The hall fell into complete silence.

  Ye Tianhai's face turned ashen, his complexion shifting between shades of blue and gray, but he could not bring himself to speak. After all, Ye Chen had never outright accused him. Yet the truth could not be denied: he had not taught Ye Chen properly.

  But those matters were secondary. What truly mattered now was the coveted spot in the Green Cloud Sect. The final decision rested firmly in the hands of the clan patriarch, Ye Hong.

  Ye Hong himself had not anticipated Ye Chen's alchemical skills would have reached such heights. His astonishment was evident.

  At this point, the competition no longer seemed necessary. Ye Chen's top-grade Qi Nourishing Pills had already sealed the victory. After a brief pause, Ye Hong slowly spoke, his voice carrying a sense of gravitas.

  "Little Chen, your alchemy far surpasses that of Feng'er. I have now reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and the clan is on the verge of expansion. The Ye family's roots lie in alchemy, and we are in desperate need of a skilled alchemist.

  “Little Chen, with your talent, staying within the family could help propel our growth. Feng'er, with his fifth grade spiritual root, is better suited for the Green Cloud Sect. He should go there to cultivate. In this way, with Ye Tian and Ye Feng, our family will have both protection and resources, enabling us to thrive. You two shall support each other in the future, and one day, the Ye family may rise to become a prominent clan!

  “Little Chen, by remaining within the family, you can gradually take over your second uncle's position. I have already broken through to Foundation Establishment, and my lifespan is now extended to a hundred and fifty years. Your second uncle's generation has no hope of inheriting the clan. But you can. In the future, as clan patriarch, with Ye Tian and Ye Feng, both disciples of Green Cloud Sect, safeguarding you, how could our Ye family fail to prosper?

  “Little Chen, you must think of the bigger picture!"

  Ye Hong's words were slow, deliberate, and filled with a certain finality.

  Hearing this, Ye Tianhai and Ye Feng exchanged glances, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in their eyes.

  But in Ye Chen's heart, the chill only deepened. This old man's bias had reached its peak. Earlier, he had praised Ye Feng's alchemy talent and sent him to the Green Cloud Sect for further study.

  Now that he, too, possessed exceptional alchemical talent, the old man believed he was best suited to remain within the family, contributing to its growth, while Ye Feng would enjoy the luxury of cultivation in the Green Cloud Sect. And to top it all off, the old man had even promised him the position of clan patriarch.

  How laughable of him to suggest that being the head of a small family was such a great honor.

  The problem, however, was that the old man still had at least seventy or eighty years to live. Not only would he outlive Ye Tianhai's generation, but if Ye Chen himself failed to break through to Foundation Establishment, he, too, would eventually be left behind.

  And if the wait lasted too long? The patriarchal position would undoubtedly pass to Ye Feng and Ye Tian, those who had trained in the Green Cloud Sect. By then, Ye Chen would likely be left with nothing. Had he been his previous self, perhaps he would have believed the old man's words. But the reborn Ye Chen had seen through countless empty promises, could no longer be so easily deceived.

  Ye Chen had already resolved in his heart. Either he would take the Green Cloud Sect spot for himself, or if he failed, he would sever ties with the Ye family entirely. With the help of the system, surpassing the Ye family was only a matter of time.

  Thus, Ye Chen bowed once again, his voice polite yet filled with an underlying determination.

  "Thank you, Grandfather, for your kind offer. But my only goal is to fulfill my father's last wish, which is to enter the Green Cloud Sect and allow my father to rest in peace. Moreover, if I enter the Green Cloud Sect, I may have a chance to reach the level of a second-grade alchemist, which could elevate our Ye family into a true alchemical legacy."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "…"

  The hall fell into a deep silence.

  No one had expected Ye Chen to be so bold. Despite the patriarch's repeated offers, Ye Chen still refused to relinquish his claim to the Green Cloud Sect spot.

  Seeing Ye Chen reject him once more, Ye Hong's expression turned cold. His gaze fixed on Ye Chen, sharp and unwavering. Though he didn't target him directly, the pressure from a Foundation Establishment cultivator was enough to weigh heavily on any Qi Refining practitioner.

  Yet, Ye Chen merely stood there, unmoving, silent as ever. Ye Hong sneered, ready to reprimand this unfilial descendant, but then his thoughts paused. Ye Tianhai had just passed away, and Ye Chen had barely escaped death to return, bringing with him great merit. Were he to be overly harsh now, it would risk alienating himself from the clan.

  After a moment's thought, Ye Hong coldly dismissed Ye Chen, his voice as indifferent as the chill in the air.

  "Since you are unwilling to contribute to the family and insist on fighting for the Green Cloud Sect spot, then go."

  As his words dropped, he threw a token aside, turning sharply to leave.

  At that moment, the entire clan understood that Ye Chen had angered the patriarch. To be honest, many of them couldn't understand Ye Chen's actions. After all, the patriarch was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

  Even if Ye Chen were to join the Green Cloud Sect, his chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment were slim. After all, even within the Green Cloud Sect, they could not mass-produce such cultivators. Most disciples would still fall behind by the age of thirty.

  Although Ye Chen had secured the Green Cloud Sect spot, having angered the patriarch meant his future support would be scarce. It could be said that he was trading short-term gains for long-term losses. What was the point?

  But Ye Chen, the man in question, was utterly indifferent. So what if he had angered the patriarch?

  Ye Chen was confident in his future. What did it matter if the patriarch disliked him? With the system's help, he would grow stronger. Once his cultivation reached new heights, no matter how much the patriarch loathed him, he would still have to bow before him, just like those women.

  Strength was the most important thing. He didn't need to care about what others thought. As for the Green Cloud Sect spot, Ye Chen took it with full justification. His father had worked tirelessly for the family, even giving his life.

  Ye Chen had risked his life to protect the family's assets. It was no exaggeration to say that his entire family had been loyal and valiant. So, claiming the Green Cloud Sect spot was only fair.

  With that, Ye Chen picked up the token for entry into the Green Cloud Sect, bowed to the clan, and turned to leave without a second glance.

  ...

  Back in his courtyard, Ye Chen couldn't help but notice the peculiar silence hanging in the air. It seemed the events that had unfolded in the family hall had already spread, and even the servants were aware of how the patriarch had shown his displeasure towards him. As a result, even the closest of his family members seemed hesitant, unwilling to approach or even speak to him.

  Though Ye Chen had just returned to the family, those among the clan who had once been friendly with his previous incarnation now kept their distance.

  The courtyard felt unusually desolate. But Ye Chen didn't mind in the slightest. If anything, he found the peace rather refreshing. His eyes gleamed with interest as he studied the token in his hand.

  It was a strange, metallic medallion, engraved with the words "Green Cloud." Within its core, a formation had been inscribed. Once activated at the gates of the Green Cloud Sect, someone would be dispatched to greet the bearer.

  What was most fascinating, however, was that the medallion was not registered to any particular name. Whoever possessed it could enter the sect, provided they weren't a wanted criminal or too old to qualify.

  This was simply too perfect for Ye Chen. His curiosity piqued, he wondered what kind of reward the system would provide once he handed the Green Cloud Token to a female cultivator. Would it yield an entry token for a higher-ranking sect? Or perhaps dozens of entry tokens?

  Ye Chen didn't think it was the latter. After all, if Green Cloud Sect hadn't issued that many, it would be an outright admission of fraud. Surely, the system wouldn't be that deceptive.

  Now that he had the Green Cloud Token in hand, the question remained: who should he give it to? Sun Ruoxin? She should have returned by now, but from their previous conversation, it seemed she had her own channels. She was likely already a disciple of the Green Cloud Sect.

  The Green Cloud Token would be of no use to her now. What about Lu Jing? Was tenfold too little?

  After his experience with Sun Ruoxin, Ye Chen felt somewhat unimpressed with a mere tenfold. As for Lin Ke'er, though she also had the tenfold multiplier, the moment she had heard of his father's death, her hesitant attitude had been too glaring to ignore. She was a wolf in sheep's clothing, unworthy of his affection. She was even worse than Lu Jing.

  After much contemplation, Ye Chen decided to wait a little longer and visit Green Cloud City the next day. Perhaps there were other female cultivators with even higher multipliers there. He would test his luck for a few days. If he couldn't find anyone suitable, then he would just give the Green Cloud Token to Lu Jing.