ISWI Chapter 746-747

Chapter 746: Ye Chen, Who Knows No Bounds!

Ye Chen stared at the dense, seemingly endless descriptions in the system prompt. Shock numbed him from head to toe. A tempest raged in his heart.

Primordial Cave Heaven? The dawn of worlds? Could he truly have drawn something like this?

Even with Yao Yuezhi's multiplier now at six thousandfold. Even with a maxed-out critical hit. Ye Chen still found it utterly absurd. He had braced for subpar feedback, since Yao Yuezhi hadn't drained him fully. Perhaps just an expansion in scale. Instead, it had yielded an unbound Primordial Cave Heaven?

Others' domains, once formed, locked like cast molds—unchanging in size or capacity. His, though? Infinite, brimming with endless potential? And the heavens and myriad realms—all born from the Primordial Cave Heaven's evolution? Didn't that mean he too could one day derive heavens and realms of his own? If this world ever soured, he could simply spawn a new one? A bit ridiculous.

Yet the surging power within him, and the rapid metamorphosis of his domain, stood as irrefutable proof.

Beyond that, Ye Chen clearly felt his cultivation climb like bamboo shoots after spring rain—steadily, relentlessly—brushing the peak of early Third Heaven in a blink. One more step, and mid-stage awaited.

All told, this feedback far eclipsed Ye Chen's wildest expectations. It left him itching to explore his new domain's wonders. And perhaps punch through to mid-stage Third Heaven while at it. But first, he needed to usher Yao Yuezhi out. Wait—this was her cave mansion. Better for him to relocate instead.

Ye Chen gazed at Yao Yuezhi, his face alight with tender warmth. This little green tea truly deserved the world's every treasure. Especially now, at six thousandfold. She outshone Lan Nuo entirely, trailing only Chaos Physique Yan Qingcheng by a hair.

Yao Yuezhi, radiant yet unable to hide her pallid cheeks, lay limp and spent beside him. She felt Ye Chen's gaze, brimming with affection, settle softly upon her. A blush crept across her face at once, like peach blossoms in spring's first warmth. Feigning shyness, she murmured, "How about Brother waits a moment for me?

"That cave heaven essence's rush was too fierce earlier. I need a bit to regain my strength. Once I'm recovered, we can do... other things here in the mansion. After all, Brother knows a cave mansion isn't just for cultivation."

"..."

Ye Chen chuckled at her words, planting a gentle kiss on Yao Yuezhi's smooth forehead.

Having a child? Nice try.

Even at five thousandfold before, he hadn't been willing—let alone now at six.

"Those matters can wait for another day! First, let's go see your parents and share the good news of your recovery. It'll put their minds at ease!"

Ye Chen deftly changed the subject. Yao Yuezhi nodded in agreement. Indeed, her parents must be fretting outside; sharing this news first would reassure them. So, Ye Chen carried the still-too-weak-to-walk Yao Yuezhi out of the cave mansion...

...

Over twenty days had passed.

Yao Yuezhi's parents and brother had waited vigil outside the doors all that time. The longer they lingered, the deeper their worry grew. What on earth was happening inside? Even if she finished drawing essence and they wanted a child, she should have conceived by now, right? Her physique posed no issue—could it be Ye Chen who fell short?

Lost in such wild speculations, their brows furrowed tighter, anxiety plain on their faces. But on this day, the long-sealed cave mansion doors rumbled open at last. Their eyes lit up, and in the next breath, they saw Ye Chen cradling Yao Yuezhi as he emerged slowly.

Seeing Ye Chen's upright posture and unchanged Third Heaven aura, relief washed over them as long as their daughter hadn't heedlessly drained him dry. Otherwise, guilt would have consumed them. Shifting their gaze, they turned to Yao Yuezhi in his arms—exhausted yet radiant. That was the aura of the fourth heaven.

Yao Yuezhi had truly recovered—and more than that. All three sensed her presence now outstripped her former self. Even her father, a Saint realm powerhouse, felt a twinge of alarm gazing upon her now. Had Yuezhi's domain not just restored itself? Had some other fortune befallen her too? But how could that be?

Yet regardless, seeing their daughter renewed, the three exhaled in profound relief, smiles breaking across their faces. But eyeing Yao Yuezhi's utter limpness—even her fingers seemed too weak to lift—their expressions grew complicated once more.

What had transpired?

Yao Yuezhi looked as if she couldn't muster the strength to stand. This left her father with an instant tangle of emotions. Her cultivation's return was a blessing, all thanks to Ye Chen.

A man and woman alone, sparks flying amid overflowing gratitude—any resulting intimacy made sense. But one had to know limits. Especially Ye Chen, with all his experience. Didn't he know to spare Yuezhi some tenderness?

Yao Yuezhi's mother felt a pang of sorrow too. Her daughter couldn't even walk. How exhausted must she be?

Yao Yuekong stayed silent, but he thought the grand tonic soup prepared for Ye Chen might suit his sister better. But no matter what, the joy sparkling in Yao Yuezhi's eyes made it clear she was happy.

Yao Yuezhi shared the essentials of the absorption process with her parents in concise terms. She skipped the details but explained that she hadn't just returned to her former state—she had risen from the ashes, surpassing her past self. And all of it was Ye Chen's doing.

In that moment, the three gazed at Ye Chen with even deeper gratitude. Though he hadn't fallen realms, for her domain to eclipse her old one, even if his own vastness knew no bounds, he must have yielded at least eighty percent. It amounted to a rebirth's grace. Their looks toward Ye Chen now mirrored those for kin. Guilt crested to new heights within them.

Whatever Ye Chen asked for in the future, they would grant without question. His favor toward them was unrepayable—truly beyond reckoning!

Ye Chen sensed their fervor and felt a touch helpless. He exchanged a few polite words, waiting until Yao Yuezhi could barely stand on her own. Only then did he set her down. He mentioned a sudden insight and the need to seclude himself for a breakthrough.

Yao Yuezhi tried to speak. But Ye Chen gave her no chance, flying straight to his own cave mansion.

...

Watching Ye Chen's hasty departure, the four all sighed. Drained as he was, how could he possibly break through? And after such a fierce drawing, dark wounds surely lingered. He merely masked it all, unwilling to let others see his weakness!

"Ye Chen truly is a fine son-in-law!"

"Yuezhi, you must marry him—or you're no daughter of mine!"

"I disown you as a sister too!"

The three spoke in unison to Yao Yuezhi.

Yao Yuezhi eyed Ye Chen's sealed cave mansion doors, worry flickering in her gaze. But at her family's words, she couldn't help smiling. "Of course. Brother Ye's been so good to me—everything I am belongs to him already. I'm not just going to marry him. I want to bear his child, the fruit of our love! If he wants it all, I'll give it gladly!"

Earlier, Yao Yuezhi had meant to invite Ye Chen back into the mansion for... other pursuits. Pity he had left too swiftly. But Yao Yuezhi merely smiled. After all, the rest of her life bound her to Ye Chen. No need to rush a day or two. She stretched lazily, feeling her strength nearly return.

Yao Yuezhi prepared to seclude herself too, to delve deeper into her transformed domain. She sensed the changes went beyond mere numerical boosts. Something extraordinary surely lay hidden. After all, it had consumed so much cave heaven essence.

But at that moment, Yao Yuezhi's parents furrowed their brows and spoke...

Chapter 747: Serve as Brother's Handmaiden!

Yao Yuezhi's father spoke with evident displeasure etched on his face. "Feng Youhuang from the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan has arrived to challenge Ye Chen. She reached the Myriad Races Immortal City yesterday and demanded a duel right away. She's already set up the battlefield in the city."

"Given Ye Chen's unyielding nature—so far, he's charged ahead without fear or retreat—once he learns of this, he'll never back down. He'll accept the fight for sure. But after you drew so much from him, how could he possibly stand against Feng Youhuang?"

"With the realm gap between them, if he steps onto that stage, Ye Chen dies without question. So, talk him out of it later. Don't let him fixate on such trifles. Dodging the fight brings no shame—after all, she's a peak Half-Saint pulling rank on an early King realm. If she has no qualms about her own disgrace, Ye Chen needn't feel any either!"

Yao Yuezhi's father stood firm. This battle could not happen. At his peak, Ye Chen might have matched her, the outcome uncertain. But in his current state, he stood no chance.

Yao Yuezhi's willow brows furrowed as she narrowed her eyes. She knew Feng Youhuang all too well. A true apex existence—back then, facing her had stirred a visceral crisis in Yao Yuezhi's heart.

That chasm in strength lingered vividly in her memory. And after drawing so much from him, Brother's power must have plummeted beyond measure. In that condition, he couldn't possibly prevail. But why should Brother fight at all? She had changed utterly from before. Her strength now soared to heights she could scarcely fathom.

Yao Yuezhi's emerald eyes slitted, battle intent rising as she sneered. "A mere Feng Youhuang—does she even deserve Brother's personal attention? I'll handle her myself and suppress her outright. Last time I heard from the ancestor, Feng Youhuang was selected as one of Celestial Prince's handmaidens too. Once he emerges, she'll trail at his side! If that's the case, I'll capture her and gift her to Brother as a servant..."

Yao Yuezhi's words stunned her parents, their eyes widening in shock. Had she grown too arrogant? That was Feng Youhuang! Only then did Yao Yuezhi detail the changes to her cave heaven.

A hundred thousand li? Further metamorphosis and sublimation? And a full twentyfold temporal acceleration?

The revelation left the three frozen, expressions rigid. But soon, complexity deepened on their faces. They had always known Ye Chen was formidable, but never dreamed he could reach such heights—shattering a limit even the Heavenly Emperor hadn't breached.

The path to that must have demanded unimaginable trials. Yet when his daughter needed him, Ye Chen had cast aside his future without a second thought. This... it brought tears to their eyes!

The more they dwelled on it, the more moved they grew, rims reddening. No matter what they did, they could never repay Ye Chen's grace toward their daughter. His favor was truly beyond redemption!

As her parents and brother fell silent, Yao Yuezhi's eyes gleamed with cold light. "Don't tell Brother about this! I'll handle it!"

...

In Ye Chen's cave mansion, he closed his eyes, savoring the profound shifts within himself, a quiet elation filling his heart. His cave heaven had expanded noticeably beyond its former bounds. Chaotic mists now shrouded its edges, veiling depths that defied clear sight.

Clearly, as his strength grew, the domain held room for further reclamation. This revelation stunned him. After all, every cultivator's cave heaven locked into form upon creation—unyielding in size or scope, no matter how realms advanced.

Yet the greater the domain, the vaster the boons it conferred, fueling a symbiotic ascent. A sustainably evolving cave heaven amplified Ye Chen's power to unimaginable heights.

Beyond that, the feedback from the domain surged with newfound potency, dwarfing its prior gifts. As the cave heaven swelled in the future, so too would its enhancements.

The spirit roots and flora thriving within sprouted with accelerated vigor, channeling richer spiritual resonance back into the core. Some spirit plants even teetered on the brink of mutation. Even the immortal roots flourished more lushly, their immortal essence thickening palpably.

Ye Chen sensed these immortal roots harboring potential for further evolution. As if they had found their ideal cradle. The entire domain's spiritual energy had condensed to near-tangible density. On top of that, the cave heaven now quickened his grasp of laws and principles. Newfound rules blossomed within, ripe for contemplation.

All told, Ye Chen felt his cave heaven had become a sacred ground for cultivation. The benefits it bestowed upon him bordered on the infinite. And this marked only the beginning.

When the seventh heaven dawned and his domain ascended to a minor world, it could evolve straight into an Ancestral Realm. An Ancestral Realm needed no tether to a greater world—utterly self-sufficient. A flawless fallback in any apocalypse.

No matter what cataclysms or Ages of Dharma's End assailed the world, retreat to the Ancestral Realm would render them moot. He might even forge heavens and myriad realms of his own someday.

The thought filled Ye Chen with eager anticipation. After immersing himself in contemplation for a long while, unraveling the Primordial Cave Heaven's myriad wonders,

Ye Chen withdrew his mind at last, redirecting his focus to cultivation. The domain's feedback now flooded him with cultivation base, propelling his progress like a rocket's ascent.

First, the mid-stage of the third heaven. By his reckoning, another year or so would carry him smoothly to late-stage. Two or three years more, and Half-Saint realm—fourth heaven—would follow. With those projections in mind, Ye Chen soon sank into profound cultivation, his entire being surging toward the mid-stage threshold.

...

Time flew like a white steed vanishing in a flash, and in the blink of an eye, the appointed day of the duel set by Feng Youhuang had arrived. Though the Heavenly Emperor's heir had offered no response from start to finish—and hadn't shown his face in nearly a month—rumors swirled wildly through the Myriad Races Immortal City, whispers and gossip filling the air.

Yet Feng Youhuang still arrived at the battlefield, waiting patiently. She stood in a gown of pure white silk that danced with the wind, like a celestial descending to earth. Her features were peerless, her cool face veiled in frost and snow, evoking a phoenix aloof from the world—solitary and proud. She uttered not a word, simply standing motionless at the center of the arena, awaiting Ye Chen's arrival.

Such a spectacle naturally drew countless myriad race members to spectate, among them no shortage of powerhouses. The moment the crowd arrived, they found themselves captivated by Feng Youhuang's breathtaking allure, gasps of admiration rising in waves. Now, they buzzed with chatter.

"Feng Youhuang truly is a vision of devastating beauty—stunning beyond words!"

"Pity such heaven-defying talent should suffer diminished status in her clan, all because of that yet-to-emerge Celestial Prince. They fear she'll steal his thunder."

"I've heard that once Celestial Prince awakens, Feng Youhuang will serve as his personal handmaiden, attending him at all times!"

"Feng Youhuang's aptitude is already monstrous—must she stoop to servitude? That Celestial Prince was routed by the Heavenly Emperor back then, forced into divine source seclusion. Why does the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan still revere him so?"

"Friend, mind your tongue. Losing to the Heavenly Emperor brings no shame..."

The onlookers all pitied Feng Youhuang. In their eyes, she stood as the unrivaled pinnacle among this generation's Myriad Races female cultivators, her talent second to none. She even rivaled the legendary beauty Yan Ruyu from the prior era. Though she might fall a hair short in sheer loveliness, she remained a world-shaking enchantress.

Yet with Celestial Prince in the mix, none dared press further, lest they court disaster. The conversation shifted swiftly to the Heavenly Emperor's heir. Even in seclusion, a minor realm breakthrough shouldn't take this long. Yet he remained absent.

Under such circumstances, many harbored doubts, speculating in hushed tones that the Heavenly Emperor's heir had grown timid, deeming himself no match for Feng Youhuang and slinking away in secret.

A lithe figure descended as if from the heavens, alighting gracefully in the arena. At the same instant, a cool voice laced with mockery echoed across the field. "You, a mere handmaiden to Celestial Prince—do you even deserve to challenge my brother? Have Celestial Prince come in person—that would be more fitting. He lost to the Heavenly Emperor once before. Losing to his heir now should prove equally entertaining."

The voice rang out, and every spectator jolted in shock. Who dared so brazenly, so openly, to mock Celestial Prince?