ISWI Chapter 1200-1202 (Patreon)

Chapter 1200: The Grand Ceremony!

"Congratulations, Host. Gift successfully delivered…"

"Gift given: Physique Origin Essence!"

"Fifty-thousand-fold feedback in progress…"

"Gift from Host detected…"

"Triggering maximum critical feedback…"

"Triggering critical strike feedback!"

"Feedback: Partial Primordial Chaos Supreme Physique Origin Essence…"

"Host's Primordial Chaos Supreme Physique has risen to ten percent!"

Listening to the system's voice, Ye Chen smiled at once. Through repeated gifts, his fiancée's feedback multiplier had climbed steadily until it reached fifty thousand times. Even so, it had still fallen short of forging a Chaos Immortal Body.

The Great Yin Immortal Physique alone demanded a hundred-thousand-fold return. Ye Chen estimated that a complete Chaos Immortal Body would require at least two hundred thousand. His fiancée truly held boundless promise for the future.

While he pondered, Ye Chen felt his body transforming. The power of his physique surged wildly. His blood roared through his veins with a thunderous vibration. His internal organs underwent profound changes as well. An incomparably mysterious transformation was taking place.

In that moment, understanding dawned on him. Once the Primordial Chaos Supreme Physique reached ten percent, it had undergone a qualitative shift. Both his heart and his dual pupils received another tremendous enhancement, and many of his divine abilities grew markedly stronger. Beyond that, every fingertip of his began to tremble faintly. The force of his comprehension surged within them, undergoing some form of metamorphosis.

Ye Chen raised a brow, looked down at his palms, and smiled. A divine ability was about to awaken. It seemed that once the Primordial Chaos Supreme Physique surpassed ten percent, it began to reveal its true might. He wondered whether reaching twenty or thirty percent would likewise trigger the awakening of further divine abilities.

His fiancée, having received the gift, felt deeply moved. She had already heard of how Ye Chen had slain Wang Teng, the Wang Clan's prodigy of Immortal King potential. Outsiders believed he had acted merely for treasure. She alone knew the truth: Ye Chen had been willing to offend the entire Wang Clan solely so that she might obtain a Chaos Immortal Body. Touched, she called out Ying Tiansheng's name several more times, hoping to reignite their playful quarrel.

Yet Ye Chen's preparations were finally complete. He was ready to attempt his breakthrough to the Profound realm and had no intention of starting another spat. He simply stroked her small head and said softly, "I intend to break through to the Profound realm and must enter seclusion. After all, my child was taken from me not long ago. Strength is the foundation. Next time."

For once, Ye Chen refused her, yet his fiancée felt no displeasure. Instead, her heart ached for him. She knew of the matter with Senior An. She harbored no ill will toward Senior An, and still less toward the child who had been Ye Chen's first.

To have that child snatched away must have left Ye Chen far more bitter inside than his usual demeanor revealed. In that moment she felt a pang of guilt. She should not have thrown her little tantrum earlier. With Ye Chen in such a state, she ought to have offered gentle comfort instead. The next time they met, she resolved, she would be as tender as water and soothe the wounds in his heart.

After leaving his fiancée's cave residence, Ye Chen stood guard for a while at the entrance to fulfill his duties as an old ancestor. Only then did he enter his own cave with a light heart.

Once inside, he stepped into his internal world. He first informed Senior An that the child was safe and well, putting the elder's mind at ease. Next he checked on his eldest senior sister, who remained within the Goddess Furnace. Under the cultivation support of his internal world, Dantai Xuan had already reached the early Quasi-Immortal stage and was no longer far from true immortality.

Having settled these matters, Ye Chen withdrew from his internal world and began formal seclusion. Three origin crystals, freshly obtained as feedback, floated in a line before him in the void. He opened the entrance to his internal world and, in an instant, swallowed them all inside.

The moment the crystals entered, violent changes erupted. What had been clear crystals of differing colors began to evolve.

The golden crystal bloomed with endless Great Sun divine light, illuminating the entire internal world and pouring forth boundless solar essence. The silver crystal released endless lunar radiance that soothed all things and brought infinite Great Yin power. The dull gray crystal transformed into a brilliant river of stars that swept across the night sky, scattering countless points of starlight.

At their appearance, the whole internal world rumbled. The earth cracked open, and mountains collapsed. Endless rules tore apart and recombined. Apart from the floating peak Ye Chen protected, everything underwent earth-shaking upheaval. The world's boundaries expanded at an unimaginable speed. Every fragment of torn earth, under the influence of the laws, gradually swelled and evolved toward becoming individual planets.

Within the cave residence, Ye Chen's own qi and blood soared skyward. His Primordial Chaos Supreme Physique boiled. Purple-gold light flowed continuously through his fingertips, accelerating their metamorphosis.

…

Because of the Great Sun Glazed Purification Pool, the Jade Pool Immortal Sect's overall strength had surged. Elders and disciples alike, regardless of cultivation level, had reaped enormous benefits. The entire sect now truly and sincerely acknowledged their new old ancestor. They no longer minded his earlier habit of patrolling outside; instead, they felt a deep sense of security.

At times some even deliberately rose from the water as if by chance. Since he was one of their own, being seen brought no loss. Quite a few female disciples even came on purpose so that the Fourth Ancestor might look upon them. For a long stretch, however, the old ancestor never left his cave, leaving everyone disappointed.

Now the disciples' attention had been seized by another major event. News that the Hall of Heavenly Secrets was about to convene a grand ceremony had spread throughout the entire cultivation world. Even unaffiliated cultivators who had yet to become immortals knew of it, and the matter caused a tremendous stir.

This ceremony would select the Ten Great Prodigies for special training so they might represent the Immortal Realm in the war against the foreign domains, a contest that concerned the struggle for fortune itself. Anyone chosen among the Ten would receive resources beyond imagination, conditions no single power could ever provide, for they would be jointly contributed by all the major forces.

The Hall of Heavenly Secrets required every participating power to offer top-tier treasures of sufficient weight, rarity, and efficacy. Only after the Hall approved these offerings would that power's prodigies gain the right to join. It was essentially a collective pooling of treasures, and the Hall publicly announced every detail. This only heightened the allure and drew still more forces to participate, further increasing the number of supreme treasures gathered.

Neither the resistance faction nor the surrender faction could resist. As long as they held enough confidence in their own prodigies, they chose to join. Once someone became one of the Ten Great Outstanding Talents, the benefits were endless and the path to immortality would broaden beyond measure.

The prodigies who entered the competition all stood high above others, each a top-tier monster of their respective continents. Some were even renowned throughout the entire Immortal Realm. Such a grand occasion was naturally extraordinary.

Chapter 1201: Breakthrough to Profound Immortal!

"That existence from the Eternal Ancient Continent is only two thousand years old yet already at the Great Luo Golden Immortal level, and he will take part as well."

"The demon race of the Myriad Void Continent is said to have sent a top-tier prodigy who carries a trace of true dragon bloodline…"

"The Buddhist Realm has also sent forth a successor of supreme Buddhist nature. It is said that a single word from him…"

"The one from the Black Yellow Continent is the most terrifying. Not yet three thousand years old, he has already reached the peak of Great Luo and could break through at any moment to become an Ancestral Immortal of the Sixth Heaven. That would nearly shatter every record!"

The crowd discussed the many prodigies with lively interest and looked forward with particular eagerness to the coming battles. In the Immortal Realm there had always been busybodies who compiled rankings of prodigies, yet none of those lists carried real authority.

The Immortal Realm spanned three thousand continents and was simply too vast. Many prodigies had never even met one another, so how could any ranking be fair?

This time was different. Every prodigy would gather at the Hall of Heavenly Secrets and compete with real strength to decide the top ten. The final ranking would possess absolute credibility. Everyone was intensely curious.

One Jade Pool disciple, unable to endure the Great Sun essence in the purification pool any longer, rose from the water and asked curiously, "Will our Jade Pool Immortal Sect send any prodigy to take part?"

At her words, those still soaking in the pool and those waiting on the shore all fell silent. The Jade Pool Immortal Sect had suffered a long generational gap. In her time, Huo Linglong had been the brightest star, yet after she became a Saint Immortal, the sect had produced no further top-tier monsters.

In the past two years, however, two exceptional talents had emerged: Nangong Wan with her Great Yin Immortal Physique and Great Yin Sacred Root, and the Fourth Ancestor, who had crossed an entire major realm in the secret realm to slay Wang Teng of the Wang Clan. Both, though, were still too young and their cultivation too low. One remained only at the mid stage of the Celestial Immortal realm. The other had reached the peak and was currently in seclusion, quite possibly about to break through to the Profound Immortal realm any day now.

Yet the mainstream participants in this grand gathering were Golden Immortals, and several even stood at the Great Luo level. Under such circumstances, the gap in cultivation was simply too great.

In the very center of the pool, Huo Linglong had been cultivating in complete stillness for a long time, marked only by the birth and death of lotus blossoms. Suddenly she opened her eyes and spoke.

"Our Jade Pool Immortal Sect will of course take part. As for the one who will represent us, it will be Ye… the Fourth Ancestor. I have already registered him."

In the next instant, Huo Linglong rose gracefully into the air. Because Ye Chen was absent, no water splashed. After a few turns, her immortal skirt appeared about her.

The watching disciples and elders of the Jade Pool Immortal Sect all wore expressions of astonishment. Everyone knew that their Punishment Elder truly disliked the Fourth Ancestor and had nearly driven him away in the past.

Yet now she had voluntarily registered him? All of them sensed a conspiracy. Elder Linglong could not possibly be hoping for the Fourth Ancestor to die in the competition, could she? This was a classic case of killing with a borrowed knife.

One disciple, unwilling to stay silent, boldly spoke up. "Elder, the Fourth Ancestor has shown our Jade Pool Immortal Sect the utmost kindness and righteousness. You cannot harm him like this!"

Other disciples immediately joined in agreement, and even several elders spoke.

"The Fourth Ancestor is truly important to us…"

"Elder, you cultivate in the Great Sun Glazed Purification Pool every day. You cannot turn your face away the moment you finish using it!"

"If I were the Fourth Ancestor, I would be heartbroken!"

"Elder, think carefully. No matter how deep the conflict, he is still your martial uncle!"

Huo Linglong's face darkened. How long had Ye Chen even been here? Why did it feel as though half of Jade Pool had already sided with him? More importantly, was she that kind of person? If she truly wished to harm Ye Chen, she had countless methods at her disposal. Why would she take an extremely precious supreme treasure from the vault—one that made even her heart ache—simply to exchange for a single quota for him? She had merely felt that Ye Chen would want to go.

Ye Chen's origins were mysterious. He had come from the lower realms yet possessed top-tier talent far surpassing the prodigies of the Immortal Realm. In addition, he was connected to the legendary Heavenly Emperor as one of his successors and still carried the emperor's brand upon him.

Huo Linglong believed that once Ye Chen broke through to the Profound Immortal realm his combat strength would surge dramatically. At that point he would not necessarily lack the means to protect himself among the gathered prodigies.

Although the Hall of Heavenly Secrets' selection of the Ten Great Prodigies would grant those ten the greatest share of resources, the remaining participants could still obtain considerable benefits during the process if their fortune was sufficient.

Huo Linglong saw this as an opportunity for Ye Chen to grow stronger and therefore worth attending. Of course, if Ye Chen was unwilling, she would not force him. The treasure she had offered could simply go to waste; she would wait for her master to emerge from seclusion and then take full responsibility herself.

Her expression icy, Huo Linglong swept her gaze across the crowd. "It seems you have all grown far too bold of late."

The moment her authority as Punishment Elder descended, every disciple fell silent at once. Huo Linglong had no interest in saying more and prepared to leave with a graceful drift of her figure.

An elder hurriedly called out, "Elder, will you not continue cultivating?"

Huo Linglong waved a hand casually. "There is no need for the time being."

During the year she had spent soaking in the pool, she had gained certain insights. The barrier that had long stood before her had melted away without her noticing. Her physique had also improved considerably through the immersion. The already terrifying Red Lotus Karmic Fire had grown even more transcendent. Faintly, one could see the flames shifting from their original red toward a golden hue.

…

Within the long-silent cave residence, Ye Chen abruptly opened his eyes. Star rivers, a great sun, and a great moon revolved within them, and for an instant it was as though eons of change had passed while the rhythm of the Dao interwove. His entire body now radiated the aura of a Profound Immortal. Sensing the transformations within himself, he revealed a satisfied smile.

The increase in his strength was truly outrageous. Breaking through a single major realm, under the support of so many enhancements, had multiplied his power countless times. His internal world had successfully advanced into a universe.

When ordinary immortals advanced, their newly formed universe contained only a single planet at the beginning. That was the lower grade. Those with deeper foundations might possess several planets, forming the middle grade. The upper grade began at ten planets and above. As for the supreme grade, the moment of creation already saw a hundred planets in motion, further bolstered by many unusual phenomena such as a sun condensed from a Great Sun origin core.

Cultivators at the Profound Immortal realm could communicate with the Immortal Realm through their internal universes, thereby comprehending portions of the mysteries of heaven and earth's origin and mastering more profound and unfathomable laws and powers. The more planets an internal universe contained, the greater the forces and laws one could perceive, master, and communicate with.

Within the internal universe Ye Chen had just advanced, nearly countless planets—at least several million—revolved according to their own rules. At their intersection lay an almost perfect great cosmos. Within this cosmos, true stars burned eternally, radiating endless brilliance. Moons manifested above many of the planets and poured down moonlight. A brilliant river of stars, like a swimming fish, scattered endless starlight while constantly traversing the universe.

Ye Chen was extremely satisfied. His efforts had not been in vain. This breakthrough had indeed brought enormous gains, an elevation almost without precedent. Of course, what surprised him most of all was the finger that had already completed its metamorphosis.

Chapter 1202: Primordial Chaos Destruction Finger!

The name of the divine ability awakened upon his finger rose within Ye Chen's mind.

"Primordial Chaos Destruction Finger!"

It condensed concentrated primordial spiritual qi at the fingertip. The finger ray could tear through spatial barriers and lock onto a target regardless of distance. If the enemy was weak, a single strike would end everything. If the enemy was powerful and could not be slain instantly, a miniature chaos explosion would erupt, directly collapsing the laws of the surrounding region so the foe could no longer draw upon them.

At the same time, it would shatter the circulation of immortal power within the enemy's body, plunging them into disorder and making divine abilities nearly impossible to unleash while completely pulverizing their protective spiritual force. The enemy's internal universe would also be temporarily sealed, unable to offer support. The finger could even erode spirit treasures and sever their connection to their master.

Ye Chen read the description and raised his brows. This divine ability was rather interesting. Against weaker opponents, there was no need to use it at all. At the same level, a casual slap would suffice, and employing a divine ability would be overkill.

Yet when facing an enemy whose cultivation realm far surpassed his own and who could not be killed in an instant, the ability would display remarkable effectiveness. The further one advanced, the more one relied upon the utilization of rules and the greater the dependence upon one's internal universe. A single finger that could seal and disrupt even for a few brief seconds would be more than enough to decide victory or defeat. Calling it a divine technique was no exaggeration whatsoever.

…

Ye Chen was extremely satisfied with the first divine ability awakened by the Primordial Supreme Physique and grew even more expectant of its future potential. After adjusting his aura he leisurely stepped out of his cave residence.

Gazing at the divine pool outside, he smiled. A sweep of his eyes, however, showed that Huo Linglong was not among those within, leaving him somewhat disappointed.

Speak of the devil, and she appears. At that very moment, a transmission sounded beside his ear. "Fourth Ancestor Ye, please come to Punishment Peak. I have important matters to discuss."

Ye Chen raised his brows in curiosity. He ceased guarding the disciples, floated upward, and flew above the Great Sun Glazed Purification Pool. Amid the shimmering waves, the scenery was beyond description.

When Ye Chen arrived at Punishment Peak, Huo Linglong was already standing before the hall waiting.

"Martial niece, for what reason have you summoned me?"

Ye Chen openly appraised the waist chain without the slightest concealment. Huo Linglong had long grown accustomed to his ways. She no longer cared about such things. In a calm voice, she relayed the news of the grand ceremony convened by the Hall of Heavenly Secrets and introduced the Hall to him.

"The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets is a giant Immortal King of terrifying strength. In the past wars against the Other Domain, he once took action and achieved considerable gains. The Hall of Heavenly Secrets ranks among the most powerful forces in the present Immortal Realm and possesses tremendous influence. The number of powers participating in this ceremony is extremely large.

"These past years, the Hall has been contending with several major forces over the Chaos Realm that formed after the Vast Nether Continent shattered. That realm contains the essence of an entire broken continent. An Immortal King once fell upon that continent, and his immortal corpse plunged into it. The opportunities and treasures within are endless. It is even suspected that a supreme Great Luo Dao Fruit is being nurtured there; some have glimpsed traces of it within the Chaos Realm.

"The Hall of Heavenly Secrets and the contending major forces have chosen a truce, ceding the Chaos Realm to serve as the trial battlefield for selecting the prodigies. All the resources contributed by the various powers will be poured into it for the prodigies to contest among themselves. The ten who ultimately obtain the greatest opportunities will become the Ten Prodigies.

"After the selection ends, the major powers will establish a Dao Academy. Each year thereafter, an Immortal King will personally preside to resolve the doubts of the cultivators. With the full efforts of many Immortal Kings devoted to their training, they will prepare for the coming great war. Top-tier secret realms and resources previously monopolized by the great powers of the Immortal Realm will also be opened to the disciples of this academy.

"Our Jade Pool Immortal Sect, for example, possesses the Life Secret Realm. It is one of the conditions for our participation. When the time comes for it to open, it will be freely accessible to the academy's prodigies without any restriction whatsoever."

Ye Chen listened with some surprise and could not help asking, "What if our people fail to enter the Dao Academy and simply refuse to acknowledge the agreement afterward?"

Huo Linglong smiled at once. "Who would dare refuse? The ten who enter the academy will all be the most supreme existences, backed by top-tier major powers. Moreover, the academy itself is a coalition of interests. Who would dare disregard the face of so many Immortal Kings? To refuse would be to seek one's own death."

Ye Chen still felt puzzled. "Quite a few of the great powers in the Immortal Realm have already prepared to surrender and lost their confidence. How can the momentum have grown so large that even forces like the Wang Clan are taking part?"

Huo Linglong gave a disdainful laugh. "The Other Domain is not a rag collector. Not just anyone is qualified to surrender. If they wish to sell themselves for a good price and obtain better treatment, they naturally must demonstrate their value. The Other Domain suddenly sending their prodigies over shows they are somewhat anxious.

"Under such circumstances, if we can defeat the foreign prodigies and keep the seal of the Emperor Pass intact, the impatient Other Domain will naturally offer better terms. After all, if their arrival goes too smoothly, they can simply wipe everything out at will. Why bother accepting a group of traitors and wasting resources?

"Therefore, every power is contributing resources and effort in earnest this time. Besides, each is highly confident in its own prodigies. The opportunities and treasures they put forth may well end up belonging to their own disciples in the end."

With Huo Linglong's explanation, Ye Chen immediately understood. One had to admit there were truly no fools in the Immortal Realm.

"That is the situation. Will you take part? This time the prodigies are limited to those under three thousand years of age. The prodigies of the various powers are basically all at the Golden Immortal realm of the Fourth Heaven. Some outstanding ones have even reached the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

"Although you have broken through to the Profound Immortal stage, you are only at the early stage. Your combat strength is formidable, yet every top-tier prodigy of Immortal King level potential possesses talent no weaker than Wang Teng's, and some even have higher cultivation. You had best consider carefully!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen smiled. For him, such a selection was simply the most suitable battlefield. Without any great experts intervening, as long as he was willing, every participant would become gift resources for him. Not to mention the countless treasures. Combined with his system, would he not soar straight into the sky?

The elite class of the Dao Academy afterward would surely bring massive benefits as well. Even if he had no need for any Immortal King's personal instruction, obtaining a quota and then transferring it outward would still let him take off. Under these circumstances, there was no need for further words.

"I will take part. Of course I will take part! Martial niece Linglong, you have truly been thoughtful!"

Ye Chen's face was full of smiles. Looking at his expression, Huo Linglong was not surprised in the least. In her view, Ye Chen was now truly cultivating with great diligence. The frequency with which he sought out female cultivators had even decreased. It was plain how hard he was striving in order to grow stronger and reclaim his child.