ISWI Chapter 721-724

Chapter 721: Did Ye Chen Make a Mistake?

Extreme Dao Weapons, especially high-grade ones, served as hard currency in the Mahayana Realm. No cultivator could have too many. Now, with a warehouse full at his disposal, Ye Chen swept his gaze over them—scattering like stars in his cave heaven.

Every variety imaginable. Armors, immortal robes, weapons, war chariots. Once the Heavenly Emperor War Chariot restored and gifted to Yan Qingcheng, the feedback would likely yield immortal artifacts—unusable for now. He'd simply pluck a replacement chariot to tide him over.

In this way, the pair spent a week traversing the third realm to reach the Immortal Path's fourth. Mendicants awaited at the teleportation array beside it, pointing Ye Chen toward the path. The Heavenly Demon Clan's secret realm lay not far—a half-day's journey at most. Ye Chen and Luo Bingling confirmed it, then rocketed onward.

...

"He's here!"

In the void above, the three calmly seated Undying Celestial Phoenix half-saints raised their eyes, peering into the distance. A war chariot ablaze with divine fire carved twin trails of flame across the sky, thundering from the horizon. Within the secret realm, Yao Yuezhi and the others' eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"My brother-in-law's arrived! Little Peacock King, prepare to charge out—we'll seize the chance to flee."

Yao Yuekong's excitement surged; Ye Chen's mere presence instilled security. Among the three, he trusted Ye Chen's prowess most.

The Little Peacock King pursed his lips but harbored no other schemes. He planned to burst from the secret realm at the first opening, assisting Ye Chen. Nearby, countless cultivation world denizens had converged from afar to spectate.

The Heavenly Emperor heir pitted against the Undying Celestial Phoenix powerhouses. This promised a world-shaking clash. It might even unveil the successor's limits. And battles involving Ye Chen sold recording stones like hotcakes—top sellers in the cultivation world. No one would miss a chance to profit.

...

Under the gaze of countless eyes, the three semi-saints rose indifferently, peering at Ye Chen from afar. The central one lifted his hand calmly. In an instant, a wisp of divine fire ignited at his fingertip, forming a true phoenix shadow that surged toward Ye Chen with world-shattering incineration. This flame phoenix terrified all. The void scorched into liquid, beginning to flow.

Onlookers gasped at the pinnacle half-saint's might from a top clan. Yet facing this assault, the arriving Ye Chen showed no reaction. He merely held Luo Bingling's slender waist lightly. Driving the war chariot straight into the charge.

"Boom..."

The chariot clashed with the phoenix; divine fire erupted, exploding violently. In the next moment, Ye Chen and Luo Bingling pierced through the flames unscathed, hurtling toward the trio. The horrifying divine fire seemed to leave no mark on Ye Chen.

This sight shifted the three men's expressions. Though aware of Ye Chen's feats, his lower realm had bred some disdain. But this single collision banished it—they now regarded him seriously. Still, they felt no dread. Three half-saints united—if they couldn't slay one early Third Realm King, self-execution beckoned.

One raised his hand, summoning a dragon-horn halberd—an upper-grade Extreme Dao Weapon. It hummed with immortal tones of the great dao as he swung, boiling killing intent crashing toward Ye Chen's skull.

The other two joined forces, unleashing a terrifying true phoenix treasure technique; hundreds of wing-spanning, sky-obscuring phoenixes flooded forth. They set heaven and earth ablaze, scorching the void around Ye Chen to nothingness—forcing him into inescapable peril.

The three coordinated flawlessly. Their opening salvo unleashed ultimate kill moves. No trace of underestimation—they aimed for swift resolution. Yet aboard the chariot, the approaching Ye Chen remained serene. One hand still circled Luo Bingling's waist. With a thought, divine light bloomed from his brow. Hundreds of mountain-sized true dragons erupted instantly, meeting the dread phoenixes head-on.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen's free hand rose. The Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod materialized, its slaughterous aura piercing the heavens. Multiplier Secret activated; the staff swelled against the wind, smashing toward the incoming dragon-horn halberd.

Ye Chen's physique held monstrous power. Amplified by Multiplier Secret, the collision shattered stone and rent the sky—the entire fourth realm quaked.

In the next breath, the high-grade Extreme Dao Weapon's dragon-horn halberd exploded. The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan's half-saint's arms and immortal robe shredded alongside. Countless phoenix blood droplets sprayed; he retreated in utter shock.

This scene stunned all. One strike nearly felled a half-saint? In such a short time apart, why had the Heavenly Emperor heir grown even more terrifying? A peak half-saint, no less!

"This kid's physique is truly terrifying—feels like he's surpassed the Heavenly Emperor of old."

"His dao arts and divine abilities are ferocious too—the True Dragon Treasure Technique perfected to the extreme."

"Indeed, the Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo!"

The three men's faces hardened further. The wounded half-saint's regeneration proved astonishing; in a blink, his arms regrew seamlessly. They charged Ye Chen in unison.

Ye Chen sat unmoved aboard the war chariot, his Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod swelling or shrinking at will. Each sweeping strike carried overwhelming force—even the stirred gales uprooted immortal mountains by the roots. The onslaught proved unimaginably fierce.

The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan's physiques fell short of nothing. Yet they dared not clash head-on, dodging desperately. After all, one swing from Ye Chen had shattered an high-grade Extreme Dao Weapon. Who dared claim their body outlasted such an Extreme Dao Weapon?

"Clang..."

Despite their utmost evasion, another grazed the hem of his robe. In an instant, half his body caved inward. This forced the trio to retreat once more, unwilling to close distance—they bombarded from afar. Their dao and laws terrified, amplified by innate divine abilities, surging with inconceivable might. They nearly reduced the surrounding hundred li to barren desolation.

Ye Chen, reflecting on his prior battle with the Holy Prince, realized feigning weakness proved futile. Those bold enough to come would charge regardless of your might. Those timid? No amount of play-weak would draw them. Thus, he sought only swift resolution.

With a thought, terrifying cave heaven power stirred around him. A portal yawned instantly at Ye Chen's side, devouring toward the three. The cave heaven opened swifter than any small world. Should it swallow them, one stroke ended all. The three saints gaped in astonishment at the sight. But in the next breath, delight gleamed in their eyes.

"As expected of a fresh cave heaven—committing the rookie king's classic blunder, ever eager to trap foes within."

"Undying divine fire counters cave heavens utterly—entry spells its core's annihilation."

"We can enter, but beware supreme kill arrays; the successor's foundations run deep."

"Two inside: one disarms the array, one shatters the cave heaven."

"I'll activate the divine array outside, pinning him—assault from within and without, no spare attention."

The three, seasoned beyond measure, devised their plan in a flash. One unleashed a treasure technique, shifting to his true form and drifting away. The other two faced the encroaching portal—not fleeing, but charging in with smiles...

Chapter 722: This Cave Heaven Feels Off!

"Bad news! The Heavenly Emperor's heir actually opened his cave heaven? Those two charged right in!"

The onlookers had just marveled at Ye Chen's ferocity. He wielded that massive staff, pressing three half-saints so hard they could scarcely lift their heads. Victory seemed plausible. But in a flash, the tide turned, enemies had breached his cave heaven. A single misstep could cripple his foundations. What had looked like assured triumph now teetered on ruin.

"What is Ye Chen doing? Didn't anyone warn him? Cave heavens serve to bolster cultivation and empower the self—never let foes inside?"

The Little Peacock King panicked, deeming Ye Chen foolish. Yao Yuekong and Yao Yuezhi's faces grew grave. Battles among powerhouses hinged on such slips. Even the mightiest could see outcomes flip on a moment's lapse.

The half-saint left outside smirked coldly. With a raise of his hand, chains of divine patterns materialized in the once-calm void. In the next breath, the hundred li around Ye Chen transformed into a terrifying sea of fire.

This was their pre-laid Undying Fire Divine Array. Trapped within, even Ye Chen's iron physique would melt away. Let alone his cave heaven under simultaneous assault. Assailed from within and without, death loomed inevitable.

...

"The Heavenly Emperor's heir is still too green!"

"A cultivator's strength isn't just talent or arts—experience counts too."

"Today, you and I shall school him properly."

"I wonder how vast his cave heaven spans."

"Our Celestial Prince's reached a hundred thousand miles—the cultivation world's pinnacle. This successor's no slouch—perhaps fifty or sixty thousand?"

The two who plunged into Ye Chen's cave heaven sneered. Yet they stayed vigilant, wary of any supreme kill array the successor might have arrayed. As the portal sealed behind them, they stood firm, scanning their surroundings.

In the next instant, their eyes bulged wide. No supreme array had betrayed them. It was the expanse—no end in sight. Even their divine senses, probing outward, brushed no boundary. Remember, Mahayana cultivators measured sense ranges in tens of thousands of miles. How could this be?

"Is this really a cave heaven?"

"Could Ye Chen have used some technique to teleport us elsewhere?"

Disbelief filled the eyes of the two men. From ancient times to now, a hundred thousand li marked the utmost limit for a cultivator's cave heaven. Even the Celestial Prince had not surpassed it. How could Ye Chen's extend beyond sight?

They scanned their surroundings more closely, only to gasp in astonishment. In the extreme distance, dozens of immortal peaks floated suspended in the air. Atop those peaks, faint sun and moon gleamed, illuminating the entire cave heaven. Beyond that, scattered across the earth lay myriad spirit plants and herbs—each rare, pulsing with astonishing spiritual energy. The two even spotted several extinct varieties. Their eyes widened further, greed flickering in their expressions. But that was not all. When they lifted their gazes, a chill seized their bodies.

"Why does that blood-red longsword resemble our Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan's legendary immortal artifact, the Undying Celestial Blade?"

"An immortal artifact—truly one! Beside the Undying Celestial Blade, that jar... and a ghost-faced mask..."

"That's the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar and Ghost-Faced Mask that Devouring Female Immortal—both immortal artifacts."

"And that cauldron—it evokes the carrier of the dao itself. Could it be the War God Clan's immortal artifact, the Dao Cauldron? No wonder they view humans as inferior—yet their current princess willingly entered his harem."

"Our clan's Undying Celestial Blade was indeed secretly stowed by the Heavenly Emperor back then—never lost to the void currents."

"The Heavenly Emperor was the epitome of evil!"

"The successor even inherited the Devouring Lineage—explains his monstrous talent and meteoric rise."

"But what of that bronze coffin? Why does it suppress all immortal artifacts from above? Could it house the Heavenly Emperor himself?"

"Look there—that black cluster, like a starry mass. Why does it feel like... piles of Extreme Dao Weapons?"

Ye Chen's cave heaven had shocked them to their cores. Amid the awe, terror gripped them utterly. So many secrets in his cave heaven—yet he let them enter freely. Was Ye Chen truly that naive and young?

In all, the boundless expanse, too vast to fathom. The absurd profusion of immortal artifacts. Even heaps of Extreme Dao Weapons tallied like common goods—all left them trembling in dread. How many Mahayana cultivators had the Heavenly Emperor slain back then? Too many Extreme Dao Weapons!

Something was wrong—terribly wrong. They now craved only escape. But the cave heaven portal had sealed shut. Ye Chen seemed to grant them a deliberate moment to absorb the shock.

In the next instant, the cave heaven stirred. Unimaginable terror surged forth—cave heaven power crashing down. It bore crushing suppression, ensnaring the two. They flung desperate defensive treasure techniques.

Yet Ye Chen's cave heaven sprawled absurdly vast; its power roiled uncontrollably, a tempest beyond grasp. Trapped within, they felt like ships in an ocean's fury—physiques on the verge of bursting under the strain. As the cave heaven power amassed ever denser, the pair buckled further—skin splitting with blood, organs fracturing...

"No—we can't just endure this. The successor's cave heaven power terrifies—we must act!"

"I'll ignite my bloodline at full cost, unleashing our clan's forbidden art, Undying Three Fire Transformations—to carve you a path. Fly straight to those floating peaks—the successor's cave heaven core likely resides there. Burn it to ash with divine fire at any price. Only then do we stand a chance. Back to the clan—tell them Ye Chen defies heaven; even the Celestial Prince may falter. Dispatch supreme powerhouses to strangle him utterly—even razing Heavenly Evolution Holy Land if needed."

The two, pinnacles among their kind, devised a counter in a heartbeat. One shifted to true form—a three-meter golden phoenix. Five colored divine fire blazed in his five orifices. He roared, aura exploding thrice in succession. A beam of utterly horrifying divine fire spewed forth, forcibly tunneling through the endless cave heaven power. The other wasted no moment, blasting forward—speed maxing to phantom blur. He streaked toward the suspended peak cluster...

"Ah..."

A wail erupted behind him. He glanced back, eyes cracking with rage. The lone defender buckled utterly under the pressure—his clansman's true form warped grotesquely in the unrelenting cave heaven suppression. The phoenix head had twisted down to its rear.

Gritting his teeth, he accelerated further. Reach the suspended peaks—shatter them all—and rescue his kin. The nearer he drew to the peak cluster, the closer he approached those small sun and moon—perhaps forged from dao artifacts. But as he closed in, the small sun's form sharpening in view, doubt creased his face—his eyes flashing existential disbelief...

Chapter 723: You Are My Destined One!

At this moment, he finally discerned what the sun and moon truly were. They were no sun and moon at all. But two immortal roots. The Moon Laurel Immortal Tree and the Fusang Divine Tree. This made his entire body shudder.

Two immortal roots, residing in Ye Chen's cave heaven? What merit or fortune did Ye Chen possess for such bounty? Yet when he glanced aside, his mouth gaped wider.

Qilin Undying Herb, Peach DivineTree, True Dragon Undying Herb, Enlightenment Tea Tree... Eleven in total, including even his clan's long-lost True Phoenix Immortal Medicine. Had Ye Chen gathered every immortal root in the cultivation world?

No—Ye Chen lacked the strength or destiny for that. Thus, it all traced to the Heavenly Emperor of old. He had claimed them destroyed. In truth, secreted away in shadows.

This half-saint's advance halted utterly. He yearned only to flee this absurd cave heaven. But a golden beam pierced forth; his physique froze solid.

In the next breath, a branch like molten gold extended silently from the void, descending with serene calm.

"Boom..."

In an instant, blood mist filled the air.

In the distance, endless cave heaven power roiled. The half-saint trapped within could endure no longer. His physique burst apart. The two fell in the same heartbeat. In their final thoughts, one notion reigned. If reborn, they would never rashly enter another's cave heaven again. Too terrifying...

In the following moment, the Dragon-Subduing Yellow Spring Diagram drifted forth, sweeping up the remnants of their essences, souls, and the divine fire origins unique to the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan. It plunged them into the Yellow Springs River for scouring. Once cleansed, it would automatically feed their essences into the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Jar for secondary refinement. Efficiency automated to the core.

...

The two died swiftly.

From entry to demise, scarcely a hundred breaths had elapsed. This was only because Ye Chen had granted them time to tour. Otherwise, death upon ingress. Confirming their falls, Ye Chen, amid the sea of fire, curled his lips in a smile.

Divine fire terrified. But that was all. With the Array Secret in hand, a mere scan unveiled the array's flaws. A thought stirred; the flames parted willingly, sparing Ye Chen and the Luo Bingling in his arms. The pair sat aboard the chariot, gliding effortlessly through the inferno. They arrived before the lone half-saint.

The half-saint's eyes bulged in disbelief. He was shocked that Ye Chen escaped the array so easily, and bewildered why he emerged unscathed. After all, two half-saints had entered his cave heaven!

He retreated frantically, unleashing endless divine light and phoenix fire as he roared, "Why hasn't your cave heaven shattered?"

Ye Chen laughed. "Enter and see for yourself."

Brilliant immortal tribulation light blazed from his chest; the Hand of Heaven coalesced with a boom. It locked the surrounding thousand li in aura of utter annihilation, effortlessly seizing the man. But it did not crush him outright. The Supreme Heart's divine ability, amplified by physique, had grown ever more horrifying. One slip could obliterate an enemy's origin.

Ye Chen loathed such waste. So he gripped him firmly, then opened the cave heaven portal, flicking lightly.

The man shot inside. Upon beholding the cave heaven's truths, his eyes widened like his clansmen's before—trembling in dread. But Ye Chen spared no further sightseeing. A golden branch descended silently. Blood mist erupted. The Yellow Spring Diagram drifted forth automatically, commencing cleanup...

...

In the Immortal Path's fourth realm, the once-vibrant battlefield fell eerily still. Save for Ye Chen and Luo Bingling aboard the chariot. No—also the Little Peacock King, who had just burst from the secret realm, five-colored divine light blazing, ready to join Ye Chen in overwhelming the last half-saint and addressing the two within the cave heaven.

The Little Peacock King emerged mid-stride, divine light dazzling, his face etched in confusion. He stared at Ye Chen, brows furrowed in astonishment. Sealing foes in one's cave heaven courted peril. Yet Ye Chen's expression betrayed no such risk. After all, he had flung a third inside at the end.

"Au... Fellow Daoist Ye, those three... could they have perished?"

The Little Peacock King uttered in disbelief.

Ye Chen nodded lightly with a smile, unbothered by the two extra colors in the Little Peacock King's display, and turned his gaze toward the secret realm. Seeing Yao Yuezhi, his expression warmed. But noting her pallid complexion and wilted aura, his brows furrowed slightly. He flew straight toward the secret realm.

Leaving the Little Peacock King frozen in place, along with the countless onlookers gaping in stunned silence. They had anticipated witnessing the Heavenly Emperor's heir pushed to his limits. Instead, the battle concluded even swifter than before.

Ye Chen's strikes had dwindled too. A few swings of the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, then tossing foes into his cave heaven. And that was it? This plunged the crowd into existential doubt. What lay within Ye Chen's cave heaven?

"A supreme kill array—it must be. The Heavenly Emperor was an array grandmaster, slaying greater foes with lesser forces through cunning arrays."

"But what array could instantly extinguish three peak half-saints?"

"No wonder the successor dared come—with such a trump card."

"Shocking—three peak half-saints felled in a breath. Spread the word: beware the Heavenly Emperor heir—never enter his cave heaven!"

"His aces truly abound..."

The crowd buzzed in discussion, a mix of awe and disappointment. The clash had ended too abruptly. They felt they'd glimpsed nothing—straight to cave heaven toss, and done. How had the three died? What array wrought it? Unknown. Many who had captured recording stones lamented their footage's likely poor sales.

...

Ye Chen soared toward the secret realm. Yao Yuezhi and Yao Yuekong emerged from it amid shock and joy. Yao Yuekong gazed at Ye Chen in ever-deepening admiration.

Ye Chen exceeded his wildest expectations. He couldn't help praising aloud, drawing closer. "Brother-in-law, you're so formidable—my sister will surely find bliss with you. As her brother, I can rest easy."

Yao Yuezhi, her face ashen, rushed straight to Ye Chen's side. He sat aboard the war chariot.

Luo Bingling had no intention of yielding her spot. But Yao Yuezhi deftly claimed her own, plunging into Ye Chen's embrace. Her small hands cupped his cheeks; her emerald eyes brimmed with affection and adoration. "Brother Ye, trapped before, I knew my destined one would arrive in a chariot to rescue me. All foes before my destined one are mere chickens and dogs! And now, it has come true. Brother Ye, you are my destined one."

With those words, Yao Yuezhi leaned in and kissed him!

Chapter 724: An Unsolvable Ending?

Ye Chen's mouth twitched as he heard Yao Yuezhi call him her destined one. This nickname wouldn't do. Monkeys always rushed headlong into peril—like that Holy Prince.

"Mwah..."

"Mmm..."

Odd sounds of their lip-locked tussle drifted through the air.

Luo Bingling's face darkened beside them. This green tea vixen dared kiss him in front of everyone? And with strings of saliva forming! Worst of all, she was right there! Did they see her as a person at all? She'd drench her later for sure.

Yao Yuekong had accepted this brother-in-law. But watching his sister throw herself at another man up close, kissing with utter abandon, still twisted something inside him. Especially with Ye Chen's hand at her lower back, nearly brushing those small peaches. It stirred an old father's pang in Yao Yuekong. He turned away, eyeing the bewildered Little Peacock King, who glanced about in confusion. He probably wanted to interrupt his sister. Remind them to continue once alone.

Yao Yuekong smiled at the Little Peacock King. "Little Peacock, didn't you say before that if Ye Chen won, you'd call him dad...? Well, he's here now. Go on—call him!"

The Little Peacock King's face soured. Yao Yuekong was just asking for a beating. Ye Chen and Yao Yuezhi parted at the words, their connection lingering like a thread. But spotting the silken strand between them, Yao Yuezhi leaned in again, wiping Ye Chen's lip corner clean with tender care before pulling back satisfied, spotless. She remained sweetly perched on Ye Chen's lap, shielding him considerately.

Ye Chen marveled inwardly at Yao Yuezhi's little ploys, his mood lifting. No wonder everyone adored green tea girls. Sweet and attentive. Truly top-tier. But soon his gaze shifted to the Little Peacock King—this fool had wagered a "dad" bet?

Recalling the boy's mother earlier, desperate for her son's return and offering anything, Ye Chen's lip twitched again. He had no desire to father the Little Peacock King. He only wanted to be his uncle.

The Little Peacock King, of course, refused the title, his expression rigid. "That doesn't count—Ye Chen used a supreme kill array to finish them, not his true power... so it doesn't count!"

Yao Yuekong chuckled at once. "Tsk tsk tsk..."

Luo Bingling, of the War God Clan, prized oaths above all and despised oath-breakers. She shot the Little Peacock King a contemptuous glance.

Ye Chen merely smiled faintly, unconcerned. He paid the Little Peacock King himself little mind. Without Yan Ruyu's existence, the boy's grave grass would match Lu Ya's height.

The crowd's scornful stares and Ye Chen's indifference left the Little Peacock King inwardly twisted...

Yao Yuekong noticed the Little Peacock King's displeasure and immediately slung an arm around his shoulders. "Brother, just a joke to lighten the mood—not seriously expecting you to call! On the contrary, for rushing to Yuezhi's rescue at the first sign of trouble, my clan and I are endlessly grateful. I've got an ancient pill that might hasten your fusion with the divine feather—I'll have it sent over later! You're my best brother from now on. Once we're back in the Myriad Races Immortal City, let's hit up that Immortal Pavilion run by the Charm Demon Clan—my treat!"

Yao Yuekong's gratitude toward the Little Peacock King ran deep and genuine. But the Little Peacock King, hearing this, found no solace. His mind lingered on the "dad" wager. He hesitated over whether to honor it.

...

Only now did Ye Chen have a moment to truly appraise Yao Yuezhi. He noted her pallid lips, the wilted, heart-tugging pallor of her cheeks. And the aura that clashed so jarringly with her former poise. His brows furrowed. "What happened to you?"

Yao Yuezhi offered a gentle smile, but paired with her fragile, ashen features, it only tugged at the heartstrings more fiercely.

"It's nothing, Brother Ye—just a cave heaven shattered in the battle before. Meeting you is my greatest fortune. For that, even a lifetime stuck at Second Heaven holds no regret! What's done is done, Brother Ye—don't worry over me!"

As she spoke, the ever-inspiring Yao Yuezhi—reached out instead, her small hand lightly tracing Ye Chen's furrowed brow, seeking to smooth it away.

"Cave heaven shattered? There should be ways to mend it—not some insurmountable calamity."

Though grave, cave heaven rupture wasn't hopeless—not a barrier to lifelong stagnation.

Yao Yuezhi shook her head, falling silent.

Yao Yuekong's expression grew heavy too; he sighed. Speaking for his sister, he explained, "Yuezhi's cave heaven didn't just crack—its core collapsed entirely. Core collapse defies mending altogether—recasting is the only path."

Core collapse?

Ye Chen sensed the trouble's true depth now.

"No remedy at all?"

Ye Chen pressed.

This little green tea's critical rate shone high, delivering boundless emotional value. If her cultivation stalled, countless gifts lost their target. And without a cave heaven, how to bestow spirit plants? Ye Chen couldn't bear it.

Yao Yuekong gave a wry smile. "It's difficult—only the immortal realm's supreme treasure, Creation Spirit Liquid, can serve as the core to recast a cave heaven. But Creation Spirit Liquid is said to be scarce even in the immortal realm—countable on one hand during the Heavenly Emperor's era. After the Jianmu Tree fell, it vanished entirely. The Divine Silkworm Clan's Qiankun Cauldron alone, forged primarily from Creation Spirit Liquid, can restore a cave heaven to its original state if used as the core."

Though an upper-grade Extreme Dao Weapon, the Qiankun Cauldron's utility proved boundless—for instance, it mended shattered cave heavens. Rumors even held that using it for a Third Realm breakthrough enlarged the cave heaven by thirty percent.

"In short, its value to the Divine Silkworm Clan rivals a supreme Extreme Dao Weapon. Such a treasure—no price, however lofty, would sway them to trade. Thus, it's essentially unsolvable."

By the end, Yao Yuekong's voice grew heavy.

Ye Chen's eyes lit up at his words. A solution existed—that was enough. As for acquiring the Qiankun Cauldron, Ye Chen needn't fret. He merely asked out of curiosity, "Once obtained, how does one restore the cave heaven with the Qiankun Cauldron?"

Yao Yuekong surmised Ye Chen probed from concern for his sister, so despite deeming it futile, he explained patiently. "Beyond the cauldron itself, one must absorb another cultivator's cave heaven essence as energy for recasting. And it can't draw from many—only one person's, or conflicting cave heaven powers clash. Even then, the yield falls short.

"For example, if the donor's cave heaven spans ten thousand miles, absorbing it fully might recast only a thousand li here. A ten-thousand-li cave heaven marks an absolute prodigy—who would sacrifice for another? Even if some paragon consented, Yuezhi would gain but a thousand li—far too small, with scant room for future growth. Thus, even securing the Qiankun Cauldron leaves riddles aplenty. So Yuezhi's immortal path truly ends here—she must withdraw from the fray."

Though reluctant to voice it, this was the unvarnished truth. By the end, Yao Yuekong let out a long sigh, gazing at his sister with profound pity. Whether securing the Qiankun Cauldron or restoring her original cave heaven, each condition loomed impossibly daunting—virtually unattainable.

As for Yao Yuezhi, her small face stayed pale, yet her willow brows curved gently, her eyes holding a smile as if consoling the others. This only deepened everyone's bitterness, fueling hatred for the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan. But Ye Chen, upon hearing it all, brightened instantly.

The Qiankun Cauldron unsellable? In this world, nothing truly defied sale. It merely required an irresistible price. And in his small world flew four thousand upper-grade Extreme Dao Weapons. Trading them all for the cauldron? Worth every one. After all, Yao Yuezhi brimmed with tea flavor, her arts masterful and refined.

Yet Ye Chen saw through it: tea served as a mere tool for her. A girl who would risk her cave heaven's ruin to save her "useless" brother? She held true heart. Bestow the cauldron, and a max critical hit ignited. Perhaps yielding an immortal artifact like the Dao Cauldron—endless special effects, boundless gains. No loss whatsoever.

Yet the cauldron marked but an appetizer. After all, external treasures held limits, however priceless. The true prize lay in self-advancement. With the Dao Cauldron, Yao Yuezhi still required cave heaven essence to absorb. Whose, then? Mine, naturally. His own essence surged vast. Even at a ten percent conversion, a hundred million kilometers yielded ten million for her. Reshaping her "form" outright.

Of course, not all—core zones stayed preserved. Immortal roots, flying peaks—if absorbed, no feedback. Senior An awaited the full immortal set. They must endure. Even so, ample for Yao Yuezhi's satisfaction. And should she unleash a max critical after absorbing his essence? What scale would his cave heaven balloon to? Carrying a pocket universe, perhaps. Unthinkable—truly so.