ISWI Chapter 937-938 (Patreon)

Chapter 937: Tool Race

Looking at the three generations of the Heavenly Desire Sect before him, Ye Chen was in a good mood. Each one was charming and seductive in her own way, exuding boundless allure. Any single one of them, if taken outside, could easily play the role of the classic heroine that frequently appeared in movies from his previous life. But… why was one missing? Why hadn't the Saint King ancestor come?

Ye Chen frowned slightly. The ancestor had to be here. It wouldn't do otherwise. His own foundation was becoming more and more outrageous. Last time, the three of them had only managed to absorb half of what he provided.

Although he had deliberately not sent any cultivation resources to the Heavenly Desire Sect afterward—fearing that if the three women's cultivations rose too high, they would absorb less from him—three people really weren't enough.

Just as Ye Chen was wondering whether he should drop a hint, Fan Qinghe spoke up, a little embarrassed. Her voice was soft and coquettish beside his ear: "Brother Ye… My ancestor has been stuck at the peak of Saint King for far too long! Although she has taken life-prolonging medicines, such undying pills cannot be too many! A few hundred years will pass in the blink of an eye…

"Unless she breaks through to Great Saint, otherwise the ancestor… So, Brother Ye… can you bring the ancestor along this time? She only needs a tiny bit, just enough to barely complete the transformation. She won't take much… I can absorb a little less, too!"

The moment Fan Qinghe finished speaking, both her master and grandmaster looked at Ye Chen carefully, afraid that even the slightest trace of displeasure would appear on his face. If it did, they would immediately speak up to remedy the situation.

Under the three women's gazes, Ye Chen's expression remained calm, as if he were thinking. After a long while, the corners of his mouth finally curved into a smile. He dotingly ruffled Fan Qinghe's green-black hair. "The Immortal Path has always been a solitary one. Everyone only thinks of themselves. Only you are still willing to sacrifice for others. I've already brought your master and grandmaster. Adding one more ancestor makes no difference… Go and call her over!"

Ye Chen's unconditional doting made Fan Qinghe's face bloom with happiness. She stood on tiptoe, gave him a quick kiss, then immediately flew toward the ancestor's cave residence. She had to deliver this good news to the ancestor. Ye Chen was too good to her. This time during the Nirvana, she absolutely had to use the combined technique she had practiced with her master and grandmaster to repay her protector properly.

Fan Qinghe left joyfully.

Ye Chen, on the other hand, was supported by the visibly excited master and grandmaster as they headed toward the cave residence. Although, given their status, they really shouldn't be this intimate with their disciple's protector, they had already done the Nirvana once. There was no point being overly proper now… Before the ceremony began, letting Ye Chen have some appetizers could also express their gratitude.

…

Inside the cave residence.

The ancestor's peerlessly beautiful face carried a trace of nervousness. Of course, she knew Ye Chen had arrived, but she had deliberately stayed inside. If she took the initiative and was rejected, there would be no room to maneuver.

On the other hand, if she stayed away and Ye Chen refused, she could "accidentally" pass by the cave residence entrance once they had started, sigh a few times… As long as she wasn't rejected to her face, there would still be plenty of opportunities.

The Heavenly Desire Sect's cultivation method was very peculiar. As long as the Nirvana succeeded, there would be no bottlenecks until the next Nirvana… But without the next Nirvana, no matter how good one's aptitude was, one would remain stuck. She had been stuck at the peak of Saint King for far too long. Every moment, she longed to break through to the Great Saint realm…

While she was still thinking of countermeasures, the transmission talisman at the cave residence entrance lit up. The ancestor's heart skipped a beat. Knowing the result had come, she looked outside with trepidation. Then she saw Fan Qinghe's face full of joy. Seeing this, the heart that had been hanging in suspense—afraid of missing this ride—finally settled down. It was stable…

With graceful charm, she raised her hand and opened the cave residence doors.

Fan Qinghe hurried in. "Ancestor, Ye Chen knows you've been stuck at the peak of Saint King for too long and feels uneasy about it. Plus, you helped him without hesitation last time by standing up against his enemies… So he is willing to lend you a hand and help you complete this Nirvana."

Surprise flashed across the ancestor's face, but she quickly showed hesitation and reluctance. "This… isn't it too improper? He is your protector. How can I make use of him? Qinghe, you are a good girl. Ancestor is already very satisfied that you have this heart. But forget it. Ancestor is already at ease just watching you all grow…"

Fan Qinghe really liked her ancestor, who had always treated her like family. Now that there was a chance to pull her along, how could she give up just because of this small reason?

Besides, both her master and grandmaster had already done it once. One more ancestor made no difference. She could tell that Ye Chen also quite enjoyed the process. Even if it was just to make Ye Chen happy, she was willing.

So she firmly took the ancestor's small hand. "We are one family. Why speak of these roundabout things… If there were truly no other way, then there would be nothing we could do. But when there is clearly a chance to advance further and live longer, I don't want to watch you wither away alone and turn into white bones and a skeleton! So you must come. Otherwise, we will all be sad."

The ancestor's face was filled with complex emotions. After a long time, she finally let out a soft, pitiful sigh. "Sigh… Qinghe, you really are a good girl… Then… I'll listen to you."

Fan Qinghe's face bloomed with joy. She took the ancestor's small hand and flew straight toward the cave residence.

Finally…The four generations of the Heavenly Desire Sect had gathered together at this moment.

…

Inside the cave residence.

Of course, they had to wait for Fan Qinghe before the real feast began.

Fan Qinghe was the main course. So Ye Chen only casually enjoyed himself for now. Only when Fan Qinghe and the ancestor arrived did the atmosphere turn serious.

Fan Qinghe's face was full of happiness. Her protector loved her, and her master, grandmaster, and ancestor could all advance together. She felt everything was perfect. Her master and grandmaster were filled with anticipation. As for the ancestor, she looked a little embarrassed, standing behind the others and not daring to meet Ye Chen's eyes.

Ye Chen was amused. This ancestor really knew how to play. To be honest, playing the shy and timid card inside the Heavenly Desire Sect created quite the contrast. She was a true expert.

Apart from the ancestor, everyone was already very familiar with each other and knew one another's depths. But they still had to say the proper polite words.

Ye Chen looked at Fan Qinghe with deep affection and said, "Qinghe, everything I give during the ceremony is a gift I prepared for you… As for sharing it with others, that is your decision. Do you understand?"

Fan Qinghe nodded, her eyes misty as if she were drunk on happiness. She could tell that Ye Chen had enjoyed the previous Nirvana ceremonies and had a strong curiosity. But in his heart, she was still the most important.

He had never neglected her even slightly just because her master and grandmaster were highly skilled. He even specifically emphasized that everything was for her and that she could decide how to share it.

In this way, the gratitude of her master, grandmaster, and ancestor all fell on her. It made her the most beloved person in the Heavenly Desire Sect. Ye Chen really loved her so much.

After Fan Qinghe nodded and thanked him in her sweet voice, they finally discussed the actual matter: the order of the Nirvana.

Fan Qinghe was once again rejected by Ye Chen. She could only participate through spiritual connection and ordinary channels. As for her master, grandmaster, and the ancestor, they had no objections. They could enjoy the most efficient method with the maximum transmission volume.

The problem was that Ye Chen was only one person. They would have to take turns. The question was whether they should fully feed one person until she reached the peak of Saint King and completed a perfect Nirvana before moving to the next, or distribute it evenly, giving each a segment, rotating repeatedly, and growing together.

After a brief discussion, Ye Chen made the final decision. They chose the second method. Thus, the gifting soon began. The master and grandmaster were very direct. Their robes immediately floated up as if blown away by the wind.

The ancestor, though appearing a little shy, followed suit. Among the four generations of the Heavenly Desire Sect, aside from Fan Qinghe's special amber skin tone, the other three all had fair, snow-white skin.

For a moment, the entire cave residence seemed to light up, as if three large light bulbs had been added.

However, the sound of ringing bells left everyone stunned. Their gazes turned and saw that the ancestor—who was participating for the first time—had actually brought bells and a tail.

Even Ye Chen was shocked. She brought props? What a connoisseur!

Fan Qinghe, on the other hand, was puzzled. The ancestor had still been hesitant and unwilling to come earlier. When had she put these on?

This…

Fan Qinghe felt something was off. Her master and grandmaster gave the ancestor a resentful glance. Then they all opened their cave heavens, took out suitable artifacts, and began arming themselves.

Thus, Ye Chen watched helplessly as what was supposed to be a normal race instantly upgraded into a tool race.

This… Sigh… I only wanted to help the Divine Maiden cultivate. How did it turn out like this? This ancestor is truly a troublemaker. She must be suppressed severely…

...

The Heavenly Desire Sect's cultivation method was truly peculiar in this way. As long as the protector was strong enough, it could completely ignore realm requirements. One could raise the realm first and fulfill the necessary conditions for each realm later.

Just like last time, the three of them had first advanced to the peak of the third layer, only opening their cave heavens afterward. This time was the same. There was no need to sever the Dao or condense the Heavenly Heart Imprint.

Except for the ancestor, everyone's cultivation was soaring madly.

The ancestor, who was being pulled along, was so envious that she could die. When had she ever seen such a luxurious life of advancing through a protector?

Qinghe's protector was truly amazing. As expected of an existence that still possessed the potential to become an immortal even in this golden great era.

…

Because Ye Chen was only one person—although he could cultivate clone techniques that would probably have the same effect—even with a single consciousness, Ye Chen still felt it was awkward. So even if the efficiency was not the highest, he preferred to waste a little more time.

In this manner, half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Fan Qinghe exclusively enjoyed the soul connection and other channels. As for her master, grandmaster, and the ancestor, the three of them could only take turns using the most efficient method.

Therefore, their cultivation speeds ended up roughly the same. All of them reached the peak of Saint King and officially began this Nirvana…

The ancestor cherished this opportunity greatly. She planned to refine as much as Ye Chen was willing to give. If she could achieve a perfect Nirvana, then her entire life would have been worth it.

As for Fan Qinghe and the others, what they had said earlier about "not being able to endure" was truly laughable. Young people simply had not experienced hard times. There was nothing they could not endure.

Another half a month passed like this.

"My Nirvana this time has been completed. It was a perfect Nirvana that exceeded expectations. Brother, really, I'm not lying this time…"

After several failed attempts to surrender, and even being encouraged by the ancestor, Fan Qinghe's honey-colored pretty face was flushed red. Her eyes were unfocused, with far more white than black showing…

Completely drained and spiritually dazed, she collapsed directly. Then, one after another, her master and grandmaster—who had been forcing themselves to hold on—went down roughly every half hour…

At this moment, only the light ringing of bells remained in the cave residence…

…

Chapter 938: Your Protector Is Truly Amazing!

Two little bells kept drawing arcs in the air, producing soft tinkling sounds. The ancestor had actually already reached the point where she could achieve a perfect Nirvana. But having been starved at the peak of Saint King for so many years, when she finally encountered such a grand feast, she simply could not bear to stop.

She secretly sighed that the three younger women did not know how blessed they were—they were even reluctant to endure this little bit of hardship. She continued to persist. She wanted to wait until Ye Chen was finished!

But in the blink of an eye, another three days passed.

Several times, the ancestor almost could not hold on and wanted to give up on her own. Yet she could not bear to.

Until today… The ancestor still did not make a sound. But she directly fainted…

Ye Chen felt a little disappointed, but a trace of a smile also appeared on his face. The ancestor's absorption capacity had still exceeded his expectations. As expected, only the older sisters could truly endure hardship. This time, he had given away almost half of everything. That was already quite good.

Ye Chen looked at the four women lying in a neat row on the ground, resting, their bodies shining so brightly they were almost blinding. He smiled lightly and asked, "Qinghe, are you all alright?"

Hearing this, Fan Qinghe, her master, and her grandmaster—all dizzy-headed, eyes unfocused, cheeks flushed—could not speak a word. But of course, they had to respond to Ye Chen's concern.

So all three raised their hands and made a "V" gesture toward him, forcing smiles onto their faces despite their dazed eyes, indicating that they were fine. Even the ancestor, who barely still had a shred of consciousness left, saw the three younger women's actions and weakly raised her hand to make a "V" as well…

Looking at the happy smiles on all four faces, even the well-traveled Ye Chen could not help but take out a recording stone to capture the moment.

At the same time, the system's notification sound finally rang in Ye Chen's mind. It seemed the system had taken the "V" gesture as the sign that the gifting had ended.

Since Ye Chen had started the serious business the moment he saw Fan Qinghe, he had not even had time to check the change in her multiplier.

He opened the system now. Two notifications appeared before his eyes…

"Detected that the recipient's multiplier has changed…"

"Fan Qinghe: Increased to 7,000 times!"

This made Ye Chen's eyes light up. She had jumped straight from the previous 4,000 times to 7,000 times. A full increase of 3,000 times.

As expected, the later the Nirvana, the greater the improvement each time. Then next time, when he came at the peak of Quasi-Immortal, wouldn't she directly break ten thousand?

Fan Qinghe might actually become the second ten-thousand-times female cultivator by his side. Even Ye Chen himself had not expected this. One had to admit that the Heavenly Desire Sect's cultivation method was truly outrageous. She could basically lie down and become an immortal. Her aptitude would keep increasing too.

Fortunately, the requirements were also high enough. To be honest, aside from himself, Ye Chen did not think anyone else could afford to raise a Heavenly Desire Sect Divine Maiden like this. It could only be said that the Heavenly Desire Sect seemed tailor-made for him.

…

Ye Chen did not dwell on it and continued reading downward.

"Congratulations, Host, on the successful gift…"

"Gift given: Cultivation gains from the Fourth to Sixth Heaven of Mahayana…"

"6,000-times feedback in progress…"

"Detected that the gift is extremely important to the recipient, triggering intense emotional fluctuation…"

"Maximum critical hit feedback triggered!"

"Feedback: Ten-thousand-times gifted cultivation gains…"

"Feedback: Primordial Opening Qi!"

"Primordial Opening Qi: The very first wisp of qi at the birth of a great world. It has endless wondrous uses and can be used when advancing to the Great Saint realm and promoting the cave heaven into a world…"

"It can increase the foundation of one's own world, increase world power, and increase the Host's comprehension and application of the laws of space and time…"

"The time flow speed of one's own world will be greatly enhanced…"

"The speed at which one's own world devours and improves will be greatly enhanced…"

Looking at the feedback, Ye Chen revealed a smile. As expected, the Heavenly Desire Sect existed for him. The ten-thousand-times return of cultivation gains was one thing. There was even a treasure that could help him advance to Great Saint.

Ye Chen had originally not planned to use any treasures to assist his cultivation. After all, his cave heaven was too outrageous. Most treasures were simply useless to it. He had never expected such a pleasant surprise.

Looking at Fan Qinghe, who was still lying there with dazed, unfocused eyes, completely lost in her own world, the corners of Ye Chen's mouth curved up. There was a kind of joy in raising her.

Fan Qinghe had started with only 2,500 times. He had fed her bit by bit until she reached 7,000 times now. The feedback was getting better and better. It was simply perfect.

Thinking of this, Ye Chen could not help but gently stroke Fan Qinghe's cheek.

Fan Qinghe's body twitched a couple of times naturally. She hurriedly begged for mercy in a weak voice: "Brother… really, it's already a perfect transformation… any more… If my cultivation goes any higher, I really will explode!"

Ye Chen laughed, his playful heart stirred. He flicked the two little bells on the ancestor. If it were any other time, the ancestor would definitely have gotten up to thank Ye Chen properly and prepared for the next transformation to leave a deeper impression on him. But now she could not even do that. She could only smile weakly at Ye Chen, indicating that she still needed some time to digest what she had received.

Ye Chen had only been in a good mood and acting on a whim. He waved his hand, telling them to properly refine what they had received. He himself sat cross-legged and began receiving the feedback.

In an instant, the Heavenly Heart Imprint deep between his brows—which had lost more than half its brilliance and looked somewhat dim—lit up with divine light. Terrifying power surged and boiled within him.

Ye Chen could not help letting out a muffled groan. After all, it was a full ten-thousand-times return. If Ye Chen did not have the Primordial Chaos Supreme Body, even an immortal body would probably have exploded instantly. Even though he could barely endure it, it was still extremely uncomfortable.

The ferocious power and laws rampaged wildly inside his body, constantly causing injuries that were instantly healed.

During this process, Ye Chen digested everything he had received at an astonishing speed. Once the digestion was complete, his combat strength would probably surge by an unknown amount once again.

Ye Chen also noticed that the system had probably reached its limit at ten thousand times. That was why it had only returned ten thousand times. The remaining value had been given to him as a strand of Primordial Opening Qi.

One had to admit, it was really thoughtful.

Just like that, the cave residence that had been warm and spring-like moments ago instantly turned serious.

Ye Chen was cultivating. The four women also helped each other up one after another. They then sat down around Ye Chen and began seriously digesting everything they had gained this time. Only the soft ringing of the ancestor's bells kept the cave residence from being completely silent.

In this manner, another full month passed.

Ye Chen finally finished digesting everything. The Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal between his brows had become sparkling and transparent, and even its size had increased noticeably. The divine patterns on it were even more complex and profound.

But Ye Chen could also feel that his comprehension and insight toward heaven and earth had advanced another level. If he encountered the Alkaid Holy Son again now, he could probably crush him with a single glance. The improvement was truly enormous.

Around Ye Chen, the four women also let out long, fragrant sighs one after another. They opened their eyes. It had taken a full month to digest the gains from this Nirvana ceremony. One could imagine how much benefit they had received.

Fan Qinghe and the other three looked at Ye Chen as if they were looking at an immortal. Their eyes were filled with thick adoration. This was simply too unbelievable.

Ye Chen had single-handedly helped the four of them complete their Nirvana. Not only had Ye Chen's aura not weakened, but they even vaguely sensed that he seemed to have taken another step forward. Now all four of them were at the Sixth Heaven, the peak of Saint King—the same realm as Ye Chen.

Yet when they sensed Ye Chen's aura, it felt as if they were facing a being on an entirely different level of life. Even if the four of them added up, they probably would not be able to withstand a single punch from him. This method of becoming even stronger after being "drained" was truly unheard of. It had never happened in the entire history of the Heavenly Desire Sect.

But they also understood even more clearly just how precious Ye Chen was. After all, if every cultivator became stronger the more they were drained, the Heavenly Desire Sect would have long become the number one holy land in the cultivation world. It was precisely because Ye Chen was the only one that he was so valuable.

Thinking of this, gratitude surged in all four women's hearts. The ceremony had ended. Next came the gratitude segment.

Ye Chen did not refuse. After all, everyone had been busy cultivating during the ceremony. Now it was time for the pure enjoyment version. He wanted to see whether Fan Qinghe had improved dramatically after two and a half years of training with her master and grandmaster.

Thus, Fan Qinghe used the combined technique she had practiced with her master and grandmaster for two and a half years.

Although the ancestor did not have a combined technique, she was even more proficient and at ease. The bells rang softly, creating endless wonderful rhythms…

…

Ye Chen's strength had surged, and he was perhaps a little overheated as well. So he stayed a few more days. Another full month passed before the five of them finally walked out of the cave residence.

Apart from Fan Qinghe, who looked a little resentful, her master, grandmaster, and the ancestor all had glowing complexions. When they looked at Ye Chen now, there was a trace of awe in their eyes.

The Heavenly Desire Sect relied on this to make a living, and they had always been the ones in control. But in front of Ye Chen, they had been completely suppressed.

This made them even more certain that Ye Chen's physique was extraordinary. It was most likely some kind of powerful immortal body that had never appeared in the cultivation world before. But this also made the four women even happier.

After all, who wouldn't like that?

Ye Chen was also very satisfied. There were many styles, many props, high skill, and excellent service attitude. He liked it too. So he smiled lightly at Fan Qinghe and said, "Focus on refining what you've gained next. After breaking through, prioritize stabilizing your cultivation…

"As for raising your cultivation further, that's not something you need to worry about. When I reach the peak of Quasi-Immortal and eliminate all my great enemies, I will naturally come and help you achieve Quasi-Immortal as well!"

After speaking, Ye Chen also handed over the Sand of Heavenly Will, Dao Severing methods, imprint formation methods, and other treasures. Although the four women had reached the required realm, they still needed to make up for the missing conditions afterward. Giving them more supplementary treasures would increase their endurance, allowing him to gift even more next time.

Looking at the treasures that most holy lands could not even produce, the four women's pretty faces flushed red. Their dazed eyes were filled with pleasant surprise. This… they got to eat, play, and still received treasures in the end? Was this heaven? Qinghe's protector was simply too amazing!

With gratitude surging in their hearts, the four women wanted to show Ye Chen everything they had learned in their lives once more. But Ye Chen shook his head. "Next time…"

He had also reached his limit now, and the feeling was not very comfortable. He had to go back and break through…

Rubbing Fan Qinghe's small head, Ye Chen left without any reluctance. He rose gracefully and boarded the immortal ship that had been waiting for him. His figure disappeared, leaving only the four generations of the Heavenly Desire Sect staring after him with dazed, reluctant eyes.

After a long time, the ancestor finally murmured, "I only knew before that Qinghe's protector was very powerful, but I never expected him to be this powerful… Qinghe, your protector is truly amazing!"

Her master and grandmaster also chimed in with unanimous praise: "Indeed, Qinghe, your protector is really amazing!"

Fan Qinghe: "…"

Although she was being praised, why did it sound so strange…