ISWI Chapter 1161-1162 (Patreon)

Chapter 1161: This Man Is So Powerful!

Anxiety filled Liu Ruyan's enchanting, fox-like face.

"That idiot from the Heavenly Sword Sect said he would find me the moment we entered the secret realm. And that Li Family young master... Men are all useless. At critical moments, they're nothing but trash."

Liu Ruyan was truly furious. Her background was ordinary, so she had to rely on building connections on all sides to obtain resources. Fortunately, her talent was decent and her beauty peerless, earning her considerable fame across the Boundless Continent. Many young prodigies admired and pursued her, which allowed her to secure their help.

She had come to the secret realm for Lava Fire Demon cores. The concentrated Great Sun essence inside them would help her cultivate a divine ability. Although it was possible to gather the essence outside, it was extremely difficult and slow. A single core, however, could equal ten years of bitter cultivation.

She had not expected to fall into danger so soon after entering.

While she was still anxious, Liu Ruyan sensed something and spotted a figure approaching gracefully from afar. She immediately saw him as her savior and cried out in a charming, pleading voice, "Fellow Daoist, this humble one is trapped and surrounded by Lava Fire Demons. Please lend me your aid. Ruyan will be eternally grateful..."

She secretly activated her charm technique, which she had cultivated in secret, fearing the distant male cultivator would sense the danger and flee. Most cultivators in the Immortal Realm were cold and indifferent.

Just as she expected, the man hesitated upon seeing the three fire demons and stopped in the distance, unwilling to approach.

Liu Ruyan quickly spoke again, "Fellow Daoist, I am the daughter of the Liu Family patriarch from Left Emperor City. If you can save me, I will be deeply grateful and willing to fulfill any request you may have..."

At this life-and-death moment, she could not afford to be reserved. Still, Liu Ruyan knew her words were empty promises. Her great reputation stemmed precisely from the fact that she remained a virgin. If someone claimed her first, the other prodigies would lose interest.

As long as this man came to rescue her, she had ways to escape while leaving him trapped in her place. Liu Ruyan felt no guilt about it. In the ruthless pursuit of immortality, one had to look out for oneself.

To her delight, the man indeed rushed forward, and with great urgency. He transformed into an ancient Kun Peng and charged over with overwhelming momentum.

This surprised Liu Ruyan. This person had some impressive inheritance—she had not known about it.

But when she finally saw his face clearly, her eyes widened and her brows furrowed. Wasn't this the male ancestor from the Jade Pool Immortal Sect?

His status was extremely high. Rumors said he was the junior brother whom Jade Moon Immortal Monarch had accepted on behalf of her master. If he died here, someone might deduce what happened, which could bring major trouble. Moreover, he was only at peak Celestial Immortal—not even a Profound Immortal. He would be of no help at all in escaping this trap.

If Ye Chen died, it would bring her no benefit and might even cause complications. So Liu Ruyan immediately called out, "Fellow Daoist, do not come closer! The ones attacking me are three Lava Fire Demons with peak Profound Immortal combat strength..."

"If you truly wish to help me, please find other fellow Daoists nearby. Do not risk your life... If anything happens to you, I will never be able to eat or sleep in peace. I would rather die a thousand times than let that happen..."

Liu Ruyan was highly skilled. Even though she believed Ye Chen was useless, her words sounded full of concern. Yet in her sight, the Jade Pool Immortal Sect's male ancestor, Ye Chen, showed no sign of stopping. Instead, he accelerated even faster, thundering straight toward her.

One of the Lava Fire Demons had already noticed him and turned, slapping out with a massive palm. Ye Chen seemed unable to react in time and charged directly into it.

Liu Ruyan dodged while inwardly cursing his stupidity. This man was probably about to be slapped to death. Still, she had already said everything she needed to say. Even if Jade Pool Immortal Sect investigated later and saw this scene, they would have no grounds to blame her.

But in the next moment, Liu Ruyan's eyes widened in shock.

The Lava Fire Demon's palm slammed down onto the rapidly approaching Ye Chen. The next instant, its hand exploded. In a flash, Ye Chen had already reached the top of the giant's head. He pressed down slowly with one palm. For a brief moment, it felt as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.

The colossal face of the mountain-like demon shattered. All that remained was its core, which fell neatly into Ye Chen's hand.

Liu Ruyan stood frozen. The remaining two Lava Fire Demons seized the opening and punched her squarely. She crashed to the ground, coughing up blood, her appearance disheveled.

Yet her eyes remained fixed on that figure in utter disbelief. Those were peak Profound Immortal-level Lava Fire Demons. Even with all her strength, she had only managed to chip away pieces of their stone bodies. Yet before this man, they were like fragile clay statues—one casual press and they had burst apart.

It was simply inconceivable.

But something even more shocking followed. The remaining two Lava Fire Demons sensed the new threat, abandoned their assault on Liu Ruyan, and turned to grab at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm. Only his black hair whipped wildly in the wind.

He merely watched them indifferently.

The next moment, a massive purple-gold hand descended from the sky. It blotted out the heavens. Before this giant hand, the two Lava Fire Demons seemed no more than ants. They raised their arms to resist, but their stone bodies could not hold for even a moment before exploding.

When the giant hand finally pressed down onto the earth, endless lava erupted into towering pillars of flame. By the time the hand vanished, every trace of the Lava Fire Demons had been erased. Only two fire demon cores flew in arcs into Ye Chen's grasp.

At that moment, Liu Ruyan's face was full of disbelief. The three Lava Fire Demons that had nearly overwhelmed her had been wiped out just like that? By a mere peak Celestial Immortal?

How was this possible?

Liu Ruyan truly felt as if she were dreaming.

...

Ye Chen stood high in the sky, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the injured Liu Ruyan below. Three times multiplier—decent, but nothing he cared about anymore. While his own Dao companions might not have such high rates, they shared genuine feelings with him. This Liu Ruyan was merely a stranger, so there was no need to take her seriously. She would serve well enough as a tool for gifting presents within the secret realm.

Still, the name Liu Ruyan held some interest. Ye Chen had heard it during the Jade Pool Immortal Sect's recent entry ceremony. It seemed fairly common in the Immortal Realm.

He was about to say something when he suddenly sensed several auras rapidly approaching. Ye Chen smiled and left the three fire demon cores openly in his hand instead of storing them.

Liu Ruyan flew up as well, suppressing her injuries. She quickly tidied her hair, appearance, and clothes, even tugging her collar a little lower. Then, with an expression full of shock, delight, anticipation, admiration, and a trace of affection, she flew before Ye Chen and prepared to thank him.

Chapter 1162: Profound Yin Soul-Nurturing Immortal Physique!

Liu Ruyan was no fool. A mere peak Celestial Immortal had slain three Lava Fire Demons with peak Profound Immortal combat strength as easily as crushing ants. The implication was obvious.

This first male ancestor in Jade Pool Immortal Sect's history possessed talent that far exceeded imagination. No wonder he had entered the sect. Liu Ruyan even felt his aptitude surpassed that of Wang Teng and Xie Linyuan. Moreover, as an ancestor of a powerful Immortal Monarch force, his status was supreme and his resources boundless.

Such a lofty figure was someone she normally had no chance of approaching. Now that she had received his life-saving grace, she had to seize this opportunity and attach herself to him firmly. If she could become his Dao companion, she would rise to the heavens in a single bound and even elevate her entire family.

Liu Ruyan's eyes clung to Ye Chen with sticky affection as these thoughts raced through her mind. She was about to speak when she suddenly frowned and looked into the distance.

...

Two figures flew over from afar at high speed. One trailed sharp sword shadows and divine rainbows, while the other appeared ethereal, like an immortal spirit. They arrived in the blink of an eye and landed before Liu Ruyan.

"Fellow Daoist Ruyan, I sensed the fluctuation from your transmission talisman and rushed over immediately!"

"That's right, Fellow Daoist Ruyan. It's wonderful that you escaped danger!"

Both newcomers were male cultivators. They gazed at Liu Ruyan with deep concern and affection.

Liu Ruyan frowned slightly. One was a prodigy from the Heavenly Sword Sect with extraordinary sword intent. The other was the young master of the Li Family from an Origin Immortal lineage, also quite talented and well-known across the Boundless Continent. She had previously maintained good relations with both because it brought many benefits.

But now that she had met Ye Chen, the two of them seemed dull and insignificant by comparison. Liu Ruyan felt a trace of disdain in her heart. They had not come when she truly needed them, yet they showed up at the worst possible moment. What if Fellow Daoist Ye misunderstood?

She smiled at them. "Thank you both for your concern. I am safe now. I must thank Fellow Daoist Ye for this."

The two men sensed her sudden distance and frowned. There were no pure simps in the cultivation world. Their interest in Liu Ruyan was not solely because of her enchanting beauty—that was merely the surface. The real reason was her special physique.

Liu Ruyan possessed the Profound Yin Soul-Nurturing Immortal Physique. While this immortal physique was rare, it was not particularly strong in direct combat. It greatly enhanced the owner's divine soul power. Her charming techniques were especially effective thanks to this physique.

The most valuable aspect of the Profound Yin Soul-Nurturing Immortal Physique was its rare altruistic property. It nurtured soul-nourishing divine light within her body. When a man dual-cultivated with her and entered deeply, he could receive this divine light to nourish his own divine soul. It could heal soul injuries or, even without injury, increase the upper limit of one's divine soul. Over long periods of dual cultivation, a soul-nurturing immortal light could form on the man's divine soul, providing powerful resistance against soul attacks.

These benefits were significant for both the present and the future. However, they could only be enjoyed if the female cultivator willingly offered herself. Forced acts yielded no rewards at all.

This was the main reason Liu Ruyan had become so famous and sought after by male cultivators. Both men were eager to taste the benefits of her Profound Yin Soul-Nurturing Immortal Physique. Sensing her sudden coldness, they immediately turned their attention to Ye Chen.

Upon noticing his appearance and aura, they raised their eyebrows slightly. It was actually the male ancestor from Jade Pool Immortal Sect. A mere peak Celestial Immortal had saved Liu Ruyan? He must have simply gotten lucky and provided minor assistance. Liu Ruyan's thanks were clearly just a way to curry favor with him. After all, even a declining Jade Pool Immortal Sect far outranked their own forces. They both understood her nature well enough to see through it.

Then their gazes sharpened as they noticed the three Lava Fire Demon cores in Ye Chen's hand.

Each core was extremely precious. Lava Fire Demons were not common, and encountering them was never easy. Even the weaker ones could endlessly recover by drawing power from the earth and lava. Killing them was extraordinarily difficult even for those far stronger. Yet the pure Great Sun essence within their cores offered limitless benefits.

Both men felt a stir of greed.

Ye Chen noticed their gazes and smiled. He deliberately activated the cores with his divine sense, causing them to glow brighter and more dazzling.

The two men's eyes flickered with desire, but they held back because of Ye Chen's status. Instead, they spoke up. "Since you two worked together to kill the Lava Fire Demons, why should Fellow Daoist Ye claim all the cores alone?"

"Exactly. Fairy Ruyan needs the Great Sun essence from these cores to cultivate her divine ability!"

Before Ye Chen could respond, Liu Ruyan spoke immediately. "All three Lava Fire Demons were slain by Fellow Daoist Ye alone. Moreover, he saved my life. How could I harbor such shameless thoughts? The moment he rescued me, I promised to fulfill any request he might have as repayment. Please, Fellow Daoist Ye, speak your wish."

Of course, Liu Ruyan wanted the cores. With three of them, she could push her divine ability straight to minor completion, saving hundreds of years of bitter cultivation. But she understood the value of playing the long game. If she could grow close to Ye Chen—or even become his Dao companion—his overwhelming strength would allow him to gather countless cores for her with ease, along with far greater resources. There was no need to rush and risk displeasing him.

The two men frowned at her words. They had swallowed their pride and fawned over her for so long just for a chance at her Profound Yin Soul-Nurturing Immortal Physique. Now that she had been saved, she was willing to let him demand anything in return? Had she considered their feelings at all?

They immediately turned to Ye Chen with displeasure. "As an ancestor of a prestigious sect, Fellow Daoist Ye surely would not stoop to demanding repayment through favors."

"Indeed. Jade Pool Immortal Sect has always stood tall. When Western Empress fought to the death without retreating, her descendants naturally would not tarnish the sect's reputation..."

Liu Ruyan's fists tightened. These two were ruining her chance.

Ye Chen, however, simply laughed. To be honest, most people in the cultivation world were driven purely by self-interest. It was rare to see two genuine simps, let alone ones trying to morally bind him.

He glanced at the alluring, enchantingly beautiful Liu Ruyan and said indifferently, "Since you insist on repaying this debt... then serve as my personal maidservant from now on and attend to me."

Liu Ruyan froze. She had not expected him to demand she become his maidservant.

The two male cultivators' eyes widened, then they smiled inwardly. They knew Liu Ruyan well—she would never agree.

When Ye Chen saw that she remained silent, he frowned. "You refuse?"

At that moment, Liu Ruyan's dreamy, misty eyes filled with intense struggle.