ISWI Chapter 966-967 (Patreon)

Chapter 966: How Dare He?

His fiancée slipped into her role quickly.

Ye Chen, for his part, naturally had no intention of harming Ying Tiansheng's soul. He had already erased all of its consciousness anyway, and he would likely need to use it many more times in the future.

Before long, his upright and righteous fiancée, in order to protect her fiancé's soul, endured utter humiliation as she devoted herself fully to satisfying Ye Chen's demands. The experience left Ye Chen unable to extricate himself, lost in the pleasure.

…

A week passed in this manner. Only then did Ye Chen rise to his feet and prepare to leave.

"I'm heading to the Northern Domain next," he said to his fiancée. "I'll dig Celestial Prince out of the divine source and seize his origin to give to you. He has been slumbering for a million years and is said to have obtained an immortal physique. His origin should be quite impressive.

"While I'm gone, you should focus on closed-door cultivation. Otherwise, I'm afraid you still won't have emerged by the time I return."

Upon hearing this, Yi Qingwu's face showed a trace of worry. "Going to the ancestral land of the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan—isn't that too risky? The grand arrays of a holy land's ancestral ground can awaken immortal artifacts to nearly seventy percent of their power. Celestial Prince could achieve perfect resurrection at any moment as well. If he revives and takes advantage of the arrays, you might find yourself in grave danger.

"Stay a while longer. Once he comes out, he'll definitely come looking for you on his own."

Yet Ye Chen merely chuckled at her words. In truth, he hoped Celestial Prince had already reached perfection. That way, the origin he obtained would be even more powerful.

As for the Celestial Prince coming to find him voluntarily? Ye Chen found that highly unlikely. As long as Celestial Prince wasn't a fool, after witnessing his battle with the Exiled Immortal, he should have lost all courage to challenge him.

Moreover, no matter how wretched the Celestial Prince might be, he was still the son of a true immortal. If he truly wanted to hide, he might possess methods to shield himself from heavenly secrets, making it difficult for Ye Chen to locate him even with the Armament Secret.

Therefore, it was far safer for Ye Chen to take the initiative and pay him a visit.

After bidding farewell to his fiancée, Ye Chen summoned the Western Empress Divine Carriage under the watchful eyes of the Heavenly Intention Holy Land crowd and shot off toward the Central Continent.

Although the Northern Domain, Central Continent, and Great Yan Continent were three separate landmasses, they lay along a straight line. To reach the Northern Domain, he naturally had to pass through the Central Continent. Any treasures he acquired along the way could also be delivered as gifts.

As for traveling alone? Ever since he had suppressed the Exiled Immortal, he no longer needed any protectors. In the current world of cultivation, no one could harm him anymore.

Ye Chen sped forward like lightning, crossing the Endless Sea as he flew toward the Central Continent. He did not return to his inner world during the journey. The main reason was that, before heading to his fiancée's side, he had sent Lu Jing back into the inner world only to be entangled by Luo Bingling, who once again felt energetic. He had spent several days with her, polishing the Seven-colored Nirvana Jade until it shone brilliantly. Luo Bingling would probably need some time to rest after that.

At his full speed, the journey from his current location to the Central Continent would take only two or three days.

On the second day at noon, with endless deep sea stretching beneath him and even the fierce beasts within it too terrified to show themselves, Ye Chen sat atop the holy carriage, comprehending the Reincarnation Cave Heaven. Suddenly, he raised his brows and opened his eyes, gazing ahead.

No figures were visible in the distance, yet he sensed two powerful auras flying toward him from extremely far away. Both felt like quasi-immortals, and extraordinarily strong ones at that—surpassing even the Exiled Immortal from before.

Ye Chen was not particularly surprised. Quasi-immortals were rare in the cultivation world, but they still existed. Especially now, with the Age of Dharma's End approaching, many quasi-immortals had emerged to seek escape routes for their own forces and stockpile resources. Encountering two on the road was nothing unusual.

That their auras felt so formidable was also unsurprising. The cultivation world was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; it was perfectly normal for some ancient experts to possess terrifying strength.

However, such old fossils were nearing the end of their lifespans, their vitality in decline. Even if they obtained immortal qi, they could no longer achieve immortality. Therefore, Ye Chen did not think they were coming for him.

As for whether they could be Celestial Prince? He dismissed the idea even more readily. Celestial Prince was no fool; how could he be so reckless?

Once the other party realized it was him, they would surely avoid him on their own.

With that thought, Ye Chen closed his eyes once more.

Above the Endless Sea between the Central Continent and the Great Yan Continent.

Celestial Prince stood atop a strand of divine light while Lotus Emperor sat upon a lotus flower. Both moved at inconceivable speed.

Suddenly, they sensed a terrifyingly powerful aura, and both opened their eyes at the same time.

"Such a terrifying aura… Could it be the Heavenly Emperor's heir?" Lotus Emperor frowned slightly.

At their level, perception reached far beyond eyesight.

Celestial Prince also sensed it, but he shook his head. "Impossible. The Heavenly Emperor's heir isn't a fool. If he knew the two of us were traveling together, he would stay safely inside a holy land. How could he be so reckless as to charge straight toward us and seek death?"

Lotus Emperor nodded in agreement.

Indeed, no matter how monstrous the Heavenly Emperor's heir's talent was, he would never willingly confront two beings who could vie for immortality.

Celestial Prince might be slightly weaker, but Lotus Emperor himself was the foremost of the twelve immortal roots—the holy spirit nurtured by the Chaos Azure Lotus. It would not be an exaggeration to call him the strongest holy spirit in the history of the cultivation world.

Even facing him alone, the Heavenly Emperor's heir would never dare take him lightly. So it could not be him. Once the other party saw the two of them, he would surely avoid them on his own.

The pair closed their eyes again and continued forward at the same speed.

…

And so, the two sides drew closer and closer.

On the holy carriage, Ye Chen frowned slightly.

Why hadn't the other party moved aside yet? Was there anyone in the cultivation world besides the Eight-Crowned King who no longer feared him?

Celestial Prince and Lotus Emperor atop the divine light and azure lotus were also frowning. Was there someone in the cultivation world even more arrogant than the Heavenly Emperor's heir?

In that instant, both sides opened their eyes. Their gazes shot forward like lightning. The moment they clearly saw each other, both parties stopped in midair. Shock, astonishment, and utter disbelief filled their eyes.

It was really him? How dare he?

Celestial Prince could not understand it. Ye Chen had actually come looking for them when he and Lotus Emperor were traveling together? Was he not afraid? Or did Ye Chen simply not take Lotus Emperor seriously and know nothing about his background?

Lotus Emperor narrowed his eyes as well. As the strongest holy spirit in the history of the cultivation world, he was extremely confident. Even the Eight-Crowned King might not be impossible to fight, though the outcome would be uncertain.

That was precisely why he had agreed to team up with Celestial Prince first—to obtain the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart, perfect himself, and gain even greater assurance.

Yet here came the Heavenly Emperor's heir.

Just how much did he look down on Celestial Prince to act so boldly?

…

On Ye Chen's side, he felt equally puzzled as he looked at the two figures. Seeing that familiar head of white hair, he realized Celestial Prince had emerged from seclusion, which came as a surprise. But how did Celestial Prince dare to head toward the Great Yan Continent?

However, when Ye Chen clearly saw the person beside the Celestial Prince, his brows rose. Although the other party appeared to have a flesh-and-blood body, Ye Chen could tell at a glance that he was not human. He carried the aura of a holy spirit—flawless and perfectly formed, with a terrifying presence.

Clearly, this was a holy spirit who had only emerged after reaching full maturity. So this was the source of Celestial Prince's courage? The Celestial Prince had even brought a friend along?

When Ye Chen's Heavy Pupils swept over the holy spirit and sensed a faintly familiar aura, his eyes suddenly lit up…

Chapter 967: Celestial Prince Was Furious!

Ye Chen was all too familiar with the aura of immortal roots. In fact, he could confidently say that no one understood immortal roots better than he did. The holy spirit before him gave him the exact same feeling as encountering an immortal root. Could this person be an immortal root that had gained sentience? No—an immortal root that had given birth to a holy spirit?

Ye Chen's eyes narrowed at once. There were twelve immortal roots in the cultivation world, and eleven of them were already in his possession. Under these circumstances, what other immortal root could have nurtured the holy spirit standing before him?

Combined with the words spoken by the two holy spirits he had crushed when he obtained the Seven-colored Nirvana Jade, the answer became clear. This person was most likely the hope of the holy spirit race in this generation.

Yet Ye Chen could not help but frown. The Chaos Azure Lotus had nurtured this holy spirit. Then, where was the Chaos Azure Lotus itself?

The azure lotus rotating above the other party's head no longer looked like an immortal root. It resembled a weapon instead.

Senior An needed the essence liquid from all twelve immortal roots. He could not simply crush this holy spirit and squeeze out its juices… The thought alone felt rather disgusting.

Ye Chen studied Lotus Emperor carefully, pondering the matter of the Chaos Azure Lotus.

Lotus Emperor stared back at Ye Chen as well.

Although he had heard countless rumors about Ye Chen and even seen images recorded in shadow stones, the moment he laid eyes on him in person and sensed the unfathomable aura within his body, Lotus Emperor still felt a surge of alarm.

This youth was terrifying. Merely at the peak of the Great Emperor realm, he already made Lotus Emperor feel apprehensive. If Ye Chen truly grew to his full potential, Lotus Emperor would likely be no match for him at the same cultivation level. Only the Eight-Crowned King, who possessed the World Tree, would barely qualify to fight him on equal footing.

No wonder Celestial Prince was willing to offer such a supreme treasure as the Phoenix Fire Divine Seed to invite him along. Even the Lotus Emperor himself lacked the confidence to face Ye Chen alone. This person was a formidable enemy on the Immortal Path.

…

The two stared at each other for a long time.

Ye Chen finally spoke. "Are you the holy spirit nurtured by the Chaos Azure Lotus?"

Lotus Emperor nodded. "Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Lotus Emperor. I began nurturing during the Heavenly Emperor era and only emerged two days ago."

Ye Chen nodded as well. The name was quite domineering. But he cared more about another matter. "The Chaos Azure Lotus nurtured you. Does the Chaos Azure Lotus still exist?"

Lotus Emperor looked slightly puzzled, but he answered calmly, "The origin of the Chaos Azure Lotus became me. Its remnant body transformed into this quasi-immortal artifact. Therefore, I am the Chaos Azure Lotus."

Ye Chen's frown deepened. "If you die, will there still be a Chaos Azure Lotus?"

Faced with such arrogant words, the Lotus Emperor did not grow angry. Instead, he smiled. "As long as I do not die, no second Chaos Azure Lotus will appear in this world. After my death, I will leave behind the seed of the Chaos Azure Lotus, which will slowly nurture a new one."

Hearing this, Ye Chen felt relieved, and his brows relaxed. A seed was good enough. Once he obtained it, producing a finished product should not be difficult.

In other words, after this battle, the problem that had troubled Senior An for so many years would finally be solved. Senior An had waited for so long and could finally have her wish fulfilled—not only the Seven Absolutes Immortal Physique, but also becoming his Dao companion. After all, when counting the years, Senior An had waited the longest, without question.

Ye Chen looked at Lotus Emperor and suddenly thought of something else. "After you fall, will your origin be effective for a nurturing holy spirit? Can it help it emerge ahead of time?"

Lotus Emperor fell into thoughtful silence for a moment. He guessed that the holy spirit inside the Seven-colored Nirvana Jade had not been forced out and was still being kept by Ye Chen.

Did Ye Chen want to nurture and tame it?

Whatever the reason, it was a good thing.

Lotus Emperor nodded. "It requires a special method to inject the origin into the holy spirit for absorption. I can teach the method to you, fellow Daoist. If I fall, please bestow my origin upon that holy spirit."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lotus Emperor pointed a finger lightly.

Endless divine radiance surged forth and transformed into a scripture.

Ye Chen scanned the scripture twice and committed it to memory. He looked at Lotus Emperor with surprise and raised an eyebrow. It was truly rare to encounter such an easygoing opponent.

At that moment, Lotus Emperor spoke. "Does the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart still remain in your possession, fellow Daoist?"

Since the other party had answered every question openly, Ye Chen saw no reason to hide anything. He nodded and replied, "It does."

He had kept the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart inside his Cave Heaven all this time. He had wanted to give it to the holy spirit, but since the holy spirit lacked consciousness, he had no idea how to present the gift. He could hardly crack open the Nirvana Jade and stuff the heart inside.

Moreover, without consciousness, it was unclear whether the gift would even produce any feedback. Therefore, Ye Chen had planned to wait until the Seven-colored Nirvana Jade was born before deciding.

A faint smile appeared in Lotus Emperor's deep, sharp eyes. "If you lose this battle and are about to fall, could you gift that item to me before you die? It is quite important to me and can help me reach perfection."

Ye Chen laughed at those words. He nodded generously to indicate his agreement. But he immediately followed up with another question. "Can the method you just taught also be used to inject the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart into a nurturing holy spirit?"

Lotus Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly. Absorbing the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart was something holy spirits could do naturally. Yet the Seven-colored Nirvana Jade had clearly awakened its intelligence earlier, while the Heavenly Emperor's heir seemed completely unaware of it.

Obviously, the holy spirit inside the Seven-colored Nirvana Jade was pretending to still be asleep, probably out of fear of being suppressed by Ye Chen. Still, it was best for the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart to be obtained during the nurturing phase. Only then could it fully fuse with the holy spirit throughout the process, becoming inseparable.

If the Lotus Emperor fell and the holy spirit in the Seven-colored Nirvana Jade managed to grow, it would naturally be ideal for it to enter the immortal realm in the future.

Therefore, Lotus Emperor smiled gently. "I shall impart another scripture to you—an Awakening Spirit Technique. By using this method, you can help the nurturing holy spirit awaken its intelligence ahead of time.

"At that point, simply present the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart before it, and the holy spirit will have its own means to fuse with it.

"Holy spirits are not heartless. They merely endure too much hardship during nurturing and face too much hostility, which is why they appear cold and unyielding on the outside. If you awaken its spirit, the holy spirit will remember your kindness with gratitude…"

As he spoke, Lotus Emperor raised his finger once more and pointed out another scripture.

Ye Chen's eyes lit up completely. With this, even the matter of gifting to the holy spirit was resolved. He could first test the holy spirit with the origin to see if it possessed any gratitude. If it did, he would gift the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart as well. If not, he would simply crush it, extract the divine materials, and use them as gifts instead. Either way, he would benefit and lose nothing.

…

However, just as Ye Chen was about to chat with Lotus Emperor a little longer, a terrifying aura suddenly surged forth and interrupted his thoughts.

Ye Chen raised his brow and turned his head, only to see Celestial Prince staring at him with a gloomy expression.

Above the Celestial Prince's head, an immortal tower rotated, radiating boundless terrifying divine might as it awakened. Behind his head, three streams of divine radiance swirled and spun. Endless immortal flames flowed across his body, scorching everything in their path.

The sight was utterly terrifying.

Ye Chen could not help but shake his head. This Celestial Prince truly had a short temper. He had already discussed Lotus Emperor's funeral arrangements, yet Lotus Emperor himself had not gotten angry.

But Celestial Prince? He had not said a single word, yet he had already flown into such a rage. Was he in such a hurry to die?