An Miaoli's heart churned with frustration, but An Yuyi was all smiles, replying to the transmission talisman with a quick message before eagerly tugging her aunt back to the sect. Her plan had worked perfectly—Ye Chen was coming to her of his own accord. That Li Feng didn't stand a chance against her now.

Still, the thought of Li Feng brought a twinge of regret. Without the Thunderbane Bamboo Core, An Yuyi would have to delay forming her Golden Core by a few years. Defeating Li Feihuang was going to be a steep challenge.

An Miaoli, meanwhile, was less than thrilled. Seeing her niece's excitement, though, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. With a quiet sigh, she let An Yuyi pull her along, hurrying back to the sect's gates.

"Ye Chen, is this your first time at the Divine Will Sect?" An Yuyi's voice was bright as she greeted him. "This is my aunt's Quiet Wonder Peak. It soars 70,000 meters high, and at dusk, the sea of clouds turns golden—it's breathtaking. The most magical part? There's a school of cloud fish living in the clouds, swimming through them like they're water. It's unique to our Divine Will Sect. Aunt loves fishing for them, but she's never actually caught one."

After meeting Ye Chen, An Yuyi eagerly pointed out the wonders of the Divine Will Sect. Ye Chen took it all in, noting how the sect far surpassed his own Green Cloud Sect. The Divine Will Sect teemed with exotic birds and beasts, almost like a paradise on earth. The spiritual energy here was several times denser than at the Green Cloud Sect. Truly, this was the mark of a great sect.

Once they settled at Quiet Wonder Peak, An Miaoli spoke, her tone calm but measured. "We were at the auction earlier. When Yuyi received your message, she insisted on rushing back. Apologies for the slight delay and any inconvenience."

Though she disapproved of Ye Chen's manipulative tactics—look at what he's done to my niece—he had helped them significantly in the past. So, An Miaoli kept her demeanor polite.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at her words. "Senior An, you were at Heavenly Evolution Pavilion's auction as well?"

Realization dawned on him. So, the one fiercely bidding against him had been the very person he intended to gift the item to? No matter. Even if he'd known, he would've still fought to win it. Besides, this little competition might not be such a bad thing after all.

...

"Also?" An Miaoli raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued.

Before she could say more, An Yuyi huffed, her voice brimming with frustration. "Yeah, Aunt and I were trying to bid on the Thunderbane Bamboo Core. It's only worth about 50,000 high-grade spirit stones, but someone kept competing with us! We pushed the bid all the way to 180,000—more than triple its value—and they still wouldn't back down. I'm starting to think they were deliberately driving up the price. When they hit 190,000, we gave up. If they were just inflating the bid, let it rot in their hands! Good luck finding another buyer willing to pay 180,000!"

Ye Chen's lips twitched. With a subtle movement, he reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a jade box. He opened it, revealing the vibrant, emerald-green Thunderbane Bamboo Core, pulsing with lively spiritual energy, now sitting before the two women.

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An Yuyi's words cut off abruptly. Her youthful face froze, her pupils contracting sharply. Even An Miaoli, who had been keeping her distance from Ye Chen, parted her lips in quiet shock.

This… Ye Chen was the one bidding against them?

The room fell silent, the atmosphere tinged with awkwardness.

An Yuyi pressed her lips together tightly. She hadn't expected Ye Chen to be their opponent. Had she just caused him to spend an extra 100,000 high-grade spirit stones?

That was an astronomical sum—enough to make even a Nascent Soul ancestor wince. She'd worked so hard to mend things between Ye Chen and her aunt, and now this? Would he hold a grudge over the massive expense?

An Miaoli, still reeling from the revelation, furrowed her brow. Ye Chen's wealth didn't surprise her—he'd always had resources beyond his years. But why would someone with a Heavenly Spirit Root need a Thunderbane Bamboo Core? It was utterly useless to him.

Unless…

Her heart skipped a beat as a possibility dawned on her. Was Ye Chen bidding on the Thunderbane Bamboo Core for the same reason she had—for Yuyi? It made sense. He knew about Yuyi's imbalanced dual spirit roots, which caused her mana to flow unevenly. He'd even ventured to retrieve the Blood Sea Lotus Seed for the same purpose, though he'd returned empty-handed. So, when he learned Heavenly Evolution Pavilion was auctioning a Thunderbane Bamboo Core, had he rushed to bid on it? And now, presenting it like this… was he planning to give it to Yuyi?

An Miaoli fell silent, her thoughts racing.

The next moment, Ye Chen spoke up, his tone light but tinged with amusement. "I never would've guessed my bidding rival was Senior An and Fellow Daoist An. This Thunderbane Bamboo Core? I bought it to gift to you, Senior. Turns out, we've made quite the blunder, letting Heavenly Evolution Pavilion and the seller walk away with a fortune!"

He chuckled, waving it off. "But it's no matter. Spirit stones are just worldly possessions—cultivation is what truly counts. As long as this Thunderbane Bamboo Core serves its purpose, a few extra spirit stones are nothing."

With a gentle flick of his hand, the jade box holding the Thunderbane Bamboo Core floated into An Miaoli's hands.

An Miaoli stared at the treasure, her emotions swirling in a tangled storm. It was really for her. All this time, she'd kept her distance, her attitude cold, barely sparing Ye Chen a word. Yet he didn't seem to care. The moment he saw her, his face lit up with genuine joy. And the way he treated her niece? It was as if Yuyi were his own kin.

The Thunderbane Bamboo Core was worth, at most, 50,000 high-grade spirit stones. When the bidding crossed 60,000, even she, Yuyi's own aunt, had hesitated, weighing whether to keep going. But Ye Chen? He hadn't flinched, calling out 70,000, 90,000, 110,000, all the way to an astronomical 190,000—nearly four times its value. And for what? The Thunderbane Bamboo Core was useless to him.

Why would he go to such lengths? For Yuyi? No, Ye Chen had no romantic feelings for her niece. That left only one possibility.

It was for her. Because she cared so deeply for Yuyi, Ye Chen mirrored that devotion, attending to her niece's needs with the same meticulous care. Realizing this, An Miaoli fell silent. Her misty eyes locked onto Ye Chen, brimming with emotions too complex to name.

Ye Chen met her gaze with a warm smile. Despite the fortune he'd spent—driven higher by her own bids—there wasn't a trace of regret on his face. Only the quiet joy of being able to help her.

At that moment, the jade box in An Miaoli's hands felt heavier than a mountain.

Beside them, An Yuyi's eyes sparkled with newfound light as she learned Ye Chen had bid on the Thunderbane Bamboo Core for her sake. Deep down, she knew his devotion stemmed from his feelings for her aunt, affection by association. But what did that matter? She cared only about the outcome.

Ye Chen had spent 190,000 high-grade spirit stones for her—a fact as undeniable as stone. He loved her aunt, her aunt cherished her, and she, in turn, admired Ye Chen. If he was willing to drop such a fortune for her because of her aunt, then perhaps one day, through that same connection, he might grant her deepest wishes.

With that thought, An Yuyi's heart brimmed with anticipation.

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