ISWI Chapter 875-876 (Patreon)

Chapter 875: This Yellow-Haired Brat Is Truly Heartless!

The golden-robed elder's face had turned pitch-black. He had a close friend whose daughter had recently taken a Dao companion—an heir of an ancient immortal clan passed down through generations.

Though the young man's talent was decent, he was hardly noteworthy in this era and most likely had no chance of contending for the Immortal Path. Yet the son-in-law treated his father-in-law with utmost respect, showering him with gifts so lavishly that he had nearly emptied his own treasury.

As a result, that friend never missed an opportunity to boast. And here he was?

Ye Chen, scheming to deceive his daughter, had now set his sights on the elder's Enlightenment Tea. The golden-robed elder even suspected something darker.

Ye Chen had gone to such lengths to approach his daughter—knowing full well the elder would take the blame—yet still treated her with such enthusiasm. It wasn't just about claiming his daughter. He probably intended to seize the entire Heavenly Emperor Hall as well.

Given the vengeful streak Ye Chen had already shown, it was entirely plausible. This was nothing short of wolfish ambition. The mere thought of his future grandchildren bearing the surname Ye—of a little yellow-haired child arriving hand-in-hand with Ye Chen to "visit" him—sent the elder's blood pressure soaring.

And then the nightmare deepened: one day, the Heavenly Emperor Hall no longer bore the Yan surname, but Ye. Ye Chen standing at the gates with an impatient sneer: "What are you doing at my house, old man?"

Veins bulged on the elder's forehead. He had to protect both his daughter and the Heavenly Emperor Hall. He would never allow such a future to come to pass.

…

The elder made no move to fetch the Enlightenment Tea leaves. There were only two precious pieces left. Ye Chen did not deserve them. He needed to drive the boy away at once.

With feigned calm, the golden-robed elder waved a hand. "No matter. If you can't drink it, then don't force yourself. You gifted Qingcheng the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade, and I am truly grateful. The Yan family's Heavenly Emperor Hall will never repay kindness with ingratitude. This fragment of the immortal artifact Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron is the gift we have prepared. See if it meets with your approval!"

With those words, the elder raised his hand and entered the phase of repayment. A deep-brown fragment the size of a fist appeared before them, suspended in midair. Tiny specks of starlight glittered across its surface. Traces of an immortal artifact might flowed from it, endless starlight flickering within.

Yet as a mere fragment, its aura was far from overwhelming—less than one ten-thousandth of a complete immortal artifact's presence. Still, it carried an indescribable profundity, unmistakably extraordinary.

An immortal artifact fragment?

Impressive, but hardly earth-shattering. Ye Chen already had piles of immortal artifacts inside his cave heaven.

Seeing Ye Chen's unimpressed expression, the elder promptly began his introduction.

"This is a remnant of the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron. It can gather cosmic origin energy. If you keep it within your divine soul, your efficiency in absorbing and refining cosmic origin energy will increase by at least threefold.

"Moreover, it offers some assistance in comprehending Heavenly Position Laws, and once you reach Great Saint and elevate your cave heaven into a true world, placing this fragment inside will accelerate the accumulation of world power foundation!

"Its value is in no way inferior to the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade. For a Mahayana cultivator, it would be a supreme treasure!"

Ye Chen's eyes lit up as he listened. From the Saint realm onward, he would need to refine world power. If this fragment could triple his absorption and refinement speed…

The elder had been vague about the later functions—clearly useful, but limited. Still, boosting Saint-realm cultivation speed alone was already quite good.

Most importantly, this was only a fragment. If he could gift it away and trigger the emergence of a complete immortal artifact. Its effects would increase by at least ten thousandfold…

The Heavenly Emperor Hall really did have some good stuff. This old man truly was capable of dropping gold coins.

Seeing the flicker of interest in Ye Chen's eyes, the elder sneered inwardly. In his view, Ye Chen had gone to such pains to approach his daughter and insist on entering the Heavenly Emperor Hall for one reason only: to take advantage. This fragment would be more than enough to satisfy him.

"Since you seem pleased, Ye Chen, then this item is yours!"

With that, the golden-robed elder flicked his finger, sending the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron fragment floating directly toward Ye Chen.

Ye Chen glanced at Yan Qingcheng. She smiled warmly, clearly encouraging him to accept.

Without further courtesy, Ye Chen reached out and grasped it firmly. He examined it closely.

An immortal artifact fragment—indeed somewhat extraordinary. Merely holding it gave him a strange, subtle sensation. It even seemed to offer a faint enhancement to severing the Dao.

The golden-robed elder watched Ye Chen inspect it and felt a pang of reluctance. The fragment would have been greatly beneficial for his daughter's future cultivation. Without it, the Heavenly Emperor Hall's Origin Pool would no longer be able to accumulate cosmic origin energy.

But compared to fully repaying the debt and driving Ye Chen away—ensuring he never bothered his daughter again—every sacrifice was worth it.

The golden-robed elder rose at once and spoke directly to Ye Chen. "The gift has been given. Ye Chen, you must be eager to return to Great Yan Continent by now… or perhaps to visit the cave abode of one of your many female companions?"

He was driving the guest away. And to ensure Ye Chen left for good, he decided to escort him personally. The farther the better. Once he returned, he would relocate the entire Heavenly Emperor Hall.

Ye Chen's lips curved into a faint smile. He had barely arrived, yet this old man had tried to chase him off multiple times. The one who had been sabotaging him all along was definitely this old bastard.

Yan Qingcheng frowned the moment she heard her father's words. Her father was being far too heartless. The immortal artifact fragment was valuable, yes—but how could it possibly compare to the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade? He had gone too far!

Before she could speak, however, Ye Chen stood with a gentle smile and turned to her.

"The Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade I gave you, Fairy Yan, was never given in expectation of repayment. But I know you carry a grateful heart. If you were unable to repay the kindness, it would weigh on you and hinder your cultivation—that would be a pity. So I accept this item now. You no longer owe me anything. Please cultivate in peace from here on…"

Yan Qingcheng grew anxious at once. The immortal artifact fragment was nowhere near the value of the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade. Not to mention that Ye Chen had also imparted to her the Martial Ancestor's Dao-Severing Method, repaired and gifted her the Heavenly Emperor War Chariot, and given her so many treasures before. How could this possibly cancel the debt?

Yet Ye Chen said these words clearly to ease her burden. He had given her so much, yet he still considered her feelings. Ye Chen was truly too kind and pure-hearted. By comparison, her father—who kept trying to drive him away—felt truly chilling.

Yan Qingcheng opened her mouth to speak. But Ye Chen gave her no chance. He continued calmly, "Since this item now belongs to me, allow me to gift it back to you, Fairy Yan. It will be greatly beneficial to your future cultivation. Please do not refuse. Consider it my return gift…"

With those words, Ye Chen flicked his finger lightly. The immortal artifact fragment—which he had never stored away—flew straight toward Yan Qingcheng. She stared at the approaching fragment and froze.

Ye Chen had accepted her father's gift of thanks, declared the debt settled, and freed her from any pressure to repay. Yet in the very next moment, he turned around and gave the same fragment back to her as a return gift.

Back and forth like this, the pressure she had felt from receiving his earlier kindness suddenly vanished. It was as though everything had been evened out between them. But clearly, Ye Chen had never wanted the immortal artifact fragment for himself. From the beginning, he had only wanted her to keep it…

Thinking of how her father had repeatedly tried to chase Ye Chen away, treated him coldly, and even served inferior spiritual tea to brush him off, while Ye Chen not only showed no anger but remained unchanged in his sincerity—still wanting to give her anything good he had—Yan Qingcheng's eyes reddened uncontrollably, tears threatening to spill.

Her father had truly gone too far. She immediately wanted to refuse. This immortal artifact fragment rightfully belonged to Ye Chen. But seeing the resolute look in his eyes and the gentle smile on his face—remembering how firmly he had insisted on gifting things before—she knew she could not refuse him.

Then, very quickly, she understood. If Ye Chen did not want the fragment, so be it. Its effect was only a threefold increase. Far better for him to cultivate together with her in the Origin Pool later. As for its other functions… they were marginal at best. After all, it was merely a fragment, not a true immortal artifact.

So Yan Qingcheng nodded solemnly. "In that case… thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Ye. Please remain in the Heavenly Emperor Hall and enter seclusion here. By the time you achieve sainthood, I should have already succeeded in severing my Dao. There is also something I would like to show you then."

With that, she glanced at her father. Ye Chen clearly harbored no ill intentions—only goodwill toward her. If her father still tried to drive him away now, she would truly become angry.

…

The golden-robed elder stared at the immortal artifact fragment now in his daughter's hands. He sensed the deep emotion radiating from her and saw the faint trace of reproach in the look she gave him. He felt utterly dumbfounded…

The immortal artifact fragment he had personally given away had been turned around and gifted right back to his daughter by Ye Chen? What was this if not borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha?

Yet his daughter was moved to tears by Ye Chen, while she blamed him instead. In that moment, the elder's head spun. Something inside his mind seemed to explode.

This was bad… truly bad… His daughter had really been brainwashed by this yellow-haired brat. Ye Chen—this despicable scoundrel!

…

Ye Chen, meanwhile, paid no attention whatsoever to the elder's darkening expression. The instant Yan Qingcheng accepted the immortal artifact fragment, a system prompt rang clearly in his mind.

"Congratulations to the host for successfully gifting a gift…"

"Gift given: Fragment of the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron!"

"Seven-thousandfold feedback in progress…"

"Detected that the gifted item is extremely important to the matched target…"

"Top-notch critical hit feedback triggered!"

"Feedback received: Immortal Artifact—Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron!"

Ye Chen's lips curved upward…

It was settled!

As expected, gifting the fragment had summoned the complete original. He continued reading the description:

"Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron: Attracts and captures the deepest origin energy of the cosmos, melts and refines it into the purest form of energy…"

"Cultivating within the cauldron increases the speed of absorbing and refining cosmic origin energy by one hundred times the original rate…"

"Any excess cosmic origin energy is autonomously condensed by the cauldron into crystals!"

"Beyond cosmic origin energy, the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron accelerates the attraction and capture of various other energies—including immortal qi!"

"Placing the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron within a cave heaven or world allows it to directly draw in various energies from the outside…"

"…"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow as he read. Truly worthy of an immortal artifact—its effects were ferocious, utterly dwarfing those of the mere fragment.

Moreover, Ye Chen realized that the three cultivation-type immortal artifacts he now possessed complemented one another perfectly!

Chapter 876: Becoming a Saint!

The description of the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron went on at length. For instance, when elevating a cave heaven into a true world, the cauldron could automatically draw in massive amounts of external origin power, helping the cultivator's world achieve greater perfection, a higher starting point, and a loftier ceiling. And there were many other benefits besides.

In short, every function revolved around origin energy—precisely what cultivators craved most.

Ye Chen pondered carefully. His Dao Cauldron boosted cultivation speed and comprehension. The Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace increased the gains and upper limits of every breakthrough.

Now, with the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron added to the set, he had a constant, effortless supply of the high-grade energies that other cultivators had to hunt, capture, and painstakingly refine.

Everything had come together perfectly. When combined, the three artifacts would send his progress soaring. His cultivation speed was already astonishing—add this complete cultivation trinity, and he felt as though he could prepare for immortality tomorrow.

Most importantly, all three were immortal artifacts. They would remain useful even after ascending to the Immortal Realm.

Perfect.

Ye Chen gazed at the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron, now placed within his small world.

It was a three-legged cauldron. The body displayed three distinct colors: deep indigo, purple-gold, and verdant green. Countless patterns covered its surface, tracing the orbits of cosmic star rivers.

In the finest details of each trajectory, faint stars could be glimpsed—as though entire real galaxies had been sealed within, radiating an aura of profound mystery and depth.

The mouth of the cauldron shimmered hazily, like a flowing galaxy. On each of the three legs stood an ancient divine beast carving: Kirin, Phoenix, and Black Tortoise.

They were not lifeless statues. Each possessed a spark of spirituality; their eyes occasionally flashed with sharp light, resonating with the patterns across the cauldron body and drawing in all manner of forces.

Ye Chen withdrew his divine sense. The more he examined the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron, the more satisfied he became. His gaze toward Yan Qingcheng grew even gentler. When it fell on the elder, a faint smile touched his lips despite himself.

Yan Qingcheng caught the exchange and sighed inwardly once more. Her father's prejudice against Ye Chen was so blatant. Yet Ye Chen could still smile at him. It must be for her sake. Soon after, she arranged a secluded cultivation chamber for Ye Chen.

Ye Chen adopted a slightly embarrassed expression. "This is the Heavenly Emperor Hall… Is it really appropriate for me to stay here? If it's inconvenient, I'd better leave."

Hearing this only deepened Yan Qingcheng's heartache and guilt. But the person in question was her own father—certain words were difficult for her to say. She could only respond earnestly, "Fellow Daoist Ye, cultivate here without worry. There is no inconvenience at all. Right, Father?"

The golden-robed elder, grinding his teeth, forced a thin smile onto his face.

"No problem, no problem at all. Ye Chen, feel free to stay. You can leave after breaking through to Saint…"

Only then did Ye Chen appear reassured. Before following Yan Qingcheng away, he remembered something and turned back to the elder.

"Old… Senior, my Western Empress Divine Carriage is still parked outside. While I'm in seclusion, could I trouble you to keep an eye on it for me?"

Beneath his sleeves, the golden-robed elder's fists clenched hard.

Keep an eye on it? I'll smash the damn thing. Let's see how you seduce my daughter without your flashy ride.

But with his daughter right there, he could only nod stiffly. Once Ye Chen and Yan Qingcheng had departed, his expression finally darkened completely. The immortal artifact fragment that belonged to his family had somehow been turned into Ye Chen's favor. It was absurd. It was suffocating.

But what alarmed him even more was Ye Chen's attitude. The boy hadn't even cared about an immortal artifact fragment. What did that mean?

It meant Ye Chen had far greater ambitions. Beyond simply taking his daughter, was he truly after the Heavenly Emperor Hall itself?

But the Heavenly Emperor Hall belongs to the Yan family! Even if you've inherited some of the Heavenly Emperor's legacy, even with your Supreme Heart and Heavy Pupils—what does any of that have to do with our Yan family's Heavenly Emperor Hall?

You're dreaming!

In any case, the golden-robed elder made up his mind. The moment Ye Chen broke through, he would drive him out immediately. Since Ye Chen hadn't kept the immortal artifact fragment, his kind-hearted daughter would surely still feel the need to repay him.

If she insisted on sharing half the Origin Pool with him, then fine—he wouldn't try to stop her anymore. He would simply let Ye Chen take the entire thing and get lost. He could find other ways to help his daughter reach the peak of Saint quickly.

In short, the instant Ye Chen achieved sainthood, he had better get the hell out.

…

Ye Chen bid Yan Qingcheng farewell and swept his gaze across the seclusion chamber she had arranged for him. It was vast. One entire wall was made of glazed crystal, offering an unobstructed view of the boundless starry sky beyond.

His Heavy Pupils scanned the room once. Confirming nothing amiss, he laid down an additional grand array for good measure. Only then did he step into his small world. The moment he entered, he sensed the change. Every kind of energy had grown noticeably richer. Clearly, the work of the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron.

Now, Ye Chen could immerse his divine sense and explore it fully. His eyes soon lit up. Aside from attracting and gathering all manner of energies, the cauldron could also compress any surplus energy he currently had no use for into spiritual crystals.

For example, it could condense one cosmic origin crystal per month. A single such crystal was enough for a Saint-realm cultivator to break through a minor realm.

For Ye Chen, this was an extremely useful function. Later, when his master, his fiancée, Lanno, and the others reached the appropriate realm, he could simply gift them origin crystals and let them advance rapidly.

Luo Bingling had naturally been roused by the appearance of yet another immortal artifact. She had been circling it for ages, her face radiant with delight. Within Ye Chen's cave heaven, breakthrough and cultivation speed were already absurdly fast.

Now, with the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron, it had nearly doubled again. Luo Bingling had already reached the late Half-Saint stage. Cultivating day and night inside the cave heaven, accelerated by time dilation, her progress was almost catching up to Ye Chen's.

Behind her, Lu Jing's little face lit up with the desperation of someone spotting a savior the instant she saw Ye Chen. To his surprise, Lu Jing's cultivation had reached the peak of Deity Transformation—she was on the verge of Unity. Even compared to the top heavenly geniuses of holy lands, her cultivation conditions were unmatched.

Yet given her personality, reaching peak Deity Transformation showed just how brutally she had been tormented by the cultivation maniac Luo Bingling during this period.

"Young Master… would you like something to eat?"

Lu Jing asked pitifully, clearly hoping to cook for him and steal a moment of rest.

Ye Chen's lips curved into a smile. He gently pulled her into his arms.

"Not right now. Since you've already reached peak Deity Transformation, let me help you break through to Unity instead…"

Lu Jing's small face instantly fell. Yet a spark of anticipation flickered in her eyes. It wasn't anticipation for the breakthrough itself—but for the method Young Master used to help her break through.

After a light pat from Ye Chen, Lu Jing very skillfully placed both hands on the Seven-Colored Nirvana Jade.

Luo Bingling's interest was immediately piqued. She smacked Lu Jing's bottom. "Let me go first this time!"

Lu Jing looked utterly wronged but obediently stepped aside. On one hand, she was terrified—if she disobeyed, Luo Bingling would force her to cultivate nonstop for twenty-four hours straight. In the outside world, that would be impossible. Her body wouldn't endure it; all sorts of hidden injuries would appear.

But inside Young Master's cave heaven, with the blessing of multiple immortal artifacts and every kind of immortal root gathered together, she didn't even need to eat. Just inhaling the fragrance was enough to keep her body in perfect condition, healing any hidden injury the moment it appeared. Non-stop cultivation was genuinely possible. Lu Jing was truly frightened.

On the other hand, Luo Bingling always finished quickly. It wouldn't be long before she was crying and begging to switch. So waiting a little was fine—Lu Jing wouldn't be idle for long.

Ye Chen didn't bother intervening in their little squabble. He treated it as a bit of playful intimacy. He gave Luo Bingling a light pat. She instantly understood his intent and leaned obediently against the Seven-Colored Nirvana Jade.

Soon, the Holy Spirit within the Seven-Colored Nirvana Jade glared through the shell at the blurred figures outside—made indistinct by the splashes of "water." She gnashed her teeth in fury. Once she was born, she would make every single one of them pay. Especially that purple-haired one in golden armor.

Do you think water is free?!

Of course, she could only curse them in her heart. Ever since the new immortal artifact, the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron, had appeared in the cave heaven, every energy within had grown even denser. Her gestation speed had accelerated several times over!

She felt that in just a few more years, she would be born perfect and complete.

…

After helping Lu Jing accumulate a perfect foundation and prepare for her breakthrough to the Unity realm, Ye Chen rose with deep satisfaction. His Dao Heart was now completely unobstructed. He could finally begin preparing to break through to Saint.

The mere thought made the corners of his mouth lift into an involuntary smile. His breakthrough speed was truly growing faster and faster.

As long as one had sufficient cosmic origin energy, advancing from Saint all the way to Saint King was entirely possible. And with the Star God Origin-Gathering Cauldron in his possession, his cultivation speed in the Saint realm would be nothing short of monstrous.

In other words, after breaking through to Saint this time, it wouldn't be long before he reached Saint King. This pace of cultivation was truly taking flight. Immortality felt closer than ever.

Ye Chen did not leave his cave heaven. Instead, he flew straight into the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace and sat cross-legged. He began circulating the Chaos Golden Radiance Dao-Severing Method while simultaneously summoning the Chaos Destiny Stone!

The stone—hazy and dreamlike, almost impossible to discern clearly, resembling drifting mist—entered the space between his brows in an instant.

In that very moment, Ye Chen's aura began to transform. Terrifying power surged outward from within, rippling around him in waves of pulsing golden flame.

Between his brows, a Dao Self that Ye Chen had condensed also sat cross-legged. It grasped the Chaos Destiny Stone and commenced refinement. Once the refinement was complete, his Dao Self would transcend and defy the Great Dao in reverse…

Cultivation knows neither day nor night.

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed.

Inside Ye Chen's cave heaven, Luo Bingling—who had been cultivating quietly—and Lu Jing—who had already broken through to Unity only to be forced back into cultivation by the relentless Luo Bingling—suddenly opened their eyes at the same moment…

A terrifying aura spread throughout the cave heaven. Endless golden light surged, as though a great sun were about to rise. Beneath that overwhelming pressure, Lu Jing trembled on the spot. Dressed lightly as she was, ripples of water danced across her skin…

Luo Bingling, far more experienced, brightened at once.

"Husband has succeeded in severing his Dao and broken through to Saint. This is Saint Might! But the moment he breaks through, his Saint Might is already this terrifying—I've never seen anything like it. This aura… even the veteran Saints of the War God Clan fall far short. Husband truly grows more terrifying by the day."

"…"

Feeling the dread-inducing pressure that seemed to pierce straight into her soul, Luo Bingling's beautiful face flushed faintly. Achieving sainthood was a momentous occasion. She suddenly felt the urge to celebrate with him…