ISWI Chapter 324-325

Chapter 324: Five-Hundredfold Promotion!

The Divine Will Ancestor was just speaking casually. At his age, still only at the early Nascent Soul stage, he had no potential left to climb the immortal path. It didn't matter where he went. Ye Chen gifted him a spiritual treasure-level fishing rod as a gesture.

As for the Divine Will Sect's third Nascent Soul cultivator, Ancestor Liu, he had remained silent throughout. He knew his own strength—or lack thereof. Only when Ye Chen, An Miaoli, and the others were about to return to Quiet Wonder Peak did Ancestor Liu sincerely bow to Ye Chen in gratitude. His achievement of the Nascent Soul stage was entirely due to Ye Chen's help.

...

Back at Quiet Wonder Peak, Ye Chen led An Miaoli and An Yuyi into his small world. The Soul-Swaying Divine Stone on Soul-Swaying Mountain had regenerated, allowing An Miaoli to continue refining it until her spiritual root reached the Heavenly grade. It wouldn't take long.

When Ye Chen emerged from the small world, he was greeted by Sun Ruoxin and her father, Sun Ye, who had come to pay their respects. The two had previously managed the Ye Boutique in Divine Will City. When the Heavenly Nether Sect attacked, turning the city into a ghost town, An Yuyi had brought them into the sect for safety. The month-long siege had left them shaken, and now, seeing Ye Chen, they were filled with awe and admiration.

For cultivators, a decade or two passed like a fleeting moment. Yet, in just over ten years, Ye Chen had transformed from a Qi Refining nobody in the market to a Nascent Soul Holy Son. It was nothing short of a miracle.

Heading to the Holy Land, Ye Chen naturally planned to bring them along. Sun Ruoxin was his servant, while Sun Ye, though greedy, was savvy in human relations and skilled in commerce.

As the new Holy Son, Ye Chen would have increasing demands for trade and resources. He'd need to open a shop in the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, and Sun Ye was the perfect person for the job.

The only downside was Sun Ye's low cultivation. After all this time, he was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Generously, Ye Chen gifted both Sun Ye and Sun Ruoxin a Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Core each, along with various pills and treasures to rapidly boost their Foundation Establishment cultivation, aiming to help them break through to the Golden Core stage.

Sun Ye's eyes reddened with gratitude. He recalled his past, gravely injured and relegated to managing a remote market with no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment. But since following Ye Chen, not only had he broken through, he now had a shot at forming a Golden Core. His excitement was palpable. Bowing deeply, Sun Ye vowed to serve his master loyally for life before taking his leave.

Sun Ruoxin, however, stayed behind in the cave abode, attentively demonstrating the new skills she had learned to please Ye Chen.

The next day, Sun Ruoxin left.

Caidie and Yun Qianyue arrived, their expressions tinged with nervousness. They attended to Ye Chen one after the other, their shimmering eyes filled with anticipation as they gazed at him. Naturally, they longed to stay by his side and follow him to the Holy Land.

Caidie had a delicate, homely charm, her appearance endearing. Yun Qianyue, on the other hand, exuded a glamorous allure, reminiscent of a modern internet celebrity but far surpassing their beauty by countless degrees. Both women had long considered themselves Ye Chen's servants. If he hadn't been a guest elder at the Divine Will Sect back then, they might have left the sect to follow him without hesitation.

Truth be told, their original multipliers were only twenty to thirty times—utterly ordinary by today's standards, not even qualifying them to be menial disciples in the Holy Land.

Nowadays, a female cultivator with such a low multiplier wouldn't even get close to Ye Chen. Yet, these two had managed to stay by his side and were now headed to the Holy Land. All of this was simply because they were lucky enough to meet Ye Chen at the right time.

That was fate.

Ye Chen generously bestowed Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Cores and other treasures upon them, promising to take them to the Holy Land. The two women were overjoyed, their excitement palpable.

...

A week later, atop Quiet Wonder Peak, the sea of clouds churned under a sunset that painted half the sky in hues of red, creating an almost surreal beauty. But Ye Chen paid no mind to the scenery. His eyes were fixed on An Miaoli, gleaming with delight.

The reason was simple. After refining four Soul-Swaying Divine Stones, An Miaoli had secluded herself for a week. Now, emerging from her retreat, her spiritual root had officially ascended to the Heavenly grade. The system had updated her multiplier accordingly: "An Miaoli: Five Hundredfold!"

Without any special physique, just by advancing to a Heavenly Spirit Root, her multiplier had jumped from two hundred to five hundred. This showcased the terrifying potential of a Heavenly Spirit Root. With the Soul-Swaying Mountain in his possession, given enough time, Ye Chen could elevate all the female cultivators around him to Heavenly Spirit Roots.

Even in the Holy Land, Heavenly Spirit Roots were far from common. Not every direct disciple possessed one—most only had Earth Spirit Roots. In other words, in the future, even the servants by Ye Chen's side would surpass the average direct disciple in talent. With some powerful techniques and methods bestowed upon them, they could likely dominate their peers.

Ye Chen still had plenty of Azure Hill Jade Bamboo Cores in hand. Recruiting talented female cultivators to his Holy Son Peak would be no challenge at all. Paired with generous benefits, he had no worries about his peak's ranking. With spirit stones in abundance, he could do as he pleased.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye!"

After ascending to a Heavenly Spirit Root, An Miaoli seemed even more ethereal, like an immortal descended from the heavens. The red mole on her flawless face now sparkled like a divine stone, radiating a subtle, godly light.

Ye Chen was delighted. He presented her with a supreme-grade spiritual treasure robe, one he had prepared long ago. Spiritual treasures were exclusive to Nascent Soul cultivators, requiring the finest materials and rare heavenly treasures to craft. Moreover, fourth-grade artifact refiners were exceedingly scarce. Many less affluent Nascent Soul cultivators had to make do with mere spiritual artifacts.

This top-grade robe, woven from top-tier Nascent Soul-grade true silkworm silk and embedded with six divine stones, excelled in defense, attack, speed, and concealment. Ye Chen had ordered it from the Heavenly Evolution Pavilion a year ago for 200,000 high-grade spirit stones, anticipating his own breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage and preparing it as a gift.

Just two days ago, the pavilion's representatives had delivered the robe—along with a refund of 50,000 high-grade spirit stones, a discount befitting his status as the Holy Son. The robe was snow-white, clearly tailored for An Miaoli.

An Miaoli's eyes curved into crescents as she thanked him softly, accepting the gift without hesitation. With a gentle flick of her jade-like hand, a flash of divine light enveloped her, and she donned the robe. Already graceful, she now looked dreamlike in the misty, top-grade spiritual treasure robe, her lithe figure subtly visible through the faint haze, exuding an irresistible allure.

Ye Chen's gaze lingered for only a moment before he felt the stirrings of his nether poison threatening to flare up again.

Noticing his appreciative look, An Miaoli delicately tucked a strand of hair behind her crystalline ear. With poise, she floated into the air, spinning gracefully mid-flight. Against the backdrop of the sea of clouds, her flowing skirt accentuated her enchanting silhouette, like a fairy dancing among the heavens.

This breathtaking sight was for Ye Chen's eyes alone.

In that moment, he was so captivated that he barely registered the system's prompt ringing in his mind. With a strained expression, he muttered, "Senior, it seems my nether poison is acting up again…"

Chapter 325: All for Yuyi!

An Miaoli wasn't surprised by Ye Chen's words. Her graceful figure gently descended to the ground. "The nether poison is fierce and must be handled with care," she said. "Let me help you dispel it…"

Her expression remained unchanged as she spoke, maintaining her usual ethereal and composed demeanor, as natural as ever.

The pavilion sat atop Quiet Wonder Peak, a place off-limits to ordinary elders and disciples. Surrounded by a sea of clouds, it was secluded and shielded from prying eyes—an ideal spot for dispelling the poison.

But just as Ye Chen was about to lie back and let things proceed, the image of his Protector flashed in his mind. He had no interest in being observed during such a moment. Instantly, he sat up as if jolted from a near-death state, his spiritual sense sweeping the void around him. Even after a thorough scan, he found no trace of his Protector.

It wasn't that the Protector had left. A Unity Realm cultivator, having fused the Qi of Yin and Yang, could create their own domain, existing beyond ordinary perception. If they chose, even standing before a low-level cultivator, they could remain unseen.

Ye Chen activated his Heavy Pupils, scanning the surrounding void once more. This time, he quickly located Elder Mo, who was meditating cross-legged in a pocket of space a thousand miles away, focused on repairing his immortal platform. For nearly a millennium, he had pursued this goal without success.

Sensing Ye Chen's gaze, Elder Mo opened his weathered eyes, looking at him with mild confusion. He couldn't help but marvel at the power of the Heavy Pupils. A mere Nascent Soul cultivator shouldn't be able to detect him in the void, yet Ye Chen had done so. The Heavy Pupils, as a top-tier bloodline Divine Ability, were truly extraordinary.

"Elder Mo, as my Protector, will you be watching me at all times?" Ye Chen sent a transmission.

Elder Mo was momentarily taken aback. He considered playing the part of a diligent Protector and claiming constant vigilance, but after glancing at the stunning female cultivator beside Ye Chen, he understood the intent behind the question. Shaking his head with a wry smile, he transmitted back, "No. Even as your Protector, I spend most of my time in cultivation. Only if you venture beyond a hundred thousand miles or encounter danger will the mark I placed on you alert me. So, do what you need to do without worry. I'm not watching."

Elder Mo understood Ye Chen perfectly. A prodigy, full of vigor and surrounded by beauties—what was so surprising about that? Back in his youth, Mo had relished taking on multiple challenges at once. That is, until he met that woman, who brought him crashing down, shattering his immortal platform. After that, he lost all interest in such matters. Shaking his head, Elder Mo tore open the void before him and stepped through, vanishing completely to spare Ye Chen any further worry.

Seeing Elder Mo leave, Ye Chen finally relaxed. Still, he made a mental note to trigger a critical hit for an array that could block a Unity Realm cultivator's spiritual sense. Otherwise, he'd always be on edge during these "detoxifications." Without wasting a moment, he dramatically collapsed again, as if on the verge of death.

An Miaoli was momentarily puzzled by Ye Chen's sudden use of his Heavy Pupils but didn't press the issue. She brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, revealing the crystalline earlobe adorned with the Fairy's Tear. Then, she summoned the top-grade magic tool Ye Chen had gifted her and began activating a secret technique, calmly and diligently starting the detoxification process.

Ye Chen closed his eyes, savoring the mystique of the secret technique. But soon, he raised an eyebrow. Someone was approaching the peak—it was An Yuyi.

Ye Chen sensed her, and naturally, so did An Miaoli. Yet, her expression didn't waver as she continued the detoxification with serene focus.

Ye Chen was baffled but stayed still since An Miaoli didn't react.

When An Yuyi reached the peak, she froze, her eyes widening at the sight of her aunt solemnly tending to Ye Chen's detoxification.

An Miaoli glanced at her calmly. "Fellow Daoist Ye is afflicted with nether poison and needs detoxification. Since you're here, Yuyi, come help me."

Ye Chen nearly couldn't stay still. Was Senior An really this composed? Could she act so nonchalantly without a hint of guilt?

An Yuyi, after a brief moment of shock, felt a surge of gratitude in her eyes. She understood now—her aunt was doing this for her, creating an opportunity for her to grow closer to Ye Chen. Wasn't this exactly what she had always dreamed of?

But… it came at the cost of her aunt's sacrifice.

Determined not to let her aunt's efforts go to waste, An Yuyi bit her lip, stepped forward, and suppressed the strange emotions swirling within her. She sat across from An Miaoli, with Ye Chen between them, her small hands fidgeting nervously.

An Miaoli spoke calmly. "Follow my lead. To detoxify, first circulate the secret technique. Start with one hand…" She continued, explaining step by step. "Then… and finally…"

Her earnest teaching made An Yuyi momentarily doubt herself. Could Senior Brother Ye actually be suffering from nether poison? But when her aunt had treated the ancestor's poison before, hadn't it just involved intense fire to burn it away?

Confused and a bit embarrassed, An Yuyi closed her eyes and followed her aunt's hands-on guidance, joining in to help refine the poison. She quickly got the hang of it.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen was in a daze, feeling the potency of this "nether poison" was… truly something else.

The next day, the nether poison was completely eradicated.

Ye Chen bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Senior An and Yuyi, for your help. I feel much better! I hope you'll forgive any earlier offenses."

An Yuyi, too shy to speak, lowered her head like a timid quail.

An Miaoli, calm as ever, maintained her ethereal, fairy-like demeanor. "No need for formalities, Fellow Daoist Ye. After all, the nether poison you contracted was because of me. It's my duty to help. Yuyi is my niece, as close as my own flesh and blood, so it's only natural for her to assist."

Ye Chen listened, half-understanding, half-confused. But he didn't dwell on it. The ways of the world had their own logic, and if he couldn't grasp it, he'd simply enjoy the moment.

After arranging to depart for the Green Cloud Sect with them tomorrow, Ye Chen turned to leave. In his mind, he couldn't help but savor the sensation of wielding the two treasures in the process of detoxification. Though one was large and the other small, each felt uniquely exquisite—both undeniably supreme treasures.

Once Ye Chen was gone, An Yuyi looked at her aunt with a mix of gratitude and guilt. If it weren't for her, how could her aunt have done such a thing?

An Miaoli merely smiled gently, saying nothing more. She instructed An Yuyi to pack her things and prepare for departure, then stood in the pavilion, her skirt fluttering, looking like a dreamlike immortal.

As for what had just happened? She had deliberately called Yuyi over. Yuyi had longed for this for so long—how could she, as her aunt, let her niece keep waiting? Ye Chen clearly held back out of consideration for her own stance, so she had resorted to this approach, inviting Yuyi to join in and fulfill her wish. From here, she could guide Yuyi further, step by step, toward greater progress.

For herself, it might have been a bit much. But Yuyi was her late brother's only child. With her brother gone, who else would look after her if not her aunt? For Yuyi's sake, what was a little sacrifice? As long as her heart remained true, that was enough.