ISWI Chapter 865-866 (Patreon)

Chapter 865: I Can't Show My Face Anymore!

The Heavenly Emperor Hall actually possessed a technique for reversing and severing the Great Dao. But it had not been left behind by the Heavenly Emperor himself. It had been collected from the outside world.

Yan Qingcheng immediately shook her head.

"I already possess a Dao-severing technique. Moreover, I have already accepted far too many gifts from Fellow Daoist Ye. This Dao-severing technique—I truly feel unworthy to receive it! Please take it back, fellow daoist."

In the cultivation world, true laws were not transmitted lightly. Even though the Martial Ancestor Dao-severing technique carried no restrictions and could be copied freely, it remained an exceptionally valuable gift.

Ye Chen only smiled at her words.

"It doesn't matter if you already have one. Comparing and cross-referencing different methods can still offer even the slightest insight or assistance when Fairy eventually severs her own dao. Besides, the only reason I gift things to Fairy is that I feel a deep affinity with you—like encountering a true kindred spirit. Please, Fairy, you must accept it."

Hearing those words, the expression on Yan Qingcheng's face grew even more complicated. She opened her mouth to protest again.

Ye Chen raised a hand to stop her.

"When Fairy was willing to yield the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade to me, I accepted without excessive modesty. Why should Fairy keep refusing now?"

At that, Yan Qingcheng found herself completely speechless. Ye Chen's character truly had no flaws to pick at. Toward fellow daoists, he was so utterly sincere. She resolved to repay him in full measure.

Yan Qingcheng had always been magnanimous. With Ye Chen speaking so plainly, she no longer refused. Moreover, she genuinely felt curious about the Martial Ancestor Dao-severing technique. She even sensed that it might suit her better than the one kept in the Heavenly Emperor Hall.

In her heart, the decision had already been made. Once everything here was concluded, the Heavenly Emperor Hall would change owners.

"In that case… I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ye. I must admit, I am quite interested in the Martial Ancestor's Dao-severing technique."

With graceful resolve, Yan Qingcheng accepted the gift.

Ye Chen gave a warm smile. He watched as she immersed her divine sense into the jade slip. In that instant, the familiar system prompt rang clearly in his mind.

"Congratulations to the host—gift successfully presented…"

"Gift presented: Martial Ancestor Dao-Severing Technique!"

"Seven-thousandfold feedback in progress…"

"Detected that the gift presented holds extreme importance to the recipient, triggering intense emotional and mental fluctuations."

"Top-notch critical hit feedback activated…"

"Feedback: Chaos Golden Radiance Dao-Severing Technique!"

"In a supreme great world on par with the Immortal Realm, a top-tier innate being born from chaos devoured a great sun and gained profound insight, thereby creating this supreme Dao-severing method. In foreign realms and across myriad worlds, all great powers unanimously recognize this Dao-severing technique as the absolute pinnacle—no other Dao-severing method can compare in effect! It may be called the number-one Dao-severing method across all realms!"

"Chaos Golden Radiance Dao-Severing Technique: By wielding an unparalleled method, one draws upon the origin laws of the cosmos, tracing back to the source and restoring the fundamental truth, thereby forging an invincible Chaos Dao Self and achieving transcendence—reversing the path to saintly ascension…"

"If one uses a Dao-Entrust Treasure to forge the Chaos Dao Self, the effect becomes even more extraordinary. Those who ascend to sainthood through this method gain an unimaginable depth of comprehension toward the Great Dao; every movement and gesture commands all things."

"In the future, comprehending the three thousand great daos will become far easier, with significantly higher fusion rates. After becoming a saint, one grows even closer to the origin laws of the cosmos, allowing faster absorption and refinement of cosmic origin power for personal use!"

"While cultivating this method before sainthood, the cultivator's hair will radiate golden divine light. Only after achieving sainthood will the golden radiance fade!"

"…"

Reading through the feedback and its detailed descriptions, Ye Chen's eyes widened.

The number-one Dao-severing method across all realms? Wasn't that a bit too overpowered? But before sainthood, his hair would turn golden from the radiance? Did that mean he'd have to spend some time as a blond?

Ye Chen felt a helpless urge to complain. Still, considering how overwhelmingly powerful the Chaos Golden Radiance Dao-Severing Technique was, such a minor side effect hardly mattered.

A smile tugged at the corner of Ye Chen's mouth. His mood lifted even higher. Looking at Yan Qingcheng before him, his gaze grew gentler still. She already possessed a Dao-severing technique. Yet accepting his gift had still triggered a top-notch critical hit. Her heart of gratitude truly ran deep.

Ye Chen saw that Yan Qingcheng had sunk deeply into comprehending the Martial Ancestor Dao-severing technique, so he did not disturb her. Instead, he first turned his divine sense toward the Divine Maiden Furnace.

Dantai Xuan had already been sealed inside and refined for a full week. Yet when his divine sense swept over her, he found only that her lovely face had flushed faintly. From time to time her body twisted slightly. Her clothes remained perfectly intact. Everything else showed not the slightest abnormality.

Sensing Ye Chen's divine sense brush past, Dantai Xuan spoke with icy indifference: "This thing is completely useless against me. Release me at once!"

Ye Chen had originally worried that pushing too hard might damage Dantai Xuan beyond repair, making it difficult to explain to his senior brother. So he had never fully activated the Divine Maiden Furnace. Now, seeing her resistance so extraordinarily high, he no longer hesitated. With a casual wave of his hand, he cranked the furnace's power to its absolute maximum.

Dantai Xuan's expression changed instantly. Her entire body began to tremble violently, the shudders so intense they shook her frame. For a fleeting moment, confusion clouded her eyes. She raised a hand at once, as though intending to say something to Ye Chen.

But after adjusting the power, Ye Chen withdrew his divine sense without so much as a glance back. He left Dantai Xuan alone inside the furnace—her face burning scarlet, barely able to remain seated. The eyes that had always been utterly cold and devoid of any ripple now carried a trace of panic.

Deep within her sea of consciousness, two primordial spirits now existed. Both were identical in appearance—both bore Dantai Xuan's features. Yet their auras stood in stark contrast.

One carried a touch of innocent vivacity. The other radiated bone-chilling frost. No need to guess which belonged to the original self. The original primordial spirit was now bound hand and foot, waist and neck shackled by strange chains. Those chains suspended her in midair, limbs stretched taut.

Her spirit form had already begun to fade, growing faintly illusory. It was as though the chains were continuously draining something vital from her. Even while she had been dormant before, her pale forehead had remained faintly furrowed. Every so often, a pained moan escaped her, as though she endured constant agony.

But now things were different. The original primordial spirit's lovely face flushed crimson. Her body twisted involuntarily. Yet the chains held her fast, preventing any escape. They only rattled loudly with each futile struggle. The eyes that had stayed tightly shut now trembled constantly, as though they might open at any second.

The Supreme Dantai Xuan narrowed her eyes at the sight. Originally, given just a bit more time—once she reached the quasi-immortal realm—she could have fully digested the original Dantai Xuan and achieved the Supreme Immortal Body. But now the original primordial spirit was on the verge of awakening.

After this, she would no longer be able to refine the original self without restraint. The entire process would stretch out several times longer. It might even prevent her from achieving immortality or communing with the Supreme in the cultivation world. Thinking of Ye Chen—the one who had caused all of this—even the Supreme Dantai Xuan could not suppress a flicker of genuine anger.

In the next moment, she turned her head. She stared coldly at the original primordial spirit, whose eyelashes fluttered lightly as her eyelids slowly lifted. As for the original self, her lovely face burned red. She bit down gently on her lower lip.

Waking up only to plunge straight into this strange, overwhelming sensation left her feeling unbearably uncomfortable. Yet as the memories of these past years flooded back, her delicate body trembled while her expression shifted constantly.

"To think I actually gained such a generous junior brother—this one is far more interesting than senior brother! But I actually injured senior brother? And even ambushed my own junior brother? And for the sake of a single jade piece, I actually said such things to him?"

Recalling everything that had happened, even though none of it had been her true intention, the original self closed her eyes again. She looked as though she would rather never have awakened.

To think she had actually told her junior brother to do whatever he pleased with her? Even if she somehow managed to recover in the future, she would have no face left to show anyone!

Chapter 866: Why Is Your Hair Turning Yellow?

Dantai Xuan's original self had awakened. Yet she still could not seize control of the flesh. The disparity in strength between them remained far too vast. But the Divine Maiden Furnace could awaken the deepest desires buried in the heart, stirring one's true nature to the surface.

In essence, it was quietly favoring the original Dantai Xuan. As long as she remained awake and aware, sooner or later she would begin to influence the body—even seize momentary control. When that day came, she would be able to do many things…

The original self silently pondered her options. But in the next instant, both she and the coldly indifferent Supreme Dantai Xuan rolled their eyes in unison. Their gazes turned dazed. their primordial spirits trembled, ripples spreading outward without end.

All of it stemmed from the same cause: the physical body of Dantai Xuan inside the Divine Maiden Furnace had floated up into the clouds, involuntarily offering a gushing, reciprocal response…

A long while passed before both primordial spirits slowly regained clarity. Yet before long, an even higher wave crashed over them once more. Feeling her strength gradually returning with each successive tide, the original Dantai Xuan felt a surge of joy.

At their core, the two were one and the same. The weaker the main body became, the stronger the Supreme grew; the more emotionless the whole became, the closer it drew to complete devouring. Conversely, the more the emotions were stirred, the weaker the Supreme grew—and the more the original self could slowly recover. In this give-and-take, she would eventually accumulate enough power to wrest back control of the body, even if only briefly.

But soon enough, another realization struck Dantai Xuan. The Divine Maiden Furnace belonged to that junior brother of hers. He could sense everything happening inside with perfect clarity. That meant every time she soaked the furnace in response, he would see it all—crystal clear.

At the thought, the original primordial spirit's gaze turned vacant. She murmured helplessly: "I think there's no need to save me anymore… I should just find a way to perish together with her!"

Meanwhile, the Supreme Dantai Xuan felt her own power steadily draining away. Her brows furrowed even deeper. She could not help speaking to the original self: "I was born from you. I am you, and you are me! This tug-of-war between us is ultimately harming our shared interests. If we fail to achieve immortality in this life, neither of us will ever leave this world."

"When the final opening of the Heavenly Gate ends, countless minor worlds beneath the Immortal Realm will become isolated islands, slowly declining until their spiritual qi is exhausted and everything falls into utter desolation! But if you and I work together to enter the Immortal Realm, I will immediately depart your body and return to the Supreme's guidance…"

"At that point, you will possess true immortal cultivation and the Supreme Immortal Body. The vast Immortal Realm will be yours to roam freely. After all, even in the Immortal Realm, immortal physiques are exceedingly rare—at the very least, they qualify one as a top-tier prodigy of any major sect."

"We both have bright futures ahead. But if we keep struggling like this, we are only falling deeper into Ye Chen's trap. That boy is the one most likely to achieve immortality in this era. And when he does, the slots he brings through the Heavenly Gate won't even be enough for the women at his side—let alone for us. Don't be fooled. If he truly cared for you, would he have thrown you into this furnace to be refined?"

Hearing those words, the original primordial spirit—who had just been ready to give up and die—immediately shot the Supreme a withering glare.

"Do you think I believe a single word of your nonsense? I'm afraid the day you achieve immortality will be the very day you finish swallowing me whole. As for this junior brother, whether he achieves immortality is his own ability. As his senior sister, I would only be happy for him… And as for not bringing me along? Why on earth should he? Because you ambushed him? Because you told him he could do whatever he wanted with my body?"

The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She tugged furiously at the chains in frustration. She wished she could break free right then and land a couple of solid punches on the Supreme Will to vent her rage!

The Supreme Dantai Xuan's expression darkened further. But trapped inside the Divine Maiden Furnace, with every ounce of her power still sealed by Ye Chen's mysterious art, she had no means to act. All she could do was endure wave after wave of involuntary response, feeling herself grow steadily weaker…

…

"Martial Ancestor truly deserves to be called the top prodigy of his generation. Legend says he cultivated neither dao laws nor immortal techniques—only the physical body—and climbed all the way to the absolute peak. The Dao-severing method he created has given me tremendous inspiration."

"Hm? Why does your hair suddenly look a little… yellow?"

After several days of deep comprehension, Yan Qingcheng had gained greatly from the Martial Ancestor Dao-severing technique. It would prove immensely helpful for her own future path of severing dao and ascending to sainthood. She had just wanted to share some of her insights with Ye Chen.

Instead, she was startled to notice a faint golden radiance shimmering through the hair on his head. It carried an exceptionally profound and mysterious aura.

Ye Chen gave a casual explanation: he was currently cultivating a certain method. And that was indeed the truth. Although the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade had not yet appeared, he could already begin practicing the Chaos Golden Radiance Dao-Severing Technique.

Once the method circulated, it began drawing in the origin laws of the cosmos, slowly condensing his Chaos Golden Radiance Dao Self. All he needed to do was cast the Dao-Entrust Treasure into it before the Dao Self fully coalesced.

Ye Chen had already calculated the timeline. Given his physique, he would need at most one month to accumulate the cosmic origin laws to the absolute limit his body could contain. The price of starting early, naturally, was that his hair had begun to shimmer with golden light and gradually turn golden.

As the Chaos Golden Radiance Dao Self grew more complete, the golden hue would only intensify. The change in hair color lent Ye Chen—who had always been handsome and refined—an extra edge of wild arrogance, cold detachment, and untamed ferocity. Hair color could dramatically alter one's temperament.

Ye Chen had already noticed this in his previous life while watching Dragon Ball. Black-haired Goku always seemed gentle and approachable. But the moment he transformed into a Super Saiyan and his hair turned golden, he instantly became far more ruthless and domineering. So for the time being, with golden hair, he really was inching closer to that "yellow-haired delinquent" archetype. The only thing missing was a flaming motorcycle to complete the look.

He casually checked the progress toward the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade's emergence. Just these next couple of days. Perfect timing—the system cooldown would end right when the treasure appeared, allowing him to present it as a gift without the slightest delay.

Meanwhile, Yan Qingcheng had brought up the matter of Alkaid Holy Son and his acquired congenital Chaos Body.

"In ancient times, only the Devouring Female Immortal, using unparalleled talent and an unreplicable method did anyone succeed in cultivating a congenital Chaos Body. No one has accomplished it since. For Alkaid Holy Son to have made progress in this area shows he truly possesses remarkable talent. Fellow Daoist Ye, would you allow me to examine that technique? Perhaps I can offer some suggestions to improve it."

Her words lit up Ye Chen's eyes. Indeed—Yan Qingcheng possessed a genuine Chaos Body. Her understanding of the Chaos Body far surpassed Alkaid's. If she could provide guidance, the method he had obtained from Alkaid would surely become far more perfect and powerful.

When the time came to gift it to his fiancée, the feedback would undoubtedly be even stronger. And if there were any hidden traps within the technique, she might be able to detect them.

Without hesitation, Ye Chen handed over the jade slip and spoke with sincere gratitude: "If Fellow Daoist can refine or improve this method even a little, you would be doing me an enormous favor."

Seeing the genuine delight on Ye Chen's face, Yan Qingcheng raised an elegant brow. She understood that his joy was not for himself. It was for the woman beside him. Because the Indestructible Heavenly Art belonged to Yi Qingwu. And all the origins Ye Chen had painstakingly collected to help Yi Qingwu cultivate her Acquired Chaos Body had been gathered for her sake. The fact that Ye Chen was so happy right now clearly showed how much importance he placed on Yi Qingwu.

A strange emotion flickered through Yan Qingcheng's heart. But she quickly set it aside. Instead, it only deepened her conviction in Ye Chen's character. He truly cared for his women from the bottom of his heart. Though he had quite a few dao companions, the rumors labeling him as a woman-obsessed fiend or lust-crazed madman clearly did not fit. If such slander existed, it could only have come from her own father spreading falsehoods…