Chapter 1070: Immortal Ascension
The immortal ascension of this era had finally begun.
Yet the expressions across the entire cultivation world were complicated. The person undergoing ascension was neither the much-discussed prodigy of this realm nor one of the ancient revived old monsters. It was the seemingly ordinary immortal realm female prodigy who had been casually suppressed by the Eight-Crowned King with a single palm.
The final ascension slot of this world had gone to an outsider. Many people in the cultivation world felt a complex mix of emotions. When they thought of the Heavenly Emperor's heir, they could only sigh. They had never imagined he could be this devoted. The ascension opportunity that countless people had fought desperately for had been given away just like that.
It was simply insane. Once one became an immortal, what kind of woman couldn't they have? Was it really necessary?
Discussions raged throughout the outside world.
At that moment, the noble and graceful Yan Ruyu walked out of a forbidden land in the Northern Domain. Her aura was even more perfect and flawless, with nine-colored divine light protecting her from behind, making her look like a heavenly maiden descended upon the mortal world.
Yan Ruyu looked at the jade bottle in her hand, the corners of her lips curving into a soft, beautiful smile. She had obtained the Immortal Qi!
This wisp had been preserved within the immortal core of a true immortal-level avian that her ancestor had slain long ago. After surviving a million years without being eroded by the river of time, it had remained until today. Even so, it had grown extremely weak. She had collected it into the jade bottle, where it could be preserved for another hundred days.
Ascending was a major event, so she naturally planned to return to her ancestral land to do it safely. However, she felt some worry in her heart and wanted to know what had happened on the Immortal Path.
Had Ye Chen been able to defeat the Eight-Crowned King? Had his origin been damaged? Was his life in danger?
As she pondered this, Yan Ruyu suddenly lifted her fair face and looked toward the sky. Terrifying tribulation clouds were gathering, filled with vast immortal might that pressed down on the soul like the end of the world.
The immortal ascension tribulation!
Yan Ruyu immediately understood. Her worry deepened. Who had won between Ye Chen and the Eight-Crowned King?
Without hesitation, she flew toward a nearby tribe. In the blink of an eye, she found an early-stage Mahayana cultivator from the myriad races.
Standing before Yan Ruyu, the man did not even dare to raise his head, afraid that the admiration in his eyes might offend her.
Yan Ruyu's voice rang out like heavenly music, "Who won between the Heavenly Emperor's heir and the Eight-Crowned King?"
The Mahayana cultivator hurriedly replied, "The Heavenly Emperor's heir won. Later, two true immortals descended and were also slapped to death by him… And…"
This Mahayana cultivator from the myriad races was usually stern and spoke very little. Yet now, standing before Yan Ruyu, his heart raced and words poured out unbidden. He even volunteered information she had not asked for.
When Yan Ruyu heard the news, a smile bloomed on her face.
Ye Chen had won? That was wonderful!
She could ascend together with him now.
The Mahayana cultivator stared at her smile and felt as if his heart had stopped beating.
It was over. Their myriad races' unreachable goddess had truly been won over by the Heavenly Emperor's heir.
He could not hold back and prepared to tell her the bad news—that the Heavenly Emperor's heir had given the ascension slot to the immortal realm female prodigy. Upon hearing this, the proud Yan Ruyu would surely become angry and give up on him, no matter how she felt. Even if she had no romantic interest in the Heavenly Emperor's heir, this man still preferred that no one could have her.
However, just as he was about to speak, Yan Ruyu looked at the tribulation clouds in the sky and her expression changed slightly. "Ye Chen is ascending. The tribulation probably won't take long. After ascension, one can only remain in this realm for three days before being forcefully expelled. If I don't hurry and find out where he's going, the immortal realm is vast and boundless. How will I find him in the future?
"Besides, he can only bring eight people. He already has more than eight Dao companions. With his affectionate nature, he would be in pain no matter who he has to abandon. Aside from the Clan Leader and Wenwen, I can give the remaining six slots to his female cultivators. It will make him happy."
With that thought, Yan Ruyu did not hesitate. Nine-colored divine light flowed around her as she tore through the void. In an instant, she vanished from the spot and shot toward the Central Continent.
The Mahayana cultivator from the myriad races was left standing there with a complicated expression, his mouth agape. Not only had the Heavenly Emperor's heir suppressed the myriad races this era, but he had also even plucked their unreachable goddess.
It hurt. It really hurt…
In the Ninth Realm, Wang Xuanji slowly rose into the air and opened her eyes. A vast and majestic immortal might radiated from her.
At this moment, everyone could sense that she had become completely different. Even the Eight-Crowned King, who had previously paid her little attention, narrowed his eyes, feeling a strong sense of wariness in his heart.
Immortal Qi swirled around Wang Xuanji as she stood in the void. Feeling the changes in her body after refining the World Tree, she was filled with deep emotion.
The World Tree had taken root where her spirit root had once been. Its rich life force was rapidly repairing all the damage and hidden injuries caused by the removal of her immortal root. The divine abilities that had been suppressed or dormant because of the missing root were also awakening. Her cultivation was recovering at an astonishing speed.
All of this caused Wang Xuanji's eyes to well up with hot tears.
It had all returned… Everything had come back! Every humiliation, grievance, and hardship she had endured after descending to this lower world had been worth it.
Although Wang Xuanji had not yet ascended, when her gaze swept across the surroundings, every cultivator present felt their souls tremble, as if their very beings were about to shatter.
She glanced at the Eight-Crowned King. He felt her gaze slice across his soul like a divine blade. However, Wang Xuanji's eyes remained calm and indifferent, as if she no longer placed him in her sight.
She then turned her gaze toward Ye Chen. The moment her eyes met his, they softened with tenderness. Her cherry lips parted into a gentle smile. In that instant, it was as if warm flowers had bloomed across the entire Ninth Realm, making the world shine brightly. When she saw the genuine joy and surprise on Ye Chen's face, warmth flooded her heart.
After she had fallen from grace, unable to even defeat the Eight-Crowned King, she had felt lost and without a place in the world. Only by Ye Chen's side had she felt warmth. His current delight was clearly because he was happy for her.
She had now recovered and would soon advance by leaps and bounds, returning to her former heights. But she would never forget Ye Chen's deep affection. She would give him a home!
Wang Xuanji did not speak. There would be plenty of time to talk once she ascended and took him with her. For now, the heavenly tribulation was about to descend.
She lifted her head. A confident smile appeared on her peerlessly beautiful face. A divine sword emerged from between her brows and shot toward the descending divine lightning.
...
Meanwhile, Ye Chen stood frozen in shock, his face a mixture of surprise and bewilderment.
The reason was simple—Wang Xuanji's multiplier had updated.
"Detected that the recipient's multiplier has changed…"
"Wang Xuanji: Five hundred and eighty thousand times!"
Wang Xuanji's multiplier had far exceeded Ye Chen's expectations.
How could it be this high?
Chapter 1071: The Heavenly Emperor Appears Again!
Ye Chen was genuinely shocked.
The World Tree was supposed to be comparable to an Immortal Spiritual Root. How had it pushed her multiplier all the way to five hundred and eighty thousand times?
That was an insane number.
But when he considered that possessing the World Tree could lead straight to the Immortal King realm, it suddenly made sense. Still, reaching around five hundred thousand times just from the World Tree made him curious about his own multiplier. With both an Immortal Spiritual Root and the Primordial Chaos Myriad Worlds Tree, just how high would his own be?
For the first time, Ye Chen realized he didn't have a clear understanding of his own talent. He knew he was very strong, but he had never quantified it precisely. Seeing Wang Xuanji's multiplier skyrocket to five hundred and eighty thousand times after obtaining the World Tree finally gave him a clearer picture of just how monstrous he truly was. If he had a multiplier himself, it would likely be in the millions, if not tens of millions.
...
High above in the sky, Wang Xuanji stood with boundless confidence. Terrifying lightning that seemed capable of destroying the world crashed down toward her, yet she merely lifted her gaze. Her azure robes fluttered as the lightning disintegrated under her stare.
At this moment, Wang Xuanji appeared like a god walking the mortal realm, looking down upon all creation. Later, she even charged upward against the tribulation. The divine sword embryo between her brows sliced through everything, flattening the heavenly tribulation with overwhelming force.
Her invincible bearing left the spectators even more emotional. Many instinctively turned to look at Ye Chen. The immortal realm female prodigy had been unremarkable before, but after obtaining the World Tree, she had undergone a complete transformation and become terrifyingly powerful. This showed just how heaven-defying the World Tree's enhancement was.
Yet the Heavenly Emperor's heir had given it away without hesitation.
At this moment, Wang Xuanji even seemed stronger than the Heavenly Emperor's heir himself. The crowd wondered whether he would feel any regret while watching her dominate the tribulation.
However, Ye Chen remained calm and smiling as he watched.
This left many of them speechless. Deep down, most male cultivators in the cultivation world did not wish for their Dao companions to become stronger than themselves—partly out of fear that they would be looked down upon, and partly due to pride. Yet the Heavenly Emperor's heir showed no such concern at all. For a man to reach this level was truly extraordinary.
...
After shattering the tribulation lightning, Wang Xuanji knew the ordeal was not yet over. She waited calmly for the genius battlefield to manifest, her confidence boundless.
She was now terrifyingly strong—stronger than when she had first ascended with her Immortal Spiritual Root. The World Tree was far more powerful than she had imagined. On top of that, during her previous ascension she had used a Five Elements Dao Seed that her clan had gone to great lengths to obtain. That blessing had now returned, stacking perfectly with the World Tree's enhancement.
Because of this setback and rebirth, she had become even stronger and more perfect than before. With the World Tree helping her comprehend the Great Daos, she would far surpass her former self after this second ascension. And all of this was thanks to the Heavenly Emperor's heir.
Thinking of this, she smiled again and looked toward Ye Chen. She would bring him to the immortal realm. Since he had given everything for her, she would not be stingy either. She would have the entire Wang Family support his cultivation with all their strength.
His identity as the Heavenly Emperor's heir did not matter. She would make sure her father and the clan treated him with proper respect and never allowed anyone to humiliate him.
At that moment, the imprint battlefield finally appeared and enveloped her. A blurry figure manifested within it.
Wang Xuanji smiled, unconcerned about who her opponent was. Her divine sword embryo shot forward.
But in the next instant, the sword embryo was suppressed by a divine fist.
Sensing the familiar aura, Wang Xuanji raised an eyebrow and looked more carefully at the phantom.
During her ascension in the lower world, she had encountered the Heavenly Emperor himself?
Even Ye Chen was slightly surprised. He then smiled. The Heavenly Emperor had never fought him directly, yet he had appeared in Wang Xuanji's ascension tribulation. This was a good chance to see the Heavenly Emperor's level. When he broke through to true immortal himself, he would likely face him as well.
...
In the imprint battlefield, the golden imprint of the Heavenly Emperor manifested and threw a punch that blocked the sword embryo. He frowned at Wang Xuanji. "The Soul-Quelling Decree? Are you from the Wang family?"
Wang Xuanji's feelings toward the Heavenly Emperor were complicated. Deep down, she admired him. After all, he was a true legend. Rising from the lower realms as an ascender, he had grown at an inconceivable speed, halting the invasions from the Other Domain and even slaying several Immortal Kings, forcing those outsiders to remain trapped beyond the Emperor Pass.
Yet from the perspective of her family, the Heavenly Emperor was undeniably an enemy. Still, for her, the continuation of the Wang family mattered above all else. The actions of her ancestors and her father had all been taken to ensure the family's survival. As a beneficiary of their efforts, she had no right to criticize them.
She lowered her head in a respectful bow, then said nothing more. Instead, she unleashed a fierce barrage of attacks against the Heavenly Emperor's imprint, intent on destroying it.
The Heavenly Emperor raised his hand to meet her strikes. His gaze shifted to Ye Chen, and his brow rose slightly. He had assumed that Ye Chen's arrival this time meant the young man had finally become an Immortal. He had not expected someone from the Wang family of the Immortal Realm instead.
Seeing Ye Chen watching from afar, the Heavenly Emperor's frown deepened. He suspected that the Wang family had descended to the lower realm and stolen Ye Chen's opportunity to ascend. Even his usually calm heart stirred with a trace of anger. The Wang family had grown increasingly shameless. They already behaved without restraint in the Immortal Realm, and now they were throwing their weight around in the lower world as well.
If he had not been occupied with more pressing matters—fighting his way out and holding back those three old monsters—he would have returned long ago to settle the score. He would have crushed the Wang family and that old relic Wang Changsheng with his own hands.
Soon, however, he noticed something was off. Ye Chen showed no sign of resentment. Moreover, although the young man's aura was restrained, it could not hide from his eyes. Ye Chen's combat strength far surpassed that of the Wang family woman before him.
So, had Ye Chen willingly stepped aside? But how had this kid become so powerful?
When he himself had stood at the peak of the Quasi-Immortal realm, his strength had been terrifying. He had slain a true Immortal with what appeared to be his full power, even borrowing the remnants of an ancient formation. In truth, he had still held cards in reserve, hoping to lure stronger foes downward. Unfortunately, the bait had failed.
In any case, he had been overwhelmingly strong back then. That was why he had looked forward to teaching Ye Chen a lesson once the boy reached the Quasi-Immortal realm—to show him that geniuses were as common as rain across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, where the essence of countless realms gathered. True prodigies were beyond counting, and Ye Chen should not grow arrogant.
Yet now, it seemed that lesson would have to wait.
For this encounter, he would educate the woman in front of him and let Ye Chen watch.
The next moment, the Heavenly Emperor's imprint grew serious. His fists carried an overwhelming, tyrannical might that swept across the heavens, as if ready to drag the entire world into reincarnation and reshape it anew.
Wang Xuanji's expression changed drastically. She had believed that even the Heavenly Emperor, while still in the Quasi-Immortal realm, would have to concede defeat against her current self. But what was happening?
After fighting for half a day, Wang Xuanji's face turned deathly pale. Much of her earlier confidence had vanished.
The Heavenly Emperor's imprint gave her a calm glance, then drifted away and dispersed.
Wang Xuanji watched the imprint fade and let out a long breath. A hint of doubt crossed her eyes, yet she also felt it was only natural. After all, her opponent was the Heavenly Emperor—the most monstrous and terrifying existence in the history of the Immortal Realm. Losing to him in the same realm was perfectly reasonable. It could even be considered an honor.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen stared at the vanishing imprint with a frown, looking somewhat stunned.