ISWI Chapter 879-880 (Patreon)

Chapter 879: I Don't Eat Beef!

Ever since the Immortal Path opened, the vast majority of the myriad races' cultivators from the Northern Domain had migrated to the Central Continent and settled in the Myriad Races Immortal City.

None of them planned to return. After all, the Northern Domain had always been a cold, barren land. With the Age of Dharma's End approaching, it would become even less suitable for cultivation. They all longed to reestablish roots in the Central Continent.

Thus, the Northern Domain had fallen into profound silence. But today, the entire region trembled. Because word had spread from the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan, the Celestial Prince had awakened.

In ancient times, the Undying Celestial Emperor had stood as the supreme sovereign of the myriad races, suppressing the entire cultivation world and ruling over all. The Celestial Prince, too, had been a legendary figure of his generation.

Heavenly Spiritual Root, True Phoenix Body, and True Immortal bloodline—he had been nearly invincible among the myriad races. Later, he suffered a regrettable defeat at the hands of the Heavenly Emperor and sealed himself within the divine source. Now, after a million years, his return would surely be even more domineering.

The myriad races that had long remained loyal to the Undying Celestial Phoenix lineage received the news with fervent excitement and hurried toward the clan's ancestral lands. They wished to pay respects to the Celestial Prince.

Atop the sacred mountain of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan, a peak-Saint cultivator knelt before the divine source, cradling a fist-sized crystal in both hands.

"Greetings, Old Ancestor. Please allow your divine will to descend…"

The cultivator spoke softly, his heart filled with reluctance. He was the most gifted prodigy of the current generation in the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan—surpassing even Feng Youhuang by a narrow margin.

That was precisely why the clan had been reluctant to send him to his death against the Heavenly Emperor's heir. They had even bestowed upon him their sole remaining Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal, so that he could achieve a perfect breakthrough to Saint King.

Yet now the Celestial Prince had suddenly demanded to emerge and required the crystal. What could he do? He could only yield it. If he had known, he would have entered seclusion much earlier.

Once the prodigy offered up the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal, the divine source trembled faintly. The crystal flew from his hands on its own.

In the next instant, a strand of divine will descended and poured into the crystal. A terrifying aura instantly erupted. The originally translucent Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal began to surge with five-colored divine light.

Within the boundless radiance, a figure slowly took shape—impossible to look upon directly, impossible to discern clearly.

Moments later, the divine light contracted and transformed into a wheel of five colors that settled behind the figure's head.

The man had snow-white hair. His features were handsome and domineering, his eyes gleaming with golden light—imposing even without anger. Coupled with the continuously rotating five-colored divine wheel behind his head, he appeared no different from a true deity descended to the mortal realm.

The prodigy, still kneeling there and wondering whether the Celestial Prince would return the crystal after using it, now felt his entire body trembling uncontrollably. A deep, instinctive fear and awe rose from the bottom of his heart.

He was already a peak Saint. Yet merely facing a single strand of the Celestial Prince's divine will left him utterly overwhelmed. If the Old Ancestor's true body were to emerge, how terrifying would that be?

…

The Celestial Prince closed his eyes and quietly sensed the power flowing through the strand of his divine will. Then he shook his head lightly.

"The Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal may serve as the primary material for forging a top-tier Heavenly Heart Imprint, and it can indeed bear a quasi-immortal's will—but in the end, it cannot truly be called an immortal material…

"It is not even capable of perfectly containing a single thread of my divine sense. At most, I can wield seventy percent of my power. Any more, and cracks will appear across the crystal, severely diminishing its effectiveness!"

At this point, the Celestial Prince smiled and glanced toward the kneeling prodigy before him.

"But you need not worry. Even though the Heavenly Emperor's heir has already reversed the severing of the Great Dao and become a Saint, seventy percent of my divine will is more than sufficient. This single strand of mine—at seventy percent strength—can sweep aside every enemy beneath the rank of Great Saint!

"And if I unleash its full power without regard for the damage to the crystal… even a Great Saint can be killed and tested! So rest easy. I will return very soon. Once I do, you may use the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal to break through."

Hearing this, the prodigy below hurriedly bowed even deeper in respect. The Celestial Prince had lived for a million years—he would never speak empty words. Seventy percent of a single strand of divine will could sweep away all beneath the Great Saint. Killing the Heavenly Emperor's heir would be effortless. He should not have to wait long before the Celestial Prince returned the crystal. Soon, he would break through to Saint King!

Around him, the ancestors of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan and the various allied races stepped forward one after another. They all bowed deeply toward the Celestial Prince. The clansmen behind them followed suit.

Though many of these elders were advanced in years—some already on the verge of passing, with only a handful of years left—the Celestial Prince hailed from the era of the Heavenly Emperor a million years ago. More than that, he was the son of the Celestial Emperor himself. He was fully worthy of their deepest respect.

"Greetings, Celestial Prince. With your awakening, the myriad races shall rise to greatness once more! We will restore the glory of the divine dynasty—it is our bounden duty! It is time to summon all the great human powers and renegotiate the division of the cultivation world…"

Voices rose in excited discussion. The Celestial Prince's emergence filled them with boundless confidence. He merely smiled faintly, calm and composed. Whether in status or standing, he was entitled to such reverence.

Yet he paid no attention to those who bowed. Instead, his narrowed eyes settled on the only two figures present who had not lowered their heads. One was an old man whose aura was terrifying—imperial might rolled off him with every breath, faintly influencing the very laws of this heaven and earth.

The other was a man in his prime: tall and robust, his blood qi surging like a dragon, heavenly favor cascading around him in streams of flowing light. Clearly, he had already condensed a Heavenly Heart Imprint and reached the Saint King realm.

The Celestial Prince did not care who bowed today. But he very much cared about those who refused to.

"The Dream Dragon Clan?" he said lightly, a smile playing on his lips. "Why do the two of you not bow to me?"

The Dream Dragon Clan's Great Emperor met his gaze with calm indifference.

"Our Dream Dragon Clan has never fallen under your clan's jurisdiction. We came today merely to see the son of the ancient Celestial Emperor with our own eyes—to witness what manner of presence an unrivaled prodigy from that era truly possesses!"

The Celestial Prince laughed softly.

"Is looking enough? Why not exchange a few moves? This strand of my divine will can enter the Sixth Realm of the Immortal Path… The powerhouse of your Dream Dragon Clan beside you appears to have perfected his Heavenly Position aura—he has reached the peak. His realm matches this strand of mine perfectly! Come—let me see what level the prodigies of a million years later have attained!"

The moment the Celestial Prince spoke, the Great Emperor narrowed his eyes.

The Dream Dragon Clan had always kept its distance from the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan and refused to submit. But the Celestial Prince had endured a million years of seclusion and emerged even now—he was undoubtedly extraordinary. Even if it was only a strand of divine will, he did not wish to see his own prodigy sent to die. He immediately shook his head.

"There is no need for a spar. The Celestial Prince's momentum is overwhelming—he is no match."

Hearing this, a flicker of unwillingness flashed through the Saint King's eyes.

The corners of the Celestial Prince's mouth curved upward.

"But I very much wish to test my hand…"

As the words fell, he raised his palm. He grasped at the void.

A colossal hand coalesced in the sky and descended with crushing force, like the firmament itself collapsing toward the Dream Dragon Clan's Saint King.

By this point, the Saint King no longer held back.

"I, too, wish to see what the Celestial Prince is truly capable of."

In the next instant, the Dream Dragon Clan's Saint King erupted with power and charged forward.

The Great Emperor moved to intervene, but the oppressive aura radiating from the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan's powerhouses pinned him in place…

He could not interfere.

…

Under countless watchful eyes, the peak Saint King of the Dream Dragon Clan transformed into a black dragon stretching ten thousand meters long. Its colossal body swept through the void with terrifying force, shattering the surrounding space into nothingness. The sheer physical power on display left the onlookers in awe.

In any other era, a prodigy like this would have entered the Immortal Path to temper himself and vie for immortal fortune. But in this generation, figures like the Heavenly Emperor's heir Ye Chen were simply too heaven-defying. Even a Chaos Body seemed somewhat overshadowed.

Too many prodigies had quietly given up. This Dream Dragon Clan Saint King was one of them. Yet even with his dragon form's earth-shaking might, when that sweeping tail struck the Celestial Prince's colossal hand, the hand merely trembled slightly. Not a single crack appeared—let alone any sign of shattering.

The Dream Dragon Saint King's expression changed drastically. He immediately tried to flee. But it was already too late. The giant hand carried an inexplicable restraining power. It seized the ten-thousand-meter dragon body—vast as a mountain range—and clenched it firmly in its grasp.

No matter how desperately the Saint King struggled, he could not break free. As the grip tightened further, the dragon's scales shattered one after another. Endless streams of azure divine blood poured from between the fingers of the giant hand.

The Saint King writhed in excruciating agony, issuing piercing howls of torment.

Everyone present stared wide-eyed at the scene. Though they had all assumed this Saint King would be no match for the Celestial Prince's strand of divine will—otherwise, a million years of slumber would have been for nothing—none of them had expected the Celestial Prince to be this overwhelmingly dominant.

A mere strand of divine will could suppress a Saint King with a casual gesture. In the Celestial Prince's grasp, the Dream Dragon Clan's peak Saint King seemed no more than a wriggling worm.

The gap was simply too vast.

The Dream Dragon Clan's Great Emperor watched his prodigy suffer such torment and immediately recognized the profound mystery within the Celestial Prince's palm. It was refining his clansman at every moment. If this continued, even if the Saint King did not perish outright, he would soon be crippled beyond recovery.

A single strand of divine will was already this terrifying. What of the true body? Perhaps it truly possessed the qualifications to become an immortal.

His brows furrowed tightly. He spoke at once.

"Celestial Prince, we were the ones who overstepped. Please show mercy. Our Dream Dragon Clan possesses a head of the Profound-Headed Immortal Ox. Consuming its flesh greatly benefits the physical body—Even quasi-immortals would gain from it, allowing the body to reach absolute perfection and recover far more swiftly during the heavenly tribulation's lightning strikes… Our Dream Dragon Clan is also willing to submit to you, Celestial Prince!"

The corners of the Celestial Prince's mouth curved upward. He gave the Great Emperor a gentle, refined smile.

Just as relief began to flicker across the Great Emperor's face, the Celestial Prince murmured softly, his voice calm and measured.

"I appreciate the Great Emperor's generous offer. But I… do not eat beef."

The words fell.

The giant hand clenched with crushing finality.

A final, agonized wail erupted from the Dream Dragon Saint King. His ten-thousand-meter dragon body exploded in an instant.

Within the Celestial Prince's palm surged an extremely peculiar force. The Dream Dragon Saint King had no chance to revive. He perished completely.

Silence blanketed the scene.

The Dream Dragon Clan's Great Emperor's face twisted into an expression of extreme ugliness. Yet he said nothing.

The Celestial Prince gazed at the aftermath and gave a faint smile.

"I dislike it when everyone bows to me… except for one or two who refuse. It makes me worry—perhaps I've done something wrong, or perhaps that person harbors resentment toward me… Young friend, do you have any grievances against me?"

The Dream Dragon Great Emperor's expression shifted through several shades of emotion. Finally, he lowered his head.

"This junior… greets the Celestial Prince…"

Chapter 880: The Celestial Prince Courting Death!

Seeing the Dream Dragon Clan's Great Emperor finally bow his head, the Celestial Prince found the sight far more pleasing. Only then did he speak amid the sea of awed gazes.

"Have you located the Heavenly Emperor Hall yet? Since this generation has two Heavenly Emperor heirs, send them both on their way together."

One of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan Saints lowered his head and reported respectfully.

"Celestial Prince, we have not yet pinpointed the Heavenly Emperor Hall's location. But we are very close. We have already discovered faint traces within the starry void!"

The Celestial Prince showed no anger. He merely nodded in understanding.

The Saint let out a quiet breath of relief. Only now did they recall—the Celestial Prince had always been ruthless toward outsiders, yet surprisingly lenient with his own people.

After a moment of thought, the Celestial Prince's lips curved into a faint smile.

"How can I set out without a maidservant at my side? I have heard that the Heavenly Emperor's heir holds the Peacock Clan's Yan Ruyu in extremely high regard?"

A clansman immediately replied.

"Indeed so! The Heavenly Emperor's heir once spared the Little Peacock King because of Yan Ruyu. Later, when he visited the Myriad Races Immortal City, he frequently went to the Peacock Clan's residence. It was there that he became acquainted with Yan Wenwen and formed a true Dao companion bond with her!"

The Celestial Prince waved a hand with faint disdain.

"Only a woman of pure and unblemished virtue is qualified to serve as my maidservant. Then let it be Yan Ruyu. Next, I will first head to the Immortal Path and take Yan Ruyu as my maidservant. Once I obtain the location of the Heavenly Emperor Hall, I can bring her along—let Ye Chen have a good look…

"Or perhaps the Heavenly Emperor's heir will come rushing to stop me himself? After all, hasn't this generation's Heir been rumored to be utterly infatuated with women? Anyone who dares touch a woman he desires must die, no?

"Spread the word that I intend to enter the Immortal Path and claim Yan Ruyu as my maidservant."

By the time he finished speaking, a playful smile lingered on the Celestial Prince's face. He rose gracefully into the air.

The Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan powerhouses immediately nodded. They summoned a magnificent, jewel-adorned flying ship—a supreme Extreme Dao weapon. Even after suffering the Heavenly Emperor's purge, the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan—once the supreme imperial lineage—still possessed astonishing foundations.

Once the Celestial Prince and the assembled powerhouses boarded, the ship's prow turned forward and tore straight into the void, vanishing without a trace…

…

In the cultivation world, news traveled at terrifying speed. By the very next day, word of the Celestial Prince's awakening had spread to every corner.

Along with it came the announcement: the Celestial Prince intended to enter the Immortal Path, take the number-one beauty of the myriad races—Yan Ruyu—as his maidservant, and then proceed to the Heavenly Emperor Hall to suppress both of its Heirs.

Though it was only a strand of the Celestial Prince's divine will—not his true body—the entire cultivation world was still shaken to its core.

At present, the cultivation world acknowledged four supreme figures as the most likely contenders for the path to immortality.

The first was the former Heavenly Emperor's heir, Ye Chen. His talent needed no elaboration; his battle record spoke for itself.

The second was the Eight-Crowned King of the Dao One Holy Land. His historical achievements were few but legendary—he had seized eight strands of immortal qi in succession, earning curses from many who accused him of "occupying the latrine without doing the deed"… Yet rumors claimed his true strength had already approached the level of a True Immortal.

Then there was the elusive banished immortal, whose real identity remained shrouded in mystery to this day. But according to reports, he had reached the Great Emperor realm in a mere hundred years.

And finally, the Celestial Prince himself. A million years ago, he had contended with the Heavenly Emperor. After a narrow defeat, he sealed himself away for a million years, cultivating the extraordinary method left behind by the Undying Celestial Emperor.

Many outsiders scoffed at the decision, calling him mad—why waste so much time when he could have ascended earlier?

But none could deny: a million years of seclusion would surely yield unimaginable gains. He was undeniably a formidable contender for immortal qi.

Yet these four had either been in slumber or remained in the Ninth Realm. Their realms were so vastly separated that they had never truly crossed paths. No one could say for certain who was strongest.

But now, a mere strand of the Celestial Prince's divine will had emerged and declared intent to act against the Heavenly Emperor's heir. This was bound to be a world-shaking battle.

Moreover, he planned to first claim Yan Ruyu as his maidservant. Though the Heavenly Emperor's heir had never publicly admitted it, everyone in the cultivation world knew how obsessively he coveted Yan Ruyu—enough to spare the Little Peacock King for her sake. For the Celestial Prince to take Yan Ruyu as a maidservant was nothing short of a deliberate attempt to kill the heart along with the body.

Countless cultivators perked up, eager to see who would emerge victorious. Logically, the Celestial Prince had only sent a strand of divine will. Yet word had already spread far and wide: that very strand had casually extinguished a peak Saint King of the Dream Dragon Clan.

A single strand of divine will possessed such terrifying combat power. Its strength was simply unimaginable. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had likely only just broken through to the Saint realm.

Ye Chen undoubtedly possessed the ability to slay across realms—but that was against ordinary prodigies. Against the son of the Celestial Emperor, a being who had slumbered for a million years and now projected even a fragment of his will—if Ye Chen could still suppress him across realms, it would be beyond belief.

Thus, the majority of voices in the cultivation world favored the Celestial Prince. As for the other Heavenly Emperor heir—the Chaos Body—though she was also mentioned, with the Celestial Prince intending to suppress both, few paid her much attention. In this era, a Chaos Body truly seemed… somewhat lacking.

…

In the Heavenly Emperor Hall, the golden-robed elder was still mulling over how best to shower Ye Chen with gifts the moment he emerged from seclusion and then promptly escort him out of the door.

Then the news arrived: the Celestial Prince had awakened. Even more alarming, the Celestial Prince was searching for the Heavenly Emperor Hall's location and intended to challenge both of this generation's Heavenly Emperor heirs.

When the elder heard that the Celestial Prince had casually slain a peak Saint King with a mere strand of divine will, his face darkened completely. He had only just begun pushing his daughter forward to replace Ye Chen as the true Heir.

The cultivation world might not yet fully accept her—claiming her strength was insufficient—but he didn't care. She could slowly build her battle record over time. Yet before they could even start, the Celestial Prince had jumped out of nowhere.

Truly rotten luck of the worst kind. If this had happened a little earlier, when Ye Chen was still publicly recognized as the Heavenly Emperor's heir, Ye Chen could have handled the fight alone. If it had come a little later, his daughter's cultivation would have risen further. She could have fought as well.

But it landed at this awkward in-between moment. If his daughter avoided the battle, her legitimacy would be even harder to establish in the eyes of the world.

But sending her to face the Celestial Prince head-on? Absolutely impossible! She had only just broken through to the Saint realm. It would be nothing short of suicide. He absolutely could not let his daughter know about this. Of course, he could take the Heavenly Emperor Hall and flee. But with the Celestial Prince making such a grand spectacle, if the Hall showed no response at all, it would appear utterly cowardly and pathetic.

After a moment of hesitation, the golden-robed elder narrowed his eyes. He decided to go find Ye Chen. Though he had always disliked the boy intensely, he could not lie to himself about Ye Chen's combat power.

Ye Chen's current strength already far surpassed his daughter's. If Ye Chen had succeeded in reversing the Dao and truly become a Saint, his battle power would have soared even higher. He didn't need to defeat the Celestial Prince's incarnation outright. If Ye Chen could at least fight him to a draw, it would resolve the immediate crisis. So he would go check whether Ye Chen had achieved sainthood yet. And then… negotiate with him.

The golden-robed elder knew Ye Chen's temperament well—convincing him to act would not be easy. But in this situation, he had no other choice. No matter what Ye Chen demanded, he would have to agree. He only hoped that during the negotiation, Ye Chen wouldn't be too greedy. Still, bleeding heavily was inevitable.

With a heavy heart, the elder arrived outside Ye Chen's seclusion chamber. His divine sense touched the transmission talisman arrayed outside. Then he stood silently, waiting.

…

Inside the cave heaven, though Ye Chen sensed the transmission talisman outside the chamber light up, he remained unmoved. He first finished what he was doing. Only then did he lift Luo Bingling—eyes rolled back in exhaustion—from the starry pool and gently pass her into the tender, still-energetic care of Lu Jing.

With that done, he rose gracefully, cast a Cleansing Talisman over himself, and stepped out of the cave heaven with leisurely calm. He had assumed it was Yan Qingcheng who had come. But when he activated the transmission talisman, it was the golden-robed elder's voice that came through. The elder informed him that if his breakthrough was complete, there was something he wished to discuss.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. This old man had always looked at him like he was some yellow-haired lecher. And now he was coming to find him behind Yan Qingcheng's back.

Definitely nothing good.

Still, Ye Chen was unperturbed. He let the elder wait outside for half a day longer. Only then did he raise a hand and remotely open the door of the seclusion chamber.

The elder did not rush in. He entered with his usual measured pace. Perhaps because he had come to ask a favor, he even raised his hand and said politely, "Pardon the intrusion."

Looking at Ye Chen, the elder raised an eyebrow. The golden hair that had once marked Ye Chen had vanished completely after breaking through to Saint.

Seeing Ye Chen with black hair now, the elder actually found him much more pleasing to the eye. Then he sensed Ye Chen's aura—and raised his brow again. He could discern almost nothing.

Normally, when a cultivator first broke through, they could not fully control their suddenly surging power. Their aura would leak outward, making their realm easy to read. Yet Ye Chen's aura was perfectly contained, flawless, and watertight—impossible to gauge.

Still, beneath that calm surface, the elder could faintly sense the terrifying physical power coiled within. Clearly, Ye Chen had broken through to Saint some time ago and had already mastered it completely.

A trace of emotion stirred in the elder's heart. Without any Dao-Entrust Treasure, Ye Chen had relied solely on his own strength to reverse the Dao and achieve sainthood—and so swiftly at that. This talent truly was monstrous.

But according to the rumors, the Celestial Prince was already nearing the Immortal Path. He would likely soon locate the Heavenly Emperor Hall and arrive here.

The elder had no patience for further pleasantries. He spoke directly, laying out the current situation.

"Qingcheng has only recently broken through. Her aura is not yet stable, and she has not had time to refine the Origin Pool. She most likely cannot contend with the Celestial Prince's strand of divine will incarnation. But the Heavenly Emperor Hall cannot simply flee without a fight.

"Therefore, Ye Chen—your talent is extraordinary, your battle power unrivaled. If possible, I would like to ask you to step forward and hold back the Celestial Prince… I do not ask you to defeat him, nor to slay this incarnation of his. Merely to stall him and—if possible—fight him to a draw!

"If you have any requests, any conditions, feel free to name them… As long as the Heavenly Emperor Hall can fulfill them, we will. For example, that immortal artifact fragment can still be given to you. I will also grant you half of the Origin Pool…

"And in the future, when you break through to Saint King and need materials to condense your Heavenly Heart Imprint, the Heavenly Emperor Hall will do everything in our power to help you search for them. While I cannot guarantee a Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal, I assure you the items will be of the highest quality!

"In short—as long as you are willing to act—everything can be negotiated. There is nothing that cannot be discussed!"

The golden-robed elder spoke earnestly.

Ye Chen, having heard the full story, raised an eyebrow.

The Celestial Prince had actually sent a strand of divine will out ahead of time? And he was heading to the Immortal Path to take Yan Ruyu as his maidservant? This guy really was courting death, wasn't he?

Ye Chen had gone to such lengths for the number-one beauty of the myriad races: he had spared the Little Peacock King's life for her sake, and even let Yan Wenwen—an older woman—take advantage of him.

After investing so much, he still didn't even know what Yan Ruyu's "multiplier" would be. And now this Celestial Prince wanted to cut in line? He was courting death!!

Ye Chen's expression immediately darkened. He stood up…