ISWI Chapter 1271-1272 (Patreon)

Chapter 1271: The Impatient Immortal King Tuoba!

Whether Immortal King Tuoba was good or bad remained unknown. Ye Chen had never met the Western Empress either, yet the fact that she had raised a gentle female cultivator like Senior Sister Yue Yao was enough to speak for her character.

Whether the Western Empress was enduring humiliation while lying low in the Other Domain or had simply seen how formidable they were and decided to defect, her conduct should pose no problem. That was sufficient. She was more worthy of trust than Immortal King Tuoba.

Moreover, it was obvious that the Western Empress was stronger than Immortal King Tuoba and could offer him a thicker thigh and a better future. The choice needed no words.

After entering the War God Academy, Ye Chen attended a few classes at the beginning, listening only lightly. He heard Supreme Elders expound on the thirty-seven methods for compressing immortal energy more rapidly, on how to reverse the flow of compressed immortal energy so that its high quality would not cause stagnation in circulation, and even on the rather useless technique of turning compressed immortal energy a dark-golden color to appear more low-key and restrained. It could only be said that the Other Domain had traveled far farther than the Immortal Realm along the path of exploring the immortal road.

After a little inquiry, Ye Chen learned that the War God Academy even had incentive policies for such creations, awarding additional academy points as rewards to both elders and disciples.

When he saw that regulation, Ye Chen silently exclaimed that things were bad. The Other Domain not only plundered; it also innovated. Who could possibly defeat them? Had the Immortal Realm not possessed a heaven-sent powerhouse like the Heavenly Emperor, being shattered into chaos would have been inevitable.

The more Ye Chen learned about the War God Academy, the more keenly he felt the intensity of competition in the Other Domain. Every disciple competed with every other. Every ranking carried different academy points and resource allocations.

To raise one's strength rapidly, one had to cultivate diligently, enter all sorts of secret realms, undergo all sorts of trials, and complete all sorts of missions. The more one participated, the more rewards one received.

Ye Chen also heard that the Other Domain had long felt there were too many Immortal Kings. Some, after breaking through, became ageless and deathless, yet saw no hope of higher realms and simply chose to lie flat. They could neither provide invincible combat power nor contribute to the development of the Other Domain, yet they occupied vast resources and consumed world origin.

Thus, competition existed even among Immortal Kings. The weakest and least ambitious among them were preferentially sent to campaign against other worlds. In unfamiliar worlds, even Immortal Kings were affected and might not fully display their strength, while most worlds would resist with everything they had. The intensity of such cross-realm battlefields was extreme; even Immortal Kings could easily fall. In this way, the Immortal Kings were forced to keep elevating themselves.

Listening to the Other Domain's way of doing things, Ye Chen found it tragic. They had already become Immortal Kings, ageless and undying, yet they still could not choose to lie flat and were forced to strive, climbing the Immortal King rankings. It was simply outrageous.

The Other Domain, driven by the ever-depleting world origin, had turned into a gigantic arsenal. From top to bottom, everyone competed, constantly elevating overall strength, conquering other realms, and extending the world's lifespan.

Ye Chen himself did not attend many classes. Most of them were of little use to him. Minor tricks brought only tiny increases in combat power. He preferred crushing force, breaking all methods with sheer power and numerical superiority.

Moreover, he had noticed some unfriendly gazes and occasionally encountered He Guangyan of the He Family. Clearly, it was related to the conflict upon his entry.

Ye Chen did not fear conflict, yet fighting was forbidden inside the War God Academy. The academy did not suppress fighting spirit either; those with grievances could simply choose the same secret realm for their trials and do whatever they liked inside. Anything that happened within a secret realm would not be pursued afterward.

Since he could not act for the time being, Ye Chen could not be bothered trading verbal barbs. When he entered the Great Luo secret realm in the future, he would naturally ask He Guangyan and the others properly what they were staring at.

In the matter of gift-giving, Ye Chen remained relatively restrained. Although the War God Academy contained many female cultivators of high multiplier, he did not rush to offer gifts. He had only just arrived; should anything suspicious be noticed it would spell trouble.

Therefore, he set up formations within his cave abode. They did not isolate the Immortal King's divine sense; instead, they provided advance warning should an Immortal King scan the area, thereby avoiding the discovery of anything unusual.

Every week, Ye Chen returned once to the Immortal Realm, delivering the resources issued by the War God Academy to the female cultivators around him or to the female disciples of the Jade Pool Immortal Sect. The treasures fed back were quite remarkable.

Yet the efficacy of the Qilin Crystal-Casting Immortal King Pills was simply too terrifying, rendering those feedback items essentially useless to him. He himself did not mind. Thus, he continued learning about the Other Domain and the War God Academy while looking forward to his first meeting with his master.

In this manner, two months passed in the blink of an eye, and Ye Chen kept an extremely low profile. A full nine months had now gone by since his breakthrough to the Golden Immortal realm. His immortal energy compression ratio had reached two hundred and fifty-six times.

For the majority of Golden Immortals, speed was already astonishing, yet for top-tier prodigies aided by treasures, it appeared somewhat slow.

Ye Chen himself was thoroughly satisfied. After all, with the ratio doubling every month, the later growth became ever more terrifying.

In another five months, he would approach ten thousand times, surpassing Wang Xuanji's ratio. In another nine months, he would reach one hundred thousand times, a figure that could almost be called unprecedented. In twelve months, he would break through to a million times. That truly would be unmatched throughout history.

Time was more than sufficient.

Under such circumstances, Ye Chen naturally felt not the slightest urgency.

Although Ye Chen was in no hurry, someone else was. Immortal King Tuoba had been watching him the entire time. Nearly three months had passed since Ye Chen entered the academy, yet his cultivation had shown not the slightest change.

The sight left Immortal King Tuoba deeply anxious. Ye Chen possessed an Immortal spiritual root and the pills issued by the War God Academy. How could progress be so slow? Was Ye Chen's immortal energy simply too powerful, making compression difficult? Or was his upper limit so high that advancing to the mid-stage of Golden Immortal required an even greater ratio?

Whatever the case, time waited for no one. The secret realm would open in less than two years. If Ye Chen failed to reach the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, even an Immortal King like himself who used his authority to exchange for a quota would be unable to give it to Ye Chen. Missing the secret realm and trying to comprehend Multiverse Great Luo laws on his own would consume far more time. How, then, could Ye Chen rise in a short period?

At that thought, Immortal King Tuoba could sit still no longer and decided to increase his investment, helping Ye Chen grow as quickly as possible. He had intended to fly straight to Moon Arrival Immortal King, yet recalling her temperament, he feared being regarded as a nuisance if he went too often.

Therefore, he took out a divine talisman, activated it lightly, and a water curtain rose. An invisible fluctuation transmitted outward. A moment later, a calm yet overbearingly beautiful face appeared upon the water curtain.

Looking at Moon Arrival's countenance on the screen, Immortal King Tuoba smiled and spoke softly, "Fellow Daoist, is that Immortal Radiant Beast hand bone you once obtained still with you? If it is, I wonder whether you might part with it. I am willing to exchange with you!"

Chapter 1272: Only Fear of Owing a Debt!

"Oh?" Moon Arrival Immortal King's calm voice came from the water curtain.

Immortal King Tuoba spoke at once. "My disciple's immortal energy is likely too dense, making compression less smooth. As his master, I wish to lend a hand."

Moon Arrival Immortal King raised a brow and nodded. "Very well. I have heard you obtained a fragmentary chapter of an Immortal King scripture from a shattered primordial greater world, known as the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art. Share that with me, and it will do."

The corner of Immortal King Tuoba's mouth twitched. The bone of an Immortal Radiant Beast was rare, yet how could it compare with an Immortal King scripture, even if only a partial remnant?

The Eight-Nine Mysterious Art was extraordinary, a rare supreme body-refining Immortal King scripture. For Immortal Kings, the Dao still had no end. They valued Immortal King scriptures highly, for they could draw inspiration from them and comprehend more of the Great Dao. This Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art was especially remarkable, involving many Great Daos and strengthening one's own body.

"Fellow Daoist Moon Arrival, your price is too high," Immortal King Tuoba said helplessly. This was no longer asking the sky; it was a lion's gaping maw.

Moon Arrival Immortal King nodded. "If you are unwilling, then forget it."

With that, she prepared to end the communication.

Immortal King Tuoba hastily raised a hand. "Half is too much. I can share three pages with you!" He did not mind taking a small loss, yet he truly could not give everything. There were a few things that could attract the Moon Arrival Immortal King's attention. Once he handed them all over, he would lose that attraction, and she might not even bother answering his communications anymore.

At his words, Moon Arrival Immortal King pondered a moment and nodded. "Agreed."

Immortal King Tuoba breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say he would come in person to fetch it when a streak of golden light already flew from Moon Arrival Immortal King's distant divine mountain and landed before the gates of his cave abode. With it came a phantom great hand.

Immortal King Tuoba gave a helpless, bitter smile and placed a piece of immortal jade upon the hand. The next instant, the hand vanished, and the communication ended at once.

Immortal King Tuoba had long grown accustomed to this. Ever since he had known Moon Arrival Immortal King, she had been especially aloof, disinclined to form deep ties with anyone, and speaking only of benefits. She gave outsiders the impression of transcending worldly affairs, indifferent to everything and unwilling to leave affection for any person or thing. Perhaps it was precisely this quality that made him unable to forget her. Such an extraordinary woman was truly rare.

Still, gazing at the glittering hand bone, Immortal King Tuoba smiled. With this item, Ye Chen's speed of compressing immortal energy would certainly increase. That was a great boon!

...

"Tomorrow I will return to the Immortal Realm once more and continue giving gifts," Ye Chen murmured, stretching leisurely. He felt that nowadays he was earning money in the Other Domain and spending it in the Immortal Realm. Without deliberately bringing female cultivators along, the days were unusually quiet. Each day, he comprehended techniques and explored his own physique, living a rather fulfilling life.

While he was pondering, an aura unique to an Immortal King suddenly descended upon his cave abode.

Immortal King Tuoba's voice rang out from within. "Ye Chen, come out and see me."

The tone was neither pleased nor angry, revealing no emotion.

Ye Chen raised a brow. Why had the man come in person? He stepped out of the cave abode at once and saw the dharma body of Immortal King Tuoba standing there with a stern expression.

Ye Chen immediately bowed. "Greetings, Senior!"

Immortal King Tuoba frowned and spoke. "You have been in the academy for three months, yet your realm has not advanced a single inch. Have you grown slack? With such an attitude, what right do you have to become my nominal disciple?"

The corner of Ye Chen's mouth twitched. He truly had not expected the man to come because he was dissatisfied with his cultivation speed. Had he been watching him all this time?

To be honest, most of the masters Ye Chen had encountered never interfered with his cultivation. Whether it was his domineering master or senior sister, they basically left him to his own devices, pure free-range raising. Being urged now left Ye Chen somewhat unaccustomed.

Yet he had no intention of concealing his strength. He had come to the Other Domain precisely to compete for resources. In the future, the two realms would inevitably clash, and Immortal Kings might well fall. He had to become an Immortal King before the war between the two realms began. Under such circumstances, displaying his ability and obtaining more resources was the proper path.

Thus Ye Chen spoke at once. "My immortal energy is far more domineering than that of ordinary cultivators, making compression more difficult. Moreover, the upper limit may simply be too high. Even though my progress is not truly slow, I have still failed to break through to the mid-stage of Golden Immortal. Yet Senior may rest assured. My path of cultivation has always been difficult at first and easy later. Although I have spent too much time at the early stage of Golden Immortal, I will absolutely break through to the late stage before the secret realm opens."

Ye Chen made the promise with firm assurance.

Immortal King Tuoba had, in fact, been thinking along the same lines. Judging from Ye Chen's performance that day, the youth could not possibly be trash. His explanation was reasonable.

The sternness on Immortal King Tuoba's face eased slightly, yet his voice remained neither pleased nor angry.

"I do not care to hear about the process. I only look at results. If you fail to reach the peak of Golden Immortal and miss the Great Luo Dao Fruits within the secret realm, then you will have no qualification to become my nominal disciple. I hope you take care of yourself."

With those words, Immortal King Tuoba rose from the ground and drifted away. The man's attitude was so lofty that Ye Chen felt a slight irritation. Was this Immortal King a bit too self-important? He acted as though Ye Chen particularly wished to become his nominal disciple. Did he even know who Ye Chen's true master was?

Ye Chen curled his lip and was about to return to his cave abode when a streak of golden light descended, accompanied by Immortal King Tuoba's voice. "In my youth, I once casually obtained this hand bone of an Immortal Radiant Beast. Since you claim to possess talent, I shall bestow it upon you. Cultivate diligently from now on and prove your talent to me."

This time, Immortal King Tuoba's figure vanished completely. Ye Chen was slightly stunned. He picked up the golden hand bone before him. Its material was identical to the one he had previously obtained.

These past days, Ye Chen had not truly been lying flat. He had been continuously learning about the Other Domain. They were indeed vast and abundant, filled with countless foreign objects, their foundation far exceeding anything the Immortal Realm could imagine.

Yet even in the Other Domain, the Immortal Radiant Beast remained extremely rare, its bones precious beyond measure. Otherwise, Immortal Kings would not have expended such great effort researching substitutes.

Immortal King Tuoba had simply given him a hand bone?

Ye Chen felt somewhat astonished. The man's attitude might leave something to be desired, yet he seemed genuinely enthusiastic. Either he truly favored Ye Chen, or he had other designs.

Ye Chen did not fear others harboring designs against him. Those with malicious intent, he could eventually slap to death. But if Immortal King Tuoba truly favored him, wished to take him as a disciple, watched him silently, and gave him treasures, that would instead become a little troublesome. After all, he already had a master.

Ye Chen did not fear having many enemies. What he feared was others treating him with full goodwill while he in turn disappointed them. That would fill him with guilt.