ISWI Chapter 1159-1160 (Patreon)

Chapter 1159: Use Proper Titles Outside!

Upon arrival, they immediately became the center of attention. Most of the gazes directed at them were far from friendly. Huo Linglong's lips curved into a faint smile as she turned to Ye Chen. "Ye Old Fourth Ancestor, surrounded by so many prodigies staring at you—feeling the pressure?"

"The two strongest ones didn't even bother looking at you properly, but that dismissive attitude… does it not feel humiliating?"

Ye Chen's mouth curved upward. This was nothing. Back in the cultivation world, his mere appearance had once caused everyone to stand in respect. Still, a true man did not dwell on past glories.

He looked at Huo Linglong and spoke seriously, "Outside the sect, you must address me by my proper title. Inside the sect with no outsiders present, I won't fault you for calling me 'Ye Old Fourth' or whatever. But out here, what should you call me?"

Huo Linglong's mouth twitched. Her delicate toes curled as she fought the urge to kick him in the face. Yet the reputation of Jade Pool Immortal Sect mattered above all else. She spoke in a low voice, "Ancestor…"

Only then did Ye Chen smile and nod in satisfaction. "They are nothing but chickens and dogs… I can suppress them at will."

Huo Linglong's mouth twitched again at his continued arrogance. "These are the top prodigies from various sects and families. In the Immortal Realm, they represent the cream of this generation. Where do you get such confidence?"

Ye Chen smiled even wider as he calculated how much origin energy he would harvest this time, especially when his gaze fell on Wang Teng and Xie Linyuan. These two alone could rival everyone else combined, and their aptitudes surpassed even that of Celestial Princes. This trip would be an enormous gain. After all, absorbing such physiques would bring unimaginable improvements to his combat strength.

Hearing Huo Linglong's words, his smile deepened. "It is precisely the elites that I intend to crush."

Huo Linglong felt utterly speechless at his confidence. Still, remembering that he was the Heavenly Emperor's successor and likely possessed some hidden methods, she kept silent. Although she still did not particularly like Ye Chen, she did not wish to see him die inside the secret realm either.

...

Ye Chen's arrival had disrupted the atmosphere. Wang Teng and Xie Linyuan no longer felt like fighting each other.

The other young prodigies, however, grew even more furious as they watched Ye Chen chatting freely with Huo Linglong, even making her cheeks flush. They did not dare stare too openly, but the anger in their hearts burned hotter.

This brat dared to act so unscrupulously even in front of a peak Saint Immortal powerhouse. His teasing techniques were smooth and practiced to perfection. If that was how he behaved with her, how far must he have gone with the ordinary disciples?

The mere thought of those scenes made them mad with jealousy. Some prodigies who had long admired certain Jade Pool fairies imagined their own white moonlight calling this man "Ancestor" in a soft, coquettish voice. It made them want to kill him on the spot.

Ye Chen, completely unconcerned, simply waited patiently beside Huo Linglong.

Suddenly, the lava below began to boil violently, shooting massive pillars of flame into the sky. Endless Great Sun essence surged forth, raising the temperature across Sunset Divine Mountain even higher.

The entrance to the secret realm below grew increasingly solid and real. Clearly, the secret realm was about to emerge.

With that, the crowd finally stopped paying attention to Ye Chen and waited in growing excitement. Although two supreme experts loomed over the competition, anything could happen in the cultivation world. Perhaps the two powerhouses would end up severely injuring each other, allowing the rest of them to reap the benefits. In any case, no one retreated.

Ye Chen stood at the bow of the boat, watching calmly.

Huo Linglong found his calm demeanor increasingly irritating and had intended to stay silent. But in the end, she could not help asking, "Your child was stolen from you. Why do you still act so frivolously and indifferently? Do you truly not care at all?"

Ye Chen chuckled. He did not look at Huo Linglong but answered casually, "Then what do you think I should look like right now? Depressed and dejected? Bitter and full of hatred? Cold and unapproachable? Or hot-tempered and ready to kill anyone in sight?"

Huo Linglong was momentarily stumped.

Ye Chen gazed at the increasingly solid entrance and continued with a faint smile, offering no suspense. "Only true despair can completely change a person's temperament. But I am not in despair. My child has simply gone on a distant journey to absorb some Immortal Monarch origin energy and enjoy some good nourishment. It won't be long before I bring him back."

"In this situation, why should I waste energy on anger? I just need to steadily improve my cultivation."

Huo Linglong stared at him in shock. She had thought Ye Chen was arrogant before, but only now did she realize just how wildly arrogant he truly was.

That was the incarnation of the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden. She was likely close to half-step Immortal King and could break through to the Immortal King realm at any moment, mastering a full Great Dao. And Ye Chen claimed he could retrieve the child from her in no time?

What a joke. If becoming an Immortal King were so easy, why had the Other Shore Immortal Monarch still not succeeded? Even his master had waited for so many years. Throughout the history of the cultivation world, countless peerless prodigies had been blocked before the Immortal King throne and died with eternal regret.

Ye Chen truly did not know the height of the heavens. The stronger one became, the more one understood the terror of Immortal Kings. A mere Celestial Immortal looking at Immortal Kings was like a frog in a well gazing at the moon. Only upon reaching the Saint Immortal or Immortal Monarch realm would one realize it was like a mayfly staring at the vast blue sky.

Still, Huo Linglong could not be bothered to shatter his illusions. He would understand eventually. After all, he had come from the lower world, where he might have been unmatched. Since arriving in the Immortal Realm, he had spent most of his time surrounded by gentle comforts and had yet to suffer any real setbacks. Perhaps after this secret realm, he would finally learn the difference. The path of prodigies in the cultivation world and the Immortal Realm were two entirely different levels of difficulty.

...

Boom...

The entire Sunset Divine Mountain began to shake. The Great Sun essence grew so dense it formed tornadoes. At this moment, the divine mountain looked like a blazing sun.

Before everyone's eyes, the secret realm finally emerged completely. Its gates stood wide open, inviting entry.

The crowd first turned their attention to Wang Teng and Xie Linyuan. Although some still harbored ambitions and hoped to snatch food from the tiger's mouth, they showed proper respect to the strong and did not want to invite unnecessary enmity.

Wang Teng glanced at Xie Linyuan without speaking, but his eyes burned with towering battle intent. Their gazes met in silence, yet everyone around them understood the unspoken exchange.

Wang: Once inside, I will kill you and show you the power of my Soul-Quelling Decree's Primordial Spirit Sword Embryo...

Xie: My Samsara Immortal Physique suppresses all, and the Other Shore Samsara Scripture sweeps the universe. If you seek death, I won't stop you.

Wang Teng sneered disdainfully. Without sparing anyone else a glance, he transformed into a streak of holy sword light and thundered straight into the secret realm entrance, vanishing instantly.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xie Linyuan approached unhurriedly. Just before entering, he paused and turned his gaze toward Ye Chen.

"If you enter the secret realm, I will not kill you, but I will cripple your cultivation and sever your immortal path," he said calmly. "Leave now and do not let me see you again."

Xie Linyuan simply found Ye Chen uninteresting. If the other party withdrew on his own, it would save him some trouble.

The crowd looked at Ye Chen and Xie Linyuan in surprise, curious how the former had offended the latter. But once targeted by someone like Xie Linyuan, who had openly declared he would cripple him, it was clear Ye Chen could not possibly walk out of the secret realm unscathed.

Huo Linglong frowned. The red lotus mark between her brows flickered with rising anger.

Ye Chen, however, merely laughed. "You'll only cripple me and not kill me? How kind of you."

Chapter 1160: Liu Ruyan!

Xie Linyuan paid no heed to Ye Chen's reaction. After tossing out those words, he drifted gracefully into the Sunset Secret Realm.

With the two strongest prodigies having entered, the rest followed one after another. The Sunset Secret Realm offered plenty of benefits even without the Great Sun Origin Core, so no one wanted to waste any time. Before entering, however, many cast one last glance at Ye Chen, convinced he would not dare go inside. After all, being targeted by Xie Linyuan meant certain ruin—his cultivation would be crippled. If they were in his position, they would have withdrawn.

...

Soon, Ye Chen was the only young prodigy left outside.

He showed no anger at the disdain directed his way and asked casually, "Martial niece, if I were to offend an Immortal King-level sect, could our Jade Pool Immortal Sect withstand their wrath?"

Huo Linglong paused for a moment, recalling what Ye Chen had said when he rescued Nangong Wan. She smiled, her fiery figure radiating confidence. "It's clear you have some grudge with Xie Linyuan, but Jade Pool Immortal Sect has never forced its disciples to suffer humiliation. Although we currently lack an Immortal King and cannot march on an Immortal King sect to demand justice, we have no need to fear one coming to our gates. Jade Pool has never bowed to anyone. If someone tries to kill or cripple you, we will do everything in our power to kill them instead."

Ye Chen smiled at her words. Though he felt she was exaggerating Jade Pool's strength—after all, even a mere Immortal Monarch like Long Wu had nearly come and gone as she pleased, and an Immortal King would probably flatten the sect with a single punch—he chose not to point it out. Her attitude was what mattered.

"The secret realms of the Immortal Realm are formed by the natural workings of the Great Dao. Even Immortal Kings can hardly interfere, and powerful imprints cannot be activated inside. You can only rely on your own strength," Huo Linglong added.

Ye Chen smiled. He loved secret realms like this. They were perfect for a clean sweep.

The entrance to the Sunset Secret Realm had already begun to turn illusory, indicating it would soon close. Without further hesitation, Ye Chen stepped forward, transformed into a streak of divine light, and surged into the realm.

Huo Linglong raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. She had noticed that Ye Chen seemed different lately. When he first arrived at the sect, he had been somewhat lazy, often spending days at his Dao companion's residence instead of cultivating seriously and giving away his treasures without a second thought. But in recent months, he had grown more focused on his cultivation, visiting others less and sharing fewer treasures. Clearly, he had begun taking his training seriously.

Despite the extreme danger of the Sunset Secret Realm, he had entered without hesitation. He was clearly determined to seize the Great Sun Origin Core and refine it to elevate his inner universe to the highest grade.

Huo Linglong ignored several transmission messages from cultivators hoping to catch up and retreated deeper into the immortal boat to await Ye Chen's return.

...

Boom...

Upon entering the Sunset Secret Realm, cultivators were randomly teleported to different locations. After passing through a tunnel seemingly forged from lava, Ye Chen opened his eyes to see a massive, flame-wreathed fist—resembling a mountain god—hurtling straight toward him.

It was an enormous stone giant, like a living holy spirit. Its body was covered in cracks and crevices filled with flowing lava. Its aura was vast and powerful, carrying the distinctive pressure of a Profound Immortal.

Ye Chen watched calmly. He recognized it as a unique product of Sunset Divine Mountain: a Lava Fire Demon. These elemental spirits, born from condensed Great Sun essence, possessed Profound Immortal-level combat strength from the moment of their birth—far more terrifying than ordinary saint spirits.

Powerful experts had once taken them out of the realm, only to discover they could never advance further. Their strength would also gradually decline once removed from the dense Great Sun essence of the secret realm. With no growth potential, they had gradually fallen out of favor. However, their cores held significant value—stone nuclei condensed from Great Sun essence. They could purify a cultivator's immortal force and strengthen the foundation of one's inner world or universe, providing immense benefits for future breakthroughs.

The only drawback was that once obtained, the core had to be refined within seven days. Otherwise, its Great Sun essence would dissipate back into the heavens and earth.

The massive stone hand descended as if it would shatter everything in the world.

Yet Ye Chen remained unmoved. Chaos qi flowed within his eyes.

In the next instant, the several-hundred-meter-tall Lava Fire Demon froze in mid-air. A faint smile appeared on Ye Chen's face as the chaos qi in his eyes grew denser. The Lava Fire Demon let out a mournful cry and exploded violently. Endless lava sprayed outward but could not approach Ye Chen even an inch.

Only a fiery red bead slowly fell into his palm. Sensing the liquid-like, incredibly rich Great Sun essence within it, Ye Chen smiled. He did not refine it immediately and simply put it away.

The Sunset Secret Realm would remain open for a full month. Only after a month would the exit reappear. Among the fifty prodigies who had entered, several were female cultivators. Although most of their feedback multipliers were not particularly high, they still reached tens of thousands of times. Ye Chen no longer cared much for such rates, but they would serve well enough as tools for gifting.

After storing the fire demon core, Ye Chen scanned his surroundings and followed the rolling rivers of lava upstream.

The entire Sunset Secret Realm was barren, with rivers of lava covering the ground. The source of it all was the place where the Great Sun Origin Core was nurtured.

...

The Sunset Secret Realm was enormous, comparable in size to the Great Yan Continent in the lower world. Ye Chen flew onward at a leisurely pace. Lava Fire Demons were not particularly numerous, so he encountered no more along the way.

A day later, as he approached the central region, he sensed the aura of battle in the distance. Chaos qi surged in his eyes as his Heavy pupils activated, allowing him to peer ahead. Soon, a smile spread across his face. A suitable target for gifting had appeared.

...

Rumble...

Three towering Lava Fire Demons were surrounding and attacking a beautiful figure. The woman in the center could only flee in haste. She unleashed all her divine abilities, sending smoke-like divine light that could shatter a fire demon's arm or half its head. Yet it was meaningless.

The fire demons stood upon the earth and could absorb Great Sun essence from the surrounding lava to restore themselves instantly. In this secret realm, Lava Fire Demons almost never tired and could fight until the end of time. This was what made them truly terrifying. Unless destroyed in a single strike, they were extremely difficult to deal with.

Liu Ruyan was currently trapped in a dire situation. As a peak Profound Immortal from an ordinary family, her combat strength was solid. In a one-on-one fight, she was confident she could spend a few days to eliminate a single Lava Fire Demon. However, three of them had suddenly leaped out from the lava and besieged her. She had no time to locate their cores, let alone destroy them.

Moreover, the three fire demons influenced the surrounding heaven and earth, forming a grand array with converging Great Sun essence that sealed off a hundred-mile radius. She could not escape. If the situation continued, she would undoubtedly die here.