ISWI Chapter 909-910 (Patreon)

Chapter 909: This Is What It Means to Lie Down and Win!

Right before entering seclusion, Ye Chen felt as though he had forgotten something. But no matter how hard he tried, the thought refused to surface, so he decided to let it go. Whatever it was, he could deal with it after breaking through to Saint King.

With that settled, Ye Chen sat cross-legged. The entrance to his cave heaven manifested around him. The illusory image of the Nine Transformations Heavenly Furnace appeared behind him, enveloping his form.

At the same time, he offered up the Heavenly Will Sand. A terrifying aura of transformation immediately surged forth.

…

Inside the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land, Feng Baiyu sat within the Cloud Summit Heaven Palace. He was still sighing with emotion over the fact that Ye Chen was about to break through to the sixth layer of Mahayana and achieve Saint King, when a figure flew into the palace.

The newcomer had gentle features as refined as jade, an imposing yet elegant bearing, and a divine wheel behind him that shone like a great sun, making him appear extraordinarily distinguished.

Feng Baiyu didn't even need to look up to know who it was. He simply gestured for the man to sit and have some tea. During Ye Chen's recent visit, he had left behind quite a lot of Enlightenment Tea as thanks for accompanying him on the journey.

The visitor's eyes carried clear anticipation. "Holy Master, Junior Brother has returned, hasn't he? How is Dantai doing now?"

Feng Baiyu glanced at Hua Yunfei and shook his head. "I forgot to ask. Ye Chen didn't mention it either—he just went into seclusion to break through to Saint King…"

Truthfully, Feng Baiyu held little hope for Dantai Xuan. He knew a little about the terror of the Supreme. It was one of the true pinnacle existences from the Other Domain. Though it had never personally acted back then, merely standing at the border of the Other Domain had brought unimaginable pressure upon the entire Immortal Realm.

He did not believe Ye Chen could easily resolve the issue of the Supreme. Even temporary suppression was meaningless. Even if Dantai Xuan never reached the Immortal Realm in the future, an existence like the Supreme had ways to forcibly tear open the boundary and pull her across. The only true solution was death. But such words obviously could not be spoken aloud.

Hua Yunfei stared blankly for a moment. He had missed her again. He truly hoped his junior sister could recover. Yet time and again, he failed to meet her. Could she still be inside the Divine Maiden Furnace? It had already been three years. And his junior brother never mentioned it. What exactly was going on?

Hua Yunfei couldn't figure it out. He decided this clone would remain here and wait patiently.

Feng Baiyu smiled warmly at Hua Yunfei. "Your junior brother's cultivation is about to catch up to your true body, isn't it? Feeling nervous yet? Come on, tell me—what realm has your true body reached?"

Hua Yunfei laughed lightly and did not answer directly. Instead, he gently lifted his cup of Enlightenment Tea and took a sip. "Junior Brother really is generous."

Feng Baiyu nodded in agreement.

Ye Chen truly was generous. Thanks to him, the average lifespan of the older generation in the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land had increased by nearly a thousand years. Many elders had also made breakthroughs because of the Enlightenment Tea, greatly elevating the holy land's overall combat power.

This was why every time Ye Chen went out, the elders practically fought to serve as his protectors. If Feng Baiyu hadn't intervened and arranged a rotation schedule, Ye Chen's departures would likely have emptied the upper echelons of the holy land every single time.

Back then, the Heavenly Emperor had also been very generous. He had willingly shared his best treasures with those around him, never stingy. Yet Ye Chen had surpassed even him. Having inherited the Heavenly Emperor's legacy, he was even more lavish—practically extravagant.

Still, Feng Baiyu often marveled in private. A million years ago, the Heavenly Emperor had already laid plans in this world, leaving behind Enlightenment Tea trees and Ginseng Fruit trees for future generations… And that was only the beginning.

Feng Baiyu estimated that Ye Chen had inherited at least four or five immortal roots. If word of that ever spread, it would shake the entire cultivation world to its core.

On the Fourth Holy Son Peak—also known as the Ascension Peak—Lu Jing, who had finally been granted a holiday and was no longer forced to cultivate by the workaholic Luo Bingling, gazed at the familiar courtyard. She let out a long, contented sigh.

Years ago, this was exactly where she used to spend her days—watching sunsets, waiting for the Holy Son to occasionally return so she could catch a glimpse of him. Returning to this old place now filled her heart with an especially deep calm. But soon, voices drifted to her ears.

"Sister Lin has already reached peak Deity Transformation—truly astonishing!"

"Young Master has bestowed upon us top-grade Unity treasures. Sister Lin will surely break through to Unity very soon."

"It's been so long since we last saw Sister Lu. Do you ever get bored staying alone inside Young Master's cave heaven?"

"From now on, none of us is leaving. The moment Young Master emerges from seclusion, we'll be the first to greet him."

Four graceful figures slowly returned. They were none other than Lin Ke'er, Cai Die, Yun Qianyue, and Sun Ruoxin. All four were Ye Chen's personal maids.

So many years had passed. The once fresh, delicate, and modest girls now carried the mature charm of women who had bloomed with time. But Ye Chen no longer needed maids, so the four had become ordinary disciples of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. Yet the treatment they enjoyed surpassed what most prodigies could ever dream of.

Sometimes, when they looked back on the past, they still found it unbelievable—like something out of a dream. Without encountering the Holy Son, reaching Foundation Establishment in their lifetime would already have been a stroke of immense luck.

Golden Core? They wouldn't have dared imagine it.

Yet now, all of them had basically reached Nascent Soul. And Lin Ke'er, the most competitive among them, had already reached peak Deity Transformation.

Lin Ke'er had originally been in high spirits. But when she thought of Lu Jing, a trace of unwillingness flickered in her eyes. Her greatest regret was that she hadn't seized the opportunity back then—hadn't offered herself to Ye Chen at the very first chance. As a result, Lu Jing had stolen ahead and become the Young Master's first woman.

Lin Ke'er had long since realized: a man's attitude toward his first woman was always different. Young Master clearly favored Lu Jing more. Still, Lin Ke'er refused to despair. Ability mattered just as much. As long as she cultivated diligently, she would surely earn Young Master's attention in the future.

Now she was already at peak Deity Transformation. And Lu Jing? With her lazy nature—even if Young Master occasionally motivated her—she would at most reach early Deity Transformation. In the future, Lin Ke'er was confident she would surpass Lu Jing by an even wider margin.

Just as Lin Ke'er revealed a confident smile and prepared to return to her courtyard—ready to wait for Young Master's emergence and leave him astonished—the courtyard gate was pushed open.

Lu Jing appeared with a gentle, radiant smile. She looked at the four women warmly. "All four sisters have returned?"

The moment the four saw Lu Jing and sensed the terrifying aura radiating from her, their eyes widened in shock. That was the unmistakable aura unique to Mahayana cultivators.

Lin Ke'er's face filled with disbelief. "Lu Jing… you… Mahayana? How could you possibly be at Mahayana?"

She herself had only just reached peak Deity Transformation. Between them lay an entire Unity realm before Mahayana. How had Lu Jing directly reached Mahayana? Why was this happening? Could it be that Lu Jing's laziness was only an act—and she had actually been secretly working hard all along?

Lu Jing sighed with visible distress. "I originally wanted to quietly enjoy the peace inside Young Master's cave heaven… But who knew there was also one of Young Master's Dao companions inside—a peak Half-Saint who is currently breaking through to Saint… She cultivates every single moment and can't stand my idleness. She forces me to cultivate alongside her!

"And Young Master doesn't help me at all—he even approves and joins her in supervising my cultivation… I have to cultivate for twenty full hours every day. It's truly exhausting… This time, I finally begged for a long time to come out. I don't want to go back. I want to stay in the holy land and live as I used to…"

Lu Jing genuinely did not want to return. Luo Bingling had recently even proposed raising her daily cultivation to twenty-two hours. Lu Jing suspected it was revenge—Luo Bingling must have grown resentful after Lu Jing had seen too many of her embarrassing moments.

The four women's eyes widened even further. Lu Jing had a dedicated peak Half-Saint personally supervising and guiding her cultivation? And Young Master frequently went in to help raise her realm?

This… Was this the legendary "lie down and win"?

Feeling the overwhelming power of Lu Jing's Mahayana aura, the four suddenly felt as though all their hard work had lost meaning. Especially Lin Ke'er—her mentality completely collapsed…

Her face, still as clear and pure as first love despite the faint traces of maturity, now carried open longing. "Sister Lu Jing… I also want to go into Young Master's cave heaven…"

"Me too!"

"I want to go as well—I'll help Sister Lu share the pressure!"

Lu Jing wasn't foolish. Of course, she understood what the four really wanted. But she had no interest whatsoever in competing for favor. She truly did not want to go back. It was too tiring.

"Young Master's cave heaven is very powerful, but in the end, it's not as lively as the holy land! If you can endure the loneliness, I think Young Master won't refuse. But I'm not going back… I'm definitely staying in the holy land!"

Seeing Lu Jing's unchanged attitude of perfect laziness—never forgetting her original heart—yet feeling that terrifying Mahayana aura, the four felt a wave of self-doubt wash over them. It suddenly dawned on them what people meant by "a deliberate flower refuses to bloom, yet the willow planted without intent grows into shade."

But their determination to enter Ye Chen's cave heaven only grew stronger. After all, Young Master would soon ascend to immortality. They, as mere maids, could never compare to those heavenly prodigies. There was no way they would receive a slot to the Immortal Realm. And once Young Master left this world, who knew what would happen? Would their favor fade with his departure?

Their current status and resources in the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land were all illusory. Only cultivation truly belonged to them. If they could achieve Mahayana before Young Master left, that would be the best outcome. They weren't like Lu Jing—they actually considered the future.

As for Lu Jing, seeing that the four wanted to go relieved her worries. She had originally been concerned that if she left the cave heaven, no one would take care of Young Master anymore.

When Luo Bingling went too far, there would be no one to share the firepower. She had genuinely worried Luo Bingling might end up dead… Now she no longer had to worry. She could simply stay quietly in the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. Whenever Young Master returned, that would be enough.

As for the future? Once Young Master ascended and left, whatever came after naturally wouldn't matter anymore.

…

And so, half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

In the sixth realm of the Immortal Path, sudden news spread. A Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb had appeared in the world. The moment the news broke, it caused massive waves across the cultivation realm.

A Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb could allow a sixth-layer Saint King to accelerate comprehension of Heavenly Position laws and speed up the growth of their Heavenly Heart Imprint.

Refining and imprinting it between the brows could roughly halve the time needed to break through from Saint King. For Saint-realm cultivators, a Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb was an absolute top-grade heavenly material.

In an instant, countless Saint Kings surged into the sixth realm of the Immortal Path, frantically searching for information about the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb…

Chapter 910: The Elders Are Far Too Eager!

"Boom…"

The Fourth Holy Son Peak trembled. A terrifying aura immediately erupted from the summit of Ascension Peak and spread outward in all directions. The pressure made almost every cultivator in the vicinity shiver instinctively, a deep-seated fear rising from the bottom of their hearts.

High above in the sky, endless heavenly will descended like a colossal pillar of light, connecting Ascension Peak directly to the firmament.

Inside the Cloud Summit Heaven Palace, Feng Baiyu raised an eyebrow at the sight, genuinely impressed. "This aura is a little too overwhelming. Is this really just Saint King? And the final formation of the Heavenly Heart Imprint actually drew down so much heavenly will? This can't possibly still be Saint-grade, can it? Could it be… Immortal-grade? Just how monstrous is this kid's combat power right now?"

Even Feng Baiyu could no longer see through Ye Chen clearly. This had long surpassed the level of "surpassing the master."

Feng Baiyu suspected that if the Heavenly Emperor of the same realm dared stand before Ye Chen today, he might not even withstand a single punch.

On the First Holy Son Peak, Hua Yunfei rose into the air, his eyes filled with astonishment as well.

And so it continued. Only after the pillar of heavenly will slowly dissipated did a majestic, imposing figure rise steadily into view.

…

When the Heavenly Heart Imprint finally devoured the boundless heavenly will and took solid form, a smile appeared on Ye Chen's face. He had finally achieved Saint King.

Saint King was the realm where cultivators began to truly understand the Heavenly Dao. At this level, one could use the Heavenly Heart Imprint to obscure one's own heavenly secrets, rendering divination impossible. One could also divine others.

During battle, it allowed constant deduction of the opponent's moves, making combat far easier. And beyond that, it granted various other divine abilities, each unique.

But Ye Chen could clearly sense that his Heavenly Heart Imprint was almost omnipotent. It carried astonishing profundity. The amount of heavenly will he could control and commune with far exceeded imagination. At the same time, his comprehension of the Forsight Secret had advanced to another level.

Ye Chen even felt that, by channeling heavenly will through his Heavenly Heart Imprint, he could bear the consumption and backlash of deduction in his place. Moreover, he gained a new understanding of fortune itself. Clearly, these were the benefits brought by an Immortal-grade Heavenly Heart Imprint and the Heaven-Suppressing Fortune Seal.

But what satisfied Ye Chen most was the explosive increase in his own combat power. His foundation was simply too deep. Every breakthrough brought a terrifying leap in strength.

Still, sensing the auras of the Holy Master and his Eldest Senior Brother outside, Ye Chen did not linger on further study. He rose gracefully and flew out of the cave residence.

"Greetings, Holy Master, Eldest Senior Brother, and all the elders…"

Ascending into the sky, Ye Chen bowed politely. Everyone stared at him in awe. Logically speaking, the higher a cultivator's realm, the harder it became to kill across boundaries.

Yet Ye Chen seemed to completely ignore that rule. He had clearly only just advanced to Saint King, yet even the several Great Saint-level existences present felt an involuntary sense of dread and wariness toward him.

The same thought rose unbidden in every mind: An ordinary Great Saint would likely be no match for their Fourth Holy Son at all. This was simply absurd!

Feng Baiyu gave Ye Chen a nod without saying more.

Hua Yunfei, too, felt no jealousy or fear of being overshadowed by his junior brother's monstrous strength. Instead, he was genuinely happy for him and offered warm congratulations on the breakthrough.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Hua Yunfei finally brought up the main topic.

"Junior Brother, is Junior Sister Dantai alright?"

Seeing the concern in his Eldest Senior Brother's eyes, Ye Chen suddenly realized. Oh no… He had planned to release Senior Sister the moment he returned, but he had been so preoccupied with clearing his heart before Senior An and admiring Elder Lin's newly developed demonic patterns… He had completely forgotten about Senior Sister.

Ye Chen immediately replied, "Senior Sister has used the Dao of Human Desire inside the Divine Maiden Furnace to temporarily suppress her Supreme soul fragment. She is now attempting to fully seal it and perfectly reclaim control of her body… I'll bring her out right now."

As he spoke, Ye Chen's divine sense had already entered his cave heaven. He communicated with Dantai Xuan inside the Divine Maiden Furnace.

Dantai Xuan felt a pang of reluctance when she heard Ye Chen wanted to release her. But when she remembered how her Eldest Senior Brother had spent years running around for her sake—and had even been injured by her own hand—she knew it was time to go out and thank him properly. So she obediently put on her Daoist robe. While Ye Chen deactivated the Divine Maiden Furnace, she quickly adjusted her appearance. She made sure she no longer looked dazed or seductive.

Once he confirmed she was presentable, Ye Chen opened the entrance to his cave heaven, partially withdrew the Divine Maiden Furnace, and lifted the lid.

Dantai Xuan floated out gracefully. She looked exceptionally youthful, her eyes lively and gentle. She resembled nothing so much as the warm, cheerful older sister next door—clean, pure, and full of life. She glanced around, first giving Ye Chen a soft smile and nod. Then she turned to Hua Yunfei, whose expression was complex, and bowed sincerely.

"Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother, for caring about me all these years—for running everywhere in search of solutions on my behalf… Wounding you before was never my intention! At that time, my Supreme soul fragment had taken control, and I had already fallen into a deep slumber. But no matter the reason, I must apologize to you…"

Seeing his junior sister restored to her former clear, gentle, and lovely self, Hua Yunfei let out a long breath of relief. He shook his head at her apology, completely unconcerned. "Of course I don't blame you, Junior Sister… As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

Next, Dantai Xuan greeted each of the elders in turn, offering sincere apologies along the way.

Ye Chen watched this open, pure, and fresh version of his Senior Sister. It was impossible to reconcile her with the earlier image of someone obsessed with "trivial details" and carrying the scent of citrus. Indeed, Senior Sister had been influenced by the Divine Maiden Furnace. Now that she had left it, she had naturally returned to normal.

Dantai Xuan had already broken through to the Saint realm. Thanks to the Cosmic Origin Crystals Ye Chen had given her, she had reached mid Saint. In another year and a half, she would likely accumulate enough to reach the peak and attempt Saint King…

…

Dantai Xuan's return and full recovery were undoubtedly good news for the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. Her current combat power and talent were genuinely top-tier. In any previous era of the Immortal Path, she would have been a true contender for immortal qi. Her presence would noticeably strengthen the holy land.

Having grown up here, Dantai Xuan had many elders who cared deeply for her. Conversations flowed endlessly around her.

Ye Chen did not interrupt. After exchanging a few words with the Holy Master and Hua Yunfei, he prepared to leave. On one hand, he wanted to stabilize his newly broken-through cultivation and thoroughly explore the various abilities of his Immortal-grade Heavenly Heart Imprint. On the other hand, Senior An and the other women were waiting for him below. He had to at least spend some time talking with them.

Just as he was about to depart, Feng Baiyu spoke up. "Ye Chen, news has come from the sixth realm of the Immortal Path—traces of a Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb have been discovered… Many Saint Kings have already rushed there.

"Though your spiritual roots and aptitude are both supreme, and your Heavenly Heart Imprint is of extraordinary grade, comprehending Heavenly Position laws won't take you too long. Perhaps twenty or thirty years and you'll break through to Great Saint."

"But with a Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb, your speed would increase even further. Immortal Qi could condense at any moment. Your cultivation is still slightly behind. You must not slack off!"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. A Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb? Of course, he knew what it was. But right after his breakthrough, news of one suddenly appeared? Wasn't that a little too coincidental? It almost felt… tailor-made for him.

Recalling the earlier attempt to divine him, a thoughtful look appeared in Ye Chen's eyes. This Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb was almost certainly a bait set by someone to lure him to the sixth realm. Still, the strongest anyone could be in the sixth realm was a peak Saint King. Who would be foolish enough to try?

Ye Chen pondered with a slight frown.

An old supreme elder spoke up beside him. "A Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb… if this were a million years ago, it actually wouldn't have been considered a top-grade treasure for Saint Kings… Back then, there was something called a Heavenly Position Sacred Herb. It could take root deep in the cosmos, directly drawing and refining Heavenly Position laws—accelerating a Saint King's breakthrough speed by three to five times the normal rate!

"Though Heavenly Position Sacred Herbs were rare even then, determined seekers could usually find one… The top prodigies all used them. Yet now, even Heavenly Position Spiritual Herbs have almost completely vanished."

"…"

Another supreme elder nodded in agreement, then looked earnestly at Ye Chen. "Holy Son, such herbs are extremely rare. Word of this one emerged half a month ago. It could be discovered by someone at any moment. So you should make plans quickly and head there directly. You can stabilize your cultivation aboard the immortal boat. I happen to be free these days—I can accompany you and serve as your protector…"

The other elders' eyes lit up at once. They immediately began volunteering to go as well. If they delayed, the herb might be gone. A few more cautious elders, however, considered the bigger picture and suspected it could be a trap. They suggested bringing more elders along.

Feng Baiyu listened with faint helplessness. Unlike other holy lands—where supreme elders rarely showed themselves and required nine prostrations just to be invited—the supreme elders here were far too eager to work.

Still, he felt they had a point. Ye Chen should seize every opportunity. Whether it was the Eight-Crowned King, that Exiled Immortal, or the Celestial Prince, all of them had already reached the absolute peak of this world.

Ye Chen had to grasp every chance to raise his cultivation rapidly. Otherwise, no matter how superior his talent, if his realm lagged behind and he lacked the strength to contend for immortal qi, it would all be for nothing…

…

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had already begun circulating the Forsight Secret in his mind. His Heavenly Heart Imprint flowed gently, assisting him in probing the heavenly secrets. Very quickly, he obtained a vague piece of information. That Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb had already matured ten years ago…

Once mature, a Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb would automatically begin drawing Heavenly Position laws, creating enormous disturbances. Without a seal suppressing it, it would have been discovered long ago.

Therefore, this herb already had an owner. Yet news of it had only now been deliberately spread. Clearly, it had been prepared specifically to lure him.

With that realization, Ye Chen felt no urgency about others reaching it first. Since it was set up for him, it would surely only "appear" once he arrived in the sixth realm…

Thus, Ye Chen politely declined the Holy Master's and the elders' kind offers. He planned to first stabilize his cultivation, rest in the holy land for a year or so, then head to the Immortal Path. After all, his breakthroughs had come far too quickly on this journey.

Though every aspect of his foundation remained perfect—no instability whatsoever—his state of mind had still been affected. So next, he would stay in the holy land and relax for a while. Afterward, he would make a trip to the Heavenly Intention Holy Land to further elevate his physique. While there, he could also check on his fiancée's demonic body—see how much progress she had made with refinement and whether it could now be used normally…

Watching Ye Chen's carefree figure drift back toward Ascension Peak, the elders couldn't help but sigh with admiration. Their Holy Son had just learned of a major cultivation opportunity, yet he remained so calm and unhurried. His state of mind truly was top-tier…