ISWI Chapter 374-375

Chapter 374: The Seven Extremes Heavenly Scripture?

The Enlightenment Tea Tree was profoundly mysterious. Cultivating beneath it had conjured vague images in An Miaoli's mind—scenes of an ancient battlefield and moments of standing in the depths of the starry sky, revered by billions of beings.

The visions were few but grand in scale. Most strikingly, an immortal scripture had surfaced in her consciousness, causing her serene, immortal-like face to grow even more solemn.

Could she truly have a past life? But if she recalled it, would she still be herself? Would she still cherish An Yuyi as she did now? Would she willingly "detoxify" Ye Chen, knowing full well he wasn't poisoned?

A natural resistance to her past life welled up within her. She wanted only her present self, not some former existence. With that resolve, An Miaoli swiftly flew beyond the tree's range, exhaling in relief as the mystical sensation faded.

Ye Chen followed, his expression serious as he stood by her side, eyes filled with concern. An Miaoli held nothing back from him. After all, Ye Chen had shared the existence of the Enlightenment Tea Tree—a treasure that could spark wars among Holy Lands—without hesitation. What reason did she have to conceal anything?

After hearing the details, Ye Chen frowned. "Was it really a past life?"

An Miaoli shook her head. "I'm not sure." As she spoke, she projected the blurry images from her mind for Ye Chen to see. He studied them, his brows furrowing deeper.

The scenes were almost entirely of battlefields strewn with corpses, some belonging to creatures as vast as stars. He even glimpsed a Kun Peng, its wing half-torn, its form nearly identical to the one he'd seen in the system's Kun Peng combat experience—likely the very beast that earned the Vicious Ten their renown. But to think such a creature had its wing ripped apart? What kind of battlefield could host such carnage? Only someone on the level of the Heavenly Emperor could wield such power.

Was An Miaoli's past life so formidable as to participate in such a terrifying war? Ye Chen was stunned. Learning that an immortal scripture had also appeared in her mind piqued his curiosity further. He asked its name, hoping it might offer clues.

An Miaoli's candor was astonishing. She answered directly, "The scripture is called the Seven Extremes Heavenly Scripture." With that, her jade finger gently touched Ye Chen's forehead, and a vast, majestic scripture flooded his mind.

Seven Extremes Heavenly Scripture! The text promised that cultivating it would forge the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden Body, a physique capable of shaking past and present, suppressing myriad immortals, and sweeping through foreign realms.

Beyond the scripture itself, there was only this single description. Yet its simplicity carried an audacious arrogance. Suppressing myriad immortals? The claim was almost absurdly bold.

Ye Chen doubted even the Heavenly Emperor's scripture would dare make such a boast. While immortal scriptures were powerful, their efficacy depended on the cultivator. To claim dominance over all immortals and realms was outrageously grandiose.

Among female immortals, few were renowned, and Ye Chen had no recollection of any called "Seven Extremes." The cultivation world's history was vast, with countless true immortals, many unknown to him. But the truly exceptional ones typically left their names etched in legend, making this anomaly puzzling.

Scanning the scripture's text, though unfamiliar, Ye Chen's extensive experience with immortal scriptures suggested it was legitimate. It didn't seem to carry the eerie effects of something like the Supreme Scripture.

"Senior An, do you want to awaken your past-life memories?" Ye Chen asked, his tone thoughtful. The Immortal Exquisite might be useful in An Miaoli's situation, and Ye Chen was curious—did past lives truly exist in this world? If so, who could An Miaoli have been?

An Miaoli shook her head without hesitation. "No."

Ye Chen was taken aback. She didn't want to? Awakening past-life memories could be a shortcut to soaring success. In the many male-oriented novels he'd read in his past life, protagonists often unlocked their past lives and skyrocketed to greatness—an exhilarating prospect. If it were him, he'd likely be willing. So her refusal puzzled him.

An Miaoli's expression was resolute. "If I were a true immortal in my past life, would I still be myself after awakening those memories? I've only lived for fifty-odd years. If that immortal's experiences span tens of thousands of years—or more—when those memories merge with mine, my past would be like a stream swept away by a flood. My will would inevitably be tainted by those memories. I might no longer cherish what I have now. To me, the past is irrelevant. Staying true to myself and living in the present is what matters most."

Her decisiveness struck Ye Chen with clarity. Indeed, a person's will is shaped by their experiences. Gaining a past life's memories would be akin to becoming someone else—replaced by that former self. Though he was curious about the formidable Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden Body and its potential return rate, and wondered how high An Miaoli's multiplier could climb if she awakened her past life, he valued her as she was. The candid, clear-conscienced An Miaoli was irreplaceable. A higher return rate was tempting, but some people were one-of-a-kind, and losing them would be a regret without remedy. So, let the past life remain dormant.

"In that case, Senior, you'd best avoid cultivating this scripture and stick to the Eternal Cosmos Sutra," Ye Chen advised. Though he hadn't detected any issues with the Seven Extremes Heavenly Scripture, if An Miaoli wanted to sever ties with her past life, it was safer to avoid anything connected to it. The cultivation world was filled with strange forces—one misstep could ensnare her.

An Miaoli nodded firmly. She even cast a spell, decisively erasing all memories of the Seven Extremes Heavenly Scripture and the associated visions from her mind, leaving not a trace of the text. Her resolve left Ye Chen in awe. Most people, faced with a potential path to immortality, wouldn't abandon it so readily. An Miaoli's strength of will was truly remarkable.

Since she was resolute, Ye Chen supported her fully. After a moment's thought, he said, "I'll find a top-grade treasure to protect your true self, to prevent any subtle influence from past-life memories. The Enlightenment Tea Tree is too extraordinary, so you should avoid cultivating beneath it. Drinking its tea will suffice."

An Miaoli gave a faint nod, her brows furrowing as she glanced at the tree, unwilling to approach it again. Then, she turned to Ye Chen with a soft voice. "Why don't you come to my Clear Conscience Peak, Fellow Daoist Ye? There's a spring there—not a spiritual one, but a hot spring."

Ye Chen's face lit up with a smile, and he nodded eagerly. A hot spring sounded perfect. Now that they were away from the Enlightenment Tea Tree's influence, his enthusiasm had returned. Naturally, he was eager to experience it.

Chapter 375: Victim of Vicious Competition!

After a long while, An Miaoli rose gracefully. With a surge of spiritual energy, the white dress clinging to her delicate frame, soaked from the hot spring, instantly dried and softened, restoring her ethereal, immortal-like appearance.

Ye Chen stretched leisurely, his mood buoyant. Though he couldn't make An Miaoli his cultivation partner, the experience with her was still exceptional.

"I'll be entering seclusion to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage," An Miaoli said lightly. "If Fellow Daoist Ye feels unwell, you can seek out Yuyi." Her tone was as calm as ever.

Ye Chen nodded, seeing her off. Before leaving, he glanced at the Enlightenment Tea Tree. It needed to be transplanted elsewhere. Its proximity forced a "shutdown" of his desires, rendering the Star Pool he'd prepared for his master half-useless. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead. When he'd met his master at the Sword Sect, he'd forgotten to bring her to see the pool. What a missed opportunity.

The next day, An Miaoli entered seclusion to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Such a minor advancement wouldn't take long—ten days to half a month at most. Meanwhile, Ye Chen received a summons from the Heavenly Evolution Holy Lord and flew to the Cloud Summit Divine Palace.

Upon seeing Feng Baiyu, the Holy Lord, Ye Chen noted his unchanged scholarly demeanor, lacking the imposing aura one might expect. Over the years, Ye Chen had heard rumors about Feng Baiyu: pale-faced, cunning, and shameless. His reputation was abysmal, yet surviving such criticism and rising to Holy Lord spoke volumes of his formidable strength.

Ye Chen bowed respectfully. Feng Baiyu looked at him with a smile. "Holy Son Ye, you've elevated our Holy Land's prestige. Slaying the Heavenly Intention legacy disciple decisively and destroying their Holy Son's incarnation—I'm greatly pleased! Heavenly Evolution Holy Land rewards merit and punishes faults clearly. Your achievements must be rewarded. We once worried your talent might not translate to combat prowess, unable to rival your peers. Clearly, we underestimated you. Speak—what do you need for your cultivation?"

Ye Chen grinned. Just as his senior brother predicted, rewards were forthcoming—or rather, investment in his proven potential. Without hesitation, he said, "I'll inevitably face the Heavenly Intention Holy Son in the future. His mastery of lightning techniques is astounding, like a thunder god descended. To uphold our Holy Land's honor, I hope to obtain a move from the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. It would deepen my understanding of the lightning path, allowing me to face him confidently and suppress him in time."

Feng Baiyu's smile twitched. "Hua Yunfei told you I have the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique, didn't he?"

Ye Chen wouldn't betray his senior brother. "No, I just thought, with our Holy Land's vast resources, we might have it, so I asked."

Feng Baiyu nodded, his face serious. "In that case, the Holy Land doesn't have it."

Ye Chen: "…"

Feng Baiyu broke into a smile. "I do indeed possess the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique, but it's my personal fortune and not something I pass on lightly. However, your feats—slaying this generation's Heavenly Intention legacy disciple and destroying their Holy Son's incarnation—have greatly pleased me.

"Back in my day, I defeated my generation's Heavenly Intention Holy Son, swelling his face with bruises. On my way back, humming a tune, I was ambushed by some old monster from the Heavenly Intention Holy Land. Definitely a Mahayana stage cultivator. Nearly slapped me to death with one blow. I was only at the peak of the Deity Transformation stage, not even at the Integration stage.

"Can you imagine the psychological shadow that left on me? They struck decisively, erasing all traces, leaving no evidence. Our Heavenly Evolution Holy Land couldn't retaliate, and that Heavenly Intention Holy Son hid from me afterward, denying me my revenge. When I ascend to immortality, I'll snap their Heavenly Intention Spear and end their legacy. That old bastard who struck me—I'll pay him back a trillionfold!"

Feng Baiyu's voice grew heated. Ye Chen was startled, learning of the Holy Lord's past. In the cultivation world, major powers followed an unspoken rule: the younger generation competed, while the older generation could only intervene to save lives, not attack rival prodigies.

This wasn't about morality but pragmatism. If elders constantly targeted the young, retaliation would follow. If one sect's prodigies were wiped out, they'd question why their rivals' survived.

The result? No sect would have prodigies left. Those who emerged would be too scared to leave their Holy Lands, and even the greatest talents would waste away in confinement. Such incidents had occurred before, leading to the realization that this vicious cycle benefited no one and hindered the cultivation world's growth. Thus, the unspoken rule emerged. But it didn't mean no one broke it—just that they couldn't leave evidence. Feng Baiyu was clearly a victim.

Ye Chen was still shaken. The higher the cultivation realm, the greater the gap. For a Deity Transformation cultivator to survive a Mahayana stage attack was a testament to Feng Baiyu's prowess.

"Holy Lord, to withstand a full blow from a Mahayana cultivator at the Deity Transformation stage—your talent is astonishing! I thought my aptitude was unmatched, but today I see there are always greater heights. If we were of the same generation, your brilliance would surely outshine mine!"

Ye Chen didn't hesitate to flatter. Feng Baiyu chuckled, waving a hand. "Enough, enough! Your slaying of the Heavenly Intention legacy disciple has vented some of my frustration. As the Heavenly Evolution Holy Son, it's my duty as Holy Lord to bolster your strength. I'll grant you one move of the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. If you can suppress—or even kill—the Heavenly Intention Holy Son in the future, I'll give you every move I know. What's the harm in that?"

Feng Baiyu spoke with grand generosity. Ye Chen promptly displayed admiration, praising the Holy Lord's care for his disciples and his magnanimous spirit. Inwardly, though, he dismissed the latter promise.

One move was enough—through his system, it would yield the entire technique. When that happened, the Holy Lord could come to him for guidance on the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique.

Ye Chen's flattery hit the mark, further lifting Feng Baiyu's spirits. With an especially generous gesture, he pointed a finger. "I know seven moves of the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. Choose one: Thunder Emperor Fist, Thunder Emperor Finger, Thunder Emperor Speed, Thunder Emperor Soul Purification Technique, Nine Heavens Tribulation Light, Heavenly Punishment Mysterious Thunder…" He even provided thoughtful explanations for each.

Ye Chen scanned the options and, without hesitation, declared, "I choose the Thunder Emperor Soul Purification Technique!"

Feng Baiyu was surprised. He'd expected Ye Chen to pick a more destructive move. The Soul Purification Technique offered little direct boost to combat strength. Why this choice?