ISWI Chapter 436-437

Chapter 436: I'm Really Not the Heavenly Emperor's Heir!

A figure radiating immense aura swiftly arrived, landing on the ship's deck, prompting gasps from the disciples. Senior Brother Hua Yunfei had come. Though Ye Chen's reputation was soaring, he was still a rising star.

Hua Yunfei, the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land's top prodigy, was an undefeated legend, beloved for his approachable demeanor. The disciples bowed immediately.

Curious, Ye Chen asked, "Senior Brother, weren't you at the Endless Sea? Why are you back so soon?"

After saluting the elders, Hua Yunfei smiled lightly. "The great demon's been dealt with. I left an avatar to handle the aftermath. I rushed back, worried Yi Qingwu's ambush would overwhelm you. But it seems I underestimated you, Junior Brother. Even late Deity Transformation Stage Yi Qingwu couldn't defeat you."

He sensed the lingering battle aura, one side clearly Ye Chen's. Since Ye Chen stood unscathed, he'd clearly prevailed. Truthfully, Hua Yunfei's main concern wasn't Yi Qingwu but the fear that the Heavenly Desire divine maiden might seduce and drain Ye Chen, ruining him.

Yet, seeing Ye Chen's vibrant spirit and sharp eyes, he knew he'd overthought. Despite Ye Chen's rumored womanizing, he stayed disciplined in matters of cultivation.

Touched, Ye Chen's heart warmed. 'Senior Brother's too good!' He reached for his storage bracelet, intending to gift fifty Enlightenment Tea Tree leaves as thanks. But before he could, Hua Yunfei, radiant with divine light, waved his sleeve, producing a scroll exuding vast aura.

"I came to ask if you've found a suitable visualization diagram," Hua Yunfei said. "This is the Infinite Ocean Visualization Diagram, created a million years ago by a true immortal inspired by the Endless Sea's grandeur. It expands the sea of spirit sense, making spirit sense vast as the ocean—possibly surpassing the Queen Mother of the West's Diagram from White Emperor City. Lost for ages, it was held by that demon I slew. I no longer need it, so it's yours, Junior Brother. Even if you have one, you can study it or gift it to others."

Ye Chen stared at the diagram and Hua Yunfei's warm, smiling face, stunned.

'Senior Brother, be honest—do you have a favorability system? This is too generous!'

Even his gifting system paled in comparison. Hesitating, he accepted the diagram. His Pangu World-Opening Visualization Diagram was peerless, but too intense for most prodigies. This diagram could be gifted to a female cultivator, potentially yielding something better for those close to him.

Seeing Ye Chen accept it readily, Hua Yunfei smiled, appreciating his decisiveness. Ye Chen stored the diagram and produced a jade box. "Senior Brother, my gift to you."

Curious, Hua Yunfei accepted it casually. Few things in the cultivation world interested him now, but when he opened the box, his eyes widened. Inside were fifty Enlightenment Tea Tree leaves, each unique, radiating enlightenment aura—definitely authentic. This was absurd. The entire cultivation world might not have fifty leaves left, and these looked freshly plucked.

Did Ye Chen possess the Enlightenment Tea Tree?

Hua Yunfei's gaze on Ye Chen shifted dramatically. A long-standing mystery in the cultivation world was finally solved: the Enlightenment Tea Tree hadn't perished—it was hidden by the Heavenly Emperor and now rested with Ye Chen, his heir. Perfectly logical.

"Junior Brother, you're too generous!" Hua Yunfei accepted the gift without hesitation, praising Ye Chen's magnanimity and fortune.

Ye Chen smiled, shaking his head, and praised his senior brother's generosity in return. The tower ship surged toward Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, Hua Yunfei joining the return journey. At the ship's bow, he glanced back at the battlefield, frowning—not from suspicion, but from sensing a faint aura tied to his own inheritance. He glanced at Ye Chen, hesitating to speak, then stayed silent.

On the way back, Ye Chen warned Hua Yunfei about the Heavenly Intention Holy Son possibly hiding a complete Nine Secret. Hua Yunfei was surprised.

The Nine Secrets—"Front, Armament, Battle, Healing, Multiplier, Forward, Calculation, Array, Foresight, Movement"—each word a formidable technique.

The Battle Secret, a supreme killing art, could manifest myriad dao and laws with devastating force. The Healing Secret, a healing art, rivaled the True Phoenix Treasure Technique, capable of resurrection at its peak. The Movement Secret matched the Kun Peng Treasure Technique's speed, but at its zenith, it could touch the river of time, delving into temporal mysteries. Any complete Nine Secret was terrifying, prompting Hua Yunfei to reassess the Holy Son's strength.

The four sipped tea and chatted about cultivation. Eventually, Hua Yunfei recalled something. "In the Endless Sea, I met cultivators from the Central Continent. They mentioned traces of the Heavenly Emperor Hall appearing there. It protects the Heavenly Emperor's heir, so they might seek you out soon. If they do, join them confidently. The Hall is a transcendent force that can aid you, and Heavenly Evolution Holy Land doesn't mind—our Holy Sons often carry external legacies."

Ye Chen frowned. The Heavenly Emperor Hall had emerged in the Central Continent? But he knew he wasn't the Heavenly Emperor's heir. His path resembled the Emperor's, but that was coincidental—he'd never received his inheritance. If his "heir" reputation spread too far, would the Hall come to "clean house," accusing him of stealing their legacy?

Determined to clarify, Ye Chen said earnestly, "I'm really not the Heavenly Emperor's heir!"

Hua Yunfei, having heard from elders about Ye Chen's Heavy Pupils and Supreme Heart, plus the Enlightenment Tea Tree, had no doubts. "I know, you're definitely not the heir!"

Ye Chen grinned—his senior brother's trust was absolute. But then Hua Yunfei added confidently, "Even the Heavenly Emperor's heir might not have a Supreme Heart. There's only one truth: you're his descendant!"

Ye Chen: "…"

Chapter 437: The Great Yang Immortal Scripture!

Not only Hua Yunfei, but the two elders shared the same view. Ye Chen's cultivated Immortal Scripture and Treasure Techniques were nearly identical to the Heavenly Emperor's—too close to be coincidence. Add his Supreme Heart, the Emperor's signature bloodline Divine Ability, rarer than Heavy Pupils, and it was clear: he wasn't just a successor; he might be the Emperor's son.

Though Ye Chen hailed from a small clan in Green Cloud City, everyone in Great Yan State knew he wasn't his family's biological child. His father had vanished. The trio speculated: could Ye Chen be the Heavenly Emperor's true son?

After the Emperor's rise, the cultivation world declined, immortality growing elusive. Perhaps he sealed his son to awaken in this era, destined to lock the gates of immortality forever.

Legends spoke of the Emperor's double-pupil rival, a female cultivator from the myriad races, supposedly slain by him after reaching true immortality. But with the Emperor's reputation for charming holy maidens, a myriad-race woman wasn't out of the question—especially a Kuafu clan member, human-like in appearance. Perhaps they sparked a connection, secretly had a child, and kept it hidden. A stretch, but Ye Chen's Heavy Pupils and Supreme Heart made it plausible.

Their gazes on Ye Chen shifted, heavy with implication. Ye Chen gave up explaining—it was futile. The Heavenly Emperor's path was perfect: the best Immortal Scripture, the finest techniques.

With his system, Ye Chen naturally chose the same, unintentionally mirroring the Emperor. But he had no ties to the Heavenly Emperor Hall. Its recent activity suggested the true heir's emergence was near, which would clear things up. Ye Chen had no interest in posing as the heir to claim the Hall's resources. His own efforts sufficed.

As the tower ship entered the Holy Land, Elder He went to the Cloud Summit Heaven Palace to report, while Elder Mo demanded rest. Ye Chen chatted briefly with Hua Yunfei before flying to his Holy Son Peak. The trip was short but eventful, with immense gains. Next, he'd study the visualization diagram and prepare for the Deity Transformation Stage breakthrough.

In midair, a red-haired woman froze upon seeing him. Ye Chen noticed her, nodded with a smile, and flew toward An Miaoli's cave abode. Though Holy Maidens and goddesses were captivating, An Miaoli held his heart. He planned to gift her the Infinite Ocean Visualization Diagram and any critical rewards it might yield, letting her choose. Previously, her constitution prevented deeper, more effective detox treatments like An Yuyi's. But with the soul communion technique from Divine Maiden Fan Qinghe, that might change.

Ignoring the red-haired woman, Li Feihuang, Ye Chen left. Her proud eyes, once akin to Yi Qingwu's, now dimmed with dejection, a bitter smile on her lips. The Ye Chen who once adored her now treated her like a stranger.

Li Feihuang's heart swirled with mixed emotions, her eyes brimming with regret. Over the years, she'd replayed countless times how Ye Chen had given her everything, while she, arrogant and lofty, never treated him as an equal. She deserved this outcome.

Watching Ye Chen enter An Miaoli's cave abode, she sighed again. Though pointless, she couldn't help but wonder: if she'd cherished his devotion back then, would he have rushed to her cave first upon returning? But the world offered no "ifs."

Li Feihuang's cave was near her master, Lin Qingtan's. Today was her routine visit. Inside, she sensed her master's unusually good mood, despite Lin Qingtan's face and limbs being veiled in mist, as always.

"Master seems in high spirits today," Li Feihuang said softly.

Lin Qingtan didn't hide it, her sultry, smoky voice tinged with excitement. "Rumors within the Holy Land suggest fragments of a relic tied to the Great Yang Divine Dynasty have surfaced. The dynasty, destroyed by the Heavenly Emperor and sunk into the Endless Sea, was never found. If it emerges, the lost Great Yang Immortal Scripture might appear. Even a fragment could resolve my Yin Nether Demon Body's issues."

Li Feihuang rejoiced for her master. She knew Lin Qingtan's condition: her overpowering Yin Nether Demon Body prevented her from condensing extreme yang energy, causing an imbalance that stalled her cultivation. The Great Yang Immortal Scripture, one of humanity's oldest scriptures alongside the Great Yin Immortal Scripture, mastered yin-yang balance and could suppress the demon body's side effects.

"Congratulations, Master!" Li Feihuang said sincerely.

Lin Qingtan sighed. "The Holy Son is truly blessed by fortune. I searched for years without a hint, but just a few years after joining his peak, news of the Great Yang Immortal Scripture surfaces. It's not guaranteed, but it's better than no hope at all. Feihuang, I'm heading to the Endless Sea to be there when the relic emerges. I won't be able to guide you until I return."

Li Feihuang shook her head. "Master, don't worry about me. I hope you resolve your condition soon and return safely with the scripture."

Lin Qingtan smiled lightly. Li Feihuang had matured, shedding her former impulsiveness and pride. Without further words, she departed for the Endless Sea, having already informed the Holy Land. Though only at the early Deity Transformation Stage with limited combat power, she trusted the Holy Land would send stronger cultivators when the relic fully appeared.

Unaware of Li Feihuang's reflections or Lin Qingtan's departure, Ye Chen arrived at An Miaoli's cave abode and activated the transmission talisman. An Miaoli emerged, as breathtakingly flawless as ever, ethereal and otherworldly. Her misty eyes sparkled with delight upon seeing him.