ISWI Chapter 877-878 (Patreon)

Chapter 877: Saint!

Inside the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace, Ye Chen, seated cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes. His expression remained calm, yet endless saintly might flowed within his pupils. This was the proof that he had transcended the mundane and achieved sainthood.

"Finally a Saint…"

His voice was flat, carrying almost no emotion. The process of becoming a saint had been so straightforward it surprised even him. First, he used the Chaos Golden Radiance Method to condense his Dao Self, fused it with the Chaos Destiny Stone, achieved transcendence, and reversed the severing of the Great Dao, then merged the Dao Self back into his true self…

Everything had proceeded with flawless smoothness. Not a single danger had arisen along the way. It had unfolded exactly as it should.

Of course, the combination of a supreme technique, supreme treasures, and the amplification of the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace had caused his combat power to skyrocket after the breakthrough.

In simple terms, the current Ye Chen felt confident he could slap his pre-saint self to death with a casual palm. The improvement was just that absurd.

Moreover, deep within his origin, a seed-like object slowly rotated, radiating a strange and peculiar power. The seed appeared extraordinary.

Yet no matter how much Qi Ye Chen poured into it or how he tried to stimulate it with his origin energy, the seed showed no reaction whatsoever.

This must be the Seed of Fate mentioned in the Chaos Destiny Stone's description—the symbol of transcendence, of seizing control over one's own destiny.

Ye Chen studied it for a long while but could discern nothing more. In the end, he simply waved a hand and stopped looking. Rising leisurely, he noticed that Luo Bingling and Lu Jing had already been waiting for him.

Admiration filled Luo Bingling's eyes. Beside her, Lu Jing—who had stepped into the Unity realm—wore an expression of pure delight mixed with pleading.

Ever since reaching Unity, Luo Bingling had stopped giving her even a moment's rest. Twenty-four hours of cultivation every single day, without fail.

Lu Jing felt utterly hopeless. She had even begun reminiscing fondly about the days back at the Holy Son Peak of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. Though she had seen Young Master far less frequently there, at least no one had forced her to cultivate nonstop. Only when the Holy Son returned would he helplessly look at her, press her down, and help her improve her cultivation.

Seeing the pitiful look in Lu Jing's eyes, Ye Chen couldn't help but chuckle. A sweep of his divine sense confirmed that no one from the Heavenly Emperor Hall was disturbing him. Yan Qingcheng was likely still in seclusion.

With that, Ye Chen felt no hurry to leave. He descended onto the floating peak and gave a light pat. At once, Luo Bingling and Lu Jing obediently placed both hands on the jade stone.

Inside the jade, the Holy Spirit glared furiously at the three blurred figures beyond the shell and clenched her tiny fists.

Once I am born, every single one of you is dead!

…

Meanwhile, in the outside world, a new piece of information spread through the entire cultivation realm at lightning speed.

The Heavenly Emperor's heir, Ye Chen, was not the true Heir. The genuine Heir of this generation in the Heavenly Emperor Hall was the only Chaos Body of the current era— the very female cultivator who had emerged from the Immortal Path together with Ye Chen. Her name was Yan Qingcheng.

The moment the news broke, the cultivation world was shaken to its core.

Ye Chen—a fake heir? How could that possibly be? He possessed Heavy Pupils, a Supreme Heart, and was suspected to have an Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo. He also cultivated the Heavenly Emperor Scripture. The legendary Heavenly Emperor Sword and Heavenly Emperor War Chariot were both in his hands.

Under such circumstances, even if the Heavenly Emperor himself appeared, he would hardly dare claim to be more legitimate or better suited to inherit the legacy than Ye Chen. So on what grounds did a mere Chaos Body dare to call herself the true Heir?

A Chaos Body was certainly exceptional—comparable to an Immortal Body. But how could it compare to Ye Chen? This had to be fake news.

The outside world refused to believe it. Yet soon enough, several major powers on friendly terms with the Heavenly Emperor Hall stepped forward to confirm the claim. The true Heir of this generation was indeed Yan Qingcheng. Ye Chen had merely been a smokescreen deployed by the Heavenly Emperor Hall.

Now the cultivation world was truly stunned. With so many great experts vouching for it, the information could only be true. Yet countless cultivators quickly pieced together their own version of events using their own logic. It must have been Ye Chen who voluntarily relinquished the position of true Heavenly Emperor heir to that Chaos Body female cultivator.

While the title of true Heavenly Emperor heir was precious, Ye Chen had already given away unique, once-in-an-era treasures like the Nirvana Sacred Liquid and the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade for the sake of a woman. How could he possibly be stingy about something as minor as the title of true Heir? He had even willingly damaged his own reputation, allowing himself to be called a fake and a decoy.

Everyone could only sigh: Ye Chen had truly gone mad for a woman. Now he was even handing over inheritances—simply absurd!

Nevertheless—even if Ye Chen had stepped aside of his own accord—most people still regarded only him as the real Heavenly Emperor heir.

As for that Chaos Body? She was impressive, sure—but she still needed time to grow. At best, she was merely the woman of the Heavenly Emperor's heir!

…

Inside the Heavenly Emperor Hall, the golden-robed elder fumed, his beard trembling and veins bulging on his forehead. From up close, one could almost hear the faint popping of blood vessels in his skull. His rage was unmistakable.

The rumors spreading through the outside world had, of course, been deliberately released on his orders. Now that his daughter had officially emerged as the true Heir, the title of Heavenly Emperor's heir naturally had to return to its rightful owner.

Ye Chen should revert to being nothing more than "Ye the Fourth." Yet after he had dragged so many allied powers into publicly confirming the truth, the cultivation world stubbornly insisted that Ye Chen had voluntarily stepped aside… Even worse, most people didn't care who the Heavenly Emperor Hall officially designated as Heir. They only acknowledged Ye Chen.

The golden-robed elder's blood pressure skyrocketed in an instant. His own immortal artifact fragment had been turned by Ye Chen into a favor gifted to his daughter. His own flesh-and-blood daughter—the legitimate heir of the Heavenly Emperor Hall—had somehow become the one who received charity from the "fake heir" who graciously yielded the position.

What a joke! Everything belonged to the Heavenly Emperor Hall to begin with!

Looking at the current situation, regret bloomed in the elder's heart for the first time. If he had known things would turn out this way, he never would have schemed against Ye Chen back then—never spread those rumors to make Ye Chen play the role of false Heir.

Ye Chen had shouldered the blame perfectly. But he had shouldered it too well. The outside world took it as gospel truth. Now his daughter's position as true Heir lacked legitimacy in the eyes of the world.

And Ye Chen had seized the chance to draw close to her—not only scheming to seize the Heavenly Emperor Hall itself, but to steal his daughter away as well. If Ye Chen actually succeeded, he would lose both daughter and soldiers in one fell swoop.

The more the elder thought about it, the angrier he became; the angrier he became, the more he thought. Glaring at the war chariot parked outside, absorbing starlight, he couldn't hold back—he delivered a vicious kick.

At that exact moment, a voice filled with disappointment came from behind him.

"Father, what are you doing? I know you harbor prejudice against Ye Chen. Even after everything he has done, he still cannot earn your approval. But what wrong has the Western Empress Divine Carriage committed? Why must you treat it this way? Father, you truly…"

The golden-robed elder's mouth twitched. He turned. Who else could it be but Yan Qingcheng, freshly emerged from seclusion? Disappointment filled her beautiful eyes. It was as though she could scarcely believe her own father could behave this way.

The elder immediately forced a smile and righted the war chariot.

"No, no, no—Daughter, you've misunderstood. I simply hadn't seen the Western Empress Divine Carriage up close before and wanted to… test its quality."

He hurriedly changed the subject.

"Daughter, you've already become a Saint. Why not head to the Origin Pool at once and cultivate there? You could reach the peak of Saint in one go. Your aura right now is truly terrifying! In this life, Daughter, you will absolutely ascend to immortality on your own strength."

Though he felt deeply hurt by his daughter's favoritism toward Ye Chen, he was genuinely overjoyed by her current power. The Chaos Body was already monstrous to begin with. Along her path of growth, she had used the absolute best resources and achieved perfect breakthroughs at every step—reaching the utmost limit each time.

Now, having fused the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade and reversed the severing of the Great Dao to become a Saint, she had only just entered the early Saint realm. Yet her aura already surpassed the vast majority of peak Saints. She could even stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some who had already condensed the Heavenly Heart Imprint and advanced to Saint King.

His daughter was truly outstanding. So he immediately urged her toward the Origin Pool to monopolize its power. As for Ye Chen? That could wait.

But Yan Qingcheng shook her head without hesitation.

"The reason Fellow Daoist Ye has not yet emerged from seclusion is precisely that he gave the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade to me. With his temperament and talent, he will certainly choose the path of reversing and severing the Great Dao.

"Without a Dao-Entrust Treasure to protect him, the dangers of that path are beyond imagination. Therefore, I must wait until Fellow Daoist Ye emerges! Then we will share the Origin Pool! Father, I know you mean well for me. But I am already a Saint now. I have grown up… Can you not be kinder to my friend? Must you always scheme against him?"

In that moment, Yan Qingcheng spoke the harshest words she had ever directed at her father in her entire life.

And in that same moment, the golden-robed elder felt the sky collapse. His daughter had grown up. She no longer needed him... she was even scolding him now. It hurt. He wanted to cry…

But what she said was the truth. After a long moment of stammering, the elder lowered his head.

"Qingcheng… Father was only worried about you… Father promises there won't be a next time."

Seeing this, Yan Qingcheng's heart softened. She quickly waved her hand.

"Father, I know you have my best interests at heart. But Ye Chen truly is a good person. There's no need to target him like this…"

The golden-robed elder nodded vigorously in agreement. Yet inside, he was roaring with powerless fury.

Drive him out. He must be driven out. The moment Ye Chen emerged from seclusion—no matter what he demanded—give it all to him, then make him scram.

Ye Chen had only spent so little time with his daughter, and already she had become rebellious, talking back to her own father. If she spent even a few more days with him, he feared both father and daughter would be bewitched into turning against each other.

"Very well, Daughter. You've only just broken through. It would be good to enter seclusion again and stabilize your realm! As for Father, I'll go gather information on the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal. I've already prepared the Chaos Seal Imprint Technique for you. It was created by a Chaos Body True Immortal of a previous generation and is only suitable for Chaos Bodies to cultivate. If you can obtain the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal as well, breaking through to Saint King in the future will be effortless… As for Ye Chen… Father admits I may have gone too far. I will definitely give him half of the Origin Pool."

The golden-robed elder laid out his arrangements.

Hearing this, Yan Qingcheng felt a surge of guilt. Her father truly cared for her deeply. The way she had spoken to him just now had been excessive.

"I'm sorry, Father…" she said softly.

The elder gave a comforting smile.

"What apology is needed? You are my daughter. Everything I've worked for in this life has been for you. Now go—stabilize your cultivation in seclusion!"

Once Yan Qingcheng had left, the golden-robed elder gritted his teeth and muttered, "I must drive Ye Chen away before Daughter emerges from seclusion…"

…

At the same time, in the ancestral lands of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan, something began to stir…

Chapter 878: He Reminds Me of the Heavenly Emperor!

Deep in the Northern Domain, atop the divine mountain monopolized by the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan, the transparent divine source still stood unchanged.

Yet compared to before, the divine flames burning within it now blazed even more fiercely, as though they could melt and assimilate every living thing in the world. A figure knelt before the divine source, quietly reporting every major event related to the Immortal Path and the Central Continent.

"Ye Chen slew the Supreme Elder of the Dao One Holy Land, yet the Eight-Crowned King showed no reaction upon hearing the news. That existence suspected to be a banished immortal has now reached the peak of Great Emperor.

"The Holy Spirit Race is suspected to have a perfected Holy Spirit about to emerge, though we have been unable to determine what divine material is nurturing it. Its true body should be in the Ninth Realm of the Immortal Path!

"Ye Chen grows ever more monstrous. In a same-realm battle against this generation's Devouring True Successor—the Alkaid Holy Son—even with the latter bolstered by a quasi-immortal remnant array, Ye Chen suppressed him with ease…

"Ye Chen has gifted away the Nirvana Sacred Liquid and the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade. The clan's powerhouses now suspect that he does not possess a Heavenly Spiritual Root, but a Sacred Spiritual Root instead!

"At the same time, it is possible the Heavenly Emperor left behind a Dao-Entrust Treasure even more precious than the Heavenly Will Dao-Entrust Jade! Recently, word has spread from the Heavenly Emperor Hall that Ye Chen is not the true Heir. The Chaos Body's emergence marks this generation's genuine Heavenly Emperor heir!"

"…"

The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan powerhouse kneeling before the divine source delivered his report in calm, measured tones. He did not know whether their Celestial Prince could hear him. But this had been the Celestial Prince's instruction during his last appearance: one report per month.

Just as the powerhouse finished his monthly duty, bowed respectfully, and prepared to withdraw, the flames within the divine source suddenly surged higher.

A terrifying aura rose. A figure slowly emerged from within the divine source.

Clad in golden robes embroidered with countless true phoenixes, his hair was pure white, and behind that white hair shone colorless divine radiance. The light framed a face of supreme sanctity and nobility, as though a true divinity had awakened.

Merely a wisp of that aura descended, and the Saint-realm powerhouse of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan immediately dropped to his knees on the ground. It was both reverence and awe—and also the simple inability to withstand the pressure.

"The Heavenly Emperor's heir… Has Ye Chen already grown to such a level? I remember the last time I heard his name, he was merely a minor King. And now he may even possess a Sacred Spiritual Root, combined with an Innate Chaos Body, and has reversed the severing of the Great Dao to become a Saint! Back then… even the Heavenly Emperor himself was probably no match for him at the same realm!"

The voice of the Celestial Prince within the divine source rang like divine music—ancient, profound, and tinged with endless nostalgia.

The kneeling Saint hurriedly spoke up.

"The Heavenly Emperor's heir is indeed extraordinarily powerful. Moreover, he is constantly protected by great experts, and within the Immortal Path, no one at the same realm is his match. That is why we have never been able to deal with him. But once you, Celestial Prince, complete your cultivation and emerge, whether it is Ye Chen, the Eight-Crowned King, the banished immortal—everything will be as fleeting clouds…

"Celestial Prince, you have slumbered for a million years. Upon awakening, you will possess both a Sacred Spiritual Root and the True Phoenix Immortal Body! In this era, no one will be your opponent."

Only the Saint-realm and higher existences of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan truly understood how terrifying the method their Celestial Prince cultivated truly was. Many outsiders questioned it. They called him mad. To slumber for a million years, wasting endless time—no cultivation method could possibly be worth it.

But outsiders could never comprehend what the Celestial Prince would gain. A Sacred Spiritual Root paired with the True Phoenix Immortal Body. Even in the Immortal Realm, such qualifications stood at the absolute pinnacle. They were the makings of one who could break through to True Immortal and achieve Immortal King.

Immortal Kings—according to legend—were so few in the Immortal Realm that they could be counted on one's fingers. Countless True Immortals, no matter how brilliant and peerless, could only watch the position of Immortal King slip away across the long river of time, sighing helplessly as they turned to dust.

For the Celestial Prince to spend a million years and emerge with qualifications sufficient to become an Immortal King—if word of this ever leaked, it would be enough to shake the entire Immortal Realm. The fools of the outside world dared to speak recklessly?

And precisely because of this certainty, the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan had suffered repeated humiliations at the hands of Ye Chen and Yao Yuezhi, losing powerhouses along the way, yet they had never sought revenge or issued any threats.

Because every powerhouse in the clan was convinced: once their Celestial Prince emerged in perfection, everything else would be nothing. Ye Chen, the Eight-Crowned King—none of them could withstand even a single move from the Celestial Prince. To those already doomed, there was no need for threats.

The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan Saint was stunned. Yet the ethereal figure of the Celestial Prince within the divine source merely shook his head.

"Back then, I actually had many chances to kill the Heavenly Emperor. But because of arrogance, I never truly regarded him as a threat. I only ever sent subordinates to strike at him again and again. By the time I realized something was wrong, I was already no match for him—and so I suffered a crushing defeat!

"Now, hearing of Ye Chen's deeds and seeing your dismissive attitude… I feel an uncanny sense of déjà vu. As though Ye Chen is the Heavenly Emperor of that era reborn… Only this time, he walks an even smoother path, with even more monstrous talent, and seemingly even greater battle power. That is why I fear the rise of a strengthened version of the Heavenly Emperor. So—send him on his way early."

The Saint listened to his Celestial Prince recount the past with the Heavenly Emperor and felt no surprise. Such stories had circulated within the clan since ancient times. The Heavenly Emperor had merely been lucky. Their Celestial Prince had simply been too proud. If given another chance, the Heavenly Emperor would never have been allowed to grow at all.

Yet the Saint was puzzled by his Celestial Prince's current stance. This level of attention toward Ye Chen seemed excessive. He privately guessed that the crushing defeat at the Heavenly Emperor's hands had left a shadow in the Celestial Prince's heart. But he dared not voice it. His expression grew somewhat troubled.

"Celestial Prince… it is not that I wish to shirk responsibility, but the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan truly cannot kill Ye Chen at present. Though Ye Chen is far beneath you, he is still one of the supreme prodigies of this era.

"Within the Immortal Path, almost no one among the myriad races can match him at the same realm. And outside the Immortal Path—even if our entire clan mobilized—we would struggle to take him down.

"The Heavenly Evolution Holy Land is no weak force, and it has many allies. That Heavenly Eye Saint Lord Feng Baiyu is especially cunning; he has repeatedly used Ye Chen as bait to trap and slaughter powerhouses.

"Moreover, this is the era of human dominance. Even if we rally portions of the myriad races, any large-scale movement would not go unnoticed. The other human powers would not stand idly by… they would instead force an early all-out war between the two sides! If we truly tear off all pretenses, it would only work against us!"

The myriad races always weighed gains and losses. The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan had refrained from acting rashly all this time mainly because they knew they could not win. It was humiliating to admit, but it was the plain truth.

Hearing this, the strange sense of déjà vu in the Celestial Prince's heart grew even stronger. Back then, he too had begun by underestimating the Heavenly Emperor. Several times he had considered striking decisively, yet always some reason or another had held him back—until it was too late and disaster had already taken root.

One could not fall into the same pit twice. Though he was supremely confident that, once he emerged in perfection, he would be invincible across the entire cultivation world, at his level of existence, inexplicable moods and premonitions did not arise without cause.

Since hearing of Ye Chen kept stirring memories of that past humiliating defeat, Ye Chen must be eliminated ahead of time. He would never allow another Heavenly Emperor to rise and block his path to immortality.

Thus, the godlike face of the Celestial Prince lifted calmly. He spoke with quiet indifference.

"No matter… I will take action personally."

The moment the words left his mouth, the sky above darkened instantly. Countless thunderclaps exploded, and coiling thunder dragons roared through the heavens.

The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan Saint's eyes widened in shock. He hurriedly waved his hands—even forgetting proper deference in his panic.

"Celestial Prince, it is not worth it. You have not yet reached perfection. Ye Chen is utterly unworthy of you expending potential and emerging ahead of schedule! This absolutely cannot be allowed. I will immediately summon the quasi-immortal ancestors of the clan!"

For the Celestial Prince to emerge prematurely would be an earth-shaking event. The entire Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan had pinned all their hopes on this ancient senior awakening to sweep aside every prodigy, seize the immortal qi with ease, and ascend.

And once he stood invincible, he could then purge every enemy in the cultivation world—especially the human race—allowing the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan to reclaim its supreme position, establish an unparalleled divine dynasty, harvest every resource of the cultivation world, and prepare to survive the coming Age of Dharma's End. Under such grand expectations, no one in the clan wished for the Celestial Prince to awaken early.

Yet the Celestial Prince's phantom merely raised a hand calmly.

"My perfect emergence is already close at hand. Naturally, I will not abandon completion at the final moment. Have the clan prepare one Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal for me. Only that divine object can bear the weight of a single strand of my will. To kill the current Ye Chen and the Chaos Body, one strand of will is more than enough!

"As for the Heavenly Demon Clan and the Peacock Clan… back then, their ancestors treated me with utmost respect and offered their own daughters as attendants… Too much time has passed. They have forgotten that only the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan is the sole imperial race. I will give them one final chance to prove their loyalty… If they fail to grasp it—when my true body emerges, their clans will be exterminated."

The Celestial Prince's voice remained calm, yet carried overwhelming dominance.

The Saint's eyes widened, but he also breathed a quiet sigh of relief. As long as it was not the true body emerging, it was acceptable. At the same time, he could not help marveling once more at how terrifying his Celestial Prince truly was.

Most beings sealed within the divine source were completely cut off from the outside world. They could only wait passively for revival—or for the source to age and shatter naturally. Yet his Celestial Prince could still communicate normally with the outside.

More than that—he could project a single strand of will. His Celestial Prince had long since reached the peak of quasi-immortal, only one step from true immortality. Even a mere strand of will from such an existence was unimaginably terrifying.

Forget Saints—even Saint Kings would fall before it. And precisely for that reason, only a treasure like the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal could possibly contain that single strand of will!

"The clan possesses only one Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal. It was originally reserved for a certain prodigy on the verge of breaking through to Saint King… That person has not yet entered seclusion. I will retrieve it for you at once, Celestial Prince."

The Saint was genuinely excited at the prospect of his Celestial Prince personally eliminating Ye Chen. The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan had lain dormant for far too long. They had suffered an immense loss of face because of Ye Chen. Now, with the Celestial Prince slaying him, their prestige would surely soar once more.

The Celestial Prince replied indifferently.

"No need to rush. I will only require it for a brief moment… After Ye Chen is dead, the junior may use the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal to break through afterward."

The Saint nodded at once. He hurriedly sent a transmission. Soon, the entire Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan was in motion. They gathered upon the sacred peak…