ISWI Chapter 480-482

Chapter 480: You Dare Stop?

Entering another's sea of spirit sense in the cultivation world was perilous. The host's domain held endless ways to crush intruders, even if their spirit sense vastly outmatched the host's.

An Miaoli's remnant soul buzzed with excitement. Though only a fragment, its quality surpassed ordinary Deity Transformation, and it wielded her avatar's spirit sense. Even Unity Path intruders would be obliterated.

Coldly anticipating, it gathered all its spirit sense to strike Ye Chen's primordial spirit upon entry. As he entered, a triumphant shout echoed: "Seven Extremes Great Millstone, die!"

Her sea's boundless spirit sense formed a colossal millstone, grinding with annihilating force toward Ye Chen. Above, the remnant soul, distinct from An Miaoli yet stunningly beautiful, exuded a war god's aura, sneering.

But her smirk froze. The millstone spun, yet Ye Chen, caught within, was unaffected. Frowning at the millstone, then glancing at her, he smashed it with a single punch. His primordial spirit surged, aiming to seize her.

The soul was stunned. Her Seven Extremes Great Millstone, a supreme killing technique, trapped and eroded the spirit sense painfully until death. Yet Ye Chen was unscathed, shattering it? How strong was his spirit sense?

Panicking as his purple-auric spirit charged, she realized this "native" defied her expectations. She tried to flee, commanding the sea, but his overwhelming spirit sense dominated, drowning her in an instant. Bound like An Miaoli's body, she seethed with humiliation.

"This is my avatar! You, an outsider, have no right to interfere!" she raged.

Ye Chen ignored her, scanning every corner of the sea for An Miaoli's primordial spirit. Despite his potent spirit sense, he found nothing—a grim sign. His heart sank.

Glaring at the soul, he said coldly, "If your past life is dead, it should stay buried. An Miaoli is this body's true master now. Where's her spirit sense?"

The soul's stunning, icy face twisted with mockery. "Past and present? This is my avatar! I, the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden, reigned supreme across realms, creating the Seven Extremes Soul-Splitting Technique to surpass my past. Every avatar is me—how dare a mere avatar claim mastery? Since I've awakened, An Miaoli's been devoured, gone forever. Want to kill me? Go ahead—it's killing her too!"

Her fearless taunt chilled Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's face darkened further. An Miaoli was merely an avatar? This truth was worse than he'd imagined. Her claim that An's spirit sense was devoured sank his heart.

His gaze turned icy, locking onto the defiant remnant soul. "I don't care about avatars or past lives. Only Senior An has the right to this body. If anyone else lingers, they don't belong. If you've truly devoured her, leaving no hope of recovery, I'll erase you without hesitation."

His words weren't empty. An Miaoli had made it clear—she wanted to be herself, not anyone else. If her spirit was gone, Ye Chen would destroy the soul and seal her body in the bronze ancient coffin, searching endlessly for ways to revive her.

His murderous aura didn't faze the soul, hardened by countless experiences. She sneered, "An Miaoli is part of me. Kill me, and she's gone forever."

Skeptical, Ye Chen prepared to use soul-searching to uncover the truth. The soul smirked—his spirit sense was formidable, but could it probe her? A jest.

Yet her smirk vanished as his primordial spirit sent a wisp of spirit sense, touching her soul. A strange rhythm surged within. Stunned, then enraged, she roared, "The vile soul communion technique? Native, I overlooked your actions with my avatar out of ignorance, but this? It's sacrilege! My true self will descend, tearing you to pieces, dooming you eternally!"

Having seen An Miaoli's memories, she'd been furious, fueling her killing intent. But soul communion—fusing their minds—would be unbearable. Panicking, she berated him to stop.

Ye Chen's primordial spirit stood coldly, unmoved. Her beauty held no sway. Normal soul-searching was futile against such a being. Only soul communion, merging their minds, could probe her core memories. For An Miaoli's sake, he'd do anything.

"Vile native, as despicable as the Heavenly Emperor…" she spat. "You dare… Get out! Stop this now, I'll tell you—stop!"

Her pleas grew desperate, but Ye Chen pressed on.

Chapter 481: Thought It Was Some Big Boss!

This was an unprecedented sensation. Far more vivid than what Ye Chen had seen in An Miaoli's memories. For the remnant soul of the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden, it was utterly unbearable. At first, she glared at Ye Chen, but her gaze soon softened. She demanded he stop casting the spell immediately.

"An Miaoli's primordial spirit… I haven't had the chance to devour it…"

"ecause her will is too resolute. She's trapped beneath my sea of spirit sense. Release me, and I'll set her free."

"Stop now! I'm one with An Miaoli—I'm the master. If you continue, I'll self-destruct, and An Miaoli will perish too…"

"Hmm…"

"No, stop!"

The remnant soul roared, but her voice grew weaker. Ye Chen didn't stop. Not because he was enjoying it. He simply didn't trust her words.

Low-tier cultivators in the immortal realm often held a strange belief that great powers always kept their word, never lying. But that wasn't true. Take his own sect leader, for example—releasing someone publicly but secretly planting a mark to hunt them later. Great powers were human too, lying for their own gain. This concerned Senior An. Ye Chen trusted only what he saw with his own eyes.

After half a day, the remnant soul's defenses collapsed entirely. Ye Chen easily entered her core, searching her memories. To his surprise, her memories were sparse. Fragmented. Similar to the images and snippets Senior An had seen, just more numerous.

There were scenes of her overlooking all beings, worshipped by countless. Her stepping into a passage under the gaze of many. Her arrival in this immortal realm. Her encounter with the Heavenly Emperor, treated with respect, only to act arrogantly. Then, being obliterated by the Heavenly Emperor. And at the final moment, her soul splitting into seven, awaiting reunion to revive.

Scanning through, Ye Chen pieced it together. The Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden was likely a top existence from another realm. Using special means, she entered the immortal realm first, planning something. But the Heavenly Emperor noticed, found her. He tried to negotiate; she acted superior. And so, she was shattered into seven remnant souls.

Ye Chen's lips twitched. He'd thought she was some grand boss, but she was more like cannon fodder? He didn't know what to say.

There was good news, though. Senior An's primordial spirit hadn't been devoured or refined. Her resolute will, bolstered by Ye Chen's protective treasures, had blocked all erosion. The remnant soul had only managed to imprison her spirit, hiding it beneath the sea of spirit sense, planning to slowly wear it down and consume it.

Ye Chen raised a hand, pointing at a spot in the sea of spirit sense. A massive black hole appeared instantly. Within it, Senior An's primordial spirit was bound by endless chains, each etched with strange divine runes. Her wrists, ankles, and neck were shackled. The runes on the chains flickered, seemingly drawing something from her spirit.

With a surge of Ye Chen's terrifying spiritual sense, the chains snapped and dissolved inch by inch.

An Miaoli's primordial spirit, eyes long shut, finally opened. She scanned her surroundings, seeing the sealed remnant soul and Ye Chen, visibly relieved. None of this seemed to surprise her. As if she'd always known, as long as she held on, Ye Chen would come for her. She bowed lightly to him. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye, for the rescue."

Ye Chen smiled, floating to her side to check on her spirit. He nodded, grinning. "Good to see you're alright, Senior An! What should we do with this remnant soul?"

He'd already confirmed the soul's threats were empty. Destroying it wouldn't harm An Miaoli. There was no shared fate between them. Still, with avatars and remnant souls, things were a bit messy.

An Miaoli had long known she wasn't a reincarnated body, just a avatar. Yet she remained composed, her cool demeanor unshaken despite everything. She looked at Ye Chen, eyes resolute. "I am me! Past, present, future—I'm only An Miaoli, no one else!" Her voice was calm but firm, her dao heart unshakable. No wonder she could face herself without guilt.

From above the sea of spirit sense, the imprisoned soul sneered. "Hmph, you're just a consciousness born from a avatar! After all these years, the main body has likely gathered four or five avatars, nearly at her peak. When someone from your generation ascends and the immortal gate opens, the main body will sense you and take you away with supreme methods. Then, you'll merge with her, and your consciousness will be erased. As for him? He's got some skill, but not much. When the main body learns of this, he's doomed, and this entire world will be buried with him!"

An Miaoli ignored the threats, turning to Ye Chen. "Fellow Daoist Ye, I lack the strength to destroy this soul. Please help me erase it."

Ye Chen wasn't surprised by her decisiveness. Unfazed by what he'd done to the remnant soul earlier, he prepared to act without hesitation.

The remnant soul, seeing their cold resolve, was stunned. She wasn't afraid of death, but if she were completely erased, based on what she'd seen in her memories, this avatar would likely become Ye Chen's dao companion. That was unacceptable to her. It could create a flaw, making the final fusion imperfect, unable to reach the main body's desired realm.

But Ye Chen was too powerful. She couldn't resist. After a moment's hesitation, the soul spoke earnestly as Ye Chen drew closer. "An Miaoli's Seven Extremes Immortal Body is only one-seventh complete, barely at the entry level. If the main body finds her, she'll be devoured. But I can tell you how to advance and perfect the Seven Extremes Immortal Body.

"If An Miaoli's body reaches perfection, even the main body can't consume her. She'll be whole, a complete individual. One day, she might even devour the main body, gaining everything and surpassing her. But there's a condition—she must remain pure. If she loses her purity, the Seven Extremes Immortal Body can never advance further…"

Ye Chen, usually ruthless, had planned to strike regardless of her words. But hearing this, he raised an eyebrow. Senior An's Seven Extremes Immortal Body already had a 2,000-fold multiplier. And that was just the beginning? One-seventh? If it evolved to completion, what kind of multiplier would it reach? One-seventh gave 1,500 times. A complete body could exceed 10,000? Was this for real? Or was the remnant soul lying?

Sensing his doubt, the soul didn't hesitate, quickly revealing the method to advance and perfect the Seven Extremes Immortal Body…

Chapter 482: Immortal Roots Are Common Now?

The remnant soul held nothing back, revealing everything needed to advance the Seven Extremes Immortal Body. Fearing Ye Chen's doubt, she even opened her core for him to probe her memories.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, now understanding the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden's origins. She was a supreme being from the Sixth Realm.

The Sixth Realm? Ye Chen frowned. Were the immortal realm's enemies not just one world? Though these matters felt distant—perhaps the war had already ended—he couldn't help but ask.

The remnant soul sneered. "The Sixth Realm is long gone. Your world's enemies aren't just the Sixth Realm but countless worlds like it. Cultivation's getting harder, isn't it? That's just the start. It'll only get worse. If not for that Heavenly Emperor's bit of skill, heh…"

She brimmed with confidence, as if this world's fate was doomed. Ye Chen frowned. The soul was extraordinary; he couldn't access all her memories. But her arrogance irked him.

You were split into seven by the Heavenly Emperor, yet you call him "somewhat skilled"? What does that make you?

Ye Chen had seen through her—her only real strength was her sharp tongue.

Still, the power of a fully realized Seven Extremes Immortal Body intrigued him. Its seven-colored divine light could sweep through anything, impervious to all laws, with earth-shaking attack power. It was the Sixth Realm's top physique, unmatched. Its strength was undeniable. Helping Senior An achieve it would yield immense rewards. But the required treasures were staggering.

"The Seven Extremes Immortal Body needs twelve unique immortal root essences to advance?"

An Miaoli, listening nearby, was shocked by the first step alone. She knew what immortal roots were. Ye Chen had one; she'd even touched it. Her body's issues stemmed from the Enlightenment Tea Tree.

Otherwise, per the remnant soul, she wouldn't awaken memories of the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden until ascension. Each immortal root was a rare treasure. Gathering twelve was unthinkable. And even that would only advance the body halfway. The later requirements were even more absurd.

The remnant soul smirked. "The Heavenly Dao treats all things equally. Every world has twelve unique immortal roots. Immortal root essence can push the Seven Extremes Immortal Body to maturity. It's your only shot to resist the main body. Activate it, and you'll have a fighting chance, not just be devoured. Otherwise, no matter your cultivation, the main body's single thought will crush you. Before maturity, you must stay pure, or you'll lose all chance to resist. As for reaching full mastery, that's even harder. This world's resources can't do it—no point discussing it."

The soul laughed gleefully. It was a blatant scheme. Unless An Miaoli gave up, uncaring about being devoured by the main body, she'd protect her purity and strive to advance her Seven Extremes Immortal Body to face the main body later. But immortal roots were any world's rarest treasures. Only a world-suppressing prodigy could hope to gather them. This was just bait—to keep An Miaoli pure.

An Miaoli saw through it all, her cold eyes staring at the remnant soul before turning to Ye Chen. "Please, Fellow Daoist Ye, help me erase it!"

Ye Chen nodded. No matter the choice, the remnant soul couldn't stay. If they let their guard down, Senior An could be taken over again—a disaster. Ye Chen felt no pity for the soul, despite what he'd done to it before. His terrifying spiritual sense surged, forming a massive spiritual grindstone to crush the soul.

The remnant soul wasn't afraid, only glancing coldly at Ye Chen. When the immortal gate opened, the main body would devour An Miaoli. And when it learned what Ye Chen had done to her today, he'd wish for death.

Boom…

At the final moment, the remnant soul vanished.

Ye Chen exited An Miaoli's sea of spirit sense and opened his eyes. Her bound physical body slowly opened its eyes too, her familiar cold gaze meeting his. Ye Chen raised a hand to release the spiritual Qibinding her, but An Miaoli shook her head. "No need, Fellow Daoist Ye. After being gone so long, has your nether poison flared up? If you're unwell, use me to purge it!"

Her voice was calm, natural, as if discussing something mundane. Ye Chen's lips twitched. Bondage wasn't his thing. And Senior An clearly wasn't talking about minor aid—she meant to fully sacrifice herself to cleanse his poison.

Speechless, Ye Chen withdrew his Qi, freeing her body. Then he spoke. "Senior An, don't you want to advance your physique to maturity? Your current physique already rivals the top female cultivators. With your own cultivation, you could ascend someday. If, as the remnant soul said, it could go further, you could stand at the immortal realm's peak."

This was every cultivator's dream—no one could resist it. But An Miaoli remained calm, unshaken by the dazzling future, shaking her head. "Twelve immortal root essences? Impossible. Some are held by ancient immortal families. Others, like the Fusang Divine Tree, may be extinct. Gathering them is unthinkable. It's just the remnant soul's delay tactic to keep me pure. But the more the enemy wants, the more I'll defy them. I won't let them have their way."

Her will was unyielding. Ye Chen smiled, saying nothing, only taking her jade hand and stepping into his small world.

The small world now flowed with spiritual qi, like an immortal realm. But the most striking sight was Ye Chen's main peak. At its summit, three immortal trees swayed in the breeze.

An Miaoli's stunning eyes widened instantly. She knew the Enlightenment Tea Tree. She'd seen the Moon Laurel Tree last time Ye Chen returned. But the Fusang Divine Tree? This was her first time seeing it.

Ye Chen's small world held three top-tier immortal roots. Did he bring this back from the Endless Sea? One trip, one immortal root? Even the Heavenly Emperor coveted such roots but never obtained them. Yet Ye Chen collected three so casually? Unbelievable. Immortal roots, treasures of legend—how were they as common as cabbages in Ye Chen's hands?