Chapter 1074: Ye Chen Will Regret This!
Wang Xuanji's killing intent surged.
Ye Chen narrowed his eyes and said nothing in response. However, Wang Xuanji's body trembled slightly. The black-haired young man standing before her suddenly radiated a terrifying murderous aura that even made her heart shudder.
Her expression changed. She was not afraid. She had already ascended and possessed the World Tree. No matter how heaven-defying Ye Chen was, he could not possibly be her match. She simply felt a chill in her heart.
She had considered everything for Ye Chen's sake, paving the way for him and pointing out the right direction. She had done all of this for his own good. Yet because of this, Ye Chen had shown killing intent toward her.
At that moment, the warmth in Wang Xuanji's heart—sparked by Ye Chen's deep affection—grew cold.
She stared deeply at him, carefully studying his handsome yet resolute face. Finally, she shook her head gently. "Since you insist on this, I will say no more. You can stay in this realm. With your personality, you will never survive in the current immortal realm. So be it."
With those words, Wang Xuanji let out a soft sigh. She knew that Ye Chen would regret this decision one day. But her heart was tired, and she no longer wished to speak.
She raised her hand lightly. True immortal power surged as strands of immortal light gathered in the sky, forming a portal.
Dressed in fluttering azure robes, Wang Xuanji ascended gracefully like a celestial being climbing heavenly stairs. In the eyes of all the spectators, it was a breathtakingly beautiful scene of an immortal fairy returning to her rightful realm.
She walked slowly, step by step.
When she reached the immortal gate, she still had not heard Ye Chen's voice. She couldn't help but glance back at him.
Ye Chen was looking at her as well.
Wang Xuanji sighed again. Her peerlessly beautiful face shook slightly. Her red lips parted, but in the end, she said nothing. She took one final step and entered the immortal gate.
The moment her figure disappeared inside, the gate rapidly faded and vanished into nothingness.
A heavy silence fell over the Ninth Realm.
Inside the passage, Wang Xuanji gazed at the colorful, ever-shifting void. Her exquisite face, illuminated by immortal light, appeared even more breathtaking.
She would not give up on Ye Chen so easily. He was different and had left a deep mark in her heart. But he was too stubborn and too deeply affectionate. For the sake of his Dao companions, he would rather stay behind.
Such a personality was not suited for the current immortal realm. No matter how high his talent was, he might fall before he could fully grow.
Therefore, letting him remain in this lower world for now to temper his character was actually the best choice.
She was destined to become an Immortal King. When that day came, she would pay whatever price necessary to pull Ye Chen into the immortal realm. At that time, he would finally understand her painstaking efforts and realize how naïve and childish his decision today had been.
As for the Heart of the Jianmu Tree, she had not taken it, but she felt at ease knowing it was in Ye Chen's hands. Once she became an Immortal King and brought him up, she would naturally obtain it as well—an extra safeguard for her family.
…
Wang Xuanji had left.
The Ninth Realm fell into silence.
Many cultivators stared at Ye Chen with complex expressions—admiration, regret, and no small amount of schadenfreude.
For years, the title of "Heavenly Emperor's heir is a simp" had spread throughout the cultivation world. Yet the more he fawned, the more rewards he seemed to gain, leaving others bitterly envious.
Now, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had finally crashed and burned. The mature World Tree he had painstakingly cultivated ended up as someone else's wedding gown. While another ascended to immortality, he remained trapped in this realm. It was nothing short of a tragedy.
Thus, plenty of people took pleasure in his misfortune. No matter how peerless a genius he was, he would now grow old and die in this world like the rest of them, never to become an immortal. Men truly should not play the simp. True strength was what mattered most.
The Eight-Crown King stepped forward and patted Ye Chen on the shoulder.
Although he too had missed his chance to enter the Immortal Realm because of Ye Chen's devotion, and his original plans had been thrown into disarray, his face showed neither resentment nor unwillingness. Instead, he smiled and said, "That woman didn't look like a good person. Her family behind her is probably even more troublesome. Going with her might have brought more trouble than fortune."
"I'll keep searching for ways to enter the Immortal Realm in the cultivation world. Ascending isn't the only path. If that fails, I'll spend a few years fully comprehending the Supreme Art. Then the two of us can join forces and try to smash our way straight into the Immortal Realm. By then, there will be no quota restrictions, and you can bring your Dao companion with you."
Ye Chen laughed at his words. He hadn't expected the Eight-Crown King to comfort him. This man truly possessed an imposing and charismatic presence.
Ye Chen nodded calmly. "Entering the Immortal Realm won't be difficult. I will honor what I promised you. Fellow Daoist Qin, focus on cultivating the Supreme Art in peace. Once I resolve the issues here, I will contact you."
The Eight-Crown King looked slightly stunned, curiosity flashing in his eyes. Ye Chen's demeanor did not seem like a joke. Could he truly have a backup plan?
While he pondered, a graceful figure streaked toward them from afar. Nine-colored divine light wheeled behind her, constantly shattering the void with terrifying power.
The Eight-Crown King raised an eyebrow and gazed into the distance with mild surprise. "There is actually such a being in the cultivation world? This era has truly become lively."
Ye Chen turned to look as well. Although he could not yet see her clearly, a notification had already sounded in his mind, revealing the newcomer's identity.
"Detected change in gift recipient multiplier…"
"Yan Ruyu: thirty thousand times!"
Ye Chen's brow twitched slightly. Yan Ruyu's multiplier had risen by another ten thousand from the previous twenty thousand. It seemed her gains this time had been substantial.
Her bearing was flawless. Even after rushing here for several days, she still appeared noble and elegant when she stopped.
Upon seeing Ye Chen, Yan Ruyu smiled gently, visibly relieved. But she soon furrowed her elegant brows and glanced around with a trace of confusion.
Why was Ye Chen still at the Quasi-Immortal realm? There were no True Immortals around either. Who had undergone tribulation earlier? Who had ascended? Hadn't they obtained Immortal Qi and accelerated the ripening of the World Tree? What exactly was going on?
Yan Ruyu stood before Ye Chen, puzzled.
"I thought Fellow Daoist Ye had ascended, so I hurried over to share some information with you and bid farewell. But… why is this the case?"
Her voice rang out like celestial music, filled with confusion.
Ye Chen smiled. He figured she had rushed here for the Immortal Realm quota. Still, he did not expose her. He simply recounted calmly how he had given the World Tree to Wang Xuanji, allowing her to ascend alone.
Yan Ruyu's eyes widened instantly. Her long, fan-like lashes trembled.
Chapter 1075: I Was Too Selfish!
Wang Xuanji's departure left Yan Ruyu stunned. She had not expected Ye Chen to give away the World Tree.
Yet after a moment, she recalled everything she had received from him and found it perfectly in character. Ye Chen had always been utterly sincere and generous toward the female cultivators he admired. Wang Xuanji possessed peerless beauty and an exceptional temperament, so it was not surprising that he had favored her enough to gift her the World Tree.
Even so, Yan Ruyu felt a pang of sorrow for him. Ye Chen had poured his heart and soul into the relationship, only for the other party to ascend and leave him behind without a second thought, abandoning him in this realm.
She asked herself: if the person she loved treated her that way, she would feel even more heartbroken.
With Wang Xuanji gone, however, she could now help Ye Chen. She still possessed a strand of Immortal Qi and could bring him to the Immortal Realm.
Yet Yan Ruyu hesitated.
Given Ye Chen's genuine feelings for her, the right thing would be to hand the Immortal Qi to him, let him ascend, and have him take her along. That would make him happier.
But Wang Xuanji's example loomed large. What if Ye Chen did not love her enough? After all, they had not spent much time together, and his other Dao companions shared far deeper bonds with him. With only eight slots available, what if he chose to abandon her after ascending? She would be left stranded in this world, unable to fulfill any of the plans her ancestor had left for her, and forced to grow old here.
Perhaps it would be safer for her to ascend instead. She could keep control, give Ye Chen all the slots except the one reserved for Yan Wenwen, and hide the Immortal Qi from him. But that would mean deceiving him, and she could not bring herself to repay his honesty and generosity with lies.
Yan Ruyu fell into deep conflict.
Moments later, she bit her lip. Although Ye Chen appeared calm, she knew he was forcing himself to hold it together. After all, he had willingly given away even the World Tree. That alone proved how deeply he had loved Wang Xuanji. Her cold departure must have wounded him terribly.
In such a situation, secretly ascending while guarding against him would only hurt him more, even if she later gave him the slots.
She remembered how she had once publicly rejected him and humiliated him in front of everyone. Her delicate jade-like hand tightened into a fist. She had already made one mistake; she could not make another.
Most importantly, Ye Chen had given her his true heart. She had to respond in kind and show him that not every female cultivator was like Wang Xuanji.
With that thought, Yan Ruyu gazed at Ye Chen with firm, beautiful eyes. "Fellow Daoist Ye, there is something I must tell you…"
Before she could finish, Ye Chen smiled gently and took out an item, offering it to her.
"Although I can no longer bring you to the Immortal Realm, please keep the Heart of the Jianmu Tree. It may prove useful for your future cultivation."
The next moment, the jade-like heart of the Jianmu Tree floated before Yan Ruyu.
Yan Ruyu froze.
She stared at the Heart of the Jianmu Tree, her pupils contracting as her delicate body trembled slightly. The item was immensely valuable to her—to anyone, really. While it might be slightly less precious than the World Tree for cultivators, the difference was marginal. This was the heart of the ancient Jianmu Tree that had once supported the heavens and connected countless realms.
With it, her comprehension of the Dao of Space would advance unimaginably. If she could fully grasp its secrets, she would gain another path to becoming an Immortal King. Beyond that, the ancestral records mentioned its extraordinary ability to convert and purify energy. After all, the Immortal Qi of many lesser worlds had once flowed through the Jianmu Tree.
Possessing this heart would greatly increase her chances of fusing the nine-colored divine light into the all-encompassing Salvation Light. Yet none of these benefits were the main reason for her intense emotions.
What truly moved her was that Ye Chen, despite having just been betrayed and abandoned by Wang Xuanji, had still handed her the Jianmu Heart without hesitation. The gentle, apologetic smile on his face pierced her heart.
He loved her so deeply that he even felt guilty for failing to bring her to the Immortal Realm after the unexpected turn of events. And what had she been doing? Worrying whether he would give her an ascension slot.
She was unworthy of his love. She was truly despicable.
This time, Yan Ruyu hesitated no longer. Knowing she could not refuse his gift, she accepted the Jianmu Heart without any polite refusal and clasped it firmly in her hand.
This surprised Ye Chen, who had been prepared for her to decline at least once.
Holding the heart, Yan Ruyu's beautiful eyes shimmered with moisture. She gazed earnestly at him and said, "Since Fellow Daoist Ye has given me a treasure, I will accept it. Therefore, you must not refuse the treasure I give you in return!"
Ye Chen blinked in surprise as she took out a jade bottle and offered it to him.
Curious, he accepted the bottle with a smile. "If Fairy Yan has prepared a gift for me, I'm overjoyed. How could I possibly refuse?"
Seeing him accept it, Yan Ruyu smiled as well. "In that case, I will keep the Jianmu Heart too. I'm very happy to receive Fellow Daoist Ye's gift!"
She added gently, "Why don't you open it and see what's inside?"
She wanted to make him happy. She wanted him to know that he was not the only one willing to give everything for the person he loved. Someone was ready to do the same for him—handing over complete control of her ascension without reservation.
Ye Chen grew even more curious.
At that moment, a system notification sounded in his mind.
"Congratulations, Host. Gift successfully given…"
"Gift: Withered Heart of the Jianmu Tree!"
"Thirty-thousandfold feedback in progress…"
"Detected that the gift holds extreme importance to the recipient…"
"Detected overwhelming gratitude from the recipient…"
"Triggering maximum critical hit feedback…"
"Triggering Heart Strike feedback…"
"Feedback: Jianmu Sapling…"
"Jianmu: it could take root in the river of time, absorb nutrients, and when mature, connect all realms while supporting the universe itself. Planting it within one's inner world would free the owner from any world's restrictions. Even if the outer world was destroyed, the inner world would remain. The owner could wander across realms indefinitely…"
"The Jianmu Tree could draw power from myriad worlds, gathering immortal and spiritual energy into vortices that accelerated cultivation and continuously strengthened the inner world. It granted immunity to all barriers, seals, and formations. At maturity, it wielded the power of time—allowing one to glimpse the past and future, return to a past point without changing it, and control time flow up to ten thousand years per day. Its sap could strengthen the body, transform environments, circulate spiritual Qi, protect the soul, and much more."