ISWI Chapter 821-822

Chapter 821: Farming the Heavenly Emperor for Achievements!

Feeling Ye Chen's burning gaze, Fan Qinghe sighed deeply within her heart. The three of them had reaped unearned benefits, yet now lay utterly spent, unable to move a muscle. Ye Chen, however, appeared brimming with vigor, showing no sign of depletion. His foundation was truly astonishing. She felt profoundly fortunate to have found such a Protector.

Languid and immobile, Fan Qinghe could only meet his eyes with a dazed, apologetic look.

"I am truly exhausted. Let my master and grandmaster tend to you."

Ye Chen's lips twitched at her words. Was that what he had meant?

Fan Qinghe's master, after all, was not his official divine maiden. This time, she had hitched a ride, soaring through realms in a single flight—crossing three heavens outright—and savored that bliss. She needed to perform properly in return. Yet exhaustion pinned her down completely.

The grandmaster, who had stubbornly endured until consciousness fled, now regained her senses and managed to stand—though her legs still trembled. She fussed attentively before and behind Ye Chen, expressing her gratitude...

Joy filled the grandmaster's heart. Her previous Protector had been a genius, yet ultimately limited. She had never tasted the fulfillment of a perfect transformation. Now, finally feeling that profound satiety and satisfaction, she could not shake the sense that her prior three millennia had been wasted.

Human greed ran deep. She had once thought breaking through to Half-Saint would leave her content, with no regrets in death. Yet now, she already anticipated Ye Chen reaching the peak of the Sixth Heaven. Might she join the feast once more?

Thus, the grandmaster labored tirelessly, attending to every detail.

Half a day later, Fan Qinghe's master recovered as well and joined in proactively. Fan Qinghe came last. But Ye Chen remained resolute. Until all her transformations completed, he would not take that final step. She could only assist from the side, offering what meager aid her tongue provided...

...

Ye Chen felt a touch helpless. He had merely meant to praise the divine maiden's kind heart. He had not anticipated this turn. Truth be told, he disliked it. Yet their gratitude burned so fiercely that outright refusal would only wound them. Sigh... he had no choice.

A week passed like this.

Ye Chen's expression shifted abruptly.

The grandmaster arched a brow. Why had he peaked so suddenly this time?

Before she could speak, Ye Chen gently laid them down one by one. Aura boiled from him, surging wildly. He resembled an unstoppable volcano, flames roaring ceaselessly.

Ye Chen addressed the three women solemnly.

"My cultivation can no longer be suppressed. I am about to break through. I will seclude myself here in this cave abode. Those who need to condense your cave heavens, do so. Those ready to advance, break through."

The Nirvana Scripture proved wondrous indeed. Fan Qinghe and her master now possessed realms in name only. They had reached the peak of the Third Heaven, yet had not opened their cave heavens. Attaining the peak of the Third Heaven without a cave heaven was absurd. A first in the cultivation world. But with the chance to board first and buy the ticket later, it highlighted the sutra's sheer audacity. Whoever created this technique had been a supreme expert.

With that, Ye Chen bestowed numerous treasures upon Fan Qinghe for condensing her cave heaven. He gave plenty to her master as well—and the grandmaster received her share. Spatial divine stones and the like, he handed out in heaps. The stronger their cave heaven foundations, the more they could accommodate in the future—and the more he could bestow. This was an investment in tomorrow.

Ye Chen never skimped. His generosity made the three women's eyes shine brighter. Ye Chen truly loved Qinghe too much. Gifting her supreme treasures came as no surprise. After all, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had lavished a Sacred Spiritual Root upon his woman. But to include them both in gifts meant for Qinghe? Clearly, for her sake alone. The Heavenly Emperor's heir was so generous!

His words stunned them further. After days of such intense drawing, any other divine maiden's protector would have crumbled to dust. Yet Ye Chen brimmed over, on the verge of a breakthrough?

Absurd. Truly absurd. Did the Heavenly Emperor's heir possess an innate talent for automatic cultivation? Did his realm simply climb without effort?

Upon hearing that Ye Chen was about to break through, all three women took the matter with utmost seriousness. Without another word, they withdrew immediately. They stationed themselves outside the cave abode to stand guard. They even activated the sect's grand formation, barring any outsider from entering the Heavenly Desire Sect. The grandmaster even asked whether they should awaken the ancestral master to assist in protection!

Their caution was hardly surprising. Even setting aside their profound gratitude for Ye Chen renewing their immortal paths, the mere prospect that he would return once more at the peak of the Sixth Heaven made it worth devoting everything to him.

After long hesitation, however, the grandmaster chose not to awaken the ancestral master. The reason was simple: the ancestral master's lifespan was truly nearing its end. It would be better to save her awakening for a genuine crisis. Wasting her remaining years now would deprive the sect of a vital trump card.

…

Meanwhile, within the cave abode, Ye Chen's Immortal Spiritual Root finally completed its full transformation that very day. The change swept through his body in a violent surge, his aura exploding outward. Combined with the ten-thousand-fold feedback from before, and the Heart of the World Tree, which had spent the past week converting all his law power into pure law origin force, the sheer volume was impossible to contain any longer. There was no time to return to his own holy land. He could only settle it here and now.

After sending the three women out, Ye Chen tossed down an array disk. He immediately summoned the projection of the Nine Transformations Heaven-Piercing Furnace from within his cave heaven. Its radiant light enveloped him as he began the breakthrough…

A faint intuition stirred within Ye Chen. After this breakthrough, his cultivation might not stop at the early stage of the Fourth Heaven—it could climb even higher. The accumulation he had gathered this time was simply too vast.

At the same time, he looked forward to this breakthrough with genuine anticipation. Because this time, a heavenly tribulation would descend. With his current strength, he was bound to face the Heavenly Emperor once more.

In the past, various circumstances had always prevented a true, decisive battle. This time, surely nothing would interfere. At last, he would claim the achievement of defeating the Heavenly Emperor at the same realm. As for losing? Impossible.

The current Ye Chen felt terrifyingly powerful. Forget the Heavenly Emperor at the same realm—even one a full major realm above him posed no real threat.

…

In a hidden corner far outside the Heavenly Desire Sect, a mighty figure who had once appeared beside the Alkaid Holy Son gazed coldly toward the sect gates from afar. Around him gathered a group of powerful experts, all cloaking their auras. They had assembled here for one purpose alone. To assassinate the Heavenly Emperor's heir.

Even after he had gifted the Nirvana Sacred Liquid to Lan Nuo, the threat he posed remained far too great. A mere King realm cultivator who could casually suppress two Saints and hand them to Lan Nuo as stepping stones for her battle record.

The Heavenly Emperor's heir's dominance had already exceeded all reason. Many had come to a chilling realization: If he were not cut down in his youth, the Immortal Path in this generation might truly be without suspense. Each of them had their own favored juniors, clansmen, or disciples. The existence of the Heavenly Emperor's heir threatened to render all of it meaningless. Therefore, the man who blocked too many paths—the Heavenly Emperor's heir—had to die…

Chapter 822: Ancient Prodigies!

"The Heavenly Evolution Holy Land has dispatched one Great Saint and two Saint Kings to guard the Heavenly Emperor's heir! As for that Feng Baiyu—though he enjoyed great renown among the previous generation's prodigies—he remains merely at the King realm. No need to concern ourselves with him. And the Heavenly Desire Sect? A mere second-rate power with only one Saint in the entire sect. They likely lack even the courage to interfere.

"Once everyone arrives, we will immediately deploy the ultimate killing formation to seal this entire domain. We strike the Heavenly Emperor's heir down at once, giving neither the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land nor its allies any chance to provide aid. In the Central Continent, the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land remains ever vigilant. Here in the Great Yan Continent, however, they have relaxed their guard. This is the perfect moment to act."

The Great Saint from the Devouring lineage spoke with unshakable confidence.

Though this assassination attempt was spearheaded by the Devouring lineage, the powerful experts gathered here hailed from various major forces. Within their respective sects and clans, they had tirelessly spread the narrative of the Heavenly Emperor's heir as an existential threat.

In doing so, they had drawn in hostile powers willing to send their strongest. They themselves merely served as the bridge, the matchmakers. This time, two Great Saints had come—including himself.

Five Saint Kings. Seven Saints. Such a lineup could sweep across the cultivation world with impunity. Once fully assembled, they would unleash a supreme divine array to lock down the heavens and earth, shattering the Heavenly Desire Sect's mountain gate formation. Even if the Heavenly Emperor's heir truly possessed a Sacred Spiritual Root and could slay across realms, he would die without question.

A terrifying killing intent slowly descended.

In a distant, hidden corner, the Alkaid Holy Son—his body suffused with divine radiance—gazed calmly toward the Heavenly Desire Sect. He had personally orchestrated this assault against Ye Chen. He was utterly confident in his own future. He feared no one—not even the Seven-Crowned Kings, the Heavenly Princes, or the Exiled Immortals. Yet if he could eliminate such rivals ahead of time, why not?

It was far better to dispose of them effortlessly than to risk a deadly battle. Ye Chen carried countless secrets. Should he personally slay him, the rewards would be boundless.

After a moment of hesitation, however, the Alkaid Holy Son chose not to approach. He merely watched from afar, hoping to witness Ye Chen's fall with his own eyes.

…

In the blink of an eye, a week passed. The experts from various powers, all drawn here for the Heavenly Emperor's heir, had finally assembled. Just as they began silently laying down their killing array in the void, preparing to seal the Heavenly Desire Sect without a sound, the once-clear sky above the sect suddenly darkened.

Dark clouds gathered in an instant. Heavenly punishment converged. Silver lightning coiled like ancient dragons, flickering in and out of the roiling thunderheads. The scope of the tribulation clouds was immense, their might boundless. Even Great Saints felt a palpable killing intent.

Never before had any of them witnessed a tribulation of such terrifying power. Yet they understood immediately. It could only be the Heavenly Emperor's heir breaking through. Only a supreme prodigy like him could summon such a horrifying thunder tribulation upon advancement. Without hesitation, the hidden experts retreated swiftly.

In the cultivation world, no one dared disturb another's tribulation. Not out of moral superiority, but because interference invited lightning to strike them as well—and with amplified force. Thus, they withdrew without delay.

Yet deep in their hearts, shock rippled through them all. The Heavenly Emperor's heir had risen to prominence in less than a century. In such a short span, he was already on the verge of breaking through to the Fourth Heaven of Mahayana—achieving Half-Saint.

This monstrous pace of advancement truly lent credence to the rumors of a Sacred Spiritual Root. As for why it was not quite as absurdly fast as the legends claimed, they speculated that the Heavenly Emperor's heir perhaps prioritized strengthening his combat power over hastily climbing realms. Thus the slight delay.

In any case, Ye Chen's tribulation only deepened the gravity on the faces of the gathered powerhouses. For the sake of their nephews, juniors, and disciples vying for Immortal Qi, for the sake of their own clans and sects soaring to new heights in their wake, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had to die!

"Boom…"

A terrifying bolt of lightning tore through the dim sky, illuminating the heavens and earth as though a rift had opened in reality itself. A destructive aura flooded the entire domain. Every eye widened in shock.

Fan Qinghe stood together with her master and grandmaster—three voluptuous, breathtakingly beautiful women whose presence would normally draw every gaze. Yet at this moment, no one spared them a glance. All attention was fixed upon the tribulation above. Each thunderbolt carried enough power to slay a Half-Saint outright.

Nevertheless, the lone figure within the storm remained utterly calm, standing unshaken as he basked in the baptism of lightning. Everyone could not help but marvel at the sheer resilience of his fleshly body.

Soon, astonishment deepened. The one undergoing tribulation was not merely tempering his body with the thunder, refining himself. He was multitasking—summoning two weapons and beginning to refine them even amid the chaos.

Due to the interference of the tribulation, the sight remained somewhat unclear. Yet it was possible to make out what appeared to be a small cauldron and a banner. The small cauldron was easy to recognize. But what sort of weapon was the banner?

A soul-refining banner seemed unlikely—the Heavenly Emperor's heir walked the upright path and showed no sign of practicing malevolent arts. It must be some other hidden trump card.

The onlookers committed the image to memory, preparing themselves for the future.

Seven full days passed.

The intensity of the thunder was staggering. The sheer number of bolts was equally shocking. Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine tribulations in total, each one stronger than the last. By the end, even Great Saints felt their bones go numb.

The greater one's talent, the more numerous and ferocious the thunder. This tribulation had surely reached the absolute limit. For anyone else—even a peak Half-Saint—crossing such a storm right after breaking through to the Fourth Heaven would have meant death countless times over. Yet the Heavenly Emperor's heir stood quietly at the center, accepting the cleansing without the slightest ripple of disturbance.

The faces of the hidden experts grew increasingly grave, their killing intent thickening. Even the distant Alkaid Holy Son narrowed his eyes, retreating another stretch with a thoughtful expression.

…

When the final bolt of thunder finally dissipated, no one relaxed. Given the unparalleled talent the Heavenly Emperor's heir had displayed, one more tribulation remained. The infamous Imprint Tribulation—the mark of prodigies. It summoned the lingering imprint of an ancient supreme genius left behind in the heavenly tribulation.

The stronger one was, the more terrifying the ancient prodigy encountered. And in his previous King realm breakthrough, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had already reached a level unprecedented in history. Thus, the living imprint he faced this time would surely be among the most supreme ancient prodigies.

Speculation stirred among the crowd.

"Could it be the Heavenly Emperor himself?"

"The Nine Great Venerables who created the Nine Secrets are also possible!"

"The Western Queen Mother cannot be ruled out."

"From the myriad races, it could be supreme ancient existences like the Undying Celestial Emperor, the Stone Emperor, and so on…"

Complex emotions swirled in every heart as they guessed. These figures represented the pinnacle of both human and myriad race history—true apex existences. Even after vanishing for countless ages, their legends had not faded in the slightest. To speculate that one of their imprints might appear already placed Ye Chen's talent on the same scale as theirs. Some of the bolder ones even believed the talent he had shown surpassed those legends.

Yet even with such expectations, when the living imprint battlefield slowly coalesced deep within the tribulation clouds, every eye widened in disbelief. Shock and incredulity filled their gazes.

Far away, the Alkaid Holy Son's expression darkened to an extreme. He retreated even farther!