ISWI Chapter 303-304

Chapter 303: The Great Emperor Scripture Acquired!

Ye Chen retrieved Han Feng's storage ring and descended, landing beside An Yuyi and the Divine Will Ancestor.

"Senior Brother!" An Yuyi threw herself at him, clinging to his arm, her eyes filled with adoration.

With one arm pinned, Ye Chen used the other to pat her head, then smiled at the Ancestor. "Greetings, Ancestor."

The Ancestor nodded. "You're impressive. That Heavenly Nether Sect elder was formidable—even I was slightly outmatched and would've struggled. Would you consider staying with Divine Will Sect as an Ancestor? We'd offer you priority access to all resources to pave your immortal path."

Ye Chen shook his head, smiling. "After breaking through to Nascent Soul, I plan to join Heavenly Evolution Holy Land."

The Ancestor frowned. "Heavenly Evolution Holy Land has no shortage of geniuses and distrusts outsiders. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, you'd be an outer elder at best, running errands. Their exclusive resources? You'd never touch them. Stay here—Divine Will Sect's offerings far surpass being a Holy Land errand boy."

Ye Chen shook his head again. "I'm going to be their Holy Son."

The Ancestor burst into laughter, assuming it was a joke. An outsider as a Holy Land's Holy Son? Impossible.

The Divine Will Ancestor, seeing Ye Chen's firm refusal, didn't press further but felt deep regret. A Golden Core cultivator who could effortlessly crush a mid-Nascent Soul opponent—what kind of prodigy was this? He sighed, knowing Divine Will Sect couldn't keep such a true dragon. Still, forming a positive connection was already a boon.

Pointing at the storage ring in Ye Chen's hand, he said, "That ring likely contains a low-grade Heavenly Nascent Soul technique. You're lucky—on the verge of breaking through, and a technique falls into your lap."

Han Feng and Elder Qin had spoken openly, treating them as doomed, so the Ancestor overheard and shared the information. Envy gnawed at him. In his youth, he'd scoured half of Greater Yan Continent for a mid-grade Earth-tier Nascent Soul technique. Yet Ye Chen, out to save someone, had a low-grade Heavenly technique delivered to him. Was this the fortune of a true prodigy?

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, surprised. A low-grade Heavenly Nascent Soul technique? An unexpected windfall. He probed the storage ring with his spiritual sense, encountering its restrictions. Forcing it open would destroy the contents, but with his mastery of the Shakyamuni Heart Refining Art, his spiritual sense was both potent and versatile. In a blink, he bypassed the restrictions and retrieved a jade slip.

Purple Sky Divine Thunder Art! Low-grade Heaven-tier, as expected.

But it wasn't what Ye Chen wanted. Too low-tier. He'd gifted An Miaoli an immortal scripture—why would he settle for this? However, it was perfect for gifting to trigger a critical reward for the scripture he sought.

With a light smile, he offered the jade slip to An Yuyi, who was still clinging to him, subtly sniffing his scent. "Yuyi, you have a thunder spiritual root. You're at late Golden Core now, and after a few years of refinement, you'll be ready for Nascent Soul. This technique suits you perfectly—take it."

The Ancestor's jaw dropped. He'd heard Ye Chen was generous, showering Quiet Wonder Peak's elders and disciples with treasures, but he hadn't taken it seriously. Who gave away truly valuable items? Yet here was Ye Chen, casually offering a low-grade Heaven-tier Nascent Soul technique!

A typical Nascent Soul cultivator would consider themselves fortunate to acquire an Earth-grade technique. The value of a Heaven-grade technique was almost unimaginable—easily fetching a million high-grade spirit stones at auction. Yet Ye Chen had just casually handed it to An Yuyi?

The Divine Will Ancestor's face was a mask of shock.

An Yuyi, accustomed to Ye Chen's generosity, initially wanted to refuse. Ye Chen smiled gently. "I already have a technique better suited for me. Besides, there's no need for formalities between us."

Hearing this, An Yuyi nodded and accepted the jade slip, her heart swelling with emotion. Ye Chen had rushed thousands of miles to save her, and the first thing he did with his spoils was gift them to her. This sincerity deepened her admiration for him. If not for the presence of others, she'd have climbed all over him by now.

In Ye Chen's mind, the system's voice chimed: "Gift successful… Gifted Purple Sky Divine Thunder Art… Processing feedback… 200x feedback in progress… Detected emotional fluctuation in recipient… Triggering critical reward. Reward: Great Emperor Scripture, Nascent Soul Chapter."

"Great Emperor Scripture, Nascent Soul Chapter: Created by Great Emperor, an immortal legacy of the Great Xia Dynasty in Central Continent. Cultivates Imperial Dragon Qi, granting unmatched might and empowering the Nascent Soul with extraordinary enhancements…"

The description was brief, but Ye Chen's face lit up with a grin.

Jackpot.

The Great Emperor Scripture, the strongest Nascent Soul immortal scripture he'd been coveting, was now his. With this, his Nascent Soul path would be smooth sailing. His gaze softened as he looked at An Yuyi. She'd been immature before, but as the saying goes, "After three days apart, see with new eyes." She'd proven herself reliable, worthy of heavy investment—nearly on par with her aunt.

Sensing his warm gaze, An Yuyi's joy surged. She quickly retrieved a jade box sealed with a talisman from her storage ring. "Senior Brother Ye, I know you love peach trees… so I found you a Five-Colored Spiritual Peach Tree! Do you like it?"

...

Chapter 304: The World Tree and Jianmu!

"A Five-Colored Spiritual Peach Tree…" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

The Five-Colored Spiritual Peach Tree was quite rare. Its leaves were crisp as jade, and its blossoms, composed of five vibrant colors, were dazzlingly beautiful. The fruits, while less significant to Ye Chen, were still valuable. As a third-grade spiritual plant cultivator, he could tell at a glance that the tree in the jade box had been freshly uprooted.

Clearly, An Yuyi's sudden trip deep into Divine Will Mountain was to find this tree for him. The problem was, Ye Chen didn't actually care for spiritual peach trees—it was his master who loved them. Seeing An Yuyi's eager, expectant expression, however, his heart softened.

She'd faced danger and chosen not to involve him, showing she wasn't just a spoiled girl anymore. The past was the past. He patted her head again, smiling gently. "I love it! Thank you!"

An Yuyi's face lit up with joy. "No need to thank me—as long as you like it! You can plant it by the small…" She caught herself mid-sentence, remembering the Ancestor's presence, and clamped her mouth shut. The small world's value was enough to tempt even Holy Lands. Better not reveal it.

The Divine Will Ancestor, watching their exchange of a Heaven-grade technique and a spiritual peach tree, felt overstuffed despite not eating for years. Noticing An Yuyi's caution around him, he rolled his eyes.

You call me for life-or-death fights, but when it's time for gifts, I'm left out?

"Alright, alright, I'm heading back," he grumbled. "You two can talk after I'm gone. We killed the Heavenly Nether Sect Master's son, so expect them to come knocking. I'll inform the sect and reinforce the mountain gate array."

The Ancestor hadn't hesitated to order Han Feng's death because he knew sparing him wouldn't resolve the conflict. Heavenly Nether Sect's ruthless reputation was well-known—one elder, failing to seize a treasure, had later annihilated an entire clan out of spite. Since enmity was inevitable, killing Han Feng was the only option. Why let him grow stronger and seek revenge?

A Deity Transformation cultivator was terrifying, but not invincible in Great Yan Continent. Divine Will Sect was far from Heavenly Nether Sect, and even a Deity Transformation expert would need time to arrive. The sect's protective array could hold them off for a while, and Heavenly Nether Sect's enemies might exploit their absence. If the sect endured long enough, the crisis could pass.

With that, the Ancestor departed, flying low, toppling trees in his wake.

Ye Chen watched, amused. The behavior reeked of petty resentment.

Ye Chen decided to plant the Five-Colored Spiritual Peach Tree. While rare, it wasn't exceptionally hard to acquire with enough spirit stones. Since it was An Yuyi's heartfelt gift, he'd keep it.

The gesture sparked an idea. Perhaps he could gift some truly remarkable spiritual plants in the future. His small world supported cultivator life with decent spiritual qi, but it fell short of a true world, lacking starlight, complete heavenly rules, and the ability to break through realms.

Ye Chen dreamed bigger—controlling time flow, for instance. If he could obtain a World Tree and plant it in his small world, it might evolve into a genuine realm.

There was also legends of the Jianmu Sacred Tree. In ancient times, a Jianmu connected Earth to the Immortal Realm, allowing free passage. Immortals once roamed freely, leading to endless wars. Eventually, with humans struggling in the Immortal Realm and ancient races sending ancestors down, the Heavenly Emperor led the charge to destroy the Jianmu, severing the connection. Immortals gradually vanished from the mortal world.

If Ye Chen could acquire a Jianmu for his small world, its immortal qi could flow like a pipeline, linking to the Immortal Realm. What a delight that would be! Moving forward, he'd keep an eye out for extraordinary spiritual plants, hoping to trigger a critical reward for one.

Taking An Yuyi into his small world, Ye Chen transplanted the peach tree, dousing it with spiritual liquid. His third-grade spiritual planting skills made it effortless. He then summoned his Heavenly Emperor War Chariot, and they rode back to Divine Will Sect.

Ye Chen wasn't overly concerned about Heavenly Nether Sect's potential revenge—a Deity Transformation cultivator wasn't a major threat. His priority was breaking through to Nascent Soul. He sensed that in a month, his spiritual sense would reach perfection, allowing him to begin the process.

Along the way, An Yuyi lingered, clearly hoping for something more. Ye Chen saw through her intentions but held back. With An Miaoli in seclusion, An Yuyi was his only reliable critical reward trigger. Moreover, if he got too close to An Yuyi, how would Senior An Miaoli react? Could she still act with a clear conscience? Better to wait until after his Nascent Soul breakthrough to address such matters.

Back at the sect, An Yuyi was disappointed. The chariot was spacious and smooth, yet nothing happened. She suspected Ye Chen's restraint was due to her aunt. Did that mean she had to wait until Ye Chen became her "uncle" to get closer? Should she urge her aunt to hurry up? Otherwise, when would it be her turn?

Ye Chen resumed seclusion, cultivating the Shakyamuni Heart Refining Art. Meanwhile, Divine Will Sect sprang into action. The higher-ups learned of the feud with Heavenly Nether Sect: their Young Master had killed Elder Lin and attempted to capture An Yuyi.

The Ancestor, with formidable prowess, was credited with slaying the Young Master and his mid-Nascent Soul protector, forging a blood feud. With a Deity Transformation cultivator potentially attacking, the sect began urgent preparations.

Divine Will Sect buzzed with activity. The sect recalled its members, stockpiled resources, and spared no expense to hire a fifth-grade array master to upgrade the mountain gate's defensive formation, bracing for a potential assault from Heavenly Nether Sect.

Amid this flurry, Ye Chen emerged from seclusion weekly to gift An Yuyi treasures, triggering feedback or critical rewards—often items beneficial for forming a Nascent Soul.

After his fourth gift, he spoke to her. "I've reached the peak of Golden Core. I'll soon begin my breakthrough to Nascent Soul. If Heavenly Nether Sect attacks, please look after the people from Ye Boutique. I've instructed them to seek refuge with Divine Will Sect if trouble arises."

An Yuyi nodded solemnly.

Ye Chen smiled, patting her head. Once he achieved Nascent Soul, he'd head to Heavenly Evolution Holy Land to become their Holy Son. Before that, he planned to visit Green Cloud Sect to bring along his senior sister, Lu Jing, and Lin Ke'er. As for Caidie and Yun Qianyue, currently Divine Will Sect disciples who often visited him overnight, he'd take them if they wished to join.

Heavenly Evolution Holy Land excelled in divination. As Holy Son, he could request a Unity Realm powerhouse to divine the whereabouts of his master and investigate whether his original body's father was alive or truly missing.

After giving his instructions, Ye Chen met An Yuyi's hopeful gaze, then turned and drifted back to his cave abode. He entered seclusion to officially break through to Nascent Soul.