ISWI Chapter 808-809

Chapter 808: Next Time, We Absolutely Won't Play Along!

No one had expected this. Lan Nuo refused. And the Heavenly Emperor's heir actually tossed it out.

That was the Nirvana Sacred Liquid. That was a Sacred Spiritual Root!

Shock swept through them, but bodies reacted faster than minds. In an instant, everyone surged forward. Disciples of great sects unleashed supreme movement arts, streaking toward the vial. Prodigies of the myriad races reverted to true forms without hesitation, blotting out the sky.

The scene devolved into a chaotic battlefield in the blink of an eye. Eyes bloodshot, all reason shattered by this heaven-sent fortune.

Ye Chen glanced over the frenzy, a faint curve touching his lips.

You really want it that badly?

He paid no mind to potential damage—the vial was forged from supreme materials, its hardness rivaling Extreme Dao weapons. He had inscribed divine patterns at the mouth with the Array Secret; it wouldn't open easily. So he let them scramble for a while.

Before him, Lan Nuo finally panicked in earnest. Ye Chen had truly thrown the Nirvana Sacred Liquid away. How could she not want it? If Ye Chen used it, she would accept it gladly—her master had treated her too well. But for someone else to claim it? Unacceptable.

At that moment, she itched to blast away the few fighting most fiercely.

"Master…"

Lan Nuo could no longer maintain her icy facade. Anxiety filled her gaze as she looked at Ye Chen. Yet he remained utterly calm, unmoved. As if to say: You don't want it, neither do I—whoever gets it, fine by me.

Lan Nuo truly grew desperate. She transmitted softly, "Master, we agreed you would keep it for yourself…"

Ye Chen nodded serenely. "Yes. Once it reached my hands, it became mine. If I wish to gift it to you, do I still need the Lan family's approval?"

Lan Nuo: "…"

That wasn't what she meant at all.

Watching the sacred liquid pass through several hands already…

One prodigy snatched it and instantly vanished ten thousand meters via a peculiar divine art—fortunately intercepted, or Lan Nuo might have burst into tears.

Seeing Ye Chen still utterly unconcerned, she had no choice left. She surrendered.

"Master, I'll take it—hurry and retrieve it! My heart can't handle this!"

She genuinely feared someone else would seize it. If Ye Chen used it, she felt no envy. But if another truly obtained the Sacred Spiritual Root, she'd never sleep peacefully again—waking every midnight to slap herself in regret.

Seeing her yield, a smile curved Ye Chen's lips. Without hesitation, he turned toward the battlefield. There, a myriad race prodigy had just claimed the Nirvana Sacred Liquid. His form flashed like lightning, unimaginably swift—shifting and dodging as though no place barred him. He neared the edge of the small world. A horde of prodigies pursued.

But Ye Chen needed only a single glance. The void around the prodigy instantly boiled. Endless chaotic qi surged, forming an inescapable cage. All his divine arts and abilities proved useless within it—he could not break through.

In the next moment, Ye Chen condensed a golden palm and reached toward him. The pursuers halted at once, expressions complicated.

The trapped prodigy wore a look of resigned inevitability. He glanced toward Ye Chen from afar. Without struggling, he even tossed the vial willingly toward the approaching hand.

The once-chaotic battlefield fell silent. Ye Chen's violet-gold palm seemed momentarily taken aback, pausing before seizing the vial—then lingering reluctantly.

After hesitating, it finally dispersed slowly. Only then did the trapped prodigy exhale in relief. Good thing he was clever. Otherwise, that bastard Heavenly Emperor's heir would have slapped him dead without mercy.

…

The jade vial arced overhead, passing so close that anyone could have reached out and snatched it. Yet no one did. They only watched in silence.

The crowd's impeccable cooperation even surprised Ye Chen. Since they played along so perfectly, he could hardly overdo it. With faint disappointment, he retrieved the vial and presented it to Lan Nuo once more. "Fairy Lan need not overthink. The Lan family was generous enough to share the intelligence with me—when have I ever been stingy? This is my gift to you. Accept it."

Lan Nuo's beautiful eyes gazed at Ye Chen with complex emotion. She knew full well he had only tossed it because he was confident he could reclaim it. But it had still terrified her. Her heart continued racing even now.

Yet it also proved how deeply her master loved her. From the moment the clan elders informed him, he had likely already decided to give it to her. She recalled the elders' hesitation, wariness, and suspicion back then. Even their eventual generosity in sharing the news stemmed from fear that demanding a promise might breed resentment if he reneged—better to appear magnanimous.

Now it was clear: the Lan family had judged him with petty hearts. Ye Chen loved her to his very bones. He would give her every treasure in the world.

"Master…"

Overwhelmed with emotion, Lan Nuo reached a peak of feeling in that moment. No longer caring about her aloof image before outsiders, she threw herself into his arms and bestowed upon him a kiss sweet as first love… Ye Chen wasted no time in returning the favor.

The two tangled in a passionate battle of tongues. The prodigies who had been fighting tooth and nail moments ago now stood expressionless. Inwardly, however, they seethed with curses. They had suspected it might end this way. The Heavenly Emperor's heir was no fool. How could he truly let another profit just because a woman refused?

Suspicion was one thing—yet they had still failed to resist. They had clung to the slim hope that he might actually be that foolish. Now it was plain: this dog couple had treated them as mere props in their display. If they had known, they wouldn't have scrambled at all.

When the Heavenly Emperor's heir tossed the Nirvana Sacred Liquid, everyone should have ignored it—let it fall to the ground. Watch him squirm in embarrassment! He'd have to pick it up himself in the end. Next time something like this happened, they absolutely wouldn't play along. And they would spread word of this farce far and wide—just to see how the Heavenly Emperor's heir flaunted his affection in the future.

…

Ye Chen remained oblivious to the onlookers' silent grievances. Their presence had undeniably enhanced the effect. When the pair finally parted, reluctant as snapping silk, Lan Nuo cradled the jade vial. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Ye Chen as she spoke earnestly. "Thank you, Master! On the future Immortal Path, I will stand firmly by your side, helping you suppress every enemy that blocks the Dao and seize that strand of Immortal Qi!"

Lan Nuo had decided. Even if the Sacred Spiritual Root allowed her to catch up to Ye Chen in combat strength one day, she would never harbor greed. She would devote herself wholly to ensuring he claimed that Immortal Qi.

Ye Chen smiled at her words. This disciple of his—obsessed with showing off yet truly grateful—possessed a heart full of appreciation! He said nothing more, only murmuring softly, "Refine it here. I will guard you."

Lan Nuo nodded. She was decisive by nature. When she refused, she meant it utterly. But once she accepted, she wasted no time on coyness—better to avoid complications. After one last deep gaze at Ye Chen, she settled cross-legged atop the divine peak.

Chapter 809: Straight to Immortal King!

The Nirvana Sacred Liquid was far too precious. Holding it now, Lan Nuo felt a trace of unease, fully aware that delays invited trouble. Better to use it quickly and sever all lingering desires outside.

She knew clearly. Once word spread, Quasi-Immortals and ancient fossils were likely already camped beyond the Immortal Path. She had to refine it before everyone's eyes. Only then could she dash all hopes. Let those ancient existences rest peacefully in their clans.

Thus, under gazes brimming with envy and resentment, Lan Nuo settled cross-legged atop the divine peak. She uncorked the vial without hesitation and slowly poured out the Nirvana Sacred Liquid.

As it flowed, the golden substance shimmered with seven-colored starlight.

Lan Nuo guided it gently, directing it deep into her dantian to drizzle upon her Heavenly Spiritual Root. The instant it made contact, her delicate frame shuddered violently. Her aura surged like a raging tide. Beneath her flawless, jade-like skin, golden light faintly pulsed and flowed.

At the same time, endless seven-colored divine radiance cascaded from the heavens like a celestial waterfall, pouring eagerly into her limbs and bones, nourishing every inch of flesh and strand of meridian.

In that moment, a majestic presence—sacred upon the mortal dust, divine across the nine netherworlds—emanated from her, rendering her ever more transcendent and holy. Immortal aura swirled and shrouded her form, as though a true immortal had descended, untouched by worldly dust.

Seeing Lan Nuo decisively refine the Nirvana Sacred Liquid without pause, the onlookers—though long resigned to missing this fortune—sighed in unison. That was the Nirvana Sacred Liquid. To witness it yet lack the strength to claim it… The agony was unbearable.

Deep down, they had hoped the pair would keep refusing until carrying it out beyond the Immortal Path. At least it hadn't gone to Ye Chen. Though formidable, without a Sacred Spiritual Root he remained within reach—everyone still had a chance.

Hadn't the Chaotic Ancient True Immortal proven the same? Defeated time and again, pitifully weak—yet blessed with fortune. Many apex prodigies had crippled one another in mutual combat, their foundations shattered, strength regressed. Only then had the Chaotic Ancient True Immortal seized opportunities and ultimately ascended.

Yet their gazes toward Ye Chen now carried a different tint. The Heavenly Emperor's heir had treated them as mere props in his gifting—utterly disrespectful, even intent on slaughtering them amid the chaos. His killing nature was staggering. But he truly spared nothing for his women.

Outrageous!

To be his woman meant even a Sacred Spiritual Root could be obtained. Unimaginably blissful.

The female cultivators present felt their hearts flutter. The males could only lament lacking the chance to flutter theirs.

Some harbored darker thoughts. They hoped that when Ye Chen stood one slender thread from seizing Immortal Qi, he would bitterly regret gifting away the Nirvana Sacred Liquid today.

…

With the liquid already refined by Lan Nuo, no opportunity remained for them here. One by one, they withdrew. They also sent word outward: let the ancestors return.

Many ancient fossils teetered on the edge of lifespan depletion. Some had already exceeded their natural limits, sustained only by desperate measures. At best capable of one or two battles before death. Every action drained vital essence. Better to return to slumber early.

Ye Chen, meanwhile, lounged idly beside Lan Nuo. He doubted anyone would court death by disturbing her refinement. Thus, he immersed his mind and turned his attention to the system.

But at that moment, a shout rang out: "Heavenly Emperor's heir—release me already! You used me to complete your gift, and the instant you reached out, I returned it immediately! You can't still plan to kill me—that's just bullying! My Fire Spirit Clan has never provoked you!"

The trapped myriad race prodigy bellowed desperately. As the departing crowd glanced at the Fire Spirit Clan prodigy still bound by the Heavy Pupil Pure Land, sidelong looks carried faint pity. The fellow truly had it rough. Had he not been quick-witted, immediately surrendering the vial, the next second would have seen him slapped dead by the Heavenly Emperor's heir.

The heir's heart was truly black, his killing intent staggering. Even the Heavenly Emperor himself hadn't been this ruthless back in the day. Treating them as mere props in his gifting was bad enough—yet he still intended murder.

What was this? Did the Nirvana Sacred Liquid require a blood sacrifice before use? The more blood, the better the effect?

Ye Chen, interrupted by the shout, felt a twinge of awkwardness. He had indeed planned to casually swat the guy dead back then. A pity it didn't happen. With a sweep of his hand, the Heavy Pupil Pure Land dissipated. The Fire Spirit prodigy fled in lingering terror, fearing another round of bait-and-kill.

The remaining onlookers followed suit, withdrawing hastily. They dreaded lingering lest Ye Chen accuse them of ill intent and squash them flat.

In moments, the small world cleared entirely. Watching them flee as though he were the plague, Ye Chen could only feel helpless. His lips twitched faintly. As his fishing expeditions multiplied and the prodigies he harvested grew in number, the survivors had grown ever more cunning. The leeks were getting harder to cut—a true shame.

Still, this journey along the Immortal Path had yielded an astonishing harvest of origin. Especially with two holy spirits delivering themselves. It would surely satisfy his fiancée. This time, Yi Qingwu could undergo perfect metamorphosis and attain the Acquired Chaos Body. A fine outcome.

Ye Chen dwelled on it only briefly. With the small world emptied, he could finally check the system's feedback. He raised a hand, invoking the Array Secret to harness heaven and earth's power, sealing the entrance with a grand formation. Only then did he immerse his mind in the system to view the feedback.

"Congratulations, Host, on successful gifting…"

"Gift: Nirvana Sacred Liquid!"

"Calculating 4,000x feedback…"

"Detected that the gifted item holds extreme importance to the recipient, triggering intense emotional fluctuation…"

"Top-notch critical hit activated!"

"Feedback: Nirvana Immortal Fetal Spring!"

"Nirvana Immortal Fetal Spring: Only where at least ten Immortal Kings have fallen may a single spring possibly form!"

"The Nirvana Immortal Fetal Spring can irrigate a spiritual root, transforming it into an immortal fetus. After one year of gestation, the fetus emerges, elevating the root to immortal spirit grade."

"Immortal Spiritual Root—the pinnacle spiritual root of the immortal realm, appearing only in the primary world, possibly once every million years…"

"Favored by the will of the Heavenly Dao, every action aligns with Heavenly Intention…"

"Cultivation speed far surpasses the Sacred Spiritual Root, with autonomous cultivation technique operation and no conversion limit…"

"Immense amplification of the cultivator's physique, innate divine abilities, cultivation techniques, and techniques—pushing combat potential to its absolute apex…"

"Innate immortal arts…"

"Possessing an Immortal Spiritual Root allows direct ascension to Immortal King without encountering any bottlenecks along the way…"

The dense cascade of descriptions left even the prepared Ye Chen wide-eyed. Lan Nuo had not disappointed. Under the top-notch critical hit, the Nirvana Sacred Liquid had directly evolved into a Nirvana Immortal Fetal Spring.

What should have been a Sacred Spiritual Root skyrocketed to an Immortal Spiritual Root. And the effects of the Immortal Spiritual Root exceeded even his expectations! It led straight to Immortal King!