ISWI Chapter 1223-1224 (Patreon)

Chapter 1223: The Qilin Crystal-Casting Immortal King Pill!

At her words, Ye Chen smiled. He understood his aunt's intentions clearly.

"Has the Little Peacock King arrived?" he asked.

Yan Ruyu assumed Ye Chen was concerned that the Little Peacock King's presence would make things awkward. She immediately shook her head. "The Little Peacock King has also entered the Buddhist path and did not come."

Hearing this, Ye Chen waved a hand. "Another day, then."

It had indeed been a long time since he last saw Yan Wenwen. That mature and graceful married woman still held a special allure. Yet he felt no urgency for now; whether the Little Peacock King was present or not made no difference.

Yan Ruyu, observing his reaction, believed Ye Chen was being considerate of her. She felt moved by how much he cared, yet still spoke gently. "Chen'er, Aunt truly does not mind. I know you hold me in your heart and that such things do not matter to you. Besides, Wenwen and I are as close as sisters. I would never hold it against either of you."

At the same time, a system prompt finally sounded in Ye Chen's mind.

The onlookers watched Yan Ruyu accept the golden leg bone with open envy, and even the Tianzhang Monk was no exception. The leg bone of an Immortal Radiant Beast could break through upper limits. The Golden Immortal realm of the fourth heaven of immortals was a peculiar stage whose ceiling depended entirely on one's innate talent.

For some, two hundredfold compression marked the absolute limit, and thirtyfold might already suffice to break into the mid-stage Golden Immortal realm. For others, a thousandfold was the true ceiling, requiring three hundredfold compression before they could advance. The gaps between stages within the Golden Immortal realm were absurdly vast.

Once an immortal reached their personal limit, they stepped into the peak stage and could begin attempting the breakthrough to Great Luo Golden Immortal. The bones of the Immortal Radiant Beast were treasures that ignored those limits entirely, allowing further compression of immortal power within the Golden Immortal realm.

Only during the Golden Immortal stage could an immortal compress the immortal force within their body, and the state achieved then would determine the quality of all future immortal power. The more extreme the compression, the greater the combat strength that would follow, and the wider the gulf between cultivators. One could easily imagine how precious such bones were.

Yet Ye Chen, instead of using this rare treasure himself, had simply given it to a woman. The sight filled the onlookers with envy, jealousy, and resentment. Two among them looked especially sour: the two prodigies of the He Clan. Three members of the He Clan had come this time. The two prodigies had joined forces first and intended to seek out He Ziling, only to encounter Ye Chen standing guard before the divine pillar midway. They had wanted to make a move, yet lacked the confidence.

Although Ye Chen's displayed strength had thoroughly frightened them, the innate arrogance of their foreign bloodline still left them contemptuous.

"Tch. It is merely a leg bone from an Immortal Radiant Beast. Only people of the Immortal Realm would treat it as such a treasure."

"Exactly. I once heard the old ancestor speak of the Other Domain. Treasures that can raise the compression ratio of Golden Immortals are countless there."

"Our Other Domain has exclusive divine beasts, the Qilin clan, far stronger than the dragon clan of the Immortal Realm. Qilin blood alone can increase compression ratios. The highest grade, Immortal King-level Qilin blood, is said to double a cultivator's upper limit outright."

"Our He Clan's old ancestor is on good terms with the Qilin clan. Every ten thousand years, the main house of the Other Domain can trade for a single drop of Immortal King-level Qilin blood to nurture its prodigies. The ancestral He Wushuang used one in his day."

"When we return, Immortal King-level blood may be out of reach, but weaker Qilin blood should not be difficult to obtain. A mere leg bone is not worth mentioning."

"Indeed, not worth mentioning."

"Once Elder Brother Ziling arrives, he will suppress this fellow with a wave of his hand."

The two stared at the gleaming golden leg bone, transmitting their sour remarks to each other. They truly could not accept that Ye Chen was so powerful; it made them feel like complete wastes.

After once again declining his aunt's offer, Ye Chen finally sank his consciousness into the system to examine the prompt.

"Congratulations to the host for successful gift-giving."

"Gift presented: Leg bone of the Immortal Radiant Beast."

"One hundred fifty thousandfold feedback in progress."

"Detected that the gift presented by the host is of extreme importance to the recipient."

"Triggering maximum critical feedback."

"Triggering critical-hit feedback."

"Feedback received."

"Qilin Crystal-Casting Immortal King Pill!"

Looking at the description, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. Qilin? The Immortal Realm seemed to have no Qilin. At least he had never seen any mention of them in the historical records.

"Qilin Crystal-Casting Immortal King Pill: A profound pill left behind after the fall of an Immortal King-level existence of the Qilin clan. Upon refining it and placing it deep within the body, it will circulate on its own, assisting the host in continuously compressing the immortal power inside while raising the host's compression limit. In liquid form, the maximum reaches ten thousandfold. After ten thousandfold is achieved, shattering the profound pill and merging it into the immortal power will crystallize that power into fine crystals, reaching the absolute limit."

At first, Ye Chen had not paid it much attention. Once he read the details clearly, however, his pupils contracted. It could raise the liquid state of immortal power directly to ten thousandfold?

That was already formidable. He had never heard of any similar treasure. Yet ten thousandfold was still not the end? It could compress the immortal power further until it became crystal? Was that not going too far?

He knew that among states of matter, gas possessed the lowest density, followed by liquid, and finally solid. Compressing immortal power straight into crystal form—what kind of compression ratio would that require? How great would the enhancement be to immortal arts, divine abilities, and one's own body?

Most importantly, after breaking through the Golden Immortal realm, the immortal power he cultivated would still be in crystal form. Compared with cultivators who remained at the gaseous stage, the gap would be unimaginable.

In that moment, Ye Chen was both shocked and curious. Where had these Qilin come from? Their race was rather fierce. He continued reading the description.

"This item originates from the fall of an Immortal King of the Qilin clan within the Destroyed Primordial Great World…"

Ye Chen's brows lifted slightly. There was actually a Primordial Great World as well? And it had been destroyed? Even an Immortal King Qilin had perished. Could the Other Domain have been responsible?

If so, the Other Domain was a bit too powerful. Moreover, this world also possessed a Heaven Immortal King who was said to wield the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords. He wondered whether there was any connection between that figure and the Primordial Great World.

Ye Chen pondered the matter with curiosity, yet did not dwell on it. Those things still lay far beyond him. What he needed to do was raise his cultivation as quickly as possible. Even Immortal Kings were falling one after another, which proved they were not truly invincible. Only by surpassing the Immortal King level could he gain true freedom and no longer live in constant fear.

"Aunt, let us first head to the core of this secret realm," Ye Chen said. "Once we are settled, I will go and catch up with Wenwen. Right now, I only wish to talk properly with you and learn everything about your past."

His aunt truly possessed a grateful heart. Though she had once seemed cold and distant, she was warm beneath the surface.

Yan Ruyu said nothing more upon hearing this. Both the reunion with Ye Chen and the fact that he remained the same as ever filled her with warmth. She, too, wanted to speak with him at length and tell him everything she had encountered in the Buddhist Realm.

Chapter 1224: The Path of Ultimate Affection!

Ye Chen waved a large hand and continued westward while still supporting the divine pillar. Although it had shortened considerably after the leg bone was given away, it remained bright red like a sun and still drew every eye.

The Tianzhang Monk hesitated for a moment before following as well. Ye Chen's decision to head for the core left him puzzled. With such astonishing fortune and formidable strength, why not roam about further and gather more cultivation resources?

Yet he was not one to talk too much, and he still needed to repair his Great Sun Golden Body. He therefore simply tagged along. Once the repairs were finished, he could search for treasures again. Moreover, Ye Chen's luck was extraordinary; if anything useful appeared, a trade might even be possible. Thus, the Tianzhang Monk fell into step behind them.

The cultivators at the rear, including the veterans Zhao Tianxing and Zhao Tianxiang, trailed along with dejected expressions. Quite a few of the newly joined cultivators, however, were unwilling to follow and become beasts of burden. Several immediately and secretly employed divine abilities, either hiding in the void or attempting to flee at extreme speed.

Ye Chen merely lifted his eyes slightly. Beams of destructive divine light shot forth, and those who tried to escape were reduced to their origin essence. Anyone else harboring similar thoughts fell silent at once and obediently continued following.

Ye Chen had not branded them. It was not that he had forgotten; there was simply no need. Collecting their origin essence brought him no psychological burden either. Anyone who trailed behind him harbored ulterior motives. He had already given them the chance to atone through service. If they still failed to cherish that opportunity, he naturally would show no mercy.

The days that followed proved unusually quiet. Perhaps because the Tianzhang Monk was with them and many recognized him, or for some other reason, the ranks of the trailing group scarcely increased. Only one person slipped in furtively. He was a peak Golden Immortal of respectable strength and modest renown.

The divine pillar atop Ye Chen's head stirred his greed. He reasoned that with so many people following, even the Tianzhang Monk would be unable to stop them. Seize the right moment, raise an arm, and call out, and the sheer numbers alone could overwhelm the three of them.

Yet for some reason, he felt that the other followers occasionally cast strange glances his way. He gave it little thought, merely assuming they were a little exclusive and believed too many people would make later division difficult. But why should they be allowed to follow while he could not? He was determined to claim a share of the spoils.

Ye Chen paid no attention to the additional person at the rear. Instead, he listened to Yan Ruyu's words, his brow faintly furrowed. The more he learned, the deeper the frown became.

"This Seven Emotions Buddhist Scripture seems rather sinister," he said, shaking his head. "It feels more like a demonic scripture."

The Seven Emotions Buddhist Scripture followed the path of the seven emotions and six desires. One chose a single companion, experienced all manner of things, and finally became indifferent to everything, devoid of emotion and desire, thereby transcending. If Yan Ruyu cultivated that way, would she not eventually turn her back on everyone she knew?

Ye Chen saw no need for it. Better that she never go to the Buddhist Realm at all. Remaining at the Jade Pool Immortal Sect, he could cultivate her fully; the upper limit would be far higher and her growth far faster than if she stayed in some Compassionate Ferry Quiet Monastery.

Yan Ruyu gently shook her head, her smile filled with tenderness. "The Seven Emotions Buddhist Scripture offers two paths. One is naturally the path of the seven emotions and six desires. The other is the path of ultimate affection. Find a companion and remain single-minded and steadfast, complete in affection and nature, and one can still walk the great path.

"This route is actually more difficult than the path of emotions and desires, because even a companion will inevitably harbor selfish thoughts. Once suspicion, jealousy, disappointment, or similar feelings arise, cultivation will be affected and may even suffer backlash. Conversely, the deeper the affection, the faster the cultivation progresses and the more astonishing the power of one's path and techniques. Yet this is the road I intend to take."

Yan Ruyu's resolve was unshakable as she gazed at Ye Chen with gentle eyes. When her master had laid out the two paths before her, she had not hesitated for a moment. How could she ever bear to forget Ye Chen?

Now that she had seen him again, her conviction only grew stronger. Ye Chen loved her so deeply that he was willing to give her everything without the slightest hesitation. How could such a man ever allow her to feel sorrow, suspicion, or anxious uncertainty? She would be able to rest easy forever.

As for the matter of Ye Chen having many companions, it was entirely unimportant. He had never concealed it from her, and he had already possessed many of them even before they met, including her closest sister. Under those circumstances, she had long since accepted everything. No matter how many women Ye Chen had, he never grew tired of the old in favor of the new. That alone was enough.

Therefore, even though the path of ultimate affection was an extremely dangerous road—where a man's change of heart, regret, betrayal, or shift in attitude could stall, reverse, or even sever one's cultivation—Yan Ruyu still proceeded without looking back.

Hearing her words, Ye Chen understood even more clearly the depth of Yan Ruyu's affection. His aunt truly was an excellent woman. He gently wrapped an arm around her slender waist and spoke softly. "Aunt, rest assured. I will never let you feel sorrow."

Yan Ruyu smiled at once, gave a light wave of her hand, and leaned against him. The gesture was not one of disbelief, but rather a signal that he need not say more. She believed in everything about Ye Chen.

In this manner, another half month passed. Ye Chen finally arrived at the core of the Chaos Secret Realm. The surroundings here remained a stretch of chaos. Once the present trial concluded, a black hole would appear; entering it would allow one to leave and return to the Heavenly Secrets Hall. No one else had yet come here to wait.

First, the secret realm had only been open for a month, so no one was thinking of departure. Second, the treasures of the Chaos Secret Realm followed no distinction between center and periphery; everything depended on fate. Under such conditions, the closer one approached the center, the more likely one was to encounter others and spark great battles.

Ye Chen now intended to cultivate here. He set himself a small goal: to break through to the Golden Immortal realm within two and a half years. Once he reached the Golden Immortal stage, he could refine the Qilin Crystal-Casting Immortal King Pill and begin compressing his own Primordial Chaos immortal power. Beyond that, he also needed to secure a place among the top ten for his aunt. He therefore turned his gaze toward the vast crowd that had followed him, nearly four hundred people in total.

"You all harbored murderous intent and greed, so by rights you deserve death. Yet I am not one who delights in slaughter. I uphold the virtue of cherishing life that Heaven itself shows."

Zhao Tianxing immediately curled his lip in private. He still clearly remembered the scene of Ye Chen obliterating so many people with a single strike, and he had not forgotten the pleased expression Ye Chen had worn at the time. If Ye Chen did not delight in slaughter, who did? Yet he only dared complain inwardly and kept silent.

"Therefore, from now on, you need only search the surrounding area for treasures on my behalf. Best not to slack off. I have already recorded every one of your cultivation levels. Different levels will have different quotas to hand over, for different abilities bring different responsibilities. My demands of you are not high. Under such lenient conditions, if you still fail to meet them, it will mean you have failed to live up to my kindness. When that time comes, do not blame me."