Chapter 1086: The Dragon Has Nine Sons!
"Congratulations, Host. Gift successfully given…"
"Gift: Tamed Purple-Gold Divine Dragon!"
"Fifty-thousandfold feedback in progress…"
"Detected that the gift holds extreme importance to the recipient…"
"Triggering maximum critical hit feedback…"
"Triggering Heartfelt Strike feedback…"
"Feedback: Ancestral Dragon Egg!"
Ye Chen smiled slightly as he read the system feedback. Last time, when he had tried to gift a captive, the system had forbidden human trafficking. He had been somewhat worried that gifting the purple-gold divine dragon would not trigger any reward. He was glad it had worked. Whether it was because the dragon was not human or because the brand had been applied, the result was what mattered.
However, after seeing the content of the reward, Ye Chen frowned. Instead of directly giving him a top-tier divine beast, the system had rewarded him with an egg—an Ancestral Dragon Egg.
Recalling how the purple-gold divine dragon had claimed his clan was only slightly inferior to the Ancestral Dragon, Ye Chen had thought little of it. Moreover, an egg could not provide immediate help, which left him somewhat disappointed.
But once he read the full description of the Ancestral Dragon Egg, his attitude changed completely.
"Ancestral Dragon Egg: The Ancestral Dragon is the progenitor race of all dragons. Every dragon in existence carries the bloodline of the Ancestral Dragon. After the death of the current Ancestral Dragon, its bloodline origin will give birth to nine sons."
"Each son of the Ancestral Dragon is born as an Immortal King and masters the Dao of the Dragon. The nine sons compete against one another, and the sole victor who gathers the daos from all nine bloodlines can become the new Ancestral Dragon, surpassing the Immortal King realm…"
"The Ancestral Dragon can influence the operation of worlds, command order itself, and remains eternal across eternity. Its true body spans the endless universe; every action it takes can affect countless worlds."
After reading the description, Ye Chen's expression changed entirely. Even the way he looked at the purple-gold divine dragon was different now.
Born as an Immortal King who controlled an entire great dao? And you claim your Purple-Gold Divine Dragon clan is only "slightly" inferior to the Ancestral Dragon? That "slight" gap probably spanned countless universes.
Even more outrageous was that the sons of the Ancestral Dragon fought like gu insects. If one succeeded, it would stand above Immortal Kings.
Even Ye Chen felt a twinge of envy after reading this. Compared to the son of an Ancestral Dragon, he felt like someone born in a rural village versus someone born in a grand courtyard beside the imperial palace.
Still, as he looked at the Ancestral Dragon Egg rewarded by the system, Ye Chen found it increasingly pleasing to the eye. Perhaps because it was a system reward, he felt a natural sense of closeness toward it, even without any brand. It was a reassuring, worry-free closeness.
This improved his mood considerably. Once the son of the Ancestral Dragon hatched, he would essentially have an Immortal King-level bodyguard. Wouldn't he be able to walk sideways in the Immortal Realm?
And if one day this son defeated its eight siblings and became the true Ancestral Dragon, he would soar to unimaginable heights.
What Ye Chen hoped for most right now was that the being inside this egg would be female. If so, he could shower her with gifts and help her grow rapidly. The future Immortal Realm would truly be his to roam freely.
However, another piece of information hidden in the system description made Ye Chen frown. The Ancestral Dragon had to die for the nine sons to be born. Since the Ancestral Dragon stood above Immortal Kings and was supposed to be eternal and indestructible, what kind of existence could kill it?
Ye Chen furrowed his brows. The waters of the Immortal Realm seemed far deeper than he had imagined. He had originally planned to keep a low profile, develop steadily, and rise again once he reached the Immortal King realm. Now it appeared that even Immortal Kings might not be enough.
Once he reached the Immortal Realm, it would be best to stay low-key.
While pondering, Ye Chen sent the Ancestral Dragon Egg into his inner world. The egg seemed to possess its own spirit. It flew around for a moment before settling comfortably atop the Jianmu Tree's massive canopy that blotted out the sky, quietly absorbing endless divine radiance.
The Seven-Colored Nirvana Jade Holy Spirit in the pond trembled slightly, clearly displeased that something had come to compete for resources in its territory. It released its aura, intending to drive the egg away. This was its home; it would not tolerate outsiders.
However, the Ancestral Dragon Egg merely vibrated gently, and the Seven-Colored Nirvana Jade immediately stopped trembling. It was not afraid—this was its own world, after all. It simply realized that the inner world's foundation was deep enough that one more freeloader would not affect it. There was no need to fight over this. Its own nurturing was far more important. The feeling that it might be crushed with just a single movement from the egg had absolutely nothing to do with its decision.
Luo Bingling and Lu Jing in the inner world only glanced up briefly before losing interest. Ye Chen's inner world already contained countless strange and extraordinary things. A single egg was hardly anything new.
…
Yan Ruyu's temperament was ever-changing, but what stood out most was her noble and untouchable grace, the kind that left others without even the courage to challenge her. Yet now she was being exceptionally proactive.
Even so, after everything he had been through recently, Ye Chen felt somewhat exhausted. For the time being, he only wanted to rest and take things easy. There would be plenty of time in the future.
He spoke gently, "After comprehending the Jianmu Tree, I gained some insights. Extracting Immortal Qi is no longer a problem. Your first day as an immortal is almost over. You can only remain in this realm for three days, so time is limited. Yan Wenwen wants to follow you to the Immortal Realm and head to the Buddhist Domain. She also hopes to bring the little Peacock King with her. You should set off now."
As he spoke, Ye Chen handed her two strands of Immortal Qi. "Give these to whoever you wish."
Yan Ruyu's eyes widened, her pupils contracting with disbelief. Ye Chen could now extract Immortal Qi directly from the Immortal Realm? That was simply outrageous. Even after refining the Jianmu Heart, she could not do such a thing.
Deep admiration filled her gaze. She had always known there was a gap between them, but she had never imagined it could be this vast. While this made her even more reluctant to leave, she could not help sighing for those who had died fighting over ascension opportunities. With Ye Chen's personality, if Immortal Qi was truly so easy for him to obtain, those people could have traded treasures or female cultivators that caught his interest for a chance to ascend. Especially the Celestial Prince—if he had not provoked Ye Chen, the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan's foundation might have been enough to secure an ascension opportunity.
A myriad of emotions surged through Yan Ruyu's heart. Still, she knew she could not stay in this realm indefinitely.
She straightened her graceful legs, leaned forward, and pressed her cherry lips against Ye Chen's in a deep kiss, pouring all her gratitude and admiration into him.
The purple-gold divine dragon rolled his eyes as he watched them tangle tongues, finding the scene utterly boring. He also noticed that Ye Chen's hands were quite busy, though he could not understand what the man was doing.
A thousand breaths later, the two finally separated, their lips still connected by a thin silver thread.
A flush like sunset spread across Yan Ruyu's noble face. She looked at Ye Chen with reluctance and said softly, "The Other Domain is coming. Only Immortal Kings have any chance of survival. I cannot simply drag you down and enjoy your protection forever. Once I become an Immortal King, I will come find you."
Chapter 1087: Fellow Daoist Ye, It's Not Convenient Right Now!
Yan Ruyu had pursued the Dao her entire life and had learned far more about the terrifying Other Domain from her ancestor's ruins. Even ordinary Immortal Kings would struggle to survive the coming catastrophe. Under such circumstances, she could not bear to let Ye Chen shoulder everything alone. She had to stand on her own two feet, become an Immortal King, and fight alongside him to transcend together.
The Buddhist Domain was far away, but as long as she could survive the great calamity, any sacrifice would be worth it. A short separation was necessary for a longer future together.
Therefore, no matter how reluctant she felt, she had to leave and walk her own path to the Immortal King realm.
"Ye Chen, I'm leaving…"
Yan Ruyu's beautiful eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She had a thousand things she wanted to say, but in the end, only a simple farewell left her lips. She still had to go pick up her good sister Yan Wenwen and the others.
Ye Chen smiled and nodded. He gently tidied her slightly disheveled hair and said softly, "I will come visit you in the Buddhist Domain. If anyone bullies you, don't endure it just because you're in an unfamiliar place. I will always be here for you."
Yan Ruyu's face bloomed into a radiant smile. "Will you be going to the Chaos Sect? I'll come find you later."
Ye Chen shook his head. "I'll be joining the Supreme Hall… though it might also be the Jade Pool Immortal Sect."
While he had mostly decided on the Supreme Hall, nothing was set in stone, so he left it open.
Upon hearing the words "Jade Pool Immortal Sect," Yan Ruyu's expression turned slightly strange. But considering Ye Chen's usual style, she found it unsurprising. The Jade Pool Holy Land in the cultivation world had little connection with him, mainly because this generation had no standout talents. The Immortal Realm's version would surely be different. It was perfectly reasonable for Ye Chen to consider it.
"In that case, we will meet again in the future."
After gazing deeply at Ye Chen for several moments, Yan Ruyu turned and left. Nine-colored divine light cleared the way as her figure vanished into the distance in an instant. The Heavenly Evolution Holy Land's grand formation was like nothing before her. After all, she was no ordinary True Immortal—far more powerful than He Duguan or Gu Shan who had descended previously.
After Yan Ruyu departed, the purple-gold divine dragon stood before Ye Chen. Once Ye Chen used the power of reincarnation to erase the Heavenly Emperor's brand within his body, the dragon let out a sigh of relief. He twisted his body and quickly chased after her.
The purple-gold divine dragon had a strange feeling that Ye Chen had been looking at him with a somewhat disdainful gaze. How odd. He was merely a human—how dare he look down on a noble Purple-Gold Divine Dragon? It must have been an illusion.
With the brand removed, the dragon's power began to recover. With Immortal Qi available, he would soon be able to ascend.
Ye Chen watched the purple-gold divine dragon, whose scales had turned a shimmering blue-crystal color, and felt a bit strange. Why had his color changed to something so flashy? Even his five claws seemed to have disappeared. Although his bloodline was nothing special, his appearance was certainly quite eye-catching.
…
With Yan Ruyu gone, Ye Chen did not dwell on it. He flew gracefully toward Senior An's cave residence.
He had not visited his fiancée yet because he had no intention of letting her venture out alone. Since she walked the path of devouring, staying by his side was the best option. He would steal origins to nourish her.
As for Senior An, she might be carrying his child—this was no small matter. For powerful cultivators, conceiving offspring was extremely difficult. Even someone as strong as him had not expected to succeed in one try. Although Ye Chen had never particularly looked forward to having blood descendants, if there was one, he would not ignore it. He secretly hoped it would be a little princess.
Ye Chen arrived at Holy Son Peak in the blink of an eye and landed before Senior An's cave residence. As the stone doors opened, he stepped inside.
"Antie, you're amazing! I want one too. Please help me persuade Uncle! Let me listen to its movements… Oh, it seems to be kicking me…"
Inside the cave residence, An Yuyi bustled about with a mix of surprise and envy.
The usually cold and aloof An Miaoli now showed subtle changes. Her skin glowed with a healthier luster, and she radiated a gentle, maternal softness. She resembled a goddess of mercy who had descended into the mortal world, gaining a touch of worldly warmth that only enhanced her charm.
An Miaoli gently pushed away An Yuyi's head, which had been pressing against her still-flat abdomen, and said with some helplessness, "What are you talking about? It's still so early. It hasn't even taken proper form yet. How could there be any movement?"
Just then, a sound came from the side. Both women turned their heads, their faces lighting up with joy.
Ye Chen had returned.
An Miaoli's smile was gentler and warmer than ever before. Ever since she sensed new life beginning to form within her, she had felt an even deeper connection with Ye Chen.
Ye Chen smiled as well. He placed his hand on An Miaoli's flat abdomen and clearly sensed the bloodline connection. Though they had not seen each other for some time, the two simply gazed at each other and smiled. No words were needed—everything was understood in silence. It felt like an old married couple.
An Yuyi tactfully slipped away and closed the cave residence doors behind her.
Ye Chen gently embraced An Miaoli and told her everything that had happened during this period. When she heard that he could now easily obtain Immortal Qi and ensure everyone could ascend, An Miaoli did not show much joy. Instead, a trace of worry appeared on her face.
"The Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden is terrifying. Her avatar has already reached the Immortal Monarch realm. If she discovers my existence, she will definitely come to fuse with me… I'm very worried. At the very least, we should wait until our child is born. If I accidentally get swallowed and fused, what will happen to our child?
"So I won't go to the Immortal Realm. I'll stay here and wait until you, Fellow Daoist Ye, become strong enough to come get us."
Because of the Seven Extremes Heavenly Maiden, An Miaoli was unwilling to ascend. She wanted to remain in this realm—not for herself, but for the child.
Ye Chen looked at her and felt that her maternal aura was practically overflowing. Still, her concern was valid. There was no need for her to hide in the cultivation world; she could simply stay inside his inner world. Once he established himself in the Immortal Realm, she could continue living peacefully in the sect, quietly nurturing the child. Even if the Seven Extremes avatar was an Immortal Monarch now, she would not be able to casually break into a major power like the Supreme Hall or the Jade Pool Immortal Sect. There was no need to worry too much.
Ye Chen spoke calmly, helping An Miaoli relax. He then generously drew a portion of origin energy from the Primordial Chaos Myriad Worlds Tree and gently pressed it into her abdomen.
Upon learning the benefits of the Primordial Chaos Myriad Worlds Tree's origin energy, An Miaoli was overjoyed. It was wonderful that their child would be born with unparalleled talent. The longer gestation period was nothing—she was more than willing to wait. Moreover, the assurance that even an Immortal King could not erase it completely put her mind at ease. Even if she were someday forcibly fused, their child would still survive.
Only now did An Miaoli truly feel relieved.
But the next moment, sensing Ye Chen's wandering hands, she panicked slightly. "It's still very early in the pregnancy. I'm a little worried… If you really need it, I can help relieve your poison the way I used to?"