not impossible—her soul can condense into a tangible form, like jelly, quite pleasant to touch. Still, you're too impatient. You should wait until Master's physical body is restored. She showed me her past appearance—so beautiful, with an astonishing figure, especially her jade feet…"

"Ah! Master, I'll stop, I'll stop!" Su Yuxuan's enthusiastic chatter cut off as she shivered, pleading for mercy.

Manjusaka's soul form materialized, casting a cold glance at Ye Chen. "Since you've secured the quota, let's go. Time waits for no one on the path of cultivation—a single step behind could mean a lifetime of lag. Your talent is mediocre; reaching this point is already a fluke." Without another word to Ye Chen, her soul vanished.

Su Yuxuan stuck out her tongue helplessly. "Well, Senior Brother, I'm off. But don't forget—when I return, I'll thank you properly." With that, she floated toward the palace.

Her words were sincere. After the imperial aura infusion, she would set out to pursue further opportunities, strengthen herself, and help restore her master's body. This parting could last years, so she wanted a proper farewell with her Senior Brother. The infusion quota had clearly been reserved for her—Ye Chen could have used it to boost his own cultivation when she was refining the Nether King Gall, but he waited. He might not be a saint, with his peculiar tastes, but to her, he was truly exceptional.

As Ye Chen watched Su Yuxuan leave with a playful smile, he immersed himself in his mind to check the system prompt.

"Gift successfully delivered!"

"Gifted Item: Imperial Aura Infusion Token!"

"Feedback in progress…"

"Gift recipient is Host's Dao Companion. Double bonus applied, thousandfold feedback in progress…"

"Feedback: Star Pool!"

"Star Pool: Converts the power of the stars into a special spiritual liquid, greatly accelerating cultivation for Golden Core stage cultivators. Soaking in it can heal physical and soul injuries, nourish the body, and strengthen meridians. The Star Pool automatically absorbs stellar energy to replenish its spiritual liquid."

Ye Chen grinned at the notification. A thousandfold multiplier, even without a critical hit, was far from disappointing. The little demoness had come through spectacularly.

Entering his small world with a thought, Ye Chen surveyed the landscape and selected a picturesque spot to place the Star Pool. The pool wasn't large—twenty meters long and wide—but its potential was immense. With it, his cultivation would soar to the late Golden Core stage in no time. Even when the pool's water was depleted, it could automatically convert stellar energy to refill itself. Beyond accelerating cultivation, it could heal hidden injuries and fortify the body.

Ye Chen imagined leisurely soaking in the pool with his Dao Companion, cleansing their wounds and relaxing. But as he looked around, he felt something was missing.

Later, I should transplant a spiritual peach tree by the poolside and hang some wind chimes, he thought. His master's former residence had a small pond with a peach tree nearby, its blossoms scattering petals across the water during bloom. Surely, his master would be delighted to see such a scene.

The Star Pool was currently full, its waters faintly cyan and shimmering with endless starlight. The spiritual energy within was dense and misty. Without hesitation, Ye Chen entered his small world. Though the world existed within him, his physical body could still enter it. Once inside, the small world shrank to the size of a dust mote, undetectable even by the spiritual sense of a great power.

Stepping into the pool, Ye Chen sat cross-legged and activated the Eternal Cosmos Sutra. He quickly slipped into a deep meditative state. Countless droplets of stellar spiritual liquid seeped into his pores, coursing through his limbs and bones, transforming into spiritual energy at an astonishing rate. His aura surged, climbing rapidly toward the late Golden Core stage.

...

"The token in Ye Chen's possession… ended up with her?"

Within the Great Chu Palace, Li Feihuang gazed at the image of Su Yuxuan reflected in the water mirror technique, her expression betraying little surprise. She was well aware of Su Yuxuan.

During the arena battle, Su Yuxuan had nearly refined Wang Feng to death. Though not as powerful as Li Feihuang herself, she was undeniably a prodigy in her own right.

Moreover, Li Feihuang had learned of the events at the Champion King's residence. Su Yuxuan had self-detonated her Golden Core to escape and seek out Ye Chen, later staying with him at the inn. The thought caused Li Feihuang's brow to furrow slightly, a trace of displeasure stirring within her.

Ye Chen's display of strength had set the empire abuzz, with countless speculations swirling. Most believed he possessed at least an Earth Spiritual Root and a physique even more formidable than the Moon Phoenix Body. Combined with his mastery of a single form of the True Dragon Treasure Technique, these qualities marked him as a top-tier prodigy. This realization had subtly shifted Li Feihuang's perspective on him.

Yet, Ye Chen had chosen to exchange his reward for the Nether King's Gall and then handed the Imperial Aura Infusion token to Su Yuxuan. Such devoted effort on her behalf sparked a flicker of irritation in Li Feihuang's heart. Compounding her frustration was the fact that Ye Chen hadn't once come to pay his respects in over half a month. Her dissatisfaction grew.

But then, a realization dawned on her. A faint smile curved her lips as she began to piece together Ye Chen's intentions, her stern expression softening ever so slightly…

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