ISWI Chapter 1277-1278 (Patreon)

Chapter 1277: This Relationship Feels Off!

Ye Chen was slightly startled. He saw a transmission note light up on Master's body. Sensing the familiar aura upon the note, his body stiffened for a moment. It was Immortal King Tuoba!

After meeting twice, Ye Chen had become very familiar with the man's aura. Why had Immortal King Tuoba sent a communication? Had he discovered the matter between Ye Chen and Master, felt betrayed, and come to demand an explanation?

Seeing Master reach out as though intending to accept the communication jade talisman, Ye Chen hurriedly stopped her. Still lying in the Western Empress's arms, he spoke. "Master, Immortal King Tuoba has always wished to accept me as a nominal disciple. He even previously bestowed upon me the hand bone of an Immortal Radiant Beast.

"To be honest, I have never been able to tell whether Immortal King Tuoba's intentions are kind or whether he harbors other designs. Yet I already have a master. Therefore, Master, this is the perfect opportunity for you to clarify our relationship with Immortal King Tuoba. As for that Immortal Radiant Beast hand bone, I can also return it to him."

After giving the hand bone to his fiancée, Ye Chen had asked for it back the following month and exchanged it for Qilin Condensing Liquid Pills for her. One could say he had prepared thoroughly.

Hearing Ye Chen's words, the Western Empress immediately smiled. While holding him, she gently stroked the top of his head. "I already know of this matter. Leave it to me."

Hearing Master speak thus, Ye Chen at once relaxed. Immortal Kings stood high above others; being refused could easily drive them into shame-fueled rage. Ye Chen himself did not fear it, yet it would certainly affect his studies at the War God Academy. If Master could resolve it for him, there would clearly be no further worries.

Ye Chen adjusted the position of his head and saw that the Western Empress had already connected the transmission talisman. The next instant, a water curtain lit up, revealing Immortal King Tuoba's figure.

Ye Chen's entire body stiffened. They could even video call? Were the transmission notes of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths this powerful? He was still in Master's arms. Would he not be caught red-handed?

Although he and Immortal King Tuoba had no particular relationship, before things were clarified, he was already throwing himself into Master's embrace. It looked somewhat unseemly, giving the feeling of being caught in the act of adultery. Yet soon Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief. The image on Master's side showed only a head. Immortal King Tuoba should be unable to see him being held in her arms.

"Fellow Daoist Moon Arrival, forgive the disturbance." Immortal King Tuoba spoke and, noticing that Moon Arrival Immortal King seemed in a good mood, also relaxed.

The Western Empress smiled faintly and nodded. "What matter brings Fellow Daoist Tuoba here?"

Immortal King Tuoba immediately began speaking with a mixture of distress and happiness. "It is still that disciple of mine. I sense his multiplier may already be approaching ten thousand times, yet he has still not broken through to the mid-stage of Golden Immortal. This brat's upper limit is a little too high.

"Yet time waits for no one. If he cannot reach the peak of Golden Immortal, even if I give him a quota, he will be unable to enter the Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruit secret realm. As his master, I am out of options and can only seek help from Fellow Daoist Moon Arrival."

Immortal King Tuoba appeared to be complaining, yet in truth he was showing off. For a prodigy ten thousand times was essentially the limit. Those who could reach ten thousand times were basically already at the peak of Golden Immortal. Ye Chen, however, had not even broken through to the mid-stage. His aptitude was clearly extraordinary.

Hearing this, the Western Empress lowered her head to glance at Ye Chen, her hand stroking his head growing even gentler. Only then did she smile and speak. "If that is the case, then this disciple of yours is indeed quite good."

Compared with her previous praise, this time the Western Empress's recognition was clearly more sincere and heartfelt.

Immortal King Tuoba noticed this and immediately grinned, extremely pleased. Yet he saw the Western Empress lower her head as though looking at someone else. He quickly shook his head.

That was impossible. If Fellow Daoist Moon Arrival were looking down at someone from that angle, the person would have to be in her arms. Given Fellow Daoist Moon Arrival's temperament, she disliked even being touched by others. How could there possibly be someone in her arms?

After reveling in his satisfaction for a moment, he turned to the main matter. "Therefore, I wish to ask Fellow Daoist Moon Arrival for a favor. You possess several drops of blood from a powerful Immortal King of the Qilin Clan, do you not? I wonder whether you could bear to part with them? After cleansing the blood curse within, trade them to me. Just as with the previous Immortal Radiant Beast hand bone, I will certainly offer compensation that satisfies Fellow Daoist."

Hearing this Ye Chen's pupils contracted at once. The previous Immortal Radiant Beast hand bone had not belonged to Immortal King Tuoba himself but had been exchanged from Master? And now, seeing that Ye Chen still had not broken through, he was even willing to obtain Immortal King-level qilin blood for him, going so far as to pay a price? If Immortal King Tuoba harbored no malicious intent, he truly seemed to value Ye Chen highly.

Ye Chen disliked disappointing others' expectations; it made him feel guilty and pressured. Fortunately, he had already acknowledged Master. The matter could be clarified so that Immortal King Tuoba would no longer hold such expectations.

At that moment, the Western Empress frowned slightly. "I do indeed possess several drops of Immortal King-level qilin blood, yet cleansing the blood curse within cost me long years of effort. Most importantly, this is contraband. Trading it to you risks drawing the attention of the Qilin Clan should word leak out. The risk is too great. Let us forget it."

The Western Empress refused. Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Indeed, he did not need the item, and there was no need for Immortal King Tuoba to make further sacrifices. Clarifying the relationship would be enough.

Immortal King Tuoba, understanding Moon Arrival Immortal King's temperament, spoke earnestly. "I am willing to offer all the remaining fragments of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art as payment. Moreover, I can swear a great oath upon the Great Dao. Should the Qilin Clan ever learn of this, I will bear the full responsibility alone."

Immortal King Tuoba's seriousness left Ye Chen, still lying in Master's arms, with a somewhat unpleasant feeling, as though he were disappointing the man.

The Western Empress did not speak, appearing still to be considering.

Immortal King Tuoba continued. "Fellow Daoist Moon Arrival, you and I have after all shared so many years of acquaintance. Will you not trade the Immortal King qilin blood to me? I truly favor this youth greatly. Consider it a favor I owe you, all right?"

This time, the Western Empress finally spoke. "Since you put it that way, so be it. Remember not to implicate me."

Immortal King Tuoba smiled and nodded hurriedly.

Ye Chen's expression, however, turned to astonishment. This was not right. Should Master not have refused?

Immediately afterward, the Western Empress continued. "I will process it further and deliver it to you in one month. If there is nothing else, let us end the communication."

Immortal King Tuoba nodded at once.

When the water curtain vanished, Ye Chen, who had been waiting for the relationship to be clarified, wore a face full of shock. Not only had Master failed to explain things clearly to Immortal King Tuoba, but she had instead sold the Immortal King Qilin blood to him.

Immortal King Tuoba would in turn give that Immortal King Qilin blood to Ye Chen. The scene somehow resembled a married couple playing a game in which the wife formed a game couple with an outsider, had the outsider spend money to buy equipment farmed by the husband, and then gave that equipment to the wife. Most importantly, the role Ye Chen was currently playing seemed to be that of the wife!

Chapter 1278: Our Relationship Cannot Be Made Public!

"Master, why did you not refuse? Is this situation of ours not a little improper?" Ye Chen felt somewhat anxious. Seeing that the communication had ended, he immediately prepared to get down.

The Western Empress exerted a slight force and once more held him steadily.

She gently shook her head. "Whether Immortal King Tuoba is good or bad, I cannot say for certain. He took notice of you on the very day you arrived in the Other Domain. It is difficult to guarantee that he did not discover some secret of yours and is preparing to play the long game. Although your aura is well concealed, many details are still imperfect.

"Immortal Kings are all extremely shrewd. Under such circumstances, it would be unwise to speak rashly; better to respond to change with constancy. If he truly harbors designs, my watching from the side will make it easier to discover them and easier to respond."

The Western Empress's words made considerable sense and calmed the somewhat awkward Ye Chen. She continued in a serious tone. "Moreover, over these many years, I have never been willing to form deep contact with people of the Other Domain. I am unwilling to become entangled in too many emotions and form bonds with the Other Domain, and I am also unwilling to be too thoroughly understood lest something be discovered.

"Therefore, I have never accepted disciples. To this day, I have only a few nominal disciples whom I left to raise themselves freely at the Moon Arrival Holy Land. If I were suddenly to accept you as a disciple for no apparent reason, and even contend with Immortal King Tuoba over you, it would inevitably draw massive attention.

"At that time, everything about you would be magnified under the gaze of Immortal Kings. For both of us, that would absolutely not be a good thing. The interior of the Other Domain is extremely ruthless. Even an Immortal King, once tainted with the label of a spy, will not meet a good end. Therefore, our relationship must be kept hidden. Outsiders must not know of it."

Hearing this, Ye Chen felt even more that Master Western Empress's words made sense. Living in the Other Domain, it was better to be cautious. Yet he still felt somewhat uncomfortable. "Master, must our relationship remain hidden forever? Is there no way for us to stand openly beneath the sun?"

Ye Chen did not particularly enjoy living in secrecy and constraint. Even back when Ying Tiansheng had still been alive, he and his fiancée had never hidden their relationship.

The Western Empress smiled at his words. "You little fellow are still young after all and care too much about such things. As long as you and I know, why concern ourselves with an empty reputation?

"Still, I can understand you. Let us wait a while longer for a suitable opportunity. Once I have handled everything properly, I will accept you as a disciple in a reasonable manner so that outsiders will not grow suspicious. But you must be patient."

Ye Chen listened and nodded, yet still felt a little awkward, as though a paramour were painting a grand picture for a mistress: once I have settled everything and divorced, I will marry you!

Wrong, wrong!

Ye Chen immediately shook his head. The Western Empress who could raise someone as pure and kind as Senior Sister Yue Yao could never harbor ill intentions. He was definitely overthinking.

Thereafter, Ye Chen said no more. The Western Empress seemed to be reminiscing about something as she quietly held him. Neither of them spoke. Only when the horizon began to turn fish-belly white did the Western Empress set Ye Chen down.

"It is getting late. Immortal King Tuoba often pays attention to you during the daytime. It would be bad if we were discovered. I shall leave first. Cultivate well. If anything arises, do not contact me directly, and do not come looking for me at my cave abode. Outsiders must not learn of our relationship. Simply contact Immortal King Tuoba; once I know of it, I will contact you."

Listening to lines that clearly did not sound like those a master and disciple ought to exchange, Ye Chen felt something strange yet could not put his finger on it. He could only nod to show he had remembered.

The next instant, the Western Empress's tall figure vanished from the spot, departing without a sound.

Ye Chen's mood was complicated. He had successfully grasped the thick thigh, and the Western Empress should pose no problem.

Yet their relationship could not be confirmed, and he still had no way to cut ties with Immortal King Tuoba. The situation was truly difficult to predict. Fortunately, Immortal King Tuoba did not contact him throughout the entire day, allowing Ye Chen to breathe a sigh of relief.

In this manner, another month passed. The immortal energy within Ye Chen's body once more underwent a violent surge, directly breaking through to a multiplier of five hundred and twenty thousand times. His cultivation finally rose as well, reaching the mid-stage of Golden Immortal.

A smile appeared on Ye Chen's face. Five hundred thousand times had allowed him to reach the mid-stage of Golden Immortal. One million times might bring him to the late stage. As for the peak of Golden Immortal, it would perhaps fall somewhere between two and three million times.

Ye Chen had made inquiries in the Other Domain. Even within the War God Academy, the highest threshold touched by top geniuses was only ten thousand times. He Guangyan was one such example. There were, however, those of exceptional talent.

The current first-ranked of the Golden Immortal sequence was said to have reached a compression ratio of fifty thousand times. As for the currently renowned Peerless Immortal King of the He Family, he had broken one hundred thousand times while still at the Golden Immortal realm, pushing the combat strength of that realm to an unprecedented height.

Compared with that, Ye Chen's mere mid-stage Golden Immortal cultivation, already carrying five hundred thousand times, showed its true value. A single minor realm was more outrageous than He Wushuang's entire major realm.

Most importantly, Ye Chen's primordial chaos immortal energy was already extraordinarily powerful to begin with; his compression ratio was even higher, and in the end, he could even crystallize the immortal energy. The gap was simply too great.

Moreover, now that he had reached five hundred and twenty thousand times, each subsequent monthly increase would be even larger. He felt that in at most three or four months, he would be able to reach the peak. After a slight period of consolidation, he could catch the opening of the secret realm and collect his Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruits.

While he was pondering, a majestic voice sounded outside the cave abode. "Ye Chen, come out and see me!"

Ye Chen recognized the speaker. Feeling somewhat guilty, he immediately stepped out of the cave abode. "Greetings, Senior Immortal King Tuoba!"

Immortal King Tuoba was in quite a good mood. Today, he had used the remaining portion of the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art to obtain the Immortal King blood and had even incurred a favor from the Moon Arrival Immortal King.

Yet that was a good thing. By owing a favor, Moon Arrival would later seek him out for tasks, and only thus could the relationship be maintained. Otherwise, once the duty of guarding the academy ended, even if he took the initiative to contact Moon Arrival, she might not bother seeing him.

When he saw Ye Chen, his brows rose slightly. "Ye Chen, you have broken through to the mid-stage of Golden Immortal?"

Ye Chen nodded. "It is entirely thanks to Senior's care that this disciple could break through so quickly."

Immortal King Tuoba's expression remained calm. "You only broke through after surpassing ten thousand times?"

Ye Chen hesitated a moment, yet still nodded. It was indeed more than ten thousand times.

Immortal King Tuoba watched Ye Chen nod, yet showed no expression of praise. He merely spoke lightly. "The breakthrough is still too slow. Only half a year remains until the secret realm opens. From now on, do not grow arrogant; continue to work hard."

With those words, Immortal King Tuoba raised both hands. The space around them was sealed, completely isolated from the outside world and forming a realm of its own.

Ye Chen was startled, thinking that the matter between himself and the Western Empress had been exposed. The next instant, however, he saw Immortal King Tuoba's expression remain indifferent as he flicked out a jade bottle.