ISWI Chapter 419-420

Chapter 419: Cutting Off My Own Immortal Path?

The 1,500-times multiplier combined with a top-notch critical hit left even Ye Chen, a seasoned prodigy, utterly shocked. This was Fan Qinghe's second top-tier critical hit feedback.

Ye Chen almost regretted sending her away so hastily. Fan Qinghe was clearly a walking jackpot. If he kept her close, triggering critical hits now and then, wouldn't he soar to the heavens?

The ten-thousand-times spiritual sense boost was beyond comprehension. In cultivation, the higher the realm, the greater the gap. For instance, a peak Nascent Soul cultivator's spiritual sense might be rated at one.

Upon reaching Deity Transformation and condensing a primordial spirit, it could rise to about three hundred times stronger. Exceptional talents might hit five hundred, and the absolute top prodigies could reach a thousand.

But Ye Chen? His spiritual sense was already outrageously strong, surpassing most Deity Transformation cultivators. Now, with a ten-thousand-times boost, what did that mean? Even a peak Deity Transformation prodigy like the Heavenly Intention Holy Son, with terrifying spiritual sense, would be crushed by Ye Chen in this aspect.

And the fiancée, Yi Qingwu, with her Broad Cold Immortal Physique, was renowned for her spiritual sense prowess. But no matter how strong, she couldn't compare to him now. In a spiritual sense battle, she'd be obliterated without a chance to resist.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator with such unprecedented spiritual sense, his future primordial spirit, upon breaking through to Deity Transformation, would be unimaginable. And after condensing it, his spiritual sense would surge again—likely by at least two thousand times, given his talent.

How strong would that be? Ye Chen hardly dared to imagine. He even felt an urge to break through to Deity Transformation right now and shout, "Primordial Spirit, activate!"

The ten-thousand-times spiritual sense alone was thrilling enough, worth every bit of his simp-like devotion as a top prodigy. But it wasn't even the limit. The Yin-Yang Dao Sea was another shock. The "boundless" aspect alone solved a pressing concern.

Like Fan Qinghe, whose sea of spirit sense had been stretched to the brim, every cultivator had a limit to how much spiritual power or spiritual sense their realm could hold. Prodigies had higher limits, ordinary cultivators lower ones, but no one could claim infinity.

Ye Chen had worried that such a massive spiritual sense boost might overload and destroy him. Now, with the boundless Yin-Yang Dao Sea, he could easily contain it. Even when his spiritual sense surged again upon reaching Unity and condensing his primordial spirit, he wouldn't fear his sea collapsing. It also amplified his spiritual sense's power and offered other mystical benefits, with uses extending to the Unity and Mahayana stages.

This gift's rewards far exceeded his expectations. The ten-thousand-times spiritual sense and Yin-Yang Dao Sea multiplied his combat strength countless times. No breaking, no rebuilding—truly worth it.

Being Fan Qinghe's protector was too sweet. It made him eagerly anticipate her future nirvanas. The Nirvana Scripture had five transformations leading to immortality, though most Divine Maidens only managed two or three, as their protectors couldn't withstand the drain or recover in time to keep up with their cultivation.

But Ye Chen, through his relentless effort and "no breaking, no rebuilding," far surpassed the past. He'd never lag behind. Instead, he worried Fan Qinghe's progress might not keep up with him. So, he decided: even outside of nirvana, he'd feed her treasures.

Enlightenment Tea Leaves? He'd send her a hundred or so annually. The Moon Laurel Tree? If Yi Qingwu proved cooperative and triggered critical hits, he'd gift Fan Qinghe a couple of pounds of its flowers yearly.

In his eyes, Fan Qinghe's status had skyrocketed—a true treasure of a woman. But that was for later. Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Ye Chen chose to accept the system's rewards.

The next moment, a radiant black-and-white divine light blossomed at the center of Ye Chen’s brow. The light swirled ceaselessly, transforming into yin-yang fish that shimmered brilliantly deep within his forehead.

His once-barren sea of consciousness ascended in that instant, evolving into a Yin-Yang Dao Sea. At the same time, an unimaginably profound spiritual sense descended with a thunderous roar. Ten thousand times the strength of ordinary spiritual sense—what a terrifying force.

The mere ripple it unintentionally emitted caused the protective arrays of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land’s mansion to tremble violently. Servants and disciples within the mansion turned toward the seclusion chamber, their faces etched with shock.

Such a fearsome fluctuation of spiritual sense—had the Holy Son broken through to the Deity Transformation stage? It was almost too astonishing to believe. Truly, the Holy Son was extraordinary. But why was there no heavenly tribulation? Could it be that the last time he broke through, the Holy Son had fought so fiercely that the tribulation dared not appear?

Speculation buzzed among his peers.

Meanwhile, outside the mansion, discussions about Ye Chen surged once more. Word had spread that the Heavenly Desire Divine Maiden, Fan Qinghe, had spent three days with the Holy Son before departing. When she left, the Divine Maiden glowed with vitality, as if she had been nourished. In contrast, the Fourth Holy Son appeared drained, with dark circles under his eyes—a near-impossible condition for a Nascent Soul cultivator, who could go a year without sleep and feel no strain.

The only explanation was that the Fourth Holy Son had been utterly depleted. But how could that be? A prodigy like him, destined to tread the path to immortality—how could he willingly become a mere furnace, a stepping stone for another’s cultivation? The Fourth Holy Son wasn’t brainless!

At first, no one believed the rumors. But soon, a cultivator from the Yao family provided concrete evidence: Ye Chen had become the Divine Maiden’s protector. News also trickled out from the Heavenly Desire Sect, confirming that their Divine Maiden, Fan Qinghe, had selected a suitable protector and planted her divine seed. She had returned to her sect to enter seclusion, preparing for the first transformation of nirvana and her breakthrough to the Deity Transformation stage.

When the news broke, all of White Emperor City was shaken.

Had the Fourth Holy Son truly become a protector? Was he out of his mind? Even if the drain wasn’t severe and he could recover, it would take time. The Fourth Holy Son was already slightly behind in cultivation. And this era was said to be the final opportunity for the immortal path to open in the cultivation world. Prodigies from all corners would vie fiercely for supremacy. In the Central Continent, ancient figures from ten thousand years ago were awakening. In the exiled Northern Continent, the shattered remnants of ancient races were stirring, testing the waters.

The stakes of this era were clear. Yet the Fourth Holy Son had made such a foolish choice?

Once the news was confirmed, sighs of regret filled the air. Many believed Ye Chen was severing his own path to immortality. A prodigy with the potential to contend for the immortal road had chosen to degrade himself—a truly idiotic decision. Some pitied him, others were baffled, and some gloated over his misfortune.

Within the Tianyi Holy Land’s mansion, the two legacy disciples nearly leaped with joy upon hearing the news. They immediately rushed to report it to Yi Qingwu, who was still lingering in White Emperor City, waiting for her chance.

Chapter 420: A Touch of Grudges

"Holy Maiden, Ye Chen has fallen so low as to become the protector of that seductress from the Heavenly Desire Sect. It's said they've already completed the first nirvana, and Ye Chen's spiritual sense may have been completely drained."

"Indeed, some witnessed it firsthand. A prodigy like Ye Chen with sunken eyes and dark circles—clearly a sign of an emptied sea of consciousness."

"I think once Ye Chen leaves the city, there's no need for you to act personally, Holy Maiden. The two of us will suffice."

"Exactly. Without his spiritual sense, Ye Chen's combat strength must have plummeted. We can easily suppress him."

The two Heavenly Intention legacy disciples regained their confidence. For high-level cultivators, spiritual sense was paramount. Without it, one was as good as blind, barely able to muster a tenth of their full strength. In such a state, Ye Chen stood no chance against them.

Yi Qingwu sat calmly, her gaze lifting to meet theirs, her voice as melodious as ever. "Ye Chen is, after all, a prodigy comparable to a Holy Son. How could someone like him willingly become a furnace for another, sacrificing his path to immortality for someone else's gain?"

Her words left the two legacy disciples speechless.

Her bright eyes turned to the window as she continued, "Ye Chen is the heir of the Heavenly Emperor, with countless trump cards yet to be revealed. When he faced you two, he clearly didn't use his full strength. So, do not underestimate him. When he leaves the city, I will still deploy the peerless Twelve Stars Killing Formation, along with the Exterme Dao Weapon, the Moon Palace, to ensure he has no chance of escape. You two, keep watching him."

Yi Qingwu spoke calmly, but her regard for Ye Chen was unmistakable. Despite being a full realm above him, she refused to rely solely on her strength to crush him. Instead, she planned to use a prearranged killing formation and an Extreme Dao Weapon.

The two legacy disciples were stunned. The Twelve Stars Killing Formation was forged with the primordial spirits of twelve Deity Transformation cultivators as its core, its power equivalent to twelve late-stage Deity Transformation experts striking together. And the Moon Palace? That was even more extraordinary—an Extreme Dao Weapon passed down through the Holy Maiden's lineage, rumored to originate from the ancient Moon Palace. Its terror was unmatched.

To think the Holy Maiden would bring out the Moon Palace just to kill Ye Chen—it seemed like overkill. These measures could probably take down someone like Hua Yunfei. The two recalled how the Holy Maiden had borrowed spirit stones from the elders for this plan. Such heavy-handed tactics surely carried a hint of personal grudges.

Though they felt Ye Chen didn't warrant such measures, they kept their expressions neutral. Still, one legacy disciple couldn't help but speak up. "Ye Chen's obsession with women is well-known. His behavior mirrors that of the Heavenly Emperor from years past—leaving a trail of romantic entanglements wherever he goes. He once annihilated a woman's master and sect just to claim her. With such a temperament, it's not impossible that the seductress from the Heavenly Desire Sect ensnared him, convincing him to offer up his spiritual sense."

Yi Qingwu's exquisite face, as flawless as the world's most perfect creation, showed little change in expression at their words. She was well aware of these rumors. Reflecting carefully, she realized Ye Chen's gift last time might not have been purely meant to humiliate her. Perhaps he genuinely admired her and sought her friendship.

But this only deepened her disdain. A true prodigy should be decisive and ruthless. Even if enamored with women, he should take what he wants and move on without hesitation. Yet, despite her contempt, Yi Qingwu's wariness of Ye Chen remained undiminished.

Her soft voice rose gently. "When the Heavenly Emperor walked the path to immortality, he too faced a calamity. The world thought he was finished. But he broke through his limits, rising stronger to slay the horde of enemies who came to strike him down. Ye Chen is his heir—who's to say he doesn't have similar means to turn the tables?"

The Heavenly Emperor's life was a mix of glory and infamy. He had rendered great service to the human race in the cultivation world but had also slain countless foes. His legend was undeniable. Even now, the mere emergence of his heir demanded respect.

The two legacy disciples fell silent, unable to argue.

But so what if Ye Chen's spiritual sense was intact? The Twelve Stars Killing Formation, combined with the Extreme Dao Weapon, the Moon Palace, would crush him. Even if Ye Chen had ten lives, they wouldn't be enough to survive. And if he somehow endured, their Holy Maiden, Yi Qingwu, was a powerhouse at the pinnacle of the Deity Transformation stage. Her raw strength alone would leave Ye Chen no chance to turn the tide.

So, the moment Ye Chen left White Emperor City, his fate was sealed—he would fall.

The thought of Ye Chen's impending demise made the two legacy disciples want to laugh. It wasn't just the grudge from being suppressed by him earlier. His role as the divine maiden's protector sparked their envy.

For now, it was only a spiritual bond, but with each subsequent nirvana, as the divine maiden absorbed more, Ye Chen would gradually claim her entirely. The thought of her breathtaking figure and silken skin drove them mad with jealousy. Thus, Ye Chen had to die.

...

A long breath escaped Ye Chen's lips, the white mist curling like a dragon in the air. When he finally opened his eyes, a flicker of black-and-white light vanished within his pupils.

This seclusion had lasted a full seven days, during which Ye Chen had painstakingly refined the explosive surge of spiritual sense that had flooded back into him. Now, that immense spiritual sense gathered within his Dao Sea, swirling and transforming into yin and yang. The transformation was profound, reshaping him entirely.

This vast and formidable spiritual sense marked the complete perfection of his Nascent Soul stage, surpassing even the requirements of the Pangu World-Opening Diagram. He was now ready to begin comprehending the visualization diagram and formally break through to the Deity Transformation stage.

But White Emperor City was a chaotic place, teeming with prying eyes and tangled factions—not ideal for such a critical breakthrough. Returning to the Holy Land would be wiser.

Still, Ye Chen felt a twinge of disappointment. In the past, before a breakthrough, someone would inevitably show up to challenge him, offering a thrilling final battle to cap his progress. This time, however, he was returning with two elders. Surely, no one would dare stir trouble now.

"How lonely it is… to be invincible…" Ye Chen mused, humming a tune as he leisurely rose and stepped out of the seclusion chamber.

The moment he emerged, a crowd of disciples swarmed forward, gazing at him with admiration. The outside world had been buzzing with rumors that the Holy Son had been drained by the seductress of the Heavenly Desire Sect, reduced to her cultivation furnace. But not a single disciple of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land believed a word of it. Their Holy Son's spiritual sense was so terrifying—stronger even than that of a Deity Transformation cultivator, enough to make them tremble. Did that look like someone who'd been drained?

Clearly, it was the seductress who'd been taken advantage of.

The disciples marveled at their Fourth Holy Son's prowess. Truly worthy of being the Heavenly Emperor's heir, carrying on his legendary charisma.

"Holy Son, I wouldn't mind being taken advantage of by you…" He Qiu, her eyes sparkling, boldly approached with a daring remark.

Ye Chen's visit had caused quite a stir. He'd nearly slapped the Little Roc King to death with a single strike. Two Heavenly Intention legacy disciples, ganging up on him, still couldn't best him. And at the auction, he'd provoked the Heavenly Intention Holy Maiden to such fury that it took her half a day to compose herself before leaving the venue. The Holy Son was simply too dazzling.

For the female disciples, there wasn't one who didn't feel her heart stir. To be "taken advantage of" by such a man would be an honor in itself.