ISWI Chapter 602-603

Chapter 602: The End!

Ye Chen stood in the void, left hand gripping the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, right hand wielding the Heavenly Emperor Sword. The moment he grasped them, they fully activated, their auras erupting.

The Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod on the left radiated overwhelming battle intent, as if it were the most terrifying weapon of slaughter in heaven and earth. In an instant, it felt like an ancient battlefield had descended.

The Heavenly Emperor Sword on the right exuded imperial majesty, like an ancient immortal lord revived.

The man's legs trembled, an involuntary urge to kneel washing over him. Ye Chen, still at Unity, had fully activated Extreme Dao Weapons. There was only one explanation. He had cultivated the Armament Secret. Only the Armament Secret, one of humanity's supreme divine arts, allowed a cultivator to wield Extreme Dao Weapons a realm early.

Under the threat of death, the man didn't hesitate, summoning his own Extreme Dao Weapon from his brow. It was a spear, gleaming with immortal gold. Divine patterns covered it, carrying an aura of unstoppable force, as if one thrust could pierce the heavens.

The man gripped the spear tightly. But his heart remained gripped by fear.

Facing Ye Chen—left hand Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, right hand Heavenly Emperor Sword—he had no confidence. Not just in himself, but in the Extreme Dao Weapon he'd poured years of effort into forging. He even worried it might shatter on impact. And one thing baffled him. Even with the Armament Secret, it should only barely allow early activation of an Extreme Dao Weapon. How did Ye Chen make it look effortless? Activating two at once?

Something was wrong—very wrong. He had no fighting spirit left, even more panicked than before. But he couldn't let Ye Chen see that.

Forcing calm, he said casually, "Your foundation is truly astonishing, but at Unity, you can't perfectly control Extreme Dao Weapons. And they consume immense energy. How long can you sustain two? I was only sent here by the Dao Lineage. I have no real grudge against you. Can we each take a step back and end this fight? The Devouring Dao Lineage sent so many to kill you, clearly holding a deep grudge. But finding them for revenge will be hard. They have no hall; everyone, like me, comes from various holy lands and factions. But if I return, I can help you uncover more identities, work with you to uproot the Devouring Dao Lineage—this cancerous tumor—completely…"

…

Across from him, Ye Chen, holding two Extreme Dao Weapons, felt invincible.

The reason he could activate both simultaneously? Simple: he was too strong. His foundation was too deep. Back in mid-Unity, he could already use them. But it was too shocking, and foes like Alkaid Holy Son weren't worthy of him revealing such power. So he kept them as trump cards.

As for energy consumption? He'd tested it before—it was negligible. With his foundation, he could wield Extreme Dao Weapons from here to Central Continent and back without issue.

But the man's final words made Ye Chen chuckle. A Devouring Dao Lineage member calling their own group a tumor?

That was interesting.

Ye Chen looked at the man, shaking his head regretfully. "I already know who the true successor of the Devouring Dao Lineage is… no need for you!"

The man's eyes widened, frantically shouting, "That's not the true successor, it's a fake—"

But as he spoke, Ye Chen's aura exploded, boundless blood qi surging skyward. His entire being seemed to ignite. The man, pouring everything into his attack, thrust his golden spear at Ye Chen. The spear, carrying a majestic aura, pierced countless layers of void in an instant. In a thousandth of a moment, its tip reached Ye Chen's brow.

Clearly, the man sensed Ye Chen's resolve—he wouldn't let him leave. So he chose to fight to the death. Such a being wouldn't just wait for death. But as the spear neared Ye Chen's forehead, the Heavenly Emperor Sword trembled lightly.

Imperial majesty flowed, emitting a chilling ripple. The spear, capable of piercing all creation, halted half a centimeter from Ye Chen's brow, unable to advance further.

Ye Chen raised his other hand. He'd planned to smash the spear with the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, but fearing it might shatter it, he held back. The Heavenly Emperor Sword suppressed the spear.

Gripping the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, Ye Chen used the Movement Secret and charged at the man. Mid-flight, he raised the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod high.

Endless slaughter force surged, roiling the heavens. Golden light blazed from the staff, crashing down toward the man. The man, terrified, unleashed metallic divine light from his body. Boundless nether qi formed a domain to block the strike.

But before a peak Extreme Dao Weapon, it was futile. As the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod fell, the domain shattered. The next moment, it smashed into the man's head. His body was strong, but it meant nothing now. In unwillingness and despair, he exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

The entire grand formation shook, as if it might collapse. Ordinary Mahayana cultivators lacked the ability to regenerate from a drop of blood. Especially when slaughter force swept through, purifying the blood mist. The man was utterly dead.

Satisfied, Ye Chen glanced at his Heavenly Emperor Sword and Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod. Then he turned to the spear. It was a newly forged Extreme Dao Weapon, far inferior to the Heavenly Emperor Sword or Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, used by immortals. But still valuable.

Ye Chen didn't care for it himself, but it was perfect as a gift. When trapped in battle, he'd seen Fan Qinghe rushing to his side without hesitation. With her strength, she'd be useless if he couldn't win—they'd die together.

But her attitude pleased him. Plus, her consistent critical hits. She was clearly a good woman. This spear would be perfect for Fan Qinghe, who was nearing Mahayana. It might even trigger another immortal artifact critical hit.

With that thought, Ye Chen reached for the spear. Extreme Dao Weapons had their own spirituality. Sensing his action, the spear trembled, emitting waves of terrifying aura. It was expressing discontent, urging Ye Chen to back off.

But Ye Chen didn't move. The Heavenly Emperor Sword and Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod rose automatically. Their auras pressed down. The spear instantly quieted.

Ye Chen, satisfied, grasped it. Using the Armament Secret, he erased its imprint in moments, turning it into an unclaimed Extreme Dao Weapon.

Chapter 603: The Noble Supreme Elder!

Holding the spear, Ye Chen kept it out for the upcoming gift. He glanced around. The two dead Mahayana cultivators were nearly obliterated, body and soul. Only faint traces of their origin lingered in the void.

Ye Chen sighed. This was his last battle at Unity, and he'd been a bit reckless. Next time he killed, he'd conserve energy. Otherwise, the harvest was too small. With a wave, he used the Indestructible Heavenly Art to collect the origins but didn't refine them. He approached the last Mahayana cultivator, pierced through the brow by divine light, incurable and powerless.

The surviving Mahayana cultivator trembled. When he'd broken through to Mahayana, he'd felt invincible, believing all below his realm were ants. Yet now, he feared a Unity cultivator. Recalling Ye Chen's divine ability that killed one foe instantly, and how he wielded two Extreme Dao Weapons, smashing another to oblivion with a single strike, he couldn't stop shaking. He didn't want to die and opened his mouth to speak.

But Ye Chen's hand pressed onto his head. In an instant, he felt his origin draining rapidly. He looked up in terror, shouting, "You're not just the Heavenly Emperor's successor—you're a Devouring Lineage heir too? Is there internal strife in the Devouring Lineage? Holy Son, you're our true Holy Son! Spare me, I beg you! I'll follow you, help you reclaim everything in the Devouring Lineage…"

Ye Chen's mouth twitched. What an imagination. He raised his hand, fully devouring the man's origin, sealing it with the others. He'd find a fake successor later, let them absorb and filter out the toxins, then harvest it. That way, he could safely gift it to the fiancée. Food safety mattered, after all.

After devouring the origin, Ye Chen took out the Human Emperor Banner. Refining the Mahayana cultivator's soul, the banner surged with purple qi, pleasing Ye Chen greatly. This trip's harvest was excellent. With a wave, he erased all traces and auras within the formation. His trump cards were used, but as long as no one saw, they could be used again. Revealing trump cards brought shock and scrutiny. Keeping them hidden brought enemies greater surprises. The choice was obvious.

Everything handled, Ye Chen, using the Movement Secret, scanned the formation with his Heavy Pupils, then stepped out and left. When he appeared, everyone was stunned. Fan Qinghe and her master's mouths hung open, equally shocked.

The Devouring Lineage attackers' eyes widened. The Heavenly Desire Sect's Supreme Elder, waving her pink lantern, showed a mix of surprise and joy.

The scene was too astonishing. Ambushed in a formation by three Mahayana cultivators, Ye Chen, a mere Unity cultivator, walked out unscathed? More importantly, the formation showed no signs of disturbance. The fate of those three Mahayana cultivators was obvious.

No one believed Ye Chen killed them himself. Even the Heavenly Emperor couldn't have done it. He must have used special external means or hidden resources. Even so, it was shocking enough. The Heavenly Emperor had clearly left many contingencies for his successor's growth.

No matter the crowd's speculations, Ye Chen's survival meant the Devouring Lineage's mission had failed. The half-saint powerhouse, fighting deep in the starry sky, glanced at Ye Chen and chose to leave.

The Second Heaven and the two Mahayana Third Heaven cultivators also departed. One, seemingly familiar with Elder Mo, snorted before fleeing: "Sublimate your cultivation again, and just wait for death…"

Elder Mo watched, unwilling but helpless.

The Heavenly Evolution Holy Land didn't stop their retreat. Above Mahayana, defeating an opponent was manageable, but killing or capturing them was exceedingly difficult. Unless your strength was overwhelmingly superior. These enemies, from major holy lands, were formidable, making it hard to keep them. So they let them go.

The battle subsided. Ye Chen saluted the elders in the sky, grateful. He planned to gift more Enlightenment Tea later. The elders smiled at him and vanished.

Elder Mo and Feng Baiyu glanced at Ye Chen, asking if he'd leave now. Ye Chen shook his head, claiming the battle was tough and he needed days to recover. The two, seeing him unscathed and holding a new Extreme Dao Weapon spear, didn't believe him. But they didn't press, retreating to the void to recover.

Fan Qinghe rushed to Ye Chen's side. Her sparkling eyes brimmed with joy and admiration. She clung tightly to his arm. Killing three Mahayana cultivators, no matter the method, was astonishing. Her protector was just too strong. Most impressively, despite being drained earlier, he showed no weakness. Clearly, her and her master's efforts to absorb his power were a mere fraction of his strength.

Ye Chen patted her head with a smile. Then he looked ahead. A voluptuous figure, curvaceous like a ripe gourd, appeared before him. Her wavy hair flowed smoothly, framing a delicate, enchanting face with striking features. She gave off the air of a reincarnated fox spirit. But her face was pale, and her faint smile stirred pity.

"Master, are you hurt?" the Heavenly Desire Sect Master asked anxiously.

The woman shook her head. "Just grazed by the enemy's divine arts. Those foes were definitely from a holy land, with deep foundations and terrifying techniques… I thought I was strong, but facing holy land experts, I realized how laughable I am! I'll need to seclude myself for decades to heal. You and Qinghe, take good care of the Holy Son."

She smiled at Ye Chen again, then flew toward the Heavenly Desire Sect's back mountains. The Sect Master and Fan Qinghe were stunned. Decades of seclusion to heal? That was serious.

Seeing her injured for helping him, Ye Chen wanted to offer something. "Senior, I have a healing treasure…" He called out.

But she didn't pause, leaving only a striking silhouette. Her voice echoed: "No need for formalities, Holy Son. As Qinghe's protector, you're my junior. How could I watch you get ambushed? My injuries aren't your fault—I'm just too weak… I won't be able to host you later, so please forgive me…"

Her voice faded. Her figure vanished.

Ye Chen, savoring her gourd-like silhouette, sighed. The Heavenly Desire Sect's Supreme Elder was truly principled. Helping without seeking reward, leaving without even hearing thanks, hiding her deeds and fame. Such noble character…