ISWI Chapter 891-892 (Patreon)

Chapter 891: Father Is Acting Strange!

Just as Yan Qingcheng's emotions surged like raging waves, overwhelmed by Ye Chen's actions and generosity, a system prompt finally sounded in Ye Chen's mind.

"Congratulations to the host for successfully gifting the item…"

"Gift: Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal!"

"Feedback in progress…"

"Applying 7,000x feedback multiplier…"

"Detected that the gifted item holds extreme importance to the recipient, triggering maximum emotional fluctuation…"

"Top-notch critical hit feedback activated!"

"Feedback reward: Sand of Heavenly Will ×2!"

"Sand of Heavenly Will: Refined by supreme immortal powerhouses through melting and extracting pure Heavenly Will!"

"Using it to condense a Heavenly Heart Imprint can elevate the imprint to immortal-grade quality. It deepens one's affinity with fate, thickens destiny, grants mastery over heaven and earth, and brings boundless benefits…"

Ye Chen stared at the notification in his mind, utterly stunned. Even something as precious as the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal merely carried faint traces of Heavenly Will residue. Only by drawing on that could one condense a Heavenly Heart Imprint that fused seamlessly with the Heavenly Will, smooth and perfect, allowing greater borrowing of its power for all calculations.

Yet the system had given him Sand of Heavenly Will—directly forged from melted Heavenly Will itself. This was leagues beyond the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal. What level of supreme being could possibly achieve such a feat? This time… he had truly profited enormously.

The thought made Ye Chen want to silently thank that generous Celestial Prince big shot once again. But Yan Qingcheng's gratitude was genuinely on another level. After all, the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal he had given her was already cracked and damaged. Its value had dropped significantly compared to a perfect one.

Yet she had still managed to trigger feedback of Sand of Heavenly Will—two grains, no less. After keeping one for himself, he could give the other to one of the women by his side. This was far too generous.

In an instant, Yan Qingcheng's already high standing in Ye Chen's heart climbed even higher. She was almost at the very front line now!

Ye Chen gazed at her with burning intensity. Yan Qingcheng, who usually carried herself with such composure, felt the heat in his eyes and found it too much to bear. She turned her face aside, unable to meet his gaze. His look was too fervent. It seemed to say: I would give everything for you—mere Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal means nothing.

She had originally been resolute. She had no intention of taking a Dao companion before achieving immortality. And she certainly hadn't planned to consider Ye Chen—after all, the sheer number of women around him was staggering. But now… her heart was truly thrown into disarray.

Flustered, she hurried to speak again.

"I want to give you a gift in return, Fellow Daoist Ye. I will give you half of the Origin Pool! The Origin Pool is where cosmic essence gathers. It will allow both of us to advance our cultivation at tremendous speed. Once you've recovered from your injuries, we'll go there to cultivate together! And also…"

She trailed off midway. She still wanted to rightfully return the position of Heavenly Emperor's true Heir to Ye Chen, so that he could become the genuine heir and inheritor of the Heavenly Emperor Hall.

But that would require convincing her father. She planned to have a serious talk with him after Ye Chen went into seclusion. Her father had to agree because this was what Ye Chen deserved.

After she finished speaking, Yan Qingcheng looked at him with some apprehension, afraid he might insist on keeping all the good things for himself and refuse.

To her delight, however, Ye Chen agreed without hesitation.

"Fine. I'll go heal first. I should come out in about a week."

Ye Chen had no intention of pretending to be injured forever. A big move was only effective once. If he overused it, it stopped being a trump card. From here on, he could simply let things develop naturally.

After once again declining the healing elixirs offered by both Yan Qingcheng and the golden-robed elder, Ye Chen returned to his meditation chamber in excellent spirits. He no longer suppressed his physique.

In the brief moment before he could even activate the Healing Secret, his aura had already begun surging upward. In the blink of an eye, he was fully restored…

This was the current state of Ye Chen's constitution. His recovery speed had already surpassed even the Healing Secret. In the cultivation world, the supreme healing technique—the Healing Secret—was, on Ye Chen's body, merely icing on the cake.

He opened the entrance to his cave heaven and stepped inside with a pleased smile, eager to examine the newly acquired Sand of Heavenly Will.

…

Inside the grand hall of the Heavenly Emperor Hall, both the golden-robed elder and Yan Qingcheng hesitated, neither speaking first, as though each was lost in thought.

After a long moment, Yan Qingcheng finally resolved to have a proper conversation with her father about making Ye Chen the true Heir of the Heavenly Emperor.

But before she could begin, the golden-robed elder spoke.

"Qingcheng, I made a grave mistake this time… When Ye Chen went to face the Celestial Prince, it was actually I who informed him and sent him there. Celestial Prince was far too domineering—he openly challenged the Heavenly Emperor's heir to a duel.

"I was worried about you, so I didn't tell you. I only asked Ye Chen to go in your place, to stand as your shield against Celestial Prince… At the time, Ye Chen truly had no confidence. The battle was not as easy as he later claimed. If he hadn't managed a miraculous counter-kill at the very end…"

After much internal struggle, the elder decided to come clean with his daughter. Too many people knew the truth; it couldn't be hidden forever. Better to confess willingly than be exposed later. If she discovered it on her own, she might very well sever ties with him completely.

Yan Qingcheng's eyes widened in shock. She had assumed Ye Chen had gone into the fight with at least some measure of confidence. She never imagined that his sacrifice had been far greater than she realized.

He had stepped forward specifically to protect her from the Celestial Prince. He had nearly fallen in the process. That had been a genuine life-or-death crisis.

Yet through it all, Ye Chen had never once blamed her father. Just earlier, he had even spoken up to defend him. And clearly, every bit of it had been for her sake. Ye Chen had given far too much for her.

Tears welled in Yan Qingcheng's eyes. The gaze she turned on her father was filled with sorrow. He had always been good to her, but the way he had treated Ye Chen was truly unacceptable.

The golden-robed elder, already aware of how badly he had erred, hurried to explain.

"This time, I truly know I was wrong. I've already apologized to Ye Chen. In fact, he had no intention of returning to the Heavenly Emperor Hall at all—I had to insist strongly before he agreed to come back."

Yan Qingcheng didn't believe a word of it. Her father had repeatedly belittled Ye Chen in public. He had secretly undermined him. He had even deceived Ye Chen into facing a deadly enemy on her behalf.

This sudden invitation for Ye Chen to return was almost certainly motivated by the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal—hoping Ye Chen would gift it to her.

She wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat. The guilt she felt toward Ye Chen swelled inside her, pressing against her chest until she could hardly breathe.

She knew scolding her father would accomplish nothing. Right now, the most important thing was to fight for what Ye Chen deserved. To return to him everything that rightfully belonged to him.

"Father, what you did this time really went too far! We have to make it up to Ye Chen. I'm going to give him half of the Origin Pool first. You have no objections, do you?"

The elder immediately shook his head.

Yan Qingcheng narrowed her beautiful eyes, her expression one of confirmation—this was exactly what she had expected. He wasn't truly remorseful at all. Everything he had just said was merely lip service.

She decided then: if she couldn't convince him, she would simply leave with Ye Chen. This Heavenly Emperor Hall could do without her!

But before she could speak again, the golden-robed elder continued on his own.

"Qingcheng, I think giving Ye Chen only half isn't appropriate…"

Yan Qingcheng bit down hard on her lower lip, her snowy teeth pressing into soft flesh. Then she heard him finish: "If it were up to me, we should just give him the entire Origin Pool."

A cold laugh rose in her heart. Was her father speaking sarcastically now?

She stayed silent, waiting to see what excuse he would offer next.

The elder went on: "Qingcheng, I admit I used to harbor prejudice against Ye Chen… But to speak plainly, no, his talent, aptitude, comprehension, everything about him, far surpasses yours. Even the Chaos Body you take such pride in pales in comparison to him…"

Yan Qingcheng froze. Of course, she knew this deep down. The Chaos Body was supposed to be an invincible path. Yet next to Ye Chen, it no longer shone so brightly. But why was her father suddenly admitting it so openly?

Seeing that his daughter could accept the truth, the elder continued: "And in this era's path to immortality, there are far too many monsters. Though Celestial Prince's avatar was defeated, that was merely a strand of his divine sense. Once his true body emerges, he will be overwhelmingly powerful.

"Then there is the Eight-Crowned King. His World Tree sapling already bears eight strands of immortal qi—only one more remains. Once it transforms and he fully merges with it… If he succeeds, the Eight-Crowned King can refine the World Tree sapling into his second spiritual root…

"The World Tree sapling far exceeds even sacred spiritual roots. It's said that if it can give birth to a World Tree Heart and grow to maturity, it might reach immortal-grade spiritual root level—potentially leading straight to the Immortal King realm in the future…"

"But perfect fusion is only possible before achieving immortality. That's precisely why the Eight-Crowned King has delayed becoming an immortal. There is also that Exiled Immortal. I don't know much about him or which one he truly is, but he clearly came prepared and is no ordinary figure either. Even if your Chaos Body were pushed to its absolute peak in the future, it would still fall somewhat short compared to these freaks.

"But Ye Chen is different. Ye Chen has the strength and potential to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them. Yet the weakest among those monsters is already at the Great Emperor realm.

"Therefore, what Ye Chen needs most right now is to rapidly increase his cultivation. That's why it would be better to give him the entire Origin Pool and help him reach the peak of the Saint realm.

"As for you, Qingcheng, you can take it slower—steady and solid progress is fine too. With how much Ye Chen values you, and if your father treats him a little better from now on and provides him with every resource possible…"

"There's a very good chance Ye Chen will secure a spot for you in the Immortal Realm. Once you leave this cage behind, the possibilities will be limitless!"

At first, Yan Qingcheng had been searching for flaws in her father's words, ready to argue back. But the more she listened, the more something felt off…

He wasn't being sarcastic. He seemed completely serious. He genuinely acknowledged Ye Chen's talent and character now. He was even willing to set aside his own daughter and invest everything in Ye Chen, so that she could indirectly gain entry to the Immortal Realm through him.

This…

Although she had always hoped her father would change his opinion of Ye Chen, the scale of this change was almost too extreme. Yet Yan Qingcheng was not petty, nor would she ever feel jealous of Ye Chen. She could accept reality. Deep down, she still harbored a fighting spirit—she believed talent alone did not decide everything.

Figures like the Devouring Female Immortal and the Heavenly Emperor were proof of that. She might still have a chance to contend for the path to immortality.

Even so, she nodded. She accepted her father's words. She agreed to give the entire Origin Pool to Ye Chen.

Chapter 892: Where's My Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal?

"…And the position of Heavenly Emperor's heir as well… Ye Chen has already earned recognition across the entire cultivation world. Keeping the title with me now feels improper and unjustified… It would be better to just…"

Yan Qingcheng was about to continue, proposing that both the position of Heavenly Emperor's heir and the associated resources be formally transferred to Ye Chen. Even though her father's opinion of Ye Chen had undergone a complete reversal, she knew full well that the Heavenly Emperor Hall had long been regarded by the Yan family ancestors as their private property.

They were fundamentally unwilling to share it with any outsider. They feared that after a few generations, the Yan family's imprint would fade entirely. Convincing her father would not be easy. But before she could finish, the golden-robed elder understood her intent at once.

He spoke immediately.

"This is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you. In truth, I also believe Ye Chen is far more suited to be the Heavenly Emperor's true disciple. Heavy Pupils, Supreme Heart, an invincible physique, the Heavenly Emperor Fist that sweeps aside everything…

"The Heavenly Emperor Treasury is already in his hands. Even if the Heavenly Emperor himself were reborn, he wouldn't resemble the Heavenly Emperor as closely as Ye Chen does. It would be truly inappropriate not to make him the Heir.

"Besides, haven't you always said your ambitions lie elsewhere—that you want to walk your own path? If that's the case, then I won't try to persuade you otherwise. Once Ye Chen emerges from seclusion, we'll officially confer the position of Heavenly Emperor's heir upon him!"

Yan Qingcheng had only gotten halfway through her prepared speech when her father's words left her stunned. The words lodged in her throat—she couldn't cough them up or swallow them down. She hadn't even started persuading him, yet he had already agreed. Though this was precisely her goal, the suddenness left her feeling strangely off-balance.

Fearing she might overthink it, the golden-robed elder quickly continued.

"Of course, your father has his own calculations in all this! I've always hoped you would become an immortal and wanted to accompany you to the Immortal Realm—perhaps the environment there is better, and I might even have a chance to achieve immortality myself in the future. But now, I've faced reality. If Ye Chen were merely talented, I wouldn't trust him. Spots to enter the Immortal Realm are far too precious, and people who go back on their word are all too common.

"There was once a small sect's prodigy whose extraordinary potential was discovered by a certain holy land. They poured everything into cultivating him—nearly emptying their treasury, with many powerhouses sacrificing their lives to protect him. When he reached a quasi-immortal level, they even gave him an immortal artifact. They even married the daughter of one of their Supreme Elders to him!

"And that prodigy did live up to expectations—he seized immortal qi on the path to immortality and successfully advanced to True Immortal. Just as the holy land was joyfully selecting people to follow the True Immortal into the Immortal Realm—planning to have him clear out their enemies, allowing the sect to recover its losses and flourish once more—That True Immortal turned ruthless and disowned them entirely.

"He claimed his achievements were due solely to his own hard work and had nothing to do with the holy land. He even turned on his own wife, saying marrying her had been forced upon him, a humiliation he endured against his will, and that he had a true love elsewhere. He threatened that if they kept pestering him, he would wipe out the entire sect!

"Then, taking his concubines and descendants with him—and without returning the immortal artifact—he stepped straight through the Heavenly Gate. In one stroke, the holy land was crippled. Without the immortal artifact, it could no longer even be called a holy land. Within a few short years, it was carved up and vanished completely from history.

"That's precisely why the great holy lands have become increasingly cautious when choosing Heirs. No matter how monstrous a small sect's prodigy might be, they're only taken in as laborers—never as true heirs. But Ye Chen is different. He truly has loyalty and righteousness. He's not the sort of petty villain who turns his back the moment he gains power.

"If he becomes the Heir of our Heavenly Emperor Hall and receives our resources and backing, then even if he ascends to immortality with countless women, he will still remember our kindness and secure a spot for you."

At the end of his words, the golden-robed elder looked at his daughter with deep affection. Though he had come to acknowledge Ye Chen on this journey, the person he loved most in his heart would always be her.

For someone like him, every action was a careful weighing of gains and losses. He only hoped his daughter could escape this gradually decaying prison and step into a new world. That in the future she might become an immortal, an ancestor, and attain eternal life.

Yan Qingcheng listened, her heart heavy. Her father had many flaws, but he had always considered her interests with single-minded devotion. In his heart, she would forever come first. He only wanted her to live well. But she…

"Father, I'm sorry…"

Overcome with guilt, Yan Qingcheng threw her arms around the golden-robed elder. He gave a gentle smile and patted her head softly.

"There, there. It's mainly because your luck was poor—you were born in this world. If you had been born in the Immortal Realm, your Chaos Body would still be outstanding. You could enter a great sect and contend with most Immortal Bodies. Between father and daughter, what is there to be sorry about? As long as you live well, your father can accept anything!"

The tension that had strained their father-daughter relationship because of Ye Chen finally eased, and they reconciled. But after talking for so long, Yan Qingcheng suddenly realized something and shook her head lightly.

"Father, I feel deep gratitude toward Ye Chen, but I have no intention of becoming his Dao companion. My Dao companion should be someone devoted heart and soul, loving only me. Ye Chen is excellent, but he's not right for me…"

The golden-robed elder had once shared exactly that view. But now his attitude had completely shifted.

"Qingcheng, don't overthink it. Just follow your heart. As for how many women Ye Chen has—what does that have to do with you? As long as he has you in his eyes and in his heart, that's enough!"

"…"

Yan Qingcheng's mouth twitched. She felt somewhat helpless. Her father's change of heart had come so swiftly that she could barely keep up.

…

Northern Domain.

Within the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan, the atmosphere hung heavy and subdued. Everyone had believed that the emergence of their Celestial Prince's avatar would finally bring glory and vindication to the clan. Instead, it had been sent to its death…

The humiliation was monumental. The various races that had once shown interest in aligning with them now adopted ambiguous stances. Clearly, they feared that even when Celestial Prince's true body emerged, he might still prove no match for Ye Chen.

The prodigy who had originally gifted the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal maintained a blank expression on the surface, but inside, his heart was bleeding. That was a Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal—the key to condensing a divine-grade Heavenly Heart Imprint. If he had kept it, the benefits at the Saint King realm alone would have been immense.

More importantly, it would have greatly increased his chances of reaching a quasi-immortal level in the future. Then, in this Dharma-Ending Era, he could have become an ancestor, lording over others with impunity.

And yet? His own Celestial Prince had casually handed it away. He no longer cared about respecting the ancestor's status; in his mind, he raged: You old fool—if you're this weak, go train harder.

At the sacred mountain of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan, an eerie silence prevailed. A Great Emperor–level elder of the clan stood before the divine source and spoke.

"Your Highness need not dwell on this single defeat. Ye Chen most likely possesses a divine-grade spiritual root. As for his physique—even if it isn't an immortal body, it surely rivals one. With just a strand of your avatar, you forced him to the brink of death and nearly shook him to pieces. That alone is enough.

"After the battle, Ye Chen remained unable to recover from his injuries for several days and was nearly ambushed and killed by ordinary Saint Kings. In short, this fight has already exposed the upper limit of Ye Chen's strength. When your true body emerges in the future, crushing him will be effortless!"

"…"

Inside the divine source, divine flames flickered.

After his avatar's fall, Celestial Prince had already received its memories and witnessed everything that transpired. For a moment, half the sky over the Northern Region changed color. Cracks even appeared on his own divine source, nearly shattering it.

Such was the fury of the Celestial Prince. He burned with the urge to emerge at once and obliterate Ye Chen. But in the end, he restrained himself. A mere Ye Chen was not worth abandoning a million years of hibernation or sacrificing his chance to become an Immortal King. He would emerge soon enough.

When that day came, he could crush this man and wash away the shame of his crushing defeat. So lately, within the divine source, he had been carefully analyzing the Heavenly Emperor Fist he had witnessed that day, searching for ways to counter it.

Today, when the clansmen arrived to console him, the Celestial Prince was bewildered. His avatar had forced the opponent to the brink of death? How did he not know about this? Hadn't his avatar been pummeled almost to death after just a few exchanges, only to have the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal forcibly taken by Ye Chen using the Word of Soldiers secret art? Then forced to watch the days of the Heavenly Emperor Fist. And finally hammered to death with a single punch.

But he quickly understood. At the time, he had been inside the Heavy Pupils Pure Land; outsiders couldn't have known the true details. That must be where the misunderstanding arose.

But Ye Chen was injured? Nearly killed by ordinary Saint Kings?

What a joke. Judging by the combat power Ye Chen had displayed that day, slaughtering the entire Sixth Realm would have been child's play.

So why pretend to be injured?

Puzzled, Celestial Prince asked through the divine source: "How many attempted to assassinate Ye Chen afterward?"

The Great Emperor outside replied at once: "Roughly thirty-odd Saint Kings died!"

Celestial Prince frowned. How could Ye Chen kill even more ruthlessly than himself?

He immediately guessed that Ye Chen must have cultivated some crooked, heretical technique that required harvesting the lives of cultivators to advance. Perhaps that was the source of his absurd strength as well.

Still, Celestial Prince had no intention of exposing the truth. Doing so would only embarrass himself further. So he spoke calmly.

"In the end, I underestimated Ye Chen. His Heavenly Emperor Fist has reached the pinnacle—perhaps even surpassed the original Heavenly Emperor by forging his own path. But it matters not. I have already comprehended all of his techniques. When my true body emerges, suppressing him will be effortless. And by my calculations, I will emerge in no more than twenty years!"

The Great Emperor's eyes lit up at once. This era's Heavenly Emperor heir was overwhelmingly strong, and their own Celestial Prince was naturally arrogant. After all, he had once fought the Heavenly Emperor himself. Facing a mere Heir, it was only natural that he had been careless.

A narrow loss in a single move was nothing serious. But the real good news was that Celestial Prince would emerge within twenty years. For cultivators, twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. Once his true body appeared—with a sacred spiritual root, the True Phoenix Immortal Body, and a scripture surpassing even True Immortal level—who in the world could stand against him?

The Eight-Crowned King merely relied on the advantage of his World Tree! The Exiled Immortal hid his identity and had already died once—hardly worth mentioning. The Heavenly Emperor heir was only at the early Saint realm. Even if he broke through to Saint King or Great Saint in twenty years, that would already be heaven-defying. Celestial Prince could crush him with a casual lift of his hand.

When the news spread, the oppressive mood that had weighed down the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan instantly vanished, replaced by surging momentum and soaring spirits. The clansman who had lost the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal and harbored deep resentment suddenly brightened as well.

Once Celestial Prince emerged, he would surely be invincible, with ten thousand races bowing in submission. Couldn't he then ask Celestial Prince to help him acquire another Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal?

With that thought, the clansman made up his mind. He would hold off on breaking through for now. He would wait twenty years.