ISWI Chapter 915-916 (Patreon)

Chapter 915: The Enemy of the System!

Hearing Luo Bingling's words, Ye Chen felt a surge of surprise. The War God Clan actually possessed a treasure capable of accelerating a Saint King's cultivation? And one far more effective than the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb?

Curious, Ye Chen turned his gaze toward her.

Luo Bingling propped both hands on the seven-colored Nirvana Jade and stretched lazily. The faint yet perfect dimples at her waist immediately came into clear view. As she flexed what could only be called the most enchanting waist in the entire cultivation world, she continued speaking.

"Within the War God Clan lies a Heavenly Position Divine Bamboo. Every hundred thousand years, it grows one additional segment… Each segment provides immense benefits to cultivators—greatly accelerating comprehension, insight, and fusion of Heavenly Position laws, allowing rapid advancement. The effect of a single segment rivals that of a Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb, boosting a Saint King's cultivation speed by nearly fivefold.

"It far surpasses the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb. When I left the clan, two segments still remained. But the Divine Son has already reached peak Saint King. He has most likely used one segment already… That leaves one remaining—perfect for you, Husband…"

Ye Chen listened and watched, his eyes lighting up. The Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb typically doubled cultivation speed. A Heavenly Position Sacred Herb was offered four to five times.

Yet a single segment of this Heavenly Position Divine Bamboo matched the effect of a Sacred Herb. If he presented it as a gift, the feedback would surely surpass anything the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb could provide.

Gazing at Luo Bingling as she continued to sway her waist, occasionally letting out soft hums, Ye Chen felt a touch of emotion.

In the past, Luo Bingling had never triggered critical hits. Now the situation had completely reversed—she triggered them constantly, yet could no longer do so.

This woman was full of contradictions. She was practically the natural enemy of his system. Still, sensing her genuine concern for his benefit, Ye Chen felt his interest stir. The Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb had been left specifically for him anyway. Whether he went now or later made little difference.

Without hesitation, Ye Chen moved forward. Those two alluring waist dimples seemed tailor-made to fit perfectly beneath his thumbs…

…

Two full days had passed since the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb appeared. Ye Chen still had not shown himself. The onlookers were growing somewhat impatient. By all logic, the Heavenly Emperor's heir should have arrived a day earlier. Could it be that he wasn't coming at all?

Even so, the thought did not spur anyone into action. The Sixth Realm had already been thoroughly cleansed by the Heavenly Emperor's heir once before. Those who lacked patience back then had all died at his hands. Who could say whether the heir had already arrived in secret, concealed within the void, silently observing them?

If they began to fight over the treasure, he might descend with overwhelming force, declare "You dare steal what is mine?" and slaughter them all. Given the murderous streak the Heavenly Emperor's heir had always displayed, it was entirely possible. So everyone remained calm and waited patiently. After all, impatience could cost them their lives…

Meanwhile, the four members of the War God Clan hidden in the void were truly beginning to grow anxious. Ye Chen had clearly entered the Sixth Realm. By rights, he should have arrived long ago. Why had he vanished midway? Had he detected the Quasi-Immortal Array?

Worry flickered across all four faces. None of them doubted Ye Chen's strength in the slightest. Without the Quasi-Immortal Array, they would not even have the courage to stand before him… Ye Chen possessed Heavy Pupils and the Movement Secret. It was entirely possible he had noticed something.

They even began to fear… What if the Heavenly Emperor's heir had already arrived long ago and was now watching them coldly from afar? Waiting for them to step outside the array's protection before delivering a thunderous strike.

At the thought, the War God Clan's Divine Son shivered. Without the Quasi-Immortal Array, a single glance from Ye Chen might be enough to make them suffer.

"Could the Heavenly Emperor's heir already be here—even aware of us?"

The other two also paled.

Logically, the Quasi-Immortal Array disc was imperceptible and blended perfectly with the natural Dao. Even a Quasi-Immortal's divine sense would struggle to detect it. Yet with the Heavenly Emperor's heir… who could be certain?

"So right now, is the Heavenly Emperor's heir the one waiting for us to leave the array?"

"Are we the prey?"

"In any case, until the Heavenly Emperor's heir appears, I won't feel at ease. I will not step half a pace outside the Quasi-Immortal Array's range!"

"Same here…"

The group murmured among themselves, all feeling as though invisible eyes were fixed upon them, sending chills down their spines.

But the War God Clan's Divine Son soon frowned and spoke. "Lady Can, why haven't you said anything?"

The Divine Silkworm Clan Madam remained calm and composed. "Without the Quasi-Immortal Array, we would never be his match under any circumstances… Since that is the case, we simply wait patiently and compete with the Heavenly Emperor's heir in endurance. Our ceilings are already set—we have no path to immortality. If the Heavenly Emperor's heir wastes time with us, the loss is his. So we wait."

Her confidence was unshakable. The three others couldn't help but admire her temperament. Moreover, her combat power was formidable—none of the three could guarantee victory over her. What they did not know was that the Clan Madam had prepared two paths. If something unexpected occurred, she could still survive.

After all, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had shown interest in her. He had even boldly declared his desire for her in front of her own dao companion. As long as she submitted quickly enough, the Heavenly Emperor's heir would surely show her mercy.

As for the restriction left by the Exiled Immortal… With the Heavenly Emperor's heir's strength, he should be able to remove it.

The Exiled Immortal possessed immortal aptitude. So did the Heavenly Emperor's heir. And in her eyes, the Heavenly Emperor's heir was the far better choice—he treated her as a woman, while the Exiled Immortal treated her as a mere servant.

Thus, the Clan Madam remained serene and detached…

In the blink of an eye, seven full days passed. The Heavenly Emperor's heir still had not appeared.

Among the watching cultivators, a few had begun to grow restless. Their gazes lingered on the gently swaying leaves of the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb, which shimmered with spiritual light, impossible to hide their longing.

A whole week had gone by. The Heavenly Emperor's heir still hadn't come… Was this taking too long? Could it be that he truly wasn't coming at all?

High above in the void, concealed within the Quasi-Immortal Array, the War God Clan's Divine Son and his three companions grew increasingly uneasy. Every shadow around them now seemed to conceal the Heavenly Emperor's heir, ready to unleash a beam of annihilating divine light at any moment.

The constant dread of teetering on the edge of death had left even these peak Saint Kings visibly haggard. They were supposed to be the ambushers lying in wait for Ye Chen. Yet somehow, they had become the ones tormented. It was utterly absurd.

But at that very moment, one of the onlookers finally lost patience. He was a mid-stage Saint King from a holy land. Tentatively, he began flying toward the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb. His speed was slow, and he kept glancing around nervously.

The surrounding cultivators watched patiently, treating him as a probe. If he successfully claimed the spirit grass and the Heavenly Emperor's heir still did not appear, they could finally relax and begin the real contest. A treasure like the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb was nothing short of a sacred object to Saint Kings. How could they simply stand by and watch someone else take it?

Inside the array, the four hidden figures' eyes lit up. The War God Clan's Divine Son immediately prepared to strike and intercept the man. But the Clan Madam raised a hand to stop him. "Let him take it. This will serve as the perfect test for whether the Heavenly Emperor's heir is truly here!"

The Divine Son nodded at once…

Thus, under countless watchful eyes, one of the supreme treasures of the cultivation world was slowly approached by a mere mid-stage Saint King…

In any other era of the cultivation world, rivers of blood would already have flowed. Yet all of this was because of the missing Heavenly Emperor's heir. His prestige had truly reached an unprecedented height.

The mid-stage Saint King drew nearer without obstruction. He even began to reach out, preparing to pluck the spirit grass whole. His heart pounded with anxiety. He knew the others were using him as a scout. If the Heavenly Emperor's heir never appeared, he would surely be mobbed.

But he had dared to act because he had his own assurance. In his possession was an ancient teleportion talisman, passed down from the Immortal Realm itself. It could instantly transport him millions of miles away to any location he chose. That was enough to guarantee his safety.

Yet just as he carefully lifted the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb, preparing to store it away, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from a distance.

In an instant, every onlooker revealed an expression that said "as expected," mingled with lingering relief.

High in the void, the four members of the War God Clan wiped cold sweat from their brows. The Heavenly Emperor's heir had indeed been present all along. If they had lost patience and left the array earlier, they would likely already be dead.

The cultivator clutching the spirit grass now wore a complicated expression. Panic flickered across his face, and his eyes brimmed with struggle… He still held the teleportion talisman. He could escape millions of miles in a heartbeat.

But…Recalling the Heavenly Emperor's heir's infamous deeds, an overwhelming sense of guilt washed over him.

…

With Luo Bingling's combat strength, she naturally had no right to occupy a full week of Ye Chen's time. However, she had mastered techniques from countless schools, and her arsenal of methods was vast.

Moreover, Lu Jing—who had never been serious about cultivation—had been sweetly addressed as "sister" by Luo Bingling and woken up instantly, sharing much of the burden. Only under those conditions had they managed to last the full week.

In truth, Lu Jing still had some strength left for another round. But Ye Chen decided it was time to attend to serious matters. Even if the War God Clan possessed the Heavenly Position Divine Bamboo, it didn't interfere with first securing the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb.

The spirit grass would make an excellent gift for Lan Nuo. Yan Qingcheng, Yao Yuezhi, and the others were in roughly the same situation—having reached Saint King through the continuous bestowal of treasures of entrusting the dao, severance dao arts, sealing treasures, and crystallized cosmic origin power. They had all essentially reached Saint King.

As for the Heavenly Position Divine Bamboo—who knew whether some accident might occur? So he would secure the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb as insurance first. Then consider everything else.

After entrusting the unsteady Luo Bingling to Lu Jing's care, Ye Chen left the Cave Heaven. He surged toward the site of the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb's emergence at maximum speed…

When Ye Chen finally drew near, he saw a cultivator holding the spirit grass aloft. What surprised him, however, was that no one around was trying to seize it.

What was going on? Since when had cultivators become so civilized?

Ye Chen couldn't be bothered to ponder it. The Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb had been left for him. Naturally, it belonged to him. He immediately prepared to charge forward and claim it. But what happened next left him even more dumbfounded.

The cultivator who had taken the spirit grass turned toward him with a resolute expression. He bowed deeply from afar, raising both hands to present the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb.

"Holy Son… this Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb is yours."

Chapter 916: You Call This a Saint King?

Ye Chen arrived with astonishing speed. He had already begun freezing the surrounding space, preventing any escape. Yet before he could do anything else, the man simply offered up the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb.

This… This was far too fake. The onlookers remained motionless, and the one who had taken the spirit grass handed it over willingly… Whoever orchestrated this plot had put in zero effort. The script was blatantly obvious.

Ye Chen slowly descended in front of the man, frowning as he studied him. Only after a long moment did he raise his hand and take the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb. Its leaves glowed with soft, luminous spiritual light. Even the Heavenly Heart imprint within him stirred faintly.

The reaction wasn't particularly strong. After all, his own Heavenly Heart imprint was of an immortal grade; his speed at refining Heavenly Position laws far surpassed ordinary cultivators. The assistance this Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb could provide him was minimal. It could almost be called negligible. But it was genuine.

The cultivator before Ye Chen trembled under his gaze. He had briefly considered using the teleportation talisman to flee. Yet recalling the Heavenly Emperor's heir's usual style—once targeted, even temporary escape would only delay the inevitable—he realized running would likely lead to a worse end.

Moreover, Ye Chen had countless methods. He might be caught in no time. So he chose to surrender decisively. He feared giving Ye Chen even the slightest pretext to kill him with a single slap. Being frowned at now only confirmed that his decision had been correct. The Heavenly Emperor's heir was clearly only hesitating because he lacked a justifiable reason to strike.

"Holy Son Ye, I harvested the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb with extreme care. Not the slightest damage was done… I'll take my leave now…"

The man spoke cautiously, then hurriedly flew toward the distance.

But at that moment, the earth shook violently. Countless boulders shattered across the landscape. An aura of terrifying intensity erupted, rising like heavenly pillars that enveloped the entire region. The oppressive pressure nearly suffocated every Saint King present. Even their Heavenly Heart imprints fell silent under its weight.

The fleeing cultivator's face filled with despair. He had already lowered himself so much—yet the Heavenly Emperor's heir still refused to let him go?

That killing intent was too heavy. Wasn't it said that so long as one didn't provoke the Heavenly Emperor's heir and gave him no reason to act, he would restrain himself?

Ye Chen sensed the formation rising around him and felt its terrifying power. He merely raised an eyebrow. To deal with him, they had even brought out a Quasi-Immortal Array? The Quasi-Immortal Array was nearly flawless. Even when Ye Chen activated the Array Secret, he couldn't immediately spot any weakness. However, the one controlling it lacked sufficient strength and had activated it too slowly—leaving plenty of openings.

Ye Chen had more than enough ways to escape with ease. Yet he did not flee. He simply extended a finger and sent the previous Saint King flying—perfectly out of the array's range. Then, with keen interest, he turned to watch the rapidly activating grand formation.

This was his first time encountering a complete Quasi-Immortal Array. Naturally, he wanted to experience it properly. Under the control of such weaklings, it could never display its full might and posed almost no threat to him. Otherwise, if top existences like the Eight-Crowned King ever caught him off guard with a Quasi-Immortal Array in the future, he might actually be thrown into disarray for a moment.

Ye Chen waited calmly and at ease.

Outside, the watching cultivators stared wide-eyed.

What was happening?

Many reacted quickly and understood at once. Someone was ambushing the Heavenly Emperor's heir. Or rather, the Heavenly Position Spiritual Herb had been placed here specifically to lure him in. The Heavenly Emperor's heir had likely noticed. Yet in the end, he hadn't resisted and had stepped into the trap.

At that realization, the onlookers felt lingering fear. What kind of audacious force dared scheme against the Heavenly Emperor's heir? Thankfully, they hadn't let greed take over earlier—otherwise, they might have died without ever knowing how.

As the grand formation fully unfolded before their eyes, they stared even harder. The octagonal array radiated such chilling power that even its mere leaking aura made them shiver. Faintly visible within were eight terrifying thunder pillars, each crackling with awe-inspiring lightning. Only a Quasi-Immortal Array could unleash such majesty.

The revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd. Quasi-Immortal Arrays required incomparably precious materials and demanded array masters of the highest caliber. Their value rivaled that of supreme Extreme Dao Weapons. They were exceedingly rare—many holy lands couldn't even produce one. What power had deployed a Quasi-Immortal Array?

They clearly intended to kill the Heavenly Emperor's heir. Initially, no one had believed such a plot could succeed. After all, even when the Heavenly Emperor's heir had been at the Saint realm—gravely wounded and on the brink of death—he had still swept through hordes of Saint Kings.

Now that he had advanced to Saint King, he was naturally even more dominant. He could likely contend with Great Saints. In the Sixth Realm, who could possibly scheme against him?

Yet the appearance of a Quasi-Immortal Array shifted the balance entirely. Everyone knew just how terrifying such an array could be. This time, the Heavenly Emperor's heir might truly be in danger…

Within the grand formation.

Once the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Immortal-Locking Array was fully activated, the four burst into wild joy. From four different directions, they slowly revealed themselves, fixing their gazes on Ye Chen trapped at the center.

"Heavenly Emperor's heir, your rise has been too swift—your temperament ultimately falls short. Lacking patience, you've walked right into the trap! Humans will always be humans—far inferior to us myriad races."

In Ye Chen's line of sight, a burly purple-haired man spoke slowly.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. Staring at the purple hair and the casual racial disdain in the opening words, the man reminded him exactly of the old Luo Bingling. No need to guess his identity. The War God Clan's Divine Son.

As for the talk of insufficient temperament, lack of patience, and falling into a trap, Ye Chen didn't understand, nor did he care to. He remained silent. His gaze swept over the other three—all peak Saint Kings.

But his eyes lingered on the voluptuous woman among them. Her appearance was stunning, the fully ripened kind of beauty. Her looks were flawless, almost dripping with allure. Her face felt vaguely familiar. Then he remembered: back when he had spared a minor figure from the Divine Silkworm Clan, the man had shown him a portrait of their Clan Madam. It was her. Yet she looked even more captivating than the image.

Ye Chen arched a brow. "Divine Silkworm Clan's Clan Madam?"

The expressions of all four shifted slightly. They hadn't expected that even trapped in a Quasi-Immortal Array, Ye Chen's first words would be directed at a woman…

The War God Clan's Divine Son seethed with rage at being ignored. The others felt secret regret. Such supreme talent and backing, yet obsessed with women—what a waste. If they had been given his gifts, they would surely have done far better.

The Divine Silkworm Clan Madam said nothing. The four knew better than to drag things out. They immediately poured all their power into the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Immortal-Locking Array.

Boom—boom—boom…

Inside the formation, the eight thunder pillars—each like a pillar holding up the heavens—shook violently. Above each pillar appeared a dragon pearl. Endless thunder cascaded down, transforming the area into a domain of lightning.

The War God Clan's Divine Son sneered coldly. The array could suppress a cultivator's combat power. At Ye Chen's Saint King realm, once suppressed, his strength would likely plummet to Saint—or even lower. That was the terror of a Quasi-Immortal Array.

Yet Ye Chen merely called out once. After seeing the Divine Silkworm Clan Madam, his gaze held no heat—only faint disappointment. Because the system had given no response. That meant she was not a gift recipient.

Still, Ye Chen wasn't ready to give up entirely. He wondered inwardly whether the Divine Silkworm Nine Transformations Scripture had no effect, or whether this Clan Madam had already undergone her transformation and was now past her prime… In any case, since they had met, he could ask a few more questions before killing her.

…

The four sneered inwardly, waiting for Ye Chen's aura to weaken under the suppression. But the moment the suppressive force descended, Ye Chen's physique circulated naturally and shook it off completely—unaffected in the slightest.

Ye Chen felt quite satisfied. His Primordial Chaos Supreme Body truly lived up to its name. It was nearly immune to all negative effects. At the very least, no Quasi-Immortal Array could touch it.

Yet as the suppression arrived, eight chains forged entirely of thunder shot out from the pillars. Each chain resembled a terrifying apocalyptic thunder dragon. The chain heads took the form of dragon skulls. Even without reaching peak power, they could bind a Great Emperor and render escape impossible.

Yet as the eight chains lunged toward him, battle intent flared in Ye Chen's eyes. Then, under the four's incredulous stares, he charged straight forward to meet them.

In his hands, the Heavenly Emperor Fist erupted. With every strike, six illusory universes appeared—resembling the six paths of reincarnation, their momentum soaring to the heavens. Every movement carried absolute dominance. It was as though cosmic tides had been unleashed, capable of annihilating everything.

Boom—boom—boom…

Ye Chen's fists collided with the eight chains. Each impact produced earth-shattering roars. Despite the chains' overwhelming momentum, none could approach within half a meter of Ye Chen.

The four stared at Ye Chen's surging vitality in shock. Even an ordinary Great Emperor would struggle to resist these chains—yet Ye Chen matched them blow for blow? This was beyond belief.

But it also planted deep terror in their hearts. They had to kill Ye Chen. If he escaped the Quasi-Immortal Array, their fates needed no explanation. Immediately, the four pushed their power to the absolute limit.

At the array's apex, endless tribulation light flickered. Destructive tribulation clouds gathered layer upon layer. Bolts of Nine Heavens Divine Thunder—each capable of slaying a Great Saint—crashed down relentlessly.

Yet Ye Chen said nothing. He simply continued to swing both fists. Endless fist shadows turned the space around him into a vacuum.

The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, dense as a rainstorm, exploded harmlessly the instant they neared Ye Chen—dissipating into nothingness.

At this moment, Ye Chen resembled a god warring against heaven and earth—bathing in thunder, sweeping aside all opposition.

The four grew more and more horrified as they watched.

This… This was a Saint King? The Quasi-Immortal Array's suppression had no effect. The Immortal-Locking Chains couldn't restrain him in the slightest. Even the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder scattered beneath his fist shadows. You're telling me this performance belongs to a Saint King? Then what were the four of them? Ants?

In this instant, they felt greater terror than they had ever felt facing the Exiled Immortal. After all, even the Exiled Immortal at the Saint King realm hadn't been this outrageous. They frantically poured more power into the array, desperate to draw out deeper strength and erase Ye Chen.

Then suddenly, all four shuddered. After yet another clash, one chain exploded apart… Immediately after, the others reached their limit as well. One after another, they shattered. Even the thunder pillars they connected to now bore dense networks of cracks—as though they could no longer bear the strain and were on the verge of collapse… And those were the core of the Quasi-Immortal Array!

The terrified quartet began to seriously question their entire existence…