ISWI Chapter 850-851 (Patreon)

Chapter 850: Eldest Senior Brother Has Issues!

"Senior Brother, I have an artifact that might be useful for the Holy Maiden. It could lend you a hand!"

At Ye Chen's current realm, there was no need to hide something like a supreme Extreme Dao weapon. Aside from a few with truly special functions, he barely cared about the rest anymore. So he could bring it out casually without worry—few people even had the qualification or courage to covet anything of his.

At those words, Hua Yunfei's eyes lit up with anticipation as he looked at Ye Chen.

Seeing no one else around, Ye Chen waved his hand. The Divine Maiden Furnace appeared. The moment its form came into view, Hua Yunfei's mouth twitched. He stared at Ye Chen in disbelief.

The furnace was crystal-clear, as though carved from celestial glass. Its shape resembled a reclining divine maiden with flawless, translucent skin. The furnace head bore vivid, breathtaking facial features—eyelashes that seemed to tremble gently.

Every curve of the body was exquisitely lifelike, with starlight twinkling at the most sensitive points, accentuating its perfection. The furnace feet were long, graceful limbs. At first glance, it was nothing less than a flawless jade beauty.

Hua Yunfei looked at Ye Chen in astonishment. He hadn't expected his junior brother to show him something like this. Had his junior brother grown tired of real women and started crafting sculptures for himself?

After a brief hesitation, Hua Yunfei spoke softly.

"Junior Brother, I understand your tastes. As long as it doesn't affect your cultivation, it's fine. I know you're sharing this rare treasure with good intentions. But Senior Brother… I'm not into this kind of thing. Please don't show me anything like it next time!"

Ye Chen's mouth twitched. Still, he couldn't blame Hua Yunfei for misunderstanding—the thing really was indecent. When he first obtained it, even he had been shocked. What kind of proper person would forge a supreme Extreme Dao weapon into this shape?

It was too embarrassing to even use in battle. Everyone else wielded swords, spears, and staves, while you summoned a fully nude jade beauty. The scene alone was absurd.

Ye Chen hurriedly explained, "Senior Brother, what are you thinking? This is the Divine Maiden Furnace…"

Hua Yunfei immediately showed a surprised expression. Yet he refused to look at it again, tilting his head upward as he said in astonishment, "So this is that infamous Divine Maiden Furnace? Even the Heavenly Emperor collected something like this in his treasury? That's really…"

Ye Chen's mouth twitched again.

Great—the Heavenly Emperor was taking the blame once more.

Still, two grown men standing around with this furnace hovering between them felt incredibly awkward. So Ye Chen quickly pushed the Divine Maiden Furnace toward him.

"Since Senior Brother already knows about the Divine Maiden Furnace, I won't bother explaining its functions. The Holy Maiden refuses to listen and won't cultivate the secret art herself. So this time I'll capture her directly. Then hand her over to you. You toss her into the furnace. Once she's dazed and delirious—willing to accept any demand you make—just have her cultivate the dharma you found…"

As Ye Chen spoke, he suddenly felt like laughing. A woman screaming that she would agree to anything, yet the man's only demand was for her to cultivate. It was as ridiculous as those old jokes about asking someone to do math problems.

Hua Yunfei's eyes brightened at the idea. It was a good plan. The process might be strange, but the result was what mattered. Yet when he heard the full proposal and saw Ye Chen pushing the Divine Maiden Furnace toward him, Hua Yunfei immediately took two steps back, staring at Ye Chen in shock.

"Why should I be the one to do it? What are you giving me this furnace for?"

His reaction stunned Ye Chen in turn. Anyone could imagine what would happen to a woman thrown into the Divine Maiden Furnace. No man would ever be willing to let another man take his place in something like that.

Who would happily watch the woman he cared about being refined by someone else? And the sights during the refining process would surely be endlessly tantalizing. What was wrong with Senior Brother? Was he really treating him like family to this degree?

But since Senior Brother was being so open, Ye Chen felt awkward too. His reputation was already bad enough—he couldn't afford more unjust accusations.

"Senior Brother, you care so deeply about the Holy Maiden—doesn't that mean you like her? How could I possibly take your place in the refining process? Don't worry—whatever happens with the Divine Maiden Furnace, I swear I won't tell a soul! It'll be a secret between heaven, earth, you, me, and the Holy Maiden… Is that acceptable?"

Hearing Ye Chen's words, Hua Yunfei explained helplessly, "My feelings for Dantai are purely that of senior brother to junior sister… She entered the holy land when she was very young and has always stayed by my side… Back then, she was only three or four years old—carved from jade, unbelievably adorable. So I took special care of her, and our bond as martial siblings grew especially deep. But I have always regarded her strictly as a little sister. There has never been the slightest romantic feeling."

Ye Chen was dumbfounded.

Bullshit! You follow Dantai Xuan around the Immortal Path like a devoted simp every single day. And now you say you only see her as a sister? I'd sooner believe a ghost.

Ye Chen didn't even try to hide his disbelief—it was written all over his face.

Hua Yunfei's refined, jade-like features were filled with even greater helplessness.

"Junior Brother, I truly don't."

He felt too embarrassed to continue. But he still spoke earnestly.

"Junior Brother, I trust your character. You should be the one to handle this. I understand Dantai's temperament. If this method can bring her back, she will never hold a grudge over it!"

Ye Chen: "???"

Seeing his Eldest Senior Brother's resolute attitude, Ye Chen simply withdrew the furnace. But there was no way he was doing it himself. How many good brothers had fallen out over women?

If you won't do it, then neither will I. I'm in no rush anyway. When the time comes, I'll capture her and deliver both her and the furnace straight to you. Let's see whether you take it or not!

Hua Yunfei watched Ye Chen put the furnace away. The thought that Dantai Xuan might still be saved brought a natural calm back to his expression. He handed Ye Chen two secret arts. One was the Soul-Cleansing Technique from the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. The other came from an ancient True Immortal's scripture—a different Soul-Cleansing Method with its own emphasis.

Ye Chen accepted both without ceremony. The two spent several days catching up and chatting about recent events.

"I've heard some rumors lately," Hua Yunfei said. "In the Eighth Realm of the Immortal Path, a treasure related to the Front Secret appeared… But by the time I arrived, the place had already been reduced to ruins. I don't know who ended up with it."

At the mention of the Front Secret, Ye Chen's brow lifted.

The Front Secret—first among the Nine Secrets. It was said to shatter divine prohibitions, allowing one's combat power to break the Heavenly Dao's restrictions, along with countless other profound mysteries.

Ye Chen himself was only missing this one secret to complete the full set of Nine Secrets. Legend held that uniting all nine would surpass even immortal scriptures, granting invincibility in this era. He still harbored some anticipation toward it. So he quietly noted the information, planning to investigate later and see if he could trade for it.

Hua Yunfei continued, "Lately in the Central Continent, there have been reports of evil cultivators abducting female cultivators. But unlike the old cases where people targeted Holy Maidens, this time they're abducting mature married women. The wife of the Feather Transformation Dynasty's Holy Master has gone missing.

"It's said another Holy Land's Holy Master's wife vanished too, though she's hiding the fact. And in Alkaid Holy Land, someone tried to target the Holy Son's mother, but was discovered and stopped. The trail supposedly leads to one of their Supreme Elders…

"In the final generation of the Immortal Path, all kinds of demons and monsters are crawling out. I don't know who's so deranged, or what they even want with these women! But the methods are so vile and despicable—it's truly beneath contempt…"

Ye Chen had been listening with interest—until the end, when his mouth twitched violently.

Demon-Exterminating Great Saint, what the hell are you doing? Stop it right now! If this ever gets exposed, I'll never wash the stain off. It'll become a lifelong black mark.

...

Ye Chen and his Eldest Senior Brother got along exceptionally well. After several days of discussing the Dao together, Hua Yunfei finally stepped out of the cabin with him.

Besides the group of elders on the flying vessel, there was also a dainty little girl, no more than seven or eight years old, carved from pink jade. She was the granddaughter of one of the Supreme Elders. Her aptitude was excellent—fully 2,000×—so she was dearly loved by her grandfather and had been specially brought along to Central Continent to broaden her horizons. If a battle broke out, she could simply be tucked into a cave heaven—no trouble at all.

Ye Chen found the little girl adorable, and since she had a multiplier, he casually gave her quite a few gifts. As a result, she quickly grew very fond of him. She kept asking him to pick her up and hold her.

But the elders were extremely wary of Ye Chen. They hurriedly blocked her, refusing to let him carry her. That guarded look in their eyes wounded Ye Chen deeply.

Bro, your granddaughter is only seven or eight years old. Do you really need to guard against me like this? How could I possibly go after a little girl that young? Prejudice truly is a mountain.

What surprised Ye Chen even more, however, was that his Eldest Senior Brother also doted on the little girl. Throughout the journey, Hua Yunfei patiently taught her foundational principles and gave her all sorts of small gifts. Once, when they passed a strangely shaped mountain peak that looked like a tiny house, the little girl took a particular liking to it.

Without hesitation, Hua Yunfei waved his sleeve, uprooted the divine peak, refined it into a delicate ornament, and presented it to her. The elders showed no concern whatsoever about Hua Yunfei getting close to her. They never once tried to stop the little girl from clinging to him. So very quickly, she forgot all about Ye Chen and spent her days trailing after Hua Yunfei like a little tail.

Feeling the stark difference in treatment, Ye Chen felt even more injured.

Prejudice. Pure prejudice.

Meanwhile, Feng Baiyu stood beside Ye Chen with a cheerful grin. Watching Hua Yunfei—ever gentle and patient as he taught the little girl—his eyes filled with reminiscence.

"Back when Dantai Xuan first entered the holy land, she was even younger than this girl… Dantai Xuan was incredibly cute at that age, too. Hua Yunfei basically took care of her every single day—more devoted than even her own master. When he went out on missions, he secretly followed to protect her. You could call them true siblings and no one would argue. But once Dantai Xuan grew up, Hua Yunfei very properly kept his distance. He no longer got as close as before…"

"To be honest, Hua Yunfei has always liked children. Many female cultivators in the holy land were personally taught by him when they were little. But once they grew up, he always kept far away—never the slightest improper thought! You could really learn from your Eldest Senior Brother. That's what a true gentleman looks like!"

Hearing the Holy Master's words, Ye Chen watched his Eldest Senior Brother—so endlessly patient, so gentle as he corrected the little girl's mistakes. Warm and attentive when they were small, impeccably polite once they grew up?

There's something wrong here… There is definitely something wrong!

Chapter 851: The Bitter Rival Has Arrived!

Ye Chen harbored some suspicions about his own senior brother. He kept them to himself. The journey to the Immortal Path was made aboard their sect's flying vessel, powered by an Extreme Dao weapon that Ye Chen himself had sponsored.

With nothing to worry about, he left his senior brother to earnestly instruct the young girl and returned straight to his own cabin, stepping into his Cave Heaven. He descended onto the main peak and raised an eyebrow at the scene before him.

Lu Jing actually cultivating? And right beneath the Enlightenment Tea Tree, positioned just behind and to the side of Luo Bingling—careful not to steal the spotlight.

What was this? Had she finally noticed the superior cultivation environment inside his Cave Heaven after entering and realized the importance of practice?

The thought made Ye Chen smile. When he arrived, Luo Bingling showed no reaction at all, clearly immersed in deep cultivation.

Lu Jing, however, opened her eyes immediately. The moment she saw Ye Chen, her face lit up with surprise and joy, though a trace of small grievance lingered in her expression. Waking so quickly proved she hadn't been serious about cultivating. But that little grievance—had Luo Bingling been bullying her?

"What's wrong?" Ye Chen asked.

Lu Jing lowered her head, speaking shyly. "Senior Luo forced me to cultivate. She insists I practice at least eight hours every day. I have so many things to do. The seeds I brought still haven't been planted… Young Master, could you please talk to Senior Luo and ask her not to force me anymore?"

She really was quite depressed. Lu Jing understood her own position clearly. The fact that she could still stay by Ye Chen's side was already due to his sentimentality. So even when she saw Luo Bingling, she harbored no intention of competing for favor. She had even taken the initiative to offer a few small gifts as a gesture of goodwill.

After that, she planned to mind her own business—perhaps build a little kitchen halfway up the mountain, open a spiritual field at the foot, and plant the young master's favorite spirit plants… She could also mention spirit beasts to him later and ask him to bring in some young ones!

But the very next day, Luo Bingling dragged her over. After asking a few questions, Luo Bingling had looked furious at her lack of ambition—how could anyone have such excellent cultivation conditions and still refuse to practice? It was intolerable. From then on, she forced Lu Jing to cultivate alongside her every day.

Lu Jing's comfortable days of slacking off had come to an abrupt end.

"I know Senior Luo means well, but I really don't want to cultivate…" Lu Jing said pitifully.

Ye Chen thought for a moment. This seemed to be the first time Lu Jing had ever asked anything of him since becoming his maidservant. Yet even with the exceptional conditions of his Cave Heaven, she still showed zero initiative to cultivate. To be this dedicated to doing nothing—Lu Jing really was one of a kind.

Looking at her gentle, uncompetitive, pitifully adorable appearance, Ye Chen suddenly felt a spark of interest. With a sweep of his arm, he pulled her directly into his embrace. Amid the soft sound of rippling pool water, he stepped into the Star Pool.

"Since you won't cultivate on your own, I'll help raise your realm myself…"

Lu Jing's face flushed crimson in an instant. If this was the kind of cultivation, she was more than willing.

Soon after, the silently gestating holy spirit gnashed her teeth as she stared at the pair of hands resting on the body that housed her. She had known it would come to this!

Just wait. Once she was born, she would turn heaven and earth upside down. She would make these men and women who treated her shell as a mere tool pay a terrible price.

With such commotion happening right beside her, Luo Bingling naturally woke slowly. The moment she saw Ye Chen, her mood brightened considerably. She cast a glance at Lu Jing, clearly displeased.

Not out of jealousy, of course.

A woman of extremely low aptitude—and a mere maidservant at that—wasn't even worth the effort of being splashed with water. No, she was simply annoyed that the girl refused to cultivate properly.

Here she was, the proud princess of the War God Clan, unwilling to waste even a single moment in this Cave Heaven. Yet this woman showed no care at all, spending her days fiddling with flowers and plants. Such reckless waste of heavenly blessings—she simply could not stand it. She strode forward and spoke directly to Lu Jing, who was braced atop the Holy Spirit Jade Stone. "Move aside. I'm going first…"

Lu Jing's face flushed red. A flicker of grievance passed through her eyes, but she didn't dare voice her anger. Yet she was so close to completion that she couldn't bear to leave. With a small, aggrieved pout, she simply quickened her pace…

Luo Bingling was actually in a rather good mood at having such a pushover around. None of the women by Ye Chen's side was easy to deal with. Finally, she'd found a soft target.

But Lu Jing's pitiful expression didn't linger on the sidelines for long. Soon, Luo Bingling was looking at her with pleading eyes. "Quick—come here, help me hold on for a bit…"

Lu Jing: "???"

How could this Senior Luo be so weak in actual combat?

In the end, Lu Jing's gentle nature won out. She stepped forward willingly to share the burden.

Ye Chen, for his part, stayed out of it entirely. Everyone had their own temperament, and some things couldn't be forced. As long as it didn't cross any real lines—such as outright bullying within the harem or threats to life and limb—he wouldn't interfere. Let them sort it out themselves.

And so, amid Lu Jing's soft gentleness, Luo Bingling's mix of bravado and desperate pleas, and the holy spirit's gnashing fury… time slipped away unnoticed.

Eventually, the flying vessel arrived outside Immortal City. Ye Chen drifted down gracefully and stepped inside. All around him, gazes carried deep awe and reverence. Even sect masters and Holy Masters now came forward of their own accord to greet him.

As for the prodigies of his generation? They didn't even qualify to exchange words. They could only offer distant bows. Whether it was Ye Chen's earlier slaughter of an entire generation of prodigies from the myriad races, or his domination of self-severed saints along the Immortal Path, or the incident at the Heavenly Desire Sect where assassins came for him, only for the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land to go door-to-door with the corpses demanding compensation from every clan that had sent a genius, or simply his current, openly displayed peak Half-Saint realm—All of it had cemented Ye Chen's status as one of the undisputed top existences in the current cultivation world. A figure with true potential to ascend to immortality in the future.

Of course, there were still plenty who watched him with cold hostility. A powerhouse from the Dao One Holy Land swept his gaze over Ye Chen, eyes icy. Their holy land possessed the Eight-Crowned King—an existence that made them supremely transcendent.

Even though their clan elders had struck first, Ye Chen had shown zero mercy. Then that white-feathered envoy had arrived in Immortal City carrying the corpse, loudly questioning whether the Eight-Crowned King had cultivated some flaw and lost his invincible will. Otherwise, why would the Dao One Holy Land have sent people to assassinate their own Fourth Holy Son?

The incident had turned their once aloof holy land into a laughingstock. It had even tarnished the invincible reputation of their Eight-Crowned King. In the end, they could only swallow the humiliation, send people to Immortal City to pay compensation, offer explanations, and finally take the body away…

Ye Chen naturally sensed the malice directed at him. He didn't care in the slightest. No matter how much hostility there was—what could it actually do to him? But just as he was about to step onto the teleportation array bound for the Immortal Path, a figure blocked his path.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. Someone still dared to court death?

Then he recognized the person, and the corner of his mouth gave an almost imperceptible twitch. It was the current Feather Transformation King. The bitter rival had come knocking in person.

In his heart, Ye Chen cursed the Demon-Exterminating Great Saint. If that fool ever showed up offering his head, he'd kick it around like a ball. Useless at accomplishing anything, expert only at making things worse.

Despite the storm of irritation inside, Ye Chen's expression remained supremely arrogant. He looked down at the man, the corners of his lips curling into a cold, mocking smile.

"Feather Transformation King? You think you're qualified to block my way? Here to avenge your son?"

His words were deliberately cutting and devoid of courtesy.

Back then, the Feather Transformation King of the Third Heaven realm had stood high and mighty outside Immortal City, intent on blocking Ye Chen's path.

Now, after only a dozen or so short years, Ye Chen's cultivation had already surpassed his, reaching the peak of Half-Saint. The gap in combat power between them was as vast as the heavens and the earth.

Beneath the Feather Transformation King's sleeves, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails pierced his palms. Over all these years, the brighter Ye Chen shone, the deeper his hatred grew.

Ye Chen had killed his only son. If the chance ever came to kick a man when he was down, he would never hesitate. Unfortunately, his own cultivation was too low. Not long ago, when he heard rumors of a secret assassination attempt on Ye Chen, his heart had stirred with temptation.

But a mere King realm cultivator was trash—nobody even bothered recruiting him for the job. Then came the total annihilation of the attackers, followed by the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land going door-to-door demanding compensation. It left him with lingering fear. Good thing he hadn't gotten involved.

He never expected that, in the blink of an eye, his own wife would suddenly vanish. In the entire cultivation world, who would dare act so brazenly as to abduct the Dao companion of a King realm expert?

The first figure that flashed into his mind was Ye Chen. Back when he had blocked Ye Chen, the young man had stared at his wife several times with obvious amazement and regret in his eyes.

Coupled with Ye Chen's infamous reputation—vindictive to the extreme, insatiable when it came to beautiful women, even bold enough to covet the wife of the Divine Silkworm Clan's patriarch—it suddenly seemed entirely possible.

So he had come looking for answers. Swallowing his humiliation, he transmitted his voice: "Heir of the Heavenly Emperor, I beg you to return my wife… Calamity should not befall the innocent. My son's death back then was simply because he was inferior in skill—he deserved it. I acted impulsively and offended you at the time… Please, show mercy and let her go."

Ye Chen's face immediately darkened.

Your wife was taken by the Devouring lineage—why the hell are you coming to me first?

He was so angry that he felt like trembling. Prejudice really was like a mountain, pressing down until he could hardly breathe. Next time, he absolutely had to twist that Demon-Exterminating Great Saint's head off with his own hands.

"If you can't even keep watch over your own dao companion, what are you bothering me for? I, Ye Chen, don't collect just any trash!"

There was no good way to explain this.

With a grim expression, Ye Chen strode toward the teleportation array. The Feather Transformation King actually doubted it was really Ye Chen. Sneaking into his own holy land and abducting someone without anyone noticing seemed beyond Ye Chen's current abilities.

There had to be a traitor within the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty. He had already contacted the Alkaid Holy Land. They had uncovered an Elder who self-destructed during interrogation, and their only guess was the Devouring lineage. Given that Ye Chen was the heir of the Heavenly Emperor—and judging by that look of open disdain on his face—he really did seem uninvolved.

With that reassurance, the Feather Transformation King finally relaxed. He shot Ye Chen one last furious glare.

You've offended the Dao One Holy Land. You've offended the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan. Both of those factions have ancient monstrous prodigies among their prodigies. Let's see how long you can keep acting arrogant.

…

Though Ye Chen's face remained dark, the moment he stepped onto the teleportation array, the corners of his mouth couldn't help curling into a faint smile. Back then, this man had used his superior status to try to crush him to death.

And now?

Someone was casually snatching his dao companion and gifting her to him. Yet the man himself didn't even dare stand straight in his presence. Even when he suspected Ye Chen had taken his wife, all he could do was beg—never curse or threaten.

Ye Chen didn't exactly approve of such behavior. Still, this particular brand of face-slapping felt unexpectedly satisfying. But the smile quickly faded as he frowned. Why did his way of doing things suddenly feel more and more like that of a villain?

No. Absolutely not.

He had to hold fast to his principles. He couldn't let these small moments of smug satisfaction and face-slapping pleasure corrupt his mind!

In the next instant, the teleportation array flared with light. Ye Chen's figure vanished from the spot!

…

Meanwhile, inside the Immortal City.

The Demon-Exterminating Great Saint, hidden among the crowd, caught that final fleeting smile on Ye Chen's face. He immediately confirmed one thing. The young master might say no with his mouth, but his body was very honest. Since he had failed in this task, he would simply have to redouble his efforts in other areas and keep up the good work!