ISWI Chapter 1279-1280 (Patreon)

Chapter 1279: Your Disciple Is Truly Excellent!

Looking at the jade bottle that Immortal King Tuoba had flicked out as though casually, Ye Chen's body stiffened slightly. He had already guessed what it contained.

Immortal King Tuoba spoke calmly, introducing it for Ye Chen. "Sealed within the jade bottle are several drops of Immortal King blood from the Qilin Clan. During a great calamity, I happened to encounter an Immortal King of the Qilin Clan. After exchanging several blows, I casually obtained a few drops. I have already completely cleansed the blood curse within. You may use it without worry and further accelerate the compression of your immortal energy."

Ye Chen was silent. He simply ignored Immortal King Tuoba's boasting. Although Master's words made perfect sense and he ought to accept Immortal King Tuoba's gift in order to observe whether the man truly harbored malicious intent, when the moment arrived, he still felt a little embarrassed.

Ye Chen waved a hand. "Many thanks for Senior's generous gift, yet this junior has already reached the mid-stage of Golden Immortal. My subsequent breakthroughs will only grow faster. I am certain to reach the peak of Golden Immortal before the secret realm opens. Therefore, Senior should keep such a heavy treasure for yourself."

Ye Chen's refusal left Immortal King Tuoba somewhat astonished. Truthfully, no Golden Immortal would ever refuse such a treasure. Even he himself would not have been able to refuse it when he was still at the Golden Immortal realm. Yet Ye Chen had opened his mouth and declined.

A moment later, however, Immortal King Tuoba smiled. The gaze with which he looked at Ye Chen grew increasingly satisfied. Exceptional talent was one thing, yet to remain so composed before a treasure and show not the slightest greed was truly rare.

One had to understand that the Other Domain had developed too rapidly. The fusion of many worlds and the clash of various cultures had caused the hearts of people to lose their ancient purity.

Many prodigies accepted masters solely in order to exhaust the master's resources. Once the master could no longer bring them benefits, or once they themselves surpassed the master, their attitude would plummet in an instant.

Treating the master with indifference was already considered good. Some, recalling the days they had once bowed and scraped before their master and feeling humiliation, would even take revenge upon the master.

Yet what of Ye Chen? Such a heavy treasure lay before him, obtainable with a casual reach, and still he could refuse it. That alone was sufficient to reveal Ye Chen's character, free of the slightest greed. A disciple like this was perfect to the extreme. He had to be cultivated with full effort.

Thus, Immortal King Tuoba turned his head with utmost coldness. "Things bestowed by me, Tuoba, have never been taken back. Moreover, do you not understand that a gift from an elder must not be declined? If you still refuse it, then simply throw it away as you please."

With those words, Immortal King Tuoba departed with a boom and vanished without a trace.

Ye Chen's mouth hung open, making indistinct sounds. Immortal King Tuoba's words somehow sounded familiar, as though a boomerang had struck him.

Gazing at the jade bottle before him, Ye Chen shook his head helplessly. To be honest, he now truly felt that Immortal King Tuoba was not a bad person. Master might have been overly cautious. The next time he met Master, he would still discuss the matter properly and have Master clarify things with Immortal King Tuoba.

As for this Immortal King Qilin blood, its efficacy was extraordinary and could raise the upper limit. Rumor held that He Wushuang had relied on this very substance in those years, continually breaking limits until he finally achieved one hundred thousand times compression. Since he had already accepted it, there was no point in further entanglement.

As long as Immortal King Tuoba harbored no malicious intent, Ye Chen would simply repay him in the future. With the system in his possession, he would absolutely be able to produce treasures useful even to Immortal Kings.

Ye Chen had originally intended to turn around and give this Immortal King qilin blood to his fiancée. Yet he suddenly recalled the Master he had only just properly acknowledged. Since the item had come from Master, why not return it? It would also serve as a convenient excuse to witness the terror of a female cultivator with a one-million-fold multiplier.

In this manner, another month passed in the blink of an eye. Ye Chen's immortal energy compression ratio formally broke through one million times, and his cultivation rose exactly as expected, advancing directly to the late stage of Golden Immortal. In another month, he would surely reach the peak.

Immortal King Tuoba had also sensed the rise in Ye Chen's cultivation and was extremely satisfied. Although breaking through from mid-stage to late-stage in a single month seemed somewhat fast, Ye Chen had remained at the early stage for so long that a sudden outburst of accumulated power was only natural. In short, Immortal King Tuoba felt his own judgment had been excellent.

Sure enough, another month passed, and Ye Chen's cultivation rose once more, reaching the peak of Golden Immortal. When Immortal King Tuoba sensed it, the smile on his face could no longer be hidden.

Now Ye Chen would certainly be able to enter the secret realm. Back when Ye Chen was only at the early stage of Golden Immortal, he could already fight peak Golden Immortals. What of his strength now that he had reached the peak? His combat power would inevitably be even more terrifying. He would certainly obtain a Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruit.

Moreover, Ye Chen had already surpassed ten thousand times compression before breaking through to the mid-stage of Golden Immortal. What ratio had he reached now at the peak? He might not match the one-hundred-thousand-times record created by Peerless Immortal King in the past, yet Immortal King Tuoba estimated that Ye Chen had at least entered the range of fifty thousand times. Such foundation was simply astonishing.

This time, Immortal King Tuoba could truly no longer restrain himself. Risking the possibility of being blocked, he once again took the initiative to contact Moon Arrival Immortal King.

Soon, Moon Arrival Immortal King's indifferent face appeared upon the water curtain. "Did I not already say it? Do not contact me recently. If that qilin blood is discovered, it has nothing to do with me!"

Immortal King Tuoba had long grown accustomed to Moon Arrival's coldness. He immediately smiled. "Fellow Daoist Moon Arrival, please rest assured. The qilin blood has already been used by my disciple. Not the slightest news has leaked out. There is no need to worry that the Qilin Clan will discover it and pursue the matter."

Hearing this, Moon Arrival Immortal King's expression eased slightly. Immortal King Tuoba continued at once. "I contacted you this time only to thank Fellow Daoist. Fellow Daoist's qilin blood helped my disciple break through to the peak of Golden Immortal within two months."

At those words, Moon Arrival Immortal King's brows rose. After confirming that Ye Chen was her own disciple and not bait, she had stopped probing him with divine sense. She truly had not expected that Ye Chen would break through to the peak of Golden Immortal in a mere two months. For a moment she was somewhat astonished.

Immortal King Tuoba sensed Moon Arrival Immortal King's surprise and felt thoroughly satisfied. He could not help continuing. "Yet that is still not the most important part. The most important part is that before Ye Chen broke through to the mid-stage of Golden Immortal, his immortal energy compression had already surpassed ten thousand times. Now that he has reached the peak, his aura is unimaginably dense. I feel this disciple of mine has at least reached fifty thousand times, and may even have matched the legendary Peerless Immortal King in reaching one hundred thousand times."

This time, a genuine trace of surprise flashed within Moon Arrival Immortal King's eyes that flickered between light and darkness. She had of course been able to see that Ye Chen was extraordinary.

Setting everything else aside, the mere fact that he could come from the Immortal Realm to the Other Domain was outrageous enough. He also possessed an Immortal spiritual root and, like the Heavenly Emperor, had been raised on the fare of a hundred schools.

Yet even she had not expected Ye Chen's immortal energy compression ratio to be so high. In that moment, her interest in Ye Chen grew even denser. That girl Yue Yao was mediocre in her own cultivation and after so many years had still not broken through to Immortal King, yet she had unexpectedly accepted such a disciple on Master's behalf.

Immortal King Tuoba saw that even Moon Arrival had lost her composure. The sense of pride in his heart grew ever denser. For hundreds of thousands of years, he had rarely seen Moon Arrival Immortal King display any emotional fluctuation, yet now she had been shocked to this extent by his disciple.

Immortal King Tuoba could not help speaking. "Is this disciple of mine rather decent?"

Within the water curtain, Moon Arrival Immortal King nodded earnestly. "Your disciple is truly excellent!"

Chapter 1280: Keep Ye Chen in the Other Domain!

This time, Moon Arrival Immortal King's words were clearly more sincere than the previous occasion. Immortal King Tuoba felt his aged heart thoroughly comforted and unobstructed. He did not continue to make a nuisance of himself. He soon took his leave and ended the communication.

Immortal King Tuoba simply felt that his luck and judgment were truly excellent. He had unearthed a top-tier genius in a single stroke. Yet Ye Chen's current cultivation was still too low. Only later would he gradually reveal his brilliance. If he could secure a place in the arena battles against the Immortal Realm and thereby enter the eyes of the sacred clans of the First Realm, Ye Chen's future would become even more promising.

Therefore, as his master, Immortal King Tuoba had to pave the road thoroughly, attending to wealth, companions, methods, and land in every aspect.

For example, there was that descendant of an Immortal King from the Second Realm, a female prodigy with an Immortal spiritual root. Apart from her own exceptional talent, she also came from a family of Alchemy Kings. If Ye Chen could become Dao companions with her, learn a minor alchemy technique, and possess a top-tier craft, his status would rise even further.

Moreover, top-tier alchemy techniques brought enormous benefits to one's own path of cultivation. In the future, should he master the Great Alchemy Technique among the three thousand Great Daos, even if his combat strength was not among the absolute peak of Immortal Kings, his status would still stand high above others. Even the sacred clans of the First Realm would treat him with courtesy.

As for Immortal King Tuoba himself, by cultivating such a disciple, his own status would rise with the tide, and his resources would grow richer. In the future, he might even gain a powerful backer. After all, his own upper limit lay here, yet this disciple of his was absolutely full of promise.

Even if Ye Chen's future fell short of someone like He Wushuang who had hope of contending for the position of Realm Lord, he would still become a mighty Immortal King of a region. Therefore, investment was necessary, heavy investment.

On the Western Empress's side, she had not originally intended to contact Ye Chen again during this period. Although she was in the Other Domain and felt a sense of closeness upon seeing the disciple Yue Yao had accepted on her behalf, at her current realm she no longer paid daily attention to such matters.

Moreover, excessive contact risked detection by other Immortal Kings and could easily invite trouble. Most Immortal Kings of the Other Domain were insidious; after several great calamities, their schemes had only grown more numerous.

Honest people like Tuoba were few. Yet the words Immortal King Tuoba spoke today still left the Western Empress surprised. A compression ratio of one hundred thousand times at the Golden Immortal realm?

That was indeed somewhat astonishing.

One had to know that during her own second round of cultivation, she had only just broken through sixty thousand times. Reaching seventy or eighty thousand times was not impossible if she exerted herself, yet the pressure would be too great and the time consumed too long.

In addition, if the quality of immortal energy grew too high and exceeded her control, it would affect the release of divine abilities and immortal arts, causing combat strength to decline rather than rise. The cost-performance ratio was simply too low. She had never expected that this disciple of hers had actually achieved it. This disciple of hers truly carried many secrets.

The Western Empress curved her lips with interest. Her avatar restrained its aura and drifted out of the cave abode.

A moment later, Ye Chen within his cave abode was slightly startled. Sensing the tall figure before the great doors, he felt somewhat astonished. When Master left last time, had she not said they should meet less often to avoid discovery? Why had she come of her own accord now? What if Immortal King Tuoba's divine sense swept over?

Fearing that Immortal King Tuoba might scan the area, Ye Chen immediately opened the doors of the cave abode, intending to welcome Master inside. The Western Empress stepped in at a leisurely pace and seated herself upon the immortal seat that still retained Ye Chen's residual warmth.

Once Ye Chen had closed the doors, she simply raised a hand lightly. Ye Chen, with not the slightest power to resist, was directly drawn over and held in her arms.

Looking up at the expanse of shadow, Ye Chen felt somewhat helpless. Master was truly a little too impatient. He had not even prepared himself yet.

"Master, why have you come? Has Immortal King Tuoba discovered our matter?" Ye Chen thought of one possibility and immediately frowned as he asked.

The Western Empress smiled faintly, lowered her head gently, and stroked the top of Ye Chen's head. "Rest assured, he still knows nothing. I came this time only because I heard him say that your immortal energy compression ratio has surpassed one hundred thousand times?"

Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. As long as the matter had not been exposed, it was fine. He simply had not expected Immortal King Tuoba's discernment to be so sharp. After thinking it over, he felt there was nothing he needed to hide from Master and immediately nodded. "Mm, it has indeed surpassed one hundred thousand times."

Ye Chen had now reached the peak of Golden Immortal. The multiplier within his body had reached two million times. It was indeed more than one hundred thousand times; he was not lying.

Yet the problem was that this still was not the limit. The immortal energy within his body continued to compress. As it circulated, he could already vaguely discern, within the viscous golden immortal energy, a few extremely tiny golden crystals that shone brilliantly like immortal gold.

Ye Chen felt that once all the immortal energy in his body transformed into golden crystals, his compression ratio would reach at least ten million times. He dared not even imagine how terrifying he would become if he truly struck with immortal energy of such magnitude. Yet he had already grown accustomed to days of uncertain strength and therefore did not dwell on it. When fighting, being able to kill the opponent was enough.

Hearing this, the Western Empress's eyes immediately brightened, and she held Ye Chen a little tighter. "With such a high compression ratio, will it affect the circulation speed of your immortal energy? If the speed becomes too slow, it would be putting the cart before the horse."

In the Other Domain, control was also extremely important. Ordinary prodigies chased after the absolute limit, while top-tier prodigies sought a balanced critical point. The Other Domain was vast, gathering prodigies from every realm and possessing the highest-grade resources.

In truth, if one pursued the ratio without regard for resource expenditure, it was not necessarily impossible for someone to reach one hundred thousand times. Yet reaching one hundred thousand times without being able to use it properly held little meaning.

The most terrifying aspect of He Wushuang was that even after compressing his immortal energy to one hundred thousand times, his control remained completely unaffected, allowing him to walk the path of invincibility.

Ye Chen twitched his nose, catching the extremely special fragrance upon Master's body. He shifted slightly and adjusted his posture with a touch of embarrassment before shaking his head. "There is no problem. The circulation speed and control of my immortal energy remain roughly the same as before."

At that, the smile on the Western Empress's face grew even brighter. This disciple of hers was truly extraordinary. If he continued to grow in the future, he might truly reach the level of someone like He Wushuang.

That was a good thing. When the Immortal Realm was eventually destroyed, no matter what, she would have to preserve this disciple's life. Or perhaps she should simply let Ye Chen remain in the Other Domain and develop slowly.

The later arena battles between the prodigies of the two realms had been created by the Immortal Kings of the sacred clans of the First Realm using the legendary Great Creation Technique to draw upon the fortune rules of both realms. On the Immortal Realm side, according to what Ye Chen had said, talent had withered.

When Ye Chen left the Immortal Realm, there had not even been a single Great Luo cultivator under three thousand years of age. On the Other Domain side, however, Great Luo under three thousand years of age were as common as roadside weeds.

There were dozens of Ancestral Immortals under three thousand years of age, and several had even reached the peak of the Ancestral Immortal realm. The gap was simply too vast. Should the Immortal Realm suffer total defeat upon the battlefield of prodigies of the two realms, under the influence of the Great Creation Technique, the seal of the Emperor Pass would shrink directly to within a hundred years.

Under such circumstances, Ye Chen would have no time to develop at all. Better that he not return!