Chapter 1080: Ye Chen Is the Most Important!
Earlier, Ye Chen had publicly praised Lan Nuo in front of everyone and even credited her with the Supreme Art. That alone had excited her beyond words. Now, with Immortal Qi being handed out as if it were worthless, Lan Nuo felt utterly intoxicated. She pressed herself tightly against Ye Chen, eager to thank her Master with all her heart and comfort him.
Ye Chen was eager to ascend and had intended to refuse. However, seeing the longing, almost melting look in Lan Nuo's eyes, he could not bring himself to say no. Only after a full week did he finally leave the Lan Family.
On the way, Ye Chen could not help sighing. He felt his willpower was too weak. The Immortal Realm might collapse at any moment, yet he kept delaying his own development and ascension. Next time, he had to stay firm.
Next, Ye Chen headed straight for the Nether God Holy Land, where he met the calm Su Yuxuan and the anxious Manjusaka. After he sent a strand of Immortal Qi into each of their inner worlds, Su Yuxuan smiled at her Master. No words were needed; some things were understood in silence.
Manjusaka was completely stunned. While doubting her own eyes, she felt excitement surge through her. She looked at Ye Chen as if he were a deity. Ye Chen had given her a new body and now another chance to ascend. Her gratitude nearly overflowed.
When asked about their plans, Su Yuxuan chose to explore the Immortal Realm on her own first. If she could not make a name for herself, she would seek out Ye Chen later. Since she had always been independent, Ye Chen did not insist.
Just as he was about to leave, Su Yuxuan lifted her delicate foot while Manjusaka held a tool and both approached to thank him properly.
Ye Chen insisted he truly needed to prepare for ascension and could not delay any longer. In the end, he could not resist the master-disciple pair's enthusiasm.
Ten days later, Ye Chen flew out of the Nether God Holy Land and headed for the Heavenly Emperor Hall.
On the way this time, he made up his mind: he would no longer let worldly matters hold him back. He had to remain resolute…
…
Inside the Heavenly Emperor Hall, the golden-robed elder sighed toward the sky. "Success because of deep affection, failure also because of deep affection… If I had known earlier, I should have let you go to the Ninth Realm. The World Tree might have been yours then."
Yan Qingcheng shook her head gently. "If I gain it, it is my fortune. If I lose it, it is my fate. Father, there is no need to dwell on it."
The golden-robed elder sighed again. He could not bear the thought of his daughter remaining trapped in this realm. Although the Heavenly Emperor Hall had no presence in the Immortal Realm and the Heavenly Emperor had many enemies there—especially among the surrender faction, where the Heavenly Emperor stood as a pillar of the resistance—his daughter would still need to start from scratch and join a major power to seek opportunities. Only by entering the Immortal Realm could she have even a slim chance of survival. Staying behind meant certain death.
The ascension opportunity had been right in front of them, yet Ye Chen had personally given the World Tree to a female pride from the Immortal Realm, only to end up with nothing. The golden-robed elder found it hard to accept. He muttered bitterly, "The next time I see Ye Chen, I must criticize him properly. Not every female cultivator is as clear about gratitude and grudges as my daughter. How could he give away the World Tree that concerned his own ascension?"
Before he could say more, Ye Chen arrived. His aura swept over them, instantly alerting both.
Before the golden-robed elder could react, Yan Qingcheng had already flown out to comfort Ye Chen. Even though he could no longer ascend, she felt no disappointment. She only hoped he would not sink into depression because of the betrayal.
The golden-robed elder flew out as well, intending to have a serious talk with his son-in-law and point out the critical mistake he had made at the final moment. But the moment he opened his mouth, his eyes widened dramatically.
He had sensed a strand of Immortal Qi appearing inside his body.
This…
The golden-robed elder stared at Ye Chen in disbelief.
Ye Chen smiled faintly. "After gaining control of the Jianmu Heart, my understanding of the world deepened. I suddenly discovered a way to draw Immortal Qi from the Immortal Realm. Naturally, I had to show my respect to Senior with a strand. Please don't stand on ceremony. Once you ascend, bring whoever you wish."
The golden-robed elder did not hesitate. He immediately prepared a tea set and began brewing tea for Ye Chen. "Son-in-law, you must be tired after your journey. Come, sit and have some tea."
Ye Chen chuckled. He then turned to Yan Qingcheng and asked whether she wanted to stay with him or explore the Immortal Realm on her own after ascending.
Yan Qingcheng shook her head. "Advancing the Chaos Body through personal comprehension is extremely difficult. There must be those in the Immortal Realm who have succeeded. I wish to travel and temper myself to elevate my physique. The gap between us is growing larger, and I don't want to stay behind in the Heavenly Emperor Hall while you fight great battles in the future."
She was not the type of woman who wished to be kept like a canary. She had her own ambitions.
Ye Chen smiled. Of course he wanted all his women to stay inside his inner world, lively and together. But his Dao companions were living, breathing people with their own wills. He could not force them to remain by his side forever. They might not refuse, but they would never be truly happy either.
He said nothing more. Instead, he took out a token and placed it in Yan Qingcheng's hand.
Yan Qingcheng was slightly stunned.
"This is the token Yan Ruyu gave me," Ye Chen explained. "It allows direct entry into the Chaos Sect. To be honest, I don't know much about the sect myself. But the ancestor of the Peacock Clan originally pursued the path of transforming divine light into chaos and obtained this token through great effort. The Chaos Sect likely possesses deep insights into the Dao of Chaos. It should be helpful to you."
Yan Qingcheng's eyes reddened slightly. She had been worried that insisting on venturing out alone might upset Ye Chen. Instead, not only did he not try to dissuade her, he even gave her the token Yan Ruyu had gifted him to pave the way for her.
Ye Chen truly loved her.
Beside them, the golden-robed elder was also shocked. "The Chaos Sect? That is an ancient top-tier power. It once produced an Immortal King who comprehended the Great Chaos Art and possessed terrifying combat strength. For some unknown reason, it later left the Immortal Realm, and no Immortal King has emerged from it since. This happened long before the Heavenly Emperor's era—I only read about it in ancient texts. However, the Chaos Sect possesses the Great Void Chaos Scripture, an Immortal King scripture.
"You should know that great daos cannot be directly taught. Even an Immortal King who controls a great dao cannot pass it on directly, so they create Immortal King scriptures instead. These scriptures do not contain the full dao, but they hold traces of it. If an immortal possesses sufficient talent, they can comprehend the great dao from within. For immortals, Immortal King scriptures represent the easiest path to grasping one of the three thousand great daos.
"Of course, great daos are incredibly difficult to comprehend. Even with an Immortal King scripture, only a handful of people can truly succeed. But if Qingcheng joins the Chaos Sect and manages to cultivate the Great Void Chaos Scripture, she has a chance to comprehend the Chaos Dao—one of the top ten great daos among the three thousand."
Chapter 1081: Ye Chen, You Can't Indulge Yourself Any Longer!
The golden-robed elder had never been to the Immortal Realm, but when the Jianmu Tree still connected the realms, the Heavenly Emperor had dominated the cultivation world unchallenged. Enemies fell from the sky daily. Coupled with the frequent exchanges between the Immortal Realm and the cultivation world, the Heavenly Emperor Hall had preserved many ancient texts related to the Immortal Realm.
The golden-robed elder had long been planning a future path for his daughter and was therefore quite familiar with the Chaos Sect, which could help advance a Chaos Body into an Immortal Body. He had even considered ways to send his daughter there in the future. He had never expected his son-in-law to deliver the opportunity directly.
This son-in-law was truly thoughtful.
The golden-robed elder looked at his daughter Yan Qingcheng with a serious expression. "Qingcheng, you must always remember to be grateful. Never forget Ye Chen's help. Even if you become powerful in the future, you must not change like Wang Xuanji—fickle and ungrateful. If you do, don't acknowledge me as your father anymore. I cannot afford to lose face like that."
Although the golden-robed elder had his own selfish motives regarding the Heavenly Emperor Hall and wished to keep the position within the Yan family, he was not a bad person.
Yan Qingcheng smiled upon hearing his words. "Father, rest assured. Ye Chen has long been the most important person in my heart. No one can compare to him. After meeting Ye Chen, no one else has ever entered my eyes."
The golden-robed elder: "…"
No one could compare? What about him?
While he was pleased by his daughter's sense of gratitude, her answer still stung a little.
…
Ye Chen naturally understood just how deep Yan Qingcheng's gratitude ran. There was no need to doubt it. He had given the Chaos Sect token to her instead of Yi Qingwu because their paths differed. His fiancée relied on devouring to advance her Immortal Body and transcend mortality, while Yan Qingcheng was born with the Chaos Body. Under such circumstances, the token was most suitable for her.
At the same time, a system notification sounded in Ye Chen's mind.
"Congratulations, Host. Gift successfully given…"
"Gift: Chaos Sect Inner Disciple Token!"
"Feedback in progress…"
"Nine-thousandfold feedback in progress…"
"Detected that the gift holds extreme importance to the recipient…"
"Triggering maximum critical hit feedback!"
"Feedback: Jade Pool Immortal Sect Direct Disciple Token!"
???
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at the feedback. Wasn't the Jade Pool Holy Land a sect that only accepted female cultivators and never married outsiders? That was why the Eight-Crown King and the others had been rejected.
Ye Chen had barely encountered anyone from Jade Pool Holy Land before. It was said that the Western Empress had ascended to the Immortal Realm and become an Immortal King, founding her own immortal sect. However, during the era when she rose, humans were lowly, and human female cultivators were even lower in status. She had established a female-only sect to elevate the position of female cultivators.
It sounded somewhat extreme, but after learning about the Western Empress's history, Ye Chen knew she was not like those radical figures from Earth. She simply believed that female cultivators could be as strong as males, rather than demanding special treatment.
The cultivation world therefore held no ill will toward the Jade Pool Immortal Sect. Since it was founded by the Western Empress, it was most likely a female-only sect. How could he, a man, join?
Somewhat confused, Ye Chen continued reading.
"Jade Pool Immortal Sect Direct Disciple Token: Holding this token and demonstrating sufficient talent while revealing one's background allows one to become the direct disciple of an Immortal Monarch…"
The brief description made Ye Chen frown. A direct disciple under an Immortal Monarch? Did that mean the Jade Pool Immortal Sect had no Immortal King? It seemed about the same level as the Supreme Hall—somewhat underwhelming.
Ye Chen still preferred to hug a powerful thigh for stable development. Like how he had relied on his Master at the beginning, then Senior An, Eldest Senior Brother, Elder Mo, the Holy Master, and so on. Having a powerful backer would allow him to grow peacefully. The Immortal Realm was so chaotic; without an Immortal King as a backer, he simply did not feel secure enough.
Ye Chen turned to the golden-robed elder and asked, "Senior, do you know anything about the Jade Pool Immortal Sect?"
The golden-robed elder frowned slightly. "The Jade Pool Immortal Sect was founded by the Western Empress. During the Heavenly Emperor's era, she was at the height of her power and considered a strong figure even among Immortal Kings. What happened after that, I do not know. But with her strength, the Jade Pool Immortal Sect is certainly no ordinary power."
His information was outdated, coming from a million years ago. Ye Chen decided to ask the Holy Master once he returned. The Holy Master's origins were mysterious, and he was most likely a true immortal. He should have a much clearer understanding of the Immortal Realm and could help him decide between the Jade Pool Immortal Sect and the Supreme Hall.
…
With everything settled, Ye Chen was determined to leave this time.
Yan Qingcheng did not try to hold him back. She only asked to see him off. Far away from the Heavenly Emperor Hall, under the light of countless stars, she wrapped her arms around him, her gratitude overflowing.
Under such circumstances, what else could Ye Chen do? He could only help her resolve that surging gratitude.
…
Five days later, as Ye Chen flew toward the Myriad Races Immortal City, he made up his mind. This time, he would distribute the Immortal Qi and leave immediately.
Yao Yuezhi planned to head to the Demon Domain. The Heavenly Demon Clan had ancestors in the Immortal Realm who could help her advance further. Yan Wenwen, on the other hand, intended to follow Yan Ruyu to the Buddhist Domain. She knew her own limits and understood that she could not keep Ye Chen's love forever on her own. Following Yan Ruyu would at least allow her to share in some happiness.
Ye Chen did not try to persuade them otherwise. With his talent, he believed he would soon reach the peak of the Immortal Realm and could easily protect everyone. Whether they stayed by his side or not would no longer be an issue.
He had originally planned to leave quickly, but Yao Yuezhi, fearing he would not enjoy himself fully, had drunk several bowls of powerful tonic soup in advance. Her fire burned hot. Ye Chen could not simply watch her suffer.
Yan Wenwen, upon learning Ye Chen had gone to the Heavenly Demon Clan's residence, had prepared everything early. She had even set up formations outside the city and made the little Peacock King cultivate at the city gates.
In the end, Ye Chen stayed in the Myriad Races Immortal City for more than half a month before shaking his head and leaving. He secretly swore in his heart that next time he would definitely firm up his Dao heart, stop delaying, and ascend as quickly as possible. He could not keep indulging himself like this just because he usually worked hard. He had to strive harder!
…
When he arrived at the Heavenly Desire Sect, all five women had reached the peak of the Quasi-Immortal realm. In terms of the number of Quasi-Immortals, the Heavenly Desire Sect likely ranked first in the entire cultivation world.
However, Fan Qinghe and the others across five generations had a clear understanding of their own strength. They were not suited for combat. Even after Ye Chen gave each of them a strand of Immortal Qi, they chose to follow him.
They did not know whether the Heavenly Desire Sect had any ancestors in the Immortal Realm. They would find out once they arrived.
Ye Chen was also unwilling to let the five of them wander the Immortal Realm alone. With their allure and lack of background, they would likely be captured as cauldrons within days. He had no intention of wearing a green hat. He told them to pack up and head to the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land to find him in a few days.
He had wanted to leave cleanly, but the five women prepared an unprecedented display of gratitude. Four of them lay like white jade around Fan Qinghe, who glowed like amber in the center. Each wore special props—bells tinkling softly, tails swaying gently—while their eyes burned with pitiful yet scorching longing and reluctance.
Ye Chen…