ISWI Chapter 841-842 (Patreon)

Chapter 841: Fiancée's Olive Branch

Hearing the Holy Master's words, Yi Qingwu's originally cold expression shifted. Her pupils contracted. A flash of shock crossed her eyes, swiftly replaced by deep guilt. So that was it—Ye Chen had already agreed to the Holy Master long ago. He had even gone straight from her cave abode to deliver the betrothal gifts. That day, when he spoke those words, he must have simply wanted to surprise her. And what had she done?

Without understanding anything, she had scowled at him, turned icy, and driven him out of her cave. All that time Ye Chen had been outside, fighting desperately for origin on her behalf—he must have wanted nothing more than to spend a little longer with her.

The image of him quietly leaving Heavenly Intention Holy Land after presenting the gifts, his figure desolate and alone, made the guilt in Yi Qingwu's heart grow heavier still. Then, as she listened further to the Holy Master, something felt off. Her divine sense swept over the storage ring the Holy Master handed her.

When she saw the sheer array of treasures inside, Yi Qingwu's small mouth fell open in shock. The value of these gifts… Even if Ye Chen emptied half the Heavenly Emperor's treasury, he might not have been able to match this. He clearly valued her to such an astonishing degree—yet she had still believed he cared more for his master, for Senior An… She… She had truly made a terrible mistake this time.

Yi Qingwu's eyes reddened. She lowered her head, fingers tightening around the storage ring, then looked up at the Holy Master and said firmly, "I'm going to Heavenly Evolution Holy Land right now to return these to him… Tell him—no gifts are necessary!"

As the words left her mouth, she activated the Movement Secret. Unable to wait another moment, she prepared to shoot away in a blaze of motion.

The Heavenly Intention Holy Master froze, then hurriedly called after her: "Where are you going? Ye Chen hasn't left! He's been sitting cross-legged at the entrance of your cave abode these past few days, waiting for you to come out of seclusion. Huh? Strange… you've emerged, but now he's suddenly gone."

Yi Qingwu's graceful figure halted instantly. Even after she misunderstood him, Ye Chen had still waited for her?

The realization made the guilt in her chest surge even stronger. She must have truly hurt his feelings. That was why he was deliberately avoiding her now.

Without hesitation, Yi Qingwu released her divine sense. It spread outward like a tidal wave, rippling in every direction from where she stood. A moment later, her eyes lit up. She shot straight toward one particular direction.

…

Ye Chen sat leisurely, fishing. Not a single fish had taken the bait. But of course, fishing had never been his real purpose. Sensing the familiar aura drawing steadily closer, the corners of his mouth curved upward.

Yet he kept his head down, pretending he noticed nothing at all.He was genuinely curious. Given his fiancée's personality, how exactly would she apologize?

When she finally appeared beside him, a system notification chimed in his mind:

"Gift recipient multiplier has changed. Updating…"

"Yi Qingwu: Increased from 4,500× to 6,000×!"

Listening to the prompt, Ye Chen's lips lifted in a faint smile. As expected, his fiancée had indeed obtained the Acquired Chaos Body. And just as he had predicted, the Acquired Chaos Body's multiplier was precisely six thousand times. One thousand less than Yan Qingcheng's seven thousand.

Still, though a ripple of satisfaction passed through him, Ye Chen maintained his indifferent facade, eyes fixed silently on the still water.

Yi Qingwu clearly noticed. She knew he was still sulking over what happened last time. But apologizing outright was simply not in her nature. So instead, she gently raised her jade hand. A formation disk flew out.

The next instant, the sky above Ye Chen darkened. Finally unable to keep pretending, he turned his head. There she stood—his fiancée, using the formation disk to seal off the entire area. She approached with graceful, swaying steps.

Still wearing that aloof, high-cold expression, she lifted her chin slightly and said: "What you did in my cave last time… you still haven't left your mark. Finish it now."

As her voice fell, the white dress wreathed in immortal qi rose on its own…

Yi Qingwu offered the dense cluster of tally marks she had kept hidden until now, placing them directly before Ye Chen. Seeing the countless neat strokes and his fiancée's utterly candid posture, any lingering impulse Ye Chen had to tease her vanished in an instant. She had only been upset because she desperately wanted to become his dao companion—what fault was there in that?

Especially now, when she had willingly presented these marks—essentially extending an olive branch in her own proud way. What else could he do?

Naturally, forgive her.

Noticing the softening in his gaze, Yi Qingwu let a faint, gentle smile curve her lips. She glanced once at the storage ring in her hand, then slowly closed those eyes swirling with chaotic mist and bowed her head of her own accord.

Just as Ye Chen added one more stroke and was about to savor the moment a little longer, Luo Bingling awoke from an especially profound cultivation session inside his cave heaven. Feeling the tremendous leap in her strength, she immediately shared her joy with Ye Chen through a delighted transmission.

Ye Chen didn't hide anything and casually told her he was currently busy marking tallies on his fiancée.

At once, Luo Bingling clamored to join in. The grudge-bearing woman still vividly remembered the day Yi Qingwu had stared at her expressionlessly and dismissed her with the excuse that "the cave abode is too small."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and shot a questioning look toward Yi Qingwu. Her face remained calm; the corners of her mouth lifted in faint disdain as she gave the slightest nod.

The next moment, Luo Bingling stepped out from Ye Chen's cave heaven. Her impossibly alluring waist swayed hypnotically as she drifted over and settled directly opposite Yi Qingwu, eyes blazing with the desire for payback.

Yi Qingwu, however, sat with perfect composure, not sparing her so much as a glance. Even when stray locks of hair clung damply to her forehead, her expression never wavered. If it had been An Miaoli or Gu Yunyun, Yi Qingwu might have paid slightly more attention.

But Luo Bingling? What standing did she have? Once someone willingly entered Ye Chen's cave heaven, what independent dignity could they possibly retain?

In Yi Qingwu's eyes, she was nothing more than a tool to be used whenever the mood struck—utterly unqualified to be considered a rival.

...

Several full days later.

Ye Chen watched Luo Bingling stagger back into the cave heaven, legs trembling and steps unsteady, yet wearing a look of deep satisfaction after finally avenging her old humiliation. He could only shake his head helplessly. Her thirst for revenge really was something else. Only cultivators could indulge in such prolonged "play." A mortal would have long since been reduced to a withered husk.

Turning his gaze back to his fiancée, Ye Chen saw that—even with damp strands framing her face—she still radiated that signature aloof chill, utterly unruffled. At her subtle gesture, he added the final tally mark. Only then did he finally have a chance to ask, "You've already cultivated the Acquired Chaos Body. Next, you'll condense the divine embryo and shed the demonic husk, right? Do you have enough origin?"

Yi Qingwu savored the abundant marks now coursing through her body and gave a light nod.

"The origin you sent last time is sufficient. It will support the full formation of my divine embryo."

Ye Chen nodded in understanding. Condensing the divine embryo meant forging an entirely new physical body from within the old one. According to the description in the Indestructible Heavenly Art, any impurities would remain trapped in the discarded demonic husk, leaving the new body far purer. Aptitude would rise noticeably compared to before, though it still wouldn't reach the level of a true Innate Chaos Body.

There were other benefits too, varying from person to person. The shed husk itself remained immensely valuable. Some cultivators refined it into an avatar. Others turned it into a different supreme treasure. After all, anyone who cultivated the Indestructible Heavenly Art and devoured the origins of various prodigies possessed a physique that was itself a peerless material.

In ancient times, the Devouring Immortal had used her own shed husk to forge the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar. So Ye Chen was genuinely curious what his fiancée planned to do with hers when the time came.

Chapter 842: No Compromises

"For the next year, I'll likely be in secluded cultivation until I successfully condense the divine embryo and shed the demonic husk."

Yi Qingwu straightened her clothes, concealing the still-trembling tally marks branded across her body, before calmly sharing her plans with Ye Chen.

Ye Chen nodded and asked with genuine curiosity, "What do you intend to do with the shed demonic husk?"

Truthfully, he wasn't keen on her refining it into some kind of treasure. Turning one's own flesh into an artifact always felt a little sanity-shattering. Worse—if it ended up like the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Jar and somehow circulated into other hands for use—he'd feel deeply uncomfortable.

But Yi Qingwu, ever decisive, had long since made up her mind. She brushed a few dried strands of hair behind her ear and answered indifferently, "Heavenly Intention Holy Land possesses its own clone techniques. I plan to refine it into one of my avatars."

Ye Chen nodded—solid choice. He himself had never been interested in clones. Take Eldest Senior Brother's One Qi Transforms Three Purities—he'd never once considered cultivating it. To Ye Chen, he was utterly unique; even a clone wouldn't truly be "him."

The thought of a clone being intimate with his women already felt bizarre—like cuckolding himself. So compared to One Qi Transforms Three Purities, he was far more intrigued by the legendary Self-Transforming Freedom Method that the Heavenly Emperor was said to have created after ascending to the Immortal Realm.

Supposedly, it carried enormous cost and could only be used in battle, but it was far more convenient—no need to painstakingly nurture another body. The principle involved summoning versions of oneself from the past and future to fight alongside the present self. With Ye Chen's current realm, he still couldn't fathom how such an advanced operation across timelines actually worked.

Still, if he ever had to cultivate a clone technique, he'd choose Self-Transforming Freedom without hesitation. He was already ridiculously powerful on his own. Add a few more versions of himself with near-identical combat strength? No one else would stand a chance. But that was him. His fiancée was different. Ye Chen wholeheartedly approved of Yi Qingwu cultivating an avatar technique.

...

Seeing that Ye Chen merely nodded without speaking, Yi Qingwu arched a brow and prompted, "Aren't you going to ask why I want to refine the demonic husk into my own avatar?"

A flicker of curiosity crossed Ye Chen's eyes.

Was there more to it?

The corners of Yi Qingwu's mouth curved upward.

"The avatar refined from the demonic husk will possess far greater combat power than an ordinary clone. And with an avatar in place, next time I'll be able to occupy two locations at once—while Luo Bingling squats off to the side and watches."

Ye Chen's mouth twitched slightly.

Double-teaming, huh?

Bold idea.

But from her expression, there seemed to be yet another reason.

Yi Qingwu didn't keep him in suspense.

"More importantly—I've had enough! Once I refine the demonic husk into an avatar, you will choose one of us and go all the way to the final step! Otherwise, don't bother coming to find me again."

By the end, her eyes narrowed to slits, teeth gritted fiercely. Those gleaming, perfectly aligned teeth looked ready to tear a chunk out of him. They'd known each other for so many years and had experienced every kind of intimacy imaginable—yet every single time they reached the final step, Ye Chen would pull back, slip away, or at most linger for a fleeting moment. Even with Yi Qingwu's unshakable Dao Heart, she sometimes wanted to hit someone. She understood that Ye Chen was only protecting her, unwilling to risk harming her immortal path potential.

Still, she couldn't endure it any longer. If things continued this way, a heart demon would surely emerge. But Ye Chen had been so resolute that she'd run out of ways to persuade him. That was why she was now so determined to refine an avatar. If the main body wouldn't do, then the avatar would have to suffice.

And since both main body and avatar belonged to her completely, every sensation would be shared. It was, in its own way, another solution.

Ye Chen finally cracked, unable to hold back his laughter any longer. Truth be told, he hadn't expected his aloof fiancée to be pushed to this point—to actually voice it out loud herself. All this time, he'd refrained from fully claiming her because of her extraordinary potential.

Even after obtaining the Acquired Chaos Body, there was still room for further growth. He had even entertained the idea of attempting to help her convert it from acquired to innate in the future. But her feelings mattered too.

Ordinary clones held no appeal for him—they felt like lifeless dolls. With his alchemy and artifact-crafting skills at their peak, if he wanted, he could forge any female cultivator form using divine materials. But what would be the point?

The demonic husk, however, was different. It was the very body she was shedding—her own flesh and blood. Still… would she even get the multiplier boost from something like that?

It felt like exploiting a loophole in the system. Yet Ye Chen's hesitation lasted only a heartbeat. He had always prioritized benefits above all else, but if he kept sacrificing his true desires just to chase higher multipliers, he'd only be lowering himself.

Since his fiancée had brought it up herself, he decided they could at least try. If even her main body lost the ability to trigger a critical hit as a result, then he'd simply go with the flow and conquer both forms at once.

Breaking through two gates in a single day. And if the multiplier still triggered—perfect. Pleasure and profit together. A true win-win…

So under her gritted-teeth glare, Ye Chen smiled and nodded.

"Alright."

Only then did Yi Qingwu give a satisfied nod. But immediately afterward, she let out a soft humph and tossed a storage ring toward him.

"You think showering me with so many gifts will win my heart? I, Yi Qingwu, have no need for a dao companion. Don't waste your effort!"

Her attitude toward becoming his official dao companion had shifted again. At first she'd looked forward to it, but now she'd changed her mind. She had finally realized—Ye Chen already had so many women around him. He even kept one in his cave heaven at all times. If she became his legitimate dao companion, wouldn't that mean she'd be the one getting cuckolded by Luo Bingling, An Miaoli, and all the others?

The thought of so many women sharing him while she stood alone as the "official" one was intolerable to her proud nature. Better to be the one doing the cuckolding than the one being cuckolded. That sounded far more interesting.

The title of Dao Companion was nothing more than a label—let whoever wanted it have it. What she truly wanted was his attitude. The fact that he had presented such lavish gifts and expressed his desire to form a dao bond with her—that attitude was more than enough.

Ye Chen looked at the floating ring and sighed helplessly. This fiancée of his really did have a mind of her own. Before, when he said no to marriage, she got angry. Now that things were going well, she was refusing again.

Utterly unreasonable.

Still, he didn't take the ring. Instead, he let it hover before her and spoke softly, "Everything will be as you wish. But keep the storage ring for yourself."

They were all items that couldn't be gifted anyway—taking them back would be pointless.

Hearing his words, Yi Qingwu felt a surge of warmth in her chest. Such priceless treasures, and he was so resolute in giving them to her. It proved just how highly he valued her. She might not be miles ahead of An Miaoli or Gu Yunyun, but she was certainly not inferior to them. That was enough.

After a moment's thought, seeing the firmness in his expression, she gave a grand nod.

"Then I'll hold onto it for now. But don't think that accepting it means I'll agree to become your dao companion… Receiving gifts doesn't mean I like you…"