ISWI Chapter 1042-1043 (Patreon)

Chapter 1042: The Immortal Realm Is Full of Schemes; Better to Stay in the Lower World!

Yan Ruyu noticed the cold contempt in Wang Xuanji's gaze and immediately understood her thoughts. She did not care, however, as long as Ye Chen did not misunderstand. She would prove everything through her actions.

In the future, she would not need to rely on Ye Chen to enter the immortal realm. With her nine-colored divine light, she would soon fully unlock the treasure left behind by her ancestor. Once she obtained the Immortal Qi, she could ascend directly.

At that time, she would naturally slap this woman's face. But she needed to hurry. The ancestor's treasure was not easy to open. She had to unseal it before the Immortal Qi appeared on the Immortal Path. Otherwise, she would not be able to ascend together with Ye Chen.

Yan Ruyu spoke warmly to him, "I am very happy that Fellow Daoist Ye is willing to forgive me. Next, I must go into seclusion to cultivate. When Fellow Daoist Ye ascends, I will return and become your Dao companion. I will offer everything I have to you.”

Wang Xuanji sneered inwardly with even greater disdain. So she wouldn't act until she saw the rabbit. She was waiting to ride Ye Chen's coattails into the immortal realm, wasn't she? Unfortunately for her, only Wang Xuanji would ascend in this era. She had no intention of bringing her along. Moreover, this woman had made her intentions so obvious. Could Ye Chen really not see her true nature?

Wang Xuanji frowned and looked at Ye Chen, only to find no suspicion on his face at all. Instead, he asked with concern, "Will there be any danger? Do you need my help?”

Yan Ruyu smiled and shook her head. "There may be some twists and turns, but with my current strength, it is no longer truly dangerous. You have already helped me so much. There is no need to trouble yourself with this.”

Ye Chen smiled. With a wave of his hand, an immortal cauldron appeared in his palm. It rotated slowly in the void, its dragon patterns surging as if roaring continuously.

"In that case, take this for self-defense. It will put my mind at ease.”

Everyone present widened their eyes in shock. The Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron was far too famous in the cultivation world—one of the top five immortal artifacts. The Heavenly Emperor's heir was being far too generous.

The Alkaid Holy Maiden's expression turned complicated. She had still hoped to win Ye Chen's favor in the future and perhaps receive the cauldron from him. It seemed that hope was now gone.

Wang Xuanji clenched her fists tightly. This was the same cauldron she had asked for earlier, only to be rejected by Ye Chen. Yet now he was giving it to a woman of such poor character and methods. Had Ye Chen gone blind? In terms of character, appearance, and figure, how was she inferior to Yan Ruyu in any way?

Watching Ye Chen being deceived like a fool while she herself kept getting rejected filled Wang Xuanji with rage.

Ye Chen, however, ignored the gazes around him. He had always intended to give the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron to Yan Ruyu. Moreover, he had discovered this time that she had not only reached the Quasi-Immortal peak but had also raised her multiplier to twenty thousand times. She was the perfect recipient. He had to give it—and he had to do it in front of Wang Xuanji.

As for whether Yan Ruyu's words sounded like those of a gold-digger, it did not matter to him. Ye Chen only truly cared about the women who were sincere toward him—people like his senior sister, Elder An, and his master. Those who only wanted to take advantage of him were merely gift targets. In critical moments, the difference in treatment would be enormous, just like how he treated Lu Jing and the other servant girls. Therefore, he did not care at all.

Yan Ruyu's eyes widened. A watery gleam appeared in her peerless gaze, and her heart overflowed with emotion. The words she had spoken earlier were partly deliberate, crafted to be easily misunderstood. She had always been cold and detached by nature. Other than Yan Wenwen, she trusted no one. Even though she had been moved by Ye Chen, a trace of apprehension still lingered in her heart.

But now, her heart was completely captured by him. Despite her seemingly opportunistic behavior—waiting to see whether he succeeded in seizing immortality before committing herself—Ye Chen had shown no suspicion at all. He cared only about her safety and had unhesitatingly offered her a treasure as precious as the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron. How deeply he must love her.

Filled with emotion, Yan Ruyu smiled at him, her smile blooming like mountain flowers in full splendor, breathtakingly beautiful. She gently shook her head. "This journey is not dangerous. I won't need it. You should keep the cauldron. It may be useful when you fight the Eight-Crowned King.”

Wang Xuanji curled her lip inwardly. Playing hard to get, was she? Accepting the treasure while maintaining a virtuous image. Anyone could see through such a shallow tactic. If Ye Chen had even half a brain, he would not fall for it.

Yet under her incredulous gaze, Ye Chen flicked his finger lightly, sending the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron floating gently before Yan Ruyu. As the majestic cauldron rotated in front of her, his voice sounded at the same time.

"Take it whether you need it or not. Only then can I feel at ease. Otherwise, I will have to accompany you personally.”

Wang Xuanji rolled her eyes internally. She was both speechless at Ye Chen's foolishness and furious that he was so stupid toward others yet refused to give her anything. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Yan Ruyu, however, felt her heart fill with warmth from his genuine concern. He really loved her so much.

She looked at the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron, one of the few mid-grade immortal artifacts in the cultivation world, its aura terrifyingly powerful. She had wanted to refuse—she truly did not wish to take more from him—but seeing the determination in his eyes, she remained silent. With this treasure, she might be able to unseal her ancestor's vault even faster.

The Eight-Crowned King was formidable, and the outcome of Ye Chen's battle with him was uncertain. If she could obtain the Immortal Qi first and ascend, she could suppress the Eight-Crowned King herself. Even if she ascended later, she could serve as his backup. If he lost and missed the immortal opportunity, she could still bring him to the immortal realm to start anew.

With these thoughts, Yan Ruyu gazed at him for a moment before speaking softly, "Fellow Daoist Ye, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. A temporary victory or defeat does not determine the final outcome. As long as one is still alive, there are always other ways to enter the immortal realm. So promise me that in the upcoming battle, you will only fight for victory, not for life and death. Can you do that?”

Ye Chen was slightly taken aback. He felt she was implying something more, but he could not guess exactly what. Still, he smiled at her and nodded gently.

Wang Xuanji's disdain was nearly overflowing. This woman had barely put up any resistance before accepting the treasure. She then offered a few fake words of concern. And Ye Chen had allowed himself to be played so thoroughly by her. While angry at his foolishness, she almost wanted to advise him: he might as well just stay in the lower world. With this kind of mindset, if he went to the immortal realm, those cunning immortal realm female cultivators would surely empty his entire Heavenly Emperor treasury and inheritance, devouring him completely.

Despite her inner disdain, Wang Xuanji still felt a twinge of jealousy when Ye Chen gave the mid-grade immortal artifact Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron to Yan Ruyu. She had originally planned to gift him a top-grade immortal artifact once they reached the immortal realm, but she no longer intended to do so.

Top-grade immortal artifacts were incredibly precious. They contained profound and powerful laws and possessed terrifying might capable of turning the tide of battle or even influencing an entire universe. They were treasures ordinary True Immortals could never touch in their lifetimes. Only True Immortals at the seventh heaven could begin refining them.

Even then, most True Immortals who reached the eighth heaven might never possess one, as the resources and effort required were simply too enormous. The refining process alone could take hundreds or thousands of years. Only a former Immortal King clan like the Wang Clan could casually promise such a gift.

The Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron was merely a mid-grade immortal artifact. She looked down on it. One day, Ye Chen would understand what he had lost by not giving it to her.

Wang Xuanji comforted herself repeatedly.

…

Chapter 1043: Thirty-Three Heavens Treasures!

Yan Ruyu gazed at Ye Chen with deep emotion. From the World-Destroying Black Lotus Seed to the Chaos Azure Lotus Seed and now the Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron, he had always given her the best. She would never let him down. She bowed earnestly to Ye Chen, reluctant to part, then formally accepted the cauldron and departed gracefully.

As Ye Chen watched her alluring figure disappear into the distance, the system notification finally sounded in his mind.

"Congratulations, Host. Gift successfully given…”

"Gift: Mid-grade immortal artifact Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron!”

"Twenty-thousand-fold feedback in progress.”

"Detected that the gifted item has triggered maximum critical strike reward!”

"Triggered Heart Strike!”

"Feedback: Top-grade immortal artifacts —Heaven-Shaking Ring and Heaven-Slaying Sword!”

"Heaven-Shaking Ring and Heaven-Slaying Sword: Two of the Thirty-Three Heavens Treasures. Their power is boundless, connecting to the forces of creation and far surpassing ordinary treasures…”

"If all Thirty-Three Heavens Treasures can be gathered, they can unleash the might of a King-grade immortal artifact…”

Ye Chen's eyes widened in surprise. Only top-grade? He had thought that with Yan Ruyu's twenty-thousand-fold multiplier, a critical strike plus a Heart Strike might produce a King-grade immortal artifact. Instead, he received two top-grade ones. Although there were two pieces, the result still exceeded his expectations. It seemed King-grade immortal artifacts were even rarer than he had imagined.

Still, these top-grade artifacts appeared to be components. Once assembled, they could display King-grade power. That was quite formidable.

Ye Chen lacked relevant knowledge, but he was not worried. He had an immortal realm female genius right beside him. Wang Xuanji was knowledgeable and could explain everything. He turned to her and asked, "Fairy Wang, how are the grades of immortal artifacts divided? Are King-grade immortal artifacts very precious?”

Wang Xuanji lifted her head with a trace of arrogance. A lower-realm person like Ye Chen clearly knew nothing about immortal artifacts. That was why he had rejected her offer of a top-grade one earlier.

Since he had asked, she would explain it properly and let him understand exactly what he had missed.

Wang Xuanji spoke seriously, "After the nine heavens of the True Immortal realm comes the Immortal King realm. Low-grade immortal artifacts can be refined by a first-heaven True Immortal. Their functions are simple and mainly used for combat and defense.

"Mid-grade immortal artifacts require a third-heaven True Immortal to refine. They contain richer and purer laws, can unleash larger-scale divine abilities, and incorporate many special laws.

"As for high-grade immortal artifacts, they must be refined by fifth-heaven True Immortals. They contain Great Luo laws and can cause small-scale destruction of heaven and earth in the immortal realm. Most powerful experts in the cultivation world use high-grade immortal artifacts.

"Top-grade immortal artifacts contain extremely powerful laws and can trigger large-scale changes in the world. They are top-tier treasures in the immortal realm. Anyone who possesses one is no ordinary figure there.”

"Beyond that are King-grade immortal artifacts, but those are not something you need to consider. Only ninth-heaven experts, half-step Immortal Kings, or true Immortal Kings can possess them. Even my Wang Clan has only one. Further above are Divine-grade artifacts, which exist only in legends…”

Wang Xuanji spoke calmly, subtly highlighting the strength of the Wang Clan as she explained.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow as he listened. The Wang Clan had once produced an Immortal King, yet they only possessed a single King-grade immortal artifact. Even though the Wang Clan did not seem particularly impressive from Wang Xuanji's words, they had clearly been prosperous in the past. The rarity of King-grade immortal artifacts far exceeded his expectations.

Top-grade immortal artifacts were also extraordinary. If he could collect all Thirty-Three Heavens Treasures and combine them into a King-grade immortal artifact, the benefits would be limitless.

A smile appeared on Ye Chen's face. His satisfaction with Yan Ruyu grew even stronger. Whether she was a gold-digger or not, the feedback had left him very pleased. She was worth investing in. In the future, he would continue giving her good things.

Wang Xuanji had expected to see regret on Ye Chen's face after her explanation. She wanted him to realize how generous her earlier offer of a top-grade immortal artifact had been and what kind of opportunity he had missed by refusing her.

Yet she was disappointed. After listening, Ye Chen showed no trace of loss or regret. Instead, he smiled and said he needed to discuss something with Yan Wenwen. He then took her hand and headed toward the cave mansion.

Yan Wenwen, who had been waiting eagerly by the roadside, had her own ideas. She leaned close to his ear and whispered something. Ye Chen looked helpless. Yan Wenwen had clearly become addicted.

Still, since Yan Ruyu had taken the initiative this time, Yan Wenwen must have contributed greatly. Rewards were necessary for those who rendered meritorious service, so he naturally pampered her.

The two soon flew off together toward the city gates.

Everyone present wore complicated expressions. Wang Xuanji gnashed her teeth inwardly, utterly unable to understand him. Did Ye Chen truly not care about top-grade immortal artifacts at all?

…

In his spare time, Ye Chen glanced inside his inner world. The Heaven-Shaking Ring and Heaven-Slaying Sword both emanated overwhelming auras, suppressing all the other immortal artifacts beneath them. As items of the same origin, they shared a mysterious connection. They truly deserved their status as top-grade immortal artifacts. Only the bronze coffin still lay at the very top, completely unmoved.

This left Ye Chen both amazed and puzzled. Could the coffin actually be a King-grade immortal artifact? Yet it had come from the feedback when he gifted the jade box, back when his multipliers were still below ten thousand times. How had it produced something so powerful?

Ye Chen felt confused. He still knew too little about his own system. In his idle moments, he often wondered about its origins and why it was so heaven-defying. Even now, at the Quasi-Immortal realm, he understood nothing. Perhaps only after he crossed the nine heavens of True Immortal and reached the Immortal King realm would he begin to glimpse some answers.