ISWI Chapter 1003-1004 (Patreon)

Chapter 1003: Standing Alone in One's Own Virtue!

Originally, Ye Chen had remained indifferent toward the news that the immortal realm was being invaded. The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were attacking the immortal realm, even intending to shatter it entirely. He had felt no urge to save the world or play the role of savior. After all, he held no sense of belonging to the immortal realm whatsoever. Whoever wanted to fight could fight—so long as it did not affect him.

But now, learning that the destruction of a world could even damage the immortal artifacts within it, he realized that the people inside could hardly remain untouched. Even peak experts capable of existing apart from their world would likely suffer all kinds of negative consequences if they tried to relocate to another realm. The destruction of one's native world was clearly not something that could be resolved simply by moving elsewhere.

What about himself, then? If the immortal realm were destroyed one day, would he also be dragged into the consequences?

The more he thought about it, the more serious the issue seemed. His previous detached attitude toward the conflict between the immortal realm and the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths no longer felt tenable. He could no longer simply stand alone in his own virtue.

Still, these matters would have to wait until he became an immortal and entered the immortal realm himself. Surely, relevant knowledge would be available there.

Ye Chen turned his attention to the Chaos Bell that had appeared inside his small world. The small bell was a chaotic dark-yellow color. Its surface was engraved with suns, moons, and stars. Earth, water, fire, and wind swirled around it.

Inside the bell lay mountains and rivers, along with imprints of countless races—including humans and many others that Ye Chen had never even heard of. They were most likely the races from the destroyed world mentioned by the system.

The small bell appeared somewhat damaged, with severe cracks and broken marks in many places. Yet it still radiated terrifying power, emitting five-colored divine light that illuminated the entire small world.

The other immortal artifacts—including the Undying Celestial Blade and the Heaven Devouring Demon Jar—instinctively kept their distance. Only the ancient bronze coffin remained completely motionless.

Ye Chen nodded in satisfaction. This Chaos Bell was truly a fine treasure. He could try fusing it with his own bell in the future. If he continued to nurture and upgrade it, the bell might one day recover its original might and reach the divine grade once more.

…

Ye Chen withdrew his gaze. He looked at Manjusaka and smiled.

After a ten-thousand-times female cultivator became his Dao companion, critical hits and heart strikes still triggered as expected. He was especially pleased with the Chaos Bell he had received in feedback.

Seeing Manjusaka attempting to bond with the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Halberd, Ye Chen gave a soft chuckle. He tapped a finger gently on her smooth, proud forehead. "I grant you the Armement Secret. With it, you will control immortal artifacts more easily and unleash even greater power from them…"

Manjusaka felt the profound mysteries of the Armement Secret and her face lit up with joy. The Armement Secret's formidable reputation was known to everyone in the cultivation world. With this technique, she could manipulate immortal artifacts far more smoothly and draw out far stronger might from them. Her gaze toward Ye Chen grew even more complicated.

Being Ye Chen's Dao companion was truly wonderful! Even ancient secret arts like the Nine Secrets could be obtained so casually. Compared to this, all her past struggles felt utterly meaningless.

Thinking back to how Ye Chen had even used the soul intercourse method earlier, Manjusaka felt a twinge of regret. She had been too stubborn before. When she was still in soul form, she should have offered herself to Ye Chen and become his Dao companion right then. If she had, she might have obtained a perfect physical body ten years earlier.

What a massive loss!

After the gift transmission was complete, Ye Chen prepared to leave. With a wave of his hand, he withdrew the formation, reconnecting the area with the outside world. The crowd outside had already been discussing fervently.

The moment they saw Ye Chen appear, they all jumped in shock, their faces filled with awe and fear. When they clearly saw the female cultivators beside him, their eyes widened even further.

They all knew Su Yuxuan—the Nether Maiden of the Nether God Holy Land, whose methods were extremely formidable.

But that was not the main point. After all, everyone knew she was Ye Chen's Dao companion, so her presence here was not surprising.

What shocked them most was the female cultivator on Ye Chen's other side. She had six wings on her back, bearing a striking resemblance to the extinct Heavenly Human Race. Yet half her wings were white and half were red, differing greatly from the legends. Her aura was terrifyingly powerful. Many quasi-immortals present immediately sensed danger and felt a surge of fear.

Who was this woman?

The quasi-immortals from the Peacock Race and the Nether God Holy Land wore strange expressions. They knew the full story, of course—that a soul had been revived. But they had not expected the revived soul to look almost identical to the previous immortal corpse, except that her figure was now far more voluptuous.

Had the Heavenly Emperor's heir specifically requested this?

Their expressions were complicated, but they said nothing. They simply bowed to Ye Chen once more with sincere gratitude, thanking him for saving their lives.

Yan Ruyu had also been waiting here. The moment she saw Manjusaka, her pupils shrank. This woman's appearance was no weaker than her own. She felt a strong sense of crisis. No wonder Ye Chen had ignored her so completely this time. He must have been completely taken by this woman.

For a moment, Yan Ruyu's emotions grew even more tangled. She looked at Ye Chen, with a thousand words she wanted to say.

Ye Chen vaguely noticed that Yan Ruyu was no longer as coldly aloof as before. It was probably because he had chosen Su Yuxuan when giving gifts earlier, which had made her feel threatened.

However, Ye Chen had no intention of explaining anything. On the contrary, he was happy to see it. The more complicated Yan Ruyu's emotions became and the more abandoned she felt, the higher the emotional feedback would be once she returned to the Myriad Races Immortal City and received the Chaos Azure Lotus seed.

That was good for him. So Ye Chen simply nodded to the quasi-immortals from the Peacock Race and the Nether God Holy Land. Then he turned to Elder Shangguan and the loli Ancestor with a faint smile. "My trip to the Central Continent is over. I will return and prepare to break through to the quasi-immortal realm. Would the two seniors like to come with me?"

Upon hearing this, both Elder Shangguan and the loli Ancestor nodded.

During this period, Elder Shangguan had gained a much deeper understanding of Ye Chen. She was shocked that their holy land had produced such a monstrous genius. It was truly unprecedented.

The loli Ancestor naturally wanted to get closer to Ye Chen even more. The current protector of their divine maiden turned out to be one of the only two contenders for immortality in the entire cultivation world.

More importantly, almost everyone believed that once Ye Chen reached the quasi-immortal stage, the Eight-Crowned King would no longer be his match.

Under such circumstances, Ye Chen could almost be considered the strongest protector in the history of the Heavenly Desire Sect.

Moreover, Ye Chen was surrounded by too many top-tier female cultivators. Su Yuxuan was pure yet charming, with impressive methods.

Yan Ruyu needed no further mention—the loli Ancestor had never seen a woman of such caliber, and the way she looked at Ye Chen was clearly off. Now there was even a revived Heavenly Human Race member with top-tier beauty.

The loli Ancestor was very worried about whether their divine maiden could hold onto Ye Chen. She had to use this life-saving favor to invite Ye Chen to the Heavenly Desire Sect and tie him down properly.

In short, everyone present had their own thoughts.

Ye Chen did not dwell on them. He summoned an immortal boat, invited Elder Shangguan and the loli Ancestor aboard, and sailed gracefully toward the Great Yan Continent.

Su Yuxuan and the others soon departed as well. Only the original onlookers remained, curiously inquiring about Manjusaka's identity.

Chapter 1004: Ye Chen Came Looking for Me?

The crowd remained curious about Manjusaka's identity. However, the few who knew the truth were unwilling to say more.

Su Yuxuan led Manjusaka and the revived quasi-immortal from the Nether God Holy Land onto a flying boat and headed back to their holy land.

Onboard the boat, Manjusaka wore an anxious and puzzled expression. "Yuxuan, why didn't we follow Ye Chen?"

Su Yuxuan was kneading her small, delicate feet, which still felt sticky. She did not mind the sensation, but walking felt a little awkward, and even floating caused some slipping.

Hearing the question, she raised an eyebrow and replied casually, "Why should we follow him? The Nether God Holy Land is more suitable for my cultivation. Besides, Senior Brother already promised us spots to enter the immortal realm, didn't he?"

Manjusaka gave a bitter smile. Her golden hair fluttered as her divine mountains trembled with her movements. "I'm just worried. Senior Brother has so many female cultivators around him. What if we stay away and someone else takes our place?"

Su Yuxuan glanced helplessly at her master. "Master, if Senior Brother said he would give them, then he definitely will. Haven't you realized it yet? Senior Brother likes his women to trust him unconditionally. If you trust him, you won't lose out. But if you keep doubting him, he will grow displeased.

"Senior Brother dislikes making deals. Master, listen to your disciple's advice. Obey Senior Brother without conditions. You will never go wrong. As for leaving, I believe distance creates beauty. For fickle and heartless people, being far away leads to being forgotten. But Senior Brother is not that kind of person. The farther you are, the more he will miss you.

"Look at this time when we were in danger. Did Senior Brother hesitate even for a moment when he arrived?"

After saying this, Su Yuxuan stopped talking and continued massaging her tender little feet. She felt like every meeting with Senior Brother left her feet almost calloused.

Manjusaka's expression remained complicated. She knew her disciple was right, but the matter concerned her future immortality and escaping this cage. She simply could not stay calm.

…

"Father, who was that Heavenly Human Race woman? Why was her aura so terrifying?"

On the Peacock Race's immortal boat, the current ancestor of the Peacock Race looked at his father, whom they had regained, with confusion. Only after confirming no one else was around did his father speak in a low voice. "Didn't an immortal will previously control the Land of Fallen Immortals? That immortal will revived using this Heavenly Human Race immortal corpse.

"The Heavenly Emperor's heir had a soul that needed revival, so he used the origin of that immortal corpse to reshape a new body. I just didn't expect it to look almost exactly like the original corpse… well… just a bit bigger…"

The Peacock Race ancestor's eyes immediately widened. "Living people can no longer satisfy the Heavenly Emperor's heir?"

His father frowned and slapped him. "What nonsense are you saying? If not for the Heavenly Emperor's heir, your father would have died long ago!"

The Peacock Race ancestor whispered, "Father, I'm not talking nonsense. The Heavenly Emperor's heir dominates the current era. His talent is heaven-defying and unprecedented. But what truly draws everyone's attention is his rather… broad affection…

"Do you know how many Dao companions he has now? Besides the ones known to the public, there are as many as two entire mountain peaks full. I've also heard he plans to open another Holy Son Peak in the Nether God Holy Land to attract outstanding female disciples and elders for his selection…"

His father's eyes widened. "Is that true? Would a top genius care about such things?"

The Peacock Race ancestor nodded seriously. "More than that. The Heavenly Emperor's heir is not only broad in affection but has extremely varied tastes. Our race's Yan Wenwen has already attached herself to him. In the Heavenly Desire Sect, it's said that the last four generations of divine maidens all belong to him. The female cultivators there are the same—they've sealed the mountain and now only open it for the Heavenly Emperor's heir…

"In short, whether the human race or myriad races, if the Heavenly Emperor's heir sets his eyes on someone, he never lets go… But I truly didn't expect him to even desire an immortal corpse. That woman looks identical to the original corpse after revival. It must have been specifically requested by the Heavenly Emperor's heir…"

His father's worldview was completely shaken. He had never imagined that the Heavenly Emperor's heir was this kind of person… He waved his hand, dismissing his son so he could calm down.

The Peacock Race ancestor left the cabin and, upon seeing his juniors, could not hold back. With a mischievous grin, he said, "Let me tell you something, but don't spread it outside…"

…

Yan Ruyu did not mingle with the ancestors. Instead, she sat alone at the bow of the boat. Spring winds caressed her hair, painting a breathtaking scene. Her ever-changing aura now carried a touch of melancholy that made her appear even more delicate and pitiable in the eyes of those around her.

Yan Ruyu was, of course, thinking about Ye Chen. Had Ye Chen truly lost interest in her? When he left, he had only given her a faint, indifferent smile. He had not even bothered to say a few more words.

Yan Ruyu was actually willing to take the initiative. But she had only just received the World-Destroying Black Lotus Seed, and Ye Chen had given the new life qi to someone else. If she approached him now, would he think she was too greedy and that her previous coldness had all been an act?

The more she changed her mind and cared about Ye Chen, the less she wanted him to misunderstand her. Thus, Yan Ruyu felt deeply conflicted. After hesitating for a long time, she made a decision. Once she reached the peak of the quasi-immortal realm and could retrieve all the treasures from her ancestor's hidden legacy, she would quietly become an immortal. They would meet again in the immortal realm!

Once she entered the immortal realm, she would seek out Ye Chen, hand over part of the treasures left by her ancestor as repayment for his kindness, and only then express her true feelings. After she no longer owed him anything, they would have a fresh start in the immortal realm.

Yan Ruyu remained tangled in her thoughts for dozens of days. When she finally came back to her senses, the immortal boat had already returned to the Myriad Races Immortal City.

Yan Ruyu descended slowly with the ancestors, planning to rest for a few days before going back to search for the new life qi. She also owed Yan Wenwen an apology.

Yan Wenwen had offered her kindness with good intentions, yet she had rejected it without hesitation. She should at least say sorry.

The return of the long-deceased old ancestor caused a huge stir in the Peacock Race. Moreover, he had gained additional fortune and now possessed over four thousand years of lifespan.

The entire Peacock Race was overjoyed. They had gained another quasi-immortal. In this era of declining dharma, the Peacock Race would grow even more prosperous.

Yan Ruyu went to see Yan Wenwen.

"Ruyu, you're back? Are you alright?"

Yan Wenwen had already heard the general story. Knowing that Yan Ruyu had also been suppressed by the immortal will and nearly met with disaster, she spoke with great concern and looked her up and down.

Feeling her close friend's genuine worry, Yan Ruyu felt a warmth in her heart. She smiled gently and replied, "I'm fine. The Heavenly Emperor's heir arrived in time and saved me…"

Yan Wenwen raised an eyebrow. She sensed that Yan Ruyu's attitude when mentioning Ye Chen had changed from before. But that was a good thing.

Yan Wenwen calculated the timing, then immediately took something out from her inner world. "I don't know if Husband mentioned this to you… Before Husband went to save you, he left something with me and asked me to pass it on to you!"

Yan Ruyu's expression turned to one of surprise. Joy bloomed in her heart, but it quickly shifted to confusion. Ye Chen had come looking for her before he went to save her?