ISWI Chapter 371-373

Chapter 371: The Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique!

Ye Chen frowned as he listened. He didn't have much of a connection with Dantai Xuan, but she was, after all, a Holy Maiden of their Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, with a two-thousand-fold return. Because of his senior brother, Ye Chen felt a strong sense of belonging to the Holy Land.

Having the Holy Maiden so close by was convenient for gift-giving. Even though his master now had hopes of reaching a two-thousand-fold return as well, having another option was always better. After all, different female cultivators had different needs, and certain treasures would yield better returns when given to the right person.

But this Supreme Scripture was truly sinister. With ordinary cultivation techniques, if something felt off, one could at least stay cautious, seek solutions, or even abandon the practice altogether.

The Supreme Scripture, however, was different. Once someone began cultivating it, they couldn't stop. Worse, it subtly eroded their wariness, luring them to continue cultivating without question. The thought was chilling. At its end, this practice might transform someone into an entirely different person—or, worse still, into a vessel for the scripture's creator.

"Is there no way to fix this?" Ye Chen couldn't help but ask.

Hua Yunfei shook his head. "I've tried countless methods—spiritual items, treasures, and divine techniques to preserve one's true self. None of them worked. Not even a temporary reprieve was possible. Unless we can obtain the Immortal Exquisite, there's likely no way to stop it."

Immortal Exquisite? Ye Chen's brows furrowed in confusion. He'd never heard of such a thing.

Hua Yunfei explained, "The Immortal Exquisite is one of the immortal roots, said to be a flower. Refining it into oneself can awaken memories of past lives. If taken to the Immortal Realm, it can even transform into a supreme scripture. But almost no one has ever seen it.

"Back when the Jianmu Tree still stood, when immortal energy lingered in the cultivation world and true immortals walked among us, a true immortal once searched for the Immortal Exquisite for a hundred years, hoping to awaken past-life memories and forge a new path. He found nothing. I've scoured ancient texts myself, and there's not a single trace of it.

"If we could find the Immortal Exquisite, Dantai's problem might be solved. But if even a true immortal couldn't locate it, I suspect it might be a myth, something fabricated in the Immortal Ancient era and recorded as fact. It may not even exist."

Hua Yunfei, a prodigy of his caliber, seemed disheartened by this. His deep understanding of the cultivation world's truths and falsehoods made him skeptical of the Immortal Exquisite's existence. The real challenge was not just finding it but confirming whether it was real at all.

Ye Chen, however, raised an eyebrow. He wasn't afraid of difficulty or the unknown. As long as the Immortal Exquisite truly existed, he was confident he could obtain it by gifting the right treasures in the future. Would it be a waste to give something so precious to Dantai Xuan?

Not at all. With her two-thousand-fold return, the investment would pay off quickly. Besides, for the sake of his senior brother, it was worth it.

That was just how Ye Chen operated. If someone treated him well and showed no malice, he would never hold back in return.

"Senior Brother, rest assured. If the Immortal Exquisite truly exists in this world, I'll definitely find it," Ye Chen declared boldly.

Hua Yunfei chuckled, not taking it too seriously. After all, even true immortals had failed to find it. As for calling Ye Chen the "son of the Heavenly Dao," Hua Yunfei had always meant it as a jest. Ye Chen was indeed blessed with great fortune, but not to the extent of being the Heavenly Dao's favored child.

A month later, the grand and majestic gates of Heavenly Evolution Holy Land came into view. Hua Yunfei gazed at the sea of clouds above, a smile on his face.

"This trip of yours was impressive. You slew the Heavenly Intention legacy disciple and destroyed the incarnation of their Holy Son. Our Heavenly Evolution Holy Land stands firm in the Great Yan Continent, and while we get along decently with the Yao Clan without any major conflicts, we've always been at odds with Heavenly Intention Holy Land.

"The Holy Lord, in particular, was once betrayed by them and nearly died. He despises Heavenly Intention Holy Land with a passion. Not only did you uphold our Holy Land's honor, but you also slapped their faces. The Holy Lord will surely be delighted and reward you handsomely.

"You've now become a thorn in Heavenly Intention Holy Land's side. Though they boast about embodying the will of heaven, their mastery of divine lightning is undeniably unparalleled, not just in the Great Yan Continent but across the entire cultivation world. Their Holy Son, for instance, wields heavenly punishment like an ancient immortal god. You'll inevitably face him in the future, so you'd best prepare in advance.

"The Holy Lord once obtained the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique, one of the Vicious Ten techniques. He claims it's only a few scattered moves, but I suspect he has the full inheritance. If you can convince him to pass down a few moves, you'll have a better chance against Heavenly Intention Holy Land's people."

Ye Chen's brows shot up. The Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique? The Thunder Emperor, one of the Vicious Ten, was a unique spirit born from lightning. It commanded thunder, acting as heaven's enforcer, bearing the will of the cosmos, and presiding over tribulations to rule over all beings—a truly fearsome entity.

The Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique was said to be the pinnacle of lightning-based techniques, capable of controlling heavenly tribulations at its peak. Even the Heavenly Emperor had never obtained it. To think the Holy Lord possessed it?

Ye Chen had long dreamed of collecting all the Ten Vicious Treasure Techniques and the Nine Secrets. If he could acquire even a single move and gift it to someone, wouldn't that trigger a return of the entire Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique?

The Heavenly Intention Holy Son likely possessed the Battle Secret. Ye Chen already had the True Dragon Treasure Technique to counter him, along with the Indestructible Scripture to protect himself. If he could add the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique and gain a deeper understanding of lightning, the Heavenly Intention Holy Son would be no match for him. He could even suppress the Holy Son's fiancée in one fell swoop. This plan was feasible.

Looking at his senior brother, Ye Chen felt a surge of gratitude. What a great senior brother, always thinking of his best interests, even planning out what rewards he should seek from the Holy Lord.

"Senior Brother, after I received that Enlightenment Tea Leaf from you, I had a faint premonition that I might obtain more in the future," Ye Chen said. "If my hunch is right and I do get more, I'll send you dozens of leaves to brew tea with."

Hua Yunfei burst into laughter. He knew the Enlightenment Tea Tree had been destroyed by the Heavenly Emperor. Over a million years, the reserves held by major Holy Lands had long been depleted. Even he had only inherited three leaves.

Dozens more? The entire cultivation world might not have that many left. Still, he didn't question Ye Chen's words, only laughing heartily. "In that case, I'll thank you in advance, Junior Brother."

Ye Chen grinned. "When the time comes, you and I will sit down, sip tea, and discuss the Dao together."

With that, the two said no more and flew toward their respective immortal peaks. Upon returning to Ascension Peak, Ye Chen swept the area with his spiritual sense and smiled. In the year he'd been away, the disciples of Ascension Peak had all grown stronger. Those who had been on the verge of breaking through had succeeded.

Chapter 372: A Clear Conscience No Longer Enough?

Ye Chen's return to Ascension Peak was a grand event. All the disciples came to pay their respects. Elder He's granddaughter, who had recently broken through to the Golden Core stage, had yet to cultivate a technique. She looked at Ye Chen expectantly. With a smile, Ye Chen tapped her forehead, transmitting the Golden Core chapter of the Hundred Flowers Immortal Scripture into He Qiu's mind. She was overjoyed.

Mo Yuzhu, Li Feihuang, and An Yuyi had all advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. Ye Chen was generous and impartial, granting each of them a spiritual fruit to enhance their physical bodies.

These fruits, rewards from the system during his time at the Sword Sect, were useless to him now. His Indestructible Scripture was too powerful—after mastering its basics, such fruits offered no benefit.

Having been away for a year, Ascension Peak hadn't taken in new disciples. But the news of Ye Chen slaying the Heavenly Intention legacy disciple and destroying the incarnation of their Holy Son had spread, elevating Ascension Peak's allure among the disciples. More and more prodigious female disciples wanted to join.

So, Ye Chen instructed Mo Yuzhu to announce that Ascension Peak would recruit a new batch of female disciples in three days. He realized his reputation had taken a hit. The public had already formed misconceptions about him. Fine, then—he'd stop pretending. Ascension Peak would only recruit female disciples from now on.

After a few casual words, Ye Chen drifted away. Soon after, An Yuyi and An Miaoli arrived together, entering his Holy Son's cave abode.

"Senior!" Ye Chen greeted An Miaoli with particular fondness. His master was wonderful, but An Miaoli's earnest demeanor had its own charm. After being away for so long, he'd missed her. They chatted briefly, and then An Yuyi, a blend of adorable and alluring, spoke up hesitantly, her delicate fingers fidgeting.

"Senior Brother… you've been gone so long. Has the nether poison improved at all? If you're still feeling unwell, should we… detoxify you?"

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Before his departure, An Yuyi had mustered the courage to become his cultivation partner. A year apart had made her bold enough to bring it up now, though An Miaoli's presence made her shy.

Ye Chen smiled softly, glancing at An Yuyi. She was as ethereal as ever, her hair pinned up to reveal delicate earlobes adorned with elegant earrings. She looked like a celestial maiden, a red mole between her brows adding a unique allure.

An Miaoli must have noticed that An Yuyi was now his cultivation partner. Yet, she had come along with her and showed no discomfort at the mention of detoxification.

Clearly, over the past year, An Miaoli had made peace with the situation, her conscience clear. Ye Chen welcomed this wholeheartedly, with no intention of refusing.

After all, An Miaoli's five-hundred-fold return wasn't particularly high. Many Ascension Peak disciples, like Mo Yuzhu, matched that rate, and Elder Lin Qingtan in the peak had a thousand-fold return. Beyond the Holy Land, his master could reach two thousand times upon advancing to a heavenly spiritual root. In this context, whether An Miaoli triggered a critical return was no longer critical. Why not take things further?

Ye Chen wasn't the type to withhold gifts just because a critical return wasn't guaranteed. On the contrary, as his cultivation partner, she'd receive just as many resources—if not more. With potential critical returns, he had to be cautious about giving too much, lest the recipient's threshold rise and prevent a critical hit. But as his partner, that concern vanished.

Looking at An Yuyi and An Miaoli, Ye Chen nodded earnestly. "I've been suppressing the poison for a long time, and my body's been quite uncomfortable. I'll have to trouble you both, Yuyi and Senior."

An Yuyi giggled and got to work. An Miaoli's immortal-like eyes studied Ye Chen for a moment before she sat across from An Yuyi, as she had before, joining in the traditional detoxification process.

Ye Chen glanced between them, surrounded by breathtaking beauty. Soon, An Yuyi grew tired and, a bit embarrassed to meet An Miaoli's gaze, turned her head aside. She began a more modern, effective detoxification method.

An Miaoli watched from the side, her lips pursed slightly. Despite her clear conscience and mental preparation, witnessing such a scene for the first time left her a bit flustered.

After a long while, An Yuyi's spiritual energy was depleted, and she grew exhausted, needing a break. But at the critical moment, An Miaoli's expression shifted. She stepped back several paces.

Over the past year, she had convinced herself that helping An Yuyi was justified. Yet now, for reasons she couldn't fathom, a profound resistance surged within her. It wasn't directed at Ye Chen but stemmed from her bloodline, her body, even the depths of her mind, rejecting the idea of abandoning her purity. It was as if her body had a will of its own—or worse, someone else's will. The urge to flee overwhelmed her.

This baffled An Miaoli. How could a clear conscience fail her now? After a moment's hesitation, she spoke softly, "Yuyi, you go ahead and continue detoxifying Fellow Daoist Ye. I have some matters to attend to and must leave." With that, she drifted away.

An Yuyi, her cheeks flushed like clouds dusted with rouge, stared after her aunt in confusion. An Miaoli had agreed to help under Yuyi's playful coaxing—why this sudden change?

Ye Chen was equally puzzled. He knew An Miaoli well. Once she had made peace with something and her conscience was clear, she wouldn't shy away or feel embarrassed.

So why, at the last moment, when she was about to join, did she pull back? Something was wrong. Was it because there were too many people involved, and the situation felt too forward for her first time?

An Yuyi opened her mouth to say something, but Ye Chen gently pulled her into an embrace. Though he wanted to understand An Miaoli's strange reaction, he couldn't just leave Yuyi behind—that would be too callous. He decided to attend to her first and seek out An Miaoli later.

The next day, Ye Chen emerged from his cave abode and arrived at An Miaoli's. Sensing his presence, the cave's restrictions parted automatically. Inside, he found An Miaoli seated, her ethereal, immortal-like eyes clouded with confusion. Ye Chen approached, gently taking her jade-like hand.

"Senior, don't overthink it. Perhaps things moved too quickly. We're cultivators with endless years ahead. If you're not ready, take your time. Whether it's ten years or a hundred, I'll wait for you."

Ye Chen was no longer the impulsive youth he once was. Though he desired her, he wasn't in a rush. His words were meant to comfort her. But An Miaoli shook her head, her expression grave as she met his gaze.

"No… I know my own heart, and I have no resistance to you. But at that final moment yesterday, it was as if another will emerged from deep within me, opposing my decision, my very intent. I suspect something's wrong with my body. Fellow Daoist Ye, please use your Heavy Pupil to examine me."

Ye Chen was taken aback. He had assumed it was a matter of mindset, but a physical issue? Another will? What could that mean? Had someone tampered with An Miaoli, planting something sinister within her? His expression grew serious. His eyes blazed with divine light, chaotic energy swirling as he looked deeply at An Miaoli…

Chapter 373: Forced Shutdown!

Ye Chen carefully examined An Miaoli, his Heavy Pupil effortlessly piercing through her flesh and blood, revealing her flawless body in its entirety. Such was the heaven-defying power of the Heavy Pupil—nothing could obstruct its gaze, seeing through anyone or anything.

But at this moment, Ye Chen had no ulterior motives. He scrutinized An Miaoli for a long time, not even sparing her head, yet he ultimately frowned and shook his head. "I've looked over every inch of you, but I found nothing unusual."

An Miaoli wasn't disappointed. She had only suspected something might be wrong with her body, not confirmed it. If even the Heavy Pupil couldn't detect an issue, perhaps the problem wasn't physical but psychological. Maybe her subconscious still viewed the act as wrong, causing her resistance. Pondering this, her cool, immortal-like eyes calmly met his. "Perhaps I just need to observe from the sidelines a bit more."

Ye Chen was momentarily stunned. Only An Miaoli, among all the female cultivators he knew, could say such a thing so calmly, without a trace of shyness or hesitation. Once her mindset was settled, anything was possible.

Still, Ye Chen suspected something deeper, perhaps related to her soul. The soul was a complex entity, intricately bound to the body until one reached the Mahayana stage and ascended to the divine platform. Only in death could it separate. If the issue lay in her soul, even the Heavy Pupil might not detect it before that stage.

An Miaoli didn't dwell on it further. Her abrupt departure earlier had been improper. She gazed at Ye Chen steadily. "How's the nether poison in your body, Fellow Daoist Ye? If any remains, I can help detoxify you now." Her tone was light and breezy, as if detoxification were the most ordinary task.

Her unique charm made Ye Chen chuckle. He grasped her jade-like hand. "To my small world!" His small world contained the Star Pool, where detoxifying while soaking would surely offer a distinct experience. Especially with An Miaoli always clad in a white dress—once wet, it would cling to her, revealing a tantalizing silhouette. And now, with the Enlightenment Tea Tree in his small world, detoxifying beneath it might add an extra layer of allure.

An Miaoli didn't refuse. The two vanished from the cave abode, reappearing in Ye Chen's small world. Standing in the sky, they gazed at an ancient tree shimmering with vibrant colors and profound charm.

An Miaoli's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment. The Enlightenment Tea Tree was extraordinary, its tragic fate as the most ill-fated immortal root legendary even after its extinction a million years ago. Though it was her first time seeing it, she recognized it instantly, her shock overwhelming.

Ye Chen held An Miaoli's hand as they flew toward the main peak. Along the way, he introduced the tree. "This is the Enlightenment Tea Tree, a new one, two hundred thousand years old. When I'm here, you can cultivate with me beneath it—it'll be twice as effective. When I'm away, you can drink its tea to aid your cultivation. Before we leave, pick some leaves to share with Yuyi."

An Miaoli was filled with awe at his words. The legends surrounding the Enlightenment Tea Tree were countless. In the past, it grew in a forbidden zone, and every year, Holy Land powerhouses would venture in to compete for its leaves. A yield of three to five leaves was considered fortunate.

Yet now, Ye Chen possessed an entire new tree and casually spoke of giving away dozens of leaves. Such boldness would shock even the Holy Land. His fortune was truly heaven-defying.

For a moment, even An Miaoli wondered if he was indeed the Heavenly Dao's favored son. How else could he obtain something even the Heavenly Emperor coveted?

Ye Chen paid no mind to her shock, eagerly flying toward the Star Pool, excited to experience the joy of "detoxifying" in its waters. In his past life, he'd heard of wealthy heirs indulging in such pleasures.

But as they approached within a hundred zhang of the Enlightenment Tea Tree, Ye Chen realized something was wrong. Within that radius, an endless flow of the Great Dao seemed to permeate the air, brimming with mysterious power. The moment they entered, his mind became serene, almost ethereal.

Suddenly, worldly desires felt trivial. All he wanted was to comprehend the Dao. An Miaoli, beside him, was in a similar state. Ye Chen cursed inwardly at his miscalculation.

But since they were already here, they might as well cultivate. Ye Chen and An Miaoli sat cross-legged beneath the tree, beginning their practice. The leaves rustled like celestial music, instantly calming their minds. A hazy mist descended from the tree, forming delicate tassels of energy that wove around them.

Ye Chen felt his thoughts become unprecedentedly clear, his cultivation speed and efficiency multiplying several times over. The obscure or poorly understood aspects of his Indestructible Scripture, the Vicious Ten Treasure Technique, and his own immortal scripture suddenly became clear, the key points unraveling effortlessly.

The fleeting romantic notions in his heart vanished, replaced by complete immersion in cultivation. He patched his shortcomings and refined himself. The already formidable aura around him grew even more perfect. Sitting beneath the tree, he resembled an ancient deity.

Beside him, An Miaoli sat in meditation, her white dress fluttering in the breeze, harmonizing with the cascading threads of the Dao's charm. The red mole between her brows shimmered faintly with divine light, making her look ever more like an immortal, as if she might ascend at any moment.

She, too, entered a deep state of cultivation, her body radiating intermittent divine light in vibrant hues. The small world grew tranquil, with only the soft rustle of the breeze and the gentle flow of water creating a soothing, celestial melody. Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes and glanced at An Miaoli. Her aura was stirring, on the verge of breaking through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage. This wasn't surprising—she had already reached the Nascent Soul stage and used only the finest cultivation resources. Practicing under the Enlightenment Tea Tree made such progress natural.

Yet, despite this being cause for celebration, An Miaoli's brows furrowed. She opened her eyes, a trace of confusion and fear in her pupils. "Just now… I think I saw my past life!"

Past life?

Ye Chen's eyes narrowed. The cultivation world believed in reincarnation, but its existence was unproven. No true immortal was known to have returned after reincarnating. And even if one did, would they still be themselves? Aside from the Buddhists, with their cryptic talk of "the same flower," most cultivators didn't obsess over reincarnation, focusing instead on their present selves.

Yet An Miaoli claimed to have seen her past life? Was this real? He'd never heard of the Enlightenment Tea Tree having such an effect.