ISWI Chapter 1285-1287 (Patreon)

Chapter 1285: It Is Your Divine Sword!

"Many thanks, Senior. I will certainly bring out a spatial-type Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruit for you."

Tuoba Immortal King first frowned slightly at the words, yet soon smiled. The frown had arisen because Ye Chen still addressed him as Senior. The youth was truly not quick-witted enough. Any other cultivator would long since have seized the chance and called him Master.

Yet this very quality was what he appreciated in Ye Chen. Traditional and pure-hearted, the youth set one's mind at ease. Moreover, Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruits held unimaginable significance for a Golden Immortal. Each one was precious to the extreme. The moment he voiced the request, Ye Chen had agreed without even asking a question.

The depth of the youth's gratitude was plain. Such a disciple was precisely what he needed. Tuoba Immortal King's satisfaction with Ye Chen reached its peak in that instant. This was his disciple now. No one else was to snatch him away.

Tuoba Immortal King offered no explanation for why he required Ye Chen to present a Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruit. He intended to give the youth a surprise later. Instead, he turned to the matter of the secret realm.

"I bestow this Heaven and Earth Catastrophe Divine Sword upon you not so that you may slaughter freely in every direction. You must understand that there are always greater talents beyond, and skies beyond the sky.

"Previously, many top-ranked Golden Immortal disciples deliberately refrained from breaking through for the sake of Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruits, accumulating strength for years. Only after securing a slot did they choose to advance.

"Therefore, the strong participants this time are truly numerous. With your talent and this top-grade immortal artifact, you will certainly not rank among the weak, yet you must remember that harmony is most precious.

"Originating from the Nineteenth Realm is no disgrace, yet the status remains too low. If you wish to climb higher in the future and enter the heart of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, you must make more friends.

"Take He Guangyan, for example. You have a conflict with him, yet before the path of immortality, such matters are trivial. Should you see him in difficulty and lend a hand a few times, you may become friends.

"The more friends you have, the steadier your immortal path will become. Cultivation is not merely fighting and killing. Cultivation is also the ways of the world. Master gifts you four words that you must keep firmly in mind: harmony is most precious."

Ye Chen: …

This differed far too greatly from his own principles of life. Yet Ye Chen had never enjoyed argument. It held little meaning. Words rarely changed another's thinking. He therefore nodded earnestly. "I have remembered Senior's teachings. Once I enter the secret realm, I will restrain myself as much as possible."

Inwardly, however, Ye Chen had already decided. He must kill more, especially He Guangyan. That fellow would be the first to die upon entry. Such actions ought to make Tuoba Immortal King feel that their philosophies of seeking immortality diverged. Perhaps the Immortal King would then conclude that those whose paths differed could not work together and would abandon him.

Seeing Ye Chen accept the counsel so readily, Tuoba Immortal King grew still more satisfied. He knew the secret realm would be filled with slaughter. Ye Chen was fully aware of the danger yet still agreed. The respect was genuine. Thus he added, "Your own safety must still come first."

He then shifted the topic and began explaining the secret realm. "Ye Chen, you certainly know little of the Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruit secret realm. I shall explain it for you now. When you enter later, you will be able to plan in advance and find a way to obtain two Dao Fruits. The Great Luo Dao Fruit secret realm was constructed by Immortal Kings. The positions where the Dao Fruits gestate lie in ten different directions, each separated by great distances.

"Most importantly, the fruits only fully mature and emerge three days before the secret realm closes. At the center of the realm stands a formation plate that automatically records the locations and law attributes of all ten Dao Fruits.

"Cultivators must proceed to different directions according to the attributes they require and wait there. Once you have secured the one you need, little time will remain. Therefore, the best course is to set out at once for the location of the second Dao Fruit."

Tuoba Immortal King continued detailing the structure of the secret realm.

This arrangement caused Ye Chen, who had never paid much attention to competitors, to furrow his brows. Was the secret realm truly this troublesome? The ten Dao Fruits were actually separated and extremely far apart? And they would only emerge in the final three days? Even if he was formidable, would there still be enough time?

What if someone obtained a Dao Fruit and simply left the secret realm? This was not easy to manage. How was he supposed to claim all ten Great Luo Dao Fruits? He could not truly kill everyone, could he?

The secret realm was vast. Could he even finish the killing? And slaughtering on such a scale for the sake of opportunity, did that not somewhat cross the line? Might he lose himself afterward?

Ye Chen sank into distress.

Tuoba Immortal King, observing his expression, assumed the youth was troubled over the spatial Great Luo Dao Fruit and smiled at once. Securing a second fruit was indeed rather difficult.

The secret realm had opened a hundred times already, yet cultivators who obtained two Great Luo Dao Fruits remained exceedingly rare. In He Wushuang's generation, He Wushuang himself had claimed six, yet that success stemmed not only from his personal strength but also from other members of the He family who entered the realm specifically to delay opponents, allowing He Wushuang to arrive at top speed and reap the harvest. Such a feat was essentially impossible to repeat.

"There is no need to worry overmuch. Prioritize the Dao Fruit you yourself require. Only after obtaining it should you consider the rest. If you fail to secure the spatial Great Luo Dao Fruit, you need not feel pressure."

Tuoba Immortal King smiled as he offered comfort. Obtaining two fruits was genuinely hard. He merely sought to motivate Ye Chen. Should the youth prove unable to succeed, he had already prepared other gifts to help forge a connection with that female prodigy of the Third Realm. The matter was therefore truly not serious.

Ye Chen, who had been frowning throughout, finally conceived a method. His brows smoothed as he looked at Tuoba Immortal King. "Senior, please rest assured. This junior will certainly not fail the mission and will obtain the spatial Great Luo Dao Fruit for you."

Tuoba Immortal King smiled, greatly appreciating the youth's confidence. He patted Ye Chen's shoulder with satisfaction. "Work hard. When you emerge this time, so long as you obtain a single Great Luo Dao Fruit, I will accept you as a personal disciple."

In truth, even if Ye Chen's luck proved truly poor and he obtained none at all, Tuoba Immortal King would still accept him. Yet speaking the words in that manner might remove any means of motivation.

Upon hearing them, Ye Chen's mouth twitched faintly, and his expression grew solemn.

Tuoba Immortal King smiled. Seeing that Ye Chen showed no dissatisfaction toward the status of nominal disciple and instead treated the matter with such gravity only increased his satisfaction. He said nothing further and strode outward at once.

Once the secret realm concluded, provided Ye Chen's results were not poor, he would have to boast thoroughly about this disciple of his before Moon Arrival Immortal King.

Watching Tuoba Immortal King prepare to leave, Ye Chen hurriedly spoke. "Senior, your divine sword…"

He still wished to refuse. His need for the weapon was truly not high. Yet Tuoba Immortal King did not look back and answered with easy flair. "No. It is your Heaven and Earth Catastrophe Divine Sword."

With those words, his figure vanished completely.

Ye Chen stared at the divine sword, feeling somewhat numb. He did not know whether his true master would contact him next. When the time came, he would tell her that Tuoba Immortal King's generosity toward him also carried expectations of return.

Tuoba Immortal King likely harbored no ill intent. It was simply a case of the strong investing in the weak while awaiting repayment. His master would surely set her mind at ease and prepare to acknowledge their relationship openly.

Chapter 1286: The Target of All!

Huo Linglong sat within the Great Sun Glazed Purification Pool, lotus blossoms blooming and fading around her fiery figure. She halted her cultivation and frowned at Ye Chen, who was pretending to maintain the divine pool while his gaze actually swept every direction.

Her expression grew somewhat complicated.

Two years had already passed since the previous Ten Outstanding Ones Trial secret realm concluded. The Dao Academy flourished like the midday sun, gathering prodigies from across the entire Immortal Realm, even drawing out some reclusive family forces.

The resources and opportunities it provided were truly abundant. Even Wanwan had sent word that she had already reached the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, yet within the Dao Academy she still did not rank among the outstanding. It was said that the strongest among them had already attained the Ancestral Immortal realm.

At that thought, Huo Linglong could not help feeling a twinge of regret. With Ye Chen's talent, remaining outside the Dao Academy was truly a pity. He likely knew this as well, for over these two years he had remained in his cave residence cultivating diligently, and the frequency with which he sought out female cultivators had clearly decreased.

Yet the Dao Academy represented the prevailing trend, concentrating the Immortal Realm's finest resources. It was a rare tide that could not be forced. An individual's efforts held no meaning before the great momentum of the era. Had Ye Chen entered the Dao Academy and gained those resources, he would certainly have advanced further. By now he would likely already be a Great Luo.

Thinking thus, the chain around Huo Linglong's waist swayed lightly in the water as she prepared to offer him proper comfort. "Fourth Ancestor Ye, turn your back. Wait until I rise and we can talk. Cultivation should not obsess over temporary speed. Walking steadily is equally…"

Ye Chen looked at the fiery beauty and smiled faintly. Although he did not know what she wished to discuss, he had no time. He had returned this trip merely to deliver a casual gift. The secret realm at the War God Academy was about to open, and he needed to claim his Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruits and source. The source in particular. He Guangyan had been watching him for so long without cause. It was time to satisfy the fellow.

"I still have matters to attend to. Junior niece, leave your words for next time."

With that, he glanced at Huo Linglong a few more times before turning and returning to his cave residence.

Watching his desolate yet hurried back, Huo Linglong could not help sighing softly. Ye Chen clearly refused to accept reality.

At that realization, she felt a measure of heartache. Their Jade Pool Immortal Sect was truly too weak. Had the Western Empress still been present, those people back then would never have dared force Ye Chen to leave the Dao Academy. Ye Chen had truly been wronged.

In the past, Huo Linglong had believed that Ye Chen's joining the Jade Pool Immortal Sect was the sect's misfortune. Now she truly felt that the Jade Pool Immortal Sect had held Ye Chen back.

On Ye Chen's side, after years of shuttling between the two realms, he had become thoroughly familiar with the route. He needed no prior preparation and simply pierced through, returning to the War God Academy of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths as easily as going home. Flying out of his cave residence, he headed at once toward the Transmission Divine Mountain in the core region of the War God Academy.

The War God Academy had fused the immortal civilizations of every realm and developed the application of immortal civilization with particular rapidity. The entrances to various secret realms had all been established upon the Transmission Divine Mountain, where an immense transmission formation stood. Simply adjusting the coordinates allowed disciples to be sent to secret realms in different locations.

When Ye Chen arrived, a great many core disciples had already gathered atop the Transmission Divine Mountain. A single sweep of his gaze revealed nearly ten thousand figures. The vast majority stood at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, and their auras were terrifying. Even the weaker among them reached the level of Yu Xinghan and his peers. The stronger ones were almost all comparable to Tianzhang Monk.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at the sight. He knew that although Tianzhang Monk possessed little presence before him and behaved quite properly, within the Chaos Secret Realm of that time the man had absolutely ranked as the foremost Golden Immortal. Yet placed within the War God Academy, even entering the top hundred among Golden Immortals proved difficult. The gap could be imagined.

Apart from the Golden Immortals, quite a number of Great Luo Golden Immortals were also present. A single sweep of the eye revealed a full several hundred. Slots for the Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruit secret realm had begun to be released three years in advance. Anyone who reached the peak of the Golden Immortal realm had a chance to compete for one.

These people had mostly obtained their slots first and then chosen to break through to the Great Luo realm. The majority stood at the early stage of Great Luo, having advanced only recently. Yet more than a dozen among them radiated terrifying auras and had already reached the peak of the Great Luo realm. Clearly, these dozen or so had consumed ordinary Great Luo Dao Fruits and soared in cultivation in a single step.

In the Immortal Realm, Great Luo Dao Fruits were rare. The Other Domain, however, was far too vast, not to mention that it could even cultivate Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruits. Under such circumstances, ordinary Great Luo Dao Fruits, while not exactly commonplace, were still stocked by most top-tier forces.

Ye Chen merely marveled briefly at the wealth of the Other Domain and paid no further attention to so many peak Great Luo. To him, there was little difference between the peak of Great Luo and its early stage.

While casually surveying the surroundings, he entered the area atop the divine mountain. There was no need to sign in or register. Authority had already been infused into his disciple token. Once the secret realm opened, transmission power would wrap around him and carry him inside.

The moment Ye Chen arrived, the crowd of prodigies, their forms wreathed in flowing immortal light, radiant divine wheels, and myriad strange phenomena, all noticed him. Their gazes swept up and down the seemingly ordinary youth, each pair of eyes filled with malice.

Although no personal grudges existed between them, Ye Chen's life had been linked to the Crane Blood Divine Pills because of He Guangyan. There was naturally nothing more to say. Inside the secret realm, one could act without consequence.

In truth, the War God Academy, and indeed the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, encouraged slaughter. They hoped the top prodigies would rise higher through mutual killing. As for those who died, most would at best have reached the Immortal Monarch realm in their lifetimes.

To the majority of forces, an additional Immortal Monarch might be beneficial, yet to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, an Immortal Monarch with no hope of becoming an Immortal King represented only further consumption. Better that such people fall here and nourish the true prodigies.

Thus the gazes directed at Ye Chen held not the slightest concealment. Though insubstantial, the concentrated attention carried enormous pressure. Sensing that malicious scrutiny, Ye Chen felt a measure of puzzlement yet also a surge of pure delight, as though he had returned home. He had originally planned to fish for targets, yet it seemed unnecessary now.

Although he did not know the precise details, he was certain this surprise had been prepared for him by that kind-hearted fellow He Guangyan. At the thought, he could not help sighing. The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths truly contained many good people.

At that same moment, He Guangyan stood at the center of the crowd. Sensing Ye Chen's arrival, he likewise looked over, a cold smile in his eyes. He felt the youth must already be panicking. Imagining the scene of Ye Chen being hunted by various factions after entering the secret realm only increased his pleasure.

Ye Chen detected He Guangyan's gaze and immediately offered a friendly smile, as though regarding a close friend.

He Guangyan froze for an instant, then grew even more contemptuous. Was Ye Chen trying to curry favor with him now? Too late.

Chapter 1287: Ye Chen Was Bullied!

Anyone who provoked him had to die.

After one final indifferent glance at Ye Chen, He Guangyan withdrew his gaze. A mud-legged fellow from the Nineteenth Realm was not worth mentioning.

The most important matter ahead remained locating the spatial-type Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruit within the secret realm. He already stood at the threshold of breaking through to the Great Luo realm at any moment.

His family had even prepared secret methods for him. The instant he obtained a Multiverse Great Luo Dao Fruit, he could refine it at once. Within a single day, he would fully master the laws within and reach the peak of the Great Luo realm.

After the He family's bloodline advanced to Great Luo, it possessed a unique bloodline immortal domain. Once fused with the Multiverse spatial Great Luo laws, his immortal domain would directly attain its peak, and his speed would rise to an unimaginable degree. He might even have time to seize an additional Dao Fruit. At that thought, the corners of He Guangyan's mouth could not help curling into a smile.

On Ye Chen's side, although he felt that every gaze directed at him represented a source of origin and the attention was rather pleasant, watching a cultivator with a hooked eagle nose and eyes that seemed to carry hooks of their own stare fixedly at him still left him somewhat displeased. The other party stood at the early stage of Great Luo, his aura terrifying, every movement radiating the presence of an ancient fierce beast.

"What are you looking at?" Ye Chen glared at him and spoke directly.

The hooked-nose cultivator was momentarily stunned that his prey had suddenly questioned him, yet he soon gave a sinister laugh. "Looking at you, what of it?"

Ye Chen showed him no courtesy. "Quite arrogant, aren't you? Once we enter the secret realm, I'll kill you."

This time the hooked-nose cultivator laughed outright. A mere mud-legged fellow from the Nineteenth Realm who possessed only a Sacred Spirit Root and an ordinary immortal body dared challenge a Great Luo like himself, one whose bloodline stood far above the ordinary? He truly came from a backwater place, fearless only because of ignorance.

The hooked-nose cultivator's mouth stretched into a grin. "In that case, once we enter the secret realm, I will seek you out first and see exactly how you plan to kill me."

As he spoke, a traceless special aura followed his hook-like gaze and settled upon Ye Chen.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

The hooked-nose cultivator narrowed his eyes, believing Ye Chen had noticed. Yet the next moment, Ye Chen merely sneered. "Find me first before you talk."

Seeing that Ye Chen remained unaware, the hooked-nose cultivator's smile grew even brighter. He could not be bothered to waste more words on a dead man and turned back with a cheerful expression. "Rest assured, I will find you at the earliest possible moment."

The secret realm was vast, yet the Great Luo Dao Fruits would only emerge on the final three days. He would have ample time in between to locate Ye Chen and erase him. In exchange for five Crane Blood Divine Pills, the effort was worth his personal involvement.

The surrounding onlookers, seeing Ye Chen act so boldly, felt initial surprise and a measure of wariness. They wondered whether the youth possessed some hidden card. After all, the hooked-nose cultivator carried the bloodline of an Immortal Peng and had once ranked among the top hundred of the Golden Immortal sequence. Now that he had broken through to Great Luo, he was even more terrifying. That Ye Chen showed no fear of such an existence suggested he might have some substance.

Yet in the next moment, some among them faintly detected the tracking aura the hooked-nose cultivator had left behind. Ye Chen, however, remained completely unaware. They could not help shaking their heads. Someone unable to notice even this could hardly be a true powerhouse. He was merely bold, was that it?

Beyond their contempt, however, their interest stirred. After all, Ye Chen was worth five Crane Blood Divine Pills. One after another, they either stirred their minds or lightly twitched their fingers, silently sending their own tracking methods toward Ye Chen. They held no fear of discovery. Even if Ye Chen noticed, what could he do?

To their delight, Ye Chen remained entirely oblivious. He continued glaring at the hooked-nose cultivator, allowing one aura and imprint after another to settle upon him. The ease of the process only increased the joy of those who had tried.

Was that all?

Their actions were noticed by still more people, who likewise grew tempted. In a short span, all manner of imprints and auras flew toward Ye Chen.

Ye Chen only felt that the sky had grown a little darker. Had those imprints, auras, and seals possessed any weight, he suspected he would already have gained several jin. Yet he continued to wear an expression of complete unawareness.

The crowd grew even more delighted, feeling that the five Crane Blood Divine Pills would be far too easy to earn. Still more people grew tempted and successively left their own imprints. Ye Chen simply stood there without the slightest reaction.

After a while, however, he truly could no longer hold back. The main reason was a brilliant red imprint, resembling a miniature sun, that flew straight toward him. If he still failed to notice that one, everyone would probably conclude he was blind.

Ye Chen turned his head in puzzlement and looked at the cultivator who had sent the imprint. "What are you doing?"

The onlookers also stared blankly at the fellow. Although they considered Ye Chen weak and paid little attention to technique, this was truly far too brazen.

The cultivator under everyone's gaze and Ye Chen's questioning was a plump man.

Faced with Ye Chen's stare, he felt a touch of guilt, yet upon reflecting that Ye Chen had already been targeted by so many and would not survive the secret realm, he steeled himself. "I find you unpleasant to look at. I simply want to leave an imprint on you so I can kill you after entering the secret realm. What, are you unconvinced?"

Ye Chen: …

In all his years of fishing, he had never seen a fish bite the hook with such ferocity. It left him somewhat unable to maintain his composure. He shook his head. "Fine. You are the first to dare leave an imprint on me. Your courage is commendable. I permit you to place it, but if you intend to come kill me, you had best bring your friends along."

With that, he no longer dodged and allowed the miniature sun to settle upon him. Ye Chen had already examined every mark thoroughly. These imprints and seals possessed only tracking effects. A single thought from him would erase them all.

Once his words fell, the watching prodigies burst into laughter.

The imprints on your body have nearly piled into a mountain, and you still claim this is the first? Your strength may be lacking, but your mouth is certainly hard.

The plump cultivator had not expected to succeed in leaving the imprint either and revealed a look of joy. If luck favored him, those five Crane Blood Divine Pills might well become his.

Thereafter, no one else acted with the same complete lack of pretense as the plump cultivator. Imprints continued to fall from time to time. In the eyes of certain cultivators who possessed heavenly eyes, immortal eyes, or special pupil techniques, Ye Chen now appeared to be carrying an enormous turtle shell upon his back.

Some elders also noticed and frowned slightly, yet they did not intervene. The War God Academy was no greenhouse. The strong survived and the unfit perished. The weak deserved to die.

He Guangyan watched the scene from afar and furrowed his brows. He had never regarded Ye Chen as a fool, still less as a weakling. The single strike that had once destroyed his new vehicle had been no joke. Under these circumstances, how could Ye Chen possibly fail to notice the imprints?

With so many already placed, even the weakest primordial spirit ought to have detected them. Therefore… was Ye Chen doing this deliberately? Yet to what end?

He Guangyan narrowed his eyes, unable to figure it out.

At that moment, the transmission formation activated and light flared. Simultaneously, the voice of an elder entered every ear. "Transmission begins. One month from now, all of you will automatically return."