Yu Youwei was a clever woman.

Precisely because of this, she understood her status perfectly, never overstepping her bounds and never breaking the rules.

Aside from Chu Chen, she, who had been doomed to a life of servitude since birth, had served other masters before.

Without exception, those masters had either beaten and scolded her or mocked her with cold, biting words.

In their eyes, Yu Youwei was nothing more than a lowly servant, utterly devoid of dignity or worth.

Only here, by Chu Chen's side, had Yu Youwei felt the sensation of being respected, valued, and praised for the very first time.

For the first time, she was treated as a human being-a person just like them!

Chu Chen had not only saved her life from the old steward, but had even drawn his blade in fury before the Spirit Herb Hall...

It was already too much, far too much.

So much that Yu Youwei dared not accept it, could not bear the weight of it.

She was merely a lowly servant; it was enough to simply fulfill a servant's duties.

As for anything else...

She truly dared not harbor such extravagant hopes.

"Master, this servant... this servant does not want these!"

"This servant is but a mere mortal; holding these treasures serves no purpose. This servant merely did what she was supposed to do."

Before Chu Chen could reply, Yu Youwei's eyes reddened. She fought desperately to hold back her tears:

"This servant is filled with trepidation!"

As she spoke, Yu Youwei sank to her knees once more.

"Your name is Yu Youwei, right? What a beautiful name, and you're quite clever, too."

Watching Yu Youwei kneel to Chu Chen at the slightest provocation, the self-proclaimed paragon of justice, Zhang Ke'er, could no longer stomach the sight.

She forcefully hauled Yu Youwei up from the floor, pointed a finger right at Chu Chen, and declared:

"Don't be afraid! This Saintess will stand up for you!"

"You're so beautiful and clever, yet your little face has been mutilated like this. It must be that Chu Chen tried to force you into depravity to claim your body, and when you refused, you fought back desperately and threatened death to prove your chastity..."

Chu Chen's eyes widened. He knew Zhang Ke'er wasn't exactly sharp-she fell firmly into the category of...

A buxom, empty-headed little loli~

It was one thing to be a bit dim, but did she have to be this brainless????

"N-no! It isn't like that!"

Seeing the misunderstanding, Yu Youwei frantically waved her hands, desperately trying to explain:

"I carved this scar myself. If not for Master, this servant's life would have long been..."

But before Yu Youwei could finish, the self-important Zhang Ke'er had already filled in all the blanks. Overflowing with righteous indignation, she deduced:

"Being born a servant is not your fault! When faced with persecution and unreasonable demands, we women must bravely say no!"

"Don't worry. With me here today, Chu Chen won't dare touch a hair on your head!"

"Oh, right! Chu Chen, I don't want any of those treasures anymore. Just give this maidservant to me. How about it?"

The more Zhang Ke'er looked at Yu Youwei, the more she liked her. Although the scar slashing across her nose and cheek was somewhat jarring, it imbued Yu Youwei's delicate face with a sense of shattered beauty. The longer one looked, the more captivating she became.

Furthermore, Zhang Ke'er knew she herself wasn't the brightest. If she brought Yu Youwei back to her Dao dojo, the two could chat during their free time, and it might just help sharpen her own wits~

"No problem!"

Chu Chen was momentarily taken aback, but quickly waved his hand with sweeping generosity:

"As long as Yu Youwei is willing, I can release her at any time."

Exchanging servants, or even gifting personal maidservants, was an incredibly common practice-not just within the Divine Flame Emperor Palace, but across the entire Desolate Ancient Continent.

Although Chu Chen had long discerned Yu Youwei's extraordinary potential, any so-called extraordinary talent or heaven-defying prodigy meant absolutely nothing before him.

Could their extraordinariness eclipse his own?

Could their prodigious talent surpass his own?

Could their monstrous aptitude match his own???

Furthermore, Chu Chen could tell that Zhang Ke'er possessed a kind heart. If Yu Youwei followed her, she certainly wouldn't be mistreated.

"Wonderful! Then from now on..."

Yet, before Zhang Ke'er could even finish her sentence, Yu Youwei dropped to her knees with a heavy thud. She slammed her head against the floor like a pounding pestle, kowtowing frantically:

"Master! Ever since you saved Youwei, this life has belonged entirely to you."

"No matter what happens, Youwei is Master's person in life, and Master's ghost in death. I beg Master, please do not abandon Youwei!"

"Youwei harbors no grand ambitions. She dares not entertain the extravagant hope of serving by your side every day; she only wishes to faithfully guard Chaos Peak for Master. She only wishes to live for Master!!"

Having said this, Yu Youwei shifted and knelt toward Zhang Ke'er, respectfully kowtowing several times.

Though she did not utter a single word, her intent was unmistakably clear.

"..."

"..."

Both Chu Chen and Zhang Ke'er were rendered speechless. Neither had expected Yu Youwei to react with such intense desperation.

"Hmph, I really don't know what kind of bewitching potion you've fed her."

Her face filled with heartache, Zhang Ke'er gently helped Yu Youwei up from the floor. Pouting, she entirely abandoned the thought of taking the girl away.

"Alright. If you don't want to leave, then you shall stay."

Seeing this, Chu Chen said no more. He merely gave Yu Youwei a profound look:

"From now on, do not fall to your knees so readily. You owe me nothing. You are free to leave Chaos Peak whenever you wish; that is my promise to you."

With that said, noticing Yu Youwei's lips parting as if she were about to speak again, Chu Chen hastily waved his hand to stop her.

Unwilling to dwell on the matter, he turned his attention back to Zhang Ke'er:

"Ke'er, we attended this auction together, and you certainly contributed your fair share of effort."

"Aside from the Zixia Bixian Fruit, take whatever treasures catch your eye. There is no need to stand on ceremony with me."

The Zixia Bixian Fruit contained majestic, boundless life force-a crucial component for Chu Chen's upcoming plans. Thus, he had to retain it.

Zhang Ke'er was taken aback. She hadn't expected Chu Chen to be this generous.

Out of a mountain of supreme treasures, he only claimed the Zixia Bixian Fruit, allowing her to take her pick of the rest.

One must understand, while the Zixia Bixian Fruit was indeed precious, its value paled in comparison to the Wind Spirit Grass or the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, and it couldn't even begin to compare to the grand finale item, the Slaying Heaven Sword Canon.

"Hmph, this Saintess would never stand on ceremony with you anyway~"

Zhang Ke'er flicked her twin-tails and strutted forward. Her slender fingers glided over the glowing treasures before finally settling on the worldly spiritual item, the Narcissus Vine.

"This Saintess possesses a Top Grade Ice Spirit Root. I shall take this Narcissus Vine. As for the rest..."

"They are of little use to me, so I'll just leave them all to you~"

A Top Grade Ice Spirit Root was incredibly unique, originating as a mutation of a Top Grade Water Spirit Root. Therefore, absorbing worldly spiritual items rich in water-attribute spiritual energy would be massively beneficial to Zhang Ke'er's cultivation.

Chu Chen smirked. This bratty little loli might have claimed she wasn't going to be polite, but in the end, she had only chosen a single item: the Narcissus Vine.

"Take the Golden Sun Flower and the Wind Fierce Grass as well. Aside from your Top Grade Ice Spirit Root, your body also harbors a Top Grade Metal Spirit Root and a Top Grade Wind Spirit Root. Both of these spiritual items will be exceptionally useful for your cultivation. As for the cultivation arts..."

"As the Saintess of the Divine Flame Emperor Palace, I highly doubt you lack high-tier techniques."

Worldly spiritual items differed fundamentally from cultivation manuals. Spiritual items were one-time consumables; the more one had, the better.

In contrast, mastering cultivation manuals-especially those of a supreme echelon-required focused comprehension, profound study, and singular dedication. Biting off more than one could chew would only poison the Dao heart.

Chu Chen flicked his sleeve. Before Zhang Ke'er could even protest, the Golden Sun Flower and the Wind Fierce Grass transformed into two streaks of light and shot directly into her hands.

"Chu Chen, you..."

Zhang Ke'er's face flushed red as she turned her head away:

"You really are too domineering~"

Now that the spoils were thoroughly divided, Chu Chen widened his eyes and stared fixedly at Zhang Ke'er without uttering a single word.

"..."

Under his intense gaze, Zhang Ke'er's pretty face burned crimson, and her palms began to sweat.

In a frantic blur, her hyperactive imagination even conjured a scenario where she was caught in bed by her Master, the Empress. She pictured herself kneeling before the Empress, cradling her and Chu Chen's child, tearfully begging for forgiveness as she cried out:

"Master, it's all Chu Chen's fault! It was Chu Chen who seduced your disciple! If you must beat or kill someone, then kill Chu Chen! Your disciple... your disciple and the child are innocent~"

Observing Zhang Ke'er's furiously flushed cheeks and dazed, misty eyes, Chu Chen pinched the bridge of his nose. He could already guess the absurd delusions playing out in this little loli's head. He tactfully interrupted:

"Ke'er, isn't the water at your place boiling by now?"

Yu Youwei lightly bit her red lips and turned her gaze out the window, fighting a losing battle to suppress her smile.

As a servant, it was naturally forbidden to laugh aloud in the presence of her master.

But Yu Youwei was truly afraid... afraid she wouldn't be able to hold it in~

"Huh?????"

Zhang Ke'er looked completely lost. A second later, feeling profoundly insulted, she erupted in anger:

"Boiling water? What boiling water?! I, Zhang Ke'er, am a majestic Spirit Communication Realm expert! Why would I ever need to boil water?! Chu Chen, just who do you think you're looking down on?!"

Chu Chen rubbed his temples, sighing in exasperation:

"What I mean is, the loot has been divided. You can... you can leave now."

Chu Chen finally grasped an ironclad truth: tact was utterly useless against a blockhead like Zhang Ke'er. He had to be painfully direct!

"Ah? So you were just kicking me out?"

Zhang Ke'er finally realized, her little face turning as red as a tomato. She had actually thought...

"But I have nothing to do even if I go back! Just let me stay on Chaos Peak a little longer~"

"No! You might have nothing to do, but I do!"

Without a second of hesitation, Chu Chen ruthlessly shot down Zhang Ke'er's unreasonable demand. Before she could throw a tantrum, he quickly explained:

"With so many treasures in hand, I need to enter Secluded Cultivation~"

"..."

Zhang Ke'er stomped her foot, shot Chu Chen two venomous glares, and then summoned her Dharma Treasure. She flew straight down from Chaos Peak, loudly grumbling the entire way:

"Hmph! What a lousy place! This Saintess is never coming back~"

Once Zhang Ke'er had departed, Chu Chen waved his hand, sweeping all the suspended worldly spiritual items and cultivation manuals into his Storage Ring.

"I am going into Secluded Cultivation immediately. Watch over Chaos Peak for me."

"Yes, Master."

Chu Chen looked at Yu Youwei, his brow furrowing slightly as he continued:

"Since you have not yet stepped onto the path of cultivation, these treasures are indeed useless to you."

"But I said before that you would be rewarded! What should I bestow upon you?"

"Forget it. I will decide after I emerge from seclusion!"

Chu Chen took a deep breath, turned on his heel, and strode into the secret chamber without looking back.

This session of Secluded Cultivation would not be short. Aside from absorbing the worldly spiritual items, he also needed to comprehend the two supreme arts: the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill and the Slaying Heaven Sword Canon.

This harvest had simply been too overwhelmingly massive!!

Furthermore, he had to execute the Chaos Heaven-Swallowing Manual once more to devour that Saint-level Flood Dragon and bolster his cultivation base.

Finally, the ten-day deadline was rapidly approaching. He would soon be able to trigger his third [Grasping Heavens].

Chu Chen was intensely curious to see exactly what supreme treasure his third attempt would pull from the void.

...

Meanwhile, shielded by the Protective Dao Seal, Ye Han and Ye Lingyue successfully arrived back at the Ye family's ancestral estate.

Both sisters were thoroughly disheveled, covered in dirt and bearing numerous superficial wounds.

Ye Han dashed frantically into the Ye family's main hall without a backward glance. The moment she laid eyes upon her father, Ye Ding, and her brother, Ye Xuan, she burst into loud, uncontrollable wails:

"Father! That piece of trash, Chu Chen, he..."

"Wah wah wah~~"

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