ISWI Chapter 174-175

Chapter 174: Southern Radiant Fire, the Outcome is Decided

On the platform.

Looking at the fireballs that resembled blazing suns, Ye Chen's expression didn't change in the slightest. With a casual raise of his hand, a golden dragon spiraled up from above his head. The dragon scattered golden rays of light, forming a protective divine glow around Ye Chen.

Li Feihuang smiled faintly, a hint of pride in her eyes. The Fireball spell she cast was far more terrifying than a full-force strike from an ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. No matter what kind of protective divine light was used, it would be unable to withstand it.

Without hesitation, one massive fireball slammed down. As it made contact with Ye Chen's protective divine light, it exploded with a deafening roar. From the sound of the explosion, the immense power of the fireball was evident.

Yet, even after taking such a horrifying blow head-on, the protective divine light around Ye Chen didn't even tremble. This immediately drew gasps of astonishment from the audience. They began discussing what kind of spell Ye Chen's protective divine light was.

Li Feihuang's eyes revealed a trace of surprise. But she quickly smiled. In the next moment, the remaining eight fireballs lined up like eight stars, resembling the setting sun, and came crashing down.

The massive fireballs collided with Ye Chen's protective divine light one after another. The terrifying flames exploded in succession.

Ye Chen was completely enveloped in flames. The audience could no longer see anything clearly. Even the surrounding array formations around the platform began to tremble. The sheer power of the blasts left the spectators in shock. Who among those at the Foundation Establishment stage could withstand such a terrifying spell? To the crowd, there was no doubt that Ye Chen would be defeated.

However, when the firelight dissipated, the crowd was stunned. Ye Chen was still standing leisurely in place, his protective divine light still shining brightly with golden radiance.

In the face of such terrifying attacks, Ye Chen remained unfazed, not moving a single step. His defense was so strong, it had clearly exceeded everyone's expectations. This only made the audience more excited. After all, compared to one-sided battles, people preferred a fair, evenly matched fight.

...

At this moment, Li Feihuang narrowed her eyes. She was about to cast an even more terrifying spell.

However, Ye Chen no longer needed to defend. With a wave of his hand, the golden dragon that had been circling above his head roared forward with a thunderous sound.

Ye Chen swung his hand, and countless swords' shadows materialized behind him. In an instant, it seemed as though a storm of swords filled the sky, hurtling toward Li Feihuang.

The momentum of the attack was just as terrifying as the nine blazing suns that Li Feihuang had summoned earlier.

Li Feihuang raised an eyebrow. It was unexpected, but she wasn't panicking. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a massive bird made of flames, sending it to collide with the golden dragon.

At the same time, a wall of fire appeared in front of her, blocking the incoming sword rain.

Li Feihuang had expected to easily deal with Ye Chen's counterattack. But the next moment, her expression changed. The flaming giant bird was instantly scattered by the golden dragon. The fire wall began to dim, nearly collapsing under the onslaught of the sword rain.

How could this be?

Ye Chen was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. How could his spiritual power be so terrifying? The spot for the Divine Will Sect's direct disciple was something she had to secure.

Gritting her teeth, Li Feihuang activated her Fire Phoenix Spirit Body. Her previously black pupils turned a pale golden color.

However, the flames obscured her eyes, making it hard for others to see clearly. As Li Feihuang activated her Fire Phoenix Spirit Body, the accompanying spiritual fire, the Southern Radiant Fire, was immediately ignited. Her fire-based spells grew even more powerful.

A massive bird, resembling a phoenix, flew out and collided violently with the golden dragon. The fire wall grew even stronger, blocking all of the swords energy.

Li Feihuang smiled confidently. To have forced her to activate the Fire Phoenix Spirit Body, Ye Chen was already impressive in his own right. But this was the end.

Li Feihuang shifted from defense to offense. She stepped on a cloud of fire, and a pale blue fire sword formed in her hand, charging toward Ye Chen with a tremendous roar.

Ye Chen smiled at the sight. Taking a large step forward, he punched out.

Li Feihuang didn't seem to mind. In fact, she even had the leisure to observe Ye Chen's eyes, for in his pupils, she could see her own reflection. What an ordinary appearance. If she were to reveal her true form right now, Ye Chen would surely be startled, perhaps revealing a fatal flaw.

With absolute confidence, Li Feihuang and Ye Chen clashed in battle. For a moment, the platform was filled with spells and divine light. Endless waves of spiritual energy mixed with exploding flames made it impossible for the audience to see clearly what was happening on the stage.

However, the shimmering energy barrier surrounding the platform due to the impact of the spells allowed everyone to understand just how terrifying the battle between the two was.

...

No one had expected the fight between the two to escalate to this level. The contestants who had been eliminated might have felt some lingering dissatisfaction earlier, wondering if they had used a different tactic, perhaps they would have stood a chance.

But now, feeling the terrifying energy fluctuations, all such thoughts were gone. It was clear that, when facing them, the two on the stage hadn't even used their full strength.

On the high platform, the watching Divine Will Sect elders and officiants also showed expressions of amazement. The strength of these two, even among their direct disciples, likely few could match them.

An Yuyi, watching the flames on the platform, was stunned, her expression impossible to describe.

"Ye Chen... how could he be so strong?"

Had Ye Chen always been this powerful? Impossible! If Ye Chen had this kind of strength before, how could he have stayed silent in the face of Fang Xi and Pei Ling's targeting?

So, Ye Chen's remarkable abilities must have come about in the past six months. It must be related to the Blood Sea Lotus Seed. But the Blood Sea Lotus Seed alone couldn't explain his current power. Could it be that the Blood Sea Lotus had mutated? Was it not just an ordinary Blood Sea Lotus in the pond, but a Blood Sea Golden Lotus?

Using the Blood Sea Golden Lotus Seed, one could possibly ascend to an Earth Spirit Root. Only an Earth Spirit Root could explain why Ye Chen had suddenly become so powerful.

Thinking this, An Yuyi clenched her teeth. Her anger toward Ye Chen reached its peak. Because everything Ye Chen had now should have been hers.

The battle between the two was fierce. As Li Feihuang intentionally concealed her Fire Phoenix Spirit Body, no one could see what was happening inside.

However, both the audience and the elders were convinced that Li Feihuang would ultimately win. After all, Li Feihuang had the advantage in cultivation level. A higher cultivation level meant stronger spiritual power and greater recovery ability. Not to mention, Li Feihuang's understanding of fire-based spells had reached an extraordinary level. Even Golden Core elders were unlikely to surpass her in this regard.

So, the odds were in Li Feihuang's favor. Everyone waited eagerly for the outcome.

The crowd had expected to wait for a long time before the result was clear. But to their surprise, within just a hundred breaths, the divine lights of spells faded, and the flames died down. Finally, the audience could see the stage clearly again, and they all focused intently, wondering if Li Feihuang had won.

However, when they looked at the scene in the center of the stage, their faces turned to shock. There, in the middle of the platform, Ye Chen had one hand firmly gripping Li Feihuang's neck! He had her feet off the ground.

Li Feihuang's face was filled with astonishment and unwillingness!

This...

The entire arena fell silent.

As for An Yuyi, her mouth hung open in sheer disbelief.

Ye Chen had won!

Chapter 175: It's Principally Not Transferable

After a brief silence, the audience erupted in thunderous shock. Even the elders of the Divine Will Sect were taken aback by the result.

The Divine Will Assembly had a history spanning two hundred sessions. Two hundred sessions, two thousand years. Never had there been a case where a cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment secured first place. This was truly shocking.

An Miaoli, upon seeing Ye Chen's victory, looked at him with eyes that seemed to be veiled by a mist. There was both surprise and a hint of unease. If Li Feihuang had won, there would have been opportunities for exchanging benefits.

After all, Li Feihuang, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, no longer needed the Divine Will Pool. But Ye Chen, being at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, had a great need for it.

An Yuyi, though still shocked, felt a surge of excitement in her eyes. While she was angry that Ye Chen had stolen her opportunity, Ye Chen's victory and the prize of the Divine Will Pool slot gave her a chance.

Ye Chen owed her so much. This Divine Will Pool slot had to be hers.

...

"The first place of this year's Divine Will Assembly is Ye Chen! He will receive the Divine Will Sect's direct disciple spot! He will also gain entry to the Divine Will Pool! The remaining rankings for the cultivators..."

"This year's Divine Will Assembly is officially concluded!"

The elder's voice rang out across the city. Amidst the awe-struck and astonished gazes of the cultivators, and the endless murmurs of discussion, Ye Chen's name reverberated throughout Divine Will City. It would spread to every sect and family as the cultivators from outside the city left.

After stepping down from the platform, Li Feihuang looked at Ye Chen, who was the center of attention, with a gaze full of resentment. She didn't feel that she lost to Ye Chen because her strength was inferior. On the contrary, she was absolutely far superior to Ye Chen.

The problem was that she couldn't fully activate her Fire Phoenix Spirit Body, for fear that doing so would expose her to the Great Chu Dynasty, who might come after her. Once the Fire Phoenix Spirit Body was fully activated, a phantom Fire Phoenix would appear behind her, making it impossible to hide. If she had used it, Ye Chen would have never been her opponent.

Li Feihuang's face was full of frustration.

At that moment, an elderly man with white hair appeared beside her silently and without warning. "I didn't expect you to lose," he said.

Li Feihuang, still frustrated, replied, "I didn't dare fully activate the Fire Phoenix Spirit Body, fearing that the Great Chu Dynasty would learn of my identity and come to take me. Otherwise, I would have won without question. Uncle Zhang, is there any other chance to get a direct disciple qualification?"

To obtain the Phoenix Blood, one must be a direct disciple. Ordinary inner disciples were not qualified. But Li Feihuang was after the Phoenix Blood. If it weren't for that, she would have had better options.

Hearing this, Elder Zhang shook his head. "The direct disciple qualification of the Divine Will Sect represents power and resources, and there are only so many slots available. There's intense competition within the sect.

"Recently, two slots opened up, and there was a fierce dispute over them—elders even fought each other. For the past few years, it's basically been impossible to get new slots. So, the slot from the Divine Will Assembly is probably the only chance."

Li Feihuang gritted her teeth. With her innate Fire Phoenix Spirit Body, she was perfectly aligned with the Phoenix. If she could use the Phoenix Blood to form her Golden Core, it would definitely be a Nine-turn Golden Core. Not to mention, her physique could tap into the bloodline power and improve even further. She could not afford to miss this opportunity. Otherwise, she would never regain what she had lost. She would have to watch as those disgusting relatives enjoyed what should have been hers.

Li Feihuang clenched her teeth, her face, which seemed ordinary, now showing a remarkable resolve. "Uncle Zhang, is it possible to give the direct disciple slot obtained from the Divine Will Assembly to someone else?"

Elder Zhang smiled upon hearing this. "The direct disciple qualification is a serious matter, and in principle, it cannot be transferred to someone else."

Seeing the disappointment on Li Feihuang's face, Elder Zhang smiled again.

"However, your combat strength and talent have not gone unnoticed by the sect," he said. "If it were up to me, I could have a word and perhaps make an exception. After all, having you as a direct disciple wouldn't be a bad thing for the sect."

Li Feihuang immediately brightened up with joy.

But Elder Zhang quickly became serious again. "But there can be no coercion involved. The Divine Will Assembly is one of the sect's most prestigious events, with a history spanning two thousand years. If the first place were to be forced into giving up their direct disciple qualification, it would cause immense damage to our sect's reputation. The sect will never allow that to happen. So, it can only be discussed."

Elder Zhang handed her a storage bag. "This storage bag contains two thousand high-grade spirit stones. Take them for now."

Li Feihuang looked at the storage bag and then at Elder Zhang's smiling face. A bitter feeling rose in her heart.

Two thousand high-grade spirit stones were not a small sum, even for a Golden Core cultivator. Her father had passed away. And her relatives had immediately fought for power, even attempting to kill her. Yet, her father's old friend had done his best to help her.

"Uncle Zhang, I can't accept this. I have some here!" Li Feihuang said, lowering her head.

Elder Zhang smiled lightly. "If you need anything, just ask. If it truly can't be helped, there's no harm in becoming an inner disciple for a few years. If a slot opens up during these five years, it will definitely be yours. I've never fought for anything in my life. They'll have to give me some face. So, don't put too much pressure on yourself."

With that, Elder Zhang left without a sound.

Li Feihuang stood there, looking at Ye Chen on the platform. A thoughtful expression crossed her face. What could she use to persuade Ye Chen?

On the platform, an elder spoke a few encouraging words to Ye Chen and asked which elder he would like to become an apprentice under. Given Ye Chen's displayed talent, there were few elders who would refuse such a prodigy.

Ye Chen, however, appeared hesitant and asked if he could take a few days to consider.

The elder nodded immediately. "Of course. The direct disciple slot must be decided within three days. As for the Divine Will Pool, it will open in half a month. You can come directly with the token you received from the Divine Will Assembly."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen nodded in acknowledgment. Ye Chen certainly had no intention of taking the Divine Will Sect's direct disciple slot. Joining the Divine Will Sect didn't hold much significance for him. Even if he became a direct disciple, it would be difficult to approach a grand elder like An Miaoli.

As for Li Feihuang, she seemed to be scheming something secretly. Who knew when she might run off?

Clearly, she wasn't a suitable target for a regular reward exchange. Occasionally, he might get lucky, but in the end, it seemed better to stick with his master.

Moreover, Ye Chen realized something. It seemed that the Divine Will Sect's direct disciple slot and the Divine Will Pool slot couldn't be transferred. The sect directly recorded his identity with them. That extinguished Ye Chen's earlier fantasies of sending the rewards elsewhere. The direct disciple slot was useless now.

As for the Divine Will Pool, it was worth going, as it could save time in cultivation. But overall, Ye Chen felt that this Divine Will Assembly had been rather unremarkable. If he had known the slots couldn't be transferred, he wouldn't have bothered coming.

With a slight pout, Ye Chen walked off the platform. But just at that moment, a nondescript woman stood in front of him. It was Li Feihuang, with her three hundred times multiplier!

Li Feihuang looked at Ye Chen seriously and spoke, "Fellow Daoist Ye, would you mind finding a quieter place to talk?"